Hello, you are welcome. There have been waves of intense israeli air strikes over gaza, much heavier than in previous nights. The Israeli Army Says its increasing the number of air strikes on the territory and expanding its ground force operations. You are watching live picture is now coming to us from guys where sirens are warning of more rocket fire to come. Communications including phone and internet have been cut off, making it nearly impossible for residents to reach anyone. Amid the darkness come explosions are intensifying. The Israeli Defence forces are winning gaza City Residents to move south for their safety. City residents to move south fortheirsafety. Hamas for their safety. Hamas military wing fortheirsafety. Hamas military wing says its clashing with Israeli Forces in Northern Gaza and targeting to southern israeli cities with what it because an intense missile barrage. An overwhelming majority of the Un General Assembly voted in favour of an immediate truce in gaza, adopting a resolution that condemns all acts of violence against palestinian and israeli civilians. It calls for an in hindered aid and protection of civilians. We will bring you more on that later in the programme. Its happening is the humanitarian situation in gaza is growing increasingly dire. The Palestinian Red Crescent society says it will run out of fuel in the coming hours and will be unable to provide Emergency Medical Services in gaza without a fuel for its ambulances. Here is our International Editor who has the latest from jerusalem. Not long after dark, the bombardment of gaza intensified. Israel called it expanding Ground Operations. Hamas said it was fighting an israeli incursion into the Northern Gaza strip, and fired salvos of rockets back into israel. The un secretary general� s pleas for a humanitarian ceasefire were drowned out. This is a moment of truth, he said. History willjudge us all. The day that led up to this had moments of quiet, though not of hope. In khan younis hospital in southern gaza, they stopped for the noon prayer, after another deadly night. Then israel released video of its naval commandos raiding targets on the gaza coast. Somewhere, hidden inside gaza, are more than 200 hostages taken by hamas. Talks to free at least some of them were said to be going well in the hours before israels new onslaught. Many palestinians believe israel wants to force them out of gaza for good. This lawyer was writing, my heart, my heartbeat, on the shroud of his baby, stillborn after his pregnant wife was killed. Like many other civilians, they stayed in Northern Gaza after israel ordered them to leave. Later, israel released video what it says was an attack on the hamas tunnel network. Was it a clue of what was coming . Israeli military commanders said again that hamas uses Palestinian Civilians as human shields, and they said hamas has bunkers under gaza citys main hospital. This is an illustration of shifa hospital, and the underground facilities. I want to repeat, this is only an illustration. We will not share here the true material. Terrorists move freely in shifa hospital, and other hospitals in gaza. We have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide there, after the massacre of october 7th. About ten kilometres from gaza, in ashkelon, volunteers were signing up for duty with the israeli police. They were issued with brand new American Assault rifles by itamar ben gvir, Israels National Security minister. He has a conviction for inciting racism. Many israelis think he is a dangerous extremist. Ben gvir believes israel can eliminate hamas and destroy palestinian hopes for independence. But he was popular here at the police station. The volunteers believe his plan to arm civilians is the best way to protect their families. On the other side, they are not humans, they are monsters. We need to take gaza. Gaza belongs to us. We need to take gaza and then we can transfer it to the palestinian authorities. But first we need to take gaza. Its beach weather, but they were empty as israels troops prepare to go into gaza. It feels as fragile here as in the years after the holocaust, according to the former speaker of parliament. People sentimentally and emotionally, are back to � 45 � 48. We are pre state emotionally, we are no state economically and socially, and we have no answer what to do with the next door neighbour. So of course there is a need for a new call, for a new paradigm. Its a very, very difficult trauma. But a very promising renaissance. And every birth comes to the world with a lot of pain and blood. Before the chance of a Brighter Future comes a present that is grim and getting grimmer. A hamas rocket beat ashkelon� s defences in the last hours before the israeli offensive. And this evening. Explosions. In the dark night over gaza, israel is sending in wave after wave of strikes by heavy artillery and aircraft. Jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. Israel has not officially confirmed that this is the start of its much threatened Ground Invasion, but speaking to bbc news a little earlier, the former israeli ambassador to the us was asked whether he thought this looked like the beginning of a Ground Offensive, this was his answer. Its likely so, notjust because of the electricity and communications cut off, we expect that at the beginning of a Ground Operation, but also because we are going up against a lot of clocks. We have branded 60,000 reservists branded 60 , 000 reservists called branded 60,000 reservists called up. These are young women, men who have left their families, Left Theirjobs for three weeks now. Tomorrow makes three weeks now. Tomorrow makes three weeks, and that is not sustainable by any stretch of time. Yes, iwould sustainable by any stretch of time. Yes, i would assume that this would be the beginning of the Ground Incursion following a period where there is some intense contact about the hostages and the government, the military here concluded that hamas was just dragging its feet and trying to get a cease fire. Israel, i know that sounds very positive, a cease fire for israel actually means the end of this country commit means that people cannot go to their homes. 300,000 people have been evacuated means we cant teach care the power in a bad neighbourhood, so cease fire means a victory for hamas who literally get away with murder committing it with massacring moo away with murder committing it with massacring1400 people. That was a nonstarter, so i believe, yes, this is the beginning of the Ground Incursion. To beginning of the Ground Incursion. Beginning of the Ground Incursion. ,. , � incursion. To discuss this, im oined incursion. To discuss this, im joined now incursion. To discuss this, im joined now by incursion. To discuss this, im joined now by the incursion. To discuss this, im joined now by the president i incursion. To discuss this, im| joined now by the president of the Middle East Policy Counselling from a Us Ambassador to multi. Also Us Middle East policy expert and ceo of the engaged foundation. Thank you both forjoining me, if i can charge you for us for the last six hours or so, we have been looking at very dramatic images from the sky over gaza a large Scale Bombardment there. Strong words from the idf earlier as well. Do you think this is the beginning of the next phase of this much talked about Ground Invasion. ,. , invasion. Yes, i believe that it is. Shots invasion. Yes, i believe that it is. Shots from invasion. Yes, i believe that it is. Shots from gaza invasion. Yes, i believe that it is. Shots from gaza are i it is. Shots from gaza are terrifying. If you can imagine the people, excuse me, underneath having that bombardment on their heads and around them. Hopefully this is around them. Hopefully this is a phase that will be as quick as possible, but the reality is that the level of death and destruction is going to be unimaginable for us until we see it afterwards. Unimaginable for us until we see it afterwards. Well, what is our see it afterwards. Well, what is your view . See it afterwards. Well, what is your view . To see it afterwards. Well, what is your view . To think see it afterwards. Well, what is your view . To think this i see it afterwards. Well, what is your view . To think this is | is your view . To think this is the start of a new phase . It sure looks like it, as the ambassador said, early moments of a Ground Operation, how long would of a Ground Operation, how long would it of a Ground Operation, how long would it go on for, the duration of that. Its yet to be seen duration of that. Its yet to be seen by. It would be quite severe, be seen by. It would be quite severe, and be seen by. It would be quite severe, and really it is a dangerous escalation and based on what dangerous escalation and based on what we are seeing from even the biden on what we are seeing from even the Biden Administration, it is not something that they are recognising. Not something that they are recognising recognising. Giving the unwavering recognising. Giving the unwavering support recognising. Giving the | unwavering support the recognising. Giving the unwavering support the us is providing to israel, would there have been any advance notification or consultation with the us by israel before this began . With the us by israel before this began . With the us by israel before this bean . ~. , ,. , this began . Well, obviously not ri to this began . Well, obviously not privy to such this began . Well, obviously not privy to such notices, this began . Well, obviously not privy to such notices, but this began . Well, obviously not privy to such notices, but as this began . Well, obviously not privy to such notices, but as a l privy to such notices, but as a former privy to such notices, but as a former State Department official, i would former State Department official, iwould imagine former State Department official, i would imagine they would official, i would imagine they would have had notifications as well as would have had notifications as well as close intelligence sharing as well as our military as well sharing as well as our military as well political leaders. This is an as well political leaders. This is an israeli decision, i know i is an israeli decision, i know ijusl is an israeli decision, i know iiusl said is an israeli decision, i know ijust said that, the Biden Administration has been very clear administration has been very clear that they do not advise. You clear that they do not advise. You are clear that they do not advise. You are knotting along there. I think hes got it exactly right. Certainly the negotiations that have been led ljy negotiations that have been led by ambassador David Satterfield with the israelis, with the egyptians and with hamas to find a way of getting aid into civilians and, of course, we cannot, as americans, forget the Hundreds Of American Citizens that are trapped in gaza. This is something that has weighed heavily on the administration and certainly those in the department of state to have been through many crises before. I recall my own time working the task force in 2006 when we were moving and protecting american citizens out of an active war zone in beirut. Remove 15,000 americans. So the capabilities of the United States are unquestioned. The matter is getting the negotiations to ensure that our people can safely get in to help our people out. Safely get in to help our people out people out. Given the escalation people out. Given the escalation that people out. Given the escalation that we people out. Given the i escalation that we have people out. Given the escalation that we have seen tonight and those air strikes and thats warning from the idf that there is going to be an escalation and Ground Offensive as well, does that change the calculation from a us perspective around what they do to try to get those american citizens out . It to try to get those american citizens out . To try to get those american citizens out . It most certainly does. Certainly citizens out . It most certainly does. Certainly we citizens out . It most certainly does. Certainly we are citizens out . It most certainly does. Certainly we are not. Does. Certainly we are not going to try to put more americans in harms way. We dont have information right now, of course, as to whether there is any movement before this Ground Offensive started where people are coming from some of your earlier shots, it does look calm in this southern part of gaza. There may be things happening even as that so offensive is fairly localised in the northern part of the strap. Localised in the northern part of the strap localised in the northern part of the strap. Well, what do you see as happening of the strap. Well, what do you see as happening next, of the strap. Well, what do you see as happening next, i see as happening next, i suppose, after this. If israel has decided to escalate in this way and it does send Ground Troops and, where does it go from there . It troops and, where does it go from there . Troops and, where does it go from there . ,. ,. , from there . It could go in many different ways. From there . It could go in many different ways. I from there . It could go in many different ways. I served from there . It could go in many different ways. I served in different ways. I served in iraq different ways. I served in iraq during the height of the iraq iraq during the height of the iraq civil iraq during the height of the Iraq Civil War in 2070 2008. Could Iraq Civil War in 2070 2008. Could very much turn into a very could very much turn into a very difficult combat with high civilian very difficult combat with high civilian casualties but also military civilian casualties but also military casualties, possibly as high military casualties, possibly as high as 30 within the israeli as high as 30 within the Israeli Military. Iwant as high as 30 within the Israeli Military. I want to go back Israeli Military. I want to go back to Israeli Military. I want to go back to us Israeli Military. I want to go back to us very quickly when your back to us very quickly when your audience hears about hostages and americans, how my certainly hostages and americans, how my certainly is hostages and americans, how my certainly is holding a number of hostages who are dual citizens, who are american, but their citizens, who are american, but their Palestinian Americans right their Palestinian Americans right now maybe as many as 600 that are right now maybe as many as 600 that are unable to leave because of the aerial bombardment by israel. | because of the aerial bombardment by israel. I think that is the bombardment by israel. I think that is the point bombardment by israel. I think that is the point that bombardment by israel. I think that is the point that you bombardment by israel. I think that is the point that you are i that is the point that you are making, wasnt it, in terms of the hostages being one particular case, but there are american palestinians and 2. 3 million palestinians who are looking for help looking for aid, looking for a way out. And efforts to get anyone out to have failed thus far, and even getting aid and has been a trickle compared to what would usually cross the border at the roth crossing. Usually cross the border at the roth crossing. Absolutely, and ust roth crossing. Absolutely, and just regarding roth crossing. Absolutely, and just regarding what roth crossing. Absolutely, and just regarding what may roth crossing. Absolutely, and| just regarding what may happen next is just regarding what may happen next is the possibility of an escalation and a regional war. Rafah escalation and a regional war. Rafah crossing. | escalation and a regional war. Rafah crossing. Rafah crossing. I think far, ou rafah crossing. I think far, you know. Rafah crossing. I think far, you know, hezbollah rafah crossing. I think far, you know, hezbollah and you know, hezbollah and lebanon, they obviously do not want lebanon, they obviously do not want to lebanon, they obviously do not want to get involved if it looks want to get involved if it looks like this is going to lead looks like this is going to lead to looks like this is going to lead to the illumination of class lead to the illumination of class and essentially israel being class and essentially israel being able to focus solely on hezbollah. This may be viewed as an hezbollah. This may be viewed as an existential fight for hezbollah that they have no choice hezbollah that they have no choice but to enter. Hezbollah that they have no choice but to enter. From your time in the choice but to enter. From your time in the state choice but to enter. From your time in the State Department, j time in