i wouldn't bring back arlette saenz in washington. the words we heard from president biden there go a long way to addressing what you and i have been discussing, the delicacy with which joe biden will need to walk a line here given what happened in gaza last night with the attack on the hospital. hundreds of people died. while he said i understand there is some confusion as to, you know, who was behind that attack, he was pretty emphatic that, you know, that we need to sort of calm things down at this point. this is difficult, isn't it, for joe biden. >> reporter: yeah, it is a very complicated and dynamic situation that the president is trying to navigate at this moment. he made this trip to israel with the intent of trying to show that steadfast support that the u.s. is ready to commit to israel as it wages this war against hamas. you heard the president saying there that the u.s. stands ready to offer support to the country as well as the president trying to make this symbolic show of force to the israeli people. you saw him on the

arlette saenz is over at the white house for us. what else did the pren

arlette saenz at the white house, thank you very much. ette just noted, people here in lewiston need to listen to local law enforcement. follow instructions. shelter in place. there are businesses around the state that are shut down as this manhunt for a mass killer continues. much more of our breaking news coverage, right after this. to duckduckgo on all your devie duckduckgo comes with a built n engine like google, but it's pi and doesn't spy on your searchs and duckduckgo lets you browse like chrome, but it blocks cooi and creepy ads that follow youa from google and other companie. and there's no catch, it's fre. we make money from ads, but they don't follow you aroud join the millions of people taking back their privacy by downloading duckduckgo on all your devices today. ♪ >>> the u.s. economy defying expectations yet again, growing at its strongest rate in nearly two years in the face of stubborn inflation and high interest rates. the commerce department today reporting that gross domestic product, or gdp, the biggest test of measure

. >> cnn's arlette saenz has more. >> reporter: victor and amara, the white house has been very careful and deliberate not to publicly weigh in on these latest ground operations being conducted by the israeli defense forces. john kirby was pressed on the issue multiple times and would not say whether the u.s. received advance notification whether israel was expanding ground operations in gaza. he said ultimately it's up to the israeli defense forces even as the u.s. is in conversation with them and offering advice. one thing the white house has been keenly focused on is the fate of those hostages currently being held by hamas. there are at least ten americans who are currently unaccounted for since that october 7th 'tack by hamas in israel. there's a belief that several of those unaccounted for americans are currently being held hostage. officials here say those talks will continue even as israel's conducting air strikes and ground operations into gaza. one thing that the white house has noted is they would support a pause in these activities if it would ensure that those hostages could

arlette saenz, cnn, the white house. >>> the u.s.gn relations committee says he'll block the release for military aid for egypt. senator benefit cardin has threatened to withhold future arms sales if the country doesn't improve human rights. >> he said, quote, the government of egypt's record and reign of issues with governance must be improved if it's to be sustained. >>> and bob menendez was indicted on corruption charges in change that he accepted bribes to help egypt. >>> police and firefighters are searching for a 9-year-old girl that went missing in new york. charlotte sena went missing on sunday after a bike ride with friends. new york officials have vowed to make sure she gets home safely. >> right now, there's over 100 personnel deployed, 75 law enforcement on the ground. two drones, an air boat, search team, six underwater rescue teams. and sonar. we are leaving no stone, no branch, no table, no cabin unturned. untouched, unexamined, in our search to find charlotte. >> it was issued on sunday. police asking anyone with info

arlette saenz, i'm sure we'll be back with you. just ahead here, what caused the deadly blast at that gaza hospital? we'll talk to a decorated air force intelligence officer. >>> plus another fail in america's house. still no speaker. another vote expected today. >>> israeli military says they were not behind the blast at a hospital that officials in gaza say killed hundreds of people. officials say a lack of structure all damage at the hospital seen in drone footage proves no israeli fire hit the building because it was not caused by an aerial munition. the idf is categorically denying any involvement after the spokesman said it reviewed its own footage. instead they claim a rocket fired by islamic jihad misfired and exploded. let's bring in colonel cedric leighton. thank you for being here. i want to bring people up to speed who maybe haven't been watching the news wait we have. when wea were on set yesterday afternoon, we got news that palestinian health authority saying that hundreds had been killed at the hospital. the idf was

arlette saenz, thank you very much at the white house.continue to watch the situation over the skies over gaza. we're going to take a short break and we'll be right back. >>> and welcome back to our continuing coverage of the what israel's calling expanding ground operation in gaza. jim sciutto is along israel's northern border with lebanon. i want to go to him. jim, what are you seeing there tonight, and obviously a lot of eyes will be on that border if and when this operation in gaza really expands? >> no question, israel's been watching this northern border very closely since october 7th for a reaction, the possibility of a second front from hezbollah, of course also hamas backed by iran, and in particular a greater alert as they've expanded operations now no gaza. today up here we saw two hezbollah strikes towards israel, one falling in israel, another one that seemed to go off course and go into northern syria. israel responding to those. and as we've been up here, we've heard outgoing israeli artillery. at this point, though, it has

arlette saenz, eva mckend. thank you so much for both of you. >>> thetn let's talk about this with our congressional reporters. good to see both of you. soo mika, fir, can speaker mccarthy potentially survive what might be a motion to vacate this week if you listen to what matt gaetz has to say this morning? >> yeah, so this is going to be a big test for mccarthy. and you know, it is been coming, all of congress. i'll say that matt gaetz has threatened this multiple times. i think some of these republicans that aren't as far to the right as him and some of the moderates have been kind of tired of his threats just saying bring it on. so, i think mccarthy gis going o have supporters this whole time and we'll see how this vote plays out. we're seeing the hardliners really split. i think we saw one ally, eli crane, an ally of gaetz come forward and say he is ready for this as well. >> michael, the president set the tone earlier today and there is great relief that the government continues to work, that business --

cnn's arlette saenz is joining us now from the white house. lette, what's the biden administration's sort of biggest concern as they're watching what is playing out, this unprecedented moment on capitol hill? >> reporter: well, sara, president biden is facing the reality of soon working with a new speaker, and that could have serious impacts on some of the immediate priorities facing this white house, especially when it comes to trying to secure more aid for ukraine. now, the white house has been quite careful with how they've reacted to the drama surrounding former house speaker kevin mccarthy and the upcoming speaker's race, simply saying the president wants them to act in a speedy manner. the white house press secretary karine jean-pierre saying last night, because the urgent challenges of our nation will not wait, he hopes the house will elect a speaker. after that, he looks forward to working together with them and the senate to address the american people's priorities. for the president's part, he is trying to stick to business as usual t

arlette saenz at the white house saying the white house was monitoring that. the whi they are a supporter of hamas and supported the thrust of this attack over the weekend. we'll have to wait and see where those discussions go. >>> we're going to continue to watch, as the sun has set now, you can see fires blazing in gaza. we saw at the beginning of this show very tenuous situation still in israel, with clarissa ward and her team having to hit the deck as rockets were being

arlette saenz at the white house for us. what are you hearing from there this morning? >> reporter: well, president biden is facing the reality that soon he will be working with a new house speaker. and that presents some challenges for the president going forward on some of the immediate priorities they are facing especially when it comes to securing additional aid for ukraine. the white house has been very careful, they are not weighing in on the specifics of a speaker's race, but they are urging the house to act in a speedykarine jean-pierre said b the urgent challenges won't wait, he hopes the house will quickly select a speaker. and once they have met that responsibility, he looks forward to working together with the senate to address the american people's priorities. for the president's part, he is focusing on the agenda items that are important to his white house. today that focus is on announcing additional student debt relief across the country. but one thing that the white house is really grappling with in this moment, what will happen to ukraine aid down the

arlette saenz, appreciate it. perspective from someone who helped secure the -- kgershon baskin earlier tonight. what do you think this means for hostage negotiations? >> it's not good news, that's for sure. it seems that it's preparation for the larger incursion. but it's all very confusing now because this just might be to put the pressure on hamas to agree to terms that israel wants. there's all kinds of information and misinformation out there. it's very difficult to get a grip on the true story. the qataris announced that they're progressing behind the scenes and my contacts with the egyptian intelligence, i hear their channel is progressing. there was a very respected israeli correspondent tonight who said that there was actually an egyptian offer for the release of 100 hostages in exchange for a four-day ceasefire, and israel rejected it. i haven't gotten confirmation from that. in talking to one of the intelligence people in israel, i asked, how do we get netanyahu to agree to this offer, 100 hostages for

cnn's arlette saenz joins us from the white house. what is he hoping to accomplish?ou walk into something like this as the president of the united states, you can't just walk in and walk out and have been an invasion happen and not look bad. so what's the goal? >> reporter: yeah, well for president biden this is a high-stakes diplomatic test as he's not only trying to show solidarity with israel but also act as a deterrence to adversaries in the region. you consistently heard president biden warn adversaries against trying to use this situation to their advantage. but this invitation to this israel came from prime minister benjamin netanyahu over the weekend. the president's team deliberated over the weekend on monday about whether he would move forward with such a trip and ultimately it was announced last evening by secretary of state antony blinken, who had engaged in a marathon more than seven-hour sessions of talks with top israeli officials. and a key point of discussion between blinken and those officials and what is expected to be a key focus for president bid

arlette saenz is over at the white house for us. what else did the president say this afternoon? >> reporter: well, jim, president biden said it is time for congress to get to work to avoid repeating this down to the wire talks that happened and ended yesterday as the house and senate both passed a bill to avert a government shutdown. but what the president has been pushing for them to do over the past few weeks and going forward is for house republicans to adhere to the agreement that the white house had reached with house speaker kevin mccarthy back in the spring during the debt ceiling fight. during that time, they had reached some agreements about what spending and budget levels should be in place and they had hoped that this was to avert a shutdown. but you had heard some house republicans, the hardliners in the house really push for further spending cuts. and that is where the house speaker ran into some issues between these two sides. but the president also lamented, the brinksmanship occurring between lawmakers up on capitol hill saying that american people are sick and t

arlette saenz is at the white house. let's begin with eva mckenna in washington. what kind of tremors on capitol hill are being felt with threats against speaker of the house kevin mccarthy? >> reporter: fred, the speaker is clear eyed about what lies ahead. he says he'll survive challenges from the right-leaning members of his conference, all but daring him to bring it on. let's listen. >> yes, outsurvive. he voted against the most -- he wanted to push us into a shutdown, even threatening his own district court with all the military people there who would be not be paid, only because he wants to take this motion. so be it. bring it on. let's get over with it and let's start governing. if he's upset because he tried to push us into a shutdown and i made sure the government didn't shut down, then let's have that fight. >> you can hear he's ready for that fight. mccarthy would become the first to have his gavel challenged in over a hundred years. but if gates is successful in his quest to oust the speaker, it's not clear who would succeed mccarthy. thus far democrat

as you know, arlette scenes is going -- arlette saenz is there, and this is a crucial speech to be watchround the world, and what do you expect? >> it is to be some of the most fulsome comments since the beginning of this conflict of israel and hamas. it is said that he is not going to urge benjamin netanyahu to have restraint. now, we reported that when he is knowingly going to and now, the president is going to have his third phone call with benjamin netanyahu. and what he is going to talk about is israel's ability to defend itself, and the assistance of the u.s. and other ally, and what they can offer to the country in this moment. we have heard from president biden, and top officials a tts state department, and the department of defense that if the u.s. is prepared to offer further assistance to the country, and they have started this already in since the conflict. another subject that the president is going to touch on is still a number of american ps unaccounted for due to hamas taking potentially some american hostages. the white house has not put a numb bebut in addition to sendi

arlette saenz at the white house saying the white house was monitoring that. the whi they are a supporter of hamas and supported the thrust of this attack over the weekend. we'll have to wait and see where those discussions go. >>> we're going to continue to watch, as the sun has set now, you can see fires blazing in gaza. we saw at the beginning of this show very tenuous situation still in israel, with clarissa ward and her team having to hit the deck as rockets were being fired over. a very tough day. another tough day. our continuing coverage continues now. >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> today in "inside politics," the cost and chaos of war in response to an unprecedented terror attack against israel. first, inside israel -- [ sirens ] -- sirens and screams. fire and rescues. and now the crackle of bombs. you're looking at live images of the gaza skyline, smoky ash as far as the eye can see. and here in the u.s., the worst case scenario for nine american families, a national security council official confirming that nine u.s. citizens were murdered durin

cnn's arlette saenz joins us from the white house.oming at a moment like this is incredibly high stakes because walking out with nothing is a very, very tough pill to swallow. so what is president biden hoping to accomplish? >> reporter: well, erin, president biden, as he's set to depart for israel later today, is hoping that he can prevent this conflict in israe spreading into a wider crisis in the region. his trip dramatic show of solidarity for israel, but also will act as a sign of deterrence to those adversaries in the region who is president has warned against trying to take advantage of this situation. but the president is heading to israel, hoping to accomplish a few things. one of the key challenges is addressing the humanitarian concerns as israel continues its campaign to root out hamas in gaza. now, while the president has stressed that israel has the right to defend itself, you have also heard this steady uptick in warnings about the immediate to protect civilian life. his secretary of state antony blinken spent more than

let's bring in cnn's white house correspondent arlette saenz who is standing by live in washington. i just wonder as we look at these pictures and wait to see president biden come down the steps of air force one, how have things changed for him in the, what, 10, 12 hours he's been on this flight, arlette? what's his objective at this point? >> becky, any moment now we're expecting president biden to set foot in tel aviv, marking a real historic moment as he is expected to be greeted there by liz prime minister benjamin netanyahu. the president heading directly into an active conflict, the second time he is doing so this year. you'll remember he traveled into ukraine on that secret trip earlier in the year, and now he will be doing so as israel is waging its war against hamas. this already complicated a

arlette saenz has more this morning from the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, poppy. president biden used the oval office to paint a stark picture of what is at stake in these wars in israel and ukraine. the president drew a direct line between the two very different conflicts, warning that they pose a threat not just to u.s. national security, but also democracy at large. now, president biden faces the difficult task of convincing skeptical americans to get on board. president biden appealing directly to the american people, making the case for aid to allies,e ing existential threats. >> it is vital for america's national security. >> reporter: in a rare oval office address, biden declaring the u.s. must remain a, quote, beacon to the world. >> american alliances are what keep us, america, safe, to put all that at risk, if we walkway from ukraine, if we turn our back on israel, it is just not worth it. >> reporter: and warning what happens when dictators don't pay a price for their actions. >> they cause more chaos and

arlette saenz is at the white house. this chaos to governance contrast is something the white house is pushing towards the campaign for biden as well. >> this is a pretty good picture of it to some degree? >> reporter: yeah, the mantra may be keep calm on and carry on. president biden focusing on agenda items. today's focus being providing further student debt relief. about $9 billion of additional debt relief being approved today. the white house has walked a fine line when it comes to commenting on the actual events relating to house speaker kevin mccarthy and this future speaker's race. the white house last night released a statement saying that they urge the house to act quickly to elect a new speaker as there are many challenges this country is still facing. we will see if president biden himself when he is in front of reporters might have any further thoughts to add. if you think back to when the house was going round for round with votes back in january, he said that that was a moment that was embarrassing for the

arlette saenz is live at the white house with with more. the president obviously coming off of a trip to israel yesterday. what does he hope to accomplish with this speech tonight? congress do nothing buzz there's no speaker, but what does he hope to accomplish tonight? >> president biden is hoping that congress will eventually approve aid for cukraine and israel, but there's a big question about how congress will decide to proceed with this. the president will be delivering this prime time address in the oval office, a rare evening oval office remarks fresh off his trip to israel. trip to israel. part of the goal during that trip was trying to learn more about the needs israel will need as they plan their fight against hamas. the president is expected to make a direct pitch to the american people about why it's important to not just offer support to israel, but also to ukraine. one administration official saying the president will make the arguments that the cost of inaction and the cost of walking away is much higher. now it comes as sour

arlette ette saenz is at the wh house, and what are they hoping for? >> the white house is hope, jake, to submit the official request for additional funding for ukraine and israel for congress, and we expect the details to come out shortly. two sources briefed on the matter say that the proposal is expected to top $150 billion of national security funding, and $60 billion coming to ukraine and another $50 billion going to israel and those to last for a one-year period in order to avoid the incremental fights going on when it is coming to funding these types of issues. the administration is to provide or request 10 bil$10 billion in humanitarian aid and also border security which the republicans have been pushing for, and also indo-china security. and so for israel, reality is securing that funding on capitol hill is going to be very, very difficult. there is a poll that americans are unsure how much the americans should be involved in the war in israel, and waning support for providing additional support to ukraine. that is a sentiment shared by the ma