released on wednesday, israeli prime minister netanyahu said mr sinwar may not be there, but it's only a matter of time before they find him. for more, middle east correspondent, hugo bachega, sent this update. it was another day of strong warnings from un officials about the situation in gaza. the un human is chief described the situation as apocalyptic. the agency responsible for palestinian refugees said humanitarian assistance in the territory had virtually stopped because of limited delivery of humanitarian aid to gaza. and in a dramatic intervention, the un secretary—general antonio guterres said that the situation in gaza was at risk of humanitarian collapse, saying that the war is causing catastrophe in gaza and that the territory may never recover from that. he also called for a ceasefire in gaza, something that has been rejected by the israeli authorities and also by the biden administration. in gaza, fighting continues and khan younis in the south of the territory is a key target of the israeli forces. this is where the israeli authorities believe that members of the hamas leadership are hiding, the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said israeli tanks were encircling the house of the top hamas leader in gaza, it is unclear whether there is anyone inside this house and the prime minister appeared to be referring to that when he said that the leader may not be in this house, but that it was a matter of time before he was captured. 0bviously, of time before he was captured. obviously, the goal of the israeli military is to eliminate hamas, so capturing or killing the hamas leadership is one of the objectives of the israeli military in gaza. in a rare move, the un's secretary general told the security council it must act immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in gaza. in a letter to the security council's president, antonio guterres warned that the war "may aggravate threats to international peace and security." though he condemned hamas�*s attacks on israel, and called for the remaining hostages to be released, his focus was primarily on the humanitarian crisis in gaza. in response to that letter, israel's ambassador to the un said the chief had reached a "new moral low" — accusing him of bias. following the un chief's letter, israel's security cabinet approved a minimal increase of fuel to enter gaza to prevent a humanitarian collapse. 0ur international editor jeremy bowen reports now on the situation and a warning — you may find some of the images in his report distressing. more palestinian civilians fled south towards the egyptian border after israel declared a brief pause in combat operations. almost two million gazans have fled their homes. israel says it is killing fewer civilians, as the us has requested. the un says nowhere in this tiny territory is safe. this person offers people lifts. he says he has seen casualties in the street with legs or heads blown off, and no—one can reach them. the stream of misery entering the hospital in khan younis does not stop, and neither is growing condemnation from international relief agencies of the pain and death israel is inflicting on gaza's civilians. it's one of the worst assaults on any civilian population in our time and age, according to the norwegian refugee council. as israel's forces push south, their leaders reject that outright. the damage and death, they say, is the fault of hamas for starting this war. israel has given out video of captured weapons it says were found near schools and clinics — more proof, the army insists, that hamas uses civilians as human shields. injerusalem, lynn hastings, a senior un official, said hamas attacks on israel were horrific and atrocious, but now israel has obligations. there are allegations that the un isn't doing enough, but it's up to the government of israel to let us do enough. and right now, the conditions inside of gaza are not permitting us to do ourjob and to deliver humanitarian assistance. should the israelis examine their conscience? i think we should all be examining our conscience in terms what's going on in gaza. and you will have heard many people say, "have we actually lost our humanity in this crisis?" do you think we have? i think some of us have, maybe, yeah. i think the world is not doing enough to end this. israel could end it tomorrow. they could indeed. and in gaza, another dead child gets a last kiss. the bbc freelance who filmed this mass funeral reported it followed an israeli strike on deir al balah which killed 47, including 15 children. nine people are still under the rubble. israel says only force will destroy hamas and save its hostages, but the americans have warned israel that fighting the war this way, killing so many civilians, risks driving palestinians into the arms of hamas — and for israel, that would be a strategic defeat. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. for more on the ongoing conflict and mr gutteres�* renewed calls for a truce i spoke to new york's acting consul general for israel, aviv ezra. thank you for being with us on bbc news. as you know, right now, heavy fighting is taking place across gaza including in the south and according to the united nations, some 600,000 people there have been told to evacuate. we also know that the idf says it reserves the right to strike other targets at its discretion. so how do people know where to go where they will be safe? know where to go where they will be safe ?_ know where to go where they will be safe? ., ~ i. ,., . will be safe? thank you so much for having _ will be safe? thank you so much for having me — will be safe? thank you so much for having me on _ will be safe? thank you so much for having me on your show. - will be safe? thank you so much for having me on your show. as | for having me on your show. as you know, the clear differentiation between what we do and what hamas does is that we make that differentiation between noncombatants and the militant hamas and the idea that we have in mind was to clear safe passages and safe zones where we know for a fact that we will be able to make sure that innocent civilians there will not be heard. we have identified specific areas like that and we have published it in a map that the one hand is interactive but know there are challenges in internet in the gaza strip so we sent out other text messages or leaflets to make sure these locations will be safer innocent civilians because at the end of the day, we have to go after hamas combatants to make sure this does not happen again in terms of the atrocities.- terms of the atrocities. many --eole terms of the atrocities. many peeple have _ terms of the atrocities. many people have been _ terms of the atrocities. many people have been speaking l terms of the atrocities. many| people have been speaking to our correspondence and say they don't know where to go, but they do go to any area of ground for example, we are talking in one area about a tiny patch of land, 600,000 people, is that enough to support their humanitarian needs quiz but we're talking about hundreds of thousands of people congregating in tiny area. ' :: :: , �* people congregating in tiny area. i“, ii , �* . area. 100%, we're looking at that challenge _ area. 10096, we're looking at that challenge very - area. 10096, we're looking at| that challenge very carefully. we want to make sure that we will minimise as much as mckandie hurting any civilians, the humanitarian effort is continuously in action. we are bringing in trucks and convoys of food and water and medical supplies. we are supporting field hospitals that are coming from international sources and we're making sure that even fuel in and even though we know that these kind of support are usually the confiscated or stored by hamas, doesn't really make sense that we will continue fighting with hammers and also supported them with these materials but for us is crucial to make sure the innocent civilians will congregate and as he said, there's a lot of innocent civilians that have paid the price but they need to pinpoint that specific responsibility to hamas who knew exactly what they were doing in embedding themselves behind innocent civilians in schools and hospitals, anywhere there is definitely a war crime. flan hospitals, anywhere there is definitely a war crime.- definitely a war crime. can i 'ust definitely a war crime. can i just asked. _ definitely a war crime. can i just asked, are _ definitely a war crime. can i just asked, are we - definitely a war crime. can i just asked, are we not - definitely a war crime. can i i just asked, are we not beyond that point now because of the un secretary—general is calling for a ceasefire because the humanitarian needs are just so great. antonio guterres has now invoked article 99, saying essentially the humanitarian system could collapse system could colla pse altogether system could collapse altogether in gaza, the conflict threatens international security. shouldn't there be a ceasefire? i want to remind viewers that 0ctober six sc, we had a ceasefire and that was broken by hamas on october the 7th when they attacked us with all the atrocities including raping our women and killing our babies and extracting children from their beds and taking them to hamas, to the gaza strip. we still have 137 of these hostages. humanitarian is a two—way street. we need the red cross to be allowed to visit her hostages. this is something which is unacceptable and once again another war crime, not to speak about the 11,000 rockets that have been showered on our people on an everyday basis. i think humanitarian is a two—way street. we will keep our end of the commitment, we will make sure humanitarian support keeps coming in as much as we can but on the other hand to —— to request a ceasefire, we know the only reason they agreed to the only reason they agreed to the exchange and swap hostages would only be through military pressure and we will make sure that there will —— that's why i want to make sure we will remind to bring these hostages back sooner rather than later and eradicating hamas capability. i and eradicating hamas capability-— and eradicating hamas capability. and eradicating hamas caabili . . ., ., ., ~ capability. i also want to talk about the — capability. i also want to talk about the allegations - capability. i also want to talk about the allegations of - capability. i also want to talk about the allegations of rape and sexual violence you spoke about during the hamas attacks on the 7th of october. with these kind of allegations continuing to come to light, how do you want that to be pursued from an international justice perspective? you know, the gender-based _ justice perspective? you know, the gender-based violence - justice perspective? you know, the gender-based violence and j the gender—based violence and the gender—based violence and the raping and the stories of witnesses that we are receiving of gang raping of ten hamas terrorists against one innocent girl and the last one also executed, is unbelievable, unspeakable, unimaginable. we are talking with our counterparts in all places around the world and i have to tell you that silence is complicity. we need to make sure that the un and all organisations who speak against it, because if we don't speak against it now, all women will be later on exposed to these kind of atrocities, and it's unacceptable that we have a me too unless you are a jew version of these events. thank ou for version of these events. thank you for being _ version of these events. thank you for being with _ version of these events. thank you for being with us. - version of these events. thank you for being with us. thank i you for being with us. thank ou so you for being with us. thank you so much _ you for being with us. thank you so much for— you for being with us. thank you so much for having - you for being with us. thank you so much for having me, | you for being with us. thank - you so much for having me, god bless. ., ., �* ., _ bless. for more, i'm “oined by the ceo bless. for more, i'm “oined by the cso oft bless. for more, i'm “oined by the ceo of an t bless. for more, i'mjoined by the ceo of an organisation - bless. for more, i'mjoined by the ceo of an organisation for| the ceo of an organisation for civic engagement and political literacy of muslim americans. thank you so much forjoining us this evening on bbc news. of course, as you know, today the un secretary—general antonio guterres has taken that move to invoke article 99 of the un charter, sighting among other things what he says is a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in gaza. what are your thoughts on that? my what are your thoughts on that? my thought is that he is right and he — my thought is that he is right and he is _ my thought is that he is right and he is doing his best to sound _ and he is doing his best to sound the alarm. it's a humanitarian catastrophe. hundreds of thousands of people are sleeping on the streets, in the streets, as we are in winter— the streets, as we are in winter now and obviously people are experiencing extreme conditions, lack of food, lack of medicine, lack of shelter, and — of medicine, lack of shelter, and even _ of medicine, lack of shelter, and even the sewage and the garbage _ and even the sewage and the garbage is piling up in the south _ garbage is piling up in the south because of 2 million pebble _ south because of 2 million people in that small corner of the world, and the un system is clearly— the world, and the un system is clearly broken, i've experienced that in other conflicts when i was at the state _ conflicts when i was at the state department, like in syria and other_ state department, like in syria and other hotspots. the argument _ and other hotspots. the argument from - and other hotspots. the argument from israel i and other hotspots. the argument from israel is | and other hotspots. tia: argument from israel is that ultimately this is about self defence, it's about the existence of israel and if they are not able to defeat hamas than essentially what we saw on the 7th of october could be replicated once again. is there another way to defeat hamas, in your view?— another way to defeat hamas, in your view? you know, unless the israeli government _ your view? you know, unless the israeli government thinks - your view? you know, unless the israeli government thinks that i israeli government thinks that it's survival depends on the murder— it's survival depends on the murder of children, and according to their own statistics they say they have called — statistics they say they have called 5000 hamas fighters and militants, which means they have — militants, which means they have killed two civilians for every — have killed two civilians for every hamas member, including one chiid~ — every hamas member, including one child. that's an unacceptable ratio. really it begs — unacceptable ratio. really it begs the question, how precise is this? — begs the question, how precise is this? if— begs the question, how precise is this? if indeed it is precise _ is this? if indeed it is precise. pretty intentional. perhaps _ precise. pretty intentional. perhaps the killing of palestinians is quite intentional at this point. what would it look _ intentional at this point. what would it look like? _ intentional at this point. what would it look like? there - intentional at this point. what would it look like? there has| would it look like? there has to be a cessation _ would it look like? there has to be a cessation of- to be a cessation of hostilities. if israel wants to kill hamas fighters there is a more — kill hamas fighters there is a more targeted way of doing these — more targeted way of doing these operations, like any counterterrorism operation we've — counterterrorism operation we've seen in the world. not that— we've seen in the world. not that i— we've seen in the world. not that i condone it because is a cessation _ that i condone it because is a cessation of hostilities. israei— cessation of hostilities. israel has proven itself unwilling or unable to exercise caution — unwilling or unable to exercise caution and to actuallyjust kill terrorists, they are killing _ kill terrorists, they are killing the civilian population but we — killing the civilian population but we need international intervention, international mediation that puts us on a more — mediation that puts us on a more credible path towards resolution of the root causes of this— resolution of the root causes of this conflict which didn't begin— of this conflict which didn't begin on october the 7th and absolutely is rooted in israel because _ absolutely is rooted in israel because my occupation of the palestinians and denial of their— palestinians and denial of their rightful self—determination. i want to ask about _ self—determination. i want to ask about your thoughts on the prospect— ask about your thoughts on the prospect for another temporary cessation — prospect for another temporary cessation of hostilities. cognisant of the fact that also in recent days we've been hearing increasing reports of rape, sexual violence, committed against women by hamas on the 7th of october and with those reports coming to light, what do you think that means for the prospect of another truce being negotiated? they should absolutely be another truce. we welcome the release — another truce. we welcome the release of— another truce. we welcome the release of the hostages on both sides. _ release of the hostages on both sides, because apparently it has had _ sides, because apparently it has had thousands of children and women in its jails. so we absolutely want more of that. we innocent people on both sides— we innocent people on both sides that have been captured by militants or the idf to be released. absolutely we need an investigation, an international investigation, an international investigation of these allegations of rape and sexual violence — allegations of rape and sexual violence which are abhorrent, both— violence which are abhorrent, both under international law and islamic law. those who are culpable — and islamic law. those who are culpable need to be brought to justice — culpable need to be brought to justice. we have heard allegations of rape in israeli jails. — allegations of rape in israeli jails, they need to be investigated as much, and perhaps— investigated as much, and perhaps more because israel is a recipient _ perhaps more because israel is a recipient of us aid to the tune — a recipient of us aid to the tune of— a recipient of us aid to the tune of $14 billion.- tune of $14 billion. very briefly. _ tune of $14 billion. very briefly, now _ tune of $14 billion. very briefly, now you - tune of $14 billion. very briefly, now you have i tune of $14 billion. very i briefly, now you have been taking part in closed—door meetings with the biden administration with regards to the administration's policy on israel. has the white house taking any actions as a result of your meetings so far? we put had any recent _ of your meetings so far? we put had any recent meetings, - had any recent meetings, however, we've seen a change in rhetoric — however, we've seen a change in rhetoric and _ however, we've seen a change in rhetoric and tone which is welcome by the secretary of defence by the vice president. recently— defence by the vice president. recently calling upon israel to exercise — recently calling upon israel to exercise caution and not attack civilians. — exercise caution and not attack civilians, particularly in the south, _ civilians, particularly in the south, and that the us will not support— south, and that the us will not support any permanent withdrawa