the importance of "universal" values shared between major religions, at what he calls a time of "increasingly tragic conflict around the world". hello, i'm lewis vaughanjones. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu says the military will "deepen" its fight against hamas in the coming days. these pictures released by the israeli government show him on a rare visit to israeli troops in gaza. he later told members of his party that his country's military campaign was "not close to being over". his comments come days after the us secretary of state said israel should lower the intensity of its strikes. he later appeared in

the israeli parliament. take a listen. his speech was heckled by the families of hostages who were watching. they shouted "now" from the gallery as they demanded the immediate release of their loved ones. israel says 129 people remain unaccounted for after they were taken to gaza in hamas attacks in october. these images show the aftermath of an air strike on the al—maghazi refugee camp which reportedly killed more than 70 people. israel says it is investigating.the gaza health ministry says at least the gaza health ministry says at least 250 people have been killed in the last 2a hours. since early october, the hamas—run health ministry says shaimaa khalil�*s report contains

images some may find distressing. pointing to her pain, overcome with distress. "it hurts here, mama," she says. her mother is trying to console her. late at night, tteir homes were bombed. late at night, their homes were bombed. the wounded kept coming to the nearby al—aqsa hospital, already overwhelmed, with no fuel or water and minimal supplies. in gaza, there is no respite for the people, or those trying to save them. for many, it was too late. the writing on these body bags says "remains of al—maghazi." abdul rahim survived the air strike. his wife didn't. he says that in his building, several children and displaced people were killed. translation: it was horrific. i saw bodies on the road, some so badly disfigured they were unrecognisable. our block was meant to be safe, according to the israeli military maps. but there are no safe areas in the gaza strip, not north,

not south, nowhere. in a statement to the bbc, the israeli military said it was looking into the incident, adding that it was committed to taking feasible steps to minimise harm to civilians. as the scale of the devastation becomes clear, so too does the challenge facing rescue teams who've been struggling to get in, with roads blocked after the strike. in bethlehem, christmas looks and feels very different. it's sad and subdued. no tourists, no festivities, lots of prayers. this time of year, the eyes of the world would be on the birthplace ofjesus. but it's been stripped of any signs of celebration. instead, there are messages of solidarity and calls to end the suffering. for the people here, those images of destruction and death coming from gaza hit very close to home. the pain in gaza is felt very deeply here. this year it's replaced what is normally a time ofjoy. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, bethlehem.

we are joined now by the representative of the un humanitarian affairs agency in ocha, gemma connell, who is right now in the south of the gaza strip, near rafah. she visited the al—aqsa hospital where many of the injured from the meghazi refugee camp were taken. thank camp were taken. you for coming on the programme. thank you for coming on the programme-— thank you for coming on the rouramme. ., ~ i. ., ., programme. thank you for having me. could ou programme. thank you for having me. could you tell— programme. thank you for having me. could you tell us _ programme. thank you for having me. could you tell us first _ programme. thank you for having me. could you tell us first of _ programme. thank you for having me. could you tell us first of all _ programme. thank you for having me. could you tell us first of alljust - could you tell us first of alljust what you saw? could you tell us first of all 'ust what you semi could you tell us first of all 'ust what you sawai could you tell us first of all 'ust what you saw? what i saw again toda , what you saw? what i saw again today. and _ what you saw? what i saw again today. and at — what you saw? what i saw again today, and at which _ what you saw? what i saw again today, and at which i _ what you saw? what i saw again today, and at which i see - what you saw? what i saw again today, and at which i see everyl what you saw? what i saw again i today, and at which i see every day that i am here in gaza, is the absolute carnage and unprecedented suffering caused by this war. i met a young nine—year—old boy... who was

hit by a strike notjust the day, but today, which is going on every hour, every minute. he came in with a traumatic injury to his head, he had been walking outside the school his family had been sheltering in, and he passed away while i was in the hospital. it is stories like his that i hope make it to the world, because this nine—year—old child doing what any nine—year—old child would be doing, and he died walking outside a school. that is the type of thing we see every day here in gaza. �* ., ., ,., , ., gaza. and what about the state inside and _ gaza. and what about the state inside and around _ gaza. and what about the state inside and around the - gaza. and what about the state i inside and around the hospital's? yell at the hospitals are overcrowded, overburdened, they are working day and night. these overcrowded, overburdened, they are working day and night.— working day and night. these health workers at the _ working day and night. these health workers at the absolute _ working day and night. these health workers at the absolute heroes - working day and night. these health workers at the absolute heroes and | working day and night. these health| workers at the absolute heroes and i have no words to describe the phenomenal work that they are doing every day. at i had two doctors, to

grow it men, incredible professionals, in tears with me today because one of their colleagues, a nurse at the hospital, who have stood out last night as the casualties entered, and one after another his family members were brought through the door. first mother, his mother, his children, his grandparents, all brought through the door one by one. these health workers are not only working every day to save patients, patients who can't get surgery that would save their lives, but they are also dealing with the reality of the war themselves. they are not sleeping, they are working 2a hours a day to try and save as many lives as possible. and yet, one of them say to me, while we sat there we are all waiting for the minute our families come through the store. can i waiting for the minute our families come through the store.— come through the store. can i ask ou come through the store. can i ask you about — come through the store. can i ask you about how— come through the store. can i ask you about how much _ come through the store. can i ask you about how much longer, - come through the store. can i ask

you about how much longer, in i come through the store. can i ask. you about how much longer, in your assessment, think and go on like this? clearly the hospitals are not working anywhere near capacity. but they are managing to help some people at the moment. how much longer can that continue? it shouldn't continue for another minute more, i think that is the message to the world, especially on today, at a time when so many people around the world are celebrating, especially at a time we all think about family. i would appeal to everybody in the world to think about the people in gaza. they should not be the women that i met today with gunshot wounds to her legs and back who will have to wait days for surgery because there are more urgent cases. this is not something that simply can't go on, for the sake of humanity. so my appeal to everybody is that we must end and we must see the people of gaza as the people that they are, people who are simply trying to

survive but have been reduced to mistake that no human being on the should be. inaudible. and who have been reduced to asking the world to come to their age. these are dignified, amazing people here in palestine, in gaza, and they should be given the opportunity to survive. they should not be having to evacuate from one place to another place when no place in gaza is safe. it is not a matter of how long it can go on, it should not go on any longer. long it can go on, it should not go on any longer-— long it can go on, it should not go on any longer. what kind of support are agencies — on any longer. what kind of support are agencies that _ on any longer. what kind of support are agencies that you _ on any longer. what kind of support are agencies that you have - on any longer. what kind of support are agencies that you have been - are agencies that you have been working with, yours and others, able actually to deliver right now in these conditions? it is actually to deliver right now in these conditions?— actually to deliver right now in these conditions? it is very minimal in comparison _ these conditions? it is very minimal in comparison to _ these conditions? it is very minimal in comparison to the _ these conditions? it is very minimal in comparison to the need. - these conditions? it is very minimal in comparison to the need. there i these conditions? it is very minimal. in comparison to the need. there are

2.2 million people in gaza, every single person needs food, water, shelter. and in the face of those enormous needs, we are able to do a tiny proportion, because the trucks are still not coming in fast enough. even when they get here we are struggling to get them out on the side because many of the trucks in gaza were destroyed by the war. we are also struggling with the fact we are also struggling with the fact we are operating in a war zone. one day we can which one place, the next day we can which one place, the next day we can't reach it. delivering supplies is important for hospitals, but the doctors told us that no amount of supplies can fix this problem. it is only an end to the work that can fix this. and enter the war.

the president of iran says israel will quote "certainly pay" for the killing of a senior general of the country's revolutionary guards. iran's state media reported sayyed razi mousavi had been killed by an israeli air strike in syria. he was reportedly responsible for coordinating the military alliance between syria and iran. here's parham ghobadi from bbc persian. he was such an important commander, a senior revolutionary guard commander that iranian state tv interrupted this programme to announce his death. an iranian revolutionary guard also issuing a statement that said that he was in charge of the logistics in syria and in lebanon, he was a very close aide to the slain iranian general who was killed in a us drone strike in iraq back in 2020. he was an extremely important figure, they also mentioned that he was killed by three missiles that hit the building where he was staying in a town on the outskirts of damascus, capital of syria. what does israel say about it? they usually have a no comment policy, they neither accept nor reject their responsibility

in such strikes. usually we get to hear about it through israeli media. so this time, like previous attacks, they haven't commented on this special strike. clearly, everything that is happening in the region, just talk us through the significance of this. we have to see this in light of recent flare up between israel and iran, us officials say that iran launched a drone and hit an oil tanker near indian coast, which is 1000km away from iranian territory. iran today said they were not involved in this attack but us officials say that the kamikaze drone was launched from the iranian territory. we know that the houthis in yemen are backed by iran. they have been targeting oil

tankers in the red sea. those were involved with the israelis. this tanker that was targeted by them was also related to israelis. we have some live pictures looking out over gaza from southern israel. at the top of the programme, we were talking about our report of the attacks on the maghazi refugee camp. ijust attacks on the maghazi refugee camp. i just want to bring you attacks on the maghazi refugee camp. ijust want to bring you a response from israel and the israeli army. it said it had received reports of an incident in the maghazi refugee camp and is reviewing the incident. in a statement to the bbc, they said, "despite the challenges posed by hamas terrorist operating in gaza, the idf is committed to international law, including taking feasible steps to minimise harm to

civilian." in russia, opposition leader alexei navalny has been found alive and well, after apparently disappearing from the country's prison system. the us state department has welcomed the news but said remains deeply concerned about his well—being. his spokesperson says he's being held at a penal colony in siberia. navalny is one of president putin's leading opponents. he's been injail since 2021. his new prison is nicknamed the "polar wolf" colony. it's considered one of the toughest in russia. navalny�*s team had lost contact with him on the 6th of december, but have now confirmed his location. let's hear from one of his team. earlier i spoke to our europe regional editor, paul moss. done it again, so yes,

he is alive and his lawyer says he's all right, to use her words, however, as he said, this penal colony he is in is really, really brutal. i have not been to that region, but i have been in the same neighbourhood of russia visiting a former penal colony in the far north of russia in the arctic circle, and it is really hard to describe just how awful it is. i remember that i was wearing several layers of professional grade mountaineering gear, and yet i have never been to so freezing cold in my life, quite indescribably so and i talked to people who worked in the prison camps there who were clearly not having the benefit of the kind of clothing i was wearing, tough beyond all measure, and i think also the timing of this is very interesting, there were presidential elections coming up in march. no—one has any doubt that vladimir putin will win. but it seems like the kremlin is really not taking any chances at all. on saturday, they banned an anti—war candidate from standing on some technicality, and now this move to get navalny as far away as possible, his lawyer has said i think we heard it in that clip, that it will be hard to visit him. they don't want this man having any influence at all.

in a terrible way i suppose that is a compliment to the extraordinary power that alexei navalny still has, certainly in the kremlin imagination. so, what do you think happens now? hard to believe, but there's actually one penal colony a step worse than where he is now in the same vicinity, and there are fears that they could even send him there. there are fears for his life. people do die in these places of natural causes, by which i mean no one plunges a knife in their back, but it is just so harsh. we will see if he manages to keep maintain any contact, get any messages out. the next steps are the elections in march. but i think we know what the result of those are going to be. this is bbc news. the head of the catholic church in england and wales has made an appeal for peace in the middle east. cardinal vincent nichols says he is extremely worried after two women seeking shelter in a church,

in gaza, were reportedly killed by israeli snipers. a claim denied by the israel defense forces. the cardinal says catholic parishioners may be forced to leave. i think their biggest fear, or my biggest fear, is that somehow they will be given orders to vacate, to move, tojust go. there is nowhere safe, they want to stay, they have always stayed there, they have always looked after the needy, the 5a seriously handicapped children who are there. sometimes, times of darkness help us to focus on what is of really lasting importance. there is no doubt in my mind that the person of christ, and therefore the birth that we celebrate, is an indomitable light that shines into the human heart. king charles has talked about the need for peace around the world in the second

christmas day message of his reign. here is his speech. drum roll they play: god save the king.

many of the festivals of the great religions of the world are celebrated with a special meal — a chance for family and friends to come together across generations, the act of sharing food adding to conviviality and togetherness. for some, faith will be uppermost in their hearts. for others, it will be the joy of fellowship and the giving of presents. it is also a time when we remember those who are no longer with us, and think also of those whose work of caring for others continues, even on this special day. this care and compassion we show to others is one of the themes of the christmas story — especially when mary and joseph were offered shelter, in their hour of need, by strangers, as they waited forjesus to be born. over this past year, my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one

another, going the extra mile to help those around them, simply because they know it is the right thing to do, at work and at home, within and across communities. my wife and i were delighted when hundreds of representatives of that selfless army of people, volunteers who serve their communities in so many ways and with such distinction, were able to join us in westminster abbey for the coronation earlier this year. they are an essential backbone of our society. their presence meant so much to us both and emphasised the meaning of coronation itself — above all, a call to all of us to serve one another, to love and care for all.

service also lies at the heart of the christmas story — the birth ofjesus, who came to serve the whole world, showing us, by his own example, how to love our neighbour as ourselves. throughout the year, my family have witnessed how people of all ages are making a difference to their communities. this is all the more important at a time of real hardship for many, when we need to build on existing ways to support others less fortunate than ourselves. because, out of god's providence, we are blessed with much and it is incumbent on us to use this wisely. however, service to others is but one way of honouring the whole of creation, which, afterall, is a manifestation of the divine. this is a belief shared by all religions.

to care for this creation is a responsibility owned by people