>> [speaking in a non-english language] >> the news she directed. he's dead. [crying] >> this is the horror of war. the family have allowed us to show this so that everyone understands what it is like. >> your heart just, it's like a rock and the pit of your stomach to watch something like that. and that's really, laura, you know that so many families are experiencing. that this death toll keeps going up. and that number of missing keeps going up and it's a story

that i think so many of us don't understand, but people are living through this right now. >> you end of, we both have children. we think about the a motions that are foreign, and the hope that you have when you have a newborn to raise your child together with a person that you love. but to have that news come in that way, after what has happened, it is unimaginable. and that they were able to share that really just, it underscores that real cruel reality of what we're in right now, abby. >> yeah, absolutely. that brutality, but there's also so much hope. and i just want to end on that note before you get started. there is a lot of hope still out there. so we'll and with that. >> abby, thank you so much. and speaking of what could be tomorrow, it is actually already tomorrow. in israel. but the summit is actually not bringing more answers on the fifth day of a brutal war. and i don't know about you, but

every time i see the death toll rise, my mind, it immediately goes to the hostages. i wonder, where are they? how many are they? where might that be? is there any way to get them out safely? and as you've heard, some of his hostages are also americans. so the question then turns to this country, what will president biden do about it? well, what can he do about it? what should he do about it? and right now, it feels like we're at home, all we can do, maybe, is bear witness. and i don't know, but something about that feels truly, really difficult. normally with heard that the government is talking about bringing an american home, through the normal, opiate difficult, channels of diplomacy. those channels that we would normally see, they aren't

obvious here, if they even exist at all with hamas. so what now? i am just like all of you. i want answers. and i want them now. and it's a very bitter pill to swallow it when you know that that won't happen here. that is one of the other cruel realities of war. and watching from here, we are riveted. we are horrified, but what we are hearing from our reporters and divorce, aren't getting the information we desperately seek and the people and gaza and israel who are suffering in the middle of almost incomprehensible brutality. even my kids, they're asking questions. they want answers. i'm, investech and they heard there were children who were involved, their little mind just started racing. and so did mine. i was trying to figure out what to tell them. and here's what we know,

tonight. the israeli defense forces say they are currently connecting what they call a large scale strike on terror -- belonging to hamas and gaza. i'll tell you more about that in a moment. we also know, there is a humanitarian crisis in israel and in gaza. the death toll stands at at least 1200 people in israel. and at least 1100 people in gaza. we know that israel is mobilizing ground troops at the border, and we know that secretary of state antony blinken is arriving in israel, along with him? he's breaking that top u.s. official on hostages. and the u.s. is in discussions about ensuring a safe passage for americans and other desperate civilians, who are trying to get out of gaza. and that white house, they are still trying to wrap their mind around the concrete details about the condition of the handful of americans who are believed to be taken hostage by hamas. including exactly how many may

be held captive in gaza. or if they're being held together and one place, or different places, and what next? but among the missing, adrian -- assumed kidnapped from hamas attackers at a kibbutz on sunday. she was on the phone with her children, who were trying to compare the 66 year old as she heard gunfire out of her home. her eldest son told reporters this. >> my mom used that little bit of a repick she picked up working as a nurse and the hospital, she worked there for 20 years, to calm down the terrorists and it is our hope, which is a little bit ridiculous at the stage to say that, but the optimistic scenario is she's held hostage in gaza and not dead on the

street of the kibbutz. >> also missing, 23 year old american hero goldberg -- who was at the music festival that was attacked. his parents told cnn they last heard from there son on sunday morning, when they received to whatsapp messages and the same minutes. they read, i love you and i'm sorry. >> i immediately tried to call him, and it just rang and rang and i sent him a text saying, are you okay? and there was no reply and ten minutes later i said, let me know you are okay. no reply. ten minutes later, i said, i'm living my phone, on tell me you're okay. but we've never heard from him again from after 8:11 from those texts. >> and how many parents out there can't relate to that moment, when they're trying to reach their child? and waiting for that confirmation? and then there is sagi, the

father of two girls whose wife is pregnant with the authority to. they tried to repel attackers from their kibbutz home. and i spoke to his father last night. >> they woke, or were awoken, around six i am on sunday morning. but something that can only be described as -- the terrible images most of us would have thought couldn't possibly reappear in the 21st century, and it took place in my home over the course of about six hours. >> but as much as we know some information, we need to know so much more. tonight, here with me, is james clapper. he is a former director of national intelligence. he is a man who knows more than just about anybody about what's likely happening behind the scenes and that every region

and what could happen next. he's going to be on set with me all night tonight. we're going to dig into all of these questions and try to understand what we know, what we don't know, and what's still can be discovered. but i want to begin, first, with -- an american who's been living in israel for eight years. she says that five of her family members were kidnapped from their communal sediment, known as a kibbutz. including her 88 year old cousin, who is a dual u.s. israeli citizen. >> abby, thank you for being here. we are so sorry that your family members are still in this horrible situation. and i'm wondering, have you had any updates from the u.s. or israeli officials about any of them? >> first of all, i want to say, thank you for having me. thank you so much for seeing everyone's names. i think it's really important to humanize this. i think it's really important. so thank you. when you are working really closely with the u.s. government. we have had for a transparent

and forthcoming communication from them. from the department of state and hostage support. and we have hope that will meet today with secretary blinken and we really look forward to the opportunity to speak with him and to share our story and see what the next steps are. >> you are right, secretary blinken's arriving and his burden with him one of the top u.s. officials on hostages. based on what you have heard and seen so far from the public comment, do you feel the united states is to enough to help for your family? >> i can tell you, that the speech the president gave, at this point, in israel, a day and a half ago, was the only thing we've had in the last five days. as an american and as really, i can tell, you citizens of both countries said it was the biggest thing they happened. they felt he was unequivocal in what he said. standing against terror.

and i know there are meetings happening to try to make change on our behalf. and i am grateful to the american government for that. >> do you have any messages for president biden or secretary of state antony blinken? in the event that you meet with them, or do not, what would you say? >> i want them to do whatever possible, to do whatever communication possible, to bring the red cross into the hostages, and to make sure we get women and children and elderly released immediately. i have set this whole time that what hamas did is a terror attack against civilians. this is not an issue of the american israeli political challenge. this is humanitarian. and we we'll pick for humanitarian aid, for the red cross to be let, and for children and our late to be released. >> you know, so many people are getting a great deal more, than they maybe knew even before saturday about israel, about the kibbutz, about all of these

significance attached to it, and the idea look communal-incher in particular. and perhaps even heightens how serious and significant these attacks are on those particular communities. what is the camp looks like now in the aftermath, and have you've been there since the attack? >> i haven't been there. we know that it was physically burned to the ground. it doesn't exist anymore. we don't have exact numbers, but we know the close to half the people or slotted. it's unthinkable. we all grew up at a neighborhood somewhere. not a kibbutz, but a neighborhood. if you can think of your own neighborhood losing its physical being, or health of its people, it's something you can't imagine. it's inhumane. >> abbey onn, that doesn't match. we will continue to search for the engines i know you are

seeking as well. thank you. >> thank you. >> i want to go to cnn correspondent elliott gotkine with the latest on israel large-scale strikes on hamas. elliott, we are learning that the idf essick they have now begun, what they're calling, large scale strikes. why can't you tell us about what that means? >> laura, i think it means more of the same. that it has been ever since hamas's attack on the early hours of sudden it morning. it became clear, israel has been striking targets. it says they are infrastructure targets blocking to hamas, weapon storage facilities, or even leadership among the hamas militant group. this is what they've been doing for the past few days. and as you say, they said they were carrying out large scale strikes, which is now in the early hours of the morning in israel. they say there will be more details to follow. as soon as we get those, will bring them to you. what we can say is that an airstrike that happened earlier, and that morning on thursday in

israel, that there were 51 people killed in the gaza strip, according to the palestinian ministry of health. so the death toll inside that gaza strip from israel's retaliatory strikes rising now to 1200, which coincidentally i guess is round about the same number of people inside of israel who were killed in that attack launched by hamas and the early hours of so the late morning. laura? >> elliott, thank you so much. i want to bring in the best person to help explain just how difficult this prospect of freeing hostages in gaza may just be. james clapper is here with me. he's a cnn national security analyst. and of course the former director of national intelligence. you know, director clapper, what we're seeing and hearing about the fact there are hostages that they might be in gaza, we don't know if they're in one area or otherwise, secretary antony blinken is there, going to arrive with a top u.s. official who deals

with hostage situations. when you're looking at this, what sticks out to you about why this might be very different than what most americans have come to understand about hostage scenarios? >> well, for one, first, laura, i don't know if i've never felt more inadequate after your opening and the heart wrenching, gut wrenching statements all family analysts. -- family members. and i think anyone in my position it would feel quite inadequate after that having to speak to this. the first thing, with, well your comment about, this is not normal. no, it isn't. because the typical way we have tried to affect the release of hostages's negotiations,

diplomacy. so we appoint a special envoy who focus specifically on that. and the recent case of iran, you are dealing with a nation-state. pariah nation state, yes, but a nation-state nevertheless. network dealing with non-nation state, and outlaw, an enemy. so diplomacy is not out of the question, since there mutual contacts, informal though that may be, in the middle east. the qataris, the -- have served in that capacity before. and -- with the iranians. and i'm sure those channels are being used again. and i'm sure that it's something that secretary antony blinken will be attending to. and apart from that, from an

intelligence perspective, you can't think about, if it gets to the point when you've got to physically rescue them, you can't do a rescue unless you know where they are. it sounds like an obvious statement, but in that location, it's absolutely crucial. >> so how do you go about getting that information? >> i'm sure that both israeli intelligence and, which is quite capable, and our intelligence community is pulling out all the stops. any morsel, the slightest morsel of information that might cast light on location and certainly a status, the condition of the hostages, they'll drenched it up if it's there to be had. what concerns me is the operational security that hamas

used in that run up to the attack. there was no warning. no warning to speak of, certainly. none of that was evident to the israelis. so for hamas, the location of where they keep these hostages is going to be for them -- >> that's called -- >> out the rate sensitive piece of information that they were going to protect. by sustaining the operational security communications they advanced before the attack. so this is, i don't want to say it's hopeless, but it is a very, very daunting task. since negotiations, are, i still think, the best hope right now. but when it comes to a physical rescue, it's going to be very, very challenging proposition. >> director clapper. please stay around. we're going to be talking more about this and really diving deep into what we know

president biden hits it about a number of the issues and the complexity of the landscape, the population density, densely populated area, all that when we come back as well. we also know is really tricks for messing at the border, after some 300,000 reservists or called up. so what is all of this going to mean in the coming days? trying to answer. the fbi and how menstruating are warning now off the potential for attacks right here in the united states.

>> to, not as poor is escalating in israel and gaza, there is actually concern about safety right here in the united states. from new york to los angeles, police are ramping up security. they are patrolling at seneca rocks and other religious institutions. and my next guest has extensive knowledge about the threats we face and how to keep us safe right here at home.

cnn national security analyst juliette kayyem and former director of national intelligence james clapper is also back with. me juliet, i'm sure you've seen the police cars outside of synagogues. and i'm sure you've heard about increased police presence and other areas. and concern, i have a friend, whose children are it synagogues and schools, who are getting alerts saying what they're doing to try to alleviate the threats. what are law enforcement officials saying in terms of domestic attacks? >> there is two areas of particular concern. the first is obviously given the intelligence failures related to both israel's knowledge of what hamas was clearly amassing, to perform the terror attack, and whether we have any knowledge or not would suggest that our intelligence gathering efforts, as relates to a certain kind of terrorism, should not be relied

upon. and i agree with that. i think we have no idea what is going on. this goes to jim's point about the challenges of getting hostages, you have to know where they are. and our ground game, israel's ground game is exposed, not as strong as it is. you have that fear which is going to heighten your concerns as a country like ours about what else can be out there, and the information about. at the second of course is targeted communities, the targeted community, that jewish community synagogues and others. i've been through this and helped synagogues in terms of their preparation. they are targeted. there is elevated passions and tensions that are focusing on particular individuals that they have to be protected. and i think that there is something to the united states and its law enforcement

apparatus sent to the outside world, these are institutions that we defend and protect here in the united states as well. those include synagogues and places of jewish warship. that's an absolutely appropriate use of public safety, whether or not there is specific threats against synagogues. >> and director clapper, according to the fbi, jewish people face more than 50% of religiously motivated hate crimes in our country. so talk to me about the increased security effort that would take place since sunday's attack. what would that look like now? >> i think the fbi would be very much involved in this and homeland security and through that joint fusion center, is eight or something of those in the united states. there would be a heightened alert on the part of all. and that interim would generate

liaison with state and local and tribal law enforcement authorities. because of this threat. so i think people -- in the foxhole, so to speak. and heightened patrols. synagogues, other religious institutions. which could be the target of some form of an attack. it's kind of a global country we have to worry about, and the united states. >> and to that point, one of the reasons we are talking about it here, juliette, because we're often amid the fog of war or authority fast-moving flood information, people are getting it from various means. a lot of unverified claims might be made, especially of course on the internet. and people are getting that information, almost driven through a fire hose. how does that complicate an

already tense situation? >> there is a lot of complications right now. the first is obviously a terrorist group, hamas, using it as a way to terrorize people. again, thank social media to post some of these just horrific videos. even if not authenticated, it doesn't matter. it is like, showing up in people's feeds. that's the first. that's the second form of terrorism. that second is people seeking a political agenda by creating fake news or manipulating intelligence that's out there. and that's why journalists and authors who absorb the news have to be super careful about what we're claiming. so in particular, there is lots of reports about iran's direct involvement with this attack. that's a huge thing to claim and it could make countries move in ways that we don't

necessarily want them to move right now. and so i notice that the biden administration was very, very fast and pushing back against that narrative. because if on the revised news reports about specific knowledge, as compared to iran 's historic support of hamas, became a political lightning rod based on non accurate information, you could get countries reacting and ways in which, that are not based on information. we've been there before. so those are two ways and which there is help for a summit fog of war. the fog of war is becoming fauquier, because, for example, twitter is completely unreliable now. other platforms haven't gotten to the maturity that winter was. at and people are abusing these platforms to promote political agendas, at the stage. >> i want to ask another question. you teach at harvard. we have been hearing more about

this. there was a coalition of 44 organizations at harvard that released later that said they hold the israeli regime, quote, entirely responsible, unquote, for the unfolding violence. the university president issued a statement condemning hamas and said no student group speaks for harvard. >> exactly. >> you're a professor they are, what do you think about what's happening there? >> i think, like in a lot of universities, no student group speaks for the university. and that statement, various members of those groups didn't know it was coming out. the statement is horrific. it wasn't factually accurate. but more importantly, this is a terrorist attack. we didn't qualifications. this was a horrible attack, period. full stop. everyone realizes that. second point. universities exist for free speech. for the kind of debate that are

occurring and israel right now. we should give ourselves a little bit of credit that we can handle the same debates that are happening in israel right now and what's exist to ensure the safety and security of their students. so to the extent that these university debates have gotten everyone picking sides and individually going after students, that's happening and harvard and elsewhere, that is and consistent with what universities are about. so people who think they're to the university of favor are not. the grown-ups should act as grown-ups. and recognize that universities actually can help resolve these centuries long fights that are going on, with our knowledge of history and religion and violence and peace can be helpful. and i just think that adults should try to be helpful and the institutions, rather than bring that masses on the outside to target student groups that we may disagree with, or individuals we may not like. >> the information, we can all

agree, is what need to drive the conversations. and we're trying to get it in realtime, it's like building your plant while you're flying it and hoping it will land safely. we are in the midst of the reality of war, and that is what happens as well. juliette kayyem, thank you. director clapper, standby. we'll continue to unpack so much more of this. we're also knowing tonight that is really tanks, they're amassing at the gaza border. in preparation for a possible ground incursion. when could it happen? what would it look like? what is even made by the possible ground incursion? a top general breaks that down at the magic wall, next.

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say they're currently conducting what they're calling a large-scale strike on terror targets, belonging to hamas and gaza. that is the top u.s. diplomat is in israel, and the aircraft carrier gerald ford has not moved into that region. israeli forces on the border with gaza, there's so many questions there happening of what comes next. and the real question is how could the next phase of this conflict unfold. i want to bring in cnn military analyst and retired air force colonel cedric leighton. director james clapper is also back. he's a retired air force lieutenant general. colonel leighton, i want to broken with you. i want to understand, what we know about where the israeli troops are moving and will be coming? >> laura, that's a great question. tonight we have about 300,000 israeli reservists that are actually deployed on the border. and so where are they, actually?

>> this is probably a pretty good indication right around all of these areas right here. it's we're you'll find israeli troops concentrated and what are they concentrating? with equipment. like these tanks right here. they have tanks, personnel carriers, and other equipment they can potentially used to go into gaza, and that i think is going to make a big difference in what they could potentially do it with some kind of ground incursion on their part. >> it's hard for people to imagine just how densely populated gaza is. we've heard about it, we have been hearing about comparisons that are drawn. tell me about the impact of that on the next phase of the ground incursion. >> that's a very interesting area as well, laura, because most densely populated part in gaza is the city of gaza itself. so that this part right here. that has over 25,000 people per square mile. other areas like north gaza --

and a major refugee camp have less population densities. but still, everything and gaza is basically, without a little bit of an exemption, 10,000 people or more per square mile. so you can think of a lot of people that are packed into a three small area. just by comparison, there are places that have higher population density per square mile around the world, but gaza has more population density per square mile, about 21,000 people per square mile in the urban areas, compared to tel aviv, los angeles, or even that washington, d.c., area. >> when you look at that comparison, it drives home the point of how densely populated they are. and what would take place if you head troops moving into those areas. our civilians were talking about, in particular. so the u.s. has moved assets into the region. what role could you as a fire power play and --

going forward? >> there are a lot of things to contend with here. one of them is the dense streets. you look at how narrow things are. this is what general clapper might recall is called a damage assessment. you see what damage has been done here. but look how cavernous all of this is. look at the buildings and how difficult it would be to maneuver something through each and every one of these straits. so a lot of things that would be coming into the area include deliveries of missions like you see here from this israeli cargo jet. you have the u.s. is gerald forward with its aircraft 70 to 90 aircraft, depending on how they carry them, and you've got them coming into the eastern mediterranean along with air force. f-35s, as for teams, all of this play a huge part in putting the u.s. presence in this area and making sure that this conflict doesn't go any further than it really has

already. >> colonel leighton, it's important to think about and seeing all that. director clapper, i want to ask you about what we have been seeing from colonel leighton. because that population density, there are hostages likely and gaza. we don't know where they are. you see what is ahead, trying to move ground troops into that area. what strikes you as the most difficult has picked of trying to get people out and stop? >> very compressed geography. very crowded urban, urbanized terrain. urban terrain. and so you've wonder how, given that sort of situation, how they're going to move all that heavy equipment. those tanks doubtless through narrow streets in gaza. so the question that comes to my mind is, what rules of engagement is the israeli ministry of defense and --

instructions they are providing to the troops. if and when they actually enter into gaza? you've got so many things to consider their. a very difficult terrain to start with. to even operate equipment and a passive environment, which this is not, they have got to contend with booby traps, e.d., snappers, plus the president of a theory detains civilian population. and also to be considered are the location of the hostages. probably dispersed widely, probably underground. so what i wonder about is, in the operations order that is being issued to, or will be issued to the israeli attacking force, and what the rules of engagement are on how they are

to conduct those operations, mindful of all these factors. >> there is so much to consider and we'll get back to director clapper. stay with me, there's a lot more to get to and to really lean into. and a lot more to come on the conflict between israel and gaza. but also, what's happening on capitol hill? republicans have picked their money for speaker, but it doesn't appear that they have chosen has enough votes for the gavel. so where does the party go from here?

israeli troops amassing on the gaza border tonight, and we have got more to come on all of that. but here at home on washington d.c. specifically, congressman

steve scalise of louisiana winning the republican nod for speaker today. yet still facing holdouts within his own party. so will the house vote even happen tomorrow? it didn't happen today, as planned. temporary house speaker congressman patrick mchenry telling cnn, that is the hope. joining me to discuss, a man who knows the ins and outs of all of this, ron brownstein. cnn's political analyst, and senior editor of the atlantic. you're shaking your head about the ins and outs. [laughter] >> it's unbelievable what we are watching. mitch mcconnell likes to say there is no education in the second kick of a mule. and given that i think most people seeing from the outside we'll assume that cooler heads would prevail and republicans would not put themselves and the country through a repeat of what we had in january with 15 balance in the removal of mccarthy last week. and now here we are again,

where despite scalise winning the internal closed-door vote, you have more than enough members, suggesting they're not gonna go for him on the floor. kind of the perfect cap to this craziness's george santos, of all people, tweeting just a little while ago that steve scalise has not paid enough attention to me therefore i will not vote for him. and so republican dysfunction can be abundantly on display again tomorrow or later this week or who knows how many days it may take for them to come to her solution. >> and i take an hour for us to unpack that santos tweet. so let's just go to. a congresswoman anti-maze and to say she told jake tapper earlier on whether she would support scalise for speaker. it wasn't about whether he had given her any attention. listen to this. >> i would not. i would vote for jim jordan on the floor. i have been very vocal about this for the last couple of days.

i personally cannot in good conscience vote for someone who attended a white supremacist conference and compared himself to david duke. i would be doing an enormous disservice to the voters that i represent in south carolina. >> so how do you see this going? some within their own party, including house foreign affairs committee chairman virginia need for a speaker with questions over aid for israel looming. this is one of the reasons not to vote, she is saying. >> right. what she is saying there that the alternative steve scalise is too extreme with this baggage in his background, likening himself to david duke, her alternative is member of the house jim jordan committee felt was any evolved is any single member of congress and on trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. and that is really a reminder

of what we are looking at here. there are two choices here on the table, both of whom are ideologically to the right, well to the right of kevin mccarthy, whose greatest ideological mission really was his own personal events. scalise is conservative very much in kind of the maga trump mold. and either way, particularly with the prospect of trump's nominee it points to the republican party going since 2024 election with a staunchly conservative and polarizing face at a time when there's a lot of opportunity for them among voters in the center of the electorate, because biden is facing, president biden is facing low approval ratings among swing voters. but republicans at the moment are driving away from the opportunity for our politics very much revolving around the priorities and grievances of our base. >> the 217 votes as of yet, it

will be an interesting day. ron brownstein, interesting is always. >> so what does the raise-y israeli hamas war mean for our allies around the world? around ukraine? will we have enough resources to support them? james clapper is back with the recess, next.

>> hundreds of thousands of israeli troops massing on the border with gaza as the u.s. sends diplomats to the region. how far is our attention being stretched? back with me now, james clapper. a lot of questions about the u.s. providing now munitions to israel. there's also a being provided to ukraine. is there a concern about our

resources being so stretched? >> i'm sure there is. i think this is a real challenge for the pentagon right now. how to support two wars. we have been kind of stressed from the supply chain standpoint with providing munitions, particularly at the rate they're being used in the ukraine. now i have, i think, a similar voracious appetite for munitions probably in israel and gaza. and we have our own requirements to manage. so i think our stocks and manner of supply is going to be stretched. i am sure the pentagon is struggling with that right now. >> we will see where things go from. their doctor clapper, thank you for being with me, helping to impact so much. it was important to have you. here and thank you all for watching. our live coverage continues after s-word break.