Man mookie dean, its 5 am in tel aviv where citizens are waking up to a Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu has described as a state of war. Less than 50 miles away in gaza city, these are live pictures, aerate sirens continuing to run into the early hours of the morning, as israel continues airstrikes hammering the strip. Israel counterattack comes 11 24 hours after the Palestinian Militant Group hamas launched an unprecedented, and brazen attack on the southern border of the country. Forces firing a barrage of more than 2200 rockets from gaza into israel, that began at around 6 30 a. M. And that is according to the countrys military. Hamas fighters took to the air, the group also infiltrated Israel Southern Border by land and sea, taking an unknown number of civilians and soldiers captive in the process. Its in the soul of the likes of which the country has not seen in decades. Following saturday mornings attack, netanyahu vowed mighty vengeance for the assault. Israeli officials at least 200 killed more than 1200 injured. In gaza, 230 people are dead a another 1600 are injured according to the Ministry Of Health there. In just a few hours ago President Biden delivering his first public remarks on the escalating situation, making clear the u. S. Stands firmly behind it ally. Stand you know when i spoke o Prime Minister netanyahu this morning, i told him the United States stands with the people of israel in the face of these terrorist assault. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop. There is never justification for terrorist attacks. And my administration supports the security, and it is unwavering. Let me say this as clearly as i can. This is not a moment for any party hostile to israel to exploit these attacks, to seek advantage, the world is watching. Joining me now Nbc News National Security and National Affairs supporter, reporter for the new york times, an msnbc political analyst. Dan, ill start with you, on that specific point that the president made, this is not a time for any of israels enemies are adversaries to try and exploit, what can you tell us about how the u. S. Is responding and showing up for israel at this moment . Well, i think this does actually convey, in some ways, that the u. S. Has limited leverage over the situation. I think the u. S. Always provides serious and significant military aid annually to israel, and in this moment, they have offered more intelligence information that might be relevant for israel as its response to the hamas attack. Technical types of information that might help them with their military operations. Theres also talk in congress and among u. S. Officials of getting ready to provide more ammunition. Munitions that israel might need for its iron dont Missile Defense system, and certain other weapon systems. This is now in the hands of israel, and they are clearly moving out on what sounds like a full blown military offensive. Full out war with hamas and already the israeli president s public, asking how this couldve happened . How one of the worlds most Premiere Intelligence Agencies could have not been with caught so flatfooted, this area was supposed to defend them, they were supposed of sources theyre out to the hamas and other adversaries over the years that have been able to pinpoint leaders and key figures in hamas and assassinate them, so the Intelligence Failure really is foremost at this point, and the psychological impact of hamas being able to move inside israel like this undetected, it really calls into question is israels defense and intelligence in the u. S. Also has to ask itself why it couldnt anticipate this . Really difficult moment now. Really, unclear how this goes. How this possibly escalates . The u. S. Is in a difficult position youre trying to exert very limited leverage at this point. Peter, to that point, that dan was talking about, where it goes from here to immediate thoughts come to mind, why israel has to try to secure the release of the numerous israeli captives that have been taken into the gaza strip and too broadly speaking, what it does as the former ambassador told me to try to restore calm and security along the southern border, what do we know about, if anything, the first attempt to try to secure that from the white house. Is the white house engage or calling counterparts in the region to see it through their backdoor channels, or their direct communication with hamas, they are able to secure some kind of a release for these captives . Yes, the Biden Administration has been working the phones rigorously today, the president himself of course called prime netanyahu, called King Abdullah of jordan, his aides, Secretary States on the phone with Mohammad Abbas in the Palestinian Authority, and the officials in egypt, and saudi arabia and other leaders around the region, but it is not clear whether there is any ability to do any kind of negotiating with hamas. Normally, what you have seen over the years, these periodic eruptions of violence have been relatively small compared to what we saw today. Rockets flying and so far the egyptians and oval working to restrain hamas, The Americans work on the israeli side, and eventually they come to a ceasefire. I dont think this is where we are at today. This is such an extraordinary extensive invasion in fact of israeli territory, something that we have not seen really in decades on a scale of this size. It does not seem like there is a deescalation scenario in the immediate future, as long as the hostages are being held, netanyahu has no incentive, of course, to let up. He is going to want to do politically whatever he can to free those hostages. That could include a possible Ground Encouragement in the gaza. They withdrew from thousand 2005, they do not want to go back on the ground if they can help it, its not a good idea. Its not a safe, you know, territory for them, but if they may feel compelled to do it because they have to go in and get the hostages that they can, they feel a great deal of pressure to retaliate. So, peter, diplomats from the u. S. , saudi arabia, u. S. , in the recent weeks have told msnbc at some point, and we heard the crown prince talk about the negotiations when you gave that interview to fox and brett bear about the desire of getting closure every day, getting closer and closer, is it too early to assess whether or not the United States recalibrate those negotiations . Reassesses the value of those negotiations . Obviously, in the broader context piece is important, but whether or not this now needs to take a backseat until the situation is more specifically addressed . Yes, it striking that there had been a real sense of momentum in the last week you heard the crown prince of saudi arabia talk about how every day they got closer to an agreement, you heard optimism from Prime Minister netanyahu, they could resolve issues and come together. The american side as well, the Biden Administration thought this could be a transformative agreement. Not bringing israel and saudi arabia together, but doing a transforming of the region in a profound way. Keeping china out, aligning for clearly against iran, cementing the relationship between the United States and saudi arabia in a more profound way. All of that feels like it is on the table at the moment. This moment, of course, they have the short term, they have to worry about how to deal with this eruption of violence. Its hard to imagine that this is just a cool incident. This violence, this incursion is happening at the same moment that that momentum was happening. A lot of suspicion in washington as to whether or not this is intended to abolish these talks. Intended to try to undermine. Clearly it makes it a lot harder for the saudis and the israelis, at least in the short term to come together on any kind of agreement. The american side, the Administration Says look, its too soon to judge, it doesnt mean that the agreement can go forward, we are months away from a final safe anyway, so we will have to see what happens in the days and weeks to come. Obviously, at the moment, the primary priority for the president and for the United States, of course, its to figure out how to manage this violence that is taking place in gaza and in israel. To that point, dan, do we get a sense of what the u. S. Is trying to do with the palestinians here at this moment . Do we know whether or not, peter mentioned that there were talks with the palestinian of the already, but would do we know about the asks . What if anything the Palestinian Authority can offer to the United States . I think that is going to be a very difficult conversation, the u. S. Will be really relying heavily on egypt at this moment because of course as peter said in the past, there was a formula, the u. S. Would lean on israel a bit and hope that egypt could bring the palestinians on board, hamas has now staged a really unprecedented attack. What can the Palestinian Authority do at this moment . What is their influence . This is a very open question. Theres another point here which is not only is the timing, obviously, pretty, pretty obviously connected to this moment where israel and saudi arabia seem close to a historic milestone agreement, it was also a time where israel has been an unprecedented amount of time in turmoil. When you have deep divisions and the protests going on in israel, a lot of u. S. Officials are saying that is not a coincidence that hamas and its patrons in iran saw this as an opportunity, maybe a moment, a good moment, to strike. That is also something that is in washingtons calculation. How they can pick up the pieces . Its really difficult, they will obviously try with the Palestinian Leadership. The Biden Administration has not placed a priority on Israeli Palestinian issues, right . Direct conflict. It focused on the israeli saudi normalization gambit. And most of the talk has been in the focus has been on china, russia, the russian invasion of ukraine. And not this has blown up, this is definitely not in their plans, it was not anticipated. Yes, to that point peter, this, if it was a tactical surprise that hamas pulled off, some could argue it was a strategic failure because this Israeli Government wasnt Israeli Government that has been widely criticized, certainly here in the United States because of its composition being the most extreme and the most farright Israeli Government. There was a bit of a cool shoulder from the administration, the Biden Administration not meeting with netanyahu face to face up until the United Nations, up until a week ago. That dynamic will change as we heard the white house and President Biden coming out and expressing his full support to israel and offering whatever he can to israel at this moment. Changes that dynamic that israel had found itself in, because of the judicial reform and what it was trying to do that many argued was undermining israels own democracy. Yes, that is exactly right nothing has unified israeli political establishment like an attack from this from the outside, theres talk of a unity government involving and the opposition to netanyahu, the talk about the judicial reforms are secondary right now, you hear in washington a very strong bipartisan expression of support for israel where israel in recent years has become a partisan issue between democrats and republicans right now, you dont see daylight between the two parties. That is to israels benefits to have the states in its corner. The president is not allowing daylight to be seen between him and netanyahu . How long does that last . We dont know. It depends how it plays out. How does netanyahu play his hand in the retaliation. Does hamas, at any point, you know back down, its a very open question how this plays out. In this moment, you are right it is a unifying for the as royal ease and The Americans. Dan and peter baker, thank you for the both of you. Up next reaction from a former u. S. Ambassador to israel. Stay with us. Ith us py place. The Massage Chair at the mall. But. He wasnt. Gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. Limu emu doug [bell ringing] and doug says, you can customize and save hundreds on Car Insurance with liberty mutual. he hits his mark center stage and is crushed by a baby grand piano. Are you replacing me . With this guy . Customize and save with liberty bibberty. He doesnt even have a mustache oh, look a bibu. [limu emu squawks. ] only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. 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Picture of the Empire State Building in New York City lit up with the colors of the israeli flag as a show of u. S. Solidarity after the deadly hamas attack there. More support overseas in berlin. The Brandenburg Gate is clothes in blue and white. Lets bring in the former u. S. And pastor to the u. S. And Senior Fellow at harvard belfort center. Mister ambassador thank you for making time for us tonight. I someone who has served there in israel, i want to get your reaction to what youve seen play out and what this means for the region . This is obviously a very significant event, icing it demonstrates, however that israels Deterrence Policy visavis hamas is not working. It is failing weve seen is this cycle of violence over the last few decades and there is no endgame. It just repeats itself. What makes this incident a major one is the scope of the ability of hamas to not only fire so many thousands of rockets into israel, but also to penetrate across the border with hamas militants. Capturing israelis and taking them hostage, with Hostage Situation both within israel and bringing the hostages into gaza, which is a major issue obviously for the israelis. And then, secondly, this scope of this attack or these attacks is changing the Political Landscape not only in israel but it has regional manifestations. My own view is that while israel has phenomenon technological surveillance, espionage capabilities, i think this is a real failure of human intelligence. What i mean by that is the inability to really measure at any real extend the intention of the hamas leadership and what they are about. This operation had to be planned months in advance. This is not an operation that just came up in the last 48 hours. Right fundamentally what were seeing here is a situation that would have major consequences in israel, in the palestinian territory and in the region itself. The word that is being used to describe what has happened today is unprovoked. Im curious to have your thoughts. Do you share that assessment or do you see what has been happening across israel proper inside the west bank and East Jerusalem as factors contributing to this escalation . There are those who will look and say this was hamas being hamas and those who will say this is a continuation of the ongoing conflict that is taking place in the west bank and East Jerusalem that has brought him up to this point. Well, unprovoked in a sense that there was a specific incident that was the cause, but provoked in the terms of allowing the palestinian issue to fester to so many years, israeli occupation, Palestinian Territories is well into its fifth decade. And it is an essential issue, it has become a trope amongst and analysts that all the Palestinian Issues no longer is a central issue, its less important and there are much more important issues like iran and regional integration that is really the focal point, but when Something Like