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♪ rajini: hello. i'm rajini vaidyanathan. you are watching "the context" on bbc news. >> if there is an agreement, it will be an agreement according to our terms, and our terms are not to leave gaza, leave hamas as it is. we need to eliminate it. >> a real fear that these skirmishes could blaze out to an all-out conflict, which would have huge consequences for israel, lebanon, and the wider region. >> we have set from day one we do not want an all-out war with israel, but if we reach that stage, unfortunately -- >> the health care needs are pretty catastrophic. we know what is needed to address those needs. getting into those children is

another thing entirely. christian: the u.s.-israel relationship has been strained in recent weeks over military shipments, the humanitarian crisis in gaza, and fears the conflict could spread. itagainst this backdrop that israel's defense minister holds meetings in washington today. we are live in washington and we will hear from a hostage family. buckingham palace says princess anne is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a concussion after she was injured three days of mourning in dagestan after churches and a synagogue were attacked there. " with epilepsy -- and a boy with epilepsy the first and the

will to trnew rm of treatment. as we were saying, in recent weeks the relationship between america and israel has come under strain. israel has claimed that american shipments of arms have been delayed in america has warned israel to ensure civilian lives are protected in gaza as the conflict continues on. all the while, the humanitarian crisis in the territory is getting worse, and the families of the hostages taken on the seventh of october are desperate for them to return home. it is against all of this that israel's defense minister yoav gallant has been in washington, d.c., today. he is at the state department meeting with the u.s. secretary of state antony blinken, who will press him on a realistic plan for the governance of gaza once the war is over. here is the state department spokesperson with them on what the two men will discuss. >> he is going to emphasize the need to avoid further escalation of the conflict and that he will as always emphasize the need to

improve humanitarian access where we have seen someone of a slowdown in access itself. the secretary will emphasize to the minister that we want to see that situation rivers and he will hope to hear concrete commitments to work on the problem. christian: let's get more on the visit -- rajini: let's get more on the visit from our correspondent nomia iqbal. first of all, just tell us what this meeting could achieve. we see lot of officials fly anthe u.s. between iael prime min. netanyahu: cash nomia: m is your for the second time in washington, d.c. he met secretary of defense lloyd austin, and you mentioned secretary of state antony blinken, and the head of the cia. he will discuss the next phase of the war in gaza but also the increasing tensions on the lebanese border, a huge concern

for the americans because of what that might open up in the middle east. the top prosecutor for the international criminal court has requested an arrest for mr. gallant, alleging he is responsible for war crimes in humanity. crimes agains the u.s. has rejected that. they see mr. gallant is a very crucial voice, a very crucial ally, especially because mr. gallant says he wants a day-after plan for gaza once the war is over and a plan that does not involve the israelis occupying gaza, which is what the americans want. that is at odds with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, and there has been some tension with him and mr. gallant, tension with mr. netanyahu and the u.s. administration,, in terms of lebanon, as i mentioned, the escalating tensi there is a huge concern not just to the israelis, but to the americans. he could end up a nightmare scenario. whilst the u.s. will always stand with israel, we know biden

is committed to israel, they do consider hezbollah very different to hamas. they consider them more strong and organized. if things escalate, whilst the americans would stand shoulder to shoulder with israel, to quote mr. biden, they would not commit to on the ground, for example. all of that will be discussed by mr. gallant and his counterparts in d.c. rajini: nomia, there has been a bit of a back-and-forth, hasn't there, about this so-called freezing or unfreezing of shipments of bombs between israel and the u.s. there has been a lack of clarity on who is saying what. nomia: you're right, huge lack of clarity on it. mr. netanyahu gave a long interview to israeli tv in which he doubled down on accusations that the u.s. is essentially

slowballing military aid to israel and implying that that is affecting their offensive in gaza, something the u.s. has completely denied. white house spokesman john kirby described mr. netanyahu's comments as perplexing, the white house press secretary karine jean-pierre said "we genuinely do not know what mr. netanyahu is talking about." he has made these comments without any evidence wasn't the americans say they have caused one shipment of 2000-pound bombs because they are concerned they are being used in civilian areas, heavily populated areas. other than that they have been contuing to give israel the military aid it requires. they have no evidence there has been a detrimental effect on what israel is doing in gaza. it is worth mentioning that gallant will, as i mentioned --

he is seen as a crucial ally -- he will try to ease those tensions in the u.s. that we are seeing flareup between the americans and netanyahu. rajini: nomia iqbal in washington with the latest on israel's defense minister's trip to america. thanks for the moment. many families of those who were taken on the seventh of october after the attack by hamas have been calling for a deal to bring surviving hostages home. one such family, taken hostage after the festival with his wife, who was murdered. tomorrow their son will celebrate his third birthday without his mother and father. we are joined by his brother, who is joining me from jerusalem. welcome to the program. incredibly difficult time for you. when you see israel's defense minister in washington, d.c.,

having more talks with various people including the secretary of state, what is your message to him? >> i message is very simple, get to a deal as soon as possible and get themll out. that's as simple as that. they are running out of time. they are still alive. they have to be home as soon as possible. rajini: what does a deal look like to you? michael: for me it is very simple, hamas will release all the hostages a. simple as that. rajini: and what do you think of the way that benjamin netanyahu has handled things so far? we've seen many families of people who were taken on october 7 take to the streets in tel aviv and jerusalem in protest of the way they feel he has handled things. what is your view on that?

michael: for me, the only thing that is important is to bring them all back. the fact that they are not back means none of us is doing enough to bring them back. and we have to do it. i'm talking about myself, i'm talking about the media, and i'm talking about the israeli and foreign government. we all have to put more pressure on hamas to release the hostages and get them free and set them free as soon as possible. rajini: i guess the question is do you think at the moment your government, or the u.s., indeed, is applying the right amount of pressure. so far there hasn't been a deal and people are still being held captive. michael: i guess you're rig. i think the u.s. and antigovernment -- and any government in the world should

put more pressure on hamas because they are committing cr ainst humanity. my brother's only crime was he wanted to go to a music festival. he saw his wife being rdered in front of him and was inducted into gaza by monsters who, as you saw in the video, celebrating the fact that they caused so much death and suffering to innocent civilians. like you said, an almost three-year-old son that will not celebrate his birthday with his parents because of it. no kid in the world should suffer from it. rajini: how do you and your family get through every day knowing that you no longer have your brother or his wife, but also so many other people are still being held?

michael: just trying to wake up every morning, if we manage to sleep, and keep fighting for or in the rest of the hostages' release. that's it. that's all we do 24-7. rajini: and do you feel hopeful that a deal might be around the corner soon? michael: it has to. we have to get to a deal. there is no other choice, not for israel and not for hamas. this war should end the hostages need to be back. the right order is actually the hostages are released and then this war will end. rajini: michael levy, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, and of course condolences to you and the rest of your family. michael: thank you so much. rajini: israel's prime minister

benjamin netanyahu has said what he called the intense phase of fighting hamas in gaza is nearly over, allowing troops to be freed up to be deployed to israel's northern border with lebanon, where fighting has escalated with the hezbollah armed group. in his first israeli media interview since the war october, mr. netanyahu said he expected the ground operation in the southern gazan city of rafah to be completed soon. he said the war wouldn't finish until the group no longer controls the gaza strip. meanwhile, the u.n.'s children agency, unicef, has been saying for a while that there is no safe place for children, who are paying t highest price in the war. the charity warned that the effect of the war on gaza's children could span generations, affecting them physically and psychologically. now the international charity save the children has released new figures suggesting as many as 21,000 children are. missing

in gaza. the organization estimates that 17,000 have become separated from their families during the chaos and conflict, especially during the latest displacements following the israeli offensive in rafah. a further 4000 are believed to have been trapped beneath the rubble and an unknown number detained or buried in unmarked graves. let's speak to the president of the middle east policy cil ambassador jean or abercrombie, to discuss all of those issues. welcome to the program. there is a lot to get to. we will come to the humanitarian situation with the children in a minute, but i want to ask you about today's talks in washington to begin with. it seems like we talk about a deal being around the corner. what do you think might be substantive in this particular visit from mr. blunt, israel's

-- mr. gallant, israel's defense minister? >> well, thank you as your earlier guest mentioned, there is a lot of fence mending to be done by the minister in response to the prime minister's public savings critical of president biden, -- public statements critical of president biden, making clear his hesitation about accepting the cease-fire that originated from israel. all of that has got to be navigated, in addition to everyone getting on the same page about the arms transrs that are indeed coming from the united states to israel, because the border conflict with lebanon and hezbollah is definitely heating up. rajini: and do you think that is a huge concern across the corridors of power in washington? >> absolutely. we've heard from the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff's

morning that a possible israeli incursion into lebanon could not only bring a response from hezbollah, but iran itself. and the difficulties that that would likely bring to u.s. forces in the region. president biden is approaching an election. it is a very difficult time to have this conflict in the region and certainly one that pulls in u.s. forces. american lives in a danger to a greater extent is going to be something to be avoided at all cost. rajini: indeed, and let's return to what we were discussing just then, which is the humanitarian crisis in gaza. hearing from unicef that there is no safe place for children, who are paying the highest price in the war. that remains a huge concern, of course, not just amongst people in the region, but again, where

you are in washington. >> yes. yes, it is part of the great challenge for the american administration, for president biden, to balance the continued support for the state and people of israel in the face of these costs to the civilians in the gaza strip, particularly childrenbut civilians in general, the devastation of infrastructure, indeed their very futures. we are cognizant of that. americans are paying attention to that. it is in our media. and people wanted the president as best he can to find a solution to it. unfortunately, it is not in his hands. it is in the hands of hamas and israel. rajini: and we spoke to the relative of someone who was

killed in those attacks on the sevent of october, and there are many families of people who are still being held hostage who want their loved ones to return home as well. my last question to you is what leverage do you think the u.s. realistically has over israel and all of this? >> the u.s. has been adamant about the importance of the return of the hostages from the beginning. the president's been very steady that. right now it appears that neither the prime minister nor the head of hamas is interested in a cessation of this conflict. either one of them, and hamas in particular, should have stepped up with a clear acceptance of the cease-fire. but the reality is neither side has. as far as the hostages are concerned, we heard the president say we will have to see what he does, that if the cease-fire negotiations between

israel and hamas do not go forward, that the united states would see about whether a separate deal could be done via the united states. and we will see if he follows through on it. rajini: ok, thank you so much, gina abercrombie when stanley -- winstanley, bringing us your thoughts on the main story. >> ok, thank you. rajini: around the world and across the u.k., this is bbc news.

rajini: princess anne's in hospital with concussion after barely being injured by a horse. the incident happened at her estate in gloucestershire yesterday. buckingham palace said the princess, who is 73, is set to make a full recovery, though she is likely to remain in hospital for a couple days. reporter: just over a week ago,

the princess royal was on horseback, where she loved to be. an equip eache -- an accomplished horsewoman, she played a leading part in the event. the last night princess anne was injured on her estate, gatcombe park in gloucestershire. in a statement, buckingham palace said, "the princess royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the gatcombe park estate yesterday evening. the king has been cap closely informed and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery." year on year, princess anne tops the list of royals who carry out the most public engagement. her work is often under the radar, without the glamour and attention others receive. but any year when the royal family faced serious health issues, her contribution has been more important than ever, especially her support for her

older brother. his appreciation of his sister has become more obvious since he became king. princess anne's accident adds to the depleted number of full-time working royals at the moment. these have been challenging months, but there are now real doubts in terms of who can carry out public duties. princess anne is notoriously keen to avoid a fuss at all costs. but her injuries mean her engagements this week have been postponed, including a trip to canada. she is likely to remain in hospital until later this week. rajini: staying with the u.k., a man has gone on trial accused of plotting to kidnap, rape, and murder tv presenter holly willoughby. he is 77 and from essex and is alleged to have developed an obsession with the star over a number of years. he denies the charges. our correspondent was in the

court. >> good morning and welcome to your wednesdays this morning. reporter: holly willoughby is one of tv's best-known faces, a presenter on itv's " this morning" for 14 years. her final two years was when the prosecution say a man was planning his kidnap -- to kidnap and rape. he was communicating online with an individual about his plans in graphic detail. he sought to encourage the individual to commit, kidnap, rape, and murder with him, adding that what the defendant didn't know was that the person was an undercover police officer based in the usa the court was told that the 37-year-old security guard had a sexual obsession with holly willoughby, and that he previously made kidnap attempts against other women, trying to force two women from a train at the threat of a gun and trying to tie the hands of two

16-year-old girls at knifepoint. any alleged victim of a sexual crime like incitement to rape automatically receives lifelong anonymity. in this case, holly willoughby has chosen to waive that. the prosecution said she wouldn't be a witness, as the case was only concerned with plumb's planning, interrupted by his arrest. the trial is expected to last two weeks. gavin plumb denies the charges. rajini: that is the latest in the u.k. -- now to the latest in the u.k. general election. prime minister rishi sunak says he is not aware of any concerns of candidates being investigated by the gambling to mission over allegations of betting on the general election. mr. sunak had been under mounting pressure from within the conservative party to take a tougher stance against those who are being investigated. with more on that, let's speak to political correspondent harry farley. harry at the spin room at "the

sun" newspaper's election debate in london. tell us more about the nature of this debate and what we have heard. >> that's right, rajini, i'm in the spin room all, or what is left of it most have written their scripts for tomorrow. an hour or so ago this room was packed with journalists in the room next door. we had the election special, rishi sunak ancer keir starmer facing i questions from "sun" readers and the political editor. both men managed to get their point across and made the main arguments they've been making throughout this campaign. they had uncomfoable moments. rishi sunak pressed, as you were saying, on the gambling scandal, the revelations over the last few days. he said he was as angry as anyone about it, but he refused to be drawn on whether he should

take further action. he is facing calls to suspend particular conservative candidates facing inquiries and being investigated over alleged bets on the timing of the election. rishi sunak refused to be drawn in, saying there are independent investigations in place and nothing he said it would compromise the integrity. he also faced questions on cost-of-living and immigration. sir keir was particularly pressed on his previous support for jeremy corbyn, the former labor leader, and i was uncomfortable at times for sir keir starmer -- that was uncomfortable at times for sir keir starmer. he was asked about the labor manifesto, what heescribed it as an honorable and decent manifesto. the argument he made was he didn't think labour would win and he thought it was important in his words to save the labour party after jeremy corbyn. rajini:

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