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woman: a successful business owner sells his company and restores his father's historic jazz club with his son. a raymond james financial advisor get to know you, your passions, and the way you bring people together. life well planned. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" christian: hello, this is "the context." >> we are tacking all day, both to prepare the ground but to continue striking hezbollah. today they expanded their range of fire and they will receive a strong response, prepare yourselves. >> there have been more incoming israeli buyer and there is smoke

rising now. we cannot tell you what exactly has been hut that is a residential area with residential blocks. >> we still have a lot of stranded people with their suitcase that they could bring with them. escaping the south of lebanon. they were just desperate to find a place. >> we have heard again today just how dire the situation has become. the security council must deliver its responsibility for global peace and security. christian: israel has launched hundred more strikes against hezbollah as world leaders meet in new york to try and avert all out war. the idf has called up two brigades for what could be in imminent and great -- invasion. sir keir starmer is urging

british nationalisms to leave now to prepare for a possible evacuation. we will be live in beirut and new york where thun security council is soon to meet. welcome to the program. the head of the israeli armed forces has said preparations are being made for a possible ground invasion of lebanon. visiting his troops in northern israel, the general said that the air force will continue degrading hezbollah to such a point that they can put boots on the ground. two brigades of reserve soldiers have been called up for operational missions on the northern front. israel says it has hit more than 100 targets mostly in the south. lebanon's health ministry says that 1500 people are killed and 200 wounded. hezbollah has filed -- has fired a long-range missile at tel aviv. the idf said it carried a heavy warhead and was accepted -- and

was successfully taken down. millions of israelis were sent to air raid shelters and many more would have heard the explosion as it was intercepted. in new york world leaders have been urging all sides to step back. reuters is reporting that the u.s. and france have been working out a cease-fire proposal. the french have called an emergency session. that will get underway three hours from now. fair to say that expectations are pretty low. we will be live in beirut shortly. first here is an update on what has been a very violent day in the middle east from our senior correspondent. >> some of the rockets got through today. drivers had a narrow escape on this highway in israel. but, the major destruction and loss of life is across the border.

this was southern lebanon. israelitting 60 sites that worldly -- that were linked to hezbollah intelligence, some of us in front of us in the city of tyre. there has been more incoming israeli fire and there is smoke rising now. we cannot tell what has been hit, but there is a residential area with residential blocks. there was some outgoing fire from hezbollah a few hours ago. this is now a familiar routine in southern lebanon. the gathering storm this week leaves -- means british nationals have been told to leave lebanon immediately. isabella baker, a human rights students will be unable boat tonight because -- on a boat tonight because she does not want family and friends to worry that she is critical of the u.k.

government. >> i think the u.k. government should be doing a lot more. and of course it has to worry about it that his sins, but i think there are priorities. and we would have to leave for the fact that israel is bombing this country. >> tonight, these men are wondering if they could be the next to be bombed. they are the government civil defense team here in the city. and they just have a call telling them to leave their headquarters. an israeli voice claimed that there was a has below target nearby. the station chief fears that history is repeating itself. my daughter was kill in the war in 2006 in an israeli strike on the center, he tells me.

i had brought her there for safety. my wife was badly maimed and is still suffering. i do not want to lose any of my men in the center this time. they sayhat they will work from the street to keep saving lives. bbc news, tyre. christian: let us go to beirut and speak to our colleague who is there today. just looking at the stream of traffic coming north. there might not be a ground invasion imminent tonight, but nobody is taking any risk. you can feel just watching those pictures the sense of fear that there is in lebanon. anna: you can. and actually the mood changed in the last few hours, i would say, it really feels significant since the head of the israeli army, the lieutenant general made those comments repairing his troops for a ground invasion

in lebanon. of course that would take this conflict to a new phase beyond what we saw a week ago with those members having those pagers and walkie-talkies that exploded and beyond the three southern parts of lebanon and here in beirut as well with members of the senior hezbollah leadership have been based. the idea of israeli boots on the ground brings back for people memories of the war in 2006 and for many as well in recent memory memories of the civil war that had such a devastating impact on this country as well. a lot of people are trying to get out of the south to try and get further north to basically non-hezbollah stronghold areas where they think they will be safer. also people trying to leave the country as well which is enormously difficult. in the report you heard some be

talking about trying to take a boat out of the country and that is very a regulator. -- irregular. you do not leave the country in a boat. it is usually the airport but commercial flights bar nea are not going at the moment. even if people have decided that they do not want to stay and they do not feel safe the routes out are becoming increasingly slim. christian: after that civil war in beirut and lebanon, obviously lebanon has worked hard to pull societies together. within the lebanese parliament sunni and shia sit with christians and jews, i am interested to understand the conflict. where does the blame line? how do other communities you has the law now that -- hezbollah

now that they are on the brink of what could be a devastating war? anna: that is an interesting question. i could probly feel the rest of the program -- talking about different layers of thoughts. the way the country was set up after the civil war was supposed to try and bring a lasting peace and it has, if you look at the lebanese parliament you have the division of the key seats like the speaker of parliament and the prime minister and the president all held by different sects and it has worked for a long time. what it has done is held lebanon back in terms of change because people always vote in the same sectarian way. the last time they were elections, and there were a few change candidates but it was hard to try and change that set up. it is so entrenched. there is corruption at the top levels so that has held the country back. there is a lot of frustration at

hezbollah, and it is just a powerful organization, not just a litary organization. but, they are a political party and strong in the lebanese parliament. a lot of people are frustrated by the grip they have and a lot of people describe it as a state within a state. the way they control their stronghold areas causes frustration. what comes out on top of all of that and what unites the lebanese people even through their differences is their dislike and that is not a strong enough award -- word, but their hatred of their southern neighbors. that is something that is a unifying force. of course, the deep acrimony between these two countries goes back such a long way and continues as we seen has caused a real rift and tension in the center of the middle east. and it is enormously interesting

question. as i say it is fascinating watching it play out, just the way that the lebanese are frustred but also unified. this moment where they are looking into the abyss of war and many people are concerned about what the next few hours and days will bring. christian: let us trying get some contacts. thank you very much. we will speak to the member of the lebanese parliament's social democratic party so she is not hezbollah but she ship -- but she sits with representatives from them. i think you are only one of nine women in the lebanese parliament. >> eight. christian: we will talk about israel and a second because i'm sure you have thoughts of where we are at. but i want to understand the politics. how much discussion has there been with the political wing of hezbollah? does the parliament has any -- have any leverage over the group

at this moment? >> unfortunate the parliament is not playing with what is happening and lebanon, we need to -- our institutions are weak and we have no president. we have remind people -- we have to remind people that we have no president. and we have no efficient government. so, yes, we are facing all of these problems and wars. we are facing this terror act and aggression from israel and that is why we do not have strong institutions. christian: your prime minister is in new york at the general assembly. halime: yes. christian: speaking for who? halime: speaking for an

inefficient government. we need to elect a president as soon as possible and form a new government. christian: are you resigned to a full-scale invasn? halime: what? christian: are you preparing for a full-scale invasion? halime: yes. we are trying to prepare, as i said before, that the tensions on the ground are extremely high. just two days ago, and israeli government spokesperson said that this river marks the northern border. unfortunately this comes as no surprise to us and israel has pursued an extensional goal as a colonial power from the start. and has had attacks and attempts to seize our land throughout the history. christian: let me pick out --

let me pick up on that for people who do not understand. after the 2006 war there was a u.n. resolution 1701 and the agreement was that hezbollah would withdraw from the south beyond the river and would not fire rockets into northern israel. it is not abid by, nor has the lebanese parliament cap has a lot to its word, and here we are. halime: we are. yes. we strongly agree that the full implementation of 1701 is a must. but we need to tell and remind people that 1701 has been violated always and repeatedly by the israeli government. christian: oh. take your time. it happens to me, do not worry.

halime: we need to implement 1701. it also has not been respected. it is time for strong leaders. israel violated more than 170 u.n. resolutions. it is not a state that sees -- it is a state that sees itself above the international rules. christian: sometimes one side -- halime: we need to implement 1701 and push israel to implement it too. christian: at some point someone has to step back from th brink. i am wondering as a lebanese parliamentarian whether you are impressing on hezbollah where they not to fire missiles and were to pull behind the river according to the resolution this would stop? or would put a pretext in place for the americans to then push on diplomacy.

halime: yes. first. we did repeat and within the parliament, we always pete the importance of -- the importance of the implementation and we talked to every political party and we insist on the importance of the implementation of all of the u.n. resolutions. as i told you before many are violated by israeli forces. yes, we are trying to push inside in order to implement this resolution. but regarding the what is happeningow and the diplomatic force, especially led by the u.s.. all diplomatic efforts will remain enough active if the root cause is not addressed. so far, root causes are not

addressed. and we really see clearly the hypocrisy of the u.s. and many countries from the west. because why do the u.s. administration has declared that it has been working along the clock to reach a cease-fire. the united states has been the largest provider of foreign aid to israel. approximately $10 billion to economic assistance. israel has used 45 vetoes to protect israel because we cannot condemn iael and the security council. christian: so you put the onus on the western countries as well as much as israel. halime: yes. let me finish my sentence. all countries, especially since

the seventh of october, we are seeing a huge hypocrisy. i am a person who started -- who believes in human rights and international standards. i keep pushing for this inside and outside of parliament. but we need to apply the rules on everyone and all parties. israel is not above international law. we need to agree on all of the stakes that we should respect the international law and human rights. and there is no discrimination between a life of a lebanese or a palestinian or another nationality. all rights arequal. all human being dignities are equal. we need to stop the impunity when it comes to israel. christian: thank you very much indeed for joining us from lebanon this evening.

we will take a short break. around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc news. ♪ ♪

christian: what you just heard the parliamentarian pointing the fingers at israeli parties. the british prime minister has called to an immediate cease-fire between israel and hezbollah. in his address to the security council he said that diplomacy was the only route to a decision and he warned that israel could be no more excuses for blocking a that should be going into gaza. >> i call on the security council to seek political sotions to break cycles of violence like that in the middle east. the region is on the brink. we need an immediate cease-fire between israel and the lebanese hezbollah and the implementation of a political plan. christian: i am speaking to her

colleague covering events. bring me up to speed with this plan that we are hearing about, the one that the french and the americans have been pushing through the day. where are they at and what are the chances of success? >> we have to say we have not heard very many details as to the content of this plan. as you say we have heard report that the u.s. and french are negotiating. we saw the french president delivering his address to delegates and he said very clearly "there cannot be a war in lebanon that is why we urge israel to cease this escalation." we know that the french called for this meeting taking place shortly in the next few hours, specifically an emergency session in the situation in lebanon. we have spoken to u.s. allies and european countries and ministers who said we are working hard with our allies to ensure that there is some plan in place to de-escalate the

situation. the alarm is high and what is striking between the difference of what we are hearing in new york and the actions on lebanon as you have been covering. we are seeing this drumbeat towards escalation and possibility of a ground incursion. we asked the swedish foreign minister how concerned she is about regional stability and she said extremely concerned which is why we are sitting with our allies to make sure that does not happen. there is a sense of frustration referring to your previous guests. there are limits of course to the diplomacy. although the u.s. and allies say and certainly the british prime minister says they are working around the clock to find a diplomatic solution it involves bringing parties to the table. the french president was walking by before this and our persian colleague said i have been also speaking to the iranian president. all of these discussions are

happening. at this point what we do not know first lady, what the details are of the cease-fire plan, what a de-escalation could look like and whether it will be successful. we will be tracking that with the security council meeting as well. christian: we will come back to you. thank you very much for that. let us bring in am -- emily and she is the deputy director of the international security program at the center for strategic and international studies. welcome to the program. we know that director burns is deeply involved in the cease-fire negotiation which has been ongoing for months. what are you hearing? we have heard from them that the focus is shifting to the north. does that mean they have walked away to -- walked away from negotiations? emily: they can negotiate on two fronts in a strange way you can make trades between the conflicts that resolve a lot of

things that israel wants of -- once resolved and bring into the fold some of our arab partners. all of these conflicts are interlinked. so if you can address israeli concerns on one front it can ease concerns on another front. iran is backing hezbollah and hamas so they are a key player. christian: there is a dilemma for iran which is part of the interesting elements of the whole picture, do they come to the defense of the proxies or -- and risk being dragged into a wider conflict, or what? i do not know what their option is at this point? emily: they have done all the hard work ahead of time which is arming groups like hezbollah or hamas or the houthis. hamas and hezbollah are capable of defending themselves. our estimates about their arsenals are massive about 150

to 200,000 rockets. they fired a massive missile earlier this week. and hezbollah is well prepared to defend itself. iran might have a choice about whether they have to attack israel directly. i have to think they are not eager to engage. christian: very quickly there are some factors that we have to take into account with regards to the ground invasion if it is eminent. the prime minister will travel to new york tonight or tomorrow and that is fluid. you would imagine that they are going to wait until he is back in israel, would you? emily: israel has been one step forward and two steps back with a lot of this conflict, enough to make outsiders wonder what is the big plan. with the ground invasion they have to be looking at potentially large numbers of idf casualties. the element of surprise will be

she -- will be hugely important. they have hezbollah on the back foot after the attack of the pagers and the walkie-talkie is. netanyahu knows that he has to do something about diplomatic discussions and reinforce that israel is serious about ending the threat. christian: no doubt, a lot of pressure when he lands in new york. good to talk to you and thank you for coming on. we will take a short break and on the others we will talk about the last day of announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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