The deadliest and most destructive israel gaza war, killing over Thirty Thousand palestinians according to the Hamas Run Health Ministry. Here in syrup, you can see on the horizon, gaza city. Even today, we can see the smoke rising. Here in sderot. Israel carries out a campaign it says it will continue until hamas is destroyed. In the last few hours, we have heard from the Israeli Military. The Israeli Military says it has withdrawn more Ground Troops from the Southern Gaza. They are leaving only those who are to secure a corridor which now divides the strip. Lieutenant colonel peter lerner is a spokeseperson for the Israel Defence forces. I asked him about the announcement that idf withdraws troops from Southern Gaza. The idf has and is regrouping, conducting its next preparations for the next stage. The war is not over as long as there are 133 israelis being held by hamas. The war can only be over when they come home and when hamas is gone. The reality is one which is unacceptable. We cant accept that hamas will govern the gaza strip precisely because weve seen what they do with the powers of government. They take advantage of that, they build a terrorist army. They came into our bedrooms, abducted, killed, murdered, massacred. That needs to change. But can you provide, Lieutenant Colonel lerner, more details on this movement . Is it a rotation . Will they be replaced 7 or does this represent a significant shift in the Military Campaign . The Military Campaign is continuously evolving, and this is just another stage in the war effort. As we completed our mission in khan younis, in the khan younis area, so then the troops rotate out, and we have other troops that are operating elsewhere. So its important to understand it is a decline in the forces, but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold where there are four battalions untouched and where we released two hostages from just last month. So we need to be able to get all of the hostages back wherever they are. We need to dismantle hamas� s capabilities, wherever they are, and we will mobilise ourforces accordingly. The forces arent in the gaza strip just to take control of gaza. Thats not the intention by any stretch of the imagination. The forces are there to get rid of hamas and bring back the hostages. Lieutenant colonel peter lerner. At the six month mark of the israel gaza war, memorials are being held at some sites here across israel including at a site close to the border where a celebration turned into scenes of the slaughter. We spoke to people visiting latter day to light candles to remember those who perished that day. People expressing grief which is still raw. Loved ones are still being held across the border in gaza. They also expressed frustration with the Israeli Government and forces being unable to come to their rescue soon enough, that there had been this massive security breach. 0ur massive security breach. Our international editor, jeremy bowen, who has been covering this israel gaza war since the start, has been to the kibbutz which suffered terribly on that day. Six months after the attacks, it is a bit like going back into a time machine because all the damage is still here. And the reason for that is that in this kibbutz, nir oz, one in four of the population of the more than 400 people was either killed, or taken into gaza, about a mile away on the border, as hostages. Looking around at the damage here and hearing the stories too of what happened, hamas came in around 6 30 in the morning and were here until early afternoon, undisturbed, going house to house until the army arrived. The war is still going on, that is outgoing fire from an israeli battery into gaza. This is now one of the typical houses in this kibbutz, abandoned and burnt out. Six months on, it still smells of burning on the sofa, there is still some neatly folded laundry, perhaps done the evening before october 7th. Going around this place you can understand why israelis believe very strongly that they are fighting a just war in gaza. Of course, their allies feel the same. Their quarrel is with the methods that israel has been using that has cost so many innocent palestinian lives. And as for the family who lived here in this house, they are dead. Let us look back on the momentous events of october the 7th. We are going to speak to our next guest. Lets speak to ehud barak, who served as Prime Minister of israel from 1999 to 2001. Thank you forjoining us. Aq having thank you for oining us. Aq having me. What thank you for oining us. Aq having me. What we thank you forjoining us. Aq having me. What we are thank you forjoining us. Aq having me. What we are hearing thank you forjoining us. Aq having me. What we are hearing from me. What we are hearing from Southern Israel me. What we are hearing from Southern Israel from me. What we are hearing from Southern Israel from people i Southern Israel from people remembering those who were killed that day, the hostages who were taken, is that they are grieving, and the grief and pain is still profound. But, they are also angry at the massive security failure. You understand the Israeli Military well, how could that have been allowed to happen . It is well, how could that have been allowed to happen . Well, how could that have been allowed to happen . It is a maor failure of our d allowed to happen . It is a maor failure of our intelligence, i allowed to happen . It is a maor failure of our intelligence, of h allowed to happen . It is a major| failure of our intelligence, of our army. This morning, it is a major failure of strategy by the government who, for unexplainable reasons, almost unexplainable, believed for several years that hamas was not a threat and the palestinian was a liability rather than the other way around. And basically, our government encouraged the qataris to pay 1. 5 billion to hamas. Quite a majorfailure the qataris to pay 1. 5 billion to hamas. Quite a major failure with the worst day, october the 7th, the worst day in our history, and we are paying the price for it, but im confident that at the end, we will overcome, and we will resume our March Forward. Overcome, and we will resume our March Forward overcome, and we will resume our March Forward. Israels wall cabinet is divided by March Forward. Israels wall cabinet is divided by benjamin March Forward. Israels wall cabinet is divided by Benjamin Netanyahu l March Forward. Israels wall cabinet i is divided by Benjamin Netanyahu who says the war must go on until her mass is destroyed hamas. Others say the war will not achieve that directive, that israel must use other ways. Where do you stand in that divide . That divide . Look, i think that toda , a that divide . Look, i think that today. A new that divide . Look, i think that today, a new chapter that divide . Look, i think that | today, a new chapter eventually starts in this war. The last big level of division, the gaza strip, only one out of 30 brigade level units now remain inside gaza. It is by the very fact a new chapter. Now, it is a debate within our cabinet. I belong to those who think that it is not just of the worst belong to those who think that it is notjust of the worst day, but in spite of the devotion, sacrifice, and the courage of our fighting soldiers, it was very poorly managed strategically. There was an inability by the Prime Minister to take the strategic choices and decisions that have to be made during the war. I am a great believer in the old saying that if you dont know which end you want to reach, no wind will take you there. For a reason it has to do with political interest, that was the proper way of running the war. Netanyahu blocked almost physically any discussion about the morning after, the day after the war. As a result, hamas gained the last of these clumsy managements on a strategic level. If these clumsy managements on a strategic level. These clumsy managements on a strategic level. If you are a Prime Minister now strategic level. If you are a Prime Minister now and strategic level. If you are a Prime Minister now and if strategic level. If you are a Prime Minister now and if joe strategic level. If you are a Prime Minister now and ifjoe biden strategic level. If you are a Prime I Minister now and ifjoe biden called you up and said we need a ceasefire, what would you say . I say, not now. I say, we have been fighting a five and a half months. From the second week, the choice that we have had was whether talk to the United States. Tell them, our security. Basically, let us close the door behind with thejordanians, with the saudis, showing signs of readiness tojoin the with the saudis, showing signs of readiness to join the club, and deploy the Moderation Led by the United States into a new regional order facing the Axis Of Rogue States led by iran backed by russia, including syria, hamas, hezbollah, yemen, and someone, and basically establish another Multinational Force which will be ready to take the gaza from our hands within two or three months for limited periods during which they will bring into the gaza strip are revived or revitalised palestinian soldier, as the only legitimate player legally to go there and basically have a deal with saudi arabia, probably, and the only expected thing from israel is to be ready to launch a process that at the end will lead towards the vision of two states, something all of us have done including netanyahu. There have been several attacks in the last three decades. ,. , decades. You try to make peace with palestinians decades. You try to make peace with palestinians and decades. You try to make peace with palestinians and failed. Decades. You try to make peace with palestinians and failed. It decades. You try to make peace with palestinians and failed. It is palestinians and failed. It is remembered here in israel beyond. D believe there will one day. Do you still want there to be a Palestinian State alongside israel . Has still want there to be a Palestinian State alongside israel . State alongside israel . As you accurately state alongside israel . As you accurately describe state alongside israel . As you accurately describe the state alongside israel . As you accurately describe the israeli | state alongside israel . As you accurately describe the israeli mood now, it is one of deep pain. There is still trauma in the air. There are calls for revenge. There is a boiling blood. That is not exactly the time to talk about peace. Israel has a compelling imperative to make sure that hamas will not ever win on the gaza strip and will not be capable of threatening israel. That is the main objective. We made certain mileage towards it. I should admit that even after six months, it is farfrom being completed. Netanyahu was speaking about a small step, an Absolute Victoryjust behind the corner. That is not true. If we enter into a raffle, it might take several months until it is over. I think now is not the time to announce eternal peace coming from heaven. It is the time to release the hostages, strike a deal about the hostages, strike a deal about the refugees the hostages, bring them back home. And then, decide how to continue. I think that there is a good chance that is we the fighting in gaza, we can reduce the tension in gaza, we can reduce the tension in the north, bring into homes all of The Hundreds Of Thousands of israelis who left the gaza area, and the lebanon border area, and we can reduce the risk of finding ourselves in a regional war. Reduce the risk of finding ourselves in a regionalwar. It reduce the risk of finding ourselves in a regional war. It is time to correct the relationship that was deeply held with the United States and resume support for israel. Israel always has to have a full scale war with a major world power, and always having a short and decisive campaign, and always holding the moral high ground. Somehow, netanyahu seems to me seems to miss all of these three lessons. A decisive short war as well as the need to have the American Power beside us and the need to hold the moral high ground by avoiding the humanitarian crisis and many other painful mistakes along the way. And many other painful mistakes along the way and many other painful mistakes along the way. Ehud barak, former Prime Minister, along the way. Ehud barak, former Prime Minister, thank along the way. Ehud barak, former Prime Minister, thank you along the way. Ehud barak, former Prime Minister, thank you for Prime Minister, thank you for joining us with your assessment of the Military Strategy and possible political pathways ahead. Thank you. Thank you having me. Let political pathways ahead. Thank you. Thank you having me. Thank you having me. Let us get another perspective thank you having me. Let us get another perspective on thank you having me. Let us get another perspective on this another perspective on this continuing war, this grievous israel gaza war which is now at the six month mark. We can now cross over london. Husam zomlot, do you see what is happening as a possible Turning Point in this war . Hello. So far, i have not seen that pressure from the united kingdom, the United States, the of the International Community working on israel. He would have imagined that the six months on from the genocidal aggression that we are still talking about the genocide . It would have imagined that after the first child in the world would be shocked, 100 children, 1000 children, 10,000 palestinian children, the world would be shocked. Now, we are nearly 100,000 names and killed, mostly women and children. What kind of pressure are we talking about . The uk, us, lebanon, including an immediate embargo on arms ending up in the bodies of our children and leveraged like suspending israels membership of the un because it has already violated the Un Security Council resolution and calling for an immediate ceasefire which the uk voted for. So, genocidal israel is not the discussion, the discussion as the rest of the world and what it is going to do, and what are the consequences on all others after the normalisation of the mass murder of children, the normalisation of the mass destruction of an entire population, the erasure of an entire people by the use of famine, and disease as weapons of war. We are in the 21st century, and i believe the consequences will be severe. I believe the world, especially the west, have got to think seriously now, notjust about palestine and what is happening, but about the international rules, international system. When will be the next war . Whose children . How are bigots All Around The World going to use this moment to normalise such after scenes that then our humanity. Im sorry to tell you that whatever lip service we are hearing from london orfrom washington, it service we are hearing from london or from washington, it is service we are hearing from london orfrom washington, it is not working. Or from washington, it is not workinu. ~ ,. , or from washington, it is not workina. ~ ,. , working. We understand pressure is beinu working. We understand pressure is bein ut working. We understand pressure is being put on working. We understand pressure is being put on the working. We understand pressure is being put on the negotiating working. We understand pressure is being put on the Negotiating Teams| being put on the Negotiating Teams in cairo, pressure on hamas, pressure on israel from their respective allies, to come to a deal. Full swapping hostages in gaza for palestinian prisoners in israeli jails, and to achieve a humanitarian pause, a ceasefire. Are you hearing that there is now a greater chance that there is now a greater chance that those talks can succeed . These talks have been that those talks can succeed . These talks have been ongoing that those talks can succeed . These talks have been ongoing for that those talks can succeed . These talks have been ongoing for a that those talks can succeed . Tyre talks have been ongoing for a long time, there has been an internationalformula, the us has been involved for hostage exchange. An emergency permanent ceasefire, that formula has been rejected by Benjamin Netanyahu. It is very clear that Benjamin Netanyahu wants a perpetual aggression on gaza. He needs war, and if it is not in gaza, he is going to lebanon, syria, he is provoking in the west bank, this Prime Minister of israel lives now on aggression, lives on confronta