of a volcanic eruption. and — a royal gun salute to mark the 75th birthday of king charles. some breaking news about the actor and comedian russell brand. the bbc has set a total of five complaints have been made about his behaviour while he hosted radio shows between 2006 and 2008. two of these complaints have been made in the last two months, that is since a review of his time at the bbc was launched and it is understood those complaints relate to his workplace conduct and are not of a serious sexual nature. the other three were made before he was publicly accused in september of rape and sexual assault. he denies those allegations. 0ne relates to a previously reported allegation of misconduct first made in 2019 while on bbc premises in los angeles in 2008 in the final two allegations a list of incidences. peterjohnson is looking into russell brand's behaviour at the time and weather managers knew about any allegations and what action they took. earlier this year, the comedian and actor was accused of rape and sexual assault between 2006 and 2013. he strongly denies those allegations. more on the story on the bbc news website as well. as the conflict in gaza intensifies, both the palestinians and israelis have been trying to ensure their message is heard by the world. here are some of the latest images which they've made available. these pictures were filmed in rafah, in southern gaza, and distributed by a palestinian news agency. they show people queueing for food at an outdoor kitchen. dozens of children are among those being given a meal. the military wing of hamas — considered a terrorist organisation lets ta ke lets take you to the house of commons where we can listen to a statement about the war from andrew mitchell. figs statement about the war from andrew mitchell. �* , ~ , ., ,, ., mitchell. as minister of state i will follow _ mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the _ mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the precedent - mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the precedent set i will follow the precedent set by successive governments of different parties from lord carrington and lord hume to more recent times when lord hume to more recent times when lord mandelson had served in cabinet from the house of lords. i will deputise for the foreign secretary in this house, making regular statements like today's and respecting the privacy of this house in the normal way. and of course the foreign secretary will appear before the house of lords and relevant committees regularly. mr speaker, the terrible events in israel and gaza have underlined the critical importance of british diplomacy and development work. as is real battles to defeat hamas, the humanitarian situation remains extremely difficult. as the prime minister said last night, israel must respect international humanitarian law. with services and communication in gaza under unprecedented strain, it is difficult to be absolutely certain about how events are unfolding but there are reports we have heard from partners that make clear the appalling loss of life, including amongst children and aid workers. and the situation in hospitals in gaza city, notably al—shifa, is now acute. al—shifa has hundreds of inpatients and was able to offer a set of services unavailable elsewhere in gaza. reports indicate that operations have stopped due to the lack of fuel and supplies and that premature babies have died due to the lack of electricity. fuel is urgently needed to power hospitals as well as desalination plants. hospitals should be places of safety, able to treat patients with compassion. it is distressing to see them unable to do so. every civilian death is heartbreaking. it is impossible to comprehend the pain and loss that innocent palestinians are enduring. as the house knows, since the 7th of october, the government has been engaging intensively with close allies and our partners in the region. since my last update to the house last wednesday, i have met islamic relief on sunday in birmingham who still have humanitarian supplies in gaza, to hear clearly from them about the situation on the ground. and i spoke to martin griffiths, the head this morning and i will travel to the region overnight tonight. the new foreign secretary has discussed the situation with us secretary of state tony blinken will stop the government will be able to draw on his extensive regional experience in the weeks and months ahead but our goal to remain unchanged. as i told the house last week we are focused on getting life—saving aid to those in need in gaza, supporting the safe return of hostages and british nationals, backing israel's right to self—defence and preventing a dangerous regional escalation. 0ur dangerous regional escalation. our efforts have contributed to some delivery of aid via the rafah crossing and over 150 british nationals being able to leave gaza safely. since i spoke to the house last week, more british nationals and families have left and we will continue to offer all the support we can to those british nationals still in gaza so that they can also cross into egypt. as the us knows we have more than doubled our aid to civilians in gaza, committing £30 million and we stand ready to do more. for overa million and we stand ready to do more. for over a week british flights carrying aid have been landing in egypt with shipments including both life—saving items as well as the vital equipment the egyptian red crescent needs to be able to manage donations from across the world effectively. we also are urging the israeli government to increase humanitarian access, including through rafah and by opening up the crossing. at this point we assess that land presently offers the most viable and safe way to get humanitarian aid into gaza in the quantities needed but we are also considering air and maritime options, including through our bases in cyprus. the government has been clear that all parties to a conflict must afford civilians the protection thatis must afford civilians the protection that is their rights under international law. that includes respecting the sanctity of hospitals so that doctors can continue to care for the sick and injured. the events on the 7th of october and hamas's subsequent statements have made clear they are a terrorist group who pose an existential threat to the very idea of an israeli state. israel has a right to defend itself against this terrorist threat, restore their security and bring the hostages home. but there are things israel must do as part of their response. we have impressed this up on the israeli government. they must act within international law. they must take every precaution to minimise civilian casualties, limiting attacks to military targets and they must stop extremist settler violence in the west bank. at the same time, we should be under no illusions hamas have chosen to embed itself within the civilian population, their willingness to sacrifice innocent palestinians in this way only brings home there humanity. alleviating the suffering is our foremost priority. we welcome any initiatives which would allow more aid to be delivered and hostages to be released. we have therefore consistently called for humanitarian causes for our pauses in northern gaza are an important first step but longer pauses that cover wide areas will be needed. we are discussing with the un and other partners how best to achieve this. we must avoid measures which only serve to benefit hamas and allowed them to entrench their position. at them to entrench their position. at the same time, we need all parties to the conflict to abide by any pause, allowing sufficient time and security for civilians to move and aid to be delivered. responding to the immediate crisis, mr speaker, is critical but we also need to do more to create a new political horizon. the whole house knows there is only one answer that has come close to creating peace in these troubled lands, a two state solution. i commend this statement to the house, mr speaker. we commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. . _, commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. ~ u, ., commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. . u, ., ,, ., ., mr speaker. we come to the shadow forei . n mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary _ mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david _ mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david lambie. - mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david lambie. mrl foreign secretary david lambie. speaker, can foreign secretary david lambie. ij�*i' speaker, can i foreign secretary david lambie. m speaker, can i thank the right honourable memberfor speaker, can i thank the right honourable member for advanced sight of his statement. mr speaker, i would have liked to have started by welcoming the new foreign secretary to his place but i can't do that because he isn't here. despite my respect for the right honourable gentleman opposite, he is not the foreign secretary. and we don't know when or how this house will hear from the foreign secretary because he is not a member. mr speaker, david cameron is the seventh foreign secretary in the seventh foreign secretary in the seven years of tory chaos. he was forced to resign in failure over a matter of foreign policy. the prime minister has looked at each of the 350 mp5 minister has looked at each of the 350 mps sitting opposite and decided that none of them was better at representing britain's interests on the world stage. rishi sunak, the prime minister, claimed he was for change. instead he hasjust resurrected yesterday's failure with an honour. this decision raises serious questions for this house but i know that you shared those concerns, mr speaker. at a time of grave international crisis, at a moment of war in europe, with a more assertive china, a climate emergency and a horrifying conflict in gaza, this house needs government accountability more than ever. so will the minister commit to working closely with the speaker to ensure the opposition and all members of parliament can hold the foreign secretary to account? turning to the horrors of gaza, more than 11,000 palestinians have reportedly been killed, with two thirds of the dead being women and children. this is shocking and devastating. every civilian death is an equal tragedy. does the minister agree with me that the number of palestinian civilians and children who have been killed over the past month is intolerable, and does he agree that israel must make changes to the way it is fighting this war by taking urgent concrete steps to protect civilian life. and gravely concerned by the desperate reports from hospitals in northern gaza. these were already overstretched with the wounded, short of fuel and filled with civilians seeking shelter. doctors now forced to make impossible choices as they try to care for the wounded and new bonds without power. some of those newborns have now lost their lives. unbearable. medical establishments have special protection under international law and that they should never be targeted or used as shields. all parties must follow international law, acting with necessity, distinction, proportionality and precaution. allegations of breaches should always be treated with the utmost seriousness. i know the minister said last week that this government supports icc independence as the labour party did, but he failed to answer whether the government recognises its jurisdiction to address the conduct of all parties in gaza. as per mr borisjohnson rejected it and attacked the court, labour recognises the icc�*s jurisdiction. can he clarify his government was never a position today? the answer is in a humanitarian catastrophe, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced, there are desperate shortages of basic essentials, does the minister agree that the short pauses in the north are clearly not enough? gazans need aid now. they need medicine now, they need water now, they need food now, they need fuel now. a full comprehensive and immediate humanitarian pause inviting across the whole of gaza now, to alleviate palestinian suffering and for hamas terrorist to release the hostages. hamas stated aim is to wipe israel off the map. they committed the most brutal attack on jews they committed the most brutal attack onjews since the holocaust, now they're using innocent palestinians as human shields. i would like to register my shop that not every member of this house can say this truth, hamas are terrorists. we must not give up on the narrow openings that keep the prospect of peace alive. that means preventing escalation, condemning violence in the west bank, condemning rocket attacks on israel, creating a future where gaza is not subject to occupation, meanwhile international diplomacy evolves and the facts on the grounds are changing day to day. in relation to both hostages being rescued and hamas's capability to carry out attacks like we saw on october seven. as the leader of the opposition set out, we must move to a full cessation of fighting. the reality is neither the long—term security of israel no long—term justice for palestine can be delivered by bombs and bullets. we must seek a path to a political process that leads to two states, a secure israel and an independent palestine. that was david lambie. you can continue to watch what is happening in the house of commons on the bbc live page up and running on the bbc live page up and running on the website at the moment if you would like to keep across some of the responses there. david lambie responding to andrew mitchell's statement about the war between israel and hamas. statement about the war between israeland hamas. it statement about the war between israel and hamas. it was done by andrew mitchell, not the new foreign secretary, david cameron, that was criticised by david lammy. they call once again for a two state solution. this is bbc news. home to hundreds of voters in wiltshire, all of which are facing a hike in licence fees come april. but those who live by moving their boats up those who live by moving their boats up and down the waterways without a fixed home mooring are also being hit with a new surcharge. something they say amounts to discrimination. to put a surcharge on the people who are on the lowest incomes is just unfair. i am absolutely furious but i'm also very frightened. i am scared that i am going to end up in a situation where i can't afford to licence my home any more and i might have to abandon it. the licence my home any more and i might have to abandon it.— have to abandon it. the new charges are bein: have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought— have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in _ have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by— have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by the - have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by the canal- are being brought in by the canal and river trust, the charity managing the waterways, but it comes at a time when many cruisers say the upkeep is worse than ever. very much the focus of attention today what is happening at the al—shifa hospital in gaza. the allegation from israel is that there is a command and control centre for hamas under the hospital, something they deny. let's have a look at what we know about al—shifa and the military power that is confronting the israel defense forces. joel greenburg is injerusalem for us. what do we actually know, what has been published in the public domain that we can say for sure about al—shifa? it's hard to independently confirm. the israeli army has put out visual material, again not actually on the spot, but they have put out printed material and graphic images which illustrate what they say is the command centre that hamas has under al—shifa hospital but no independent confirmation of that. hamas denies this. that is their claim also about several other hospitals in gaza, there are six in the gaza strip and they are focused more on hospitals in the northern gaza strip. they basically said al—shifa along with others have been used by hamas underground for either command and control operations and even suggesting that a children's hospital may have been used to hold hostages during the current war, underneath the hospital.- hostages during the current war, underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the — underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza _ underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip _ underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip but - underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip but are - control of the gaza strip but are theyin control of the gaza strip but are they in control of the gaza health ministry as well or do they have a degree of independence?- ministry as well or do they have a degree of independence? hamas has overall control _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the ministry. - degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the ministry. the i overall control of the ministry. the ministry also have civil servers that work there professionally but the overall control is from the hamas government, so it's a combination of the government in the gaza strip which is hamas running the ministry from the top, but also other people who are just professional employees of the ministry. professional employees of the minist .~ i, , , i, i, ministry. what is the situation ri . ht ministry. what is the situation riaht now ministry. what is the situation right now in — ministry. what is the situation right now in terms _ ministry. what is the situation right now in terms of - ministry. what is the situation right now in terms of hamas'sj right now in terms of hamas's military capability in gaza? how many fighters do we think are there? various estimates put it at 20 to 40,000 fighters. they have the rockets that they fired at israel, they have a variety of weapons, they don't have artillery and air force but they do have stockpiles of weapons, stockpiles of rockets and a tunnel network that both israel and hamas have talked about. it is definitely a substantial military force in the gaza strip that the israelis are now trying to go after on the ground. find israelis are now trying to go after on the ground-— israelis are now trying to go after on the round. �* , i, , , on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the — on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza _ on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip _ on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip or— on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip or are - all inside the gaza strip or are there some people who are abroad? there is a leadership in gaza, there is the head of the military wing who is the head of the military wing who is considered the most admired of this attack on october seven. there is a political leader in gaza, but the outside leaders, the overall leader of hamas is outside the gaza strip. he has been seen in beirut, moving to qatar and other locations. the top leader is outside.— the top leader is outside. thank you so much for — the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining _ the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. _ the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. more - the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. more from . so much forjoining us. more from the middle east throughout the day. some other stories now. the chief executive of mcdonald's in the uk has been questioned by mps, over allegations of a "toxic" workplace culture at the