trying to escape gaza. queues build at the crossing into egypt, which remains shut to those escaping israeli air strikes in the north of the territory. translation: the strikes - are happening without warning. even if we do go there, where are we going to get food or water from? two british teenage sisters are among those missing after last weekend's hamas attack on southern israel. america's secretary of state has been back here but despite his shuttle diplomacy, there is still no humanitarian route into gaza. also on the programme tonight... two people are shot dead in brussels in what's being described as a terror attack. the gunman is still at large.

the prime minister tells mps that �*all the tools of british diplomacy�* will be used in the middle east conflict and more humanitarian aid provided to the palestinian people. and on newsnight at 10:30pm, we'll go deeper behind the headlines and speak live to key players on today's big stories. plus, a first look at tomorrow's front pages. good evening, we're live injerusalem, as a major american diplomatic effort seems to have failed to ease the lives of hundreds of thousands of palestinians, trying to escape gaza. as israel continues its bombardment of the territory, those hoping to flee via a major crossing are still unable to escape because egypt won't open the border. israel says the air strikes are targeting members of hamas,

a group designated as a terror organisation by many western governments, including the uk, and responsible for last week's attack which killed at least 1,400 people in southern israel. palestinian officials in gaza say around 2,750 people have been killed in israeli bombing, while around 9,000 have been injured. the united nations is warning that israel's total siege of gaza, cutting off fuel, food and electricity supplies, is causing a deepening humanitarian crisis, with hospitals close to complete collapse, threatening thousands of lives. well, now tonight, that crossing, at rafah, into egypt, appears to have been attacked in a large explosion, complicating further whether or not it will open soon. we'll be hearing about conditions inside gaza from rushdi abualouf, as palestinians continue to try to flee from the north of the territory.

but first, jeremy bowen is in southern israel. another war, of words, has started over who is responsible for the suffering of palestinian civilians in gaza. israel is dropping the bombs. it says blame hamas for killing and kidnapping and, says israel, hiding behind civilians. gazans crowded into un schools after israel told them to move south towards the egyptian border. they are supposed to be protected by the laws of war. america has felt it necessary to deliver repeated reminders of that to israel, along with military aid. this grandmother blames israel, then speaks of tragedy, hunger, death, fear, horror and destruction.

in rafah, at the closed border with egypt, palestinians with foreign passports are hoping to get out, to escape the pressure israel has imposed on civilians, amid reports of another air strike in the area tonight. you cannot ask people to move out of harm's way without assisting them to do it, to go to places of their choice, where they want to be safe and with the humanitarian aid that they need to make that journey safely. and right now, the movement that has happened has not had those provisions. antony blinken, us secretary of state, returned to israel after a rapid tour of america's arab allies. the us is giving israel all the military aid it wants. but it is trying to stop the war spreading. as for benjamin netanyahu, in parliament today he is under great pressure.

some of his many political enemies say he was so preoccupied with staying prime minister that he neglected israel's security. ehud 0lmert, prime minister when israel went to war in lebanon in 2006, was scathing about mr netanyahu's performance. and he did it. therefore he holds the ultimate responsibility for the weakening of our resolve in dealing with hamas. and it was a military failure, no doubt about it. an intelligence failure of the highest order, no question about it. in tel aviv, tech companies are working with intelligence agencies to try to locate the hostages in gaza. some who've served in the israeli military�*s cyber units don't want to be identified.

they have built an algorithm that searches postings from gaza for faces and places. we upload photos of the missing person that we get from mostly the families but other sources as well. and also with collaboration with army units and huge lists of people that we have identified, and we try to understand from day one what happened to them. are they killed, injured, kidnapped in gaza? just trying to get answers for the family. we can see here, this is the same people in different position, 0k? and we try to find more and more data to understand if they are alive or, as i mentioned, death. they believe the hostage in that image is alive. their information goes to families and to the army. in israel, there is unity about fighting hamas. the argument is about why hamas could break through israel's defences, and how to deliver israelis and palestinians from another generation of bloodshed.

jeremy bowen, bbc news, southern israel. well, the number of palestinian dead since the war began continues to rise, as the un is warning that aid must be allowed into the territory. hospitals are on the brink of running out of fuel within a day, endangering the lives of thousands of sick and wounded people. meanwhile, israel's military has updated the number of people it believes are being held hostage in gaza, from 155 to i99. 0ur former gaza correspondent jon donnison has more. much of the north of gaza looks unlivable. this is jabalia. once one of the world's most densely populated neighbourhoods, and where those who've survived are clinging on. not far away, abu jalil is one

of them, trying to squeeze the last drops out of gaza city's water system, cut off for days. "we will not leave," he says, "we can't." "even if they destroy our homes, where will we go, with a family of five or six?" multiple families are now packed into apartments after their homes were destroyed, but they say it's not safe to move south. "the bombing is happening without warning," says wahel, "and if i leave with 50 members of my family, where are we going to get food and water?" and this is where people are being told to go. amid the destruction in southern gaza, the homeless and the hungry who fled the north in their hundreds of thousands are trying to survive. "we have nothing that we need to live," says this man, who fled south. "we are living in a dump, and if we move, we'll die."

amid the detritus, and with too few toilets, many are fearful about the spread of disease. there's food, but not enough. "all this will feed less than 2,000 people," says amir. just a fraction of those in need. there are long queues to get bread, but it's being rationed. "we've been waiting here since six in the morning," he tells us, "just to get food to feed the kids." "we will run out of flour," the baker says, "in two days maximum." clean water is also in short supply. and all the while the hospitals in the south, like in the rest of gaza, are overwhelmed with patients, from the old to the very young. ten days? four days?

born amid the chaos less than a week ago, what kind of life lies ahead of her? jon donnison, bbc news. the worsening conditions in the territory. 0ur reporter rushdi abualouf is in southern gaza, in the city of khan yunis. we know that the border point at rafah came under some kind of fire or explosion but what more do you know, and does that make it much more difficult for that border to be open to those people trying to escape the north of gaza? yes. escape the north of gaza? yes, indeed, the _ escape the north of gaza? yes, indeed, the place _ escape the north of gaza? yes, indeed, the place has - escape the north of gaza? yes, indeed, the place has been - escape the north of gaza? 133 indeed, the place has been bombed for the third time according to local authority here. they show me footage from the crossing itself, cctv camera. the damage is in the external hall and also most important, the road that lead

between the palestinian side of the crossing into the egyptian side of the crossing. i was shown footage that there is a four holds in the road on the road itself is damaged so it is not easy to move people from this side to the egyptian site. with the scale of damage i saw, it is not a great damage and the local authority said they can repair it fairly quickly but they are waiting for egypt to reopen the crossing. i understand from different sources in doha and egypt and other places that this negotiation is still fruitless and no progress has been made to allow the humanitarian aid which gaza need the most. i am in khan yunis in the city where hundreds of thousands of people have fled. the city is overwhelmed by the number of people who are displaced here, which

the city is already suffering from a blockade and a lack of fuel, electricity and water. they had to treat and accommodate 1.2 million people. fir treat and accommodate 1.2 million --eole. , ., ~ treat and accommodate 1.2 million neale, , ., 4' ,., people. or right, rushdi, thank you for that, rushdi _ people. or right, rushdi, thank you for that, rushdi abualouf _ people. or right, rushdi, thank you for that, rushdi abualouf reporting | for that, rushdi abualouf reporting live from khan yunis in southern gaza. at least 1,400 people were killed in last week's attack by hamas in southern israel and, as we've been hearing, six were british. among the missing are two british teenage sisters, as lucy manning reports. noiya, 16, on noiya,16, on the noiya, 16, on the left. yahel, 13, on the right. now missing after the hamas attack on israel. in between them, their mum lianne, murdered by hamas. all our british. lianne's family said she led a beautiful life and enriched the lives of all those lucky enough to have known and loved

her. she was a beloved daughter, sister, motherand her. she was a beloved daughter, sister, mother and aunt. her. she was a beloved daughter, sister, motherand aunt. girls' her. she was a beloved daughter, sister, mother and aunt. girls' that eli is also missing. this is what happened to an entire family in israel. they lived on kibbutz be'eri, where the murderous gun men slaughtered so many. maiea be'eri, where the murderous gun men slaughtered so many.— slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 ears slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 years old. _ slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 years old. she — slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 years old, she was _ slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 years old, she was happiness, i slaughtered so many. noiya is 16 i years old, she was happiness, and she liked, her hobbies, she likes to cook. yahel, she was a fun girl, she was all the time, she like to hear music and singing for us, dancing. nathanial young, also british, also murdered by hamas. his brother remembers a 20—year—old who was a londoner, a music lover, a proud

jew. natanel, you know, he just loved life. he had a lot of respect for my parents. he wanted to keep his people safe and defend his country. we're alljust broken. we are still coming to terms with the news. what will you miss about natanel? the last time i saw him was exactly a week before he was killed by the hamas terrorists, and i think if i look back at that day, it's his infectious smile. at the funeral on monday, the mourning interrupted. air—raid sirens pierced the grieving as mourners were forced on to the cemetery ground to shield from incoming hamas missiles. it was terrifying. and you know, the thing obviously that went through my head is the fact that, you know, even while i am trying

to say goodbye to my brother, they are trying to kill me. it was very scary, especially considering what we have been through, and that my parents, who live in london, had just arrived in israel, to bury their son. natanel, just one of 1,400 murdered by hamas in one day. lucy manning, bbc news. this is a dreadful time for the families of those missing, or who've been taken hostage, and one family in north london have now been informed, two of their missing family members have been killed. frankie mccamley has that story. streamed live online as militants take this family hostage. they're on dikla's phone, using her facebook account. her family can only

watch online, helpless. 0ne comment says, "mum, i love you." here, they say, "if they help us, we're not going to kill them." in north london, their cousin talks me through what happens next as they lead 17—year—old tomer away. they are walking the boy out to knock on the neighbour's door, trying to get them out, to, i don't know, capture them, kill them or whatever it is. for over a week, he has been trying to piece together his family's movements after the video stopped, but today the news he had been dreading — israeli forces found both dikla and tomer�*s bodies. within hours, theirfunerals were held side by side, inside, with fewer people allowed because of ongoing air strikes. it's still unclear what's happened to noam. this photo appears to show him being led by militants down a dusty road.

as for eight—year—old ella and 15—year—old dafna, the family believe these photos show they are alive, being held captive in gaza. "stay strong," their mother says, "look out for one another. "look out for daddy. "daddy will look out for you and take care of you. "we're doing everything to bring you back. "we're very strong here. "we will bring you back," she says. back to dancing, singing and laughing. frankie mccamley, bbc news. now, what of the possibility of the israel—gaza conflict spreading? well, the israeli army says it's evacuating 28 towns and villages within around a mile of its northern border with lebanon,

because of threats of rocket fire from hezbollah which, like hamas, has been designated as a terror group by the uk government. israel's military spokesman has accused iran, which backs hezbollah, of ordering recent attacks. 0vernight israel carried out more strikes on southern lebanon, targeting infrastructure belonging to hezbollah. anna foster reports now, from the israel—lebanon border. they sing. a family says goodbye to theirfallen soldier, murdered by hamas. einav�*s grief at her nephew's death is still raw. and now, she's packing to leave home, too. it isn't safe here any more. translation: we can't stay here now, the bangs are very serious. _ it's really scary. i have to get out of here. i've prepared my suitcases and i'm ready. nearly 30 israeli towns and villages along the lebanese border are being evacuated. even the government doesn't

know what lies ahead. mr gantz, bbc. you're concerned enough to move lots of people from the border, do you think there will be a war with hezbollah here in the north? i hope for them that not, but we do all of preparations needed. thank you very much. most people didn't wait for the order to leave. as the firing intensified, day after day, they fled. you can see how empty it is and that is why communities right along the northern border look like this now. all way from west to east, people are being told they are not safe. that is why they are leaving in such big numbers. well, this is the playground. guy is one of the few that's left. in normal times during this hour, we should be packed, especially on vacation time. it's about lunchtime now, isn't it? there is nobody here at all. about 80 or 90% of liman have left. it's a shame. it's heartbreaking to see this place like — see my place like this.

even as tens of thousands of people are moved away, fierce exchanges of fire continue. and despite words of diplomacy, it's actions that will decide whether this border ignites. anna foster, bbc news, on the israel—lebanon border. 0n last night's bbc news at ten, we reported on one israeli family coping with the terrible fallout from last week's hamas attack and the possibility of a ground invasion into gaza. tonight we've been speaking to one palestinian woman whose family is now trapped in gaza, unable to escape. this is her story. imagine members of yourfamily are in mortal danger. can not be reached. can't get through. and your phone, the only bridge to those you love the most...

just won't connect. i have tried too many times to reach one call. now it is working. it is working now. yasmine abu middain�*s mum, her dad, who has prostate cancer, her brother, her sister—in—law and two nieces are stuck in gaza. so how is she, your mum? she's 0k. i ask her about last night. she told me it was terrible night. more bombing? yes. this is now the view from the family home in gaza. how important is the land of gaza to your family? it is very important. my heart, yes. everything. i have a good memory, my childhood,

my neighbour, my house, my bed, my, even my photos when i was young, you know, in gaza when you go to beach, you feel that this is my beach. a kinship with the land, but for her family to survive, as israel wages war, her relatives must move fast. they left their neighbourhood in al—ramaaljust after israel's bombing campaign began last week. and they managed to reach the town of az zawayda. her brother, his wife and two children set off for the rafah crossing with egypt this morning, hoping to get through. but they were turned away. the border is not opening yet. the israeli side, they said there is no agreement. it is notjust yasmine's family on the move. more than a million palestinians in northern gaza were told to leave their homes and head south to avoid israeli bombs.

they have taken with them whatever they can carry. it a familiar story of displacement. a series of conflicts between arab and jewish fighters from late 1947 saw at least 750,000 palestinian arabs expelled from or flee their homes, in the war surrounding israel's creation. these were a people without a home. many ended up as refugees in gaza and the west bank. the palestinians refer to what happened as the nakba, or catastrophe. palestinians lived under egyptian rule in gaza but the six—day war in 1967 saw israel take control of the territory. again, the palestinians were not their own masters and they fought the occupation. the years that followed saw rising calls for an independent palestinian state, culminating in the oslo accords, signed in 1993. a once unthinkable moment had

arrived, and two of the world's bitterest enemies had become allies. brokered between bill clinton between the palestinian leader yasser arafat and israel's prime minister, yitzhak rabin. his assassination in 1995 meant further progress stalled. and they fear the future without prime minister rabin. and the palestinians were left with limited autonomy in the west bank and gaza. israel was still ultimately in control. violent attacks on both sides have continued ever since and several attempts to broker a peace deal have failed. in recent days there have been violent clashes in the occupied west bank, palestinians angry over israeli bombing of gaza, and the deaths of civilians. israel says this is not collective punishment. they are trying to target the violent group that killed israelis. no, no, no. the target are the people

that are safe at home, kids, women, old people. no, they target everybody. this is my country, i belong to this land, this is our land and we are not leaving it. i hope they will be alive. so many tears being shed on both sides of this war. and let's get a final word from our international editorjeremy bowen who is in southern israel. diplomatic efforts to get the border crossing in egypt, on the border with gaza, open, they failed. failure again to try to get some kind of humanitarian corridor through gaza. the people who are struggling there with the air strikes raining down on them, it doesn't look as if anything is going to get better any time soon? i’m

to get better any time soon? i'm afraid not- _ to get better any time soon? in afraid not. antony blinken, the us secretary of state, i believe is still in the region. maybe there is more talking to do. maybe he will negotiate a way in for supplies, and a way out for palestinians with foreign passports, which will take them out of the firing line anyway. but it could well be that his efforts to get that process going well run into israel's military clock. the us is already giving them large amounts of extra supplies. we have seen bigger planes landing with them today, and he put out a statement, antony blinken, saying once again that america is firmly behind israel. the israeli army itself is actually finding ways to remind people why they are fighting, and they are, if you like, keeping the shock going by releasing some

really awful videos that have been found on body—cam is worn by those hamas gunman who were going around killing and carrying out massacres. it's pretty grisly. but they put it out, i think, it's pretty grisly. but they put it out, ithink, to it's pretty grisly. but they put it out, i think, to try to make the point and when the battle of ideas around the world that they are justified in what they are doing. 0f justified in what they are doing. of course, britain, the us, there are lies, are firmly behind them in all of that. g , ., ~ , ., of that. indeed. jeremy, thank you for that. of that. indeed. jeremy, thank you for that- jeremy — of that. indeed. jeremy, thank you for that. jeremy bowen, _ of that. indeed. jeremy, thank you for that. jeremy bowen, reporting | for that. jeremy bowen, reporting live from southern israel. so, as things stand, there's no escape from gaza for those trying to flee israeli air strikes. the hope is that they can shelter somewhere in the south, trying to avoid the bombing. petrified, tired, with supplies of food and fuel running out, diplomatic efforts to get the border crossing open into

egypt, will continue. israel says it's justified in its bombing campaign, targeting hamas. but america maintains, israel's response to last week's atrocity, must be proportionate. that's it from our team here injerusalem, now back to you, reeta, in london. clive, thank you. in brussels, the terror threat has been raised to its highest level after two people were shot dead this evening in an attack being treated, say the authorities, as terrorism. the gunman fled the scene and is said to be still at large. let's cross to our correspondent sophia bettiza who is in brussels for us now — what more do we know? well, what we know so far is that a gunman opened fire here in central brussels at around 7pm. he had an assault rifle and he shot dead two people who were in that street, which has now been cordoned off by

the police. now, footage of the incident is circulating on social media, and a short while ago we have been sent a video of a man who is filming himself on a scooter, speaking in arabic and saying that he carried out the attack, and that he carried out the attack, and that he killed three people in the name of god. the motive of the attack remains unclear, but the federal prosecutor here in brussels is treating it as a terror incident. but what local media are saying is that the two victims were wearing football shirts, so this could have been related to a football match. now, the gunman is still at large. the police are looking for him. that is why the alert level here in brussels has been raised to four, the highest level. it means that an attack or a threat is imminent. maw; attack or a threat is imminent. many thanks. here, the prime minister has told mps that six britons are known

to have died in the attack on israel and ten are missing. rishi sunak reiterated his support for both thejewish and muslim communities in the uk, and earlier in the day he paid a visit to a jewish school in north london. here's our political editor chris mason. from the horrors in the middle east, to communities here feeling under threat. two schools in london targeted in recent days, by anti—semitic vandalism. as the prime minister visited anotherjewish school in the capital. we've had an appalling rise in anti—semitic incidents over the past week. that is something that is tragic. no young person, none of you should have to deal with hate like that. in parliament this afternoon, heads bowed, a minute's silence. and later rishi sunak told mps of the british victims of hamas's slaughter. with a heavy heart, i can inform the house that at least six british

citizens were killed.