Been killed after houses in the central area of the gaza strip were hit. Israel has also sent tanks north of there after a night of heavy aerial and ground bombardments. From jerusalem, paul adams reports. One by one the people of rafah are leaving. Parts of the city now all but deserted. Translation i but deserted. Translation �. , translation i wasnt planning on anoin. But translation i wasnt planning on going but since translation i wasnt planning on going. But since no translation i wasnt planning on going. But since no one translation i wasnt planning on going. But since no one is translation i wasnt planning on going. But since no one is left translation i wasnt planning on going. But since no one is left here | going. But since no one is left here i decided to leave. I have to find out where my wife and daughter are. The un says 300,000 people have left already. That is almost a quarter of those sheltering in rafah. Most are heading for the coast to places barely able to sustain life, where exhausted and hungry people fend for themselves. This woman and her children have brought their makeshift tent to the beach. Translation makeshift tent to the beach. Translation ,. , ,. , translation they dropped leaflets on us four times. Translation they dropped leaflets on us four times. After translation they dropped leaflets on us four times. After the translation they dropped leaflets on us four times. After the fourth on us four times. After the fourth time on us four times. After the fourth time we on us four times. After the fourth time we came here. When i arrived i found time we came here. When i arrived i found my time we came here. When i arrived i found my tent was worn out. We stayed found my tent was worn out. We stayed in found my tent was worn out. We stayed in it found my tent was worn out. We stayed in it for five months in rafah stayed in it for five months in rafah i stayed in it for five months in rafah. I want to try and stitch it but it rafah. I want to try and stitch it but it is rafah. I want to try and stitch it but it is no rafah. I want to try and stitch it but it is no good. Rafah. I want to try and stitch it but it is no good. Back in rafah, israels ground but it is no good. Back in rafah, israels Ground Operation but it is no good. Back in rafah, israels Ground Operation is but it is no good. Back in rafah, i israels Ground Operation is almost a week old. The military says it is destroying tunnels, Killing Hamas fighters, but acting cautiously. fiur fighters, but acting cautiously. Our 0 erations fighters, but acting cautiously. Oi operations against hamas in rafah remained limited in scope and focus on tactical advances, tactical adjustments and key military advantages. And have avoided densely Populated Areas. But advantages. And have avoided densely Pepuiated ArmPopulated Areas. But some israelis are not reassured. Populated areas. But some israelis are not reassured. Angry Populated Areas. But some israelis are not reassured. Angry protests. Are not reassured. Angry protests again last night. These people want the water stop and the government to go. And for much more to be done to hostages home. Yesterday, hamas said a british israeli hostage had been killed in an air strike, Nadav Popplewell, claims it is impossible to verify. In the Southern City of ashkelon, evidence that palestinian groups can still launch rockets. Three israelis slightly injured in this direct hit overnight, and no sign of any fresh negotiations to bring the war to an end. Paul adams, bbc news, jerusalem. And we will be speaking to Paul Live Injust a bbc news, jerusalem. And we will be speaking to paul live in just a few minutes. The uk Foreign Secretary, lord cameron, has defended the governments decision not to withdraw arms export licenses to israel. Speaking on Laura Kuenssberg on sunday, he said that restricting Arms Deliveries to israel because of its war in gaza would strengthen hamas and make a deal to free israeli hostages less likely but said that decision was being constantly reviewed. Israel has not had a clean bill of health. On humanitarian aid, there have been realfailings and they need to do better. But on the crucial question we have to answer which is, is there a serious risk of exports being used for a serious breach in International Law . Up to now, in the assessments weve done, weve continued with the export licensing, but its a rolling process and it looks at what is happening on the ground. The Uk Foreign Office is investigating claims by hamas that a british israeli hostage has died in gaza. Nadav popplewell was seized with his mother on october 7th from the nirim kibbutz in southern israel. Hamas claims that mr popplewell died of wounds sustained in an israeli air strike more than a month ago. The Israeli Military is yet to comment. The uk Foreign Secretary, lord cameron, was asked about the claim on sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Like everyone else, i watched the video on twitter, x, last night, put out by hamas of nadav answering a question as to who he was. And i watched the video and you just think, what, you know, callous people they are to do that. To play with the familys emotions in that way. I met nadav� s family, his sister, and i know the heartbreak they have been going through for over 200 days. And when you see what hamas are prepared to do you just realise the terrible, dreadful, inhuman people, frankly, that we are dealing with. Returning to israels Military Operations in Southern Gaza. Ealier we spoke to humanitarian Media Specialist for action aid uk, isabella cipirska. Right now in rafah, There Isjust Absolute Fear and confusion and panic on the ground. Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled. These are people whove had to flee, carrying their belongings under a scorching hot sun, not knowing where they can go that is safe, that they can, you know, start a new life for themselves. Remember, most of these people have had to flee multiple times. Were talking five, six, seven times already. Our teams on the ground have spoken to some people who have arrived in one of the so called safe zones. Theyve described absolutely horrendous journeys, travelling by bus while bombardments took place all around them. Theyve talked about arriving and having more scenes of chaos greeting them basically, with none of the kind of essentials that they need. One man told us that he was trying to build a tent for himself and his disabled mother, and he was unable to source the materials he needed because they were so limited and supply in the prices had gone up so much. So i mean, really, the Situation Isjust utterly, utterly dire right now and theresjust so much uncertainty. So these areas that you describe one there, of course, al mawasi, khan younis. Theyre being described as humanitarian zones. But in your opinion, they dont account for that . Absolutely not. I mean, these are places that were already before these latest evacuations began, were already completely overcrowded. Al mawasi, which is a tiny strip of land, which is mostly sand dunes, was already home to about 400,000 people. And there just isnt the infrastructure to accommodate all these new arrivals. Theres no one to meet them. Theres no one to. Theres nothing basically to give them. You know, its absolutely dire. Yeah. Isabella, in terms of actionaid, in terms of your organisation, how does it operate under these circumstances on the ground where there is so much need . I mean, as always, were doing everything we can, but there is just such difficult circumstances and things are changing day to day. I mean, weve had some of our colleagues and partners already had to flee rafah. So even in the last few days, the situation has changed so quickly. But i mean, right now the situation with getting and distributing aid isjust incredibly, incredibly difficult. I mean, in rafah right now, rafah, remember, is the main area through which aid arrives. Two of the main aid crossings are located in rafah. One of these, the rafah crossing, is still closed. The other, kerem shalom, has opened, but aid is not able to be delivered through that crossing because of the kind of intensity of the fighting and because its just so dangerous right now. So the humanitarian situation in rafah, which was already, you know, incredibly on a knife edge, isjust deteriorating by the minute, really. I mean, the Health Care System has all but collapsed. One of the main hospitals in rafah had to evacuate earlier this week. That leaves just two smaller hospitals and a few other medical facilities, which are, you know, warning that they are running out of fuel, you know, due to the sustained lack of aid. People in rafah, you know, theyre starving, theyre hungry, they dont have enough water. 10 of children under the age of two are acutely malnourished. I mean, it really is an incredibly dire situation. And theres, you know, Aid Organisations like ours are doing everything they can, but its incredibly, incredibly difficult. A spokesperson from actionaid uk, an organisation that supports people in gaza describing situation on the ground. For more on that, we are joined now by our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams. We have just been hearing about some of the really difficult conditions that people who are Leaving Rafah and going into these areas that are being designated as humanitarian sense by israel, that they are in fact experiencing in reality. I was talkin to fact experiencing in reality. I was talking to a fact experiencing in reality. I was talking to a couple fact experiencing in reality. I was talking to a couple of fact experiencing in reality. I was talking to a couple of western talking to a couple of western officials last night, officials who are trying as best they can to manage of some the fallout from this desperate long war. There was a discussion about the extent to which israel has responded to repeated requests from the United States, from britain, from others, to put in place a viable plan to look after the safety, the welfare of the hundreds of thousands of people that are going to be displaced as a result of their operation in rafah. They thought about this for awhile and then they agreed that israel so far has done nothing. Nothing, there is no plan in place, no provisions for accommodating people, no assistance to ensure that aid reaches those people. It is simply not there. And so i think that gives you a sense of the sheer level of frustration that people are experiencing in the face of this sort of resolute, single minded is really determination to finish off hamas, come what may. Really determination to finish off hamas, come what may. Paula, the uk foreian hamas, come what may. Paula, the uk Foreign Secretary hamas, come what may. Paula, the uk Foreign Secretary has hamas, come what may. Paula, the uk Foreign Secretary has been hamas, come what may. Paula, the uk Foreign Secretary has been speaking, l Foreign Secretary has been speaking, lord cameron has been talking to our colleague Laura Kuenssberg and has been defending the governments decision not to stop the Export Licences of arms, not to withdraw those Export Licences of sending arms to israel. Those Export Licences of sending arms to israel. ,. , arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does not arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does notjust arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does notjust want arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does not just want to arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does notjust want to be arms to israel. Yes, his argument is that he does notjust want to be in l that he does notjust want to be in the business of sending messages, he wants to be exerting real pressure. It is not quite clear what Pressure Britain is able to exert right now. And he is right to say that the amount of assistance that britain offers israel militarily is utterly dwarfed by the billions of dollars of annual military aid that the United States offers. Evenjoe bidens threats to withhold weaponry should israel embark on an all out invasion of rafah, even that is to a certain extent sending messages, because even though they are very powerful messages, demonstrating american displeasure, most people reckon that israel has more than enough equipment at its disposal to carry out such an operation. We dont know what israels intentions are right now. The Military Spokesman continues to talk about limited, cautious Israeli Operations that are not entering heavily Populated Areas and yet the Prime Minister continues to talk in these very maximalist terms about destroying the last few battalions of hamas. It is not clear exactly what israels intentions are, and in that ambiguous environment it is clear that many, many people in and around rafah are not taking any chances. And we are now looking at 300,000 people who have moved in the last week, that is getting on for a quarter of the population sheltering in rafah before a week ago. So clearly palestinians there are deeply apprehensive about what the coming days hold. find. Deeply apprehensive about what the coming days hold. Coming days hold. And, paul, in terms of the coming days hold. And, paul, in terms of the claims coming days hold. And, paul, in terms of the claims by coming days hold. And, paul, in terms of the claims by hamas. Coming days hold. And, paul, in terms of the claims by hamas about the british israeli hostage, did not, then add to that . Ha. The british israeli hostage, did not, then add to that . The british israeli hostage, did not, then add to that . No. I think the british not, then add to that . No. I think the British Government not, then add to that . No. I think the British Government is not, then add to that . No. I think the British Government is being. The British Government is being extremely cautious about this. We heard yesterday from hamas saying that Nadav Popplewell had been killed in an israeli air strike. We have seen these videos before, we have seen these videos before, we have heard of these claims before, about other hostages and there is simply no way of verifying them at all. It is part of what often appears to be a pretty cynical manipulation of imagery and the very real and raw emotions of the families of the hostages themselves. The British Government says it is trying to establish more about Nadav Popplewell� s fate, that is not easy, but clearly hamas wanted to put out a message which is that as long as israel continues its Military Operation that poses a threat, not just to the civilian population as rafah but also to those israeli and dual National Hostages still in its hands. , dual National Hostages still in its hands. ,. , hands. Paul, for the time being, as alwa s, hands. Paul, for the time being, as always. Thank hands. Paul, for the time being, as always, thank you hands. Paul, for the time being, as always, thank you so hands. Paul, for the time being, as always, thank you so much. Hands. Paul, for the time being, as always, thank you so much. Paul. Always, thank you so much. Paul adams live injerusalem. Here in the uk, the mp for dover, Nathalie Elphicke, who defected from the conservatives to labour last week, has been accused of Lobbying Ministers over her former husbands Sexual Assault court case. Her spokesman has dismissed the claims. Our Political Correspondent nick eardley sent this report. The latest allegation is that Nathalie Elphicke effectively lobbied ministers before her then husbands trial. The allegation if she spoke to thejustice secretary Robert Buckland and suggested that at the time of the trial should be moved to avoid extra publicity. Sir Robert Buckland, who was thejustice secretary at the time, has told the sunday times that she was told in no Uncertain Terms that it would be completely inappropriate to speak to the judge about the trial at all. The bbc has spoken to the robert and he has confirmed that account. Ms elphicke, through a spokesman, has said the claims are nonsense, while the labour party has questioned why the allegations were only made after she defected from the Conservative Party to the labour party. It is another awkward question for the labour party about their newest mp. Remember, man