I have only one question. This is an abc news special report. Now reporting david muir. Good morning. We are coming on the air because President Biden is about to deliver remarks in israel after arriving overnight to a region in crisis. Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu greeting him on the tarmac. President biden then meeting with israels war cabinet in a show of support and an effort to prevent the war from israel and hamas from turning into a much wider conflict here. The president also meeting with the families of victims and First Responders a short time ago. A second planned meeting with arab leaders in jordan on this same trip was cancelled after the explosion at that hospital in gaza. The horrendous scene there, killing at least 500 people. Both palestinians and israelis blaming each other for that blast. For that blast. Meanwhile, there have been protests in support of the palestinians across the region. Youre looking right now at pictures coming in to abc just moments ago. This is outside the us embassy in beirut. You can see protesters there demonstrating again in support of the palestinians. The iran backed militant Group Hezbollah calling for another day of rage, specifically targeting the us and we should mention at this hour that here in this country, security remains on high alert in several major cities across the u. S. President biden is now hoping to head off a wider war that, of course, always runs the risk of drawing in hezbollah to the north and lebanon and in iran while trying to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in gaza with hundreds of thousands of people. You can see that is the room in israel where the president is expected to speak moments from now, meeting a short time ago with families of victims in israel. I want to bring in our chief Global Analyst martha raddatz. You and i have been on the air so many times when a president has made a trip to the war zone. Usually its done in secrecy. But this one on the world stage, and it does come with risk. Reporter it certainly does, david. We are standing here in tel aviv. Theres a helicopter overhead. Streets are closed off below me. You can see Police Officers lined up and military as well because of the security here. I cant really ever remember a president going into a war zone, a conflict zone, so publicly, announcing days before that he would be coming to israel. The president thinks this is such an important trip and he is trying to walk that fine line that tight rope to support israel and its right to defend itself. Take into consideration the plight of the innocent Palestinian People inside gaza. I think that is the message he gave to Benjamin Netanyahu today. That they have to consider that. They are about to launch a ground war, according to the israelis. What kind of ground war they do i think will depend on things they have heard from joe biden. That truly was the message. Not having those meetings with arab leader, muslim leaders, is so important because you have seen those scenes. They need President Biden, israelis, they need the help from arab leaders to calm this part of the world down. That hospital explosion, no matter what. No matter what the israelis say, you will hear from people who will not believe them. They do need, in pa part of the world, to hear from their leaders to calm this situation down, david. You have covered this conflict for many decades, dare i say. As we keep our eye on this camera, where the president is expected to speak, curious what you make of these images coming in from beirut. Just alarming pictures of protesters outside the u. S. Embassy there. Reporter yeah. Theyre incredible pictures. And we were watching those images a short time ago. You have some Lebanese Military throwing grenades at protesters. That is the u. S. Embassy there. They are outside the u. S. Embassy. We do have to keep in mind whats happened here in israel. You saw it up close. I saw it up close. It is a horrendous attack by hamas. But things have really spiralled out of control. Those images from lebanon show you how bad this could get. Martha, stick with us. We are about two minutes away from President Biden addressing the world from israel on this trip to israel. I want to bring in ian pannell for a quick thought. You heard martha talk about just the devastating images coming in out of gaza at that hospital. Both sides pointing to the other. But there are early images from that site. And again, we dont know. All we know is what President Biden said today. Hes facing what he said earlier today, which is that we believes its at the hands of hamas, based on what he has been shown by his own defense team. But in the mean time, what can we discern, if anything, from some of the images that have emerged from the site . David, i think what we need to be careful about is we dont know who carried out this attack. Both sides, as you say, are accusing each other. What we can say, though, is it looks different from other attacks, thousands we have seen inside gaza. All the hallmark are not necessarily of a direct strike. This is something the israelis were pointing out to me this morning, which they say comes from the propellant from a rocket. It hasnt got the hallmarks of an israeli attack. You see a large area thats blackened, which indicates there had been something burning there at very great heat. You see all the cars are burned down. And the buildings around theres no obvious structural damage which again we have seen time and time again. That does raise questions about exactly whats happened, david. Ian pannell with us as well. President biden now entering the room, again, in israel, having met with families just moments ago. Lets listen to the president. Please have a seat. I have come to israel with a single message. Youre not alone. You are not alone. As long as the United States stands, and we will stand forever. We will not let you ever be alone. Most importantly, i know recent terrorist assault on the people of this nation has left a deep deep wound. More than 1,300 innocent israelis killed, including at least 31 american citizen, by the terrorist group hamas. Hundreds, hundreds of young people, at a Music Festival. The festival is for peace, for peace. Gunned down as they ran for their lives. Scores of innocents, from infants to elderly grandparents, israelis and americans, taken hostage. Children slaughtered, babies slaughtered, entire families massacred. Rape, beheadings, bodies burned alive. The atrocities that recall the worst ravages of isis, unleashing pure inadulterated evil on the world. Theres no rationalizing it, no excusing it, period. Brutality we saw would have cut deep anywhere in the world, but it cuts deeper here in israel. October 7th, which was sacred, a sacred jewish holiday, became the deadliest day for the jewish people since the holocaust. It was brought to the surface, painful memories, scars left by antisemitism. The world watched then. It knew and the world did nothing. We will not stand by and do nothing again. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. For those that are living in limbo waiting desperately to learn the fate of a loved one, especially to the families of the hostages, you are not alone. Were working with partners throughout the region pursuing every avenue to bring home those who are being held captive by hamas. I cant speak publicly about all the details, but let me assure you. For me, as the american president , theres no higher priority than release and safe return of all these hostages. For those who are grieving, a child, a parent, a spouse, a sibling, a friend, i know that black hole in the middle of your es fl like youre being sucked into it. Survivors remorse, the anger, the questions of faith in your soul. Staring at that empty chair. First sabbath without them. Theyre the every day things, the small things, that you miss the most. The scent when you open the closet door. Morning coffee you shared together. Bend in a smile, Perfect Pitch of a laugh, the giggle of your little boy, the baby. For those who have lost loved ones, this is what i know. Theyll never be truly gone. Theres something thats never fully lost. Your love for them an their love for you. I promise you, you will be walking along some day and say, what would he or she want me do . Youll smile when you pass a place that reminds you of them. Thats when you know, when a smile comes to your lips before a tear to your eye. Thats when you know youre going to fully make it. Thats what will give you the fortitude to find light in the darkest hours. When terrorists believe they could bring you down, bend your will, break your resolve. But they never did and they never will. Instead, we saw incredible stories of heroism, courage. Israelis taking care of one another. Neighbors forming watch groups to protect their kubbitz. Homes welcome to survivors. Retired soldiers running into danger. Civilian medics flying rescue missions and off duty medics at the Music Festival caring for the wounded before becoming a victim themselves. Volunteers retrieving bodies of the dead so families could bury their loved one in accordance with jewish tradition. Reservists leaving behind their families, their honeymoons, studies abroad, so much more. State of israel was born to be a safe place for the jewish people of the world. Thats why it was born. Long said, if israel didnt exist, we would have to invent it. While it may not feel that way today, israel must again be a safe place for the jewish people. I promise you were going to do everything in our power to make sure there will be. 75 years ago, just 11 minutes after its founding, president harry s. Truman and the United States of america became the first america to recognize israel. We stood by her side ever since. Were going to stand by her side now. My administration is in close touch with the leadership from the first moments of this attack. Were going to make sure we have what you need to protect your people, to defend your nation. For decades, weve been showed israels qualitative military edge. Later this week, im going to ask the United States congress for unprecedented support package for israels defense. Were going to keep iron dome fully supplied so it can continue standing over israeli skies, saving israeli lives. We moved u. S. Military assets to the region, including positioning the Uss Ford Carrier Strike Group in the eastern mediterranean, with the uss eisenhower on the way, to deter further aggression against israel and to prevent this conflict from spreading. The world will know that israel is stronger than ever. My message to any state or any other hostile actor thinking about attacking israel remains the same as it was a week ago. Dont. Dont. Dont. Since this terrorist attack took place, weve seen it described as israels 9 11. For a nation the size of israel, it was like 15 9 11s. The scale may be different, but im sure those horrors have tapped into some kind of primal feeling in israel, just like it felt in the United States. Shock, pain, rage. An allconsuming rage. I understand that Many Americans understand you cant look at what has happened here, to your mothers, your fathers, your grandparents, sons, daughters, children, even baby, and not scream out for justice. Justice must be done. I caution while you peel that rage, dont be consumed by it. After 9 11 we were enraged in the United States. While we sought and got justice, we also made mistakes. Im the first u. S. President to visit israel in time of war. I made wartime decisions. I know the choices are never clear or easy for leadership. Theres always cost. It requires being delivered. Requires asking very hard questions. It requires clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path youre on will achieve those objectives. Vast majority of palestinians are not hamas. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian People. Hamas uses innocent families in gaza as human shields, putting their command centers, their weapon, the communications tunnels in residential areas. Palestinian people are suffering greatly as well. We mourn the loss of innocent palestinian lives like the entire world. I was outraged and saddened by the enormous loss of life yesterday at that hospital in gaza. Based on the information weve seen today, it appears the result of an errant rocket fired from a terrorist group in gaza. The United States stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict and i grieve, i truly grieve for the families who were killed or wounded by this tragedy. People of gaza need food, water, medicine, shelter. Today i ask the Israeli Cabinet i met with for sometime this morning to agree to the delivery of life saving humanitarian assistance to gaza, understanding there will be inspections and that the aid should go to civilian, not to hamas. Israel agreed humanitarian assistance can begin to move from egypt to gaza. Let me be clear. If hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian People. As a practical matter, it will stop the International Community from providing this. Working in close cooperation with the government of egypt, the United Nations and agencies like the World Food Program and other partners to get trucks moving across the border as soon as possible. Separately, i ask israel that the International Red cross be able to visit hostages. I just demand that the United States will fully supports. Today im also announcing 100 million in new u. S. Funding for humanitarian assistance, both gaza and the west bank. This money will support more than 1 million displaced and conflict affected palestinians, including Emergency Needs in gaza. You are a jewish state. You are a jewish state. But you are also a democracy. Like the United States, you dont live by the rules of terrorists. You live by the rule of law. When conflicts flair, you live by the rule of war. Which sets us apart from the terrorists. We believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life. Israeli, palestinian, arab, jew, muslim, christian, everyone. You cant give up what makes you who you are. If you give that up, then terrorists win and we can never let them win. Israel is a miracle. Triumph of faith, resolve, resilience over impossible pain and loss. Think about october 7th, the jewish holiday, where you read about the death of moses. Tragic loss to an entire nation. A death that could have left helplessness in the hearts of the entire nation. But when moses died, his memory, his message, his lessons have lived on for generations with the jewish people as well as many others. Just as the memory of your loved ones will live on as well. After reading the story of moses death, those who observe the holiday began reading the torrah from the very beginning. Story of creation, remind us of two things. First, when we get knocked down, we get back up again and we begin anew. Second, when were faced with tragedy and loss, we must go back to the beginning and remember who we are. We are all human beings, creating an image of god with dignity, humanity and purpose. In the dark, theres to be a light to the world is what were about. You inspire hope and light to so many around the world. Thats what the terrorists seek to destroy. Thats what they seek to destroy. Because they live in darkness. But not you. Not israel. Nations of conscience, like the United States and israel, are not a measure solely by example or power. Were measured by the power of our example. Thats why, as hard as it is, we must keep pursuing peace. We must keep pursuing a path so israel and the Palestinian People can both live safely and securely in dignity an in peace. For me, that means a twostate solution. Lets keep working for israels greater integration with its neighbors. These attacks will only strengthen my commitment and determination and my will to get that done. Im here to tell you the terrorists will not win. Freedom will win. So let me end where i began. Israel, you are not alone. United states stands with you. I told this story before. Ill tell it again. My first meeting with an israeli Prime Minister 50 years ago as a young senator. I was sitting across from her desk in her office. She had a guy who later became Prime Minister sitting next to me. Just before the 1973 yom kipp war. She flipped the maps up and down, telling me how bad things were, how terrible they were. All of a sudden she looked at me and said, would you like a photograph . I looked at her. She got up from her desk and walked out into that hallway. I think its marble flooring. Walked out in the hallway. Walked around a bunch of photographers standing in front of us. We were Standing Shoulder to shoulder. Without her looking at me she said to me, knowing im here, why do you look so worried, senator biden . And i said, worried . Course im worried. And she looked at me. She didnt look. She said, dont worry, senator. We israelis have a secret weapon. We have nowhere else to go. Well today i say to all of israel. The United States isnt going anywhere either. Were going to stand with you. Well walk beside you in those dark days and well walk beside you in the good days to come. They will come. As you say in hebrew, which im not going to attempt because im such a terrible linguist. Ill say it in english. The people of israel live. The people of israel live. Israel will be safe, secure, jewish and a D