More israeli strikes more israeli strikes in the lebanese in the lebanese capital, beirut. Capital, beirut. These are the pictures — showing a large explosion following one of those strikes. You see that exposure really letting up the night —— letting up the night sky. —— that explosion. Earlier on saturday, the israeli military had issued orders to residents of specific buildings in southern beirut to evacuate. We don't yet know what was hit in the strikes — but israeli forces have bombed areas reported to be hezbollah strongholds. They have also clashed with hezbollah fighters in lebanon's southern border region. The israeli military says it has killed 440 hezbollah fighters since the start of the ground invasion. Meanwhile, the border region remains tense — hezbollah has fired rockets into northern israel, with reports that residential buildings were hit. Also on saturday, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu addressed iran's missile attack on his country earlier this week, saying, israel has the duty and the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks — and we will do so. Shortly after that blast took place in beirut, i spoke to our correspondent there, anna foster. What have you been seeing and hearing? what can you tell us there on the ground? it's just after 1am here in beirut, and the last hour, we have seen and heard that really particularly powerful explosion from an israeli air strike. Now, the reason we know it was an israeli air strike is because the idf, particularly at night, tend to issue warnings — they do not do it for every air strike, but around about midnight at local time, we do often see on social media platforms, they have maps of certain areas, the southern suburbs where hezbollah are based and ask people in those areas to evacuate to an area of about 500 metres clear. That it would happen again this evening, which is why we believe these were idf strikes full of those warnings. What is different is really, as you can see, the visual impact of this particular explosion, this huge orange ball of flame rising into the sky. Here, people are trying to work out now what could have been hit to produce that sort of effect. In the lebanese media there were early suggestions it might have hit a petrol station, because there is one there in that area. Whether or not that was the target, we don't know, it may be that a building nearby was the target and then the petrol station may have ignited. That is one thing that is being discussed here. But there have also been some secondary flashes here, what looked like secondary explosions, so again, people saying perhaps it means some sort of weapon storage area that's been hit. Hezbollah said a few days ago that they said a few days ago that they said they were focused on hezbollah, have been focused on that area because that is where the top hezbollah leadership are. So at the moment it is too early to say what it was, what was it, what the specific target was, but what we do know and what you can see is how powerful that explosion was that was heard and seen from all over the city. — all over the city. Really dramatic _ all over the city. Really dramatic images all over the city. Really dramatic images we i all over the city. Really| dramatic images we are all over the city. Really dramatic images we are seeing there, some of those shop taking place about an hour or so ago. Just remind us about the particular area we believe these israeli strikes are focusing on stop a hezbollah stronghold there but also a fairly close to the beirut airport?— fairly close to the beirut airort? ,. V airport? yes, that's right. The geography _ airport? yes, that's right. The geography is _ airport? yes, that's right. The geography is that _ airport? yes, that's right. The geography is that those geography is that those southern suburbs are very close to the airport, and that causes real concern for people here. Most of the commercial air traffic has now stopped all you really seen a coming in and out of that airport of the lebanese flag carrier, middle east airlines, they are still flying, and really, what we are seeing aside from that is now commercial airlines so we are seeing governments chartering planes to take the nationals out of the country. So there are concerns that something were to happen to the runway ended be operational. It's very difficult to get out at that stage because you can't go south, of course via israel because that is a closed border with fighting going on along it. Most people cannot go out to the east through syria unless they have the right paperwork, visas, syrian passports for example. So that is really the main route in and out. Some people are selling out. Some people are selling out where they can from little port areas in cities further north in the country, but the airport is crucial so that is why that causes tickle a concern. And yes, these southern suburbs as you say, thatis southern suburbs as you say, that is where hezbollah are based, that is where they top commanders, the leadership based, and we know that israel have managed to kill really quite a number of those top hezbollah operatives over the last two weeks or so including the group's leader hassan nasrallah, including some of its senior commanders who were responsible for things like intelligence, communications, hezbollah�*s drone and rocket programmes. We also know that they are focusing on the south of the country too where they say there is military infrastructure, weapons storage, that kind of thing. But remember of course, beirut is the capital city. There are a lot of people living here, these are densely populated areas, even people who live in those southern suburbs are not all hezbollah operatives or members, there are families there, there are civilians, there, there are civilians, there are children in those areas as well. There have been civilian deaths in those israeli air strikes in those areas. And as you see tonight, even after two weeks or so of focus on target but israel, those strikes are still going on. �* ,. , �*. ,. , , on. And we still don't have any re orts on. And we still don't have any reports really _ on. And we still don't have any reports really of _ on. And we still don't have any reports really of exactly on. And we still don't have any reports really of exactly what l reports really of exactly what been taking this on the ground, how many people may have been killed in this latest strike but if you wouldn't mind walking us through those humanitarian concerns, we have been hearing from un officials that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting just in lebanon alone. The fighting 'ust in lebanon alone. . , �*. ,. , alone. You're right, more than alone. You're right, more than a million _ alone. You're right, more than a million and _ alone. You're right, more than a million and now at _ alone. You're right, more than a million and now at last a million and now at last count, 1. 2 million, more than a fifth of the population of this country. A lot of people, to give you an idea of the fear people are feeling, you have a lot of syrian refugees here in lebanon who fled the civil war in syria, they came across here to try and get some sort of safety. We know that tens of thousands of those have now gone back again across the border in the last few days because they feel they will be safer back in syria than they are here in lebanon and the moment. The government has around 900 shelters operating, around 900 shelters operating, a lot of those are places like schools, buildings that have been requisitioned and repurposed, but the un says all of those shelters are full. This is why you are seeing people sleeping on the streets and places like beirut, it doesn't really have a lot of open spaces, it is not a city thatis open spaces, it is not a city that is very green with parks and areas that people can naturally go. So you see people on the streets, though on the steps of the big mosque that you can see in the background here. Wherever they can find more wherever they can be, you have families with whatever they could grab essentially from their homes before they left. Many of them have been displaced for more than a week now. In the lebanese state is really struggling with the challenge of that. There has been a huge economic crisis here for years now. Theyjust do not have the back—up of the infrastructure in place to deal with such a huge displacement crisis as this one. Fighting is also continuing in gaza. Palestinian media have reported heavy shelling and missile srtrikes in northern gaza — and that casualties are reported. Earlier on saturday, israel called on palestinians to evacuate parts of central gaza, as the military said it was preparing to use great force against hamas fighters in the area. Meanwhile, pro—palestinian protests were held around the the globe on saturday — these are images from london — calling for a ceasefire in gaza and an end to the conflict. They come before the october 7th anniversary, a year after about 1,200 people were killed in the hamas attack in israel that sparked the current conflict. A short while ago, i spoke about all of these latest developments with laura blumenfeld — a middle east analyst at the johns hopkins university school of advanced international studies. Ijust want i just want to get your reaction first of all to this massive series of explosions in the southern area of beirut tonight. I the southern area of beirut toniaht. . U, �* tonight. I mean, i can't tell ou tonight. I mean, i can't tell you specifically, _ tonight. I mean, i can't tell you specifically, but tonight. I mean, i can't tell you specifically, but i tonight. I mean, i can't tell| you specifically, but i would guess that what you're watching is israel shredding iran's insurance policy and their nuclear facilities, insurance policy and their nuclearfacilities, this is a insurance policy and their nuclear facilities, this is a a deterrent to israel, the missile stockpiles that hezbollah was building and i think we are looking at a kind of race to the stockpiles. Ever since israel eliminated hassan nasrallah last week, both hezbollah and israel have been trying to get to them first, where hezbollah feels like it is a use it or lose it situation and for as it is to strike before it is deployed against themselves. Strike before it is deployed against themselves. Once you make of the — against themselves. Once you make of the way _ against themselves. Once you make of the way that against themselves. Once you | make of the way that hezbollah has been responding or maybe hasn't been responding, how we can to do you think the group might be after all these attacks of the last several days? attacks of the last several da s? ,. Attacks of the last several da 5? ,. Attacks of the last several da s? h,. , days? israel has always referred _ days? israel has always referred to _ days? israel has always referred to hezbollah. Days? israel has always| referred to hezbollah as days? israel has always referred to hezbollah as being ten times as tough as gaza so there are no illusions that i would be easy hezbollah especially compared to the fight with hamas which itself is a slog. They took some heavy losses earlier, which really struck the kind of morale of israel so i don't think israel thinks it is to bec. They are determined i would say, they would prefer their wards to be nasty, brutish and short and if they can achieve that, they will have the wind they are looking for. — looking for. And this is all takin: looking for. And this is all taking place _ looking for. And this is all taking place in _ looking for. And this is all taking place in lebanon, i looking for. And this is all i taking place in lebanon, but the strike tonight in beirut where many people live, there were warnings for people in the area to get out of harm's way, area to get out of harm's way, a 500 metre radius, but what is the current humanitarian situation mean for lebanon, have equipped as the country to deal with what could be up to a million people internally displaced? million people internally displaced?_ million people internally dis laced? ,. , displaced? they are terrified. I was in touch _ displaced? they are terrified. I was in touch with _ displaced? they are terrified. I was in touch with a displaced? they are terrified. I was in touch with a friend i displaced? they are terrified. I was in touch with a friend in| i was in touch with a friend in beirut this evening who said she feels like she's tough, she has been around a lot of war, she feels like she's standing on the edge of a cliff looking down, and if iran in particular goes berserk in order to fire their long—range missiles, 1982, which devastated beirut, is look like, in her words, a walk in the park. — is look like, in her words, a walk in the park. That's why the us has _ walk in the park. That's why the us has been _ walk in the park. That's why the us has been pushing i walk in the park. That's why| the us has been pushing for this 21 day ceasefire agreement to get both sides including hezbollah to stop firing at each other. Is there any hope now, do you think of any kind of diplomatic, even a short—term solution? of diplomatic, even a shortterm solution? that 21 day ceasefire _ shortterm solution? that 21 day ceasefire proposal shortterm solution? that 21 day ceasefire proposal was i shortterm solution? that 21 i day ceasefire proposal was met with a 21 gun salute by israel on eliminating nasrallah. Israel believes that you cannot earn at the negotiating table but has not been won on the battlefield. So they believe fight first and talk later. I think that the united states central command top general in the middle east has arrived in israel, boots on the ground, that will provide some sort of clarity for israel and no daylight between israel and the united states, which hopefully will bring this to a swift end. And the fighting being able to translate that into some kind of long—term political solution, everyone agrees you need a political horizon. I just want to point out, we continue to watch live the situation in beirut on that screen to your right. There is a fairly large plume of smoke continuing to rise you can see some of the planes glowing in the night sky, it is about 2am in the region there. Laura, what do you think about iran now we have the perimeter benjamin netanyahu pledged to respond to iran's attacks. Do you think the mike —— but they might take an opportunity to respond to a grant woods this —— turani? i respond to a grant woods this turani?— turani? i think this is the final showdown _ turani? i think this is the final showdown he turani? i think this is the final showdown he has turani? i think this is the final showdown he has beenj final showdown he has been achieved for four years. The first two obvious options, nuclear facilities and oil facilities, have been taken off the table at least by precedent but so it'll be interesting to see whether he defies the us president during darryl meggatt, summer interwar period in us politics where you have three presidents in one, you have vice president harris and you have a former president trump with his own. . . He is rooting for a stricken iran, and the nuclear facilities. When you have president biden going down the diplomatic route. So it be interesting to see which way netanyahu goes but it is certainly the opportunity he has been looking for. And sinwar of course began this flood about better message to deliver to the world that israel is not the victim by any ljy israel is not the victim by any by taking the initiative? this donald trump has finished a rally in butler, pennsylvania — in butler, pennsylvania — the site where he survived an assassination attempt injuly. Let's hear the moment he first walked up to the podium. Cheering you see his supporters holding signs that say fight fight fight a callback to the moment when the former president stood up and pumped his fist after being injured by bullets fired by a gunman on a rooftop. 0ne rally—goer was killed and two others injured in the attack. Donald trump reflected on that moment at the start of his remarks, calling his would—be assassin a vicious monster. Exactly 12 weeks ago this evening on this very ground, a cold—blooded assassin aimed to silence me and to silence the greatest movement, maga, in the history of our country. Maga. We love maga. For 16 harrowing seconds during the gunfire, time stopped as this vicious monster unleashed pure evil from his sniper�*s perch, not so far away. But by the hand of providence and the grace of god, that villain did not succeed in his goal. Did not come close. Joining me now is eric cortellessa, a national political correspondent for time magazine. Eric, we heard the opening remarks from the president saying, where was i? picking up kind of some — saying, where was i? picking up kind of some unfinished kind of some unfinished business, it seems. Well, yes. He certainly — business, it seems. Well, yes. He certainly pitched _ business, it seems. Well, yes. He certainly pitched it business, it seems. Well, yes. He certainly pitched it as business, it seems. Well, yes. He certainly pitched it as a he certainly pitched it as a defiant speech, an attempt to come back to where he survived an assassination attempt and present himself as someone who will not call to a collection of forces trying to stop is sent back to the white house so i think what you're saying is donald trump trying to reignite some of the momentum he had gained after the shooting. We go back to that day, and in the days after he survived that attempt on his life, he was in attempt on his life, he was in a better position to win the white house than at any other point since. A lot has changed since given the entry of kamala harris and the way in which she has been raising a lot of money, more than he has been, and he went back to pennsylvania, where right now they are neck and neck in the polls. I they are neck and neck in the olls. , , , ,. ~' polls. I guess 'ust sticking with politics _ polls. I guessjust sticking with politics for _ polls. I guessjust sticking with politics for a polls. I guessjust sticking with politics for a second, | polls. I guessjust sticking i with politics for a second, do we have a sense right now, it's been a couple of months, what kind of effect that iran had, whether or not this really did reshape the race, —— what kind of effect that the event had, or whether that is already kind of flowed away? i or whether that is already kind of flowed away?— or whether that is already kind of flowed away? i think it goes to showjust — of flowed away? i think it goes to showjust how— of flowed away? i think it goes to showjust how erratic of flowed away? i think it goes to showjust how erratic an to showjust how erratic an election cycle is in the current era. In the week after the shooting, donald trump was projected to win by pretty much every major pollster, every forecast model had him up, joe biden was still competitive at the time but within a week, joe biden dropped out of the race, just a week later, then the following sunday after that weekend, joe biden announced he would not seek to run for re—election and kamala harris consolidated the democratic support very quickly. And it's just an entirely new race. I think basically, all the momentum and goodwill that he engendered after surviving an assassination attempt is really the mark of a previous chapter in this campaign cycle. Aha, the mark of a previous chapter in this campaign cycle. In this campaign cycle. A lot ofthe in this campaign cycle. A lot of the beginning _ in this campaign cycle. A lot of the beginning of in this campaign cycle. A lot of the begin