>> a very good day to all of you from msnbc here in los angeles, i'm alex wet with this

breaking news hour for all of you. begin with the news, a rising death toll and new concerns as following the deadly hamas attack on israel. right now, missiles are flying across the night sky as israel pounds gaza and palestinian territories. this in retaliation, rather, for the surprise attack early saturday morning. >> [sirens] >> irate sirens aplenty there. rockets are also flying from gaza into tel aviv. in fact, just in the last few hours, hamas rockets were said to be intercepted by israel's iron dome. but at least one building in tel aviv was struck, and rescue workers were seen combing the rubble for survivors. you see right there for yourselves. president biden reiterating u.s. unwavering support for israel today. we're going to have more on that for you in just a few minutes. but the dates carnage has left more than 200 israelis dead, this, according to israel's

foreign ministry. at least 232 people in palestinian territories killed in retaliatory israeli strikes. this according to the gaza health ministry. and there are new concerns over civilians and members of the military who israeli officials say have been kidnapped, how it may affect the way israel responds to the attack in the coming hours. we are going to discuss all of that. our team of reporters and analysts are standing by to cover the very latest developments for you on this breaking news. we've got you covered from israel to washington. and beyond. we're going to go first to nbc's raf sanchez, who has been close to the action all day long for us. raf, that's because you are in southern israel. you are very close to the gaza border. tell us what's happening there right now. >> why are very close to the gaza border, alex, we can hear the booms in the distance as these israeli airstrikes continue inside of gaza. alex, this surprise attack began at six 8 am local time. with that first barrage of

rockets, air cover for the hundreds of palestinian militants who crossed the border by land, by sea, and by air. by air in the form of hang gliders and paragliders, something we have never seen before. they surged into the southern towns, and communities across israel, taking hostage, killing people. alex, it is now midnight local time. we are 18 hours into this. for israelis, this is a nightmare that they cannot seem to wake up from. the rocket fire continues, and in towns like sderot, which is just on the other side of this israeli security forces checkpoint, the fighting continues. they believe that there are still palestinian militants at a large inside of these israeli communities. which is something that just 24 hours ago seemed completely unthinkable. israelis's security in the knowledge that their military had the watch at the border, that there was a sophisticated

border barrier, keeping the problems of the gaza strip on that side. and keeping israelis safe on this side. and this turns out not to be the case. there is not only this massive loss of life, as you said, the israeli foreign ministry now says 200 israelis have been killed today. there are also, as you said, according to the palestinian health ministry, more than 200 palestinians killed inside gaza by this wave of israeli airstrikes. alex, on top of the loss of life, there is also a hostage situation unfolding on a scale israel has perhaps never seen before. we believe that there are still two hostage situations inside of israel, where palestinian gunmen have israeli hostages at gunpoint. they are surrounded at this stage by israeli special forces. but much more concerningly, for the government of israel, is the fact that according to the israeli military, there are both israeli soldiers, and civilians who are being held

captive right now inside of gaza. it is the fate of those israeli citizens on the other side of the border that will be weighing so heavily, right now, on decision-makers from prime minister benny met -- as they decide their next moves. israeli military has said all options are on the table. including a full scale ground invasion of gaza to find these hostages and to bring them home. alex. and to bring th>> extraordinarn these two locations inside of israel. we are going to have, as you, said there are hostages there and they are being surrounded by the israeli defense forces. however, i'm curious how those hostages that have been taken into gaza -- how were they transported? i mean, is it by the sheer aggression, bold aggression, if you, will of these militants? there were some descriptions they got on motorbikes? how does that work? you put someone on a motorbike,

you wrap yourself around them and you make them go with you. i'm just trying to envision how these people were taken across the border. >> alex, i'll give you one example that is being very widely reported in israeli media right now. there was a music festival happening not far from the gaza border, late friday night into saturday morning. and as these hamas militants swept through the border area, they ran into these young people who were at the music festival. there is a video that is all across israeli social media right now, that appears to show a young woman who is at that festival, basically being barreled onto the back of a palestinian motorcycle. and driven across the fields to the gaping hole in the gaza israel border fence. then taken inside gaza, the only video we have seen so far of her inside gaza, she's

drinking water, she appears to be unharmed. in that initial video, you see her boyfriend being led away with his hands tied behind his back. we don't know what has become of him. but that gives you a sense that once the palestinian militants realized the scale of their success, as a tour, that they had so fully breached the fence, that they had swarmed into these israeli towns and communities, their top priority was trying to get these hostages back into gaza, where they will be seen as unbelievably valuable bargaining chips. alex, you remember, that more than a decade ago is real, in order to secure the release of a single israeli soldier who was being held captive by hamas in gaza, released more than 1000 palestinian militants from israeli prisons. we do not know the exact number of hostages inside gaza right now. but it is much more than that one soldier. israel, tonight, is weighing

what price is it prepared to pay to get these people back. whether it comes at the cost of a full scale ground invasion, or whether at some point there may have to be negotiations in some kind of prisoner swap. the israeli government has shown, again, and again, it is committed to bringing its people home one way or another. alex. >> let me ask you quickly, have you heard rocket fire from your position there? heading from israel into gaza. because you have reported, as have many others, that israel is going to tread very carefully for fear of injuring or killing a hostage unintentionally. >> they will be very, very careful trying not to kill these hostages. we have all day, alex, seen israeli fighter aircrafts in the skies above. we have heard them striking inside of gaza, just a couple of miles from where we are now. what we've also been seeing are the bright lights of the

israeli iron dome interceptor missiles striking through the sky. you know when you see them, that the sky is also full of palestinian rockets. more than 3000 rockets have been fired so far today, according to the israeli military. and nobody knows how many more are yet to be fired. alex? >> okay, raf sanchez, a very busy night for you. thank you my friend. let's begin right now nbc's -- richard engel. okay richard, we are about 12 hours or so into this attack. what are you hearing about what's going on right now as it is unfolding? >> so, i'm in istanbul, turkey, right now. the leader of the hamas political wing was here, and he has spoken a short while ago. and declared this a great success, declared victory. and said that this will continue, and this will escalate. prime minister netanyahu also

said this will likely escalate, he warned hamas militants to abandon their positions, because all positions are going to be destroyed. so we look like -- it seems like we are heading to a military escalation, potentially a full scale ground warlike rough was just talking about. i've also been speaking with u.s. officials. u.s. officials are worried this could escalate beyond just a conflict between israeli and palestinians, and could in fact become a regional war. specifically, they are worried about hezbollah, which is a militant group in lebanon that is very sympathetic toward the palestinians. it is also backed by iran, and they are worried about iran also taking advantage. be it using this as a moment to capitalize on. and there is a precedent for something similar, like this, on a smaller scale. and it led to a regional war. i'm talking about in 2006,

there was a smaller incursion, the palestinians captured some israelis. there was it a several days of airstrikes in gaza. then hezbollah, to the north and south lebanon, decided that this was the opportunity to strike israel while it was week. and we had a major regional war. so that is of concern -- the u.s. military, with officials that i've been speaking to, it is something that we have heard the white house speak about. president biden. seem to be referring this is specifically when he said that nations, or actors that are hostile towards israel should not try and capitalize on this moment. so we are at a stage where the two sides, hamas and israel, are still talking very much about escalation. and the u.s. concern that it could escalate beyond just the

israelis and palestinians. also going back to the place where ralph is right now, southern israel. i've been talking to israelis in these communities. and many of them are sheltering in their homes. some of them are expressing not just fear, they're expressing disappointment. where are our soldiers? there are community watch activities being organized where people are trying to defend their own apartment buildings as they wait for more soldiers to come into the region. ldiers to cothere's a real sensf uncertainty in southern -- people are afraid of what could happen next. they'd become accustomed to living with rocket fire. they become accustomed to living in next to a dangerous area. but they had always thought that the border was quite hermetically sealed, and not to see hundreds of militants blasting holes in the fence, and then dragging hostages back

into gaza, which is for the israeli military, i don't want to call it a black hole, but a very -- a place where they know if they're going to be entering into gaza, they will be fighting from street to street. >> richard, hamas was earlier described on my broadcast as being somewhat isolated. i'm curious, barring a large multi state actors incursion or war, what is the calculation for hamas? what do they hope to gain from this attack? because the response from israel could be very costly to them. i'm curious the end goal. >> so, hamas has -- it's isolated in terms of states. now the palestinian cause, and we are going back to even the 70s and the a.g.'s, was the cause in the arab world. every day, people would talk about the palestinians. they would talk about the end

to fatah. they talk about the symbolic aledo are of yasir arafat. for the last several years, they've been making peace deals. this happened during the trump administration. the abraham accords. you saw the uae, there was talk that perhaps even saudi might join this. so hamas has become increasingly politically isolated. but it still has the people. it still has the ability to connect directly with people here in istanbul, and many people in this city. i can't generalize for everyone, but people across turkey are generally sympathetic towards the palestinians. i think that's the case across the middle east. if suddenly we see a major operation by israel, of a scale beyond what we are seeing already tonight, what hamas -- you asked about their calculation. hamas's calculation would be, yes, all of these countries have joined the abraham accords,

making us more and more isolated. but the people will still be with us, especially if they see the israelis smashing palestinian buildings. and they see many funerals. now, there will be others. particularly in the united states, who will say the palestinians are getting what they deserve. hamas launched this attack. it blew holes in the border fences. went across deducted people. went on a murderous rampage and killed, i think the latest estimate is around 200 right now. it started out as one this morning. it was initially reported that one israeli woman had been killed. now, 12 hours later, we are at 200. so we will see where this continues over the course of the next 24 hours or so. there are still several ongoing battles on israeli territory. this is not even over yet, at this stage, to know where it's going next. but i can tell you, from all the conversations that i've been having, and having covered

hamas, covered the palestinians for a while, the reason they would want to do this would be to bring the palestinian issue to the world's attention, to not be isolated, to not have more countries like saudi arabia sign what they would consider to be separate pieces with israel, to force this issue front and center. i guess you could call it celebrate a military success. because gaza is a closed off area. that people in gaza don't have the ability to travel. they don't have the ability, really, to work. except in their own local communities. when you are in gaza, you sense this feeling of hopelessness, and frustration. so attacks like these, as brutal and callous and cynical as they are, objecting young people from concerts, dragging old women and girls over the border, taking them to who knows what kind of dungeon, as savage as those attacks are,

they will have a degree of sympathy in the gaza, because people will say they get their least getting a taste of their own medicine. frankly, that kind of message does have some sympathetic appeal across the wider middle east. >> it will resonate throughout the arab world, potentially. okay, richard engel, many thanks for that early stages assessment. i appreciate you so much. for all of you, we heard from the president just a short time ago. let's go right now to nbc's allie raffa standing by at the white house for us. allie what did president biden say today? has he given any indication of what the u.s. might be doing in the coming hours or days? >> alex, president biden delivering a short but still very powerful message during his remarks from the white house earlier. he did not mince words when he described this attack. he called it, quote, unconscionable. he said it was an attack by, quote, terrorists. the stress that the u.s. is and will continue to be supportive

of israel for the long haul. he said that was a huge focus of his call with prime minister netanyahu earlier this morning, when he said that he will continue to support israel in any way they need. and vowed to continue that support for as long as they need, to be able to continue defending themselves. the president, notably, also issuing a warning for israel's enemies who may take advantage of the situation. take a listen to a bit of that here. >> there's never justification for terrorist attacks. -- the support for israel's security is rock-solid and away unwavering. let me say this as clearly as i can, this is not a moment for any party in israel to exploit these attacks, to seek advantage. the world is watching. >> alex, we've heard netanyahu vow, quote, mighty vengeance against hamas militants as a

result of this attack. but how the u.s. could and would be involved in that help, in that support, is still a big question looming over this whole situation. could that come in the form of more funding, more military aid, more intelligence gathering? we know from u.s. officials that the u.s. has already started to enhance their intelligence gathering with israeli officials. but what could come after that is still the big question that we expect to learn more of in the next few hours and days, alex. >> yeah, absolutely. the intelligence gathering in helping israel, and that, front i think that's a guarantee. as maybe more of what you alluded to. thank you so. much appreciate, that allie raffa. new pictures and details coming into msnbc at this hour. we're going to bring you the very latest from the ground there. but next, msnbc's jen psaki with a little -- a look at what's likely happening behind the scenes at the white house right now. t now. gillettelabs. this green bar releases trapped hairs from my face... gamechanga! ...while the flexdisc contours to it. so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke.

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of today's brazen and unprecedented hamas attack on israel. militants storming across israel's borders, making military and civilian hostages. the videos are graphic, the violence, brutal. president biden this afternoon reassured is real of u.s. support. >> in this moment of tragedy, i want to say to them and to the world, in a terrorist everywhere, united states stands with israel. we will not ever fail to have their back. we will make sure to have the help there citizens need, and to continue to defend themselves. >> joining me now, my friend, jen psaki, host of inside with jen psaki right here on msnbc. also former white house press secretary. welcome john. >> hi, alex. >> how do you think the white house and the president are processing all this. i'd like your sense of that, and -- even as it's past midnight in israel. >> alex, on a day like this in the white house, it's basically a roving meeting between the

situation room and the oval office. you have national security officials, and many layers in those meetings. in the situation room, in between the meetings, of course. they are doing calls with their counterparts. that means calls with their military counterparts, calls with their intelligence counterparts. calls with their diplomatic counterparts. calls with other countries in the region. because as richard engel just referenced, one of the concerns, if you are sitting in the white house right now, it's of course being clear on your defense of israel. but also the escalatory potential here, and the expansion potential into other countries in the region. so they're working all of that in between those meetings they are getting updates so that they can then provide them to the president when they convene again. >> we saw secretary of state, antony blinken, he was at biden side for today's statement. he, we know, has reached out to his israeli counterpart. but give me a sense of the kind of message that is really important to deliver at this point to his raley leaders at a time like this. >> i think at a time like this,

and unfortunately, this is obviously unique, and the level we've seen here is unique. it's an act of conflict. there's still a lot we don't know, alex. in a moment like this, the message is part of what the president conveyed publicly, which is we have your back, you have the right to defend yourself. but my bet, privately, is they are also urging some calm and some elements of restraint. because you hear these reports that they plan to level gaza, they plan to take a significant escalatory response, which could lead to the deaths of thousands, if not more civilians. that is also, i think, a private message. you're not gonna hear it as much publicly, because they want to be very clear about their support for israel. but they don't want this to escalate to leading to even more casualties, maybe a devastating number of casualties if it continues to escalate. there is a concern about it expanding beyond the borders of where it is currently. >> what about to the homicide, jen? who would the white house reach out to on the other side in a time like this? is there anyone to whom the president would send a direct

and stern message? or would it have to be through back channels? >> typically, it's through a combination of back channels. i don't know who they are engaging with at this moment, of course. but through back channels, or through other countries, who do have a relationship or do have a level of engagement. that is typically how it happens. at this time, alex, i, mean obviously there is an effort to de-escalate the whole situation. but right now, the concern in the white house is the fact that there are still israeli hostages that want to the israeli people, and the government to know that you have their backs, it's just about trying to prevent it from getting even worse. >> the president also, as you heard, warned other terrorist groups that the world is watching. nbc news is right now reporting that the u.s. house is discussing-enhancing and televisions sharing and doing so with the israelis. is that just an obvious extension? >> that is an area that would be a natural next step, certainly, alex. to share and help them assess,

again, given it's an active conflict. where the hostages are, there's a range of ways that they can use intelligence sharing. i know there have been reports of the use of drones as well. the other area where i'm certain they are discussing and assessing is what the needs might be in terms of military replenishment. because if this continues, for sometime, we obviously don't know that at this point. the israeli government, the israeli military, may need replenishment. some of that could be done from within the government. some of it might need congressional support. that is certainly another area that could be, the united states could be of assistance. >> here's something that's been happening a number of republicans have been invoking iran today, as well as the six billion dollars that the u.s. recently freed up in that prisoner exchange. as being something that potentially funded this attack. of course, zero evidence to that point at this time. but do these suggestions qualifying your mind as republican political attacks at a time when the u.s. might be

helped by unified voices? >> well certainly, the united states would always be helped by unified voices when there's an international conflict and a crisis, right? this is just flat out absurd and ridiculous. it harkens back to the kind of attacks that were happening during the negotiation over the iran nuclear deal. the money, just factually, i know you've stated this, alex, but it's worth restating. is still in doha, none of it has been released at this point. it can't have even been spent. it's going to be used for humanitarian purposes. let's not forget that this is part of a deal to release hostages who were u.s. citizens, who were in iran. this notion, i think it's frankly sad, and a little pathetic that this is their response from some republicans in congress. and some running for president. when you are looking at israel being attacked, the victim of a terrorist attack right now is really citizens have died. there's a potential for this to become more escalatory, impact more civilians, escalate beyond

that. that's what everybody should be focused on right now. this is completely irresponsible disinformation. >> look, i'm just going to ask you from inside the white house at a time like this, you had some of the best and brightest minds that are going to work on where things stand now. getting out what could happen under various potential scenarios. but emotionally, at a time like this, what is it like to be inside the white house when you have something of this magnitude underway across the globe? >> well, you know, i think there are so many people -- this is one of the reasons -- i mean, president biden has been working, unfortunately, on conflicts like this for decades throughout his career. as have many people who have surrounded him. your focus in the white house, in a moment like this, it is figuring out what you can do. you can feel powerless at moments, because sometimes there isn't much you can do. you can feel that you just don't have the information you nadine order to make decisions about how to be helpful. you have concerns and fears about what could happen, as

i've referenced, if things get more escalatory. there is really a range of emotions. if you are working in the white house in a moment like this, democrat or republican, typically, you are kind of public service got kicks in, right, alex? you want to make things better. sometimes, that's very, very hard to do in moments like this, that are so fluid, in an active conflict that is happening. >> okay jen, thank you for. that will all look forward to watching your show tomorrow at noon, eastern time. inside with jen psaki. you will be making terrific sense of everything that's going on for us at that time. thank you, jen. meantime, new statement from israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, promising dour consequences for the hamas attack. we're going to tell you what he said and get reaction on exactly what that might mean, that's next. 's next.

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we are back with breaking news and live pictures of a gaza

city where it is around 12:30 a.m. and israel and hamas have been trading rocket fire. joining me right now is ceo of the american jewish committee, former democratic congressman from florida, ted deutch. ted, welcome. the organization that you laid tweeted out several statements today, condemning the attacks by hamas in the very strongest terms. and pointing out that babies, kids, the elderly, they were those among the killed and injured. help us put in perspective the magnitude of this moment for israel. >> thanks for having me. this is an unprecedented attack against the people of israel. the state of israel. and really against humanity, and civilization. what we saw thus far, what we've seen already, is a brazen attack by a terrorist group who came across the border into israel. that today to, 300 israelis

have been killed. 1500 injured. to put it in perspective, alex, in the united states, israel is a stroll -- 300 people, you put in the united states, it would be over 10,000 americans. we saw them come in and pull kids and grandmothers out of their homes. we saw them take hostages. we saw them tree tossed judges and the bodies of deceased israelis that they killed for promotional purposes. to tweet about. we saw an effort by this terrorist group to go against the entire state of israel in doing so, they've effectively committed -- throughout the history of the jewish people, massacres of joe 's have occurred. the sole purpose of this attack is to try to do what hamas has always tried to do. their mission -- declared mission, is to try to wipe out the state of israel. it's not going to happen. the people of israel are strong. and the israeli defense forces strong.

people all around the world are watching this, and have to think, alex, that if this were happening in your community, in america or any other country, if paris crossed and started slaughtering people en masse, everywhere across the country, and taking them hostage, you would demand, not expect, you would demand that the government took action. the kind of action that we are seeing the israeli government take now. that's what's necessary to respond to this kind of vial and horrific attack against civilians. >> your description is nothing short of barbaric, ted. we do know that israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, he responded absolutely furious today. here's what he said. quote, the enemy will pay a price it has never known before. i instruct fst of all to cleanse the settlements of the terrorists who infiltrated. we are in a war, not an operation, in a war. give me a sense of what he

might mean by this, in terms of a war. the extent to which the fighting will continue, the length of time. the resources used. where do you think this is going? >> well, i'd like to start by telling him where i think this is. i think it's important, alex, for people to understand the kind of country that israel is. israel has a citizen army. it is a small country. all day long, i am so many other people in the jewish world, people have friends, relatives in israel. have conversations about people they know who have been taken hostage. who were injured. others who were killed. this is touching everyone across the country, and across the jewish world. and where this goes, we don't know where this is going to go. but because it's a citizen army, we've now seen the reservists holdup from across israel. multi generations of the same families being called up into

duty to defend their country against these horrific attacks. to take the action necessary to keep the country safe. i will say this. we've seen this before, and we should be clear about what we should expect in this case. when hamas, the terror organization, is responsible solely responsible for this awful war, that they started, that hamas is going to try to blame others. that hamas is going to try to deny that they built the infrastructure that israel is now forced to attack. they built this infrastructure so that they could carry out attacks like this. when israel strikes back, as they must, as any civilized country would in the face of terror attacks like this, they will attempt to say that somehow they are the victim. it's important for us to remain very clear about what's happening here. and to retain more clarity. and to make sure that the world understands that as this goes

forward, however long this lasts, no one, no one is real, with all of their family members being called up to go into military duty, no one wants a war. however long this lasts, in order to defend the country and ensure that hamas cannot do this ever again, and to work, even as we speak, there are terrorists in israel that have to be neutralized. who is hostages have to be returned. there are dozens of hostages reportedly taken across the border. this calls for the strong retaliation that we are seeing. if we believe in more clarity and humanity, and decency, then we have to stand with israel, as israel stands up to these heinous terrorists who have committed these terrible atrocities that have affected the entire country of israel. and that should affect, and should outrage everyone around the world. >> a lot of passion, as you deliver your message there, ted. loudoun player, we hear you.

ted, george thank you so much. the sudden unexpected attack on israel force the american cia director to cancel a planned speech at an intelligence conference. we're going to get a report on how and why that all happened. sts. yeah, most scented stuff gives me a headache, but this is just right. and i don't like anything. but i like this. get a light scent that lasts with no heavy perfumes or dyes. ( ♪ ♪ ) after advil. feeling better? on top of the worlddddd!!! before advil. advil targets pain at the source of inflammation. when pain comes for you, come back fast with advil liqui-gels. at first, i used better than bouillon for broth. whand then stir fry...u, sauces... even marinades!

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surprise attack on israel led to the cancellation of an appearance and speech at an event, this by cia director. -- dan deludes, dan was in fact at that conference today. welcome back to the broadcast, we spoke earlier, but it's not surprising that william burns canceled under the circumstances. do u.s. officials consider this an intelligence favor on that part to some degree? >> i think privately, they will say that certainly former intelligence officials will say that. definitely. this cyber brief conference here in sea island, georgia.

you see former military officers and former intelligence officers really debating how big of an intelligence failure is this for israel. i think it's all the more surprising because israel has really developed this reputation as having one of the most impressive intelligence agencies in the world. -- [inaudible] and all sorts of sophisticated technical and monitor them. [inaudible] this is definitely a tactic -- the bigger picture is i think they're having sooner or later and attack. they were caught flat-footed. we'll have some questions to answer. about why they didn't see this coming. >> did you, having written a [inaudible] how israel did not see signs that would indicate something

that was brewing of this size and magnitude now? >> i think we don't know the answer to that. part of it may be that hamas would have conducted purges to try to get rid of anyone that they suspect of informing and spying on them inside moles inside hamas. they've done that periodically and sweep up a lot of people. some of them are innocent. that may have happened before here. it may be that they have more disciplined about how they were messaging, how they were communicating. but it also maybe that israel became complacent. at least that's what have been 50 years ago during the yom kippur war, where they simply thought they were strong enough, that the arab neighbors wouldn't try to attack them. so i don't think we know the full story of why they missed this, but they definitely have missed this. i think they also will be examining their defenses on the southern border. it's now clear that those were sufficient, those were overrun by hamas militants, in a way which really caused question

into whether those defenses were really structured correctly, and we're really able to respond in time. >> i'm curious how israel's response, dana, could impact relations with both their allies, as well as their enemies. what do they stand to lose? >> i think we are at a very dangerous moment. at this conference, if you speak to anyone, they will tell you that israel stands a lot to lose here. i think the biggest issue at the moment is psychological. it's not just that they were caught by surprise, but their sense of security and safety has been damaged. that's why you hear people comparing this to a 9/11, a pearl harbor for israel. this was not happening inside gaza or west bank. this is happening inside israel proper, if you will. you have hostage taking, it's not just rockets coming down. huge numbers, but you have hostage taking, you have actual encouraging inside israel. and the danger here, is that

they may get hit now by hezbollah, and lebanon, so there are real dangers here. and i think israel will not be on the move now to make any compromises, or exercise restraint at this point, in this possible deal they were negotiating with saudi arabia and the united states, where it was going to normalize relations between the saudis and israelis. that is definitely on hold, and maybe doomed at this point. >> how much do you think that factored into the timing of this, dan? obviously, look. this is a huge operation. there must have been planning for months to go along with this. but given where that relationship stands right now, could it have been foretold, this is the time to do this. because we want to abandon derail that? >> i think that is the very safe assumption he even judging by the public statements that hamas leaders have made in media right now, on al jazeera,

elsewhere, where they basically say this is a warning to any country, any arab country that is contemplating having diplomatic relations with israel, and it can't be a coincidence really that this is happening at this point. you've heard some very stern warnings from iran, as well, in recent months and weeks about this saudi israeli negotiation. so it's hard to imagine that that is just a coincidence. i think it's very much sending a message that they don't like that deal, and they want to torpedo it and derail it. excellent reporting for us, this hour. in the previous hours with. us thank you so much. today has been described as israel's 9/11. a long time, middle eastern was tells us what she is seeing unfold. >> [sfx: spilling sound] [sfx: family gasp] nooo...

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spokesman: let's cure childhood cancer together. 48 past the hour, as we continue our breaking news coverage, night has fallen over gaza.

and israel as the death toll climbs into the hundreds, following the deadly hamas attack on israel. i'm told we've been seeing some flashes there for more control booth, we're trying to determine what is going on right now. joining me is journalist hally gorani, who is extensively covered the middle east. hala, welcome to. we have watched these -- by land, by sea, by air. the hamas militants and then the retaliatory rockets have been flying between israel and gaza over the course of this day. help us understand the magnitude of this moment? >> it's unprecedented. the fact that hamas was able to mount this multipronged attack, you said it, alex. it was a sea, a land, and an air attack. something that really caught the israelis by surprise. this is probably one of the most, one of the most shocking security and intelligence failures of israel in the last half century? the last time the israeli

government was caught unaware, and unprepared, in this way, was in 1973. during the yom kippur war. when the armies of egypt and syria mounted a surprise attack. that was a conventional war. this is asymmetrical warfare. when we crossed into israeli territory absolute remarkable of able to achieve. israel's iron dome system, its security and intelligence apparatus, really is and has been functioning very. well the iron dome stops over 90% of rockets coming from gaza. in this case, it really, really failed to protect israeli citizens. and you're seeing there, i believe, this is from -- in israel's earlier, some of those who are wounded. there were over 1000 israeli wounded. by the, way i think what you're showing now, the skyline over gaza.

it is dark for a reason. and there's a flash, i'm not sure this is live right now. but it's dark because the israeli government has cut off the electrical supply to the gaza strip. now, it's just a wait and see situation. the prime minister of israel, benjamin netanyahu, has told dozens civilians to leave because he was going to return the last high hamas highlight into rubble. they had nowhere to go, the gaza strip is completely sealed even the exits, that the border with egypt's close. also what we're looking at to what we're looking at as well that is just totally. it is just for a moment ago. there, you see quite an explosion right there. when you talk about they have nowhere to go that's one thing if they're trying to flee their borders. but talk about what is happening inside of gaza right now relative to hostages and how that complicates any kind of response that benjamin

netanyahu may want to deliver to hamas, because he does not want to risk israeli life. certainly, that complicates the response. in the past, when israel has responded to rocket attacks, from the gaza strip into israel, they've usually used aerial bombardments. certainly not incursions with israeli troops. in this particular case, there has been speculation that israel, because of the magnitude of this attack, might have to use ground troops. to enter into this densely populated strip of land. which viewers have to remember, it about twice the size of washington d.c.. we're talking about a really tiny, tiny area. but the fact that there are hostages, both civilian and military held by hamas, makes it a much more complicated. it would be risking the lives

of these civilians. including for what we've been able to ascertain, based on some of the material released by hamas. including women and children. that makes it even more difficult. to come up with the response. you have to remember, madeleine netanyahu is pretty weak right now. so, he has to talk a big game. the question is what plan will this government come up with? it still remains to be seen. and also, what reaction regionally will take place with allies of hamas and hezbollah and lebanon. >> you just anticipated my next question. i thank you for asking. before i had the chance to. ask heather, had there been any recent official responses from various state actors in the region. how hala gorani, thank you so much for talking with you again. upper port la tour, do so given the duration of this. in the meantime, new reporting on what could have sparked

today's surprise hamas attack on israel. ttac on israel. meet arexvy. ( ♪♪ ) the first fda-approved rsv vaccine. arexvy is used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. arexvy is proven to be over 82% effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94% effective in those with these health conditions. ( ♪♪ ) arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. the most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. rsv can be serious. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about arexvy today. rsv? make it arexvy. back with the breaking news, we

bring you some new video of airstrikes lighting up the night sky in gaza, this went down just a moment ago. joining me now, ambassador dennis ross. he was the point person for the middle east peace process during both the bush and clinton administrations. ambassador, thank you for joining me, sir. i know you worked extensively and seeking peace between the injuries and palestinians. as you watch what's unfolding in the region today, what's on your mind? >> well, what's on my mind is, i see an open-ended conflict very difficult now to resolve. i see hamas having probably in concert with iran. because they saw the possibility of a breakthrough between saudi arabia and israel as a fundamental threat to them. which is gonna change geopolitical landscape in the middle east. it was gonna create a --

for those who believed in building resilience societies. now it's gonna create an alternative to what they represent, which is pretty much a failed state, failed policies, oppression of people, and no hope for the future. this is their -- disrupted, clearly, this is a plan over several months. they obviously engaged in a series of deceptive behaviors. which misread, misled, israeli intelligence. >> ambassador, if what you say is true, we want to reiterate it has yet to be firmly linked, that iran had anything to do with by association with this. but if that were to be true, how does that complicate, elongate, make a vast mess in the region, if they're part of this? >> well, as you, show they use wood in instruments they have to disrupt anything that would move the region in a different way. they have what they call an alliance of resistance. but they're resistant stance

against everything, doesn't stand for anything. so, we have to continue collectively to work for those want to shape a very different region. we're gonna see israel respond to what has been described correctly as their 9/11. israel has never suffered casualties from an outside attack like this since its war of independence. so, we cannot underestimate the character of the response. yes, hamas has taken hostage is. hoping to limit what the israelis will do in response. i think that we should understand, the nature of the israeli response is going to reflect the kind of psychology of 9/11, the way it affected us. >> ambassador, u.s. officials are telling nbc news, very early assessments are that the timing of this hamas attack could be directly related to the movement on normalizing election ships between saudi arabia and israel. but specifically, sir, why would that factor into this? and does that mean trouble for the future of those diplomatic

efforts. what would it take to do that? . it puts everything on, hold on to put through this, this is not gonna be over immediately. the cost of this is gonna be high. israel is gonna try to restore its deterrent. it's going to determine that her master did not achieve anything about. this they paid a terrible price. there is a risk that is hezbollah will act and create a multi pronged war. all of this will create an enormous turmoil. in the region. internationally. to the focus on this and how it's about to a conclusion. brought to a conclusion away that hamas does not find successful. that's gonna be the focus from the near term. overtime, if saudi arabia, you know what hamas be able to dictate to you whether you can do something that in your interest. i wouldn't say the next possibility has been. removed i would say that the

timing of it is clearly been affected. anne if you expect anything to come out of the emergency security council meeting, sir? on this tomorrow? and only net about 15 seconds. >> i can give you very short answer. no. it is not gonna produce any change. we're not gonna see anything except what's gonna be dictated on the ground is not gonna come for new york or the outside whatever is dictated on the ground it's gonna shape the reality. >> perfect timing, sir. ambassador dennis ross i look forward to seeing you again. in a very big thanks to all of you for watching, alex witt reports. i'll see you tomorrow. one pm eastern. american voices with alicia menendez picks things up right now. menendez picks things up right when i am sunday, in israel. we continue to follow breaking news as israel response today's unprecedented attacks from the palestinian militant group, hamas. early saturday morning, hamas launched a deadly and ruthless surprise attack on southern isra