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down three decades ago. ♪ hello and welcome to world news america. israel has reportedly offered hamas a multistage deal that includes a pause in fighting of up to two months in return for the release of all remaining hostages. the proposal has been put forward thrgh qatari and egyptian mediators. axios is reporting to deal proposal, but we have not yet been able to verify their reporting. we are yet to see any response from hamas. the offer comes as internal pressure on israel's prime minister has continued to grow. today, relatives of israeli hostages have stormed a meeting at the knesset, israel's parliament. they are calling for more to be done to free their loved ones. banners were held up reading, you will not sit here while our

children are dying there. for more, let's speak to oliver mctiernan, director of forward thinking. he has worked in hostage negotiation for over 20 years and played a key role in the negotiations surrounding the release of an israeli soldier held hostage by hamas for five years. thanks indeed for joining us on bbc news. we don't know the specific details of the deal of what exactly is on offer, but at first look, does this seem like sothing to you that hamas would accept? >> well, like the bbc i have not been able to verify whether this is real or just a rumor. if it israel, i'm certain it is not a serious offer because to say we want all the hostages remaining, st of them are military personnel, for the two

months cease-fire, i cannot be -- see and being acceptable and those who made that offer will know it won't be acceptable. >> what with the point have been in making it than if they didn't view it as a real offer and it would not be accepted as one either? >> may be in light of what we saw in the knesset today, maybe it is internal politics. i hope i'm wrong. i hope they are seriously wanting and putting as a priority the release of the rest of the hostages, but if i may explain a bit of the background why i'm very skeptical about the intent of this offer. in explaining it, i want to stress i'm not endorsing it, but the reason was to put pressure on israeli authorities to release prisoners who would not have a chance of seeing the light of day outside prison.

there is no review system of palestinian prisoners, especially if they have been convicted of people with blood on their hands, whether the case was proven or not proven. there is no review system. again, i stress not endorsing it, but the reason of forcing a review was by taking soldiers and holding them hostage. if that is the case, i can't see the offer on the table now, the proposed offer, is going to be accepted because what gaza needs at the moment is not a two months cease-fire. 2.3 million people are facing a human catastrophe. god knows how many will die as a result of lack of medicine at present, lack of food, the risk of the various diseases spreading, new pandemics. all of these things, the death may be unimaginable.

what is needed now is a permanent cease-fire, not a temporary two month. it just doesn't -- >> sorry for talking over you, just to jump in, surely a two month temporary cease-fire is better than the were continuing as it is and perhaps during those two months there could be further negotiations to reaching a more permanent solution? >> well, i think that is a good point. i thick it is a very good point and i would hope that it would be seen as a way of moving forward. but again i come back to the hostage situation. i cannot see agreement in light of the explanation i gave, an agreement, the people of gaza, i was talking the other day to friends who are british doctors who spent two weeks there, the goal had been going for the last

15 years helping and gaza and the conditions they described to me was just unbelievable. when they say we've g a stain on our common humanity, i think what is going on in gaza is clearly that. we've got to see it beyond that. we have to say this is humanly unacceptable. someone said, we can no longer believe in the geneva convention , it doesn't apply to us. i can really understand that. so i hope that this offer isn't a distraction from an immediate and permanent cease-fire. my fear is that it may well be. >> lots more to discuss, oliver, but we will have to leave it there for the moment. thanks for joining us on bbc news. >> thank you. >> in gaza, there will be many

hoping this proposed pause in fighting can be agreed and lead to a longer pause, as oliver was discussing. the hamas run health ministry estimates that 25,000 people have been killed in gaza since israel launched its military operation in response to the attack by hamas fighters on october 7. how are those living surviving? some have been sending videos and voice messages from inside gaza. tonight, we hear from a medical equipment supplier and father of five who is in the north of gaza. my colleague has been helping to tell his story. i just a warning, you mine -- might find the details quite disturbing. >> he, his wife, and five children have moved three times since october trying to fi somewhere safe. >> [speaking foreign language] >> he is not a doctor, but he

used to sell medical supplies. as gazan hospitals shut down, he turned to some into a makeshift clinic to treat the wounded. his work affects his children. >> [speaking foreign language] >> an air strike the next street. >> [speaking foreign language] >> with airstrike so close, he decides it is time to leave. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> [speaking foreign language] >> he moves his family to shelter near the main hospital in northern gaza. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> families now all live together in blown out buildings. >> [speaking foreign language] >>'s story as told by ben brand. u.s. and british forces have carried out a fresh round of strikes against toothy targets.

-- houthi targets. officials of told reuters u.s. fighter jets from the carrier eisenhower were involved in the latest strikes. u.s. president biden and u.k. prime minister rishi sunak smoke monday about the importance of protecting commercial sipping lanes in the red sea. iran backed houthis say they have targeted chips linked to israel that travel throughhe red sea read it is the eve of the 2024 u.s. president jewel primary in new hampshire. republican voters are rallying behind the last two standing candidates, former u.s. president donald trump and former u.s. ambassador and south carolina governor nikki haley. florida governor ron desantis bowed out of the race over the weekend. he struggled to keep his supporters after the iowa caucuses last week, which mr. trump won by a landslide, 51% of the vote. the latest poll suggests donald trump holds a significant edge

over haley in the granite state. since the new yea nikki haley has ramped up her criticism of donald trump and in recent days has even questioned his fitness to serve in office. the future of her presidential campaign now depends on what happens tomorrow in new hampshire. democrats in new hampshire will also hold their primary tomorrow , however due to an internal party row president joe biden is not on the ballot, but his campaign is ongoing. reproductive health care access is a key policy focus. abortion is expected to be a main issue this election year as many states have implemented stricter laws after the law was overturned by the supreme court. , harris is kicking off their campaign to her in wisconsin. let's go now to our correspondent in new hampshire and can bring us all the latest from the ground. the last fl day of campaigning in new hampshire, perhaps the

last full day of campaigning in the republican primary full stop. what is it like today? >> yes, it is now a two-person race and we have seen both candidates holding a number of events today. nikki haley has been crisscrossing the state. over the last week, her campaign has said she has planned 30 events across new hampshire. we have seen her in hotels, schools, restaurants, meeting and greeting voters. donald trump has opted for bigger rallies we are used to seeing from him and that is what he will be holding tonight. another large rally and he will be joined onstage stage by some of his former rivals including vivek ramaswamy and south carolina senator tim scott. there is that typical flurry of activity before polls open, but what is perhaps a typical according to some of the voters we spoke to is that the mood is pretty subdued. there isn't that usual tension or excitement he would get before the first in the nation primary and that might be

because donald trump appears to be very much in control. he had that mammoth victory in iowa and if you look at the polls, he appears to have opened up a commanding lead over nikki haley as well. that might have taken a bit of the wind out of the sails of this primary in new hampshire, but regardless we are seeing the candidates on the road holding events and hoping to convince as many voters as psible before the polls open at 6:00 a.m. tuesday. >> bearing in mind that nikki haley is getting all around the state pressing as much flesh as she can, what has been the view back from voters as to whether she can come a close second to donald trump or maybe even beat him? >> if it could happen anywhere, it could happen here in new hampshire. this is a state that has launched many a comeback. it is a state with an electorate of 40% independents. they heavily favor and. -- nikki haley. they are hoping to come can happen in this state.

donald trump is in a commanding lead here and nikki haley's own surrogate, members of her campaign have said they thought she could storm to victory. governor chris sununu is saying a strong second is possible. they are hoping to come out of this with a strong second and move onto the next can test which is in south carolina. >> ok, thanks for that and we will have plenty more from new hampshire over the next day or so. joining us from nashua in new hampshire is republican strategist matthew bartlett. thanks indeed for joining us. we he heard from nikki haley as describing the race between one fella and one lady or is it just a one-man show? >> we will find out tuesday. as stated, former president trump continues to be a dominating force within the republican party. new hampshire is the place where he won his first victory in 2016.

now flash forward eight years, he is looking to stage a comeback. new hampshire could really be a place where he seals the deal with the exception of on of his former cabinet members. nikki haley, who has caught fire and the granite state. she has had a long campaign here meeting with voters. this is an election that is really a very pedestrian feel to it in new hampshire. you get to meet the candidates. it is not from television ads. it is from eating at the diner's, the town halls, meeting at house parties. she has worked very hard. the question is can she get all of those independent voters as well as the publican party voters, a broad coalition that puts up a formidable contest with donald trump? >> are there enough of those independents, those undecided voters to keep her in the contest for a little while longer? >> it is unclear.

independent voters are not monolithic. they don't necessarily even have to be a moderate force. broke toward donald trump. we will see what happens. in order for her to win, she needs that broad coalition and then even moving forward she really needs to ingrain herself within the rublican base, a place where she comes from and south carolina, in order to capture new hampshire and then move forward nationally. >> of course, republican voters and all voters are not looking justo she can do in new hampshire. they are looking for a candidate that can be joe biden. do the defeated candidates have any other option than to roll in behind donald trump? chris christie is the outlier. is there a significant anti-trump vote within the republican party? >> that remains unclear. many of the anti-trump republicans left the party nearly a decade ago in part due

to him, his personality, hi personal failings. now, as we move forward it will be interesting to see what happens in new hampshire. not only are we in early state, but we are a purple state. where independents go tend to preview what a general campaign looks like. his electability issue, is achilles heel early on in this race, a year ago ron desantis was beating him in the polls, but as we have seen, there has been recent polling nationally head-to-head and in the swing states that show him beating current president joe biden that has only emboldened his base and made them more excited to be voting for him tomorrow and possibly november. >> we will watch to see what happens. matthew bartlett, thanks indeed for joining us. the indian prime minister narendra modi has consecrated to hindu dental on a disputed site where a mosque was destroyed three decades ago.

it is widely seen as the start of his election campaign. millions of hindus are celebrating that had temple opening, saying it is a lo-standing dream come true, but it evokes painful memories for muslims. a mosque that stood on the site was illegally torn down triggering violence across the country. our south asia correspondent has this report. >> a grand opening for one of hinduism's most revered deities. india's prime minister performing rituals for the consecration. hundreds of people, men, actors, politicians attend the ceremony. but it wasn't just them streaming in. we have met ordinary people who are thronging in from hundreds of miles away. hindus have told us why this day is so special for them, why this

temple at a site in which they believe to be the birthplace of their most revered deity is so importan >> i'm so fortunate to be here. it has taken so long for him to get his temple. we are extremely happy. >> but this day isn't without controversy. many are accusing the prime minister of violating india's secular constitution by participating in a major religious event. it is controversial because of the divisive history of the site at which the temple is being constructed. in 1992 up until 19 92, a 16th century mosque stood there, which was illegally destroyed by mobs of hindu men. this triggered violence across the country in which thousands were killed. >> mohammed's father was burned alive in 1992.

>> the country wants to forget it. muslims can never forget. it was a black day. we were betrayed then and that is why we feel fear. i will send my children out of the city for a few weeks to keep them safe. >> the opening of the temple is being seen as the start of prime minister modi's reelection bid and it is expected to give him another resounding victory. bbc news. >> a death row prisoner in alabama is due toecome the first person in the u.s. to be executed using nitrogen gas, a method which the united nations has called cruel and inhumane. it will be the state's second attempt to execute the man. our correspondent reports now in southern alabama. >> hidden in the alabama woods,

the jail meant to strike fear into every convict. here more than 160 inmates await execution, among them the fate of one kenneth smith is sparking an outcry. this prison was already among the top in the u.s. for carrying out executions. but what is planned for thursday would be the first in history to gas an inmate to death using nitrogen. and that warns experts could cause convulsions, brain damage, but not death or other catastrophic mishaps. smith has already been subjected to one failed execution by lethal injection. his supporters say trying again with an untested method breaks the law on cruel and unusual punishment. >> good eveng, i hope you have been doing well.

>> she sees his as a crucial test case against suffocation by the state. >> he suffers from ptsd from the botched execution. and now going towards something which might even be worse. >> it was two weeks ago today -- >> smith was jailed in 1989 for his part in e murder of a preacher's wife. the jury voted for life, but the judge sentenced him to death. i reached smith on the phone, but he said he was too unwell on the phone. he later wrote to said he was being tortured. alabama's governor wouldn't talk to us. the attorney general's office said it would proceed with the execution this thursday.

while one lawmaker in favor of the new method rejects the u.n.'s criticism. >> i don't know about degrading or inhumane. i think we are improving. >> but this one is suffocation. >> yes, but i don't remember exactly how the victim died but i think it may be even better than what the process was that he did to the victim. i don't know that. >> is that what it is about for you? that snds like retribution. >> no, i don't think so. >> capital punishment rates in america are falling, but on alabama's death row they fear this execution could create a lethal new turning point. bbc news, alabama. >> just before we go, just to update you on the strikes we reported earlier in the show. we have just received a joint statement from the u.s., u.k., australia, bahrain, canada and the netherlands who say they conducted strikes against eight houthi targets in yemen in response to their targets of

international shipping. that statement went on to say that the intention is to degrade the houthi capability to threaten global trade and innocent mariners. you can get the latest reporting on this and plenty more at bbc.com/news. thank you for narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

. >> good evening, i'm gev bennett. and new hampshire voters are prepared to make their choice between donald trump and nikki haley. geoff: the idea of of a ceasefire and any prospects for a two-state solution. are