This. We have to warn here that it is hard to watch. [speaking in a global language] joining me now our correspondents who is live in israel. Nbcs foreign correspondent, molly, hunter is with us as. Well and the nbc security analyst. I want to start with you, rough. What casten what youre seen. Yeah, katie and just the last hour, Israel Security cabinet has formally declared a state of war in response to what tickles the murderous Terrorist Attack of gaza. They are talking about scenes like the one behind me. This is all thats left of what was an Israeli Police station at the heart of the city. It is overrun by gunmen. Katie, everywhere here, you can see debris from the Ferocious Gun Battle that follows. If my Camera Operator turns the camera here, you can see this is the remains of a jacket here. We dont know this belong to one of the hamas militants, or to an israeli soldier. Everywhere, katie, im not going to zoom in on, but in that tree there is still a body of one of these hamas militants. There are police cars in this area that are riddled with bullets. The Israeli Forces did eventually retake control of this area, but they were forced to destroy this Police Station using bulldozers. Throughout the day, we have been hearing israeli airstrikes overhead as fired or jets fly into gaza to continue strikes against hamas militants. There is still more than 24 hours after the Surprise Attack began, pockets of fighting inside of israel itself. Where there are still believed to be hamas militants at large. Katie, as israel mulls its options, the possibility of a largescale Ground Incursion, and one thing that is waned so heavily on the mind of netanyahu and others as what you just showed. The fact that there are israeli civilians being held hostage by hamas, by Palestinian Islamic jihad, inside of gaza right now. So this is not just a military operation, this is a Hostage Rescue on a scale, perhaps unlike anything the world has seen for generations now. We do not know exactly how many israelis are being held captive inside of gaza. We do know that israel will go to enormous lengths to get its people back. Israeli government also alarm not just that rocket fire in lebanon this morning, but also Egypts Foreign Ministry confirming the two israeli tourists were murdered today and the city of alexandria. The sign that the violence that started here in the holy lands may not start there. There are serious concerns that tension spread throughout the region. Raf, 600 dead in israel right now according to local media, which is just a shocking number, and something we havent seen in israel in decades. The country has now officially voted for they triggered article 40. How does that change things . What happens now . Well, katie according to Prime Minister netanyahu, there will be massive retaliation for the Surprise Attack. They dont know what form that will take, but i can tell you that all signs are pointing to a large scale is really Ground Incursion into the deathly populated gaza strip. As were driving to still vote today, we will see israeli tanks on trailers off the side of the road. We are seen as artillery being moved into position. We are Hearing Artillery throughout the day. Israel has called out thousands and thousands of his reservists. I can tell you, all signs under this newly declared state of war seem to be that israel is preparing for a ground offensive. As you, know katie, there are 2 million civilians who live in the gaza strip. This is under the control of the hamas militants. There is nowhere to, run nowhere to hide where the fighting comes to that does the Populated Areas of gaza city, and what has already been a devastating death toll of both sides. It may rise further as this war continues. There is nowhere for them to go. Let me ask you one more question that israel is going to great lands to achieve their own, to get them out, there are hostages. There are some on the right in israel, some lawmakers are saying forget about that, lets just flatten gaza city. Flatten it entirely. Dont worry about our hostages. Netanyahu has made alliance with those on the right. Do we have any indication, publicly, of where hes at on that . Will it be a grand incursion, as you talk about, on the inside of this. Yeah, katie, i can tell you that there is a broad consensus from left to right inside of israel that this is a country that will go to enormous lengths to get its people back. You might remember in 2011, israel freed more than 1000 palestinian prisoners to secure the release of one israeli soldier. He was being held captive by hamas inside of gaza. That is a decision taken by Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, a leader on the right. It was, in some ways, its a humbling moment for israel. They were forced to release so many of these convicted militants. It was a step that was almost universally agreed on here. I think this is a universal consensus in israel about getting these hostages back. The question is whether its feasible. There is almost an underground city and gaza. Beneath gaza city, tunnels. You can bet that hamas, however many hostages, we dont know the exact number, are taking these hostages. It is spreading them out. It is trying to make it as difficult as possible for israel to rescue these people. One of the concerns, of course, for the Israeli Military, is if they go into gaza on a large scale, how they do so without losing hostages. Russ sanchez, thank you very much. Lets talk about the concern that they are going to get into this conflict for there. Weve seen the attacks in the north, in the contested area of golan heights. What is the word about what is expected to happen next from that . Yeah, katie, we do have some new information on that. We have been talking about this rocket fire and this farm area. This is an area of the golan heights. This is occupied lebanese territory. This was not hit farther into israel, beyond the golan heights. At the moment, the peacekeeping forces in southern lebanon, even according to the Israeli Military, right now it seems that that has reinforced the peacekeeping forces. They say that it is volatile but stable. In a statement yesterday, they basically express solidarity with the Palestinian Hamas militant group. They say they are not neutral in this war. Our history, our, guns are rockets, there with you. Very clearly, they gave the palestinian factions and militants and lebanon permission to join the fight, but not to provoke too much. I think at the moment, volatile but staple is a pretty solid way to describe that northern border. That is the major fear, and why many allies, many western capitals in the region were really and a wait and see. What will israel do that could possibly involve and iran response . But right now, i think that northern border, at least for right, now were watching closely. So they claim theyre not going to get involved unless it involves gaza. It seems clear from Ras Reporting that there will be a Ground Incursion. That changes the game. Its going to change the game in the entire region. We heard raffa say, the two israeli tourists murdered in alexandria. That changes the entire regional calculation. If Israeli Forces going to a full blown Ground Invasion in gaza. I think that were really going to watch we spoke last hour about this, about the possibility of a civilian evacuation. We heard this from Benjamin Netanyahu about Gaza Civilians leave, of course. We know there is nowhere for those 2 Million People to go. One of those options, and only way out of the gaza strips through the Border Crossing with egypt. Is there a role that eta plays on a name and monetary again leveled to get the civilians to safety if it becomes inevitable . This International Pressure will be put on each. Up lets talk about intelligence. A massive intelligence failure, as molly noted, in the last hour. It is surprising that israeli officials didnt see this coming. From all indications, The Americans didnt see it either. Thats right, katie. I am stunned at this because i was just in israel this past summer. Ive been there a couple of times. It is the most technologically surveilled country that you have ever seen. They have Human Intelligence agents who are very much known for their Human Intelligence and their technical intelligence. They are always on a defensive posture, and well positioned. By, the way this is the 50th Anniversary of the yom kippur war. You would think that this is the time that you might be looking for something. I think its a stunning failure for, them sure theres great shock inside of israel. In terms of the Police Station that we saw there, at the beginning of the hour, this was not detected. Places like a Police Station could be surrounded inside israel is just going to be the chatham out to them as a massive failure and their nations history. They are usually well known for being positioned so that the idea that the militants could go across that border k to actually go in and surround, or take some of these communities, that is just unthinkable, i think, even just a few months ago. Veto me Something Like this might happen. As you noticed, above 50 years exactly to the young kapoor war. Just a couple days off. It also comes as israel has been dealing with a lot of internal division, a lot of anger towards the governments, Benjamin Netanyahu with his aligns with those on the far rights. His attempts to overhaul the judicial system. There were concerns that what he was doing was overly focused on the internal politics, and he was letting go of the military readiness that israel had been so known for. There were reservist werent showing up because they were and protest that benjamin attorney who was trying to do. Could part of, that could not be part of why this was messed . S. I think its both internal and external. Internally, israel had gone through a period of intense division, and then in that intense division, if you are watching whats going, on your seen people not show up to military duty, this would primary to potentially strike. The other important thing to think about is that israel had formalized relations with the uae. Lots of negotiations were formalized saudi arabia. For some of these militant group, they see it as running out of time, the shape of the middle east is changing. Its also an opportunity in terms of these forces both inside israel and outside israel. I think that looking forward now, it puts the country, is a ron is a supporter from, hospital other countries as well to make a decision about what theyll do in terms of the shape of the middle east and how theyll come and speak about it. The country, as you noted, is. Egypt egypt is going to be critical and understanding how this might escalate, or deescalates some of the ways that we might think about the intense urban conflict in gaza. If they go this is whats really interesting about this conflict for israel, they are securing space inside their country. They have to go into towns that are part of israel, secure those, and clear militants there before they can really think about any sort of counteroffensives and gaza. So its really complex military operation. As you just noted, as soon as across into gaza as you can expect the northern border becoming a contested area as well. So we could be looking at a long term problem here. Thank you very much. Still a, had what should the u. S. Will be and this conflict . Whats Congress Going to do about it . Youre watching msnbc. G msnbc. Not the other way. Zevo traps use light to attract and trap flying insects with no odor and no mess. They work continuously, so you dont have to. Zevo. Peoplefriendly. Bugdeadly. Just within the last hour, the Israeli Cabinet voted to formally declare war that israel is at war. Lets go to jerusalem where we find sky news correspondent. Alasdair, what does it mean for them to formally declare war . Robert we heard the israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, say that they are at war when he gave a statement to the nation yesterday. That the cabinet has met again today and agreed that the country is at war. I mean, it means a number of things when it comes to the operational capabilities of the Israeli Military. There is a massive call above reservists, people have been traveling back from nepal to join up with a Reservist Units within the Israeli Defense forces. They will now try to establish what their objectives are for the coming days. As well as weeks. It would be focused on the gaza strip, airstrikes have been going on all day. Theyre continuing now against targets within the gaza strip. Infrastructure, buildings, this might be working out of hamas tunnels. It is near the border fence. Weve already seen part of israels response, but they are struggling to get a grip. The security in their own territory, in the south of the country, and i think that we are only see in the beginning of war, what will be israels revenge, retaliation for what has happened. The americans love, Anthony Blinken, is saying that americans may be among the dead. The israelis have not released a number that they can confirm or missing or held hostage. There are over 600 dead. What is going on in terms of finding out where the missing . Or did they have an idea and theyre just not sane . Its hard to know. I wouldnt be surprised if they dont really have an idea. The situation has been so chaotic in the last 24 hours. They were caught completely by surprise. They are trying to establish if people are missing, or they dad, or how theyve been caption and taken back into gaza. I think one of the reasons weve seen that death toll, extraordinary death tolls, 600 israelis dead, one of the reasons weve seen that so dramatically in the last hour or two is because they are suddenly finding areas where, frankly, Massacres Of Taking place. Now they are trying to work out how many people ossoff got. Even if hamas themselves have said that some palestinians, some gazans who are not necessarily affiliated with the breach the fence, into israel, and captured israelis as well. I dont think even hamas are fully aware of how many hostages theyve taken. Anyone who knows israel knows that the sanctity of life, a monkey is really jews, is absolutely paramount to the israeli culture here. Its very different to the arab culture where if your martyr, that is something to celebrate. It is almost the opposite in israel. When you have a hostage situation, and its normally one or two, Something Like the israeli soldier held for five years. It causes a norma saying stomachs the israeli population to have this number, whatever it is, probably in excess of 100, perhaps more than, that being held hostage in gaza. This is simply unprecedented. Anthony blinken is now saying that the hostages we have heard that the leader of the opposition say that he was prepared to make alliance with Benjamin Netanyahu, a former unity government to freedom, his alliance with the farright. Has he had a reaction to that . Not now. My assessment is that its because were only into the second day of this. I think theyre going to prioritize military, strategic, objectives first. So that is getting control of the rest of the south of the country, and working out how theyre going to respond and gaza. I do think that it is possible that as the days play through, some sort of unity government could be considered. I think that benny gantz, who is the major opposition leader, who is leading and the Opinion Polls this year. He has been winning an election and the Opinion Polls, if an electrical tomorrow. He is a former my sense as well as that he would be open to some sort of unity government. I do not think that is off the table. I just dont think that it is the immediate priority for this government. Ill start, thank you very much for joining us. Hamass Unexpected Incursion into israel on saturday has shattered a period of relative calm and stability in the water middle east. The conflict, which is now involved, is raising concerns about the potential for a wider regional crisis. The United NationsSecurity Council plans itll open doors on the crisis this afternoon, according to their website. Im joining us now is the former spokesperson for the u. S. Mission to the u. N. , former director from lebanon and syria. The former terrorism and intelligence for the treasury department. Its good to see you. What role is lebanon going to play . We have seen this attack threatens, if the idf goes into the gaza strip, they will get more involved. It seems like thats going to happen. What was lebanon play . I would not take that stigma with a grain as