two bomb explosions have hit pakistan's baluchistan province, a day before the general election. at least 20 people were killed. the first time since the cancer diagnosis was revealed. america's top diplomat meets israeli leaders later, as efforts to reach agreement on a new ceasefire between israel and hamas in gaza intensify. hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. we start with breaking news from pakistan.

at least 20 people have been killed, and dozens injured in two reported explosions in the pishin district of baluchistan, according to a local government official. one of the explosions happened in front of the party office of an independent candidate from the area. these pictures just in show the aftermath of one of the blast. police are trying to determine the cause of the blast, and the injured are being transported to the nearest hospitals. no group has claimed it carried out the attack, which has come just a day before the pakistan general elections. our pakistan correspondet caroline davies has the latest from islamabad. images on social media show the force of the blast. there are pictures of cars and motorbikes blown apart by this explosion. now, the first explosion happened in pacini district in baluchistan.

we understand from officials that this was outside the offices of someone who is an independent candidate running in tomorrow's general elections here in pakistan. and we understand that he was taking a meeting with other party officials at the time. then within the course of not so much as an hour, we heard of another explosion 150 kilometres away in saifullah, a different district also inside baluchistan. now, this time, this explosion took place at the party offices of a religious party known as thejui. at the moment, the police have not revealed the causes of the blast and we have not heard of any group claiming responsibility for them. we have seen an increase in violent incidents, particularly in baluchistan and in kp provinces in pakistan in the run up to the general election. now, this is something that the authorities here are concerned about. they know that the spotlight is on pakistan when there is a general election coming up. there is international media that are visiting here and are covering these elections, too. we spoke to the officials yesterday

who were talking about their sort of security arrangements. who were talking about their sort we understand that there are over 500,000 security personnel deployed around the country to try to make sure that these elections are safe. that's a mixture of police and army and paramilitaries as well. this is clearly a key concern for the pakistan authorities as people head to the polls from tomorrow morning. what is the latest your hearing? what is the latest your hearing? what we are hearing right now is there a lot of fear and uncertainty with regards to what will happen next because as it is, i must point out something here that this is not unexpected. it was expected by a lot of people because the people of baluchistan have been facing these attacks for months now because earlier, these attacks were happening on a small—scale but any different part of the province. now

these attacks are occurring in the main areas, especially in central bull for the north west of baluchistan. so this was literally expected whereas the rest of the country is literally gearing up for the elections the next day. people in a bull are now waiting for what they should do next, whether they should go out tomorrow morning and cast their vote or should they stay inside their homes. we will have more updates throughout the day from pakistan here and be sinews. let's turn to the situation in the middle east now. and diplomatic efforts to reach agreement on a new ceasefire between israel and hamas in gaza are intensifying. america's top diplomat — secretary of state anthony blinken — will meet israeli and palestinian officials

today. the talks in tel aviv and the west bank follow reports that hamas has reacted positively to a proposed deal. president biden said there was �*some movement'. mr blinken said it was possible and essential to come to an agreement. here's a little of what he said after his talks with the qatari prime minister in doha. we had meetings already on the strip in cairo, now today in doha, focused on ensuring as well that we can use any pause to continue to build our plans for the day after in gaza. security, humanitarian, reconstruction, governance, all bring real challenges with them, but that is exactly why we are and need to be focused on them now. we are also determined to use any pause to continue to pave a diplomatic path forward to a just and lasting peace and security for the region.

he said their families he said theirfamilies had been informed. israel had previously said 136 hostages were killed in gaza. there is really government has faced growing pressure to make the release of the hostages its main priority. earlier, i spoke to our correspondent injerusalem nick beake about when an agreement might be reached. i think it is really hard to assess at what point we are in this process. for the past week hamas have been studying a framework of a deal and what happened last night was that they came forward with basically counter proposals although a senior member of hamas told the bbc that in his way to put forward a positive vision for this sort of negotiation that is coming forward. what is interesting is the reuters news agency are reporting this morning they have seen a draft of hamas�*s latest plans and some of

them are quite interesting, i think the caveat is it is a behind the scenes negotiations so sometimes information is leaked such an emphasis is put on a different part but fora particularaim, but writers are saying there are three parts to the hamas proposals two writers. and if they were to be put in place, a big if, there would be a considerable part in the fighting so apparently the talk is about 45 day initial phase during which the hostages taken by hamas on october the 7th, the women and children would be released, then another 45 day period during which other hostages were released, the men, and then finally the bodies, the remains of other people who were taken would be released in that third stage. at the same time, hamas has put a figure on how many palestinian prisoners they want to be released from israel and the figure is 1500,

of those 500 apparently have been given life sentences by israel. so clearly quite a lot for the israelis to accept and that is why president biden has said, in his words, hamas are probably asking a little bit too much so it is no means a simple process. live now to nibal farsakh, the spokesperson for palestine red crescent society who is in ramallah. thank you forjoining us on the programme. nick there talking about discussions on the possibility of another ceasefire between israel and hamas. how much of a difference would it make for the situation in gaza? . ~' ,, would it make for the situation in gaza? ., ~ i. ., would it make for the situation in gaza? ., ~ ., ., gaza? thank you for having me. the situation in — gaza? thank you for having me. the situation in gaza _ gaza? thank you for having me. the situation in gaza is _ gaza? thank you for having me. the situation in gaza is dire, _ situation in gaza is dire, catastrophic, so absolutely, having

a ceasefire and ending the war is the most important thing. we wish a permanent ceasefire because the situation is just worsening permanent ceasefire because the situation isjust worsening every single hour after 90% of the publishing have been internally displaced, there is no safe place in gaza the humanitarian suffering cannot be even described. the people are just fleeing from one place to another. there is no safe place. they have been forced to flee from gaza city and the north to khan younis and again, they have been forced to leave from khan younis under the continuous gunfire. they have left again and now rafa is also under attack. the evacuation orders threaten to thirds of the gaza strip. half of the entire population now and any military operations or

bombardments means absolutely hundreds will lose their lives because there is already overcrowded. there is no place left in shelters, no place left anywhere. people are just lying on the streets, there are not even any chance left so many of them, thousands of people are just, every single day, leading for any humanitarian agency to give them tense while there is not enough tents for thousands of people. everyone is just suffering from the lack of food, drink about water as well and many other relief items such as blankets, warm clothes for the children who are not suffering because of the extreme cold weather. i am sorry to interrupt you. the is really government was my position has been that since the last ceasefire, more aid has been getting

into gaza, more border crossings have been opened up. have using the difference over the past few months? basically, the palestinians are responsible for receiving the human terry in ada through the rafah crossing border but unfortunately we have not seen any positive impact in regards to the entry of human terry in aid. the daily average since the beginning of the monetary and aid on october 21 until february is almost 94 aid trucks through both the rafah crossing. what we are receiving does not even scratch the surface. that is why most people are just living in hunger, lacking food, water, medicines and everything. the situation is absolutely catastrophic in terms of both the human terry inside. we don't have enough food, water, relief items, and for 90% of

the population, because everyone now is relying on the humanitarian aid, we also don't have enough medical supplies and medicines to support the work of hospitals while most hospitals went out of service. those who are still operating or experiencing extreme shortage of medicines and medical supplies. apologies for interrupting, we have to go soon but i wanted to ask you about, i know it is not something we'll be thinking about when it comes to the situation in gaza, but i understand it has been wet and cold. with so many people sleeping in tents, what impact is it having? can you say that again? can in tents, what impact is it having? can you say that again?— in tents, what impact is it having? can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted — can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted to _ can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted to ask— can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted to ask you _ can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted to ask you about - can you say that again? can you hear me? i wanted to ask you about the l me? i wanted to ask you about the weather because i understand it has been very wet and cold in gaza. how

is that affecting so many people living outside?— living outside? most people are livin: living outside? most people are living outside. _ living outside? most people are living outside. rafa _ living outside? most people are living outside. rafa is _ living outside? most people are living outside. rafa is already . living outside. rafa is already overcrowded. i swear, living outside. rafa is already overcrowded. iswear, every living outside. rafa is already overcrowded. i swear, every single day, we are getting hundreds of appeals from families who are just appealing to have a tent because they don't even have a tent and even those who were lucky enough to have a tent, a tent does not protect them from the cold weather, the rain while the rain comes into the tent. children arejust while the rain comes into the tent. children are just freezing to death. at night, when it is so much cold with the rain, there is absolutely not enough blankets as well. fiur not enough blankets as well. our time has run _ not enough blankets as well. our time has run out _ not enough blankets as well. our time has run out but thank you so much forjoining us here on bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other

stories making news. gary glitter will stay in prison after losing april board bid. he was jailed for 16 years for sexually abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980. the 79—year—old was automatically released in feathery last year but was put back behind bars six weeks later after breaching his licence. england's patient safety commissioner has said that the families of children left disabled by an epilepsy drug and women injured by pelvic mesh implants should be given urgent financial help. it follows a review which found lives had been ruined because concerns about some treatments were not listened to. ministers say they will consider and respond to the review. one person has been left

with minor injuries after a passenger train struck a large tree on the track and derailed. you're live with bbc news. the prince of wales will return to public engagements today for the first time since his father king charles' cancer the king is in sandringham in norfolk as he recovers from his first round of cancer treatment. he is now expected to carry out more duties whilst the king steps back from public engagements. this morning, handing honours out at windsor castle. thank you forjoining as here on bbc news. we have had a couple of days to absorb this news of the king's

cancer diagnosis and have also seen