more than 3000 people have died on both sides of a war that could be on the brink of a major escalation. civilians are fleeing northern gaza by any means they can — cars, trucks, or on foot after israel warned them to move south. as israeli air strikes on gaza continue, the un secretary general warns that evacuating more than a million people would be extremely hazardous. and the us secretary of state continues his whirlwind diplomatic mission, saying he's working with israel on a safe passage for the palestinians. hello. i'm helena humphrey. it's been one week since hamas militants launched a deadly and coordinated attack on israel.

thousands of israelis and palestinians have been killed in the ensuing conflict. and now, with an israeli deadline looming for civilians in gaza to evacuate south, there are fears the war could escalate even further as israel dials up the pressure on hamas. the united nations says it's "impossible" for palestinians to fully comply with an evacuation order for more than i million people. and that there could be "devastating humanitarian consequences." tens of thousands of gazans have fled their homes and the evacuation was issued by israeli authorities with leaflets falling from the sky. it says residents should move to the area south of wadi gaza. israeli forces have also ordered the al awda hospital to evacuate by 6am local time. hamas has urged residents to stay put. strikes from israel are continuing in gaza tonight. hamas officials say that on friday 70 people, mostly women and children,

were killed by israeli air strikes on convoys fleeing gaza city. the palestinian health ministry says israeli strikes have killed at least 1900 people in gaza in retaliation for the more than 1300 people who have died in israel since the hamas attack on saturday. this all comes as the un warns of a deepening humanitarian crisis in gaza, with shortages of food, clean water and electricity. the palestinian authority's representative at the un has compared the current situation to the mass palestinian migration after the creation of the state of israel, which palestinians call the �*nakbah,’ or catastrophe. we should not allow as humans and as defenders of international humanitarian law and as the un and as security council to allow, after 75 years of nakbah, another nakbah to be unfolding on our people by depopulating the gaza strip of its 2.3 million and to throw them outside to egypt and make it

an egyptian problem. the israeli defence forces have been massing along the boundary ahead of an expected ground offensive into gaza. and, on friday, israel carried out local raids in the gaza strip to try to locate the up to 150 people being held hostage. as many as 1300 people were killed in last weekend's attacks by members of hamas — a group designated as a terror organisation by many western governments. the israeli ambassador to the un has called on the un to support israel's order to evacuate gaza. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has said israelis are "fighting for the homeland." translation: we are striking our enemies i with an unprecedented power. i emphasise it's just the beginning. 0ur enemies havejust begun to pay the price. i can't divulge what comes next, but i can tell you it's just the beginning. the israeli military says it

has struck a "terrorist target" in southern lebanon belonging to the hezbollah militant group. also in lebanon, a journalist from the reuters news agency has been killed in what eye witnesses say was an israeli attack near alma al—shaab close to the israeli border. reuters has confirmed the death of videographer issam abdallah, the first civilian death in lebanon. mr abdallah was covering clashes between israeli forces and lebanon's militant hezbollah group. two otherjournalists were also injured in the incident. we have coverage from our correspondents across the region. in a moment we'll hear about the situation inside gaza, but first, here's jeremy bowen from jerusalem. to win a war, a country has to break the will of its enemy to fight. history suggests air strikes alone won't do that, even ones as heavy as israel's in gaza. so israel will have to send troops into the rubble if as it says it wants

to destroy hamas. telling civilians to get out is part of preparing the battlefield. leaflets, a non—lethal airdrop but full of menace, told more than a million people to move south. "it happened to our grandfathers," said this man, "now it's happening to us! "it raises the ghosts of the past." many gazans trying to escape israel's anger are descendants of almosti million palestinians who fled or were forced out of their homes at gunpoint in israel's independence war in 1948. palestinians call it "the catastrophe". hamas sent their answer — more rockets, and told people to stay put. at the un, the secretary—general told both sides to protect civilians.

even wars have rules. international humanitarian law and human rights law must be respected and upheld. civilians must be protected and also never used as shields. refrigerated containers hold bodies awaiting identification, some of more than 1,300 israelis and foreigners killed by hamas. but israel says hamas will feel its revenge — not civilians. palestinians protested in the west bank. 1a had been shot dead by the israeli army by the evening. almost all the violence between israelis and palestinians before last week's hamas assault was in the west bank. it is very tense and could get much worse. jerusalem was quiet, but not calm. 0nly older palestinians were allowed to pray at al—aqsa mosque by israeli security forces.

younger men were banned as potential security risks. the mood injerusalem was grim, full of foreboding. the holy city is at the epicentre of the conflict. palestinians said they feared that israel's anger at the hamas attack could be directed at them. it feels as if this crisis is going up a gear. extreme pressure on civilians in gaza, tension here in jerusalem. no—one knows where this is going, but it's certain this is a dangerous moment — the worst middle east crisis in a generation. until last weekend, israel believed the long conflict with the palestinians could be contained. that illusion has gone. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. let's get more on the situation on the ground in gaza now. the bbc�*sjon donnison has

the latest, and a warning — his report contains some distressing images. israel has now been pounding gaza, targeting hamas, it says, for almost a week. only when the dust settles does the devastation become clear. "0ur enemies are evil. "they're cowards killing children," says this man amid the wreckage of his home. "they have no humanity," he goes on. fewjobs are more challenging here than that of a first responder. under all this, somebody is alive... ..for now. "for three days," he says, "i didn't go home, "but it never stops." for some, it's all too much, and these paramedics are working while under fire.

he says he's just heard a colleague was killed while trying to save others. it's the fourth that day. but they can't stop working. and for gaza's doctors, the stream of casualties is relentless. inside the hospital in the town of rafah, "i want my daddy," she cries. more than 85 persons with injuries are men, women and children. and when i say children, i mean children. we are dealing with so sophisticated kinds of trauma which we couldn't see ever before. and for many, the injuries are too severe. "it's a massacre," says this

father, leaving the hospital with his five—year—old daughter dead in his arms. john donnison, bbc news. for more on the situation in gaza, my colleague sumi somaskanda spoke with michael lynk, the former special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied palestinian territory. thank you so much forjoining us on bbc news. israeli authorities have called on residents to evacuate to southern gaza. we have seen a ground incursion appears to be imminent. can you tell us what the situation from your perspective looks like right now? well, it is catastrophe upon catastrophe. already we knew that beginning last weekend there was a total siege on gaza with respect to the denial of the food, water and fuel and electricity going into

the strip that the food was running out, portable water was very hard to find. residents had initially three or four hours of power and now it seems that most of gaza is in total darkness. so, now, with this evacuation of half the population, over1.1 evacuation of half the population, over 1.1 million people from the bigger city, gaza city, and two or three of the largest refugee camps in the largest refugee camps in the north, with really no place to go. if they move they will go south. a vast majority are exceptionally poor and do not have cars, have nothing other than donkeys if they are lucky or the ability to walk on foot four kilometres and kilometres to reach some kind of safe area and when they reach a safe area, an open field, another refugee camp in the middle of gaza, they are not prepared to be able to handle this flood of humanity. be able to handle this flood of humanity-— be able to handle this flood of humani . , . ., , ., ., humanity. they already have no food. humanity. they already have no food- they _ humanity. they already have no food. they have _ humanity. they already have no food. they have no _ humanity. they already have no food. they have no water. - humanity. they already have no| food. they have no water. there is a number of respected voices

in the world starting with the un secretary general saying this is impossible for gaza to be able to absorb. we this is impossible for gaza to be able to absorb.— this is impossible for gaza to be able to absorb. we saw that messaue be able to absorb. we saw that message from _ be able to absorb. we saw that message from the _ be able to absorb. we saw that message from the secretary i message from the secretary general today, as he said. at the same time we have seen the israeli government, idf and us secretary of state saying that hamas deliberately uses civilians in gaza as human shields so what would be the right way for israel to strike back for him —— hamas's attack? the destruction of civilian infrastructure is forbidden by international law. if israel wants to evacuate or have that area evacuated in order to be able to pummel the refugee camps and gaza city where people live, even assuming they are gone, striking civilian targets and civilian infrastructure is absolutely forbidden under international law. for more on the us and israeli perspective,

i spoke with itay milner, spokesperson for the israeli consulate in new york city i want to start with the people unaccounted for and being held hostage. that includes american citizens. what can you tell us about how israel and the us are working together to locate that? , , ., working together to locate that? , ., ., ., that? this is a situation that the us and _ that? this is a situation that the us and israel— that? this is a situation that the us and israel are - that? this is a situation that| the us and israel are dealing with it together. i can tell you personally from my end i am working new york and we have family of those are being captured over there it is heartbreaking. president biden just had a conversation today with the families of people held hostage and we when we were going to go on this military operation, we are going to a force trying to get everyone back home, israelis and americans. we everyone back home, israelis and americans.— everyone back home, israelis and americans. we have seen

some of the — and americans. we have seen some of the families - and americans. we have seen some of the families of - and americans. we have seen some of the families of the i some of the families of the hostages who went to the un. 0ne hostages who went to the un. one said we do not want more bloodshed or tears. wejust want our families back and we want our families back and we want peace. how does that message shape how israel would go about this operation? this is a voice _ go about this operation? this is a voice that _ go about this operation? this is a voice that is _ go about this operation? ti 3 is a voice that is being sounded also in israel. most of the hostages are israelis and most of the families are israelis, and of course it is an israeli interest and an american interest and the family's interest that that could be casualties possibly. in the situation _ could be casualties possibly. in the situation is _ could be casualties possibly. in the situation is that - could be casualties possibly. in the situation is that israel| in the situation is that israel cannot leave with her mass on —— hamas on its border no more. it is clear there is no difference between hamas and isis and no country can be with a isis entity on its doorstep and through its doorstep so we would go there and we would do everything we can to eliminate this threat.

more than a dozen americans remain unaccounted for after hamas' attack on israel. on friday, president biden met virtually with the families of those who are missing. meanwhile, us secretary of state antony blinken says he's working with israel to secure "safe areas" in gaza as he continues his tour through the region, traveling tojordan, qatar, bahrain and saudi arabia. 0ur our state department correspondent department correspondent department correspondent has more. senator lincoln is trying to stop the conflict from spreading. he has visited six arab countries, wanting for them to condemn hamas clearly, and to show patience for israel's response because of the exceptional brutality of the attack, but he is is especially worried that iran might get involved through armed groups it supports in the region. he is not speaking to arrive directly but the saudi crown prince is, he had a call with iran's president earlier this week and this will be a

big part of the discussion. when he gets to egypt, humanitarian issues will take importance, because egypt shares a border with gaza and there has been talk of a humanitarian corridor, and egypt said it wanted to help get aid into gaza but it will not accept a flood of refugees coming out so americans are trying to negotiate safe passage for palestinians with us citizenship, about five or 600 living in gaza and also foreign nationals, and the americans also trying to organise safe zones for palestinians in gaza, they are talking to the un and international humanitarian agencies about that, and finally, he is worried about the hostages, the american think canamasas holding a handful of american citizens, guitar has taken the lead on that, trying to organise a hostage release although the prime minister did not have any progress to report when mr there and it seems the israeli

military was thinking more about rescue than about negotiations, saying ground troops had already gone into gaza unlimited raids on what is expected to be a limited incursion, and part of that was trying to negotiate where the hostages are. for more on the us response to the escalating conflict, i spoke to former us state department senior advisor to the bureau of near eastern affairs, asha castleberry—hernandez, and president of the middle east policy council. gina abercrombie—wistanley. great to have you both with us. thank you for being with us and taking the time. so, i want to briefly touch on the situation as it stands to begin with and get your take. so, palestinians, of course, we know at this present moment are being warned to get out of southern gaza. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu warning that there is more to come. what do you think that we should be preparing for to see in the hours and days ahead? i want to ask you both, but starting with you first,

asha. yes, thank you so much. i think we need to prepare for definitely providing humanitarian assistance as soon as possible, being able to definitely reach out to the local gazans and make sure that they are provided enough safety and security moving forward as israel is continuing their ground offensive moving forward. i also believe that we definitely need to do more outreach to the palestinians or to local populations within gaza. there is a state of confusion going on right now where with hamas, he is saying to stay, but the idf is telling them to leave. so, there is a lot of confusion, misinformation involved in this effort, and we definitely need to make sure that there is a safe evacuation happening, but with that being said it is most likely not going to flow well, but for the most part those people need to be provided

humanitarian assistance. and, gina, do you agree with that? your thoughts, because what asha was just pointing out that was the fact that, as we know, we have got the united nations calling for that order to evacuate to be withdrawn. we have got that message there coming from hamas, telling gazans to stay where they are. for palestinians, it must be really difficult to know what to do. what do you think we could be seeing in light of that? i certainly concur with that. i will say that the israelis and our own government have two very difficult needles to thread. the emphasis, of course, being on the humanitarian assistance for palestinians as they try in these next few days to avoid the israeli strikes, and also, of course, getting the hostages were released. we also have to keep in mind that there are probably around

500 american citizens who are dual nationals or visiting family in the gaza strip. we have americans there as well who are not hostages, but, of course, our responsibility. certainly, the secretary's travels in the region i am certain were focused on these two things — working with others to put pressure on hamas, to make some headway with releasing the hostages as well as figuring out how to get humanitarian assistance into the gaza strip, but, of course, any safe corridor is going to depend on the government of israel's ability and willingness to cease and desist so that people can move and/or allow that pathway if they are going to go down to rafah. so, those are the two things that are to be of most focus in these coming days. you make a vital point on that question of hostages right now, of course, which is one of the critical questions, and, gina, coming to

you on that — we know that we have some us hostage negotiators, experts on the ground. i mean, how difficult do you anticipate that situation being? what realistically do you think can be achieved there? well, there is very little that can be achieved until hamas is ready to negotiate over the hostages, and, of course, the sorts of things hamas would be looking for — release of their own fighters, other palestinians, safe passage if it comes to that, if they are ready to put down arms, has to be done from the israelis. it is not something the united states or any other country or an international community can guarantee. it has got to be the government of israel there. so, certainly, at this early stage, when the government of israel are still very much focused on eradicating hamas out of gaza, in having something in place there after all of this is over,

does not pretend to have something move forward in this short period. but we do need to be thinking longer term as well — what does the day after look like? and, of course, people are looking at that, hopefully preparing for that now because we can't wait until this is over. asha, your thoughts on what gina has to say? i think it is extremely imperative that we conduct effective hostage affairs missions. it will be complicated because as moving forward, the environment is more complicated where it's becoming entirely complex as far as interacting with the local population, trying to get them to safety, trying to get them to security, and also trying to ensure that our international alliances are working really well together, effectively coordinating, ensuring that the hostage affairs is effective, the humanitarian support is effective.

we had the political backing also very working closely with the idf, so a lot of moving parts but, again, you know, looking at it, it is very complex and i don't think that's going to be, you know, easy to run through or iron out quickly but for the most part, we had to make sure that — i feel it is highly important — is humanitarian support and ensuring that the hostage affairs is effective. asha, you mentioned the international backing. i want to just ask you a little bit more about that, specifically with regards to that hostage situation because we know, of course, that antony blinken has been in qatar. do you think that qatar could play a role in that, in terms of being able to speak to hamas and potentially being able to help with the hostage situation, and the situation more broadly as well? yes, i do. in fact, they do have linkage or connects with that network and i believe that with regards to the international political pressure that, where you're

going to see that people are mobilising against hamas, they are trying to, you know, especially normal — not normalising a terrorist group, it is imperative that, as we continue applying that pressure, that we will see that that will most likely make qatar be able to effectively engage with them in terms of ensuring that hostage affairs is pretty much executed effectively. we want to leave you now with some first—person accounts from gaza. residents there sent the bbc these videos about daily life as they seek shelter from air strikes. all in their homes but we don't know where to go. all gaza is under attack, know where to go. all gaza is underattack, on know where to go. all gaza is under attack, on the bombardment, without electricity, no internet, no power, without food and water,

and we are running out of that as well. not safe, we don't know what is next, and we don't know what is next, and we don't know where to go.— know where to go. there is no transportation, _ know where to go. there is no transportation, and _ know where to go. there is no transportation, and i- know where to go. there is no transportation, and i will- know where to go. there is no transportation, and i will not l transportation, and i will not have — transportation, and i will not have any— transportation, and i will not have any internet anymore, please — have any internet anymore, please pray for us. translation: i spent the night sleeping on the ground outside the hospital with my father because there were no available beds inside the. i am back now to the place i evacuated to the first time. there were airstrikes near us, a little while ago, over1 million people from north gaza were asked to head south on the gaza strip. at the same time, it is still being subjected to airstrikes. and we'll end with some live pictures from gaza. there have been more strikes as the deadline counts down for more than1 million more than 1 million palestinians more than1 million palestinians to more than 1 million palestinians to evacuate northern gaza. you're watching bbc news.

hello. a big change in the feel of the weather this weekend. it's been unseasonably mild and that mild weather has brought quite a bit of rain during the day. on friday, it brought half a month of rain to places like santon downham but already, the changes were with us further north, and that's all courtesy of the wind direction. now, that rain, having cleared away, has allowed this blast of north—westerly winds to sweep southwards. now, really tightly packed isobars mean we've got severe gales in some northern parts of scotland but it's the wind direction coming down from the arctic that will affect all parts this weekend and make it feel much colder — even colder because of the wind chill, which is bringing through wintry showers across the hills, notjust for scotland, perhaps the sperrin and antrim mountains and into cumbria eryri as well, snowdonia, so a much colder night. some frost to hit across north east england and the glens of scotland. enough wind to prevent a widespread frost or, indeed, any mist and fog problems, really, but this weekend starts

colder and windy. the wind should ease down a bit by sunday but it's certainly a feature of the weather as we go through the first part of saturday. those showers coming through thick and fast, adding to the chill feel, and they're around the irish sea coast first thing but they will migrate inland, so nowhere exempt from getting a shower but always more prevalent in the north and west. but there will be heavy rumbles of thunder and some hail, as well as the wintriness over the hills and only ten to 13 or 1a in the south — that's six to eight degrees below where they have been, particularly in the south this week. now, the showers and the winds ease a little bit during sunday but they keep pestering northern and western areas but there will be a more widespread ground frost — probably our coldest night of the autumn so far. in fact, this is the coldest blast of the autumn so far. but it does mean, again, a good deal of sunshine first thing. mind you, at this time of year, there will be a few pockets

of fog around which can take till mid—morning to clear to watch out for if you're travelling. showers or perhaps more cloud in the north and the west of scotland. temperatures, though, a little lower than saturday's but with lighter winds and a bit more sunshine, fewer showers. i should imagine not feeling quite as chilly. and then later into next week or at the early part of next week again, we've got the chilly nights, the frosty and foggy mornings but temperatures do pick up later in the week as the unsettled weather returns. there's more online.

this is bbc news. we will have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. this after this programme. was once a place full of tourists. this was once a place full of tourists. but when the pandemic came to cuba, country lost a source of income. medicine and food shortages sparked unprecedented demonstrations against the government. and the biggest exodus to the us since the 1959 cuban revolution. many put their lives in the hands of human smugglers, on dangerous journeys across central america.