With explosions heard on the streets of ashkelon. Sderot, which is near gaza, is thought to have been infiltrated by militants. Fear and confusion continues to grip the region. 0ur middle east correspondent Yolande Knell filed this report, and a warning that you may find some of it upsetting. Rockets at dawn. The opening salvo in a Surprise Attack on israel by the Palestinian Militant Group hamas. Meanwhile, armed men cut through gazas perimeter fence. This was israels nightmare scenario. Hundreds of militants at large in the south of the country. And hamas released footage after it targeted this israeli tank. Militants also ran through israels heavily fortified erez crossing. Proof that this was a highly planned operation. At this overnight rave in the fields near gaza, Israeli Party goers ran for their lives. Gilly� s boyfriend went to find her after she had from hamas to find her after she hid from hamas gunmen in an orchard. They were going three by three and shooting. Everywhere. From two sides. And i saw many people, like. People were dying all around. In a dramatic turn, in videos verified by the bbc, israelis were also seen taken into gaza as hostages. Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, met top security officials. Translation since this morning. The state of israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out enemy forces that infiltrated and restore the security and quiet to communities that have been attacked. The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy within the gaza strip, too. The leader of hamas, which governs gaza, watched the unfolding news from overseas. Ishmail hania promised to end israels occupation of palestinian lands. We are on the verge of a great victory and a clear conquest on the gaza front, he said. In gaza there were celebrations after stolen Israeli Military vehicles were driven in. But soon the deadly pounding by israeli warplanes began. The Israeli Military saying it was targeting hamas sites. Palestinian hospitals have been overwhelmed. After this unprecedented assault, israel is calling up military reservists. And tonight, tel aviv came under rocket fire as the fighting goes on. The question now, can it be stopped from spreading to other palestinian areas and the wider region . Live now to aaron david miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for international peace, focusing on us foreign policy. Thank you for being with us tonight. To begin with, your reaction to what we have witnessed today . Its stunning, tragic and extraordinary. I was there 50 years ago yesterday and i heard the sirens wailing, the combined egyptian and syrian war against israel. I had that strange eerie feeling today. Largely on the intelligence side. Its hard to compare 73 to whats happened here. A strategy and plan, they wanted to inflict significant defeat on israel to pave the way for a diplomatic solution which ultimately happen, there was a peace treaty. Hamas� s objectives now are unclear. To frustrate the prospect of an israeli saudi deal, and to demonstrate that hamas is capable and powerful. And can randomly and do indiscriminately kill israeli civilians. All of this is wrapped in a judgment element. Inaudible. Inaudible. I want to come back to something you said, the fact you were there 50 years ago, and with all of your experience in the region, and you referenced the Yom Kippur War there. You were nevertheless surprised by what we are seeing today. How many do you think in the International Community shared that shock and surprise . Community shared that shock and surrise . ,. , ~ surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit i surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit i told surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit i told you surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit i told you so surprise . The honest ones. Anyone who would admit i told you so or. Who would admit i told you so or they had information this was coming is simply not being honest. The fact is simply not being honest. The fact is this was a failure of imagination on the part of the israelis. Much as 1973 was a failure of imagination. I dont think israeli planners thought hamas would dare undertake such a bold strategy. And i think it came at a time when in fact the israelis, mr netanyahu in particular, were trying to increase the number of palestinians working in israel, largely to keep gaza quiet as he pursued his broader objective of normalisation with syria. A lot of this factored into this situation. The key question in my mind now is the conventional wisdom that israel would never launch a major Ground Incursion in order to eradicate hamas Military Leadership and essentially create a new set of circumstances in gaza that would make this tragic wash, rinse and repeat cycle almost inevitable to happen again. Thats the key question. Listening to the military spokesmen, they are all talking about this game changer, all talking about this game changer, all talking about this game changer, all talking about this as an extraordinarily different, even transformative moment. And i leave you with the thought that if, in fact, that occurs, the blood is up and its really going to be horrific. Israelis are going to suffer, and by and large in Palestinian Gaza civilians. D0 and large in Palestinian Gaza civilians. ,. , ~ , and large in Palestinian Gaza civilians. ~ ,. , civilians. Do you think they are preparing civilians. Do you think they are preparing for civilians. Do you think they are preparing for that . Civilians. Do you think they are preparing for that . Plans civilians. Do you think they are preparing for that . Plans are l civilians. Do you think they are preparing for that . Plans are under way for a Ground Incursion . Its way for a Ground Incursion . Its almost way for a Ground Incursion . It� s almost inconceivable to me that, given whats happened in the last 48 hours. 200 250, ijust heard the Israeli Military spokesman talking about 200 still dead, conflict going on, that is a time and a half of the number of israelis who were killed during that fateful summer in 2006, during that fateful summer in 2006, during the israel hezbollahs confrontation. This is going to exceed that by double. Given the nature of this government, given the fact this is really a moment where the israelis are determined to restore some measure of deterrence, eileen very heavily on the notion that a significant Ground Incursion is coming. Eileen very heavily. So what they have to now deal with along with this operation is also a situation that there is a Hostage Crisis unfolding right now. Have something ever happened like that before . In light of what appears to before . In light of what appears to be an Intelligence Failure when it comes to this attack from hamas, how difficult do you think it will be in terms of dealing with these two fronts in an operation and also a serious Hostage Situation . I mean, thats unprecedented. Serious Hostage Situation . I mean, thats unprecedented. Israeli thats unprecedented. Israeli soldiers taken hostage, gilad sharif in 2006, only freed in 2011 in a Prisoner Exchange when the israelis released 1079 palestinian prisoners. I dont see any Military Operation that is going to have any chance of rescuing these israelis. Military and civilians. Men, Women And Children as well. That would come only through negotiation. And you are right to point out, it has to serve as a certain amount of constraint on the actions of any Israeli Government. Because the redemption of israelis, children, adults, taken hostage and prisoner, it is a National Priority for the israelis. That going to be a constraining factor, and frankly, i dont have a very effective or brilliant way of analysing the dilemma that this current israeli coalition, this israeli Prime Minister, now faces. Thejudicial minister, now faces. The judicial overhaul minister, now faces. Thejudicial overhaul is now in the deep freeze. Yair lapids talking about a unity government. The rally around the flag and the government is going to occur, but as in 1973, there will be a reckoning. There is going to be a commission, and if its done honestly, i suspect they can only reach the conclusion that this was a major intelligence as well as tactical failure. Major intelligence as well as tacticalfailure. Notjust on major intelligence as well as tactical failure. Notjust on the part of the security chiefs. It would be wrong to place the blame solely on them as they did in 1973, but on the political leadership. The debt is going to come due. Thank you so much for debt is going to come due. Thank you so much for being debt is going to come due. Thank you so much for being with debt is going to come due. Thank you so much for being with us debt is going to come due. Thank you so much for being with us tonight. So much for being with us tonight. You are welcome. We so much for being with us tonight. You are welcome. So much for being with us tonight. You are welcome. We can go live now to the bbcs you are welcome. We can go live now to the bbcs chief you are welcome. We can go live now to the bbcs Chief International to the bbc� s chief International Correspondent lisa doucet, what is the latest you can tell us about the situation on the ground . After the latest you can tell us about the situation on the ground . Situation on the ground . After this extraordinary situation on the ground . After this extraordinary assault situation on the ground . After this extraordinary assault this situation on the ground . After this extraordinary assault this morning | extraordinary assault this morning by hamas, which as we have been hearing has taken the israelis by surprise, this is really an unprecedented moment, and of course a scenario where there has been decades of tension, attacks, all out war. This is a very, very different kind of warfor all of war. This is a very, very different kind of war for all of the regions we have just been kind of war for all of the regions we havejust been hearing. The Staggering Number of israeli hostages, boat Israeli Military officers and soldiers as well as civilians. All of the reasons we have just been hearing. Civilians. All of the reasons we havejust been hearing. A civilians. All of the reasons we have just been hearing. A far right Israeli Government. There will certainly be pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu to do what he and other israeli leaders have avoided for decades, and that is a major Ground Offensive into gaza. If not a reoccupation of the strip israel pulled its troops out of in 2005. There are no good options for Benjamin Netanyahu. But each one of them is fraught with risk. And hamas is in no mood to hold its fire as well. ,. ,. , is in no mood to hold its fire as well. ,. ,. ,. , well. No good options, to borrow our well. No good options, to borrow your parlance well. No good options, to borrow your parlance there, well. No good options, to borrow your parlance there, and well. No good options, to borrow your parlance there, and it well. No good options, to borrow| your parlance there, and it comes well. No good options, to borrow i your parlance there, and it comes at a time when the death toll on both sides is already high. What are your concerns for the human cost here . There is a collective ringing label of hands, the death toll is high on the palestinian side. A collective wwringing of hands. It will only continue to rise. There is no sense that this is going to stop any time soon, this is quite the contrary. Both sides are vowing to make their enemy pay. We dont know how many rockets, how many weapons, how many rockets, how many weapons, how much ammunition hamas and islamichhad still have at the ready. In the gaza strip. We dont know what tactics, what moves israel will make next, but there will be pressure for israel to do Something Big soon. But theres a danger in this mix, because if it goes in too hard and fast, they could be a risk it could endanger the lives of the hostages, and that would be another crisis of huge proportions for israel. It would want to bring those hostages home as soon as possible. But in israel, everyone will remember that the last major hostage, gilad shalit, One Israeli Soldier was held for five years. There were intensive negotiations. He was eventually freed for 1000 palestinians. No doubt hamas is already thinking about how many of its own prisoners injails in israel its own prisoners injails in israel it will be able to free, and that of course well just it will be able to free, and that of course welljust bring up another problem, another problem of its making. Willjust. figs problem, another problem of its making. Willjust. Problem, another problem of its making. Willjust. Making. Will ust. As you say, the potential making. Willjust. As you say, the potential for making. Willjust. As you say, the potential for a making. Willjust. As you say, the potential for a crisis making. Willjust. As you say, the potential for a crisis within. Making. Willjust. As you say, the potential for a crisis within a | the potential for a crisis within a crisis. Countries around the world watching this with grave concern. Just walk us through some of the international reaction. International reaction. Well, of course, international reaction. Well, of course. As international reaction. Well, of course, as expected, international reaction. Well, of| course, as expected, President International reaction. Well, of course, as expected, President Biden came out firmly on the side of israel, as it always does in these crises, saying, we will stand with israel, condemning the attacks by hamas. The phones must be burning behind the scenes. What has been noticeable is some of the major arab states, saudi arabia, united arab emirates, in the past they would have been very critical of israel. They would have been much more tilting towards the palestinians. Evenif tilting towards the palestinians. Even if they would have been calling for restraint. But we have to place this in the context, it comes at a time where the United States and israel felt they were making progress on what is a big political prize, that Prime Minister netanyahu was after, and that is the recognition by saudi arabia of the jewish state. Many believe this is one of the factors behind the timing of this hamas attack, to send a very strong message that they are still a force to be reckoned with, and that there are still major issues to resolve before saudi arabia, major sunni power, custodian of the two holiest muslim shrines, mecca and medina, and take that step to recognise the jewish state. Medina, and take that step to recognise thejewish state. And medina, and take that step to recognise the jewish state. And on that oint, recognise the jewish state. And on that point. Are recognise the jewish state. And on that point, are there recognise the jewish state. And on that point, are there concerns recognise the jewish state. And on | that point, are there concerns about contagion in the region . Yes. That point, are there concerns about contagion in the region . Contagion in the region . Yes, and this is another contagion in the region . Yes, and this is another dangerous contagion in the region . Yes, and this is another dangerous aspect i contagion in the region . Yes, and| this is another dangerous aspect of this is another dangerous aspect of this confrontation. In the past, when there has been all out war, it has spread to the occupied west bank, where there were perhaps attacks or explosions, tests, tensions. But this time there is a worry that the unrest in the gaza, the occupied west bank, there has been rising confrontation with right wing jewish settlers, clashes in the area, rising disillusionment with the Palestinian Authority as well. A rival to hamas. And there are embers there, and any match will light a huge fire in that region as well. Concern too about the lebanese border, but its not clear whether hezbollah� , also border, but it� s not clear whether hezbollah� , also an ally or hamas, would want to open up another front. Hide this, of course, we have to remember iran, a big backer of hamas, hezbollah� s, and islamic jihad. To use your phrase, there are crises within crises, layers within layers. So behind this urgent question of what happens next, another question about, when the day comes, and it will come, when the fighting stops, what is the long Term Solution to these crises which continue to rock the region . A never ending cycle of ever growing suffering. Ilil never ending cycle of evergrowing sufferinu. ,. ,. , suffering. Our chief International Correspondent, suffering. Our chief International Correspondent, thank suffering. Our chief International