Of food and water left for two million palestinians. Well keep our Eye Onjoint Base Andrew where us President Joe Biden is about to leave for israel. There has already been again reaction tonight from egypt and canada, Justin Trudeau said an attack on any hospital is a war crime. On the panel tonight, author and journalist rachel shabi, and from washington, columnist and broadcaster carrie sheffield. Good evening. The Al Ahli Baptist hospital is well known in gaza not far, in fact, from the bbc office. And in recent days, it would have been one of the places in gaza city in which hundreds of families would seek refuge. But tonight the reports are that hundreds have been killed, some still under the rubble, after a devastating explosion. Hamas says an israeli air strike hit the Main Building in which people were sheltering, the Health Ministry says as many as 1000 people may have been killed or injured. The Pictures Emerging Show A Scene Of Utter chaos with bloodied and maimed casualties being rushed out on stretchers in the darkness. There are bodies and wrecked vehicles in the rubble outside. We have seen a video of the explosion, but we cant yet independely verify it or tell you with any certainty what caused it. All the hospitals are providing refuge for people trying to escape the bombing, so the casualties figures would make sense. The Israeli Army Says it is investigating and will report shortly. It says an analysis of idf operational system indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in gaza passing in close proximity to the al ahli arab Baptist Hospital when it was had. Intelligence from multiple sources indicates that islamicjihad is responsible for the failed Rocket Launch which hit this hospital and dies out. We will continue to put the questions to the relevant people, but this is quite the bank drop for bidens trip to israel tonight. He is due to the washington and the next hour. Pretty unprecedented for a us president to head into a Conflict Zone with only a few days notice. A lot of thought had already gone into this visit and what it would mean for the white house by association. Blasting the president would want while he is there is for israel to launch a Ground Offensive without the humanitarian aid in place. This Attack Tonightjust adds humanitarian aid in place. This attack tonight just adds another layer. We will not speak to laura bloom and failed, thank you very much for coming on. We have heard that the reaction from the palestinians, weve heard from the Israeli Government. Has there been any reaction from the white house . One thing is clear, there is tremendous trauma, and sitting here in washington, i can also tell you that President Biden is good at grief. Regardless of who, you know, who is responsible, he connects to grief and suffering on an intimate visceral level because of the own suffering he has experienced in his life. For him and for the white house, this moment is all about leadership. I mean, it is a big and risky move when the boots on the ground in a war zone belong to the commander in chief. So what is he doing . I would say he is taking a now and later approach. He is coming to say stop the war and also trying to say stop the war and also trying to see the region for peace ater. You think is coming to say stop the work . He you think is coming to say stop the work . ,. ,. , you think is coming to say stop the work . , ,. , you think is coming to say stop the work . ,. ,. ,. Work . He is coming to saline at the war, but by work . He is coming to saline at the war. But by step work . He is coming to saline at the war, but by stop the work . He is coming to saline at the war, but by stop the whining, work . He is coming to saline at the war, but by stop the whining, yes, | war, but by stop the whining, yes, he is coming to say, israel, weve got your back, but hes whispering quite loudly in their ears, then at the suffering, then it. Increase aid to the palestinians. So he is there to deter and to prevent a wider warfrom there to deter and to prevent a wider war from escalating. There to deter and to prevent a wider warfrom escalating. It there to deter and to prevent a wider war from escalating. If he is intent on it wider war from escalating. If he is intent on it not wider war from escalating. If he is intent on it not escalating, wider war from escalating. If he is intent on it not escalating, he wider war from escalating. If he is intent on it not escalating, he willj intent on it not escalating, he will be pretty alarmed by the pictures we are looking at on screen of ramallah tonight in the west bank. We have heard angry statements from the jordanian king, from the egyptian president. We have already had plenty of Sabre Rattling from the Iranian Foreign minister. Does this stoke the fire further and will there be concern in washington tonight that the conflict is about tonight that the conflict is about to spread . Tonight that the conflict is about tosread . ~ , a. , to spread . Absolutely. As tremendous concern. To spread . Absolutely. As tremendous concern the to spread . Absolutely. As tremendous concern. The stakes to spread . Absolutely. As tremendous concern. The stakes couldnt to spread . Absolutely. As tremendous concern. The stakes couldnt be concern. The stakes couldnt be higher. I think for biden, his approach is go bag and go home. He is coming to the holy land, this is an area he has been visiting for many decades of his life. You can see it in the intensity around his eyes when he has been talking for the last ten days since the crisis started. I think he is coming, really come as a present committed to the region, saying we have seen an eye for an eye, weve seen turn the other cheek. Im offering a third way, a transformation. The white house goals over the past with the administration had been for Regional Cooperation and integration, and this isnt the way they thought they would get there. Its almost a bloodied referendum on the Abraham Accords and the swing stateside the arab nations. He is looking to arab partners to pull through this and bring everybody to a more positive conclusion. He certainly has personal relationships with these people. He had 30 or a0 years in the senate and the Foreign Relations committee. Its got to know them as the Vice President , and of course while serving president , showing up counts. Nothing really replaces face to face diplomacy, but it is not a particularly cosy relationship with benjamin netanyahu. Can he trust him . He is sort of like netanyahu. Can he trust him . He is sort of like uncle netanyahu. Can he trust him . He is sort of like uncle joe netanyahu. Can he trust him . He is sort of like uncle joe and sort of Like Unclejoe and then there are these three combat prowess. Its notjust benjamin netanyahu, it is banning guns, the chairman of thejoint netanyahu, it is banning guns, the chairman of the joint chiefs and the defence ministerfor, i have interviewed him. He is physically imposing. That said, iran is really a priority, and there is the wider world that china and russia are watching. I dont know if you saw pictures of pollutant in beijing looking at the president of china. They looked like they were ready to beat each other wedding cake. Its bigger than the region. Its more Thanjust Biden and bigger than the region. Its more than just biden and netanyahu. Bigger than the region. Its more Thanjust Biden and netanyahu. This is big. Taste than just biden and netanyahu. This is bi. ,. , than just biden and netanyahu. This isbiu. ,. ,. , than just biden and netanyahu. This isbi. ,. ,. ,. Is big. We should also remember that when ou is big. We should also remember that when you talk is big. We should also remember that when you talk about is big. We should also remember that when you talk about russia is big. We should also remember that when you talk about russia china, i when you talk about russia china, obviously there is a connection with iran as well. Do you think they are in commute to Connect Munication To Tehran and make they behind some of the statements weve heard . For ears, the statements weve heard . For years. We the statements weve heard . For years. We have the statements weve heard . Fr . Years, we have been hearing from the white house, all options are on the table. You might notice that the message is whittled down to one word, dont. When they put out messages like make no mistake, we will take action, but they are trying to say is we will match words with deeds this time because we saw in previous administrations, like when president asad gassed his own civilians during the obama presidency, we failed to take action. And part of this is an opportunity for the United States to make up for mistakes they have made in the past, whether it was Regime Change in iraq, a chaotic withdraw from afghanistan. And think biden is coming to the middle east to say that we are going to get this right. Laura, get to talk to this evening. Thank you for coming on the programme. Rachel, can i get your reaction to what we see tonight and what we have heard from both sides . What we are seeing tonight, the hospital what we are seeing tonight, the hospital at gaza city is extraordinarily awful, notjust in terms extraordinarily awful, notjust in terms of extraordinarily awful, notjust in terms of the carnage and the lost tives terms of the carnage and the lost lives in terms of the carnage and the lost lives in itself over 500 people kitted. Lives in itself over 500 people killed, and as we say come its not ust killed, and as we say come its not just the killed, and as we say come its not just the hospital, its a place where just the hospital, its a place where people are seeking shelter, seeking where people are seeking shelter, seeking refuge from israels Area Bombardments in an area in the gaza strip where bombardments in an area in the gaza strip where there arent very many areas strip where there arent very many areas for strip where there arent very many areas for shelter. So that in itself is horrendous. But then we have the reality is horrendous. But then we have the reality that is horrendous. But then we have the reality that that is so awful that it risks reality that that is so awful that it risks being a giant Tipping Point in the it risks being a giant Tipping Point in the region. Weve already come as he had in the region. Weve already come as he had been in the region. Weve already come as he had been reporting, we have seen demonstrations in the occupied west bank in demonstrations in the occupied west bank In Ramallah Escalate rapidly. They have bank In Ramallah Escalate rapidly. They have become very angry, protests they have become very angry, protests against the president , palestinian president , he himself is apparently reportedly on his way back from amnon, jordan. He was expected back from amnon, jordan. He was expected to back from amnon, jordan. He was expected to meet biden, joe biden tomorrow expected to meet biden, joe biden tomorrow in a meeting there. Hes no longer tomorrow in a meeting there. Hes no longer doing tomorrow in a meeting there. Hes no longer doing that. So that is a very bad signat longer doing that. So that is a very bad signal in itself. We are also hearing bad signal in itself. We are also hearing a bad signal in itself. We are also hearing a protests in light of what hasjust hearing a protests in light of what hasjust happened at hearing a protests in light of what has just happened at that hearing a protests in light of what hasjust happened at that hospital in gaza, hasjust happened at that hospital in gaza, and as he just said, egypt has been in gaza, and as he just said, egypt has been similarly serious. So if biden has been similarly serious. So if biden is has been similarly serious. So if biden is on has been similarly serious. So if biden is on his way to that region to try biden is on his way to that region to try to biden is on his way to that region to try to stitch together some kind of attiance to try to stitch together some kind of alliance to build agreement toward of alliance to build agreement toward egypt, saudi arabia, the palestinian west bank, the chances of that palestinian west bank, the chances of that are palestinian west bank, the chances of that are not looking great at the moment of that are not looking great at the moment. ,. , moment. No. Indeed so. It is so difficult picking moment. No. Indeed so. It is so difficult picking your moment. No. Indeed so. It is so difficult picking your way moment. No. Indeed so. It is so| difficult picking your way through the story and trying to get to the truth of what is unfolding. I spoke to mark in the last hourjust to talk to them about the fuel as well which the israeli say came across the border yesterday, the un representatives in gaza said that that was their fuel that went to their facilities and mark says, welcome it was redirected by mice. It is so difficult from this far away with no reporting on the ground to actually get to the truth of what is happening, and it is really frustrating. Is happening, and it is really frustratina. ,. , frustrating. Yes, it is far more difficult to frustrating. Yes, it is far more difficult to hear frustrating. Yes, it is far more difficult to hear in frustrating. Yes, it is far more difficult to hear in real frustrating. Yes, it is far more difficult to hear in real time i frustrating. Yes, it is far more i difficult to hear in real time what is happening, but i want to take a step back and talk about what we know about thomas. Im a former Jerusalem Post reporter and i was on the ground covering deaths in jerusalem. Thomass Founding Charter says that it wants to slaughter israel and it wants to slaughter the dues. Jews. Our Hospital Attack and our heart goes out to all these innocent patients who are suffering who should never have been victim to this. But the likelihood of hamas actually being responsible i think is actually well within the target of what we know about hamas, that it has a history of creating home grown Explosive Devices that are very unreliable, but they have a record of using human shields, so they would have no qualms about using their own people as fodder, they are reportedly blocking their own people from leaving and evacuating to create a humanitarian crisis because they want to shield them from accountability, they want to shield against the idf from going in and rescuing these israeli civilians who have been taken captive as hostages. And with all due respect to your previous reporter, i strongly disagree with her assessment ofjoe biden. I think part of the result of joe bidens weakness, not on the in the us withdraw from afghanistan, that It Signal Weakness to put in. Put ins invasion of ukraine and i received a distraction. Put in is laughing right now. Hes excited, in fact, a hamas spokesperson said, this is good for russia that the United States is distracted in the middle east. Joe bidens reactionary. He is an utterfailure as a president. Taste reactionary. He is an utter failure as a president. Reactionary. He is an utter failure as a president. We will come back to ma be as a president. We will come back to maybe some as a president. We will come back to maybe some of as a president. We will come back to maybe some of those as a president. We will come back to maybe some of those points. As a president. We will come back to maybe some of those points. I as a president. We will come back to maybe some of those points. Ijust l maybe some of those points. Ijust want to focus for a minute, take a step back. We will talk to plenty of palestinians tonight as well, but i want to go to the issue of the hostages and the efforts that are ongoing to secure their release. Imagine if you are one of the families tonight looking at this horrific picture in gaza and what has happened to the hospital and wondering what that means for your Family Members that hamas are holding. We know that meetings are taking place in the capital of qatar where some of the hamas leaders lead. One of those negotiators as oliver, the co founder of the conflict Mediation Group in a forward thinking. He was involved in years of talks that led to the eventual release of the last hostage held in gaza, the israeli soldier who has been waiting very patiently for us. My apologies for how long you have been captivating. And you for your time this evening. You go in as a non state actor and you have been there many times. What do you make of what you are seeing tonight and the reactions on all sides to it . ,. ,. , u, and the reactions on all sides to it . ,. ,. ,. ,. , it . First of all can a christian, it is deel it . First of all can a christian, it is deeply depressing, it . First of all can a christian, it is deeply depressing, not it . First of all can a christian, it is deeply depressing, notjust i is deeply depressing, notjust tonights events, but the whole of the week from the seventh onwards. But what i found equally depressing tonight is the spin that people feel they have to give. We always say that truth is the First Casualty of war, well, what happened tonight, i think what matters, it underlines the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. I think to get in the Spin Argument saying this and repetition of erroneous facts, unchecked facts is just clouding our vision that people are dying needlessly. And i think if biden arrives tomo