The news started circulating late last night. The IDF released a rare statement, urging the media and the public not to speculate, but confirming that some bodies had been found. Then early this morning, released a statement confirming that news, having carried out identifications on those bodies overnight. Six bodies found in a tunnel in Raqqa, in Southern Gaza. The IDF say, and we assume that they've done forensic evidence and forensic examinations on them, they say that they were killed by Hamas, and they believe that they killed shortly before Israeli soldiers would have rescued them. This has caused an enormous amount of shock across Israel. These were six people who were long believed to still be alive, six people who everybody hoped would be brought out alive as part of some hostage deal. The IDF confirmed that in their opinion, those hostages were alive until very recently. As you say, we've heard from President Biden, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, who has been so closely involved in negotiation Associations said that Hirsch Goldberg Poland was an American hero. The Israeli President has released a statement this morning saying that, On behalf of the state of Israel, I embrace their families with all my heart and apologize for failing to bring them home safely.

We will continue to fight relentlessly against the criminal terrorist organization Hamas, which has once again proven there is no end to its willingness to commit murder and crimes against humanity. Within the last few minutes, we've also heard from Hamas. They are blaming the deaths of these hostages on Israel and Israel's Prime Minister for failing to agree a ceasefire deal. Although it is clear we assume that Hamas were responsible for the murder of these six hostages, there will no doubt be considerable and growing anger that Benoît Nessunyahu has failed to reach a hostage deal. There is a growing opinion in Israel that is a regular talking point in the media here and amongst Israelis, that Beny Minetanyahu has decided to prioritize Israel's military campaign in Gaza over a possible ceasefire deal. That came to her head actually on Thursday night at the Israeli Security cabinet when there was a strong exchange, a strong disagreement between Netanyahu and his defense Minister Yov Galant. Galant, like many of the senior Israeli military and security establishment here, believe that Israel can withdraw from certain areas of Gaza, particularly what's known as the Philadelphia Corridor along the Southern border with Egypt.

They They say, and they advise the Prime Minister that it is possible to withdraw temporarily to allow a ceasefire to go ahead. But Netanyahu has rejected that. Actually, Yov Galant, the defense minister, again in the last couple of minutes, tweeting that the Security cabinet needs to be reconvened immediately The decision taken to keep Israeli troops in the Fidilafi Corridor should be reversed in order that a hostage deal can happen. I note that just now, over three hours after the IDF released its statement confirming the deaths, news that had been known for many hours, there is still yet to be a statement from Binmin Yetun Yahou. We will see protests across Israel later today in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv. I expect up and down the country as well. I think where those protests in this week, that have failed to change Binmin Yedin Yahoo's position, but where they have been pleading for him and the government to try and compromise and do a hostage deal, there will now be much more anger that that hostage deal has not been done. And six people who potentially could have been rescued alive have instead been recovered dead. And meanwhile, Ali, a mass child vaccination rollout is due to begin today in Gaza.

Tell us about that. Well, this is one area of rare agreement between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting. It started at 6:00 AM this morning. What is going to happen is that for three days in a specific area of central Gaza, there will be a pause of fighting between those daylight hours for the World Health Organization to carry out a mass immunization program of around 640,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10. If it all goes well over these coming three days, then that will then move from central Gaza to the south, and then from the south to the north, each for three days. This is not, I should be clear, a widespread ceasefire across Gaza. It'll be a ceasefire in those specific areas. We've spoken to the World Health Organization on the ground in Gaza this morning. They say it has started well. There are long queues. People feel safe to come out when there's pauses in fighting in these areas, and they hope that it will continue that way.