sees m record number of sees record number of earl voters. record number of early voters. we'll have the latest from the campaign trail. i'm sumi somaskanda, thank you forjoining us. the biden administration has warned israel over his conduct in gaza, threatening to withdraw some military assistance unless were ages 11. —— is allowed in. us defense secretary lloyd austin and secretary of state antony blinken sent a letter to israel's military, which was then leaked to the media. it says israel must, within 30 days, act on a series of, quote, "concrete measures". an airstrike an air strike killed 17 people on tuesday. we started this report from tom bateman.

northern gaza is under renewed israeli assault. loud blast its offensive, it says, is to clear out hamas. but aid groups say the area is encircled and civilians who don't obey orders to leave might not survive, with nearly all aid blocked for a fortnight now. the us secretaries of state and defence have now written to the israeli government demanding it stops blocking convoys. the letter was sent to the israeli government on sunday. it says the us has deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in gaza, warning that 1.7 million civilians are at high risk of lethal contagion, having been forced into a narrow coastal area by israel's evacuation orders. the letter demands urgent and sustained actions this month to reverse this trajectory, saying israel must, starting now and within 30 days, act to boost aid supplies. it warns that failure may have implications for us policy, and it quotes american law, which prohibits military assistance to countries that

impede the delivery of aid. critics have long accused the us of failing to leverage its weapons supply to israel to get what it wants on the protection of civilians in gaza. it has always rejected that, but now it is issuing its starkest warning yet to the israelis to do more to get aid in and to do it now. at the state department, officials say the letter is a matter of us law. good afternoon, everyone. there will be those who say, you've had a year to write this letter to issue such a stark warning to the israelis. why has it taken so long? you shouldn't assume that the letter is our first intervention with the government of israel. about the situation,

just over the past few months, we have been making it clear to them that we needed to see results, and we haven't seen the results. israel hasn't yet commented on the letter. president biden's pressure on its government is increasing near the end of his term, but the war in gaza may yet last a lot longer. tom bateman, bbc news, washington. in lebanon, the deputy leader of hezbollah has suggested the only solution to the conflict with israel is a ceasefire. but naim qassem also warned that his iranian—backed militia group was prepared to continue to inflict "pain" on israel and keep fighting. it comes after the un's human rights office called for an investigation into an israeli air strike which killed at least 22 people in the christian village of aitou, many of them women and children. israel says it's targeting hezbollah, which hides among civilians. here's orla guerin. death tolls don't tell life stories. this is shana qasim, a young mother. she fled israel's attacks in the south, only to be killed with her baby in an airstrike in the north.

they died with relatives and neighbours from a shia border village. all had sought refuge in a christian district. typically, these areas are not targeted. "0h, mother mary," says this man, seeing the destruction that came without warning. israel says it struck a hezbollah target and is investigating the claim that civilians were killed. it's more than a claim, here and elsewhere. in recent weeks, we have travelled around lebanon, reporting on half a dozen airstrikes that killed only only civilians — 53 in total. that's according to relatives, rescue workers and neighbours, and in some cases, officials. this was september 27th in the sunni border village of shaba.

an israeli airstrike killed nine civilians, including four children, all members of an extended family. nasri hamdan can now kiss his son yusuf only on the screen. the 15—year—old was here at his grandparents�* house helping with livestock. "it's a massacre," he says. "if it's a war, they should hit military areas. "these are civilian areas. "may god rest his soul. "hopefully, he's in heaven." nearby, relatives mourn for one of the dead — a pregnant woman. this is her husband, mohammed. his unborn child was found in the rubble, ripped from his wife's womb. orla guerin, bbc news, beirut.

meanwhile, in israel, the northern city of haifa i spoke to the former us ambassador to lebanon, jeffrey feltman. i want to start with this letter that we saw. the us secretary of state and defence, unless aid to gaza he stepped up. does this letter at this point. i up. does this letter at this oint. ., , up. does this letter at this oint, ., , ., , up. does this letter at this oint. .,, .,, ., point. i hope it has real impact. _ point. i hope it has real impact. but _ point. i hope it has real impact, but i _ point. i hope it has real impact, but i think- point. i hope it has real- impact, but i think scepticism is warranted. the us set up a number of times it says it needs a number of assistance. in the israelis have... i don't know if they've nodded politely or not, but they certainly haven't agreed to this. so, i

find this to be a little too little, too late, but i would have some impact because the situation in gaza is desperate. what is the response to the israeli to say they have to continue their operations in northern gaza because of remaining hamas militants who are themselves using civilians as shields? i are themselves using civilians as shields?— as shields? i don't think ou've as shields? i don't think you've and _ as shields? i don't think you've and you - as shields? i don't think you've and you heard i as shields? i don't thinkl you've and you heard any as shields? i don't think - you've and you heard any us american officials saying israel shouldn't continue to route out hamas and make sure they can permit another october they can permit another october the 7th. but the protection of civilian responsibility that the israelis have has been a failure. the ministration has expressed frustration that the israelis have not been able to come up with ways that distinguish combatants from civilians. i distinguish combatants from civilians. . ., ., civilians. i also want to ask about the _ civilians. i also want to ask about the situation - civilians. i also want to ask about the situation to - civilians. i also want to ask- about the situation to lebanon.

hezbollah�*s leader says it will target all areas of israel — the factories all delete a strike that hit northern lebanon. it was a majority christian area. that's something we haven't seen until now. you think this is a new level in this escalating conflict between hezbollah and israel? �* , , israel? i'm deeply... the israelis _ israel? i'm deeply... the israelis feel _ israel? i'm deeply... the israelis feel that - israel? i'm deeply... the i israelis feel that hezbollah proposes a potential threat for. hezbollah believes it has an x essential threat against it. when you have two militaries, each seeing the other as an x essential threat, it's hard to imagine where it is. —— existential threat. it's hard to imagine where it is. —— existentialthreat. he did not link a cease—fire of lebanon. he did not walk back

the fact that hezbollah has said that before when nasrallah was assassinated and linked it to gaza. it makes me wonder is there room for a cease—fire because he talked about gaza, he talked about a cease—fire for lebanon, he did not... he talked about a cease-fire for lebanon, he did not... what ou for lebanon, he did not... what you think _ for lebanon, he did not... what you think that _ for lebanon, he did not... what you think that is? _ for lebanon, he did not... what you think that is? it _ for lebanon, he did not... what you think that is? it makes - for lebanon, he did not... what you think that is? it makes me | you think that is? it makes me wonder if— you think that is? it makes me wonder if there's _ you think that is? it makes me wonder if there's room - you think that is? it makes me wonder if there's room for - wonder if there's room for diplomacy. can one shift from purely military to something more diplomatic? but another part of naim qassem's speech that alarmed me the is he threatened the other lebanese that might try to take advantage of the situation in israel to promote a stronger lebanese estate. that makes me wonder if hezbollah is going to

double down on its attempt to control in the long term because even though they've been degraded militarily, politically, ideologically, they will survive this onslaught. in order to rebuild, they may have determined that they may have determined that they need to control lebanon even more than they did before this is really escalation. given what you just described, what do you see for a resolution to this fighting? i think there should be some escalation of what naim qassem's speech means in practice. he also said they will not be forcibly disarmed. it is there a way now to finally take that resolution that ended the 2006 war, that has a lot of good language and a lot about implementation? lack of implementation, can you take that language now and implement mechanisms? is there a signal that it's time to

implement that resolution. it didn't limit the fact that lebanon had been taken hostage. i wondered whether now is the time to turn to diplomacy. israel invaded lebanon in 1982, created the conditions that led to the emergence of hezbollah. israel is trying to solve the problem that it partially created. i'm not sure that another invasion or sustained occupation by israel is going to eliminate that threat that israel rightly feels.- israel rightly feels. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. the old bailey has been hearing

how sara sharif�*s body was found last year after her father called the police from pakistan. the mother of dawn sturgess, the woman from wiltshire who was poisoned by novichok in 2018, has paid tribute to her daughter at the public inquiry into her death. dawn unwittingly sprayed herself with the deadly substance from a contaminated perfume bottle, four months after the same chemical weapon was used to target a former russian spy and his daughter in salisbury. sir keir starmer denied increasing national insurance contributions from employers would break a promise made in the labour election manifesto. could be announced in the budget has been growing since the chancellor suggested that the chancellor suggested that the party's pledge may not apply to businesses. we have more on those uk stories on our website, bbc .co/ news. you're watching bbc news.

the candidates have been out in key battleground states today. former president trump spent the day at several events in georgia. early voting has kicked out. this was the scene early tuesday morning. the vice president, harris has been campaigning in michigan today participating in a town hall with radios as she reaches out to black voters. the middle east conflict is also a prominent issue. we could speak now to ed o'keefe, senior white house political correspondent with cvs. great to have you. kamala harris appealing to two crucial groups. tell us more about what she's been doing. yeah, she has two stir up her support among arab and muslim voters, which may be difficult given the personal english so

many have experienced or believed the biden administration has wrought on their friends administration has wrought on theirfriends and family administration has wrought on their friends and family back in the middle east. but today's main focus was about trying to shore up support among black men. about 87% of black voters across the country aceite region are backing her, and the numbers are on par with what president biden learned. if the support among been specifically that appears to... there's a real push to ensure that enough of them are turning out to vote for her — not only here in michigan, and destroyed, with its large african—american population, but also philadelphia, wisconsin and atlanta. any slippage of support the decision to stay home could her thousands of votes when every single vote across these states will determine.— across these states will determine. ., ., ~ ., ., determine. you mention atlanta and ou determine. you mention atlanta and you know — determine. you mention atlanta and you know donald _ determine. you mention atlanta and you know donald trump - determine. you mention atlanta and you know donald trump hasj and you know donald trump has been focusing on georgia today,

another battleground state. what did you make of his message today?- what did you make of his message today? what did you make of his messaue toda ? ., , ., ,., message today? there was also. he made in _ message today? there was also. he made in chicago, _ message today? there was also. he made in chicago, a _ message today? there was also. he made in chicago, a meeting l he made in chicago, a meeting he had regarding his push to in—state tariffs on goods. making this appeal in georgia, and many of those states, the big competitive ones, we'll see those opportunities open up here in the next week or so. you're going to see candidates spending time on that. last night, he started by taking some questions from supporters and two people in the crowd had medical emergencies. they were cleared out and he spent nearly 40 cleared out and he spent nearly a0 minutes on stage and listening to the music that he plays at his rallies, including of a maria, some other opera songs, songs by guns and roses —— ave maria. many thought it

was one of the most surreal —— ave maria. many thought it was one of the most surreal he's held. no formal he's held. no formal explanation from the campaign, explanation from the campaign, but regardless, the crowd there but regardless, the crowd there had waited hours in some cases, had waited hours in some cases, and said they liked what they and said they liked what they saw. ., saw. ., and said they liked what they saw. ., ., , ., , and said they liked what they saw. ., ., , ., , saw. that was an interesting scene and — saw. that was an interesting scene and — saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly - saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly one - saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly one a . saw. that was an interesting j scene and certainly one a lot saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly - saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly one - saw. that was an interesting scene and certainly one a . saw. that was an interesting j scene and certainly one a lot of people are talking about. if of people are talking about. if we talk about voter turnout, we talk about voter turnout, these record numbers we're these record numbers we're seeing in early voting, what do seeing in early voting, what do you think that tells us at this you think that tells us at this early point?— early point?— you think that tells us at this early point? it's a good point. 234.000 _ early point? it's a good point. 234.000 at — you think that tells us at this early point? it's a good point. 234.000 _ early point? it's a good point. 234.000 at — early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least _ early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least showed - early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least showed up. 23a,000 at least showed up today to cast a ballot early. early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least _ early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least showed - early point? it's a good point. 234,000 at least showed up. 23a,000 at least showed up today to cast a ballot early. that blows the records away that blows the records away from two years ago. it's going from 1538 00:16:36, to be consistent with presidential turnout and we're likely to see high numbers and other states. likely to see high numbers and otherstates. here's likely to see high numbers and other states. here's why it's difficult to know what it might mean. while democrats have historically been the ones to turn out early and do so in droves, republicans the cycle has finally embraced the practice as well. even amid some electives of president trump —— former president trump, he is thought it