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i'm thriving by helping others everyday. people who know, know bdo. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbcews". >> i'm ben thompson. you're watching the context on bbc news. >> what is new about this, it is a joint statement. it is in combined, and it has that extremely forceful way. >> americans are saying this is going to happen over a number of days that they are going to target iranian interests and personnel in iraq and syria. >> we will see whether the u.s.

hits targets as part of a response to the killing of the three american soldiers in jordan. also targets in and around yemen itself. >> governments in the u.s. and europe, are they complicit in humanitarian law violations? it is the argument for 800 senior officials in an unprecedented coordinated warning. also on the program, a brutal and sadistic attack. the murderers of 16-year-old student breanna jerry are sentenced to life after she was stabbed to death in broad daylight last february. a return to power-sharing, we will assess the priorities for northern ireland as it prepares to resume government after a two-year hiatus. and what is the access of resistance?

atkins will make sense in the middle east as america vows to retaliate against iranian backed militia. >> all that still to come on the program. we begin with an unprecedented warning for more than 800 serving officials in the united states and europe. denouncing their government's policy on israel and the war in gaza. in a signed statement, they warned their own government policies on the israel and gaza war could amount to grave violations of international law. one signature he of the statement said a u.s. official with more than 25 years national security experience told the bbc those who understand the region were not being listened to. while the statement warns there are administrations being complicit in one of the most terrible humanitarian of the century. expert advice has been sidelined. it's as israel has shown no

boundaries in its military operations in the gaza, which resulted in tens of thousands of preventable civilian deaths. it also calls for the u.s. and european gernment to stop asserting to the public that there is a strategic and defensible rationale behind the israeli operation. that statement is signed by civil servants from the u.s., the eu, and 11 european countries. including the u.k., france, and germany. u.n. aid agencies say they are deeply concerned tonight the fighting in gaza could spread to the territories southernmost city. the area is now sheltering half of gaza's 2 million population. on thursday, the israeli defense minister said his country's forces would advance into the area once they had completed their mission against hamas in the nearby city. there remain hopes of a cease-fire according to -- hamas has received a truth proposal

that would include the release of hostages. but they have yet to respond. let's make sense of all of those developments. a former british ambassador to the united states and former u.k. national security advisor. good to have you on the program. i wonder first of all, the coordinated letter signed by those 800 senior officials. what does it tell us about the level of dissent within the government of some of israel's key allies? >> this is unprecedented, i think. then it is extraordinary. i can recall opposition within the government, within the civil service front office to the invasion of iraq in the early 2000's. but i've never seen anything like this, with 800 diplomats from across europe and the united states signing something

like this in quite such stark terms about what is going on. so it is exceptional, extraordinary, and a signal about how much unhappiness there is in foreign ministries across the west about what is going on and about how their own governments are reacting to it. >> we ran through some of those quotes from the letter. one really stands out to me. i would be interested in your thoughts on this. a long serving u.s. government official, 25 years worth of experience telling the bbc concerns have been continually dismissed, even though as they highlight, they have experience in the region and its dynamics. one assumes they are empled for exactly that experience, understanding of the region. but they say concerns were dismissed.

why would those warnings not be heated? >> it is a very good question. from outside of government, it is difficult to know the answer. i say two things about this. one, it has always been clear to anyone who knows the region, who has even visited the region, that there are a lot of risks attached to what is going on of which the most prominent moment is the escalation of this sparking of conflict across the arab world. and you said in the bulletin earlier, the risk of something kicking off in the west bank appears to be rising. everyone knows about implications and the risks. secondly it is also clear that this is -- this israeli ground operation, i've always defended their right to sell for -- self-defense and to respond to

the terrible events in october, the hamas attack on israeli settlements and in the west bank. this operation has gone on far too long, in my judgment. and it appears open ended. we cannot see an endpoint yet. and there is no possibility of a complete victory with hamas being eliminated. i think it is up to the israelis to define a point at which they think they have done enough and to declare it, and carrying on indefinitely for months more. i think that would be a huge problem for the west. >> that is one of the key allegations in this letter. they say governments must stop asserting to the public there is a strategic and defensible rationale behind the israeli operation.

the thing that i was taken within this is making the distinction between not failing to prevent something and being actively complicit. that is a signifint difference, isn't it? >> yes. i think myself, western governments, western foreign ministers are in a difficult place because they know that the only way you can get any influence, any traction on israel is to start from a position of full support for their right to respond, right to respond to what happened on the seventh of october. that is why they have taken the position they have publicly. on the back of that, i'm sure they are privately delivering tough messages to israel about the need for the ground operation to be over soon, the need for civilian casualties to be minimized. it seems to have been pretty much ignored by israel.

it is a job to go from there to say they are complicit. i'm sure they are tortured by what is going on and feeling about the way forward. what i can say is -- with both the british and american governments saying publicly to up the pressure and critici of israel through the way it is conducting this, and to ramp up the international pressure on them and to move on to a phase that would be difficult for israel to accept, which is how we do the reconstruction of gaza and how we kick off the process of a two state solution. >> do you feel this in any way marks a turning point in this war? just this week, we have seen u.s. president joe biden approve those sanctions for israeli settlers accused of attacking

palestinians in the occupied west bank. canada says it will consider similar actions tonight. with the increase in pressure and this letter, i wonder whether this changes some of that uncondional support promised for the likes of the u.s. towards israel? given that rising pressure as far as civilian casualties is concerned. whether it changes the response from israel's allies or changes bodies as in gaza right now. >> i think in itself it marks a turning point. -- i don't think it in itself marks a turning point. i think the turning point has been reached. you see an expression in what president biden did recently on those israeli settlers on the toughening of the language coming out from u.k., the u.s., european capitals. france declaring itself in u.n. discussions to be non-favorable of the unconditional cease-fire. so the western message is

already changing. what the letter demonstrates is just how much pressure there will be within governments from experts in the region telling them you have to try and stop this because apart from the human cost of what is happening, the risks and implications are so dangerous of a wider confrontation in the region. rex always good to get your insight into this. we are grateful for you spending time on the program with us. that is the former british ambassador to the u.s. and former u.k. national security advisor. around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc news. let's have a look at some of the other sties making headlines in the u.k. police have released a new image of -- who they are still hunting in connection with an attack on a woman and her two children using a corrosive substance that has left the mother with life-changing injuries.

more details have emerged of his movements before and after the attack in south london on wednesday evening. a woman who drove her to her fiance before dragging him more than 150 meters along a road has been jailed for minimum of 18 years for his murder. her and her partner ryan watson had been arguing after a party in may of 2022. she claimed his death was a tragic accident. a tv presenter, johnny arendt, who appeared on property shows including a place in the sun, has died at the age of 50. he was diagned with terminal cancer in 2020. the disease spread from his lungs to his brain. the statement on social media said he touched the lives of so many with his kindness and infectious spirit. you are live with bbc news. the murder of breanna joy last february shocked the u.k.. a 16-year-old transgender student was stabbed to death in

a ferocious attack. today, two 16-year-olds were sentenced for her murder. scarlett jenkinson and eddie rack live lured him to a park in broad daylight where they stabbed her 28 times. our correspondent reports from manchester. >> breanna joy found it hard to socialize with other teenagers. so when she arranged to hang out with one school friend by herself, it was a big step. her friend told her to buy a one-way ticket and she would meet her at the bus stop. on breanna arrived, there were two teenagers waiting. breanna could not have known what the other children had in mind. they led her to this park. on a weekend afternoon in broad daylight, they stabbed her so brutally, she stood no chance. leaving her to die, they ran off across these fields and with blood still in his hands, one of the teenage murderers cut the bus home. now the two children who

butchered breanna can be identified. scarlett jenkinson was 15 at the time. sentced today, the court heard she enjoyed the killing and remains dangerous. >> scarlett, i have concluded the primary motivation for breanna's murder was your deep desire to kill. the messages reveal your fantasies and share your sadistic motives. breanna's murder was exceptionally brutal. >> she brought the hunting knife to kill breanna and had different reasons for targeting her. >> you dehumanized breanna by constantly referring to her as it, and your message is about wanting to see if she would scream like a man or a girl showed your own interests in killing breanna linked to your hostility towards her as a transgender person. rex scarlett, you are under arrest on suspicion of murder. >> the teenagers were caught quickly. scarlett's mom had called the

police because her daughter had been with breanna. >> how come you are a suspect? -- >> all the information i have reived is you are a suspect. >> eddie was arrested at his house and told officers could explain at had happened. >> i can explain everything -- >> scarlett and eddie showed no emotion as they were being sentenced. she fidgeted and doodled, he clutched a book of crossword puzzles. the emotion in court came from breanna's family who spoke about the impact her murder has made on them. breanna's father said he'd initially found his daughters transitioning difficult, but they had been forming a new relationship. in the murderers had stolen that from them. and her mother said no parent should ever have to bury their child. eanna should have been around for the rest of my life, she said. adding she believes scarlett and eddie are still a danger to society.

>> i feel like the need to be off the streets for a very long time, if not, forever because i cannot see that level of darkness could ever be rehabilitated. i think they are both very dangerous. they are both in the right place. they should be kept away from society because i feel like there will be a risk of them committing crimes in the future. >> breanna was in school in warrington, but with extra needs, with often taught in a special area called the inclusion room. where she met scarlett, who had been transferred from a different school. a bbc investigation has revealed she had offended before, drugging younger people and moving schools as a result. but the new school was not aware of it. the council review is underway. >> in terms of scarlett, there were no red flags that came up.

>> i think listening to the messages between eddie and scarlett was very surreal and trying to imagine that anyone would talk in that way, plan that way. to a child you have actually met, that is even more shocking. >> the teenagers will be imprisoned until early in their 40's. even then, they will only be released once it has been established they are no longer a danger to the public. breanna's parents say they deprived her of the life she wanted to live not because she had done anything wrong, but just because one hated trans-people and the other thought it to be funny. judith lawrence, bbc news, manchester. >> it is said to be a significant weekend in northern ireland as party leaders and officials prepare to resume power-sharing after it was suspended two years ago. the northern ireland assembly

will sit on saturday to elect a government for the first time in parliament agreed to alter post brings it trade rules. northern ireland is part of the u.k. with a devolved administration. but appropriation unionists are concerned they could link with london. so are correspondent is following the story. it really be a significant moment, won't it? >> it really will be. in terms of the imagery, in terms of the history, for the very first time we will have the nationalist party as first minister here. a party whose existence wants to remove northern ireland from the u.k. altogether will become first minister. a hugely symbolic, powerful

moment. we will get those images tomorrow. there are a few caveats around that. i think the main one is the first minister will be from sinn fein, but the way the system works, there is a deputy to the unionist party. and basically, these jobs working together are equal. nothing can be done or signed off without the approval of both of them. symbolic yes, but in practice, the existing structures remain the same. i think the other important caveat, when we see those images beaming around the u.k. a around the world tomorrow, this doesn't mean the nationalists have an overall majority. they won the election, they are the largest party. it is different from having an overall majority. things like a broader poll on the future constitutional status of northern ireland certainly not immediate. the other reason i tomorrow is

so significant, they will be back here and working. they have not done that for two years. power-sharing will be back. we expect things to the deal between the dep and the government about post brings it trade arrangements. significant moments for the symbolism, but the practicalities. politicians have a lot to do. they have not been able to do anything for a couple of years. civil servants have been keeping the lights on, keeping things going. no big decisions made, no big financial commitments. that comes in the weeks and months ahead. >> really good to have you. i know you are there with the latest. that significant symbolic moment tomorrow. there will be full coverage. turning to lord paul murphy, former secretary of state for northern ireland. thk you for being on the program. louis just running us through some of the logistics of that

will take place. is it your view it will be back up and running at full force this weekend? >> almost certainly. no doubt at all that the assembly and executive will be found this weekend. and by monday, hopefully ministers will be at their desks sorting out the problems that have piled up over the last two years, which are absolutely intense. particularly in the health service. it really is a consirable achievement. i congratulate the government and serve jeffrey donaldson, who have managed to put this difficult deal together. i think it will be a significant day tomorrow. significant also as your correspondent has said, the first time a first minister for northern ireland has come from the nationalist republic side. it is exactly the same powers as the minister, but it is different symbolically.

it really is a very good day for northern ireland and the united kingdom. >> and i want to come onto the issue you raise in a second. but let's talk about how we've got back to this situation. he said the leader of the dop welcoming the deal. he also said the deal is not perfect, but it works in the interests of the people in northern ireland. what is your assessment of where the compromises have been? and where the pressure has come from? this is about changing the post brexit trading rules, but it is also about a frustration in northern ireland that the government has been suspended fotwo years. and there's a growing list of priorities and challenges for the government to tackle. then we are facing more strikes in the coming weeks. was that enough to get politicians back around the table? >> i think it was the catalyst, the fact over 100,000 people marched in the streets of belfast.

16 trade unions went on strike. civil servants took the decisions. and the problems have been piling up. but we can't underestimate the problems the dup and community faced after brexit and with a protocol which gave them the border on the irish sea. a lot has been resolved. i think the trade issues where they were before. but you are absolutely right. it could not carry on like this. not having a proper government and a proper parliament, for example like scotland and wales has. the pressure was intense. the pressure will be even more intense in the weeks to come because of the enormous problems the assembly and executive face

as a consequence. not just what has happened to northern ireland, but the cost of living and what public services generally. >> you chaired talks in the lead up to the peace deal in 1998. i wonder if we make parallels between the importance of that devolved government operating at full capacity. the first minister will be from the national republican side. damaging down the line about the future of the union? and northern ireland's place within that union. it solves the current crisis. but does it store up out other issues that will need to be dealt with? >> they will have to be dealt with. the issue of a united ireland would be dealt wh by a referendum. when the secretary of state thinks there is a strong case,

he would have one. i don't think personally that is imminent. i think the problems the government now faces is enormous. and to reemphasize the point, although he holds the first ministership, it is exactly the same in terms of power and authority as the deputy first minister. there are people who said they should call him joint first ministers. they did not do that 25 years ago. you mentioned the talks in 1997, 1998. we realized there was going to be a really rocky part after the good friday agreement. did not think for one minute that suddenly all things would be brilliant. it was not going to be like that because we were dealing with decades of terrible relationships betwn the two communities.

inevitably, happily -- it really is a good day for us all. >> really good to have you with us. grateful for your insight. that is lord paul murphy, secretary of state for northern ireland. full coverage on bbc news this weekend. significant symbolic events as power-sharing narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... 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. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: "usa today" calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming." that's because the free pbs app lets you watch the best of pbs anytime, anywhere.

♪ ♪ narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... brook: these are people who are trying to change the world. startups have this energy that energizes me.