constitutional powers while he was in office to do what he wants. that was heartwarming. >> i think she's being sarcastic. >> that does it this morning. ana cabrera picks up the coverage right now. >> have a great day everyone. right now on "ana cabrera reports," breaking news out of the middle east. u.s. secretary of defense lloyd austin about to speak in israel. we are awaiting those remarks, and we'll bring them to you live. he's bringing a new warning for netanyahu as the u.s. pushes for israel to kale back this war. as we learn more about the death of three hostages killed by israeli forces. former president trump claims immigrants are poisoning the blood of america. a response from other candidates and voters. later, heavy rain, flash

flooding, power outages across the east coast. we'll have an update from our reporter on the ground and a look at where this intense weather is heading next. next. good morning. thanks for joining us. it is 10:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. we want to take you right to tel aviv where any moment defense secretary lloyd austin will speak at this press conference. today's meeting follows the tragic news announced friday that israeli defense forces accidentally killed three israeli hostages. the idf releasing these photos showing a sign they say was written in leftover food reading help. three hostages, it was found inside a building near the killings. now israeli public is pushing

the government to get back to negotiating to get the remains hostages out. as nbc news has learned, cia director william burns is meeting with israeli and qatari officials in poland in an effort to restart the talk. let's bring in nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel and former director of hostage recovery christopher o'leary and former fbi carl sma. richard, what's happening in gaza right now on the heels of the tragic news about the three hostages killed? >> reporter: first, on the defense secretary's visit, it is part of a larger u.s. diplomatic push. there's not one single item on the agenda. it's not that he's coming to deliver a message that israel must do more to reduce the number of civilian casualties. that's part of it. does the u.s. want to see a resumption of cease-fire talks? yes, that's part of it. those talks are resuming now

with the american cia director, the director of the mossad and senior qatari officials including the amir. so very senior level discussions. he also is talking about the wider region. there is a very deep concern about what is happening in the red sea, and there is an attempt to try and avoid the war that is at this stage not entirely limited to israel and gaza, but more or less contained to israel and gaza, expanding dramatically over the weekend and again this morning. houthi rebels from yemen, backed by iran, fired on cargo ships. this small militia group, the houthi militia are trying to shut down sea traffic in the red sea. they say they are targeting vessels coming toward israel, that they're trying to impose a naval blockade of israel. they have also been shooting at ships according to u.s. military officials that are not

necessarily bound for israel. there is a growing concern across the region that this militia group could spark a massive regional war. so there is a lot on his agenda. he's also going to qatar. he's also going to bahrain. this is part of a regional trip. on the other front in gaza, this could be -- for many israelis, something of a tipping point, the death of these three hostages because it's become so emblematic of the war. it's become something that the israeli people, particularly the families of the hostages, are using as an example because it is exactly what they were warning would happen. the families of the hostages were pressing the israeli government to slow down, to take a beat, not to rush toward a military conflict because not long ago -- seems like a long time ago, but it wasn't that long ago, there was a cease-fire. during that cease-fire about 100

hostages were freed by hamas in exchange for prisoners. so the families are livid. they're saying to netanyahu this is exactly what we said would happen, and the people of gaza are also pointing to this example to say look what israel is doing to its own people, let alone to the gazans. >> so, carl, picking up where richard jest left off, does israel need to change its strategy? >> good morning, ana. i think negotiations have a successful mental health thold of releasing hostages. there's only been one hostage rescued by the idf. i think it underscores how difficult it is to expect the military to able to rescue any large number of hostages. you might be able to get one or two, but negotiations are going to be the best way to continue

forward. >> christopher, these three hostages what a makeshift white flag, shirtless, unarmed when they were killed. how did this happen? >> it's inexcusable. it's a direct product of this strategy which is unbridled urban warfare which is not how you counter terrorism, not how you dismantle hamas or find and recover the hostages. what secretary austin and burns have been asking for, they've been asking for months, to change their tactics. going after hostages to recover them with a sledgehammer is not successful. you need a scalpel to do these kind of operations. it's misguided, and it's self-evident right now that it's not effective. when your front line troops are killing hostages waving a white flag, something has gone astray. >> why isn't israel listening more then to the u.s.?

>> my personal assessment is it's domestic politics driving netanyahu's actions. we have sent -- general glenn who we went over early on after the president gave a warning and advice to israel not to repeat our mistake, general glenn everyone was pointing to his experience in fall luge yeah. he has that and it's exceptional. but he's also the former head of marine special operations command and also the deputy commanding general during the height of isis. so he has the experience of how to dismantle a terrorist network effectively and also we were recovering hostages in syria and iraq during that time. >> karl, i want do emphasize this, more than 100 hostages were freed in the cease-fire when they had negotiations. only one hostage has been rescued by israeli forces in this ground invasion, yet there

doesn't appear to be imminent resumption of serious negotiations right now. netanyahu has said military force is the most effective way to get hamas to negotiate. do you agree with that? >> well, i think israeli military operations have put some pressure on hamas. to chris' point, this is using a sledge hammer. hamas is fighting an asymmetric war. they're embedded within the civilian population of gaza. israel is fighting terrorists who look like civilians because they're not necessarily wearing uniforms. so these soldiers that the idf has, they're on a hair trigger. they can be attacked from any direction, from above, below, guys popping out of tunnels. so this is really difficult. the first phase of the war was the bombing. now they've got guys going in on foot.

i think it shows how difficult it is to try to fight an urban war, especially when your enemy a lot of times is hiding underground. i think israel is going to have to rethink this policy. as chris mentioned, this is inexcusable. it shouldn't have happened, but those soldiers are scared. they're on a hair trigger. they're being attacked from every direction. i think if israel really does want to save hostages, they've got to get back to the negotiating table. >> i want to ask richard about the tunnels, but quickly, christopher, do you think the israeli people are enraged over this, will apply more pressure on the netanyahu government and will actually be effective? >> i do. my understanding from my network is the prime minister has green-lighted trying to reignite negotiations which is why we have the discussions goings-on in poland.

so hopefully we can get back to the negotiating table. i do think we'll be able to get all the remaining women and children out, anybody who is wounded, the elderly. there will be a point where hamas will turn off the spigot. we will have to go to some kind of counterterrorism approach, precision hostage rescue and recovery, and that's desperately needed. the problem is, i do not think a lot of this destruction that's happened in gaza has reduced hamas significantly. they are underground in the tunnels. the destruction has been on the people of gaza and not on your enemy. >> speaking of those tunnels, we have this new video reportedly showing hamas' mohammad sinwar, the brother of the head of hamas, driving a car inside a hamas tunnel. what more can you tell us?

>> so this was a tour that was organized by the israeli military. they claim it is the biggest tunnel that they have found in northern gaza. it looks like a tunnel that you can drive your car through in any city in the united states. it is very large, very well constructed. they claim the brother of sinwar, the leader of hamas in gaza, the operational commander in gaza, that his brother was seen driving through that tunnel, but not the only one. the israeli military has gone after these tunnels. it has been discovering them. they have been blowing them up in many places. hamas is still using them to hide, to move, to operate, but not only the tunnels. hostages have been released saying sometimes they were kept in tunnels, sometimes in homes, sometimes in hospitals. they were moved to various locations. hamas is still putting up a

fight. the israeli casualty figures thus far have been relatively low, lower than many israeli military officials anticipated when they initially went in. but as they get deeper on foot, the casualty numbers are starting to rise. so there is a sense that hamas has been waiting, didn't want to lose a lot of its fighters in a frontal assault, has been waiting for the israelis to get more dug in and potentially more exposed. >> so, karl, learning about the tunnels being 4 kilometers long, 5 meters deep, being described as an underground city of terror, what does it tell you about the level of sophistication of these tunnels? especially when you see that video of the hamas brother driving inside one of these tunnels, and what it tells you about what israel is up against? >> ana, i mean showing those

videos of the tunnels i think underscores how prepared hamas was. they have spent years preparing for this war, making those tunnels, reenforcing them, putting supplies down there, having places for the fighters. really what the tunnels do, it negates a lot of israel's military advantage because the end of the day they're going to end up having to send soldiers down there. they might use some technology, drones, rebots, they can use dogs to help explore. still, finding a tunnel is a bad situation, it's a bad situation. it's a kill zone. it's going to be booby-trapped. once again, trying to rely on hostage rescue to try to rescue the majority of the hostages i think is very unlikely. the israelis might be able to get one or two here or there, but i think they're going to have to go back to the negotiating table because clearly hamas was prepared for a protracted war with the idf.

>> thank you so much, gentlemen. i appreciate all of you. my colleague, jose diaz-balart will be interviewing a spokesperson for the idf about the three hostages accidentally killed. that's next hour here on msnbc. we're also continuing to monitor this press conference with the defense secretary in israel. we'll bring that to you as soon as it gets under way. at home authorities are investigating new threats over the jewish community. over the weekend more than a dozen synagogues and other jewish institutions in eight states and washington, d.c. received online threats, mostly about bombs. it's not clear if they're all linked. the fbi released a statement only saying, quote, we urge the public to remain vigilant and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately. when we're back in 60 seconds, donald trump's comments about immigrants echoing nazi era rhetoric. reaction from the campaign trail. funding fight, the new

comments on capitol hill on when we could see a vote on border funding and aid to israel and ukraine. also, take a peek out your window. we're tracking wild weather. details on a storm system pummeling millions of americans. later, the holiday gifts we all don't want this season, covid, flu and rsv. we'll talk to a doctor about how you and your family can stay safe. can stay safe man, what are you doing?! get it before it's gone on the subway app. ♪♪

the senate is back to work. lawmakers worked through the weekend as they raced to try to get a deal done before the end of the year. that is looking increasingly unlikely with some senators calling for a special conference to discuss the negotiations in january. this as the party's standard-bearer made new, disparaging and hateful remarks about immigrants at a rally this

weekend. >> they're poisoning the blood of our country. that's what they've done. mental institutions and prisons all over the world, not just in south america, not just the three or four countries that we think about, but all over the world they're coming into our country. >> joining us now from capitol hill is nbc's julie tsirkin. julie, first, the talks there on the hill, where do things stand right now? >> reporter: just a couple hours, ana, negotiators will go back to the drawing board, back to the table to try to close and narrow some of the gaps on these major sticking points that remain between democrats and republicans having covered the talks all weekend. they are making progress, but there are key differences that remain, like on parole. republicans want to limit unilaterally what the biden administration can do in terms of granting temporary humanitarian parole to mieg gantz who need it. again, that's not just from south america, latin america. that is applied to ukrainians who have been granted temporary

status and protected as such just a couple months ago. also key issues remain on enhancing expanded expedited removal of migrants. there are some key differences here. progressives and hispanic lawmakers have pushed back on a meeting with the white house on saturday saying they're concerned they're moving too far in the direction of republicans, too far in the direction of trump era policies that were, of course, untenable to so many progressive lawmakers and hispanic lawmakers as well, ana. i want you to take a listen to what senator lindsey graham whose staff have been in the room, by the way, and congresswoman debbie dingell hollywood to say on this yesterday. watch. >> the bottom line here is we feel like we're being jammed. we're not anywhere close to a deal. it will go into next year. let me tell you why it's important to get a good border security deal. according to the fbi director last week, he's never seen more threats to the homeland than he does today.

wherever he looks, he sees blinking lights. >> i share lindsey graham's worry about our national security. we need to do something on immigration, but we need to do it in a right way, keeping compassion but protects our national security. >> reporter: the success of these talks will not only affect border poll seend immigration policy, but also whether congress is able to unlock the crucial aid to israel and ukraine, particularly ukraine. republicans, including lindsey graham, a major hawk of sending aid to ukraine, they want to see border security first, and that could well go into january. >> so are we hearing any reaction on capitol hill to trump's comments about immigrants, quote, poisoning the blood of our country? >> reporter: republicans don't want to touch the former president's comments on capitol hill. even graham was pressed on this issue by our kristen welker yesterday. he dismissed trump's comments, frankly.

he said he doesn't agree with his rhetoric but also said, quote, we're talking about language. i could care less what language people use as long as we get it right. ly tell you the former president's comments will affect how many republicans are able to support this deal because, once again, the moment we get into january, you're talking about an election year, talking about presidential primaries coming up including in january. all of trump's comments slamming this deal, bashing the progress republicans are making in working across the aisle to get somewhere, that will affect how many republicans end up supporting this in the end. nonetheless, of course, the comments from the former president, many democrats speaking out against them, ana. >> julie tsirkin on capitol hill, thank you. joining us is former republican congressman carlos curbelo and former democratic congresswoman donna edwards. congressman curbelo, i'm not going to play the comments again because they're so offensive.

what went through your mind after hearing those comments? >> it was a "here we go again" moment. this is no surprise, this is how donald trump has always been. this is how he launched his political career in 2015. it's unfortunate. it's offensive, but at the same time, it's who donald trump is. it's also a reminder of the liabilities that donald trump will have on the campaign. he's not going to stop this, and this kind of rhetoric, ana, really turns off centrist voters. it turns off swing voters. even though trump is doing well in the polls right now, you can always count on him to be his own worst enemy. >> i think he thinks it works for him. congresswoman edwards, the other part of it is, we're not hearing a bunch of his gop contenders trying to use this against him. it was really only chris christie we heard this weekend pushing back directly.

here was his response. >> he's disgusting, and what he's doing is dog whistling to americans who feel absolutely under stress and strain from the economy and from the conflicts around the world. he's dog whistling to blame it on people from areas that don't look like us. >> congresswoman edwards, what does it tell you if other candidates aren't condemning those hateful comments? >> well, i think shame on them. the reality is that donald trump -- this is who donald trump is, and none of these candidates has really even said -- has said anything. i listen, for exam, to lindsey graham. lindsey graham said, oh, it's just words. well, it was words that inspired january 6th, words that at sparked attacks on asian

americans following his comments about covid. it was words that inspired violence against black and brown people. so words really do matter. shame on these candidates who want to be president but don't have it in them to condemn the words of donald trump and the hateful speech that he engages in. it's not the first time. he used the term vermin back in november and none of the candidates said anything. >> he's made comments about poisoning the blood of our country in recent months. this wasn't the first time he used that phrasing specifically. he also made more explosive comments over the weekend. he quoted and appeared to praise vladimir putin. he called north korea's kim jong-un a very nice manning. he called people arrested for violence on january 6th hostages. this is after, of course, he says he's going to be a dictator for a day, on day one. congressman curbelo, is this the same trump we saw in 2016?

or has he even gone further to the right? >> well, i think it's the same trump in some ways. certainly, if he returned to the presidency, he would be emboldened. for me, unfortunately, this is no surprise. remember in the spring of 2018 i was on an air force one trip with trump from palm beach to key west, and he expressed admiration that the castro dictatorship had been in power for over 60 years. he quickly told me, i understand they're bad, but still it's impressive they were in power for 60 years. this is a man who add hires authoritarians. he's not shy about saying it. of course, we know he has those impulses as well. again, i think this will all come back into relief on the campaign trail. he's a republican nominee and it will remind a lot of those swing voters in swing states all over this country, why they rejected donald trump and his movement in three consecutive relations, 2018, 20 and 2022.

donald trump will remind all these people who he is. >> the biden campaign released a statement saying donald trump channeled his role models as he parroted adolf hitler, praised kim jong-un and quoted vladimir putin while running for president. here is what we're hearing from voters in nevada about trump's comments. >> most of us all came as immigrants in some way or another. you have to do it legally. you can't just be pouring in here -- they're just coming in here with no skills, no nothing. we don't know really any of their backgrounds, what they are. >> i think unvetted immigrants are ruining a lot of things in this country. >> yeah. in order to choose who we let in the country we have to have a secure border. if you don't have a secure border, you don't know who is getting in. are there gang members?

are they terrorists? >> that's what the voters think, at least these voters, these republican voters. congresswoman edwards, your reaction? >> well, here's the thing, the difference is voters can say those things. i think they're motivated when they have somebody like donald trump running for the president of the united states who expressing those very thoughts. the reality is that immigrants continue to build this country, that there were tons of unvetted immigrants who came to the united states in earlier decades. we need immigrants to continue to strengthen the economy and contribute to this country. i think it's wonderful that people want to come here and build a life in the united states. it says a lot about who we are. unfortunately, we have to have leaders who are able to express their beliefs and commitment to

a nation of immigrants in a way that does not eng danger people. >> donna edwards and carlos curbelo, thank you very much. we'll talk about the scare involving president biden's motorcade, also new concerns about north korea's missile capabilities and the final ceremony honoring the first female justice at the supreme court. justice at the supreme court. gels cold & flu relief with more concentrated power because the only thing dripping should be your style. plop plop fizz fizz winter warriors with alka-seltzer plus. with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. -ahh, -here, i'll take that. woo hoo! ensure max protein 30 grams protein, one gram sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients for immune health. (♪♪) (man) mm, hey, honey.

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we're back with breaking news out of north korea where the rogue nation fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that has the range to hit anywhere in the united states according to japanese officials. this was the second launch in just hours as tensions between pyongyang and washington continue to rise. the launch drawing immediate

condemnation from the west. nurtd adviser jake sullivan calling it a flagrant violation of multiple u.n. security council resolutions. also breaking news out of the vatican. pope francis approved a landmark ruling that will allow roman catholic priests to blame same-sex marriages. a document goes on to say it, quote, should not prevent or prohibit the church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek god's help through a simple blessing. here at home we're following a scary moment involving president biden last night. this is the moment the president heard a vehicle crash into a parked car in his motorcade as he was leaving his campaign headquarters in wilmington, delaware. agents rushed him inside his suv and surrounded the sedan with weapons drawn.

mike memoli is joining us from wilmington, delaware. what happened last night, mike? >> reporter: it's so striking to hear of any incident involving a presidential mode tore cade, but jarring to see the way this unfolded. you're seeing the president reacting the way he did, standing just a few pete away as the car collided with a part of the president motorcade. this happened when the president was making an otr, unscheduled visit to his campaign headquarters. he spent over an hour having dinner with campaign staff. as he was leaving and having a question from the press pool, he heard the crash. we're getting a statement first from the secret service saying there was no protective interest associated with this event. we saw how quickly the president s put into his suv to leave th scene. the wilmington police issuing a new statement just in the last hour saying that this was an accidental collision, that they have charged a 46-year-old wilmington man with driving under the influence of alcohol and inattentive driving.

of course, any incident is going to lead to a review of the protocols involved to make sure everything was handled appropriately. of course, mike, today is a somber day for the president and the first family. >> reporter: yes, ana, this date, december 18th, has always been a sacred and protected day on the president's calendar for the last three years, just as it was for eight years as vice president and for his career as a senator. it was on this day that senator elect joe biden was in washington when he learned that his family was involved in a car accident. his wife and daughter were killed instantly. his two young boys, beau and hunter biden were severely injured. then senator biden said he was thinking of not even joining the senate because he wanted to make sure he was there for his boys. it was the first of several personal tragedies that have come to define the president's political career. we also remember in 2015 when he

lost his eldest son beau after a battle with brain cancer. now he's heading into his final campaign with the only survivor of that accident, hunter biden the target, not just of multiple indictments over tax and gun charges, but being the target of relentless criticism from house republicans as the basis of a congressional inquiry, and his likely opponent, former president donald trump with the slogan where is hunter part of this campaign. >> mike memoli, thank you. at this hour, the public paying respects to late justice sandra day o'connor now lying in repose at the court she served for nearly quarter of a century. at today's moment of remembrance, former law clerks lined the steps of the supreme court for the arrival of the flag-draped casket just moments ago. you can see the nine current justices paying their respects and standing by her casket inside the great hall. the first woman to serve on the nation's highest court and an

arizona native, o'connor died in phoenix at age 93 after battling dementia for years. today's ceremony will be followed by a private funeral service tomorrow. next on "ana cabrera reports," battleground breakdown. who will decide the 2024 electioning? nbc's team is tracking the swing states, issues and voters that can drive what happens between now and november. the extreme weather bringing howling wind, rain and flood watches to the east coast. , raid watches to the east coast. choose acid prevention. choose nexium. liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. with the money i saved, i started a dog walking business. i was a bit nervous at first but then i figured it's just walking, right? [dog barks] oh. no it's just a bunny! calm down taco. sit duchess. stop! sesame no no. archie! walter don't, no, ahhhh.

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welcome back. we're less than a year from election day and a few weeks from primaries. nbc is taking a look at the seven counties believed to have a big effect on the vote. dame county wisconsin helped president biden flip the swing state blue in 2020. it was essential in gaining turnout. steve kornacki is at the big board to break it all down. nbc's shaq brewster is on the ground in dane county, wisconsin. steve, dane county is one of seven we're focusing on. what do we need to know? >> more than 3100 counties in the country, but seven we'll pay particular election to. they offer clues to some of the

key swing states and key demographic groups as well. here are the seven. we'll give you a big picture overview. you mentioned dane county. dane county, university of wisconsin, this is all about the portion of the democratic base that's been the most motivated in the trump era. college educated professional class. that's what you're seeing here in 2020, the turnout in dane was nearly 90%, overwhelming democratic. this is a test of democratic enthusiasm and energy. that's what you're looking at in dane. go to kent county, grand rapids, western michigan, a number of counties like this in michigan and across the country. these are traditionally republican counties that don't like donald trump that much. in fact, it flipped to joe biden in 2020. part of this is demographics here, a big dutch reform church population. they're conservative, they're republican traditionally, but

have had issues with donald trump. you're looking at traditional republicans who may not be there for donald trump. keep an eye on counties like that. eerie county in northwest pennsylvania, this is the classic blue collar. obama, obama, trump county. trump swung it in 2016. in 2020, it's one of only two in pennsylvania that flipped back to the democrats, but barely. erie is the closest thing we have in pennsylvania to a bellwether county. see how that goes on election night. might tell you how the state goes. maricopa county, phoenix, sprawling suburbs. almost 60% of the votes in arizona will come out of maricopa. we've got wash shaw county in nevada. this is where reno is. most of these big geographic counties here in the middle part of the state are deeply red. this is clark county where las vegas is.

the idea here is democrats try to run up big margins in las vegas. washoe county is the closest to a swing county. nevada since 2008 has voted democratic, washoe has voted democratic. this county will be key. gwinnett county northeast of atlanta, it typifies the atlanta metro area. incredibly fast-growing. the population since 2000 has doubled in gwinnett. it used to be overwhelmingly white. now about a third white, a third black, a third hispanic it's moved in the democratic direction. we know georgia will be a key state. then there's miami-dade county, the biggie, 70% hispanic in south florida. this will be on election night '24 one of the first counties in america we get a readout on.

i think it will go a long way to answer that question we've had for a few years, the hispanic gains that donald trump made in 2020, is he maintaining them? are republicans maintaining them? miami-dade, a good place to look. >> thank you for that quick briefing on all of those key counties we'll be watching as we go from here to election day. turning to dane county, wisconsin, and shaq, you've been talking to young voters there. many young voters disagree with president biden's handling of the israel-hamas war. what are young voters in dane county telling you is top of mind? >> reporter: there are so many issues, climate change, student loan, abortion access, the economy are all top of mind for many voters. when you talk to young progressive voters, those who voted for president biden in the past, his response to the israel-hamas war is top of mind for him and is most animating

for them right now based on my conversations. listen to a couple of them that i've been having. >> it's just getting really hard to justify going to bat for a person who is literally the only person standing in the way of humanitarian aid and a cease-fire. >> if you don't like how biden is handling the israel-hamas conflict, just wait until the other dude gets in there. >> i thought in the moments where it mattered most, he would not do what donald trump would do. now looking at the humanitarian crisis in gaza that the u.s. has an absolute responsibility and capability of curbing, i think he's doing what donald trump would have done. >> reporter: the polling suggests that rifts between president biden and young voters was accelerated after the start of the war. the question is whether or not that's a trend that will extend

in 2024 or if that's something temporary. one of the things i keep hearing in those conversations, it's not as if the progressives who voted for biden in the past say, oh, i'm going over to donald trump. instead it's a concern about their en thus, whether they show up and start consideri third party candidates, ana. >> thank you so much, shaq brewster and steve kornacki, really interesting things to watch as we move forward. be sure to tune in to "nbc nightly news" for more of shack's reporting tonight. let's head to israel now where we are hearing live comments from -- this is the israel defense minister gallant. we'll soon hear from the u.s. secretary of defense lloyd austin who is visiting israel right now. let's listen. >> -- and the chain of command spend over the phases of this war and will continue until we fully achieve our goals.

secretary austin, we both know the complexities of war. we both fought brutal terrorist organization. we follow that it takes time. unlike our enemies, we are defending our values and we operate according to international law. the idf is operating to minimize the harm to civilian population. we are also working with international partners to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. yet, any time we discuss humanitarian issues, we must remember the 129 hostages held in gaza. this is the most humanitarian issue. on october 8th, a day after

hamas attack, hezbollah opened fire unprovoked. the threats of rockets, missiles and drones is unacceptable. over 80,000 citizens have been displaced, living as refugees in their own country. we are determined to create a new reality, restoring security in the area based on u.n. resolution 1701, pushing back hezbollah. we will bring back the residents of the north to their homes on the border after full security will be restored. we prefer to do so via understanding, ensuring that the border region is clear of terrorists and does not allow direct threats of our citizens. if such a process will not be

implemented diplomatically, we will not hesitate to act. today we also discuss the growing global threat posed by the houthi terrorist organization. their actions threaten international freedom of navigation, and their reckless behavior, firing ballistic missile, cruise missiles and drones against israel can drag the region into war. the state of israel values u.s. leadership, and we will support international efforts. at the same time we maintain the right to take all the actions necessary to defend our sovereignty and our citizens. hamas, hezbollah and the houthis

are funded, supported and trained by one source of evil, iran. and unfortunately, this is only their secondary effort. iran's major effort is acquiring military, nuclear capabilities and this continues even now. we are aware of their actions, and we are ready to defend ourselves. we must take a stand. the world is watching us now. this includes our enemies, hamas, hezbollah and iran. theiran. the image they see today is powerful as we stand here united. we are resilient and determined, and we will win on every front. thank you once again, mr. secretary. thank you for coming, and thank

you for your support and your friendship. thank you very much. >> good afternoon, everybody. we've been talking almost daily by phone, so it's good to see you once again in person, and it's good to be back in israel, even in these difficult days, especially in these difficult days. this is my fourth visit to israel as secretary of defense and my second time since october 7th, and i know that israel has been profoundly changed from where up on october 6th, so i'm here with a clear message. america's support for israel's security is unshakable, and israel is not alone. at a time of mourning, a real friend shows up, and i know how terrible these days have been

for the israeli people, and i know that october 7th touched everyone in this small democracy. so let me again extend my deepest condolences to minister gadi i zerks ncot who has been sitting shiv va for his 25-year-old son and mourning his nephew after they both fell in gaza. on october 7th, hamas committed one of the worst atrocities in the history of modern terrorism. as president biden said, it was an act of sheer evil. innocent young people at a concert were massacred, parents were shot in front of their children. women were sexually assaulted. toddlers and holocaust survivors were taken hostage, and for

hamas, that was just the beginning. hamas has clearly and loudly spelled out its vision for the future, and it is to repeat october 7th oaf and over and over again. no country should tolerate such a danger, and israel has every right to defend itself against a fanatical terrorist group whose stated purpose is to murder jews and eradicate the jewish state. hamas is still holding hostages including american citizens. hamas embeds itself and hides itself behind innocent palestinian civilians. hamas does not speak for the palestinian people, and hamas is determined to doom both israelis

and palestinians to an unending cycle of suffering and strife. so make no mistake, hamas should never again be able to project terror from gaza into the sovereign state of israel, and we will continue to work together for a safer, more secure future for israel and a brighter future for the palestinians. the united states will keep pushing relentlessly for the safe return of hostages in gaza, and we will continue to help israel in its efforts to bring them all home. thanks to the personal leadership of president biden, we helped to broker a deal that got out more than 100 hostages, but this remains a top priority for the united states from president biden on down. and we will continue to do everything that we can to bring

home every man, every woman, and every child seized by hamas. the united states has been clear and consistent since hamas started this war on october 7th. democracies are stronger and more secure when we uphold the law of war, and as i've said, protecting palestinian civilians in gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative. so we will continue to stand up for israel's bedrock right to defend itself, and we will also continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict and to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into gaza. that's important as israel fights to dismantle hamas terrorist infrastructure in gaza. and it will also be crucial for our work with our allies and partners after the fighting

stops. now, we're working to ensure that this conflict does not escalate beyond gaza, but as we are driving to stabilize the region, iran is raising tensions by continuing to support terrorist groups and militias. attacks by these iranian proxies threaten the region's citizens and risk a broader conflict. of course the united states does not seek war, and we urgently call on iran to take steps to deescalate. now, in my meetings today, i also discussed the need to take urgent action to stabilize the west bank. attacks by extremist settlers against the palestinians in the west bank must stop, and those committing the violence must be held accountable. now, we know that the past 72 days have been some of the most

painful days in israel's history, but it would compound this tragedy if all that was waiting for the israeli people and your palestinian neighbors at the end of this awful war was more insecurity, fury, and despair. as i've said, israelis and palestinians have both paid too bitter a price to just go back to october 6th. so i discussed pathways today toward a future for gaza after hamas, based upon the clear principles laid down last month by my friend secretary blinken. israelis and palestinians both deserve a horizon of hope. so the united states continues to believe, as we have under administrations of both parties, that it is in the interests of both israelis and palestinians to move forward toward two

states living side by side in mutual security. now, we know how hard that is, especially after october 7th, but ongoing instability and insecurity only play into the hands of hamas. so we must think together about what lies beyond this terrible season of terror and war, and as we do, the united states will remain deeply committed to the security and self-defense of the state of israel. as john f. kennedy said in 1960, america's friendship with israel is a national commitment. that was true then, and it's even truer now. the united states will remain israel's closest friend in the world, and as i've said repeatedly, our support for israel's security remains

unshakable, and it always will. thank you very much, and we'll be happy to take your questions. >> all right, we'll start now with carolyn betsarin. >> thank you, secretary austin, welcome to israel. it's not a secret that there is a gap between israel and the u.s., so have you set any sort of either timetable or deadline to the current phase of israel ground war in gaza, and have you heard any firm assessment from the idf where the current phase stand, and if i may, with regard to the north, israel says and the minister has just repeated that it will attack lebanon if there won't be an acceptable solution that will include hezbollah withdraw north. jake sullivan was here last week, and he was quite confident that such a solution can be achieved. what is the u.s. position if israel attack and will you order

the u.s. army to strike and even destroy hezbollah and iranian target if required? and it took idf 70 days to reach the tunnel that was revealed yesterday. how long do you think it will take to dismantle the tunnel in gaza. the secretary was speaking about the day after the americans keep asking israel how we see the day after. so what do you tell them? who will rule gaza and will the idf be in gaza throughout the entire next year? thank you very much. e ((. >> which one of those 12 questions do you want me to answer? >> i have more. >> regarding the time line, this is israel's operation, and i'm not here to dictate time l