live from london, this is bbc news. israel steps up its airstrikes on gaza, as the army says it's expanding ground operations. the un general assembly votes to adopt a resolution, put forward by arab countries, calling for a humanitarian truce. the man suspected of killing 18 people in a mass shooting in the us state of maine has been found dead. hello, i'm lucy grey. we'll start in the middle east, where there's been a significant intensification of israeli airstrikes over gaza, with bright flashes and huge explosions lighting up the night sky above the territory. it comes after the israeli army

said that it was expanding its ground operations there. a spokesman for the israeli government refused to confirm that this heralded the start of a much—anticipated ground offensive against hamas. the armed wing of hamas has said it is involved in violent confrontations with israeli forces in northern and central gaza. there has also been rocket fire from the territory into southern israel. aid agencies say they've lost contact with their workers after all phone and internet services were cut. meanwhile, the un chief has again called for a ceasefire, warning that "history would judge us all". this is the scene live in gaza. announcing the expansion of operations, the israeli army spokesman repeated a call for residents of gaza city to move south. translation: over the last few hours, we have _ translation: over the last few hours, we have intensified - translation: over the last few hours, we have intensified our. hours, we have intensified our airstrikes in gaza. the iaf has

extensively carried out raids to underground targets and aerial infrastructure. as a continuation of our offensive strikes over the last few days, ground forces are expanding their operations this evening, acting forcefully in all dimensions to achieve the goals of the war. earlier on today we are exposed to the world shifa hospital with the underground expanse how they have converted the hospital for terror activities. hamas's cynical usage of the hospital, we revealed this to the world and we will continue to do so, we will continue attacking gaza and its surroundings. and again, south to the gaza river, there are better conditions, we have called upon them and reiterated the call to the people of gaza to move. with more on the events of the past 2a hours, here's our international editorjeremy bowen. not long after dark, the bombardment of gaza

intensified. israel called it "expanding ground operations". hamas said it was fighting an israeli incursion into the northern gaza strip, and fired salvos of rockets back into israel. the un secretary—general�*s pleas for a humanitarian ceasefire were drowned out. "this is a moment of truth", he said. "history willjudge us all." the day that led up to this had moments of quiet, though not of hope. in khan younis hospital in southern gaza, they stopped for the noon prayer, after another deadly night. then israel released video of its naval commandos raiding targets on the gaza coast. somewhere, hidden inside gaza, are more than 200 hostages taken by hamas. talks to free at least some of them were said to be going well in the hours before israel's new onslaught. many palestinians believe

israel wants to force them out of gaza for good. this lawyer was writing, "my heart, my heartbeat," on the shroud of his baby, stillborn after his pregnant wife was killed. like many other civilians, they stayed in northern gaza after israel ordered them to leave. later, israel released video what it says was an attack on the hamas tunnel network. was it a clue of what was coming? israeli military commanders said again that hamas uses palestinian civilians as human shields, and they said hamas has bunkers under gaza city's main hospital. this is an illustration of shifa hospital, and the underground facilities. i want to repeat, this is only an illustration. we will not share here the true material.

terrorists move freely in shifa hospital, and other hospitals in gaza. we have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide there, after the massacre of 7 october. about ten kilometres from gaza, in ashkelon, volunteers were signing up for duty with the israeli police. they were issued with brand—new american assault rifles by itamar ben—gvir, israel's national security minister. he has a conviction for inciting racism. many israelis think he is a dangerous extremist. ben—gvir believes israel can eliminate hamas and destroy palestinian hopes for independence. but he was popular here at the police station. the volunteers believe his plan to arm civilians is the best way to protect their families. on the other side, they are not humans, they are monsters. we need to take gaza. gaza belongs to us.

we need to take gaza and then we can transfer it to the palestinian authorities. but first we need to take gaza. it's beach weather, but they were empty as israel's troops prepare to go into gaza. it feels as fragile here as in the years after the holocaust, according to the former speaker of parliament. people sentimentally and emotionally, are back to �*45—�*48. we are pre—state emotionally, we are no—state economically and socially, and we have no answer what to do with the next—door neighbour. so of course there is a need for a new call, for a new paradigm. it's a very, very difficult trauma. but a very promising renaissance. and every birth comes to the world with a lot of pain and blood. before the chance of a brighter future comes a present that is grim

and getting grimmer. a hamas rocket beat ashkelon�*s defences in the last hours before the israeli offensive. and this evening... explosions. ..in the dark night over gaza, israel is sending in wave after wave of strikes by heavy artillery and aircraft. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. earlier my colleague lewis vaughanjones spoke to israeli government spokesman, eylon levy. he began by asking why we are now seeing an escalation. on7 on 7 october hamas declared war against israel, it is a war that began with the horrific massacre that murdered moo people, injured 5000, took 230 people, injured 5000, took 230 people hostage, has continued with 8000 rockets on our cities, and had to run to a bomb shelter twice today, and it is a war israel is determined to win and determined to win and determined to win by totally defeating the hamas regime

inside the gaza strip, just as the international community close ranks against isis, we have been very clear we can no longer live with the terror on claim on our borders, controlled by a jihadist organisation, a jihadist organisation, a jihadist organisation sworn to a second genocide of the jews, organisation sworn to a second genocide of thejews, a jihadist organisation that on 7 october burned, butchered, raped, tortured its way through southern israel, so i must this war, it is not a war that we want it is not a war that we wanted or started or expected is a war that israel is now determined to win by totally wiping out hamas.— determined to win by totally wiping out hamas. wars have rules, wiping out hamas. wars have rules. the _ wiping out hamas. wars have rules, the international - rules, the international community has been clear, loud and clear about that, some of israel's strongest allies have been clear on that. with this expansion of ground forces and airstrikes, do you know how you can wipe out hamas and protect civilians at the same time? israel takes its obligations towards international law and

the laws of war very seriously, that's why we are doing everything we can to minimise civilian casualties in gaza, despite hamas's efforts to maximise them. israel is urging civilians in the gaza strip to move south temporarily for their own safety, the reason is hamas has embedded itself deep within civilian areas, building up within civilian areas, building up a network of tunnels in the gaza strip under homes, schools, hospitals, yesterday the idf release intelligence showing that hamas's command bunker is situated underneath shifa hospital in the gaza strip which is of course a war crime to use civilians as human shields in that way. israel is doing its best to get civilians out of harm's way, this is a war that hamas waits on us and we are fighting back against hamas, not against gaza, not against the palestinians, against the palestinians, against hamas. we are urging civilians to get out of the way, we are continuing with our operations to target hamas within the guide to strip because we will not go back —— gaza strip because we will not go back to 7 october, we will

not go back to a world in which a jihadi not go back to a world in which ajihadi regime on not go back to a world in which a jihadi regime on our borders can invade and will and burn whole families in their homes, that will not happen and that is why this war will end with the defeat of hamas. it is toniuht the defeat of hamas. it is tonight the _ the defeat of hamas. it is tonight the start - the defeat of hamas. it is tonight the start of - the defeat of hamas. it is tonight the start of a - the defeat of hamas. it is tonight the start of a major ground incursion that has been previewed for a couple of weeks now? , ., previewed for a couple of weeks now? , . . , previewed for a couple of weeks now? , . .,, previewed for a couple of weeks now? , ., ., , ., now? israel has expanded ground 0 erations now? israel has expanded ground operations in _ now? israel has expanded ground operations in the _ now? israel has expanded ground operations in the gaza _ now? israel has expanded ground operations in the gaza strip, - operations in the gaza strip, but beyond that i will not comment on operational matters. do you have a timescale on this? i do you have a timescale on this? ., �* do you have a timescale on this? .,�* ,, . ., ., this? i won't speculate on operational _ this? i won't speculate on operational matters - this? i won't speculate on operational matters but i this? i won't speculate on - operational matters but israel is going to continue with the defensive efforts to destroy hamas in response to the 7 october massacre and the continued barrage of rockets, the indiscriminate fire of rockets against our cities and civilians. , , ., rockets against our cities and civilians. , , . . ~', civilians. just ten aid trucks not in civilians. just ten aid trucks got in to — civilians. just ten aid trucks got in to gaza _ civilians. just ten aid trucks got in to gaza today, - civilians. just ten aid trucks got in to gaza today, is - civilians. just ten aid trucks| got in to gaza today, is that enough? got in to gaza today, is that enou~h? ~ got in to gaza today, is that enough?— enough? we want to see humanitarian _ enough? we want to see humanitarian aid - enough? we want to see humanitarian aid reach i enough? we want to see i humanitarian aid reach the people of the gaza strip through the rafah border crossing with egypt. the border crossings were destroyed in the 7 october massacre when hamas

took out the power lines, entered the crossing and butchered everyone there, so the prospect of aid entering through the crossings must destroyed on 7 october is not viable, we want to see it go through egypt, we only have one condition, that the aid not reach us, that i must not exploit those humanitarian corridors, and that is our right and duty under the international laws of war to facilitate humanitarian aid to the people of gaza as long as thatis the people of gaza as long as that is not exploited by the enemy that declared war on us on 7 october and continues to indiscriminately attack our people we barrage is of rockets. the general secretary of the palestinian national initiative, mustafa barghouti, gave his reaction to what israel has called an expansion of its operations in gaza. what is happening now is a huge massacre in the northern parts of gaza, and that adds to the other massacres that israel has committed, which took the lives of almost 3,000 children, and each

child is a human being. with a history, with a family, you're talking about also more than 7,100 palestinians killed, and this number will rise tonight. but the worst thing is that with ground operation you're talking about total destruction, complete destruction. i've seen the results of their ground operation in 2014 in the area of shuja'iyya in gaza. it means that no stone will be with another, everything will be totally razed to the ground and every house will be destroyed and every human being will be killed. this is the kind of israeli operation that you will see tonight including airstrikes, the same time with ground invasion. and let me tell you one thing that the audience should know, the total amount of bombs and explosives that have been thrown on gaza is very close now to the amount of the bomb power that was used with the nuclear power, nuclear bomb in hiroshima injapan. just to get an idea about what's going on.

it's a very dangerous development and we've just received alerts from medical relief society, from red crescent, from another health organisation, complaining that their medical and health work is completely paralysed because of the cut of all telecommunications and internet from gaza. with more on this i'm joined by my colleague said shehata from bbc arabic. let's talk about i suppose, we have talked about the intensification of things overnight in gaza, let's talk about the people who are affected, vastly many people told to move south for their safety, but a lot of people haven't left, have they? yes. and over _ haven't left, have they? yes. and over the _ haven't left, have they? yes. and over the last _ haven't left, have they? yes. and over the last three - haven't left, have they? yes. i and over the last three weeks, when the israeli authorities ask people to move, they moved, some of them moved but in some

areas in the south were hit by airstrikes, so some people decided to go back because they face problems to find food or shelter because there is too much pressure because for example, khan younis was supposed to have an inhabitant of 400,000, supposed to have an inhabitant of a00,000, now there is 2 million, so there is too much. in addition to that there is people in hospital in north gaza according to the un, it is impossible to move to the south. so there is a problem of moving because of logistics, the strikes and even the un mentioned there is many places evenin mentioned there is many places even in the south that is not safe from the airstrikes. these are problems. so the movement of the people sometimes is go to the south but some go back to the south but some go back to the south but some go back to the north, some decide not to the north, some decide not to go because there might not safe in the south. the problem is exacerbating there and there

is exacerbating there and there is pressure on people moving since all of these circumstances around them and affecting their life because you don't have enough food and stuff, even with the aid coming it is not enough.— it is not enough. there is very little aid getting _ it is not enough. there is very little aid getting through - it is not enough. there is very little aid getting through and l little aid getting through and now head of this expansion of the ground operations as the israel defence forces calling it, they have cut off communications as well, so people can't use the internet, they can't contact people and also the aid agencies saying they can't get in contact with they can't get in contact with the people on the ground. absolutely, what happened even with communication with some people, some people in gaza, they live outside gaza but have family there, they cannot communicate with them. even the international organisation like the un, the world health organization, they have lost contact with people there. so there is a worry. and on top of that, since the aid was allowed to go into gaza, only 84 aid

lorries went there. before the war it was about 500 lorries. it is a drop in the ocean. people need more. even the hospitals, according to the world health organization, they only allowed emergency cases, it is a problem, the fuel. israel says the fuel might go to hamas so they stopped the fuel, they say that hamas will use it for military purposes. but that is affecting hospitals. that is why there is a need for a humanitarian troussel humanitarian corridors, in order to open the doors to people in need. israel has been _ doors to people in need. israel has been pushing _ doors to people in need. israel has been pushing back - doors to people in need. israel has been pushing back on - doors to people in need. israel has been pushing back on that| has been pushing back on that and resisting that. people talk about different things, there is a talk about a ceasefire but also this talk of pauses, the un resolution yesterday called for a humanitarian truce, but israel seems to be rejecting

all sorts of possibilities. the -roblem all sorts of possibilities. the problem is. _ all sorts of possibilities. the problem is, in _ all sorts of possibilities. the problem is, in gaza, - all sorts of possibilities. tue: problem is, in gaza, it all sorts of possibilities. tte: problem is, in gaza, it cannot differentiate between hamas and the people, but there is an international organisation there, as it checks on the border, for the lorries to go inside, so there are many measures in place to make sure that this stuff does not go to hamas. so there needs to be more cooperation between israel and international organisations. to make sure that this fuel and other emergency needs for the people, to go there. it should be measures, the eu leaders have called the humanitarian corridors, and they are pausing the fighting. so all of these international rules need to be heard from israel to help people commit more than 7000 people commit more than 7000 people have died now, and even one of the stories, i read of

some colleagues, about a father losing his child because there was not enough room in the hospitals. was not enough room in the hosoitals-— hospitals. the baby in incubators? _ hospitals. the baby in incubators? yes, - hospitals. the baby in i incubators? yes, helping hospitals. the baby in - incubators? yes, helping them. so that is affecting _ incubators? yes, helping them. so that is affecting people - so that is affecting people in hospitals, even the shelters, now taking three times of the intended capacity of the shelters in gaza. the density of the people there, the health needs, the food needs, but on top of that, the fuel, to make the hospital working. so i think international organisations can make sure that this stuff cannot go to hamas. there is need for that in order to help people. thank ou ve in order to help people. thank you very much- _ in order to help people. thank you very much. let's - in order to help people. thank you very much. let's focus - in order to help people. thank you very much. let's focus on| you very much. let's focus on the military side of things for a moment now. colonel richard kemp is a former commading officer for the british army who served in afghanistan. he gave his assessment of the latest escalation.

i think we have to remember, we all have to remember that military operations are best conducted using surprise and deception, and that goes for israel as much as anyone else. we're not going to find out until, i think, we're not going to find out until, ithink, the we're not going to find out until, i think, the go by, how this is going to shape up, and quite rightly. it could be one of two things. one is potentially a more expanded raid of the sort that we saw in the last couple of nights, may be a much biggerforce going on with greater violence, and then withdrawing again, or it could be a sustained operation which lasts for may be days, weeks or possibly even longer than that. and, you know, in this sort of situation, i think it is true to say that even the israeli command structure may not know exactly how it is going to work out, depending on how the operation is taking place now, it may be that it turns from being a limited operation into being a limited operation into being a limited operation into being a much more sustained operation, i couldn't really

give you a better idea than that. what we're seeing now is probably a where the idf have achieved as much disruption as they can purely from the air. and they are now hoping to finish off thejob and they are now hoping to finish off the job and destroy as much of hamas as possible, with ground forces. you can only do so much from the air. obviously the air campaign will continue as well, but i don't think israel would likely have committed ground forces into this situation if they didn't feel it was necessary, because of course as well as hamas getting killed they will be a fair number of israeli casualties as well, though they are keen to avoid that as much as they possibly can. there is the fact that hamas, as with the fact that hamas, as with the taliban and afghanistan, and other terrorist groups like that, they want to use their civilian population as shields.

they do embed themselves in civilian populations. so it is very hard to deal with them without, unfortunately, killing a certain number of civilians, which is not a war crime. it is unfortunate, it is tragic, but it is not illegal. in the realities for israel, they cannot with hamas, they cannot destroy hamas without killing civilians as well. it is a terrible situation and i think we can all sympathise with every single civilian in gaza. but it is unfortunately, given what happened three weeks ago, it is an unavoidable situation they face. it is an unavoidable situation they face-— it is an unavoidable situation the face. �*, ., ., ., they face. let's go live now to doctor scott _ they face. let's go live now to doctor scott savitz. _ he is a senior engineer at the rand corporation, a global policy think tank and research institute. look into the programme. this expansion of ground operations by the israeli army, it is going to be a very difficult fight, isn't it, the urban warfare, even though they have so many more trips at their

disposal, it is going to be a very hard fight for them, isn't it? ~ , , very hard fight for them, isn't it? ~ y a, a, it? absolutely. urban warfare is inherently _ it? absolutely. urban warfare is inherently challenging, - it? absolutely. urban warfare is inherently challenging, no | is inherently challenging, no matter how capable the fighting force is, and tunnel warfare, underground water, is even more so. tn underground water, is even more so. , ., , so. in terms of those tunnels, they are _ so. in terms of those tunnels, they are huge. _ so. in terms of those tunnels, they are huge, aren't - so. in terms of those tunnels, they are huge, aren't they? i so. in terms of those tunnels, i they are huge, aren't they? the israeli army has trained internal specifically for this battle but there are so many reservists, aren't there, that are involved in this. now, you do wonder how prepared they all are for this? the do wonder how prepared they all are for this?— are for this? the israelis are arguably _ are for this? the israelis are arguably the _ are for this? the israelis are arguably the most _ are for this? the israelis are arguably the most capable i arguably the most capable military of any state actor in conducting tunnel warfare. the challenge is that the occupants of the tunnels always have an inherent advantage. they know the layout. they are able to build is in ambushes, they are

able to lay explosive devices in various locations, and they are able to take advantage of the fact that there are diverse areas are operating in an environment where the communications are attenuated, where they have a difficulty perceiving the environment and a host of other factors. so regardless of the capabilities of individual remits, this will be an extraordinarily challenging situation, exacerbated by the fact that we have seen that some hostages, at least, have been held within these tunnels, and the israelis of course want to find ways to rescue those people while also avoiding casualties among the rescuers. , , ., ., rescuers. this is the ma'or issue, rescuers. this is the ma'or mi rescuers. this is the ma'or issue, isn't it? i rescuers. this is the ma'or issue, isn't it? the i rescuers. this is the ma'or issue, isn't it? the use h rescuers. this is the major issue, isn't it? the use of| issue, isn't it? the use of human shields. colonel richard kemp wasjust human shields. colonel richard kemp was just saying in an interview before we spoke to you that it is impossible for israel to carry out this operation and not kill civilians.—

operation and not kill civilians. ~ , , civilians. absolutely. there will be civilian _ civilians. absolutely. there will be civilian deaths - civilians. absolutely. there i will be civilian deaths among gazans, which is tragic, and in any large—scale distributed hostage situation there will be tremendous risks to both the rescuers and the hostages, temp —— hamas has devised this situation effectively to try to limit israel's ability to achieve its ends, for extracting its people from hamas' underground tunnel network. ., , , , network. your expertise is around the _ network. your expertise is around the technology - network. your expertise is| around the technology side network. your expertise is i around the technology side of things and the help that can be when it comes to the use of new technologies and that sort of thing. tell us, if you can, what you think they will be using in that complex, what technology? we already see drones flying over gaza. talk us through the new technologies they will be using. t us through the new technologies they will be using.— they will be using. i can't rive they will be using. i can't give specifics _ they will be using. i can't give specifics about - they will be using. i can't give specifics about the i give specifics about the technology. but i can talk in

broad terms about some of the ways in which tunnels can be detected. and it is more an art than a science, although there is a lot of science in it, obviously. there is an aid to try to detect through ground penetrating radar, through various twinkle signatures, the shift in the magnetic fields, if you emit some loud noises that reverberate in the earth, and the new detect the sound waves coming back, a variety of other ways in which to discern that there is someone for avoid nephew. this can be protracted and painstaking. it can be especially difficult if tunnels under urban infrastructure. we have to leave it there, we are out of time. thank you for joining us. that was doctor scott savitz, senior engineer at the rand corporation. stay

with us on bbc news. hello, there. it's remaining unsettled this weekend with low pressure sticking close by. we'll see showers or longer spells of rain, some sunshine, too — it's not going to be a complete wash—out — but winds will be quite blustery, particularly close to the coast, all thanks to this pretty vigorous area of low pressure which has been with us for a while now, anchored to the west of ireland, bringing all these showers, even longer spells of rain and stronger winds with little areas of low pressure running around it, one such system moving across the country during saturday night. saturday itself starts off with a fine note through the midlands. a bit of some low cloud, some sunshine but showers from the word go across the south and the west. they'll spread their way northwards and we'll continue to see some more persistent rain affecting eastern scotland with stronger winds here.

but some brightness, i think, for western scotland with some shelter from the easterly breeze. temperatures 10—16 degrees. now, later in the day, we'll start to see one of these little areas of low pressure bring some wet and windy weather to southern england and south wales. that'll spread northwards through the course of the night, ending up across parts of scotland and northern ireland. to the north of it, it stays very windy and it'll stay quite blustery for the second half of the night across england and wales with clear spells and scattered showers. those temperatures nowhere particularly cold — 9—11 degrees. but don't forget early on sunday morning, the clocks go back one hour so, for many of us, it is an extra hour in bed. but sunday does look unsettled — particularly scotland, northern ireland. it will be wet with some of the heaviest of the rain towards eastern scotland. could see some flooding issues here, strong winds as well. england and wales will see a mixture of sunny spells, scattered showers. most of the showers towards the south and the west. some of them could be heavy and thundery again.

temperatures a little bit cool across northern scotland. otherwise, it's the mid teens further south. little change, really, as we head into monday. that area of low pressure starts to fill, begins to weaken, but it's still close by enough to bring further unsettled weather and i think for most, it's going be a mixture of sunshine and showers again and most of the showers towards the south and the west, where they could be quite heavy. blustery winds across the south—west. for northern and eastern scotland, persistent rain continuing. a little bit of wintriness over the tops of the cairngorms. it'll be chilly here. further south, again, it's the low to mid teens. and it stays unsettled as we head into the first week of november with low pressure systems moving across the country. there is a chance towards the end of the new week we could see some severe gales with some deep lows, so stay tuned to the forecast. they can't get in contact with the people on the ground.

this is bbc news. the headlines: explosions israel steps up its airstrikes on gaza, as the army says it's expanding ground operations. the un general assembly votes to adopt a resolution, put forward by arab countries, calling for a humanitarian truce. with more than 7,000 dead and the humanitarian situation facing total collapse, we report on the plight of the gazan people. and the man suspected of killing 18 people in a mass—shooting in the us state of maine has been found dead. let's return to the middle east, where there's been a significant intensification of israeli airstrikes over gaza, with huge explosions lighting up the night sky above the territory. it comes after the israeli army

said that it was expanding