Room. Happening now, Breaking News. New warnings that gaza is on the brink of complete catastrophe amid horrific scenes of destruction and increasingly dire shortages of lifesaving supplies. Civilians desperate to leave gaza, trapped, with a critical Border Crossing into egypt remaining closed this hour. Israeli forces declaring theyre ready to launch the next phase of their response to the hamas Terror Attacks with troops appearing poised for a fullscale Ground Invasion of gaza. Were tracking all the military humanitarian, and diplomatic moves, including new u. S. Efforts to prevent the conflict from exploding into a much wider middle east war. Here in the United States, President Biden says he is making the prevention of hate crimes against jewish, muslim, and arabamericans a priority. The newest target of violence, a 6yearold little Palestinian American Boy who was stabbed to death near chicago. Another major breaking story were following, House Republicans are set to meet this hour about congressman jim jordans bid to be the next speaker of the house. The gop hardliner winning over some skeptics, even as his fate remains uncertain in a full house vote expected tomorrow. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. This is cnn Breaking News. There is Breaking News this hour on the Hostage Crisis in gaza. Hamas releasing a video of a woman it claims to be holding captive. Our correspondents are standing by, covering the israel hamas war on multiple fronts. First, lets go tower chief International CorrespondentClarissa Ward in ashkelon, israel north of the gaza border. Tell us more about this video just released and what were hearing from hamas. Thats right, wolf. Hamas says now that they have between 200 and 250 hodges. Important to underscore that Israel Defense forces say its 199. But tonight for the first time, hamas has released a video of one of those hostages. We are not going to show it for the moment, but it shows a 21yearold french israeli citizen called mia the shem. She was one of the many revellers at the supernova Music Festival. In the video she talks about suffering an injury to her arm. Its not clear where she is being held, and of course its almost impossible to tell with these types of videos whether people are being forced to say things, whether theyre under duress. But clearly, hamas is really trying to kind of up the ante here, if you will, wolf, because there is a strong sense on the hamas side that they would like to see some kind of a deal. They would like to see some kind of an exchange, of hamas prisoners for some of these 199 by the idfs count of israeli and other International Hostages who are being held inside gaza. We actually went earlier on to the Military Headquarters in tel aviv where there is a sort of permanent sitin for the past few days of Family Members of various hostages who are being held, a lot of whom are feeling very angry at the Israeli Governments handling of the crisis. They really want to see a deal. And quite a few of them are also very concerned about the Ratcheting Up of forces on the border, the Ratcheting Up of violence inside gaza. We spoke to the son of a 74yearold Peace Activist called vivian silver. She is one of those believed to be held in gaza. Her son, yona sat down with us and told us he is very fearful about what more violence could portend. Take a listen. I didnt want war before, and i dont want war now. I dont think we can cure dead babies with more dead babies. Do you think in israel that most people agree with you . Do you think people here want war . Nobody wants war, but i think people are willing to accept war because youre hurt and you want to stop the pain. So you see demon in front of you and you want to vanquish it. I dont think its realistic. Whatever we do to gaza now, it would come back. And i spoke, wolf, to a senior or i should say a former Senior Security official here in israel, and it was kind of interesting, because he said basically at this stage he does not believe israeli authorities have any interest in making a deal with hamas with regards to these hostages, as much as they would like to get these hostages out safely, they are very concerned that they will see a repeat of what they have seen in the past with prisoner swaps, which is that some of hamas main leaders have been released in prisoner swaps, have gone on to be involved in attacks like the one we saw last saturday. And he said the priority right now is to uproot hamas wherever they are inside gaza. And in the process, hopefully be able to release some of those hostages. But for the families of the hostages, you can understand that that is very alarming to hear, wolf. Very alarming indeed. Clarissa ward in ashkelon, israel for us. Clarissa, stay safe. Thank you. Now to the broader humanitarian crisis unfolding in gaza. Amid new efforts to try to get in and try to get those trapped civilians out. Cnns erin burnett is joining us from tel aviv right now. Erin, all eyes are on that critical rafah Border Crossing between gaza and egypt, but i take it there is still no sign its being opened by the egyptians . All eyes are on it, wolf. And youre right. Its closed. Egypt has made it clear through the day, the Foreign Minister making it clear, they have no reason, no intention at this time of opening it. Obviously, it is the center of so many negotiations because, wolf, you need aid coming in, of course, but also for some people to get out. Certainly the United States is desperately trying to get palestinian americans who are in the gaza strip out via that border as well. And especially as you push people south, it pushes down. And there is sort of no means to relieve that pressure at all as there is anticipation that this could begin at any moment. The feeling here tonight, wolf, just from talking to people, and maybe its just that theyve been waiting and theyre still dealing with the emotions of these attacks as more and more news of atrocities come out, that they feel it is time. In the Grocery Store today, the shelves were almost empty that was not the case a week. Its not that people didnt expect it to happen a week ago, its just that now there is a feeling among people that weve been speaking to, these are just regular israeli civilians that the time has come, and that they feel it is time and there is a new fear. And as rockets come in, a new fear of those rockets. A hesitancy to go outside, and very much a city here that is waiting. It is waiting. It is on edge. And it is nothing resembling normal at all here, wolf. I understand, aaron, you had a chance to visit the berre kibitz. It is the most horrible thing to ever see, to walk through there and imagine what happened. And also to see in a sense as were there to video it, were there to show the world what happened, were seeing homes where people died. Were seeing homes that the people lived in havent been able to go become to. And there is a real feeling of trespass as we do that, even as we are filming it for everyone to see. You see the childrens toys just strewn about. You dont know whether the child who owned that is dead or alive. Microwaves melted, the outside of that fridge there, all the photos just completely incinerated, bullet holes, childrens homework, Al Qassam Brigades and allahu akbar in graffiti. It is a place where a horrible crime happened. More than 100 people died there. One soldier said he found a baby on her back 4 months old shot executionstyle in the head. Thats what happened there. And some of the children in berre, but also kibbutzes where there were atrocities as well, people are hoping for the honks that laris is talking about. One is a father name d yoni. I had an opportunity to speak with him in person. Again, a feeling of press electricity pass, wolf, but yet he wants the world to know because he wants them back. Heres what he said. I am realizing that i got to see the gates of hell. I got to see how hell looks like. I dont know if there are any more tears left in me, but it became it became clear to me that i saw hell. I saw what hell looks like when i saw the images therein. It is forever. Wolf, his daughters both will have birthdays in january, turning 3 and 5. And his wife, they are all gone. And just imagine what life is like that man without them that is the situation for those families here, as it is so hard for whole world to comprehend what happened here, as now there is such, such dispute and such anger about what the response will be. Wolf . It is so heartbreaking to hear those stories. Erin, thank you very much. And this note to our viewers. Erin will be back right at the top of the hour for her program, erin burnett out front. And in lebanon to israels north, ben wedeman is in Southern Lebanon for us right near the israeli border. So whats the latest, ben, where you are . Wolf, its been another day of Cross Border Fire and counter fire. Hezbollah says theyve made five strikes on israeli positions. Israeli jets and artillery has been back in action again, striking the lebanese side. But we understand that because of these rising tensions, israel has ordered the evacuation of 28 communities along the border with lebanon in the hopes of avoiding civilian casualties. Meanwhile, the nervousness about a possible war is reaching beirut. Today the Canadian Foreign minister put out a tweet or a message on x, i guess we can call it, advising Canadians In Lebanon to look into the possibility of taking a flight out of the country, because those flights may no longer may not longer be available. Today swissair announced it was canceling flights to lebanon. Lufthansa, the german carrier has already canceled flights. And weve heard this evening that middle east airlines, the official carrier of lebanon, is moving five of its jets to istanbul as a precautionary measure against a possible war, keeping in mind of course that in july 2006, when hezbollah and israel went to war, one of the first things the israelis struck was the airport in beirut. Wolf . And what is iran saying about all of this, ben . Well, we are hearing lots of messages from the Iranian Foreign minister, who has finished a tour of capitals. He has been to beirut, damascus, Baghdad Andoh What In Qatar now. His last statement is somewhat worrying. He said any preemptive action in the next few hours is possible. He said anything is possible. No side can remain indifferent. His message is changed as he has gone around the middle east. He met with the lebanese Prime Minister when we was in beirut, and he said the point of my visit is to maintain calm in lebanon. But now he is suggesting that perhaps the socalled axis of resistance, of which iran, syria, hezbollah, and hamas are all members may launch some sort of Preemptive Strike somewhere. Its rather vague. But it certainly indicates that they arent going to be sitting on the sidelines. Wolf . Very, very worrisome indeed. Ben wedeman in Southern Lebanon. Stay safe over there, ben. Thank you very much. Just ahead our breaking News Coverage of Israel At War will continue. Ill speak live with the chairman of the Senate IntelligenceCommittee Mark warner. He has been fully briefed on whats going on. There is more Breaking News were following right now. Multiple u. S. Defense officials are now telling cnn roughly 2000 american troops have been ordered to prepare for potential deployment to israel. Those forces would operate in what is being described as a support role only, helping the israelis with logistics, but not in direct combat with hamas. This comings as a u. S. Marine Rapid Response force is already heading toward waters near israel. Lets discuss this and more with the chairman of the Intelligence Committee democratic senator mark warner of virginia. Thank you so much for joining us. These moves come, as you well know, just as two u. S. Aircraft carrier Battle Groups are also heading to the eastern mediterranean. What do you see as the potential extent of u. S. Military involvement in this war . Well, first of all, sending these two carrier groups, both based out of norfolk, virginia, i might add, shows a strong, strong show of support for israel and i think a very clear warning to the iranians. In terms of the brief that you just mentioned that you got reports on, i have not received that brief yet. Were going to get a full update tomorrow at the Intelligence Committee. I want to make sure, though, that the Israeli Intelligence, the american intelligence is focused on how we can eliminate these Hamas Terrorists who have created such atrocities. But i also want them focused on making sure that the violence doesnt extend to the west bank, that the Palestinian AuthoritySecurity Services continue to do their job there, and to keep the eye on obviously hezbollah in the north. So a lot to be grappled with right now, and thats where our focus is, and thats where the Intelligence Community focus is. Half a million palestinians have now left Northern Gaza as israeli troops gather on the israeli side of the border with gaza. Youre a member of the socalled Gang Of Eight and youre receiving u. S. Intelligence briefings, the highest level u. S. Intelligence briefings all the time. What do you expect this fullscale israeli invasion of gaza to look like . First of all, lets remember. We can have empathy for innocent palestinian citizens, that thats not translate into sympathy for the Hamas Terrorists. The hamas terrorist frankly in gaza, they were losing Popular Support at record levels. Remember, it is israel who has warned these palestinians to leave the northern part of gaza. We are trying to work with the egyptians and others to get that gate open in the south so at least palestinian americans can get out. Again, i think hamas is putting some limitations on that. But its going to be very tricky to go into a dense urban setting and clear out the remnants of the hamas leadership, particularly since they built literally a warren of caverns underneath them. A lot of that part of gaza and particularly gaza city. Yes, the tunnels they have built underground. There is a growing humanitarian crisis in gaza right now as israel cuts off vital supplies. At least 28 people have died there, were told, many of them women and children. That according to the Palestinian Health ministry. Is israel, senator, doing enough to protect civilians in gaza . I had a report not from an intel setting, that actually israel is turning some of the water back on, and hamas was shooting at some of the israelis that were performing that. Now, again, i heard that secondhand. So i want to try to get a confirmation on it. But remember, the hamas leadership has had no pity at all for the Palestinian People. They have put their military bases under mosques, around homes. They have frankly tried to restrict the palestinians from the northern part of gaza from migrating down to the south where it appears there will be less violence. So again, i think you can have appropriate empathy for innocent palestinian citizens. But i dont think at all that should translate into any kind of sympathy for hamas. Hamas are coldblooded murderers, terrorists. They have terrorized the Palestinian People and obviously the 1300 plus israelis that have been killed and literally hundreds that are now being held hostage. I want to get your reaction, senator, to President Bidens comments when asked whether israel should again occupy gaza. Listen and watch this. I think it would be a big mistake. Look, what happened in gaza in my view is hamas and the extreme elements of hamas dont represent all the Palestinian People. And i think that it would be a mistake for israel to occupy gaza again. Even if israel were to successfully destroy hamas and gaza, senator, does the u. S. Have a clear sense of what happens next . Im not sure anybody has a clear sense of what happens next across this region. Its been volatile for years. I think israel remember did occupy gaza. They chose to pull out and leave gaza. I think the president is right. How do you maintain that level of occupation and that dense a community. And again, remember, the point they hope the press starts reporting