Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240703 : vimarsana.com

Lets bring you up to date on the very latest developments. The israeli army has told residents of seven different areas across the gaza strip to take refuge in shelters as it prepares to launch new attacks on hamas targets. Meanwhile, israeli hostages who were held in a southern town have reportedly been rescued thats according to israels public broadcaster. Three Israeli Soldiers were moderately and lightly wounded. And on the diplomatic front, us Secretary Of State Antony Blinken has called for calm and stability in the west bank during a call with palestinian president mahmoud abbas. And israels allies have shown their support through displays like this. Heres berlins Brandenburg Gate lit up in white and blue to show support for israel. The conflict is also impacting air travel. The federal Aviation Administration is urging us airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in israeli airspace. The us air regulators warning follows an earlier alert issued by the Israeli Government and applies to planes flying at any altitude or flight path through israel. Lets show you live pictures from gaza now. This comes as israeli troops are still going house to house to clear communities after the saturday assault thats according to an Israel Defense forces spokesman. Israel forces have struck several targets in gaza in retaliation for the attacks by hamas. We want to show you the moment, Caught On Camera by our bbc team, when a nearby building was hit by air strikes. Take a look. 0ur Bbc Arabic Team Capturing that footage of several air strikes on a building near the bbc Arabic Office in gaza. It was filmed by our team as it was preparing for a live two way. You can see the large plumes of smoke rising in the aftermath, those strikes taking place earlier on saturday. Joining me is Laurin Whitney gottbrath, world editor at axios and bbc state Department Correspondent Barbara Plett usher. Great to have you both with us. If i can begin with you, Laurin Whitney, once again. Talk to us about the International Reaction to what we are seeing, an attack that many people are agreeing appears unprecedented in scale in recent decades. In recent decades. Yeah, well, certainly. In recent decades. Yeah, well, certainly, israels in recent decades. Yeah, well, certainly, israels allies in recent decades. Yeah, well, certainly, israels allies in certainly, israels allies in much of the west are much regret for a very sort of on the same page in condemning hamass attack and also saying israel itself has a right to defend itself. In terms of the reaction in the arab world, its a little mixed. 0bviously, its a little mixed. Obviously, there are some countries with relations with israel. Their reactions were a little more muted than other countries like qatar, for example, very much put the blame on israel for this. The reaction itself, i think, is very much to be expected. Coming from all different sides but, yes, certainly israels allies are very much behind the country and also very much saying israel should defend itself the way it sees fit. Way it sees fit. Barbara, as laurinwhitney way it sees fit. Barbara, as laurinwhitney was way it sees fit. Barbara, asl laurinwhitney was alluding way it sees fit. Barbara, as laurinwhitney was alluding to, Laurin Whitney was alluding to, the reaction from the Biden Administration today has been one of pledging an qualifying support. When is the relationship stand between israel and the un right now because us. These are longtime allies because this year at least there has been some tension between President Biden and Prime Minister netanyahu. Biden and Prime Minister netanyahm biden and Prime Minister netan ahu. , , netanyahu. There has been tension because netanyahu. There has been tension because i netanyahu. There has been tension because i ministerl tension because i minister netanyahus government has been doing netanyahus government has been doing things that are against us policy, especially its aggressive settler policies in the west bank and that is something that has created strain something that has created strain. There was also concern, has also strain. There was also concern, has also been concerned about netanyahus overhaul of the judiciary, his proposed overhaul that was the administration saw as a threat to israels administration saw as a threat to israels democracy. So in fact to israels democracy. So in fact it to israels democracy. So in fact it was to israels democracy. So in fact it was an unusually cool period. Fact it was an unusually cool period. I fact it was an unusually cool period, i would say, fact it was an unusually cool period, iwould say, in fact it was an unusually cool period, i would say, in the past period, i would say, in the past couple of months with the us president not having invited mr netanyahu to the white house, mr netanyahu to the white house, even. But that is going to change house, even. But that is going to change now in terms of the focus to change now in terms of the focus because whenever israel is under focus because whenever israel is under attack, and it has been is under attack, and it has been under attack from gaza several been under attack from gaza several times in the past decade. Several times in the past decade, the Administration Responds always with a stand behind responds always with a stand behind israel, saying that it has the behind israel, saying that it has the right to defend itself and so has the right to defend itself and so on. And in this case in particular. And so on. And in this case in particular, because of the audacious nurse of the hamas attack, audacious nurse of the hamas attack, the number of casualties and the fact it carried casualties and the fact it carried out a Ground Offensive outside carried out a Ground Offensive outside gaza and it was unprovoked, at least by any particular incident, because of all of particular incident, because of all of that, that stand is Even Stronger all of that, that stand is Even Stronger than it has ever been and we stronger than it has ever been and we have been told by the Administration Officials that there Administration Officials that there has been connection at every there has been connection at every level of the agencies, state every level of the agencies, State Department, State Defence department, intelligence and so on, department, intelligence and so on. There department, intelligence and so on, there is Co Ordination and an offer on, there is Co Ordination and an offer of on, there is Co Ordination and an offer of help if they should need an offer of help if they should need it. An offer of help if they should need it, especially military to military need it, especially military to military so whatever the case was military so whatever the case was earlier, and those tensions had begun was earlier, and those tensions had begun to is already but i think had begun to is already but i think the had begun to is already but i think the focus now is entirely standing think the focus now is entirely standing in israels corner and supporting its response to the hamas supporting its response to the hamas attack and i expect the americans will give the israelis a fair bit of space to do so israelis a fair bit of space to do so before they may start to make do so before they may start to make comments about a ceasefire or even make comments about a ceasefire or even privately telling them to rein or even privately telling them to rein it or even privately telling them to rein it in. To rein it in. Laurinwhitney, Barbara Pointing to rein it in. Laurinwhitney, Barbara Pointing out to rein it in. Laurinwhitney, Barbara Pointing out the Barbara Pointing out the audacious nurse of this attack and certainly it had a great element of surprise in the attack, staged by militants. 0ur Questions being asked about or could apparently be a failure of intelligence . Audaciousness. Failure of intelligence . Audaciousness. Absolutely, i think it is audaciousness. Absolutely, i think it is hard audaciousness. Absolutely, i think it is hard not audaciousness. Absolutely, i think it is hard not to audaciousness. Absolutely, i think it is hard not to call think it is hard not to call this an intelligence failure. 0n the part of the israelis, obviously, but also the americans, who work very closely with the israelis in terms of their intelligence efforts. So of course, there will definitely be a postmortem following this to see where exactly Israeli Intelligence community went wrong. Im sure those assessments are also happening at the moment in terms of trying to learn lessons as they consider what their next steps will be in the weeks, months ahead. find their next steps will be in the weeks, months ahead. And so, barbara, then, weeks, months ahead. And so, barbara, then, talk weeks, months ahead. And so, barbara, then, talk to weeks, months ahead. And so, barbara, then, talk to us weeks, months ahead. And so, barbara, then, talk to us aboutj barbara, then, talk to us about the timing and the backdrop to all of this. You are the state Department Correspondent and have covered the region extensively and comes at a when saudi arabia and israel had been nearing a peace deal and it also comes at a time when we have seen an uptick in west bank raids. Bank raids. Yeah, ust to respond fl bank raids. Yeah, ust to respond a h bank raids. Yeah, ust to respond a little h bank raids. Yeah, just to respond a little bit bank raids. Yeah, just to respond a little bit to bank raids. Yeah, just to j respond a little bit to the earlier respond a little bit to the earlier question about the intelligence failure, because the americans were also taken by surprise, notjust the americans were also taken by surprise, not just the israelis by surprise, not just the israelis. 0ne by surprise, not just the israelis. One of the analysts israelis. 0ne of the analysts who israelis. One of the analysts who follow this closely says they who follow this closely says they basically very much get their they basically very much get their Intelligence Tips from their Intelligence Tips from the israelis on this so they were, the israelis on this so they were, this was a surprise to them were, this was a surprise to them as were, this was a surprise to them as well and the general view them as well and the general view about hamas had been that it was view about hamas had been that it was sort view about hamas had been that it was sort of live and let live it was sort of live and let live. They were negotiating to try to live. They were negotiating to try to get live. They were negotiating to try to get more workers from gaza try to get more workers from gaza into try to get more workers from gaza into israel because they could gaza into israel because they could make some money off of that, could make some money off of that, there was the assessment they were that, there was the assessment they were trying to get money from they were trying to get money from qatar, qatar had been giving from qatar, qatar had been giving the money to build up gaza giving the money to build up gaza and giving the money to build up gaza and i know i was there in 2019 gaza and i know i was there in 2019 and gaza and i know i was there in 2019 and i gaza and i know i was there in 2019 and i saw some of the things 2019 and i saw some of the things that the qataris had built things that the qataris had built so things that the qataris had built so this was an entirely unexpected approach. They were expecting some kind of explosion or preparing for some possible explosion or preparing for some possible explosion but yes, that possible explosion but yes, that had possible explosion but yes, that had been thought to have come that had been thought to have come from the west bank because there come from the west bank because there has come from the west bank because there has been quite a lot of conflict there has been quite a lot of conflict there over the past year conflict there over the past year the conflict there over the past year. The israelis have done a lot of year. The israelis have done a lot of raids year. The israelis have done a lot of raids into palestinian towns. Lot of raids into palestinian towns, especially nablus and jenin towns, especially nablus and jenin because there are Palestinian Militants there becoming more and more active. Around becoming more and more active. Around 200 people i think have been around 200 people i think have been killed in the west bank over been killed in the west bank over the been killed in the west bank over the past year, there has been over the past year, there has been a over the past year, there has been a lot over the past year, there has been a lot of unhappiness about that so been a lot of unhappiness about that so it been a lot of unhappiness about that so it was thought it may be where that so it was thought it may be where the spark may light a fire where be where the spark may light a fire where it was not expected to becoming from gaza at all and so to becoming from gaza at all and so its to becoming from gaza at all and so its a question of how they and so its a question of how they managed to, how hamas managed to conceal this plan, not only managed to conceal this plan, not only from Israeli Intelligence but also its entire intelligence but also its entire approach seems to have been entire approach seems to have been different before and that is something that both the americans and israelis are going americans and israelis are going to americans and israelis are going to look into. With regards to saudi arabia and israel. Regards to saudi arabia and israel, this has been the focus of american diplomacy. Their plan of american diplomacy. Their plan was of american diplomacy. Their plan was to try to get wider stability plan was to try to get wider stability in the region and get some stability in the region and get some concessions for palestinians through that because it was something the israelis because it was something the israelis really, really wanted, to have israelis really, really wanted, to have a israelis really, really wanted, to have a deal with saudi arabia, to have a deal with saudi arabia, and it may still happen and it arabia, and it may still happen and it is arabia, and it may still happen and it is certainly not anywhere near close to happening at this point that it will certainly be put on hold because will certainly be put on hold because of this conflict and we dont because of this conflict and we dont know exactly how the conflict dont know exactly how the conflict will impact it and i imagine conflict will impact it and i imagine it will in some way but the americans had very much focused the americans had very much focused on the bigger picture, rather focused on the bigger picture, rather than the actual israel palestine conflict, trying to et palestine conflict, trying to get an palestine conflict, trying to get an Israeli Palestinian settlement and i think the eruption of this conflict shows that is eruption of this conflict shows that is where you have to keep your that is where you have to keep your eye that is where you have to keep our e e. , ~ that is where you have to keep your eye your eye. Talking about saudi arabia, laurinwhitney, your eye. Talking about saudi j arabia, laurinwhitney, what arabia, Laurin Whitney, what does this mean for the region . Are there concerns about the potential for it to become more complex in the region . Complex in the region . Sure. I mean, i complex in the region . Sure. I mean. I dont complex in the region . Sure. I mean, i dont think complex in the region . Sure. I mean, i dont think we complex in the region . Sure. I mean, i dont think we can mean, i dont think we can dismiss any of those concerns at all. We certainly saw israel today make it clear that they are on high alert in terms of their Northern Command is on high alert in terms of whether or not potentially hezbollah, another group, may try to open another group, may try to open a front in the north. President biden himself and his team in his Statement Today said that the adversary should not try to get into the conflict. I think it underscores potential concern on this being something that could turn into something much larger than what we saw today and likely will continue today and likely will continue to see particularly in gaza in the days, weeks ahead. So, i do think there is concern at this point. Theres not any strong indications that there will be another front opens but if history tells us any lessons, we do know in the past thats exactly what has happened. 0bviously, what happens today is incredibly unprecedented. Stay with us. I want to bring in this statement from the israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has posted on x, formerly twitter. We can read it to you, a part of it. Hamas has started a brutal and evil war