A giant aid and defence package. He argued it was in americas interest to defeat those who, he said, sought to Annihilate Neighbouring democracies. More than 100 trucks with humanitarian supplies are waiting on the egypt side of the Rafah Crossing. Its hoped the first 20 will start moving into gaza soon. But it is still unclear when. The entry of aid trucks was part of an agreement President Biden brokered. During the night, israel continued its aerial bombardment of gaza. The United Nations has warned that the initial supply of aid trucks would be nowhere near enough to help the more than a million displaced palestinians. It says at least 100 trucks will be needed each day, because supplies of food, fuel and water are running dangerously low. President Biden Will Today make that Budget Request of congress. Heres some of what he said in his national address. You know, history has taught us that when terrorists dont pay a price for their terror, when dictators dont pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction, they keep going, and the cost and the threats to america and the world keep rising. Can we walk away from ukraine . Turn our backs on israel . Its just not worth it. Thats why tomorrow im going to send to congress an urgent Budget Request to fund Americas National security needs, to support our critical partners, including israel and ukraine. During his address, President Biden also expressed support for the palestinians. The United States remains committed to the palestinian people, its right to dignity and to self determination. The actions of Hamas Terrorists dont take that right away. Like so many others, im heartbroken by the tragic loss of palestinian life, including the explosion at the hospital in gaza, which was not done by the israelis. We mourn every innocent life lost. We cant ignore the humanity of innocent palestinians who only want to live in peace and have an opportunity. The uk Prime Minister rishi sunak Will Travel To Egypt today as he continues his visit of the middle east. Downing street says he will stress the need to prevent the Israel Gaza Conflict from spreading to the wider region. There are also continuing efforts to have hamas release israeli hostages. Mr sunak thanked qatar for diplomatic efforts on that front. I spoke to our security correspondent, frank gardner, who said qatar is well placed to intervene. It hosts the Political Leadership of hamas, not the military wing, but the Political Leadership, notably in the form of somebody called ismail haniya. So hamas has an office, a Political Office in doha, the capital. So qatar has an enormous amount of leverage there. Ironically, its also host to an enormous us airbase that from which most Military Air Operations in the middle east are coordinated from. So the qataris talk to hamas. It put them at odds with their gulf neighbours, for quite some years recently, qatar was kind of out in the cold, shunned by saudi arabia, the uae and bahrain because of its friendship with hamas and whats known as political islam. But definitely talks have been going on right from the very beginning. The qataris told me a few days ago that there was a plan at the very least to try and get the women and children hostages out of gaza in exchange for a similar number held in israeli prisons. And the people i spoke to said, look, hamas doesnt actually want these women and children hostages during the war. They want probably to hang on to the military people that they have kidnapped. Remember that they held somebody called gilad shalit, who is an israeli serviceman, for five years. But trying to keep not only the women and children safe from the the aerial bombing thats going on in gaza, but also keep their locations hidden from Israeli Rescue operations must be quite a challenge. Well, weve heard that there are some uk Passport Holders amongst those hostages, us Passport Holders as well, a number of nations civilians involved in that and of course israeli civilians also taken inside the gaza strip. How much is that a consideration when we also look at israel declaring that it will launch a Ground Offensive into gaza . We heard there, we were quoting the Defence Minister saying to soldiers massed on the border with gaza, youll be seeing the inside soon. Are these words of warning to hamas or does it mean that the Ground Offensive could be imminent, frank . Well, weve been saying for days that this Ground Offensive is imminent. The final decision on the timing is going to be taken by a five member Security Cabinet headed by benjamin netanyahu. But militarily, they are pretty much ready. Theyre trying to gather last bits of intelligence. Ive spoken to israelis about this and they said, look, normally the hostages would be the number one priority, and they are a high priority. But israel, theyre saying, is so appalled by what happened on october 7th that their priority is to destroy hamas ability to hit them militarily. Now, i dont think theyve thought about the day after. And its worth pointing out, by the way, that i dont know what the exact figures are, but for every single hamas commander that has been killed, and there havent been many so far, there has been a disproportionately high number of Palestinian Civilians killed in the bombing. This is not a precise, scientific thing, despite all the technological wizardry that israel has at its disposal. If and when they go in, and its not certain that theyll send all four divisions in, theyre not going to necessarily send in Hundreds And Thousands at the same time. They might do, but they might go for very directed, localised raids where they think hostages are being held or where they think hamas commanders are hiding underground in tunnels and then pull out a few days later and go back in. It wont necessarily be as we imagine. The biggest problem for them is going to be the tunnels, because if you imagine an iceberg, what were seeing above the ground is just the tip of it. Below ground is hundreds of kilometers of tunnels where hamas is hiding and the hostages are probably being hidden. 0ur Security Correspondent frank gardner. Let us get more on the Rafah Crossing, on the egyptian side, aid trucks hoping to bring much needed aid into gaza, distributing the aid on the ground, the largest organisation, unrwa, i spoke to its Communications Director to ask whether the aid would be making its way into gaza possibly still today. Making its way into gaza possibly still toda. ,. , making its way into gaza possibly stilltoda. ,. ,. ,~ still today. Sorry we are speaking under such still today. Sorry we are speaking under such very still today. Sorry we are speaking under such very difficult under such very difficult circumstances. Yes, unrwa is the largest un agency in gaza, the largest un agency in gaza, the largest humanitarian actor. We are what we call direct implementers. It means that unrwa directly delivers assistance to people in need inside gaza. We have been doing that for nearly seven decades now. And gaza. We have been doing that for nearly seven decades now. And the situation is nearly seven decades now. And the situation is so nearly seven decades now. And the situation is so urgent. Nearly seven decades now. And the situation is so urgent. We nearly seven decades now. And the situation is so urgent. We hear nearly seven decades now. And the situation is so urgent. We hear Thisj Situation is so urgent. We hear this from unrwa, we hear this from the un secretary general, from world leaders. And that is why this agreement was brokered to start letting some aid convoys in. It was hoped to start today, that the trucks would start arriving, but a big Question Mark right now and again. It big Question Mark right now and aaain. ,. , big Question Mark right now and aaain. ,. ,. , big Question Mark right now and aaain. ,. , big Question Mark right now and auain. ,. ,. ,. , again. It has not started yet. For the ast again. It has not started yet. For the past nearly again. It has not started yet. For the past nearly two again. It has not started yet. For the past nearly two weeks again. It has not started yet. For. The past nearly two weeks unrwa again. It has not started yet. For the past nearly two weeks unrwa and other organisations have not been able to bring in any humanitarian supplies into the gaza strip. It has been two weeks of siege on the gaza strip. Civilians are the ones who are paying the heaviest price. We have to, we have to get in the supplies as soon as possible. And we have to have regular and sustained humanitarian access to the gaza strip. It humanitarian access to the gaza stri. , humanitarian access to the gaza stri, ,. Humanitarian access to the gaza strip. It is basic supplies, isnt it . A million strip. It is basic supplies, isnt it . A Million People strip. It is basic supplies, isnt| it . A Million People displaced. Strip. It is basic supplies, isnt i it . A Million People displaced. In any case, as we have been saying, 80 of gazans are reliant on aid even before this escalation in violence and hostilities. Water, food, medication, but it is a complex situation, with so many considerations being taken, one of those being by the un under the raid agencies, saying the safety of their personnel and handing out the aid has to be guaranteed and other agencies. Has to be guaranteed and other auencies. ~. , has to be guaranteed and other auencies. ~. ,. , agencies. What also needs to get in in addition to agencies. What also needs to get in in addition to admitting agencies. What also needs to get in in addition to admitting tee in addition to admitting Tee Everything you have mentioned, fuel is critical to come into the gaza strip in addition to everything. It is related to water and electricity. We have two also bring in fuel, absolutely fundamental, fundamental. In Addition Unrwa is hosting currently half a Million People who have come to Something Like 100 Unrwa Facilities and installations. Sadly many of those installations. Sadly many of those installations have been hit or damaged due to the war in the gaza strip. Damaged due to the war in the gaza stri. ,. Damaged due to the war in the gaza stri. ,. , , damaged due to the war in the gaza stri,. ,. ,. , strip. Now, israel says it is not aimin strip. Now, israel says it is not aiming its strip. Now, israel says it is not aiming its aerial strip. Now, israel says it is not aiming its aerial bombardment j strip. Now, israel says it is not. Aiming its aerial bombardment at civilians, but rather at hamas and hamas infrastructure. But we talks often about how crowded gaza is and the civilian casualties and civilian suffering is huge. Israel has been reminded by leaders across the region, close allies also like the us, it does have to think about the civilians of gaza and the rules, International Rules of war. But also israel says it is worried that hamas might try and divert supplies and thatis might try and divert supplies and that is also why it does not want to let the fuel you are talking about into the gaza strip in case hamas use it as part of attacks against israel. ,. , use it as part of attacks against israel. ,. , israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just share israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just share with israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just share with a israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just share with a lot israel. 50, on the civilians part, let me just share with a lot of i let me just share with a lot of sorrow, a lot of sorrow, that unrwa has lost 16 of our colleagues, 16 humanitarian workers, some of them actually were also teachers. We have front line workers, 16 colleagues that we mourn. Ijust got confirmation an additional two have been killed. I confirmation an additional two have been killed. , confirmation an additional two have been killed confirmation an additional two have been killed. , ,. , ~. , been killed. I was speaking there to the communications been killed. I was speaking there to the Communications Director been killed. I was speaking there to the Communications Director of the Communications Director of unrwa, the United Nations relief and works agency that directly hands out aid to palestinians inside gaza, aid the International Community is saying is desperately, desperately needed. For more on the humanitarian situation, i also spoke today to. Tarikjasarevic, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization and he gave his assessment of whether aid will get into gaza today. Supplies, including medical supplies, are ready to go in. And we really hope that we will be able to bring those supplies in as soon as possible, because the supply is so badly needed, even though it would probably not be enough in the first go. And we will need to have these supplies coming in over the coming days and weeks. And of the practicalities at the moment, were hearing that the road is being repaired on the way in. So, the aid trucks would cross from Egypt Into Gaza at the Rafah Crossing. But because of these aerial bombardments, on a daily and nightly basis from israel since those unprecedented attacks inside israel on 7th october, so much of the infrastructure in gaza has been damaged. Well, thats the reports we are hearing. What we know for hospitals is that the situation is becoming really unbearable in many of the hospitals in gaza because they are functioning beyond their capacity. They are running out of medicines, but theyre also running out of fuel. And we really hope that not only medical supplies will come in, but also fuel because hospitals cannot run without fuel. We need to have lights in hospitals. We need electricity to use for incubators, for other things that are providing life support to those there. So, beside surgical equipment, beside medicines for chronic diseases, we also need to have fuel and clean water. Again, those are basic components without which health care cannot be provided. Because clean water is not something that there is normally in gaza anyway and the fuel is often used for pumps, isnt it, to desalinate water . But in the agreement to allow in some aid Thatjoe Biden brokered, getting israels 0k and egypts 0k, israel said no fuel would be allowed in. Its concern is the fuel would be diverted by hamas in gaza and used as part of their attacks against israel. What we are saying is that hospitals cannot run without electricity. If you are a health worker, you need light to see the wounds of the patients. You need light to see what you are doing on a patient. You cannot have your mobile phone in one hand trying to have a flashlight and with other hand trying to sew a wound. So, we really need and we plead forfuel to be part of those supplies that will be allowed in. There are more than 50,000 pregnant women in gaza and more than 5,000 of them will deliver in the next month. We need to be able to provide basic Health Services to them, to people with chronic diseases, people with disabilities, and not to mention all those who are receiving Trauma Injuries during bombardment, and who are being received in huge numbers in past days. So, those supplies, i mean, there was talk of that initial convoy of 20 trucks. You have more than 100 massed on the other side of the Rafah Crossing inside egypt waiting to bring those supplies. But 20 trucks, i mean, normally in gaza before this increase in hostilities and violence, since 7th october, you would have between 100 and 500 coming in a day. I mean, the un says 80 of the population in gaza is reliant on aid. In more normal times. Exactly. And for sure, we would need more than that. We have brought around 80 metric tonnes of supplies last week, and its going to go in, but its nearly not enough. But we are ready as who to bring more planes from our Dubai Logistic Hub and to be able to bring more in. But again, lets just put this into perspective. What we actually need is the end to hostilities, because no matter how much supplies we can bring in, if there is no end to hostilities, lives will be lost, more people will get injured. So, we reallyjoin everyone in saying, look, this has to stop and the only way to stop is to stop actual fighting. We also spoke to. Sacha deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International uk. He provided his assessment of the situation in gaza. And