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>> in washington this is bbc world news america. the biden administration reportedly green lit the transfer of billion's of dollars of bonds and fighter jets to israel. one of northern ireland's most prominent politicians jeffrey donaldson was -- has resigned after being charged with historical sex offenses and trump and biden make a big fundraising push ahead of november. welcome to world news america. we start with the war in the middle east. the israeli defense minister says his forces will pursue hezbollah wherever the ever group operates in beirut, damascus, or further afield.

the comments came hours after airstrikes on hezbollah, syria and lebanon. the israeli military said they killed the deputy commander of the hezbollah missiles unit and several others. -- seven others. benjamin netanyahu agreed to a new round of talks to try to secure the release of israeli hostages as part of a potential cease-fire in gaza. the prime minister's office as discussions will take in doha and cairo humanitarian situation on the ground in gaza. our middle east correspondent is following all of development from jerusalem. >> the united nations top court issued new provisional measures saying the catastrophic living conditions in gaza had deteriorated further and it is asking israel to open up more border crossings, open them up for longer hours. and, to let in more food, more fuel, more water and medicines and other supplies.

israel has got one month to reply formally to the court. of its foreign ministry has come out saying it does not limit supplies going into gaza. it is working with the united nations and other agencies to intricate flow of aid. -- injure a continuous flow of aid. it said hamas was responsible for the situation in gaza and starting the war. similarly, syria is blaming israel for deadly airstrikes in aleppo overnight that reportedly killed more than 40 people mostly syrian soldiers and also apparently members of the powerful lebanese armed group hezbollah. now, israel's military has not commented on the reports. this has raised fears of further fighting across the region. >> u.s. media are reporting that in recent days of the united states authorized the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to israel as the biden administration

publicly expressed concern about the scale of israel's military operation in gaza. when contacted by the bbc the u.s. state department said they could not confirm the reports. the international court of justice ordered israel to allow unimpeded access of aid into gaza where some of the palestinian population are set to be facing imminent starvation. i spoke about efforts to increase aid flow into gaza with maryland senator chris van hollen who has called on israel to make it easier for civilians there to receive assistance. great to have you. we will talk, of course, about the tragedy that hit your state, maryland, in a little bit. but i want to start with the war in gaza because the washington post is reporting that the biden administration in recent days quietly authorized billions of dollars of military aid to israel despite concerns about the humanitarian situation in gaza that you have been vocal about and concerns about a possible ground invasion in rafa

, which appears imminent. what you make of that? >> get to be with you. i think it is a mistake for the biden administration to be shipping more military assistance to the netanyahu government for use in gaza before getting the kind of assurances that president biden has been asking for. no major military operation in rafa. and, to lift many of the barriers to getting more humanitarian assistance into gaza to help people that are literally starving to death. i have said that if this is a partnership, it needs to be a two way street. and, the netanyahu government needs to, essentially, agree to some of these very reasonable requests of -- that the biden administration has put forward before we issue a blank check for more weapons. >> you have said you think the biden administration should use some of the levers of influence within the netanyahu government to change the situation on the

ground in gaza. why do you think that isn't working? >> it is not clear to me why the biden administration think that talk alone will achieve their goals. because, it has not. it has not. have not for months. we have seen a pattern of president biden jaw boning prime minister netanyahu time and again with very little to show for it. when you have a situation where the netanyahu government continues to thumb its nose at the u.s. it does seem to be quite feckless to be sending more weapons for use in gaza. you know, we should match our deeds to our words if we want an effective strategy. >> i should say, senator, you actually visited the region in

january on the egyptian side on one of the major crossings and for that reason you have also talked about the need to open more ground crossings into gaza. the white house has now confirmed that the netanyahu government has planned that a delegation will come to washington to talk about an operation in rafa. i want to ask what the israelis have said to you. they say it has to defeat the significant hamas battalion in rafa to prevent further terrorist attacks. what is your response to that? >> well, i support the goal of making sure hamas does not control or govern gaza. we need to make sure that we achieve that goal. but, as bill burns and many others have said, the way to make sure that hamas is no longer part of the future when it comes to an agreement between palestinians and israel is to provide a light at the end of the tunnel that would both

ensure israel's security and provide dignity and self-determination to the palestinian people. prime minister netanyahu has repeatedly said he will oppose a two state solution. so, look, this is the biden administration, president biden himself has said it would be a redline for the netanyahu government to launch a major military invasion into rafa because of the huge humanitarian costs, already desperate, would even -- get even worse. i think that is why the biden administration needs to make better use of its leverage. >> senator, i want to move onto the bridge collapse in baltimore that happened on tuesday. experts say it could take a month for the port to reopen, years to rebuild the bridge. these are important parts of your state's economy. what impact will that have? >> well, it has to be a priority to reopen the channel so we can make sure the port gets back up

and running. we are talking about thousands of jobs at stake. we are talking about the economic livelihood of people, not just throughout maryland, but the regent -- the region. that is why we are very focused on getting the channel open. very good news is, the president has quickly made good on his promise that the federal government will be there and the or -- army corps of engineers is already at work trying to find ways to clear that channel. i was just with the head of the coast guard earlier today. we went out on a boat to look at the ship and the bridge. the coast guard, the army corps, they are on the job. we will work as quickly as possible. and there is bridge rebuilding. again, we will move forward with federal support. >> one quick last question. who should pay for it? president biden said the federal government will and

conservatives in congress say the cost should not be borne by the federal government, but, the state and local officials. >> the federal government has paid for major bridge collapses around the country in the past and we should do the same now. it should not be a partisan issue. this is a time when america should come together. there is a federal program called the emergency relief program. that will fund 90% of the cost of rebuilding the bridge. senator cardin and i intend to offer legislation to cover the full cost. ice -- i will say that whatever we can recover from any wrongdoing or liability on behalf of the shipowners or anyone else will, of course, go to the project. this is a time for the country to come together and done what we have done in the past, to help in a great american city that needs the assistance. >> senator, we have to leave the conversation there. thank you for joining us on bbc news. >> thank you. flex president biden -- >>

president biden announced he will visit the site of the baltimore bridge collapse next week, as the largest crane on the eastern seaboard arrived in the port friday to help clear debris. it's unclear when the work will begin. we heard from senator van hollen that the economic impact of the tragedy looms large. the federal government announced the allocation of $60 million for emergency work, part of the government's quick relief emergency funds to ensure -- restore essential transportation with operation suspended at the port of baltimore one of the largest in the country. the port is losing an estimated up to $50 million project. a new bridge is expected to cost at least $40 million and would likely take several years to rebuild. the leader of the democratic unionist party sir jeffrey donaldson was charged with historical sexual offenses friday. he was arrested friday along with a 57-year-old woman also charged with aiding and abetting the alleged offenses. both will appear in court next

month. sir jeffrey says he will be strenuously contesting the charges. he is northern ireland's longest-serving mp at westminster. jennifer o'leary has the latest from belfast. >> sir jeffrey donaldson, a leader who just weeks ago returned his party to power sharing at storment. today his political career appears to be over. in a statement his party announced his resignation, confirming he has been charged with allegations of a historical nature. bbc news understands he has been charged with rape and multiple other sexual offenses as part of a police investigation spanning months after two women came forward. in a letter to his party, sir jeffrey donaldson said he will be strenuously contesting the charges. the dup's new interim leader is mp gavin robinson.

>> it has been a devastating revelation that has caused tremendous shock, not just for myself personally, or my colleagues within the dup, but for the community across northern ireland. this came as a great shock. but we are a party of individuals that believe in justice. we have faith in our criminal justice system. >> sir jeffrey donaldson is a long known for his unyielding defense of the union. >> you can throw me out of the forum. >>'s reputation was forged in opposition to the good friday agreement. >> i have the framework document here. that is what we think of the framework document. >> today is not his first political exit. >> with regret i have resigned from the ulster unionist party. >> his defection to a rival party eventually led him to the leadership of the dup. but he now stands apart from the party he steered back into power sharing. in a statement, first minister

o'neill set her priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expects and deserves. northern ireland has forum when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's developing leaves of fisher in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those that want a united ireland. for now, sir jeffrey donaldson's party's political days look firmly in the past. >> to the race for the white house in the u.s.. political donations can make or break a presidential campaign. fundraising for the 2024 race is in two swing with donald trump and joe biden making a major push for donations. in new york fundraiser for president joe biden raised 26 million dollars towards his reelection thursday according to his campaign. mr. biden got a boost from

former presidents bill clinton and barack obama who joined him at radio city musical in new york city. the presumptive republican nominee donald trump has reportedly invited wealthy donors to a fundraiser in palm beach . organizers say the event has already raised $33 million. the former president is scrambled to raise more cash as he has wrapped up millions in legal bills over multiple criminal and civil trials. mr. trump did get a small reprieve monday when an appeals court allowed him to post a reduced bond of $175 million to appeal his new york civil fraud judgment. his social media network truth social went public tuesday. it's the stock soared the first few days of trading. he is currently barred from selling holdings for at least six months, making it difficult for them to profit immediately. he claims he has enough assets to post bond that is due thursday. still mr. trump lags behind president biden in a race to raise money for his campaign. esther biden and the democratic party ended february with 97.5

million dollars on hand, more than double the amount raised by mr. trump and the republican national committee with nearly 45 million dollars according to campaign finance reports. to discuss the importance of fundraising in the election campaign i spoke to the axios political reporter aaron doherty. can you tell us why the cash flows are so important? >> having robust cash on hand sense of message to voters that you are able to run an aggressive, robust campaign that, at this point, is it shaping up to be one of the longest general election campaigns in recent history. the candidates are staring down at many many months of intense campaigning and so they need to have strong campaign coffers to sustain their fundraising and outreach to voters. >> how much of a boost do you think it is for president at this stage. he has a big funding advantage so far. >> we have seen the biden campaign has used their strong campaign cash to put advertisements out across the

country targeting specific important voter demographics that will prove key in november and we have seen them opening field offices across the country that again is a very direct way to connect with voters that will be key in battleground states in november. >> president biden had a bit of a structural advantage as at the incumbent. of course, former president trump is now the presumptive republican nominee but he did faced primaries. >> exactly. he is coming off of 2023. we cruised to victory in the primaries he still had to spend money to ensure he won. that is also on top of legal issues he is facing. he is bleeding through cash to fight his four criminal indictments. not to mention, the republican national committee ended 2023 with pretty low campaign cash totals. they ended with some of their lowest cash on hand amounts in almost a decade. that is in comparison to a dnc

and president biden campaign that has very strong campaign finances. so former president trump certainly has ground to make up in campaign financing. he really needs to get a boost as he continues to also fight all these campaign -- i am sorry, the legal troubles in addition to running his campaign. >> of course, a trump campaign is very confidentially can make up the funding gap so far. we are seeing reporting more and more that wealthy republican donors are now starting to coalesce around donald trump. you think it will help them catch up? >> i think if he starts to get a stronger backing of some of the biggest republican donors in politics, it definitely sends a message to potentially skeptical republican donors that he is the person they should vote for in november. at the same time, and key metric for voter enthusiasm is something we can look at in campaign finance data, donations under $200. while that may not make a huge

difference in terms of millions of dollars because grassroots donations are considered under $200, it does paint a picture of grassroots enthusiasm. we will see going forward how much of both biden and trump are trying to make up their grassroots donations. >> one more question about truth social, donald trump's a social network that went public this week. the sox have in store and soaring. could that provide much-needed funding down the road? we know he can't cash out right away. mark streit. he will -- >> price. he can't cash that out for immediate legal battles but it continues the narrative of he has obviously made his personal wealth and assets a strong part of his political profile. while he may not be able to use the money directly to fight his legal battles, it does add to the narrative he has felt that he is a very wealthy and self-made politician however he has done that through his business endeavors. >> good point. erin, thank you for breaking

that down for us today. oppenheimer was one of last summer's biggest blockbuster movies sweeping the awards season and up until now people in japan have not been able to see the field -- the film. it opened in cinemas there friday. the film told the story of j robert oppenheimer created the first atomic bomb that was later used against japan in world war ii killing more than 200,000 people. our tokyo correspondent shaima khalol reports from tokyo. >> the first atomic bomb exploded almost directly above this building here in hiroshima. the city was flattened and this tome stands as a reminder of the devastation and carnage. oppenheimer might be this year's most celebrated film, but for the people here, the story cuts much deeper.

>> you are the man that gave them the power to destroy. the world is not prepared. >> biopic based on the life, world, and moral dilemma of the animatic scientist being shown in japan more than a year after its initial release. some criticized the film for not portraying the terror his invention unleashed on the city and its people. >> i was almost offended in some scenes. they are talking about hiroshima again and again. in a meeting room, not thinking about the people. >> we were often educated from the perspective of the japanese victims. but in this film, they say the use of atomic bombs saved lives. when i heard this, i felt as if i had learned something new from an american point of view and from the world's point of view. >> what struck me was the sense of excitement among people celebrating the experiment. and, the dropping of the atomic bomb. i felt disgusted.

>> he was three when hiroshima was hit. he still remembers seeing a bright light in the sky -- flop -- and ash flying around antibodies in the street days after the bombings. >> i wish they had shown the burned ruins of your shema. -- hiroshima. the museum you're has displays about how the children's heads were burned. i wanted people in the u.s. to see this. >> he continues to speak out against nuclear weapons saying it is important for people here to watch the film like heated and keep the conversation going. >> by biggest worry now is that the u.s., russia, or china might test a nuclear device without us knowing. i think there are smaller, better performing nuclear weapons. there could be the next oppenheimer in the shadows now. >> the hiroshima peace memorial

stands as a symbol of resilience sounding the alarm from a city that knows first-hand the terrors of nuclear warfare. bbc news, hiroshima. >> that was the h. president zelenskyy told a washington post opinion writer if he does not get u.s. support his country will have to retreat in small steps after an interview with cbs news where the ukrainian leader warned any russian military offensive could happen in the next few months and he said his country isn't ready. he confirms he believes it could happen between may and june. he stresses the need for more military aid. listen. >> so you are expecting a counteroffensive in may or june from the russians? >> i think so. >> what weapons you need to stop that? >> number one, antiair defense and artillery shells.

that is what we need. >> let's take a quick look at other headlines from around the world. pope francis presided over the frictional good service -- good friday service in st. peter's basilica in the vatican city. but he is skipping the traditional way of the cross ceremony at rome's coliseum to protect his health ahead of other easter weekend engagements according to the vatican. the most somber day of the christian calendar good friday marks the day christians believe jesus died by crucifixion. the first black man to win an oscar for supporting actor died at 87. he made a broadway ws 18 and gained critical acclaim across his career in the tv series roots and movie an officer and a gentleman. no cause of death has been released. president joe biden says the u.s. is working every day to secure the release of the wall street journal reporter evan gershkovich detained in russia exactly one year ago.

mr. biden told his parents he would never give up hope and continue to denounce the kremlin for using americans as bargaining chips. evan gershkovich is the only american to have been charged with spying by russian authorities since the end of the cold war. finally, beyoncé's country music inspired album has dropped and is making waves among critics and fans alike. take a listen. >>[singing] 16 carriages driving away. i watch them ride with my dreams away to the summer sunset on a holy night. on a long black road, the tears i have cried. >> cowboy carter puts a new spin on country while also throwing back to the genres black roots and has a range from walk -- rock, folk, and funk inspired hits to a more classic cover of dolly parton's jolene. thank you for listening to world news america. this is bbc news.

stay with us. announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james. bdo. accountants and advisors. cunard is a proud supporter of public television. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> good evening. tonight, efforts to curb carbon pollution turned to heavy in the is like cement and deal -- steel. gang violence in haiti displaces thousands of people and traps americans. a new investigation details how police tactics meant stop people often end