and how the covid pandemic affected wales — that inquiry gets under way in cardiff shortly. according to the hamas run health ministry, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in gaza since the start of the israeli military campaign in the territory following the hamas attack on israel on october the 7th. and in gaza city an attack last december is thought to have killed 103 members of the same family. middle east correspondent lucy williamson has been speaking to one of the surviving family members — who lost his wife and three young daughters. it took ahmad al—ghuferi a decade to build the family he loved. it took a split second one winter evening to destroy it. ten—year—old tala, five—year—old lana, and najla, not yet two, killed with ahmad's wife in a powerful strike on a residential building in gaza city.

along with his mother, four of his brothers, their families and dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins. 103 relatives in all, a family obliterated. translation: i feel i am in a dream. i still can't believe what happened to us. my daughters are little birds to me. ahmad survived because he was 50 miles away in the occupied west bank, stuck outside gaza since the start of the war, working in tel aviv to fund the couple's dream of owning their own home. he was on the phone to his wife when the attack began. translation: she knew she would die, and she asked me to forgive her - for anything bad she might have ever done to me. i told her there was no need

to say that and that was the last call between us. the house ahmad built with his tel aviv salary in gaza city is still standing, just. the homes around it flattened, including his uncle's house, metres away, where the family fled for safety. translation: it was a fire belt. there were strikes here on four houses next to ours. they were hitting one house every ten minutes. the family are still searching for bodies buried in the rubble. among those killed, they say, a 98—year—old grandmother and a baby boy born nine days before. only a handful of survivors. "we were sitting in the house and we found ourselves under the rubble," she told us. "i was thrown from one side to the other. i don't know how they got me out."

two months on, israeli forces are fighting hamas in gaza city, as they were a few blocks south of ahmad's house around the time the compound was hit. the army said it wasn't aware of any strikes there that day. ahmad no longer wants to return home. last monday would have been najla's second birthday. "who am i going back for?" he said. "there is no one left there to call me darling, no one to call me dad." lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. when the conflict in gaza began, the bbc had severaljournalists working inside the territory, including our correspondent rushdi abualouf. conditions were difficult and dangerous, but rushdi and his colleagues continued working for several months before having to leave. we'll speak to rushdi injust a moment — but first, let's look back on some

of his reports — starting with this one, from the 16th of october, nine days after the hamas attack in israel. this long queue is people waiting to just buy bread. the bakery resumed opening this morning after a sole shipment of wheat arrived from southern gaza. hundreds of people are waiting to get some. i asked some of them, and they believe not all of them will have the chance to get bread. they only give each person five pieces of bread. every one of those have two, three, five families fleeing from the north and the south, everywhere, and they are taking khan younis. that report was filed before israel began its ground assault in gaza. by november, israeli air strikes were more frequent, and rushdi and his team had to take more security precautions. here's a report he filed from november the 6th. for the second night, israel has been intensifying its air strike in gaza city.

it is mainly targeting the area north—west and south—west of gaza. i've seen footage of real destruction in buildings, flames and fire raising out of huge buildings in central gaza as the ground operation has been expanding and israel seems to be pushing hard, by airstrikes, to the area around gaza city. but here also, in the southern area, it is the area that israel asked 1.2 million people to flee south, also, air strikes were intensifying. we heard about an air strike in rafah, two in rafah, one here in khan younis and also where 70 or 80 people were killed, here. not long after that, rushdi and his colleagues had to leave gaza for safety reasons. i'm pleased to say,

rushdi joins me now... take us through the first early days after the hamas attacks on israel on october the 7th and how events unfolded in gaza? i october the 7th and how events unfolded in gaza?— october the 7th and how events unfolded in gaza? i mean, the first da aa, it unfolded in gaza? i mean, the first day aa. it was _ unfolded in gaza? i mean, the first day aa, it was still _ unfolded in gaza? i mean, the first day aa, it was still people - day aa, it was still people preparing for it. there was no huge israeli retaliation. but then the israeli retaliation. but then the israeli air strikes were intensified in gaza city, especially in the area where we live, in the western part of gaza. we had a nightwear half of the neighbourhood, the economic hub for gaza, was completely destroyed. we were still in gaza city. but the night of october the 12th, we had this order to evacuate the area. i have to leave, with my family. and all of the bbc staff. together with about 1 all of the bbc staff. together with about1 million people from the north of gaza. we had to take this journey from gaza city and the north, into the khan younis city. i

had been witnessing people walking cows and camels, mattresses. it was a really chaotic convoy that was leading people to the south. in the south itself, it wasn't safe. i mean, by then, about 30% of the daily air strikes were focusing on the so—called safe area, and about 25% or 30% of those killed during that period is also from the area in the south. so, the area was not under israeli ground operation by then, but still getting every day air strikes. we were caught a couple of times and khan younis itself, in air strikes. of times and khan younis itself, in airstrikes. my of times and khan younis itself, in air strikes. my family survived this, and my colleagues also were coming under huge danger in that period of time.— coming under huge danger in that period of time. obviously over the last four months _ period of time. obviously over the last four months we _ period of time. obviously over the last four months we have - period of time. obviously over the last four months we have seen - period of time. obviously over the i last four months we have seen hours and hours of footage of people who

have been impacted, who have to leave everything behind, as you say. travel sometimes by carter to other parts of gaza, to try to find some kind of safety. how did you manage? you were reporting continually for the bbc while you are there, at the same time, trying to keep your family safe? yellow matter i mean, that's very difficult. being a father of three, and responsible for a large family, you have to always take care of them while you are too busy. it's really very difficult. i used to try to find a little time to look after the family while still doing thejob, because it is a huge story, and those people who live in gaza deserve their stories to be told. so, iwas gaza deserve their stories to be told. so, i was always trying to find a time to do this. it is very hard, because you live the story, you are part of it. you displaced four or five times and you are

trying to find water and food, to be the family. i remember one day in khan younis i had to go to a nearby village to buy food for my family, and i survived an air strike. i wrote that day that death was very close. there were rockets falling around me and my colleague, who went to there. so the struggle was really big. that is what made us decide to leave, because of safety reasons. he spent 45 days there, from the starter when you left. how did you see gaza change in the time? we are 140 da s see gaza change in the time? we are 140 days since _ see gaza change in the time? we are 140 days since the _ see gaza change in the time? we are 140 days since the war— see gaza change in the time? we are 140 days since the war started, - see gaza change in the time? we are 140 days since the war started, and l 140 days since the war started, and more suffering is there, and the more suffering is there, and the more shortage of fuel is there. imagine 2.3 million people are without electricity and without proper water, and without enough food. and they are displaced in a

place called rafah. it is a tiny 60 square metre place near the border with egypt. 1.4 million people live in this area and they only receive less than 10% of what is needed, food, medicine and water, to survive. and they are living in hundreds of thousands of tents along the egyptian border. so the suffering is something that gaza has never seen before. we have never seen this level of hunger, and the prices of food are ten or 15 times more than the usual price. one kilo, one small bag of flour in gaza city costs you $100 to buy. this one small bag of flour in gaza city costs you $100 to buy.— costs you $100 to buy. this all started on _ costs you $100 to buy. this all started on october— costs you $100 to buy. this all started on october seven, - costs you $100 to buy. this all. started on october seven, when costs you $100 to buy. this all- started on october seven, when hamas went into israel attacked various kibbutz and other sites, murdering hundreds of people undertaking several hundred hostage. the netanyahu government has said that

all of the hostages need to be released by hamas, they need to put down their weapons. what is the feeling in gaza about hamas, who were elected as the politicians to run the territory, but some... nearly 20 years ago now? the palestinian _ nearly 20 years ago now? iie: palestinian divisions were deep even before the 7th of october. not all of the palestinians were supporting hamas or in favour of hamas. we have seen for many, many years, the real split between the hamas and fatah. and other people. there is always a great number of people who oppose hamas' way of trying to confront the israelis. and to fight the occupation. we have seen, in october the 7th, hundreds, maybe thousands of people who were celebrating in the street, because simply they believe that what they have been

through four years under pressure by the israelis, tightening the blockade, not allowing people to move freely in and out, and killing the people in the west bank, in gaza, and restricting access to the al—aqsa mosque. people were praising hamas for doing such. but very quickly, the next day all the third day, when the israeli retaliation started into gaza, people were really in a state of panic, in a state of not knowing what to do. on the one hand, they do support, most of the palestinians do support anybody who is fighting the occupation. but the consequences on the price they are paying is really huge. and, yes, we have seen in the last couple of days some protest in the north of gaza and in rafah itself, blaming hamas and asking hamas to find a way to end this war, and hopefully with the current

proposal they will succeed in finding an end to the suffering. much more about gaza online. take a look at our live page, it's at bbc.co.uk/news, or you can go via the bbc app. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. different stories from across the uk. hair salons had to close during the covid pandemic. those with insurance policies, including this one at beeston in nottinghamshire, thought the insurance companies would pay out to cover their losses. but they kept refusing. our billsjust didn't stop because covid came, because the government closed us down. if anything, we still had all of our bills, we still had to pay our insurance premiums every month. now, hundreds of salons have won their legal case and insurers will have to pay. delighted. you know what, i'm going to say another word. relieved. while it's a legal victory, there is a problem. insurers want to deduct the amount of the government paid to

staff in furlow payments from what they agreed to pay to salons. the largest insurance company for the personal care sector, called canopius, said it welcomes the clarity this arbitration brings, and will abide by the decision, and apply it to all the relevant policies and claims. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. republicans in alabama have told the bbc they plan to fix the fallout over a supreme court ruling which decided frozen embryos should be classified as children. it didn't ban ivf treatments — which many couples use to have children — but it created legal confusion for clinics on how to handle and store fertilised eggs and embryos. many have paused treatment, sparking anger. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal has been following the story in alabama. so many families are

distraught about this ruling. they want a solution as soon as possible, and all eyes will be on republican senator tim nelson, who has told us he plans to introduce a bill on tuesday to his fellow lawmakers. i have had a lot of people come into my office in montgomery and have explained to me their situation is that this is the only option they have for a family, and it is injeopardy, and it became one of those things, it became a priority, because i knew that as a physician i needed to help out, figure out a way to preserve the sanctity of life, while still giving reasonable solutions to some difficult questions. ijust know i have worked with legislators services and discussed with members positions, and the key part, it needs to state in utero, that we define it is not a viable option until it is in the uterus. that doesn't guarantee it but it would be a good place to start, as far as civil liability, criminal liability, there is sorts of things. as long as the industry standard is met and there is no

negligence or malpractice. time is of the essence with this, so what is your timeframe on getting a solution? i think two weeks. you know, it may be three, but i think we can do this in two weeks if reasonable minds can come together and in a crisis situation. can reasonable minds come together? i think so in the situation. it is one of those where we are going to take it seriously but find a solution. take it seriously but find a solution-— take it seriously but find a solution. . , ., _ solution. has the intervention by former president _ solution. has the intervention by former president donald - solution. has the intervention by former president donald trump. solution. has the intervention by i former president donald trump put pressure on you? ila. former president donald trump put pressure on you?— pressure on you? no, or anybody else. pressure on you? no, or anybody else- biden _ pressure on you? no, or anybody else. biden came _ pressure on you? no, or anybody else. biden came out, _ pressure on you? no, or anybody else. biden came out, haley - pressure on you? no, or anybody| else. biden came out, haley came out. let's get it right. we need to help these individuals. if they felt we should go one way, i'm still going to do what is right. do you think this would _ going to do what is right. do you think this would cost _ going to do what is right. do you think this would cost the - going to do what is right. do you . think this would cost the republican party votes? hat think this would cost the republican party votes?— party votes? not worried about it. every decision _ party votes? not worried about it. every decision i _ party votes? not worried about it. every decision i make, _ party votes? not worried about it. every decision i make, i _ party votes? not worried about it. every decision i make, i am - party votes? not worried about it. every decision i make, i am sure l party votes? not worried about it. i every decision i make, i am sure we lose votes. it's ok. that's all

right. let'sjust get lose votes. it's ok. that's all right. let's just get it right. let's not worry about the situation where we don't take it into consideration that we just need to take care of patients, and that is what we wa nt to want to do. the inquiry into how the covid pandemic affected wales gets under way in cardiff this morning. there have already been hearings in england and scotland, and part of the inquiry is expected to look at how different rules were applied in the different parts of the united kingdom. let's speak to our correspondent in wales, tomos morgan. what can we expect in the coming hours, and how long is this likely to last? i, hours, and how long is this likely to last? ., ., , ., to last? some of the families are 'ust about to last? some of the families are just about to _ to last? some of the families are just about to arrive _ to last? some of the families are just about to arrive here - to last? some of the families are just about to arrive here on - to last? some of the families are just about to arrive here on this i just about to arrive here on this first day of the inquiry, as it comes to wales. they will be here for three weeks, and we'll be hearing from people like this, who

lost loved ones over the course of the pandemic. also hearing from some of the scientific advisers, the chief medical officer here in wales, and also some of the ministers involved in some of the big decisions between 2020 and 2022. that's the period that this inquiry will be looking into. we'll be looking into the relationship between the welsh government and westminster. here, the decisions involving health and education were made here, but, of course, there was a bit of disagreement between the finances which were being held in westminster, so it will be interesting to see what we learn about the tensions between the two governments. we'll hearfrom about the tensions between the two governments. we'll hear from the minister is probably in the third week of this inquiry, but i think today, the first day will be hearing opening statements from each side, from the welsh government, but also from the welsh government, but also from the welsh government, but also from the families as they arrive in the next few minutes. it will be interesting to see some of the big things we are looking out for, maybe when the chief medical officer here in wales, he was not as strong on

the wearing of facemasks as they were across the border in england. it will be interesting to see how he interpreted the scientific advice on why the change towards the summer of 2020 and became a little bit more strict. also, with regards to the first minister and the health minister, why they took a more cautious decisions when it came to lock down as they did across the border. figs lock down as they did across the border. �* , i, , lock down as they did across the border. �* , . , , lock down as they did across the border. �* , . , _ i, border. as i was saying, we have already heard — border. as i was saying, we have already heard evidence _ border. as i was saying, we have already heard evidence held - border. as i was saying, we have already heard evidence held in i already heard evidence held in england and scotland. how will wales fit into the bigger picture, do you think? ., fit into the bigger picture, do you think? . , i fit into the bigger picture, do you think? . , . , ., think? the main difference, if you look at england _ think? the main difference, if you look at england and _ think? the main difference, if you look at england and wales, - think? the main difference, if you look at england and wales, it - think? the main difference, if you look at england and wales, it was| look at england and wales, it was the fact that there was a far more cautious approach taken by the first minister, mark drakeford, and his health minister at the time, vaughan gething. a more cautious approach to lockdown is, there was a firebreak over the october period, over half term. that didn't happen in england.

did that make much of a difference? it's up for debate. a lot of it will be focused on that. was that the right decision? the knock—on effect of the cautious approach would have been the mental impact on a number of people having to stay at home for longer, miss theirfamilies of people having to stay at home for longer, miss their families and things like that. those will be the key questions to come out of the inquiry in wales. for key questions to come out of the inquiry in wales.— key questions to come out of the inquiry in wales. for now, thanks very much- _ and you can watch the welsh covid inquiry live on our website — we'll be streaming the proceedings at bbc.co.uk/news, starting in a few minutes time. we will have plenty of analysis on the key evidence throughout the day and over the coming weeks. you are watching bbc news. it's nearly 80 years since the d—day landings — when allied troops attacked german forces on the coast of northern france. injune 1944, it was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted and marked the start of the campaign

to liberate nazi—occupied north—west europe. john maguire reports. all the way from here to the actual beach would be a roadway. 80 years on, and stan ford's recollection of the summer of 1944 is remarkable. yeah, that's an american. yeah, they're americans, yeah. here at the d—day story museum in portsmouth, he's telling me about the mulberry harbour, the vast floating pontoons used to bring the equipment ashore as the invasion progressed. stan was a 19—year—old sailor on board hms fratton when it was hit by a torpedo. the force of the blast threw him — and the machine gun platform he was standing on — overboard. you don't hear it explode. you just get a feeling, like. and the feeling was, that was me going through the air and landing in the water. so we become detached.

the gun platform, they were either bolted or welded to the steel deck, but it come apart and over it went. but i survived that. he should have been strapped to the guns. he wasn't. and as they sunk to the sea bed, stan, thankfully, floated free. the ship sunk in four minutes. gun platform and gun went straight on down. i was feeling my back, like. anyway, a little craft come by and hands come over the side and started to pull me. you know, you put your hand up. but i was, "oh, no, oh, my back, my back." but anyway they kept pulling. got to get the guy out of the water. and as soon as they got me out of the water, they laid me down on the deck and i went off. nature put me to sleep.

and i didn't wake up until i was in a field hospital, 84 general field hospital in france, a few miles in from gold beach. and that's where i come to. he'd suffered serious injuries to his spine and both legs. news had been sent ahead to his parents, but when he returned home, there was confusion about which part of his body had been wounded. i went down the front path and my mother must have seen me. she come to the front door. and she said, "you're not disfigured, you're not disfigured!" and i said, "no, mother, i'm not." "but the letter said you had damaged cheeks." i said, "mother, it was the others!" laughter. the other cheeks? it was the other cheeks! this summer, he'll once again return to normandy and to the british

memorial at gold beach. i've got 31 reasons for going back, and this is the 31 of the friends and shipmates that didn't survive. their names are among the more than 22,000 on the walls and pillars of the memorial. i go therejust and i run my hand down and pick out certain ones that was a real buddy, that i used to go shore with, like. ifind them. i find the ones that were real buddies, like, you know, and, um, that makes a difference of going there, and it is a marvellous construction. like all the veterans of d—day and the battle for normandy — all now well into their 90s, if not older — stan says it's important to remember those who died, to honour their sacrifice, notjust

for generations past, but also for generations in the future. marking 80 years since d—day. next the story of a tiny fish making a big noise. scientists in berlin have discovered that a small, transparent fish known as a danionella cerebrum, can make a sound as loud as a jackhammer. take a listen. rapid chirping the creature, which isjust over a centimetre long, uses its muscles to drum out a 140 decibel rhythm — that's as loud as a gunshot. researchers it is the loudest fish for its size yet found.

they believe the drumming may be a form of social communication. that it from me for the moment. let's get the weather. hello again. some of us started the day with some beautiful sunrises, rather like this one. but the hazy skies will be replaced by thicker cloud, as we've got rain moving south courtesy of two weather fronts. now, they'll continue to do that through the day. we have this nose of high pressure. and as they bump into that, the rain in there is going to turn patchier and become more fragmented. look at the isobars across the north of the country. here, we'll get gales across the far north of scotland, blustery for scotland, northern ireland and, at times, northern england. so, the cloud will continue to build as the weather fronts push south. behind them, for scotland and northern ireland, we're looking at brighter skies. but some showers, which could be and thundery, with some hail, wintry in the hills, the white circles represent the average wind speeds.

and our temperatures, six to about 10 degrees. as we head on through the evening and overnight, here is our weather front. and it continues to take its cloud, spots of rain and drizzle, away with it. behind it, we'll see some mist and fog patches forming across parts of central and southern england, the south—east, yorkshire, lincolnshire, for example. and then a new weather front comes into the west, introducing some thicker cloud, rain and strengthening winds. where we've got the clear skies is where we're likely to see some frost. so, tomorrow, he has our weather front in the west. it's going to be pushing steadily eastward through the day. it's a warm front. note the milder air coming in behind it, and then, later, we'll see a cold front coming in and eventually cold air following. so, they'll be some frost to start the day on wednesday. some patchy mist and fog. the weather front in the west producing the rain, pushing steadily eastward through the course of the day. and these are the temperatures. remember, it's a warm front, so we are looking at a 7—13 degrees as our top temperatures.

but that warm front clears, on wednesday night into thursday, the cold front sinks steadily southwards. here it is by the time get to thursday morning, across england and wales. its clearance could be slower than this is suggesting. but behind it, we are embedded in the cooler air. so, increasingly, the showers will be wintry on the hills and the mountains. temperatures, six to about eight in the west. ten in the south—east. the outlook beyond that remains unsettled, with rain or showers at times. it's also going to be chilly. notjust by day, but also by night.

live from london, this is bbc news. president biden says a ceasefire could happen as early as monday. —— a new development in the gaza ceasefire talks. sources reveal a 40

day pause in all developments. life in gaza — a man who lost more than a hundred relatives in a single strike. translation: she knew she would die and she asked — translation: she knew she would die and she asked me _ translation: she knew she would die and she asked me to _ translation: she knew she would die and she asked me to forgive _ translation: she knew she would die and she asked me to forgive her - translation: she knew she would die and she asked me to forgive her for - and she asked me to forgive her for anything bad she might have ever done to me. i told her there was no need to say that. that was the last call between us.— need to say that. that was the last call between us. police in australia searchin: call between us. police in australia searching for _ call between us. police in australia searching for two _ call between us. police in australia searching for two men _ call between us. police in australia searching for two men believed - call between us. police in australia searching for two men believed to | searching for two men believed to have been murdered by a police officer find two bodies. have been murdered by a police officerfind two bodies. hello, i'm samantha simmonds. negotiations for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release between hamas and israel continue. ramadan begins in two weeks' time. according to reuters news agency, the talks will try to reach a ceasefire agreement that can be implemented before the start of ramadan, on the 10th of march.

the draft framework would include a 40—day pause in all military