The United States is sending more troops to the Middle East as israel continues to pound targets across lebanon, including the capital, beirut. President biden says his team is working to de escalate the crisis, not a strategy that to this point that has been very effective. How concerned should we be of a wider, regional conflagration . Also tonight, labours plans to bolster Uk Investment we will explore whether the chancellor really can find the space for extra government spending. And Coming To America President Zelensky begins a week long tour of the states that will end with his plan to defeat russia. We will see if We Can fix the gremlins with our sound along the way. Welcome to the programme. For 11 months now, Israel And Hezbollah have been locked in an escalating War Of Attrition that many had warned could one Day Lead to all out conflict. Maybe this was the day. The israelis have been pounding targets. The idf says it has hit around 1100 hezbollah positions in Southern Lebanon, the bekaa valley, and in deraa in south beirut. More than 350 people were killed and more than 1000 injured in the bombardment, but dozens of rockets were also fired the other way into northern israel, which suggests hezbollah will continue to resist. The pentagon says its sending a small number of additional us troops to the Middle East amid the growing crisis. From beirut, our senior international Correspondent 0rla Guerin reports Southern Lebanon awoke to this. It looks like All Out War. The israeli army said it hit 800 sites linked to hezbollah. It issued Gaza Style warnings, telling residents to go, but they had little time to act. We asked residents of lebanese villages to pay attention to the Message And Warning published by the idf and heed them. This is an Advance Warning for your own safety and the safety of your family. But where to find safety in the middle of all this . And on the roads from the south, a mass exodus. Ahmed says everyone fled his village because of Air Strikes and destruction. Theres no one left, he says. We took our belongings and went. So many new homeless now in this expanding war. In beirut, too, fear on the streets and a rush to get home. Are you feeling afraid . Sure, mohammed tells me. Im afraid for myself, my wife and my five children. I dont know what to do. How long will we be living through this . We cant keep going. Parents were summoned to schools to pick up their children early. There were threats by phone, he says, that theyll hit beirut. Some in the capital have been getting recorded messages telling them to leave. That includes lebanons information ministry. For months, there have been fears of a wider war. Now the waiting is over. Its here. Israels escalation is a huge risk, and notjust for lebanon, but for the whole Middle East. 0rla guerin, Bbc News, beirut. Let mejust show let me just show you the live pictures from jerusalem. We are watching the podium where Daniel Hagari, actually Tel Aviv im told, he will speak in the next few minutes. This will be in english and we will get an update from the government on their strategy which you will talk about. With me in the studio is our chief international correspondent lyse doucet, and alsojoining from dubai, gregg carlstrom, who is the middle East Correspondent for the economist. Lets just start with you, lyse, if i could, on the balance of things, where would you put Things Tonight . He balance of things, where would you put Things Tonight . You put Things Tonight . He has been a very you put Things Tonight . He has been a very deadly you put Things Tonight . He has been a very deadly day, been a very deadly day, unprecedented numbers. Israel is think it hit more than 800 targets. Thats the highest of any day since October The 8th when this Tit For Tat began across the israel limit on border. And Hezbollah Fired a Record Number of missiles into northern israel, 165, and im sure the numbers are going to continue to go up. And present numbers of casualties, too, on the lebanese side. It is prime Minister Netanyahu who use the word balance, they wanted to change the balance in the door. He said they were destroying what hezbollah has built up over the past two decades. So we are waiting for this statement. Its clear this is not going to be the end of this. This is the beginning, and of course with this ratcheting up, more stairs at the escalatory letter, the question is always what can bring them down the ladder . Are they going to keep going up . I they going to keep going up . I understand what the strategy is here on in. Lets start with hezbollah. What was nasrallahs after October The 7th and what are they for themselves tonight being Dragging Lebanon into another war . The being Dragging Lebanon into another war . Being Dragging Lebanon into another war ... another war . The strategy after october the another war . The strategy after October The 7th another war . The strategy after October The 7th was another war . The strategy after October The 7th was to another war . The strategy after October The 7th was to launch l October The 7th was to launch what October The 7th was to launch what he October The 7th was to launch what he called a Support Front in solidarity with hamas and gaze in solidarity with hamas and gaza. The idea was too tight and gaza. The idea was too tight and a gaza. The idea was too tight and a percentage of israels troops and a percentage of israels troops along the northern border troops along the northern border and to put Military Pressure on israel that might eventually compel into ending the war eventually compel into ending the war In Gaza, reaching a ceasefire the war In Gaza, reaching a Cease Fire with hamas. It has not been Cease Fire with hamas. It has not been successful at doing that not been successful at doing that it not been successful at doing that. It has directly to the north that. It has directly to the north of that. It has directly to the north of israel. Some 50,000 people north of israel. Some 50,000 people have fled their homes or have people have fled their homes or have not people have fled their homes or have not been able to go back for almost a year, but the military for almost a year, but the Military Pressure that hezbollah is put on israel has not compelled it to end the war in gaze not compelled it to end the war In Gaza. That war is still going In Gaza. That war is still going almost a year later, and i dont going almost a year later, and i dont think thats a Scenario Idont think thats a scenario that i dont think thats a scenario that Hassan Nasrallah anticipated when he began this anticipated when he began this a year anticipated when he began this a year ago. Now i find himself in the a year ago. Now i find himself in the position to end the show of solidarity with hamas and gaza, of solidarity with hamas and gaza, to of solidarity with hamas and gaza, to stop firing to be a huge gaza, to stop firing to be a huge humiliation for him and iran huge humiliation for him and iran and huge humiliation for him and iran and other proxies in the Region Iran and other proxies in the Region Or Iran and other proxies in the region or continue fighting as he is region or continue fighting as he is done in the rift is ever greater escalation in the fight with israel. With israel. And what about israel . Separate with israel. And what about israel . Separate to with israel. And what about israel . Separate to the israel . Separate to the strategy In Gaza, their idea was to push hezbollah beyond the river according to resolution 1701, which was tied up resolution 1701, which was tied up after the 2006 war that we both covered. Was that ever likely to be achievable that the kind of war we are now staring at . I the kind of war we are now staring at . The kind of war we are now staring at . I went back and looked at staring at . I went back and looked at what staring at . I went back and looked at what with staring at . I went back and looked at what with the staring at . I went back and i looked at what with the aims staring at . I went back and looked at what with the aims of the ninth 96 war, and i was based in the region that, and a 2006 war that we both saw in Israel And Lebanon and the aims of the same this time. They Want To degrade, to stop Hezbollahs Ability to Fire Rockets into israel, and to set P Rockets into israel, and to set up a list of north of the river, in other words further away from the israel lebanon border. And in this case, they Want To allow these some 60,000 israelis who were taken out of their homes under Hezbollah Fire last october, 11 to return to their homes. These new War Aims were suddenly added to the other War Aims for gaza. It was not clear why they were added then. But now its clear that what has been called from the beginning of the Gaza War the second front is now the hottest one, even though the fighting is still continuing in Gaza Today and of course no sign of that even Cease Fire which would in the suffering of gaza and bring israeli hostages home. ,. Home. But there is precedent, len of home. But there is precedent, plenty of it. Home. But there is precedent, plenty of it. If home. But there is precedent, plenty of it, if you home. But there is precedent, plenty of it, if you want home. But there is precedent, plenty of it, if you Want To home. But there is precedent, plenty of it, if you Want To go L Plenty of it, if you Want To go Backin Plenty of it, if you Want To go back in history. They tried to create this Buffer Zone after the war in 1982. That israeli presents up to the river was there i think when they knew there i think when they knew the records are coming over the top and israeli were being killed. Is there any suggestion this would be any different . Know, and that is why hezbollah came know, and that is why hezbollah came to know, and that is why hezbollah came to exist in the first place. Came to exist in the first place, was that 18 Year Occupation by israel of South Lebanon Occupation by israel of south lebanon. Hezbollah came up as a group lebanon. Hezbollah came up as a group that lebanon. Hezbollah came up as a group that was fighting against that Israeli Occupation, and that that Israeli Occupation, and that when a fair amount of support that when a fair amount of Support Notjust from its assiduously in lebanon but from assiduously in lebanon but from a broader assiduously in lebanon but from a broader Cross Section of lebanese. Sol a broader Cross Section of lebanese. So i think 2. 5 decades lebanese. So i think 2. 5 decades later there is no reason decades later there is no reason to think that an Israeli Occupation of supplement i would occupation of supplement i would in any different. And it would would in any different. And it would come at a time when hezbollah has bled a lot of a Sopport Hezbollah has bled a lot of a support inside of lebanon. There support inside of lebanon. There are many people who are angry there are many people who are angry at there are many people who are angry at its decision to get involved angry at its decision to get involved in this war on behalf of hamas, to bring war to lebanon of hamas, to bring war to lebanon. That anger is growing in recent lebanon. That anger is growing in recent days after the Pager And Walkie talkie attacks and then and Walkie Talkie attacks and then this and Walkie Talkie attacks and then this very heavy series of Air Strikes then this very heavy series of Air Strikes over the past Couple Air strikes over the past couple of days. There are a lot of People Couple of days. There are a lot of people in lebanon who were furious of people in lebanon who were furious with the group because it has furious with the group because it has embarked on a war that is does it has embarked on a war that is does not seem to have any way is does not seem to have any way to is does not seem to have any way to win, it is nothing to have way to win, it is nothing to have any way to win, it is nothing to have any way to get out of most of the have any way to get out of most of The One have any way to get out of most of The One thing that might help of The One thing that might help it of The One thing that might help it regain some popularity in lebanon and regain a sort of reason in lebanon and regain a sort of reason for in lebanon and regain a sort of reason for being would be an israeli reason for being would be an israeli Grant Invasion of lebanon that would allow hezbollah once again to say that hezbollah once again to say that it is hezbollah once again to say that it is a Resistance Movement Fighting against a israeli Movement Fighting against a israeli invasion of lebanon. To do it israeli invasion of lebanon. To do it again israeli invasion of lebanon. To do it again not having learned a lesson do it again not having learned a lesson to the last 18 Year Experience occupying supplement i will experience occupying supplement i will be experience occupying supplement i will be the height of folly. Interesting and he very clearly set out what the strategy for hezbollah was from the beginning of this second front in the Gaza War, and of course there is also the other element of it, which is that from the beginning, both iran, hezbollah have tried to act in a way which raise the temperature but never raised it so high that this would tumble into an All Out War in which they would both pay very dearly. And this has seemed to have in the strategy of hassan Hassan Nasrallah from his very first speech that he made in the midst of the rising tensions but what is happened is hezbollah has suffered month in, month out. The assassination of its top commanders although we are hearing out that one he was reported by Israeli Media to be killed is nowjust injured. Thats what hezbollah said. Those Spectacular Paging attacks, Walkie Talkie attacks either killed or mutilated a large number of its mid ranking officers. And they are suffering a lot. And of course the israeli rocket fire. This deal is not an All Out War. We can get a lot worse on both sides, but it has a City Escalation which hezbollah is losing a lot. Escalation which hezbollah is losing a lot losing a lot. Just on that oint, losing a lot. Just on that point. We losing a lot. Just on that point, we have losing a lot. Just on that point, we have not losing a lot. Just on that l point, we have not talked losing a lot. Just on that point, we have not talked about the role of iran in this if its many years of Course Hezbollah has been the deterrent for iran. It is used hezbollah as the proxy, and now as she rightly says, they are hanging on, which drags iran a sort of turned the tables in some respects. Iran having to come into a war that is not really Want To be involved in. It does turn the tables, and a second it does turn the tables, and a second time a year now the iran finds second time a year now the iran finds itself second time a year now the iran finds itself in an uncomfortable position. First, you had uncomfortable position. First, you had October The 7th and by all accounts according to israeli, all accounts according to israeli, a and iranian officials, iran was not briefed on Hamas Plan for the massacre on Hamas Plan for the Massacre On October on Hamas Plan for the massacre on October The 7th and it found suddenly on October The 7th and it found suddenly its proxy to cross the region were being pulled into a the region were being pulled into a conflict that it did not have into a conflict that it did not have any into a conflict that it did not have any say in starting and did not have any say in starting and did not have any ability to veto did not have any ability to veto. Now if you say hezbollah is in veto. Now if you say hezbollah is in a veto. Now if you say hezbollah is in a position where this organisation was set up to be a Rons Organisation was set up to be a rons shell come in to be a deterrent rons shell come in to be a deterrent against israeli Attack Deterrent against israeli attack or american attack on iran attack or american attack on iran positively facilities in particular but now that deterrent actually needs help to deter israel. And the iranians to deter israel. And the iranians i think you made it clear iranians i think you made it clear not iranians i think you made it clear notjust over the iranians i think you made it clear not just over the past few clear not just over the past few days clear not just over the past few days were over the past few months few days were over the past few months that one thing they are really months that one thing they are really not months that one thing they are really not willing to do is go to battle on behalf of their proxy to battle on behalf of their proxy. They have not directly intervened on behalf of of hamas intervened on behalf of of hamas. They have not directly so far hamas. They have not directly so far intervened on behalf of hezbollah. The only time they have hezbollah. The only time they have really started israel was when have really started israel was when their own personnel were being when their own personnel were being attacked back in april with being attacked back in april with the strikes on their consulate in damascus. But aside consulate in damascus. But aside from that, the iranians do not aside from that, the iranians do not Want To get directly involved in the whole point of setting involved in the whole point of setting up these proceeds across setting up these proceeds across the region was to keep the conflict away from their borders the conflict away from their borders and to outsource conflict borders and to outsource conflict. And i think the last thing conflict. And i think the last thing the iranians Want To do is to thing the iranians Want To do is to be thing the iranians Want To do is to be directly fighting on behalf of those proxies. Which finally leaves behalf of those proxies. Which finally leaves us behalf of those proxies. Which finally leaves us with behalf of those proxies. Which finally leaves us with the behalf of those proxies. Which finally leaves us with the us l finally leaves us with the us to stand in support of israel hitting a prescribed Team Or Group which continues to fire over the border at israeli homes. They sent more troops to the