hello, i'm helena humphries. good to be with you. the un says half of 6323's population is starving as israel's bombardment continues. the world food programme's deputy director says 9 out of 10 people cannot eat every day. israel says it's doing everything it can to get more aid in, but conditions on the ground are making it almost impossible for aid groups to reach gaza. unicef�*s spokeswoman alexandra murdoch has more on the situation. by all the measures that you can think of, the situation for people in gaza is beyond crisis point. food is running out as you have reported, there is a severe lack of safe water, safe drinking water and this poses a particularly lethal threat to children. people are sleeping outside on concrete floors.

80% of the population are displaced, almosti million are children and they are being pushed further and further south into areas that are overcrowded and without any of the basics that need to survive. humanitarian aid at the moment is the only lifeline for people and we are simply not able to get the access that we need to get through. for the past four, five, six days, aid agencies such as unicef only been able to access rafah and it is only limited aid and if we cannot get through soon people are going to really struggle because there is not enough water, food, shelter. meanwhile, the head of the israeli army has called for the military campaign in gaza to be stepped up, saying there are signs that hamas is falling apart. translation: | see the - achievements from day-to-day. we are seeing every day, terrorists who were killed, terrorists who were injured. in the last few days,

we see terrorists who are surrendering. a sign of the collapse of the system. a sign we need to press harder. this is what you are doing. on saturday, a group of men and boys taken by israeli forces were released. they say they were tortured. lucy williamson has this report from jerusalem. just a warning that it contains distressing images from the start. buried by the war, but still alive, dug from the rubble of their homes in deir al—balah after an israeli strike this morning. more than 20 members of the salman family and their neighbours. their faces, like their lives, made unrecognisable. six others were killed, they say. the frantic race to hospitals is gaza's new daily routine. health care in the north has collapsed. here, further south, doctors say the situation is catastrophic.

there aren't the resources to treat all the wounded, much less to comfort them. this boy praying quietly to himself. the girl beside him calling for her mother. gunfire in the north of gaza, israeli forces say they're targeting palestinian fighters injabalia camp. one of those inside a un shelter there told the bbc they were encircled and had now been without food or water for five days. israel is under growing international pressure to spare the gazan civilians. translation: other - countries also understand that it is impossible to support the elimination of hamas and call for an end to the war, which will prevent the elimination of hamas. today a group of men and boys taken by israeli forces five days ago were released, claiming they were tortured. among them, mohammad mahmoud salim, held separately from his dad. "they made us sleep naked,"

he said, "and kept hitting us "with their guns. "they hit me when i asked where my dad was. "they hit us with wires." we've asked the israeli army for a response. israel's ground campaign is now focused on khan younis, gaza's southern capital. fighting, it says, house to house and tunnel to tunnel. israel's aim of destroying hamas infrastructure here is also destroying lives. the city's nasser hospital reported more than 60 dead this morning, around 100 injured. others are said to still be trapped under the rubble of an attack four days ago. translation: we beg the world. what you waiting for? are you waiting for us to die here in gaza? don't worry. we are going to die here. allahu akbar. funerals here have shifted

from the mosque to the morgue. faith in hospitals and their power to protect still something to cling to even when the chance to save a life has gone. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. meanwhile, the us continues to face fierce criticism for veteoing a measure calling for a ceasefire in gaza friday. the us representative said the resolution was rushed and would only plant the seeds for the next war. international condemnation was swift. the us was the only country to veto, while 13 countries voted in favour of it and the uk abstained. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu praised the us' decision. earlier, i spoke to our diplomatic correspondent paul adams for the latest on this and the situation in gaza. good to see you once again, paul. today we have a fresh warning from un that half of all people in the gaza strip are starving, a serious warning there from the un.

what more can you tell us about that ever worsening humanitarian situation inside the strip? it is hard for us to verify that particular claim, you are right, it is an extraordinarily drastic claim indeed coming from the un. it's in keeping with other comments we are hearing with increasing urgency, save the children put out a statement today saying they have identified more than 7,000 children under the age of five whose malnutrition is so acute now that they require urgent medical treatment to avoid dying. we have heard desperate accounts of the lack of sanitation in these encampments of tents and other makeshift shelters that are springing up all across the far southern reaches of the gaza strip. with so many people hemmed into these small areas,

lacking basic supplies, lacking sanitation, realfears about the spread of disease. it is no longer warm. winter is arriving. it is getting cold at night. so with every passing day and in every passing way, the situation seems to be getting worse and worse. of course, we know that america vetoed the un security council resolution calling for a cease—fire, i wonder in light of that news, what has been the reaction in the region? obviously, dismay among arab countries and relief and thanks from here in israel. this was not a surprise. it would have been very surprising if the united states had supported a cease—fire resolution at this point. because the us, like israel, does not believe that the job of defeating hamas has yet been achieved and to the united states, like israel, wants to make sure that it does happen. so it was never likely

that they were going to do anything other than veto the cease—fire resolution. certainly, that has not stopped arab leaders and arab ministers, many of whom are friends of the united states, some who have relations with israel, saying that this was simply not good enough. it was a missed opportunity for the united states to use its undoubted leverage over israel to stop what they and many people in the regard in the region as a catastrophe that is beyond explanation and beyond justification. i want to ask with regards to the defeat of hamas, do we know how long that, potentially, could take? do we know what israel's endgame is here? the stated endgame is the defeat of hamas, and making sure hamas never rules the gaza strip again. it is clear from what we are seeing both in the north and in the south that there are still intense battles going on.

hamas and other palestinian factions continue to put up stiff resistance in certain areas, inflicting some casualties on israeli forces. each day brings news of two or three more israeli soldiers killed. i don't think the end result of this is in any doubt. israel has overwhelming force on its side and it will prevail, but the question is how long that takes, and how much suffering will be inflicted on the civilian population in the meantime? what the israelis are trying to do at the moment is give the impression they are gradually breaking up hamas as a fighting force. we have seen images released, not actually officially, but by israeli soldiers and they have leaked onto social media accounts showing what appear to be hamas fighters, or at least fighting—age men again dressed in underpants giving themselves up.

we saw one video of a man coming forward following instructions being delivered over a megaphone carrying an automatic weapon, putting it on the ground, and retreating. those images are starting to flood social media. whether that is the strategy of the israeli military or something soldiers are doing off their own volition we don't know but clearly the impression intended here is one of showing hamas slowly being defeated. here in washington, the state department has approved the potential sale of tank shells to israel. the deal would send about 14,000 tank rounds for immediate delivery. the biden administration used an emergency authorisation to push the sale through without the congressional review that's normally required. for more on this, i spoke with our north america correspondent shingai nyoka.

shingai, we understand that the state department is pushing through this sale — usually there is a review process when it comes to sale to a foreign country. what more do we know about this? according to a state department statement, they notified congress last night of their intention to move ahead with this arms sale. it includes 13,000 rounds of tank ammunition, but also logistical and support services to israel. they say this equipment will be taken from the us army inventory. as you have mentioned, this is a very rare move, but it's not unprecedented. in his statement, the secretary of state antony blinken also justified the reasons why he was waiving this move of going through congress. he says that this is an emergency and in the interest of the united states, but also that israel needs to defend itself.

this obviously comes against the background of frustration within the biden administration. there is a request, an emergency request, that has been sitting in congress since october. and that has essentially stalled because republicans want a certain concessions before they can approve it. president biden has, in the last week or so, said that the republicans are playing chicken with issues of national security, but that really is theirjustification on why they are going ahead with this. it is because they believe that it is an emergency and israel needs these arms. it also happens a day after the us vetoed the un resolution to order a cease—fire in gaza. so it is coming at a very incredible time at this moment. turning now to

the war in ukraine. in washington, there has been waning support in recent months for us aid to ukraine — particularly among republican lawmakers. it's a sign of shifting attitudes among republican voters. a november gallup poll shows that 62% of republican voters now believe the us is doing too much to help ukraine. this is up 12 points from june of the same year, when the figure stood at 50%. i asked fred fleitz, who was previously the chief of staff to the national security council under president trump, about those shifting republican priorities. well, there is a growing belief in the republican party that the war in ukraine has become an endless — has become endlessly deadlocked and ukraine will eventually lose this war and therefore, there is a desire that president biden put forward — he planned

to end the war, planned for a ceasefire — but it's incorrect to say this is just a republican view. richard haas, president of the council on foreign relations — this is his view also. he said this repeatedly. this also was henry kissinger�*s view. he said this a few months ago. the dynamics of the war in ukraine are changing, and most republicans want to find a way to help ukraine win the peace, end the war, get a ceasefire, start a peace process, arm ukraine to the teeth so russia does not invade again. but biden�*s strategy of sending weapons endlessly without a strategy, that is a loser and that may mean ukraine will get no more military aid. fred, two things on that — what about an alternative in which more weapons are sent in a timely manner to ukraine, so that it can kind of turn the tide on the battlefield and actually win? and secondly, how do we even know that president putin may be willing to agree to come to the table for negotiations

on a ceasefire? nothing that he's done so far seems to indicate that. the trajectory for ukraine doesn't look good. it's running out of troops. eussia has deeply dug in. it is preparing more troops, repairing the war operations. i think there is an easy way to win in ukraine. we can send in nato troops, but i don't think you or i want that. ukraine is not going to win if we keep sending and weapons. but i agree with you — there is a real problem getting putin to come to the bargaining table and abide by a peace agreement. but the trajectory right now is a loser for ukraine. this is not about isolationism. this is about ending the killing and finding a way maybe to postpone ukraine's territorial ambitions for another day — maybe when putin is not in power — because what we're doing right now is not working. let's take that motion further, then. say there was a possibility

of a ceasefire. do you believe that president putin — who has now announced he will run for a fifth term — would be sated? that he would take some extent of ukrainian territory and then, calmly return to russia? he would not seek, at a later date, to take more ukrainian territory, emboldened by this ceasefire? i think ukraine would have to be armed to the hilt to prevent that from happening and i don't think it's a perfect solution but i think it is the best of many bad solutions. as i said, there's a way to get putin out of ukraine and no—one wants to do it — send in ukraine troops. uh, send in nato troops. i don't want american troops in ukraine, i don't want british troops in ukraine. if we're not going to do that with running out of soldiers and russia increasing its military capabilities, we have to try something else. well, the argument from volodymyr zelensky has always been, "give us the weapons and we will fight the war "for you, so that the

west does not have to do, so the opposite of nato troops. what are the optics of this? what do you think leaders in china, iran, for example, would think if they saw the united states renege on its vow to do whatever it takes for however long it takes? well, first of all, we're not doing whatever it takes. whatever it takes means sending in nato troops. nato and the us has found a way to do short of whatever it takes because we are afraid of saying troops. i don't want troops in there, either. i agree the optics will look bad if russia is able to keep some of ukraine. but, look, that problem started over a year ago when putin when putin invaded. and why did he invade? he invaded because of joe biden�*s weakness. he saw a weak united states, he saw the us leaving the door open for ukraine joining nato, which he could not accept. i agree it looks bad, but we now have to deal with the situation of today — ending a pointless war that ukraine cannot win.

ukraine's first lady has warned that ukrainians will be left to die if the west doesn't continue its support for the country. speaking exclusively to the bbc after the us senate blocked an aid bill for ukraine worth more than $60 billion, olena zelenska insisted a lack of help would pose a "mortal danger". laura kuenssberg reports. war in winter. ukrainian forces on the front line in eastern ukraine. weapons paid for, in part, by billions of pounds, dollars and euros from western taxpayers like you and me. man screams but as the war edges to two years old, political arguments in washington have put payments on ice. in kyiv, the zelensky ho, the first lady told me her fears if the money runs out. translation: we do need aid desperately.

in simple terms, we cannot get tired of the situation because otherwise, we will die. and if the world gets tired, they will simply let us die. the us remains the largest military donor to ukraine, providing more than $46 billion in weapons and assistance since the war began. germany and the uk come next in the top ten donor countries. billions have been given. yet, us support has been on the decline in recent months. new assistance for ukraine has been blocked by republicans in the senate. yet, the threat hasn't gone, even though more money isn't there. speaking to me just hours after the latest strikes, olena zelenska urged the world not to forget. i think today, there is a problem with the world in general. we are used to the world appearing calm. in fact — and that's

what we have been saying for the past two years now — is that the aggression, if not stopped, spreads like a virus. while there are doubts about america's resolve to keep paying, russia's brute force on the front line shows little sign of fading, leaving ukraine with a sense of foreboding. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, kyiv. in dubai, there's fury among some countries at the un climate summit after a letter was leaked from the oil cartel opec urging its members to block any deal targeting fossil fuels. france's energy minister says she's "stunned". spain's ecology minister called the move "disgusting". countries at the summit have been clashing over a possible agreement to phase out fossil fuels, which means that a first—ever commitment to end the use of oil and gas in 30 years is now injeopardy. our correspondent carl nasman is at the conference in dubai.

well, there's lots of anxiety on one side — at least, analysts believe — in terms of the oil producers. they're clearly worried that we may get some strong language and a final text about a phase out or phase down off fossil fuels. on the other side, i think there is some anticipation and a little bit of hope. you know, those statements are coming from these leaked documents that appear to show opec nations urging their members to vote against any strong actions against fossil fuels. but then again, you have a coalition — 100 countries — are urging that this text should have some language about a fossil fuel phase out. those are negotiations happening in the roomsjust to the side of me. today, the focus is on the effects of climate change on nature, and to talk more about that, we have rita el zaghloul — she's the director of the high ambition coalition for nature and people. thank you for stopping by. tell me about that coalition. what does it aim to do? thank you very much. the high ambition coalition is a coalition of now 118 countries that are really calling for increasing the protection and conservation

of land and ocean by 30% by 2030. so, mainly, as of today, we have only 17% of our land that is protected and only 8% of our ocean that is protected. science tells us that we really need to accelerate action and that we really need to move and increase to 30% by 2030, so this coalition mainly works on getting countries together and we are very happy that today, on the nature day, we have our latest member, which is china, whojoined the high ambition coalition. that's a pretty big deal, having china join, isn't it? of course. they are one of the most diverse countries, they also hold the presidency of the convention on the biological diversity, so it is incredibly good to have them on board. we need to have that ambition. now, those milestones you're hoping to hit in terms conservation in nature — obviously, many people would love to say, "ok, look, it's important "to conserve nature, it's beautiful, we love

"to enjoy it," but it's also crucial when it comes to climate change, right? of course. protecting and conserving natural areas, such as forests and wetlands, act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. by conserving important ecosystems that also contribute and climate mitigation. crosstalk. sorry, please. with those efforts, what we really want to do is try to align the two conventions. we cannot work in silence any more. we only have six years. this is what we have set out with our different international agreements, be it the sustainable development agenda or other climate agreement or now, the global biodiversity framework, so we need to align our global goals. i know that you're also involved with an initiative called 30 by 30. you're leading its implementation around the world. tell us about that goal. what does 30 for 30 stand for? of course, so 30 by 30 is basically protecting 30% of our planet's land and ocean by 2030. as i mentioned before,

we need to scale up and really accelerate the action and from the high ambition coalition, what we have done is for the last three years, we have been calling for the adoption of this goal. it has been adopted — it was adopted last december in montreal at the cop15 of the convention on biological diversity — but now, we need to act very fast. we only have six years. so, from the high ambition coalition for nature and people, we have created some tools to support countries in the implementation of this goal. all right. rita el zaghloul, director of the high ambition coalition for nature and people, thank you for coming to speak with us. that 30 for 30 goal one of many on the table here at cop28 and the focus today on nature, conservation and the effects, of course, on climate change. and finally, a very special birthday for an iconic american landmark. yes, it is the hollywood sign. it's100 years old. millions of people visit that tourist attraction every year in search of a photo or selfie of those huge world —famous white letters. to celebrate, the hollywood sign trust lit up the

letters with the original 4,000 vintage bulbs that illuminated the real estate sign hollywoodland in 1923. and they also bought 400 gallons of white paint to give the letters a makeover — no mean feat, considering each one is 14m tall and at least 9m wide. stay with us here on bbc news. more for you at the top of the hour. goodbye for now. hello again. the weekend started off on quite a wet and a windy footing, thanks to storm elin. it did bring some heavy rain. we have still a number of flood warnings in force. a bit of localised flooding here on this picture in lancashire. now, the strongest winds from elin came through during saturday evening, just to the south of the centre of the low pressure. the strongest winds recorded at capel curig in north—west wales — 80mph gusts here. not far behind that, western cumbria's coastline got hit with a gust of

74mph at st bees head. now, the low pressure is now working out into the north sea and pretty quickly, we are seeing those winds die back down. still a bit of patchy rain to come through northern england and scotland. otherwise, the weather will become dry with some clear spells for most and not that cold a night — temperatures typically around 5—7 but down to about two degrees celsius in the colder spots in northern ireland. now, for northern ireland, england and wales, it should be a fine and sunny start to the day but quickly, cloud and rain will spread into northern ireland and this band of rain will then extend across england and wales. "rain at times" probably best summing up the weather in scotland. the rain bands are all associated with an area of low pressure that's over the republic of ireland, and that has been named as a new storm — storm fergus. it will be a mild day. temperatures for most 10—14 degrees but a bit cooler in scotland with temperatures stuck at around 7 or 8 here. we get some strong winds, then, working across wales during sunday night. gusts could reach around 60—odd mph around western coasts.

and the remains of that area of low pressure still with us on monday, bringing cloud and patchy rain to start off the day, although the weather should improve as we head into the afternoon with most of us having drier weather with some breaks in the cloud, a bit of sunshine coming through. it continues to be on the mild side — for most, temperatures around 9—13 degrees but again in scotland, still looking a little bit colder — looking at around 6—8 degrees celsius here. through tuesday and wednesday, another area of low pressure crosses the country. once that's out of the way, we'll start to see pressure build from the southwest and that will really herald something of a more significant change in our weather patterns. so, still a bit more rain to come through during tuesday and wednesday. still relatively mild. then, we get a dip in temperatures later in the week. high pressure then takes over with the weather there settling down, becoming drier and sunnier.

voiceover: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. the united arab emirates claims to be a world leader on high—tech solutions to climate change and is hosting the cop28 climate conference in dubai — one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. woman coughs

the country suffers from seasonal dust storms, which are often blamed for the bad air quality here. with exclusive scientific research, we can reveal how the uae�*s oil and gas industry is making its air pollution problem even worse. but it's notjust here. the pollution comes from gas flaring, where excess gas from oil production is intentionally burned. the oil industry and governments have long agreed this avoidable practice must end. this is man—made air pollution that we can, in fact, eliminate.

in the uae, some of the worst flaring is hidden away