uninhabitable as israel continues its bombardment of the strip. joe biden marks the anniversary of the january six attack on the campaign trail with a speech about democracy. whether democracy is _ speech about democracy. whether democracy is still _ speech about democracy. whether democracy is still america's - democracy is still america's sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time and it's what the 2024 election is all about. �* ., what the 2024 election is all about. �* . , , ~ , . about. an famed sprinter austic pistorius is _ about. an famed sprinter austic pistorius is released _ about. an famed sprinter austic pistorius is released on - about. an famed sprinter austic pistorius is released on parole l pistorius is released on parole years after murdering girlfriend reeva steenkamp. —— 0scar. hello, i'm carl nasman.

we begin with israel's war against hamas amid renewed humanitarian concerns for those living in the region. the un says the bombardment has rendered the territory uninhabitable. for more, my colleague caitriona perry spoke earlier with mara kronenfeld who is the executive director for the un's agency for palestinian refugees in the us. mara, thanks forjoining us again. can you tell us more about the current situation they're in gaza, such as your colleagues are seeing it? what's it like at the moment? gaza is a place right now, i have to say, at the moment of desperation and despair. there are tens of thousands of women and children, mostly who have been killed or injured. 70% of those killed and injured have been women and children. families are sleeping in the streets in increasingly colder temperatures. we've seen the rain and the floods there. areas where civilians have been told to relocate are coming under bombardment.

the medicalfacilities in the strip are under relentless attack, unfortunately, and we know that of the 36 hospitals there in gaza, only 13 or operational and most of those are in the south, and those hospitals in the south are seeing three times the number of patients that they are meant to see. and, frankly, there isn't enough medicine or equipment to even serve those patients who are coming into the hospitals in the south and we know that only six of unrwa's health centres are operable right now, in addition to the full population of 2.2 million people in gaza facing famine as we speak. is there anywhere that your colleagues can tell people to go that is safe? no, unfortunately, as the israeli military has told the population to go south, unfortunately, where they've been told to go has been bombarded.

there, frankly, is no safe place in gaza. even unwra — un installations flying the blue flag are not safe. there's been some 217 incidences of unwra premises being bombed or bombarded and 62 of those are direct hits. each of them are violations of international humanitarian law. we even have 22 instances of the israeli military using our unwra installations for military operations. and we've had some 319 internationally displaced people, local palestinians, who have been killed while in un installations. unfortunately, even in the south, where some i million — 1.25 million palestinians have fled, even there, it's not safe. and, again, there's simply no safe place for civilians in gaza right now.

we've seen an escalation in the west bank recently as well. you have operations there. what can you tell us about the situation there? yes, we've seen significant death and injuries in the west bank as well. my colleagues have said that the west bank is at a boiling point and we have seen detentions — unlawful detentions — and we are very concerned about the aggression on behalf of settlers as well. the us secretary of state antony blinken is back in the region this week. what are you hoping forfrom his visit? we at unwra, my colleagues at unwra, are calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. that means that we need full—throated humanitarian access into gaza. i know there was a un resolution to this effect but it — we have seen very little change on the ground. kerem shalom, the border that allows trucks into it,

has opened but it is still very difficult, if not sometimes impossible, for unwra to get those resources that come in — which are not enough by any means — but even to get those meagre resources to those in need. that's because within the border in rafah, those areas have been bombed. our own staff at unwra has come underfire. we have lost many of our own staff members, as i've said, and the roads leading out from rafah have been damaged. some of unwra's own trucks are stuck in the north. we've not been able to get access to them. so, we not only need more food, more medical supplies and goods — we're estimating only a quarter of the diapers needed for kids and, mind you, there are 50,000 pregnant women in gaza right now, 180 giving birth a day. we just don't have enough supplies to help this

population in the way that any single human being on earth deserves. 0k, mara kronenfeld, thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. thank you. well, we put those claims about israeli strikes to asaf zamir, a former israeli tourism minister and former consul general of israel in new york. the united nations has said that gaza has simply become uninhabitable. do you think that israel will agree to a cees bol, temporary or permanent, to allow the civilians in gaza to receive the aid and assistance they need? , , ., ., ., , need? firstly, we have already allowed for _ need? firstly, we have already allowed for a _ need? firstly, we have already allowed for a temporary - allowed for a temporary ceasefire at the beginning of the war. it was the hostage deal. we held ourfire for a few days and we will do it again, i'm sure, if we knew for again, i'm sure, if we knew for a fact that the humanitarian aid would go through. and that

it could also go through to our hostages. but we've been doing anything and everything humanitarian possibly, possibly for us since the beginning of this war so they always have time to leave their homes. we gave out maps that show the areas which are safe zones which they could move to make sure they were safe and on our end, we've proven that we are willing to do whatever inaudible possible to save innocent lives, as long as we can still complete the target of this war, which is eliminating hamas. of this war, which is eliminatin: hamas. . , eliminating hamas. un agency for refugees — eliminating hamas. un agency for refugees in _ eliminating hamas. un agency for refugees in gaza _ eliminating hamas. un agency for refugees in gaza undera i for refugees in gaza undera says they feel there is no safe place in gaza for civilians to go and they say in fact there's even been 62 direct hits on their installations which assess each of those is a breach of international humanitarian law —— unrwa. if an ngo, an international organisation is saying there is

no safe base, how can israel be saying there are safe places? well, i do think after so many days of war, it would've been fair if we were to disregard what unwra says are exact realities, because we have found their infrastructure hidden inside unwra centres. we've revealed this to the world. they have brought in gas which was stolen by hamas a day after. they've hidden hamas operatives inside their schools and we've found double walls where they hid ammunition. so, at this point, what they say is not, or should not be regarded as factual, and what we say should be. so we are doing everything we possibly could to try and abide by these rules. maybe we are not always succeeding, i'm sure it is a war zone. we are not in a position to verify those claims in relation to

what israel says about unrwa. in any event, you are not at war with the civilians in gaza. those people have rights to food and safety and water and basic human rights. the death toll is put at this point by the hamas lead health ministry in excess of 22,000 people and we see the images coming from there off utter devastation. what can israel do to protect those people more? the plea has been made to israel from the us, we see the secretary of state antony blinken travelling there this week. what do you hope to see to come from that meeting with the prime minister?— meeting with the prime minister? ,, . ., , ., ,, ., minister? secretary of state antony blinken, _ minister? secretary of state antony blinken, between i minister? secretary of state | antony blinken, between him minister? secretary of state - antony blinken, between him and us there is no daylight about the goals of this war and in automatic to continue it. until hamas is eliminated. if hamas laid down their weapons tomorrow, inaudible military crisis. before humanitarian crisis. before humanitarian crisis. if they stop the

aggressions to what they are still harbouring 128 israeli hostages and launching rockets thatis hostages and launching rockets that is well almost daily. they are not doing anything in their power to try to minimise... sorry, we are having some difficulties with the signal there, sojust difficulties with the signal there, so just to difficulties with the signal there, sojust tojump in, you arejust freezing there, sojust tojump in, you are just freezing slightly on us to jump are just freezing slightly on us tojump in, as you mentioned the hostages there. you're obviously a member of the blue and white party formed in opposition to netanyahu's party and briefly you were in a power—sharing arrangement with him but what is your assessment of how he has handled this war and, in particular, the pursuit to try to find those hostages? has been some criticism of him? my has been some criticism of him? my opinion is that i was a minister under the unity government and i resigned because of netanyahu. i was consul—general of israel in new york and i resigned. when netanyahu was re—elected. i am a great opposition for some of

his policies in israel and still to this day, we are all united in israel against our shared enemy and we are all frightened together after what happened on october seven and the war cabinet is still a united war cabinet. and after the war, we can look back and say things that i agreed with and things that i didn't but what i think should happen, particularly in israel, right now in the middle of the law but full bore my brother—in—law is fighting as reserves officer and i support him in everything the idf is doing fully because we've reached a point where we have no choice. i want to remind you, i was on the opposition side of this government inaudible so i supported the disengagement of gaza in 2005. instead of using those years to build a thriving economic economy, and education system, to use the time of international aid and money to

create terror infrastructure and call for the elimination of the state of israel. not a two state solution, not living alongside me the way i've talked about them for years. and just on that briefly, asaf zamir, the israeli defense minister gallant has outlined some proposals for the future governance of gaza and if you had a chance to look at those proposals, what do you make of them? i proposals, what do you make of them? ~ ., proposals, what do you make of them? ~' . ., , them? i think there are many oinions them? i think there are many opinions right _ them? i think there are many opinions right now _ them? i think there are many opinions right now in - them? i think there are many opinions right now in israel i opinions right now in israel and that is burgeoning into the politics of it. some of the things that represent the mainstream majority of israelis, some don't, some are very radical, things that i don't agree with sometimes. but everyone agrees right now in israel but we have to make sure it's safe for the people who were evacuated from their homes in israel, to go back and live in israel, to go back and live in their homes. it was one of the most shocking moments of the october seven attack on israel with hamas fighters storming into the supernova music festival, killing more than 360 people and taking 40 hostages back into gaza. now, nearly three

months on, some of the families of those hostages have visited the site. wyre davisjoined them as they confronted the place where their loved ones were taken. there is little left now at the site of the nova music festival, apart from hundreds of photographs planted in the desert earth — mainly young people who were killed or abducted on october 7. among them, this woman, a wife and mother of an infant son — a boy who will never see his mother again. we told him that his mother won't come back and that his father is missing, that we are looking for him, but i try to keep my eyes on my mission, to bring him back and we'll bring the rest of them back. allahu akbar! three months ago this weekend, thousands of heavily armed hamas fighters burst

through the gaza fence. among their targets, the nova festival. pa rtygoers fled for their lives. more than 360 were killed. dozens were abducted to gaza. some survivors made an emotional return to the nova site today. the safe return of their friends, their only goal. the world's attention is still very much focused on the ongoing warjust over in gaza, and more than 22,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians. but israel doesn't want the world to forget what happened in places like this on october 7. everything is gone from where the festival site was but what happened here has not been forgotten. virtually everything from the festival site has been brought to this installation in tel aviv. the stage, the sound systems, and the music. it's an emotional project but with a positive message. as a community, we look forward. we have this passport

of "we will dance again" — we mean it. we want to dance again, we want to dance for the memory of my friends, my friends will be happy to see me dance again. with thousands of personal possessions that will never be claimed, the burned—out cars in which fleeing people were killed, this is also a difficult reminder of one of the darkest days in israel's history. wyre davies, bbc news. the leader of hezbollah has once again threatened to retaliate against israel for its suspected role in the assassination of a hamas leader based in lebanon. hezbollah is a powerful political and military group backed by iran. and in his second speech this week, its leader, hassan nasrallah, said that a response to the killing of saleh al —arouri was "inevitable." his comments came as lebanon issued a formal complaint to the un security council over the attack in beirut on tuesday. it said israel used six missiles in the strike

on a hezbollah strong hold. israel has not confirmed whether it was behind the killing. joe biden kicked off his re—election campaign about donald trump. he hammered mr trump by name comparing his recent inflammatory language to that heard in nazi germany and said his campaign was all about revenge and retribution. with saturday markings three years since the january six insurrection he criticised the action of mr trump where he reportedly watched television as his allies pleaded with him to stop his supporters from violently storming the capital. some chanted about hanging the speaker of the house and nancy blows you, he said american democracy was pushed to the bread but survived, he accused

mr trump of rewriting history of an attack millions of people worldwide saw and said was mr trump remains willing to sacrifice democracy for its own benefit. mr trump responded by accusing mr biden of the mongering. trump's mob wasn't peaceful protest, it was a violent assault. they were insurrectionists, not patriots. they were there to destroy the constitution. trump won't do what an american president must do. he refuses to denounce political violence. as we begin this election year, we must be clear — democracy is on the ballot. your freedom is on the ballot. applause the upcoming anniversary of the january sticks attackers sparking memories for those caught up in the right. among them hundreds _ caught up in the right. among them hundreds of— caught up in the right. among them hundreds of capital- caught up in the right. among them hundreds of capital and | caught up in the right. among i them hundreds of capital and dc police officers, thejustice

department said 140 officers were assaulted that day, one of them michael furneaux almost died, my colleague spoke to him earlier. thank you very much forjoining us on this day, michael furneaux, this day three years ago you were badly injured, you suffered a heart attack, a brain injury, how are you now stop? i attack, a brain in'ury, how are you now stop?_ you now stop? i would give m self you now stop? i would give myself a — you now stop? i would give myself a clean _ you now stop? i would give myself a clean bill - you now stop? i would give myself a clean bill of - you now stop? i would give. myself a clean bill of health, the same cannot be dead unfortunately for the state of our country. unfortunately for the state of our country-— unfortunately for the state of our count . ., ., ., ~ our country. how do you market a day like _ our country. how do you market a day like this? _ our country. how do you market a day like this? i _ our country. how do you market a day like this? i never- our country. how do you market a day like this? i never really i a day like this? i never really no into a day like this? i never really go into at — a day like this? i never really go into at least _ a day like this? i never really go into at least i _ a day like this? i never really go into at least i haven't - a day like this? i never really go into at least i haven't intoj go into at least i haven't into the past gone into it with any particular plans. just seems to kinda play out the way that it plays out. tomorrow, i am doing an early morning interview, and then the rest of the day is mine, i will probablyjust go

spend time with my family. donald trump we have to say maintains his innocence through all of this. the events of january six came, the protest on it came from a belief from a lot of people that the election had been somehow stolen by the remarks donald trump was making, refusing to accept the outcome of that election. given we are still a long way from election day but it would look at this point will be a rematch between president biden and donald trump, are you concerned something similar may happen to have this year should donald trump lose again or refused to accept the outcome of the election? i accept the outcome of the election?— accept the outcome of the election? . ., . election? i am not concerned and i election? i am not concerned and i will— election? i am not concerned and i will tell— election? i am not concerned and i will tell you _ election? i am not concerned and i will tell you why, - election? i am not concerned and i will tell you why, i- election? i am not concerned and i will tell you why, i am i and i will tell you why, i am convinced something is going to happen. in fact i think even that statement is disingenuous in that we have seen a continuation of politically inspired violence in the

aftermath of january six, and obviously nothing to the same scale we all witnessed at the capital that day but we have seen attack, perpetrated against law enforcement, against law enforcement, against the f vi, threats made to elected officials, threats made to judges, to elected officials, threats made tojudges, really to elected officials, threats made to judges, really anybody that opposes maga in the former president draws his ire, and he knows that simply mentioning them, leads to his followers attacking them, threatening them, these i would not call them, these i would not call them dog whistles, these are overt threat. he knows exactly what he is doing. 50 overt threat. he knows exactly what he is doing.— what he is doing. so what can be done. _ what he is doing. so what can be done. do _ what he is doing. so what can be done, do you _ what he is doing. so what can be done, do you have - what he is doing. so what can be done, do you have hope i what he is doing. so what can| be done, do you have hope for the future? i be done, do you have hope for the future?— the future? i don't know if i would call _ the future? i don't know if i would call it _ the future? i don't know if i would call it hope, - the future? i don't know if i would call it hope, i - the future? i don't know if i would call it hope, i feel. the future? i don't know if i would call it hope, i feel as| would call it hope, i feel as though the department of

justice, other institutions that are charged with protecting our democracy are doing theirjob. within the confines of their authority. but ultimately it is every american�*s responsibility to preserve democracy and ensure it exists for future generations in this country. i think that in the way we have become complacent to our own success. we have not seen our democracy challenged in this way in a very long time. we certainly have not seen that threat come from within. so i think it is important that every american especially our newer voters, those who may not have been old enough at the time of the january six attack, to fully appreciate what took place. and again, i turned to the president, joe biden, to

set the tone and to help educate those americans as to what is really at stake here. we will leave it there for the moment, thank you force speaking with us we appreciate that, former washington dc police officer michael furneaux, thank you forjoining us. the colorado strait court barred him from being listed on these state ballot. that cited these state ballot. that cited the 14th amendment disqualifying mr trump due to his role in the january sex interaction, voters in dozens of states who filed the justices have scheduled oral arguments for february eight and indicated the case will be fast tracked, the trump camp says they look forward to a fair hearing.

0scar pistorius has been freed on parole from a jail in south africa. it's nearly 11 years since pistorius murdered his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. she was shot multiple times by pistorius at his home, in a crime that gripped the world's attention. he claimed he mistook herfor a burglar. the former olympic champion was whisked away from prison in pretoria earlier, and is now thought to be staying at his uncle's house. mr pistorius must adhere to strict parole conditions forfive years orface re—imprisonment. reeva's mother, june steenkamp, said the conditions send a clear message that south africa took gender based violence seriously. earlier i spoke to giancarlo author of a book about 0scar pistorius. 0scar pistorius released on parole after eight and half years of the 15 year murder sentence. what was your reaction does this release come as a surprise? hat reaction does this release come as a surprise?— as a surprise? not at all, i think strictly _ as a surprise? not at all, i think strictly speaking - as a surprise? not at all, i think strictly speaking up | think strictly speaking up after the letter of south african or he might have been released a year ago, there was pressure from the appearance of the victim and some political

pressure and it was extended, no it was not a surprise at all. ., ., ., , ., all. you mention the family and in the in the — all. you mention the family and in the in the family _ all. you mention the family and in the in the family of— all. you mention the family and in the in the family of reeva - in the in the family of reeva steenkamp did not pose his bed for parole. do you have a sense of how her family is reacting? there has been a statement from the lawyer of the family lawyer, and they are kind of accepting that the law is such that the time has come for oscar pistorius to be released, 0scar pistorius to be released, but there is a certain grudging resignation about it. they made the point that 0scar pistorius is now free and they are sentenced for life to endure the loss of reeva steenkamp, in particular it is the mother who has been expressing these views, her daughter is gone for ever, so there is a amount of lamenting and of course we completely understand that,

anyone in their position who has lost a daughter in that way would reckon in such a matter but there is at the same time a sense from the family the holst tree has not been told. the thing is, despite the fact this whole legal process with pistorius has reached its conclusion, the factors there is a mystery at the heart of this killing. that may never be resolved, and the mystery is — did pistorius knowingly, deliberately killed his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp or did he not?— the 1990s band the spice girls are being recognised with stamps in the uk. the collection of 15 stamps celebrates the group's 30th anniversary, the first time a complete set has been dedicated to an all woman pop group. stay with us on bbc news, thanks for watching. after such a wet week i can

bring you some better news in the weekend weather forecast because although it will be colder it is also going to be drier. not completely dry. still some showers around, some bits and pieces of rain, particularly as we start saturday across northern and eastern areas, where we have had a fair amount of cloud. but this slice of clear sky spinning in from the west has been allowing temperatures to drop with some frost and fog and ice to start saturday morning with so much water around. where temperatures have dropped to freezing below we are likely to see some ice. some of the fog could be slow to clear across southwest scotland and northern england. some rain persisting in the northern isles into the afternoon, the band of cloud persistent as well across eastern counties of england with a few bits and pieces of showery rain. the odd shower out west, but sunshine, too, highs 5—9 degrees. the band of cloud will roll further west on saturday night coming into the midlands, it could bring the odd shower.

where we keep clear, temperatures —5 or lower than that. temperatures around or below freezing. maybe —4, —5 or lower than that in some parts of scotland. heading into sunday with some cloud and a brisk wind in the southeast corner, that will provide the odd shower. elsewhere but it will feel cold. 2—6 degrees, particularly cold if any morning fog lingers for any length of time. heading into monday the high pressure, if anything, will strengthen, centred in the north of the uk. quite a few isobars down to the south, meaning strong winds. those winds combined with cold air will make for a decidedly chilly feel. brisk winds to the south. further north, not as windy, but there could be persistent fog and misty, murky conditions. sunny spells as well. top temperatures two or three degrees in parts of scotland, northern ireland, england and wales, 3—6 degrees celsius. but with the strength

in the wind, this is the feels like temperature, where it will feel subzero. very chilly on monday, perhaps a little less cold as the week wears on — but staying mostly dry.

voice-over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. jeremy deller, a conceptual artist whose work is collaborative and often political. in 2001, he restaged an infamous clash between striking miners and police officers. three years later,

he won the turner prize for memory bucket, a film about the then us president george w bush's hometown in texas. george bush has got to go! in 2016, he placed ghostly platoons of young soldiers in public spaces across the uk to commemorate the battle of the somme. in this episode of this cultural life, the radio 4 programme, he reveals his formative influences and experiences, and how he aims to take art beyond its conventional forms. i'm trying to sort of see what the limits are of art. i'm quite interested in seeing how far you can push art into everyday life, but also into other areas as well.