let's return to orla guerin. orla, the ceasefire is due to end in a few hours.ssible extension? it's hanging in the balance tonight. talks have been going on in carter involving —— in doha involving egypt and qatar, the talks have been difficult, told us in the last hour the chances of an extension were only 20%. israel's cabinet has been meeting tonight to discuss the same issue. clearly in the last few days the deal has been fraying. there have been arguments about who was being handed over, hostages have been released late in the day. if there is no agreement on another extension then tomorrow morning at 7am local time that ceasefire will expire and just add we've had antony blinken here today, the us secretary of state, telling israel that there cannot be a repeat of the massive loss of civilian life that happened in the north of gaza if and when it resumes its offensive. firia in the north of gaza if and when it resumes its offensive. orla guerin, thank you. — resumes its offensive. orla guerin, thank you. in _ resumes its offensive. orla guerin, thank you,

it is certainly an _ orla? what more can you tell us? it is certainly an 11th _ orla?ly an 11th hour change. - is certainly an 11th hour change. israel was gearing up for the release of hostages as early as tomorrow morning. there are conflicting reports about what has caused the setback. some claim hamas has not ratified the ceasefire agreement, other reports that it has not provided israel with a list of the hostages who were to be released on the thursday. that mechanism is meant to be part of the agreement. a government source told me in the last ten minutes that they believe these are relatively minor issues which need to be ironed out and they would be ironed out tomorrow. that suggests things would be back on track on friday if that is the case. what we can say for certain is this will be an awful blow to the families who have been waiting almost 50 days, hoping tomorrow would finally bring a moment of hope. now back once again they had to deal with uncertainty and i think many will feel they will only believe this deal is happening when they see it. believe thi

. -- orla guerin has more. the sounds of battle rang out in gaza city good hard to imagine these were once bustling streets. israel is pushing forward, despite international concern about the cost. it's forces closing in on key targets. posing for photographs inside the hamas parliament in gaza city. its troops are now at the gates of al-shifa hospital. president biden says the hospital must be protected. inside, thousands of civilians are sheltering alongside hundreds of patients, according to the hospital director. these pictures, taken last month, show a functioning neonatal intensive care unit. but now, these premature babies are packed together for warmth, due to power shortages. and in the ground, so many decomposing bodies that a mass grave has been dug. doctors say the hospital itself is now a house risk. -- health risk. >> this body has been in the hospital for more than five days now. 140 people within the hospital area. we are sure all kinds of infections will be from that one. orla: just across the

our correspondent orla guerin reports. after dark, a convoy of vehicles crossing from gaza into egypt. a glance of the hostages inside on the road to freedom. and nuer were neighbors in the same kibbutz. their ordeal lasted almost 50 days. among those freed, a mother and daughter, seen here in a family birthday video. amelia, in blue, is six years old. she and her mother are back home on home soil. also freed, margalit, a cancer survivor, who loves knitting sweaters for her grandchildren. ♪ and in the heart otel aviv, a time for celebration. many israelis feel connected to the hostages. their faces have been everywhere for six weeks. those -- there is collective relief that at least some have been freed. but for others, the waiting continues. a circle of women singing and remembering. they are friends and relatives of a thai taken by hamas from the kibbutz near the gaza border. they know he won't be home soon. his cousin, mixed emotions today. >> when i will see those hostages back here in israel, i will be very happy for

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.o are the hostages who've been freed and are tonight spending precious time with their families? in the square here in tel aviv, where anguish has for so long been the overriding state of mind, now, a littlejoy. in tel aviv tonight, on the big screen, a film with a happy ending. 13 israeli hostages no longer at the mercy of hamas. now reunited with families, whose lives have been on hold, until their loved ones were freed. unsure if their relatives were alive or dead. yafa adar, at 85, is the oldest of the hostages released today. a mother of three and grandmother of eight. members of three families on kibbutz nir oz are now free. it is where many of the residents were either killed or kidnapped. including children like ohad munder, described as a gifted child abducted along with his mother keren and his grandmother ruth. ohad celebrated his ninth birthday whilst still a hostage. his friends made him video messages. hgppy happy birthday. the youngest to be released are aviv and raz ash

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem. orla's in jerusalem tonight. nearly six weeks into the conflict.ow long do you think it might go on? ., ., ., ., on? day 42 and no indication that this is slowing _ on? day 42 and no indication that this is slowing down. _ on? day 42 and no indication that this is slowing down. in _ on? day 42 and no indication that this is slowing down. in fact in . this is slowing down. in fact in areas of southern gaza to which palestinians were told to flee, they are now being told by the israeli military to leave, so palestinians fear they are going to see an escalation in the south on top of what has already been witnessed in the north. we have had the un warning of the immediate danger of starvation and we have most of the hospitals out of action and we have growing international pressure not just from france and the uk, but increasingly from the us which is talking about the need to protect civilians. the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has admitted for the first time that his forces have failed in their attempts to minimise civilian casualties. h

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv. now to the 39 palestinian detainees released.range of offences, from throwing stones to attempted murder. they were released at a checkpoint in the occupied west bank and were greeted by a crowd waving flags. the group will soon be allowed to return home, according to israel's prison service. the detainees were chosen from a list of 300 women and minors compiled by israel. the vast majority are being held on remand while awaiting trial. the bbc�*s lucy williamson was on the ground throughout the day amid the celebration and reaction in the streets. the israeli army has already tried to push back the crowd of young palestinian men gathered here at the beitunia checkpoint. this is where the palestinian prisoners are due to be released in a little while and meet with their families. but as you can see this doesn'tjust families. but as you can see this doesn't just affect 39 families here in the palestinian territories, and also a lot of other people beside, it is a much bigger medical issue. and the atmosphere today is pretty tense

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.ess for some of those families but of course still continuing grief for others. well, as those scenes were unfolding, one man, gil dickmann, whose aunt was killed by hamas, and whose two cousins and whose two cousins remain among the hostages, he gave us his reaction. i know family members... ..of the kids who are coming back home now. i can't believe it, it'sjust... so happy to know they are here in israel. i feel as if part of my family came back. i really think many israelis feel the same. and i really hope we get to see yarden and carmel back too really, really soon. this is such a blessed moment. the reaction of one israeli man whose relatives are still being held in gaza. as part of the hostage agreement with hamas, 39 palestinian prisoners have been released this evening. they're all women and children, held in israeli jails, and they've been taken to the ofer military compound in the west bank, where they'll be checked by the red cross, before being transferred to the border, s

senior international correspondent orla guerin sent this report.orter: a tiny baby from gaza, now safe in egypt. straight into a waiting incubator. 28 premature babies have been transferred here. desperately vulnerable still, but beyond the reach of war. unlike about one million children who remain in gaza. night and day, they are at risk. here, more wounded children are being brought in. calloused indians say they are victims of an israeli airstrike on residential buildings. here, israeli tanks near gaza's indonesian hospital where 12 people are reported killed. the army says troops came under fire from within the hospital, and fired back at the enemy. in israel, families with loved ones held in gaza are daring to hope there will be a deal, to free at least some of them. this was the moment on october 7 when some hostages were dragged away from their homes. barefoot and in terror. gail dickman's cousin was among them. >> this is my cousin, 39 years old. he is an occupational therapist, she loves traveling, loves music, she is a wonderful aunt. rep

our senior international correspondent orla guerin is in tel aviv this evening. orla.el has received a list of names of those who are due to be freed tomorrow, and theirfamilies have been informed. they don't know what condition their loved ones will be in. when they are brought back eight israel, they will be brought directly to hospital for medical checks. six hospitals are on standby, with specialist teams and social workers. standby, with specialist teams and socialworkers. forthe standby, with specialist teams and social workers. for the other families, who have women and children being held in gaza, they will have to wait day by day to see if their loved ones are included in the lists of those to be released during the ceasefire, which initially is due to last for four days. their faces haunt israel. 239 hostages who were taken to gaza. it was hoped a first group would come home today, but the hostage deal was delayed last night at the 11th hour. relatives like gil dickman heard the news on tv, not from the government. his cousin carmel is a hostage. she is 39 an

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.hamas on october 7th says he's never felt more fearful as ajewish person living in the uk, with a rise in anti—semitic incidents, such as those by some protesters in london last weekend. bernard cowan, originally from glasgow, was murdered in his home on a kibbutz in southern israel. now his brother colin has spoken to the bbc about him, and about the fears within the british jewish community. lucy manning reports. amongst the mango and banana trees on kibbutz sufa, hamas gunmen came to kill — first shooting an ambulance, and then those who lived there, murdering bernard cowan from glasgow, who came to the kibbutz nearly a0 years ago, raising his family. a grandchild bornjust a few months ago. bernard loved to live. he loved to travel. he loved to go diving. he was a free spirit. if you were to look at bernard as a soul who wanted to do nothing but good for the world and for his country, and to love his family, that would be the perfect epitaph. as the gunmen hunted them down, bernard

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.li prime minister benjamin netanyahu says israel is working to get more hostages home. translation: we have no completed _ translation: we have no completed the _ translation: we have no completed the withdrawal. translation: we have no| completed the withdrawal of translation: we have no - completed the withdrawal of the first group of adopted children and mothers and women but i stressed and citizens of israel, we are committed to returning all of our people abducted. this is one of the goals of the war and we are committed to achieving all of the goals of the war. it's an anxious wait for the loved ones of the remaining hostages. clive myrie reports. in tel aviv tonight, on the big screen, a film with a happy ending. 13 israeli hostages no longer at the mercy of hamas. now reunited with families, whose lives have been on hold, until their loved ones were freed. unsure if their relatives were alive or dead. yafa adar, at 85, is the oldest of the hostages released today. a mother of t

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.ce from the israel defence forces, in which they outlined details of what they said they found at the al—shifa hospital. the israeli military spokesman daniel hagari says hamas had killed one hostage there and detained two others after the attack on october the 7th. this is 7th of october, 10:55am. the evidence i will share was sent by israel to diplomatic channels to the countries of those civilians. here you can see hamas taking a hostage inside the vicinity. he even doesn't look need to need a treatment, but they're taking him inside the hospital. i will now share this video that shows the same hostage entering into the hospital with the gunmen, terrorists inside the hospital. this is the main entrance of the hospital. we have not yet located both of these hostages and rescued them. we have not yet located them. we do not know where they are. there's still hostages we need to rescue. our correspondent injerusalem, nick beake, gave us this analysis of what the idf statements might me

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.at, the idf released a video that claims to show the basement under the al—rantisi hospital is a hamas control centre. nick beake has more on those claims. they said they would use hospitals as a key part of their operation and over the course of ten minutes we were shown various videos, maps and also photographs. this is the al—rantisi hospital which has now been cleared of patients and basically the israeli forces were saying there was lots of evidence that notjust hamas had been using this as a shield but also that the hostages were there. they pointed to the fact there was a piece of rope next to a chair. they said that there was also a ventilation shaft that had been created, also a makeshift toilet. they said these were signs that people were held there. also there was a video that appeared to show some curtains and when the curtains were drawn back, there were no windows on the suggestion was this was some way hamas could have been filming, which would have been filming, which w

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.a senior fellow at the middle east institute. he served as an adviser to palestinian leadership on permanent state negotiations with israel from 2004— jeff knight. he was also a key part in the annapolis negotiations in the annapolis negotiations in 2007. and 2008. thank you so much forjoining us today. some people are concerned whether the cease—fire will hold for four days. others appear hopeful that it could actually get extended. what is your take? i actually get extended. what is your take?— your take? i think anything that brings _ your take? i think anything that brings even _ your take? i think anything that brings even some - your take? i think anything - that brings even some temporary relief from the ferocious bombing of the past 47 days will be most welcome certainly by palestinian civilians in gaza who have borne the brunt of israel's military onslaught. so, and of course, there's also an expectation that there will be a surge in humanitarian supplies. israel cut off on oc

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.leases bring the total number of hostages released during the window to sa. and the number of prisoners freed to 117. well, in the west bank, there were celebrations as the latest group of 39 freed palestinian prisoners were reunited with their families. as part of its deal with hamas, for every israeli hostage freed from gaza, three palestinian prisoners are released from israeli jails. no adult men, nor anyone convicted of murder, is being exchanged. the detainees�* charges range from throwing stones to attempted murder. my colleague from bbc news arabic, muhannad tutunji, spoke to one of those convicted of a more serious crime as she was reunited with her family amid a police presence. her first footsteps as a free woman. 24—year—old marah bakeer is one of up to 150 palestinian prisoners being released, as part of israel's deal with hamas to bring its hostages home from gaza. translation: i feel emotional. it's a very good feeling. but also, we are very sad, because this deal came f

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.o the west bank, the palestinian red crescent says at least five people are dead and two more injured in an israeli strike at a refugee camp in the west bank city of nablus. but the us has stood firmly by israel, with us presidentjoe biden saying he strongly supports israel's "right and obligation" to eliminate hamas. as the civilian cost from israel's military response gi’ows, mi’. biden he has also been telling israel's government that the way it responds now will determine what is possible in the long term. the bbc�*s barbara plett usher assesses how the president is adapting his message to meet the high—stakes situation. in this unprecedented war between israel and hamas us presidentjoe biden faces in an immense diplomatic challenge. just days after the hamas attack biden came out strong in his support for israel. let there be _ his support for israel. let there be no _ his support for israel. let there be no doubt, the united states has israel's back. it's atrocities, it's sickeni

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.used different terms to describe argentina's newly—elected president javier milei — from "ultra—rightist and "libertarian" to "anarcho—liberal" — but they left little doubt that his decisive election victory signals a dramatic change of political course for the south american nation. milei won the election with close to 56% in the decisive run—off, ahead of his left—wing rival sergio massa, with 44%. milei's victory comes amid a deep economic crisis in argentina with inflation standing at over 140% and two in five argentinians, or a0%, live in poverty. mr milei promised drastic changes if elected including ditching the local currency for the us dollar and "blowing up" the central bank in order to prevent it from printing more money, which he argues is driving inflation. our south america correspondent katy watson has more. i think will be interesting to see what kind of president javier milei will be, will he be brash with these unorthodox proposals or will he have to turn them down be

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem. conference from the israel defence forces, in which they outlined details of what they claimed to have found at the al shifa hospital. the israeli military spokesman daniel hagari claimed hamas had killed one hostage there — and detained two others after the attack on october the 7th. this is the 7th of october, ten 50 five a:m.. —— 10:55 a:m.. he doesn't look even... but they're taking inside the hospital. i will now share this video that shows the same hostage entering into the hospital with a gunman terrorist inside the hospital. this is the main interest of the hospital. we have not yet located both of these hostages. we have not yet located them. we do not know where they are. they're still hostages we need to rescue. our correspondent in jerusalem, nick beake, gave us this analysis of what the idf statements might mean in the overall context of the war. israel is slowly, methodically, it would say, building a case, presenting evidence which, it claims, justifies the operation at

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.ng, the us has indicated a deal could soon be agreed. i spoke to our north america correspondent, peter bowes, in los angeles. well, what we're hearing from president biden and the white house is optimism, but very guarded optimism, that a deal between hamas and israel could be "close", to use the word of president biden, who was responding to reporters at the white house during a ceremony to mark the thanksgiving holiday later this week in the united states — actually crossing his fingers, visibly crossing his fingers, as he was responding to the question of the release of the hostages and really very reluctant to go any further than that. and we're also hearing from the white house spokesman on national security, john kirby, reflecting what the president was saying, suggesting that the negotiations are at an end game stage. he said they're closer than they've ever been, but there is more work to be done and, really, i think reflecting that the sensitive nature of this, saying that th

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.erez and sahar kalderon are among those released. a short while ago, their uncle spoke, about their return. the this is a momentous day and our lives. we are filled with excitement, but we have not yet fully processed what has happened. i am finding it difficult to go from a state of endless anxiety about her fate to a state of relief and joy. i believe it will take time. this is an exciting and heartfelt moment, but we also understand there is the beginning of a difficult reimplementation process she has been through an unbearable experience. we will do this hand in hand. simultaneously, we've been tracking the flow of humanitarian aid into gaza during this temporary truce that has seen hundreds of truckloads of aid and fuel enter gaza, as part of the agreement between israel and hamas. residents of areas devastated by israel s bombardment have also used the pause in fighting to go back to their homes — or what's left of them — as new images of the destruction there emerge. 7 our midd

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.nights, a number of hostages from israel and other nations have been freed, nearly all of them women and children. hamas released a total of 14 israelis, sunday, and three foreign nationals. that's alongside the release of 39 palestinian prisoners. it comes after 13 israelis were released saturday in return for another 39 prisoners. on friday, 2a hostages — 13 israelis, ten thais, and one filipino — were returned to israel, again in return for 39 palestinian prisoners. that brings the total number of hostages released during the window to sa and the number of prisoners freed to 117. well, in the west bank, there were celebrations, as the latest group of 39 freed palestinian prisoners were reunited with their families. as part of its deal with hamas, for every israeli hostage freed from gaza, three palestinian prisoners are released from israeli jails. no adult men, nor anyone convicted of murder, is being exchanged. but the detainees' charges range from throwing stones to attempted mur

orla guerin, bbc news, on the israel—gaza border.non—functional — according to the world health organization. more than 1,000 babies are being born every week in gaza on average. our correspondent yogita limaye — who can't get into gaza — has been working with a freelance journalist majdi fathi who lives there — and has used his footage to tell the story of the mothers struggling to find a safe place to give birth. baby cries born in a precarious world. this little boy is one day old — still to be named. his parents fled bombings in gaza city. under the stress of war, he's been born prematurely and needs help to breathe. in the next bed, a four day old girl who's critical. there's been no time to name her either. and they're running out of medicines which could treat her. incubators are still on at the al—aqsa hospital in central gaza. but the fighting is drawing closer. this is hassan — named by hospital staff. both his parents were killed in bombings. he was found cradled in his mother's arms. it's a painful time in gaza. it's excr

orla guerin, bbc news on the israel—gaza border. with ori givati, advocacy director for breaking the silence — an organisation of veteran soldiers who have served in the israeli military. i started by asking him for his assessment on the israeli military campaign's progress. an extremely difficult situation that we have to acknowledge. first of all, we are still picking up the pieces from the devastating atrocities committed against our society on the 7th of october. and we are in the midst of a ground invasion and a heavy military operation, a war in gaza. and basically everything here is unprecedented. so it's very, very difficult to assess the situation. but i can say a few things. first of all, i think that what needs to guide us at this moment is the most important task, which is to return the hostages. nothing that we can do on that we are doing at the moment, and that is not directly leading to the return. the safe return of all hostages is going to be worth anything, but we cannot proceed without it. let me ask you, though,

the bbc�*s senior international correspondent orla guerin is in tel aviv with more.nseparable — and coming home tonight. emma and yuli, twin girls just three years old, released with their mother sharon. their father is still being held in gaza. they'll be picked up by military helicopter. like these boys, freed last night. the government here has been sharing footage of every release. israelis are very invested in this and the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, needs a victory — even a partial one. already savouring her freedom, margalit moses, who is 78. she tells hospital staff in tel aviv they are amazing. so is she. freed from gaza on friday after almost 50 days in captivity. already a survivor of cancer, and now of hamas. some homecomings are overshadowed by sorrow. hila has been reunited with her uncle, yair rotem. but her mother, raya, yair�*s sister, was not freed by hamas, though israel says mothers and children were supposed to be released together. yair says his niece is still finding her voice. well, hila is whispering because she says that the terroris

orla guerin reports from jerusalem. it's a nerve—wracking wait for hostages to come home.very young. and the fear is time may run out. tomorrow is due to be the last day. will baby kfir bibas be freed? he is the youngest hostage, just ten months old. he is the youngest hostage — just ten months old. israel has taken him to its heart. kidnapped with him, his brother, ariel, who's four and loves batman. their mother, shiri, held them in her arms, trying to protect them as hamas led them all away. theirfather, yarden, also a hostage. israel says hamas has passed them on to another palestinian militant group. their relatives are tormented by worry and by waiting. how difficult have the last few days been when each day has come and gone and each list has come and gone and they have not come home? it's dreadful. it's the worst scenario, having to wait for that list every night, seeing all those beautiful moments of reunion and hoping it that ours will be the next day. and it's not. relatives and supporters are gathered here once again. they want to keep the pressure on the gover

our senior international correspondent orla guerin reports.ainst the odds — premature babies rescued from al—shifa hospital. parents cluster around before they are transferred from gaza. this man seems to be identifying his son. nour has just been reunited with her twin girls. translation: | didn't know. anything about their condition. today, i saw them for the first time since the day they were born. thank god, i have been reassured that they are fine. then they are wrapped up for the journey across the border — faces of the war in gaza whose suffering caught the attention of the world. in egypt, specialists standing by with a waiting incubator. still desperately vulnerable, but now safe from harm... ..unlike about a million other children who remain trapped in gaza. in israel, families of those held in gaza are daring to hope there will be a deal to free at least some of them. this was the moment on 7 october when the hostage ordeal began. here, women being dragged away by hamas, barefoot and in terror. gil dickman�*s cousin was among them.

orla guerin, bbc news, on the israel—gaza border.on against hamas near the hospital and their targeting including medical teams and arabs speakers and there was a saying that israel is calling on all of hamas in the hospital to surrender at this point. once again, we are hearing that israel says its forces securing operation in the hospital that we just heard of in their targeting arabs speakers and some of the medical staff there and asking all hamas operatives in the hospital to surrender. here's the pentagon's deputy spokesperson reiterating that the us has its own intelligence pointing towards the al shifa hospital being used as a command post by hamas we do have information that hamas and the palestinian islamichhad or using hospitals in the gaza strip, including the al—shifa hospital as a way to conceal and support the military operations and hold hostages, they have tunnels underneath these hospitals. and so, hamas members operating node from al—shifa hospital in gaza city and of weapons stored there and are prepared to respon

our senior international correspondent orla guerin is in tel aviv with more.cing in israel, after the darkness of recent weeks. the latest group of hostages freed from gaza wave to supporters as they are welcomed home. both israel and hamas are signalling their deal could be extended to free more of those being held, for reunions like this. after 50 days apart, young hostages finally home. emily hand embraced by herfather, thomas, who at one stage believed her dead. now she is free, and, he says, doing well. yesterday, we finally got emily back from the hands of the gazan terrorists. she's lost a lot of weight. from herface and body. but generally doing better than we expected. emily's family say they will throw her the biggest birthday party ever. she turned nine in captivity. avigail idan has also been freed. joe biden had been pushing for her release. the four—year—old is american—israeli. hamas killed both of her parents. also back in israel, yaffa adar. since coming home, she has learned her grandson is a captive. this was the 85—year—old being driven awa

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem. you heard there about the possible hostage deal.rting that hamas officials are �*approaching a truce agreement�*, as they put it, with israel. there's been no further details about the terms of the agreement. here's what the white house spokesmanjohn kirby said on a potential deal earlier. we believe we are closer than we've ever been so we are hopeful, but there is still work to be done and nothing is done until it's all done, so we're going to keep working on this. the international committee of the red cross has further raised hopes of a deal by saying its head will meet with hamas. the icrc has helped facilitate previous deals. our security correspondent frank gardner has more details on the progress to reach a deal. is a deal to release the hostages getting close? well, it certainly sounds like it but we have been here before. and this is incredibly tough for the families, the relatives, who been marched up this hill before and marched down again with enormous disappointment, so it's not done until it's done. but i have managed

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv. is tal heinrich, spokesperson for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. it is good to have you back on bbc news. we know negotiators are working hard behind—the—scenes and it could that we may see a further extension of the current truce. should there be another extension? we certainly hope so and thank you for having me on tonight. i can confirm at this hour that israel has received another list of potential hostages who may be released tomorrow. we are notifying the families of the people who appear on the list and all otherfamilies of appear on the list and all other families of hostages who are still being held in the gaza strip. we talk about 173 hostages who are still there and we certainly hope that this materialises tomorrow and that we will see, hopefully, on sixth group of hostages leaving the gaza strip and returning home to israel. so we said that we are willing to extend the mechanism, as we saw today, as what took place today and for every ten extra israeli hostages

orla guerin sent this report. inseparable and coming home tonight.d yuli, twins, just three years old, released with their mother, sharon. theirfather is still being held in gaza. they will be picked up by military helicopter. like these boys, freed last night. the government here has been showing footage of every release. israelis are very invested in this. and the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, needs a victory, even a partial one. cheering. already tapering her freedom, already savouring her freedom, margalit moses, who is 78. she tells hospital staff in tel aviv they are amazing. so is she, freed from gaza on friday, after almost 50 days in captivity. already a survivor of cancer, and now of hamas. some homecomings are overshadowed by sorrow. hila has been reunited with her uncle, yair rotem, but her mother, raya, yair�*s sister, was not freed by hamas, though israel says mothers and children were supposed to be released together. yair says his niece couldn't speak aloud for weeks. hila is whispering because she says the terrorists that held

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.rning that more people could die in gaza because of untreated diseases than airstrikes, if the health system isn't restored there. more than a million people are sheltering in overcrowded united nations facilities, and cases of diarrhoea and respiratory infections are widespread. wyre davies has compiled this report from jerusalem. gaza has practically been bombed back to the dark ages. much of gaza city is now in ruins. the fragile truce of the last six days has allowed the un and other agencies to assess the damage wrought by seven weeks of bombing and what pressing needs the population now has. we're very concerned about an outbreak of infectious diseases, such as watery diarrhoea and other infectious diseases, as people are forced to live in very cramped conditions, with poor sanitation. the world health organization says given the living conditions and lack of health care, more people in gaza could die from disease than bombings. over 100,000 people have acute respiratory infectio

orla guerin, bbc news, on the israel—gaza border.d hospitals are non—functional according to what health organisation. �*iz according to what health organisation.— according to what health organisation. 12 and 1,000 babies are _ organisation. 12 and 1,000 babies are being _ organisation. 12 and 1,000 babies are being bought i organisation. 12 and 1,000 . babies are being bought every week in gaza on average. our correspondent who can't get into gaza has been working with freelance journalist who lives there and has used their footage to tell the story of the mothers struggling to find a safe place to give birth. born in a precarious world, this is one david bolt stopped still to be named. his parents were bombing in gaza city. under the stress of war, he has been born and needs help to breed. in the next bed, a four—day old girl who is critical. there is been very time to name her either and they're running out of medicines which could treat her. incubators are still on at the al—aqsa hospital in central gaza but the fighting is draw

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv.iamson is in occupied eastjerusalem — she told us there's the possibility, that more palestinians could be released beyond the end of the current deal. i think that will come as welcome news to many people in the west bank and in eastjerusalem, notjust because it means more palestinian prisoners released from israeli jails, but also because of the sense of kinship that many people feel with people in gaza and concern for the situation there. israel has put restrictions on many of the families who are receiving people back from jails, saying they shouldn't hold celebrations, they shouldn't talk to the media. but there's very little mood for big celebrations as it is because people have told us they do feel anger and sadness at the situation in gaza. we spoke to one mother in the west bank this week who was waiting for her son to come off one of these coaches from from the israeli jail. and she said she felt conflicted about what hamas had done. on the one hand, she said it brought her s

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv. been a flurry of diplomatic activity around the hostage negotations, with qatar and other arab states playing a major role. on wednesday, the us thanked its partners in the middle east for helping to mediate. us president biden thanked egypt's president in a phone call on tuesday calling the leadership of abdel fattah el—sisi and qatari's emir sheikh critical in reaching a deal. us secretary of state, antony blinken thanked the saudi foreign minister for negotiating to bring aid to the gaza strip. and earlier, national security council spokesman, john kirby, echoed these statements, calling the deal a �*significant step�*. this was a deal that took weeks and weeks of hard work across the administration. the team on the administration. the team on the ground, here at the security council and personal leadership by president biden and we think it is a significant step in the right direction. we get more than 50 hostages released back with the family, including what we hope is free ameri

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem. with me is said shehata, from bbc arabic.ght, tell us what the latest is.— the latest is. there is more airstrikes — the latest is. there is more airstrikes in _ the latest is. there is more airstrikes in some - the latest is. there is more airstrikes in some area - the latest is. there is more airstrikes in some area of. airstrikes in some area of kindliness, the israelis were asking people to move away from the east of khan younis to go to the west, —— khan younis. the killing is increasing and it reaches now more than 12,000 people, including about 5000 child, and about 3300 women and 30,000 injured. so the death toll and danger people is always going with the israeli airstrikes. always going with the israeli airstrikes-— always going with the israeli airstrikes. and obviously the news this — airstrikes. and obviously the news this morning _ airstrikes. and obviously the news this morning is - airstrikes. and obviously the news this morning is israel | news this morning is israel promising to allow more fuel into gaza, wha

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem. you ijust want to bring you some breaking news. this is coming from the reuters news agency, saying that the reuters news agency, saying that the vatican officials have confirmed that the pope will meet relatives of israeli hostages being held in gaza. that will happen on wednesday. this is according to the reuters news agency. pope francis has previously said his thoughts go daily to the suffering and the serious situation on israel and has called for civilians to be protected and hostages to be freed. the vatican they are confirming that the pope will meet relatives of the gaza hostages on wednesday. while it is difficult to verify what's happening on the ground in gaza, doctors at the main al—shifa hospital have been describing desperate conditions, with operations carried out without proper anaesthetic and premature babies dying. israel's government has justified its military operation saying hamas uses patients as human shields. the reuters news agency was able to reach a surgeon

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.rime minister spoke to reporters in doha and said only minor obstacles remain in the way of reaching a deal on releasing some of the hostages taken by hamas. his comments came after the washington post reported that israel, hamas, and the united states were close to an agreement on the release of women and children. it's not really about a specific thing that i can comment yes or no about it. but the challenges that remain in the negotiations are very minor compared to the bigger challenges. they are more logistical, they are more practical, and i believe that with the willingness of both parties to engage and to have this deal moving, we can reach a deal. we have been focused in the past four or five weeks now in these negotiations, we tried every way, all possible ways, in order to ensure that civilians are released. and we treat all human beings all the same. civilians are civilians, whether they are from the israeli side or the palestinian side. as we mentioned in several occasions

o rla orla guerin reporting there.ioned this hour, it has been confirmed, just as the truce was due to expire, that it has been extended. israeli leaders and hamas have come to an agreement to extend it further, which will come as a huge relief to all those in gaza who were concerned that they would wake up at this hour to the noise of military action taking place once again. so we have a further pause in hostilities. more on this late in the programme. the former us secretary of state, henry kissinger, has died, at the age of 100. serving under presidents nixon and ford, he led america's re—engagement with communist china, and sought a thawing of relations with the soviet union. but he faced criticism for the us bombing of cambodia, which killed hundreds of thousands. our diplomatic correspondent james landale looks back at his life. to some, henry kissinger was one of the cold war�*s most influential statesmen, who advised presidents and prime ministers for decades. in considering the ukraine issue... to others he wa

orla guerin, bbc news, jerusalem.'s never felt more fearful as a jewish person living in the uk, amid a rise in anti—semitism. colin cowan's brother, bernard, who was originally from glasgow, was murdered in his home on a kibbutz in southern israel. lucy manning has more. amongst the mango and banana trees on kibbutz sufa, hamas gunmen came to kill — first shooting an ambulance, and then those who lived there, murdering bernard cowan from glasgow, who came to the kibbutz nearly a0 years ago, raising his family — a grandchild bornjust a few months ago. bernard loved to live. he loved to travel. he loved to go diving. he was a free spirit. if you were to look at bernard as a soul who wanted to do nothing but good for the world and for his country, and to love his family, that would be the perfect epitaph. as the gunmen hunted them down, bernard hid with his wife in their safe room. bernard was claustrophobic. he went out into his kitchen, and two terrorists walked by, saw him there, shot him dead. our world fell apart.

orla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv. sisters erez and sahar kalderon are among those released.uncle spoke about their return. this spoke about their return. is a momentous day in o| lives. this is a momentous day in our lives. we are super excited but we have not yet fully processed what has happened. i'm finding it difficult to go from a state of endless anxiety about their fate to a state of relief and jov- fate to a state of relief and joy. i believe it will take time. this is an exciting and heart filling moment but we also understand it is the beginning of a difficult rehabilitation process for them, they are still young and have had a unbearable pursuance. we will do this hand—in—hand. residents of areas devastated by israel's bombardment of gaza have also used the pause in fighting to go back to their homes — or what's left of them — as new images of the destruction there emerge. our middle east correspondent, lucy williamson, sent this report from jerusalem. sometimes the impact of war hits hardest when the fighting stops, when the drones overhead are filming, not firin