>> good morning, i'm katie phang and welcome back to our continuing coverage of day two of the ongoing israel hamas conflict. this morning, u.n. peacekeepers are calling for restraint after lebanon's hezbollah militant group fired dozens of rockets and shells at three israeli positions along the border of syria. hezbollah said the attack was in solidarity with the palestinian resistance. meanwhile, israel released a statement saying it would halt

the supply of electricity, fuel, and goods to the gaza strip. gaza is largely dependent on israel for its electricity supply. and in addition, an official says israel has sought help with israeli hostages, and egypt's intelligence chief has contacted hamas, which says it will publicly declare the number of prisoners in the coming hours. israeli media citing rescue service officials saying that at least 300 people have been killed so far, including 26 soldiers, while a palestinian health authority is saying at least 313 palestinians have been killed in the gaza strip. nbc news foreign correspondent kelly -- joins me now via phone, live from jordan. kelly, thank you so much for joining us in this hour. what's the latest that you are hearing over there, regarding this ongoing conflict? >> yeah, katie, good morning. we're actually on our way towards the jordanian israeli border, because it's still very

difficult to get into the country. very limited flights at the airport in tel aviv, and many of the land borders are closed this morning. the military still counting targets across the gaza strip, some 13 residential buildings destroyed, according to officials inside gossip. and the military are also still fighting against the palestinian militants inside israel, more than 24 hours after that surprise attack began. residents there describe what they say is worse than their worst nightmare. being walked inside their homes, trying to get into their homes, thousands of -- by the israeli military. we haven't yet heard from the israeli government as to what their next step is.

every indication is that israel is preparing for possibly a large scale ground offensive into gaza. again, not confirmed. the government saying that all options are on the table. they'll also say i have to do one of the most difficult hostage rescue operations of the world has ever seen. but many people who have been taken hostage, have disturbing videos shared across social media. families being taken by militants, presumably across the border into gaza. some being paraded in gaza, and whole families in some cases being marched through their own neighborhoods. it's still unclear how many people are being held captive. as you mentioned, there's an assumption that hamas is going to come out with a number later today.

and the real difficulty here is for israeli forces on how to handle this. do they launch an all out ground offensive? this is an unknown number of israelis inside gaza. or, do they try to negotiate? the assumption is that this is going to be a ground war, not a negotiation, katie. >> kelly, i want you and your crew to please stay safe, and i thank you for joining us. kelly cobiella, on her way to jordan. joining me now, msnbc news senior white house correspondent joins us. gabe, what is the latest you're hearing from the white house in terms of its updated response in terms of this conflict? >> either, good morning. we have not yet heard back from the national security council when it comes to that hezbollah shelling overnight in the golan heights. but, an attack comes just hours after president biden yesterday offered a stark warning to any

enemy of israel that would be attempting to exploit what's going on here for their advantage. the president offering a message of reassurance to israel, take a listen. ke a listen. >> this is a moment of tragedy, i want to say that to the world. and a terrorist attack. the united states stands with israel. we will not ever fail to have their back. we will make sure that they have the help there citizens need, and they can continue to defend themselves. >> the president says that he has been on the phone with the king of jordan, as well as other partners in the middle east, and that message of reassurance comes after years, really decades of complicated relationships between president biden and prime minister benjamin netanyahu. of course, netanyahu meeting with the president just weeks ago on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly in new york. he was not permitting --

wanted here at the white house. but these tensions come after months of conflict over the judicial overhaul in israel. still, any of those tensions on the backburner now during wartime, as the president is seeking to re-assure israel that the u.s. has its back, katie? >> complicated is an understatement, and i think the word of the day. gabe, thank you for joining us. i appreciate it. and joining me now is new jersey congressman and united states senate candidate and he came. congressman, it's an honor to have you on the show. first, i want to get your initial thoughts on the ongoing conflict in israel. >> first, i have to say, i've heard from people directly on the ground, is really families that were in hiding, waking up today, not sure what's going to happen. so i think it's so important for us to take a step back and understand how hard it is for them to process the shock. after that, we have to make

sure that we show a united front, now more than ever. this is such a severe situation, one that absolutely needs to be unequivocal in terms of our accommodation of hamas, as well as standing in solidarity with israel. >> congressman of the house, without a speaker, the house will be without one until wednesday before we see any movement on that front. how can the absence of a prominent speaker of the house affect how the united states provides aid and relief to israel? >> this is a huge problem, and one that i was always concerned about in terms of the exposure, the visions we have as a country, even that it was just not about the speaker vote. that is what's holding us back and why partners around the world are worried about american determination. this is something yesterday where i was talking with my colleagues, and there was a lot of questions about what are we actually able to do?

can we pass a resolution condemning the attack? do we gather for an intelligence briefing? i believe that we should be there immediately. i believe that we should be there today and we should be getting a classified briefing, we should be understanding what's happening, we should try to do everything that we can to form a resolution. i don't want to wait until tuesday, i don't want to wait until wednesday. we need to get our act together, we need to show that the united states government is functioning, is strong, is moving forward in partnership with israel. so i want to see this immediately. >> and, you know, the reporting from last night, the move by hezbollah, on the northern border of israel, obviously causing a lot of security concerns for israel now. a two front war, if you have it. war, quote unquote, according to the prime minister netanyahu. does that also play as a factor into the analysis that you just provided right now in terms of the speed by which you want things to get done by the house, even without a prominent speaker? >> absolutely.

this is such a fast-moving crisis. this is one where every hour that goes by, we are seeing major developments. it's important that our nations leaders are up to speed, are getting this information, are having the ability to talk to one another about where we should be going as a country. that is not happening right now in the way that it should be. so whether we get a speaker now, we should -- immediately. but certainly because we don't have a speaker right now, we have to sort this out, put aside differences, make sure that we're moving forward, and show that when it comes to natural security, that's the last place that partisan politics belongs. so absolutely this is now becoming a regional problem. and honestly, it's a global problem and how much we see an outpouring from countries around the world in solidarity with israel. >> congressman, last hour we heard from nbc news capitol hill correspondent julie tsirkin that a u.s. military official indicating that what

happened, this surprise attack by hamas, wasn't being tracked by united states intelligence. obviously, israel was taken by surprise. how did our intelligence miss something of this magnitude, if it was that coordinated by hamas? >> yes, this kind of attack, the complexity of it, involving so many different attack factors, this is something that i worked in national security before, something that you never want to see happen by surprise. we are still getting information, i know a number of us members of congress requested information in terms of what, if anything we knew. that will certainly be ongoing, that is not something we will be able to sort out quickly. but we also have to make sure that we are putting the attention that is needed in terms of what happens next, what is our part, what is it that we can do to bolster the security of israel through this difficult time. so yes, we will get to the

bottom of those answers. but we also have to make sure that people are safe. because right now, people are still in harm's way. the fighting is still ongoing. i woke up this morning with updates from people on the ground still involved in the fighting, that has to be a priority. >> congressman, will you share with our viewers what some of those updates are? you just indicated right now that you're hearing from people that are on the ground in israel, families that are suffering, people that are going through active war time, frankly. can you share with our viewers some of the information that you're hearing from them? >> yes, it's really a lot to process. it's really hard. hearing these updates, people that i've known, families that have kids that are going out there. adult children are going off, the reserve is going off, i'm not sure where they're going, mothers and fathers uncertain what's going to happen next for their kids. i hear from people in some of the villages that are being

affected, that are fleeing. and i have to say it's really been tough. hearing the challenges they're facing, and hearing from people in my own community who have family there, some of them that are actually there and just the uncertainty that is out there. this recognition that this is different than previous rocket attacks, this is something unseen for decades. the uncertainty, we don't know what's happening next. that's certainly feeling a lot of the deep concern and worry. >> congressman andy kim from new jersey, thank you for joining us and getting us started. i appreciate you. >> thank you. >> don't go anywhere. we have much more breaking news coverage throughout the hour. you're watching a special addition of the katie phang show. ow ow

rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. but i'm protected with arexvy. arexvy is a vaccine used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd, and certain other conditions. but i'm protected. 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. i chose arexvy. rsv? make it arexvy. this month join the new subway mvp rewards program and get rewarded. get 50% off any footlong when you join subway mvp rewards. so many all star options. it's just for subway mvps right? you catch on quick herbert. join now and get 50% off any footlong. you know that feeling of having to rewash dishes that didn't get clean? i don't. cascade platinum plus has me doing dishes... differently. scrub? soak? nope. i just scrape, load and i'm done. only platinum plus is bigger. with double the dawn grease fighting power and double the scrubbing power. for a no rewash clean... and a cabinet ready shine. rewash? not in my house. upgrade to cascade platinum plus. dare to dish differently.

from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dog's food to the farmer's dog, the effects can seem like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's just smarter, healthier pet food. it's amazing what real food can do. c'mon, we're right there. c'mon baby. it's just smarter, it's the only we need. go, go, go, go! ah! touchdown baby! -touchdown! are your neighbors watching the same game? yeah, my 5g home internet delays the game a bit. but you get used to it. try these. they're noise cancelling earmuffs.

i stole them from an airport. it's always something with you, man. great! solid! -greek salad? exactly! don't delay the game with verizon or t-mobile 5g >> we conflict between hamas home internet. catch it on the xfinity 10g network. and israel comes at high stake negotiations between israel,

saudi arabia, and the united states. u.s. diplomats say president joe biden's monthlong effort to negotiate a new alignment by normalizing relations between saudi arabia and israel now has little to no hope of success. and in a briefing yesterday, the president condemned the hamas attack as unconscionable and called his support for israel's right to defend itself rock-solid and unwavering. however, he did not indicate how israel should respond to the attack or how it would affect his peace efforts for the region. in a statement yesterday the saudi foreign ministry called for aniate halt of escalation from both sides stating the reat warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the ation as a result of the continued occupation, they deprivation of the palestinian people, and legitimate rights and they were petition of systemic provocations against and sanctity's. joining me now is joel reuben, former deputy assistant secretary of state, president washington strategy group, and democratic strategist and democracy partners.

joel, always good to have you on the show. you know, when this happened yesterday, of course, one of the things that came to my mind was, what's gonna happen to the attempts to normalize relations between saudi arabia and israel? what are your immediate thoughts considering the fact that saudi arabia came out with that statement that i just read to our viewers? >> katie, it's great to be with you. thank you for covering this. look, the saudis, as whaley normalization top, there was always a lot of skepticism in washington about how far they would go and what that would really mean for the region. what the core issue that was seeming to create tension in terms of their advancement was the question of the palestinians and what to do and saudi arabia was calling for mbs, leader of saudi arabia, calling for better living standards, better life for the palestinians, progress towards peace. so, without a doubt now, the pressure on saudi arabia will

be extreme to stand by those words. and i think that for the united states, it does put us in a bit of a diplomatic pause on this. but there is a real need to continue to advance any direction of peacemaking that is possible. and so, i think we're gonna see the saudi negotiations be in this hiatus, so to speak, but without a doubt. there is going to be a desire to try to make sure that the momentum for peacemaking doesn't just stop because of the stairs to attack. >> there is been some hypotheses out there that the timing of this particular attack by hamas was primarily aimed at disrupting those negotiations between israel and saudi arabia, this idea that hamas feels, iran-backed hamas feels that it's being left out of the mix. what are your thoughts about that? >> katie, i want to be very clear here. hamas is a terrorist organization.

hamas exists to disrupt. look at the depravity that we have just been saying over the last day and a half. it is stealing young people, children, elderly from old age and taking them, parading them through the streets of gaza. this is a mess. now, hamas is not new to the game. hamas did this in the mid 90s. they blew up buses killing dozens, scores of israelis in the midst of a peace process between israel's and the palestinians. that is why shimon perez, the prime minister, a very pro peace leader. hamas killed multiple scores of palestinians, kicked out the palestinian authority from gaza only a year or so into gaza being self governed in 2006. without a doubt, hamas is a spoiler. and these actions could not be disconnected from that broader strategic question. of course, at the end of the day, this is a direct hamas

israel fight. and so, they may have those strategic concerns or thoughts about what they want to do to spoil, or what they really want to spoil is any potential for any peace, any future of coexistence between the israelis and palestinians. >> so, there is some red flags, joel, and i am seeing here with iran and hamas on the south, iran-backed hezbollah on the north, the fact that you are seeing military activity and, frankly, terrorist activity coming from both ends of israel. what are your -- what's your thought about the fact that we do have a third party actor like iran who is driving a lot of what's happening here right now? >> well, this is how iran behaves in the region. without a doubt, iran has been a supporter of regional aggression in multiple countries in yemen, in syria, iraq, iran --

supporting this now for decades. and i think that hezbollah, they would be very advised to not get fully vested in an attack against israel. israel, clearly, the community services were asleep at the switch in southern israel, and it devastated -- what occurred. they're not asleep anymore. and iran, you know, this is a country that we have been trying desperately to bring out of corral. i'm a big supporter of the nuclear agreement that president obama negotiated because it prevented iran from getting further nuclear weapons. president trump worked out, that iran is in a better position. we've got the proper ways to corral it. and part of that is ensuring they don't get the world's worst weapons. multiple terrorist organization for a number of years, devastating civilian populations across the middle east. but for hezbollah, if they were to get involved, it would be very damaging and devastating

to these people, as well of course to hezbollah, and of course to northern israel were civilians would likely be in direct harm's way. >> joel, i got about 30 seconds left, very quickly. if the united states were to intervene, which it sounds like the united states has pledged to support its ally, israel, how would that impact, do you think, any type of normalization efforts between israel and saudi arabia? >> i think that right now, it's going to be on a pause. and it's going to go quiet. but no one can walk away at this day. they cannot walk away. but if israel goes into a direction that we begin to see images that cause serious activity, it will put extreme pressure on saudi arabia to walk away. there's a lot of balancing going on right now. israel needs to defend itself and be aggressive with hamas but in the direction not to overwhelm the system and prevent saudi arabia from

continuing to find ways to gauge peace with the israelis and normalize this region, which is in desperate need of peace and normalization. >> joel reuben, as always, thanks for joining us and sharing your insight. i appreciate you. >> thanks, katie. >> more breaking news coverage of the latest in israel, after a quick break. a quick break. so much more hydrated. it's olay! with olay hyaluronic body wash 95% of women had visibly-better skin. and my skin is so much more moisturized. see the difference with olay. ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well. ♪ ♪ jardiance ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell. ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance, ♪ ♪ at each day's staaart. ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to seee. ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c. ♪ jardiance works 24/7 in your body to flush out some sugar! and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too.

jardiance may cause serious side effects including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction, and don't take it if you're on dialysis. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. ♪ jardiance is really swell, ♪ ♪ the little pill with a big story to tell. ♪ >> tech: need to get your windshield fixed? safelite makes it easy. ♪ jardiance is really swell, ♪ >> tech vo: you can schedule in just a few clicks. and we'll come to you with a replacement you can trust. >> man: looks great. >> tech: that's service on your time. schedule now. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

honey... honey... nyquil severe honey. powerful cold and flu relief with a dreamy honey taste. nyquil honey, the nighttime, sniffing, sneezing, couging, aching, fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold,

medicine. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> we are continuing to follow breaking news out of israel. israeli soldiers are still fighting to retake control of territory in the country south from hamas fires. just this morning, israeli soldiers also exchanged fires with lebanon's hezbollah militant group on the northern side of the country. and we don't know the official number yet, but videos are shared widely across social media, showing hamas fighters taking several civilians hostage. in israel, over 200 citizens have been killed and thousands more injured according to the israeli foreign ministry. and in gaza, 313 people are

dead and over 1000 wounded, according to the palestinian ministry of health. joining me now is retired lieutenant general steph twitty, msnbc military analyst and former deputy commander of the united states european command. general, thank you for joining us again today. i know that we have just at a bit more information, but not as much as maybe we had hoped to have. but now we are hearing this morning, sir, that not only is it on the southern border of israel where they are dealing with hamas, but the israelis are now gonna have to deal with hezbollah on the northern border that they share with lebanon. so, what are your thoughts about the fact that we now have seen? because you and i spoke yesterday briefly about the northern border, southern border, and the possibility of the west bank getting implicated. >> yes, good morning, katie. good to see you again. yes, this is what we did not want to see happen here. and, you know, we will see where this goes. but as you described it there, the last thing you want is for these rallies to have to deal

with a two front war. and if the palestinian terrorist groups from the west bank get involved, a three front war. and so, the israelis, they have enough on their hands right now that they have to deal with it too far more with hezbollah and then the really gonna be stressed here. and let me just say this as well. when you think about what the israelis have to deal with at this point, they still have a border that is breached, which they have to secure. they still have at least seven cities that they have hamas fighters running throughout. and then, they have the complex problem of the hostage situation, where many of the israeli hostages are in gaza. and they don't even know the number of hostages that are in

gaza or that hamas took. and so, that is the complexity just with hamas right now. when you start bringing in other actors, and, oh, by the way, the other actors backed by iran, because i think we all know that hezbollah is a proxy of iran as well. the palestinian jihadists are proxies of iran. and hamas are proxies of iran. so, in the strategic picture, iran is implicated here as well. >> general, how does benjamin netanyahu, his israeli defense forces, the reservists, how can they extricate hostages from the gaza strip. you talk about the fact that some civilians and even some soldiers have been taken across that line into gaza. and, you know, that's obviously

the priority. obviously, making the country safe again for the israeli citizens is imperative. but getting those hostages back has to be top of mind for everyone involved. >> yes, and what they can't do is rushed to failure. this is gonna take some time because they have to let the intelligence mature, both intelligence groups. hamas it's probably decentralized these hostages, and they are probably all over gaza. they're probably gonna move them around often to ensure that they throw the israelis off. and so, the intelligence network will have to be key for the israelis. also, the special operations forces will need to infiltrate in to also try and assist in that layer intelligence. i don't see a huge ground force

going into gaza anytime soon until they get the intelligence. you heard me talk about westphalia, you get a ground forces and their. gaza it's extremely dense, heavily populated, 2 million people in a small stretch of land, hugely urban. you don't want to get sucked into a city until you know where your hostages are and you know what you're gonna do. and so, this is gonna take some time to mature. >> sir, nbc news is reporting that u.s. officials are considering enhancing intelligence sharing with the israelis in an effort to support them in their efforts. how could that help the situation as we sit here right now? >> well, it can help tremendously. we normally assist the israelis with intelligence. we have some advanced capabilities that i will not talk about that can help them out even further.

and i think it's the right thing to do, given that they are our ally and our partner in this situation. and you heard president biden say yesterday, we are going to be with them. we're gonna help them defend their country, so it's the right thing to do. >> retired lieutenant general steph twitty, you are always such a great source of information. i appreciate you joining me two days in a row. thank you, sir. >> katie, anytime. thank you. >> and up next, congressional reaction on the latest out of israel. mississippi congressman benny thompson is gonna join me live after the break. so, don't go anywhere. you are watching a special breaking news coverage right here on msnbc. n msnbc.

♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing, non-medicated vicks vapors. [exhales] easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick and try vaposhower for steamy vicks vapors. she runs and plays like a puppy again. his #2s are perfect! he's a brand new dog, all in less than a year. when people switch their dog's food from kibble to the farmer's dog, they often say that it feels like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's simply fresh meat and vegetables, with all the nutrients dogs need— instead of dried pellets. just food made for the health of dogs. delivered in packs portioned for your dog. it's amazing what real food can do.

♪ tourists tourists that turn into scientists. tourists taking photos that are analyzed by ai. so researchers can help life underwater flourish. ♪ this month join the new subway mvp rewards program and get rewarded. get 50% off any footlong when you join subway mvp rewards. so many all star options. it's just for subway mvps right? you catch on quick herbert. join now and get 50% off any footlong.

what causes a curve down there? is it peyronie's disease? will it get worse? how common is it? who can i talk to? can this be treated? stop typing. start talking to a specialized urologist. because it could be peyronie's disease, or pd. it's a medical condition where there is a curve in the erection, caused by a formation of scar tissue. and an estimated 1 in 10 men may have it. but pd can be treated even without surgery. say goodbye to searching online. find a specialized urologist who can diagnose pd and build a treatment plan with you. visit makeapdplan.com today. >> lawmakers in washington,

d.c. are keeping an anxious eye on the horrific events unfolding in one of the united states closest non nato allies. but congressional activity on capitol hill is at a standstill because of the historic ouster of kevin mccarthy from the speakership. and only an interim speaker left in chge. the leadership vacuum is causing problems for the white house as well. with the senior administration official sayi, quote, there probably is a role for congress here, and without the speaker of the house, that is a unique situation that we're going to have to work through. joining me now for more congressman bennie thompson from the state of mississippi. he's also the ranking member of the house homeland security committee. congressman, first of all, i'm

wondering, have you been able to receive any briefings, classified or not, on the situation in israel? and is there anything you can share with our viewers at this moment? >> well, there's nothing that we received in a classified setting. everything we received so far has been public domain. so, there is a need for that information. but as you said in your introduction, we are kind of at a loss because we don't have a leader in terms of the speaker. and so, as soon as we can get a speaker elected, we can get back to business. >> the house not having a permanent speaker is creating a lot of audio, debate, congressman, weather acting speaker patrick mchenry can even participate in intelligence briefing like you and i were talking about, and how important that information is. what is your opinion on the fact that there's a leadership vacuum in the house right now that may directly and substantively affect the

situation in israel? >> well, there's no question there is a vacuum. as you know, there is a team between the house and senate called the gang of eight. one of those eight members, speaker of the house of representatives which we don't have. the question is whether or not speaker mchenry can participate in that. so, there's a lot of gaps in the situation the crisis in israel is just expanding their. but it's part of, you know, the republican -- shall i just say confusion on their part. they elected a leader, they are a majority party. and when you are the leader and in charge, you have to demonstrate leadership. right now, that leadership is not there. >> congressman, i have to ask, with all of the drama that was going on, and the chaos that

was created by the gop, leading to the ultimate ouster of kevin mccarthy last week, creating the vacuum that you and i were talking about, wasn't that not contemplated? the knowledge that the house can't move forward with the absence of a permanent speaker, to be able to get legislation even introduced and passed. was that not even a part of the analysis or the calculus by the republicans when they were trying to figure out how to do their job? >> what is so unfortunate, i have been through a number of speakers during my 30 years here. i have never seen anything like this. normally, if there are some missteps, things that need to be worked out, the speaker and his team would work it out. it was obvious that the speaker, to become speaker, gave up an awful lot of authority that goes with the position. and so, what you have wasn't impotent speaker with nothing to use as leverage. he gave up all the tools in the

tool box. and it's obvious from the fact the very people ended up being his worst nightmare. >> i wanted to ask you as well, considering the fact that there's only two names that have put their hat into the proverbial ring, jim jordan and steve scalise. is that kind of now becoming a part of a discussion in the house when it comes to the perspective permanent new speaker of the house, seeing how we have this type of conflict that's going on in one of the united states closest allies, in israel? >> well, i would hope not. but it does not bode well when you look at what's occurring. if we can't, in short order, elect a speaker, then it is impossible to help our friends around the world, both democratic and republican supporters of israel and the

house. but if we can't get our house in order and elect a speaker, then this world is at risk. so, it is important for us, whenever we are convened back this week, to expeditiously elect a speaker. and so, my republican colleagues need to get their act together. they are the majority party. and, you know, democrats, we are the lone opposition. but if it were solely to the democrats, we would elect hakeem jeffries has speaker. obviously, at this point, we don't have the numbers. we will probably put his name again. we will vote immunity for him. and perhaps, the republicans can take some lead from the democrats get their house in order, elect a speaker, so we can move forward, provide the leadership, not just on israel,

but on ukraine and other issues around the world, like we have been known for. >> i'm glad you bring up ukraine, congressman, because i think that's an important part of this discussion. how are the republican colleagues across the aisle, how are they reconciling the fact that there is bipartisan support to be able to provide aid to israel, and yet, the republicans are throwing up all the roadblocks to be able to provide aid to ukraine? >> you know it's kind of who republicans are during the session. again, i have been here a good while. and usually, our congress, we stand for certain things. we stand for the principles of democracy. we stand to support our friends around the world. ukraine is a friend of the united states. we can't abandon her. what you see there is the lack of leadership, that former

speaker mccarthy demonstrated. but, again, as i see it, to become speaker, those 15 votes that he had to give up, a lot. and when you can get just a few members, eight members of your party to take you down, you know that you are in serious trouble. so, i want us to get back together as soon as possible, elect a speaker, and do the right thing. you know, our invitation as a country is on the line. people are looking to us for leadership. but if the house of representatives can't elect its leader because of some misfits there who don't want things to work, then we are in bad shape. it might be an opportunity for republicans, if they can get it together, to come and talk to our democratic leadership, and work something out with the democrats. we are not unreasonable. but, you know, they have to say,

look, we are in trouble. we can't get our act together. and as americans, if nothing, lest we are together and move forward. >> and show some bipartisan support for leader hakeem jeffries so things can get done. congressman bennie thompson, thank you very much for joining me. i appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. >> and we will be right back with more breaking news coverage of the latest in israel. israel

looking for a bladder leak pad that keeps you dry? when i'm at work, i need to feel secured. what i'm looking for in a pad is, super thin, super absorbent. all of the things that you're looking for in a pad, that is always discreet. - this is thin. - my pad is thick. let's put it to the test. let's do it! look how it's absorbing! and locking it right on in! - look at that! - no liquid, no nothing. totally absorbed! - you feel no wetness. - oh my gosh! are you a believer now? i'm a believer! i got to get some always discreet! ♪ ♪ ♪

>> welcome back. israel's counteroffensive to his surprise attack by palestinian militant group hamas intensifies this morning. overnight, israeli airstrikes flattened a 14 story tower that housed some hamas offices in central gaza city. hamas controls the gaza strip, which is roughly the size of washington, d.c.. and it's home to 2 million people. but what do we really know about this group that the u.s.

considers to be a terrorist organization? and why has this conflict kept the region mired in violence for decades? doctor bruce huffman, senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at the council on foreign relations joins me now to answer those questions. dr. hoffman, thank you so much for joining me. you know, when this happened, when this news broke yesterday, we obviously were in the throes of dealing with the immediacy of the military kind of actions that were being taken. about a day later, i want you to come on the show because i want people to understand hamas. and to understand that it's a terrorist organization and that it is not indicative of all palestinians. but i wanted you and your expertise provide our viewers with a brief quick history of this militant group. >> yes, of course. hamas was founded in 1987. just the fact that it lasted three decades or so shows that it is not a flash. it does have widespread support

on the gaza strip. but i think your point is very important. it is not representative of all palestinians. in fact, the last time that hamas helps democratic elections on the gaza strip was a decade and a half ago. so, it is certainly an authoritarian, to tell a therrien, who religiously driven, motivated organization. giousl driven, motiva ted organization >> are you surprised at the level of sophistication, scope, and coordination of the attack that just took place yesterday? i mean something of this complexity and scale has some speculate speculating that hamas had some of that support. >> i'm absolutely surprised there's very few terrorist organizations in history that have been able to mount simultaneous air, at sea, and land attacks that are occurring. al-qaeda had a, or sea, and land capabilities, but they never unveiled them in one go. i think one does have to look to the very high possibility of state support, of state advice,

of state funding, knowing that iran delivers hundreds of millions of dollars annually to hamas, certainly the professionals and the fact that it was kept secret. and the planning in the preparation went undetected, most sophisticated intelligence agencies in the world, is well under that state. it shows that this was not an isolated terrorist group but a small corner of a patch of land in the middle east plotting and planning this on their own. >> there are some theories, sir, that the reason why hamas chosen how to be able to launch this kind of attack is because of the affirmative steps, the progress that has been made to normalize relations between saudi arabia and israel, thereby creating more of an isolation for hamas and the gaza strip. what are your thoughts on that? >> without any doubt. the biggest enemies are precisely moderates and those working towards peace.

we have to understand that terrorism is always a strategy of provocation. it's designed to provoke enemies into an escalatory response that the terrorists believed would work in their favor. and this is something that i think must be weighing very heavily on the mind of prime minister netanyahu and his israeli cabinet. how to calibrate the response, because obviously, this conflict is going to escalate. the danger of hezbollah attacking from the north, palestinians rising up in the west bank, and behind the scenes, certainly, around watching these developments, and the scuttling of the abraham accords and the peace process that so many have worked so hard of the over the past few years to implement. >> they haven't been any shortages of violent and bloody conflict between israel and hamas over the years. why do you think that it is now that you are seeing this type of coordinated attack that is being done by hamas against israel? >> in some respects, i think unfortunately, precisely, this

event was pretty ordained by hamas's government. it's decades old. that quite explicitly is a genocidal document, perhaps, matched only by hitler's, where it costs, in article 13, to disdain, it's abstain from negotiations that are a waste of time. and then article seven quite explicitly calls for the slaughter of jewish people. so, hamas has been marshaling its forces, supported by iraq and other terrorist organizations, and felt for the 50th anniversary of the latest great failure, surprise attack of -- 1970 yom kippur war. enemy strike, when they see division, polarization, paralysis at home. and this provided unfortunately the perfect storm for hamas to launch. >> i want to follow up briefly on what you just said. this idea that terrorist

organizations can smell blood in the water. so, they're gonna look for holes in the armor to be able to do that, especially when they see that type of disarray. we obviously have gone through our own share of that here in the united states. professor, are you saying that we have to mind your house and make sure it is in order to stave off a potential terrorist attack? >> that's exactly my message. i have studied terrorism for nearly 50 years. and what time and time again happens is when countries are distracted, when they are preoccupied, when they become complacent about a threat, certainly israel was given the lack of preparation and alert along its borders, it's precisely, as you described, terrorists smell blood. when they see an opening, an opportunity to strike. unfortunately, when the consequences are grave, because there is always trying to undermine confidence and elected leadership and to bring down democracies. they use the trigger of

violence and the promise of escalation and the cars that results, and the tragic bloodshed and loss of life to actually use that as a lever to advance their agendas. >> the doctor bruce hoffman, i wish i had more time. i invite you, sir, to come back to the show so we can continue to have more of substantive conversations. i want to thank you greatly for taking the time to share information. and your knowledge with our viewers this morning. thank you. >> you're very welcome. >> i want to thank all of you for watching us on your busy sunday mornings. i will be back next saturday and sunday at 8 am eastern, my regular time. remember, keep up with us during the week by following at katie phang show, by instagram, tiktok, and ex, for known as twitter. our colleague is gonna be continuing our breaking news coverage. coverage st sore throat relief, try vicks vapocool drops. with two times more menthol per drop, and powerful vicks vapors to vaporize sore throat pain. vicks vapocool drops.

vaporize sore throat pain. salonpas, makers of powerful pain relief patches for 89 years... believes in continuous improvement... like rounded corners that resist peeling, with an array of active ingredients... and sizes to relieve your pain. salonpas. it's good medicine. this is american infrastructure, a prime target for cyberattacks. but the same ai-powered security that protects all of google also defends these services for everyone who lives here. ♪ [city ambience sounds] [car screech] [car door slam] [camera shutter sfx] introducing ned's plaque psoriasis. [camera shutter sfx] he thinks his flaky, red patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. [ned?] it can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing

it for nearly a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. [crowd gasp] ♪♪ with clearer skin, movie night is a groovy night. [ting] ♪♪ live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> good