and welcome to all of you watching here in the united states and around the world. i'm paula newton with the very latest on israel at war. it is 6:00 a.m. in gaza, which has endured another night of intense air strikes and artillery fire in what israel's prime minister calls the second stage of the war against hamas. israel says it's been hitting hamas targets including hamas tunnels and underground combat spaces. all this while israeli ground forces are expanding their operations inside gaza. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is predicting victory against hamas. listen. >> translator: heroic fighters

have one supreme goal to destroy this murderous enemy and ensure the existence of our country. we always said never again. never again is now. >> now, inside gaza, meantime, reports indicate cellular and internet communications have been partially restored. but hospitals are at full capacity if they're functioning at all. there's not enough food, water, medicine, or fuel to go around. the palestinian authority which controls the west bank offers his dire assessment of what's going on now. >> translator: our people in the gaza strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world. >> cnn crews inside israel near the gaza border have been observing the heightened military activity throughout the past day and night. our nic robertson has the latest now from israel. >> reporter: you know, it's only when the intense artillery

barrages, the tank fire, the heavy machine gunfire, the missile strikes -- it's only when they ease off that you can actually hear what's happening on the battlefield. right now we can just about hear -- that was another artillery strike. we can just about about hear the tanks right at the border less than a mile from where we are right now. but through the night it has been very, very intense. at times multiple missile strikes lighting up the sky, huge detonations. we've heard helicopters coming close, heavy machine gunfire from those helicopters in a way that we haven't heard before along the front line here. we've heard heavy tank fire being fired out from close to here. so heavy, so sustained, going on for long periods of time that this building was shaking as well. we've heard multiple artillery

rounds going in from artillery batteries to the north and south of where we were, huge destinations from those. flares we've seen in the sky as well. whole indication or the whole tempo here through the night is one of continued military confrontation of this buildup of what the prime minister has talked about. he's talked about more commanders and more fighters being inside enemy territory, that this is going to the next phase, to another phase of the operation. and that's what we've been witnessing play out here through the night, intense vaegs very intense at times. and that the sound of the impacts, the sounds of some of the artillery and tanks firing so strong here, it's hard to imagine just how intense that could be on the ground in gaza. nic robertson, sterat, israel. >> saturday meantime israeli

prime minister benjamin netanyahu met with some of the family members of the hostages taken by hamas. they gathered in tel aviv where people had photos of the missing and wrote messages on a banner. there's also a growing sense of frustration as you can imagine with some saying they feel left in the dark about whether or not a ground operation in gaza could endanger the well-being of the hostages. the israeli prime minister has declared a new phase of the war with humamas, he also promised every effort would be made to retrieve the more than 200 hostages. but a ground offensive will complicate efforts to negotiate release. for more on what the chances are now of the hostages making it home, cnn's wolf blitzer spoke with michael oren, a former israeli ambassador to the united states. >> israel is adocumenting an interesting military strategy, one we haven't used before.

they're actually calling the american strategy, which is you target a certain neighborhood or village. you bomb that village to clear it out the best you can, you move forces in there, and then you establish that village as a bridge head to the next village or next neighborhood. so it's not a mass of soldiers moving in as we did in 2014. remember we moved the army all at one time and suffered a tremendous amount of casualties. israel is trying to do it as cautious as possibly and close the noose if you will around hamas. and also giving palestinians more time to flee to the south. i will add the former ambassador added he believes this aggressive military posture in his estimation may lead to the release of hostages. now, the u.n. secretary-general meantime visited doha on saturday to express thanks and support to qatar's prime minister for helping with talks. a spokesperson told cnn's becky anderson he is still hopeful

more hostages will be released. >> so let me be quite clear. the talks and the meadation in the effort of release of civilian hostages, possibly a prisoner exchange at this point, have not collapsed, correct? >> no. i believe they are still going and they're still working on it. as i said it's becoming more and more difficult with the current escalation. this escalation that's happening right now, you know, one of the most terrible escalation that's happened in the region for a long time is making it certainly more difficult. as i said on the logistical side of it they're just moving people and increased bombardment but also on the political side mediation only works when you have experience under this kind of conflict, this kind of confrontation on both sides it becomes more difficult but it's ongoing but we can't give up. we can't give up on all sides, and no one can afford to give up

and leave it for people to decide what happens in the future. >> what can you provide us in terms of the details of these talks? >> our main concern now is getting the hostages to their families and making sure this mediation succeeds, and that would be very difficult right now as we share a lot of the details. but as you heard today from prime minister netanyahu and from the spokesperson of hamas, we are talking around the idea of more hostages coming out. we're talking around the idea of a prisoner exchange. we are optimistic that the talks are heading more towards all civilian hostages. but obviously it's a fluid situation on the ground. we still don't know what will happen. >> do we know how many civilian hostages there are held in gaza at present? >> i'm not sure, to be honest, anybody knows. we have our numbers we're discussing through the lists we get from various countries of other foreign citizens who are

held hostages. we have numbers on the israeli side. we have numbers on the palestinian side. but these numbers are not necessarily always the same. but the important thing here is that both sides acknowledge the civilian hostage need to go out immediately. and both sides and especially hamas has said they're willing to let hostages go out. so we have to work towards that as soon as possible. >> we know hamas have been pressing for at least the release of palestinian women and teenagers held in israeli prisons. we heard benjamin netanyahu say today that had been discussed in the war cabinet. can i press on you whether you believe that exchange could be for women and children being held in gaza by hamas? and if so are we talking around sort of 50, 60 people here? >> obviously, becky, we've been talking day one about our priorities. and this is our main goal and our end goal to release all the hostages and get them back to their families. but obviously when you

prioritize you start with the women and children, you start with the foreign civilians, and then you go to the rest of the hostages. and obviously if we were going to prioritize we're going to start with the women and children. but i believe that right now the discussions encompass the idea of civilian hostages altogether. >> now, the director general of the hamas controlled health ministry tells cnn hospitals there are used to treat patients only. now, that's in response to an israeli claim hamas has setup a command and control center in bunkers underneath the hospital. more on hucivilians are increasingly paying the ultimate price. her report, i warn you, may contain images that may be distressing. >> reporter: a flash of light over the chilling imposed darkness that engulfs gaza every

night. a glaring promise of more death and destruction. the ongoing siege and a communications blackout plunging gaza into eerie silence. what little video has emerged so far paints a picture of the devastation wrought by israel's relentless bombardment. scenes of incomprehensible loss, shrouded bodies the latest amongst thousands of victims. israel says it is targeting hamas, now also expanding its ground operations. a retaliation they say to the hamas terror attacks of october 7th, which left at least 1,400 dead and more than 200 others held hostage inside gaza. but in the besieged strip of land, the number of palestinians killed also rises with each and every air strike. the situation here is dire. our homes were destroyed in the air strikes.

six of our family members were killed. what can we do? we are all living through this. this was the scene on friday at the hospital, the largest in gaza. now not only a lifeline to thousands of patients but a sanctuary to tens of thousands including children displaced by the war. we're not even asking for food. we're not asking for water. we're asking for safety, for security. our men, women, our children, they've all been killed. many have come in a hope that hospitals will remain a safe haven. but this safe haven is now being characterized by israel with no verifiable evidence as a potential target. >> the red buildings as i mention are buildings that hamas is using. >> reporter: it is a claim rejected by palestinian officials in gaza who accuse israel of falsifying intelligence and say the hospital is only used to treat

patients. but the consequence of such allegations is feared by many. any suggestion that this hospital could be viewed as a legitimate target by israel for doctors who know the hospital well is a warning of unimaginable bloodshed. >> i've been walking in all parts, in the basement, in the different clinics, in the different buildings. i've been there night and day peacetime, wartime, all over. i have never seen anything that could look like or function as a command center. >> reporter: artillery shelling now adding to the devastation. the people of gaza gripped by a constant cycle of mourning, still struggling to comprehend this endless nightmare.

death now woven into the very fabric of their lives. cnn in ammon, jordan. >> for more now on the growing humanitarian crisis on the ground we are joined by unicef's special representative for the palestinian territories, and she is speaking to us right now from jerusalem. i'm glad to have your input here as we continue to worry for the situation on the ground in gaza. have you had any communication with your staff or others in gaza because we are hearing that perhaps some communication is being restored there. >> good evening. yes, we have just in the early hours of today been able to see some of our colleagues come back online. and we don't know how many we'll be able to communicate with today because it's touchy in

areas of the gaza strip. >> and what have they told you about what they've been facing now that we have seen this stepped up military campaign in the last 48 hours? >> first of all, it's important that we are starting to see them online again. i think it's a sign of relief for the unicef team as we continue over the past few weeks to focus on the humanitarian response for children. we are hearing heavy bombardment continue throughout in the past 48 hours as well as very heavy casualties among the civilians and really the need to protect children and bring so much needed humanitarian aid to children wherever they are in the gaza strip. >> we just heard the report from nadya bashir, the suffering of

children is unspeakable. what are they facing now that so many are suffering in such profound ways as this conflict continues? >> we need to remember that half of the population in it gaza strip are under the age of 18. we're talking about approximately 1 million children for 22 days have been under heavy bombardment, a very high level of violence, lost their loved ones, family members, peers. it's really a very high impact on children who need medical aid, who need food, need water. it's been one of the main challenges throughout the last three weeks. first and foremost children need protection. children need to be able to receive special protection they're entitled to. >> and in terms of that protection, we are hearing from different corners that perhaps some kind of a humanitarian corridor can be established. what more is unicef hearing about that?

>> unicef is part of a wider u.n. operation that's been trying over the past few days to bringing so much needed humanitarian aid. there have been a number of tracks. unicef had 14 trucks in the past seven days, but it's just a drop in the ocean. we need sustained regular flow of key essential humanitarian items such as water, food, medicine, and everything that those children are in need. so there's been some humanitarian trickling but it's not sufficient. we need sustained, regular and massive scaleup on the humanitarian operation wherever children are in the gaza strip. >> how concerned are you that even in the last few hours israel has again repeated that anyone in the northern area of the gaza strip needs to evacuate

to the south. but, again, whether it's your staff or others, they seem not to be safe in the south anyway. how concerned are you that israel again emphatically continues to repeat that people need to evacuate? >> our focus is on children and to bring protection to children wherever they are. there are many people who cannot leave. they've been in hospital, they cannot leave their patient, the medical doctors including children in the neonatal unit that are in incubators and cannot be moved. so children need protection wherever they are. >> this conflict is now entering its fourth week. as this continues to go on, this could last for not just days or weeks for that matter, perhaps months. when you talk about protecting children, how acute will their needs become in the days and weeks to come?

>> i'm scared there's no safe place for children to go at this point in time, and so everywhere is a danger. endangering their lives. we've seen a high level of reported casualties. we've seen a high level of children sustained injuries. we've seen children having to have access limit to food, water, and medicine. and an impact on their health stages. auld it's a result -- at least half of children in the gaza strip need mental health support. the level of psychological trauma is something that is very concerning and something that needs to be addressed and it can have unfortunately long lasting

implications. >> it is always a good reminder that the health of children under the age of 5 is quite precarious and can change within 24, 48 hours. i really want to thank you for the update. appreciate it. >> thank you. now, if you would like information on how to help with humanitarian relief efforts for gaza and israel, please go to cnn.com/impact. you'll find a list of vetted organizations providing assistance. that's at cnn.com/impact. now, our coverage of israel at war continues throughout the hour. just ahead for us we take a look at the incredible career of actor matthew perry who was found dead saturday at the age of 54. we will be right back with more on his life.

american canadian actor matthew perry has died at the age of 54. warner bros television group has confirmed his death. los angeles times quoting law enforcement sources is reporting the friends star was found dead in a hot tub at his los angeles home. the l.a. times reports its

sources did not cite a cause of death but said there were no signs of foul play. perry appeared, of course, in countless tv shows but less known for playing the role of chandler bing on "friends." >> i want to quit the gym. >> you want to quit? >> i want to quit the gym. >> you do realize you won't have access to our new full-service swedish spa? >> ooh. i want to quit the gym. >> you can't help but have a smile on your face when he delivered those lines. the sitcom ran for ten seasons. and think about this, perry appeared in every episode. the actor's battle with alcohol and drugs, specifically pain killers, was well-known. perry wrote about his addiction in his memoir saying that he went to rehab more than 60 times. extra's billy bush spoke earlier with cnn.

>> instantly i thought, oh, no, how horrible. and then i started thinking about what a difficult life he led. he struggled so much off-camera. for a guy who was so effortless on camera, his timing and his -- you know, his good nature always just upbeat and quick. and then you realize it's the exact opposite when he's not. i mean he just struggled, struggled, struggled so hard with pain killers and adikds. and i think, you know, we're hearing there's no foul play. but immediately you think what that poor heart of his took over these years. so while i'm crushed and sad and i just sent a text over to lisa kudrow with whom i'm friends and send condolences and the cast is really tight, there's a part of me that's like, i'm not overly

surprised because i thought something was off with him and he had hurt for too long. >> warner bros television group says it's devastated by the passing of our dear friend matthew perry. now, we will have more on matthew perry later in this hour. i'll never stop to help principled leaders in the land so help me god. >> that's former u.s. vice president mike pence on saturday ending his run for the presidency. he was speaking at the republican jewish coalitions

annual conference in las vegas. sources tell cnn pence was struggling to secure donors, and there was concern he might not qualify for the third republican debate next month. now, recent polls indicate pence has struggled to break into the top tier of republican candidates. just have a look at this. an agerate analysis of polls puts him at 4% nationally in the gop primary race. he only had 100 support in new hampshire where the first primary will be held. former president donald trump still holds a commanding lead for the republican nomination in this cnn poll. florida governor ron desantis is trailing far behind in second place with former south carolina governor nikki haley in third. okay, still to come for us, an israeli community bands together to protect themselves from potential further attacks from hamas. one family's terrifying stororyf survrvival, thatat's next.

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welcome back. i'm paula newton with the very latest on israel at war. gaza remains under siege and under fire. the idf says israeli forces still remain inside gaza for hours -- that was hours more a day after first crossing into the border. israeli air strikes have intensified and conditions for civilians inside gaza are terrifying. but at this hour we are learning some communication services have been restore. israelis communities living near border with gaza are now banding together to protect themselves from potential further hamas attack. it comes after the idf said the response to the militant group's

surprise assault on october 7th was a, quote, military failure. cnn's rafael romo has our report. >> this is the shelter. >> reporter: for several long and agonizing hours he and his family hunkered down in their home shelter built to protect them from air missile attacks. afraid and knowing that atrocities were being committed outside on the ground by hoarddes of attacking terrorists. the emergency door meant to be lifesaving for families, can be deadly when holding it close against militants. >> and the shot with the ak-47. >> they shot through the door. >> yeah, through the door. people they hold the handle like this. >> a problem he has since solved with a 2 by 4. >> you put it like this and

hamas cannot come inside. >> reporter: the idf says the response to the attacks was a military failure. >> it's a military failure that we will have to look into, but it's a military failure that will create the possibility for a much better future. >> now communities are taking the future into their own hands. >> reporter: he was one of five men who organized themselves to protect their mug shot or jewish settlement of about 700 people located just a few kilometers from the border with gaza after police and soldiers in his community were called to the front lines. >> so that was it five men in charge of security for this community? >> yeah. >> with pistols. >> with pistol. you cannot do nothing against ak-47, but that's what we had. >> reporter: the entire family surviveded the hamas terror attacks of october 7th, but the emotional wounds are extensive. >> i don't know if i can deal

with this situation anymore. >> reporter: her 27-year-old daughter says she always believed peaceful coexistence between israelis and palestinians was possible. >> we're always talking about peace, and to be okay with them, to live with thel. but after that, that maybe there's no people there that want peace with us. >> she has friends who were killed by hamas. she can't begin to understand the hatred behind the brutal attacks, but she also finds no hope in trading an eye for an eye. >> i don't know. this is not our -- our culture. this is not what my parents taught me to be happy that palestinians have never, never -- >> reporter: missiles being fired by hamas right above their heads doesn't help.

and this is a situation the families who live here near the border with gaza face on a daily basis, sometimes hour by hour. this is the way it has been. >> and at the end of this war all of those deserted communities around gaza that have been burned and ruined, they will flourish again. and there will again be the sound of israeli kids playing in their back yards. >> reporter: they say the terrorists attacks have shattered any hope they had for peace. >> can you make a distinction in your mind between the palestinian people and hamas? >> i was one of the people that said that not all arabs are bad, they want to live with us. now i'm not so sure about it. >> reporter: do you want to still live here? do you want to stay? >> i'm going to die here. i want to die -- i have a lovely plot in the cemetery. >> reporter: for some jewish families who live along the

border with gaza, the october 7th terrorist attacks mark a before and an after. but they say the hard lessons they learned that tragic day about protecting themselves will only make them stronger and ensure their survival. rafael romo, cnn, at the israeli border with gaza. >> meantime, hospitals in gaza are struggling to help the wounded. the world health organization says hospitals already are operating at their maximum capacity, so they can't take new patients. but the w.h.o. says people are still obviously wounded every hour. and many can't even be reached by ambulances because communication links are severely restricted. in a new statement the international red cross called the situation in gaza a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate. protesters in many cities around the world are showing their support for the palestinians this weekend. coming up, we have a look at some of the demonstrations under way protesting israel's war with

hamas.

israel says its fighter jets hit hezbollah targets in lebanon on saturday. that was the latest in a series of cross border clashes since the latest crisis began. an idf statement says the planes hit a military compound and observation posts after rockets and missile fire. a top general says his troops are maintaining a high level of readiness. saudi arabia, egypt, and the uae are condemning israel's latest moves in gaza saying they threaten to destabilize the entire region. egypt's president says the country's diplomats are working to resolve the conflict. now, he claims some unidentified drones were brought down in egypt on friday and warns the conflict should not spread beyond gaza. listen. >> translator: yesterday drones entered egypt and were brought

down. regardless of where they came from, i previously warned an expansion of the conflict is not in the interest of the region. the region will become a ticking time bomb that harms us all. this is why i'm saying, please, egypt is a sovereign country and i hope we will respect its sovereignty and status. what i'm saying now is not to brag, but egypt is very strong country that shall not be touched. >> president biden says washington is ready to take further action to defend u.s. forces in the middle east. the pentagon says it hit iran-backed targets in syria friday with air strikes. it says that was in response to attacks by those groups on u.s. forces in the region. now, cnn spoke to iran's foreign minister. he denied his country's involvement in those attacks. listen. >> i want to talk about your time in new york because you spoke at the u.n., and i want to quote what you said for our viewers. you said i say frankly to the

american statesman you do not welcome expansion of the war in the region. but i warn if genocide in gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire. is that a threat? is iran prepared really to go to war against the united states? >> translator: we don't want this war to spread out. >> but with all due respect, your actions don't seem to match your words. you say that you are playing a constructive role in helping peace and security, but according to the pentagon groups affiliated with iran have targeted u.s. forces or bases in the region at least 15 times now since october 17th entering at least 20 u.s. military personnel, u.s. carrier strike group shot down 15 drones. four cruise missiles fired by iran backed houthi militants in yemen that was aimed towards israel. president biden said this yesterday. he said -- >> translator: in the attack

that is carried in the region and if the u.s. interests are targeted by any group, you know, linking in the government of iran without any proof is totally wrong. you see two weeks ago i was in iraq, also in syria and lebanon. i could see up close and personal that the people of the region, they're very sensitive about the developments in the palestine. they were angry. they are not receiving orders from us. they act according to their own interests. also what happened, what was carried out by hamas, it was totally palestinian. they decided to take responsibility for that. >> now, you can hear that full

interview on "gps" airing later saturday on 10:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. eastern time. now as israel steps up its military campaign against hamas in gaza, pro-palestinian demonstrators have been rallying in cities around the world. they gathered saturday in istanbul. they heard from the turkish president who condemned the war calling its support of the palestinians a defense of its own independence and future. demonstrators also took to the streets of rome saturday marching in front of the colosseum. thousands also gathered in berlin calling for a cease-fire in the war between israel and hamas. and in london thousands turned out holding palestinian flags and calling for israel to stop its military operation in gaza. meantime, a wave of protesters marched through the heart of new york city saturday to call for a cease-fire in gaza. pro-palestinian protesters held

signs, waved flags, and chanted adthey marched from brooklyn to manhattan. the brooklyn bridge was closed due to that demonstration. after the break, we take a look at the incredible career of "friends" star matthew perry who was found dead on saturday in los angeles. we will bebe right bacack.

"friends" tv star matthew perry has died. he was just 54 years old, and the news has been confirmed now by warner bros television group. the los angeles times quoting law enforcement sources reports he was found dead in a hot tub at his los angeles home. now, in a recent memoir perry opened up about his struggle with drugs and alcohol. >> he released his memoir last year, friends, lovers, and the big terrible thing he wrote about his long speculated up and downs with the drug and alcohol abuse and all the lessons he learned in life. and, you know, the biggest

takeaway i think we have to notice from the book is that this is a man who had to overcome tremendous odds he faced in his life during some of the biggest battles, some of the darkest moments. and he was overall not only grateful to be alive but he really wanted to show the and i do want to point out that one of the last posts he made often instagram was just six days ago with him in the hot tub enjoying the beautiful view at night. and it's really eery to think this is where this is the last place he would want to be. >> mage perry wrote, what a loss, the joy you brought to so many in your short lifetime will live on.

actor selma blair showing on instagram wrote, all of us loved matthew perry, unconditionally. matthew perry was known to be a funny guy on any stage he graced, cnn in 2013, come and listen. >> this will be really fun, new experience for me kind of exciting. kind of reminds me of when i won my first emmy. we were -- oh right, i haven't won a damn thing. well maybe today's the day. maybe i guest host this show so well, not a chance. who is talking into my ear? >> matthew perry was 54 years old. now in lisbon maine a

candlelight vigil was held for the victims, at least 18 were killed in two separate shootings on wednesday, are victims ranged from 14 to 76 years old. it is the deadliest shooting this year. the man who made the attack was found dead yesterday. in lewiston with more. >> reporter: police releasing more information today, the most information they've released since this happened. they say they are able to do that because the investigation is now over. there will be no one to prosecute and so they are releasing the information. they say they found the body on friday night at 7:45 p.m. after a call from the recycling plant, a recycling plant manager in lisbon who said they needed to check these areas. there were 50 some trailers in

this one area so they did that. they were offered this tip in the community and they went ahead and found the victim dead from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound. they found a long rifle in his car, they also released nor information about the investigation. a note that they say they tanned at his home. they're releasing more details about that saying that he left information for a loved one, detailed bank accounts and the pass code for his cell phone, so that family, a loved one could get inside that phone. they say they are looking at all of that. they will be going over all of that information as part of the investigation. and the other thing they looking at here is the shooter's mental health. they are reviewing information about that, they say he was

going through some difficulty, saying he was hearing voices, some other mental health issues. and one of the things they are looking at is the reason why he targeted these locations is he thought people perhaps were speaking badly about him. and so that, perhaps, is some of the motivation here. as people collect evidence, and in coming days they are going to see vigils here where people are going to get together and the families, people who live in these communities get together and share some of their pain and the memories of those who died. >> the death toll in mexico has now climbed to 39 following the devastating land fallof hurricane otis. cnn reports. >> reporter: we've made it to acapulco but just barely. once you get into the city

there's a big traffic jam that is preventing us from advancing. but the story you can see is behind me. all these people, the residents, the people you don't usually associate with a tourist town are trying to go and find whatever they can to get by. because so far, we have not seen any help from the government. we have not seen a centralized location where people might be distributing water or food. and you can see people were hearing reports of looting. we saw it on thursday. now we are seeing all these people. this is the problem. the cars come from wherever they can. but let's see if we can talk to this guy, this gentleman over here, what do you have here? [speaking in a global language] >> there is no food no nothing. [speaking in a global language] what do you have? food and water and some toilet paper and some dishes. they are admitting that they went into a store and they got

what they needed because they can't find it anywhere. so you see everybody is complaining. they're asking, they need help. the destruction is one thing in the tourist part. now the residents they are just begging for help. gustavo, cnn. >> thank you for watching, coming up the latest in the israel-hamas war.