And, israels allies have shown their support through displays like this. Heres berlins Brandenburg Gate lit up in white and blue to show support for israel. The conflict is also impacting air travel. The federal Aviation Administration is urging us airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in israeli airspace. The us air regulators warning follows an earlier alert issued by the Israeli Government and applies to planes flying at any altitude or flight path through israel. Lets show you live pictures from gaza now. This comes as israeli troops are still, quote, Going House To house to clear communities after the saturday assault. Thats according to an Israel Defense forces spokesman. Israel forces have struck several targets in gaza in retaliation for the attacks by hamas. We want to show you the moment, Caught On Camera by our bbc team, when a nearby building was hit by air strikes, take a look. Explosions. 0ur Bbc ArabicTeam Capturing that footage of several air strikes on a building near the bbc Arabic Office in gaza. It was filmed by our team as it was preparing for a live two way. You can see the large plumes of smoke rising in the aftermath those strikes taking place earlier on saturday. Live now to michael singh, former Senior Director for middle east affairs at the National Security council. To what extent do you think the us might be concerned tonight that it likely had not heard word of the attacks that we had seen from its israeli partners, that there appeared to be a failure of intelligence . There will be tremendous failure of intelligence . There will be tremendous concern, | will be tremendous concern, tremendous concern within israel first and foremost because this was a real failure of anticipation, a failure to detect what was the most significant attack on israel for decades, there will be concerned within the United States as well not just at the apparent Israeli Intelligence failure but perhaps the United StatesIntelligence Agency � s own failure to detect this was happening because you have a very close intelligence sharing relationship between the us and israel. The bulk of the concern will be on what happens now. In terms of what happens now, what kinds of questions do you think Us Intelligence services, the Biden Administration will now have four israeli authorities, is ready Defence Forces in terms of what they plan to do next and how far the plan to go . Next and how far the plan to no . Next and how far the plan to to . , next and how far the plan to io . ,. , ~ , next and how far the plan to o . ,. , ~ ,. , go . There still is frankly an intelligence go . There still is frankly an intelligence question go . There still is frankly an intelligence question as go . There still is frankly an intelligence question as to | intelligence question as to violence spread anywhere else, for example other attacks been planned by hamas elsewhere for example in the west bank which is i think an arena hamas would like to see involved with this fighting, there is his bowl and is rainy and proxy and living on have any plans to attack from lebanon on or syria, keeping this conflict confined to gaza be one goal, another goalfor the us will to gaza be one goal, another goal for the us will be to work very closely with israel to ensure on the one hand israel has both the diplomatic room as well as the Military Equipment that it requires to conduct its response then also to work closely with israel on the strategy to understands its aims, what is the in state israel inventions and what is going to be a very significant response and that will be quite important also to have the us and israel on the same page. figs and israel on the same page. As they go about those discussions then, tell us more about how you think the Biden Administration the relish the relationship and the Netanyahu Relationship stands Neta Nyahu Relationship Stands at Netanyahu Relationship stands at this stage, we know in recent years it has been a strange one, in light of these unprecedented attacks, does that change . I unprecedented attacks, does that change . That change . I think it does chan i e that change . I think it does change to that change . I think it does change to an that change . I think it does change to an extent that change . I think it does| change to an extent because that change . I think it does change to an extent because you are correct it has been personally strained, are geologically the two men come from very different places, on the other hand, this issue of terrorism the need to respond to terrorism, security these are issues the us and israel have very much in common, both President Biden and Prime Minister netanyahu are leaders who have been on the world stage for a long time so it they know each other well no matter the differences they have dealt with situations that have dealt with situations that have been very difficult in the cases of both men and so i think they will be able to co operate well with one another and put aside their differences in the situation. I think thats true more broadly, for example Congress Even though it has experienced significant dysfunction in recent weeks will be able to come together and you may even set coming together in the israeli political system so i think it will be a moment of political unity amid extremely difficult circumstances. Undoubtedly the Biden Administration will have been calling World Leaders around the world today, what do you think they have been asking for, from the rest of the world . � ,. , for, from the rest of the world . � ,. ,. ,. World . At this stage probably what they want world . At this stage probably what they want is world . At this stage probably what they want is number world . At this stage probably i what they want is number one, condemnation of the attack of hamas, i think they want to see countries especially in the region show some solidarity with israel, for facing region show some solidarity with israel, forfacing a threat which frankly they all face, which is the threat of terrorism and frankly in this case in many other cases around the region iranians backed terrorism. So keeping those partners on side especially when their initial statements were not quite supportive of israel, not quite condemning hamas, i think will be very important. Then as in every such situation United States wants to ensure israel has the diplomatic room to conduct the response and appeals needs to conduct. ,. ,. , conduct. You are part of the us National Security conduct. You are part of the us National Security councils National Security councils middle east up during the 2006 lebanon on war, there are any parallels between that conflict and what we are seeing today . There are parallels, for sure, in 2006 it began with a surprise, and you had three Israeli Soldiers who were killed or taken captive at the very outset of that conflict and that helped drive the rest of the conflict, the desire to retaliate by israel, the desire to get those soldiers back, get there remains back of other soldiers. I think what is so different is the scale of this attack today. The depravity of the attack, Targeting Civilians in the way that it did, babies, elderly people, isjust in the way that it did, babies, elderly people, is just of a much more significant scale. And so i think there is tremendous worry that we just at the beginning of that will prove to be very big, even historic in this part of the world. � ,. ,. , historic in this part of the world. �. , , world. And potentially broader, do think, regionally world. And potentially broader, do think, regionally if world. And potentially broader, do think, regionally if you do think, regionally if you look at the comments which have come today from a hamas spokesperson telling the bbc the militant group had backing from its ally, iran for the attacks on israel, if those reports do hold true, how can the us hold iran accountable . I think hamas will hope others willjoin its fight against israel, whether in the west bank or lebanon on or syria or iran itself, but my guess is that iran is very happy to fight to the last hamas fighter but i am less sure they will want to be directly engaged in an attack against israel, the same may go for his bowl although coming days will tell, so this may end up being, hopefully at least confined to the gaza theatre. And i think us will want to ensure that iran for backing hamas pays a price but i think that right now will be a secondary consideration, the first focus will be on gaza itself, on backing israel in terms of its response there. Michael singh former Senior Director for middle east affairs, the National Security council. Great to have your thoughts tonight. Thank you for being mothers on abc. Washington has been in direct contact with several middle Eastern Countries about the escalating conflict, including saudi arabia. Us Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken spoke with the Saudi Foreign minister, with the Ministry Saying in a statement that the two officials quote discussed developments in the unprecedented situation in gaza and its surroundings and the necessity to work to immediately stop the escalation, stressing the kingdoms rejection of Targeting Civilians in any way and the need for all parties to respect International Humanitarian law. Live now to Laurin Whitney gottbrath, world editor at axios. Talk to us abotu the International Reaction to this . We just heard that statement from saudi arabia talk to us about the role saudi arabia could play here and although the timing this coming at a time when we had been nearing it was reported some kind of peace deal between israel and saudi arabia . Saudi arabia . Certainly the timini saudi arabia . Certainly the timing is saudi arabia . Certainly the timing is obviously saudi arabia . Certainly the timing is obviously a saudi arabia . Certainly the i timing is obviously a potential factor and part of the reason why hamas may have launched this attack when it did stop obviously, part of these negotiations between the us and saudi was very much tied to pressuring the israelis to give concessions to the palestinians as part of any sort of peace deal between saudi and israel. 0bviously that itself will be much, much harderfor israel to do in this context and that almost certainly puts these talks on hold, for quite a while, if not indefinitely. So in terms of the timing, it is very interesting and also hampers those efforts, especially by the Biden Administration which had been a diplomatic priority especially in the middle east. In terms of what saudi can do obviously, i think the Biden Administration will hope as we have heard, what different us officials have said in their phone calls with leaders across the middle east, is to put pressure on hamas to de escalate and not continue whatever else it has planned, going forward. But at the end of the day when it comes to these talks between, for some sort of peace dealt between saudi and israel those talk, there is really zero chance they will go anywhere anytime soon and there had been a lot of momentum especially in the last few weeks behind those talk, so at least from the Biden AdministrationPoint Of View and from israel who really wanted the steel, obviously this puts a big damper on those efforts. The steel. figs this puts a big damper on those efforts. The steel. Efforts. The steel. As we are talking efforts. The steel. As we are talking we efforts. The steel. As we are talking we have efforts. The steel. As we are talking we have live are talking we have live pictures of gaza city 20 seconds ago we saw a flash of orange of firepower on the horizon after israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation against hamas. Coming back to our conversation was sketching out some of the regional aspects at play, ijust want some of the regional aspects at play, i just want to talk briefly domestically about the situation that the Benjamin Netanyahu administration finds neta nyahu administration finds itself Netanyahu Administration finds itself in because this is coming at a time of difficulty for Benjamin Netanyahu, he has faced months of protest against his own cabinet. As his government in a position of strength to respond to this . Yes, i think thats a big question a lot of people are asking and asking in terms of where this Intelligence Failure lies within the Israeli Government, just to put the entire situation in context like you said, Benjamin Netanyahu has faced mass, Mass Opposition from israel for months over hisjudicial Overhaul Plan also israeli, nino who in order to form a had to details and include extreme far right ministers or parties as part of his coalition and that also has had an effect on the uptake with violence in the west bank between settlers especially. I do think while we are seeing incredibly humility between the israeli opposition and netanyahu at the moment, which is as to be expected when an attack of the scale happened on israel, once things end or when things end, there are certain, will certainly face questions and likely pressure over what i assume will be many people who will say this is a major failure on Israeli Majorfailure on Israeli Government � s part. Major failure on Israeli Government s part. Laurin whitney government s part. Laurin whitney there. Government s part. Laurin whitney there. Thank government s part. Laurin whitney there. Thank you i government s part. Laurin | whitney there. Thank you for talking to us this evening. And just as she was speaking we were taking a look at live pictures and to a date you those were pictures from the Gaza City Skyline and around the past five minutes we have seen at least two flashes of what looks to be incoming fire in that area. It is 5 45 in the morning there in gaza coming after is really Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu had vowed retaliation in that area coming under rocket fire. There is warnings forfamilies in under rocket fire. There is warnings for families in that area to get out it is an area controlled by israeli officials. We go live now to the bbc state Department Correspondent who is also reported extensively from jerusalem and palestinian territories. Barbara we heard today from President Biden, he came outflank his Secretary Of State, Antony Blinken. What is the fact that he came out today tell us about the strength of that relationship with israel . The fact that he came out on the first day of this conflict is significant because he wanted to make it very clear that the attack was completely abhorrent and that the americans were going to be in lockstep with the israelis. They always say when there is a gaza war which has fled several times over the past decade that they stand with israel and it has a right to defend itself. They sometimes have nuance about that because it is retaliation or its actions, i should say of bombing gaza strip and causing civilian casualties and damage because of the small space in the densely populated area. In this case there was no nuance, there was very strong statement of support saying that at every level there would be intensive engagement at the level of the state department, the defence department, Intelligence Co ordination and, in fact, the secretary of defence called his counterpart to talk about what the plan was and what sort of resources they may need. Of course, the israelis are already well supplied with american weapons and military funding but those systems might need to be replenished if there is going to be a drawn out conflict and so that is probably something that the administration would try to