hello, i'm lyse doucet. reporting from jerusalem. we start with the latest from the israel—gaza conflict, day 30 of the war. let us take a look at this live shot towards the gaza skyline from southern israel. just after 11am local time now. the israeli military has said it will open a four hour window for people still living in northern gaza under extremely dangerous circumstances to move towards the south. the route for the evacuation will be on the salah al—din road. it is the main route running north— south in the gaza strip. it will be open between 8am and 12pm gmt. the road is already open. we will try to get you reports about how the evacuation is going. we have also been following reports the hamas run health ministry has accused israel of carrying out another deadlier strikes. a spokesperson said more than 30 people were killed in the bombardment of a refugee camp in the centre of the gaza strip, al—maghazi. israel said it was looking into whether its forces had been operating in the area at that time. hamas is classified as a terror organisation by several western governments including the uk. the un says there are now 1.5 million people displaced across the gaza strip. more than 700,000 are reported to be sheltering in un shelters. but it warns the sites in the south of the gaza strip are now overwhelmed, well above capacity. that is causing severe health and protection risks for that group of displaced people. with more on all of the latest developments this morning, this report from our correspondent mark lowen. night brings no peace to the purgatory of gaza. infernos light the skies as israel pounds from the air. palestinians say an israeli strike hit a refugee camp in central gaza late on saturday, killing at least 30. israel says it is looking into the reports. but night brings out anguish on the other side too. in tel aviv, loved ones of the more than 240 hostages seized by hamas on 7th october demand their return. 0ne empty chairfor each missing soul. israel says bringing home the hostages is a priority, but so is destroying hamas. are the twin aims compatible? translation: i don't want the country to i bring back only a few. two here, two there, only those who have foreign citizenship. there is no difference between one life and another. they are all israelis there. all citizens there. i can't remember how many nights i've slept, and i don't know how many meals i've had~ — i've been awake for one long day since october 7th. that's it, and i'm doing everything i can to try and bring attention to this terrible and insane situation we're going through. amidst the suffering, the us secretary of state is shuttling around the region, trying somehow to mediate. arab leaders pushed him for an immediate ceasefire call. he pushed back, saying hamas could regroup. but he is urging israel for short pauses for aid delivery. his boss certainly thinks there's movement on that. mr president, any progress on the humanitarian pause? yes. a rare glimmer of optimism, even if israel's prime minister has so far said no. and there might be some hope too on fuel into gaza, with reports that israel has told the us there's a mechanism to deliver it once hospitals start to run out. but for those who have lost everything — family, livelihoods — it's scant comfort. the un says nearly 1.5 million gazans are displaced since the start of this war, half of whom are sheltering in its camps. "all the homes have gone," says hoda. "mine fell on top of me, my daughter, the flower "of our household, died. "we came here to live humiliated in tents, with no water, "food and just the clothes we were wearing." each generation here knows a conflict that is decades old and has now flared up again. stealing lives, hope, theirfuture. mark lowen, bbc news, jerusalem. a little more on that new one of the main roads heading north and south is open today for four hours to let those people, said to be more than 100,000 people still trying to stay safe in the north of the gaza strip, some of them will be trying to leave. with me now is mark lowen. there were dangers and difficulties on the road the last time it was opened, no guarantee the safe route is safe. , ., , is safe. yesterday they tried, the israelis, is safe. yesterday they tried, the israelis. they _ is safe. yesterday they tried, the israelis, they tried _ is safe. yesterday they tried, the israelis, they tried to _ is safe. yesterday they tried, the israelis, they tried to allow - israelis, they tried to allow passage down the road, salah al—din road, going south from the northern part of the gaza strip, but the israeli defence forces said they came under attack. we don't know whether any residents in the north managed to make it down the road because of the security risks. the us as they believe around 350-400,000 are us as they believe around 350—400,000 are still in the north of the gaza strip and if they make it further south, of course the humanitarian aid and needs will intensify further south. that is the position in terms of movement of refugees. then there is the separate issue of the rafah border crossing which of course is the only way in and out of gaza at the moment tightly controlled by egypt the other side of the crossing. that was closed yesterday and we understand no foreign passport holders made it out yesterday. the british foreign office has said they are pressing egypt to reopen the border crossing today for some foreign passport holders to exit. hamas has said only the injured need to be able to go out first before foreign passport holders can make the crossing over into egypt. the problem for egypt of course is hamas has tried to get some of its own fighters and out through the rafa boarding crossing according to the us. egypt is coming under intense pressure to let out foreign passport holders. the israelis are saying to each it, we will not accept any hamas fighters going out. egypt in a very tight position. going out. egypt in a very tight osition. ~ ., going out. egypt in a very tight osition. ., ., , ., going out. egypt in a very tight osition. ., ., :::: position. more agony for 7500 forei . n position. more agony for 7500 foreign passport _ position. more agony for 7500 foreign passport holders - position. more agony for 7500 foreign passport holders or. position. more agony for 7500 i foreign passport holders or dual nationals. but he doesn't critically injured, say the crescent. —— 20,000 critically injured, say the red crescent. critically in'ured, say the red crescent. ,, ., , , ., , crescent. the us as they have been told by israel— crescent. the us as they have been told by israel there _ crescent. the us as they have been told by israel there is _ crescent. the us as they have been told by israel there is a _ crescent. the us as they have been told by israelthere is a mechanism| told by israel there is a mechanism they are working on to provide emergency fuel supplies if the hospital won out. hospitals have already reported they are extremely low on fuel but there have been no fuel supplies going into gaza since it began because the israelis say it will be siphoned off by hamas. president biden sounded positive on the discussion of humanitarian pauses even though it is well it will not be allowed until hostages are released. we don't know whether it will not be allowed until hostages are released. we don't know whether israel is being slightly more nuanced behind closed doors. it will certainly be the focus of antony blinken�*s visit to turkey later today as he continues the tour of the region to try the conflict spilling over into a combustible region. spilling over into a combustible reuion. a ~ spilling over into a combustible reuion. ~ ., region. mark lowen, we will return to ou as region. mark lowen, we will return to you as we _ region. mark lowen, we will return to you as we follow _ region. mark lowen, we will return to you as we follow those - to you as we follow those developments on who is able to leave the gaza strip and what is able to get in. as mentioned, the diplomatic activities, the other top story this hour. efforts are intensifying to address the conflict and they will continue today as antony blinken is to make a diplomatic visit to turkey today where it is expected he will continue his discussions with regional leaders about the conflict. yesterday he met in a man with foreign ministers and they are calling many arab states, many around the world, are calling for a ceasefire —— amman. the us has called a ceasefire could benefit hamas. it is instead calling for humanitarian pauses, in the plural, so not a long stoppage to the fighting. we should underline today again another stop that was not announced in the first itinerary of the secretary of state, he is in the west bank city of ramallah meeting the palestinian authority had mahmoud abbas. intensifying diplomacy. but what is he achieving? let us go to istanbul to speak to a fellow at the jamestown institute, a think tank, and former us deputy assistant secretary of for europe and eurasia, matthew bryza. welcome to bbc news. and eurasia, matthew bryza. welcome to bbc news— to bbc news. honoured to be with ou. as to bbc news. honoured to be with yom as you _ to bbc news. honoured to be with you- as you know _ to bbc news. honoured to be with you. as you know from _ to bbc news. honoured to be with you. as you know from the - to bbc news. honoured to be with you. as you know from the get - to bbc news. honoured to be with you. as you know from the get go | you. as you know from the get go resident you. as you know from the get go president joe _ you. as you know from the get go president joe biden _ you. as you know from the get go president joe biden made - you. as you know from the get go president joe biden made it - presidentjoe biden made it absolutely clear america had israel's back, america would do everything possible to support israel, but also intensifying this second message to say, but we are also worried about how this war is prosecuted and the price paid by civilians in gaza. what do you see so far, how difficult is it to balance these two messages? i think it is uuite balance these two messages? i think it is quite difficult. _ balance these two messages? i think it is quite difficult. secretary - it is quite difficult. secretary antony blinken is back on his heels after his meeting yesterday with the jordanian and egyptian and qatari foreign ministers who are unequivocally saying there must be a ceasefire, not a humanitarian pause or series of pauses. the pauses short in duration, the ceasefire would be indefinite. it is not only difficult for secretary antony blinken diplomatically to keep holding the line on only humanitarian pauses but domestically in the us president biden is facing increasing demands from his own political party with his eye off course on next year's election to do whatever possible, impose a ceasefire on israel, with an understanding on the us side that without the strong traditional us support for israel, it is hard to see how prime minister netanyahu could continue the war. essen see how prime minister netanyahu could continue the war.— could continue the war. even so, washington. _ could continue the war. even so, washington. top _ could continue the war. even so, washington, top diplomats, - could continue the war. even so, i washington, top diplomats, having could continue the war. even so, - washington, top diplomats, having a tough time dealing with the israeli leadership too. prime minister netanyahu contradicting antony neta nyahu contradicting antony blinken netanyahu contradicting antony blinken in public. that netanyahu contradicting antony blinken in public.— blinken in public. that was astounding. _ blinken in public. that was astounding. if _ blinken in public. that was astounding. if you - blinken in public. that was astounding. if you look - blinken in public. that was. astounding. if you look back blinken in public. that was - astounding. if you look back at antony blinken's previous trip to israel, he and netanyahu gave a joint press conference and it was all about the us�*s unwavering and unlimited support for israel. in this most recent press conference, not only netanyahu and antony blinken not to gather at the press conference, that symbolism really matters, but the content of what they were saying was quite different with netanyahu staunchly refusing any pause in the fighting and remaining committed, regardless of civilian casualties, to keep pushing forward, to try to eliminate hamas. at the end of the day, what is so difficult of course as we all know is even if you eliminate every single hamas fighter, the ideas remain, possibly growing stronger with each civilian deaths. really a difficult situation obviously that is politically growing tougher and tougher forjoe is politically growing tougher and tougherforjoe biden at is politically growing tougher and tougher forjoe biden at home is politically growing tougher and tougherforjoe biden at home in the us. tougher forjoe biden at home in the us. ., , ., , ., us. even now in this really tough diplomatic— us. even now in this really tough diplomatic tangle, _ us. even now in this really tough diplomatic tangle, in _ us. even now in this really tough diplomatic tangle, in terms - us. even now in this really tough diplomatic tangle, in terms of. us. even now in this really tough | diplomatic tangle, in terms of the war, the us seems to be looking already at what next? talks today with the palestinian president mahmoud abbas. what would he be looking forfrom him? first mahmoud abbas. what would he be looking for from him?— looking for from him? first of all, i think it looking for from him? first of all, i think it is _ looking for from him? first of all, i think it is only _ looking for from him? first of all, i think it is only wise, _ looking for from him? first of all, i think it is only wise, it _ looking for from him? first of all, i think it is only wise, it is - i think it is only wise, it is necessary we should be thinking about the political situation after this military operation. war is the continual politics by other means. you use your military means notjust to kill and destroy but to reach a political outcome. with mahmoud abbas i would guess antony blinken is going to be looking for what could be a possible politicalfuture for gaza, since israel does not want to have anything to do with gaza, egypt does not want to be responsible again for gaza hamas from israel's perspective and i think the us is not going to be operative any more in gaza, so who comes in and administers gaza? the hope is it would be the palestinian authority from ramallah but also difficult to imagine how mahmoud abbas and the palestinian authority could ride in on the bayonets of the israeli military and have legitimacy. i would guess there would be serious deep brainstorming between mahmoud abbas and antony blinken what could a post—military phase political future look like for gaza? they will have to be shared response ability with friendly arab states, states friendly with israel —— because shared responsibility. thank you forjoining us with your reflections drawn from all your experience dealing with these kinds of issues when you are us deputy assistant secretary of state for eurasia and europe. thank you very much. let's take a closer look at what those two terms, ceasefire and humanitarian pauses, mean. here's our diplomatic correspondent paul adams. it might sound like a sort of bit of semantics, but essentially a ceasefire is a proper defined cessation of hostilities, usually for a significant period of time, whereas a humanitarian pause is being described as a brief break, probably limited in time and location, to allow a particular objective to be met, and, in this case, twofold. one, to secure better access for aid into the southern gaza strip, which is not the focus of israel's military operation at the moment, but is still an area where there is israeli military activity, particularly air strikes, and also perhaps to see if there's any room for negotiations about the fate of hostages. so, that's why the americans are pushing this concept. it hasn't yet, as far as one can make out, been one that the israelis have decided to go with. all the impression you get from the israeli side is that they want to keep up this relentless pressure on hamas. the united states, i think it's important to recognise, shares israel's fundamental objective here, which is that hamas should be destroyed. and everything else about the american approach stems from that understanding of israel's objective, that after what happened on october 7th, that hamas simply have to be removed from the picture altogether. so, what the americans are trying to do is to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the south of gaza to the extent that they can. and they believe they're making progress there. they're trying to prevent the conflict from expanding beyond the confines of gaza, with a particular attention being given to lebanon. and also to start talking about the future. now, only in very vague terms, you hear antony blinken saying, you know, there must be a meaningful peace process, that us policy still is for two states living side by side, israeli and palestinian, and that that is what we have to get back to. i think, at the moment, all of that feels rather lofty, rather distant, because, at the moment, you know, this is a crisis which is still killing huge numbers of people every day. and the thought that anyone has any kind of headspace, frankly, for thinking about the future and ingenious ways of reviving the middle east peace process, well, that all feels a little fanciful. there was the little hint from presidentjoe biden when he was taking questions from journalists where he was asked about the call for humanitarian pauses and he said, yes. how does it look from an american perspective? jon alterman, former advisor on middle east for the us state of department told us more about humanitarian pauses jon alterman, former advisor on middle east for the us state of department told us more about humanitarian pauses and how they could be put into place. i think we'll probably see something, but it's much less than the arab governments were asking for today, and i think it's likely to be much less than the us government was asking the israelis for. i think there's been a widening gap in the last several weeks. the us really sees the last two decades as a time where it has gained a lot of experience fighting insurgencies. we've fought insurgencies in afghanistan and iraq and against isis in western iraq and syria. and there's 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're trying to... or what you're trying to do at the end shapes the way you fight. i think the israelis don't think that counterinsurgency is applicable in this situation. they've been dealing with hostility from palestinians for more than a century. they think they don't need lessons from anybody. and 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." it's being papered over, but i think those differences are growing. the united states is also as well as as well trying to work with aid agencies who for weeks and days have been sounding the alarm bells about the urgency of getting aid, much more aid, into the gaza strip. one of the biggest agencies is the un's world food programme. it has told the bbc for humanitarian situation in gaza is nothing less than catastrophic. it's executive director earlier criti