Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC 20240703

The military is ready to begin at any moment a Ground Offensive aimed at crushing hamas. Thousands of people in the gaza strip are continuing to flee south after an order by israel for more than a Million People to evacuate. These are the latest developments in the israel gaza war. 00v israeli these are the latest developments in the israel gaza war. Israeli troops continue to mass near gaza ahead of an expected Ground Offensive but it has given no indication of when it might mount an attack. These pictures show tanks arriving today. The israeli airstrikes on Gaza Continue it says it is targeting hamas positions. Hamas is designated as a Terror Organisation by many western governments including the uk. Gazan Health Officials say the number of palestinians killed has risen to 2,670 with 9,600 others wounded. The israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has held the first meeting of his emergency cabinet. He described those who killed more than Fourteen Hundred israelis as monsters. Mr netanyahu said that his countrys forces were ready at any moment to demolish hamas. In Gaza A Hospital Serving Thousands of patients in khan younis has warned that it will run out of power completely on monday due to israels blockade of the territory. Israel has said it has turned water pipes into Southern Gaza back on. The Un Aid Agency told the bbc gaza is being pushed into an abyss. Egypts president , Abdel Fattah Al sisi, says israels reaction to the attacks by hamas has gone beyond self defence and amounts to collective punishment. He was speaking to americas top diplomat, Antony Blinken, in cairo. After the talks mr blinken urged israel to do Everything Possible to avoid harming civilians. 0ur correspondent nick beake has been Monitoring Events and sent us this report from southern israel. Gaza is bleeding. Its hospitals, already full, deluged with more patients. These some of the youngest victims in this latest chapter of an ancient conflict thats now erupted so violently. Israeli air strikes continue to kill civilians in gaza, bringing more searches amid the rubble, often in vain. Translation dozens of families were massacred. We are beyond capacity. Were treating people in the corridors and on floors. This is a very dangerous situation. Israel says this is self defence, to ensure its survival, and that this aerial bombardment is a proportionate response to the atrocities hamas committed a week ago. Israel claims this strike killed a mastermind of the attacks. From outside gaza, a glimpse of the aftermath of the israeli raids. All day, we heard militaryjets heading towards their targets. Israel says its assault on gaza is onlyjust the beginning, that it will be followed by a major offensive by air, land and sea. United nations agencies say that gaza is being pushed into an abyss and that by forcing the evacuation of more than a million palestinians, it is, for the most vulnerable, a Death Sentence. Israel reinforced this ultimatum that civilians in the north of gaza must move to the south. It said it opened another supposedly safe corridor for three hours today. It accused hamas of blocking routes. Translation residents of gaza city, i call on you again. Hamas is trying to prevent your evacuation. We will allow it. Get out of gaza city and the surrounding areas, for your own safety. Many gazans who have tried to seek shelter at schools run by the United Nations say getting out is impossible. Translation they said leave towards the south, but there is no transportation. Some cars got bombed by air strikes. During the night, the children hugged me and screamed, save us, save us. Gazas border to the south with egypt has been closed, so leaving that way has not been an option. There are trucks full of aid waiting to go into gaza, but for now, theyre going nowhere. A population of more than 2 million, trapped, as Israeli Forces say theyre on their way in. Nick beake, bbc news, in southern israel. Ever since last weekends unprecedented attack by hamas, israel and egypt have not allowed journalists to enter gaza. But palestinians trapped inside have been trying to get their stories out. 0ur former gaza correspondent, jon donnison, has been speaking to one young woman who over the past week has been documenting her daily life there. We are evacuating, we are leaving our houses. Bisan 0wda is a 25 year old film maker in gaza. They told people to evacuate to this place. All week, shes been posting a video diary on instagram about life under fire. 0ther safe places. There is no safe places in gaza. Last monday, israel warned people in her neighbourhood to flee their homes. Bisan decided to head for shelter at a nearby hospital. And later that night, it did bomb that district of gaza city, reducing much of it to rubble. This is the first bottle of water. Im going to drink from it. With a complete Blockade Of Gaza in place, bisan, like millions of others, is running out of basic necessities. There is no food, there is nothing in the shelters or even in the neighbourhoods. And then on friday, another warning from the skies. At 6am today in the morning, thousands of people, all the People Living in the northern and western side of the gaza strip got a call from an israeli number. Its a recorded call and the recording is telling us that we must leave our homes for the southern areas of the gaza strip because they want it empty and it will be destroyed. And so they went, in their hundreds of thousands. But not bisan. She and her family decided to stay put in the north, and later that day, another update from the hospital. Do you remember when i said that they did push people to evacuate from the northern to the Southern Areas Via a safe route, as they said . Ok, that was a trick. That was a trick. They targeted ambulances, cars and buses. Israel says it is investigating what happened in an apparent air strike on the main road heading south. 0utside, look, there is no electricity at all. As bisan waits to see what the night will bring, she gives her own sign off. Its now 10pm. I collect my stuff in my bag in case we need to evacuate as fast as we can if there was bombing around us or on us during the night hours. This is my daily routine. What about yours . Tell me. Jon donnison, bbc news. Pray for us. As the Israeli Ground invasion looms, hospitals in Northern Gaza are under pressure to evacuate. Gaza ministry of health, said on saturday 22 hospitals and medical centres in the gaza strip were told to evacuate their site within 72 hours. A task that many doctors and Unit Managers find impossible. Ghassan abu sittah is a british palestinian surgeon associated with doctors without borders. Dr abu sitta is currently in Al Shifaa Hospital in Northern Gaza, from where he shared his concerns about the proposed evacuation. I am in shifaa hospital, gazas busiest hospital. First of all, targeting hospitals is against International Humanitarian law, so the idea that Warning Hospitals that you are going to target them absolutely gets you off the hook in committing a war crime is ludicrous. Two, this is a hospital with over 1,000 patients in it, and thousands of people who have sought refuge. It is not evacuable, it is not possible to evacuate a hospital of this size. And most of the patients are critically wounded. But why would you want to target a hospital, why would you want to target a hospital and think that is acceptable if you give people notice . 0ur middle east correspondent tom bateman has been Monitoring Events for us from jerusalem he gave me the latest on preparations for the Ground Invasion. Well, the Israeli Military said this morning that it would be a political decision about when a Ground Invasion starts. So we know that they are effectively ready, or ready enough, to start a form of Ground Offensive. They said that will be extremely large, by land, sea and air. That was in the updates that it was giving yesterday. But they have effectively said it is now down to the Israeli Government over the timing. We have had Antony Blinken, the us Secretary Of State, as you were mentioning, in the region, this Shuttle Diplomacy that has gone on for two to three days now. He has now said he will return to israel tomorrow. I think we have to bear that in mind when talking about a Ground Offensive. Clearly, with the us Secretary Of State in town, it may have a bearing on the military decisions, but we dont know. I think what mr blinken was saying was also important. So a couple of points to make. First of all, he gave some quite positive signals about the rafah crossing, saying it will reopen. That is the crossing on the border between egypt and gaza. The significance of that is it would mean some palestinians could get out of gaza, those who hold dual nationality, they hold a foreign passport. They have been told, many of them, to go close to rafah in anticipation of the opening of the border. The egyptians have been trying to get aid convoys in through that crossing, but the israelis bombed it during the week and were preventing that from happening. So some positive signals about that. That would bring some much needed relief to that catastrophic humanitarian situation that we have just been hearing about in the gaza strip. And the other point about Antony Blinken was that in all of these meetings, he has been talking about the need to prevent a regional conflagration, a regional explosion from all of this. Now after his meeting in particular with mohammed bin salman, the saudi crown prince, he said it had been very productive. That is probably quite a positive sign at this stage, given there is a line of communication between the saudis and their arch rivals the iranians. Iran has the power to sort of direct hezbollah in lebanon to dial up or dial down its activities. But this remains an extremely dangerous situation. I think the return of mr blinken to israel suggests that some talking is still happening. We can talk now to mara rudman a former middle east envoy and Senior National security official in the 0bama and clinton administrations. Shes now a senior counselor at the us think tank american progress. Thank you for being with us. What is your Assessment May of what comes next . I your Assessment May of what comes next . ~ ,. ,. , your Assessment May of what comes next . ~ ,. ,. ,. , next . I think your reporting clearly ca tured next . I think your reporting clearly captured the next . I think your reporting clearly captured the edge next . I think your reporting clearly captured the edge of next . I think your reporting clearly captured the edge of the next . I think your reporting clearly captured the edge of the cliff next . I think your reporting clearly captured the edge of the cliff in captured the edge of the cliff in the sense that the world is on. Israels need to ensure that its military means and ends match each other in terms of what they need to do to reduce the threat, the very Real Security threats to their country as evidenced so horrifically by the hamas Terrorist Action a week ago. In southern israel. And so israel needs to and is trying to figure out what Military Action to take with the need to maximise the protection of innocent lives, those of palestinians in gaza as well as the people are visual. So we are on the people are visual. So we are on the precipice right now. I believe that the United States, Antony Blinken back and forward Diplomacy Shows what the United States is trying to do, they need to help unbalance israels action to go forward with the necessary Military Action but do so with the balance of critical Democratic International values and minimise the damage for the civilians in gaza which as we know there are many many people so it is a very difficult situation. I am also pleased to hear the United States has appointed david satterfield, an accomplished former diplomat as a special envoy for humanitarian aide. He headed a Multinational Force humanitarian aide. He headed a multinationalforce in humanitarian aide. He headed a Multinational Force in the sinai, humanitarian aide. He headed a multinationalforce in the sinai, is fluent in arabic and has strong relationships throughout the region and knows how to get stuff done in a way that i think he is an important choice for that position. You way that i think he is an important choice for that position. Choice for that position. You talk about the diplomacy choice for that position. You talk about the diplomacy and choice for that position. You talk about the diplomacy and work i choice for that position. You talk l about the diplomacy and work that choice for that position. You talk about the diplomacy and work that is now going on to try and de escalate this crisis. You talk about how this war is at a precipice. Do you think it is possible to step back from the cliff edge or are we at the Point Of No Return . I cliff edge or are we at the Point Of No Return . No return . I think this is a matter of navigating no return . I think this is a matter of navigating a no return . I think this is a matter of navigating a path no return . I think this is a matter of navigating a path along no return . I think this is a matter of navigating a path along the no return . I think this is a matter i of navigating a path along the edge of navigating a path along the edge of it. Israel needs to be able to move forward with its military aims to protect its own security, to deter further action of the horrendous sort that happened last saturday and at the same time to be able to know what the days forward will be, what are three and four steps ahead of us in terms of what is next in gaza and for palestinians in gaza. So yes, i think it is possible. I would not characterise it as stepping back, i would suggest there is a long walk ahead which is right along the lines of ensuring that neither israel nor palestinians nor the rest of the world fall on the other side of that edge. find nor the rest of the world fall on the other side of that edge. And it is a very narrow the other side of that edge. And it is a very narrow cliff the other side of that edge. And it is a very narrow cliff edge. The other side of that edge. And it is a very narrow cliff edge. When i the other side of that edge. And it l is a very narrow cliff edge. When we talk about the words from governments and leaders around the world, many of them offering their unconditional support to israel in its bid to destroy the capability of hamas but at the same time we hear again and again from the arab league, the african union, they say a Ground Invasion of gaza country markedly to a genocide of unprecedented proportions. The World Health Organization says evacuating 22 hospitals is a Death Sentence for sick and injured. Chinas diplomat says it goes beyond the scope of self defence. How can israel get the balance right . I self defence. How can israel get the balance right . Balance right . I am very careful of the words i balance right . I am very careful of the words i use balance right . I am very careful of the words i use and balance right . I am very careful of the words i use and some balance right . I am very careful of the words i use and some of balance right . I am very careful of the words i use and some of the i the words i use and some of the quotes you red are from individuals, organisations, countries whose intentions i dont want to question but i think are being less careful in the words they choose. How can i get it right . It is ensuring that military means and military ends are consistent with each other, that is part of following the law that governs international conflict, the laws that govern wars and International Law that are consistent with International Humanitarian laws. Those laws do not require no action, they require ensuring that your actions are consistent with the end you want to achieve and ensure you do Everything Possible to minimise the danger to innocent, to the civilian population. Hard as it is to grasp, part of trying to move the significant part of the population of gaza and is a large refugee camp to its north, part of having them move is taking more time than the timing that israel set up at the front end but that is to preserve human life, to preserve the lives of civilians because hamas militants are so deeply embedded in various parts of gaza city and throughout the refugee camp, in tunnels underneath. And they do that purposely. Hiding themselves in schools and hospitals and other places to maximise the danger, maximise the death of civilians around them so it leads to some very uncomfortable choices on how this balance can occur. Uncomfortable choices on how this balance can occur. Good to have you with us on balance can occur. Good to have you with us on the balance can occur. Good to have you with us on the programme, balance can occur. Good to have you with us on the programme, thank. Balance can occur. Good to have you | with us on the programme, thank you for talking with us, mother rodman and there. Mara rudman. Thank you. As the fallout from the war continues a civilian has been killed in israel by a missile fired from lebanon the first to die on israels northern border in the recent crisis. The group, hezbollah, which has links to iran says that it carried out the attack. Israel says its retaliating by striking targets in southern lebanon. 0ur middle east correspondent anna foster is on israels border with lebanon and sent us this report. Israel says its responded to multiple attacks from lebanon through the day. In a week thats seen daily exchanges, this is the largest. Its been nearly an hour now that weve heard continuing fire going overhead, from both directions. Most of it seems to be going from the israeli side to the lebanese. We are hearing some return fire as well. Weve taken cover in a forested area. Its a bit more solid, offers a bit more protection. And were continuing to hear these things going overhead all the time. Earlier, the first civilian was killed on the northern border during this conflict. A builder who was working on a home in the village of shtula when an anti tank missile from lebanon exploded nearby. We are now hearing our houses, there is no alert when they anti tank missile is coming out. There is no alert. Its very fast. We hear the whistle and then it is one minute, less. Hezbollah and its allies have claimed todays attacks. Israel says the blame goes to the highest levels. Translation the state of lebanon bears responsibility for the firing conducted from its territory. Both sides have reiterated that they dont want an escalation here. But after a day of constant exchanges, its a dangerous moment. Anna foster, bbc news, on the israel lebanon border. We will of course follow events as they develop in the middle east. To other news now and to poland, where the parliamentary elections have been taking place. Poles have just finished casting their votes in what some have described as the most significant elections since the end of communism. The right wing law and Justice Party is seeking to secure a third term in office, locked in a fierce battle with the liberal Opposition Led by former European Council president donald tusk. According to the the first exit poll released in the last few minutes the governing Law Justice Party are in the lead but are likely to fall short of a majority, opening the the possibility that Opposition Parties could take power in a coalition. Lets go live now to warsaw, where is our Eastern Europe correspondent sarah rainsford. Explain what is going on base might we set a bitterly fought contest, what had been the key issues . I contest, what had been the key issues . ,. ,. ,. , issues . I am oining you from where the issues . I am joining you from where the opposition issues . I am joining you from where the opposition held issues . I am joining you from where the opposition held their issues . I am joining you from where the opposition held their election. The opposition held their election. You can see behind me, it is empty, they are packing up. Just one hour ago this was packed full of people who were celebrating victory. This is just one exit poll that has been released but it is giving the Civic Coalition what they are describing as a chance to form a coalition which suggests the governing law and Justice Party does not have enough votes, even with the other party that mightjoin them because they would not have enough to form a government. This is an exit poll, not the results, they are just beginning the count now but it has been a heavily contested and highly divisive election. It is very interesting to see how many turned out to vote. The current figure is 73 of the electorate going to vote which shows you people thought a huge amount was at stake. People we talk to in the accuser said it was a historic election about deciding the future of poland. Talked to in the queues at the ballot boxes. The government said it was all about security. The opposition said it was all about democracy. There will probably be a protracted period of conversations about a coalition. Thank you very much, we will get any more news from you that we can on this. Just mentioning the turnout there, probably the highest turnout for an election since the fall of communism in 1989, the state say that they beat the record, it could be as high as 72. 9 for the highest record in 1989, the first free election since communism. Thats the latest news from poland, we will keep you up to date with all developments from warsaw. I will be back with a headline shortly. Stay with us here on bbc news. Hello there. For most of you, todays been dry, plenty of sunshine, glorious skies and underneath the sunny skies you could make out some snow here on the tops of the scottish mountains in glencoe. Meanwhile, in cumbria, what a beautiful weather watcher picture we have here from the keswick area. It was in cumbria that we had a particularly cold start to the day, minus four in shap recorded earlier. You can see the extent of the sunshine, then, from the Satellite Picture earlier on. But across Northern Scotland we did have this week weather fronts that brought some persistent rain into parts of north highland, Northern Parts of aberdeenshire with some showers around as well for western scotland. And overnight that zone of rain is going to push its Way Northwards Crossing 0rkney and shetland. So, therell be some rain here for a time, otherwise its a dry night with clear skies and it will turn cold again. Temperatures in towns and cities getting down into low single figures, but in the countryside, cold enough once again for a nip of frost. Tomorrow, High Pressure dominates, so for most, its another dry day across Western Areas of the country. Therell be more in the way of high cloud around the sky, quite thick cloud as well. So, bright or hazy, sunny spells likely to come through that at Times Central and eastern parts of both scotland and england having the best of the day sunshine. But there are likely to be some showers working into the Thames Estuary and a few showers at times for 0rkney and shetland. Now, for tuesday i think theres a greater risk of seeing some mist and fog patches to start the day. These could be quite slow to clear, another fine, unsettled sunny day for most on tuesday. But there will be some rain moving into parts of South West England and southern wales. Towards the end of the day, temperatures starting to come up a little bit and then for the middle part of the week, its all change. This area of low pressure moves across the uk, bringing its own of heavy rain and some strong winds on wednesday. The heaviest rain is going to be falling across england and wales, where i think we could see around 20 110 millimetres of Rain Building in here that could cause one or two issues. But as well as the rain, were also going to have some quite strong winds developing, particularly for scotland, around eastern coastal scotland, probably have some patches of light rain developing here with the best of any limited sunshine likely across the north west of scotland, temperatures about average 13 16 degrees. Beyond that, we get the heavy rain then moving across northern england, Northern Ireland and in scotland for thursday, that lot eases away. But then weve got another low pressure coming in for friday with more heavy rain and the weak. Now on bbc news, its israel gaza a week of war. An attack on israel that no one saw coming. Thousands of rockets fired. We start with a fast developing story in the middle east, where a barrage of rockets has been fired from the gaza strip. Israeli civilians killed in cold blood, hostages dragged away, and a deadly israeli response. Explosions all in seven days that shook and shocked the world. Saturday, the 7th of october, 2023. A barrage of rockets begins just after dawn