i thought i was doing my best to get back to see which side will have the strongest appeal. the headlines in r.t. for palestinian children are killed in an airstrike after israel ramps up military pressure on garza ground forces joining the air assault at the border. there is bombing everywhere the planes were above us and the tanks in maybe you were shelling so we could move children along would remain unmanned whispery me i have never seen anything worse than this in my life tel aviv is a busy city and normally the roads are busy at this time is absolutely no one or nothing on the streets anymore air raid sirens are heard across television bringing life there to a standstill gaza militants a nearly 1800 rockets have been fired into israel since tensions flared on monday.

and elsewhere in the troubled region palestinians in the west bank is impelled israeli security forces with stones who respond with rubber bullets and tear gas and also to come this hour nasa a retired u.s. military officers say that they are tired of the state of the nation with left wing censorship on the border crisis and a joint letter they question whether the president's health is up to the job. good afternoon just gone 5 o'clock here in the russian capital you're watching r.t. international now the death toll mounts as israel steps up strikes and ground assaults on guards or as the region teeters on the brink of all out war medics and emergency workers have been filmed recovering the bodies of 6 victims including 4 children from rubble in garza following an attack on thursday media say they were

from the same family. was. the search for the group was over the ambulances have been ferrying those who survive the airstrikes to local hospitals since monday 109 people have been killed in gaza according to the palestinian health ministry 28 of them are said to be children people in gaza are fleeing in droves to amid the heavy shelling leaving behind what is left of their homes some of them have taken shelter in schools run by the united nations where families do arrive by any means they can they say they haven't seen such horror before. the night was very difficult because of the missiles and airstrikes that destroyed homes hold the children are afraid and we're afraid for them i don't know why son is sick i've been carrying him and i could not keep carry him all night the show and was random and we could not move. so now we felt like we

were in horror movie but it was worse than a horror movie there was bombing everywhere the planes were above us and the tanks in maybe were shelling so we couldn't move children along with women and men were screaming i have never seen anything worse than this in my life meanwhile israel says it is massing troops along the gaza border and has called up 9000 reservists that is fierce due grove an imminent ground invasion of the hamas run garza's strip so far israeli troops have been to enter the ng playful though artillery and tanks have been firing into the strip over night. the. israeli army claims to have destroyed several kilometers of underground tunnels in and around its border with gaza during strikes nearly as of friday morning the i.d.f. released footage showing a large scale operation involving ground forces artillery and one $160.00 aircraft according to

a statement that would make it the largest round of strikes against gaza so far in this 4 day flare up the israeli air force have also been targeting the strip since monday after the palestinian group the militant palestinian group hamas began launching rockets into israel now this is unverified video of israel's intense bombardment of gaza raising night israel has bombed more than 650 targets in there destroying several high rise buildings in the densely populated palestinian enclave the i.d.f. said it strikes have killed dozens of militants this week including some top hamas commanders a local journalist sent us this report from gaza. the scene where where i am is very tense for the moment as this really were planes and israeli tank or infantry have intensified their shilling going to. the palestinian gaza strip where the population here are being forced to endure because of the intensity of the chilling

in the 2nd day of the 38 and actually one of the largest israeli attack on gaza in the last few days and the people of guards are as a citizen indoor and did following up on the answer from the news on the social media and people are saying that the children are screaming out of the volatile situation of the of the loud. around them around the cities and towns where the death toll in gaza is on the rise a women are being killed children are being killed inside their homes because of what is being described by international organizations like the i.c.r.c. as being indiscriminate fire against palestinians which is which is illegal according to international law the infantry troops israel has beefed up their presence on the border lines and it is likely that israel will take a sort of action on the ground the ground invasion for the gaza strip and i would

like to mention here is that the palestinian resistance factions including days like mr bass and the islamic jihad have warned against such an invasion by the israeli a troll saying that there will be some sort of a retaliation a strong retaliation to any ground attack by capturing more israeli soldiers by by air by by attacking the israeli soldiers who are to attack the gaza strip palestinians you are being very concerned about there in action by the international community especially. the night of the state which described israeli actions against gaza as being good not exaggerated and given a chance for more talks to happen in order to continue to be able to contain the volatile situation and the region that's up to date for the time being. oh. the. meanwhile arrowed

sirens were heard throughout several cities in israel on thursday morning people of incoming fire from gaza including in tel aviv where for a slayer sent us this report the sirens are sounding here in tel aviv i've just woken up and i'm just going to walk through the apartment to go outside and see what's happening so i'm just switching on the lights because it's about 1 o'clock in the morning and they're coming from death to direction and there's usually a pause after the sirens and then an explosion as to where the rockets have landed this is not the direction one should be moving in actually most people are sleeping in sheltered rooms i was shit i was sleeping in a shelter clean up until now people should be hunkering down but i just want to show you what it's like here when the rockets sound so if we go here. and you walk with me. you can also seeing the roads are completely

quiet tel aviv is a busy city and normally the roads are busy at this time there is absolutely no one or nothing on the streets now is the pause i told you about and then after a moment or so they should be an explosion and that will be the iron dome anti-missile defense system intercepting with the ruckus they were it is there it is it's quite far away so it doesn't seem as if the rocket landed in tel aviv it sounded a little bit off to that direction. but for this reason at least 5000000 israelis are hunkering down in bomb shelters tonight while that sounds a bit loud that's coming from there so that's quite close to where we are i really shouldn't be out right now i should make my way back to the shelter room where i was sleeping up until a minute ago. policia r.t. tel aviv. ok well let's bring in iowa and new israeli foreign ministry press

officer michael freeman joins us a soft one we're very grateful thanks for coming on and we've seen an awful lot of tension build over the last few days the conflict seems to be intensifying how concerned are you that we could be on the brink of an all out war here where i'm very very concerned about the actions of how much the islamist terror organization that based in gaza have been fired over 1800 rockets into israeli civilian populations indiscriminately targets in men women and children as your reporter said while they sleep in their beds and style israel it is taking the action that we need in order to stop those rockets what are the chances of a safe side you think because hamas has said it is ready stop firing rockets of israel reciprocates any cease fire needs to be a serious there's no point in having a cease fire that after 24 hours or 48 hours all of a sudden i must start firing rockets again so we need to make sure that any cease

fire is one that is going to last for a significant period of time hopefully many years and therefore we need to be in a position of hamas are really ready to take that and so we will continue our operation until we believe and we are convinced in the summer say they are ready for a cease in in activity and cease of their rockets for a very long time but they they have said that having that they have said that it will stop firing rockets if israel does the same why not take that small 1st step. well every time we've taken that step in again we need to go even go back a few days israel took many many steps but deescalating in the response we got from some us was rockets fired every child in that we stop when we get more rockets it always seems to be that we do the cease thing and hamas do the firing and this time we're going to make sure that any time there's any stop the stop is for a very long time hamas for the last 15 years have been firing rockets nonstop over

to israel there may be a break here for a cup of the fence or break there for a few weeks and that's not acceptable it can't be that millions of israeli can't live a normal life because hamas are threatening to shoot rockets and to attack people when they're sleeping in their beds so am i wrong in thinking mr freeman that you believe the only way you can get him asked to this point is by continuing your military operation against the we will continue our military operation until we have reduced from isis capabilities and their ability to attack us that's what any country would do any country in the world that was that had $1800.00 rockets fired on their cities that have $5000000.00 of their problem over half hour so they aren't me in bomb shelters imagine if rockets were being landing on moscow or rockets were landing in london or in paris how do you think that the russians or the french or the british would respond to the hundreds and thousands of rockets landing on their cities and i think that that's where acting like any other country would do in order to protect our civilians i understand your perspective there also

there's been criticism hasn't there of israel that we seeing pictures of air strikes into 3 tower blocks i think we've seen children pulled out of the rubble that when you see those pictures. does israel feel it's done enough to protect innocent people it's a living garza which is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. every death is tragic as a father of 2 young children it breaks my heart see those pictures my young children who spend their nights in bomb shelters because of the rockets that were coming across and it's precisely because of those pictures and criticize me because of that that we need to get rid of hamas we need to free the palestinian people in gaza from hamas you know of the rockets that we fight i mention the 800 rockets that have been fired into israel almost 500 of the rockets have landed inside gaza and have killed numerous people from inside gaza and we believe women and children have been killed by these rockets and therefore you know we need to understand

what's going on in addition to that some us are deliberately posting their rockets deliberately putting their control centers inside buildings in residential areas they know that we will do everything we possibly can in order to avoid civilian casualties and we are doing everything we can to avoid civilian casualties in the past vast majority of those killed some us terrorist on the other side hamas are doing everything they can in order to maximize the number of casualties on the civilian side from israel we only saw yesterday an 87 year old woman was killed we saw a 5 year old boy sleeping in his bed that was killed by a hamas rocket and the reality is that this is who we're dealing with this is what they're who they are and just pick up on a point that you said you said that garza has to rid itself of how mass how would you intend to do that is it just a military operation that continues until that happens. i don't i don't think that the aim of our amulet i'm going to break is not about getting rid of it it's for

the palestinian people. to get across how much of the problem hamas are the people here who are holding the palestinians in gaza hostage you know we've seen these 1800 rockets that have been fired why are hamas not using their money instead of buying rockets and building rockets why aren't made building one a building hospitals one building schools one a building heights it why aren't they giving food to their people to their medicines that will not tell you the reason why because since hamas was founded in the 1980 s. it's maybe it is the goal of destroying the state of israel and destroying the jewish people and therefore instead of spending its money and spending its resources on developing guards it's disusing that in order to destroy in fact their leader yasser when in syria well said that if they wanted to they could be like singapore but they don't want to be like singapore the leadership of hamas they want to attack israel and spend their money to trying to attack and kill us and i the international community has called for the escalation on both sides to feel there could be

a role for international mediation in this conflict i think at this point the most important thing is to try and block those rockets that are trying to stop hamas and try to stop them from attacking us and at this point that's our our our major focus our major focus is to stop the rockets but not stop them for a day or 2 or a month or 2 to stop them from coming into israel full stop and i think that is what any country would do and that's certainly what we're going to continue to do and when the time is right to do that we will make sure that through our friends and with our friends that we more creates a dynamic that stops that from happening ok mr freedom when you get to talk to me appreciate your time this afternoon that was michael freeman he's an israeli foreign ministry press officer thanks for coming on to r.t. thank you very much and a former pink floyd front man and activist roger waters does think that the israeli occupation of palestinian lands is untenable. unless some pressure is brought to bear upon the israeli government to stop the ferocious murderous attack upon on

gaza they're not going to stop of their own accord their will is not going to suddenly disappear but clearly in the long term. the israeli occupation of palestine is untenable it is not a future that compulsively survive public opinion is changing all over the world and they are not going to be allowed to get away with it by the global civil society in my view again you understand i have to give israel's point of view all not they say and is really court has ruled thought prior to 948 land was in jewish. because of jordan it was taken away from them and this is not an equal conflict this is when we're talking about gaza which who can a barrel full of fish in the israelis as shooting into it with hugely efficient weaponry and them and you talking to me about what some israeli spokesman is saying

about what's going on in ghosts or and how that the next thing you'll be telling me is that rockets rained down on jerusalem it's equally nonsensical. story which they've been saying they've been saying the same thing over and over again a single state from the rivets of the sea a proper democracy with equal rights all rights equal equal human rights for every rich single citizen all people citizens all the jews all the arabs all citizens of a single state from the rivets of the sea that would work. that would have a chance a real real chance of working you know why because it speaks to the collective management about human affairs that we're all going to have to adopt up we're going to save this fragile planet from this from what we're seeing on our screens here.

i. know meanwhile thick plumes of black smoke from burning tires rocks rubber bullets and molotov cocktails flying these are the scenes playing at the moment in the israeli controlled west bank where palestinian demonstrators are facing off against israeli security forces according to authorities for palestinian protesters have been killed and over 100 injured products clashes follows days of unrest all across israel in cities with a mixed huish arab population with mobs from both sides setting fires and vandalizing vehicles and buildings authorities in the city of law declared a state of emergency as angry crowds that took over the streets meanwhile reports are coming in saying of protesters attempt to break through into the west bank jordan jordanian security forces have so far managed to contain the crowds.

are nothing new so today if we don't have a british army veteran who took his own life says that more needs to be done to help those who are left traumatized after life on the front line 34 year old father of 2 launching has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since leaving the army in 2008 his mental state had been further strain since attending the funerals of each of his fallen comrades had been killed in action in iraq was found collapsed in his home back in february of this year and died a short time later in hospital is when he got off shared what happened. i was a huge that's the army and it popular because i'm quite clear that if you know the army. and he was diagnosed back in 2012. well when he was diagnosed it was certain it wasn't a break you go out and. do it right and that should be. really

even when i was in remembrance i. book completely $40.00 that's when it was really really us he actually up my suits that are going to go this far because he went out tracts you want to come back straps and not one person in any open i was actually not can't you help that he deserved well according to the campaign group veterans united against suicide 67 former servicemen took their own lives last year while in the last 2 decades there were almost $300.00 suicides among serving personnel during this period the u.k. had been involved in several conflicts including iraq afghanistan and also syria got again thinks that veterans just aren't getting the support they need. why these veterans are treated for me these boys and girls are going to fight frank control and that combat these horrific memories that none of us will ever you know not comprehend not what happened. but you know they're literally. thrown assault would

that be taught that the too complex there's no one that can deal with veterans and to me that's not good you know. i've had to sit 2 children down. because it wasn't helped. and you know it used to not going to be a difficult conversation to have a partial term but you know not that you could have been saved if it wasn't for the organizations are there it's how i could get. my questions about president biden's health and once again staking fierce debate in the united states after 124 retired military officers signed an open letter claiming the administration is to launch norle out assaults against their constitutional rights and also question to the president's fitness to rule but there's also been plenty of pushback to not least from the democrats especially taylor expects while you watch the news so you know joe biden's the best brucey worst president biden he's

still true to the country what a difference. the change of presidents has made president biden is confronting this enormous loss directly and publicly americans here on any friday that something would show biden is uniquely qualified to do as a joe biden giving america a message tonight them and one i think the only this president president could give not the former one the thing is apparently the mainstream media doesn't speak for everyone shocking so what bones does this letter have to pick with the current us administration well quite a few ranging from joe being too buddy buddy with beijing to killing off thousands of jobs and along with a big percentage of americans thinking that the ongoing border crisis is biden's fault. open borders jeopardize national security by increasing human trafficking drug cartels terrorist entry illegals are flooding our country we must reestablish

border controls and continue building the wall and while the white house won't call it a crisis 10 times more migrants record last 7 month at the border compared to a year ago border patrol says it's a crisis and people in texas are teaching their children to shoot here just in case but totally not a crisis though at least at the wool oh yeah didn't you hear biden the man who said there will not be another foot of wool construction on my administration is a surprise constructing ok not a wool but a barrier which apparently is very different but while biden's building back better on the border the letter claims that freedom of speech is crumbling down censoring speech and expression distorting speech spreading disinformation by government officials private entities and the media is a method to suppress the free flow of information a tyrannical technique used in closed societies which is strange because he

promised to be a president for all americans want americans except subscribers to parra anyone who's ever owned a red cap or donald trump that banned and given all these mixed messages coming from the white house the left and asking the question is it biden up to the job the mental and physical condition of the commander in chief cannot be ignored you must be able to quickly make accurate national security decisions involving life and limb anywhere day or night now one simple video can prove that joe's not sleepy at all. but that there was a star group of democrats who ugs biden to think about giving others the authority to launch a new. their attack not exactly a vote of confidence in the commander in chief so as you can see

a fiery laughs with some serious allegations that have got people a bit angry that was way you bors and i was expecting some of it is very antidemocratic they are absolutely violating the norm to be a political they're being used for partisan purposes they're going against their constitutional oath oh very good points very very good point that was not raised last year when almost 500 national security need has decided to publicly dump truck the current president has demonstrated he's not equal to the enormous responsibilities of his office he can address to me challenges large or small let me guess that was different isn't it always in a country like america has a leader who clearly has some sort of cognitive decline who is not evil to independently lead up to a lone can cause great instability in the global arena and the global leader one of

them biggest problems we have is the mainstream media outlets in the united states who have not only there are no longer journalists there's no journalistic integrity within mainstream large media outlets in america and some of their allies and progeny they have now become an arm of the democratic party in news coverage because our american mainstream media outlets are propaganda arm for joe biden and the democrats when the news cover something up people are going to have to make up what that is and so they're going to come up what are they trying to cover up it might make it much worse than it is or maybe better than it is and that will cause so much more instability so many more risk and that's that's what's dangerous dangerous to the citizens of this country it's dangerous to people throughout the world because of the role the united states has played in the world. well joe biden is also feeling the heat over his pandemic recovery plans for the economy and several u.s. states are looking to slash emergency benefits in

a bid to boost their job markets because restaurants across the country have been struggling to hire enough staff despite hiking pay rates to attract applicants critics claim that the generous unemployment checks are leaving many reluctant to look for work although that argument has been rejected by the white house proud of the way the. world is choosing to. close for unemployment benefits for so we don't see much evidence that the extra unemployment insurance is a major driver in people not rejoining the workforce well made with restrictions being eased to more people vaccinated the u.s. did see 266000 people find new jobs in april but that figure was way off what economists had been predicting they expected around 1000000 people to find work and that shortfall did mean that there was little improvement in the overall unemployment rate until the autumn americans are receiving an additional payments

of $300.00 a week which is sometimes higher than that offered by employers childcare issues schools being closed and no vaccination yet are also said to be discouraging people from returning to work however president biden does it says that america's economy is heading in the right direction and the low job figures there for justify his new spending plans where we put the issue on how the u.s. government should be boosting its economy up for debate. when you have not working haying almost as much if not more than working that creates a disincentive for people to go and get jobs in the economy and that was on purpose during code that we didn't want everybody flooding in after you got disruptions in hospitality and travel but we need to be thoughtful about how we move out of that covert economy and back into

a more normal economy and i think wages are going after rise in order 'd for that to move forward properly the schools have not really opened in the u.s. and most of the places they say they're open but for maybe a couple hours or a couple days a week well that means parents have to continue teaching their kids they can go back to work i suspect a lot of the recalls to work business isn't just testing the market and bringing people back and part time in other words their weekly earnings are far less if you want these people are coming back raise the minimum wage for these people pay them a decent wages so they can afford child care make sure they have the same hours of work that you did before and the people are welcome back to work the idea that all these benefits isn't having an impact on the unemployment numbers is absurd sure there are other aspects of this that there are other factors in this equation but yes they do need to start moving more towards getting people back to work which

means not paying them to stay home and we need to reopen our schools that is a that is a factor as well that is a good point so it's not so this won't fix the problem as far as just removing the benefits but we also need to reopen schools there's also the fact that there are a lot of people especially here in austin texas who are just afraid to go back to work one because again the benefits and because they're still afraid about coping so it's a variety of factors but we can't say that they did that the benefits have nothing to do with this so that brings you up to date sefanaia here on a national was good to have the company just come hamas 5 and mosque i will be back with the story of the day the headlines in about how often are.