on friday — in exchange for the release of 30 palestinian prisoners. for the release of 30 it could pave the way for israel to allow tens of thousands of palestinians to return to their homes in northern gaza — where many have been waiting since saturday. president trump says he'd like arab nations to take in a million and a half gazans — calling the strip "a demolition site" where "something needs to happen". i would like egypt and jordan to take people, you are talking about probably 1.5 million people and we just clean out that whole thing. lebanon accuses israeli soldiers of firing at residents trying to return to their homes. officials say at least 22 people have been killed. chancellor rachel reeves hints a third runway at london's heathrow airport could get government

support — as part of plans to grow the economy. and voting wraps up in an election slammed as a "sham". alexander lukashenko prepares to return to power in belarus, with all real challengers either in prison or exile. hello, i'm rajini vaidyanthan. let's start with our breaking news. in the last hour, a senior official from the palestinian islamichhad group has told the bbc an agreement has been reached with mediators for the release of an israeli civilian hostage. on saturday, israel accused hamas of breaching the terms of the ceasefire deal by not releasing arbel yehud, along with the four female israeli soldiers. the islamichhad official said she will be freed on friday

in exchange for the release of 30 palestinian prisoners. that paves the way for hundreds of thousands of displaced palestinians to return to their homes in northern gaza. many have gathered in central gaza — waiting for the israeli military to allow them to head to the devastated north. the group says the agreement could see their being allowed through as soon as tonight or tomorrow morning. and nickjoins us from jerusalem. lots to get through, the bbc has now spoken to a spokesperson from islamic jihad, tell us more about what they told us. it jihad, tell us more about what they told u— they told us. it is worth stressing _ they told us. it is worth stressing there - they told us. it is worth stressing there has - they told us. it is worth | stressing there has been they told us. it is worth - stressing there has been no confirmation from the israeli

side yet and this feels like islamichhad trying to put maximum pressure on the israelis, saying basically, there is no reason now why tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of palestinians in the south of gaza should not be able to go over the crossing and return to their homes in the north, or what remains of their homes and their communities. so what we have been hearing in the past hour orso been hearing in the past hour or so from this official at the militant group is the civilian who is at the heart of this row thatis who is at the heart of this row that is really blown up in the past 2a hours or so, that she will be released on friday. that is what they are saying and this will be in exchange for the release of 30 palestinian prisoners being held in israeli prisons. this follows what we have seen yesterday and last weekend, the israeli hostages being released, at the same time a few hours later, palestinian

prisoners being freed as well. so that's what the group says will happen on friday. we will have to see whether israel confirms that violent mediators in qatar they have managed to come to some sort of agreement and we wait to see what the israelis say, whether it satisfies their criteria for opening the crossing for all of those palestinian people to go further to the north and gaza. let's talk about that. we have seen images throughout the day of hundreds of thousands of palestinians who have been in the centre of gaza waiting to be able to cross back to their homes in the north which of course are likely to have been devastated.— devastated. yes, that's right. some very — devastated. yes, that's right. some very powerful - devastated. yes, that's right. some very powerful images l some very powerful images today, the sheer number of people who are now waiting because they were told that this weekend they would be able to start this journey so you have got drone shots showing many, many people as well as the traffic that builds up, the pick—up trucks, people, families with the possessions

they have managed to hang onto over the past 15 months of war that has been going on all around them. but they were told they can move now and they say they can move now and they say they cannot and there have been reports of gunfire in the past 24 reports of gunfire in the past 2a hours you have got the lakes of one charity, doctors without borders saying basically have got stranded civilians in their being fired at, the israeli military say actually what has been going on there is that every now and again they have been confronted with threats and they have been targeting groups so that is their response to that, but clearly it is a volatile situation, it is difficult and precarious and any sort of delay in moving, after being told they can embark on this journey, will only exacerbate tensions. thank ou ve only exacerbate tensions. thank you very much. _ only exacerbate tensions. thank you very much, for _ only exacerbate tensions. thank you very much, for the - only exacerbate tensions. thank| you very much, for the moment. israeli media is reporting that president trump's middle east envoy steve witkoff will travel to israel on wednesday to oversee the ceasefire. president trump said

he would like to see a—million—and—a—half of gaza's residents taken in by other arab nations — including jordan and egypt. he told journalists the strip was "literally a demolition site" and suggested it be �*cleaned out'. in response, jordan's foreign minister said his country "firmly rejects" any displacement of palestinians from gaza — where israeli bombardments have reduced large areas to rubble. but the us president's comments are already being welcomed by far—right israeli politicians, some of whom want to restore jewish settlements there. let's take a listen to what president trump told reporters on air force one. i'm looking at the whole gaza strip right now- and it's a mess. it's a real mess. would like jordan to house people from gaza? yes, and i'd like - egypt to take people. i'm talking to general el—sisi . tomorrow sometime, i believe. and i'd like egypt to take| people and i'd like jordan

to take people, because, i mean, you're talking. about probably a million - and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing. over the centuries, it's many, many conflicts on that site. i and i don't know, something has to happen, but it's literally- a demolition site right now, - almost everything is demolished and people are dying there. so i'd rather get involved with some of the arab i nations and build housing at a different location - where they can maybe live in peace for a change. - it could be temporarily. it could be long term. let's speak to daniel levy, president of the us middle east project. also a former adviser to the israeli government. welcome back to bbc news, those comments from president trump are likely to enrage many palestinians, are they not? flat

palestinians, are they not? not 'ust palestinians, are they not? not just palestinians _ palestinians, are they not? iirrt just palestinians and i think alongside who they enrage is the very important point that was just mentioned the very important point that wasjust mentioned in the very important point that was just mentioned in terms of who they empower and to they encourage. because what you haveis encourage. because what you have is and is really government which has been very open and transparent for many of its members that the goal is ethnic cleansing, depopulation. at the beginning of the war is really ministries put forward plans to send the gazan population of palestinians into egypt and apparently the bite and administer she was willing to work with that as well. —— biden. but you know how is the israeli finance minister say, let's put the plants in place to translate this into practice and it would notjust be gaza, israel would want to cleanse palestinians from the west bank and it is not like we have a history of this, that is the story of the removal of the palestinian population, the disposition of palestinians has

continued in that is why when we look at gaza we see that so many people are refugees living in refugee camps. i think that alongside the real concern, the very serious concern that you are creating a permissive environment for this kind of extremism forfourth or environment for this kind of extremism for fourth or were crimes, rememberthat the crimes, remember that the devastation crimes, rememberthat the devastation of gaza, that the president of the us referred to, is because israel has bonded with american weapons which he has just bonded with american weapons which he hasjust said he would send more, but alongside that we must ask ourselves the question, is this something that america can make happen? is this going to be a priority for the trump administration? are the countries that he has talked about in a position to absorb these palestinians? will this be something that serves american interests, serves american interests, serves american security, or is it going to even more to stabilise the tinderbox of the region? and you also have this coming from a president who, let's face it, may be liberal when it

comes to other countries immigration policies but is hardly welcoming of immigrants back at home. i million palestinians to geordie would be the equivalent of america taking 30 million people, 10% of the population, so i am not sure that we should really take that seriously, although it is very, very disturbing. we have 'ust very, very disturbing. we have just heard _ very, very disturbing. we have just heard on _ very, very disturbing. we have just heard on the _ very, very disturbing. we have just heard on the agency, - very, very disturbing. we have just heard on the agency, the l just heard on the agency, the afp saying the palestinian president has condemned any projects to displace gazans following those comments that we have just been discussing. let's talk about the events of today as well. there have already been some roadblocks in the cease fire, now it looks like some of those have been resolved and we have heard of course from islamichhad, no confirmation from israeli authorities on that and i would not to see a civilian hostage be released, but also allow hundreds of thousands of palestinians to finally return to their homes in the north. we also have president trump's

middle of the least envoys reportedly heading to the region this week —— middle east envoy, how precarious do you think this is?— think this is? precarious is the word- _ think this is? precarious is the word. the _ think this is? precarious is the word. the road - think this is? precarious is the word. the road ahead| think this is? precarious is l the word. the road ahead is extremely bumpy. we know now that the prime minister of israel has a coalition crisis for as long as the implementation of the deal goes ahead. it is now very clear, and a very rare thing, which is you which is among the classes, we know that netanyahu did not want this deal, he was the major obstacle and it is quite clear that he wants to keep all of his options open, especially the option of this not proceeding into its second, third stages of a permanent cease—fire. so to keep this going, you're going to have to try and dampen down all of these provocations, the provocations also in the west

bank that we see, the attempts to unravel the implementation at every opportunity. we've had good days for palestinians no longer being bombs, very good days for israelis to see living israelis held in gaza coming home and that creates a momentum inside israel which is going to make it more difficult, i would going to make it more difficult, iwould not going to make it more difficult, i would not say impossible, but more difficult for netanyahu and a lot is going to depend on, is there an outside atmosphere. especially from the united states and we see that the palestinian population is resilient. if i go back to the idea of removing palestinians from gaza, we see people waiting to go back to rubble, not homes, that is the resilience that we also see. you very much for sharing your thoughts on those developments. staying in the middle east.

the lebanese health ministry has accused the israeli army of firing at residents trying to return to their homes in southern lebanon, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. israel's military missed today's deadline to leave the area, as a 60—day ceasefire deal expired. it has not said how long its forces will stay in lebanon. both israeli troops and hezbollah fighters were supposed to have completed their respective withdrawals. 0ur correspondent hugo bachega is in beirut — and gave us this update. this morning right after this deadline expired, we saw some dramatic images of thousands of residents trying to go back to those towns and villages along the lebanese—israeli border. and in recent days, hezbollah's television station, al—manar, actually encouraged residents to go back home — this is an area where hezbollah has a very strong presence, it still enjoys significant support — despite warnings from the lebanese military and the israeli military that it wasn't safe to do so.

so in some places, you know, in the south, the israeli military still has a presence. and we've seen those shootings happening. the israeli military confirming that it had opened fire. it didn't confirm that it had hit people. it also said that some people had been detained for interrogation. so it shows a very tense situation there, as the israelis say that this withdrawal is going to continue gradually. it hasn't said how long these troops will remain in the country. but obviously this is a country that has memories of israeli occupations in the past. so the idea that israeli soldiers are going to continue here in lebanon, inside the country, beyond this deadline, is seen as unacceptable and a reason for concern. hugo, just bring us up to date on the humanitarian situation there as well. yes, so 1.2 million residents were displaced

because of the conflict, the conflict between israel and hezbollah that intensified in september with a huge air campaign by the israeli military targeting hezbollah positions across the country. many residents returned to their homes at the beginning of the ceasefire. so today, the end of this 60 day timeline that would see the withdrawal of israeli troops from the south of the country and also the removal of hezbollah fighters and weapons from the south, was seen as an opportunity for many of those residents in towns and villages really near the border, which is an area that has been completely, you know, heavily destroyed, heavily damaged because of the conflict, so many saw this day as an opportunity to return to their homes. but we're talking about billions of dollars in economic damage, in destruction, especially in the south, but also in the bekaa valley, which is another part of the country that has a very strong hezbollah presence,

and here in the city's southern suburbs. now, i don't think this will be the resumption of the conflict between israel and hezbollah, because this is a country that has been under a lot of pressure, has been exhausted, really, after years of economic crisis. also the suffering, the destruction caused by the war here. so any kind of violent response from hezbollah would face opposition not only from hezbollah's critics, but also from some of its own supporters, given the very bad situation in many parts of this country. 19—year—old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder as a car was driven as a police officer leaving her seriously injured. it happened when the police officer responded to reports of suspicious behaviour at a retail park delete

it's the world's busiest two—runway airport — and this week, london heathrow could get the go ahead for expansion. uk chancellor, rachel reeves hinted she was in favour of a third runway — which she said would mean that instead of circling london, flights could land more quickly. simon browning reports. after a week of speculation, the chancellor inched closer this morning to backing a third runway at heathrow. rachel reeves told the bbc that sustainable aviation and growth can go together, and that she will reveal more in her speech on wednesday. a third runway will mean that instead of circling london, flights can land at heathrow. a lot has changed in aviation, and sustainable aviation and economic growth go hand in hand. we're an open trading economy, we need to bring investment in. demand to travel is growing and heathrow is almost at capacity. but opposition to heathrow�*s expansion is well established, with recent objections reaching the courts.

it's a long time since we last had a proper economic analysis of what heathrow expansion would deliver, and even when that was last done, it was marginal at best. and i don't think that picture is going to have improved. so there is no economic case for expanding heathrow, and we know how damaging it will be to the environment and to the noise impact on people living all across west and south west london. in the last fortnight, rachel reeves has promoted the uk's aims for growth in china and davos to politicians and business leaders. on wednesday, we'll hear more about those plans, including reforms to the planning and infrastructure bill to axe red tape that slows down approvals for major building projects. building homes near transport hubs to enable better connections for workers to towns and cities. and a regenera