Welcome to the lead, im jake tapper. And we start today of course with our world lead. And a new warning about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in gaza. Today u. S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken returned to israel after meeting with multiple allies throughout the middle east. Trying to get a humanitarian corridor open for innocents to evacuate from gaza before israel ramps up attacks on hamas. Right now israel is pointing the civilians toward the Southern Gate into egypt, known as the Rafah Crossing which is still clowes. Video shows dozens families including babies waiting next to locked gates. A u. S. Government memo showed more than 250 u. S. Citizens in Southern Gaza waiting for the crossing to open. And earlier reports suggested that it was the Egyptian Government to open the gate when i pressed Jake Sullivan on this issue yesterday, he blamed the closure on on altogether different group. The egyptians have in fact agreed to allow americans to depart to get safe passage through the crossing. The israelis agreed to ensure that the area around there could be safe as far as they were able to do so. The question when we tried to move a group yesterday was hamas taking steps to try and stop that from happening. Trucks packed with aid for innocent civilians in gaza are lined up in egypt right now. They are waiting for the green light to go into gaza. Gaza, where shelters are overcrowded, where there are shortages of food and water and fuel. That is because within gaza, half a Million People from fled to the south from the north after israel urged civilians to evacuate and announced they were preparing for the next stages of war. Lets start with clarissa ward. Youre in ashkelon, which is north of gaza in israel. What are you seeing . Reporter well, jake, today the u. N. Is saying that essentially, quote, Time Is Running Out for the people of gaza. The situation there getting more and more desperate by the minute. It has been nine days now that there has been fno food, no medicine, no electricity, despite assurances from the idf that the water had been switched on and in the southern part of the enclave, were hearing from the Palestinian Water Authority that there is still no water. I had been in touch for the past few days with a family in the northern part of gaza. That is the area that was supposed to be evacuated. They were too fearful to leave their homes. They said they had nowhere to go. Today i have been unable to get in touch with this family at all. My messages to them are not going through. And all of this happening despite the flurry and intensification of Diplomaticive For diplomatic efforts across the Rafah Crossing. You menged they pointed the fink at hamas and they are pointing the finger at the israelis saying they are willing and ready but they need some assurances from israel that have not been forthcoming. The europeans have said that they are ready to step in with an air bridge so they have promised 79 million in aid to people of gaza. But once again, none of this aid could get to where it needs to go to. And the situation is increasingly dire. Continued strikes there. People in desperate need of medical attention. And still no sign of any change on the horizon. Last night, as we were finishing a long day, it looked positive that potentially that crossing would open in the morning. If only for a brief window to start the process of evacuating foreign nationals, the u. S. Said theyre tracking about 253 u. S. Nationals trapped inside of gaza. But still no movement and no sign as to when we might see some, jake. And today the idf updated the number people thought to be held hostage by hamas. The number is now 199. And you spoke with the son of one of those kidnapping victims today . Reporter that is right. Quite a few Family Members of the hostages have basically set up camp almost outside of the Military Headquarters in tel aviv. Theyre carrying signs. It is a form of Holding Vigil but also it is a form of protest. A lot of anger for many of the families at israelez handling of this crisis and very real concern as well about what this Ratcheting Up of the violence in gaza could portend for any possibility that their loved ones could get out safely. What you hear from people who you talked to over and over again is lets focus on prioritizing getting people out who are alive safely rather than taking vengeance for those who have already died. We spoke to one plan who is the son of vivian silver. Shes a 74yearold Peace Activist who is among those hostages. And her son, who spent all morning on the phone with her as the militants were near her house, firing bullets. They said their goodbyes and he really urged the Israeli Government to to try to be somewhat restrained in their response. He believes that this endless cycle of violence can only lead to more violence. The issue is, though, when you talk more broadly, to israeli people, the drum beat for war, the drier for vengeance, the feeling of anguish and powerlessness and a desire to do something decisively to cripple hamas once and for all, that is the dominant voice here on the streets of israel. Much more than those of the families of Hostage Members who we spoke to, jake. Clarissa ward in ash kel on, thank you very much. Plans to evacuate americans from israel are underway. This cruise ship, the rhapsody of the sea, left israel is on route to the island of cypress. It was chartered by the State Department to Ferry Americans out of israel and departed this afternoon. Sara sidner was in the northwestern coast of the israel along the mediterranean today. You spoke with several families that decided to evacuate. Tell us more. Reporter yeah. It was quite interesting, the juxtaposition of what is happening in gaza where people are trapped inside and what has happened with americans who many of whom were pretty annoyed, is probably the word to use, that it is taken a bit of a long time for them to figure out how to get out of the country. The State Department stepping in. Chartering that massive cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to take them to cypress. But as people were coming to the ship, the ship holds more than 2,000 people. There were only about 200 or 300 people that actually ended up boarding that ship. What youre seeing over and over again is almost all of the people boarding that ship were families with children. They were a few people single folks who were getting on. But for the most part it was families with children. And the real thought there is that it is the kids who they are protecting. But there is conflict among the families as they were going towards the boat, some of them discussing whether or not they should be leaving knowing that this is taking their kids to safety and even some of the children themselves didnt really feel like they should be leaving because they wanted to be here for the war effort. Let me take you listen to one familys dilemma. I dont agree with this trip. I came along because i want to be with my family. But i think we should stay in israel with our nation and with our family and i think we have to show support and if everybody picked up and left, not everybody would come back. And what are we fighting for . Were fighting for our country and a place to call home. If for some reason the borders are closed, well swim back. You feel that strongly . Yeah. Reporter so, you know, there is clearly theyre coming back. This is a country that me now live in but theyre american citizens and been here for sometime. But that 14yearold girl speaking very eloquently about how she feels. But she, of course, going with her parents because she is a minor back to the United States for a while. Every Single Family that we talked to said they would return to israel when it was a bit more safe. Jake. What happens when they get to cypress . Reporter so, it takes ten hours, so that ship is currently in the mediterranean sea. As we speak, once they get to cypress, they are on their own. They have to find ways to leave. Basically there are flights that could take them out to wherever it is they want to go, whether it be in the United States or somewhere else. But, at this point, they have left israel. They are in the waters there on their way to cypress. It should not take them too long with two or 300 people to get to where they need to go. Sara sidner in tel aviv. Thank you so much. Right now in gaza, hospitals are overfilling with patients as the need for medicine and food and water and fuel continues to grow dire. The United Nations said gaza is being strangled about the air strikes which the idf insists are aimed at hamas but palestinian Officials Say more than 2,800 people have been i killed and more than a quarter of them are children. Cnns Salma Abdulaziz has more on the worsening humanitarian crisis as thousands of palestinian try, try to flee south. Reporter this is what life looks like in places israel told families to flee towards, for their safety. Where constant bombardment has reduced homes to rubble and wiped out entire families these survived say. I lost all of my relatives. 15 people. This man said, we were not on the front line or anything. We were just sitting at home. What have we done wrong . Reporter the u. N. Warns there are no safe places. About half a Million People fled here to Southern Gaza after an Evacuation Order by the israeli military. But families, desperate for refuge, are still trapped in the war zone. The dead and injured flooding a Health Care System on the brink. Civilians are caught in the cross fire. But the death toll mounting just over a quarter of those killed are children, according to palestinian officials. And a week long siege is strangling the enclave, the u. N. Said. Amid fears food and fuel and water and medical supplies may soon run out. Some 2 Million People are cramped into this 140 square mile territory. Now many of them pushed into an even smaller corner of the enclave. About half of the population are children. There are not enough shelters to house the sheer number of civilians. And even those who do find spaces in overwhelmed schools turned refugee centers, it is little comfort to the youngest victims. There is no one to protect us, this little girl said. There is no one to come save us. How are we supposed to live . How . Answer me. Prime minister netanyahu has vowed to annihilate hamas, after a Terror Attack left 1400 killed in israel. But with hamas so deeply imbedded within gaza population, Rights Groups fears a blood bath. What were seeing right now, the direction that israel is going to, they are going in, they have said they want to destroy hamas. But their current trajectory is going to destroy gaza. Hamas does not answer to the people of gaza. No elections have been held here since the group seized power in 2007. Reporter still it is these residents that will pay the price and with the potential Ground Incursion expected. That cost is unfathomable. Selma abdulaziz. So many reasons are being given as to why aid could not get into Southern Gaza and where american citizens stuck in gaza cannot get out. What is the real story . Im going to ask a top adviser to israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next. And then a 6yearold boy stabbed to death near chicago and his mother severely injured. The latest on the suspect behind what Authorities Say is a sicken sickening antimuslim hate crime. Stay with us. And were back with Senior Adviser to israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mark regoff. Thanks for joining us. The New York Times is reporting that three senior israeli Officials Say that the plan is to wipe out hamass top leadership in gaza. And to invade gaza city. We havent heard what the plan is. Weve seen a lot of air strikes on gaza. You could confirm that that is the plan, to wipe out hamas as top leadership and to invade gaza city with a ground force . Jake, you of course know that im not going to go into operational details of military activities that are still ahead of us. I can only share the goal with you of the operation. Which is been stated and ill state it again, we will dismantle hamass Military Machine and take apart its political governments in gaza. We will destroy both the military wing of hamas, its Military Machine, and the terrorist capabilities and governmental activities, its governmental structure in gaza. How many people is that, do you think . I cant go into numbers. But it means that when this is over, hamas will be incapable of launching the sort of horrendous attack that they did on october 7th. They will be physically incapable of launching such an operation. So, certainly taking out hamass leadership, i understand the point of that. But the Palestinian Health ministry in gaza said 2800 palestinian have been killed an somewhere between a quarter and a third of them are children. That is not hamass leadership. Can i please offer a ward of caution. Now i know that there is real suffering in gaza. There is a war going on and innocent people are getting caught up in a very difficult situation. I dont minimize that. But you have to take with a grain of salt any information that comes out of the hamas controlled Ministry Of Health in gaza. That has to be said. It is not a democracy, there is not an independent Health Bureaucracy trying to do its best. Every doctor that you speak to and every Hospital Director that you speak to works under the gun of hamas. They are not independent. If they speak out of turn, they will pay a price. It is like speaking to a doctor in north korea or a doctor in the former soviet union. They dont have independent opinions. They have to follow the party line and if not, they face violent consequences. So those numbers, they might be true, they might not be true. Hamas, of course, has an interest in exaggerating civilian casualties. So lets assume and hamas didnt say how many were combatants of course. Right. So lets assume that you take out the hamas leadership and their ability to commit atrocities. Ambassador herzog told me yesterday that israel does not want to Reoccupy Gaza so what happens after hamas is destroyed . Who would be in charge of gaza . So, first of all, maybe almost anything would be better than hamas. I mean, if there were illusions that hamas had somehow moderated its position that the responsibility of government of being ruling over 2. 3 Million People, forces hamas to be a more rational behavior, that was proven wrong. The violence, the brutal horrific violence that we saw Onnoon October 7th showed that to be wrong. This is a hard core extremist murderist terrorist organization. And so you have to say, if it is like isis, how could it get much worse. So you have to hit it hard, and we have to we have to destroy its ability to attack us. And ive been in discussions where different contingencies have been discussed, what happens after, at this taj im not at liberty to discuss those discussions, but israel is thinking three steps ahead. The most important thing now is now is we focus on the dismantling of the political structure. There is a new report that a alleges senior officials in netanyahus office are barred from working with an Israeli Defense Ministry Task force which is focused on preparing infrastructure near gaza. Because the Defense Task Force is led by a staunch opponent of the netanyahu judicial overhaul. Is that true . I have not read that report and im not familiar with any of that. I apologize. Youve said that israel is united right now. Very united. So far netanyahu has not been able to get Opposition Leader la pead to join the unity government. What is going on there . Shouldnt israel be as united as possible . Well weve already united by bringing in one major opposition party. And as you know, they joined a few days ago and weve now got a National Emergency government. Where mr. Gantz, who was a severe critic of Prime Minister netanyahu, stepped in and stepped in this time of crisis we have to unite to fight the common enemy and if you look at polling in israel, there is wide support for that sort of move. It must be remembered, when they crossed the border on october 7th to murder us, they went to left wing kibbutz, where people in their lives never voted for netanyahu and they went to right wing villages where everybody likes netanyahu. They didnt care if israelis were left wing or right wing or religious or secular. They kill us because were israelis and because we are jews. That is the murders and violence that we saw on october 7th, that was the largest single act of antisemitic violence since 1945. Since the terrorible years of t haute. We have not seen anything like that for monthan half a century. So i think more many israelis, we argue about politics and loudly and passionately. But i think these attacks by hamas to a certain extent were a slap on the face. We have to understand that we have a common destiny, and a common a common situation that were altogether in facing these terrible and horrific challenges. Yeah. Mark reguoff, thank you for you time today. My pleasure. A horrible story in the United States. A 6yearold boy viciously stabbed to death. He was laid to rest today outside of chicago. Coming up next, a closer look at the allegations of antimuslim hate connected with his gruesome killing. Stay with us. Is it possible my network could take my business to the next level . It is with comcast business. Powering all your devices with gigspeed wifi. And you get fast downloads and uploads. Pick it up pick it up oh we got this because its powered by The Next Generation 10g network. More speed for your business . Its not just possible. Its happening. Get started for 59. 99 a month for 12 months. Plus, ask how to get an 800 prepaid card with a qualifying internet bundle. Comcast business, powering possibilities. An awful horrible story out of illinois today. In la grange, just outside of chicago. Wadea al fayoume, a 6yearold Palestinian American Boy who was senselessly stabbed to death 26 times was laid to rest today. Police say he and my mother were attacked on saturday by their landlord, allegedly because they were muslim. Cnns whitney wild has more on this horrific attack being investigated as a federal hate crime. Reporter 6yearold wadea, a Palestinian American laid to rest today. Hes a very kind kid. He will jump up and down. When he was dead, his last words to his mom, mom, im fine. You know what, he is fine. Hes in a better place. Reporter the boy died after he and his mother hannan already stabbed on saturday in the room they rented from 71yearold joseph czuba, just outside of chicago. The landlord and an act of hate shouted threats and unleashed violence. Reporter the landlord appearing in court today while the boys mother is hospitalized recovering from more than a dozen stab wounds. Czuba allegedly entering the room he rented to them saturday morning stabbing the 6yearold 26 times. The female is claiming that the landlord has the child in another room and is parentally is either stabbing or has stabbed the child. Reporter authorities have now opened a federal hate crime investigation. The local sheriff saying in a statement, both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being muslim. And the ongoing middle east conflict involving hamas and the israelis. Outrage erupting over the Broulal Crime Illustrating why federal officials are worried about growing threats. He paid the price for the atmosphere of hate. Reporter czuba now facing murder, attempted murder and hate crime charges. Jake, that mother is still in the hospital. And illustrating just how gutwrenching this is, shes still in the hospital and that meant she could not be here at the funeral. She could not say goodbye to her little boy. Back to you. So awful. Whitney wild, thank you so much. I want to bring in rula jepral from the university of miami, a journalist and Foreign Policy analyst. Rula, thanks so much. How important do you think it is for people in the media, for our political leaders, for religious leaders to make this incredibly important distinction between hamas and not only the palestinian people, but arabs and muslims and all other people who somehow might unfairly and wrongly be lumped in with hamas. I think it is crucial. It is paramount. I mean, as we see the rise of hate crimes in america, as we see Death Threats in michigan, in brooklyn, restaurants are receiving Death Threats, restaurants of syrians and palestinians and muslims, it doesnt matter. But it starts with the dehumanization and the language of officials. Both in israel and in sadly in the United States. Where they erase the distinction between civilians and they carry this narrative that they are animals and nazis and the only way that somehow the solution for this conflict to wipe them out, exterminate them. I mean, ive been listening to many in the media and if we ever needed palestinian voices to actually explain how do we get here and where we go from here, it is now. If we ever needed rational thinking, i understand the fear that, emotions and i understand that and i have empathy and compassion for the civilians who died after that attack. In the same time, we need, because of those emotionals and because weve been there before, after 9 11, weve seen what happened when we overreact and when we criminalize a group of people. It reminds me of when after 9 11, in the preparation for the war on iraq, a lot of americans thought that iraqis were responsible for 9 11. Yeah. And that led to the invasion. And led to building up of the lie about wmd, and there is a threat of distinction, we need to go there and now they regret these policies. And i remember also officials in the Bush Administration coming out and saying, our policies are creating more extremists and more terrorists. But also, i remember barack obama saying, you know, isis was the direct outgrowth of al qaeda and it is related to our invation and occupation of iraq. I remember these things and it seems we didnt learn enough. And i think palestinians are also invited to defend their humanity and defend their existence over and again instead of explaining and theyve been telling us and warning us that this is going to happen without a political solution. Theyve been telling us, palestinian and israeli palestinians telling us that there is no military solution. And if there is confirmation of the failure of the military approach, it is five wars in ga gaza. Right. Then endless crimes an subjugation to its palestinian without a political solution on the horizon. This war will not stop in israel. It will not and what happened in gaza in these days, it will not keep israel safe but come back to america. And it is astonishing that the same people who waged a war in americas democracy, are the same people who today are telling us wiped out wipe out gaza. The same people who endorse what putin did in chechnya, basically, you know, flattened grauzny or what they did in aleppo. No palestinians or americans. And i think one of things that youre saying is so important, the idea that when this war operation, whatever people want to call it. When it is over, the idea that the west or the arab world or whom ever could just say, okay, now were going back to the way we were and the palestinians in the west bank and in gaza are just going to be left to their own devices as they were before. And that is not that is not a solution. No, that is actually why we are here in the first place. And i no he that it is hard in this moment of high emotions to appeal to other peoples humanity. But if we need an International Law for the protection of the people and to prevent an ethnic cleanses of palestinian, it is now. If we ever needed to pressure governments to speak up, to the israelis and tell them that you are the Strongest Army in the middle east, you are the 11th Strongest Army in the world. You have atomic bombs. This is horrific but it is not an existential threat and palestinian are not nazis. We have to have our media and our colleague and our friends to you know, to pressure also and rebuke and counter the narrative of the military, the army who are tell us that no, there is no civilians. There are civilians. There are millions of people who live in gaza. Theyre regular human beings an today we hear calls from hospitals on ground who are telling us that they fear to be exterminated, they fear that. And with not only us who are hearing them, the whole region, the whole world are listening to that. And i think in this moment, that we shouldnt wait for a military, you know, to conclude whatever they are do and we know what they are doing because in their deeds and words they are telling us what they are doing. But we need now to pressure as International Community, israelis to act lawfully. To act rationally and more than ever when we need that now. Dont wait. Because if we wait it will be too late. Before you go, i know you have relatives in East Jerusalem and in israel. And im wondering, um, how it is, for Palestinian Israelis right now in this incredibly awful period after that incredibly awful october 7th attack and now this war. How are your relatives doing . Thank you for asking. Jake, you know, some of my relatives work in hospitals. Theyre taking care of these injured who were attacked in october. While listening to, you know, basically other israelis calling to exterminate palestinians, to wipe them out. Many of them changed the way they dress because they are they fear retaliation. Many of my relatives who talked to people in gaza, in hospitals working in gaza, and they hear the voices and voice messages telling, you know, basically telling them we are waiting to be slaughtered. We know that the world doesnt care about us. We are waiting to be slaughtered. And also, you know, while all of this happens, the attacks in the west bank never ceased. 55 palestinians in the west bank where hamas is not there, been killed last week. In seven days. Theyve been killed. That attacks of the settlers and while the government, the military are doing what they are doing in gaza. In the same time, they are Building Settlement and continue to confiscate land, people in jerusalem are terrified. Because ministers in israel and politics including the moderate president are telling them there is no civilians and theyre repeating the narrative, palestinians are nazis and injecting this narrative to basically say you all are enemy and we will go after you sooner or later and you have ministers like ben fear and and that is why theyre appealing to the International Community to pressure this government. That is to stop any kind of retaliation that can, you know, lead to a regional wider conflict. Yeah. But also, lead to a position where israel themselves, they ask themselves what america did after the war in terror, are we producing more extremists . Are we plunging ourself into a forever war. Those lessons from global war on terror, from the wars in afghanistan and iraq need to be need to be remembered. Rula jabral, great to have you on. Thank you so much. Thank you, jake. Its the personal stories that bring the hor yois of this war home. We hear from a man desperate to learn more about the Fate Ofof S Gi girlfriend who was taken hosta and kidnapped by hamas. And that story is next. Moments ago, a spokesperson for hamas, which is the u. S. Classified as a terrorist group, said that the group is holding at least 200 to 250 hostages. This is after the groups horrific Terrorist Attacks on israel. We should know that cnn could not independently verify the numbers. Israel said today that they thought hamas had 199 hostages. Someust hostages were kidnapped from the nova Music Festival where at least 260 others were murdered by hamas. Making it the worst civilian massacre in the history of israel. 27yearold inbar heiman was volunteered and her boyfriend joins me now. Thank you for being with us. When did you learn that your girlfriend was missing and what have you learned about what happened to her that day . So, since saturday morning, it took me really minutes to understand that shes on the festival that was attacked by hamas. And it took us a few days, we got the two guys who were with her and when she was kidnapped and there was a video that was posted, published by hamas and inbar is shown in the video taken by terrorists, they are holding her and taking her to gaza. So hamas has posted this video of your girlfriend. Youve said it is too difficult for you to watch it. Have any of your family or friends watched it . Have any of them described what they saw, her condition, anything theyve learned . Yeah. What did they tell you . Yeah, as they said, my mother and my father, they certainly would not watch it. Because its possible to see her face, like they put on her face, so it is not really easy to see her face. But for one friend, it is possible to see her face. And it seems like she got hurt in her face. And it is not really possible to understand if shes unconscious or perhaps they hit her to take her without any resistance. And from the video, we could learn that shes, like, taken to gaza when shes alive. And theyre holding her, if she werent alive. You could see hundreds of people was murdered and they didnt take any bodies. So we know that she was taken by them. And as you said, this video is not easy to watch. But we are looking on the Positive Side of the video, that theyre showing us she was taken and shes there as a hostage and sha these alive. I know inbar is an artist and the community of artists is using art to help get her story attention. Tell me more about that effort. Yeah, so inbar is a wellknown as a graffiti and Street Artist in israel. And all of the graffiti and street Art Community are doing a lot of efforts to spread her story, to get more attention to the fact that she was kidnapped. And in these days, many graffiti and others are making a lot of hours in the street Connecting Toi to inbar, free inbar and pink was her tag, nickname for graffiti. And she was very known for it. And in this day, all of this community and me as well as her boyfriend and those in the griefity and street art, so we are doing everything that we can as a community to give more attention to her story. Hopefully to help to bring her pack. Well i hope you get her back soon. Noah mallon, thank you for sharing your story. Thank you. Well be right back. You know i got two home runs. You got two jacks. And then my grand slam. I signed a ball for you. Okay. And it says papa i love you. Why did you do that . Because youve taught me everything about baseball. Oh hunny bunny, thats so sweet. in our politics lead, on thursday when asked if she would support congressman jim jordan for speaker, congresswoman ann wagner said, quote, hell no. Today congresswoman hell no wagner came out in support of jim jordan. Jordan, whom former congresswoman liz cheney says was deeply involved in trumps conspiracy to steal the election, they seemed to be losing those principles over the weekend. Cnns Melanie Zanona is with us. Can jordan get to 217 . Reporter he made notable Progress Today and flipped several key holdouts. In addition to ann wagner, he won the support of two Defense Hawks who were skeptical of his Foreign Policy views and also won support of former allies of steve scalise. In their explanations for why theyre supporting jim jordan, its not because they think hes the best candidate for the job. Its because they want to be team players and end the chaos that has rained on the house floor. There are over a dozen holdouts by our count. He can only lose four republicans on the floor. Hes vowing to take this fight to the floor, going to grind down his opposition on the house floor, a similar strategy to what Kevin Mccarthy did in january. Theres been an intense conservative Grassroots Campaign trying to pressure these House Republicans to fall in line. We should know more at 6 30 when House Republicans meet for another conference meeting. Melanie, thanks so much. Just in to the lead, the pentagon is preparing for the possible deployment of u. S. Troops to support israel. What were learning about those plans and what that exactly means next