live from london. this is bbc news. israel's prime minister holds a special security meeting after the killing of the hamas leader, yahya sinwar. us presidentjoe biden is honoured with germany's highest order of merit by president frank—walter steinmeier at a ceremony in berlin.

and how the militant organisation will react. we'll get the thoughts of someone who's previously met yayha sinwar. there's also the issue of the remaining with the man who israel saw as the architect of the october the 7th attacks now dead — is it time for the military action to be downgraded and the efforts to bring the hostages home to be stepped up? we'll talk live to a relative of one of the people kidnapped last october. and with the conflict

having the potential to widen further, we'll ask what the death of yahya sinwar means for the fighting across the region and the humanitarian situation in gaza. first, let's bring you up to date with the very latest developments latest developments across the middle east. across the middle east. israeli media is reporting israeli media is reporting that benjamin netanyahu that benjamin netanyahu is chairing a security meeting released drone footage, is chairing a security meeting on friday, following the killing on friday, of yahya sinwar — something which he described as the beginning of the end of the end of the war in gaza. of the war in gaza. those reports suggest those reports suggest the gathering will focus the gathering will focus on possible progress on possible progress in hostage deal negotiations. in hostage deal negotiations. more details have emerged more details have emerged of how yahya sinwar�*s of how yahya sinwar�*s body was identified — body was identified — before being moved before being moved to an israeli forensic to an israeli forensic centre in tel aviv. centre in tel aviv. he was killed with other he was killed with other members of hamas in fighting on wednesday, but the bodies were only inspected by the israeli defense forces the next day — when the resemblance of one of them to sinwar was noticed. because of suspected booby traps in the area, the body wasn't moved, members of hamas in and instead, part of a finger was removed and sent to israel for testing —

which confirmed it was the hamas leader. the israeli military has also

he was killei the h other he was killei the leader of hamas represents a moment of justice. he had the blood over so many on his hands. i told the prime minister of israel yesterday, let's also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a bit of —— better future in gaza without hamas. we spoke the morning after iran launched missiles at israel earlier this month. we agreed to coordinate our response, through sanctions and other measures. and part is what we have done. i'm grateful for germany's cooperation in holding iran accountable. just

this week, the european union followed germany, the uk and france in sanctioning iran's leading airlines, which followed our own oil sanctions. this coordination will have to continue. let's speak to our correspondent in jerusalem, jonah fisher. president biden and other world leaders talking about this being an opportunity for perhaps ceasefire negotiations to get under way properly again, to lead to some end to this conflict. but we don't know exact what benjamin netanyahu is sinking at the moment, do we? we have a pretty good idea from his immediate reaction last night to the death of yahya sinwar. there were celebrations in parts of israel. people came

out onto the streets, waving flags and singing and celebrating that death. you mentioned the hostages, the families of the hostages. i also came out today, hoping that this might be a pivotal moment, a changing moment in what could happen next. they hope that there might be leveraged in terms of bringing those hostages which were taken on october seven for than a year ago back home. the meetings are taking place today. the prime minister is meeting with his security chiefs, talking through the options, thinking about what happens next, but in terms of what benjamin netanyahu said last night, it seems he is not thinking of this as an off ramp moment to declare that israel has achieved its aims, instead the emphasis is on continuing the emphasis is on continuing the war, that there were objectives that israel wanted

to achieve, notjust in gaza but elsewhere. we know that the israeli military has called on 20 villages to be evacuated, to pave the way, one would expect, for israeli military activity in those areas. although this is a moment of success for the israeli military, this is not the moment to ease off from the successes they have been having. it successes they have been havinu. , ., ., . having. it is hard to reconcile those comments _ having. it is hard to reconcile those comments from - having. it is hard to reconcile i those comments from benjamin netanyahu, saying the war goes on, with apparently one of the focus points for this security meeting on how to get the hostages released. the things don't seem to go together do they? don't seem to go together do the ? , . don't seem to go together do the? they? there is a constant pressure _ they? there is a constant pressure on _ they? there is a constant pressure on the - they? there is a constant pressure on the israeli i pressure on the israeli government here to be seen to be making progress in terms of what happens to those hostages. but the sense one gets, and i

think we will have to see what comes out of this meeting, is that while this may be a moment where people think this may be shaken up a little,, so the hostage families are trying to seek this moment, if you like, to refocus attention on them. the indications at the moment are that benjamin netanyahu is still thinking about military objectives, both in terms of gaza and in lebanon. 0k, thank ou ve gaza and in lebanon. 0k, thank you very much- _ in the past few minutes, a senior hamas official has said the palestinian militant group cannot be eliminated with the killing of its leaders, but stopped short of confirming ya hyah sinwar�*s death. the news agency afp quotes basem naim, a senior member of hamas's political bureau, as saying, "hamas is a liberation movement

led by people looking forfreedom and dignity, and this cannot be eliminated." let's speak to journalist francesca borri, who has interviewed yahya sinwar and other members of hamas. thank you for your time today. you have met yahya sinwar in person to stop what were your impressions of him? he was an average man, in a blue shirt or grey shirt. he was unremarkable. he was totally shaped by the life he lived. this is what he told me. as a european, you get to decide the life you live. palestinians and gaza, your life decides you, who you are.

he was absolutely determined to get the end of occupation, the end of the siege of gaza. but still i think he died the way he wished to die, fighting. if you just look online at young arabs, young palestinians are saying that he is the che guevara of the middle east. when you talk to him, there were huge security precautions taken by him and the people around him, no electron of —— no electronic devices bought in by you. he took that extreme care with his security. i by you. he took that extreme care with his security.- care with his security. i think the turning _

care with his security. i think the turning point _ care with his security. i think the turning point for- care with his security. i think the turning point for this - care with his security. i think the turning point for this warj the turning point for this war and much more was the death of one of the other leaders, it was clear that hezbollah were not going to join the war and support hamas. i don't think he was out of the tunnels for a year. he knew he was going to die in that way. it is what we are witnessing in the west bank in the last few weeks, so many young leaders of the armed groups, they are fighting in this way, with drones. i would say fearless but also careless.

they are definitely looking to be martyrs. 50 they are definitely looking to be martyre— be martyrs. so tell us more, ickin: be martyrs. so tell us more, picking up — be martyrs. so tell us more, picking up on _ be martyrs. so tell us more, picking up on that, - be martyrs. so tell us more, picking up on that, based . be martyrs. so tell us more, picking up on that, based on j picking up on that, based on your knowledge of hamas, talking to members of hamas, what do you think the group will do now? who might replace yahya sinwar? and will it make hamas, eitherthrough yahya sinwar? and will it make hamas, either through choice or circumstance, more or less open to the idea of some sort of hostage exchange? the hostages, unfortunately. _ hostage exchange? the hostages, unfortunately, i— hostage exchange? the hostages, unfortunately, i don't _ hostage exchange? the hostages, unfortunately, i don't think - unfortunately, i don't think hamas knows exact leeway they are, and i don't think some of the corpses will ever be found. hamas is over. hamas as we know it is over. politically.

soa so a military organisation, rather than a political organisation, is that what you're saying?— organisation, is that what ou're sa in? ,, ., ., you're saying? less than that. also militarily. _ you're saying? less than that. also militarily. they _ you're saying? less than that. also militarily. they have - you're saying? less than that. also militarily. they have had| also militarily. they have had several huge blows. but hamas is not an army, it is a national liberation movement. that means that to turn gaza or afghanistan or iraq, you have to turn it into hell for idf. so hamas is over, absolutely, but the idea of hamas is not over, of course. until un through occupation, you will have some kind of reaction, some kind of resistance. the

main question is not what changed for hamas, nothing changed for hamas, nothing changed for hamas, nothing changed for hamas. i know that in the west, it might be hard to understand, but nothing changed. it all changed for benjamin netanyahu, so what is he going to do with gaza? he needs more troops on the ground. yahya sinwar was killed inadvertently, it is not like they decided that it would be today. they decided that it would be toda . ~ ., ., ., �* today. we are out of time, i'm afraid, today. we are out of time, i'm afraid. but _ today. we are out of time, i'm afraid, but thank _ today. we are out of time, i'm afraid, but thank you - today. we are out of time, i'm afraid, but thank you for - today. we are out of time, i'm afraid, but thank you for your. afraid, but thank you for your thoughts on that. a reminder we have a live page running online with the latest reaction from across the middle east to the hamas leader's death. you can find that on the bbc news website and app. let's turn to the hostages

being held in gaza now. they were taken in the hamas attack in israel on the 7th of october. according to israel, 251 israelis and foreigners were taken on that day. some have been released, others rescued and some have been killed. a total of 97 remain unaccounted for. hamas has not given any figures as to how many of that number are still alive. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, said in september that intelligence suggests half of the total, a little under 50 people, remain alive. let's speak to steve brisley. steve's sister and two nieces were killed in the hamas attacks of october 7th last year. steve's brother—in—law, elee, is still being held hostage in gaza. thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us today. this must be a moment when you

are wondering what the ripple effect will be of yahya sinwar�*s death, what that means for the hostages, for your brother—in—law. for the hostages, for your brother-in-law. , ~ , brother-in-law. absolutely. any time there _ brother-in-law. absolutely. any time there has _ brother-in-law. absolutely. any time there has been _ brother-in-law. absolutely. any time there has been a _ brother-in-law. absolutely. any time there has been a major- time there has been a major eventin time there has been a major event in the whole middle east conflict in the last 12 months, i look at it as to how that will affect my brother—in—law and the hostages. it is not about wider geopolitical issues, it is about family and my loved ones. none of us are shedding any tears for yahya sinwar, but until we get our family members back, our nightmare continues. sol family members back, our nightmare continues. so i don't celebrate this death, i get no comfort from it. i'm glad that he's gone, but i will celebrate when my brother—in—law and all the other hostages walk to freedom alive. irate the other hostages walk to freedom alive.— the other hostages walk to freedom alive. we have 'ust showed a i freedom alive. we have 'ust showed a picture * freedom alive. we have 'ust showed a picture of i freedom alive. we have 'ust showed a picture of your]. showed a picture of your brother—in—law. tell us about him. what is he like? he brother-in-law. tell us about him. what is he like?- him. what is he like? he is incredibly _ him. what is he like? he is incredibly intelligent, -

him. what is he like? he is incredibly intelligent, a - incredibly intelligent, a mathematician, a great mathematical brain and businessman. but more importantly, he is a family man. my sister always used to tell him off for coming home late for work, to go up and have a chat with the girls. his family was everything to him. he was also a very funny man, a man united fan, i am a liverpool fan, we have banter about that. when he laughs, he last with his whole body, his space scrunch is up, his shoulders shake and i look forward to hearing that laugh again. forward to hearing that laugh aaain. ~ ., ., forward to hearing that laugh auain.~ . ., ., again. what are you hoping for from benjamin _ again. what are you hoping for from benjamin netanyahu? . again. what are you hoping for from benjamin netanyahu? al from benjamin netanyahu? a former bbc middle east correspondent told my colleagues earlier today that benjamin netanyahu is in full war mode, in his view, at this moment. what would you say to prime minister netanyahu in terms of his efforts to get the

hostages back? the terms of his efforts to get the hostages back?— hostages back? the word opportunity _ hostages back? the word opportunity has - hostages back? the word opportunity has been - hostages back? the word | opportunity has been used hostages back? the word i opportunity has been used a lot byjoe biden, by harris and others. this is more than an opportunity, it is a watershed moment for getting the hostages home alive. a deal has to be done, we have to turn what is a military achievement into a political and diplomatic achievement of getting a deal to get the hostages home alive. in his statement, netanyahu referred to the return of our loved