it blames israel for the attack. medics say they were covered dozens of bodies of the biggest hospital in gaza after a two—week operation by israel, targeting on myspace. —— targeting a how myspace. the main opposition claims the largest victory in almost half a century —— targeting a hamas base. also coming up — scotland's new hate crime comes into force, but could harm free speech? a warm welcome to the world today. an hour of international news from the bbc. iranian state media says a

senior commander in the powerful revolutionary guard was among at least five people killed in a suspected israeli air strike on an iranian consulate building in the syrian capital damascus. the iranian 40 syrian capital damascus. the iranian a0 foreign minister has called it of breach of international conventions. it described in is really air strike that targeted the consulate in damascus. the senior commander is one of the most high—profile commanders believed to have been killed. there has not been a reaction from israel. let's go like to hugo bachega. what's the latest you're hearing? i

need, iran has said mohammed was killed with the country described as an israeli air strike. targeting damascus, syria. we have an hundred reaction from the israeli authorities. a spokesman said he wouldn't comment on those reports. it seems to be the latest in the series of a assassinations. we've seen that the army has intensified its attack. also positions in syria. there also has been some strong reaction from the iranian authorities.

we saw this attack has intensified for the beginning of the war with hamas. it is part of the so—called axis of resistance, which also includes hezbollah and also the houthis. so it is a very significant development. we have seen that the iranians are following a very strong response which could come from different places, different countries and any different form. put in context, hugo, how much of an escalation this will be seen as. well, this is extremely significant because the senior commander is one of the most high—profile figures believed to have been killed by the israeli army in this long campaign.

israeli army in this long campaign. i think the level of response and reaction that we saw so far from the iranian authorities almost immediately reacting to this attack, blaming the israelis for that and promising a very decisive response, i think gives you an indication of how important, how significant this man was, but also how the iranians of are seeing this attack that they say was carried out by the israelis, saying that this was a breach of all international conventions.- international conventions. hugo, thank ou international conventions. hugo, thank you very — international conventions. hugo, thank you very much. _ 0ur international editor, jeremy bowen, explained the wider regional significance. there's been increasingly serious war going on over the israel lebanon border between israeli forces and hezbollah, which is the political movement in lebanon. it is very close to iran and the syrian regime.

if it wasn't for the fact that so much has been happening in gaza since october the 7th, i thought there might have been more attention on what's happening here. that's why it's going on. what we've been hearing this evening, going up towards lebanon. this is an escalation by israel. i think they're testing the resolve of both iran and its clients, its —— hezbollah. while they have been engaged, hezbollah particularly, in a tit—for—tat series of extremely fierce exchanges with israel, they have always kept it in what is referred to sometimes as the rules of the game. hezbollah going after military targets, but israel seems

to be pushing it to move to the next level quite repeatedly. this is a big upward step. now the big question is, given that the iranians particularly are keen to restore the deterrent, they feel they have been building up against their enemies, and other words, their enemies feeling that they can't hit iran, its people or their targets. the israelis have said it, oh yes, we can. now the question is does iran respond, how does it respond? it may not be the way you'd expect, it may not be the way you'd expect, it may not be... i wouldn't expect them to send missiles, farfrom it. might be a cyberattack. this is also chelation on my part, but the point is that this really increasingly dangerous war between iran and its allies and proxies and the israelis has tonight taken quite a big step up. has tonight taken quite a big step u -. g , has tonight taken quite a big step u -. g y �* ., meanwhile, after two weeks of heavy bombardment, israel says it's

completed its military operation at gaza's biggest hospital, and all troops have now left the area. most of al shifa's medical complex has been left in ruins. during the operation here in northern gaza, the idf says it killed 200 terrorists, claiming hamas had regrouped inside the grounds. palestinian media are reporting that a mother and her son, who were both doctors were also killed. lucy williamson has the latest from jerusalem. al shifa's protection was its identity. hard to recognise it as a hospital now. the surgery unit — emergency department, wards and corridors, imploded, anonymized by war. patients like this one, trapped inside during the two weeks of fighting. translation: they didn't provide water for the last two days. - there were sounds of

shooting and bombing. the explosions from the artillery lit up the room we were in and shook the whole building. translation: they let in a very small amount| of food that wasn't enough. we are a50 patients and several hundred medical staff. no medicine, and constant bombing for 24 hours. israel called this a precise and limited operation against hamas fighters. it says 200 gunmen were killed and hundreds of people arrested, and that its right to defeat hamas trumps the rights hospitals have under international law. at home, israel's war with hamas is popular. israel's prime minister is not. for months, benjamin netanyahu has been caught between the demands of hostage families in his own

hard—right government. now, prewar process over his judicial reforms are resurfacing, too. tents have once again appeared outside the israeli parliament with the same simple demand: go. protesters he won't be satisfied even if benjamin netanyahu brings home the hostages or dismantles hamas. there are new posters: you're in charge, you're responsible, they say. but they wanted him out before the war. now they're back, and they want him gone even more. karen has protested for years against the man known here as bibi. if bibi netanyahu brings the hostages home, will you support him to stay? i don't see the relations between the two. - i he needs to go just for the factl that 250 people were kidnapped. he needs to go. it doesn't matter if he| is bringing them back. the national unity that followed the hamas attacks is breaking down. six months on, israeli soldiers are still fighting

an old enemy in gaza. but benjamin netanyahu is facing his own at home. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. let's speak to dr tanya haj—hassan, a paediatric intensive care doctor who was working in al aqsa hospital in gaza up until last week. thank you very much forjoining us today. wa nt to want to begin with what you know about al—shifa. has any part of the hospital been left to the state that could function? i don't think that's a question to ask at this point. the reality is this is being described by news networks, by israeli spokespeople is a precise operation. the reality

experienced by myself has not been that at all. this is not a war against hamas, this a war against civilians. and they are being eliminated. they're being killed in every way you can imagine killing a human being —— the reason i asked crosstalk om they're being killed by field executions... _ they're being killed by field executions... crosstalk - executions... crosstalk the reason i ask that, dr hassan, the idf say they have killed and detained hundreds of terrorists. the reason i asked whether any parts of the hospital are functioning is because we have heard over and over again about the dire humanitarian conditions.

let me set the stage. al—shifa is the largest and most specialised hospitals in the gaza strip. it is the beating heart of gaza's health care system. it was targeted in the past. it was an act that was imported by the international medical community. i hope we would have learned from the first time this is not something we're going to accept at a medical or global community. and now it has happened again in the hospital has been destroyed. the apocalyptic proportions of what has taken place over the past couple weeks for a hospital full of patients, physicians, internally displaced

people to be perceived, to not allow access to food and water, to directly bomb and execute people inside the hospital — whatever your justification is, this was a functioning hospital that was treating patients. it was to go into execute people who were told that there were many civilians, patients, physicians that were killed by the hospital. physicians that were killed by the hosital. , . , physicians that were killed by the hosital. ,., , hospital. israel says the people it has killed were _ hospital. israel says the people it has killed were what _ hospital. israel says the people it has killed were what they - hospital. israel says the people it has killed were what they call- has killed were what they call terrorists. i has killed were what they call terrorists.— has killed were what they call terrorists. .. �* , ., ,., terrorists. i can't tell you if some ofthe terrorists. i can't tell you if some of the patients _ terrorists. i can't tell you if some of the patients were _ terrorists. i can't tell you if some of the patients were resistant - of the patients were resistant fighters, but a patient is a patient under international law. whether they're a hamas fighter, an israeli soldier — i can't tell you what kind of patients were in the hospital. a patient is a patient. to go inside the walls of the hospital and to wreak that kind of damage — and we keep tunnel visioning on single hospitals and single incidences. but

but because we are trying to establish what the medical conditions are like for palestinians who need aid, which is why i'm asking you about al—shifa and i want to ask you about al aqsa. with the conditions are like. i’iiii to ask you about al aqsa. with the conditions are like.— conditions are like. i'll describe them for yom _ conditions are like. i'll describe them for you. al— conditions are like. i'll describe them for you. al aqsa - conditions are like. i'll describe them for you. al aqsa hospital| conditions are like. i'll describe - them for you. al aqsa hospital was also bombed yesterday. the courtyard breaks out of the emergency room was bombed. my colleague said they could not believe that had happened because many had fled, and they said they felt like they would do the same thing to al aqsa. they didn't do other hospital. —— did it to every other hospital. i can list the majority of hospital across the gaza strip that succumbed to the same fate, a fate that is illegal under international humanitarian law. as far as the state of the hospital

itself, al aqsa hospital is a relatively small hospital. it is trying to compensate for the fact that al—shifa hospital and the second largest hospital, the ability to treat patients has been obliterated. they are large, excellent, functioning hospitals and their ability to care for patients when gazans are most at need has been obliterated. so you're left with a small hospital like al aqsa receiving mass casualties, entire families wiped off the civil registry, sometimes one member of the family who remains — i can tell you story after story of single members of the family who are walking around the emergency department covered in soot, covered in the rubble of their home and it tears, crying out for their loved ones who have now been stripped from their lives forever and they are the only men that are living of their families. .,

only men that are living of their families.- one - only men that are living of their families.- one child i only men that are living of their. families.- one child told families. doctor... one child told me after his _ families. doctor... one child told me after his entire _ families. doctor... one child told me after his entire family - families. doctor... one child told me after his entire family was - me after his entire family was killed, including his sister where 90% of her body was burned and she didn't even recognise the patient in the bed adjacent to him. half of his face was blow off the undergoing surgery. he said he thinks his entire family is martyr and he says he wishes he had been martyred too. "all my loved ones are gone." this is a child. this is the reality not for that one child, but for thousands of palestinians in the gaza strip. there is no one prompting governments acts against israel. ., ~ ~ we are out of time. we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us today. drtonya you taking the time to talk to us today. dr tonya hassan who has been recently working in one of the smallest hospital in the gaza areas.

still to come on the world today — around the world and across the uk. this is the world today on bbc news.

to turkey now, where president erdogan�*s ruling party has suffered its biggest—ever defeat in local elections. the main opposition party, the chp, has won in the six largest urban centres, including istanbul. mr erdogan has promised to respect the decision of the nation. before the voting, he had said that this would be the last time he'd lead his party into municipal elections. his current term as president is set to end in 2028. the result reflected a balance of power against the government under the presidential system.

the main opposition party is winning over the incumbent party. actually, there is already been decisions made in the previous elections, and in turkey's metropolitan cities, but... in these elections, they go beyond the previous successes and they made inroads into more cities and other parties' fortresses.— parties' fortresses. what are the key issues _ parties' fortresses. what are the key issues that _ parties' fortresses. what are the key issues that have _ parties' fortresses. what are the key issues that have provided i parties' fortresses. what are the l key issues that have provided this boost? fix. key issues that have provided this boost? �* ., ., key issues that have provided this boost? ., ., , ., , boost? a lot of people actually focus on the _ boost? a lot of people actually focus on the economy - boost? a lot of people actually focus on the economy and - boost? a lot of people actually focus on the economy and the | focus on the economy and the economic situation of rising

inflation. i want to count other factors as well. they have to look at the governing parties' candidates. many people believe that there has been a poor selection of there has been a poor selection of the candidates. 0ne candidate is associated with inexplicable personal wealth. the istanbul candidate spoke of risks of earthquake, and we know a lot of parties will have more detailed analysis of this in the following days, but one party abstained from voting, contributing to a lower overall turnout.— voting, contributing to a lower overall turnout. ozge from middle east cancel- _

the kremlin has dismissed a media report that links a russian intelligence unit to so—called �*havana syndrome' — a mystery illness which has affected us diplomats. an investigation by the insider, der spiegel and cbs alleges that the americans were targeted with �*directed energy�* weapons. 0ne victim of the syndrome, an fbi agent, told 60 minutes about her experience of being hit by a powerful force at her home in florida 2021. inside my right here, it was like a dentist_ inside my right here, it was like a dentist drilling on steroids. that feeling — dentist drilling on steroids. that feeling when it gets too close to your eardrum, it's like that times term _ your eardrum, it's like that times term it_ your eardrum, it's like that times term it was— your eardrum, it's like that times ten. it was like a high—pitched metallic— ten. it was like a high—pitched metallic drilling noise and it knocked _ metallic drilling noise and it knocked me forward a a5 degrees angle _ knocked me forward a a5 degrees angle this — knocked me forward a a5 degrees angle this way. the syndrome was first identified in cuba�*s capital city in 2016 when us diplomats complained of dizziness, headaches and a painful sound in their ears. us officials have previously said it�*s unlikely a foreign power is to blame. the kremlin spokesman, dmitry peskov, says the new accusations

are unfounded. translation: it is absolutely not a new issue. translation: it is absolutely not a new issue- for _ translation: it is absolutely not a new issue. for many _ translation: it is absolutely not a new issue. for many years, - translation: it is absolutely not a new issue. for many years, an - translation: it is absolutely not a| new issue. for many years, an issue of so-caiied — new issue. for many years, an issue of so—called havana _ new issue. for many years, an issue of so—called havana syndrome - new issue. for many years, an issue of so—called havana syndrome has. of so—called havana syndrome has been _ of so—called havana syndrome has been played — of so—called havana syndrome has been played up _ of so—called havana syndrome has been played up in— of so—called havana syndrome has been played up in mass _ of so—called havana syndrome has been played up in mass media. i of so—called havana syndrome hasl been played up in mass media. it's often _ been played up in mass media. it's often with— been played up in mass media. it's often with accusations _ been played up in mass media. it's often with accusations of— been played up in mass media. it's often with accusations of russian l often with accusations of russian involvement, _ often with accusations of russian involvement, but _ often with accusations of russian involvement, but nobody- often with accusations of russian involvement, but nobody has - often with accusations of russianl involvement, but nobody has ever published — involvement, but nobody has ever published or— involvement, but nobody has ever published or expressed _ involvement, but nobody has ever published or expressed any - published or expressed any convincing _ published or expressed any convincing evidence - published or expressed any convincing evidence of- published or expressed anyl convincing evidence of these impacted _ convincing evidence of these impacted accusations - convincing evidence of these - impacted accusations anywhere. 0ur reporter steve dorsey broke the story of the syndrome affecting us personel in cuba in 2016 for cbs, and has covered developments since. i caught up with him earlier. there�*s been a lot of research over the years, studies done by universities, by the national institutes of health, by academic journals, theorising what could be behind these strange constellations of injuries and symptoms, everything from what we are hearing is a directed energy device which is 60

minutes described as a secret sonic weapon that is perhaps develop by a secret military intelligence unit of russia. 0r secret military intelligence unit of russia. or it could be microwave signals aimed at us diplomatic personnel, but also undercover intelligence officers in cuba and elsewhere around the world, working for different parts of the government, including the fbi. listen, we�*ve heard much other scepticism of this, including from cuba itself, saying it had no involvement in this. it could have been loud crickets at the time or it could have been any imagination of all this, claiming they have things as severe as mild traumatic brain injury, which was noted in scans of their brains. find injury, which was noted in scans of their brains-— their brains. and finally, steve, what do you _ their brains. and finally, steve, what do you make _ their brains. and finally, steve, what do you make of _ their brains. and finally, steve, what do you make of the - their brains. and finally, steve, - what do you make of the contention on the one hand that this could be attributed to russia? russia denies

this. on the other hand, we have had the us government previously that it does not believe a foreign power is behind these attacks.— behind these attacks. that's something _ behind these attacks. that's something that _ behind these attacks. that's something that some - behind these attacks. that's something that some of- behind these attacks. that's something that some of the | behind these attacks. that's - something that some of the victims have complained about, that the us isn�*t taking this seriously enough. there�*s been doubts whether there is any kind of weapon are adversaries involved. but we do know that there is reporting and intelligence that suggests a foreign adversary could be involved in this. it could be russia, it could be another adversary, but there are conclusions that it�*s likely not cuba necessarily involved to a full extent. but they simply don�*t have the resources or technology capable of launching these supposed attacks. steve dorsey there. iranian state media say a senior commander in the revolutionary guard �*s are among at least five people

killed in a suspected israeli air strike on an iranian consulate building in the syrian capital damascus. iran�*s foreign minister has called the strike a breach of all international conventions in a statement a short while ago. it said it preserved the right to take reciprocal actions against the attack in damascus, saying tehran will decide on the response and the punishment against the aggressor. you�*re watching bbc news. hello there. after a very wet march for some, we�*ve got more rain to come this after a very wet march for some, we�*ve got more rain to come this week for the early part of april, dominated by low pressure. that�*s been bringing the showers today. that weather front has been moving very slowly northwards and is really coming to rest

overnight across scotland, particularly across the north—east. it should turn drier in northern ireland. the showers in the south, across england and wales, becoming confined more to southern counties of england where there�*ll be a stronger wind through the english channel. but with the cloud breaking up eventually in the north—east of england after a chilly, wet day today, temperatures could be down to 2 celsius overnight tonight. still some patchy rain affecting scotland, especially the north—east. those heavy showers will move away from south—east england and then we�*ll see some sunshine for a while on tuesday. but the cloud will build up. we�*ll get a few april showers developing and some wetter weather comes into the channel islands and the south—west of england during the afternoon. but ahead of that, temperatures widely ia—is celsius in the midlands and eastern england, but still quite a bit chillier than that in northern and eastern scotland, where we�*ve got that north—easterly wind. we�*ve got rain, though, coming into the south—west. that�*s coming on those weather fronts. that rain will move northwards on tuesday night, and we�*re left with another area of low pressure over us on wednesday.

not terribly windy around that low, but we will find showers or longer spells of rain running northwards across england and wales into scotland and northern ireland. southern parts of england and wales maybe cheering up a bit in the afternoon, some sunshine which will help those but it�*s going to be particularly cold in scotland with cloud and rain and a north—easterly wind. now, these are the upper level winds and this is the jet stream pattern over the next few days. and with that sort of pattern, we pick up areas of low pressure from the atlantic, drive them up from the south—west and take rain northwards across much of the country, so that�*s the sort of pattern that we�*re seeing. a bit of rain left from overnight across northern scotland and some rain moving northwards across england and wales, and then a brief respite before it turns wetter and windier more widely later in the day across southern parts of england and south wales. those temperatures aren�*t really changing too much. still quite cold air that we�*ve got across many parts of scotland. and the pattern over the next few days keeps those north—easterly winds then across scotland, but the rest of the uk will be milder,

south—westerly winds — but this is where all the wet weather is going to come over the next few days to the end of the week.

this is the world today from bbc news, the headlines iran�*s state media says a senior iranian revolutionary guards commander is amongst several people killed in an explosion in the syrian capital; and is blaming

israel for the attack. and germany partially legalises cannabis to tackle the black market trade, we have a special report coming—up a court in russia extends the pre—trial detention of a russian—american journalist by another two months. one of hong kong�*s best—known independent book stores closes its doors, after coming under pressure from the authorities. germany has legalised cannabis, as the government tries to tackle the black—market trade in the drug. germans over the age of 18 can now grow marijuana plants at home and carry the drug for personal use. the new law remains contentious because of health concerns and questions over whether it will help reduce or increase the illicit trade. from berlin , jessica parker reports.

# three little birds pitch by my doorstep, singing sweet songs.#.