joe biden is meeting european leaders in berlin, with the conflicts in ukraine and the middle east at the top of the agenda. and king charles and queen camilla have arrived in australia for their first major foreign trip since the king's cancer diagnosis in february. hello and welcome to today's verified live. a senior hamas official has given the group's first official confirmation of the killing of its leader, yahya sinwar, by israeli troops yesterday. the group said sinwar had died in combat, and warned his death in the gaza strip would only strengthen the movement. the us has called on hamas and hezbollah — as well as israel — to seize opportunities for "change" created by the killing. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, is holding a security meeting to

discuss the possibility of negotiations on a deal to free the remaining hostages in gaza. but hamas said no hostages would be freed until israel ended its offensive in gaza and withdrew its forces. yolande knell reports from jerusalem. in his final moments, the wounded hamas fighter seated in the ruins wasn't recognised. it was only later that soldiers found they'd killed israel's number—one enemy, yahya sinwar, taking a final swipe at their drone. the hamas leader was the mastermind of the october 7th attacks, israel's deadliest—ever day. and israeli security chiefs saw this as settling a score, but it's clear that the fighting goes on. the prime minister said hamas needed to surrender. while this is not the end of the war in gaza, it's the beginning of the end. to the people of gaza, i have a simple message — this war can end tomorrow.

it can end if hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages. israelis have been celebrating the killing of the country's most wanted man. but many relatives of the hostages still held in gaza are fearful, too. they want their loved ones home. this is a critical, time—sensitive development as it relates to the hostages. their lives are in great danger now, more than ever. we are calling on the israeli government and the us administration to act swiftly and do whatever is needed to reach a deal with the captors. washington is launching a new push for an agreement after months of failed efforts. the chief obstacle to reaching that ceasefire and bringing. an end to the war has been sinwar, who has refused i to negotiate at all in recenti weeks and has said no time and time again. that obstacle has - obviously been removed. and yet, few palestinians see an end in sight to the deadliest—ever

war in gaza. translation: neta nyahu won't stop. we know that all palestinians are targeted, not only sinwar. every day, there are massacres. and today, hezbollah rockets being intercepted over northern israel were a reminder of how war has already spread in this region. as israel battles hamas, hezbollah and their backer, iran, all are now indicating that the latest high—profile killing only strengthens their resolve. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. our correspondent in jerusalem is wyre davies. teller is a bit more about this security meeting that is going on and what they are actually considering. i’m on and what they are actually considering.— on and what they are actually considering. i'm not sure much will come _ considering. i'm not sure much will come out _ considering. i'm not sure much will come out of _ considering. i'm not sure much will come out of it. _ considering. i'm not sure much will come out of it. the - considering. i'm not sure much will come out of it. the rumour is that israel is coming under some pressure from its international allies to use this as an opportunity to perhaps push for a break in the

fighting and try and sit down again, perhaps for a ceasefire, this might end up with some hostages being released. mr netanyahu's narrative last neta nyahu's narrative last night netanyahu's narrative last night was very much to the contrary and he obviously sees yahya sinwar�*s dev as a key moment, but he says a key moment, but he says a key moment for the war to continue and israel to push on and in that vein, they have continued to attack targets in northern gaza with several casualties and they say they are attacking hamas positions in the north but we have had an interesting narrative in the last few hours about the nature of yahya sinwar�*s death, and hamas's allies in hezbollah and iran, they have confirmed his death and we had a briefing from israelis saying no, he actually spent most of his time in tunnels in the war and his body was quite found quite close to

where the bodies of hostages were found having been shot so there is a dispute around the nature of his death but as far as hamas is concerned, their fight continues.— fight continues. and briefly, all the while, _ fight continues. and briefly, all the while, we _ fight continues. and briefly, all the while, we wait - fight continues. and briefly, all the while, we wait to - fight continues. and briefly, i all the while, we wait to see what israel's response to iran will be because we know that is coming at some stage.- coming at some stage. yes, nobody knows _ coming at some stage. yes, nobody knows exactly - coming at some stage. yes, nobody knows exactly when | coming at some stage. yes, - nobody knows exactly when and where but israel continues to promise that iran will be struck and it is believed to have had several meetings with the americans and internally its own war cabinet discussing what targets to hit in iran and we know that americans don't want that to be nuclear sites or even petrochemical sites because of the effect that could have on regional stability and the global economy so israel is four to be considering hitting iranians military targets and says it will happen and we will adjust

into shabbat and the holy day into shabbat and the holy day in israel and the assumption is nothing will happen over the weekend and that does not mean it won't, it has happened before, and is run is waiting to see what israel's next move will be. —— everyone is waiting. president biden�*s former special envoy to the middle east, david satterfield, joins me live. great to have you on to talk to you on the programme. your assessment of this moment and the opportunity it now presents with the death of yahya sinwar? you have used the right word, opportunity, and this is an opportunity, and this is an opportunity both with respect to gaza, bringing about a ceasefire and the release of hostages but also with respect to the situation in lebanon, and again, and ends to the rocketing that hezbollah initiated and the compliance with hezbollah with un resolution 1701, it is an opportunity. but you make the assumption that yahya sinwar, who indeed blocked any progress

on a ceasefire deal for gaza with his silence for the past five weeks or more, is the sole obstacle here is an assumption. the statements you have quoted coming out of hamas today that the fight will continue is not a particularly encouraging development but it is critical that the international community, and you can look to president biden in berlin and the meetings he is having their and secretary antony blinken�*s announced upcoming travel to the region as an effort to impress this on them and i suspect with the cooperation of egypt and qatar, the need for that ceasefire and release of hostages in gaza and a need for the entity fighting in lebanon through compliance with 1701. 0pportunities indeed, certainties, no. opportunities indeed, certainties, no.- opportunities indeed, certainties, no. yes, many crossroads _ certainties, no. yes, many crossroads at _ certainties, no. yes, many crossroads at this - certainties, no. yes, many| crossroads at this moment, certainties, no. yes, many- crossroads at this moment, and how do you avoid benjamin

netanyahu making the assessment that the assassination yesterday as well as the hezbollah as is nations we have seenin hezbollah as is nations we have seen in lebanon is a military strategy that is working and should therefore continue? the most effective _ should therefore continue? tue: most effective way should therefore continue? tte: most effective way to bring about the resolutions we should all see seek, both in lebanon and gaza, is to have the two parties there, both hamas and hezbollah, who have agency, to agree to negotiate the compliance with the ceasefire and release of hostages in the case of hamas and 1701 in the case of hamas and 1701 in the case of hamas and 1701 in the case of hezbollah and were that to happen, i believe they would definitely be momentum towards the outcomes we seek but without it fighting is likely or even certain to continue. these are intertwined and

weaved together, a ceasefire and a hostage deal, so is there any prospect of that is becoming separated, that the israelis, benjamin netanyahu, worked on some kind of hostage deal, an offer of money or perhaps an offer that those people are going to be killed? i don't believe that is a possibility at all. any ceasefire cannot be unilateral in gaza, which is to say, without the release of hostages and the negotiated process of continuing the ceasefire for further releases, that is a necessity, notjust an israeli necessity, notjust an israeli necessity but also for the us, remember we have living hostages being held as well. i do have a ceasefire which does not bring about as part of that ceasefire the return of at least an initial group of hostages is not going to be acceptable at all.— acceptable at all. you have watched — acceptable at all. you have watched the _ acceptable at all. you have watched the humanitarian l watched the humanitarian situation in gaza and quite obviously israel has a right to

defend itself but when you see schools being hit, hospitals and refugee camps being head to, aid being stopped from going in, how alarms have you become? t going in, how alarms have you become? . , going in, how alarms have you become?— become? i am very, very concerned _ become? i am very, very concerned about - become? i am very, very concerned about the - concerned about the humanitarian disaster, and i used the term advisedly, that now exists in gaza. it is a reversal since may of the progress made over the preceding six months, seven months, and it has to be addressed and addressed immediately. if you look at the text which was published of a letter sent by secretaries antony blinken and austin, last sunday, you will see an enumeration of specific steps needed by israel and all those steps have been part and parcel of the requirements we have made in the past but they are now essential to avoid notjust the possibilities but the probability of moving beyond malnutrition to famine and

starvation, and that cannot be allowed to happen.— starvation, and that cannot be allowed to happen. yes, and we saw that broke _ allowed to happen. yes, and we saw that broke out _ allowed to happen. yes, and we saw that broke out at _ allowed to happen. yes, and we saw that broke out at the - saw that broke out at the opening of the un last week with the ambassador warning israel against using starvation as a weapon and seeing, we are watching you, and also seeing civilians in the north can't be told to have an evacuation order and then anybody who does not move is assumed to be a combatant. what does it tell you that that is what the us is having to say to a major ally? it tells us that the kinetic campaign in gaza has not been paralleled by a humanitarian campaign, a humanitarian effort, which to go back to october, joe biden made clear 0ctober, joe biden made clear to netanyahu and his security cabinet, had to be done. it had to be done in order to allow the military campaign to have the military campaign to have the time and space necessary to have forward, but it has never

adequately met the vigour with which the military side of efforts have been pursued and it has to do so now, given the magnitude of the situation, and winter is coming, and with it, the chance of epidemic disease, with further suffering, with the effects of malnutrition now projected over many months and going into cold weather. now is when these steps have to be taken. �* , ., ,, .,, taken. alpha streeting has it been behind _ taken. alpha streeting has it been behind the _ taken. alpha streeting has it been behind the scenes - taken. alpha streeting has it been behind the scenes for. taken. alpha streeting has it i been behind the scenes for the administration to be on so many occasions ignored? —— how frustrating has its been. you only have to look at the recent book from woodward with various expletive riddled comments from joe biden calling benjamin netanyahu a liar. how frustrating has it been to try to exert leverage but for that to exert leverage but for that to be largely ignored? frustration is a term that can be used both in diplomacy and

leadership, it is a matter of persistency, and the record from october until may was a positive one. there was indeed significant positive impact from the... significant positive impact from the. . ._ significant positive impact from the... ,, , ., from the... sure, but we are in october and — from the... sure, but we are in october and that _ from the... sure, but we are in october and that is _ from the... sure, but we are in october and that is so - from the... sure, but we are in october and that is so long - october and that is so long period of time when as you have painted, the situation has gone backwards. tt painted, the situation has gone backwards-— backwards. it has an deed, and that is why _ backwards. it has an deed, and that is why it — backwards. it has an deed, and that is why it has _ backwards. it has an deed, and that is why it has to _ backwards. it has an deed, and that is why it has to be - that is why it has to be addressed in the explicit manner is outlined in that letter. . , ~ . letter. -- it has indeed. what is to stop _ letter. -- it has indeed. what is to stop the _ letter. -- it has indeed. what is to stop the israeli - letter. -- it has indeed. what is to stop the israeli is - is to stop the israeli is simply continuing to ignore, as you have said they have done over the last you