the return of israeli hostages. these are the live pictures from the gaza strip. survivors of the holocaust, along with heads of state and royalty are gathering at the site of the nazi concentration camp auschwitz — to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation. rebels in democratic republic of congo say they have taken control of goma in the east. the drc accused rwanda of sending troops across the broder. officials in belarus say that alexander lukashenko has won the presidential election on sunday. critics dismiss this vote as a sham. coming up in business, europe's energy conundrum — as ukraine works towards a deal to ship gas from azerbaijan through its network. hungary's prime minister calls for the continued flow of russian gas.

hello, i'm lauren taylor. we begin in the middle east — where displaced palestinians are returning to northern gaza. these are the live pictures from gaza. we have seen long lines of people streaming along the coast road — some in vehicles, others carrying their possessions on their back. over the weekend, thousands of palestinians who had hoped to be allowed back home had gathered at the military barrier which had been blocking the route. the israeli authorities had made the return of tens of thousands of palestinians to the north conditional on the release of an israeli civilian hostage. you civilian hostage. can see this sheer scale of the you can see this sheer scale of the numbers of people on the road here. what happened is that by seven o'clock this morning local time, 5am gmt, this is when the crossing open, one which has allowed people to cross on fit. at 90 m, there

will be an opening allowing people to cross in cars, but there's not much room for vehicles. nobody knows what to expect when people get back. we have seen from drawing pictures of the ceasefire began, much of gaza has been reduced to rubble. you can see people carrying things like mattresses and whatever they have had with them. they have been displaced a number of times throughout this conflict, and they are now starting that long walk home. this, as i mentioned, was on condition of the release of an israeli civilian hostage, arbel yehud. she wasn't freed on saturday when four women soldiers were. hamas says it will now release ms yehud and two other hostages on thursday, followed by three more on saturday. in other developments, egypt has rejected any attempt to relocate palestinians from gaza, after us president donald trump said he'd like to see more

than a million of gaza's residents taken in by other arab nations. he told reporters that the strip was "literally a demolition site" and suggested it be quote, "cleaned out". let's speak to our correspondentjon donnison, who joins me from jerusalem. extraordinary scenes of people heading home.— heading home. yes, we are talkin: heading home. yes, we are talking about _ heading home. yes, we are talking about more - heading home. yes, we are talking about more than - heading home. yes, we are| talking about more than half heading home. yes, we are i talking about more than half a million people trying to return to their homes in the gas, if they still have one left. the united nations estimated that more than 60% of all buildings in gaza have been destroyed or damaged, but you are right, they are on the move, a large numbers that coastal road, and the central road heading up through gaza will allow cars and vehicles to pass. they will have to be screened by the idf, and i can imagine people will be waiting a very long time, but at least they are able to

return home if they still have one. , ., ., one. tells about those remarks from president _ one. tells about those remarks from president trump - one. tells about those remarks from president trump and - one. tells about those remarks from president trump and the l from president trump and the reaction has been to them. there is an absolute outrage from palestinians in gaza, they say gaza is their home and they have no intention of leaving, even though it is in a state of ruins at the moment. egypt has also rejected the proposal. it says it is not prepared to take in palestinians from gaza. good jordan has done the same. the only people who have welcomed the comments from donald trump are far right israeli ministers, some of them who represent the parties that represent the parties that represent settlers in israel, and they have long suggested that gazans should emigrate to allowjewish settlements to be

re—established in gaza, but certainly amongst palestinians, the idea that donald trump has floated, and fights since —— and let's say, he does float ideas that often don't come to fruition, it has been seen as a nonstarter by palestinians. this is all part of the hostage release deal, the sky is heading back to gaza, so explain what the latest is that. �* ~' ., ., that. at the weekend, we had a bit of wrangling _ that. at the weekend, we had a bit of wrangling between - that. at the weekend, we had a bit of wrangling between israel| bit of wrangling between israel and hamas, israel saying it was expecting a young woman, arbel yehud, to be freed on saturday. but did not happen, and we had four israeli soldiers went instead. israel has insisted that arbel yehud, who is now 29, and was 28 when she was captured, she is actually a german israeli citizen, she will now come out on thursday with two other hostages, and on saturday, will have a further

three hostages, six in total this week, exchanged for scores of palestinian prisoners. what of palestinian prisoners. what about the robustness - of palestinian prisoners. what about the robustness of - of palestinian prisoners. what about the robustness of the i about the robustness of the ceasefire agreement. how robust would you say it is at this stage? it would you say it is at this staue? , ., ., , stage? it is holding at this staae, stage? it is holding at this stage. but _ stage? it is holding at this stage, but it _ stage? it is holding at this stage, but it is _ stage? it is holding at this stage, but it is our - stage? it is holding at this stage, but it is our fragile | stage, but it is our fragile one. each time we have these exchanges, and one is going to happen every week for the remaining five weeks, there is wrangling and negotiation. it is very complex. there's also theissue is very complex. there's also the issue what happens next. this is just phase one of the ceasefire deal. it is due to last six weeks. we are just over one week into it. after that, the negotiations have to start and will start in about a week's time for phase two. that is much more challenging, because that is not only going to be about the release of the remaining hostages, some diet,

some are live in gaza, and the exchange of more high—profile prisoners in israeli jails, it is also meant to bring a complete end to the war, and a full retreat from gaza, that will be challenging.- full retreat from gaza, that will be challenging. how would ou sa will be challenging. how would you say the _ will be challenging. how would you say the humanitarian - you say the humanitarian situation has improved in the last couple of weeks?- situation has improved in the last couple of weeks? well, it has improved _ last couple of weeks? well, it has improved but _ last couple of weeks? well, it has improved but from - last couple of weeks? well, it has improved but from a - last couple of weeks? well, it has improved but from a very| has improved but from a very low base. before the ceasefire, it was about 50 trucks of aid getting into gaza every day. from the ceasefire, the intention was to get 600 trucks per day into gaza, and certainly more aid has been getting on, but it is desperately needed, and the aid agencies have been saying the main priority is shelter. a lot of these people are returning home with nowhere to live, so they are still going to be living in tents, temporary shelter, for some time, i would

imagine. shelter, for some time, i would imauine. . ~ , . imagine. thank you very much indeed. ceremonies are being held in poland today to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the nazi concentration camp, auschwitz—birkenau. more than a million people, mainlyjews, were murdered there during the second world war. the date has since been designated holocaust memorial day, to mark the more than six millionjews killed by the nazis, as well as victims of more recent genocides. among those present at auschwitz will be a number of the now frail and elderly camp survivors, as well as heads of state and government including king charles. jess parker reports. through these gates and into what was the largest and deadliest of the nazi concentration camps, auschwitz. it was here that more than a million people

were systematically murdered. a majority of them werejewish. 80 years ago to this day, the camp was liberated by advancing soviet troops. here they discovered what the nazis had tried to hide. images and evidence of unimaginable suffering. those who hadn't been forced to evacuate on the brutal nazi death marches were found starved and terrorised. the anniversary of the camp's liberation has since become international holocaust remembrance day. a moment to remember the 6 million murdered jews, as well as other minorities persecuted by the nazis. today, world leaders and royalty, including britain's king charles iii, will gather here for commemorations. so will survivors returning to a place that looms large as an embodiment of nazi crimes. during the holocaust, eople from all over nazi controlled europe were brought here, crammed into rooms like these, worked to

death or sent to die in the camp's gas chambers. a prison and extermination centre preserve so the crimes committed here are known. so the world does not forget. we will have live coverage of all the events at auschwitz today, and this is the live scene, where the focus will be mainly on the survivors. we have heard, people in their 80s and 90s, not the dignitaries, but it is clearly very cold there, and daytime temperatures have been above freezing, but some of the snow has melted, but some of the people who are coming are very frail and they cannot stay in the open for too long, so they will have a heated tent there over the death gate to have the ceremonies, and we will be talking tojessica parker live a little later in the programme. the un security council has condemned what it called the unauthorised presence of external forces in the east of the democratic

republic of congo. at the council meeting in new york, the united states, france and britain said rwandan troops had supported the rapid advance of m23 rebel forces into the centre of goma. the rebels say they now control the city, and have urged its over one million inhabitants to remain calm. after several hours of gunfire on sunday night, the streets were reported quiet on monday with no reports of serious bloodshed. earlier, we spoke to our africa correspondent barbara plett usher, who has been following the movements of the m23 rebel forces over the past 2a hours. the m23 has been advancing on goma amid intense fighting in the past couple of days, actually, and in the past 2a hours, the rebel group says that it has taken control of the city. it says that it is currently at the city's stadium, registering weapons from surrendering congolese soldiers, who it had issued an ultimatum for them to disarm

by a certain time. and it says at this point it's doing that, and has posted photographs to back up what it's saying. we also have a report or a notice separately from the uruguay contingent of the un peacekeeping force saying that, indeed, some congolese soldiers have surrendered. but at the same time, the congolese government has issued a statement denying issued a statement denying that the m23 controls the city, that the m23 controls the city, saying that the congolese saying that the congolese government is still in control government is still in control of the main strategic points, of the main strategic points, including the airport, including the airport, and that the m23 is and that the m23 is on the outskirts. on the outskirts. so we don't have full so we don't have full confirmation yet of who confirmation yet of who exactly is in control. exactly is in control. but the m23 is very but the m23 is very not heard any reports much in the area. much in the area. and as we have been reporting, and as we have been reporting, the big concern, the most the big concern, the most immediate concern, of course, immediate concern, of course, is the fate of civilians, is the fate of civilians, because there are about because there are about a million people living a million people living in the city. in the city. but then nearly that same but then nearly that same number of people who've been number of people who've been displaced by the war in eastern displaced by the war in eastern congo, who were living in very congo, who were living in very big camps around goma and have big camps around goma and have been on the move since the m23 been on the move since the m23 started to advance. started to advance.

and so we have, as you said, and so we have, as you said, not heard any reports of a major bloodshed so far, and that is something that is of great concern to all the authorities watching. lets speak to our europe correspondentjessica parker, who is near auschwitz. this time, it has been very much a focus on the survivors, has it not? . , not? that is right. there will be the main _ not? that is right. there will be the main ceremony - not? that is right. there will be the main ceremony this l be the main ceremony this afternoon at the birkenau site, because auschwitz was expanded over the years by the nazis while they were here, including building the birkenau site, which houses a number of the apparatus that were used, including the gas chambers, against the jewish population. a against thejewish population. a number of tents against the jewish population. a number of tents have been constructed, and there will be a ceremony this afternoon. politicians will be there, emmanuel macron from france,

justin trudeau from canada, 0laf scholz from germany, and the uk royalfamily, including britain's charles iii. —— european royalfamilies. the european royal families. the people european royalfamilies. the people who will be speaking will be the survivors. about 50 of them will be here today, they will be making the addresses at the and sharing their stories.— their stories. and it is a particularly _ their stories. and it is a particularly poignant. their stories. and it is a i particularly poignant time, isn't it, for some of these people who are really quite elderly now?— people who are really quite elderly now? yes, of course, and 80 years _ elderly now? yes, of course, and 80 years on, _ elderly now? yes, of course, and 80 years on, that - elderly now? yes, of course, and 80 years on, that is i and 80 years on, that is naturally a marker and a moment and an anniversary, 80 years on, from when russian soldiers, soviet soldiers approached the gates of auschwitz on the 27th of january 1945, gates of auschwitz on the 27th ofjanuary 1945, and i have ofjanuary1945, and i have read accounts that they approached cautiously, not knowing what they might claim,

fearing a potential nazi ambush, but the nazi soldiers and guards had left taking thousands of prisoners with them, and what was known as the death marches, but what they found where the prisoners who had been left behind and deemed too weak to go on those brutal death marches, and there are accounts of finding people emaciated, starved, terrorised from that time, but as you say, 80 years beyond that date, there are of course going to be fewer and fewer survivors who can come to events like this. this might be the last big anniversary that many of the survivors would be able to attend, so there is that added sense of poignancy, because there is a chance for those people to share their stories directly, face—to—face with people, whether at events like this are at events in schools as well where survivors will go and talk to young children and people about what happened, all with the intention and the message of trying to ensure

that it never happened again. thank you very much indeed. we'll stories throughout the day marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz. my colleague lucy hockings will be talking to some of the survivors later. across the bbc we are marking the anniversary and day of commemoration with a wide range of programming — you can find out more and follow all today's events on our special live page which is on the bbc news website and app.

which is on the bbc news website and a; nearly 87% lukashenko received nearly 87% of the vote, and as we marvel at these astronomical numbers, it is important to keep in mind that he faced no serious challenger in the selection. mr lukashenko's must challenger in the selection. mr lukash