Home about why its taking so long. Speaking on prime Time Television on wednesday night, he said the timing of the offensive would be reached by consensus. Joining me now from tel aviv is idf Spokesperson Lieutenant colonel peter lerner. Welcome to bbc news. Can you tell us more about this what has been described as a significant incursion into gaza. The images that have been released, it does seem this is the most significant, limited raid since the start of this crisis . The start of this crisis . Indeed, over night the start of this crisis . Indeed, over night we the start of this crisis . Indeed, over night we conducted, the start of this crisis . Indeed, over night we conducted, what| the start of this crisis . Indeed, i over night we conducted, what is the start of this crisis . Indeed, over night we conducted, what is day 20 since the brutal massacre of israelis, the abduction of 222 and the murder of a massacre of over 1400 the murder of a massacre of over moo israelis in their houses, and ongoing operations. Last night was another step up in the escalation of our activities. We conducted a sweep and clear operation with the most. The largest operation we have conducted on the palestinian side of the fence since the beginning of the war. Indeed, the intention and the goal of this operation was to engage anti tank squads that hamas have deployed. We did engage, we did kill the enemy. And also, seek out locale positions that hamas are Still Holding in the area, potentially evacuating and clearing mines and explosive devices. We are on a mission in order to make our operations saferfor our mission in order to make our operations safer for our forces, but most clearly give us an operational advantage as this moves forward. It was a substantial operation. It was the first such operation being conducted. The limited rates we have conducted. The limited rates we have conducted before this had another mission, which was to gather bodies of israelis that had been inducted into gaza. ,. , of israelis that had been inducted into gaza. ,. ,. Into gaza. The Israeli Defence force 5pke5peple into gaza. The Israeli Defence force spokespeople like into gaza. The Israeli Defence force spokespeople like yourself into gaza. The Israeli Defence force i spokespeople like yourself continue to tell us on a daily basis that air strikes are intensifying. But many are asking, especially the United Nations and Gaza Civilians as to why the bombing is still continuing in Southern Gaza where hugh had asked hundreds of thousands of palestinians to move south, for what you said would be safety and yet every day the death toll, the Casualty Figures keep rising in gaza . If Casualty Figures keep rising in gaza . ,. ,. Casualty figures keep rising in gaza . ,. ,. , Casualty Figures keep rising in gaza . ,. ,. ,. , gaza . If you are following us On Our Social Media gaza . If you are following us on our Social Media Platforms gaza . If you are following us on our Social Media Platforms and gaza . If you are following us on our Social Media Platforms and i gaza . If you are following us on our| Social Media Platforms and i suggest you do, we are constantly sharing high grade intelligence, high Grade Information that proves thats hamas is utilising Southern Gaza to attack our forces and attack our people. We released a video of surface to air missile being hidden next to a mosque, next to a kindergarten that we took out. It was in the area of khan younis. They are Precision Strikes against the enemy that is hiding and trying to conceal its activities within the civilian arena. This is the challenge we are facing, a ruthless organisation, a ruthless Terrorist Organisation that has become a terrorist government with a terrorist army. They have no regard for human life, israeli or palestinian and we are determined to defend our civilians. I5 palestinian and we are determined to defend our civilians. Defend our civilians. Is the factor that civilians, defend our civilians. Is the factor that civilians, hundreds defend our civilians. Is the factor that civilians, hundreds and that civilians, Hundreds And Thousands of civilians are sheltering there, is that fact at all in your deliberations . We are having gelsen journalists being killed and more recently, the family of a prominent garden journalists being killed . Of a prominent garden ournalists being that of a prominent garden ournalists being beget being killed . Every loss of life in this conflict being killed . Every loss of life in this conflict is being killed . Every loss of life in this conflict is a being killed . Every loss of life in this conflict is a human being killed . Every loss of life in this conflict is a human tragedy. | this conflict is a human tragedy. Indeed, there was only one player on this battlefield that is trying to alleviate difficulties of the civilians. We are trying and continue to operate, based on the laws of our conflict, within the realm of proportionality, but also military necessity and of course, the Human Impacts we are trying to distinguish between the civilians, the noncombatants on the terrace. Unfortunately, the battlefield is a complex one and there is a chance that civilians will get caught up in it. We are going out of our way to limit civilian casualties when hamas is currently trying to exasperate that situation. When we say to clear the nerve, hamas is threatening them and trying to deter them from going. We are still seeing reports that hamas are telling them not to leave. He would do that . I will tell you, an organisation that has no problem in butchering babies in their bedrooms. They are trying to keep them there, threatening palestinians to stay in their houses in the north and we encourage, even today, people need to leave the north because we plan on expanding our operations, to seek out and destroy hamas. They can never be allowed to hold the gaza strip as a Governing Authority that launches attacks and uses the gaza strip as a Staging Ground against israel. I strip as a Staging Ground against israel. , strip as a Staging Ground against israel. , ,. , israel. I am sure it is a complex battlefield, israel. I am sure it is a complex battlefield, but israel. I am sure it is a complex battlefield, but im israel. I am sure it is a complex battlefield, but im sure israel. I am sure it is a complex battlefield, but im sure you israel. I am sure it is a complex| battlefield, but im sure you are hearing directly from the United Nations and others that more has to be done to try and minimise the incredible price being paid by civilians. The un, i dont need to tell you, is Pleading Forfuel to be allowed in. I know the idf position is that there is fuel in gaza controlled by hamas. But the un itself need to fuel it can control so it doesnt have to wind down its operations. Can you give us any indication that some feel may get in to help those desperately needed operations conducted by the United Nations . B, , operations conducted by the United Nations . , g, nations . Hamas is the Governing Authority of nations . Hamas is the Governing Authority of the nations . Hamas is the Governing Authority of the gaza nations . Hamas is the Governing Authority of the gaza strip. Nations . Hamas is the Governing Authority of the gaza strip. They| authority of the gaza strip. They have to give the un organisations, the humanitarian organisations their own hospitals, hamas run hospitals, they must supply the fuel to the people in need rather than using the fuel to ventilate their tunnel system, their terrorist tunnel system. Israel will not sacrifice yourself for the sake of a Terrorist Organisation. It cost moo lives. Women, children, babies and elderly, they did not have any mercy on our families. Hamas has the responsibility, they are the Governing Authority of the gaza strip. I will recommend that instead of the un continually appealing to israel, they appeal to hamas. They coordinate and communicate with hamas, they have open channels to tell tacro, they must plead with them, give us the feel. Tell tacro, they must plead with them, give us the feel. Thank you very much them, give us the feel. Thank you very much for them, give us the feel. Thank you very much forjoining them, give us the feel. Thank you very much forjoining us. Eu leaders are expected to call for humanitarian corridors and pauses in the war, to get crucial aid into gaza. They want the crucial aid deliveries into gaza. The decision will be made at a meeting in brussels which will start in the coming hours. They were not united from the start. What we have heard over the last few weeks is there have been conflicting messages, different views on how the eu should deal with the middle east. But today what is happening in gaza is the first order of the day and that shows it is being taken extremely seriously by eu leaders. The European Council president , charles michel, who will chair the meeting, he said that the deteriorating humanitarian situation in gaza is of great concern. So today eu leaders will be very keen to show a united front. They are expected to call for humanitarian pauses in the fighting so that the eu can work with regional partners on the ground and help deliver food, water, fuel and medical care. They also hope that humanitarian pauses will create safe conditions for the release of more than 200 hostages that are being held by hamas, many of whom are european nationals from germany, austria, portugal and france. But the issue is that those divisions within the eu remain, with some countries like germany, austria and the Czech Republic with a very strong pro israel stance. Other countries like spain and portugal are more attuned with the palestinian cause. And is there a quiet understanding that if a decision is taken to call with one voice for a humanitarian pause this may be largely symbolic because it comes after another attempt yesterday at the Un Security Council to agree either on a pause, as a United Nations suggested, or a ceasefire as the russians suggested, and neither was approved . I think that is a really good point. In reality when and if eu leaders come out with their official position on the middle east and call for humanitarian pauses later today, as it is widely expected, that is just symbolic. In reality they cannot really do anything when it comes to the middle east and of course, you know, the eu does not have planes, it does not have warships or an army, so what they can do is just put on diplomatic pressure, but Something Else that they can do and what they will be looking at today, is humanitarian aid. The eu is already the largest foreign donor to the middle east. When the conflict started they tripled the aid for gaza to 75 million euros. So that is something they will definitely be discussing today. But, you know, even when it comes to speaking with a united voice, just to give an example of that, for days the discussion has been here in brussels about whether to call for a humanitarian pause, or for humanitarian pauses. You have got countries like germany that feel that a humanitarian pause is too close to a ceasefire and that is not what they want because they feel calling for a ceasefire would be perceived as limiting israels right to self defence. Pauses are perceived to be very short intervals in the fighting in gaza, just a few hours, so that aid can get in. So even agreeing on that one word is proving extremely difficult, but what diplomats here in brussels are saying today is the eu was created as a Peace Project so it is confident european leaders will find a way to come out with a united position on the middle east at some point later today. Will it be a pause, a call for pauses or humanitarian ceasefire but we will discuss the Results Today what eu leaders want to propose and whether they can speak with one voice to try to get some aid into gaza in the midst of what the un has repeatedly described as a humanitarian catastrophe. The Israeli Military now says the number of people confirmed to be held hostage in gaza has now risen to 224 and could rise further. Earlier i spoke to stephen ryan, whos the Crisis Communications coordinator at the International Committee of the red cross here injerusalem. What i can tell you on the issue of the hostages is that although we have not been able to get any new information about the well being or the whereabouts of these hostages, we have continuously asked to visit them, we have continuously requested that we are able to receive humanitarian assistance, medical care and that they are able to let theirfamilies know that they are well. Most of all, we have continuously asked them to be released. Taking hostages is illegal under International Humanitarian law. We saw the Red Cross Symbol when the last two hostages were released, you are playing a role when they do come out of captivity. Yes, the role of the authority is to act as a neutral intermediary. We do not get involved in negotiations of who is released. Or when they are going to be released. That is between the parties. Our particular role is to stand and be recognised that we are not on one side or the other. We are there for civilians and we are there to make sure people get humanitarian assistance. In the case of the hostages, to make sure they are able to return to their families. I know that my colleagues and i are proud to be able to have a part to ensure this could happen. We are also committed to providing humanitarian assistance to people that are affected by conflicts across israel and the occupied territories, as well as ensuring we are able to continue to visit detainees across the region, whoever they are and wherever they are. So much anguish and so many eyes focused on this Hostage Crisis and also on the humanitarian crisis is on day 20 of the israel gaza war, the war continues to intensify. We will continue our special recovered from jerusalem and many other places in israel and across the border in gaza and beyond. Now, back to the studio in london. Hello im kylie pentelow. Us media say at least 20 people are feared dead after a mass shooting in the state of maine. Police say the gunman targeted multiple locations in the city of lewiston , and is still at large. Residents have been warned to stay at home. A ao year old man, robert card, has been identified as a person of interest. Live now to cbs news correspondent laura haefeli, who is in lewiston in maine. Police are still hunting for the gunmen . Police are still hunting for the iunmen . , ,. , police are still hunting for the iunmen . , , gunmen . Yes, this is a complicated and an ongoing gunmen . Yes, this is a complicated and an ongoing situation. Gunmen . Yes, this is a complicated and an ongoing situation. This gunmen . Yes, this is a complicated and an ongoing situation. This is and an ongoing situation. This is what we know, there were two separate shooting scenes last night. One at a bar in lewiston and a second at a bowling alley. Those two places only a few miles away from each other. We know several victims from those two places are now being treated at Central Maine Medical Centre while Law Officials are searching for a person of interest, robert card. There are Law Enforcement which are heavily armed outside the maine medical centre, where most of the victims are being treated. You can see the official tea, but what you cannot see is the heavy amount of security around the back of the hospital, completely surrounding the building. It is not just here, but the town of lewiston is under a shelter in place order while Law Enforcement officials continue to track down the person of interest, robert card, who we know is a military trained firearms instructor, an Army Reservist and he does have reported history of mental illness. So there will be a lot of questions moving forward when it comes to how he got possession of a firearm and how he carried out these fatal attacks. find firearm and how he carried out these Fatal Attacke fatal attacks. And laura, we understand fatal attacks. And laura, we understand a fatal attacks. And laura, we understand a press fatal attacks. And laura, we i understand a Press Conference fatal attacks. And laura, we understand a Press Conference is being held by police later. They are still not confirming casualties to the bbc at this moment. That still not confirming casualtie