>> real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ >> hello and welcome to the news hour. i'm here at al jazeera's headquarters in doha. it's good to have you here with us. coming up in the next 60 minutes. a three-day ceasefire seems to be holding in gaza. people are returning home to scenes of devastation. israeli troops are withdrawing, but the palestinians say they want an investigation into what they call war crimes. a plane is downed by fighter

jets after a hoax bomb threat. an ebola infected health worker rives in the u.s. as more cases are discovered in africa and the middle east. i'm here with all of the day's sport, including the formula 1 boss pays $100 million to end his bribery trial. ♪ so a three-day ceasefire in the gaza strip seems so far to be holding. israel and the palestinian factions have agreed to remove troops. israel has pulled out his grand forces out of gaza. troops are now taken up defensive positions on the other side of the green line. and israel is now sending

delegates to take parts in talks in cairo aimed to end the conflict. as the guns finally fall silent, people have been returning to their homes to this. for many that means returning to utter scenes of devastation. so far 29 days of israeli attacks, this is the human cost, fighting has killed 64 israeli soldiers and three civilians. the number of palestinian fatalities are far higher. gaza's health ministry says 1,730 people have been killed. nor than 9.5 thousand palestinians have been injured and more than a quarter million people are taking refuge. >> reporter: we went down to the southern section of the gaza strip this morning. now this area has seen some of

the most concentrated fighting, shelling, and air strikes in recent days to the buildup to t the ceasefire. and the scene down there is really difficult to describe. no power, no electricity. you really get a sense of the strength of israel's military might down there. factories, farms, and people desperately rummaging around looking for any belongings they can try to retreat from their lives. we spoke to people who had come back from previous ceasefires and been shelled again. so terrible destruction down in rafa. there is very little trust in this ceasefire. as we have been saying people have heard this before. there was a sense initially in

the beginning of the morning of far greater confidence if you like. there were people on the streets all we had seen in previous ceasefires, but about an hour and a half into the ceasefire, rumors started circulating that there may have been some sort of military action in the north. and you immediately got that sense of panic in the people, desperately trying to find things in and amongst destroyed houses, and literally getting as far away there their destroyed homes as they could. a big indication, really, as to how distrustful people are here. even though the ceasefire at this stage seems to be holing. >> we're joined now from gaza city. we just heard charles stratford talk about what he saw in the south. earlier you were up north. what did you see there? >> that's right.

this area of course is in the extreme north of the gaza strip, it's close to the border crossing, of course the border with israel, and when we got there early this morning, about an hour or so after this ceasefire began, we could see the dust of israeli hard machinery heading back towards israel as the final ground forces left the area, but in the area, there was a scene of frankly, near total destruction. neighborhoods almost completely leveled after being heavily bombarded by air strikes and shelling. and at one point we were inside the home of a house that was still standing. we went inside that house. a house which belonged to a family of seven. two parents, five children. but amid what was left of their life, we saw evidence of where israeli forces had taken shelter. there was spent bullet casing,

rationing with hebrew script and other paraphernalia which clearly belonged to israeli forces. so really a strong indication that this area was the front line in this fight, but these israeli ground forces are now gone. people are still nervous, although they have come back, they are still nervous. >> you are in gaza city at the moment, i understand. and catching a glimpse behind you, it seems like business as usual. but is there really a sense of normalcy coming back? people feel like they can go back to their daily lives? >> well, in some ways it is a new normal. people have come out of their tents, they are nervous, but they have to go out. as we were seeing on the streets we were seeing long queues for

people trying to get cash out of cash machines, and getting whatever food they can get. one man told me he hadn't left his home in 20 days. he said if this ceasefire hadn't started they would have run out of food and water all together within a day or so. so people are coming out on the streets and trying to go about their business, loading up on sup place, trying to find water, and even some people taking their children out for ice creams and buying them treats trying to show their children just some comforts after nearly four weeks of intense fighting right across the gaza strip. >> four weeks israeli bombing of gaza has destroyed some of its most important infrastructure, such as its only power station. now garbage is piling up, and there isn't enough electricity

to treat wastewater and sewage. >> reporter: untreated sewage is flowing into the mediterranean sea. people still go fishing, though. they don't catch much. but they say they have to try. knee deep in filthy water. >> translator: we may get sick, but what do we need? we need to eat. >> reporter: gaza doesn't have enough electricity or infrastructure to treat all of the waste. now it is even worse from the war. the overflow runs down to the sea. for the last two weeks, 30,000 big -- cubic meters has flowed into the sea. >> translator: we're trying to take the sewage to the ocean

even if it isn't treated. but we're not capable to bring the suage down to the facilities. so the sewage is flooded. >> reporter: in shotty refugee camp right on the sea wastewater trickles through the streets. >> translator: it's here all day, and i can't even start to describe how bad the smell is. i'm afraid it is even more than that. it was a problem before the war, now it's worse. >> reporter: mounds of rubbish are now getting bigger. another 200,000 people have moved into the center gaza city since the war has started. the main landfill site is in east garza. it's in the middle of the

fighting. gaza's beaches empty, cafes deserted, and when the sea breeze comes in, the stench of rotting garbage and sewage drifts across the city. nicole johnston, al jazeera, gaza. talks are due to take place in cairo. a palestinian delegation is already there. they want a full israeli withdraw from gaza, an end to the blockade of the territory, the release of hamas prisoners held by israel, and international assistance in the reconstruction of gaza. israel is demanding that gaza be completely demilitarized which would require hamas to give up its arsenal of weapons and a way to prevent hamas from rearming in the future. we'll have plenty more still ahead. and coming up this news hour,

the lebanese army fighting to retake the town held by nig night -- fighters. and in sports one of spain's most decorated players announces his retirement. we'll tell you who soon. ♪ british police have arrested a passenger on board a qatar airways just for making a hoax bomb threat. air force fighting planes escorted the plane down to manchester airport where it landed safely. simon give us more details. >> the latest as you say correctly this man has been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb hoax. we gather at some point in the approach to manchester airport, we gave a note to flig

flight -- attendants on board, they told the pilot, and then the full scale emergency drill was put into place. the plane circles the airfield for minutes until fighter jets were able to join it and it was escorted in. there was a social media snapshot of the man being escorted from the plane, but we know nothing further. the passengers 269 of them, and 13 crew members are now also safely off of the plane. and the latest pictures from the scene suggest just how thorough the police are being in this situation, because bomb-sniffing dogs are still going through

each piece of luggage as it is laid out on the tarmac. nothing in this day and age being left to chance. >> thank you simon. two lebanese soldiers have been killed fighting the islamic state group on the border with syria. a group of clerics have been trying to broke ear ceasefire deal. >> reporter: they were quickly whisked out of the area. they were among more than 30 fighters being held linked to the islamic state and syria's al-qaeda branch. their release was mediated by muslim clerics. it was called a goodwill measure. the lebanese army and government have said that they are not interested in negotiating with what they are calling terrorists. the only deal or solution they

would be ready to accept is one that would involve armed fighters releasing their captives and withdrawing from the area. the army has regained control of strategic hill tops, up to 3,000 fighters are believed to be holed up inside the area, the only way out for them is through syria. on the outside of the border, the syrian government and the lebanese ally, hezbollah have been closing in on their positions. the lebanese army has still not stormed the town, because it wants to avoid civilian casualties. up to 100,000 syrians live there. syria's war has spilled over the border several times in ring correct months, but the lebanese government is describing this as the worst conflict yet.

the un says thousands of people trying to escape the islamic state group in northern iraq are in need of food, water, and shelter. they are now launching a counter offensive. >> reporter: spotting the enemy on an ever-shifting front line. in just a few days. the kurdish fighters lost towns and oil fields to the islamic state. now they say they are ready to strike back. hundreds of their troops marched to the areas newly taken by the militia of the islamic state. >> translator: half an hour ago we started a surprise offensive attack. we have managed to seize control of the towns without fighting, and witnessed a sense of low morale amongst is fighters.

>> reporter: those towns are near the iraqi syrian border. a danger for kurdish forces here. and on the iraqi side is forces have pushed north taking two more towns. the growing momentum has set off alarm bells. the iraqi prime minister wants aircraft to strike is positions. the president is urging the international community to help fight what he calls terrorism. >> translator: our goal is clear, and it matches literally the words of the president quoting, we will not stop, and we will liberate all of the places taken over by is. >> reporter: as more fighting is expected in the area, civilians continue to flee. some 40,000 have crossed to the kurdish areas, during the last

few days. on sunday al jazeera camera filmed more people flooeing. >> translator: we came here because we were afraid. our town was destroyed. we left everything. many people didn't have time to pack their belongings. >> reporter: driven away from their villages by fear, these civilians could face precarious conditions. they are being hosted by the kurdish militia in makeshift camps, but they need calm to return so they can go back home. a gunman dressed in an afghan army uniform has killed one nato soldier and wound 15d others. the shooting took place in kaboul at a military training academy. a dozen victims of the attack were americans, and germany's military says the wounded include a brigadier general. the u.s. secretary of state

john kerry has again expressed his support for the three al jazeera journalisted jailed in egypt. they have been falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. al jazeera continues to demand their release. a second american diagnosed with the ebola virus has left the area for special care in atlanta. 887 people have died in west africa from the disease. saudi arabia is testing a man for infection after returning from sierra leone. the current outbreak began in guinea in january. 258 people have died of the virus there. and by late march it was reported in liberia where it has killed 685 people. in nigeria 8 suspected cases

have been reported. health authorities have stepped up their efforts to control its spread. >> reporter: the announcement of a second ebola victim in nigeria is raising fears that the seven-month long epidemic in three african nations could spread in the can't next's most populous nation. >> the government has put in place structures, strategy to detect cases. >> reporter: the first victim collapsed on arrival in the city. he was put in isolation at the hospital. he may have spread his illness to more people. many impossible to trace.

nigeria has strengthened its disease surveillance system to prevent and control the spread of ebola within its borders. public health officials have been deployed at all points of entry across the country. with a knack for drawing huge crowds, authorities also see them as conducive environments for the virus to spread. some were warned not to hold so-called healing sessions that could attract ebola patients from outside of the country. information about the virus has been widely broadcast on radio and television stations. >> accounts on facebook. we have a website devoted to information on ebola, www.ebola

[ inaudible ].org. >> reporter: experts however, say rituals and traditions and handling of the dead may prove to be an obstacle in stopping the spread of ebola. >> it has been very difficult to convince people to not take care of the bodies of the relatives. 60% of infections are due to body to body, human to human contamination. >> reporter: the epidemic has already killed almost 900 people. the world health organization says the outbreak is moving faster than efforts to control it. warning that with more infections comes a greater risk of the virus, evolving into deadly mutations. and we can now get the latest on the two american aid workers who were infected.

robert ray joins us live from atlanta. what is being today about their situation? >> well, good morning from atlanta. it's about 11:20 a.m. good evening to you. behind me the university hospital where on the first floor is a special isolation unit. we are awaiting just minutes away the plane coming from liberia with an aid worker, she is the second aid worker to fly into the u.s. in the past few days. we're told that she is about to land at the air force base here northwest of atlanta where she will then be placed into a balance after brought here to ember university where she'll join her colleague in the special isolation unit. we're not sure whether she will be able to walk off the plane like her colleague did on saturday. we'll see what her condition is.

we know it's stable but serious. and they are going to do all they can to allow these aid workers to fight off this infection. >> robert ray thank you very much. now the u.s. is moving to accelerate the shutdown of its coal-burning power plants in an effort to combat climate change. but that means more reliance on natural gas. tom akerman has this report from the state of massachusetts. >> reporter: but 2017 the last of the coal-fired power plants in the state of massachusetts will be closed for business. but if all goes as planned this plant will be torn down, taking its place will be a smaller more photo generics th -- facility.

environmental groups reached an agreement with the utility in keeping with massachusetts's official target of more than one quarter of its electricity generated from renewable sources in the next five years. >> the settlement we have reached is a great example of how we can use natural gas in the near term to make sure we keep the lights on and create a very careful intentional transition. >> reporter: but to some local residents that deal is full of holes. >> we think that's a terrible idea. there is no way they will meet the mandated goals if they continue to burn carbon. >> the economics are such that if you build this plant it will shut out the development of actually renewable development like wind and solar. >> reporter: massachusetts has plenty of wind and waves, but

u.s. development of both of those technologies lags behind. off of the massachusetts coast the first proposed wind farm is still years away from construction, and it's promoter's admit the price of its electricity would be double that of power now on the grids. but clean power say the economics of renewables are quickly changing for the better. >> already in several places in the country on shore wind and solar are reaching parity at competing levels. >> reporter: meanwhile the activists continue to wage their fight for their state to step off of the natural gas pedal. okay. we're now getting live pictures of the plane landing in atlanta. this plane holds the second american diagnosed with the ebola virus. they are now heading to a special facility where one other american patient is being held,

believed to also be suffering fr from ebola. and still ahead, rescuers are digging through the rubble to find survivors after an earthquake killed more than 400 people in china. and the donetsk humanitarian corridor. residents flee as government troops close in. and in sport, preparation of the new season. we'll find out who prevailed in the early fight for silverware. comblooer africa... and it's impact on america. ah, got it. these wifi hotspots we get with our xfinity internet service are all over the place. hey you can stop looking. i found one. see?

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>> its disgraceful... the only crime they really committed is journalism... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live.

>> start with one issue education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america primetime news. >> welcome to al jazeera america. >> stories that impact the world, affect the nation and touch your life. >> i'm back. i'm not going anywhere this time. >> only on al jazeera america.

>> it was one place you never forge figure you would have trouble getting water. toledo had the biggest supply of fresh water on the planet. it just wasn't drinkable. >> hello, i'm ray suarez. a metropolitan area of half a million people toledo, ohio, on the western end of the lake erie couldn't use the water from the tap. an enormous algae bloom made the