were mistreated by israeli forces we'll bring you a special report. race row. downing street calls alleged comments by a top tory donor about britain's first black female mp unacceptable. diane abbott has described as �*frightening' alleged remarks by frank hester that she made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot labour says the conservatives should return his £10 million party donation. a romanian court orders the immediate release of controversial social media influencer andrew tate and his brother tristan from police custody, after ruling that they can be extradited to the uk. the prime minister of haiti calls for a return to stability after announcing his resignation. we'll talk to our correspondent in the region.

we start with a special report from gaza where medical staff have told the bbc they were detained, beaten and prevented from carrying out vital duties after a raid at their hospital last month. they've said, that some detainees were stripped, kept in stress positions for several hours, or had muzzled dogs set upon them. israel said, it occupied the nasser hospital site believing it was used by hamas and that severalfreed israeli hostages have said, they were held there. you might find some parts of this report by wyre davies distressing. not for the first time in this war, israeli soldiers have been filmed standing over stripped and kneeling detainees in gaza. but these are medical staff, detained after the israeli army overran the nasser hospital in khan yunis. most of them are still held captive. for weeks, the medics had witnessed israel's military advance closing in around their hospital. the fighting in khan younis was fierce.

thousands of people who'd sought refuge in the grounds, fled under gunfire. what should have been a place of safety was completely the opposite. one nurse was shot inside a hospital operating theatre through a window. another person shot at the main entrance. the hospital was under siege. on february the 15th, after giving warnings, israeli tanks overran the hospital. there were chaotic scenes as troops took control. patients who'd been unable to evacuate were moved by medics from collapsing wards. israel says it found hamas weapons, also medication which they say supports accounts from israeli hostages that they were held there. in the idf�*s own footage, you can see that hospital patients had their hands zip tied, detained outside in their beds and wheelchairs.

this was when troops also detained the medical personnel, more than 50 of them forced to leave their posts and remove their surgical clothing. israel says it did so in case there were concealed weapons, and that among the 200 arrested at nasser were terrorists posing as medics. dr amira assouli had remained at nasser throughout the siege, before the israeli incursion, risking her own neck to save lives, as people were shot inside the grounds. she later witnessed what happened to her fellow doctors. | translation: it was tough for us to | see how the doctors, who had bravely stayed at the hospital despite the dangers, were stripped and beaten. their hands were tied behind them and they were left in the sun for hours.

his hand broken in captivity, dr ahmed sabha is one of the very few medics to have since been released. he shows the positions they were forced to adopt for hours, and says they were also tortured. translation: they forced us to kneel down with our eyes blindfolded. - there was a pit in the ground, and we thought they would execute us and bury us there. we said our prayers, but they were just intimidating us. israel says any abuse of detainees is against idf orders and is strictly prohibited. but crucially, according to the hospital manager who dealt with the israelis during the raid, the detention of so many of his staff left his hospital woefully short of doctors. translation: eight doctors and 15 nurses were left - treating 250 patients. you can imagine the level of care we could give with no water

or electricity in the hospital at that point. during this time, 13 patients and injured people died. the israeli army says it operated within nasser in a precise and focused manner, and says it provided equipment enabling it to function and treat patients. but with the war continuing, and at least 46 medics still detained or missing, the hospital has been closed for weeks. wyre davies, bbc news. a ship towing a barge loaded with almost 200 tonnes of food aid has left cyprus's larnaca port for gaza. it's the first shipment along a maritime corridor which it's hoped will bring desperately needed supplies to palestinian civilians. the un says a quarter of the population in gaza is at risk of starvation.

our correspondent anna foster is injerusalem. she spoke to me earlier with the latest developments. the scale, matthew, is absolutely huge. and that barge that quentin was talking about there is going to go to the north of gaza. now, he mentioned, of course, that that civil order there is very much broken down. it's believed there are around 300,000 or so people who are still in the north of the gaza strip. now, you remember much earlier in the conflict, before the ground operation began there people were told to leave their homes. some did and went back. some stayed. and they are the people at the moment who are possibly in the greatest need because it's enormously difficult to get aid there. it's dangerous. we've seen convoys be swamped. we've seen people be killed around those convoys as that level ofjust desperation drives them to try and grab what they can off the trucks when they come by. so the north is a realfocus, particularly for this new amount of aid that's coming in. but when you look at the south, when you look at the very southern

tip, places like rafah, for example, now that is, of course, very close to the crossing where a lot of the aid trucks come through from egypt. but there are so many people there, so many displaced people now, more than a million who've moved south in the strip, many of them in tents. they don't have proper homes any more, basically without food, clean water, medical supplies. all of them are in enormously short supply right now. now, this is one of the reasons why there had been a big push and a big effort, we were told, to try and achieve some kind of humanitarian ceasefire by ramadan. you might remember there was a lot of talk about that, but ramadan has now started. we're in the first couple of days and we know that the sides are no closer. in fact, the qataris announced earlier today that there was still really no agreement on the language that would be needed to try and achieve an immediate humanitarian cease fire, to try and get more aid in. and actually, here in east jerusalem, where i was yesterday, i was talking to palestinians in the muslim quarter of the old city because, of course, as they start to to try and celebrate ramadan, the holiest month in the islamic calendar, they, of course, look and see what their fellow palestinians in gaza are living through. and it makes it very, very difficult

for them to to celebrate what should be a special time. they don't let young people go in. they don't let young people go in. the day— they don't let young people go in. the day before yesterday, they beat them with _ the day before yesterday, they beat them with sticks. they wanted to go in al aqsa _ them with sticks. they wanted to go in al aqsa but they did not like them — in al aqsa but they did not like them. why? al aqsa is for us. an them. why? al aqsa is for us. interesting

them. why? al aqsa is for us. in interesting point about some them. why? al aqsa is for us. fifi interesting point about some of the scuffles in clashes we saw in the first night of ramadan. if we look ahead to friday, it will be the first friday prayer so we know security around the al aqsa mosque and the temple complex there will be particularly tight and there are concerns will be a violent clashes and be seen in previous years but now at a time of war things are particularly tense and they know that something being looked at from all quarters. we that something being looked at from all auarters. ~ ., i. that something being looked at from all auarters. ~ ., ., ., all quarters. we told you cameron has been asking _ all quarters. we told you cameron has been asking the _ all quarters. we told you cameron has been asking the man - all quarters. we told you cameron l has been asking the man answering questions in the house of lords and this is what he had to say about gazza just a few moments ago. shire gazza 'ust a few moments ago. are doinu gazza just a few moments ago. are doinu all gazza just a few moments ago. are doing all we — gazza just a few moments ago. fife: doing all we can —— gazza just a few moments ago. six9: doing all we can —— had gazza just a few moments ago. six'9 doing all we can —— had to say about gaza. we are operationalising maritime aid from cyprus but this cannot substitute delivery by land which remains the best way to get aid in the scale needed. israel must open more land routes including in

the north for longer and with fewer screening requirements. i'm being clear, we need a humanitarian pause to get aid into glasgow luck gazza and get the —— to get aid into gaza and get the —— to get aid into gaza and get the —— to get aid into gaza and get hostages out. this and get the -- to get aid into gaza and get hostages out.— and get the -- to get aid into gaza and get hostages out. this point was mentioned earlier, _ and get hostages out. this point was mentioned earlier, precisely - and get hostages out. this point was mentioned earlier, precisely in - mentioned earlier, precisely in relation — mentioned earlier, precisely in relation to the bbc's investigation into the _ relation to the bbc's investigation into the treatment of medics at the hospital— into the treatment of medics at the hospital in gaza. what i want to know, _ hospital in gaza. what i want to know. she — hospital in gaza. what i want to know, she said to andrew mitchell, why we _ know, she said to andrew mitchell, why we are — know, she said to andrew mitchell, why we are not ensuring that the israeiis _ why we are not ensuring that the israelis comply with the provisional measures— israelis comply with the provisional measures of the icj. andrew mitchell was unable _ measures of the icj. andrew mitchell was unable to support it. why? what

i would sa was unable to support it. why? what i would say is a _ was unable to support it. why? what i would say is a very _ was unable to support it. why? “ii"isgt i would say is a very disturbing pictures and reports coming out from the hospital and we need to get to the hospital and we need to get to the bottom of what exactly happened and we need answers from the israelis about that. downing street has described as “unacceptable“ remarks alleged to have been made, by one of the conservative party“s biggest donors about the mp, diane abbott. the guardian claims that during a business meeting in 2019 frank hester said diane abbott made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot". today, ms abbott has called the alleged comments "frightening". mr hester has admitted making comments about her which he described as "rude". labour politicians have condemned the comments as“ racist“ and demanded the conservative party return the £10 million he“s donated to them. henry zeffman reports.

i think the critical point here is i don't think what he was saying was a gender or race based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate. he has apologised, and i think we need to move on from that. cancelling anyone who has ever said anything. _ cancelling anyone who has ever said anything, this is half a decade agom — anything, this is half a decade agom |t— anything, this is half a decade auo. .. , :, anything, this is half a decade am," , :, . anything, this is half a decade auo... , :, : :, ago... it is not cancelling him, and his aaivin ago... it is not cancelling him, and his giving money — ago... it is not cancelling him, and his giving money back. _ ago... it is not cancelling him, and his giving money back. i _ ago... it is not cancelling him, and his giving money back. i don't - ago... it is not cancelling him, and i his giving money back. i don't know. it's not his giving money back. i don't know. it's not my — his giving money back. i don't know. it's not my decision _ his giving money back. i don't know. it's not my decision to _ his giving money back. i don't know. it's not my decision to make - his giving money back. i don't know. it's not my decision to make but - it's not my decision to make but what _ it's not my decision to make but what i _ it's not my decision to make but what i would say is clearly it is uncomfortable, i am uncomfortable talking _ uncomfortable, i am uncomfortable talking about it now because he was clearly _ talking about it now because he was clearly wrong but we need to show

understanding and the important thing _ understanding and the important thing is _ understanding and the important thing is he did apologise and that he has _ thing is he did apologise and that he has done so and quite right though. — he has done so and quite right though, as i say, i don't know exactly— though, as i say, i don't know exactly what it was he said, that has not — exactly what it was he said, that has not been verified as i understand what it not something which _ understand what it not something which he — understand what it not something which he or we can be proud. earlier i spoke to broadcaster and former labour adviser, ayesha hazarika. and i started by asking herfor her thoughts on the alleged comments. i think these comments are absolutely disgusting. i mean, we've seen a coarsening in language in politics recently, but i think this is absolutely crossing a line. as diane abbott said herself, this language is is frightening. it's dehumanizing. he is talking about harm. he's talking about violence. this is the kind of language which you might expect from the thug or the lout on the street, the sort of national front, far right sort of thug. but this is somebody who is at

the top of the conservative party, their biggest donor. he has the ear of the prime minister. someone'sjust looked up the register of interest. a company owned by hester richardson just registered almost £16,000 for a helicopter ride. so this is somebody who is at the upper echelons of the ruling party of this country making comments like that. it is frightening and it's racist and it's disgusting. we saw kwasi kwarteng in that piece just now call it exactly that racist. we also heard earlier in the day from gavin barwell, who used to be chief of staff to theresa may, and i'm going to put his his post on social media onto the screen, because he said this is racism and sexism at one point. he doesn't like diane. and based on that, he's inclined to dislike other black women. what do you make, though, of a catalogue of other mp5 and ministers sent out saying it's wrong, it's unacceptable, but unable to say it is racist to call it out? i find it extraordinary. i find it absolutely extraordinary, he said.

extraordinary, he said looking at diane abbott makes me want to hate all black women, black and women. how can any sentient being say that has nothing to do with race or gender, quite frankly? watching the the parade of government ministers coming out and denying reality. and look, this is something which is really important. we talk a lot about misinformation and truth. there is absolutely no way you could argue that this was not racist. and quite frankly, i think people will feel really gaslit by those ministers and politicians who are basically arguing that night is day. and i'm somebody who i'm from an ethnic minority background myself. i've worked in politics. it's really difficult for people from an ethnic minority background in politics. diane abbott was the first female black politician. others have risen to very, very high ranks. i'm always somebody who really appreciates how hard it is if you're an ethnic minority to get to the top of politics in any party. i have celebrated appointments like rishi sunak. and the diversity in this conservative government. where are those voices? this government celebrates its diversity. where are those voices saying that this is unacceptable?

where“s kemi badenoch? she's a prominent black cabinet minister. she's also the minister for women and equality. i'm really glad kwasi kwarteng has come out and named this. it's absolutely shameful that they are not naming this truthfully and that they're not giving back that money that is tainted money from somebody who“s made disgusting comments. if that was labour... on that point about money, no doubt in your mind it should go back. absolutely. and if this was different, if this was another political party, if this was a labour donor and labour is getting a lot of donations from individuals,

if this if the conservatives or a newspaper had dug up that a labour donor had made comments like this, there would be a hue and cry about it. and every conservative would be saying, pay back the money. i think what so many people find so distressing, a, the language is horrific and we send our solidarity to diane abbott. what a horrible situation to be in. but this idea of picking and choosing when you call out racism, this weaponising of some forms of racism and then turning a blind eye when it's your own side is so, so damaging to public life right now. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news.

the rate of unemployment in the uk rose to 3.9% in the three months to january. that's up from 3.8% from the previous three months. the new labour market figures, released by the office for national statistics, also showed that more than a fifth of 16 to 64 year olds in the uk were not actively looking for work. some prisoners in england and wales could be released up to two months early, in order to relieve overcrowding in jails. thejustice secretary, alex chalk, said the policy would only apply to certain low level offenders and would be in place for a limited period. official figures show the prison population is nearing the operational capacity. more than 900,000 people in england who did not get their measles, mumps and rubella jab as children are being invited to take part in a catch up campaign. mmr vaccine coverage is now the lowest it has been for more than a decade. the campaign has been prompted by rising numbers of measles cases in parts of england. a court in romania has approved the extradition of the controversial social media

influencer andrew tate and his brother tristan, to the uk. it“s thought they'll be extradited after romanian trial proceedings are over, following a hearing at the court of appeal in bucharest. bedfordshire police here in the uk says it has obtained a european arrest warrant and is working with the romanian authorities as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking against the tate brothers. they deny the allegations. tell us more. yes, i spend a lot of time in bucharest in romania and i fold the story very closely. the romanian side of things we will come back to them saying there is an ongoing investigation and there are charges they face there at the moment so both brothers, andrew tate and tristan, detained by authorities and tristan, detained by authorities and they appear before court on the

basis of a next edition warrant which bedford police sought from the westminster magistrates“ court in uk on the 18th of january and the court of appeal they said we will execute this warrant. we will send you back to the uk on charges of sexual assault and rape. we call them allegations because that is what they are because people are innocent until proven guilty but it has been said they will not do that until they have faced charges in romania. both were indicted lastjune, rested on the outskirts of bucharest which is the capital of romania. they were later held in custody from december and 2022 through until april and prison on this criminal charges, released under house arrest until august and then under less restrictive measures known as judicial controls. this decision by the court of appeal in romania means that actually they“ve now been

released again from police custody. they remain under what we call judicial control so the only restriction is they have to check in with the police in romania and they cannot leave romania without the permission of the authorities so what you're talking about is not whether the two brothers will be extradited to the united kingdom but exactly when this will be. the outgoing prime minister of haiti has called for calm and a return to stability after he announced his resignation. ariel henry is currently in puerto rico, unable to return to haiti as international aid workers describe the situation in the capital as desperate. they say, there is violence in the streets with much of port au prince controlled by armed gangs. the prime minister's resignation came after regional leaders met injamaica to discuss a political transition aimed at restoring political stability to haiti.

let“s speak to the caribbean correspondent for the miami herald jacqueline charles who's been reporting on the region for over a decade now. welcome to the programme. in terms of the current situation in haiti, the security situation, the mayhem on the streets, the humanitarian situation, what is your latest understanding.— situation, what is your latest understanding. situation, what is your latest understandinu. :, :, understanding. right now we are waitin: to understanding. right now we are waiting to see — understanding. right now we are waiting to see what the - understanding. right now we are waiting to see what the reaction | understanding. right now we are i waiting to see what the reaction of the gangs will be as a result of what happened yesterday injamaica. they did come up with a structure or political transition which would basically be a presidential panel of seven members plus two that will be observers. there is no seat at the table for gang members were gang leaders. then after that the prime minister announced his cabinet and a leader in a pre—recorded video, his intentions to step down with this

new political transition team being installed. just new political transition team being installed. , , , :, , installed. just remind people watchinu installed. just remind people watching this, _ installed. just remind people watching this, how— installed. just remind people watching this, how has - installed. just remind people watching this, how has haitil installed. just remind people i watching this, how has haiti got installed. just remind people - watching this, how has haiti got to this place? watching this, how has haiti got to this lace? :, :, :, ,, , this place? that would take time but let's 'ust this place? that would take time but let's just go — this place? that would take time but let's just go back _ this place? that would take time but let'sjust go back to _ this place? that would take time but let'sjust go back to 2021, _ this place? that would take time but let's just go back to 2021, july - let's just go back to 2021, july seven, the assassination of the country's president during a time that he was in office, he had not held in the election so that with the country in a constitutional crisis, he was ruling by decree when he was killed, at his home in the middle of the night. then he designated ariel henry to be his seventh prime minister that did not have a chance to swear him in, that set up a power struggle, power vacuum and when previous leader was killed, he was another unelected individual, there have been none in this country. power vacuums, armed gangs, a police force that is barely

9000, less than 9000, actually. a us arms embargo. it is a recipe for disaster and that ought to be seen since the 22 in —— that is what we have seen, since the 2010 earthquake, it has been on a downward spiral people cannot catch a break and we've seen the street lighting up with violence, coordinated attacks by gangs who before this did not talk to each other, they were just kidnapping and warring with each other for territory and what we saw in the last two weeks is everybody“s worst nightmare so they always offer the same time, targeting key government institutions, the airport, the seaport. they try to get at the palace and the police despite the numbers, small numbers, managed to fight back but a number of their police stations have also been overtaken and at least six of them have been killed.— overtaken and at least six of them have been killed. yes, you summarise the disintegration _ have been killed. yes, you summarise the disintegration of _ have been killed. yes, you summarise the disintegration of what _ have been killed. yes, you summarise the disintegration of what it _ have been killed. yes, you summarise the disintegration of what it is - the disintegration of what it is like they are in haiti incredibly well. we know these regional leaders

have been meeting injamaica. we only have 45 seconds left but as anything emerging as a plan to help haiti out of this?— haiti out of this? there was a plan of multinational... _ haiti out of this? there was a plan of multinational... but _ haiti out of this? there was a plan of multinational... but we - haiti out of this? there was a plan of multinational... but we are - of multinational... but we are seeing reports from the bbc that the king are saying that is on hold because of the prime minister so again security. how do you get the power back with the priority. thank ou so power back with the priority. thank you so much- _ power back with the priority. thank you so much. we _ power back with the priority. thank you so much. we are _ power back with the priority. thank you so much. we are looking - power back with the priority. thank you so much. we are looking at - you so much. we are looking at the latest developments in haiti with the prime minister developing what those gangs are calling for. useful background information. going through the long, terrible history of the last naked they are in haiti. back with more than just a moment. hello there.

good afternoon. well, it's been another wet start to the day with a band of heavy rain moving eastwards, particularly across england and wales. sodden ground here in herefordshire, although the rain is largely eased here. lots of low cloud, still some rather misty, murky conditions for the rest of this week. you'll notice that it is turning milder with more of a south—westerly wind. more rain to come, though. and here's the rainfall accumulation chart for the rest of the week. you can see for most of us, another 20 to 30 millimetres, but for some spots for northwest england and for western wales, as much as perhaps 70 to 80 millimetres of rain, a lot of surface water around and indeed there could be some more flooding. already. plenty of flood warnings up through the severn estuary and towards the south coast with those high spring tides yesterday and today. and here's the satellite picture showing all of that cloud. the weather fronts gradually pushing through. the rain will eventually clear east anglia in the far south east of england. some showers following on behind

a lot of low cloud. perhaps the best of the brightness today will be across north western areas of scotland, although here perhaps still a few showers and a brisk south—westerly wind dragging in that mild feeling air, 12 or 13 degrees celsius across the south of england. now, overnight tonight, we'll see further weather fronts just gradually push their way in from the west, bringing some heavy rain across north western scotland, northern ireland and down through northwest england as well. further south and east, it is drier. there“ll be lots of low clouds and misty, murky conditions, still rather breezy, ten or 11 degrees celsius. it's a mild start to the day on wednesday. now, wednesday, that weatherfront stores across north west, england and west and wales, there will be some rain here to the south of the front, plenty of cloud, a few brighter skies. and that will really help to lift the temperature. sunshine and showers further north and gales blowing across the far north of scotland.

but that milder air now firmly established across most of the uk. our weather front will gradually be pushing further northwards as we head through thursday. bringing some more heavy rain across perhaps parts of northern ireland, southern scotland and another rash of showers pushing eastward, some heavy and thundery, particularly out towards the west. if we do get any brightness on thursday, temperatures across parts of east anglia could rise as high as perhaps 16 or 17 degrees celsius. there's more showers to come in. the forecast, though, as we head through friday, drier by the end of the day, the air stays mild, but still some more wet weather to come. bye— bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the bbc sees evidence that staff at nasser hospital in gaza were mistreated by israeli forces we bring you a special report. aship a ship loaded with humanitarian aid has left a cypriot port bound for gaza. remote—controlled sea drones have been taking ukraine“s fight to the russian fleet. the bbc has had access to the special unit carrying out operations. and why bananas are getting more expensive. a conference in rome is looking at a global growing problem. time for a look at the business news now with ben thompson. we start in the us where we've just had the latest indication of the rate at which prices are rising. the consumer price index rose 0.4% last month after climbing 0.3% in january.