king charles will deliver his first king's speech since becoming monarch, as part of the state opening of parliament. welcome to bbc news, we are coming to you live from southern israel, about three kilometres, one mile also, in the gaza strip. this country is now observing a minute's silence one month after a deadly attack that killed more than moo people in this country, and which took more than 240 people hostage. let me show you these live pictures from tel aviv as israel observed a moment's silence.

quiet singing. a moment to pause, grieve and recall

israel's deadliest attack in its 75 year history. 0ne israel's deadliest attack in its 75 year history. one month on, still no news, no release of the vast majority of those sites —— those hostages seized by hamas on october seven as this country continues to pursue its military offensive inside gaza, where there is no silence, the bombs continue to rain down on the gaza strip as israel continues to pursue its aim of, in its words, obliterating hamas. 0vernight israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu said this country would, in his words, had security responsibility for the gaza strip for an indefinite period once the fighting is over. it comes as the health ministry in gaza, run by hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by the uk, reported more than 12,000 people have been killed in the territory since war began. 0ur middle east correspondent yolande knell reports.

one month on from the darkest of days. here by the western wall, the holiest place wherejews can pray, a candle was lit for each of the estimated 1,400 lives lost. and outside, on the wall ofjerusalem's old city, the faces of some 240 still missing, being held hostage in gaza. israelis are still reeling from the horror of the 7th of october — the deadliest day in their country's 75—year history. a day when a party ground became the scene of mass slaughter, when thousands of hamas fighters broke out of gaza and gunned down families. after he left his home to see what was happening, this man's wife and three children were snatched. it has been 31 days and that is too long to be without my kids and my wife and for them to be held captive in a foreign place, you know, underground, in a small room.

i don't know what situation they are in health—wise, or they're being fed, taken care of. and forfour weeks, ordinary people in gaza have been paying a heavy price, with israel besieging the small coastal strip. and pounding it with air strikes, determined to eradicate hamas, which is in control here. the un calls it inhuman collective suffering. the figures are staggering, with health officials in gaza now saying more than 10,000 have been killed, including over 4,100 children. some 1.5 million are homeless, including this woman. translation: the situation | is getting worse day after day. yesterday, they hit our relatives, 15 people, and we are displaced. there is no food, water.

when my son goes to pick up water, he queues for 3—4 hours in the line. they struck bakeries. we don't have bread. as israeli ground forces advance inside gaza, the prime minister is resisting international calls for a ceasefire and has been giving the first clue about what might happen here after the war. i think israel, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility, because we have seen what happens when we don't have it. when we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is an eruption of hamas terror on a scale that we couldn't imagine. but israel's actions are being watched around the region, with growing fears of this conflict spreading. last night, israel says it struck targets belonging to the powerful armed group hezbollah in lebanon. there, cross—borderfighting is already the worst in years. so much about the past month has been unprecedented, including the scale of suffering,

and there is still no end in sight. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. you heard a clip of benjamin netanyahu in that report talking about israel taking over security responsibility, as he puts it, in gaza. he appeared to sound much more flexible on the idea of humanitarian causes, short—term localised stoppages in the fighting, which the americans in particular had pushed for, in orderfor more aid to get in. so appearing to sound much less inflexible than in recent days. tommaso della longa, spokesperson for the international federation of red cross and red crescent societies — told us more about the global efforts to put an end to the fighting.

i think ithink in i think in front of such a great crisis, every effort is welcome. it is difficult to say it is another. i would say it is very positive to see these efforts around the region and internationally, but i think we need more than efforts to make sure that we have a safe space to operate and we have a safe space to operate and we find a way to stop this fighting, because under this heavy shelling and level of violence it is very difficult. . , difficult. that is the disastrous situation inside _ difficult. that is the disastrous situation inside gaza, - difficult. that is the disastrous situation inside gaza, but - difficult. that is the disastrous| situation inside gaza, but there difficult. that is the disastrous i situation inside gaza, but there is of course another area of the region which is incredibly concerning at the moment, that is in northern israel on the border with lebanon where there has been increased cross—borderfire. where there has been increased cross—border fire. yesterday we where there has been increased cross—borderfire. yesterday we had 16 rockets, according to israel,

fired from a hamas armed wing in southern lebanon across the border into northern israel. remember that hezbollah is the main islamist armed group in lebanon but it is aligned with hamas and hamas has a military ring in southern lebanon which as well as blaming for the cross—border fire. it comes after days of skirmishes across the borders. let's take stock of the situation there. live now to tom fletcher, who's the former uk ambassador to lebanon. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. how concerned are you by this uptake in cross—border fire news. how concerned are you by this uptake in cross—borderfire between lebanon and israel in the past few days? —— how concerned are you by this uptick? i’m days? -- how concerned are you by this mick?— this uptick? i'm concerned, as are many great _ this uptick? i'm concerned, as are many great friends _ this uptick? i'm concerned, as are many great friends in _ this uptick? i'm concerned, as are many great friends in lebanon - this uptick? i'm concerned, as are many great friends in lebanon as| many great friends in lebanon as well as among the palestinians too. i don't think anybody in lebanon or northern israel wants an escalation and i would include hezbollah or

not, i think the messages coming out of hezbollah were an indication that they realise the risks are incredibly significant, the risks of harm to the lebanese civilian population, the israeli civilian population, the israeli civilian population, are too great. flan population, the israeli civilian population, are too great. can you clarify about _ population, are too great. can you clarify about the _ population, are too great. can you clarify about the presence - population, are too great. can you clarify about the presence of - population, are too great. can you. clarify about the presence of hamas and lebanon, because whenever we speak about the threat to israel from lebanon we talk about hezbollah and she mentioned the speech by its leader, hassan nasrallah, last week, but the fact israel has blamed hamas's military wing for the 16 rockets, how significant is the hamas presence in lebanon? it is not hue, hamas presence in lebanon? it is not huge. there — hamas presence in lebanon? it is not huge. there is— hamas presence in lebanon? it is not huge. there is a _ hamas presence in lebanon? it is not huge, there is a very _ hamas presence in lebanon? it is not huge, there is a very large _ huge, there is a very large palestinian presence and many of those are living very peacefully in the camps and beyond in southern lebanon or in beirut, in northern lebanon or in beirut, in northern lebanon too, trying to get on with their lives, raise their kids, deliver the sorts of lives for themselves we would all want for our

kids. the palestinian extremist groups like hamas are present around that border area but they tend to be fairly carefully controlled and overseen by hezbollah. it is significant israel blames them for these attacks rather than hezbollah, it indicates as well also recognises an escalation across the border is not in their interests —— it indicates israel also recognises. hassan nasrallah did not indicate an escalation to all—out war in that speech. you have very overt displays of deterrence like the us and two aircraft carriers to the eastern mediterranean and now a nuclear submarine. in your view, what should the international community be doing? and do you get a sense that hezbollah is listening and messages are being passed to them? i hezbollah is listening and messages are being passed to them?- are being passed to them? i think the international _ are being passed to them? i think the international community - are being passed to them? i think. the international community should be doing four things urgently. all violence against all civilians must

stop, that has to be the unequivocal message. i think we should be back in no kill time is a no kill zones in no kill time is a no kill zones in gaza and making very, very clear we will not be accepting the situation one month on from that tragic such of events on october the 7th, we need to get massive amounts of aid in and be more muscular in delivering that aid. we need to stop the escalation, antony blinken was quite successful, i think that was the main area where he was successful. we have to get the message through to israel but the great prize here is normalisation and the approach of what they call mowing the lawn or biblical retaliation will not get us back to the normalisation, the real prize here, we need to keep on deterring a run on those two carrier groups off the coast of lebanon helped with that. —— we need to keep on deterring iran. we need to get the hostages out and i understand the diplomatic track is getting somewhere on that much more than any

electric truck. at fourth and finally, most importantly, we need to get people back to some sort of conversation about why this and is, about a two state solution. when i worked for gordon brown in 2080 made great progress with israel and the saudis that wider agreement that ultimately is the way that the sense —— when i worked for gordon brown in 2008 he made great progress. we have to keep at it. fin 2008 he made great progress. we have to kee at it. ., 2008 he made great progress. we have to keep at it— to keep at it. on the final point about what _ to keep at it. on the final point about what comes _ to keep at it. on the final point about what comes next, - to keep at it. on the final point about what comes next, what i to keep at it. on the final point i about what comes next, what do to keep at it. on the final point - about what comes next, what do you make of benjamin netanyahu saying israel should have a definite security responsibility over gaza? the gazans would not accept israeli troops coming back in, they would see it as a reoccupation of some sort. it's not a realistic scenario that israel would have some sort of military or security control over gaza —— is that a realistic

scenario? 0r gaza —— is that a realistic scenario? or does there need to be a combined arab control, as has been mooted by the us? you combined arab control, as has been mooted by the us?— combined arab control, as has been mooted by the us? you can see why netan ahu mooted by the us? you can see why netanyahu said _ mooted by the us? you can see why netanyahu said that _ mooted by the us? you can see why netanyahu said that to _ mooted by the us? you can see why netanyahu said that to my _ mooted by the us? you can see why netanyahu said that to my israel - netanyahu said that to my israel rightly fears the continued threat from hamas. we are reminded of those great moments that surprised us all. it is not in heart —— as netanyahu well knows we need moderate palestinian leadership to replace hamas in gaza and reassert the sort of control they were exercising in the west bank, but is a long—term solution to this massive crisis. the tragedy is that process, that emergence of the moderate leadership, has been prevented by those who do not want a two state solution. iran is high on that list, other militant, but also bibi netanyahu is on that list. huge ruestions netanyahu is on that list. huge questions for _ netanyahu is on that list. huge questions for the _ netanyahu is on that list. huge questions for the days - netanyahu is on that list. huge questions for the days ahead . netanyahu is on that list. huge questions for the days ahead and for

when this fighting finally ends about how to create a durable, sustainable peace in this region. tom fletcher, former british ambassador to lebanon, thank you. there is no peace at the moment as israeli shells continue to rain down on gaza and gaza city is squeezed, a spokesman for the israel defense force that we have counted, contains and now we are slowly closing in, trying to cut off gaza city and go into street to street fighting. it is thought troops could enter gaza city within hours, on the ground the suffering continues and the un secretary—general says gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. we will bring you all the continued development here in southern israel and across in the gaza strip, of course you can go to our live bbc news website for a minute by minute summary, but for now, from gaza, commissary, southern israel, back to

london. we will be back with mark lowen in israel throughout the programme. good morning from me on this sunny morning in westminster, a date which is largely brought to you by the latter p, a day of politically —— political process, parliamentary procedure and pomp and pageantry. it is significant for two reasons, the kings speech given by the king in his role as monarch, he has attended here before that he has previously accompanied his mother, the late queen elizabeth. and as he did last year, he delivered the speech on her behalf. today will be the first time in more than 70 years there will be a king's speech, but it is significant also for the prime minister because it provides a chance to highlight plans and priorities for the year ahead. rishi sunak trying to distance himself from predecessors and play out his plan for government. we know the

conservatives are trailing labour in the polls and we will hear how the government is attempting to win back voters. this could be the last king's speech before the next general election which is expected to take place next year when we go to take place next year when we go to the polls. it has to happen before january 2025, even though we do not yet know when it will be. let me run you through what we can expect in westminster today and what happens during that speech. traditionally the state opening begins with a procession in which the king will travel from buckingham palace to westminster by carriage. when he gets year he will use the sovereign�*s entrance which is reserved exclusively for the monarch. the king will process to the throne in the house of lords. mps will be summoned to the lords by black rod, an official position currently held by the first female to hold the role, sarah clark. before entering the house of commons

black rod will have the door shut on their face, black rod will have the door shut on theirface, a symbol of black rod will have the door shut on their face, a symbol of the chamber�*s independence from monarchy. his majesty will make the speech and sat out the law is the government wants to get through parliament in the coming year. mps, peers and dignitaries in the house of lords will generally listen inside. through the afternoon i will be a lot of debate about what we hear both in the commons and the lords, we will hear from the prime minister and the leader of the opposition too. as research, today 0pposition too. as research, today is significant because it is the king's speech in more than 70 years. steeped in pomp and pageantry —— it is the first king's speech. nicholas witchell has the story of the day. my lords and members of the house of commons. he presided at the last state opening of parliament in may of last year, but he did so on that occasion as prince of wales — standing in for his late mother who was too frail to attend in person. the imperial state crown was placed on a table beside him.

charles was seen to be studying it. he will surely have known that the moment when the crown would rest on his head was approaching. though, at that point, it was still her majesty's government. newsreel: led by the household cavalry, - the irish state coach sweeps through the gates of buckingham palace. the last time there was a king's speech at the state opening of parliament was more than 70 years ago, in 1950. on that occasion, king george vi was taken with his wife the queen from buckingham palace to westminster in the irish state coach, accompanied by a sovereign�*s escort of the household cavalry. much of today's procession will look very similar. the big difference is that, in those days, the coverage stopped at the doors to the palace of westminster. there were no cameras inside the houses of parliament, so the rituals of the state 0pening were unseen by the public. with them, we look confidently into the future. whatever the future may bring. voiceover: a pause.

and her majesty, the queen. that changed during the long years of the reign of elizabeth ii. for the first time, the viewing public was able to see and hear this important anchor point in the country's constitutional arrangements. when the sovereign, who embodies the authority of the crown, comes face to face with the members of the legislature — the people who make our laws. black rod. by tradition, the elected house, the house of commons, always asserts its independence when the monarch summons members of parliament by dispatching an official called black rod to request their attendance. in the upper house, the house of lords, the door of the commons is slammed shut. black rod knocks three times. and only then is he or she admitted. mrs thatcher, michael foot. mps stream through — political hostilities suspended or at least subdued.

by then, everyone has taken their places. the monarch on the throne, dressed in the robes of state and wearing the imperial state crown with its 3,000 diamonds. close by, senior officials carrying the sword of state and the cap of maintenance. and the speech itself delivered to the monarch by the lord chancellor. my government will continue their full support for the commonwealth. but though elizabeth ii delivered the queen's speech and, today, charles ii will deliver the king's speech, it should be remembered that not a word of it is actually written by them. this is a political speech written by the government of the day, crafted, if at all possible, for political advantage. nicholas witchell, bbc news. nick running through what we might expect throughout the day, we will talk you through everything you

might need to know. let's talk about some of the politics with our political correspond to damian grammaticas. so much riding on today, but let's talk about the significance of the day itself, the first king's speech in more than 70 years? first king's speech in more than 70 ears? a , first king's speech in more than 70 ears? , , ., years? many people will never have seen this happen. _ years? many people will never have seen this happen. you _ years? many people will never have seen this happen. you have - years? many people will never have seen this happen. you have to - years? many people will never have seen this happen. you have to go i seen this happen. you have to go back to the beginning of the 19505 to have had a king's speech before. queen elizabeth, i think at the 67 times she came here and did this and the only ones she missed were two when she was heavily pregnant and the last when she was not well enough to do it and that is when child5 did it as enough to do it and that is when childs did it as prince of wales, he read out the speech on behalf of his mother. now for the first time he will be doing it himself. although it is the king's speech, it is the words of the government so it is written by rishi sunak and his government to lay out what they want and the king has to read it in a

neutral tone, and the king has to read it in a neutraltone, not and the king has to read it in a neutral tone, not to show any emotion, just to deliver what the government has set out. aha, emotion, just to deliver what the government has set out.- government has set out. a very important — government has set out. a very important day _ government has set out. a very important day for _ government has set out. a very important day for rishi - government has set out. a very important day for rishi sunak, l government has set out. a very l important day for rishi sunak, we know he has been trying to distance himself maybe from some predecessors and we will come on to why that might be difficult in a moment that essentially it is his last chance to lay out his plans for government before we go to the polls next year. an election has to happen by the end of next year, very, very latest, nobody thinks it will go that far that very very latest january 2025. many think it will be early summer, may, orautumn many think it will be early summer, may, or autumn time, many think it will be early summer, may, orautumn time, but many think it will be early summer, may, or autumn time, but it means we will probably not get another one of these, they happen roughly once a year as we lay out what the next parliamentary session will be about so we are likely to only have this one, this is one of the big moments

in the calendar where rishi sunak can have a focus on him and what they say they want to do. there will be the autumn statement and a couple of weeks, in the spring we will get the budget but other than that, this is the moment. we do not have much time left and he has to deliver something. time left and he has to deliver something-— time left and he has to deliver somethina. ., . ., something. not much time left, and it miuht something. not much time left, and it miaht be something. not much time left, and it might be difficult _ something. not much time left, and it might be difficult for _ something. not much time left, and it might be difficult for whatever - it might be difficult for whatever on and steer today. there are two big things that could potentially overshadow this, the ongoing conflict in the middle east and all the while the covid inquiry and as much as rishi sunak wants to move beyond his predecessors, that it's a reminder of governments that have gone before in different conservative leaders. , ,, .,~ conservative leaders. rishi sunak, thinkina conservative leaders. rishi sunak, thinking back— conservative leaders. rishi sunak, thinking back to _ conservative leaders. rishi sunak, thinking back to his _ conservative leaders. rishi sunak, thinking back to his conference - thinking back to his conference speech not long ago, was trying to say he is a leader who represents change under a new start, something different. that is difficult, he was part of the whole previous administration, he was chancellor of

the exchequer, the conservatives have been a government for 13 years now and for him to try to distance himself is already a tall order, he is hanging his colours on it at the moment but labour will say this is all the same, 13 years of failure, if you want to change or do not vote conservative at the next election, he would vote labour. it is glorious riaht he would vote labour. it is glorious right across — he would vote labour. it is glorious right across london, _ he would vote labour. it is glorious right across london, just _ he would vote labour. it is glorious right across london, just looking i he would vote labour. it is glorious right across london, just looking at the thames, and as the procession gets under way starting at about 11 o'clock, moving from buckingham palace towards westminster, some suggest there are about 20 pieces of legislation, what are you looking at? ~ . legislation, what are you looking at? . ., , ., legislation, what are you looking at? ~ ., ,., ., legislation, what are you looking at? . ., , ., ., ., legislation, what are you looking at? ., ., ., at? what the government want to say is they want —

at? what the government want to say is they want to _ at? what the government want to say is they want to purge _ at? what the government want to say is they want to purge crime _ at? what the government want to say is they want to purge crime and - is they want to purge crime and justice and issues of keeping people safe, so it is going back to those call tory values, tory approaches, and that will be untried in several pieces of legislation —— that will be enshrined. we will have something to do with sentencing and there will be a promise that someone who commits the most violent crimes, a murder with sexual aspect to that of particularly sadistic behaviour, in almost every case that will result in a life term and a full life term. there will be discretion forjudges but only in the most exceptional cases, not to do that. equally, in other cases of rape crimes and things, they want to stipulate that your full sentence will be served, your full sentence will be served, you will not be let out at three

quarters of the way through or anything, you will be there for the whole thing. 0ther anything, you will be there for the whole thing. other things would become aggravating factors taken into account at sentencing, things like giving judges the power to force people to appear in court for sentencing and to hear the impact statement from victims of their crimes. that will mean judges can order by using reasonable force, and if someone still refuses then that we think tells us the judge could have the power to add to perhaps a couple of years to a sentence of someone refuses. that is one key area of the government will focus on, criminaljustice.— on, criminal 'ustice. criminal 'ustice on, criminal 'ustice. criminal justice is— on, criminaljustice. criminal justice is important, - on, criminaljustice. criminal justice is important, and - on, criminaljustice. criminal- justice is important, and another thing we heard about was soil to gas licenses, this is interesting because this could not necessarily because this could not necessarily be something that the government want to do but perhaps throw a spanner in the works for the opposition —— another thing we heard

about was oil and gas licences. lots of laces about was oil and gas licences. lots of places thinking _ about was oil and gas licences. lots of places thinking ahead to the election, trying to draw dividing lines, the government trying to focus on issues where they think they can do something that will be distinctive and perhaps put the opposition, labour, and a slightly tricky spot. 0n criminaljustice, labour says it would support those, but on oil and gas drilling, the government has already issued licences, they say this is about securing our energy future, tapping the reserves we had so we are not dependent on foreign countries and they say they will need this as we transition to not zero. they want to legislate to have new licences issued every year for new drilling in the north sea. labour has already said they will not issue new licences if they came in but they

will honour ones that have already come in. rishi sunak wants to say this is a pragmatic approach to achieving that zero, limiting the impact on budgets and the costs people have two by —— to achieve a net zero. but there is more environmentally minded say that pumping out or digging out new oil, pumping out or digging out new oil, pumping out or digging out new oil, pumping out gas and burning it now adds to the carbon makes the situation worse even if you still reach net zero at the same point at the end of the day. this reach net zero at the same point at the end of the day.— the end of the day. this almost forces labour _ the end of the day. this almost forces labour come _ the end of the day. this almost forces labour come up - the end of the day. this almost forces labour come up with - the end of the day. this almost forces labour come up with a i the end of the day. this almost i forces labour come up with a plan decision which is why it is so politically interesting. this feels like the start of the general election campaign, even though we do not have a date, this is electioneering?- not have a date, this is electioneering? not have a date, this is electioneerina? ., , ., ., electioneering? lots of it will have that as the — electioneering? lots of it will have that as the undertone. _ electioneering? lots of it will have that as the undertone. we - electioneering? lots of it will have that as the undertone. we have i that as the undertone. we have already seen that, you can already think back to the conference speech is when all the politicians came back from the summer holidays, that

is the train that is now starting to pull out of the station and gather momentum and that is what we are building up to. nobody knows quite when that will happen but this is all about adding those pieces to the puzzle that the government wants to put in. puzzle that the government wants to ut in. . ~ puzzle that the government wants to ut in. ., ~' ,, puzzle that the government wants to ut in. ., ~' ., puzzle that the government wants to ut in. ., ,, i. ., ., puzzle that the government wants to ut in. ., ,, ., ., ., put in. thank you for now, damian grammaticas. _ put in. thank you for now, damian grammaticas, our— put in. thank you for now, damian grammaticas, our political- grammaticas, our political correspondence. this is the scene right across westminster on a significant day, it is the king's speech and the state 0pening significant day, it is the king's speech and the state opening of parliament. welcome to viewers in the uk and around the world for the full coverage of the state 0pening around the world for the full coverage of the state opening of parliament and the king's speech and what is a glorious morning in westminster. just to run you through what we are expecting in the course of the coming hours. about an hour and a half now until the king will make its way from buckingham palace to down here in westminster. he will

make his way through that doorjust over there and begin the official formal process, the state 0pening over there and begin the official formal process, the state opening of parliament, which signals or signifies a new parliamentary year, in which he will read a speech written by the government outlining the plans of the government for the coming year. as we have just been discussing, it is an important day for two key reasons. of course, this is the first time that the king will make the speech in his role as monarch. he has been here before, he has either accompanied his mother, the late queen elizabeth, and has also delivered the speech on her behalf, last year when richie was not able to make it. but this is the year, the first time in 70 years that we will get a king's speech. but this is also the last chance for the government before the country go to the polls last year, so we will lay out and hear the government laying out its plans for how it intends to win back voters. we know

it has been a difficult year