a few hours ago. you can see large explosions lighting up the night sky and the hammer�*s run ministry in gaza says more than 9400 people have been killed in the territory. hamas is classed as a terrorist organisation by several western government. me' diplomatic efforts aimed at aiding palestinian civilians continue and a meeting in the palestinian capital on saturday told... antony blinken that there must be an immediate ceasefire in gaza. mr blink and wants humanitarian pauses. israel insist they will be no temporary truce until all hostages are released. we start our coverage with a report from our coverage with a report from our correspondentjon donnison injerusalem our correspondentjon donnison in jerusalem and our correspondentjon donnison injerusalem and a warning — there are distressing images from the start. four weeks into this war, the suffering is endless. and in gaza, no place is safe. the un says this school in jabalia in the north was hit this morning, killing at least 15 people. thousands had been seeking shelter there. "god will take my vengeance," this young boy says. "i was standing here when the three bombings happened." i carried a body and another decapitated body with my own hands. where should i go? he says. they have hit the shelter. since when has it become normal to strike shelters? israel says it's looking into what happened. and in the north of gaza, its ground offensive is pushing forward, tightening its grip on hamas, who israel says is using civilians as human shields. hamas is outgunned, but these pictures from its military wing claim to show it fighting back. more than 20 israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive began as the number of palestinian casualties continues to rise. the us secretary of state met with arab leaders in jordan this afternoon. antony blinken again asserted israel's right to defend itself. but... protecting civilians will help prevent hamas from further exploiting the situation. but most important, it is simply the right and moral thing to do. when i see... ..a palestinian boy or girl pulled from the wreckage of a building, it hits me in the gut just as it hits everyone in the gut. and i see my own children in theirfaces. and america is also worried about this conflict spreading. israel's military has said it targeted a terrorist trying to cross over from lebanon on its northern border last night. less than a mile away in the town of shlomi, volunteers have been preparing food for israeli soldiers amid fears the powerful lebanese militia group hezbollah could escalate this crisis. very serious, very sad. we cry. ..at night. i don't sleep at night. i watch tv at night. we watched all the terrible cases, everything that's happened. we run. when there's a siren, we run. and when we can, we work. and yes, we are under danger. we're risking our lives. there has been so much fear and grief over the last four weeks. and it's farfrom over. jon donnison, bbc news, jerusalem. earlier, i spoke to our diplomatic corresponded about diplomatic corresponded about diplomatic effort. thank you so much for being with us. antony blinken shuffling around the region today for a variety of torque. what would you say came out of his visit?— out of his visit? obviously, it is a broad — out of his visit? obviously, it is a broad agenda _ out of his visit? obviously, it is a broad agenda he - out of his visit? obviously, it is a broad agenda he has - out of his visit? obviously, it | is a broad agenda he has tried to make sure that the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond gaza, trying to secure the release of hostages including us citizen. but also i think, crucially, including us citizen. but also ithink, crucially, trying including us citizen. but also i think, crucially, trying to alleviate the situation on the ground in southern gaza where the population has been swelled by the arrival as as many of the million people who have fled the fighting further north. the americans believe that they are making progress. they say the number of trucks that have crossed — that are crossing the rafah crossing from egypt into gaza strip has increased around 100 today and they want it to to several hundred. they also believe that a mechanism is now in place, agreed by the israelis go back to let fuel in, to keep hospitals going and to keep the whole humanitarian aid relief effort going when that fuel finally runs out. that is quite a key development because the israelis have been refusing any entry of fuel until now. joe biden asked also about whether or not there was progress on creating these humanitarian pauses, said, yes, there was progress and gave a thumbs up sign. this is not a ceasefire, these are little windows of opportunity where the fighting might be reduced or suspended for a matter of hours in a very particular location to again allow the aid — humanitarian effort to really address the growing needs of the population in southern gaza. i should add that none of that change is a reality for people in the northern part of the gaza strip. that is now completely cut off by the israelis, the scene of intense street fighting and the three dummett 300- 400 fighting and the three dummett 300— 400 civilians remaining in that area are now effectively on their own.— that area are now effectively on their own. talking about the fiuuhtin , on their own. talking about the fighting. as _ on their own. talking about the fighting. as you _ on their own. talking about the fighting, as you are _ on their own. talking about the fighting, as you are just - fighting, as you are just alluding to there, that going on is the diplomacy does at the same time. what more can you tell us about that operation from idf forces in the gaza strip? from idf forces in the gaza stri - ? , ., , from idf forces in the gaza stri? , . , , , strip? they have been pushing closer and _ strip? they have been pushing closer and closer _ strip? they have been pushing closer and closer to _ strip? they have been pushing closer and closer to gaza - strip? they have been pushing closer and closer to gaza city. | closer and closer to gaza city. the main built—up area in the north consists of gaza city, a couple of refugee camps and some surrounding area. that is the focus of the israeli army's effort at the moment. they believe it is a hamas stronghold and they are in circling that from all directions and pressing in very, very close to heavily populated areas. we are seeing air strikes and sometimes artillery strikes that are having a terrifying effect on the civilians who remain in that area. they may indeed be part of the israeli strategy because they want all of those civilians out of that area while they conduct their military operation against a smack. the presence of so many civilians is clearly an enormous complication and is why we are seeing from time to time sometimes more than ones or twice a day, seems of civilians being caught up and killed in these military operations. the israelis really want to try to force people out. they're saying they will try to keep the road open to the southern gaza strip for a few hours again tomorrow in the hope that people heed their warnings and get out while they still can. �* ., ., ,., still can. and on that point, with regards _ still can. and on that point, with regards to _ still can. and on that point, with regards to the - still can. and on that point, | with regards to the civilians, do we have any clear idea when civilians, those injured and foreign nationals, might be able to get out of the rafah crossing ones again? == able to get out of the rafah crossing ones again? -- once that is an _ crossing ones again? -- once that is an ongoing _ crossing ones again? -- once that is an ongoing effort - crossing ones again? -- once that is an ongoing effort and| that is an ongoing effort and want that a lot of governments are involved in including the americans and the british and others. it all got suspended and stuck today. it is not entirely clear why. it may be big because hamas were trying to evacuate wounded people with ambulances and were preventing civilians from leaving while they were still trying to get that done. we do not know who they were trying to evacuate. was at some of their own injured people? wejust don't know. but for what reason or another it seems very few or two if any people cross today. the british are saying they are disappointed by that, they had hoped that several dozen british nationals might be able to get out. but their efforts are continuing to get that crossing open. there are hundreds, in fact several thousand, foreign nationals from more than 40 countries still waiting to get out and they are very concerted international efforts to try and keep that crossing at rafa open. i expect we will see it open. i expect we will see it open again maybe tomorrow and that process of a gradual evacuation will continue on and off for days to come.— off for days to come. thanks for our off for days to come. thanks for your reporting. _ off for days to come. thanks for your reporting. and - off for days to come. thanks for your reporting. and a - off for days to come. thanks l for your reporting. and a short while ago i spoke about secretary blink and's visit with john secretary blink and's visit withjohn altmann, formal special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for middle eastern affairs now serving as director of middle east programme at the centre for strategic and international studies. welcome to you, don. thanks so much for being with us. i want to begin with what we have seen from president biden. he was asked about a humanitarian pause. he gave a thumbs up. do you think that we could potentially see humanitarian pauses for civilians in gaza anytime soon? i think we'll see some sort of pause. with all these israeli hostilities with hamas, there is often something short of a ceasefire but with some sort of eliminating of free passage for people of inability to get relief then, i think we will see something but it is much less than the arab governments were asking for today. i think it is likely to be much less than the us government was asking the israelis for. that's interesting. _ asking the israelis for. that's interesting. much _ asking the israelis for. that's interesting. much less - asking the israelis for. that's interesting. much less than l asking the israelis for. that's i interesting. much less than you think the administration was asking the israelis for. is there any gap there between the two? do you think their positions are widely? what kind of conversations do you think are happening behind closed doors right now?— are happening behind closed doors right now? there has been a widening _ doors right now? there has been a widening gap — doors right now? there has been a widening gap in _ doors right now? there has been a widening gap in the _ doors right now? there has been a widening gap in the last - a widening gap in the last several weeks. the us really seized the last two decades as a time where it has gained a lot of experience fighting insurgencies. we fight insurgencies. we fight insurgencies in afghanistan and iraq and against isis in western iraq and syria, and there is really a set of principles about how you do that, how you split the population away from the combatants. how you think about, how you fight shapes what you are trying — what you're trying to do at the end shapes the way fight. i think the israelis don't think that counterinsurgency is applicable in this situation. they have been dealing with hostility from palestinians for more than a century and i think they don't need lessons from anybody. it seems to me there are a lot of signs that the americans think actually we do have something to say that will be helpful, that will get you out of this endless loop. and the israelis say, let us handle this. so far, it is being inaudible but i think those differences are growing. but i think those differences are growing-— but i think those differences are curowin. . ., are growing. the argument from the israeli government - are growing. the argument from the israeli government is - are growing. the argument from the israeli government is that i the israeli government is that a full ceasefire, which is of course a greater undertaking than a humanitarian pause, would essentially allow for hamas to regroup and that is something the us secretary of state anthony lincoln repeated on his trip as well to the region. —— antony blinken what you make that? region. -- antony blinken what you make that?— you make that? there is also the issue _ you make that? there is also the issue of _ you make that? there is also the issue of where _ you make that? there is also the issue of where does - you make that? there is also the issue of where does the i the issue of where does the freeing more than 200 hostages fit into this. i think there is a reasonable case to be made that hamas asking for a ceasefire now rather than making concessions and releasing hostages, ithink making concessions and releasing hostages, i think you can make an argument that this is something that we should negotiate and hamas does not want to negotiate it. but what we're saying is, i think we're going to see an increasing number of palestinian casualties, we're going to see an increasing number of images of palestinian images and there is increasing pressure on israel for the government to release all these — work to release all these — work to release all these hostages at whatever cost. how that plays out in palestinian politics and israeli politics we will have to see. �* ., ., , to see. another development we have seen _ to see. another development we have seen today, _ to see. another development we have seen today, turkey - have seen today, turkey recalling as israel ambassador, cutting talks with prime minister netanyahu who over that refusal to agree to a ceasefire. do think this could be symbolic or indicative of widening fishes there as well between arab states, the united states and what this could mean for further down the line. turkey of course is not an arab state and president erdogan said last week that hamas is a terrorist or freedom fighters of the mujahideen. cast its ballot a week ago not with the withdrawal of the ambassador. it does seem to be that from the american point of view, and you have seen secretary blink in advancing this, there is going to have to be an arab law in securing and legitimising a subtle —— settlement after hamas's push for power. the secretary of state is very eager to bring arabs in. the israelis see much less interest in it and the arabs are appreciably saying this israeli behaviour is precisely what will get us uninterested in playing any role here and the gap seems to me to be widening rather than narrowing, which is what the us is trying to do. fin what the us is trying to do. on that point, the message from president biden last week was, what is your plan for the day after, essentially, if hamas is defeated. of course now with antony blinken being there, do you think there is a clear understanding of what that plan would be for the day after, pointing to what you just said there with regards to the role of arab states? the us is trying to see that idea with arab states and it is not getting nearly as far as we would like to as the faas are getting further aside but the question is, in part, that is the united states have any special insight into this. how that plays out i do not know. as you know, there is a widening gulf both in american politics generally and in the democratic party more particularly, that president biden has to think about as he thinks about this strategy towards this conflict. finally, what would _ towards this conflict. finally, what would you _ towards this conflict. finally, what would you say - towards this conflict. finally, what would you say in - towards this conflict. finally, what would you say in your i what would you say in your assessment this means for the region? we heard from the leader of hezbollah saying all options remain at the table and the usa it has avoided an expansion of this conflict. has this threat god away? i expansion of this conflict. has this threat god away?- this threat god away? i think the freight — this threat god away? i think the freight has _ this threat god away? i think the freight has not _ this threat god away? i think the freight has not gone - this threat god away? i think. the freight has not gone away. i have listened to hassan nasrallah's speech and it seems less angry because it does not want to lose everything it has one in lebanon on for the sake of hamas. they have had a chequered history in the past. but iran is interested in stirring the pot. if somebody does something stupid, somebody missjudges how the does something stupid, somebody miss judges how the other side will interpret it, we could get into a spiral very quickly and have a shooting war between the united states and a whole bunch of people in the middle east. director of the middle east programme at the centre for strategic and international studies, really great to talk you, john. thank you so much. getting information from gaza is difficult but our correspondent remains that and has this update.— has this update. today they have opened _ has this update. today they have opened the _ has this update. today they have opened the right - has this update. today they have opened the right in . has this update. today they | have opened the right in and out of gaza for the first time is since i started the ground operation in gaza. very few people managed to get out of gaza because the main road was damaged. access was almost impossible but in gaza people, are starting to flee as the israeli ground operation is expanding around gaza city from three different directions. the tanks were advancing near gaza city itself, especially the western part of gaza. israeli extracts were intensified around the al—shifa hospital and al-quds hospital hospital. the roofs of the hospital was targeted from the air. we fear israel is pushing the civilian population, they are taking the hospital as a shelter to flee this place. tonight, the largest bakery feeding people was bombed. in the north of gaza strip, fighting was intensified near the coastal road where the hamas militant group so they are firing anti—tank missile they will engage in gun battles with israel and soldiers advancing towards the gaza city, where about1 million people have been displaced from their houses in the north, they live in a very difficult situation with a severe shortage of electricity, food and water. journalist reporting on the ground in gaza are doing so at enormous personal risk because 36 journalists have been enormous personal risk because 36journalists have been killed since hamas attack on the seventh of october and extract began in gaza. 31 were palestinians, for israelis and one lebanese. you're seeing some of them on your screen now. the israel defence forces has said it cannot guarantee the safety of a journalist operating in gaza. ajournalist for palestine to be, on thursday and israeli air strike in the south killed him and his family. many palestinian journalist came out to nonhuman and one of them said we cannot take it anymore, we are exhausted. we are all here martyrs and we are leaving one after the other. for more on the situation on the ground for journalist i've been speaking to the president for the committee to protect journalists. thank you for being with us. the level of danger for journalist operating in gaza i know is absolutely unprecedented. this is the most dangerous conflict for journalists that the committee to protectjournalists has ever documented and we have been recording and documenting a