and, you know, i if they are muslim. and, you know, i have often said, i remember the first time that i was in israeljust before the war and someone was telling me how terrible everything was. she kept flipping the maps up and down behind her and all of a sudden, she looks at me and said, would you like a photograph? the way she just got would you like a photograph? the way shejust got up would you like a photograph? the way she just got up and walked out there, we were outside of her office and we were standing there having a photograph taken. and without looking at me she and said, you look worried, senator. she said, don't worry, wejews have a secret weapon, we have nowhere else to go. the truth of the matter is that i

believe that when the synagogue got in trouble at the time, you don't have to be due to be a zionist. i think the security and safety of all two , ., . ., ,, ., two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's _ two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's what _ two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's what i _ two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's what i think- two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's what i think it - two needs to continue in the state of israel. that's what i think it it . of israel. that's what i think it it is about at its core. find of israel. that's what i think it it is about at its core.— of israel. that's what i think it it is about at its core. and so, i have admired this _ is about at its core. and so, i have admired this country _ is about at its core. and so, i have admired this country for— is about at its core. and so, i have admired this country for so - is about at its core. and so, i have admired this country for so long i admired this country for so long and i am convinced that more people know with your responses to what is happening is as opposed to what pieces about. but there's a lot more to say and i could talk to you forever if i could.

applause that is president biden and the us secretary of state antony blinken in tel aviv meeting with family and friends and relatives of those who have either died or who are missing or have been on october the 7th. also meeting first responders who were at the scene who were giving quite graphic details about some of the things that they saw. secretary of state blinken talked about the fact that israel is not defending itself, he said, we are here to make sure that we can help you defend yourselves. and president biden, also gave his support to israel in his own words as well. that is what we have been covering here on bbc news. incredible pictures coming to us from tel aviv. i think now it is a good time to cross live now to my

colleague, our chief international correspondent leys doucet who is covering what is happening in southern israel. give us up—to—date with what the very latest is where you are. with what the very latest is where ou are. ., ., , you are. you 'oin us here in southern — you are. youjoin us here in southern israel, _ you are. youjoin us here in southern israel, we - you are. youjoin us here in southern israel, we are - you are. youjoin us here in | southern israel, we are less than one mile from the gaza strip. you can see on the horizon the outline of gaza city. we are about one hour drive away from tel aviv where those extraordinary meetings are taking place right now with secretary biden and his secretary of state antony blinken and showing their sympathy and solidarity with the victims from the massacre by hamas forces which have provoked this. the day began with joe have provoked this. the day began withjoe biden meeting the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and members of his war cabinet. just after he landed, he expressed his outrage and deep sadness over the

last evening's devastating exposure at a hospital in the gaza strip in gaza city. but he was very quick to say that responsibility lay, as he put it, with the other team, both in other words, put it, with the other team, both in otherwords, israel put it, with the other team, both in other words, israel didn't do it. israel has blame that devastating explosion on the misfiring of a rocket by palestinian islamichhad is. it is the second largest group in the gaza street, like hamas, islamichhad has close ties to iran. they are regarded as more extreme than hamas but both groups have been designated as a terrorist organisation by many western governments including the united kingdom. it always, in these crises, a time of claim and counterclaim. hamas, palestinian authorities, arid rape is across this region and iran have blamed that attack on israel, describing it as a war crime. hamas

has said at least 500 people are dead. in a moment we will get a report from our correspondent who has been to the scene of that tragedy. we will also take a closer look in this fast—moving situation to what we know and what we don't know. let's now look at the latest developments today with this report. joe biden arrived in israel this morning at one of the most dangerous points in the recent history of the region. from the us president, a very public demonstrative show of support for isreal and prime minister benjamin netanyahu who has vowed to do what it takes to crush hamas. mr biden�*s visit has been overshadowed by what palestinian officials say was an israeli attack last night on a hospital in gaza. according to hamas, 500 people were killed including many who'd already been forced to evacuate their homes and were sheltering in the now

burnt—out hospital grounds. as the victims were buried, more desperation for gazans and a sense increasing anger across the arab world. there were overnight protests across the west bank, jordan, lebanon, and yemen. but israel says it was not to blame. in a detailed rebuttal of the claims from gaza, israeli officials said intelligence reports pointed to a misfired missile from palestinian militants. part of israel's defence, intercepted communication between militants, said to be acknowledging what had actually happened. israel's evidence appeared persuasive enough forjoe biden. i was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in gaza yesterday and based on what i have seen, it appears as though it was done by the other

team, not you. mr biden also expressed concern about hostages held in gaza. they include us citizens like hersh goldberg—polin. the 23—year—old was badly wounded at a hamas attack at the music festival at which hundreds were killed. hersh�*s mother rachel is desperate for progress. i do feel that president biden is very much with the hostages. we have spoken to him, i have spoken to him personally and we feel that support. and i know that the israelis as well want all the hostages released. and yet there is this quagmire of time and chaos and pandemonium and we are actively at war. joe biden�*s short visit will be followed by other world leaders many of whom also have citizens killed or abducted by hamas.

but the events of the last 2a hours have made things even more perilous for people in the immediate region including the hostages being held in gaza. wyre davies, bbc news, jerusalem. many ma ny eyes many eyes around the world are on the intelligence information which is emerging from that devastating explosion at the hospital yesterday evening in gaza city. in the united kingdom, the rishi sunak has said that britain will conduct its own independent investigation into what exactly happened. he was speaking at the house of commons a short while ago. i know the whole house will be shocked by what happened at al—ahli arab hospital, any loss of life is a terrible tragedy. and many of those will be thinking of those who have lost their lives and their families. we should not rush to judgment until

we have all of the facts. every member will know that the words we say hit have an impact beyond this house. this morning i met with the national security advisor but also the chair of the joint intelligence committee and i will say that our intelligence service have been rapidly collecting the evidence independently to establish the facts. pm independently to establish the facts. �* ., ' situation is how the british prime minister has put it. indeed, the palestinians say that this high death toll at the hospital represents the single biggest loss of life in all of the five wars between gaza and israel. hamas says at least 500 civilians died here. reports are emerging from gaza are absolutely grim. saying that there are so many dead that they have run out of body bags. the bbc is one of very few outlets with a correspondent in gaza. our correspondent rushdi abu alouf has been to al ahli hospital, to see the situation first hand.

and a warning the pictures in his report are disturbing. at the hospital this morning, after what looks to have been the deadliest moment in gaza of the war so far. burnt out cars after last night's blast. i was talking to one of the witnesses, of this palestinian massacre. they said that they were just sitting in their garden peacefully and suddenly, huge, he said huge rockets hit the area and he said we started to collect people from all around to arrive to the hospital. they came and they tried to help. they said they collected injured people, there are serious injuries using motorcycles to take them away and some people on foot were taking them

from here to another hospital. blood—soaked mattresses lay on the ground. this doctor says that thousands had taken shelter at the hospital. we left our home to come here, we thought it would be safe but it wasn't. this woman says. on the ground, people are still in panic, people can't understand what has happened. official saying that hundreds of dead and missing, this is a moment the palestinians already traumatised by this war. bbc news, gaza city. our correspondent who are stuck in the gaza strip with his family. they are running from place to place like hundreds of thousands

of gazans trying to seek shelter. last night another tragedy in the deep of the humanitarian crisis. described as epic suffering. last night's incident has inflamed passions right across the region. within an hour of the first reports coming out from the hospital there were protests across the arab world. we are bringing you now the latest pictures from the lebanese capital. there were process late into the night and today. you can see in those pictures the anger boiling over on the streets, security forces trying to contain the crowds using tear gas and water cannons to push people back. anger boiling over in lebanon, there will also protest yesterday outside the israeli

embassy in thejordanian capital, protests in libya, process in the iranian capital outside the british and french embassies. there is no american embassy in the iranian capital. let's not focus —— let's now focus on the situation in lebanon, there has been concerned this could be a second front in this war and there has been clashes along that border between lebanon and israel. firing rockets across the border and israel firing into lebanon. let's bring on our correspondent, you have been following this very closely from the start. what has changed in the mood in lebanon after last night's devastating explosion at the al—ahli arab hospital? you devastating explosion at the al-ahli arab hosnital?_ devastating explosion at the al-ahli arab marital?— arab hospital? you know, as you mentioned. _ arab hospital? you know, as you mentioned, the _ arab hospital? you know, as you mentioned, the tension - arab hospital? you know, as you mentioned, the tension has - arab hospital? you know, as youj mentioned, the tension has been mounting since the start of the attack, since the start of the 7th

of october incidents but yesterday was completely different. everyone, many countries including the us, france and other countries has been sending messages to lebanon not to get involved in this war. but iran was saying that another front could open at any point. the attack on the hospital yesterday raised a lot of angen hospital yesterday raised a lot of anger, not only in lebanon but in the arab states. as you mentioned, there were lots of protests towards there were lots of protests towards the american embassy in beirut. just as i'm talking to you, a protest passing near my home. i saw flags of hezbollah, flags, that —— palestinian flags. in a meeting in saudi arabia saying that the situation and escalation reached a

point where consequences could spill overin point where consequences could spill over in an uncontrollable way. hezbollah also said there should be a response that that is not acceptable in condemning the attack on the hospital. the problem in this region and especially in lebanon with hezbollah and its hostility towards israel, anything could happen at any moment. fiur happen at any moment. our correspondent _ happen at any moment. our correspondent who - happen at any moment. our correspondent who has been with us in beirut watching the situation... inaudible i don't know if you can hear me, this is coming from the london

studio but i want to continue talking to you because we are seeing these incredible pictures of the us embassy and just the reaction, the visceral reactions of so many, as you said just after the news that the explosion came in. you talk about the issues that could potentially spill over, what could that potentially look like, do you think? �* , that potentially look like, do you think? 2 ., , that potentially look like, do you think? 2 , that potentially look like, do you think? 2 ._ , ., think? it's really unpredictable and wor inc. think? it's really unpredictable and worrying- it's _ think? it's really unpredictable and worrying. it's been _ think? it's really unpredictable and worrying. it's been worrying - think? it's really unpredictable and worrying. it's been worrying the i worrying. it's been worrying the past ten days because of people here especially, they remember very well the one month long war in 2006 that destroyed so much of the infrastructure in lebanon and this time is really has said that if hezbollah launches an attack against israeli territories or is involved in a war against israel, the price is going to be very high. many people have been very worried about this and expressed fear of getting lebanon involved. the problem is the

anger... the protest that we are witnessing everywhere, as i was mentioning, it wasjust witnessing everywhere, as i was mentioning, it was just passing witnessing everywhere, as i was mentioning, it wasjust passing next to my home a few minutes ago with their hezbollah flags and the palestinian flags. it's really hard to control and what their reaction is going to be. the iranians have been warning, hezbollah has warned, we don't know if and when... and what the response that is going to trigger. everyone is calling for people to come down and not get involved in war but this is the region of the unpredictable and after the anger of the hospital attack, things could get out of hand. it attack, things could get out of hand. , ., ~ hand. it feels to me like the hos - ital hand. it feels to me like the hospital attack _ hand. it feels to me like the hospital attack was - hand. it feels to me like the hospital attack was very - hand. it feels to me like the - hospital attack was very much a catalyst for these protests. it feels to me that even if tomorrow we were presented every suitable evidence of —— irrefutable evidence

of the hospital explosion not being the fault of the israelis, these protests would still happen, i feel it goes beyond that and transcends what happened last night. the issue is, i don't what happened last night. the issue is. i don't know— what happened last night. the issue is, i don't know if— what happened last night. the issue is, i don't know if you _ what happened last night. the issue is, i don't know if you can _ what happened last night. the issue is, i don't know if you can hear- is, i don't know if you can hear me... , is, i don't know if you can hear me- - -_ the - is, i don't know if you can hear. me. . ._ the issue in is, i don't know if you can hear- me. . ._ the issue in our me... yes, we can. the issue in our broiled is — me... yes, we can. the issue in our broiled is who _ me... yes, we can. the issue in our broiled is who can _ me... yes, we can. the issue in our broiled is who can they _ me... yes, we can. the issue in our broiled is who can they believe? - me... yes, we can. the issue in our. broiled is who can they believe? who is going to provide the evidence? is there an independent country who can investigate and find the evidence? now, we are only hearing what the israeli government is saying and the americans immediately backed that narrative. most people in the street here expressed concern that the international media is just buying what the israeli government and the american government is providing as the narrative over the hospital incident. so we have to wait and see but they need independent institutions to verify who carried out the attack before making

decisions on the responses. the history of this conflict and how it is seen in the arab world, the whole international community, superpowers are biased to the israeli narrative, thatis are biased to the israeli narrative, that is why there is the lack of confidence, lack of trust with the international community here in the streets of the arab world. we international community here in the streets of the arab world.— streets of the arab world. we are auoin to streets of the arab world. we are going to stay _ streets of the arab world. we are going to stay with _ streets of the arab world. we are going to stay with these - streets of the arab world. we are going to stay with these pictures | going to stay with these pictures and i think we're going to stay with you. i want to ask you another thing, we are hearing about the us warning people not to travel to lebanon after these incidents outside of the us embassy. lebanon has its own problems, its own economic strife, an understatement what kind of impact is this having on lebanon itself, is a country and the nation to see scenes like this in its capital? it the nation to see scenes like this in its capital?— in its capital? it is raising concerns _ in its capital? it is raising concerns amongst - in its capital? it is raising i concerns amongst lebanese in its capital? it is raising - concerns amongst lebanese will in its capital? it is raising _ concerns amongst lebanese will stop i've been having calls from friends and relatives to stay or leave,

reports that some of the diplomatic missions and nonpermanent residents are being asked to leave the country and that is all science of concerns for the coming days and weeks, probably. this is a country that has already suffering immensely from economic collapse and financial crisis and is lying in poverty. this is also a situation that is fuelling a lot of anger, forgetting about the economic issues and thinking about what they say is injustice in treating the palestinians. this is a country that has full support for this palestinian cause and the palestinian civilians, essentially. and seeing these images of the hospital, people forget about their own pain in their own worry and they want to see justice. they want to see fair outcome for this situation. as you know, the first thing before is that we have to wait for an

investigation to see who carried out this attack on the hospital but the people in lebanon and in the arab world, they need transparency, they need to know that they deserve independent institutions or an independent institutions or an independent country to carry out the investigations and not the united states backing the israeli narrative on the situation. we states backing the israeli narrative on the situation.— on the situation. we see these incredible _ on the situation. we see these incredible pictures _ on the situation. we see these incredible pictures of - on the situation. we see these incredible pictures of us - on the situation. we see these i incredible pictures of us embassy on the situation. we see these - incredible pictures of us embassy in beirut and protesters outside it. i wanted to ask you, i have been reading that it is also notjust the us embassy there has been targeted by protests. protesters also broke out at the french embassy as well. well, the anger is targeted to all of the countries that are seen here in the streets as bias to israel. the french government even banned protests that are pro—palestinian and this is unprecedented in a democratic country that supports freedom of speech. so imagine the

reflection of this kind of decision in the arab world when they see palestinians that they support and they feel full heartedly to their agony that they have been attacked and the whole world is still supporting an israeli narrative and is really stance. don't forget that people follow closely what happens and they had seen the stance of the us, the eu and other governments, when russia has been committing similar tax where there it was condemned but here it has been declared a self defence. that is only fuelling anger and fuelling among the arid world the they don't care about this part of the world and they don't care about providing real justice and they don't care about providing realjustice real human rights in these values the superpowers and first world countries, you know,

keep promoting but not applying in this part of the world.— keep promoting but not applying in this part of the world. thank you so much for that. _ this part of the world. thank you so much for that. it's _ this part of the world. thank you so much for that. it's really _ this part of the world. thank you so much for that. it's really good - this part of the world. thank you so much for that. it's really good to i much for that. it's really good to get your voice talking about what is happening in beirut and giving us context and analysis because of course as we leave you, we were seeing just a second ago those pictures of protests in beirut. we have the french and americans warning their citizens not to travel to lebanon or beirut because of those protests happening. as you know, a demonstration in support of the palestinian people has been organised as we saw buy has a bully. that is a group that supports hamas. our correspondent was at one of those protests. he sends this update. organised in response to the hospital explosion in gaza yesterday. we are here near the women's section of the protest where thousands of men are behind this section. lots of people here are

carrying the palestinian flag and also the yellow and green flag of hezbollah. this protest is happening on the day that the us president biden is meeting israel in a demonstration of america's support of israel. so there is an anti—america and anti—israeli statement here. of course, in lebanon, lots of people are wondering if his brother word mac are going to do if the country is dragged into this conflict. we have seen over the last few days, there was more exchange of fire between militants in lebanon and the israelis. the support of around what they will decide do next. that is hugo bachega there. ijust want to take you to beirut to show you this latest pictures, these live

pictures coming into us. i'm not entirely sure where these are but you can see tear gas exploding at the feet of these protesters. we know that protests have been happening outside the us embassy, the french embassy, flags are being waived. palestinian flags, a little earlier our correspondent spoke about hezbollah flags as well. we are going to leave you with these pictures of what is happening in beirut. i am pictures of what is happening in beirut. iam back pictures of what is happening in beirut. i am back in a few minutes' time with more on bbc news. don't go anywhere. stay with us on the bbc. hello. the weather is going to be awfully wet and windy in the coming days and the advice is to keep track of the weather and listen to the latest weather updates. here is storm babet coming out of the south—west, the rain clouds are

spreading across met office has issued a rare red awning for eastern scotland valid from thursday evening into friday. torrential rain is likely to bring disrupt and serious flooding to some parts of eastern scotland but we will all get at least some rain and pretty heavy rain as well. you can see the focal point therefore really high rainfall accumulations well in excess of 100 millilitres in some spots. let's see what's happening then through the course of the evening, this is the weather front associated with storm babet. it moves northwards across the uk, so a definitive area of heavy rain, it won't be raining all through the night, the rain comes and goes in the skies might clear for a time. towards the early hours of the morning with the weather fronts in the north of the country, in the south you've got showers may be some thunderstorms. i think this is when the worst of the rain is going to happen, late on thursday and into friday across eastern parts

of scotland. and eventually, the north—east of england as well. it's a really messy picture on thursday. the bulk of the country, it is a mixture of sunny spells and showers but gale force winds on the north sea coast and also around scotland. so let's go through the warnings, these are the amber warnings from these are the amber warnings from the met office and some of these overlap because there are warnings for both rainfall and severe gales, it could be in excess of over 100 millilitres of rain. gas and wind on the coast of aberdeenshire up to 70 mph but this is the really serious warning, that rare red awning extensive flooding possible and we could even see 250 millilitres of rain especially across some of the upland areas. we can see on friday, that weather system is still much with us. this time, i think, we will see persistent torrential rain many parts of england, gale force winds

across the north seacoast and particularly in the south—east. wherever you are, take care.

high—stakes diplomacy in beijing. president xi jinping welcomes state leaders in china's capital at a challenging time

for the world's second largest economy. and oil prices rise after the gaza hospital blast prompts global concern. welcome to world business report. i'm vishala sri—pathma. we start in china, where they have released their latest growth numbers, showing the world's second largest economy grew by 4.9% in the three months to september, beating many expectations, but it is still less than the official growth target. this comes as china grapples with an unprecedented property crisis that has hit consumption and business activity in the country. china's biggest private property developer, country garden, is also believed to have become the latest property giant to default on its overseas debt. here is the view of julian evans—pritchard, head of china economics, capital economics in singapore.