The reality of life in Jerusalem during war

[0:00] As the debris is cleared, you can see just how deep the crater is, [0:04] caused by a missile, say officials, packed with 100 kilos of explosives. [0:10] This is my first time in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. [0:14] I'm James Waterhouse and for the past few years I've been the BBC's Ukraine correspondent [0:21] and I've been sent here to help with coverage of the US and Israel's war with Iran. [0:27] The police evicted 15 Palestinian families. [0:30] You can't have Iran with a nuclear weapon. [0:32] We should probably get inside Joe. [0:35] And this is Jerusalem, a city of huge religious significance [0:44] to its population of mostly Jews, Muslims and Christians. [0:48] The deep history of this place is plain to see, but it's intertwined with heavy security [0:56] and a constant tension really between its different communities. [1:00] And on top of all that, Israel is once again involved in another conflict. [1:05] It's when you come up, [1:06] you can see how so many people from different faiths live and worship in a relatively small space. [1:13] You can see the sun bouncing off the Golden Dome of the mosque there, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. [1:19] You can see a crucifix on top of a church and you can see the Star of David, [1:23] the Jewish symbol on the Israeli flag. [1:26] But this isn't a harmonious coexistence, far from it. [1:31] Jerusalem is roughly split in two. [1:34] Israel controls the city and sees all of it, [1:38] as [1:38] the country's capital. [1:40] But Palestinians, Arabs who live here too, see East Jerusalem as a capital of their future state. [1:47] But under international law, this part of the city is occupied by the Israelis. [1:53] And as the world's attention focuses on the wider war, [1:57] violence from extremist Jewish nationalists, known as settlers, [2:01] against Palestinians has been getting worse. [2:05] In East Jerusalem's neighbourhood of Silwan, Khalil Bazbos [2:09] had his lifetime home seized by settlers who see this land as their own. [2:16] It was 10.30 at night. [2:18] So we were forced to evacuate and put some of our belongings out in the street. [2:22] They were young children, three of them all under 10 years old. [2:26] I refused to hand over the key, I told them. [2:29] Because my father gave me the key, I will give it to my grandchildren, [2:32] so that it remains a memory, as a hope that we will return. [2:36] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:39] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:40] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:40] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:40] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:41] I've been living in this for 60 years. [2:42] Then someone who's 17 years old comes and tells me that this house is his, [2:47] that Jews used to live here. [2:51] The settlers have increasingly been doing this [2:54] with the support of the Israeli government and its military, [2:57] meaning there's little Palestinians like Khalil can do. [3:02] There is a defiance in these narrow lanes and this isn't just about division. [3:08] It's about confrontation and you can see it and it's a hostility you sense. [3:13] That is only being fueled by Israel's participation in this wider war. [3:19] This used to be like a Palestinian space between two Palestinian neighborhoods. [3:24] So what happened last week is that the police evicted a couple of buildings, [3:31] 15 housing units, evicted 15 Palestinian families from them, [3:35] just in front of us, just over there in that part of Silwan. [3:39] This is based on the claim that the property belongs to a [3:44] settler organization. [3:45] But the settler organization got control of the property because of Israeli legislation. [3:55] Israel, with America, is carrying out airstrikes on Iran, its long-standing enemy. [4:00] It's targeted military sites as well as the country's leadership. [4:04] But hundreds of civilians are thought to have been killed as well. [4:07] The country is also fighting Iranian-linked militant groups on its border. [4:12] So many Israelis I've spoken to say they feel threatened by [4:16] neighboring states who don't want the country to exist. [4:19] You can't have Iran with a nuclear weapon which is, you know, not just Israel, [4:25] right in some other countries. [4:27] So I think Israel is doing the job for the rest of the world. [4:31] That's what I think. [4:33] Some people hate us for that. [4:34] I think Iran and basically the, call it the Far East, [4:39] have been run by crazy people whose worldview, beliefs, philosophy, core [4:46] uh, [4:46] modus of [4:47] operation from which they see reality is not only different, it's poisonous. [4:52] And that's something that will upset people to hear, I'm sure. [4:55] But I've lived here. [4:56] I've f***ing seen it. [4:59] I've lost friends to that poison. [5:00] We can live together, love each other, everything. [5:04] But all the politics, up, up, up, up, up, all the day, look for fight, look for fight. [5:12] It's interesting, many Israelis, not least the government, want to keep [5:17] pushing on with this war to weaken Iran and its allies as much as possible. [5:22] But it's how security or even peace is achieved, or how it arrives, [5:30] which is proving to be so divisive and controversial. [5:34] How are we doing, James? [5:41] So the day starts with a bit of radio. [5:46] And I'll go on Radio 4, the World Service, Five Live. [5:50] And then we come up to this delightful weather to do a bit of telly. [5:56] And then we'll get on with our day. [5:57] We'll see what filming we can do, who we can speak to, [6:01] either for a piece or just to get an understanding of the story. [6:04] And each day is different. [6:09] So this means an Iranian ballistic missile is coming in. [6:19] And the SAM will soon tell you from what direction. [6:22] But we've got to, we should probably get inside, Joe. [6:27] There we go. [6:28] You'll see here in Ukraine, you might have a bit of time and the sirens go. [6:35] Here, less so. [6:38] When you hear them, you head down. [6:43] You try and... [6:44] You get two walls at least between you and the outside. [6:49] Way too long before you hear the worst facts. [6:57] ...following a missile attack there overnight. [7:09] Tel Aviv also coming under rocket attack. [7:12] So let's cross over live to Jerusalem because my colleague James Waterhouse is there. [7:16] So James, numerous strikes across Israel. [7:19] Just bring us up to date where we are. [7:23] It's been a lively morning, Kasia. [7:25] We've had two very loud explosions in the space of... [7:39] This is the bit where we can get on. [7:41] With our day, the weather is not getting any better, [7:44] but we're just going with Musa now across the city to the BBC office to see the team there. [7:59] While some journalists come and go from this region, [8:01] there is a team who is based here permanently. [8:04] Yolande Nell is one of the Middle East correspondents. [8:07] So what's it like to work and live here? [8:10] It's not easy. [8:11] I mean, I've been here for quite a few years and we used to have lots of upheavals, [8:15] quite regular wars, but not anything like the... [8:20] Concentration, the intensity of the last three years. [8:24] There's so much going on every day that you have to try to take account of. [8:27] And actually, it's not that easy to sort of like see with your own eyes the action. [8:32] There's Israel also fighting against this Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon [8:38] with a huge military operation that's unfolding there. [8:41] And if it wasn't for the war in Iran, you know, that in itself would be leading the headlines. [8:45] As far as global stories go, this one is significant. [8:49] It's a big deal. [8:50] And despite wars elsewhere, you suspect this one will continue to dominate. [8:55] We woke up to lots of alerts on our phones about missile strikes in Tel Aviv, [9:07] a city further north. [9:08] So we're heading there now with Yolande to see what the damage is like. [9:13] And it doesn't take us long to find it. [9:15] This district is mostly made up of ultra-Orthodox Jews. [9:19] I've just been speaking to the police and they say 50 people live in this block [9:24] and six were injured after this damage, where you can see... [9:28] the roof has been completely destroyed in part, caused by a cluster bomb. [9:34] So that's an Iranian missile that explodes before impact, [9:37] spreading explosives over a much greater area. [9:41] And even if a missile is intercepted, the falling debris can be dangerous. [9:47] And of course, some missiles get through, causing much more damage. [9:51] Because most flights are cancelled, thanks to the missiles, [9:55] the main way home is by crossing the border into Jordan, [9:59] and you pass through the lowest place on land in the world. [10:02] It's more than 400 meters below sea level here, and it can suddenly feel pretty hot. [10:08] So I've now crossed into Jordan, and you feel like you leave [10:12] the intensity of the war behind you, really. [10:15] There's so much more to this region with amazing food, culture, [10:20] a striking geography with all of the surrounding hills. [10:24] And of course, it's such a religiously significant place, but all of those things, [10:31] for now, seem to be eclipsed by the ongoing fighting. [10:35] But of course, that will one day change once more.