the right to end their own lives. plus, 5.5 years after being ravaged by fire, paris's notre dame cathedral emerges from the ashes. hello. i'm helena humphrey. a battle is raging for control of syria's main northern city, aleppo. islamist rebels are on their third day of a lightning offensive, reportedly taking dozens of villages in the area. monitoring group the syrian observatory for human rights says half of aleppo is now under rebel control. a civil war has been grinding on since government forces put down pro—democracy protests in 2011. in the city of idlib, which is an opposition stronghold, people set off fireworks to celebrate the advance of rebel groups. syria and russia launched intense air strikes on the city

and other areas controlled by the islamist group, hts, hayat tahriral—sham, and other opposition groups. sources in the syrian military have told reuters that moscow has promised bashar al—assad's forces extra military aid to thwart the attempted takeover, which they say will arrive in the next few days. merlyn thomas and our bbc verify team have been tracking the situation. at bbc verify, we've been tracking the advance of rebel forces towards the city of aleppo in northern syria by looking at footage posted on social media. this is a video we verified which shows military vehicles moving along a road. it was shared by a media outlet affiliated with a rebel group which appears to be leading the advance. it was posted on telegram with a caption, "starting to enter the city of aleppo." and we have confirmed the location to be on the western edge

of the city. you can see some of the vehicles here. another video we verified appears to show men in military fatigues running through the streets. and we have geo—located these videos to a western suburb of the city of aleppo but can't confirm the identity of the individuals seen. about 2km away from here, about 2km away from here, we've also verified we've also verified another video which appears another video which appears to show large crowds of people to show large crowds of people walking away from an area walking away from an area outside aleppo university. outside aleppo university. it's not clear it's not clear who they are or where who they are or where they are going, but you can see they are going, but you can see that they are carrying luggage. that they are carrying luggage. 12 years ago, a peaceful 12 years ago, a peaceful uprising against the president uprising against the president of syria turned into a full—scale civil war of syria turned into a full—scale civil war which continues to rage on. which continues to rage on. the conflict has drawn in countries the conflict has drawn in countries from all around the world, from all around the world, devastated cities and killed captured by government forces devastated cities and killed civilians. civilians. the ancient city of aleppo the ancient city of aleppo

has been a focal point has been a focal point of the syrian civil war of the syrian civil war captured by government forces in 2016 after four years of intense fighting. at bbc verify, we will continue to

at bbc verify, we will con then to at bbc verify, we will con then with hezbollah hamas and then with hezbollah dominate the headlines and the facts on the ground and i think you are seeing this new front right now that could reshape the country and region as we look into the new year. in what wa do look into the new year. in what way do you _ look into the new year. in what way do you think _ look into the new year. in what way do you think talking - look into the new year. in what way do you think talking about | way do you think talking about broader wars in the middle east right now?— right now? definitely i think what we are _ right now? definitely i think what we are seeing - right now? definitely i think what we are seeing a - right now? definitely i think what we are seeing a at - right now? definitely i think. what we are seeing a at least is affected by the great weakening of both hezbollah as well as other iranian—backed militias in the region after a year of fighting and being targeted mainly by the israelis, sometimes by the americans in syria as well as iran's ability to support aside and what you're seeing in ukraine, the russians down in a years long war now and both politically and economically and militarily those two countries are busy elsewhere and i think you are seeing that in the rapid collapse of the syrian regime defences in and around aleppo. we know that the

russians have said they will send additional hardware and support to the syrian regime. whether they are able to capture it and what cost and evenif capture it and what cost and even if their success in terms of the rebel ability to hold down the survey —— city, the ability to govern a few million people and the various rebel groups involved, that poses questions for governance, stability, let alone the broader political implications. and the people living there too one would imagine. as you mention, damascus saying it will deliver military hardware in 72 hours. what you anticipate and what could that mean for civilians in aleppo? if we were to be slightly optimistic, the rebel groups have gone on social media. i wasjust have gone on social media. i was just checking out a video making sure presidents know that they wish them no harm and they will be protected. obviously, these are just words

and because of the lack of any central authority, chaos would always occur, but the concern right now is the response of the syrian regime and its allies, primarily russia. if it comes in the form of indiscriminate aerial bombardment is, artillery, that could harm many people. in 2016 over1 million people were displaced mainly into turkey and beyond and hundreds of thousands were killed i think over a million syrians died in northern syria during that entire campaign to cut aleppo by the syrian regime so many are waiting to see what comes next. what will all of this mean for civilians, what are the risks facing them in aleppo? what about the group itself? hts controls parts of idlib province near the border with turkiye. what do we know about their rule? they are an ultra orthodox group, had ties with al-qaeda which is why they were

designated terrorists, although their leadership broke off from their leadership broke off from the screw publicly and in an attempt i think to remove those pressures, sanctions and targeting primarily by the united states. that has not really worked though many analysts including myself don't deem that hcs has any designs beyond syria, i.e. al-qaeda central or the islamic state that they are still very much feared because not only their military capacity but the ideology is quite extreme and i think more moderate even sunni muslims as well as minority groups particularly christians and others have reasons to be concerned. i don't want to get ahead of the situation on the ground. it could end up being perfectly fine for the citizens there, but i think people are very wary right now and hopefully for the best. —— hoping. hopefully for the best. -- hoina. , hopefully for the best. --

wiping-— hopefully for the best. -- homin, , ., ., , hoping. many thanks for being with us. thanks _ hoping. many thanks for being with us. thanks for _ hoping. many thanks for being with us. thanks for having - hoping. many thanks for being | with us. thanks for having me. the current conflicts in the middle east are tied together, so let's turn to lebanon, where a ceasefire between israel and hezbollah seems to be largely holding into a third day, though both sides have accused each other of minor violations. israel's military has warned lebanese residents not to return home to 60 villages near the israel—lebanon border. the leader of hezbollah, naim qassem, said on friday that the group is ready to help the lebanese army build up its defences. army troops are set to deploy across southern lebanon as part of the truce deal. in his first televised address since the ceasefire took effect on wednesday, qassem said hezbollah had won a "divine "victory over israel". meanwhile, israel is continuing to hit targets in gaza, as part of its stated aim to eliminate hamas. people across gaza have mixed feelings on what the ceasefire in lebanon will mean for them. while some think the truce may be a step towards ending israel's bombardment where they are, others are worried that israel will in fact double down

on gaza, with dire implications for civilians on the ground. i spoke tojoseph belliveau, the executive director of medglobal, a humanitarian non—governmental organisation providing emergency response and health programs around the world, including in gaza. and i asked about the situation facing medical workers in the north of the strip. the company has about 300 medical workers in gaza right now running a number of different health outposts, nutritional sites and supporting hospitals, but the conditions under which they are working are extreme. it is hard to continue to find words to describe how horrible the situation is. just a few days ago, my colleague was hit in an airstrike on a hospital in northern gaza. he as the hospital director was in charge

of the huge number of staff and trying to treat patients under such violent and extreme conditions and then he himself gets struck. he had severe bleeding, had to undergo surgery himself. luckily, now, he is in a stable condition, but i'vejust he is in a stable condition, but i've just now learned just a few hours ago we lost tragically another colleague, a medical worker from tragically another colleague, a medical workerfrom the hospital, was hit in a strike just a few hours ago today and died from his injuries. so again, it is almost impossible to describe how horrible, almost minute by minute the conditions are, and i can describe the day before the doctor was hit in that airstrike, he wrote a message to me and other colleagues at the company and said, i want you to understand how severe and horrible this is. and he

described the situation of a helicopter gunship attack thing the emergency ward of the hospital. fourstaff the emergency ward of the hospital. four staff members were injured in the strike and two mauga critically wounded and still in the icu at the hospital at this moment so just to give you a sense of how violent and are full the circumstances are.- violent and are full the circumstances are. let me first exress circumstances are. let me first exwess my _ circumstances are. let me first express my condolences - circumstances are. let me first express my condolences for . express my condolences for the loss of your colleague. have you been able to speak to israeli authorities about these incidents and how do they respond? do they promise investigations? do they take responsibility for what has happened? responsibility for what has hauened? ., ., , happened? unfortunately, we get ve little. happened? unfortunately, we get very little- we _ happened? unfortunately, we get very little. we speak _ happened? unfortunately, we get very little. we speak to _ happened? unfortunately, we get very little. we speak to the - very little. we speak to the israeli authorities all the time, but the pattern we are living in right now is,

unfortunately, nothing new. it seems to just compound and almost get worse and worse but we are going back, we are 400 days into this conflict now and the pattern of egregious and consistent violent attacks against not only civilians but against not only civilians but against medical workers and medicalfacilities against medical workers and medical facilities explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law. i prohibited under international humanitarian law.— humanitarian law. i briefly want to ask _ humanitarian law. i briefly want to ask are _ humanitarian law. i briefly want to ask are there - humanitarian law. i briefly want to ask are there any | want to ask are there any humanitarian corridors open right now to get staff in or get aid in all medical supplies? get aid in all medical sunplies?_ get aid in all medical su--lies? . ., ., , supplies? there are amongst the vafious supplies? there are amongst the various entry _ supplies? there are amongst the various entry points _ supplies? there are amongst the various entry points into - supplies? there are amongst the various entry points into gaza, i various entry points into gaza, some of them are open some of the time, but it is extremely difficult to go through administrative procedures and hurdles to get anything in and then, as you well know, once things get in, the situation of looting has become so chaotic and violent inside of gaza that evenif and violent inside of gaza that even if you are able to get some of the few medicines and

essential items in, it is very difficult to get them distributed to where they need to be. it is a factor in right now. we talking ten to 15%, perhaps, of what is needed in humanitarian aid is getting through those points right now. people are back on the streets of georgia's capital, demonstrating against government plans to delay talks tojoin the european union. these are live pictures from tblisi where it's just past 5am. earlier, thousands of protesters gathered at the parliament building in tbilisi, waving eu flags. they have refused a police order to disperse. critics say the ruling georgia dream party has tried to move the country away from the eu and closer to russia. i'm outside the georgian parliament building

in the centre of tbilisi. there are thousands of anti—government protesters here setting off fireworks. protesters a re here. the other side, down the road, are the police. lots of police. long lines of police and water cannon, too. a few minutes ago, we saw the water cannon being used to try to disperse the crowds. people here are furious that this week their government suspended, they say until the end of 2028, georgia's bid tojoin the european union. and people here are angry because the aspiration to join the eu is enshrined in this country's constitution. so the protesters have been accusing the government of kowtowing to moscow, being in the pay of the kremlin. it is very important for all the georgians to be here, for everyone to see, the whole international world, to see that georgians are europeans and we want europe. we want a better future, and we don't want to be part of russia anymore. you see what is happening. you can totally see how they are treating us, i

how they are treating the people who has l a free will to be in europe. unfortunately, this - is really disappointing. and the government who are making the decisions for us, | especially when they are not representing _ a georgian people's will, it is really disappointing. this feels like a crucial moment for georgia because for more than 20 years, this country has been on a path to western integration towardsjoining nato and the eu, but that now seems to be on hold. that was steve rosenberg earlier and these are the live pictures and the scenes outside the parliament in tbilisi. it is shortly before dawn. you can see still a number of is shortly before dawn. you can see still a number of protesters on the streets protesters on the streets there, making their voices there, making their voices heard, concerned that talks to heard, concerned that talks to

join the european union have join the european union have now been delayed by the ruling now been delayed by the ruling party, the georgian dream party, the georgian dream party. those are the latest party. those are the latest live pictures coming from live pictures coming from georgia. georgia. in the uk, mps have backed in the uk, mps have backed proposals to legalise proposals to legalise assisted dying assisted dying editor fergus walsh. you can in england and wales in england and wales in a historic vote in a historic vote that could pave the way that could pave the way for a change in the law. for a change in the law. it is the first step in giving it is the first step in giving terminally ill people terminally ill people the right to choose to end the right to choose to end their own life. highlighting the magnitude their own life. of their decision, the result was met by mps not the result was met by mps not with cheers of approval, with cheers of approval, but with complete silence. but with complete silence. it was a free vote, it was a free vote, meaning lawmakers could vote meaning lawmakers could vote with their conscience with their conscience as opposed to following party orders. as opposed to following party orders. the bill passed with 330 mps the bill passed with 330 mps in favour, and 275 against, in favour, and 275 against, a majority of 55. a majority of 55. it'll now go to further rounds of debate. it'll now go to further rounds of debate. so, which other countries have assisted dying so, which other countries have assisted dying and what are the rules there? and what are the rules there? here's our medical here's our medical

editor fergus walsh. since they voted in 2015 there is a dramatic rise globally in other nations changing the law. the state will help eligible people to end their lives. one of the first was oregon in the united states in 1997 where it is available to terminally ill mentally competent adults expected to die within six months. it must be approved by two doctors. patient self administer the lethal dose very much like the system proposed for england and wales but here a judge would need to approve it. asked about the end of life concerns, nine in ten worry

about losing their autonomy, to third sight loss of dignity. fourin third sight loss of dignity. four in ten worry about being a burden on family and friends. around one in three prescribed a lethal dose do not use it. across the united states, assisted dying has spread to ten states, more than double the number a decade ago. in 2016, canada introduced medical assistance in dying, 2016, canada introduced m