 There were other events yesterday that did indeed happen with forces in South Lebanon firing an anti-tank missile across the border towards the IDF positions and with the Israeli forces retaliating with airstrikes and with artillery fire. That's the situation as it stands at the moment. Thank you, Rob. We'll be back with you shortly, hopefully no major news from there, but of course keep us posted. Now, the IDF has been attacking Hamas targets in Gaza throughout the night and the morning, specifically targeting Hamas tunnels that have been built to smuggle terrorists and weapons from Gaza to Israel and to Egypt. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has landed in Israel today, and with growing regional tensions and Washington's commitment to support Israel in defending itself from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian aggression. He's expected to meet with the prime minister here in Israel and prime minister Netanyahu. This is Blinken arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport earlier today. He will also meet with the families of 22 American citizens that are apparently among the abducted and murdered in the events of the last few days. He's there seen at the airport, congratulated by Eli Cohen, minister of foreign affairs. More and more families in Israel have been receiving notices about their missing family members. As of today, more than 1,300 Israelis have been confirmed murdered by Hamas and more than 3,000 have been injured. And Blinken that you're seeing here at Ben-Gurion Airport will also be meeting with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, potentially in Ramallah to discuss the latest developments. Yeah, these are some of the latest points. Of course, there's also growing concern in the international community about the situation in Gaza with civilians there suffering as well from Israeli strikes. Although the Israeli military, of course, is trying to hit targets of Hamas only. Whole neighborhoods are wiped out in Gaza. More than 900 deaths are reported there and thousands of injured, more than 4,000 people have been injured there. The UN is asking Israel to allow a humanitarian corridor to enter Gaza and bring in gas, food, equipment, etc. Avi Melamed, the founder of Inside the Middle East Institute. Thank you very much for coming into our studio, Gaya Israel. Thank you for staying with us. Avi, I'd like to start with you. When are we expected to see the bigger campaign by Israel unfolding in Gaza? They've been talking about this Israeli leadership that they will first stabilize the situation within Israel. This seems to have happened by now. Are we going to see military forces, tanks, etc. heading into Gaza by foot in the next 24 hours, 48 hours? Well, I don't have the blueprints in the timeline, but it's very likely to expect that there's going to be a massive Israeli ground operation in Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of this war, actually, Israel has been preparing a massive military might in the area of Gaza Strip. There are many things that has to be taken into consideration. When you are doing that, you are talking about a huge amount of military power, concluding the commons, preparations, and finalizing the up-to-date intelligence before you embark such an expected massive ground operation. So I don't have the timeline, but I think that we could expect it quite shortly. Another thing that Israel must take into consideration is the situation and the safety of the hostages that have been taken by Hamas, presumably up to 200 people that Hamas holds at the moment, including women, children, grandparents, the elderly. We'll be speaking shortly with someone whose grandparents have been abducted to Gaza. How can Israel operate in Gaza when Hamas holds all these people there? How can we be accountable to their safety? Well, this is, of course, one of the most sensitive tasks that we have to deal with. In my perspective, and I want to be very cautious here, but I'm going to say what I'm going to say. We have to look at these two things. The issue of the hostages and the issue of the military operation is things that are going in parallel and they are not necessarily dictating the issues of the hostages. It's not necessarily dictating the agenda and the priorities of the military operation. I would even say the following sentence, which is very difficult to say, but I think it's realistic. It seems to me that Israel is going to operate in Gaza as there is no challenge of the hostages on the one hand, and it's going to deal with the challenge of the hostages in Gaza Strip if there is no wall going on right now in Gaza Strip. I know it sounds hard. As I said before, because we are assuming that Hamas militants are using these hostages as a life vest. So how can you on one hand bombard and try to target those exact people while they're holding the hostages close to them? Well, you are trying to prioritize the targets in some sort of like scale that basically will be around the issue of the probability where those people may be held. But there is another thing that we have to take into consideration. Every moment there is a growing Israeli presence on the ground results in much more intelligence. And intelligence will flow in very quickly. And once you have much more intelligence on the ground, once you are scattered in different areas of Gaza Strip, you have the ability to more quickly, swiftly move in order, maybe to try to get to some of those hostages. We have to be realistic about it. We have to be realistic about it. It's possible that some of these hostages will not come back home alive. Maybe they're already not alive. We don't know. But I think that when you look at the whole picture, as I said right now, I think this is the right way to look at it from again, from the Israeli military planning blueprints. Thank you, Avimele Ahmed. Ariel Osiron is in Sderot. Ariel, the latest from that front. So about half an hour ago there was a barrage of rockets launched at the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip. But mainly in this area that we're staying, that we're standing in right now. And we had to run to the protective zone. And there were, in fact, interceptions right over our heads. And we're receiving reports by emergency services that there were at least two direct impacts from rockets that resulted in four injuries. One person in critical condition, another person in severe condition. They were sent to Barzilei Hospital nearby Ashkelon. And one additional person in mild condition. And another person who got injured running to the safe zone. That is unfortunately something that happens a lot. So we will go to one of the impact sites and try to get additional information from there. Okay, Ariel, another note, another question about the citizens there. How many people have stayed? We're talking about the possibility that there will be a ground operation going ahead in the next couple of days, perhaps. Which means that fighting will intensify in those communities around the border with Gaza. Have any of the residents stayed or has the state evacuated all of them? So, Ariel, the state has evacuated residents in communities directly on the border, mainly the communities that suffered the brunt of the brutality of Hamas terrorists on Saturday here in Sderot. In fact, coinciding with the barrage of rockets, Alon Davidi, the mayor, urging the government to evacuate the residents of Sderot. We're talking about a town with a population of about 27, 28,000 people, of which between 35 and 40 percent have remained, meaning that the majority has left, but still quite a few thousand residents have stayed. And so the mayor's urging the government to order an immediate evacuation of the local population here for the exact same reasons that you described. This is already a war zone, and it is only expected to get worse. Ariel, thank you. All of us here at Israel know people that have been murdered over the last few days in this horrendous Hamas attack. Many of us know people who have been abducted to Gaza. This is what it's like living in a small country where everybody knows everyone. I personally know Daniel Levschitz. He's a friend of my partner, a very good friend. And I am happy to at least be able to have this interview with him in this difficult time for his family. And for him, Daniel, your grandparents were abducted to Gaza by Hamas. They're 85 and 83-year-old. And I would like to hear from you, please, what you know about the whereabouts, what you know about what happened on Saturday. So first of all, thank you. And what I know is that my grandparents, the last time we've been contact them was Saturday or nine o'clock in the morning. Since then, we had no contact with them. They are the first house on the fence, tower the Gaza border. We know that really people, so many people came into the kibbutz and the kibbutz been completely massacred. It was a huge massacred. Everyone was like a huge mess. Only 10 people could try to defend the kibbutz. Five of them are missing. We have about 20 people died and maybe 80 people for the moment are missing or there are hostages now in Gaza. What kibbutzes, can you tell our viewers? Kibbutz nios? We're not aware. Yeah, it's in kibbutz nios. Kibbutz nios. One of the kibbutzes that were hardest affected by this terrible attack. Tell me about these last hours. What do you hear from them Saturday morning? On Saturday morning, we heard that, first of all, there were rockets and then people said that the Hamas terrorists came into the kibbutz and started to shoot and kidnap people. We had really big seven hours that the kibbutz had been completely butchered. People were butchered and we speak about between children of nine months to 87 years old which are also kidnapped. You saw the family from the kibbutz which were all butchered. It was really something like a kind of, it was like a Holocaust coming inside and feeling no defense and it was really shocking to be six, seven hours without any defense from the army. I mean, the government really took the units toward the West Bank and the Gaza border was completely naked almost. I'm not sure they thought how great success they can have and we feel that really the people that came to the kibbutz, you know, the kibbutzes where Ben-Gurion said and it was his legacy. My grandfather and my grandparents were taking kids and sick people from the Palestinian side to the hospitals in Israel. They gave, they sacrificed their life for the kibbutz and for humanity and for peace and now they are there and I really want to call all the people of the Arab countries, all the leaders for those people are people of peace. They are people who always been really supporting Palestine and did everything there and now they are missing and they are sick and they took babies and families and the stories are horrible. I'm hearing a lot in hotel, Yamsu Hotel where kibbutz niroz are staying. Those who survived, those who survived, you know, I never thought in my life I would have to say those words. Those people who survived and really this country, the guy was negotiating for years with the Hamas and this country left us alone for what? For doing a Sukkot to protect Sukkot in Hawa'a instead of 2,000 people partied, amazing people and all those people from the kibbutz. I mean really anybody, all the leaders of the world, this what happened in Israel on that date is just the most terrifying thing, you know, it is not even a nightmare. It's a black nightmare. It's nightmare who not exist, something that does not exist in our dreams as kids. We could dream that some terrorists will come to the kibbutz and you know, few of them will come, you know, okay, so one house, two, something can happen. We know that area, but this kind of thing, nobody could ever think of where was the air force, where was the army. I really can't understand, you know, I think that maybe the prime minister Netanyahu Sotkhamas is his friends if he had so little amount of soldiers protecting the most, the most, how can I say? The most sensitive part of the country, the hottest confrontation line. I think all of us Daniel are with you and asking these very tough questions, both regarding the Israeli government and their really lack of preparedness for such an event and the Israeli military. And I also hear your criticism that we've also heard from others about the military not being prepared there and focusing on the West Bank at this time, rather than defending the communities on the border with Gaza. And, you know, in now on, we have, we are really facing a very problematic time. We have there our kids, babies, grandparents. We want to ask the government really before you are striking Gaza like crazy and, you know, vanishing the Hamas. We want to know what's happened. We want to make a deal with those people. You have to be now with the full protection for the hostages. You have your responsibility, responsibility for those hostages. It's not only men. This is elderly, you know, it's babies, it's sick people. All the world, I really call all the leaders of the world, the leaders of the Arab countries, the leaders of the Arab world do everything you can to make sure those hostages are alive. They get their medicine and do everything to release them. Tell us more about your grandparents. They're 85 and 83 years old, I understand. They've been in the kibbutz for years. As you said, they were peace activists. They were helping take patients from Gaza to hospitals in Israel. What else can you tell us about them? First of all, they came to the kibbutz, you know, in 1955 and 1957, really, they made the kibbutz. They built it. They came there with their agenda, with those everything the kibbutz means. So they came that on that time. And my grandfather is as well a journalist who was working in a few Israeli newspapers. And he was a peace activist all over the world, human right activist, all over the world. He was doing everything to have the Bedouins their the rights for the Palestinian rights for, but for everyone's rights, also for the Israeli people rights. He was the guy to do what is right. And you know, he said to me one time, he said, my biggest fear is that thousands of thousands of people will come to the Gaza Strip and will stand on the fence and will start to cross it. And we will have to take out take up helicopters and aircraft. And we will have to shoot them because we can't let them go in. And even he could never nobody see that, you know, and he was so afraid of those people who will die because of that. Really. So now in the last year, they're also more sick. And really, they needed their, their, their help. And unfortunately, we didn't find any photos of them. We got some information, but really, it's not 100% information coming from the Red Cross to say that they are in the list of the medicines. So before we part Daniel, if I know you you approached, of course, world leaders and perhaps countries like Turkey, the UAE, Qatar could have some leverage in Egypt over Hamas. If anyone is in Gaza is listening to you. What would you like to say to them? I would like to say to them, first of all, that if you know anything, please pass the information. And another thing, if you see them, tell them that we are here, we support them. We love them. They really sacrifice something for something nobody should sacrifice ever in their life. And I'm sending, you know, all the love and I hope to see them back soon in Israel with us. Daniel Lipschitz, grandson of Jocheved and Oded, 85 and 83 year old who were abducted to Gaza, peace activists. Thank you very much for being with us. And we send your family a lot of strength in these difficult times. And also to all the residents of the Kibbutz who survived this horrible massacre and are with you there in Elat, sending you much strength and our hopes for good news. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you. Gentlemen, it's really a horrible situation with the hostages you were mentioning, Avi Melamed, before we were speaking to Daniel, about how these two fronts need to be handled simultaneously, the military one, and the conducting negotiations over releasing the hostages. Guy Azrela, I want to ask, how can Israel manage these two fronts at the same time? It is already bombarding in Gaza. And also the price that Hamas would ask for would probably be too high. First, I really have to address what we heard from Daniel. It's one of so many human tragedies that so many Israeli civilians are experiencing right now. So many families that are devastated now. Entire families are raised. And so many relatives who are have no idea what has happened to their loved ones. And we're talking like we saw here, elderly people, babies, infants. We saw a mother with two infants in her hands being pushed into a car and driven into Gaza. The human tragedy here is one like has never been seen in the history of the modern world as we know it, well, at least since the Holocaust, these atrocities, this massive terror attack. And I think the tragedy here is both in terms of the Israeli defense system, the Israeli leadership. And also for these people, because I know these kibbutzes very well. I went to high school right there. I have family in these communities right on the border. These are the most hard line, peace-loving activists that you would find in Israel. As he said, his grandfathers were part of those who were driving, volunteering to drive Palestinians from Gaza into Israeli hospitals. They believed so much in the idea of coexistence and living next to these Palestinians and doing good for them. I personally hosted a Gaza man in my home two weeks ago, Ariel. This is when we thought everything was come in Gaza, when Israel enabled 17,000 Gazans into Israel on a daily basis in a hope for a better future. This was the hope of so many Israelis. And I think one of the biggest tragedies is that hope for living peacefully side by side by the Palestinians, at least under the Hamas leadership, has faded. And that is the biggest tragedy. But we should all remember, I think, as well, if you had somebody in your house from Gaza just two weeks ago, it means there are innocent people, so many wonderful innocent people that do live in Gaza. And yet the majority does support Hamas. And this is where we are. Yeah. We said we're waiting to see whether Israel will go into a fiercer campaign in Gaza. Meanwhile, as we're looking at the northern front, do you think Israel is escalating the efforts? Oh, we're turning to Emily. Okay. Okay. We're turning to, sorry, Avi. We want to check in with our Emily Francis, who is in the region that's on Emily with volunteers there. Yes. I am live actually in a place called the Maccabi House. Believe it or not, if you take a look, this is a huge stadium. This is where the professional rishon let's see on basketball team plays all the professional handball team. This is turned into literally a holding center where people are coming and donating food, I mean, not food, excuse me, clothes, hygienic supplies, things that are going directly to the soldiers that are in the south. We have my cameraman, Oren here, giving you an example of all of these people that are working tirelessly to prepare these clothes with individual notes as well. And they're being delivered directly to the soldiers that are on the front lines. Let me show you an example, Oren, come over here. These are some of the boxes. There have been two over a thousand, two thousand, shampoo, toothpaste, personalized notes. And we're running out of time. And I just want to just say we're running out of time. But we'll be back with the deputy mayor next time. Thank you very much, Emily. And thank you our viewers for watching wherever you are in the world. We hope you're keeping well and safe. Well is officially in a state of war. This is a very active scene and we need to get in the car as we're talking. Within 100 soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped. We just don't know anything. Entire families, including babies and children and elderly were butchered in their beds. Awaken the giant and we are ready and we are strong. Everyone is showing up. This is the unity. Israel has been facing infiltrations of terrorists, kidnapping of Israelis and a barrage of thousands of rockets emanating from the Gaza Strip, the biggest and bloodiest attack in years. Tune in for our extensive and rolling coverage of the Hamas deadly attack on Israel. With reporters on the ground in depth analysis and most updated and accurate information, stay tuned with i24 news. Thank you for staying with us. As promised, we're turning to the northern border to check in with Robert Swift there on all the latest from that front that has been fairly quiet since yesterday evening. Rob yet a high alert or among the military presence that is intensifying. I understand that's correct. So far today has been quiet with the major update being the announcement by the IDF that it is reinforcing the troops on the border here. That comes in light of the spike intentions that occurred yesterday. Some of them as a result of a false alarm with a mistake regarding an intrusion of drones. This was declared afterwards to be a false alarm. But there were other events yesterday that did indeed happen with forces in south Lebanon firing an anti-tank missile across the border towards the IDF positions and with the Israeli forces retaliating with air strikes and with artillery fire. That's the situation as it stands at the moment. Thank you Rob. We'll be back with you shortly, hopefully no major news from there but of course keep us posted. Now the IDF has been attacking Hamas targets in Gaza throughout the night and the morning specifically targeting Hamas tunnels that have been built to smuggle terrorism weapons from Gaza to Israel and to Egypt. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has landed in Israel today amid growing regional tensions and Washington's commitment to support Israel in defending itself from Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian aggression. He's expected to meet with the Prime Minister here in Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is Blinken arriving at Bingrian Airport earlier today. He will also meet with the families of 22 American citizens that are apparently among the abducted and murdered in the events of the last few days. He's there seen at the airport congratulated by Eli Cohen, Minister of Foreign Affairs. More and more families in Israel have been receiving notices about their missing family members. As of today more than 1,300 Israelis have been confirmed murdered by Hamas and more than 3,000 have been injured and Blinken that you're seeing here at Bingrian Airport will also be meeting with the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, potentially in Ramallah to discuss the latest developments. Yeah, these are some of the latest points. Of course, there's also growing concern in the international community about the situation in Gaza with civilians there suffering as well from Israeli strikes, although the Israeli military of course is trying to hit targets of Hamas only. Whole neighborhoods are wiped out in Gaza. More than 900 deaths are reported there and thousands of injured more than 4,000 people have been injured there. The UN is asking Israel to allow a humanitarian corridor to enter Gaza and bring in gas, food, equipment, etc. Avi Melamed, the founder of Inside the Middle East Institute, thank you very much for coming into our studio. Guy Azriel, thank you for staying with us. Avi, I'd like to start with you. When are we expected to see the bigger campaign by Israel unfolding in Gaza? They've been talking about this Israeli leadership that they will first stabilize the situation within Israel. This seems to have happened by now. Are we going to see military forces, tanks, etc. heading into Gaza by foot in the next 24 hours, 48 hours? Well, I don't have the blueprints in the timeline, but it's very likely to expect that there's going to be a massive Israeli ground operation in Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of his war, actually Israel has been preparing a massive military might in the area of Gaza Strip. There are many things that has to be taken into consideration when you are doing that. You are talking about huge amount of military power, concluding the commons, you know, preparations and finalizing the up-to-date intelligence before you embark such an expected massive ground operation. So I don't have the timeline, but I think that we could expect it quite shortly. Another thing that Israel must take into consideration is the situation and the safety of the hostages that have been taken by Hamas, presumably up to 200 people that Hamas holds at the moment, including women, children, grandparents, the elderly. We'll be speaking shortly with someone whose grandparents have been abducted to Gaza. How can Israel operate in Gaza when Hamas holds all these people there? How can we be accountable to their safety? Well, this is of course one of the most sensitive tasks that we have to deal with. In my perspective, and I want to be very cautious here, but I'm going to say what I'm going to say. We have to look at these two things. The issue of the hostages and the issue of the military operation is things that are going in parallel and they are not necessarily dictating the issues of the hostages. It's not necessarily dictating the agenda and the priorities of the military operation. I would even say the following sentence, which is very difficult to say, but I think it's realistic. It seems to me that Israel is going to operate in Gaza Strip as there is no challenge of the hostages on the one hand and it's going to deal with the challenge of the hostages in Gaza Strip as there is no war going on right now in Gaza Strip. I know it sounds hard. As I said before, because we are assuming that Hamas militants are using these hostages as a life vest. So how can you on one hand bombard and try to target those exact people while they're holding the hostages close to them? Well, you are trying to prioritize the targets in some sort of like scale that basically will be around the issue of the probability where those people may be held. But there is another thing that we have to take into consideration. Every moment there is a growing Israeli presence on the ground results in much more intelligence and intelligence will flow in very quickly. And once you have much more intelligence on the ground, once you are scattered in different areas of Gaza Strip, you have the ability to more quickly, swiftly move in order maybe to try to get to some of those hostages. We have to be realistic about it. We have to be realistic about it. It's possible that some of these hostages will not come back home alive. Maybe they're already not alive. We don't know. But I think that when you look at the whole picture, as I said right now, I think this is the right way to look at it from again, from the Israeli military planning blueprints. Thank you, Avimele Ahmed. Ariel Osoran is in Sderot. Ariel, the latest from that front. So about half an hour ago, there was a barrage of rockets launched at the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip. But mainly in this area that we're staying, that we're standing in right now. And we had to run to the protective zone. And there were, in fact, interceptions right over our heads. And we're receiving reports by emergency services that there were at least two direct impacts from rockets that resulted in four injuries. One person in critical condition. Another person in severe condition. They were sent to Barzilei Hospital nearby Ashkelon. And one additional person in mild condition. And another person who was, who got injured running to the safe zone that is unfortunately something that happens a lot. So we will go to one of the impact sites and try to get additional information from there. Okay, Ariel, another note, another question about the citizens there. How many people have stayed? We're talking about the possibility that there will be a ground operation going ahead in the next couple of days, perhaps. Which means that fighting will intensify in those communities around the border with Gaza. Have any of the residents stayed or has the state evacuated all of them? So, Ariel, the state has evacuated residents in communities directly on the border, mainly the communities that suffered the brunt of the brutality of Hamas terrorists on Saturday. Here in Sderot, in fact, coinciding with the barrage of rockets, Alon Davidi, the mayor, urging the government to evacuate the residents of Sderot. We're talking about a town with a population of about 27, 28,000 people of which between 35 and 40% have remained. Meaning that the majority have left, has left, but still quite a few thousand residents have stayed. And so the mayor is urging the government to order an immediate evacuation of the local population here for the exact same reasons that you described. This is already a war zone, and it is only expected to get worse. Ariel, thank you. All of us here at Israel know people that have been murdered over the last few days in this horrendous Hamas attack. Many of us know people who have been abducted to Gaza. This is what it's like living in a small country where everybody knows everyone. I personally know Daniel Lipschitz. He's a friend of my partner, a very good friend. And I am happy to at least be able to have this interview with him in this difficult time for his family. And for him, Daniel, your grandparents were abducted to Gaza by Hamas. They're 85 and 83-year-old. And I would like to hear from you, please, what you know about the whereabouts, what you know about what happened on Saturday. So first of all, thank you. And what I know is that first of all, they were rockets. And then people said that the Hamas terrorists came into the kibbutz and started to shooting, kidnapping people. And we had really big seven hours that the kibbutz been completely butchered. People were butchered. And we speak about between children of nine months to 87 years old, which are also kidnapped. You saw the family from the kibbutz, which were all butchered. It was really something like kind of, it was like a Holocaust coming inside and feeling no defense. It was really shocking to be six, seven hours without any defense from the army. I mean, the government really took the units toward the West Bank. And the Gaza border was completely naked almost. I'm not sure they thought how great success they can have. And we feel that really the people that came to the kibbutz, you know, the kibbutz where Ben Gurion said, and it was his legacy. My grandfather and my grandparents were taking kids and sick people from the Palestinian side to the hospitals in Israel. They gave, they sacrificed their life for the kibbutz and for humanity and for peace. And now they are there. And I really want to call all the people of the Arab countries, all the leaders, for those people are people of peace. They are people who always been really supporting Palestine and did everything there. And now they are missing and they are sick and they took babies and families. And the stories are horrible. I'm here in a lot in a hotel, Yamsuf Hotel where kibbutz niroz are staying. Those who survived, those who survived, you know, I never thought in my life, I would have to say those words. Those people who survived and really this country, the guy was negotiating for years with the Hamas. And this country left us alone for what? For doing a Sukkot, to protect Sukkot in Hawa'a instead of 2,000 people partied, amazing people and all those people from the kibbutz. I mean, really anybody, all the leaders of the world, this, what happened in Israel on that date is just the most terrifying thing. You know, it is not even a nightmare. It's a black nightmare. It's nightmare who not exist. Something that does not exist in our dreams as kids. We could dream that some terrorists will come to the kibbutz and you know, a few of them will come, you know, okay, so one house, two, something can happen. We know with that area. But this kind of thing, nobody could ever think of where was the air force? Where was the army? I really can't understand. You know, I think that maybe the Prime Minister Netanyahu, his friends, if he had so little amount of soldiers protecting the most, the most, how can I say? The most sensitive part of the country, the hottest confrontation line. I think all of us Daniel are with you and asking these very tough questions, both regarding the Israeli government and their really lack of preparedness for such an event and the Israeli military. And I also hear your criticism that we've also heard from others about the military not being prepared there and focusing on the West Bank at this time, rather than defending the communities on the border with Gaza. And you know, in now on, we are really facing a very problematic time. We have our kids, babies, grandparents. We want to ask the government really before you are striking Gaza like crazy and, you know, vanishing there. We want to know what's happened. We want to make a deal with those people. You have to be now with the full protection for the hostages. You have your responsibility, responsibility for those hostages. It's not only men. This is elderly, you know, it's babies, it's sick people, all the world. I really call all the leaders of the world, the leaders of the Arab countries, the leaders of the Arab world, do everything you can to make sure those hostages are alive. They get their medicine and do everything to release them. Tell us more about your grandparents. They're 85 and 83 years old, I understand. They've been in the kibbutz for years. As you said, they were peace activists. They were helping take patients from Gaza to hospitals in Israel. What else can you tell us about them? First of all, they came to the kibbutz, you know, in 1955 and 1957, really, they made the kibbutz. They built it. They came there with their agenda, with those everything the kibbutz means. So they came that on that time. And my grandfather is as well a journalist who was working in a few Israeli newspapers. And he was a peace activist all over the world, human right activist, all over the world. He was doing everything to have the Bedouins their the rights for the Palestinian rights for, but for everyone's rights, also for the Israeli people rights. He was the guy to do what is right. And you know, he said to me one time, he said, my biggest fear is that thousands of thousands of people will come to the Gaza Strip and will stand on the fence and will start to cross it. And we will have to take out, take up helicopters and aircraft and we will have to shoot them because we can't let them go in. And even he could never and nobody see that, you know, and he was so afraid of those people who will die because of that. Really. So now in the last years, they're also more sick and really they needed their help. And unfortunately, we didn't find any photos of them. We got some information, but really, it's not 100% information coming from the Red Cross to say that they are in the list of the medicines. So before we part Daniel, if I know you approached, of course, world leaders and perhaps countries like Turkey, the UAE, Qatar could have some leverage in Egypt over Hamas. If anyone is in Gaza is listening to you. What would you like to say to them? I would like to say to them, first of all, that if you know anything, please pass the information. And another thing, if you see them, tell them that we are here, we support them, we love them. They really sacrifice something for something nobody should sacrifice ever in their life. And I'm sending, you know, all the love and I hope to see them back soon in Israel with us. Daniel Lipschitz, grandson of Jocheved and Oded, 85 and 83 year old who were abducted to Gaza, peace activists. Thank you very much for being with us. And we send your family a lot of strength in these difficult times and also to all the residents of the Kibbutz who survived this horrible massacre and are with you there in Elat, sending you much, much strength and our hopes for good news. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you. Gentlemen, it's really a horrible situation with the hostages you were mentioning before we were speaking to Daniel about how these two fronts need to be handled simultaneously, the military one, and the conducting negotiations over releasing the hostages. Guy Azrela, I want to ask, how can Israel manage these two fronts at the same time? It is already bombarding in Gaza and also the price that Hamas would ask for would probably be too high. First, I really have to address what we heard from Daniel. It's one of so many human tragedies that so many Israeli civilians are experiencing right now. So many families that are devastated now. Entire families are raised and so many relatives who are, have no idea what has happened to their loved ones. And we're talking like we saw here, elderly people, babies, infants. We saw a mother with two infants in her hands being pushed into a car and driven into Gaza. The human tragedy here is one like has never been seen in the history of the modern world as we know it, at least since the Holocaust, these atrocities, this massive terror attack. And I think the tragedy here is both in terms of the Israeli defense system, the Israeli leadership, and also for these people, because I know these kibbutzes very well. I went to high school right there. I have family in these communities right on the border. These are the most hard line, peace-loving activists that you would find in Israel. As he said, his grandfathers were part of those who were driving, volunteering to drive Palestinians from Gaza into Israeli hospitals. They believed so much in the idea of coexistence in living next to these Palestinians and doing good for them. I personally hosted a Gaza man in my home two weeks ago, Ariel. This is when we thought everything was come in Gaza, when Israel enabled 17,000 Gazans into Israel on a daily basis in a hope for a better future. This was the hope of so many Israelis. And I think one of the biggest tragedies is that hope for living peacefully side by side by the Palestinians, at least under the Hamas leadership has faded. And that is the biggest tragedy. But we should all remember, I think, as well, if you had somebody in your house from from in Gaza just two weeks ago, it means there are so many wonderful people, innocent civilians, so many wonderful innocent people that do live in Gaza. And yet the majority does support Hamas. And this is where we are. Yeah. We said we're waiting to see whether Israel will go into a fiercer campaign in in Gaza. Meanwhile, as we're looking at the northern front, do you think Israel is escalating the efforts or we're turning to Emily? Okay. Okay. We're turning to. Sorry, Avi. We want to check in with our Emily Francis, who is in the region that's on Emily with volunteers there. Yes. I am live actually in a place called the the Maccabi House, believe it or not. If you take a look, this is a huge stadium. This is where the professional Rishon Let's See On Basketball team plays all the professional handball team. This is turned into literally a holding center where people are coming and donating food. I mean, not food, excuse me, clothes, hygienic supplies, things that are going directly to the soldiers that are in the south. We have my cameraman, Oren here, giving you an example of all of these people that are working tirelessly to prepare these clothes with individual notes as well. And they're being delivered directly to the soldiers that are on the front lines. Let me show you an example, Oren, come over here. These are some of the boxes. There have been two over a thousand, two thousand shampoo, toothpaste, personalized notes. And we're running, we're running out of time. And I just want to just say we're running out of time. But we'll be back with the deputy mayor next time. Thank you very much, Emily. And thank you our viewers for watching wherever you are in the world. We hope you're keeping well and safe. This is a very active scene and we need to get in the car as we're talking. Within a hundred soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped. Entire families, including babies and children and elderly were butchered in their beds. Awaken the giant and we are ready and we are strong. Everyone is showing up. This is the unity. From Tel Aviv as we continue our rolling live coverage. I'm with you the next two hours. We begin today with the U.S. Secretary of State showing up here in Israel. Sorry, it's under the circumstances. We're here for not going anywhere. Equivocal support here as we rebound in Israel, the United States standing up big to back us. And again, the Secretary of State arriving just a short time ago. Developments today that went Israel. The center on the formation of a new emergency. Dare I say unity government in Israel. Now bringing in Benny Gontz and his party. More importantly, both Gontz and another former IDF Chief of Staff will now take active part in the security cabinet planning and decision making. And last night, significantly, Gontz joined Prime Minister Nenya Huen, the Defense Minister of Galat, in a special address to declare that as expected by the country, the primary goal of the coming military operation is nothing less than the complete defanging of Hamas and the Gaza Strip. As has become terrifyingly clear this week, Israel cannot contain nor tolerate the highly sophisticated level of militarization and capabilities of Hamas or perhaps any implacable enemy on the other side of a fence. And therefore, the army is now turning the decimated Gaza periphery communities into a staging ground will be a wider operation. And again, as we get into all of the above and much to discuss here in the hours I'm with you, we're joined by Tom Al-Sadam, a resident of the Gaza periphery. It seems the most appropriate place to start here, Tom. The country is still really obviously from this just indescribable blow. First of all, I know you're not even clear on exactly which part of the region you're a resident of. I know the entire region smashed here. So if you can tell us a bit, you know, how you survived this ordeal on Saturday. All right. So my name is Tom. Like you said, I leave approximately four and a half kilometers from the border of Gaza and approximately three kilometers or less from the border of Egypt. When everything happened on Saturday, we were at home. Me, my parents, my sister and her kids and her husband. The morning started with the rockets, the everything that went, I'm sorry. No, of course, take your time. And first of all, Tom, I didn't even jump into this. I didn't have time to really thank you for having the strength to come onto our broadcast right now. This is nothing easy about it. But I want to impress upon you how important it is. So many viewers who care deeply about us here looking and right now trying to understand they want to hear from us. So thanks for joining. Take your time. Take your time. That's what I'm here for that because the world needs to know what happened. Yes. I'll tell my story. And then it started with the rockets in the morning. It was the worst hail of rockets that I've ever experienced. And the whistling and the bombardment. It's a sound that I cannot. It's never gonna leave my head. And I ran outside to help my sister and her kids to go inside our house because they do not have a safe space in their home. And they ran inside with everything outside. And one of the kids fell on the floor. We picked them up. We ran into the safe space. The day went by and at some point we followed everything on the media to see what's happening around us. And when at some point I'm not sure at what time our electricity went out. No internet, no electricity, no reception. So we couldn't connect to the outside world at all. We couldn't connect even with the settlements around us. So we didn't know when what is happening outside of our mosque. And I just want to mention to our viewers, I mean, this was happening to virtually everybody in that same situation at that time. Nobody knew what was going on. People were cut off. So right, right. Cut off completely. So we waited. We tried to contact people. My mother was on the phone with people from Kibbutz Berry. My mother is, we have every settlement here has a team of people who are in charge of the security of the tenants of the settlement. Right. 24-7 people are on call. These are volunteer residents of the community. When something starts, they do. My mother, her job is she's one of these groups. She runs this group and helps make everybody know where everyone and make everyone safe. So she got calls from people from Berry when everything started and called to ask them what's going on. And then they're saying on the phone, they're saying, only I'll call you later. They're burning down my house. And at some point, we got cut off completely for almost 24 hours. My girlfriend didn't know where I am. I didn't know where my friends are. Some of them I did manage to get in touch a little bit just to know they're okay. People weren't at the party. And some of my friends weren't so lucky. Our settlement is straight line from one of the bases they infiltrated. Right. And by sheer luck, they decided not to come. We're like, I'm not like a kilometer from that base. And they decided to drive on the main road instead of cutting through the fields and coming to us. I was trying to reach out for my friends that day until I got cut off. And then we just didn't know. And we said at home, we armed ourselves with what we have, whether it's knives or a bow and arrow. My father pulled out a handgun from World War II that my grandfather used to carry on him. Better than nothing. And we killed it. And we loaded it. And we made sure it cycles because we didn't have a weapon to protect ourselves. We just had and we sat in that darkness for a lot of time. And staring out the window we have in my bathroom, our very small window that guards the road that leads to my house in my Mosher. And then we just sat there and waited while our brothers are being slaughtered in other places. We know that something very bad is happening other places. We know that there are terrorists coming in Kibbutzim and Moshevim around us. But we didn't know if they were coming to us. We were just waiting. Tom, how long were you basically holed up in that safe space? How long was it before any form of Israeli security force got to where you were? At the start, people protected themselves. I told you there is a group of people that is in charge of the security of the people who live in the settlements. And the first force to react to everything that happened is the people there with the few guns we have. And you guys were on your own for that entire day at least? For the start of it because I cannot express enough. Since we have a little technical issue there, talking to Tom. Again, just one of the honestly countless at this point. People who experienced far too close to terrors and traumas of that day. We're trying to bring you some of those more fortunate accounts right now again. And I understand we have Tom back with us. Tom Mom's not in again. He's sharing his horrifying experience from there. If you're back, Tom, I'm not sure exactly where you left off. Yes, I know. But it was by the end of that day, when did it start becoming clear to you, the scale of what had happened? To be honest, it still doesn't. Still not. We still don't. We lost so many. So many people, good people, like civilians, good people. Our area for all my life, I'm living there 23 years. All right. For all my life, the people who live in the Gaza Strip, around the Gaza Strip, in a school and the other regional councils around us. These are people who always wanted peace. All of them always believed that peace is achievable somehow. And they had full belief in that. I cannot express enough how unprecedented this event is. No one in their worst, worst nightmares would even think to himself to even think about imagining such a horrible situation. Tom, you mentioned living there for so many years. If you can try to describe your feelings, how they've changed since this mass graph, it is everything different for you. The way you see your existence here. Describe how things have changed for your mindset now, towards Gaza even, since this happened. I've lost a close friend of mine and another friend. Take your time, Tom. We want the world to know what happened to us. We want the world to know that 23 years Hamas is putting their hands on us and on also the civilians of Gaza. They're doing whatever they want. They're shooting rockets for 23 years. Ever since I know myself, there are alarms. We are a post-traumatic society and a community. And we want the best I can do for my friends and loved ones and the loved ones of my friends that fell or kidnapped. We want the world to know that what happened in a Saturday, it's not war. This is not warfare. This is the purest form of evil. The stories I've heard from people I love, from people I old people, families. This is not warfare. Justice needs to be made. And people of the world needs to see for the final time what face does Hamas have. They always play the victim and everybody believes them. They're shooting rockets at Israel for 23 years and people protect them until this point in time where the most unbelievable, unimaginable, horrific situation happened. No one here believes it. No one. We cannot perceive that this is what we went through. People cannot get in terms with the loved ones they lost because it's so unimaginable. I want to tell you a story that there is a house that got infiltrated in Kibbutz-Reim. And my sister and her husband used to live in Reim. And they were thinking to themselves a few months ago, they wanted to either come live in where I live in my Moshev or stay in Kibbutz-Reim. The final house that Reim offered them is this house that I'm telling you that got infiltrated. They choose to come to live in our Moshev. Think about that. I want everyone that watched this, I want you to think that you are at home, sitting in the dark, staring at a window without internet, without electricity, without reception, just waiting to hear from at least one person that you love, one, and you can't. You can't contact nobody. Imagine. And after that, you realize that all of these people you were waiting for their call are dead. Think about that. Everyone that even thinks to protect Hamas. I want you to think about that. Imagine your family. All the people we lost are, they are the most peaceful and humane people in Israel, even. We didn't deserve this. No one deserves this. I want everybody to know what we endured, what we have been through, what my loved one been through, my friends that had to run away for their lives when they were shooting at them like a sitting duck. My friend who didn't had the chance and tried to run out of his room and they caught him. Or my friend that got jumped to fighting in a kibbutz next door and fell during the fighting. Or my friend that his father got kidnapped. This is not a community of a city. This is a family. We know everyone. Everybody knows everybody. We need the world to know and help and see what has happened, the horrors. It's unimaginable for everyone, even us. We don't understand what we're going through. The entire region. I can just say, you're giving great words. You're giving your great, your voice, you're doing a great job at it. You're giving a good voice to the deep pain and frustration that the entire nation feels with you right now. Tom on Sodom, thank you again for being strong and beyond. So thank you for showing up on our program again. So many people looking in, eager to hear from all of us here. Thank you, Tom. Hang in there. Thank you. Now again, this is obviously heavy. This is just the basis for everything taking place now. And President Biden, hard to overstate the unequivocal, all-in support that he's shown to the embattled Jewish people right now. We're gonna have a lot more to say on the U.S. again, as Secretary of State Blinken has shown up here, just today now. And we now go to a correspondent, Robert Swift, as despite all of the heartache and the focus on the South, we're nonetheless torn and compelled to pay close attention to what's happening on the northern border. Robert Swift up there today covering that. Rob, we had some, when I would turn panic around Israel last night when there was major leads to concerns, some warnings going out described, you know, what happened last night and where the situation on the northern border stands today. That's right, David. So far today on the northern border, it has been quiet. But that was not the case yesterday. I think panic is probably the correct word to describe what happened yesterday with millions of Israelis being sent to the bomb shelters in their home when they received notification on an application that there was an incursion of aircraft assumed at the time to be Hezbollah drones into the territory of Israel. Now, in response to this, Israeli jets were scrambled. We heard them overhead for hours whilst we were filming just close to the border. And all of this eventually was called off when the Israeli authorities said that it was a mistake, likely due to human error. But the whole incident just goes to show the level of tension here with Israelis and the Israeli military very much watching Hezbollah to the north, trying to gauge its intentions and whether it plans to become involved. Now, we're standing here actually on the front porch of the residents of the northern communities. If I just step to the side, you'll be able to see the Lebanese Israeli border out to the front of us. And we've spoken to the residents who live here with this as the view from their front door every single day. And obviously the tensions are particularly high now. And you'd think that that was on their mind, but I have to say they've been they sound pretty sanguine about the whole thing. They sound confident in their military. They've told us that the army has increased patrols in the area. And they essentially they've said to us they don't think that Hezbollah has the stomach for the fight. Why don't we take a listen to one of those residents and what they had to say to us just now. Now I am very proud of my love army that is around all around here. We have a lot of soldiers. We are very prepared. And I think that the Nasrallah will be afraid to begin another war because it's a lot of time that is in the bunker under the ground. They don't go out. And I think that he regret that he opened a war in 2006. And I'm sure that he will not try it again. So I'm Rob, thanks for giving us just a glimpse of that. I think it is important to see the mindset of the people that know who have lived through many, many rounds of conflict up there over decades. And so there's a hard neck perspective up there. Good to see and Rob giving us the updates. Robert Swift from the northern border of Israel again. So on edge from the threat of Hezbollah in this moment. We started to say again here as Secretary of State Blinken is in the country here arriving basically on emergency status. But that's just the latest in US support. President Biden again hard to overstate his unequivocal all in support that he's shown to the battle of Jewish people right now. Those are his words, how he sees it. And rightly some three times at least that he spoke publicly about it just in the last couple days have been simply unprecedented. Here's a bit more from the President of the United States. If the United States stands with Israel, we will not ever fail to have their back. This is an act of sheer evil. More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered. I just go slaughtered in Israel. This attack was a campaign of pure cruelty. I just hate cruelty against the Jewish people. And I would argue it's the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. The deadliest days is Holocaust. There is no justification for terrorism. No excuse. And the type of terrorism is exhibited here is just beyond the pale. To any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of the situation. I have one word. Don't. Again, hard overstate just the impact of the power just the backing that people of Israel feel right now from the U.S. President. I want to bring in our studio guest here to the discussion. Nairi Zilbert, journalist and adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. In normal times, Nairi always a lot to discuss. I want to start with the U.S. Presidents. We are waiting for Blinken any minute to take to the podium. How to speak. He arrived here now. But looking at Biden, I think in my count three really impassioned speeches from him full of anger and frustration. And just unequivocally standing up in support of us. How important is it? It feels like he has sort of, you know, he set the bar for political discussion around this issue, for the way that America should be looking at this issue. How do you see, you know, the importance of where Biden pegged this? Hugely important. Hugely important that both the American President personally, it's not just a written statement. It's not just a Secretary of State or this or that aid or spokesperson coming out. It's him personally giving these speeches over the past few days. But it's not just rhetoric. He's backed it up now by sending one and likely two now U.S. carrier strike groups into the Eastern Mediterranean. Massive firepower. Massive firepower. Dozens of ships, right? Dozens of ships and also fighter jets stand off missile fire. So I think that's a clear message not only to his beloved Lebanon, but perhaps to Iran as well, that this President, because of his own personal beliefs and personal connection to both Israel and the Jewish people, will maybe not hesitate to get involved. We'll put it that way. If he and America feel the need, and if Israel needs more backing, like he said. I mean, Biden has taken it, as you mentioned here, to a really deep place. I mean, he's connecting it to Jewish history right now. We've heard him in multiple comments, you know, looted the Holocaust, looted the scope of Jewish history, the suffering in the past. Seeing this as a critical moment, he himself says he sees this as a critical juncture for our survival worldwide, much less the state of Israel. In other words, you expect, Biden, this is a moment of action for the U.S. President. Again, this isn't just rhetoric, this is real backing to this. In fact, real deterrence, in other words, to what Biden's doing. Yes. He's putting the entire U.S. military, again, not just rhetorically, but also physically in material terms, behind Israel. And he's hoping, probably, that he won't have to use it, that it's enough to deter Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, and also the Iranian leaders from actually getting involved in what will be a likely long and protracted Israeli operation, ground campaign, almost certainly, into the Gaza Strip. So the Americans by doing this are not only projecting support and strength for Israel and on behalf of Israel, but they also are trying to play a real role in this wider campaign. And hopefully, through that, they're trying to stop it from spreading and escalating to other fronts, other than Gaza. Looking at the Gaza Strip, arguably, probably the most complicated battlefield, certainly today, arguably ever, this case to be made for the complications involved in going into the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas, who have far too many years to entrench the army preparing. What in your view right now, Nairi, what is the army preparing to do exactly? Is it a complete takeover of the Gaza Strip? I know we don't know. We're not having a view to their discussions, but what are we likely to see in the coming days and weeks? So I'll say a couple of things. Right now, the Israeli military is massing, as you said, on the borders, preparing its forces, preparing plans, while also remaining on very high alert and massing forces in the north, in case that front opens up, and also, by the way, securing and clearing southern Israel and those communities that were ravaged by the massacre on Saturday. That's number one. Number two, I think both the military and the society maybe need a day or two, and they've gotten that since Saturday, obviously, to regroup and to reorganize and to actually get a grip on what exactly happened. There's nothing rash happening here, and I think there's a lot of news about Israel that we didn't just immediately start driving over there. There were calls by some to immediately go in. There are still calls by some to pre-empt on the northern front. None of that is very useful and very smart, in my opinion. Number three, I'm almost certain there will be a ground operation into Gaza. There are various reasons why that will be the case, but there will, at some point, be a ground operation into Gaza. The question is how you do it. I know, for a fact, from conversations with senior Israeli officials going back many years, that they've had plans for major ground operation into Gaza, and they have different scales of what that would look like, whether it was those limited ground maneuvers, incursions into Gaza in previous conflict rounds, or, like you said, the full, deep ground operation into Gaza with the goal of reoccupying the territory, which Israel withdrew from. We have to remind everybody, in 2005, withdrew both the military and the settlers from that territory completely. We're stepping out for a break here, though. We'll be back. Much more coverage. Oh, no break. I know. Excuse me. No break again, as we are waiting. Waiting for a live speech. Again, it just arrives here. We're staying in the studio for a moment. So, they have plans at the ready. I believe they've been updated in recent years. Hopefully, they're going to do, let's say, touching it up, given what they've seen on Saturday, and what was self-evidently underestimation of what Hamas is capable of. So, hopefully, those plans are being drawn up right now. And what I imagine will be the goal isn't necessarily the full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, per se, but, like has been said, publicly by the prime minister, the defense minister yesterday by Benny Gantz, who is now part of this war cabinet, as well as other senior Israeli military officials, is that the goal of this operation is to fully dismantle Hamas and eliminate it as a threat emanating from the Gaza Strip. Full stop. So, A, that requires a ground operation, and B, that's a very expansive objective that Israel has never put forward ever in any previous Gaza round. So, as I've been... To explain to our viewers for the reasons that the political cost was always deemed too high, the cost in soldiers, the political risks involved when the home front seemed to be protected by our defenses, that equation didn't make sense for decision makers in Israel. Is that just completely different now, obviously, today? Yes, undoubtedly. A lot of things collapsed on Saturday, whole families, whole communities, whole conceptions and faith by the Israeli public of the power of its intelligence apparatus and the power of its army. That's all very well and good. One thing that definitely collapsed on Saturday was Israel's Gaza strategy, dating back to 2007 when Hamas violently seized the Gaza Strip. There was a notion that you could do business with Hamas. Israel, for many years now, has been indirectly negotiating with Hamas. That the burden of governing would bring them around to be something different. Exactly. That their first priority was governance, economics, money and funding for their organization to improve the conditions in Gaza so they could solidify their rule over the territory. That was a conception. And in return, Israel, especially after 2014, that war, but in earnest after 2021 as well, after every round, Hamas received more and more, whether it's funds, infrastructure development, easing of restrictions, both for goods going into the Gaza Strip and for workers coming out to work in Israel. All of that was a result of previous rounds. And Israel asked one thing in return from Hamas, which was quiet and non-beligerence. And obviously, Israel received the answer on Saturday. So that entire strategy, that entire conception, that paradigm, has collapsed. And so now the new conception, the new paradigm, I believe, is to eliminate Hamas as a security and military threat emanating from the Gaza Strip. On Hamas, I mean, we've seen it seems to be as clear a focus is ever on that in the US behind this now, drawing all the comparisons to these long-state ISIS. I think we know what that means from the US. There appears to be a big shining green light from the US for basically the IDF to do whatever it needs to do to get in there and do it. Yes, I believe so. Again, we're talking now just a few days after the shock and horror of what we saw on Saturday. Conditions in Gaza has to be said as well, quickly deteriorating. The people of Gaza... I'm showing images, one of our viewers is an ISIS flag that the IDF recovered actually from one of the Hamas members, interestingly enough. So seeing some... You know, the line's not too hard to connect there anyway between Hamas and ISIS activity, but actually whatever's going on behind that discovered on Hamas. Yeah, I'm aware of those reports and statements by the Israeli military as a journalist here covering this war. I can't independently confirm whether Hamas fighters that poured over the border on Saturday had ISIS paraphernalia on them. But rhetorically it is very clear that Israeli officials, the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister said it clearly yesterday, Hamas is ISIS. The Defense Minister, Galant, said it, this is ISIS in Gaza. And so they're going to go in and take care of this ISIS threat, as they see it, in Gaza, like ISIS was taking care of, whether in Iraq or Syria. And so that's both the conception that's being used here in Israel at the moment and also via the Israeli military, the means by which they're going to eradicate this ISIS threat as they see it. Again, as we're waiting for Secretary of State Blinken to take to the podium here, he arrived a short time ago. Look, you talk about the shattering of the paradigm, of the strategy, the doctrine of containment, of the qualitative edge, all the terms we've become used to over, say, 20 years that we're able to keep this enemy in the other side of the fence. How deep does that translate now? Does it go all the way through the northern border facing Hezbollah, through Syria, to Tehran? How can one argument be made for the North when the South clearly is going to destroy? It's a great question. So I think number one, I think Israel would prefer at this moment in time to only fight and focus on one front. One war at a time. Yes, one war at a time. But undoubtedly, what happened on Saturday in southern Israel could have very easily happened in northern Israel. And as you know, David, we've talked about this in the studio in August and September in the past few months, tensions were rising in the North. You could have very easily seen Hezbollah pour across the border with its own commando units and firing its own rockets and missiles at Israel. And that could have been the start of the next Hezbollah-Israel war. I think many expected that. Me included on Saturday. Saturday, when all this was unfolding in the South, Hezbollah seemingly could have rolled into the North of Israel, likely unimpeded as just based on the evidence we had in front of us on Saturday. What to read on why they've held back, perhaps, or what their game may be, sitting back. Did they blow an element, in fact, an opportunity to strike in Israel? We need to be very humble about how we assess and get it to the minds of these militant groups and these militant leaders. Clearly, Israeli intelligence, the vaunted Israeli intelligence, all its resources got Hamas in Gaza very and tragically wrong. So in terms of predicting what Hassan-Israeli and Lebanon will or will not do, we need to be a bit more humble. We have to say he hasn't gotten involved yet, yet. And that's a real concern, again, for various reasons. Hamas is a very formidable foe. Hezbollah is an order of magnitude, it's more dangerous and lethal. Never stay with us. Got a lot more to cover here. We're going now to our correspondent, Arya Osaran, who's down in the southern front areas. Arya, update us exactly where you are this hour. Just what's taking place. I know it's been a loud morning still in these communities. Give us an update. Right, David. So I'm standing in one of the sites that suffered a direct impact from a rocket barrage launched from Gaza and to Israel, Amin Sderot. And as you can see, this sidewalk right here suffered a direct impact. Now, if you're wondering what these glasses around are, the glass around that's because there was a car here. So the woman, there was a 20-year-old woman who was in the car at the moment of the siren. She got out of the car, stood to the side on the sidewalk over here. But unfortunately, this area suffered a direct impact. You can see on the wall, all the shrapnel, all the damage that it caused. This wall was completely clean and smooth when the day began. But as you can see, this is just from one rocket that hit here. And unfortunately, there's still a pull of blood here out in the field. The 20-year-old woman who was injured here was taken to hospital in critical condition, and we're waiting for official comment as to her current condition at the moment. Look, Ariel, we heard the mayor of Stateroad, that town there calling for government funds, if I have it right, not too long ago. Basically, government support to further evacuate people from that town, whoever remains. What can you tell us about who's still in Stateroad and those efforts? Where they may go? Right, so Alon Davidi, the mayor of Stateroad, has been urging the government to help and evacuate the remaining residents in the city. We're talking about 35 to 40 percent of locals who have stayed here, and they've been through a lot. I mean, their city was overrun by Hamas terrorists. Their police station was conquered and completely destroyed. Later today, they're inaugurating a new one, but there's a lot of pain and anguish in this city, and also there's an active war zone around them. So earlier, just as we arrived on the scene, he was giving a statement to the press. Let's take a quick listen to what he said earlier. This place is not sure for anyone but the Hatsala first responder forces. We need everyone to be out of the city. When this war is over and we win it, we will come. Yes, and that's what I wanted to say. Are you still with us down there? Yes, yes, I'm with you. Great. So again, you're hearing from the people down there. The small percentage that are still there, in other words, hunkered down. Do they want to leave? What do we know about the mentality of the people in this town? Well, I mean, briefly I can say a mentality of lions. I mean, I spoke to one local here, Avi. He works for emergency services. He cannot be interviewed on camera, but he described the harrowing moments of Saturday morning when at first they started getting calls of injuries, but there was one call here, one call there. A few minutes later, someone's injured here, and that's when they realized, started to realize the sheer magnitude of what was unfolding in their streets, in their town. And there's a lot of lack of faith in authorities, mainly the government, but also emergency services saying that all emergency services collapsed when they were most needed. They do want to stay safe. Many of them are saying that they will eventually come back and rebuild the city, but now is not the time for that. Now is the time for safety. Now is the time to get away from the front line, from this war zone that has been imposed upon them since Saturday morning. And still, I don't know if you can hear the booms, but it's constant. There's constant exchange of fire. Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip. And also today, there have been multiple barrages of rockets towards Delot, the latest one, five injuries, two critical conditions, two severe conditions. And so we're in the site of just one of them. And this wall is, until it's re-smoothed, it's going to stand as a monument, one of many in the city of Delot, to the carnage that has been taking place here since Saturday. Brutal to see Arielle, thank you for bringing us up close. Again, it's just the latest scene of, again, so much carnage in these communities down there. We'll come back to you later on for an update as well. We have other perspectives to bring in right now. We're joined by Ali Adid. He's a public assistant documentary filmmaker in Israel and also one of the Arab residents of the country here. And I know I generalize largely Ali bringing you into this discussion, but there is, I think, a lot worth talking about. If you can help us understand, to generalize a bit about the nature of the discussion right now within Israel's Arab communities, how are people looking at this moment? Okay, so the good thing, the different thing actually compared to other conflicts that we had, Israel had with Hamas, is that now the Arab community in Israel is more silent. They're keeping their mouths shut, which is a good thing, because I think they're more embarrassed about what is happening. And they're more, I think, cooperating with the Israeli authorities, which is, I would say surprising, but the Israeli Arabs have more empathy to what is happening inside Israel. It's good to hear. I mean, obviously, this is a community that's been besieged by murder rates that are breaking records all the time. So they're under their own stresses. Unfortunately, it's been so focused on these communities. But look, I have to bring up the painful memories from not so long ago, based on previous flare-ups, notably in May of 2021. Look, I know on Saturday, there are a lot of Israelis watching this slaughter on full live TV in the South and fearful again, unfortunately, of putting plainly Arab neighbors coming out violently against them. It didn't happen. It hasn't happened. What's your read on just, what was different this time? Was it the horrors of Hamas? What's the impact? Exactly. I think anyone who has two eyes and could see the images and videos that were all over Instagram and social media, anyone with the heart can just, you can't, you can't just stand behind it. You can't just defend it. And on one hand, really, I'm very proud of most of the Israeli Arabs who are keeping silent, although I want to hear them more condemned than those leads. But what is really disappointing is seeing more of my intellectual friends, most of them very progressive or intellectual Palestinians all over the world, influencers on Instagram, whom I want them to, I want them to really condemn what is happening when seeing Hamas massacring or using methods of gender warfare or in general war crimes against Israeli civilians. And those very progressive people, who some of them are from the LGBTQ community, who are very academic and sophisticated, they just can't simply condemn those leads. They always start their arguments with yes, but like how can you see families executed at gunpoint and say and start your argument with yes, but how can you see young people who are partying, life and liberty at an outside party and you find bodies like images of bodies or had their like hands tied and burnt, maybe probably alive. And you see babies that were beheaded because maybe Hamas terrorists thought that the bullet is too expensive to waste on a baby. And you see all of that and the only thing you can do is start your argument with yes, but like it was devastating because you know if those images and those things that we hear, if those didn't move them, then I don't really have much hope for more empathy. Ali Adiyah, we appreciate your perspectives here and thanks. I know this is a tough community in concept to generalize, but certainly an important one. I think it's worth discussing and certainly a lot of minds on this right now in terms of what is this sizable minority in Israel thinking and how are they looking at the situation. I'm just grateful for now there hasn't been any real domestic violent uprisings or any sorts of thing like that. Ali Adiyah, thanks for being with us again. Appreciate you having me. Thank you for having me. And again, back in the studio here with Nairi. Since May of 21, I mean this may have been the biggest fear in Israel. We weren't looking at Gaza even as such a major threat. It was this internal threat that hasn't materialized right now. What's your perspective from outside that community obviously on is just simply the scale, the horror? That might be it. That might be just a shock. They're also Israeli citizens. They live here. They're also under rocket fire at the moment and they should be in many are in bomb shelters in safe rooms. And yes, we have to mention for viewers both in Israel and outside of Israel inside the country in terms of Arab Jewish relations. It's been very, very calm, very quiet and that's all for the good. The West Bank is a different story somewhat. There are very concerning incidents that we've been hearing about in terms of Israeli and Palestinian clashes and many deaths on the Palestinian side, which obviously haven't been getting that much coverage because of just the carnage in southern Israel. Incidents across the West Bank, even the northern border here, that in normal times would probably occupy us for days talking about. There was a terror attack in Egypt, I believe Saturday or Sunday. And Israeli citizens and tourists were killed. The headline news for probably at least a couple days here. Exactly. So we should tell viewers inside Israel, still very relatively quiet Jerusalem as well. And in the West Bank is a concern. My overall concern is that tomorrow there's Friday prayers. And so what happens in Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque, I think may dictate a lot how the Israeli authorities choose to handle it, what kind of support you may see from worshipers going up to the mosque and how that's handled by both the local Muslim authorities and the Israeli authorities. Hamas actively trying to. I think many people, and this hasn't gotten enough attention, many people in Gaza and also in Lebanon are looking very closely at Jerusalem tomorrow and Friday prayers. I really hope they go off relatively quietly and smoothly. So Israel and I'd argue the wider region can focus just on the Gaza front. I haven't heard of any restrictions being imposed on the prayers. I haven't heard of any. They exclude certain age groups of men, things like that to try to limit it, you know. Right, I haven't either. We may get more word of that later on today. We should also mention a lot of the West Bank now is the checkpoints are closed. A lot of flying checkpoints in terms of movement of Palestinians from place to place. And so the Israeli authorities, the military keeps telling us as reporters, the IDF is a sovereign in the West Bank. People need to listen to the IDF. And they're not telling that for Palestinian consumption. They're telling that for ultra nationalist right wing Israeli settler consumption that settlers, armed settlers don't take matters into their own hands. And the scenario that you talked about in terms of intercommunal and internal violence and escalation between Arabs and Jews, whether in the West Bank, Jerusalem or Israel, comes to pass on top of a military campaign in Gaza and on top of a potential military campaign in Lebanon. Mary, hanging in there with us again. We're waiting for the Secretary of State, Lincoln, who's arrived here, US Secretary of State to take to the podium any moment here. We'll go back to our correspondent, Robert Swift, who's out on the northern border. Again, Robert, obviously there was such concern last night based on, I don't even know how to refer to it, hundreds of air raid sirens, warnings at one point about possible drone infiltrations. Another element to bring into the story here, which appears to be focused northward, is the US carrier fleet that's now in the Eastern Mediterranean. Another carrier on the way that Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower, both these massive strike groups coming in. Obviously they're aimed at keeping Lebanon and Hezbollah and Iran and any wider forces out of the fight. Are they having a major impact, do we think? Well for the time being it's very difficult to tell how much impact they're having. Hezbollah has responded to the deployment of these warships, essentially saying that they weren't phased by it, but you would hardly expect them to say otherwise. The main events taking place here regarding that are the IDF deploying additional forces here to the northern regions. They're making a statement on that earlier today. It seems that despite the presence of these US warships, Israel is very much clear that it is making its own measures, taking things into its own hands, which would be entirely in line with Israel's general policy of ensuring its own security. With regards to the deployment of these ships, it's also worth noting that the fact that Hezbollah hasn't entered into the conflict beyond the small skirmishes that we've seen in recent days, it may be a sort of a case of both sides in a sort of standoff. The US has these warships with aircraft ready to deploy if it wants to take that step, but also at the same time assuming that there is coordination between Hezbollah and Hamas and with regards to Iran, it's possible that they are also standing off with this trigger ready to pull if they so wish. For the time being, both sides appear to be watching the other, trying to gauge what's coming next. For the communities here in the north, ordinary people, they're stuck living in the situation as essentially waiting to see what happens next. Now if I just step to the site and you'll see the northern border, the Lebanese border, just a couple of miles from where we're standing and we're actually filming from the front door of a house here in an Israeli village in this northern Israeli community. So you get an idea of how close these villages are to the north and for ordinary people like this, they have to deal with this situation. Now we've spoken to the residents here and they noted to us that the only time in all the flare-ups of security that they have felt the need to leave the area was during the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli War, where the residents for about a week departed due to the number of rockets that were fired. And when I asked them if they thought that they were going to have to do this again, they said no, they were going to stay in their home because they didn't really think that Hezbollah was ready for the fight and we'll wait to see if that is to be the case or not. In the meantime, as I said, the IDF is reinforcing its troops here, essentially making sure that whether or not Hezbollah is willing to enter the fray, that the IDF has a response for them. You know, the updates have given us a good view on the proximity simply of how Israelis are living so close to their Lebanese neighbors over there and the tensions, of course. I want to mention just right away here, there's been rocket alerts in Jerusalem again. This has been a scene of a lot of alerts and rocket fire as well. So again, Rob Swift up on the northern border, they've just given us updates on the situation there and now we've covered from front to front some of the latest updates. It's worth taking a look at some of the uplifting initiatives and one of them by Hotel Shuk Levinsky. It's here in Tel Aviv, of course, and it's just one of many really inspiring initiatives, just in the early days here since we're still reading from the losses that are emerging in this one, hosting dozens of residents of the south since Saturday. Take a look. The Levinsky Market Hotel opened a few months ago as a boutique hotel, but it is now home to dozens of southern Israel residents. It gets like phones and people crying on the phones without saying anything, just crying and they run away, they tell me I need the room, I need the place to sleep and the heart, you know, is breaking. Ever since the massive terror attack on Saturday morning, several families have now found a place to live in the heart of Tel Aviv. Three missiles exploded near my house. One of my neighbors died. My kids got panicked. I have 12 kids. Uri Yefrakh is one of the Gaza border residents who fought Saturday against the Gazan terrorists. He tells us that he will not return home until there is a real solution. On Saturday morning, we woke up to the loud explosions of rockets, red alert, which we used to. After 20 minutes, we heard gunshots. We understood that this is a case of a terrorist infiltration. We shut at our home and saw the horrors begin. In previous conflicts, televisions were accused of being disconnected from the rest of the country. This time, it seems that even the so-called bubble cannot escape from the situation in Israel. We are united. We will win. The people of Israel is eternal. And again, just these moments, the sirens in Jerusalem, they challenge more accurately perhaps into the Secretary of State, Lincoln, who's there right now. So nothing happening by chance. In this conflict, of course, we're speculating, but this is the reality going on as the Secretary of State is there, rocket fire towards his direction. So many others as well. The staying on the uplifting side of the news right now is our Emily Francis, who's out there, I believe, in Richon-Lizion. One of the towns, Emily, has been hit so hard by rocket fire just even just this week. But what do you see in there in terms of how people are reacting? Hi, David. Well, you know, people here, there's so much heart and soul in this place. Fortunately, we haven't had anything here since we've been here today. But this is literally the professional Richon-Lizion basketball team stadium. It's called the Maccabi House. This is a basketball stadium. It's literally filled with people usually paying basketball. Now it's been filled with boxes, people donating so much that they're literally running out of clothes. But these are literally supplies, the basic supplies, toilet paper, shampoo, socks, underwear, personalized notes, deodorant. This is all going directly to the soldiers that are at the border of Gaza. It is being hand-delivered. And I actually spoke to a source of somebody who's got family fighting there, saying how much these gifts mean to them. I mean, this is everything, a little touch of home. This is the way Am Yisrael stays high. This is what people are doing all day. They're coming in. 2,000 boxes have been packed. We also have a very interesting volunteer who I've gotten to know in the few hours. We got to jump over boxes to get there. This is Lee Galmore, who's a volunteer and an activist, an artist, an activist. We had a deep conversation earlier. Explain why this is so important and you are here doing so much work. In Israel, there's a thing. You don't sit down on your ass and cry. You don't beat around. You do. If you can fight, you go and fight. Or you can rescue your friends like brothers-in-arms are doing right now in the South. Some people, like me, are just jumping from one volunteer to another. So right now I'm packing boxes with hygiene products to my soldiers, but I'm going to a funeral in an hour. And after that, I'm going to walk an elderly woman to a hospital when she needs to get health. You're doing so much and also, I mean, you've also lost friends. So how are you able to keep it together? How is this the saving grace to volunteer knowing that we have all? Everybody in this country knows somebody who was killed. Everyone in this country is fighting for other people to live. I got this country on a plate of silver. I was very lucky to have a country, to have a nation. Now it's my job to make sure it's still standing and to support the civilians. And what does it mean to hear? Because I just spoke to a colleague of mine who's heard from the soldiers down there that they are just so touched that they're getting these mails. I know you know the people you know, but it means so much. Why is this the most important thing? I mean, this is a Jewish soul. It's through food and through things and knowing that they feel that they're loved and their family is around. It's about making sure that everyone's feeling that they're the child of everyone. Everyone is their mother, sister, brother. And that's how we go. That's the way in Israel, even within the protests. We've been fighting for eight months so far. Everyone is like a unit family. Now it's about time that not only the protesters will be one unit family, that the entire country will be together, one community. And do you feel in some weird way, you know, again, protesting and all of this political infighting here we are? Is this the great, I guess, do you have hope that this is going to be a shape-shifting moment that this is going to unify this country? Or do you have hope that we could be unified through this horrific experience? Well, I'll leave politics aside because the moment it's done, we're going to touch that for sure. But right now it's about making sure everyone feels safe, hugged, loved, and to take care of their needs right now. I have no thoughts about what's going to happen after the war. Only how we survive the next day. Wow. Thank you so much for your impactful forwards. And we're going to be catching up with you again later because you're doing so much work that we will share for another time. But thank you again. And again, these small things, could you imagine these soldiers, these 18-year-olds? I know people, I know people's kids who've been called into reserves, people that I know personally. This little bit goes so far, so far. So let's keep doing it. It's good they're running out of supplies. But those of you that are watching or even want to donate, there's plenty of places you could help donate to help these soldiers with food, with everything. And I'm going to send it back to the studio now. But again, I'm reporting from Rishon Lezion, where people are going to stay here until the end of this war, if that's what it takes. Back to you. Emily Frances, great. Given us a look there, of course, and her volunteer guest there, I think exemplifying so well the mindset of people and how we're moving forward today as a country right now. But as we still await the Secretary of State, who will take the podium here, Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, has arrived here today, just the latest example of support coming from the U.S. administration. Let's hear that. And this does come as we are beginning to rebound here in Israel. With the great and truly unequivocal backing of the United States, again, just latest, exemplified by the arrival of the Secretary of State here to developments today in Israel, though, center on the formation of a new emergency, even unity government in the country, bringing in Benny Gantz and his party, more importantly, Gantz and another former IDF chief of staff, Gadi Azenkoi. Now, take active part in the Security Cabinet planning and the critical decision-making in this moment. Last night, they took to the podium to make a special address and declare that, as expected by the country, the primary goal of the coming military operation will be nothing less than to completely disarm and defang Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Now, this has become terrifyingly clear this week. It's no longer possible to tolerate or contain the highly sophisticated level of militarization, the capabilities of Hamas, or really any implacable enemy on the other side of any fence. Therefore, the Army now turning the decimated Gaza periphery there, those communities into staging ground for a wider operation. Here's some more. Unbelievable the casualties that we saw and then we thought that everything, we saw everything, but then it came to yesterday when we went into Kibbutz Bayeri and we saw the rally, what was done to the families, to the children that was 33 years in this position and I was everything. I saw everything, I thought I saw everything, but something like that I never saw. Now as we continue, if you're just joining a second hour of live coverage with me here, I'm coming to you from live from Tel Aviv, David Malin, as we are ongoing rolling coverage, giving you all the updates on the situation, the state of war that existed in Israel and the status of the country. We, for some updates, we're going straight out to our correspondent, Ariel Osirin, who's in state roads this morning, which has not been quiet, Ariel, as we got some idea in the last hour for our viewers probably just joining now. Ariel, give us an idea of just again what happened where you're standing. Right, David. So here in the city of Sderot a couple hours ago, a direct hit, few direct impacts by rockets launched from the Gaza Strip and in this wall behind me you can see the damage caused by the shrapnel from a direct impact right where we're standing. In this point, there was a 20-year-old young woman who was taken to hospital in critical condition. There is not yet any word as to her condition and in addition to her there were two more people who were taken to hospital in severe condition and this is just one site of the latest barrage, another direct impact in a home and throughout the day there have been constant sirens surrounding the Gaza Strip, some in communities further down south but basically all the communities around the Gaza Strip have had a blaring sirens since the morning hours and a couple of direct impacts here in the city of Sderot. Now the mayor of Sderot, Alon Davidi, he is urging the government to take out, to evacuate the remaining residents of this city that since Saturday have been suffering war in the harshest of ways from the raid of Hamas terrorists and now the continuous barrages of rockets. He said that out of the about 26,000, 27,000 residents, locals 35 to 40 percent of state and he's asking the government to take them out as fast as possible let's take a listen to what he told press earlier today from here the site of the direct impact. This place is not sure for anyone but the Hatsala first responder forces we need everyone to be out of the city when this war is over and we win it we will continue to develop our amazing city together with our heroic citizens. So as as you can hear there are many of the citizens of the residents have evacuated under own accord in the communities closer to the Gaza border the communities that also suffered the brunt of the brutality by his military by Hamas terrorists sorry they have been evacuated by authorities but in this city the largest town closest to the Gaza Strip many thousands are still here at home you hardly see any pedestrians out on the street there's we're standing right by a beautiful children's park with a fountain that is running for no one and they're waiting the ones at home the thousands who are waiting at home in their bomb shelters most of them they're waiting for authorities to evacuate them and take them out of this war zone this nightmare that they've been living in for five days so far there's been a no word from the government regarding these pleas all right our host around thanks for being with us again the updates from the critical front there around the southern communities stay wrote in particular this morning taking another hit there and look Israeli president Herzog he spoke again to the nation girding for a long painful but deemed necessary war to dislodge the extreme threats around us and with so many of the leading politicians simply absent from the public guys since this debacle Herzog is taken up the mantle to speak directly to the people and here's him speaking just earlier there was no reason at all for this flaring up which ended in the worst tragedy we that was ever inflicted on the state of Israel and the highest number of Jews killed since the Holocaust highest number of Jews killed since the Holocaust including Holocaust survivors who went through the worst atrocity in history one of my own advisors was mobilized to remove bodies I spoke to him last night he found a family of five tied together hugging each other shot and burnt nothing can speak more than anything this than this tragedy I was we have to make sure the Hamas will not be able to repeat this again that is the plan that's what we are trying to do with all the respect I see nations fighting terror okay many decent nations when they fight terror they fight terror we are fighting terror humanity has to decide are we accommodating terror are we fighting terror we are fighting terror and we saw the worst atrocity possible we see the worst atrocity possible by a whole campaign of a movement which has major support with our neighbors major major they believe many people believe in it I agree there are many many innocent Palestinians who don't agree to this but unfortunately in their homes there are missiles shooting at us at my children at the international of Israel we have to defend ourselves we have the full right to do so and it's about time that the world understands it I have two studio guests to introduce here to discuss more here I'm drawing by Robbie Berman Israeli tour guide and journalist as well as Benjamin Anthony the CEO of the Mariam Institute appreciate your expertise and both of you coming in here today a lot to discuss look first Benjamin on you know the words of the president you know it seems to be that one speech after another right now from from leaders here there's just unequivocal clear there's no there's no hedging on on the moment we're in what should be done I think this is Parasimals fiery speech we've seen from President Herzog in many years despite all the issues he's gone on is this are we getting a reflection of the real mentality of the nation right now from wall to wall on what needs to be done so I agree with you President Herzog speaking very clearly very strongly in a very forthright manner I know that wall to wall among the citizenry of the states of Israel people want to see rightly they want to see Hamas toppled destroyed destroyed inside the Gaza Strip and prevented from ever reconstituting itself however having said that much is yet to be known about what the political echelon will decide and indeed the senior ranks of the defense establishment I don't think it's sensible to guess what they will ultimately do there are many things that are still unknown and we'll have to wait to see but yes absolutely right President Herzog speaking very very strongly very forthrightly in the presence of a press court that is generally supportive of the situation as not as things stand right now but of course that waxes and wanes as time goes on it certainly does I think we're in a critical moment here Robbie I know there's some initiative you want to discuss about but first with your perspective on you know let's call it outsiders formers as a tour guide here bringing people into the country at times you know I believe overall that's it's like a diplomatic role essentially to bring in so many groups and you know give people perspective on that on the country how important of a moment are we in right now Robbie in terms of giving the message giving the evidence showing what took place here trying to steer the narrative still not in the direction that we don't want to see it go are we in a critical moment for that in terms of people's perception simply of what's happened here yeah well I actually have an advantage in that I'm kind of left of center and I've often criticized the Israeli government and the Israeli army and I'm very pro Palestinian rights as I am pro Jewish rights so I have a lot of cash there a lot of credibility and this is like insane there are people out there who are defending what Hamas did they're saying this was an act of defense it was completely an act of offense it was a slaughter it was a massacre it was disgusting and I don't know how anyone I think people have a screw loose if they could look at this and say hey you know what what they did was justifiable it wasn't justifiable now as far as tourism goes I've already had a return about $6,000 worth of deposits all of my tourists said they're not coming I completely understand it returned all of their money I understand tourism will be affected seriously and you know that's one of our major factors in our GDP so we have a serious problem ahead of us and especially people in my industry but it is what it is I look one of the elements that I think we hardly even mentioned today you know the least 150 were still unclear exactly the number of Israelis taking hostage into the Gaza Strip uh this being perhaps the gaping wound among many uh around the situation right now there's been some initiatives probably popping up in terms of trying to perhaps I don't know what the word is convince course so I tell you what it is so what's going on is a lot of people feeling very frustrated and very feeling very helpless so what people are doing in Israel which is beautiful they're making sandwiches they're making foods they're buying boots they're buying tape they're bringing it to soldiers that's great I was starting to think a little bit bigger what I could do and I realized you know in my past life I was a fundraiser I raised over 20 million dollars so I called a couple of high net worth individuals and asked if they would pledge for me to offer a reward to any Palestinian Gaza that would somehow save an Israeli hostage now they can do this in a multiple ways if they find out if they suspect they have the coordinates of where the hostage is being held again here's prime minister and I'm both taking the podium right now live as we speak and let's listen here I'll go back to my lunch good here today thank you thank President Biden and thank you to the American people for your incredible support for Israel in our war against the barbarians of Hamas I thank you in English I want to thank you and Hebrew as well I want to thank Secretary Blinken President Biden and the American people they're tremendous support in our war against the barbarians of Hamas Mr. Secretary you come here to people who is in pain who is fighting who is determined to beat the evil forces from one hour to another we hear about the stories of horror and the stories of bravery the stories of horror say everything about them and the stories of bravery say everything about us and this bravery will win Mr. Secretary your visit is another tangible example of America's unequivocal support for Israel Hamas has shown itself to be an enemy of civilization the massacring of young people in an outdoor music festival the butchering of entire families the murder of parents in front of their children and the murder of children in front of their parents the burning of people alive the beheadings the kidnappings of a young boy not only kidnapped molested hurt attacked and the sickening display of celebrating these horrors the celebration and glorification of evil President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this sheer evil Hamas is Isis and just as Isis was crushed so too will Hamas be crushed and Hamas should be treated exactly the way Isis was treated they should be spit out from the community of nations no leaders should meet them no country should harbor them and those that do should be sanctioned Tony my friend I say to you I say to all of us there'll be many difficult days ahead but I have no doubt that the forces of civilization will win and the reason that's true is because we understand what is the first prerequisite of victory is what you just said in our meeting moral clarity this is a time a particular time a special time that we must stand tall proud and united against evil Tony you are taking that stand America is taking that stand thank you for being here today thank you America for standing with Israel today tomorrow and always Mr. Prime Minister I'm grateful to be back in Israel in this incredibly difficult moment for this nation but in fact for the entire world if you'll permit me personal aside I come before you not only as the United States Secretary of State but also as a Jew my grandfather Maurice Blinken fled pogroms in Russia my stepfather Samuel Pizarre survived concentration camps Auschwitz Dachau my Donik so Prime Minister I understand on a personal level the harrowing echoes that Hamas's massacres carry for Israeli Jews indeed for Jews everywhere I also come before you as a husband and father of young children it's impossible for me to look at the photos of families killed such as the mother father and three small children murdered as they sheltered in their home in Kubotsk near Aus and not think of my own children this was just one of Hamas's countless acts of terror in a litany of brutality and inhumanity that yes brings to mind the worst of ISIS babies slaughtered bodies desecrated young people burned alive women raped parents executed in front of their children children in front of their parents how are we even to understand this to digest this and yet at the same time the same time that we've been shocked by the depravity of Hamas we've also been inspired by the bravery of Israel citizens the grandfather who drove over an hour to a kibbutz under siege armed only with a pistol and rescued his kids and grandkids the mother who died shielding her teenage son with her body giving her life to save his giving him life for a second time the volunteer security teams on the kibbutzes who swiftly rallied to defend their friends and neighbors despite being heavily outnumbered and we're lifted by the remarkable solidarity of the Israeli people demonstrated in the long lines of people giving blood in the hundreds of thousands of reservists who've mobilized some rushing home from abroad people around the country opening their homes to fellow citizens displaced in the south people of Israel have long and rightly prided themselves on their self-reliance on their ability to defend themselves even when the odds are stacked against them the message that I bring to Israel is this you may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself but as long as America exists you will never ever have to we will always be there by your side that's the message that President Biden delivered to the prime minister from the moment this crisis began it's the message that I and my other colleagues in the government have delivered to our Israeli counterparts on a daily even an hourly basis it's the message that I bring with me to our discussions today and it's what all the firm when I meet with the members of Israel's newly formed national emergency government we welcome the government's creation and the unity and resolve that it reflects across Israel's society we're delivering on our word supplying ammunition interceptors to replenish Israel's iron dome alongside other defense material first shipments of us military support have already arrived at Israel and more is on the way as Israel's defense needs evolve we will work with Congress to make sure that they're met and I can tell you there is overwhelming overwhelming bipartisan support in our Congress for Israel's security here in Israel and everywhere we will reaffirm the crystal-clear warning that President Biden issued yesterday to any adversary state or non-state thinking of taking advantage of the current crisis to attack Israel don't the United States has Israel's back we've deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean we bolstered the presence of U.S. fighter aircraft in the region we're providing other support as well we continue working closely with Israel to secure the release of the men women children elderly people taken hostage by Hamas we're pursuing intensive diplomacy throughout the region to prevent the conflict from spreading and I'll be doing that over the course of my trip in the coming days too often in the past leaders have equivocated in the face of terrorist attacks against Israel and its people that's why we've been adamant with all countries in the wake of these attacks there is no excuse there is no justification for these a trust you heard the prime minister say it this is this must be a moment for moral clarity the failure to unambiguously condemn terrorism puts at risk not only people in Israel but people everywhere look at what just happened individuals from 36 countries killed or missing in the aftermath of Hamas's attacks Europe Asia Africa the Americas no region has escaped Hamas's bloody reach anyone who wants peace and justice must condemn Hamas's reign of terror we know Hamas doesn't represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security freedom justice opportunity and dignity we know Hamas instead of promoting the well-being of its citizens rules repressively and dedicates the resources it has to terror tunnels and rockets we know Hamas didn't commit its heinous acts with the interests of Palestinian people in mind we know Hamas does not stand for the future that Palestinians want for themselves and for their children Hamas has only one agenda to destroy Israel and to murder Jews no country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens or simply return to the conditions that allowed it to take place Israel has the right indeed the obligation to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again it's the prime minister and I discussed how Israel does this matters we democracies distinguish ourselves from terrorists by striving for a different standard even when it's difficult and holding ourselves to account when we fall short our humanity the value that we place on human life and human dignity that's what makes us who we are and we count them among our greatest strength that's why it's so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians and that's why we mourn the loss of every innocent life civilians of every faith every nationality who've been killed tragically the number of innocent lives claimed by Hamas's heinous attacks continues to rise among those we now know that at least 25 American citizens were killed we joined families in Israel in the United States around the world in mourning their immeasurable loss nearly 15 years ago my stepfather who I alluded to earlier Samuel Pizarre came here to Yad Vashem to perform the mourners prayer that he wrote to accompany Leonard Bernstein's third symphony Kaddish reflecting on the unspeakable horrors that he'd endured as a boy in the Nazi concentration camps he wrote that man though created in your image and endowed with the freedom to choose between good and evil remains capable of the worst as of the best of hatred as of love of madness as a genius in this moment where evil hatred and madness have once more taken so many innocent lives we must stand together resolve to confront what is worst among humanity with what is best we must provide an alternative to the vision of violence and fear nihilism and terror presented by Hamas that is what the united states will do standing with israel working together with its people and all those in this region who remain committed to the vision of a more peaceful more integrated a more secure a more prosperous middle east thank you very much just an empty blanket us secretaries date arriving here today standing alongside the prime minister of Israel I think his words speak for themselves Benjamin I want to come to you just on the the sheer impact of this your impression you know besides yes the most advanced and largest nuclear aircraft carrier fleet coming to the eastern med this year determination being displayed by the secretary state taking it personally as I've never heard him do speak of himself as a Jew in association with Israel with Israeli issues right now what you read on President Biden Blinken the United States the impact of all the support we're seeing unprecedented arguably I think the support coming from the US administration is remarkable magnificent needed required will strengthen as here in the states of Israel and the Jewish people around the world throughout the diaspora a morale boost at the very least and pardon me a morale boost a morale boost certainly but also with actions backing up the words the maneuver of this this aircraft carrier towards the region is a great great deterrent to those who would perhaps be looking on and considering whether or not to weigh in on this war perhaps opening up a front to our north I do have to say there was much that was very positive in secretary Blinken's speech personalizing the matter of course that will hit home to those who question what actually is the real face of Hamas who have done so for many many years well now they all know Hamas behave with levels of evil that are akin to those levels of evil shown by the Nazis they are not the Nazis however they don't have the military capabilities of the Nazis and most importantly the Jews are not the same Jews from that era the Jews here can fight back the Jews here can turn this tide and they will turn this tide and you will see the Israel Defense Forces turn this wave back on those who brought it to our shores now I do have to say without wanting to open a discussion here with my colleague Robbie who I haven't had the privilege of meeting before but I appreciate what was bad in the speech what was negative in the speech this false idea that we can blanket all of the Palestinian Arabs with this excuse that they are not responsible for the actions of Hamas or that Hamas does not represent them not true they came here by way of a democratic election that was part of their charter that they wish to kill and murder Jews not just Israelis and quite frankly in here we'll have a bit of a difference of opinion I think a siege on the Gaza Strip is absolutely right and appropriate and is being in place as we speak and any notion of money going and incentivizing any Palestinian to do that which is the most basic humane act to namely give information about where these hostages may be is an ill-considered perhaps well-intentioned notion and I would encourage everybody to refrain from doing that the government's policy is a siege on Hamas it is not for private investors and donors however well intentioned they may be to start funneling funds to Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip absolutely not not a penny no gas no electricity nothing at the very least our hostages must come home I have to echo that which is saying you know the blanket saying you know Hamas doesn't represent the Palestinians well in the most recent elections they had they did represent the Palestinians absolutely they did and Hamas's popularity sir is growing in Judea and Samaria in the West Bank and by all indicators they are by far the most popular uh called political front of the Palestinians so it's hard to make that distinction look to step away from this though we have an important guest I have to bring into the studio or into the discussion here with us here we're joined by Yossi Landau he's a commander of Zaka coming from the south Zaka now being the organization largely made up of volunteers who have been present at so many Hamas attacks in the past helping to preserve the dignity of bodies after these attacks so Yossi thanks for being with us right now look please if you can share with our viewers I know a lot of this is difficult a lot of this is fresh just being digested right now if you can share with our viewers around the world who care deeply what you've seen in these southern communities perhaps even if you can tell some of the worst things that you've seen hi good afternoon the way Hamas we can tell that good afternoon in our from our side but as I said I'm 33 years in the force I saw everything all over the world yeah if it's if it's 9 11 attack if it's uh if it's a natural a natural disaster if it's uh if it's a terror attack I saw everything all over and we thought that we saw the the limit when we got on the scene on Saturday and I'm a father of 10 children it was it was we had a it was Saturday and I had all my family with me but I left my house with no questions and came over here to the south to help to see what we can be to help and when I saw the disaster and in the beginning when we picked up people who were only shot or burned to death and and and people that were shot more than once and that to make sure that they're all that they're for sure that okay you know we saw that but when I came in two days ago to Kibbutz the Aries it's called yeah and our first stop that we're talking about I have 50 people on my team that go from house to house and house to house and searching for bodies and to see what we can be helpful when we get into the house and we see a pregnant lady pregnant lady in the on the floor and we turn her around we turn her around and the stomach is open wide open there's a baby connected an unborn baby connected to the cord with a with a with a stab with a knife and the mother shoved in the head and you you're over there and you look and you think you use imagination to think what was first you'll see that's obviously uh speechless there's been a lot of controversy you'll see in the world denying these reports saying that they were over exaggerating the levels of the tragedy please speak to that yes oh when we go to the next house and we see in the living room to see two parents father and mother hand tied in the back and in the other side against them and the children two small children hand ties in the back and in each of them were torched to see and the middle is a table with this terrorist we're sitting and eating while they were torching the kids they use imagination who saw what and you see missing parts on dead bodies that's only for torch and by the end a gunshot wound you'll see how what could that be yeah there were a great number of children taken out of these communities dead you'll see army and there's been a lot of controversy around reports of children babies as as you're describing there's been a lot of people out there trying to deny this saying that we're exaggerating these reports of young children and babies killed in these communities you've you've seen this i saw p yes i saw babies i saw children i saw a mother holding her baby holding her baby and only one get one one one one bullet went through both of them together how much work is left to be done 20 i saw 20 children together with the hand ties in the back and they were burned the shot and burned in piles 20 children shot and burned in a pile you'll see and two piles right how much work is left to be done you'll see how many bodies have we begun to tally the toll for real there's a too overwhelming even at this point to know the extent my team and for four days we picked up i saw bodies that i never saw in my life 670 bodies you'll see you're still uh are you still calming these communities is is can you tell us already have have at least all the dead been found do we think i don't know we don't know right we just we're still searching we know we know that that that they we know that was from yesterday that we found between the bodies of the terrorists we found a civilian that we taught in the beginning it was it was because they they dressed the civilian and we don't know if that was before they were killed or after they were killed they would they dressed them up like like a terrorist with a belt that we should think that it's a terrorist so disguising some of the dead Israelis as Hamas terrorists you'll see can you tell us that's why they did can you tell us some of the communities you mentioned where the children were slaughtered where which towns where you mentioned kibbutz bari where were some of these worst atrocities and far and far as far as as we reported earlier this week yes to get to a lot of controversy around the world our reports of the children and babies being slaughtered in places like far asa and berry gosilando i can only thank you for having the strength to come on our show here to impart this information to the world and above and beyond all for participating and helping down there in the south please please put a prayer for us and for our people and for our soldiers that we should stay normal after this because there's no human being that could they could they could stay normal we all have families who want to go home to our children and raise them and raise them as a normal parent and after seeing this thing it's going to be very hard you'll see lando again from zaka thank you for joining us keep up the good work here i have to leave another guest with us right now on the line here give a hyel thanks for being with us here uh tzvia excuse me tzvia hyel thanks for being with us i know you have a personal story to share as well here please our viewers looking in around the world need to know what's happened here tell us tell us your situation started 6 30 on saturday morning my two of my grandchildren were at the party for peace next to the gaza border they were hit by rockets and the last phone call we had was at 6 30 when they called the parents and said we have to leave the party because we're being born by by walkers they ran to the car and as soon as they started to drive they were hit by bullets and grenades and everything on earth they stopped all the ways out of the party so the last thing we know about them that they were trying to flee the party but we don't know anything after that no one's seen them no one's heard from them we have gone through all the hospitals in israel to see if they are wounded we have seen dna to through the police to have all the bodies analyzed and we still have seven days don't know anything do you have close coordinate contact with authorities at this point though or is there a government at least officials in in touch with you no nothing do you feel alone what's the sense right now in this moment did you feel sense of community from those around you do you feel abandoned what's what's the feeling right now yes we feel very abandoned because nobody from the authorities even calls us or tries to reach us or tries to come and give us some piece of either hope or information but nothing happens we have tried everything we have called every person that could help us people army we have had to use and all the different tv stations all over the world and we were in papers you're in there over the world and nothing we thought that maybe if we went out publicly they are big that maybe the authorities would wake up to do something about it but i guess they're too busy with other things so we don't see anything and none of the video footage nothing has shed light on the plight of of your grandchildren no we uh i know two of my sons have been searching the ground where the party was and they didn't find anything and now there are two options either they are not with us anymore or they are patron in Gaza which we hope they're away because you never give up on life you know no of course not even this is an important moment the world really watching what's what's something you want people around the world to understand looking in right now this was shoah number two i come from the holocaust family i grew up with parents from the shoah and i know all the stories and all the horror and this is even worse than the horror i think what the nazis do and i don't want to leave another shoah again which we are doing in this country right now and all i want to is to know what's what's happened to my grandchildren and hope that we will get them back we need the world's help to get them back to us and the only thing is to put pressure on Hamas and let the people that are captured in Gaza let them go and for and for Gaza i don't wish very much i think they should be i know this is a very different perspective than everyone had just a week ago some days ago evahiel thank you for being strong enough to appear on our program today for giving this message to the world our hearts are with you thank you thank you for joining we are coming back in the studio here again with our viewers who've been sitting through some of the agony of the test of what you've heard yes uh robbie and hosie yes so i didn't really get a chance to respond to benjamin look i understand that governments shouldn't be giving money to terrorists to free hostages that's a bad principle and i'm not advocating that but as you can see there are many and i'm just thinking and appreciate there are many people in israel whose loved ones are missing or taken hostage they haven't heard anything from the government we just had one of the worst fiascos and failures in the history of the state of israel both military and intelligence there's a lack of trust in the government and there are people who are saying that we could do one thing which is to help maybe one palestinian do the right thing which you're right you should do it without getting paid money but if there's a palestinian out there who says you know what i could get a million shekel i saw them move the terror the the the capture those release of hostages into this room i'm going to mail in what what do you think absolutely not i'm not particularly here for this purpose so robbie i appreciate the good intentions behind it but it's ill conceived the fact of the matter is the way to incentivize the palestinians to do that which is the most basic humane act namely say to whomever they can reach where these hostages are being held the way to incentivize them is to bring them to their knees at this stage it's not to enrich them it's not to pump finances towards them this is all being tried by individuals of your ilk who have said center left and i'm not here to decry the center left it's a legitimate voice it's not my question no my question was what's the downside of doing it my answer because it enriches palestinian arabs and it encourages it encourages i'm completely against under these circumstances i think that you'll find yourself in a resoundingly minority voice you are misguided and furthermore it will incentivize further kidnappings knowing that some individuals again well-intentioned but misguided and not in a position of authority this is perhaps the most sensitive aspect of i'd like to talk about the security right and of course there are no clear interest or a lot of high emotions around this and people desperate people desperate to do something yes to affect the situation in a better way but benjamin bring into discussion about you know what we're trying to reveal here yes the importance of getting clarity of information of getting it out to the world the truth about what happened right now and i think both of you understand this well you know that we're facing already an onslaught of people trying to deny reports we're getting from yes people like you'll see who are on the ground seeing these whores that he'll never unsee you know how a critical moment are we benjamin do you think for this providing information to the world to showing them what happened i think it's absolutely vital unfortunately that even the most graphic images and the most graphic pictures be circulated to the media the international press i think that the efforts are underway already to do that when i understand several international absolutely an international cohorts being brought down to ottef asa to the area around the gaza strip for journalists to see that there is precedent unfortunately for this unwillingness to accept what's being done to jews you know the israeli poet amir gilboa wrote a three stanza composition and he said if i as a jew show the nations of the world a tree they will say yes it's a tree and if i show them a stone they'll say yes it's a stone but if i show them jewish blood spilled they'll say it's not jewish blood spilled it's merely paint it's merely color and what we have to do is bring the world to understand that this is not merely paint it's merely color these are the bodies and the dead of the best of the states of israel the best of the jewish people and i'm afraid people aren't talking about it now because it's not befitting the moment to do so but vengeance must be wrought against those who brought this about vengeance not just the toppling vengeance there's been a talk about this about the the nature of the campaign to come you know people absolutely trying to say this isn't revenge it's not vengeance a strategic move to eliminate a threat you know trying to frame this in a way that may help it be palatable to the world as casualties do pile up we know the idea for example already doing away with the so-called knock on the roofs of the aircraft right these kind of humanitarian actions anymore they are still delivering phone calls and warnings i know to people of gaza but we are going to see major loss in this conflict to come like them both sides ruby how do we do you think that that's where a lot of the planning is today is sort of how to mitigate how to manage even how to package you know what's about to happen to the world should that be a priority of the israeli thinkers right now i'm very concerned about what's going on at the level of the israeli government at this time first of all and i think robbie will agree with me here an absolute disgrace that it takes three four days for them to negotiate whether or not to have a unity government that shows how divided we were unnecessarily so in advance of this and it's tragic that an event such as this is required to bring us together having said that i strongly advocate for us watching and learning as this operation develops because though we have prime minister net and yahoo there leading this and we have this reduced cabinet now which includes benny gantz and gaddy eisencott two former chiefs of staff these are three people who have worked together in the past on the gaza front and they have always chosen a limited incursion if an incursion at all i don't know that they will discover a new way of doing things there's one wrinkle in my theory there it has a name its name is you have gallant the current minister of defense we'll see if you have gallant is strong enough compound his fist on the table hard enough and with sufficient vigor i believe that he can i hope that he will and i hope that we will remove some of those obstacles to free movement in a battlefield i say this is a combat veteran myself i don't think it's necessary for a knock on the roof if we want to make those phone calls that's appropriate and proper we are not terrorists but beyond that after a warning comes and no warning was provided to our citizens soldiers and civilians once the warning is in action must be taken look the west bank uh everyone how critical arena is that in this moment right now where so much attention has been by the security administration last year year and a half two years arguably while the gaza strip has been mostly quiet you know where the risks what are the real as we're talking about a place that's not contained so to say like gaza not that gaza was truly contained as we learned hard but it's much more you know integrated between where the jewish communities are living there what the major risks uh there should we be heightened alert as well in west bank i think that we have to be heightened in judae and samaria on a couple of different fronts and i've operated in those areas extensively during my military career and my military service first of all i think it's very very important that we seize and take advantage of where the world is watching and what i mean by that is using misdirection to our benefit militarily right now the world has its eyes trained on the gaza strip what we do in the gaza strip will be projected throughout the world as you've just alluded to in your question having said that that's also an opportunity as the world watches the gaza strip that enables us to maneuver with greater opportunity in judae and samaria and the west bank and we must maneuver there in order to dismantle hamas cells and terrorist organizations that are there we also have to watch out for any revenge attacks undertaken by vigilantes from among our own people because that will first of all it would not be appropriate but secondly that will reduce the level of support that we have both here and internationally critically in blinkens the statement there he said that all the defensive needs of israel will be met that seems like a major statement from the secretary of state as this very open-ended massive conflict you know looming over our heads seemingly inevitable right now is is it hard to overstate the importance of that it's not difficult to overstate the importance of that it's a very very important statement and also what he didn't say now he may have said this elsewhere but he did not say that he calls for a ceasefire that line will come there will be the utterance that it's time to move towards a ceasefire and make efforts to stop the conflict that's why i implore this israeli government to move to move swiftly and incidentally a lot of people again are saying this is not the right time but i will say it prime minister netanyahu and the upper echelons of the defense establishment should fight and fight as though this is their last battle because i have a suspicion that when the death settles it will be proven to be the case that it is how does that factor in do you think in terms of the minds of the top military echelon the top political echelon who who know this who know that this is their last fight whether or not they're acting like the liking acting like it yet in public this is their last fight how does that affect or does it degrade you know the ability of of the army to function you know how is that a factor right now the sort of the weight of the failure hanging on the leaders right now that weight of the failure as you've just said that's exactly what they should be governed by they should take actions that are the very inverse of the magnitude of their failure and turn it towards a successful battlefield operation it needs to be crashing it needs to be decisive they do need to topple khamas nothing short of that is acceptable i hope that they will move towards it but yes absolutely i can tell you i'm firmly of the belief that not only of prime minister netanyahu but again of the senior defense establishment this will be their last fight so i implore them to make it count they must go home they must they must absolutely absolutely the biggest operation of military intelligence and military failure probably in the history of israel and they all have to bear responsibility for and possibly the international community as well the biggest failure the biggest failure anywhere that we've seen in the international community of intelligence the country to your point i need to jump toward the north again here to stay wrote excuse me we're a correspondent are also around the state by this being the war front of the last six days ariel nothing uh different this morning still rocket fire raiding on that town casualties inflicted you know in general beyond state road as well ariel what do you tell us about the status of all the you know the battleground that has been since saturday what do we know about how secure it is at this point and you know the recovery in that area right david so in a briefing that israel's military spokesperson daniel agari gave this morning he once again reiterated the pretty harrowing fact that there could still be terrorists walking around in southern israel today and while since saturday there have been hundreds perhaps over a thousand bodies of terrorists identified there are still pockets there are still those who have infiltrated on saturday hamas terrorists fighters and were not activated immediately or did participate in the carnage and then hid or or did not participate in their waiting for marching orders since saturday after the war basically since sunday we could say there have been 40 terrorists killed by israeli forces in southern israel and with the border fence open in more than 20 different spots gaps that still remain because the border is still very dangerous right now israel is the idea of says that it's guarding each one of those gaps with tanks with air force but the situation here is still very very dangerous and that's why you do not see people walking around the moment you approach like a 10 mile radius to the area all civilian cars turn into emergency services cars police paramedics army that's that's everyone who you see that's all you see walking around here and it's very quiet except for the booms of whether artillery shelling of gaza or interceptions of rockets launched at these border towns or the the rumble of air fighter jets that is the noise those are the sounds that we're hearing here not the sounds of children laughing and playing or families walking around just enjoying this october beautiful weather here but that that's not the case this isn't this isn't your usual october in israel it's actually the complete opposite aros arent coming to us from state road again the site of the updates this morning again a direct hit of a rocket right there where you're standing and we're bringing it into our studio for just uh the few minutes we have left before we step out uh let others take over continue the live broadcast here and uh Benjamin i think the big picture that's become clear it seems from wall to wall is that what the reality that was is gone the strategic doctrines that we stood on have crumbled underneath us uh what changes from here how do we approach the region well where did the country go from here besides defeating Hamas i think when when one thinks about our position in the region our position in the region will last only as long as we're able to demonstrate that if such horrors are visited upon our people we will destroy not deter but destroy those who bring such horrors to our shores to our homes to our families anything short of that those in the region will look on and understand that we are not ready for or willing to fight in the manner that is required it's a message to the international community that which we do there in the Gaza Strip and i very much hope that there will be a conclusive decisive ground offensive and i say this to someone who's a veteran of service on the ground here in the Israel Defensives i also want to say one thing i went and visited somebody very very dear to me who's been called to the front he's in tanks i can tell you the morale among the Miloimniqin among the reservists is high and anything that anyone can do to send equipment and food down to those soldiers he personally told me raises that morale yet further this is clear cut this is not complex this is not complicated this is black and white this is evil against the righteous and we are involved in a righteous fight i can tell you also that in our organization if people wish to do it if they visit our website the Miriam Institute we have a kitchen and an event hall that is distributing food to families civilians soldiers and we will be doing the same with equipment people can get on our website and see that but most importantly yes a message to Hamas yes a message to the international community but most importantly a message to our own civilians and citizens that such a failure will never occur again that begins with a strong offensive and i also think we need to apologize to all the settlements around Gaza that we let them for 20 years for 20 years we let them get occasional missiles run for the shelters live in fear and we're living in Tel Aviv Jerusalem somewhere north it's not part of us we did our best we have to deter but we're not going to destroy it it's a phase we really we really owe them an apology Benjamin Anthony and Robbie Berman thanks for joining us here difficult subject matter and complex issues a lot to discuss so thank you both for joining as we approach the end of my time within these two hours again the situation involving by the hour by the day kind of regarding very long campaign here a response to eliminate the threats that became so parrot it's so sharp this last week in israel still reeling from the pain of those events we appreciate you being with us here at 24 to stay with us if you want to get the real picture of what's happening around the war real is at war since the early hours of the morning israel has been facing infiltrations of terrorists kidnapping of israelis and a barrage of thousands of rockets emanating from the Gaza Strip the biggest and bloodiest attack in years tune in for our extensive enrolling coverage of the Hamas deadly attack on israel with reporters on the ground in depth analysis and most updated and accurate information stay tuned with i24 news a punter electorate qr yaji se abre un breve cuestionario muy fácil de completar otra opción es ingresar en el link que aparece en la pantalla esperamos vuestras respuestas and here to tell you that new yorkers will never tolerate evil whether it's committed here in our homeland or in israel will not of war this is a very active scene and we need to get in the car as we're talking within 100 soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped we just don't know anything entire families including babies and children and elderly were butchered in their beds awaken the giant and we are ready and we are strong everyone is showing up this is the unity this breaking news edition i'm bonita levine coming to you live from tel aviv hamas is isis and just as isis was crushed so will hamas be crushed that's the clear message from benjamin esen yahu as he meets with antony blinken in tel aviv the u.s secretary of state telling the israeli prime minister at defense headquarters just a short while ago that the u.s is here and they're not going anywhere the death toll from the hamas killing rampage is now at more than 1300 new details on the scale of the attack emerging on thursday with the idf saying more than two to 3500 terrorists were involved in the initial brutal assault and that they erected an isis flag in at least one location around 1500 terrorists were killed in israeli territory others managed to escape the two leaders lambasting the hamas atrocities hamas has shown itself to be an enemy of civilization the massacring of young people in an outdoor music festival the butchering of entire families the murder of parents in front of their children and the murder of children in front of their parents the burning of people alive the beheadings the kidnappings of a young boy not only kidnapped molested hurt attacked and the sickening display of celebrating these horrors the celebration and glorification of evil the message that i bring to israel is this you may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself but as long as america exists you will never ever have to we will always be there by your side now the two are set to meet later with members of the newly established emergency unity government including defense minister yoav gallant national unity party leader benny gantz and member of parliament and former chief of staff gaddy eisencott it's day six of the war between israel and hamas rocket siren sounding in southern israel just a short while ago warning of incoming rocket fire in nativa asara ashkelon and in bechemesh near jerusalem so for more we welcome to studio lieutenant colonel in the reserves doron avital former commander in the special forces in the idf and senior defense correspondent jonathan reggae thank you both for being here i'm matched to discuss right now but jonathan i want to start with you an airstrike in syria just a short while ago what is it possibly even two airstrikes we're speaking of the international airports both in demascus and in aleppo two of the serious largest cities we know that these are airports used by iran to transport shipments to khizballah as opposed to what usually happens we're hearing some comments that the israeli authorities are taking responsibility acknowledging that this was an israeli act why so as a response to the mortars which were fired from syrian territory into israel a few days ago usually these these attacks go with no israeli responsibility everybody knows who's behind us but israel does not take responsibility allowing the other side not to respond this time of course the situation now is different israel is saying we are behind these attacks this is the israeli response to anything coming out of syria and if anything else comes comes out of syria you should expect a response we're going to find out more from the ground let's go straight to our correspondent robert swift he is in northern israel near the lebanon border and robert as we've just been discussing an airstrike potentially two in syria demascus airport out of order what updates have you got there what can you tell us what are you hearing well here on the ground on the northern border we have heard some jets throughout the day but much less than was heard yesterday during the uh the drone scare um that being said we we're not in close proximity to where those attacks took place that's further to the north west of sorry to the northeast of us and we didn't hear that but the idf have been reinforcing this area throughout the day um we've spoken to the the idf spokesperson um asking for updates on the information they didn't tell us anything but we have spoken to residents who've told us that idf tanks are moving into the area close to where we are um that would be in line with an increase in the number of troops here and robert we know as well obviously major concerns in recent days specifically about what is happening up north specifically around what he's border may be planning its strategy ahead what are you hearing now what update can you share the big question that people are asking is will he's border enter the war or will it not um the fact that it didn't enter the conflict immediately suggests that they are hedging their bets waiting to see if they if they will come this may be because if they are working in coordination with iran and with khamas they want to hold something in reserve something to use as leverage as a threat thank you so much our correspondent robert swift live from the northern border between israel and lebanon doron avital colonel in the reserves and jonathan reggae defense correspondent still in studio doron your take on what is happening right now in terms of this development in syria and the potential that israel is putting its hand up something completely different and saying we could be behind this yes sure first of all the northern border it's two loaded guns aiming at each other this is the context as uh it was described here and we should see how it unfolds syria we have to of course uh this is a constant the war that we are conducting against whatever a iranian deployment of arms or whatever is going on in syria and i think it's a good signaling i mean we shouldn't we couldn't admit we shouldn't admit but everybody knows who is behind those attacks and it means that those airfields are under our constant aim and we can always take them out of order and therefore syria iranian militia employment of armory watch out we are there sirens in the south we're talking about the syrian border we've got concerns across the lebanon border not to mention the developments of what might be happening in the coming hours or days in the gaseous strip can the idf handle all of this at once i think it can i mean you just see the the way we we galvanize our forces right now so israel went through a three front campaign in its past and i mean the idf after the initial shock and it was initial shock we have to admit is gaining its forces again organizing its plans organizing its division and it's prepared in all fronts including the west bank front which is a front that i'm all the time a little bit concerned because if some provocation would wake up there nor the samaria we had a constant war in the last year and then it can affect the other original fronts and of course it might force one of the players for example chisbala to play also invasion in operation of us in gaza would can change the landscape i mean ground incursion and so on so everything is very loaded many loaded guns in a war in the south so with these many loaded guns as you put it we know that antony blinkin is speaking to benjamin netanyahu right now we heard the message just moments ago khamas is ices and will be crushed like ices was crushed that's the message from the israeli prime minister right now how important is it that the us stand in tel aviv we've got the images on our screen right now the two men shaking hands reaffirming the security commitment given these various threats on various sites at the same time talk us through the significance of this significance is enormous i mean in the context of the whole landscape of the middle east the content the context of iran in the north supporting chisbala the context of the old initiative saudi arabia and the context of those horrendous events the fact that the us is here pledging a full support to israel it's a sign of it gives us the confidence of course we don't expect expect boots on the ground the idea can handle it but it's also a deterrence a very friendly tennis to chisbala lebanon as it is it's a shaky country and i don't think lebanon or lebanese that are not chisbala wants to engage himself in such a terrible warfare i think what america wants to say we want to de-escalate the situation but help israel crash from us completely that's the context jonathan reggae have you've covered this region for a very long time when was the last time you had an ices flag had been pinned to the ground on israeli territory how shocked were you to hear that new detail emerging this morning no it wasn't a shock simply because the the everyone is now saying hamas as ices for for the past five days six days okay but but the ideologies let's remember these are branches of the islamic brotherhood so it's not it's it's not that shocking that they're so close therefore the the the ideology and the brutality seen seen on on on both these these terrible nazi-style organizations i mean we should not be surprised these these are the they're the same and then yes one of the one of the hamas terrorists at a an ices flag that by itself i don't see any surprise at all i mean you you you can see many many of these nukhba fighters uh nukhba terrorists from from hamas they actually some of them even perhaps fight the fort along with a isis in egypt for example they cross to sinai through tunnels at the time and and fought along ices in egypt crossed back to to gaza the fact that they were so close and they they carry each other's flags that by itself i don't think should be very surprising we're going to discuss this further in just a short while but first i want to go to our middle east correspondent arielle usaran he joins us from starot in southern israel and arielle a direct hit in starot earlier on what details are confirmed what can you tell us right benita direct impact here two hours ago but as we speak there's a five minutes ago there was a another barrage of rockets towards the border community of nativa sarah now there is no official word of any injuries there but i'm already seeing that al arabia the saudi newspaper is reporting that the that was not a rocket but it was a anti-tank guided missile so the once we have additional information we will which if that is indeed correct that is a big change from the current wave of rockets that have been launched here all throughout the morning and throughout the day and also pretty much non-stop since saturday morning here where i'm standing right now in starot they suffered a direct impact one of multiple direct impacts that occurred in that barrage of rockets there were five people injured taken to hospital two in critical condition two in severe condition one of the one of the critical conditions was a 20-year-old woman who was right here she got out of her car and as you can see in this wall behind me that suffered the shrapnel from the rocket the direct impact she went between the car and this wall and unfortunately she was critically injured she's in she's in the hospital and we're waiting for an update as for her situation now this comes as the mayor of starot alone davidie has since the morning been urging the government to evacuate the remaining population here the locals that have been living in a the most terrific of war zones ever since saturday morning saying that about 35 to 40 percent of the locals have remained here we're talking about a town of 27 000 people and he's urging the government to evacuate them immediately let's take a listen to what he said earlier from right here at this direct impact site this place is not safe for anyone besides the emergency services we need everyone evacuated from the city when the war's over after we've won we'll continue to build and develop our lovely city together with our heroic residents and we're hearing that the idf chief of staff is likely to deliver his first direct message very shortly if and when that does happen we will bring it to you what are the residents there who are not yet evacuated the residents who are choosing to stay rl saying what is their thinking their strategy why are they not wanting to get out of their given what we're hearing about possible moves by israel in the Gaza Strip soon the line was disconnected so uh i can't i can't hear the question if you're talking to me i heard the beginning of the question but i unfortunately i can't hear you middle east correspondent aril osaran we will be coming back to him when we have a better connection for now live from storot thank you so much aril osaran for that update back in studio our panelists here and i know you want to weigh in specifically to ron about what we're discussing ices a flag a message i think the murderous brutality is ices and of course the extreme islamic ideology but we should be very careful and not decapitate of the out of the palestinian context or the iranian context don't forget that iran was an enemy of ices so it should be very clear that there's a different geometry to the forces and as we go to war we have to understand exactly what kind of organization we are facing same murderous brutality same islamic ideology extreme islamic ideology associated with muslim brotherhood in egypt in other places but a different animal and we have to treat it and i understand it when we go to war exactly what kind of organization we are facing help us understand what type of an organization as you termed it how it deals specifically with people who are kidnapped and being held hostage as we speak in gaza i think of course we are facing a terrible dilemma right now and i spoke with officers that are friends ex-friends and ex-deputies that are right now dealing with this issue the hostage issue but they also have a dilemma in their hands they are also international citizens there and they have to work it out also i don't think they would it's part of their tactic or strategy in the past was all the time the idea of trading prisoners there are various prisoners of their prisoners in our jails you remember that sinwar himself the leader is actually was a prisoner of war a prisoner in our in our jails so i think they would like to get benefits out of this hostage taking it's not a thing their intention is to get to use this as a bulging bulging card in some kind of exchange and we have to wait the context of the war that we are waging with them with how to resolve this hosted issue a real dilemma also for a dilemma for us for our commanders and we know it would be interesting by the way to hear the chief of staff herds talking in the press conference soon how does he refer to this dilemma it certainly is a dilemma and we heard Anthony Blinken saying earlier there are 25 americans abducted so how does that pressure out of washington bear on the developments right now obviously some major meetings happening as we are speaking right now but the fact that the us is here in Tel Aviv saying we've got 25 people being held by Hamas stroke isis in Gaza how does it impact the way things will unfold jonathan i don't know how much leverage to be honest they they have on the things on regarding the the the hostages in Gaza it's not as if Hamas is in love with the americans and they will say okay the americans will let them go i think the american presence is is is more intended for other other factors beat his bala beat iran saying if another front is open against israel that front israel will find assistance not saying boots on the ground i'm not saying anything the americans will fight in but the americans are here with two or three aircraft carriers the americans are watching the other fronts regarding the the hostages in in in Gaza beat the american american citizens and other citizens that i'm not sure i'm not sure how much leverage the united states may have on this regarding regarding the hostages as far as Hamas is concerned they're they're israelis all of them stay with us gentlemen we've got lots more to unpack right now i want to go to our correspondent Hamdas al-Hochis in Tel Aviv Hamda what update can you share this hour well look there were rocket sirens in Tel Aviv yesterday and the day before as Hamas is vowing revenge against the israelis for killing civilians inside of the Gaza Strip here in about an hour there's going to be a press conference for families of people who are still missing they have not been notified by the israeli authorities whether their loved ones are being held as prisoners by Hamas or if they are dead in marx and i have with me here may dove the sister of karen who is still missing thank you so much for being with us i imagine it's it's such a hard time for you have you heard anything from the government no one no one's talk to us if karen was at a french citizen we didn't even been here um what are you looking for from the prime minister from the army we understand you're you're looking for answers i just want to find my sister i i don't know what to expect for but even even though she's hostage even though she's she's killed i i don't know but i wanted to come back home that's it and then do you have a a message maybe there are so many families going through the same thing you're going through there's a a feeling of unity among the israeli population now what do you want to say to them you use used to the attack to the rockets but this they were murdered they were put telly kids i can i can't imagine it's just the holocaust so the holocaust is here again it's 1945 all over again just without it there i just wanted to come back home that's it mendav thank you so much these are just this is just one of the many stories we've been hearing from israeli families whose loved ones are either captive inside the gaza strip or they're dead and being identified in morgues but the the situation here is very difficult the israeli military informing um around 90 families that their loved ones have been captive in gaza others are still lining up in morgues um to try and identify their loved ones with with dna and you just heard from this young woman here she believes that if her sister wasn't a dual french citizen without the help of the french government that it really wouldn't even be a story she wouldn't have the opportunity to come and be part of a press conference so these stories are continuing as the israeli authorities and the military are really trying to help identify these people help identify perhaps where they are but the main overarching theme from all of the israeli public who do have loved ones that are either dead or missing is that they want to hear more from the government bonita and agonizing wait wondering if your relatives are alive wondering where they are it really is very painful to even hear people talking and waiting and hoping for some kind of news and some kind of update khamda we know that you're in tel aviv we know the streets of tel aviv jaffron surrounds have been particularly quiet understandably in recent days give us your sense of what you'll feel for the mood outside is like the atmosphere the fact that it is so quiet what was your take in recent hours in tel aviv well look tel aviv has been extremely eerie since last saturday with schools closed a lot of workplaces closed a lot of workers working from home still but there are still people surprisingly at the beach while the streets a lot of them are more empty there are still people out and about because it's not really as dangerous it's not as heavy as a target like these southern communities we do know that hamas does have weapons in their arsenal that can reach places like tel aviv and actually cause destruction there were several direct hits throughout the city a lot of fears among the population that there could be deaths because of the the imminent rocket fire that could happen again on tel aviv as hamas continuously threatens to send its missiles toward the city correspond on khamdas al hut live from tel aviv thank you so much we will be getting more details from that press conference later on in the coming hours thank you khamda still in the studio colonel and the reserves doron abitao and our jonathan reggae developments in the gaza strip right now we know jonathan that the idf is continuing with its airstrikes targeting hamas sites precision targets what more can you tell us about what is unfolding i'm i'm i'm sorry but i i'm i'm far from impressed from all this because this is this is the same that what we're seeing now in gaza with the stronger intensity yes it's the same as we've seen in the past we've heard from from defense minister yesterday that you have gallant in in in the press conference saying we will wipe hamas of the face of the earth this is not how hamas will be wiped off from the face of the earth why the strategy then doron what is your take i think you have to understand that this is a real setback and you don't rush into offensive once you hit so hard you really have to really regain your forces organize your plan organize your commanders many colonels the high-ranked colonels died there were division commanders i have just talked with one of those deputies they really have to work out a war plan and then execute it and it's better to hold your forces when you are prepared and then do your move because ground incursion there's no no going bank going back when you when you when you enter so we have to really think what's the strategy i think that's what the idea is thinking right now and i think we might hear from herzi how does he think about that and of course we have to understand this is a long whole war and every hamas leader whoever wherever he would be will be found and will be executed in any other way i mean wherever it would be in any like leaders in wherever they would be the mosad would get them i mean this is a long whole war they started a campaign will finish it the question is when how and what time they're not all in the Gaza strip though of course the two of the main leaders they say are in katar katar lebanon whatever will be sharing on as they're watching videos of the atrocities unfolding here yeah is it a realistic goal to completely eradicate hamas is it doable to take gaza is doable the context is what would you do afterwards how do you handle commanding gaza i want to remind all our audience that are real sure on our great one of the greatest generals as well ever had was actually the the same general that decided to disengage from gaza from good reason from good reason so the question what does it mean how can we dismantle hamas without taking the whole of the gaza strip those are the questions we'll have to answer shortly and of course we'll have to reflect what would be the consequence of such a move in terms of the northern front or the west bank by the way to your question about ISIS we have to remind the audience that in the Sinai Peninsula there were ISIS groups that we had problems with in the past we actually helped the Egyptian army to handle them so those ISIS groups have not sure what's their strength right now those Bedouin tribes in the Sinai they're also players that we have to have a look at her at sihal evi the IDF chief of staff is about to speak the idea is ready in a very strong force in all of the arenas for all of the scenarios don't try us thank you very much short and to the point jonathan reggae if break it down very briefly again and and and just as dorona vitale here said we were waiting for something to to know more i don't feel as if we know more we know that the army is ready on all fronts we know that the army is is extensively prepared in the northern arena as well and but did we learn anything oh no dorona vitale jonathan reggae thank you so much we need to leave it there but our coverage will continue very soon this is breaking news edition i'm venice levine live and tell aviv stay tuned don't go anywhere real is at war since the early hours of the morning israel has been facing infiltrations of terrorists kidnapping of israelis and a barrage of thousands of rockets emanating from the gaza strip the biggest and bloodiest attack in years tune in for our extensive and rolling coverage of the hamas deadly attack on israel with reporters on the ground in depth analysis and most updated and accurate information stay tuned with i-24 news this particular project with a gross capacity of 103.5 megawatt will be producing around 230 gigawatt hour of clean renewable energy per year tito reserve we have the right ingredients and we have to do the job and that if we have the right ingredients and 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