>> good afternoon. it is 12:00 and this is the live desk here on gb news. coming up this monday lunchtime confusion at the crossing conflict . the crossing conflict. >> reports as to whether a deal has been done to allow a humanitarian corridor through gaza's key rafah gateway. this scenes in london by the way, the wrong pictures there. butjust to remind you, 600,000 people on the move currently in gaza, rishi sunak sunak will set out the government's response with a statement in the commons this afternoon . afternoon. >> earlier, he visited a jewish school in north london to show his support for the jewish community. >> the idf says 199 people are being held hostage in gaza after being held hostage in gaza after being taken there by hamas with any negotiations seemingly out of the question, just how do their forces launch a rescue in such perilous circumstances .

such perilous circumstances. >> and with the clock ticking, us secretary of state antony blinken launches a last round of shuttle diplomacy flying back into tel aviv after meeting egyptian leaders in cairo . we'll egyptian leaders in cairo. we'll have all the details on that and so much more. first, your headlines, though , with thompson headlines, though, with thompson . pep. >> thanks very much . good >> thanks very much. good afternoon from the newsroom. it's 12:01 each. egypt is under pressure to reopen the rafah crossing on its border with gaza . calls are being made for the safe passage of humanitarian aid , along with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the area. people have been gathering outside the gates after the us confirmed the crossing would be reopened here. the prime minister will address the escalating crisis this afternoon as well as the uk's response to

the violence. rishi sunak sunak says he's working with israel to minimise the war's impact on civilians. israel does have every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again . again. >> i think that's what the israeli people would expect from their government, is that if something this happened, something like this happened, here is what would expect here is what people would expect from make from this government to make sure that take the sure that they take the proportionate and necessary steps everybody safe. steps to keep everybody safe. now, with the now, i've raised with the israeli minister need israeli prime minister the need to impact on to minimise the impact on civilians can. i've civilians best we can. i've raised humanitarian raised the humanitarian situation. we will continue to do other allies around do that with other allies around the region . the region. >> the united nations is warning the humanitarian situation on the humanitarian situation on the strip is deteriorating quickly . well, these are the quickly. well, these are the live pictures from gaza city . live pictures from gaza city. israel has ordered civilians to evacuate the area ahead of a major offensive targeting hamas in response to an attack which claimed 1300 lives. israel says around 200 hostages are being held by hamas , a larger number held by hamas, a larger number than previously thought. gaza's

health ministry . says 2750 health ministry. says 2750 palestinians have been killed since the 7th of october and 9700 wounded by israeli airstrikes , while israel's airstrikes, while israel's military continues to assemble outside gaza , preparing for a outside gaza, preparing for a ground offensive , the country's ground offensive, the country's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu , who has vowed to netanyahu, who has vowed to demolish hamas, the us president, joe biden, says he's confident israel will act under the rules of war and he believes hamas must be eliminated. but the rules of war and he believes hamas must be eliminated . but in hamas must be eliminated. but in an interview added there must be an interview added there must be a path to a palestinian state. the us secretary of state, meanwhile, has been holding talks over the last few days with arab nations . anthony with arab nations. anthony blinken has returned to israel after meeting the prime minister five days ago. he's working to prevent the israel—hamas war from igniting a broader regional conflict that to other news now. a man once suspected of being part of an islamic state death squad known as the beatles , has

squad known as the beatles, has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. aine lesley davis appeared via video link from belmarsh prison and admitted possessing a firearm for terrorism purposes and two counts of funding terrorism . his counts of funding terrorism. his sentencing has been adjourned until next month . parliaments until next month. parliaments independent expert panel has recommended that tory mp peter bone be suspended for six weeks for bullying and sexual misconduct. a report by the watchdog says the mp for wellingborough committed many varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct against act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff. in 2012 and 2013. the mp denies the allegations, calling them factually false . the foreign factually false. the foreign secretary has travelled to albania to help tackle illegal migration. the annual berlin process summit will bring together western balkan and european leaders. james cleverly is expected to look for cooperation on the movement of migrants as the government looks to stop cross—channel small boat

crossings . he also plans to crossings. he also plans to launch a british chamber of commerce to boost trade between the two countries and experts believe net migration to the uk is unlikely to drop below 250,000 a year by the end of the decade. net migration stood at 606,000 last year, with the war in ukraine and arrivals from hong kong contributing to the numbers . the migration numbers. the migration observatory at the university of oxford and the london school of economics say going fonnard the figure will largely be driven by internal students executive di rector internal students executive director of migration watch dr. mike jones says the projections are overly optimistic . are overly optimistic. >> i'd be surprised if the net migration figures came below 300,000. i'd simply because they assume that student emigration will remain at around 80. but robert jenrick has said that the number of people staying here long term is around 40. and he gets that data from the

database. there are also assumptions about asylum levels remaining the same as they are now, but i would question that justice secretary is planning to send more foreign prisoners home to ease pressure on the system . to ease pressure on the system. >> alex schalk will set out a range of reforms for england and wales later, which could bring fonnard legislation that would allow prisoners to be held overseas. it's a move that's already been taken by belgium and nonnay . the plans also and nonnay. the plans also include sending fewer low level offenders to prison . this is gb offenders to prison. this is gb news across the uk on tv, in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speaker. by saying play on your smart speaker. by saying play gb news now it's over to mark and . pip tomson. mark and. pip tomson. >> thanks very much and welcome back to the live desk. >> so the united nations is warning that gaza is on the bnnk warning that gaza is on the brink of the abyss, as they said, with fuel supplies rapidly

running dry , hospitals out of running dry, hospitals out of medicines and basic aid. >> as the us secretary of state antony blinken, launches a last round of shuttle diplomacy, flying into tel aviv after meeting egyptian leaders, israel appears ready to launch an offensive on the gaza strip by air, land and sea. >> this morning, though , >> this morning, though, confusion surrounding the status of this key crossing rafah from gaza into egypt. despite mr blinken saying an accord had been reached with israel, the idf, meanwhile, says it believes there are 199 hostages still being held in gaza by hamas . as being held in gaza by hamas. as we've got gb news home and security editor mark white in the studio who can bring us the very latest. >> so, mark, let's start with this rafah crossing, because it does seem quite does seem to be quite a confusing situation. egypt is saying that israel is not cooperating with getting aid in. >> well , that's egypt's point of >> well, that's egypt's point of view. i don't know what israel has said in response to that. i

do know that israel has said that as yet no deal has been reached to open the rafah crossing . rishi sunak has said crossing. rishi sunak has said this morning that actually it's a top priority for the uk government. other friends of israel who are trying to urge for some concerted action here to get this crossing open at some point today , because some point today, because clearly there are trucks, there are a vital aid supplies that are a vital aid supplies that are waiting to get in through rafah to help people in gaza fuel supplies as well. another issue there have been un fuel supply lorries that have been seen at the rafah crossing. so in terms of getting that open , in terms of getting that open, it's a priority, but no deal done as yet. it remains closed. yeah >> and certainly reports that egypt that has been holding talks with the united states and we had anthony blinken there this weekend about the numbers that might be allowed to cross

from gaza into egypt and the possibility of some kind of refugee camp or at least field hospitals being set up in the sinai desert. >> you. yeah, i mean, not something that egypt is particularly keen on and you can understand why they don't want that refugee crisis just on the border there in their country . border there in their country. so it may be that in the first instance, if we see the rafah crossing reopened , that it is to crossing reopened, that it is to allow these aid supplies in and to allow those foreign nationals who are in gaza and indeed dual nationals , perhaps to exit nationals, perhaps to exit through that crossing. i think that's certainly what the likes of rishi sunak is pushing for. and indeed, antony blinken, who we know has just landed back in tel aviv. >> yeah. and the other changing situation , of course, is, is to situation, of course, is, is to the north then with the border with lebanon, there were reports earlier. israeli radio warning

people to stay indoors, to move from these border villages with an incursion expected that now appears to have been a false alarm, but it does indicate just how febrile the atmosphere is. >> yeah, i mean, i think what is true is it's very tense . and true is it's very tense. and there have been sporadic incidents that have taken place over recent days, both in terms of fire that's come from , um, of fire that's come from, um, southern lebanon into to northern israel , the town northern israel, the town i think you were referring to there is metula about 1600 population. it's just a small town, but it's right on the border with southern lebanon in and some real concerns of course, there you can understand that it would be in the front line if anything was to happen with the hezbollah , of course, with the hezbollah, of course, in southern lebanon, threatening the possibility that they could get involved in some significant

degree in this war. they're already involved in the sense that they are sending sporadically small arms fire, occasional rockets over into northern israel. but some real concern , if they were to be concern, if they were to be fully committed and to this conflict, then what that would do in terms of these communities and what it would do to the israeli defence forces up there as well. they've already had to split the defence forces who would have been able to concentrate on the operation to go into gaza to reinforce their northern flank because of the very real concerns about another front . yeah, a wider conflict front. yeah, a wider conflict and that front opening up as well . well. >> so antony blinken, us secretary of state, he is back in israel. i mean, he's been so busy . he's been all over the busy. he's been all over the middle east, hasn't he, trying to, trying to bring bring some pressure to bear . what what will pressure to bear. what what will

his what will he be doing now? he's back in tel aviv. >> well , he's back in tel aviv. >> well, pushing for a number of things. i think in the first instance, he's trying to get the rafah crossing open as well so that we can get those aid suppuesin that we can get those aid supplies in fuel supplies in, as well as we'll will need reassurance his and plans in place to try to ensure that any fuel and other material that might come in through to the rafah crossing doesn't find its way into the hands of hamas. and inevitably, i think some of it will. and that is what greatly concerns israel. so it's a very complicated picture on the ground. the other thing which is clearer, i think, from from the likes of anthony blinken and the work that he's doing and from all the allies of israel who are showing, of course, very publicly support for israel . i publicly support for israel. i think behind closed doors in

conversations with the israeli government. they are trying to ensure that as israel pushes fonnard with what will be an inevitable ground invasion, an air attack and a maritime incursion as well, that when that happens , the risk to the that happens, the risk to the people of gaza is minimised as much as it can be given the situation in there, given the mass of people in this very small area on this this separate and also pressing question about the safety of the hostages is being held there. >> we now have quite a detailed number from the idf saying 199 being held, which indicates perhaps that they have got more intelligence s on who's being held, if not where. and certainly we had, i think some houses in khan yunis being bombed where they say that the commander of the hamas special forces was targeted . so it looks forces was targeted. so it looks as if they are maybe building up as if they are maybe building up a picture of what's been going on gaza. on inside gaza. >> yeah, it's going to

>> yeah, i mean, it's going to be enormously difficult because clearly these hostages is absolutely hideous to say. but they are an asset as far as hamas is concerned in trying to, you know, put obstacles in the way of the israelis. if they were in a position to try to move in in any significant numbers to gaza . they're also numbers to gaza. they're also a bargaining chip , of course, bargaining chip, of course, further down the road aid if hamas is looking to broker some kind of a deal with israel, we don't know. of course , where don't know. of course, where these 199 reported hostages are being held and they are thought to include some british nationals, maybe ten multiple nationality is represented that included , we are told, a number included, we are told, a number of around ten elianne that the british government say is dead and missing, unaccounted for, or so we don't know exact numbers as far as the british government

is concerned, except, you know, at least ten, we think. >> what do we know about gaza? >> what do we know about gaza? >> because clearly there have been previous operations , 2008, been previous operations, 2008, 2014, that last one, i think 166 israeli soldiers lost their lives where hamas was clearly very prepared for what they're going to do. and we can see the sort of urban concentrate on very small, crowded streets and vantage points where snipers can sort of get into these towers. and so on. but then underground this this subterranean world, they've talked about where the rockets are kept, where they have command and control bunkers , as presumably the israelis , , as presumably the israelis, again, are trying to establish how much of that is functional at the moment. yeah i mean, for our television viewers looking at the pictures there of gaza city itself , it is at the pictures there of gaza city itself, it is if at the pictures there of gaza city itself , it is if not the city itself, it is if not the most and certainly one of the most and certainly one of the most densely packed cities in the world.

>> a half a million or so in central gaza city itself . now, central gaza city itself. now, we know that hundreds of thousands, maybe up to 600,000 of have left and headed south. but in that sort of wider gaza area, there's still hundreds of thousands who have remained. they are under pressure to remain from hamas. they are under pressure to remain from hamas . that is remain from hamas. that is clear. many people will want to remain because they don't want to leave. they don't want to cede their city as they see it to the israelis as well. and there are others who are just not capable of leaving because they're elderly and infirm. they're seriously ill in some of the hospitals in gaza city itself . so it's very difficult itself. so it's very difficult and as you said, you talked about the tunnels as hundreds of miles of tunnels have been dug by hamas over recent years . the by hamas over recent years. the israeli know about you know , israeli know about you know, many of these tunnels they've been blowing up in recent days. a number of these tunnels. but

there's many others that inevitably they will not know about and not really just makes it much more complicated in getting in there and fighting what will be very messy , very what will be very messy, very hand to hand. these are the tunnels are being bombed by the israeli military. yes. and these tunnels are used, of course, to try and spur these hamas terrorists from one area to another . they can pop up terrorists from one area to another. they can pop up in one part of the city and then another. they're used to store many of the rockets and the firing systems that pop up in different parts of gaza, targeting israel. and they're also believed, some of them, to be used to house some of the hostages. >> do we know how big hamas is? how many hamas terrorists are in gaza? >> tens of thousands . right and >> tens of thousands. right and of course, we know that the horrific attacks that took place

in southern israel on the seventh took place this with at least 2000 hamas fighters . and least 2000 hamas fighters. and many of those have since been killed . but there are thousands killed. but there are thousands of others who are still in that territory and many other who we've class, i suppose, as civilians who will take up arms against israel. >> and on suggestions that those involved in the incursion over the border would have been effectively special forces, if you like. i think nakba is the bngade you like. i think nakba is the brigade that they al—quds is the military wing, i.e. dis spite, being a proscribed terrorist organisation. they even have a tearing , if you like, of these tearing, if you like, of these sort of forces and those who may be are fanatical in their approach. >> well, in the same way that, you know, isis and al—qaeda at the height of their terror reigns were very sophisticated

in the kind of the instruct action and the training that they they gave their terrorists, hamas has on a larger scale , it hamas has on a larger scale, it has to be said, being able to do the same. and clearly see what happened on the 7th of october required a lot of coordination in a lot of expertise in terms of their ability to fly these paragliders in, to go on motorbikes two at a time in the sort of the vehicles that were sort of the vehicles that were sort of the vehicles that were sort of partially armoured that they used to smash their way through the border fences as well. even all of that training had to take place over a period of time. absolutely. >> and even more disturbing is the suggestion that children are being trained as terrorists . yes. >> yeah. it's very sadly , >> yeah. it's very sadly, pictures have come out . some of pictures have come out. some of those hamas terrorists that were

killed by israel, the gopros that they were carrying for propaganda reasons because they were filming them. and then, of course, either transmitting them back live or actually , you know, back live or actually, you know, later to going be transferring them and then put out as propaganda. the israelis had looked back at some of the images and some of those images showed very clearly children that were being trained up to carry weapons . and that's what i carry weapons. and that's what i mean in terms of, you know, it's not necessarily the hardened hamas terror fighters that are going to be there to meet israeli forces when they go into gaza. there will be many in the population there that will probably be willing or even forced to take up arms against the idf . the idf. >> yeah, and of course, the questions as to whether this will spread into a wider conflict across the middle east and the repercussions of that. mark for the moment, thank you. i know you're back with more

detail for us. a little later on. just to update you with the other developments is that us nationals and immediate nationals and their immediate family been leaving family members have been leaving haifa, northern port heading haifa, the northern port heading for cyprus . so there is a lot of for cyprus. so there is a lot of movement there as well. we'll be getting the thoughts of middle east analyst and historian adel dannish covered the six day war, no in 1967. his no less, back in 1967. his thoughts with with us shortly. >> stay

news. the people's channel. britain's news channel .

britain's news channel. >> welcome back to the live desk . and of course, we're keeping you up to date with the rapidly changing and flexible situation in gaza . but in terms of the in gaza. but in terms of the wider picture, fears, of course, that the war could escalate with exchanges of fire with lebanon and north. the leader of hezbollah saying they stand by, quote, ready to pull the trigger. now us secretary of state antony blinken has returned to tel aviv today after his whistle stop tour of arab nations. >> he is attempting to shore up support for a solution, some sort of solution to the crisis . sort of solution to the crisis. >> well, joining us now, middle east analyst and historian adel dannish . adel, just to reflect, dannish. adel, just to reflect, i think you covered the six day war back in 1967, one of your first journalistic exp paul coyte. so you've seen it all effectively . what is your effectively. what is your assessment of where we are? because of blinken's been in cairo , the crossing with egypt cairo, the crossing with egypt at rafah is key to the

humanitarian in question and i guess he'll also have had the assessment of the egyptians who had warned, we believe, israel, about what was about to happen in gaza, that he may have some intelligence to take back to tel aviv . aviv. >> exactly. the egyptians are actually in a complex situation now on the mac management. >> they seem to be doing okay with the americans on the micro management. that's what the problem is. devil is the details always when i spoke with them last night, they the problem is the mind of the egyptian people who are against muslim brotherhood . but somehow hamas brotherhood. but somehow hamas propaganda managed to delink the muslim brotherhood and hamas with the support of hamas on the streets of cairo and student union street unions, etcetera. and the palace opinion cause as an umbrella term using the palestinian cause with hamas . palestinian cause with hamas. okay. but president sisi now is

actually playing a clever game by insisting on actually sending the humanitarian aids to gaza through the rafah crossing, through the rafah crossing, through rafah, crossing . there through rafah, crossing. there are other crossings with israel, but actually they are blocked now . so that's actually giving now. so that's actually giving him some kind of a fig leaf there. you know , cover himself. there. you know, cover himself. and at the same time say, yes, i'm but also he appearing to be saying , look, if we take any saying, look, if we take any palestinian refugees , that's palestinian refugees, that's going to be the end of the palestinian cause. and then they become refugees like since the partition in 1948, in reality , partition in 1948, in reality, they do not want hamas fighter to slip in because because of the muslim brotherhood terrorism. >> and basically, i guess the sinai peninsula becoming another gaza. >> not only that, all the terrorist activities that has been taken against the egyptian border guard and egyptian police guard will actually, by

infiltrate us from gaza . so infiltrate us from gaza. so these are conscious of that . these are conscious of that. >> and also, there has to be a guarantee that the corridor is absolute safe to get people into, to get people through the rafah crossing. well that is actually the egyptians have no problem with that because they can actually cover them with a small arms and all of that. >> why they're worried about is which is a sticking point. now, the fuel for hospitals, generators now the israelis are actually correct in saying, well, as soon as this actually fuel tanks go in, hamas gunmen will take them, will not give them to the hospitals and sell it on the black market to actually fuel their own needs , actually fuel their own needs, because actually, they they still keep manufacturing parts, putting the missiles together from the tunnels, take them out, fire them from the top, because hamas actually do not care about casualties. in fact, they wanted more casualties to embarrass israel. this is sort of what i meant by the macro micro

management . and it's a big management. and it's a big sticking point . sticking point. >> so israel . all that >> so it's israel. all that opens the crossing, not the crossing being opened from the gaza side? >> no , the israelis crossing . >> no, the israelis crossing. i've got three other crossings, but she's blocked now. yes. yes. but the rafah crossing has to be an agreement supervised internationally by the european union, egyptians and israeli agreement. and the egyptians don't mind the israelis actually inspecting the goods that is going there because they're worried about small arms and grenades , parts for the missiles grenades, parts for the missiles going there . so there's no going there. so there's no problem with that. let's taking point at the moment is actually the fuel and the egyptians saying, which is actually for their own public opinion consumption. we are not letting any dual nationals leaving gaza unless you actually let the humanitarian aid in. and that's what the bargaining is still going bargaining. right. >> and does egypt have any sway

with hamas itself or is that still effectively an iranian proxy as an iranian proxy? >> it's the muslim brotherhood who are actually listed as terrorist organisation in egypt . terrorist organisation in egypt. and the egyptians just do not have i mean, obviously, on the intelligence level, there's some kind of contacts on crossing points and so on. and the suggestion that they had warned israel about what was about to happen from gaza and it was ignored again twice. i understand they did, but who actually how did it go to netanyahu ? and i think most netanyahu? and i think most people, including me and i think quite a few of your guests have said that that even netanyahu in the last year or so, in addition to the constitutional problems he's causing there, he has been shifting the emphasis on the west bank. there is some mad american settlers there who have been causing havoc . and then been causing havoc. and then they needed some extra guards, so they took their eye off gaza.

absolutely. the army would be been too busy in the west bank, and that's for that. netanyahu is to blame. >> do you have any up to date information on the situation with the water supply? because we did hear that the water supply in southern was supply in southern gaza was being back on. then we being turned back on. then we hear that might not be the hear that that might not be the case. you know what the information that hamas puts out? well, differs very greatly well, it differs very greatly from understanding. >> i mean, the last time i brought it from artesian was quite a few years back, but it's still ongoing. all utilities is supply gaza come from israel. supply to gaza come from israel. so >> so has israel turned the water supply back on? >> i'm not actually 100% sure. the according to the report, they said yes in southern gaza and canyons. but again other reports. yeah which is actually the egyptians worst nightmare for the hostages get moved to that area near the egyptian border with some hamas fighters . border with some hamas fighters. and in this case, the israeli will have no option but to go

after them. and that is quite a big problem for egypt. and that really warning the israelis about that. >> okay. from your perspective of having followed this from 1967 onwards at close quarters , 1967 onwards at close quarters, what is the end game? how is this going to play out? >> that is very difficult, actually, because we, as you have heard from security correspondent, i mean, the intelligence estimate showed that the tunnels probably can run at about 350 miles or so if they put together underneath it smart bombs are not that smart, just to repeat, you said the tunnels are 350 miles. yeah. if they put them together, if you actually expand them end to end, it's just like a spider web underneath all the building. if you remember from the gulf war, where we covered together the smart bombs are not that smart as the manufacturers claim to be. so they are blunt instrument and try to pass them . that's

and try to pass them. that's exactly what hamas wants. it wants to draw them in. last time they went to gaza, the world had to tell them to stop before they finish the show. exactly. because of the casualties. >> yeah, it's a grim prospect . >> yeah, it's a grim prospect. adele, thank you for being with us. you're with us for the next few hours to actually analyse things they and of things as they develop. and of course, still a very fluid situation the moment. thank you. >> stay with because shortly >> stay with us because shortly we're to be joined by a we're going to be joined by a woman who 11 of her family woman who had 11 of her family members kidnapped by hamas terrorists. your terrorists. first, here's your latest headlines with tamsen . pip. >> thank you. here are the headunes >> thank you. here are the headlines at 1233. egypt is under pressure to open the rafah crossing on its border with gaza to allow the safe passage of humanity an aid along with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the area . people have been from the area. people have been gathering outside the gates after the us confirmed the crossing would be reopened here. the prime minister will address

the escalating crisis this afternoon , as well as the uk's afternoon, as well as the uk's response to the violence. rishi sunak says he's working with israel to minimise the war's impact on civilians. >> does have every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. i think that's what the israeli people would expect from their government is that if something like this happened here, it's what would from what people would expect from this sure this government to make sure that take the proportionate that they take the proportionate and necessary keep and necessary steps to keep everybody raised everybody safe. now, i've raised with prime minister with the israeli prime minister the to minimise impact the need to minimise the impact on best we can. i've on civilians best we can. i've raised the humanitarian situation . we continue to situation. we will continue to do that with other allies around the region . the region. >> humanitarian situation on the strip is deteriorating quickly. these are live pictures from gaza city . israel has ordered gaza city. israel has ordered civilians to evacuate the area ahead of a major offensive targeting hamas in response to an attack which claimed 3500 lives. gaza's health ministry

says 2750 palestinians have been killed since the 7th of october. and 9700 wounded by israeli airstrikes . in other news, a man airstrikes. in other news, a man once suspected of being part of an islamic state cell known as the beatles has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and leslie davis appeared via video link from belmarsh prison and admitted possessing a firearm for terrorism purposes. and two counts of funding terrorism . counts of funding terrorism. he'll be sentenced next month . a he'll be sentenced next month. a parliamentary panel has recommended conservative mp peter bone be suspended for six weeks for bullying and sexual misconduct. it found the member for wellingborough committed varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct against act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff. in 2012 and 2013. he denies the allegations, describing them as factually false . well, those are factually false. well, those are the headlines and you can get

more on all of those stories by visiting our website, gbnews.com

from three on . gb news. well, from three on. gb news. well, welcome back to the live desk. now, according to the latest figures from the israeli defence force , there are believed to be force, there are believed to be 199 hostages trapped in gaza, kidnapped by hamas , their

kidnapped by hamas, their families, friends and loved ones are anxiously awaiting news and updates as the fate of the hostages remains uncertain . hostages remains uncertain. >> an joining us now is shakir heron , who has 1111 family heron, who has 1111 family members who have been kidnapped by hamas . thank you so much for by hamas. thank you so much for talking to us this afternoon. she said we cannot imagine the torture that you are going through. could you give us a little bit of information about who your family members are and if you've heard any information on about their whereabouts . on about their whereabouts. >> so first, thank you for having me. >> i've we haven't heard any new information except what i can tell you now. so the family members are my father , 65, 66 members are my father, 65, 66 years old. >> my mother, she's 67. my sister and her husband, they are 38. and their two children, my

niece, she's three years old. um and my and my nephew, he's eight years old. my my aunt, my father's sister , she's 55. and father's sister, she's 55. and her daughter, she's 12. and another uncle who is 65 and his wife, my aunt is 60. and all of them , well, eight of them were them, well, eight of them were together in the shelter for of my parents house on saturday morning. my aunt and uncle were in a nearby house inside the shelter where we had some communication with them during saturday morning. and there was very intense bombing. so i was in the shelter in my house and my brother was texting them at the beginning . they said that the beginning. they said that they're in the shelter and they are keeping safe and they're doing what they're being told to do. and then at some point, they

said that they're in big trouble and that they love us. and that was the last message we heard from them . um um, and then we from them. um um, and then we had no idea what's going on. the i'm sure you've seen the videos, but the kibbutz was like a horror film. yeah it was really , horror film. yeah it was really, really crazy. and we were, we weren't inside the kibbutz, fortunately, but we, we saw the messages and we had no idea where my family is during saturday, uh, a friend of my father called his cell phone over a hundred times. eventually it was answered by someone in arabic who shouted and shouted in arabic. and then in hebrew said , hostage, hostage. gaza said, hostage, hostage. gaza gilad shalit , and hung up. so gilad shalit, and hung up. so that was the only piece of information we had for a while . information we had for a while. and after or after this, around sunday, someone was sent to the

house and they found my parents house. but also almost all their neighbourhood completely burned down. the houses were shattered and they did not find any bodies . they the assumption is that hamas used the fire started the fire in the house to get them out of the shelter so they would have no other option and then took them under gunpoint . um, took them under gunpoint. um, abducted them to gaza. and this is including my three year old niece, my oh, shake head. >> yes. it must be incredibly difficult for you to try to think about what what has happened with a family, which one assumes is still together , one assumes is still together, one assumes is still together, one hopes is still together to support them. but have you had any information from the idf about their location or their

possible location in gaza? i mean, they've now specifically said 199, so they may have some intelligence . intelligence. >> nothing has been told to us. we don't know anything except except the information we collected regarding it was in the first, first or second day of this operation . and so we of this operation. and so we collected the information about the location of their cell phones. and we recognise my sister's husband in one of the hamas videos as being put inside a hamas truck, handcuffed . but a hamas truck, handcuffed. but but, except for that information, we don't have anything . we have no clue if anything. we have no clue if they are held together, if the children are with the parents. we don't know anything thing, anything rising . anything rising. >> sorry to interrupt. i just wanted to ask you, is itjust wanted to ask you, is it just luck that you were not there as well? >> so . yeah, i mean, my sister

>> so. yeah, i mean, my sister doesn't live in the kibbutz. she came to my parents for the holidays , and me and my family holidays, and me and my family were there just a week before. also in the it was another houday also in the it was another holiday , my brother, which is holiday, my brother, which is with me right now, he lives in the kibbutz and he went with his girlfriend, with with his partner to the desert for, for something. and so yeah , it's yeah. >> and in terms of communication are are you receiving regular updates even if it's , you know, updates even if it's, you know, there's no real change. are the channels of communication good? >> there is there is channels of communication, but no one is saying anything new. and we have noideaif saying anything new. and we have no idea if someone knows anything new. we are trying to contact also foreign embassies and some of my family members had other citizenships. so we trying also that channel to maybe get some information maybe from the red cross. but nothing

we really we are completely in lack of any knowledge and it's been already eight days to this . been already eight days to this. i mean, it's just horrific. every every night i put my children to sleep and i think about my niece. she's the age of my son and they are best friends. and every time that i put him to sleep, i keep thinking where she is. i have no idea. and i feel like every night that passes is another failure that we can that we haven't done enough to bring them back and shuckard are you and other family is who have people who've been taken over the border able to support each other? >> are you in contact with other families to share your your experiences . experiences. >> we are in contact, but i feel that we're not there. we're still we still try to put all our efforts into doing things that may be able to bring them back. yeah i feel that that we i

feel that really the internet community has a very big role here and that can actually put pressure to bring the hostage back.i pressure to bring the hostage back. i feel it's not only, of course i want it for my family, but i think it's good for the whole region because until this is done, everything will just get more and more out of control . so we are really, really hoping that some humanitarian act will will at least get the children and the women out of their whoever is still there because we think this is really , because we think this is really, really crucial. so we're not yet in the stage of just hugging one another and comforting each other. we want to act. we want action to be to be taken in. and we really hope to get help from from britain, from germany, from switzerland . we think these that switzerland. we think these that these countries have much more power in this situation regarding aiding the hostages than israel does right now with the war going on with hamas .

the war going on with hamas. >> yeah. and the international pressure that can be brought to bean pressure that can be brought to bear. well, thank you very much for joining us on gb news. we forjoining us on gb news. we appreciate how difficult it is for you to talk about these things. but as you say, important to get the message out there that are there and that they are remembered that the remembered and that the situation is addressed. of course . thank very much course. thank you very much indeed time. we'll indeed for your time. we'll we'll in contact with you. we'll stay in contact with you. >> i want to say that my family is only one story. yeah, yeah. all the hostages, which are mostly women and children and elderly people. so it's also important to know that we are thinking of you all. >> thank you so much for talking to us this afternoon. >> well, we spoke of the international community there in terms of britain rishi sunak to set out the government's response with a statement to the commons this afternoon when he visited a jewish school earlier in north london showing his support out for the community there. our political editor chris hope joins us now from

downing street. chris, we were just hearing there directly from someone important, someone about how important, of course, international course, the international political reaction is . political reaction is. >> yeah, and so shocking and so moving that interview there. we've had confirmation from number 10 downing street just 20 minutes ago that the pm will give lots more detail today on those hostages taken by israel and taken, forgive me, by hamas and taken, forgive me, by hamas and held in gaza. forgive me. and taken, forgive me, by hamas and held in gaza. forgive me . we and held in gaza. forgive me. we asked whether it's ten. they wouldn't comment . we will hear wouldn't comment. we will hear more from the prime minister at 3.30 today. we there might be more news on aid to gaza £27 million of taxpayers money went to ngos in the palestinian occupied territories in the last yean occupied territories in the last year. that figure might go up. we know there's uk navy on the way there to the eastern mediterranean to provide some form of humanitarian oversight form of humanitarian oversight for what's going on there. but it is very, very serious it is a very, very serious situation and we'll hear a lot more from the prime minister at 330. pm in a 330. earlier, the pm was in a jewish school in north london

where made quite clear his where he made quite clear his abhorrence at any anti—semitic attacks on israelis. let's hear what he had to say. >> come to this jewish school this morning specifically to demonstrate my solidarity with the jewish community here in the uk and let them know that we're going to do everything in our power to keep them safe. last week, i met with the community security trust police security trust and police chiefs. we provided more funding for community security for the community security trust. organisation trust. that is the organisation that schools, that helps keep schools, synagogues jewish synagogues and other jewish community institutions safe . we community institutions safe. we spent time with the police to make sure they have all the tools, powers and guidance they need to protests the need to police protests over the weekend appropriately strike need to police protests over the weei rightappropriately strike need to police protests over the weeiright balance |tely strike need to police protests over the weeiright balance and strike need to police protests over the weeiright balance and it's strike need to police protests over the weeiright balance and it's atrike that right balance and it's a difficult job, but i'm grateful to them for everything that they've done. they've made several but they're several arrests, but they're also reviewing footage of also now reviewing footage of some of the things that many people will have seen that are just not acceptable and just simply not acceptable and where can they will be able where they can they will be able to further arrests. but i'm to make further arrests. but i'm determined our determined to ensure that our jewish community able to feel

jewish community is able to feel safe our streets. there is no safe on our streets. there is no place in our society for anti—semitism and we will do everything we can to stamp it out. and where it happens, it will be met with the force will be met with the full force of law that that's the pm of the law that that's the pm rishi sunak earlier speaking in a jewish school , i should point a jewish school, i should point out to you, mark and pepper, that the flags on top of the building behind me have changed since week. since last week. >> the israeli flag was flying there place ukraine flag there in place of ukraine flag and been put back to and that's now been put back to the we're told the ukrainian flag. we're told it was there for one week on whitehall that's whitehall buildings as that's the but of course, the israeli flag. but of course, it taken before the it was taken down before the march at the end of this street, downing when downing street, when that pro—palestine happened on pro—palestine march happened on the walls outside the treasury in places, it says free in two places, it says free palestine, just yards from the cenotaph . so it's very clear. cenotaph. so it's very clear. it's a very difficult thing to police . the police are looking police. the police are looking again at footage from that march on saturday to see whether any law happened. and it's law breaking happened. and it's clear that the pm released sunak is taking a very firm line on this. >> and christopher hope, political editor , thank you very

political editor, thank you very much for bringing us the latest there. still with us is there. well, still with us is adel dannish, a journalist and middle east expert . let's just middle east expert. let's just reflect on the interview with shaked there. 11 members of her family having no idea at all where on earth they are . where on earth they are. >> just absolutely shocking . and >> just absolutely shocking. and i think this is one of the things that we said before that the whole of gaza is taking hostage by hamas . but this hostage by hamas. but this particular actually kidnapping and the shock and in fact, in that kibbutz , most people there that kibbutz, most people there are actually peace loving left wing liberal who actually, for peace between the two nations. but going back a few years, back when in the hamas kidnapped one soldier, gilad gilad shalit, gilad shalit , and they exchanged gilad shalit, and they exchanged him for prisoners who had been sentenced to long sentences in

israeli prisons . and i think we israeli prisons. and i think we know exactly what they're doing by actually taking hostage so but i think this miscalculation is this kind of atrocity and this kind of appalling atrocity. there actually turning every single actually home in israel and worldwide against them. so it probably would backfire to on the propaganda we did assume that given the detail of the operation, they launched, that the hostage taking would have been part of that master plan, if you can use that term. >> and that they would have prepared to have taken them back into gaza . but if they are going into gaza. but if they are going to be used for bargaining chips , to be used for bargaining chips, as one assumes now, that the israelis will not negotiate or actually agree to any kind of further prisoner exchange unless perhaps it is those from gaza who have been held . and if i can who have been held. and if i can

use the term outside the military arena, if there are civilians, perhaps they could exchange , which i think probably exchange, which i think probably the israelis only or main hope is some kind of special forces operations. >> they're relying and intelligence actually , human intelligence actually, human intelligence actually, human intelligence is improving a bit. now, we know we said over 100. now, we know we said over 100. now we know exactly 199. >> and this is it. sarit matkal. this is a specialist unit that's trained and trained for that . trained and trained for that. >> however, in the past, there was some kind of communication going on between hamas and israel. as i said, collecting the utility bills from every home in gaza and paying it to the israeli companies. so there was some kind of communication there , even actually on just so there, even actually on just so they could just go through the papennork and check. exactly. but at at the moment that there is no communication whatsoever because hamas is going underground . underground. >> what about the role that qatar could be playing? we heard that they might have some

leverage and are communicating with hamas. >> well , that's exactly the >> well, that's exactly the other actually question. and qatar is not exactly part of or at least not that warm relations with countries like saudi arabia, like bahrain, like egypt and so on. but they do have they actually finance hamas . they actually finance hamas. they have the some leverage over them on some senior figures actually living living , living herself living living, living herself like she did with the taliban in afghanistan. how much actually leverage what what the americans because what's involving there not only the israelis and the americans, but also the egyptians and other nations with nationals being held by hamas. how much actually leverage they have and what they can give hamas in exchange. in the past, there was a demand by hamas . so there was a demand by hamas. so far, hamas has not met any demand. >> the key point , there's >> the key point, there's nothing being issued by them. that's a key point.

>> there's no demands being made by what are they by them. what are they interested now putting on on interested at now putting on on social media propaganda films? >> very important point. adel, thank you for that. you're with us for the coming hours as we see the scene here looking across the border towards gaza from sderot, we'll update you with the latest on this with the very latest on this fluid situation with on

gb news. >> good afternoon. it is 1:00. this is the live desk here on gb news. this is what we've got coming up for you. >> the confusion over the crossing, conflicting reports as to whether deal has been to whether a deal has been struck to allow humanitarian aid through gaza's key rafah gateway with egypt. 600,000 have been on the move in gaza itself, a rishi sunak has visited a jewish school in north london to show his support for the jewish community, saying that israel had the right to defend itself and its people . and its people. >> he'll be addressing the commons this afternoon . commons this afternoon. >> the israeli defence forces say 199 hostages are being held in gaza after being taken there by hamas . with any negotiations by hamas. with any negotiations seemingly out of the question, just how do their forces launch any rescue in such perilous circumstances .

circumstances. >> and with the growing anxiety over the safety of the hostages held by hamas, we'll be speaking to sir terry waite . he was to sir terry waite. he was kidnapped and held hostage for five years by islamic terrorists in lebanon during the 1980s. first, here are your latest headunes first, here are your latest headlines with . tamsin pape. headlines with. tamsin pape. >> thank you. good afternoon from the newsroom. at 1:01, egyptis from the newsroom. at 1:01, egypt is under pressure to reopen the rafah crossing on its border with gaza . calls are border with gaza. calls are being made for the safe passage of humanitarian aid , along with of humanitarian aid, along with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the area. people have been gathering outside the gates after the us confirmed the crossing would be reopened . the crossing would be reopened. the united nations is warning the humanitarian situation on the gaza strip is deterring rating quickly . while these are live quickly. while these are live pictures from gaza city, israel has ordered civilians to

evacuate the area ahead of a major offensive targeting hamas in response to an attack which claimed 1300 lives. israel says around 200 hostages are being held by the terrorist group, a larger number than previously thought. gaza's health ministry . thought. gaza's health ministry. says 2750 palestinians have been killed since the 7th of october and 9700 people wounded by israeli airstrikes here. the prime minister will address the escalating crisis this afternoon, as well as the uk's response to the violence . response to the violence. speaking from a jewish secondary school in north london this morning, rishi sunak says he's working with israel to minimise the war's impact on civilians , the war's impact on civilians, as it does have every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. >> i think that's what the israeli people would expect from their government, that if their government, is that if something happened something like this happened here, people here, it's what people would expect government to expect from this government to make they take the make sure that they take the proportionate and necessary

steps everybody safe. steps to keep everybody safe. now, with the now, i've raised with the israeli prime minister need israeli prime minister the need to on to minimise the impact on civilians as best we can. i've raised the humanitarian situation. we will continue to do with other allies around do that with other allies around the region . the region. >> israel's military continues to assemble outside gaza, preparing for a ground offensive. the country's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu , minister, benjamin netanyahu, has vowed to demolish hamas . the has vowed to demolish hamas. the us president, joe biden , says us president, joe biden, says he's confident israel will act under the rules of war and he believes hamas must be eliminated . but in an interview eliminated. but in an interview added, there must be a path to a palestinian state. the us secretary of state has been holding talks over the last few days with arab nations . antony days with arab nations. antony blinken has returned to israel after meeting the prime minister five days ago. he's working to prevent the israel—hamas war from igniting a broader regional conflict . to other news now . and conflict. to other news now. and a man once suspected of being part of an islamic state death

squad known as the beatles, has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges . as aine, lesley davis charges. as aine, lesley davis appeared via video link from belmarsh prison and admitted possessing a firearm for terrorism purposes and two counts of funding terrorism . his counts of funding terrorism. his sentencing has been adjourned until next month . a conservative until next month. a conservative mp accused of bullying and sexual misconduct is facing suspension . a parliamentary suspension. a parliamentary panel found that peter bone committed, varied acts of bullying and an act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff in 2012 and 2013. the panelis his staff in 2012 and 2013. the panel is recommending he be suspended for six weeks, a move that could trigger a recall petition and another possible by—election the member for wellingborough denies the allegations, describing them as factually false . the foreign factually false. the foreign secretary is travelling to albania to help tackle illegal migration. james cleverly will attend the annual berlin process summit, along with western balkan and european leaders .

balkan and european leaders. he's expected to look for cooperation on the movement of migrants as the government wants to stop cross—channel small boats crossings. he also plans to launch a british chamber of commerce to boost trade between the two countries. experts believe net migration to the uk is unlikely to drop below 250,000 a year by the end of the decade. net migration stood at 606,000 last year, with the war in ukraine and arrivals from hong kong contributing to the numbers. the migration observatory at the university of oxford and the london school of economics say going fonnard the figure will largely be driven by international students . international students. executive director of migration watch, dr. mike jones says the projections are overly optimistic . optimistic. >> think i'd be surprised if the net migration figures came below 300,000 simply because they assume that student emigration . assume that student emigration. will remain at around 80. but

robert jenrick has said that the number of people staying here long term is around 40. and he gets that that data from the database . there are also database. there are also assumptions about asylum levels remaining the same as they are now. but i would question that the government is planning to send more foreign prisoners home to ease pressure on the system. >> the justice secretary will set out reforms for england and wales, which could bring fonnard legislation on allowing prisoners to be held overseas . prisoners to be held overseas. it's a move that's already been taken by belgium and nonnay. the plans also include sending fewer low level offenders to prison . low level offenders to prison. this is gb news across the uk on tv, in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speaker by saying play gb news now it's over to mark and . pip tomson. over to mark and. pip tomson. >> thank you. welcome back to

the live desk. and let's update you with this fluid situation in gaza with the united nations warning that it's on the brink of the abyss. that's their phrase. with fuel supplies rapidly running dry , hospitals rapidly running dry, hospitals out of power and clean water and some 600,000 people having been on the move as the us secretary of state, antony blinken launches a last round of shuttle diplomacy, flying into tel aviv after meeting egyptian leaders, israel appears ready to launch an offensive on the gaza strip by air, land and sea. well, this morning there was more confusion surrounding the status of this key crossing at rafah from egypt into gaza. now, despite mr blinken saying an accord had been reached with israel to allow palestinians to move and suppues allow palestinians to move and supplies humanitarian supplies to go into gaza, it appears it may still be close today. well, rishi sunak designating the opening of that crossing a priority . priority. >> well, let's get the latest on the ground with our reporter charlie peters, who's outside a

medical centre in tel aviv . medical centre in tel aviv. charlie, thousands of thousands of people still gathering at that rafah crossing . it is a that rafah crossing. it is a lifeline for people and also to get that humanitarian aid. but still it's blocked . still it's blocked. >> yes. and this is the latest in a long run of short hopes being quickly dashed for the people gathering in south gaza . people gathering in south gaza. first, there was talk of humanitarian safe corridors as they made their journeys away from north north gaza. after that order from the idf, those convoys reported blocked by hamas and also explosions taking place on those convoys as they head down. hamas claimed airstrikes hit them. the idf has vehemently denied that it conducted airstrikes on those convoys. then yesterday, we heard that water supplies would be restarted after that blockade in southern gaza. but the taps are still running dry. and today this rafah crossing, reportedly it would start to open, but no

such crossings have occurred . such crossings have occurred. people are still gathering in the south and the un say that the south and the un say that the humanitarian situation is untenable and the spectre of death is looming over the gaza strip. well secretary of state antony blinken stood on the tarmac in egypt in cairo and said that the rafah crossing would open. but it appears that the israeli side has not agreed to whatever mr blinken thought was being achieved. and so he's now back here in tel aviv to have urgent conversations with the government to here get that lifeline. finally opened some nine days after this crisis erupted . erupted. >> yeah, so it does appear that the diplomacy is still undennay before any kind of major military operation. and, of course , as we've been discussing course, as we've been discussing here, the plight of those hostages. but the other aspect, of course, is the preparation for war. you've been at a medical centre. what sort of stories have you been learning there? well they're still recovering from the atrocities

committed on october the 7th that day. >> they're calling it black saturday, when so many people were massacred in their homes by hamas on that appalling invasion as a terrorist broke through the border fence into a relatively unprotected southern israel. but this facility , just speaking to this facility, just speaking to doctors now and medical directors as they are gearing up for worse times because they believe that that invasion , ian, believe that that invasion, ian, is highly likely in the is now highly likely in the coming days. and they know that thousands will die. know thousands will die. they know that will be on that israeli troops will be on a slow and deliberate assault of one of the most densely populated the world. populated parts of the world. and and destruction is and death and destruction is highly likely to come. their way. and burns facility way. and the burns facility we've just visited, we saw people waiting to hear news about their family members after they burnt alive in their they were burnt alive in their shelters in southern israel in the just a year and a half old, still recovering, still on a incubator. but they think it's going to get even worse here. they are preparing for some serious injuries to be required to be taken back beyond the

front line here to tel aviv to seek that urgent treatment. and so as the diplomatic efforts go on, as more people flee south, that convoy is getting prepped for that invasion . for that invasion. >> and just tell us, charlie, what happening on the what is happening on the northern border of israel. israel threatening to destroy lebanon. we understand if hezbollah, another proscribed terrorist group, gets involved in all this as us and hezbollah obviously being supported by iran, just as hamas has supported by iran in the gaza strip. >> we actually heard from iran's foreign minister about five minutes ago who said that they would release the hostages, some 199 hostages in the gaza strip if the siege on gaza stopped by the israeli side say that they will stop their siege if the hostages are released, it's highly unlikely that anything will occur in that brief diplomatic episode. but in the north, lebanese hezbollah are preparing for further strikes . preparing for further strikes. we have seen an escalation in the conflict there. what started

as small cross border skirmishes and small arms fire has escalated very significantly in the last 24 to 48 hours, with cross border missiles and rockets hitting both israeli and hezbollah outposts in that border region. we've also seen a further evacuation of the military settlements sorry, the civilian settlements in northern israel as they turn that zone into more of a battle ground. last night we saw helicopter gunships going up from tel aviv. usually most of the air traffic is heading south. we can see the jets and helicopters heading in that to strike. hamas that direction to strike. hamas targets the gaza strip. but targets in the gaza strip. but there significantly there was significantly more northwoods last night northwoods activity last night as expect, head towards as we expect, they head towards and to confront hezbollah for, as we say this and as that as that ongoing conflict occurs. there are two us strike groups in the eastern mediterranean in joe joe biden, the us president, was very clear last week. he said any other regional said to any other regional actors, consider joining in this conflict. don't and those aircraft carriers and those destroyers are reaffirming that that statement charlie peters in

tel aviv, thank you for the moment. >> we will return to you again shortly. >> but let's speak now to our security editor, mark white, joining us in the studio. and mark, we spoke about antony blinken there and the shuttle diploma . see, i think you've got diploma. see, i think you've got an update on president biden and the white house position . the white house position. >> yeah, he was due to visit colorado , so that has been colorado, so that has been cancelled and for what we're told is a series of security meetings that the us president is going to have throughout today . the administration, we're today. the administration, we're told,is today. the administration, we're told, is still weighing up an offer that was made at the weekend by by the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, in terms of an invitation to president biden to visit israel . president biden to visit israel. i don't think that's going to happen unless there is something significant, significant that antony blinken and the us secretary of state take back to him come away with. there's no way. i don't think that the us

president would want to land in the middle of all of this when israel is about to launch a ground war. i think they would have to be some significant giant advantage to the us president being seen to move to israel if they could. perhaps agree some kind of ceasefire. but i think talk of that is where we often distance. >> it is interesting. i mean the financial times was was quoting jake sullivan, biden's national security adviser, that there have been back channel talks with iran again warning them don't this phrase that's been used but an indication that there is some kind of back channel that we see in all these circumstances when you get a crisis, this and one wonders if part of that discussion is trying to establish the safety of these hostages being held by hamas. >> i think that there's no doubt thatis >> i think that there's no doubt that is one of the factors. but i think there's a range of issues that they want to establish bottom out and try and

get agreement around. one, of course, the safety of the hostages, because remember, a number of these hostages will be american citizens or at least dual nationals. american citizens or at least dual nationals . ten we think of dual nationals. ten we think of british. yep. and other nationals as as well. so some real concern about their safety going fonnard. israel of course, shares that concern and wants the hostages released as charlie was alluding to in his live report there. the iranian foreign minister saying that hamas has apparently said that it would be willing to release hostages if the israeli government was to step back and release its kind of strangle hold on gaza at the moment. there's no sign of that happening . and indeed, hamas happening. and indeed, hamas have not publicly re affirmed the statements coming from. >> and would would you trust any assurances when there is still a question mark about the

commander control structure of hamas itself? i mean, are they acting as separate groups within that entity? >> yeah , i mean, it's such >> yeah, i mean, it's such a muddled picture on the ground that and also , you know, iran is that and also, you know, iran is not an honest player in all of this as the main sponsor of hamas, hizb walla in the north and the like. so yeah, take anything iran says on this issue with a huge pinch of salt , i with a huge pinch of salt, i think. but as far as the biden administration is concerned, as i say, they they not just want the safety of the hostages as being uppermost in their calculations, but also the rafah crossing we know about in the south of gaza, that crossing into egypt. they want as soon as possible to try to get the rafah crossing reopened. we've got a map we can show our television viewers that gives an indication

of where the rafah crossing is . of where the rafah crossing is. >> and that's the only crossing not controlled by israel. that's right into into egypt. >> egypt controls that crossing egypt at the moment has not opened it. it needs to cooperate , an it says of israel . israel , an it says of israel. israel has said that as yet it has not come to a suitable arrangement with egypt that would allow for that crossing to be opened. and all of the while, there are these people , many of them will these people, many of them will be dual nationals , people with be dual nationals, people with the citizenship of other countries, foreign nationals as well, who want to get out of gaza. and there are many trucks on the other side waiting to get into gaza with aid supplies and fuel supplies . fuel supplies. >> yeah, so when you say a suitable arrangement hasn't been agreed to open that crossing , agreed to open that crossing, just explain that a little bit

more. what what conditions need to be in place for that crossing to be in place for that crossing to open, if only for a few hours ? >> well, i mean, there would need to be a ceasefire for a start to allow the crossing to open. start to allow the crossing to open . there would have to be open. there would have to be reassured forces as far as the israelis are concerned, that the suppuesin israelis are concerned, that the supplies in particular the fuel suppues supplies in particular the fuel supplies that would be coming into gaza are not being funnelled up to gaza and to well , to gaza, of course, but not being funnelled up to be used by hamas. and there's real concern that inevitably in an area in a in an enclave that is controlled by hamas, how do you police it? they will get hold of those fuel supplies. so it's a difficult one for israel. they don't want to send in supplies in particular fuel into supply and rearm. these terrorists . rearm. these terrorists. >> i mean, the other aspect as well is the reverse situation,

which we discussed with adel. that's the whole issue of egypt having to accept maybe hundreds of thousands of people trying to flee gaza . and what happens then flee gaza. and what happens then in that sinai peninsula? do they have to start building refugee camps? do they have to start providing food and shelter, beanng providing food and shelter, bearing in mind itself is bearing in mind egypt itself is in dire economic circumstances ? in dire economic circumstances? >> i think in the first instance, if this border opens, it will open to allow aid trucks in, fuel trucks in and then back out again to resupply. and then those foreign nationals and those foreign nationals and those dual nationals that are there. if they cross, they've got a place to go . much more, as got a place to go. much more, as you say, unpalatable and difficult for the egyptians is the prospect of hundreds of thousands of palestinians crossing and being housed in the sinai desert. i think was some way off from that. >> yeah. no, it's not just, of course, the rafah crossing. it's a fluid situation in elsewhere. what do we know about the situation in other parts?

>> we can take a look at another map this time that gives you an indication of the north of the of israel right up to southern lebanon . and that really is an lebanon. and that really is an issue of great concern because of the threat from another of iran's proxies , hezbollah, which iran's proxies, hezbollah, which is in southern lebanon. there, there are 28 towns in and villages that are very close to that border that the israeli government is currently in the process of trying to evacuate. they want people out of these towns, out of potential harm's way, because what we've had now is some rockets, small arms fire and the like coming over the border from hezbollah and the potential for a much more sustained air campaign. >> yeah, and the alerts that we've had today indicating just how nervous everyone, just to go back to the map, i think i'm right in saying in terms of

syria, when we go back to the 1973 yom kippur war, where the golan heights was the key to that, where you can still see the remnants of rusting tanks have been on the top there, seeing that overlooking into syria. syria itself, which of course, has very close connections to russia, seems to be sitting on the sidelines at the moment ish. ish, yeah. >> i mean, there there have been some suggestions of, you >> i mean, there there have been some suggestions of , you know, some suggestions of, you know, fire that has come from the syrian side as well. and we know that israel has bombed some targets in syria, linked to the likes of hezbollah . so i think likes of hezbollah. so i think some real concern about that potentially opening up. i mean, the thing to say about syria and, of course, lebanon , syria and, of course, lebanon, syria has just come out of a brutal civil war and the eradication to a very large degree of isis there. the assad government there. the assad government there has no stomach for a war

against israel when it's trying to reassert itself as the you know, the dominant force within syrian society again, and the same in lebanon economically , same in lebanon economically, the country is a basket case at the country is a basket case at the moment. you'll remember not that long ago that massive explosion that took place in beirut as well, down in the port that caused such devastation to the capital city there as well. and of course, if you turn the clock back , when we talk about clock back, when we talk about beirut and lebanon , we remember beirut and lebanon, we remember the words of sir terry waite. >> update you, we will >> just to update you, we will be speaking to sir terry of course, who had gone there to lebanon to try to negotiate the release of hostages being held, including john mccarthy. that's coming up shortly. but, mark, including john mccarthy. that's conthe up shortly. but, mark, including john mccarthy. that's conthe moment,y. but, mark, including john mccarthy. that's conthe moment,y. but,yourk, including john mccarthy. that's conthe moment,y. but,you for for the moment, thank you for taking the situation. taking us through the situation. >> , coming up, the prime >> well, coming up, the prime minister says the opening of the rafah crossing into egypt from southern gaza is a priority as this humanitarian crisis

continues . as you're with the continues. as you're with the live desk. stay with

from three on gb news choose . from three on gb news choose. >> welcome back to the live desk. prime minister rishi sunak has called for the opening of the rafah crossing into egypt from southern gaza . he says it from southern gaza. he says it is a priority . is a priority. >> well, of course there's been some confusion on its status this morning with tens if not

hundreds of thousands eventually trying to cross into egypt with the offensive , of course, the offensive, of course, expected in the coming days. but with such a mass influx of refugees into a neighbouring country , what would the country, what would the ramifications be for egypt and the wider area? well, let's speak now to adele once more, historian and middle east expert and himself an egyptian, we should add . i just looking at should add. i just looking at this story that the telegraph had said, and that is that egypt mulls or reportedly considering a deal to host up to 100,000 palestinian displaced in exchange for us debt relief. now, this ties into what you were saying earlier about egypt being in real dire economic circumstance . and could al—sisi circumstance. and could al—sisi decide there is a price worth paying decide there is a price worth paying to accept this influx thatis paying to accept this influx that is a very, very strange and actually serious gamble for him because because, a, he would not only be accused of selling the

palestinian cause down the river and that's the main opponents or the or the armed opponent, the muslim brotherhood, who are actually part of hamas, would exploit that against him. >> secondly , the among those >> secondly, the among those refugees, if only 2 or 3% are are hamas sympathisers and hamas terrorists there. and that is absolutely would be a security nightmare. it's enough to cause trouble. no, not cause trouble to not do it at all. i mean, i think what i heard from them this morning was the total rejecting this one. this is speculation. it's nonsense . it's speculation. it's nonsense. it's not talked about. in fact , not been talked about. in fact, at blinken actually are on at the blinken actually are on record saying the israelis cannot occupy gaza is not going to be allowed. and thirdly, what the egyptian might do they might i can have a field hospital that the army can they have in sinai after the peace agreement back in the 1970s. there's a zone , a in the 1970s. there's a zone, a zone b and on c, so they can

actually have a field hospital in zone c on the sinai peninsula, on the sinai peninsula, on the sinai peninsula , to treat the people peninsula, to treat the people who cannot be moved to the south. >> when does a field hospital become a refugee camp ? i guess become a refugee camp? i guess that's the big question. >> that's the big question. but again, giving the size of troops and personnel to be on these zones, a, b, and c, i can't see they would have enough. we can actually . that could be the fig actually. that could be the fig leaf. they cannot have enough number of personnel to actually keep that large kind of camp going on, which would be a way out for them. >> adele, a country we haven't mentioned much so far over the last hour or so, is turkey right ? yes, turkey quite significant , ? yes, turkey quite significant, aren't we understand there have been talks between the president and his iranian counterpart discussing steps that can be taken to end the fighting . taken to end the fighting. >> turkish is quite an interesting position. turkey has a good relationship with president putin, with and with

the iranians and with hamas via the iranians and with hamas via the muslim brotherhood. the muslim brotherhood leadership, which has wanted for jail muslim brotherhood leadership, which has wanted forjail in which has wanted for jail in absentia in egypt, actually is based in turkey . so he can have based in turkey. so he can have also a line through hamas via there, whether then the other parties in the middle east are very angry with turkey because it supports the muslim brotherhood. would actually allow to give turkey some kind of credit for that . that's of credit for that. that's questionable . questionable. >> the big question on the phrase that's used is conflagration, that this widens into a bigger middle east conflict . into a bigger middle east conflict. um, what's your assessment ? there are some assessment? there are some saying if that was going to happen, it might have happened by now. the very fact that hezbollah has not launched anything from the north, the very fact that the shuttle diplomacy still carrying on blinken's flying from cairo to tel aviv and so on and so forth, indicates that everything is

being done to avoid that happening. >> i think the iranians are quite careful and said actually , quite careful and said actually, your comment about turkey, turkey can be helpful. there although they have rapprochment with saudi arabia, but i don't think they would listen to the saudis much. the iranians . saudis much. the iranians. >> but was that the trigger? i mean, it's a suggestion that the iranians saw was happening iranians saw what was happening in terms of the accord with the united states and saudi arabia and basically and israel that iran basically took that iran took took fright at that iran took fright with that. >> hamas also and >> and hamas also and palestinians general do not palestinians in general do not want to see the rapprochement between saudi arabia with that sort prize being given to sort of a prize being given to them . so let's go back to the them. so let's go back to the 1982 83 israeli invasion triggered by the assassination of the israeli ambassador here outside the dorchester by abu nidal. and that end up after the sabra and shatila massacre by the wasn't by the israelis, actually by lebanese phalange. there, the marines landed there. there, the marines landed there.

the americans landed there . so the americans landed there. so i think the iranians want to avoid intervention when the americans would actually land in lebanon and that's another deterrent. and that was the correct move, as we said last week by the americans to send the carrier fleet, the carrier fleet there. >> adel, what happens after all this israel goes in? this, assuming israel goes in? i'm not sure they can completely crush hamas. they maybe weaken them. but what happens aftennards? what happens to the gaza strip? >> well, they can destroy the infrastructure of hamas . last infrastructure of hamas. last time in 2014, when they systematically go and destroy the infrastructure, the world interfered and president obama and the americans told them to stop. and that's what israel is worried about, is that's number one. number two, why what will happenis one. number two, why what will happen is they can't they cannot stay there forever. and that's why the egyptians do not want to empty to depopulate gaza city because there's mainly a city state. and then we talk here

about the palestinian national authority who would actually govern in gaza. and if you look at the palestinian national authority and even the palestinian ambassador here, he's been very careful not to actually condemn hamas and not to say they are terrorists and so on, because they still keeping some kind of a face saving for suella. >> so the caution is still there. indeed. adel, thank you for going through that. you're with us for the rest of the afternoon to take us through this very fluid situation . and this very fluid situation. and of course, we are reflecting too , on the prospect for those 199 hostages being held by hamas. we'll be speaking to sir terry waite, of course, kidnapped in lebanon and held . for 1763 days. lebanon and held. for 1763 days. his thoughts shortly. first, the headunes his thoughts shortly. first, the headlines with tamsen . mark. headlines with tamsen. mark. >> thank you. here are the headunes >> thank you. here are the headlines at 133. egypt is under

pressure to reopen the rafah crossing on its border with gaza to allow the safe passage of humanitarian aid, along with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the area. the united nafionsis from the area. the united nations is warning the humanitarian situation on the gaza strip is deteriorating quickly as israel prepares to launch a ground offensive . here launch a ground offensive. here the prime minister will address the prime minister will address the escalating crisis this afternoon as well as the uk's response to the violence . response to the violence. visiting a jewish secondary school in north london this morning , rishi sunak reassured morning, rishi sunak reassured students the government is doing everything in its power to support the community in britain and abroad. he also said he's working with israel to minimise the war's impact on civilians . the war's impact on civilians. >> does have every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. i think that's what the israeli people would expect from their government, is that if something like this happened it's like this happened here, it's what expect from what people would expect from this to make sure this government to make sure that they take proportionate

that they take the proportionate and to keep and necessary steps to keep everybody i've raised everybody safe. now, i've raised with israeli prime minister everybody safe. now, i've raised witineed israeli prime minister everybody safe. now, i've raised witineed to aeli prime minister everybody safe. now, i've raised witineed to minimise minister everybody safe. now, i've raised witineed to minimise mirimpact the need to minimise the impact on civilians we can. i've on civilians best we can. i've raised humanitarian raised the humanitarian situation. continue to situation. we will continue to do with other allies around do that with other allies around the region . the region. >> a man once suspected of being part of an islamic state cell known as the beatles has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges . guilty to terrorism charges. aine lesley davis appeared via video link from belmarsh prison and admitting possessing a firearm for terrorism purposes and two counts of funding terrorism . he'll be sentenced terrorism. he'll be sentenced next month . a parliamentary next month. a parliamentary panel has recommended conservative mp peter bone be suspended for six weeks for bullying and sexual misconduct. it found the member for wellingborough committed varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff. in 2012 and 2013. he denies the allegations, describing them as factually false . those are the top false. those are the top stories. you can, of course, get

more on all of those by visiting our website, gbnews.com . for our website, gbnews.com. for stunning gold and silver coins. >> you'll always value. >> you'll always value. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . at report. at >> well, here's a quick snapshot of today's markets. the pound will buy you $1.2177 and ,1.1556. the price of gold is £1,573 and one pence per ounce. and the ftse 100 is . at 7625 and the ftse 100 is. at 7625 points. rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report

company right through until 7:00 this evening. gb news the people's . channel people's. channel >> welcome back to the live desk. rishi sunak is due to speak this afternoon in the house of commons, hours after visiting a jewish school . visiting a jewish school. >> let's get more with our political editor, chris hope, joining us now from downing street. chris, any indication if he'll be concentrating on the international picture or the fact that obviously there's reassurance for the jewish community here in britain ? community here in britain? >> yeah, he'll definitely be focusing on the international picture. it's all about gaza and about the uk approach and what the uk will be out there. that's the uk will be out there. that's the big the big concern. they've

got these warships now in the eastern mediterranean and deaung eastern mediterranean and dealing the humanitarian dealing with the humanitarian issue will more. i think issue will heal more. i think crucially on how of these crucially on how many of these nearly 200 israeli hostages are actually uk nationals. that's that's, i think, an issue which has yet really to be aired properly in the uk, that we have got a lot of people out there who are brits who are seen as being held as hostages by by hamas in gaza. that will play out . we'll also hear hamas in gaza. that will play out. we'll also hear more about aid, imagine , going going aid, i imagine, going to going to gaza , £27 million of our to gaza, £27 million of our money went there . the main focus money went there. the main focus will be on in gaza on the israeli the israeli attacks last week . but i israeli the israeli attacks last week. but i think what we'll also may may hear from from the pm will be about anti—semitism and the marches from the tens of thousands of palestinian who walked down whitehall just at the weekend . and earlier when the weekend. and earlier when the weekend. and earlier when the pm was asked about this on a visit to the jewish school in north london and he had this to say, come to this jewish school this specifically this morning, specifically to demonstrate solidarity with demonstrate my solidarity with the jewish community here in the

uk and let them know that we're going do everything in our going to do everything in our power to keep them safe. >> week i met with the >> last week i met with the community and community security trust and police chiefs. we provided more funding the community funding for the community security the security trust. that's the organisation keep organisation that helps keep schools, other schools, synagogues and other jewish community institutions safe . we spent time with the safe. we spent time with the police make sure they have police to make sure they have all the tools, powers and guidance police guidance they need to police protests over the weekend appropriately strike that appropriately and strike that right balance. and it's a difficult job, but i'm grateful to them for everything that they've done. they've made several arrests, but they're also reviewing footage of also now reviewing footage of some of the things that many people will have seen that are just not acceptable. and just simply not acceptable. and where they will be able where they can they will be able to make further arrests. but i'm determined ensure that our determined to ensure that our jewish feel jewish community is able to feel safe streets . there is no safe on our streets. there is no place in our society for anti—semitism, and we will do everything stamp it everything we can to stamp it out. where it happens, it out. and where it happens, it will be met with the full force of law . of the law. >> that's the pm rishi sunak talking earlier in a in a school, a jewish school in north

london, just a few hundred yards away from me down there on whitehall, there's free palestine written on the walls of twice a outside the treasury, very near the cenotaph and above me here you'll see there are two flags there, the union flag and also the ukrainian flag. until friday at £0.08 pm, that ukrainian flag was the israeli flag that taken down flag and that was taken down because up there for a because he'd been up there for a week. and that was the idea was to have it just for a week on these whitehall buildings. but it was also crucially, possibly before the big march down whitehall the palestinian by whitehall by the palestinian by people marching for palestine on saturday. so it's a big it's a very hard to police it. you've got to make sure you differentiate between hamas and palestinians. and that's what the police have got to work out when they go through the footage that pm alluded just said. >> the bigger picture then, >> on the bigger picture then, chris, both rishi chris, i guess for both rishi sunak james cleverly they're sunak and james cleverly they're trying assess situation trying to assess the situation on the position of the rafah crossing and the humanitarian access with with some confusion ,

access with with some confusion, it seems, as to its status . it seems, as to its status. >> that's right. they'll be pressured to open up that rafah crossing in the south of gaza and trying to find a safe corridor for people to leave the leave the area if they want to. so far, we've been told by number 10 today that 400 israelis have come back from israelis have come back from israel on flights, charter flights arranged by the uk government. we're still not clear how brits can leave gaza if they want to. they've been asked themselves known asked to make themselves known to but to authorities there, but certainly and we certainly is not clear. and we are facing of course, the are facing, of course, the likely invasion of northern gaza by israeli forces . so and how by israeli forces. so and how that plays out over the next few weeks and how the uk reacts to that will be part of the conversation going fonnard. >> indeed. and at weekend, >> indeed. and at the weekend, the entertain the prime minister did entertain king jordan, didn't king abdullah of jordan, didn't he? and over the next few days there will be more diplomatic efforts made with other countries. that's right . countries. that's right. >> that's right. and james cleverly, of course , out there cleverly, of course, out there in israel just last week before anthony blinken, the top us diplomat, and the uk has a role

there, of course, part of there, of course, being part of there, of course, being part of the original when israel was was established in the late 1940s, we a historic connection we have a historic connection there to the country . so it's there to the country. so it's very important. we want to be part of the of brokering any kind of peace deal. we're nowhere the moment. nowhere near that at the moment. in the meeting earlier with with reporters, the pm made clear that the pm's spokesman made clear, should say, that clear, i should say, that they do still back a two state solution. frankly, after solution. but frankly, after what israel a week what happened in israel a week saturday, that conversation has now died down. it's now trying to avoid more bloodshed in the area. >> chris a downing street, thank you for that with of course, that prime ministerial statement due a later . let's just due a little later. let's just reflect that. james heappey meanwhile, the armed forces minister has said that hamas use of human shields would make preventing civilian deaths incredibly difficult, with a number of hostages being held in gaza, is 199, according to the israeli defence force . is the israeli defence force. is the authorities refusing? of course, to negotiate with hamas , who've to negotiate with hamas, who've been holding them for one

assumes, some kind of negotiate for release. >> the palestinian health ministry has said that the number of palestinians killed by israeli airstrikes has now reached 2750 as missiles continue to rain down on gaza and the un says it is in deep negotiate options for urgently needed aid. well, with us now is mark ullmann, director of the crisis research institute . good crisis research institute. good afternoon to you, mark. tell us then what efforts are you trying to make in terms of this conflict? to make in terms of this conflict ? well to make in terms of this conflict? well i'm afraid i'm analysing it. >> i can't really offer, i'm afraid a solution even theoretically, there is a the problem is this, as you've hinted in your previous guest is in some ways an insoluble solution. the idea of a two state solution, though, you would have an israeli state, a predominantly jewish state, and a palestinian state, a predominantly muslim state seems to have been killed by hamas and

hamas has always opposed compromise with israel, whereby you would get a partition of the historic territory of palestine going back hundreds of years into israel and the palestinian state. they have wanted a state dominated by them from the river jordan to the mediterranean sea. >> but can you have only a military solution to this? surely it needs a political solution as well. >> well, this is the problem, although, as i say, the previous proposals of political solutions seem not to be able to function effectively. the question that whether is a military solution is also open seriously to question. first of all, even if the israelis sought to destroy hamas militarily in gaza , hamas militarily in gaza, there's likely to be a huge backlash because already there's a severe civilian casualty crisis . and the israelis are crisis. and the israelis are understandable , very angry and understandable, very angry and disgusted by the terrorist attack that they've suffered. but the more palestinian civilians who are not necessarily just not hamas fighters, but actually might be

quite hostile to hamas as dictatorial rule, the more of them who are killed, the more there will be outrage not just in the arab world, but around the world. so it's a practical military question, too. it's bad pubuc military question, too. it's bad public relations to kill too many civilians as well as morally also it's not morally wrong. but also it's not clear that the israeli army will be able to quickly conquer the ruins that the airstrikes have created , very often ruined created, very often ruined buildings provide very good machine gun nests, hiding places for guerrilla fighters. the israelis suffered this in beirut 40 years ago. i think we should therefore be very conscious that therefore be very conscious that the israeli motive for suppressing hamas is a very strong one, but it's not necessarily by itself going to produce the right military answer. a nswer. >> answer. >> mark, as we speak to you, we're seeing more live shots coming in from gaza with more huge plumes of black smoke there on the city skyline in, as we've been discussing with adel here and others. of course, we've got this huge subterranean network of tunnels and a network

reaching as far as the border down in the south at rafah. what good would this be unless they are targeting, one assumes, command and control sort of centres and so on? >> well , i centres and so on? >> well, i think centres and so on? >> well , i think they are. centres and so on? >> well, i think they are. and of course what is being destroyed below ground we can't see, but these very powerful bunker busting bombs that i think we are now seeing used in the last 2 or 3 days will have a devastating effect underground. the problem is not so much that you can knock out the centres of command and communication. also by depriving the area of electricity , including solar electricity, including solar power. even so that the hamas commanders can't communicate easily. the problem is that you do have thousands of people with guns and rocket launchers and so on who will be hiding in the rubble. they may decide not to fight out. they may retreat to try to flee towards egypt, but the danger for the israelis is that though they can decapitate hamas, they may find that as

often happens in mythology , if often happens in mythology, if you off the head of the you cut off the head of the monster, to find that there monster, only to find that there are heads growing are more heads growing separately and of course, there has been the assessment. >> former head of m16 here, that this is exactly what hamas expected israel to do and that they've drawn them into a trap , they've drawn them into a trap, i think was the phrase that was used . used. >> yes, i can't believe that hamas thought that even if they'd had a less from their point of view, successful, grisly operation in southern israel, there would not be a ferocious israeli response. the scale massacre that they scale of the massacre that they committed course , raised committed has, of course, raised the for the israeli the stakes for the israeli government society much government and society much greater. also we just greater. but also we just thinking internationally, one of the reasons i think why hezbollah hasn't intervened yet is that the israeli army is not yet massively deployed, fighting in the rubble of gaza. so we should careful of thinking should be careful of thinking that , like will that hezbollah, like hamas, will behave rationally , as we would behave rationally, as we would think. who wants to get involved in a suicidal conflict? because we be dealing with people we may be dealing with people who what we see as

who see promotes what we see as certainly the risk of suicidal conflict is actually the way to achieve their goal by, for instance, turning much of the international opinion against israel and we've seen already the united states has wobbled from undiluted support from israel 3 or 4 days ago to warning against civilian casualties , which may be the casualties, which may be the right way ethical stance. but it's a shift in the undiluted support that washington was giving israel only a few days ago. >> mark, we know that there are we understand now 199 hostages, as should we, or can we read anything into the fact that so far hamas has not paraded any of these hostages in front of the cameras, which is something you might have expected them to do ? might have expected them to do? >> yeah, well , i think there's a >> yeah, well, i think there's a technical aspect that what we could call signals intelligence, electronic intelligence would study wherever these hostages were paraded to identify the location. and so in addition to the risk of moving people around under the bombardment and in some extent, they want to keep

the hostages alive as a bargaining chip. there's also the a public display the fact that a public display of quite of them would alert quite possibly israeli intelligence to where they're being held. and that would, of course, help the israelis if they tried to rescue at least some of these can be rescued. mark thank you very much indeed for your thoughts as we see more smoke rising there. >> the city skyline of gaza. adel still with us in the studio. you were picking up on this aspect of the so—called bunker busters is that they attempted this. we remember in the first gulf war didn't always work in those work . work in those work. >> and if you remember, went by mistake to one civilian bunker there, which actually having sort of ordinary people, civil servants and air raid, shelter, shelter, air raid shelter. yeah. so it actually is not can have a diverse effect. in addition, obviously the tactical one which will give them places to hide if they choose to fight, although i suspect they probably will withdraw and use some snipers.

but again, turning public opinion, world public opinion against israel. again, what we're talking also in the break about the bibi netanyahu might actually become a political casualty. >> he's not going to be around for much longer, though, is he, adel, after this? >> i don't think so. i remember the yom kippur war in 1973. golda meir, the prime minister, who actually a giant instead who was actually a giant instead compared to bibi netanyahu , compared to bibi netanyahu, although she won the war, it was that syria and egypt caught them on the hop. put them on. yeah. called them asleep. but she lost the election after that because people still held her responses . people still held her responses. bill for the war to begin. so can we can we ask the question as to whether netanyahu will be trying what the long trying to assess what the long term implications are or does he just want to win this operation in gaza short term? he wants to win this operation immediately , win this operation immediately, gain public confidence , appear

gain public confidence, appear to be doing something . and he he to be doing something. and he he belongs his father, professor netanyahu, thought thought that his son was a left wing. he was actually a disciple of steph takyi and ben—gurion said that these people, if they get hold of government in israel, that would actually be a disaster. could actually end democracy in israel, because there were two left wing, because they were too right wing and right too right wing. and in fact , they have the wing. and in fact, they have the religious right, which caused the problem of shifting the army into the settlers. there if you look at the composition of the national unity government now, they had to actually call the secular left liberals who actually know how to conduct politics, how to actually do military operations and so on into the government . the into the government. the expertise on ehud olmert, ehud barak have criticised him , and i barak have criticised him, and i guess they are echoing perhaps the sentiments and thoughts of

many israelis. absolutely. many, many, many israelis . i mean, many israelis. absolutely. many, many, many israelis. i mean, i mean, the two main casualties on the political side, as i said, bibi netanyahu , but also the bibi netanyahu, but also the peace movement in israel, we actually suffer a massive setback with no recover from for quite some time. >> and would hamas have been sophisticated enough to think this through looking at, of course, the unrest, the political unrest that was in israel before they launched their attack? >> i don't think so. i think it's more opportunistic. it's actually of iran pulling actually more of iran pulling the strings is much worried about the rapprochement and the region. but as we discussed before , hamas charter is to before, hamas charter is to actually kill jews worldwide and very anti—semitic . and it's just very anti—semitic. and it's just a terrorist organisation. it's not really political calculation i >> thank you for your thoughts. you're still with us this afternoon to analyse, of course , afternoon to analyse, of course, this very fluid situation . this very fluid situation. >> we're hearing from the palestinian civil defence that more than 1000 people are still missing under housing and

buildings that have been flattened in those israeli airstrikes on gaza. >> yeah, that smoke still there in the distance will keep analysing the situation and keep you updated and all the latest for you here on the live desk on

gb news. >> good afternoon . it is coming

>> good afternoon. it is coming up to 2:00 and you are with the live desk here on gb news. coming up this monday lunchtime, the humanitarian crisis in gaza . the humanitarian crisis in gaza. >> tens of thousands flocked to the south to try to cross into egypt. but the rafah crossing remains closed as we speak . remains closed as we speak. conflicting reports as to whether a deal has been struck to the humanitarian aid, to allow the humanitarian aid, rather, to get through. we'll be keeping you updated throughout the afternoon . the afternoon. >> rishi sunak has visited a jewish school in north london to show his support for the jewish community. he saying israel had the right to defend itself and its people . he'll be addressing its people. he'll be addressing the commons this afternoon . the commons this afternoon. >> and in gaza , fresh blasts >> and in gaza, fresh blasts seen in the last 20 minutes. we'll have the latest live for you as palestine civil defence authorities say there could be 1000 trapped below the rubble in the .

the. city >> and with the clock ticking , >> and with the clock ticking, us secretary of state antony blinken launches a last round of shuttle diplomacy, flying back into tel aviv after meeting egyptian leaders in cairo. all that and more to come. first, your latest headlines with tamsen . pep tamsen. pep >> thanks very much and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it's one minute past to egypt is under pressure to reopen the rafah crossing on its border with gaza. calls are being made for the safe passage of humanitarian aid, along with the evacuation of foreign nationals from the area . the united from the area. the united nafionsis from the area. the united nations is warning the humanity korean situation on the gaza strip is deteriorating quickly . strip is deteriorating quickly. well, these are live pictures from gaza, where plumes of smoke have been seen. israel has ordered civilians to evacuate the area ahead of a major offensive targeting hamas. in

response to an attack which claimed 1300 lives. israel says nearly 200 hostages are being held by the terrorist group. a larger number than previously thought. gaza health ministry says 2750 palestinian have been killed since the 7th of october and 9700 wounded by israeli airstrikes . well, israeli airstrikes. well, israeli military forces outside gaza continue to prepare for a ground offensive. the country's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu , minister, benjamin netanyahu, who has vowed to demolish hamas as the us president joe biden , as the us president joe biden, says he's confident israel will act under the rules of war, but also added there must be a path to a palestinian . state the us to a palestinian. state the us secretary of state has been holding talks over the last few days with arab nations . anthony days with arab nations. anthony blinken has returned to israel after meeting the prime minister five days ago. he's working to prevent the israel—hamas war from igniting a broader region

conflict here. the prime minister will address the escalating crisis this afternoon, as well as the uk's response to the violence. visit a jewish secondary school in north london this morning, rishi sunak reassured students the government is doing everything in its power to support the community in britain and abroad . community in britain and abroad. he also said he's working with israel to minimise the war's impact on civilians. it does have every right to defend itself and its people to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. >> i think that's what the israeli people would expect from their government is that if something like this happened here, what people would here, it's what people would expect from this government to make they take the make sure that they take the proportionate necessary make sure that they take the proportic keep necessary make sure that they take the proportic keep everybodysary make sure that they take the proportic keep everybody safe. steps to keep everybody safe. now, i've raised with the israeli minister need israeli prime minister the need to the on to minimise the impact on civilians best can. i've civilians best we can. i've raised humanitarian raised the humanitarian situation. continue to raised the humanitarian sit|thatn. continue to raised the humanitarian sit|that with continue to raised the humanitarian sit|that with othercontinue to raised the humanitarian sit|that with other allies1e to raised the humanitarian sit|that with other allies around do that with other allies around the region . the region. >> two other news now. a man once suspected of being part of an islamic state death squad known as the beatles , has

known as the beatles, has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. aine lesley davis appeared via video link from belmarsh prison and admitted possessing a firearm for terrorism purposes and two counts of funding terrorism . counts of funding terrorism. he'll be sentenced next month with a parliamentary panel has recommended conservative mp peter bone be suspended for six weeks for bullying and sexual misconduct. it found the member for wellingborough committed varied acts of bullying and one act of sexual misconduct against act of sexual misconduct against a member of his staff. in 2012 and 2013, he denies the allegations, describing them as factually false . the foreign factually false. the foreign secretary is travelling to albania to help tackle illegal migration. james cleverly will attend the annual berlin process summit, along with western balkan and other european leaders. he's expected to look for cooperation on the movement of migrants, as the government wants to stop cross—channel small boats crossings. he also plans to launch a british

chamber of commerce to boost trade between the two countries as experts believe net migration to the uk is unlikely to drop below 250,000 a year by the end of the decade, and net migration stood at 606,000 last year, with the war in ukraine and arrivals from hong kong contributing to the numbers . the migration the numbers. the migration observatory at the university of oxford and the london school of economics say going fonnard the figure will largely be driven by international students. executive director of migration watch dr. mike jones says the projections are overly optimistic. >> i'd be surprised if the net migration figures came below 300,000 simply because they assume that student emigration . assume that student emigration. will remain at around 80. but robert jenrick has said that the number of people staying here long term is around 40. and he gets that that data from the database . there are also

database. there are also assumptions about asylum levels remaining the same as they are now, but i would question that this is gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speaker, all you have to say is play gb news now it's over to malcolm . pip now it's over to malcolm. pip tomson, thanks very much . tomson, thanks very much. >> welcome back to the live desk with all eyes, of course, on the situation in gaza this afternoon, the united nations warning it is on the brink of the abyss. that is their phrase , the abyss. that is their phrase, fuel supplies rapidly running dry , hospitals out power and dry, hospitals out of power and urgently needed medical supplies i >> earlier, there was still confusion over the status of the key rafah crossing from gaza into egypt. that's despite anthony blinken saying an accord had been reached with israel to allow palestinians to flee . uk allow palestinians to flee. uk prime minister rishi sunak has said opening the crossing , well, said opening the crossing, well, that must be a priority.

>> well , the shuttle diplomacy >> well, the shuttle diplomacy has been continuing . anthony has been continuing. anthony blinken, of course, the us secretary of state, had been in cairo. he landed back in tel aviv a little earlier. we believe he's now met benjamin netanyahu once more and may be speaking to reporters shortly. let's get the latest from tel aviv with our reporter there, charlie peters. and charlie, despite the expectation of this offensive starting , it seems offensive starting, it seems this shuttle diplomacy is going up to the very last minute. yes >> and in the last hour, we've heard from a us spokesperson saying that they are confident that the rafah crossing will open at some point today. operational details of that were not giving, but that is a clear stance from the us side that they are confident that some humanitarian aid and indeed civilians will be able to pass through that crossing between egypt and gaza . in just the last egypt and gaza. in just the last few minutes we've also heard reports from the un that some some fuel and supplies have been taken from a compound in gaza

city in the north. so a changing situation in both south gaza and the north. and this comes, of course, as the idf has ordered in the last 72 hours, 1.1 million people in north gaza to head to the south where they think they will be safer ahead of that likely ground invasion . of that likely ground invasion. last night we heard that some 600,000 had made the journey. it's highly likely that that number has risen in the last 24 hours, but still , they need more hours, but still, they need more people to move south before they can begin further offensive operations and so that that opening in the south, in the border crossing with rafah is absolutely vital towards the humanitarian mission here. but also it's crucial for the shaping of further military operations as this war enters its next phase . its next phase. >> and we believe now that 199 people are being held hostage in gaza. people are being held hostage in gaza . now, that figure is up gaza. now, that figure is up quite a lot from the 155 we were told about at the weekend. add any any word on the latest with

the hunt for them ? the hunt for them? >> the idf have remained extremely limited in their commentary on the hostages, only confirming numbers and indeed casualties. when they occur. but it's clear that the hostage rescue situation is at the forefront of the idf strategy. indeed, in discussions with iran, when iran talks about what it expects in terms of a ceasefire, it says that hostages will only be released if the siege stops. and israel says that the siege will only stop when hostages are released. so that's very much a key. sadly, a bargaining chip in this conflict as it continues. and also, we have heard reports from the idf that its specialist units that deal with the extraction of hostages, which indeed netanyahu served in in his younger days , served in in his younger days, is gearing up for that operation to retrieve those hostages from north gaza. if that is where they are expected to be, and that will be probably one of the most treacherous operations that the idf conduct. if they do

launch that invasion. because as we know, the gaza city is a city of two layers. the civilians above ground and then hundreds of kilometres and of kilometres of shelters and tunnels where hamas militants andindeed tunnels where hamas militants and indeed members of palestinian islamic jihad and other terror groups in gaza city can gather their weapons, their suppues can gather their weapons, their supplies and prepare for future attacks. and it's highly likely that hostages being kept that the hostages are being kept in labyrinthine shelters in those labyrinthine shelters underground . underground. >> well, let's charlie, thank you for that. reflect on the plight of those hostages. of course, children and elderly and women in involved in that. and we can now speak to sir terry waite, who you will remember was the archbishop of canterbury us envoy, went to lebanon to actually negotiate for the release of hostages and himself was taken hostage. sir terry, i think . 1763 days. and i guess think. 1763 days. and i guess you remember each and every one of them. your thoughts must be with those 199 today. >> well, yes . and this is such

>> well, yes. and this is such a tragedy because as in this conflict, the main sufferers are men, women and children, innocent men, women and children. and one has a particular, you know, concern , particular, you know, concern, one for those who are held hostage. but i'm afraid this situation has been ought to have been foreseen . i think there's been foreseen. i think there's been foreseen. i think there's been a lament double failure by the international community to be impartial in this matter. in the past and to really seek a resolution to this problem. it's extra ordinarily difficult. i mean, i've been involved in that in the middle east in that situation for many years , years. situation for many years, years. i've sat down with the families in israel . of those who've been in israel. of those who've been brutally killed . and i've also

brutally killed. and i've also beenin brutally killed. and i've also been in the palestinian territory and have seen people in the in their own villages, their little villages , which are their little villages, which are next to a huge settlement and a legal settlement . the settlement legal settlement. the settlement takes the water for the people in the village, have nothing. and who should shoulder to shoulder with them . i am not shoulder with them. i am not blaming i'm not putting blame on people here. what i'm saying is there's been a failure by the international community to really take hold of this situation, to be impartial, all because they've played into the hands of hamas , they've played hands of hamas, they've played into their hands , and the into their hands, and the palestinians have backed hamas out of sheer desperation that nothing is being resolved for them . and constantly they see them. and constantly they see their territory taken away. so it's not surprising, but it's lamentable and now you get to the situation where the innocent

on both sides and i stress both sides are suffering abysmally . sides are suffering abysmally. it's a it's it makes me very angry. and it makes me very upset. so terry, one thing about this situation appears to be the sheer number of hostage offers that have been taken here. well it's a very considerable number and an attempt to rescue or to release such a large number is going to be extremely difficult . going to be extremely difficult. remember the last time that was successful in my mind to my mind was way back in entebbe in uganda , when the there was uganda, when the there was a large number of hostages taken, israeli hostages , they were israeli hostages, they were released. but this is a very, very different situation . as has very different situation. as has already been said , there are already been said, there are tunnels, there are places of hiding. they'll be dispersed . hiding. they'll be dispersed. they won't be all together. it's

an extraordinarily difficult task and a task that really if warfare is used, will mean more innocent people will die . we innocent people will die. we need somewhere, somewhere , way need somewhere, somewhere, way of resolving this. and if you ask me what it is at the moment, i don't know. yeah >> we reflect, of course, that binyamin netanyahu's brother was involved in that successful operation in entebbe at the airport . but operation in entebbe at the airport. but that operation in entebbe at the airport . but that begs operation in entebbe at the airport. but that begs a operation in entebbe at the airport . but that begs a very airport. but that begs a very difficult question as to what the israelis should adopt this time round, because there are those , as you know, who say you those, as you know, who say you cannot negotiate with a body like hamas. you have to deal with islamic jihad in lebanon. i mean, is there a way through in terms of talking? >> well, i think there is . you >> well, i think there is. you see, people have always said to me in the past, you will never negotiate with gaddafi . he negotiate with gaddafi. he totally crazy. well it was possible to negotiate , but it

possible to negotiate, but it isn't . has there been real isn't. has there been real sufficient attempt to understand the frustration of the palestinian people and hamas now has been allowed to take control of that situation and to dominate that situation. the vast majority of palestinians in my as i know them do not want warfare. they want to live in peace. but they've they've they've put hamas into power out of sheer desperation , in sheer of sheer desperation, in sheer frustration . and that frustration. and that frustration. and that frustration should have been met years ago . we should have been years ago. we should have been recognised by the international community that this is building up a powder keg, is building up which one day will explode and now it has exploded . now it has exploded. >> can i ask you your your thoughts about the hostages themselves? as i said, you spent 1763 days alongside john

mccarthy. brian keenan as well. what will be able to sustain them? because clearly there are elderly people that are very young people. we pray and hope they're being held together and they're being held together and the families are being held together. but how do they get through this? well well, the answer is with difficulty . answer is with difficulty. >> we you have to be able somehow to maintain hope, keep hope alive in yourself . um, that hope alive in yourself. um, that is all you can do. you you've no idea. i mean, i had no idea at all what, if anything , was all what, if anything, was happening in the outside world. yeah. and every time someone came into my cell, you know , i came into my cell, you know, i could. they could have been coming in to kill me. could. they could have been coming in to kill me . you just coming in to kill me. you just have to somehow find within yourself the resources to maintain hope and say i'm still alive today. and i live for today. that's all you can do. >> a little earlier, sir terry, we spoke to how sharon, who is

one of the many families going through this terrible ordeal, ten members of her family have been kidnapped. is there any words of comfort you can give today to these families ? well today to these families? well i would say everything will be done that is possible to release them. >> and let's hope it can be done without further bloodshed. and some years ago, i, i founded an organisation called hostage international, organisation called hostage international , where we do give international, where we do give support to hostage families . and support to hostage families. and if anybody wishes to be in touch with us, we will be there ready to give support to the family. we have trained people who are ready to do that, but this is a massive problem and there are more hostage families now than possibly we could cope with. but that's one thing we can do and do do constantly and have been doing for the last 30 years. and that obviously is very important , that people know that others are thinking of them and that

others care as well . absolutely others care as well. absolutely and that is quite true . so many and that is quite true. so many people are thinking of them and supporting them. but of course, that message often does not get through to the hostages themselves. i mean, when i was a captivity, i i'd no idea what was happening in the outside world. i didn't know for five years. in my case. >> do you have hope for the future? because we reflect that in, i think, 2012 you took the extraordinary step of going back to lebanon and being reunited or reconciled. i don't know which is the correct term with your very own captors . yes. very own captors. yes. >> yeah . i have hope for the >> yeah. i have hope for the future. yes i have hope. still hope that the international community be together with the regional powers, will be able to put geopolitics to one side if they can and deal with this problem in a sensible way. there has to be a resolution to the

israeli—palestinian issue . there israeli —palestinian issue. there has israeli—palestinian issue. there has to be a resolution. othennise warfare will go for on countless year after year, after yean countless year after year, after year. and it's really up now to a real determined effort for all parties to be impartial and to try and find an impartial settlement to this chronic problem that's going to take some doing . it's not impossible. some doing. it's not impossible. it has to be possible if people are going to live in peace. sir terry waite, thank you for joining us here on gb news and sharing your thoughts with us and the audience. >> thank you very much indeed. thank you . thank you. >> stay with us here on the live desk. we'll be going to the house of commons, where mps are due to pay their respects to the victims of the ongoing conflict in the middle east. the prime minister, sunak , is due to minister, rishi sunak, is due to make a statement. stay

>> patrick christys weekdays from three on . news from three on. news >> welcome back to the live desk and we're taking you live again to the scene at gaza city where more huge plumes of black smoke are appearing there in the distance . suggestions that the distance. suggestions that the airstrikes are continuing and perhaps even the so—called bunker buster bombs being used. these very large munitions designed to go through a building into underground complexes . it is known, of complexes. it is known, of course, that there is a huge, complicated and sophisticated network of tunnels and various

other secure rooms under the buildings there in gaza, which the israelis are trying to target . target. >> people in gaza's city have been telling reuters news agency that israeli aircraft bombed areas around the al—quds hospital earlier today, but houses were also damaged and hundreds of people were forced to take shelter in the hospital, which is run by red crescent. also health officials there say israeli planes bombed three offices of the civil emergency and ambulance service in gaza city , apparently killing five city, apparently killing five people. and halting the rescue services , diplomatic efforts , services, diplomatic efforts, though, are still undennay. >> we're being told that the us secretary of state, antony blinken, has been meeting benjamin netanyahu in tel aviv and we're expecting a statement shortly. bring in our shortly. let's bring in our security editor, mark white now, who's been monitoring the developments because, of course, he's flown in from cairo earlier and also , you were telling us and also, you were telling us that joe biden has cancelled a

trip and is staying put in the white house at the moment. >> he was due to head to colorado. so that has been cancelled for what we're told by the white house is a number of security briefings that will take place throughout today. the administration is still weighing up an invitation by benjamin netanyahu to travel to israel for the us president . i netanyahu to travel to israel for the us president. i don't think he would head to israel at this time unless there was something significant that he could show for that visit. the last thing that the us president would want to do in the administration would want to do is to land him right in the middle of all of this. but what we might get from blinken is perhaps some indication of some of the more achievable short term goals, such as the opening of the rafah crossing , this of the rafah crossing, this crossing in southern gaza. the

crossing in southern gaza. the crossing there into egypt . there crossing there into egypt. there are dozens of fuel trucks and other supply trucks waiting to cross into gaza. and of course , cross into gaza. and of course, hundreds of people on the gazan side of the border who are foreign nationals, dual nationals that want to get out of gaza as well. so that might be one area of agreement, but there was indications from the us earlier that that crossing was going to open , but it hasn't was going to open, but it hasn't opened. israel has said that they haven't reached a deal yet. >> i think netanyahu's speaking to the israeli parliament, the knesset at the moment. he is speaking in hebrew. but we'll just bring you up the pictures because clearly that'll be coming up in a moment. he may be updating them on what's happening with with blinken, because we i guess we've got this dual track of trying to keep the humanitarian situation going as well as israel knowingly preparing for a

military conflict behind the scenes. well absolutely. >> i mean, benjamin netanyahu himself said in recent days that they were prepared to go in imminently with a land air and sea. >> i feel like we've been saying this a lot, though, that it's hours away. so what is it that is holding it up, if you like? is it this flurry of diplomatic talks? is it trying to sort out humanitarian aid, make sure enough , you know, many people as enough, you know, many people as possible have found shelter in the south? >> well, i think all of the above. in truth, we don't really know. but there is no doubt that a away from the very . public a away from the very. public degree of support that's being offered to israel from the us, from the uk and other friends of israel , they will be behind the israel, they will be behind the scenes trying to ensure that israel does all that is humanly possible to ensure that the

civilians of gaza are in a position to get out of harm's way. enormously difficult, but of course it is given the densit city of that area around gaza city. the fact that some people won't want to leave, the fact that some people are being prevented from leaving and others just are not in a condition to be able to leave elderly, infirm people in hospital and alike. >> so that's yahoo! we're just heanng >> so that's yahoo! we're just hearing speaking in parliament. he has just said we are going to completely wipe out our enemies. yeah i mean, he's speaking to of course, his own population as well as the wider world that sentiment he has , you know, sentiment he has, you know, shared with us in recent days as well. >> they want to obliterate it. hamas and indeed they have the full backing and support of the likes of the us and the uk to do that, to go after hamas, to take them out. the difficulty in going after hamas in an urban

area where, you know, there are terrorist group, but they are in a sense part of the people, part of we're just to going bring this in from the knesset. >> as we say, he is speaking in hebrew, but indicating, as we say, that he will wipe out the enemy. refers acting, of course, mark, that he's got to think about his own domestic political situation in the middle of this, which is pretty perilous, beanng which is pretty perilous, bearing in mind the assertion that he was is asleep at the wheel, that they missed the warning signs. egypt saying, no, we warned israel about what might be happening. but the other aspect , i might be happening. but the other aspect, i guess, is that maybe we're expecting some kind of shock and awe for operation. but may be staged. it may but this may be staged. it may be gradual and it may be quite low key to start with. >> yeah, we as i say, we really don't know what the eventual tactics is that the idf employ will be and it may well be actually that it changes that they have one tactic in mind,

but the situation on the ground that they're faced with means that they're faced with means that they're faced with means that they have to take a completely different tactic or at least in some way alter it . at least in some way alter it. that's why they're talking about land, air and sea. we know we've seen, again with the live images we've been showing off the continued bombardment of key sites in gaza, around gaza city that , sites in gaza, around gaza city that, you sites in gaza, around gaza city that , you know, they they've got that, you know, they they've got intelligence . they know the intelligence. they know the hamas sites they want to go after. they're doing it, they say while being as careful as they can, not to put the public who may still be in that area at undue risk. >> so our chances as of any sort of ceasefire just gone . hopes of ceasefire just gone. hopes for a ceasefire , you know, with for a ceasefire, you know, with people saying other countries saying, look, the death toll here, the humanitarian disaster, the pendulum could swing against you when it comes to the world, sympathy, it depends what we mean by a ceasefire. >> clearly, from what we're

seeing , there's no ceasefire in seeing, there's no ceasefire in in terms of the efforts by israel from the air at least. and indeed from some of the artillery and other systems on the ground to go after hamas targets in gaza . could there be targets in gaza. could there be a delay in the efforts to go in with the full might of the israeli military? that's possible for a ceasefire with agree with, you know, the goal of trying to arrange some kind of trying to arrange some kind of settlement? no that's for the birds. i mean, you know, israel wants to go after hamas . what wants to go after hamas. what israel doesn't want to do is strike some kind of agreement with hamas. it wants to go after that organisation and to obliterate it. >> they've said and we know they've been practising at an army base about ten miles from the border going through the sort of street to street building to building, fighting , building to building, fighting, which is so difficult. but they have been before to 2008

have been here before to 2008 and 2014, so they've got some experience of what to expect . experience of what to expect. and one reflects there were 166 israeli soldiers killed in the last attempt. yeah >> and i think no one believes that this operation will be any less in fact, they are fully prepared for it being much more significant in terms of the casualties that these idf forces will face because hamas has had a long time to prepare for this. it's had funding from iran , of it's had funding from iran, of course, over that time as well , course, over that time as well, and training. they you talked about the tunnels , hundreds of about the tunnels, hundreds of miles of tunnels underneath gaza itself where they can move about themselves, where they can move these missile bombs and other ammunition and weapons. and indeed, the hostage is that they can hide in this maze of tunnels as well. yeah >> and the other aspect is that one might be able to take out

the commanders , take out the the commanders, take out the bunkers, take out some of the armament. but how do you then destroy an ideology ? erg because destroy an ideology? erg because of course you've got the spiritual leader , if you like spiritual leader, if you like this guy, ismail haniyeh, living in luxury in qatar in a in a penthouse apartment untouched . penthouse apartment untouched. >> but yeah, i mean, so an ideology, of course, is always difficult to combat and eradicate . we see that, you eradicate. we see that, you know, with terrorist organisations like al—qaeda and isis, that ideology is there and remains, even though the destructive force of these organisations is has been very significantly diminished. and of course , as far as hamas is course, as far as hamas is concerned and there will be an acknowledgement , i'm sure acknowledgement, i'm sure privately by the israelis that actually destroying the ideology is to next impossible. but in the same way that you can severely diminish the likes of isis and al—qaeda that would be

a worthwhile goal for them to achieve against hamas, to take them out of the game in terms of being a very significant military or terrorist threat going fonnard as well. >> as we say, we've just seen benjamin netanyahu , who at the benjamin netanyahu, who at the knesset, we expect that there will be an update of a statement from antony blinken, who met him earlier, the us secretary of state and indeed we are expecting a statement from rishi sunakin expecting a statement from rishi sunak in the house of commons shortly. the shortly. we'll have all the latest you live on latest for you live here on the live desk. with .

patrick christys on gb news and gb news radio . gb news radio. >> welcome back to the live desk where we bring you those pictures of binyamin netanyahu speaking to the knesset , the speaking to the knesset, the israeli parliament. we'll hear in westminster. we've had a minute's silence as mps return to westminster with rishi sunak making a statement to the commons this afternoon and of course reflecting on the loss of life on both sides in terms of that being observed by well , that being observed by well, substantial number of mps in the house. >> yeah, he'll be out lining how the uk is supporting israel and helping british nationals caught up in the fighting. helping british nationals caught up in the fighting . many british up in the fighting. many british nationals stuck in gaza trying to get out with that rafah crossing closed at the moment and he will also be talking about this growing humanitarian

crisis inside gaza as well. >> well, adel dannish back with us in the studio because let's just reflect that as well as being a middle east analyst and author and former war correspondent. you're a member of the lobby as well. so you're following events in westminster. yes are we observers on the sideline ? sideline? >> we are not because we have a very pulling forces one, we have our own nationals that have been taking at least ten, maybe james cleverly, ten to is in our interest. israel is the only democracy in the region . it's democracy in the region. it's quite important to protect democracy, protect international law . thirdly, when we come law. thirdly, when we come actually to the composition of westminster . so we have some mps westminster. so we have some mps are sort of genuinely for peace and some mps are left wing, especially on labour and the corbyn esta and all of that, who probably are sort of on jeremy

corbyn's voicing the support for hamas at one stage exactly , hamas at one stage exactly, refused to condemn hamas or to try to justify it. so so obviously everyone would be united in the minute's silence, led by the speakers and lindsay hoyle. however, when the prime minister is going to make the ministerial statement, which probably will be about sort of three quarters of an hour or so from or probably 40 minutes from now or probably 40 minutes from now or probably 40 minutes from now, then we're going to see what the ministerial see what follows the ministerial statement. voices are statement. some voices are going to up, sort question our to pop up, sort of question our commitment to support israel , to commitment to support israel, to question the motives, and then try to sort of cast doubt as well as the genuine voices for humanitarian aid. >> i don't know whether you caught some of the interview that we did with sir terry waite earlier. yes, the terry waite, who spent those 176, three days in in captivity. he made no secret of how angry he is about this, saying, you know, everyone should have seen this coming. >> absolutely agree with him.

because i remember i was covering a story again, he went to the hostage situation developed in the 1980s. the israelis went into southern lebanon because the palestinian group called abu nidal terrible terrorist group there tried to assassinate the israeli ambassador at the dorchester. the israeli the israelis went there and the massacre the marines landed and multinational force . and then the hostages force. and then the hostages started being taken . terry waite started being taken. terry waite went there to release the hostages. i think the point he was making is the international community should have done more to for actually peace. but when we had the oslo agreement, which in 1993 and remember, mark was actually commenting on it in the sky and how everyone was quite sort of optimistic about it. and there was a lot of aid came to palestine and the israelis made miscalculations . yes, we try to

miscalculations. yes, we try to assassinate sheikh yassin in or try to assassinate khaled meshaal in jordan. king hussein got very angry and he demanded the release of the man who became the spiritual leader of hamas. and then after that, the hamas. and then after that, the hamas sort of pushed the plo out of gaza. >> so do you think part of this is that the history that hamas is that the history that hamas is looking at the lessons of history, if you like? >> yes. in a negative way, realising that actually mistakes are made, miscalculations are made, and they're going to exploit this miscalculation. adele hold that thought, because with us now and you'll be interested to hear what he has to say as well. >> is alec pollard, a journalist who has extensively covered hamas for a number of years now. thanks ever so much for talking to us this afternoon, alec. what more have you learned about hamas and their thinking over the last few days as well? >> the last few days haven't really changed my opinion of

hamas that's formulated over the years because they've committed these types of attacks before, maybe not on this kind of scale, but in israel at least the shock is not really at the brutality of hamas, which we knew. >> but of the fact that they were able to execute such an attack and the failure of the intelligence and the military and so forth in preventing it. but ican and so forth in preventing it. but i can say is that but what i can say is that before i started working as a journalist, was aware the journalist, i was aware of the hamas which says in the hamas charter, which says in the very first line that israel will exist and continue to exist until it is obliterated by the forces of islam. you cannot get more explicit than that. but when covering them, i did notice their ability to be slightly more pragmatic and maybe move a little bit away from that ideology when there is some type of short term gain to be had. if there's a money coming in from qatar and other sources to help the reconstruction of gaza, if there's some type of silent agreement with israel where workers can move from gaza into

israel and thus maybe alleviate a little bit the economic situation over there , then we situation over there, then we see that hamas is capable of being a little bit more pragmatic because they have the needs of the population that they still need to cater to. yes, hamas is a proscribed terror organisation in the uk and the eu , but they have and the eu, but they have 2 million people under them who have demands. need work, have demands. they need to work, they put food on the they need to put food on the table . so hamas have to be table. so hamas does have to be slightly practical slightly more practical sometimes, but what notice is sometimes, but what i notice is that them making such that despite them making such moves, it never means that they are moving even an inch from their underlying ideology, which is the destruction of israel, the rejection of israel's existence, never using the word israel in any of their press releases that i've seen over the years, always using other terms like the zionist entity, the occupation israel in quotation marks , things like that, and marks, things like that, and also the method for ending the existence of israel being jihad and violent struggle as they call it, which includes not just violent struggle against the

military , but also violent military, but also violent struggle against civilians intentionally targeting civilians, as we saw last week, which most reasonable people, which most reasonable people, which apparently doesn't include the bbc, would call terrorism. >> so therefore , there was this >> so therefore, there was this something a long time in the planning. some have suggested two years in the planning or was it an opportune attack to try and split israel at a time when they would have known that the political leadership was in trouble with its own people ? trouble with its own people? >> i don't know about how long this this attack was was in the making, but i know that hamas are always planning various attacks against israel and sometimes executing them on a smaller scale. shootings there was a case where a man hacked two people to death with an axe in a park on israel independence day. so they're always planning such attacks. the fact that they were able to do something on this scale, i think shocked,

shocked a lot of people. there is the possibility also that the timing with the possible normalisation between israel and saudi arabia, that hamas wanted to do something big that could derail that. that's that's definitely a possibility. but but in the end of the day, it's a really, really huge, huge event that has thrown everything into chaos . into chaos. >> and from what you have learned about them, what what approach do you think they will be taking when it comes to what we understand are now 199 israeli hostages being held ? israeli hostages being held? >> well, i think what hamas wants to do now, which is in line with what i said earlier about short term gains, is to try at some point to call for a ceasefire with israel after they've inflicted this terrible blow to israel, to israeli morale, to the israeli prestige and deterrence to now that hamas is on the defensive and that israel is striking them and pounding them and killing many of commanders, they're

pounding them and killing many of to :ommanders, they're pounding them and killing many of to want anders, they're pounding them and killing many of to want to ders, they're pounding them and killing many of to want to have they're pounding them and killing many of to want to have that re going to want to have that ceasefire so that they can hold on to those to have on to those hostages to have tremendous israel tremendous leverage over israel in future . that's line in the future. that's in line with they operate, is that with how they operate, is that they they fire rockets they attack they fire rockets into israeli territory. then into israeli territory. and then when start to get the when they start to get the receiving end of that, then they call ceasefire for and call for the ceasefire for and the reconstruction money come the reconstruction money to come in and to try to use whatever leverage they have against israel. that's what israel. i think that's what they're going to want to do now, in the near future. they're going that ceasefire and going to want that ceasefire and israel to under israel is going to come under a lot of pressure from the international community because of casualties in of the mounting casualties in gaza, inevitable gaza, which is inevitable in this where hamas is this kind of war where hamas is hiding civilian hiding behind the civilian population. is going population. israel is going to come a a lot of come under a lot, a lot of pressure, and it's going to be the role of friends of israel, countries that have relations with like with israel, like the uk, like the states, to give with israel, like the uk, like the that states, to give with israel, like the uk, like the that backing,o give with israel, like the uk, like the that backing, t0jive with israel, like the uk, like the that backing, to continue israel that backing, to continue the and to eliminate the operation and to eliminate hamas . no, no the operation and to eliminate hamas. no, no sign about deterrence . deterrence. >> current hamas, no sign of a ceasefire at the moment. i'm just going to interrupt you because we've got some live pictures coming in from the

south, sderot, where we're looking towards gaza . there's looking towards gaza. there's white on the sky and we white smoke on the sky and we don't know if that's rocket fire from gaza into israel or vice versa. but clearly , in terms of versa. but clearly, in terms of the armed struggle , as hamas the armed struggle, as hamas would have it, that continues , would have it, that continues, as do you believe that they were thinking long term to try and draw israel into this, into what our former intelligence head of mi6 our former intelligence head of m16 said was a trap that they mi6 said was a trap that they laid for israel ? laid for israel? >> i think there are definitely prepared now for the ground incursion that israel is going to do. that definitely makes sense to me. but as far as what they what they want to achieve, i mean, at the end of the day, hamas has nothing to offer the people of gaza. all they have to offer is an endless, endless conflict with israel. and we've seen that. and one of the best ways that they can distract from all failures as far as all their failures as far as giving value to giving something of value to gazans and to palestinians in general , is to fight israel.

general, is to fight israel. that's that's what unites people and makes people forget of all the all the, you know, terrible governance of hamas in gaza, failing to provide anything to the people of gaza . i think also the people of gaza. i think also it should be noted that that many people in gaza do support hamas and support their fight against israel . if you've seen against israel. if you've seen some of the protests that have taken place in gaza over the years , they were mostly about years, they were mostly about the results of the hamas policy rather than the policy itself. so it's not that people are protesting against hamas because hamas is calling for the annihilation of israel and is firing rockets into israel . firing rockets into israel. they're protesting against the results of that policy, which is destruction in gaza , which is no destruction in gaza, which is no jobs, no economic opportunities, no hope. but the actual underlying ideology of hamas , underlying ideology of hamas, which is that they don't recognise israel and they believe that it's to okay attack civilians, i would say is quite popular or or, you know, has quite a lot, a lot of support among people in gaza, in the

west bank as well, where hamas is very popular. and even among protesters that we're seeing now in london and other places, they may the ones actually may not be the ones who actually go execute and want to go out and execute and want to take a gun and kill people. take up a gun and kill people. but a certain amount but they have a certain amount of support and sympathy for that. and we're seeing that with all these chants of we are hamas and from the river to the sea that even in western that are coming, even in western capitals, alec pollard, we really appreciate your your knowledge and your expertise on this subject . this subject. >> thanks so much for talking to us this afternoon on gb news. >> well, let's reflect that we've had that minute silence in the house of commons. we are going to get a statement from the prime minister shortly. let's more with olivier, let's get more with olivier, who's down in westminster for us. and olivier, of course, they've been in recess, the mps coming together again on, coming back together again on, well, is pretty much an well, what is pretty much an international crisis . international crisis. >> yes , absolutely. and we're >> yes, absolutely. and we're expecting to hear from rishi sunak soon. his statement is going to address the situation in the middle east and talk

specifically about what the british government is going to be doing over the next few weeks and months to help british citizens who've been caught up in the violence in israel and gaza. in the violence in israel and gaza . the prime minister gaza. the prime minister estimates that about 6000 uk citizens are in israel. in gaza right now . we know that 17 right now. we know that 17 british citizens have already died in the conflict and up to ten. it sounds like , although ten. it sounds like, although james cleverly is being careful not to be too precise about numbers, but up to ten have already died in the conflict. rishi sunak will also be talking about how britain plans to support israel in the coming days and weeks , outlining the days and weeks, outlining the steadfast support that he has offered already and he'll talk a little bit about the humanitarian crisis that is developing in gaza right now. but yes, quite a big first day back for politicians who've been away for the conference recess season and just seeing the visit

he made to a school in north london this morning. >> the other aspect is that the government is trying to bring some kind of reassurance to , uh, some kind of reassurance to, uh, to communities across britain after what we've seen on the streets . streets. >> yeah . the prime minister has >> yeah. the prime minister has visited a jewish school this morning. he chaired a roundtable with police chiefs late last week, and he's already promised £3 million of extra security funding to help the jewish community at this time. so the prime minister is obviously very deeply concerned about what's going on in israel and the effect that it's having on british jews over here. we've seen these protests, the pro—palestine protest both on saturday and last week seem to be gathering steam as they go on. and we've seen some awful scenes of posts about missing israelis being ripped down from london streets. this is a very real concern for the prime minister right now, and he's hoping that he'll be able to fix it with these round tables,

meetings and a bit of money to try and help the problem . try and help the problem. >> olivia, thank you very much . >> olivia, thank you very much. we do have a little bit more information prime information about what the prime minister, netanyahu, minister, benjamin netanyahu, said in the knesset . and he has said in the knesset. and he has conceived added that there will be an investigation into the intelligence and security failures that allowed hamas to mount that terrorist attack. nine days ago. he also called on the world to unite and fight the proscribed terrorist group . proscribed terrorist group. >> will israel be united? adele still with us here in the studio because clearly there will be a lot of sacrifice to come . one lot of sacrifice to come. one assumes that most families now in israel will have members fighting or having been called up . there's going to be a big up. there's going to be a big price to pay for some people. >> well, you know, as sort of checking on friends and israel and contacting them and the air raid sirens going on and so on. the rockets , they still angry the rockets, they still angry with netanyahu . for not only

with netanyahu. for not only failure to protect them, but actually keeping the moderate section , moderate islam relative section, moderate islam relative moderate in the west bank and so on. mahmoud abbas could have actually had a better deal with them. and . the because hamas was them. and. the because hamas was , let's face it, let's face it. i mean, if hamas actually got defeated and destroyed and so on, what's going to replace them ? and even when you rebuild gaza and you pour a lot of money there , it's not a normal there, it's not a normal situation where you get people are going to elect in some kind of economic interest. you have a whole new generation of young people being educated on hamas doctrines and a warped sense of history and the narrative they heard about the creation of the state of israel. and i was interested to hear that the they referred to it as the occupation or as the entity, you know, even without the zionist entity, the

just the entity. and occupation. and as you know , gaza has not and as you know, gaza has not been occupied since 2005. you know, it's just run by the palestinians. however it feels like occupation and they actually managed to feed this narrative. so even if hamas is defeated politically and pushed out, how can you actually get a normal election in there with all these orphans out of it? and this is this is a dilemma for israel. >> i mean, would they put abbas back in charge because the palestinian authority, of course, was ousted effectively by by hamas? >> well, abbas per se. >> well, it's not abbas per se. i mean, they can hold the palestinian congress palestinian national congress s and they can actually have some kind of an election there, but at least some kind of it. it have to be as much as sort of they are against any peace, some kind of pro—islamic faction in there who would be at least more than 1988. it wasn't until the

plo removed the destruction of the state of israel from its charter that actually became a peace partner . and i can't see peace partner. and i can't see hamas doing that. >> no simple solution. >> no simple solution. >> we will have to leave it there. thank you so much . do there. thank you so much. do stay with us here on gb news, where we are awaiting the prime minister's statement in the house of commons this afternoon

where . it's 3

where. it's 3 pm. it's where . it's 3 pm. it's patrick christys. >> it's gb news. and the world holds its breath as we await the israeli ground and land, air and sea invasion of gaza. we can go to gaza right now to have a look at what's happening there. smoke billowing. so that is one area where we're focusing in on today. another area we're going today. another area we're going to having a very close look to be having a very close look at lebanon. that's the at is lebanon. that's the israeli lebanese border, where there has been scenes of violence. there will be right across throughout across that for you throughout the this show. but the course of this show. but yes, we are also to going be looking this and taking this looking at this and taking this live in about 20 minutes time. rishi going make rishi sunak is going to make a statement. he's expected to say that fight evil. so that israel must fight evil. so keep your eyes and ears peeled because we'll be going to the house commons live for house of commons live for a vitally important rishi sunak statement coming your way very shortly. in other news, though, we're to be talking about we're going to be talking about this as what about the this as well. what about the hostages? appears to have hostages? it appears to have gone quiet. i think about gone very quiet. i think about a lot the hostages, 199 of them lot of the hostages, 199 of them are believed have been taken are believed to have been taken by hamas. what