good morning, everyone. i'm phil the mattingly with poppy harlow in new york. erin burnett is live neither gaza border. it's 7:00 a.m. on the east coast, 2:00 p.m. in tel aviv where secretary of state antony blinken is set to speak as the war between israel and hamass escalates. he's meeting with benjamin netanyahu, as israel continues to pummel gaza with artillery and airstrikes. >> the humanitarian crisis is growing more dire by the hour. hostages, including americans, are still being held captive. israel issued a new ult imatum.

power and water and fuel will stay cut off to gaza until they return the hostages abducted in the surprise attack. without power, fuel and water, the hospitals will turn into more as the elderly seriously at risk. >> we have team coverage across the region and here at home. let's get straight to erin burnett live at at the hospital in ashkelon. it got hit in yesterday's strike. also street trooeted more than 600 patients from saturday's attack s. at this point, what are you seeing at the hospital? >> so this has been a hospital that's been very busy since the beginning of the attacks on saturday. you mentioned 650 people came here to this hospital in ashkelon. we're near the gaza border. just about seven or eight miles from the border here. 650 of them originally. we still know at least 30 of them are still here being treated.

and then there's the ongoing strikes. yesterday we came by the heavy assault of dozens and dozens of rockets above us, some of those enevident bliss come through the dome. we have seen place where is they have impacted. a rocket did hit this hospital here yesterday. but in addition, about 70 people injured yesterday in those strikes from hamas here in ashkelon came here to the hospital. some are still here being treated for that trauma. so this is very much a at the center of this. it's a target and a place that people come for relief and for treatment after the strikes in terms of what israel is dealing with right now. also i will say over the past hour and a half, as we have been here, a lot of thuds coming from gaza over the past half hour we heard less of that happen that. a the lot of thuds coming from gaza. we know the idf has been conducting major airstrikes.

they say on terror targets throughout gaza, throughout this morning. and as i said, we came here. those we are steady every minute or 30 seconds we'd hear the loud thuds. we haven't heard that here in the past half hour, although i did know that south of here, we just heard one right now. so just south of here, there's been a lot of incoming rockets over the area. and i know you have been seeing a lot of that rocket onslaught so far this morning. dozens and dozens of them. what have you actually experienced there? >> yeah, early this morning, there was rockets coming in from gaza. and the defense shield intercepted them. there weas one property hit. there were some civilian casualties at that property. but where we're at located right now, just outside of the border

in this location to gaza, what you're looking at here is israeli defense force, heavy howitzers fire artillery shells into gaza. this is a very big concentration of israeli fire power here. we covered the situation with gaza in 2021, where there was exchange of artillery fire, rockets by hamas. this is of a scale much bigger. we're seeing more guns dug in here more support troops around the guns. we're seeing a longer, more intense barrage of outgoing shell fire towards gaza. we have been here the last 20 to 30 minutes, this has been sustained outgoing fire for multiple guns. and in 2021 to give you comparison, they didn't last

that long. they were a few minutes. they were over. they paused, they waited for fresh target instructions. so from my experience here, the guns were dug in the same positions here back in 2021, this is a much more sustained artillery targeting of hamas positions in gaza. we have been hearing the impacts in gaza from these guns through the night. we have heard the outgoing fire through the night. we have heard the impacts coming from gaza through the night. we're also hearing late yesterday afternoon as well. >> so nic, we can hear that volley of fire where you're standing right now just a few miles from the border. over the past couple days as we have been along this border, we have all seen an increase in the presence, the readiness, the perception of readiness and what

you're hearing right now. the tempo of the back and forth. what do you feel it's happening? is it accelerating even more today as we try to understand when the actual assault itself could begin. >> i don't think we have a good assessment yet. i don't think we have a good assessment yet. the gubs that we're looking at here that you can see on your screens now are heavy howitzers, we saw them coming in on flat bed trucks just a couple days ago. we saw them at this location digging in late yesterday. now we're seeing them today dug in, in action, firing long, sustained at this targeted artillery fire. you can see the flashes from the guns here.

you can hear the boom of the outgoing shell. we can't hear the impacts itself. when we try to judge how close any ground invasion might be, there's definitely far more troops in position, but it's still a build potentially fwords that. i don't think the forces are in place for that but definitely postured and readying for what it might happen. >> thank you so much. we can hear the fire behind nic. you also hear from where we are thuds in gaza as those airstrikes continue. it is just a way to remember that all of these locations are just miles from each other. you're talking about a very small distance that we're talking about the fire, what

we're hearing. it's something to keep in mind. you're talking about extremely small distances. >> stay with us in the field. joining us is idf spokesman, i appreciate your time this morning. given what our reporters are seeing on the ground, seeming to tick upward, i want to ask you about something this week about the scale of the response would be to the terror attacks, bigger than before and more severe. should i read into that that it will be more significant in terms of a ground operation that we saw in 2009 or we saw in 2014? >> absolutely. in the same way a mass' attack against us was unprecedented in terms of the level of a massacre, the brutality, the

numbers of israelis, men, women and children that were destroyed. it became clear hamas cannot exist in their current capacity because they will do everything to destroy the state. there's not going -- this is in terms of a mass in gaza and destroying their ability to do this ever again. you're looking at something totally different that be we have seen before. >> major spielman, there's great concern about the hostages being held as when you're describing is potentially about to begin. has israel's intelligence improved since over the weekend in terms of your confidence that you can execute this, whatever

is to come, while protecting them and hopefully getting them out? >> i'll tell you, you're hitting upon a good nerve, a correct nerve. i have to explain the israeli forces that are in the south, these hostages are not just family. we're such a small country that we know these hostages. they are members of people's families. >> major spielman, please standby. aapologize for interrupting. let's listen to prime minister benjamin netanyahu and secretary of state antony blinken. >> mr. secretary, my good friend, thank you for your important visit here today.

thank you, thank president biden, thank you to the american people for your incredible support for israel in our war against the barbarians of hamas. i thank you in english. i want to thank you in hebrew as well . [ speaking in global language [ [ speaking in global language ]

>> mr. secretary, your visit is another tangible example of america's unequivocal support for israel. hamas has shown its to be an enemy of civilization. the massacring of young people at an outdoor music festival, the butchering of entire families, the murder of parents in front of their children and the murder of children in front of their parents, the burningover people alive, the

beheadings, the kidnappings. a young boy not only kidnapped, molested, burned, attacked. and the sickening display of scelebrating these horrors, the celebration and glorification of e evil, president biden was absolutely correct in calling this shear evil. hamas is isis and just as isis was crushed, so, too, will hamas be crushed. and hamas should be treated exactly the way isis was treated. they should be spit out from the community of nations. no leader should harbor them and

those that do should be sanctioned. tony, my friend, i say to you, i say to all of us, there will be many difficult days ahead, but i have no doubt that the forces of civilization will win. and the reason that's true is because we understand what is the first prerequisite of victory. it's what you said in our meeting. moral clarity. this is a time, a particular time, a special time, that we must stand tall, proud and united against evil. tony, you are taking that stand. america is taking that stand. thank you for being here today. thank you, america, for standing with israel, today, tomorrow,

and always. >> mr. prime minister, i'm grateful to be back in israel in this incredibly difficult moment. for this nation, but in fact, for the entire world. if you'll permit me, personal aside. i come before you not only as the united states secretary of state, but also as jew. my grandfather fled russia. my stepfather survived concentration camps at aus

auschwitz. so prime minister, i understand on a personal level the he harrowing echos that hamas' massacres carry for israeli jews, indeed, for jews everywhere. i also come before you as a husband and father of young children. it's impossible for me to lock at the photos of families killed, such as the mother, father and three small children murdered as they sheltered in their home. and not think of my own children. this was just one of hamas' countless acts of terror. in a litany of bruce tallty and in humanity that, yes, brings to mind the worst of isis. babies slaughtered, bodies

desecrated, young people burned alive, women raped, parents executed in front of their children, children in front of their parents, how are we even to understand this? to digest this? and yet at the same time, at the same time we have been shocked by the depravity of hamas, we have also been inspired by the bravery of israel citizens. the grandfather who drove over an hour under siege armed only with a pistol and rescued his kids and grand kids. the mother who died shielding her teenage son with her body giving her life to save his, giving him life for a second time. the volunteer security teams who swiftly rallied to defend their

friends and neighbors, despite being heavily outnumbered. and we're lifted by the remarkable sol dauidarity of th israeli people, demonstrated in the long lines of people giving blood, in the hundreds of thousands of reservists who have mobilized, some rushing home from abroad. people around the country opening their homes to fellow citizens displaced from the south. people of israel have long and rightly prided thelss on their self-reliance, on the ability to defend themselves, even when the odds are stacked against them. the message that i bring to israel is this. you maybe strong enough on your own to defend yourself, but as long as america exists, you will never, ever have to. we will always be there by your side. that's the message that president biden delivered to the prime minister from the moment this it crisis began.

it's the message that i and my other colleagues in the government have delivered to our israeli counterparts on a daily, even an hourly basis. it's the message that i bring with me to our discussions today, and when i meet with the members of israel's newly formed government. we welcome the government's creation and the unity and resolve that it reflects across society. we're delivering on our word, supplying ammunition, interceptors to replenish the iron dome, alongside other defense materials. the first shipments of u.s. support have already arrived and more is on the way. as israel's defense needs evolve, we'll work with congress to make sure they are met. i can tell you there's overwhelm ing bipartisan support in our congress for israel's security. here in israel, and everywhere,

we will reaffirm the crystal clear warning that president biden issued yesterday to any adversary, state or nonstate, thinking of taking advantage of the current crisis to attack israel. don't. the united states has israel's back. we have deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier to the eastern mediterranean. we bolstered the presence of fighter aircraft in the region. we're providing other support as well. we continue working closely with israel to secure the release of the men, women, children, elderly taken hostage by hamas. we're pursuing intensive diplomacy to prevent the conflict from spreading. i will be doing that over the coming days. too often in the past, leaders have equivocated in the face of terrorist attacks against israel and its people.

that's why we have been adamant with all countries in the wake of these attacks, there is no excuse. there is no justification for these atrocities. you heard the prime minister say it. this is, this must be a moment for moral clarity. the failure to condemn terrorism puts at risk not only people of israel, but people everywhere. look at what just happened. individuals from 36 countries killed or mising in the aftermath of hamas' attacks. europe, asia, africa, the americas, no region has escaped hamas' bloody reach. anyone who wants peace and justice must condemn hamas' reign of terror. we know hamas doesn't represent

the pal sestinian people or the legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity. we know hamas instead of promote ing the well being of itself citizens, rules repressively and dedicates the resources it has to tunnels and rockets. we know hamas didn't commit its heinous acts with the interests of palestinian people in mind. we know hamas does not stand for the future of the palestinians for themselves and their children. hamas has only one agenda. to destroy israel and to murder jews. no country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens or return to the conditions that allowed it to take place. israel has the right, the obligation to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again.

as the prime minister and i discussed, how israel does this matters. we democracies distinguish ourselves from terrorists by striving for a different standard, even when itst difficult. and holding ourselves to account when we fall short. our humanity, the value that we place on human life and dignity, that's what makes us who we are. we count them among our greatest strength. that's why it's so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians. that's why we mourn the loss of every innocent life, civilians of every faith, every nationality, that have been killed. tragically the number of innocent lives claimed by hamas continues to rise. among those, we now know that at least 25 american citizens were killed. we joined families in israel and the united states, around the world in mourning their

unmeasurable loss. 15 years ago my stepfather came here perform the mourners prayer he wrote to a company. reflecting on the unspeakable ho horrors that he endured as a boy at the nazi concentration camps, he wrote, that man, though created in your image and endowed with the freedom to choose between good and evil, remains capable of the worst as of the best, of hatred, as of love, of madness, as of genius. in this moment, where evil, hatred and madness have once more taken so many innocent lives, we must stand together,

resolved to confront the worst among humanity with what is best. we must provide an alternative to the vision of violence and fear, asigh lymph and terror presented by hamas. that is what the united states will do. standing with israel, working together with its people, and all those in this region who remain committed to the vision of a more peaceful, me integrated and more secure and more prosperous middle east. thank you very much. >> there you have it. an unequivocal show of support from secretary of state antony blinken to israel. no daylight between the two countries, reminding the world that the united states stands side by side with israel in this moment and always.

hearing from the prime minister benjamin netanyahu, deep gratitude for the support of the united states. and also making clear that hamas issistsist and should be wiped out, the same way as isis. an update as we bring in erin burnett. we also just heard from secretary of state antony blinken an update. 25 americans were killed in these attacks. >> reporter: 25 americans killed. there were 17 still accounted for as of this morning. that number could continue to rise. it's a somber reality that the death toll is still going up. interest whag you heard there. no daylight between them. one thing i know we all heard there echoed was when they described the actual attack itself, they both talked about young people being burned alive. they used those words. they talked about parents being executed in front of their children and children in front of their parents.

it was very clear those words were -- they had agreed to that. that was very clear. there was no daylight between them. i will say one thing. in that vain, secretary blinken could not be more clear. the united states has israel's back. increase in supplies for the iron dome, any military need. however, it was interesting that he said one thing. how israel does this matters. striving for a different standard and there's value in human life and dignity. it seemed to be a sort of as horrific as this is, the value of civilian life is so crucial. he went on to draw the distinction between hamas as a brutal terrorist organization and the actual needs and desires of the palestinian people. a distinction that was very clear to draw, as you all saw prime minister benjamin netanyahu himself still reflecting the shock and rage

that so many here feel using the word evil and talking a about spitting out hamas as the world spout isis. you can feel that rage coming off of him. but some important words from blinken of caution, about civilian life as well in this speech. >> there's no equivocation in terms of the support. but i want to bring in nic robertson. because when you talk about that balance that erin is mentioning, you heard it from president biden of the need for moral claire tirks the need for recognizing the palestinian people as a separate entity from hamas. then you listen to benjamin netanyahu talk about the analog to isis, which u.s. officials have head as well in eliminating hamas as isis was eliminated in his words. how does that work given the area for which they will be operating in which an incursion

begins? >> reporter: part of how it works is diplomatically. that was part of the appeal from prime minister benjamin netanyahu. we heard it from israel's president earlier on in the day. all those international countries should do what they did in outlawing in the best words to describe with isis is not giving them any foothold, any platform to speak. so when i say some of the things that can be done diplomatically, i was speaking with sources in the region last night, who say what they are trying to do is get a plan together, all of hamas' international offices around the arab region. and other place where is they may have them in the world as well.

and this is part of what the mechanism is to take on hamas. to shut them down. it's essentially to punish them militarily. describing the way life should be valued when the response is taken, which was very clear in its language there, apart from having no daylight between the united states and israel on the global clarity about the bomb barety of what hamas has done and the response required. part of that response comes by shutting down hamas internationally and diplomatic ly i know that's being worked on. speaking to a senior

representative in the region, very familiar with all the palestinian military, it's what we have kshed because we are beginning to see an emergence of the isis brand behavior. we're seeing their language, their propaganda. we're seeing small cells emerge. and that was giving him a huge degree of concern because it opened the door to exactly what we have seen here, this magnitude of bar barety we haven't seen before here. >> so clear that call from prime ministeren benjamin netanyahu to any eptty, any country around the world, any regime to harbor or aid hamas in any way. we'll get back to you soon. i just want to tell our viewers on the left side of the screen, those are live images of the strikes outside the area. jeremy diamond joins us. what can you tell us from where

you are? >> i just want to come back to the comments that we just heard from secretary blinken and the israeli prime minister, the focus that both of them dedicated to the bar barety of those attacks, describing them in detail, talking about the burning of civilians alive, babies slaughtered, women raped, this was from secretary blinken and the israeli prime minister. i think it's really important to understand why they are doing that at this moment. and the reason why is that both of them are effectively providing the rational for the next phase of israel's military response. they are trying to build up public support for that response. in addition to showing that there's no daylight between the united states and israel, they want the public at large, both here in israel, in the united states, but around the world to understand the why the casualties that will undoubtly follow why they are going to

happen. if israel goes in with a ground invasion, not only will that result in additional casualties to israeli soldiers who go into gaza, but the civilian casualties inside of gaza will continue to vise. i think it's really important not to lose focus on the fact that the palestinians inside of gaza are so often caught in the cross fire. we know that given how congested the city of gaza, the fact that hamas operates within civilian areas, within residential buldings and the fact that the military typically does go ahead and strike those buildings and has increasingly been doing so with less warningen than they do. we have watched the death toll continue to rise. if israel moves forward with an invasion of gaza, unprecedented in scale, the death toll rise on all sides. so what you were hearing there as they try to summon the

emotion of this moment, the emotion of the attacks, the motion that is felt here in israel by everyone, who was shocked by the senseless brutality of those murders, they are trying to capture that, bottle it up and essentially send it out to the world before the casualties we will undoubtedly see in the next phase of this military response. >> stay with us. i want to bring in beth saner. this is a demonstration of unity of the u.s. and this administration being completely aligned with benjamin netanyahu and the government. what did you take away from the remarks you heard from both the prime minister and the secretary of state? >> i think that what we just heard was perfectly said about the goal of this was.

and to inoculate this. to point out a step further, the siege that is going on, they have shut down in gaza all water and electricity and the red cross is asking for supplies to go to hospitals because this is total war. and i think this shows it's going to get trickier and trickier as this operation moves on. the images that will be coming out of civilians dieing in gaza will be complicated. i also want to get back to the idea of what is going on here with the iranian president and the saudi leader talking last night and what's going to happen with blinken at the rest of the trip. >> what is going to happen with

blinken and the rest of this trip? >> today he will meet with the crown prince of jordan. he will also meet with the head of the palestinian authority, a very elderly and weak figure, but the only other alternative to hamas within this palestinian construct. he runs the west bank. they don't control gaza, but that is to try to keep this from escalating and also to show this as blinken really pointed out the difference between hamas, a terrorist group, and the palestinian people. the iranians, as they spoke to them, the read out from that, they were trying to really make the whole palestinian question

as a unified one, whereas the saudi crown prince is trying to separate that out. that's essential to prevent escalation. it's essential to prevent the west bank from blowing up. and so that's really key. >> thank you so much. standby as we bring back in a spokesman for the idf major spielman. i apologize for interrupting you, and i appreciate you staying. please finish asking the question we asked prior. the intelligence in gaza, how confident are you that it is good enough to execute whatever is going to come next while protecting and rescuing? >> as we were saying before that incredible speech, as a soldier in the israeli army, we have moral clarity. but to hear the united states share its values of life and liberty, which is the same that

israel shares, it's a great encouragement. it's an inspiration for the israeli people, who have a very long road ahead. regarding the issue of the hostages, this is an incredibly personal issue as both the secretary and prime minister spoke about. we have increased our intel dramatically. we have two generals establishing two ministries dedicated to this. as this increases, we have increased intelligence on the squads who were really the front guard that incurred into our israeli territory sent by hamas with that mission to destroy. we now have many of their names or identities and locations. as we have said, they are the front guard that are responsible for carrying out this massacre and none of them, no matter where they are, already safe. we will hold them accountable for this massacre. >> major spielman, a big part of

the last several days has been trying to identify accurate information, misinformation, there's a lot of rumors flying about, including what's happening to the north. we're learning there are social media reports there may have been strikes in syria. i'm wondering if you have any information about that. >> what i can tell you is i can't really confirm a foreign media report. what i will tell you, and we have been clear about this and we heard this alluded to in the speech, we will stand against thinkny threat to our country. whether it be in lebanon, syria or gaza. israel is not going to allow any of these threats to go unnoticed. we are at war with because it's truly the existence and continuation of the state of israel. so that is my answer to that. we'll see that moving forward in the coming weeks and perhaps months. >> major spielman, spokesman for

the israel defense forces, we appreciate your time this morning. thank you. >> thank you. ahead, you'll hear from an israeli teenager who survived the attack because he was shielded by his parents. stay with us.

parents were killed by hamas militants while shielding their 16-year-old son. earlier this week, we heard from debra's father about that horrific day. >> we were on the phone with debra as she was killed. we were on the phone the entire day with our son as he lay first under her body and found a place to escape under a blanket in the laundry. he was told not to speak. and therefore, he used texting. by the time he was res cute, he had 4% left in his battery. >> he and his sisters with with us now and joining us their

grandfather. there are not words to describe how sorry we are. i'm so grateful you can join us in honoring the lives of your parents. i know you're still recovering. how are you doing? >> i'm doing very well. i'm able to walk now. a few days ago i couldn't even stand. the bullets were taken out via surgery. i'm feeling much, much better. >> we are showing, as we speak to you, these beautiful pictures of your parents. it was so striking to hear your grandfather earlier this week describe what they did to save you and how yourer mother bore the brunt of the gunfire and did what every mother would do for their child. could you help tell us about her and your father?

>> i can't really explain them in words, but they were the best. they did everything in their power to give us the life that they wanted us to have. they wanted us to be happy, to be whimsical. to be joyful, in peace, they didn't want us to be in a situation like this. and they wanted us to live more than anything. so as you said, hospital and dad, they sacrificed their lives to save me. >> what would you like to share? >> i just want to say that we are very, very sad that our parents are gone.

they were very, very brave. none of the people in israel, none of the foreign citizens who are here who were taken deserved any of this. sadly, we're just still sitting and waiting to hear anything more about them. >> not only did you lose your parents, but you also had to learn that they were killed from your brother, him sending you that message. >> yeah, it was -- i didn't want to believe it.

i don't think anyone would ever want to believe it the text message said, mom and dad are dead, sorry. and that was when my service was gone, and ufs cut off. i was left about 13 or 14 hours in the safe room. i had had no idea what happened to my parents, if they really are gone. and i didn't know if my brother was still here. i was so worried and so scared. and we heard bolls everywh bomb everywhere and heard screams. no one should ever have to go through that. >> no, they should not.

i can see your brother comforting you. i'm so glad you have each other. i know when you had surgery, you asked to keep the bullet that was removed from you. >> yes. >> why? >> i wanted to keep it as a memory, to never forget them and remember that even though it was the hardest and lowest point in my life, i found sol hope that maybe i lived and shared their memories and how i saw my parents with other people. they won't die there. they will live on in memories and in stories. >> what a family you have. i know you're so deeply grateful for them, as

your thoughts this morning? >> these kids are terrific, as i'm sure you can see, and everybody who is watching can see. what their parents did was very seriously systematically lovingly and with great care and intelligence create a family. their life wasn't always so easy. but they over came whatever obstacles they had in creating an absolutely beautiful family. a family that played together, that sang together, that shared hopes together and felt responsible for one another. and was, i think, taking place here now is the beginning of building on those bonds that were so well established by their parents, enabling them to

assist one another as they go forward in life. and they don't have to do it alone. and that's why i'm here. i represent five brothers and sisters, and i represent, i think, 16 cousins so far. and great-grandchildren. the family is growing and it will live. and he wants to remember them living and sharing somehow in the lives that they will have. it's a large task, but i am up to it. >> your bond is so clear, even from this distance. thank you all for being with us. and may the memory of your parents be a blessing. >> thank you. >> just moments ago secretary of state antony blinken alongside israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu comparing hamas'

brutality to the worst of isis. >> babies slaughtered. bodies desecrated. young people burned alive. women raped. parents executed in front of their children. children in front of their parents. how do we even understand this? to digest this? >> visceral in its nature. blinken arrived in tel aviv to show the u.s. commitment to israel after last weekend's attack and help secure the release of nearly 150 hostages taken by hamas, some believed to be american. he is soon expected to head to jordan where he will meet with the palestinian's president and jordan's king. joining me john finer. i appreciate your time. start with where poppy left off. very powerful interview. the death toll the secretary

announced has gone up from 22 to 25. you have expected that. awful as it is, do you have any more information about the number of americans who are detained or could be held hostage right now and their condition? >> i don't have any more detailed information about that other than that is the number one area of focus for our embassy, for the experts we have sent to the region to consult with their israeli counterparts and advise them on hostage recovery efforts and, you know, this is, obviously, an area of great concern to all of us. people who are stuck in this situation. it is about the worst condition you could imagine being taken frb a place where you are either traveling or live and dragged across the border into a hostile situation like this. this will remain area area of secretary blinken's meetings in jerusalem today. >> another focus of the secretary's meetings throughout the course of this trip will be

potential for humanitarian corridors or passages. also, there are several hundred american citizens in gaza right now. there has been a lot of conflicting accounts of what's happening in rafah, the crosswalk and what egypt's role has been. what is the status? is that open? should americans in gaza go there? >> it's important to keep in mind there are 2.3 million people who live in gaza. very difficult living conditions in the best of times and this is pretty far from the best of times. and so as the president said yesterday, this is a stop i can of direct conversation between the united states and the government of israel. we are talking about options like humanitarian corridors and safe zones, options for people to be able to get out of gaza if they can. the president has been clear that democracies like the united states and israel are strongest when they operate according to the rule of law and the laws of war and this will be an ongoing area of focus between us and then as we continue to work

through this very challenging operational environment in which the israeli military will be fighting. >> there have been reports that egypt had rejected the idea of a broader humanitarian corridor. is there any truth to that? >> i will keep our conversations with the government of egypt private. but i will say that the best option, most likely the only option for people to get out of gaza will be through the rafah crossing that leads into egypt. we believe we will be able to work with egypt on aan arrangement. we are focused overnight this day by day, hour ahour. >> the secretary echoed the president's strength of support and unity with the israeli people, with prime minister netanyahu and also talking about the need for moral clarity and separating the palestinian people from hamas. do you believe that those calls are being heeded by the israelis as they plan a military

operation? >> i'd say a few things. 2.3 million people in gaza. the vast majority have absolutely nothing to do with the conflict. i spent time in gaza in 2009 during another war there. made an impression on me how challenging people's lives are there, particularly under a military operation. so the fact that we are having this conversation though i think is the important part. the fact this is a subject not just between staff on the u.s. side and the israeli side but between the prime minister and the president is a stark difference from how hamas operates. hamas crossed into israel with the express goal of killing as many israelis, military civilians didn't care. and now they have retreated into their territory, into the gaza strip with no objective of avoiding damage to their civilian population from what is to come. so the fact that this conversation is happening is important. we will largely keep the details of it private. it will be on ongoing area of

direct dialogue between the united states and israel. >> you were there in 2009 in one of the two israeli incursions into the country. i think that was 15 days. this one is -- israeli officials side will be larger in the difficulty and complexity that comes with it. a longer-term question, if i may. when prime minister netanyahu talks about eliminating hamas, crushing hamas akin to what was done with isis, what happens next? it is the governance structure in gaza. what fills the vacuum there? >> that a very challenging question. governance of gaza has been extremely challenging since hamas took over in 2005, 2006. this is an area we will be directly consulting with the israelis on. we probably have some time. this is an operation that is likely to unfold over weeks, if not longer. that's what the israelis have said. but the future governance of gaza is one of the many

significant challenges associated the current situation. the problem is that hamas has proven themselves unfit, unable to govern this territory in a way that can be acceptable to the israelis given what just happened. that's what the israeli government is saying and it's going to be the next challenge after this complicated military operation is completed and we are probably a long way from that to pig out what the future of governance there looks like. >> the message of deterrence, which has been shown by actions and words from the president and the secretary of state, just about everybody in the administration, saying flatly don't. there are a am number of different players in the region with very specific interests here. if that warning is not heeded, what is the u.s. response? >> so one thing that the president doesn't do and none of us are going to do on his behalf is telegraph our next move or telegraph our punches. it is clear to anyone who might consider getting involved in this conflict that the united states has considerable capabilities at our disposal, not just the carrier strike

group moved into the region but a force posture that exists in the region at all times. beyond that which we believe sends an unmistakable message, i am not going to get into what we might do in a hypothetical situation. >> appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> and "cnn this morning" continues right now. this is cnn breaking news. >> we are glad you are with us. we continue to following the cnn. i'm poppy harlow with phil mattingly in new york. erin burnett live near the gaza border. >> moments ago secretary of state antony blinken vowed to stand behind and besides israel as this war with hamas intensifies. >> hamas has only one agenda. to destroy israel and to murder jews. israel has the right indeed the obligation to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again.