next 25 years. make sure to follow me on twitter @jake tapper. that's all one word and at the lead at cnn and check out our show page for video, blogs, extras. i'm jake tapper. i turn you over to mr. wolf blitzer live in jerusalem with the situation room". the situation room". wolf? -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com breaking news in israel where the security cabinet is in an emergency meeting right now. this is a situation room special report. brink of war. cease fire failures. efforts to halt the fighting between israel and hamas collapse and the air wars raging once again. rocket barrage, hamas calls for a truce by firing dozens more rockets at israel, many intercepted by israel's iron dome. 30 million people from new york to washington are now in

the path of severe thunderstorms that could trigger flooding and even tornadoes. we welcome to want our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer in jerusalem. you're in "the situation room." and we're following the breaking news. an emergency meeting of the israeli security cabinet happening right now. it's midnight here in israel. the israel defense forces have just announced it's sending messages to residents of northern gaza to leave their homes for their own safety as the death toll from eight days of fighting between israel and hamas now approaching 200. with the collapse of a cease-fire today, there is little hope this air war will let up any time soon. hamas rejected the egyptian plan outright. israel says rocket fire from gaza continued even as israel defense forces paused for air strikes for six hours. officials in gaza are reporting new death abc now israel is

confirming its first fatality of this conflict. we're covering all angles this hour with our correspondences across the region and our guests including spokesmen for hamas and for the israeli prime minister. first, the latest on the fighting. israel's offensive in gaza is now back in full force after a cease-fire effort fell apart. now for the first time in this round of clashes, an israeli has been killed. a volunteer was hit by a mortar shell while delivering food to soldiers at the border crossing where i was just the day before and had to take cover. >> we just heard shots. >> the rocket barrage on israel never stopped even though the israelis held off on air strikes for about six hours hoping to give the egypt-backed truce proposal a chance during that time, israel says 47 rockets were fired from gaza. we were on alert for incoming rockets as i interviewed prime

minister benjamin netanyahu's spokesman at a hill top in ja fa pa over looking tel aviv. he made it clear israel's patience had run out. >> israel reserves the right and i believe we will have strong international support for acting to protect our people. >> the military wing of hamas rejected the proposal from the start. a top political spokesman. told me -- >> it's a joke. >> with air strikes under way and israeli troops and thanks poised at the border, united nations officials are urging israel to use maximum restraint in targeting hamas to prevent casualties and to avoid painfully familiar scenes like these, homes in ruins, and grieving families burying their dead. palestinian health officials now say the death toll in gaza is 194 people with at least 1400 injured. our senior international correspondent ben wedeman is on the scene in gaza for us. what are you seeing there

tonight, ben? >> we've seen a variety of strikes, as well as rockets being shot out of gaza. you mentioned those calls being made to gaza residents. i heard one of those calls in which a voice speaking in airic was saying in the name of the israeli defense forces that people in the neighborhood of gaza which is just to the northeast of here should leave as soon as possible by wednesday and we're being told that already, people are packing up and heading to the center of gaza where in those phone calls they were advised to go. the problem is,ing there are already about 17,000 people staying in 20 united nations schools around gaza city. they're already packed so more are on the way. in addition to those who have been told to the north of here to come, as well. so this really is yet another

indicator that now that this egyptian cease fire attempt has fallen flat, that the possibility of a ground invasion is very much there at the moment. wolf? >> i know you've spoken with average palestinians there in gaza. what's the feeling on the street? the hamas rejection of the egyptian brokered cease fire? >> well, on the one hand, there's disappointment because people were really hoping that something would come of all this, this blood shed and this disdestruction here in gaza. but there's an underlying frustration. a lot of people i spoke to said they want a solution to the problem of gaza, which didn't begin last week or the week before or a month ago or i a year ago. it goes back many years. people describe gaza as a big prison. the border to egypt is closed. the sea is closed by an israeli sea blockade. they can't go to israel.

they want this problem solved so they can live lives like normal people. and some liken it to prisoners rioting in their prison. they want to get out now. they want to be free. i can tell you a few years ago, in january 200 , wolf, i was in gaza when hamas blew up the wall that separates israel and egypt. hundreds of thousands of people flooded across the border just to get out, go shopping, see somewhere new because most people here have never left. during those few days, not a can the rog was fired into israel. the mosques were empty. people simply feel that if they can just be free to get out of gaza, maybe that could be a solution because at the moment, they feel stuck here and this is the result. wolf? >> ben wedeman in gaza for us. thanks very much. let's get the israeli reaction.

mark rig ga, the spokesman for benjamin netanyahu. react what we just heard from ben. the security cabinet meeting in emergency session right now after midnight meeting in tel aviv at the defense ministry. what are they considering? >> today hamas closed the diplomatic option. we woke up this morning in the hope there would be a cease-fire. as you reported, israel restrained from all our activities all action against the terrorists in gaza for a full six hours. we gave this cease fire our full support. as did the u.n. secretary-general as did the arab league as did palestinian president abbas. but hamas said no to everyone. hamas said no to the cease fire both in word and indeed. they have spokespeople said we're not interested. indeed they fired some 50 rockets at israel. so instead of having this door open to a diplomatic solution, they closed the door. we now have to unfortunately

protect our people through military means. >> what does this mean, these leafletting calling people in northern gaza saying evacuate, evacuate. what does that suggest? >> unfortunately from that will northern part of the gaza strip, we've had a lot of the deadly rocket stakes. those missiles hamas is shooting at us come from that will specific area. before we attack we want to see if we keep the civilian population out of the area. >> are you peeking about, is the cabinet considering limited ground incursions into northern gaza? is that what we're expecting? >> i captain go in to strategic plans that the cabinet is discussing. i can say the following. i wish we weren't here. i wish we had that cease fire that unfortunately hamas rejected. and i think the people of gaza are also angry at hamas for rejecting the cease-fire proposals of the egyptians. i saw tonight a report al aqsa

television, that's the official propaganda arm of hamas had to do their onus broadcast so to speak showing how the people of gaza support rejecting of the cease fire proposal. that just shows if they think they have to use propaganda on their own people to drum up support they really do have a problem with their own people. >> they were upset the egyptian proposal did not immediately accept some of their demands, easing the blockade, opening borders with egypt and israel, allowing some greater trade, if you will. what do you say to that condition that they wanted as a gesture? >> the truth is the egyptian proposal was to have an intermediatate cease fire and then we would go to cairo and there would be talks on the details. but to stop the violence straightaway. hamas said no. in saying no, i think they showed the world exactly who they are. they are a very extreme violent terrorist organization that isn't interested in trying to find a cease-fire or a solution. they are committed to violent

jihad. as such, they're the enemies of not only israel but of the civilian population of gaza. >> so the diplomatic option as far as a cease-fire is concerned, has that gone away? >> hamas closed the door. >> can it be reopened? >> i don't know. it would depend a lot on what happens at the moment. we've got missiles raining down on israel. we had a civilian killed today. we had 1,000 missiles over the last few days. it's got to end. the israeli military is now acting against hamas, against hamas's military machine to protect our people. >> what about efforts to revive this cease fire? i nomah mud abba bass, the palestinian authority president is going to be going to egypt talking to the egyptian leadership. i don't know if the u.s. is involved. secretary kerry was going to go to cairo but delayed the trip. what's going on behind the scenes to revive the diplomatic initiative? >> in the end we want to come out with a sustained period of

peace and security for the israeli position. we don't want to have a missiles fired from gaza. as prime minister netanyahu said yesterday that can be done diplomatically or militarily but one way or another, we will protect our people from those rockets. >> mark regev, i know the security -- the cabinet is meeting in emergency session in tel aviv. we'll be right back. see what the next steps are going to be. thanks for joining us. the spokesman for the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu. coming up live here in jerusalem, my interview of a hamas spokesman. we'll get the perspective from hamas coming up. plus, the roots of the crisis and growing concern brp israel's young people and extremism. brian todd has been looking into that. stay with us. we're in "the situation room" live from jerusalem. ♪

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we're coming to you live from jerusalem tonight. we're following the breaking news and emergency meeting of israel's security cabinet under way right now once we get results, we'll immediately share what we know with you. all this coming amid renewed fighting after hamas rejected a proposed cease fire with israel. let's get reaction now. joining us hamas spokesman osama hamdan joining us from beirut once again. thanks for joining us. as you know, israel accepted that egyptian sponsored cease fire. stopped firing against hamas targets for about six hours. hamas continued launching rockets into israel on the other hand. why did you do that? why did you reject that cease fire in the argument is you could have saved some

palestinian lives if you would have agreed to the cease fire. >> well, i believe we could save the palestinian lives if the israelis did not violate the cease-fire which was agreed on in 2012. we could save the palestinian lives if netanyahu did not speak in the last four weeks when he talked about the certain issue of the three settlers and that generates the burn. we did not reject the cease-fire. from the first day we've said we have to go back to the cease fire and israel must respect the agreement without regulations. but we said also yesterday no one received a proposal for cease fire through the media through a conference. it was supposed to be delivered to hamas through the political channels which did not happen. we heard in the media that israel received the ideas which was called a proposal and hamas did not know that.

nor other palestinian organizations know about this. so the idea assembly, there was no proposal in hamas hands. we were supposed to discuss ideas which was published in the media and everyone knows the things would not work like this. i believe someone 0 did that. i don't know if it was a mistake, less of experience or on purpose. and that caused a huge -- a huge mess. we are still working on the political track and i believe till now there are talks between hamas and the other sides. we hope we can achieve a cease-fire. but the cease-fire which can protect the palestinians and guarantee that there will be no violations. cease fire which can hold for a long time protecting the palestinians and give them the chance to live a real-life without being attacked by the israelis every time. >> are you working with egypt? because egypt put together that

cease fire proposal, the israelis accepted it. you told us last night it was a joke. are you still have confidence that egypt could be an honest broker between you and israel and you could work out a cease-fire? is that still possible? >> any broker cannot achieve the target if he was not a neutral broker if he was not giving the full trust for the two sides. so we are still working with egypt. we are still talking to other sides who are talking also to the egyptian side and i believe the proposal is supposed to be prepared after both sides agreed on. it is supposed to be published if the two sides give an agreement on it. you can't publish that in the media and then ask everyone to accept that or to reject that. it's not working like this. as i told you yesterday. it's like putting the cart in front of the horse. you can't do the things like this. we are still working.

talks are still working until this moment when i am talking to you, there is talks. and i believe part of the meeting for the israelis security cabinet may be for discussing some new ideas which was introduced by different parties including hamas. >> well, that sounds sort of encouraging, mr. hamdan. if in fact you're now leaving open the opportunity for a cease-fire even as the israeli cabinet is meeting. can you give us some specifics on what you're hearing? what's going on behind the scenes? >> well, clearly, we are not talking behind the scene. we are on the scene. i have to tell you two important points. the first one there was old agreements. it's supposed to be respected by all sides and that was done by hamas. it's supposed to be done by the israelis. we're talking about the guarantees that the achieved cease fire. the cease-fire is supposed to be guaranteed and restricted and

controlled clearly. the second point, the cease-fire must open the door for the palestinians to have a normal life not only in gaza and west bank also because of relations in west bank are very aggressive. all the parliamentarians more than 20 parliamentarians were arrested the last four weeks. more than 60 were released in the business exchange were arrested another time. so we have to give the palestinian people a chance to have at least some normal life. the third point which we have to talk about it and we are discussing that clearly, the cease-fire must open a chance for politics. it must open a chance for a political solution. you can't destroy the political track just like what they have done with the political process a few weeks ago and then you can tell the palestinians it's only a cease-fire and you have to live forever under the occupation. >> one final question before i let you go, mr. hamdan.

why not simply stop the launching of rockets? israel will stop the air strikes and then you go to cairo. you send a delegation there. you meet and work out these other major issues which clearly are on the table, should be on the table. why not stop the killing right away first? >> well, we are not the side who is killing the other side. we are the side who is being killed. in 2008, 2012 and now. that happened in 2008 and israelis rejected to do anything. that happened in 2012 and the israelis rejected to open the points. they prevent haven't the fishermen to go to the sea. they closed gaza although there was promises that gaza will be open. so we have tried this twice. unfortunately, israel is destroying the trust. they are destroying all the trust between them and the palestinians. so we won't go through the same experience for the third time.

we have to agree on everything and then it must be guaranteed. simply because the israelis all the time are violating all the agreements. >> osama hamdan, thanks very much for joining us. we'll check back with you as we continue our special coverage, osama hamdan joining us from beirut. we're here in jerusalem. there's growing concern about some extremism among israeli youth. learning new details about the killing of a palestinian teen which helped trigger this current crisis. stand by. we'll also speak about the peace efforts and why they've failed so far. the former u.s. special envoy for the israeli/palestinian peace process, martin endick is standing by live. stay with us. you're in "the situation room." business, with startup ny. we've created tax free zones throughout the state. and startup ny companies will be investing hundreds of millions of dollars in jobs and infrastructure.

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comcast business. built for business. we're coming to you live from jerusalem where we're monitoring the increasingly deadly fighting that's on going between israel and hamas. cnn's brian todd has been looking into the roots of this latest conflict and the extremism that may be fueling at least part of what is going on. brian, you know you've been speaking with a lot of experts. what are you finding out? serious new concerns tonight about a possible rise in extremism inside israel. it's pegged to the roots of this conflict as we learn grizzly new details of the kidnapping and murder of a palestinian teenager. the suspects were equipped with handcuffs and gasoline and grabbed 16-year-old palestinian mohamed hadir after they tried and failed to kidnap an 8-year-old boy.

three young israelis all related were seek revenge for kidnapping and murders of three israeli teenagers. a new report from israel's internal security service says on july 2nd "for several hours the kidnappers patrolled jerusalem arab neighborhoods trying to find a victim until they found mohamed. the three suspects grabbed him by force as shown in this surveillance video, took him to a nearby forest, then burned him to death according to report. israeli officials say the suspect who have not been named admitted to the killing and reenacted it. >> the three israelis accused of this have a long history of violence. one of them is declaring legal insanity. >> reporter: analysts say that incident and the killing of the three israeli teenagers by palestinian suspects led toed this escalation and the brink of a wider war between israel and hamas. but the murder of the young palestinian has also sparked a moral debate inside israel. >> after the killing of mohamed

hadir, there's been a tremendous rise of introspection and debate within israeli society and the israeli media. >> social media fuels the concerns. anti-arab tweets from israelis are plentiful. this apparently facebook posting after of the three israeli teenagers were murdered shows two girls shoelding a sign saying in hebrew, hating arabs is not racism, it's values. analysts say this does not reflect mainstream israeli views and they don't detect a widespread rise in jewish extremism but the two groups are increasingly isolated from each other. >> over the years, fewer and fewer israelis and palestinians actually work and live together. even when they appear to be side by side, when you visit a beach, for example, being in israel, you'll see palestinians and israelis but they pass each other by without talking. >> now, among extreme factions

it, of course, cuts both ways. there are arabs who won't even recognize israel but one, analyst points out polls often show the majority of israelis and had palestinians want to get along and realize they have to continue living side by side but it only takes a few people, extremists on either side to do a huge amount of damage. that's what you've seen here. wolf? >> brian todd with that disturbing report. brian, thanks very much. let's get some more now. martin indyk is the former u.s. special envoy to the israeli/palestinian peace talks. now vice president for foreign policy at the brookingss institution in washington. thanks for joining us. i know you've been very much involved in the effort to revive the peace process. you stepped down last month as secretary kerry's special envoy. why did you give up? >> we haven't given up. by no means. secretary has made very clear

that we're on pause. the president has taken the same position. i stepped down because i was brought in on leave from brookings to do the negotiations. at the moment, there aren't negotiations but the president and secretary have made clear if we get negotiations again, they'd like me to come back. i'd be happy to do that. we tried very hard for nine months. and we made some progress in terms of developing bridging ideas. it was a very serious process of negotiations on the final status issues. we drilled down a lot of those issues. we, as i say, managed to generate bridging ideas which we have on the shelf and feel will be useful if we can get negotiations going again. but we just felt that after nine months of effort when we couldn't even in the end get an extension of negotiations agreed between the parties that we needed to step back and see what

the parties themselves wanted to do. it wasn't enough -- it isn't enough for us to want it. they have to want it too. >> you know, there are some analysts who think that the collapse of the u.s. sponsored effort and it was very intense, almost a dozen visits to the region by secretary kerry and you. you spent so much time meeting the israelis and the palestinians, but the collapse may have contributed to this current crisis that's under way right now. did it contribute, the expectations were high and then they went away? >> no, i don't believe that's true. i went through that once before in the clinton administration where our efforts at the end there did contribute to the outbreak of the second intefada because we had raised expectations and then they were disappointed. in this case, expectations were very low. and nobody really expected that we would succeed on either side. and so i don't think there was a factor of disappointment here.

there was violence before beforehand only a few months before the secretary tried to get this negotiation going again and succeeded. we had a gaza round of violence similar 0 this one. and he repeatedly warned that if we weren't able to make progress, then this is what we were likely to see. unfortunately, he's been proven right. what we're witnessing is a chronic conflict without violence. this is the third time now i think in four years we've had this kind of horrible violence in gaza, and it's just the nature of the conflict that we tried very hard to break out of. and we will try again as soon as it becomes possible to do that, as soon as the two sides want to do that. but it gets more and more difficult to do that because of the chronic nature of the conflict that just makes the

trust much harder to rebuild and the relationship much harder to build in terms of trying to bridge the gaps and resolve the conflict. >> martin indyk, let's hope that they can be revived, the peace process, those negotiations and they can achieve what you tried to achieve, a two-state solution, israel living alongside palestinian. martin indyk, thanks very much for joining us. coming up, live from jerusalem, my interview with the special middle east envoy, tony blair, the former british prime minister. why does he believe time is running out for peace? plus, the severe weather threat. thunderstorms possible flooding, even tornadoes bearing down on some 30 million people from new york to washington. stay with us. you're in "the situation room" live from jerusalem. ♪

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win an award. close a deal. hire an intern. and still have time to spare. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business. built for business. we're coming to you live from jerusalem where we're following the breaking news an emergency meeting of the israeli security cabinet happening right now. it's well past midnight local time. but the fighting here is only part of a wave of deadly unrest sweeping the entire middle east region. our chief national security correspondent jim sciutto is joining us now. jim, what's happening here in the middle east in north africa? because most of this region now is on fire. >> no question, wolf. as you know, there's been a lot of talk of the u.s. disengaging from the middle east. we're covering crises in several countries where the obama

administration had firm and consequential stands, not intervening in syria, withdrawing u.s. troops in iraq, participating in regime change in libya and failing to engineer a peace agreement in the middle east. now today each of those countries for a variety of reasons facing severe turmoil. >> in gaza, hopes for an immediate cease fire today up in smoke. even before before it started. >> there are great risks in what is happening there and in the potential of an even greater escalation of violence. >> its an a statement that could describe an entire region mired in conflict. from gaza to libya to iraq and syria. >> i would argue given conditions in the middle east this might be more dangerous than anytime in the past. >> reporter: in libya, warring militias bombarded tripoli's airport as the government considers asking for international troops. in iraq, politicians took a first step towards a new government even as isis

militants bulldozed barriers along the iraq/syria border and celebrated the takeover of iraqi government buildings. in syria, isis is flourishing as the civil war rages on. the sun urgently sending in humanitarian aid. this week the white house raised eyebrows seeming to claim broad foreign policies victories in the region. >> you've seen the administration intervene in a meaningful way that has substantially improved the tranquility of the global community. >> reporter: today the administration insisted it is engaged diplomatically. >> this is not an administration or a secretary that rests. the fact is there are a range of factors happening in the world that are not caused by the united states but the united states remains engaged in because we care about the stability in the region, as well. >> of course, the other major

foreign policy priority for the u.s. in the region are nuclear talks with iran. they face a deadline for an agreement this saturday, but it is unlikely to be met. today secretary kerry said the two sides have made, "tangible progress but significant gaps remain." he's returning to washington to discuss next steps, including the possible extension of talks and the interim deal, wolf, possibly for a number of months. >> yeah, the turmoil in this part of the world is awful right now. jim, thanks very much. earlier i talked about the crisis between israel and an-hamas with the former prime minister tony blair who is now a special envoy to the middle east. is there any light at the end of the tunnel? because it looks so gloomy as we speak right now. >> i think time's running out, frankly. the egyptian is a good offer for a cease-fire by both parties. they come to cairo for negotiations without

preconditions and the idea is to put in place a short-term cease fire deal followed by a long-term plan that changes the game on ground in gaza. and both opens up opportunity for the gazan people and gives israel some long-term and permanent security. so it's a tragedy if this opportunity is not taken. >> is this the final word from hamas? because the israelis accepted the egyptian cease fire proposal. they stopped their air strikes but after six hours of hamas shelling into israel, the israelis resumed their operations. is this a temporary operation that's going on the continued fighting or is hamas in a day or two or longer going to reconsider? >> it's hard to work out what the calculations of hamas are. but the important thing is that if they really care about the people of gaza who have suffered terribly over these past days, almost 200 people that have died, many of them completely innocent people but this is inevitably going to be the case

and they know this if the violence continues. the egyptians put toward this offer. they showed great leadership in doing it. it was a sincere offer to sort the issues out short and long-term. the israelis accepted. i really hope even at this late stage that hamas understands that it's in the interests of the people of gaza for this offer to be accepted. then we can work out what is the way we open gaza back up to the world, change the condition of its people, rebuild it. and unify palestinian politics on the basis of something that promotes peace and gives israel their guarantees on security so that rockets aren't fired and terrorism and tunnels helping terrorism so that that's not aimed at israel. >> why didn't they accept it? >> i don't know. i don't know. it's hard to judge what their calculations are at this stage. i think that it's increasingly clear hamas are going to have to make a choice, maybe they don't

want to make it, and the choices, are they genuine palestinian nationalists, are prepared to accept a two-state solution with a viable and proper state of palestinian alongside a secure state of israel or are they part of simply a terrorist movement that wants to kill as many israelis as possible because they don't accept the right of israel to exist. >> as you remember, at the end of 2012, the last time israel and hamas were fighting, mohamed morsi did broker a cease-fire deal with u.s. backing. all sorts of other backing. is there less confidence among hamas leaders of the current new president of egypt, abdul fatah al seep see? >> i think there's a much more difficult relationship because he's made it clear he's against terrorism. he's against the links that are between hamas and the muslim brotherhood. on the other hand, he's been prepared to put his own leadership out there and say i

will in good faith convene a meeting so that both sides, all the issues that hamas want to put on the table they can put on the table. in the meantime, the violence stops. >> your main job here is to promote an israeli-palestinian peace agreement. you've been working for two, three, four years on this. >> six or seven. >> anything at all accomplished? because when martin indyk quit, resigned and the u.s. effort that secretary kerry was so actively involved in, that seemed to collapse. are we really back to square one? has anything been achieved at all? >> i should think a lot has been achieved in kerry's initiative. i think he got a lot of the basic issues, what we call the final status issues around territory and security and so on, i think he came along way with that. >> why did it collapse? >> i think ultimately, we've got to understand that now to get peace we're going to have to put the conditions for peace in place.

i think that the crucial thing is this. whilst palestinian politics is divided it's very hard for peace to happen. one of the things that could arise out of a deal on gaza is that we put in place a form of unity for palestinian politics that actually unites people around a peaceful and not violent means towards a two-state solution. and the real issue i think is are hamas -- is there any hope that they will ever accept that or are they going to remain in an arms struggle where they will kill israeli different civilians in which case you know, palestinian politics then has to be given the opportunity to defeat that politics completely. >> because i don't remember when the entire middle east, north african region was on fire as it is right now, not only here where we are but certainly take a look at lebanon and syria and iraq and you go out to afghanistan, look what's going on in libya. do you remember a region that has exploded as badly as this region has?

>> right. it is absolutely exploding. i think underneath all of it whether 80s in libya, yemen, syria, iraq, or even in palestinian politics, the central and fundamental question is this -- is the politics of this region going to allow religion to be put in its proper place in politics? the societies is to become open minded and tolerant and the economies to be linked and kengted to the outside world. and the real fight going on across this region is really one about the modern world. do you take your place in the modern world where religion's got to have its as i say be put in its proper place in the politics after i country and people are going to educated and connected to the world or do you return to this type of reactionary and regressive politics that puts people against each other and disconnects you from the modern world. this is i think the central struggle and in a way the opportunity and the challenge at the moment is that palestinian politics faces that same

struggle. >> mr. prime minister, good luck. >> thanks, wolf. thank you. much more of our special report live from jerusalem. that's coming up. also, severe weather pounding the u.s. east coast right now. we'll have the forecast. that's next. . at every ford dealership, you'll find the works! it's a complete checkup of the services your vehicle needs. so prepare your car for any road trip by taking it to an expert ford technician.

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much more on our special report in a moment. but first, severe weather pounding the u.s. east coast right now. chad myers is joining us with the forecast. what's going on, chad? >> from florida to maine, all the way up the east coast, wolf,

big cities getting pounded by weather tonight, including d.c., new york, philadelphia, all the way up even into boston. now, things are clearing out along i-95, but still not in the delmarva, not for new jersey. hundreds of flights have been canceled today. thousands of people not getting to their destinations because of the severe weather rolling up the east coast at this hour. wolf? >> chad, thank you very much. much more of our special report, live from jerusalem coming up right at the top of the hour. really... so our business can be on at&t's network for $175 dollars a month? yup. all five of you for $175. our clients need a lot of attention. there's unlimited talk and text. we're working deals all day. you get 10 gigabytes of data to share. what about expansion potential? add a line anytime for 15 bucks a month.

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happening now. a special report, brink of war. israel is intensifying its assault on gaza after a failed attempt at a cease-fire and the first death of an israeli in a barrage of attacks by hamas. are israeli forces now moving toward a ground invasion of gaza? we're getting new information about an emergency israeli cabinet meeting under way and the country's top military spokesman standing by to join us live.

families in gaza are mourning. more civilians are dead. i'll ask the top palestinian negotiator what needs to be done now to reach a truce. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer live in jerusalem. you're in "the situation room." >> this is cnn breaking news. >> a frantic day here in the middle east. uninterrupted rocket fire on israel. the breaking news is, an emergency session under way in tel aviv, officials vowing to make hamas militants pay. air strikes on gaza are under way. the israelis are sending messages to residents in northern gaza to leave their homes right now. both sides are bracing for this bloody conflict to escalate once

again. our correspondents are standing by, along with top spokesman for the israel defense forces. but first, more of the breaking developments. tonight, israel's iron dome defenses are up. and the israeli government is promising to ramp up its military offensive against hamas militants, now that an egyptian cease-fire plan is failing to get off the ground. >> translator: hamas have decided to continue and will pay for the price on their decision. >> hamas never stopped firing rocketing at israel, even during a six-our break in israeli air strikes on gaza, while the israelis say they were trying to give the truce proposal a chance. the military wing of hamas rejected the plan from the start. >> translator: they were not consulted in this process, and i think they very much feel slighted. >> after hundreds of rockets

fired from gaza, and a week of attacks and counterattacks, the first israeli has been killed. he was a volunteer, delivering food to soldiers when he was hit by a mortar shell. it happened at the border crossing, where i experienced the threat of incoming attacks firsthand. did we get the all-clear? the palestinian death toll is constantly rising, and tonight, the u.n. is urging restraint. even as the threat of an israeli ground invasion of gaza looms. hopes for an imminent end to the fighting have been dashed, but the obama administration says it hasn't ruled out a cease-fire just yet. >> our focus remains on returning, taking every step we can, using every tool in our toolbox to return to the cease-fire. it's in everyone's interest to bring an end to the violence. >> in gaza, palestinian

officials say the death toll has climbed to 194, with at least 1400 people wounded from a week of israeli air strikes. our senior international correspondent ben wedeman is joining us live from gaza city right now. we're hearing they should be bracing for more israeli action. israel's dropping leaflets, sending out messages to people in northern gaza to leave. i anticipate more action under way soon. >> reporter: yes, that's certainly what appears to be the case, wolf. not only in northern gaza but east of here, an eastern neighborhood of gaza city. there people have received recorded phone calls in arabic, clearly identified as from the israeli defense forces, telling the people of that area they should leave and leave by wednesday. and we already know that people are on their way, on the roads, coming towards gaza city where they were advised to go.

but there are already about 17,000 people in 20 u.n. schools. this is really just going to pack more people in those schools. now, the situation here 24 hours ago was a lot different. people were hoping this egyptian mediation effort would result in some quiet, some sort of cease-fire. but today, we saw those hopes disappear. the aziz family is taking away that they can. the apartment above them was hit at 5:00 a.m. tuesday morning, their home destroyed, as well. just hours before an egyptian sponsored cease-fire was supposed to go into effect. i asked her what she wants, cease-fire or escalation? we hope, she says, for a cease-fire and peace. by the time we got to their house, any hopes for a

cease-fire had collapsed. israeli air strikes were back on. [ speaking foreign language ] so we just saw that strike outside the kitchen window, and we've seen rockets going on all morning long. people want a cease-fire. they want calm. but at this point, it doesn't look like it's going to happen. israel announced it would abide by the cease-fire. hamas said no. throughout the morning and into the afternoon, rockets roared toward israel, dashing hopes. mustafa once worked in israel. "i'm not happy to see israeli children hurt," he tells me. "i have grandchildren. i don't want them to be hurt. we want to live."

in the market of the refugee camp, the sound of a distant explosion. it elicits cheers, then it's back to business. 65-year-old abul has seen war aplenty in his time. what gaza needs now, he says, is a solution. >> we need peace. but we don't want to still in jail. we are in jail here, you know? we are not free. i would like to be free, like swedish, egypt, lebanon, like these people, canada. >> reporter: for now, though, gaza's future may be one of more war and more destruction.

and palestinian medical sources tell us at this point the death toll is at 195, more than 1,400 wounded. the worry is in the coming days, there would be more, wolf. >> ben wedeman in gaza for us. be careful over there. let's get the israeli perspective. join us is the spokesman for the israel defense forces. colonel, thank you very much for joining us. you're warning people, palestinians in northern gaza, eastern gaza, leave those areas right now. what should they be bracing for? >> here's what the situation that has developed. we stood by for six hours hoping hamas would respond and close down and stop and prevent the rocket fire, and they didn't. so over those six hours they launched some 60 rockets into israel and throughout the day we've seen extensive rocket fire from the gaza strip, mostly from

the northern areas. over the last two years, hamas has created and underground area in those areas to maintain their rocket capabilities. they are using and abusing the houses, the infrastructure there to carry out these attacks. we really don't have any other choice. >> do these mean you're going to go in on the ground? there's a lot of tunnels they've built over there, as well. is that the target? >> our target is to safeguard and restore security for the state of israel and the people who are under attack and have been under this barrage of rockets for the last week and a half. it's unacceptable. we have to strike those terrorist and tunnel capabilities and the rocket capabilities. over half of what we've struck since the beginning of the operation has been rocket launches. it's about 900 and they are still launches. even as i was coming in, we had

more. so this is the type of scenario and situation we have to deal with. >> but those tunnels and underground bunkers, those facilities, air strikes are not going to do anything. if you're going to deal with them, at least what israeli military commanders told me, you have to send ground troops in there, go in there and blow those places up. is that what you're planning on doing? >> i think there is a huge realm and a vast spectrum of what we can do before actually having to send ground forces in. we have good intelligence so we know where to strike. we know how to -- i've seen ben's reports earlier today showing, you know, houses and -- that have been struck and indeed infrastructure tunnels leading from them. so there are ways to deal with it. it's extremely challenging, but the ground force option needs to be our last option. it's on the table. our forces are prepared and can go at the order of the government. >> i assume the government, the

security cabinet, it's after 1:00 a.m. here in israel right now. i assume this is on the agenda, what they do next. is that what they're discussing? >> clearly the situation is deprave. that's why we're investing so much into the thought process of what are our goals. the iron dome is doing an amazing job in safeguarding the state of israel with an interception rate of over 90%. so in 170 cases when rockets would have struck residential areas, jeopardizing the lives of israelis, it saved lives. >> but you know the civilian casualties in gaza are awful. it's painful to see young kids and the elderly killed in those operations. >> what hamas is doing is holding the people of gaza hostage and it's terrible. but i would say be careful with the figures hamas is handing out. we have to look at them with a

very open eye. not necessarily we should not rule out that those are as they are. >> they say some 200 people have been killed. you're saying that number is not accurate? >> i'm saying we have to be careful with the figures they are handing out. hamas have, over the course of the last eight days, lied time after time after time about everything that it's done from carrying out attacks against israeli forces with heroic outcome when they have met a rock, a brick wall every time they have tried to carry out an attack. the coming hours, the few days ahead of us, we will be a lot clearer about where this is going. ten days ago we appealed to hamas, calm will be met with calm. this morning, six hour where is we were under bombardment, it's the most unnatural thing for a defense force sitting by while the country is under attack. >> lieutenant colonel, thank you very much for joining us.

we're live here in jerusalem, as palestinians lose more homes and loved ones, is there any way to convince hamas militants to accept a cease-fire? i'll ask the top palestinian peace negotiator. what happens next? stand by. and we'll go to an israeli city targeted by rocket fire where residents fear the worst may be yet coming. stay with us. you're in "the situation room" live from jerusalem. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives... we're helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow. transamerica. celebrate your love of crab with gthis year's largest variety!. 'cause it's crabfest at red lobster! dig into a succulent selection of crab entrées. like new crab lover's trio! with sweet snow crab legs, split king crab, and jumbo lump crab over savory shrimp.

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we're back here live in jerusalem, we're awaiting word on an emergency meeting of the israeli security cabinet. it's well after 1:00 a.m. here in the middle east.

as soon as we get word on what they've decided, we, of course, will let you know. i just spoke to the spokesman for the israel defense forces. let's get the other side with the chief palestinian negotiator. i want you to listen to something the former vice president you dick cheney told our jake tapper. >> i think a big part of the problem is hamas. if you look at hamas, where it came from, it's a spinoff from the muslim brotherhood, it's a radical terrorist organization supported by the iranians. >> right. why not provide an alternative? >> i don't think you can negotiate with hamas. they're sworn to fight to the death. >> what's the solution? >> there may not be a negotiated solution. you may be in a position where israel has to defend itself against terrorist attacks. they're doing a very good job, but once hamas took over gaza, and as long as they're part of

the governing coalition, by own belief is that hamas' radical ideology, there's no way that they're going to agree to any kind of a settlement. it's not just in their basic fundamental belief system. >> let's discuss what's going on with the chief palestinian negotiator who is joining us once again. thank you very much, as usual. is there any way out of this current crisis right now? any way hamas will rethink what it's doing and accept that egyptian brokered cease-fire? >> yes, wolf. president abbas is exerting every possible effort in order to achieve this. he is now -- i am with him. we're on our way to cairo. we have to have maximum efforts to assure the success of the egyptian effort. from cairo, the president will head to turkey.

we'll touch with many hamas leaders, and i hope that all the clarifications being asked by hamas and other factions will be addressed and achievement of the success of this egyptian effort is a must for all of us. is a must for all of us. it's in the interest for all of us. and if we allow things to deteriorate, i think it's going to be a disaster all over. >> i think you're absolutely right. i spoke with a hamas spokesman in the last hour. he said that hamas never even got a formal proposal in writing from egypt. that's why they rejected it as a joke. is he right? >> well, i don't know. i don't really know what happened between egypt and hamas. but all i know is that the president is on his way to egypt

in order -- [ rockets firing overhead ] look, no one has the potential to achieve with palestinian reconciliation. it's political geography. now the regionreally boiling. failure is not an option here. okay, we can say whatever we want. we can analyze, do whatever it is. but at the end of the day, failure is not an option to any of us. we began -- the egyptian effort signified a deescalation. now it's not going to be easy. there will be many hurdles in the way. but the most important thing is to ensure we create the support system for the egyptian initiative in order to succeed.

we need the united states, and i know that mr. kerry is going to be traveling to qatar tomorrow and today mr. abbas met the german and italian officials and he's going to fly from cairo to turkey the day after. so we have to give this initiative the chance it deserves and we are determined to achieve a cease-fire. >> give our best wishes to the palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas. tell him we're hoping he succ d succeeds in his efforts. we'll touch base with you tomorrow, as well. just ahead, live from jerusalem, rockets fall from gaza, rain down on israel. despite that cease-fire proposal. we'll hear from israelis who live closest to the launch sit s

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yeah, citi mobile. pay the dog sitter? and deposit that check? citi mobile. pack your bathing suit? wearing it. niiice bank from almost anywhere with the citi mobile app. we're coming to you live from jerusalem. we're following the breaking news. an emergency meeting of the israeli security cabinet still under way right now. it's approaching 1:30 in the morning local time. it follows the collapse of a cease-fire proposal, which

israel accepted but hamas rejected outright. here's more. >> reporter: rockets from gaza streak through the sky just hours after israel said it would hold fire if hamas did, too. various intercepts in the sky above our head. you can hear the sirens still sounding. there have been 50 rockets the idf says in the first six hours since the cease-fire was meant to go into effect. now israel has said the military operation will resume, and that is why. this city is less than 15 kilometers from the border of gaza. people here live under constant threat. >> it's a difficult threat. i know gaza has a difficult situation also. we don't like -- we don't feel -- we feel for them, we

feel for them, but you can't live in your own country and someone will bomb you all the time. it's not a normal situation. >> reporter: now attack helicopters are heading back towards gaza. israel on the offensive, promising to ramp up its military campaign. just what the mayor wants. >> translator: i want to see more decisive action, wider activities going into gaza, hitting the heads of hamas, hitting the missile infrastructure and launchers. then i would feel better. >> reporter: the hard liners in the cabinet feel the same. prime minister netanyahu is under fire who wants gaza back under israeli occupation. tanks and artillery are ready for their marching orders. but ground operations could be long and bloody and could cost mr. netanyahu popular support. and so the air strikes resume. while the diplomacy needed to

end this crisis seems to be going nowhere. please be sure to join us again tomorrow right here in "the situation room." you can watch us live or dvr the show so you won't miss a moment that's it for me. thank you very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." live tonight from jerusalem. for our viewers in the united states, "crossfire" with van jones and newt gingrich starts right now. lawmakers are working on a plan to shut down the flow of immigrant children at the border. >> and they had the nerve to call this plan the humane act. tonight, governors refuse new immigrant immigrants. what will happen to the kids? on the left, van jones. on the right,