Waiting to take humanitarian aid from egypt to the gaza strip. The 17 vehicles at rafah were being searched to ensure they were carrying only humanitarian aid. 20 vehicles, loaded with medicines and food, passed through on saturday the first since israel tightened its blockade of the territory more than two weeks ago. The Rafah Crossing is on the egyptian border and is the only route not bordering israel, which means its currently the only potential way to deliver humanitarian aid into gaza. In other developments, irans Foreign Minister has accused israel of committing genocide in gaza and warned the situation in the middle east risks spiralling out of control. Israel has been continuing to carry out aerial bombing of gaza. Its nowjust over two weeks since the hamas attacks inside israel, in which 1,400 people were killed. The Health Ministry in gaza says about ii,700 gazans, mainly civilians, have been killed in the israeli air strikes. Israels military has warned civilians in gaza to keep moving south for their own safety, as it prepares to increase pressure on hamas, which is designated a Terrorist Origanisation by the uk, us and other western governments. A short time ago, the Israeli Defense forces wrapped up a news conference. Spokesperson rear admiral Daniel Hagari says an israeli soldier was killed by an anti tank missile on sunday, during a raid in gaza. Three other soldiers were injured. The israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has met soldiers at the israel lebanon border. He reiterated his support for the troops in their fight against the iranian backed hezbollah which, like hamas, is considered a Terrorist Organisation by the uk, us and others. Translation we are now in a double battle. One here, at the lebanon israel border, to make sure hezbollah back off. And the other battle, there, in the south, to ensure a decisive victory that will crush hamas. If hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will miss the second lebanon war. It will make the mistake of its life. We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine. And the significance for it and the state of lebanon will be devastating. Our correspondent wyre davies. From jerusalem. Israeli air strikes against what it says are strategic hamas targets have left parts of the gaza strip looking like a wasteland. Such bombings, say palestinians, is indiscriminate by its very nature and is resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. Many of those victims are children. These casualties were filmed in central gaza. There are other graphic images too distressing to broadcast, showing the bodies of at least a dozen children. At another hospital in gaza city, this 18 year old, a us citizen who lost a sister in the shelling, urges the American Government to get him and the surviving family out of gaza. After 20 trucks carrying basic food and medical aid were allowed into gaza yesterday through the border with egypt, it was hoped a similar number would cross today. But, says the un, its nowhere near the 500 trucks daily that are needed to sustain a population of more than 2 million. 30 , according to our sources, of the infrastructure is already destroyed. The un says that many who fled south to escape israeli bombing are now heading back to homes in northern gaza, towards the shelling, so dire is the humanitarian situation. Some people will die if they dont get insulin on a regular basis. There are 50,000 pregnant women in gaza. Water is absolutely necessary to keep them alive. But the situation is set to worsen. Thousands of israeli troops, tanks and heavy armour are preparing for a full scale Ground Offensive in gaza, once bombing from the air achieves its objective. Its what israel says it has to do if hamas is to be crushed. I have no doubt that israel will need to go in on the ground to be able to effectively hurt and undermine and weaken hamas, but also, to be able to project power in this region and show the world and its other adversaries that are watching that we have capabilities, and i think its a matter of day or days until that happens. But israel knows a Land Invasion of gaza could trigger conflict in the wider region. In the palestinian west bank, a hamas cell preparing for an attack was hit in the city ofjenin, says israel. And in southern lebanon, where hezbollah militia have threatened to avenge any invasion of gaza, cross border skirmishes may be a portent of things to come. But israels Prime Minister warned hezbollah and its sponsor, iran, not to get involved. If hezbollah decides to enter the war, theyll be making the biggest mistake of their lives and hit with unimaginable force, said the Prime Minister, talking to Israeli Soldiers in the north today. One factor that mr netanyahu cant control is the fate of 200 israeli and International Hostages being held by hamas in gaza. Free them now Theirfamilies Fear an israeli invasion could put their lives in further danger. We have just had a statement from the white house which says that President Joe Biden spoke with israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu this afternoon to discuss developments in israel and gaza. The details of that will be released shortly from the white house. But what we know so far is that President Biden and Vice PresidentKamala Harris received a briefing this morning on the latest developments from the National Security team and in that briefing, it concluded secretary blinken, Defence Secretary austin and various other military and National Security advisers. But that updates just coming in from washington, dc the President Joe Biden has spoken with Prime Minister netanyahu. And it was only last week that the pair met in israel, many credit that meeting to the opening of the Rafah Crossing and those first trucks that went through the Rafah Crossing yesterday. Meanwhile, we have had another update from the white house which says that President Biden also spoke with Pope Francis On Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis. The statement from the white house as they discuss the need to prevent escalation in the region and work towards a durable peace in the middle east. And the vatican earlier said that the call, which lasted about 20 minutes Betweenjoe Biden and the pope, focused on conflict situations in the world and the need to identify patterns to peace. And we will speak to our correspondent in washington shortly to get the latest on that. Earlier, i spoke to our correspondent in jersusalem, paul adams. It is nightfall and so its most unlikely that well see anything happening at the crossing before tomorrow. We understood several hours ago that the trucks were there, they were being checked. It isnt a very large number, its only 17, so its hard to know exactly what the hold up is. Clearly, the israelis have said they should only be carrying food, water and medicine, and nothing that could be of use to hamas and nothing that will fall into the hands of hamas. But its proved very difficult to get very good, up to date information on the situation right there at the crossing. So we obviously hope that that will happen tomorrow. But for the time being, we do not know. And weve heard from Prime Minister netanyahu today, who met with soldiers at the israel lebanon border. How significant was that pep talk, if you can call it that . Well, i think if you look at what he said, hes essentially warning that israel may soon be fighting on two fronts. Both in gaza, but also, up on the lebanese border. For the last couple of weeks, we have been seeing skirmishes along that border with the Lebanese Militia Group hezbollah. They have got worse and worse, and they have claimed lives on both sides. And what mr netanyahu was basically doing was saying to hezbollah, if you think that it is worth joining this war, then we will hit you in a way that you have never imagined before. Of course, hes in a very strong position, he has huge numbers of troops amassed along that border, and he also has an American Carrier group in the Eastern Mediterranean which could i underline the word could get involved if it was felt that that situation along the northern border was getting out of control. At the moment, i dont think anybody thinks that it is. It is serious and the israelis have moved Tens Of Thousands of civilians away from vulnerable communities along that border, but it doesnt at the moment look like a major escalation. Clearly, mr netanyahu wants to make sure that it stays that way. You talk about activity away from gaza. We also heard from the Israeli Defense forces today that one of its aircraft targeted a mosque in the city ofjenin, in the occupied west bank. Yes, i think its worth remembering that the death toll is notjust rising in the gaza strip, where it is now more than ii,700 palestinians a huge number of them, women and children. Its an absolutely staggering number, which dwarfs any previous rounds of conflict between the two sides. But this is also happening to a lesser degree, but still in the west bank, where i think 80 or 90 people have been killed over the last two weeks. And what the israelis are doing, essentially, is going after the same targets. Theyre going after hamas militants and others who they think might be trying to exploit this situation. And it is leading to an extremely tense situation, with the possibility that we could be looking at three fronts, if things there got out of control. At the moment, again, it doesnt look as though the violence on the west bank is particularly widespread. But that death toll of 80 or 90, again, is extremely high by recent standards. There are fresh warnings about the deepening humanitarian crisis in gaza. One member of staff at a hospital told the bbc theyre running out of shrouds for the dead. Our gaza correspondent Rushdi Abualouf reports from inside one of the aid camps in southern gaza. About 2,000 families living in these tents. They are people displaced from the north, in gaza. This is, a camp has been built by the unrwa. I was speaking to the families here. They said they are struggling to find water. They are struggling to find food. They are struggling to find a bathroom. They said the bathroom here is a real challenge. They said security, also, is a real challenge because as you know, hamas has been under really heavy attack by israel for the last two weeks or so, so there is no police around the area to maintain law and order, a few problems here, social problems in the area. But those people, they said, we have been given very little food, very little water, very Little Medicine to the people who are in need for this. This is an example of how 700,000 people who are displaced from the north are living in a very difficult condition in gaza city. The unrwa is planning to have more and more camps like this, once the egyptians are allowing more tents, more food, more fuel and more medicine. Rushdi abualouf. Our correspondent in gaza. The archbishop of canterbury, justin welby, has visited jerusalem, showing solidarity with anglicans in the city. The Anglican Diocese ofjerusalem manages Al Ahli Hospital in gaza, where hundreds of people are thought to have died in an explosion on tuesday. Archbishop welby knows the hospital well, having opened one of its wings. Hes been talking to the bbc� s clive myrie. Its just an oasis in the middle of eastjerusalem. We meet in the garden of st georges cathedral, an outpost of the Anglican Church here in the holy land. I come out here early in the morning to pray. Theres been much to reflect on, following the bloody events of the last two weeks, beginning with the hamas attack that filled him with rage. When everyone sees something that is profoundly evil and horrific the slaughter, the butchery, the cruelty to the bodies of infants up to elderly people it is a horror that if you dont feel a sense of anger, i think youre missing something in your humanity. But when you do see the Bombing Campaign that is taking place in gaza, what are your thoughts on that . It breaks my heart to see that, because i know that if you bomb a city, innocent people die, horribly, and in agony. Children. People with no involvement, who are just caught up in this horrendous process. We cant lecture israel, we can appeal. Were not better than them. Were two faced if we lecture them. But we can appeal. And this is what i hearjoe biden doing, what i heard rishi sunak doing, what i hear other people doing, is saying, of course we understand, if we do, of course we know how angry you are, and rightly, and of course you have the right of self defence and the duty of self defence, but be who you are. Be the best you are. Archbishop, thank you. Thank you. President biden has spoken with israels Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu to discuss developments in israel and gaza. We can go live to washington and speak to our North America correspondent. Tell us more about this conversation, what do we know . ~ � ,. , know . Well, were still waiting for the details of know . Well, were still waiting for the details of that know . Well, were still waiting for the details of that conversation,. The details of that conversation, what we know so far is that President Biden had a conversation with Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu this afternoon. Early this morning, he also had a Telephone Call with pope where they discussed the situation in israel and gaza. He condemned the hamas attack on israel when he spoke to the pope, as well as his recent visit. And his efforts to ensure that humanitarian aid got through to gaza. They both also discussed their concerns about this conflict is collating and spreading in the region. In spoke about the future, which is something that we are hearing more about the emphasis about what happens next after this conflict this conflict which is escalating. Conflict this conflict which is escalating conflict this conflict which is escalating. President biden and vicepresident escalating. President biden and vicepresident kamala escalating. President biden and vicepresident Kamala Harris i escalating. President biden and l vicepresident Kamala Harris had escalating. President biden and vicepresident Kamala Harris had met Vice PresidentKamala Harris had met with key advisers including secretary of state Antony Blinken today to discuss this ongoing situation. , situation. Yes, they did meet earlier on. Situation. Yes, they did meet earlier on, not situation. Yes, they did meet earlier on, not just situation. Yes, they did meet earlier on, not just with situation. Yes, they did meet earlier on, not just with the l earlier on, notjust with the secretary of state, but also with the pentagon and the security adviser. They were receiving updates, a full briefing on the latest developments in israel and gaza about but we are also still waiting for the details of that briefing. Waiting for the details of that briefinu. �. , , , waiting for the details of that briefinu. �. , ,. , briefing. And of course, this phone call between briefing. And of course, this phone call between president briefing. And of course, this phone call between President Biden briefing. And of course, this phone call between President Biden and l call between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu comes after the president s visit to israel only last week. President s visit to israel only last week president s visit to israel only lastweek. , ~. Last week. Yes, it does. And also, what it comes last week. Yes, it does. And also, what it comes after last week. Yes, it does. And also, what it comes after is last week. Yes, it does. And also, what it comes after is this last week. Yes, it does. And also, what it comes after is this rising i what it comes after is this rising tension in the middle east. And concerns by the us about what is happening in the region. Only today, we heard from the State Department that they have upgraded their security alert. They have ordered all of their Us Government employees who are not essential to leave iraq, amidst concerns about rising attacks there, as well as from syria. And so there, as well as from syria. And so there really appears to be raising concern by the us about the escalation, the contagion as a result of this war in israel. For the moment. R