Israel are fighting continues, following the surprise large scale attack by hamas earlier is tuesday morning. Israel Security Cabinet has now officially declared the country is in a state of war. The u. S. Embassy in cairo is warning american citizens in egypt to, quote, exercise increased Security Awareness and precautions. The warning follows the reported murder of two israeli tourists in alexandria. And this morning on Meet The Press, Secretary Of StateAnthony Blinken said back in israel, americans could be among the dead and held hostage. In gaza, residents reporting a stream of rockets hitting multiple sites overnight. You could see smoke rising over Gaza City Skyline earlier today. In israel, more Rocket Attacks in the Border City Of Sderot. And now, new attacks in the north, hezbollah Firing Rockets on a long contested area in the golan heights. The fighting has shocked much of the world. The death toll is already high and it is still rising. The Palestinian Health ministry in gaza says 313 palestinians have been killed, and 1990 others injured. Israeli media now reports more than 600 are dead in israel, and more than 1800 are injured, making this by far the deadliest conflict for israel in decades. And while Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu has vowed to turn gaza into, quote, rubble, hitting back is not easy, as hamas has kidnapped a number of soldiers and civilians, maybe even more than 100, and taking them hostage back into gaza. [speaking in a global language] Allahu Akbar Allahu akbar [speaking in a global language] [speaking in a global language] [speaking in a global language] nbc news Foreign Correspondent raf sanchez is in the Border City Of Sderot in israel with more on the latest. Raf . Reporter israels government has now formally declared a state of war, the first time that has happened since 1973. Its a response to what it calls the murderous Terrorist Assault that came from gaza. And what theyre talking about art scenes like the one behind me. This is all what is left of what was and Israeli Police station in the Heart Of The City of sderot. It was overrun by hamas gunman answered a. There was a 20 hour gun battle as Israeli Forces try to regain control. They were ultimately forced to demolish the building using a bulldozer, and inside, you can see there are still bodies of some of those hamas militants. Under our feet, just hundreds and hundreds of shell casings, evidence of the Ferocious Gun Battle that was fought here. And over our heads, we are hearing the sound of israeli Fighter Aircraft on their way into gaza, carrying out, punishing strikes in response to this Surprise Attack that has truly shaken israel to its core. The deepest cut of all four israel is the fact that there are Israeli Citizens, both civilians and soldiers, being held Captive By Hamas and Palestinian Islamic jihad Inside Of Gaza right now. And it is that fact that with white most heavily on Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu and other israeli decisionmakers as they weigh their next steps. I can tell you everything we have seen over the course of the day, as we have driven the roads of southern israel, indicates that the Israeli Military is preparing for a largescale ground offensive into gaza. This would not only be a hugely complex military operation. It would be a Hostage Rescue Mission on a scale perhaps unlike anything the world has seen in generations. The Israeli Military says there are dozens, minimum dozens of israelis being held hostage there. Theyre likely now spread out through the tunnels underneath gaza city. They are an enormous prize to the hamas militants. But they are the children, the fathers, their mothers, the brothers and sisters of israelis who are heartsick today, trying to understand what will happen to their loved ones. Inside of gaza, there are hospitals overflowing with the dead and wounded, as these israeli airstrikes continue to come down. Its ralph as it has taken all precautions to minimize palestinian civilian casualties. But the reality is that there are 2 Million People living in incredibly dense conditions inside gaza. There is almost nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. And the death toll that we have seen already, devastating as it is, may just be the beginning of this war. Back to you. , raf sanchez, thank you very much. With me now, nbc news Foreign Correspondent, molly hunter. Molly, good to have you back. Secretary blinken was just on Meet The Press with our colleague Kristen Welker. And he is saying that there are americans that are potentially involved. Thats why, katy. He is saying that they are looking into the fact, looking into the idea that there may be americans among the very, very high death toll in israel. Lets take a listen to what he told kristen. So, we have reports that several americans may be among the dead. We are very actively working to verify those reports. Similarly, we have seen reports about hostages. And again, we are very actively trying to verify them. And nail that down. Nearly, katie is not sharing that information, whether or not the u. S. Has that information. I think one of the things that we have been grappling with in the last kind of 36 hours, 24 hours is that there hasnt been much information coming out of the Israeli Military. The Israeli Government, like they normally would, usually in these kind of military operations, ive covered lots of them, the Israeli Military controls the narrative. They update very, that he frequently. As we just heard from raf, the Hostage Situation is among the most sensitive, both for the israeli country, society as a whole, but also, of course, for the Israeli Government. And we dont know, at least, they have not shared how many hostages may be inside the gaza strip. We do see the Death Toll Ticking up. But i think theres so much confusion. We know theres active fighting in southern israel, at least six, seven different spots, in those settlements, those cities that border the gaza strip. We also know that the Israeli Government is trying to get israeli civilians out of that area, as raf says, to prepare the ground, really, for a possible full scale incursion. But there is so much information that it is government is not sharing with us. Im not sure if the u. S. Necessarily knows if there are Many Americans, how many have en killed, if there are americans, who have been taken hostage . We dont know. Interestingly, katie, i got an update from where i am here in london. These really ambassador to the uk has just said that 100 israelis have been kidnapped. That is the first kind of, in any way, solid number that we have been given. Earlier today, hamas said the numbers being reported or much less than in the real number they have threatened, they said they would release the full number later today, katie. Molly, it is shocking. And the idea that israel did not see this coming, that this was something that could happen on israeli soil, and in these israeli towns has been shocking for the world community. But for israelis and particular, what does that going to do for the public support of Benjamin Netanyahu . Katie, we have been talking for the last year, Benjamin Netanyahu, excuse, mes embattled. He is not popular. There have been huge protests over the last year against Prime Minister netanyahus policies. Domestically, he is incredibly a challenge. He is divided with his government. Of course, he has allied himself with the most extreme rightwing Israeli Government that that country has ever seen. What is interesting, though, twofold. One, on the intelligence side. As we just mentioned, one of the things that analysts have been talking to me about for the last day or so is this domestic distraction, was that kind of part of the fact that the Israeli Intelligence were misinformed, was there too much going on, too much divisiveness . There was a lot of finger pointing. As the israeli spokesperson for the military said overnight, though, that is a question for later. But Prime Minister netanyahu will pay a domestic price for this. There are people who are so, angry, many, many israelis who are so angry that this has happened to them. Prime minister netanyahu has banked his multiple premierships on being the sole protector of the israeli people. He has been in charge of that country during multiple wars. This is a man who is not gunshy. He is ad hoc. Hes been certainly allied with many hawks in his government, not more than the current ones in his government. But i do think it will be very interesting, even the people that have been protesting, katie, those protests were canceled yes or day. I think lots of people, of course, reserves are being called up. So, even if there was a lot of kind of criticism of Prime Minister netanyahu, when there is a country at war, when there are people that have friends, families being attacked, it will be very interesting to see who lines up right now alongside and behind Prime Minister netanyahu, and whether that political price is kicked down the road. Molly, thank you. Lets bring in Andrea Mitchell to this conversation. Andrea, its good to have you. With secretary Antony Blinken saying that there are potentially americans along among the dead, held hostage. How does that change the american response . It changes everything about the american response. There will always be completely behind israel in this. And they have a pipeline. He said also, where they can supply the israelis without a speaker, without ability to pass that with legislation in the short term at least. But if americans are involved, the intelligence, the whole focus will be changed. It will become, you know, a personal matter, of course, for the u. S. Politically, its very important if americans are involved, as both victims have been killed, or as hostages. Now, we have an american Hostage Situation potentially in one of the worst places in the world, the tunnels of gaza. And how do you retaliate . Normally, Benjamin Netanyahu would use overwhelming force, almost immediately. Now, both he and the u. S. Have to calculate, could you be killing Human Shields, american and Israeli Human Shields . What sort of pressure might the americans be putting on egypt in this . Because egypt controls the other side of the gaza strip. The blockades coming from two countries. Any pressure on egypt . Theres a lot of pressure on egypt. There is pressure on everyone. But we have already had tourists killed in egypt. Youve got his ball law now in lebanon, hitting israel from the north. So, it is already a two front war. And potentially the west bank. Israel is isolated and surrounded geographic lou, but a test such a Motor Advantage that at least once they are engaged, now theyre engaged, theyre calling up everyone. Now theyrewe all hear reports. We heard from the editor yesterday, the report about all israelis other than the much smaller, politically powerful group, and the orthodox jews, all israelis, men and women, have had to go to Military Service for decades. Theyve been called up for business is from government, you know, from the press corps, from all sectors of israeli life. So, they will have a large force mobilized. But the first thing, they have to regain what they have lost. The fact that what Israeli Police and other government agencies, Law Enforcement agencies, Military Bases taken in the immediate attack, the fact that there wasnt in the invasion in one of the most secure borders in the world, the gaza israeli border, from the israeli perspective, is just unheard of, land, sea, and air. The Surprise Factor of, this Intelligence Failure, clearly an Intelligence Failure on the israeli side, and the u. S. Side, how could they not have picked it up . One question is where they distracted . With israel distracted by a year of internal protests which involved the military and the intelligence, demoralizing both of those. Those numbers of Law Enforcement, security agencies, as well as the israeli public. And the destruction here in the u. S. Politically. And not focused enough on the way the incursion into palestinian lands, the escalating violence from both sides in the west bank was affecting israeli security. There will be a lot of Monday Morning quarterbacking on what went wrong. Andrea mitchell, molly hunter, thank you ladies. Im joined now by democratic congressman Gregory Meeks of new york. He is the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs committee, congressman, it is good to have. You can restart there an intelligence. I mean, the tensions have been bubbling in that area in israel between the palestinians and the israelis now for a few years, going back to what happened in the or the israelis reading it. There have been skirmishes in the west bank, this has been bubbling. How did the u. S. Not see this coming . Look, number one, clearly there is a huge failure of intelligence. And generally, the United States and israel works closely together with reference to that. I think we will have more dialogue and conversations in the gaps of the Intelligence Failure, particularly in classified sessions, i had a small briefing this morning. I know that there is going to be a classified session that i should be a part of, and no Hope Congress will be having this back on tuesday. But the focus right now has to be on those hostages. The focus has to be regaining the land that was taken by hamas, a lot of its being taken back. The focus has to be that we have to focus on getting rid of the hamas leadership. One of the things that this hamas group, the reason why they hate is because they refuse to say that israel has the right to exist. And when youre talking about having peace, you have to have two sides thats willing to negotiate. And if one side is saying that you dont have the right to exist, then they are going to continue to try to plot and do something devastating, as we have just seen. This is not something that just popped up overnight, clearly. How do you deal with it . Hamas controls the gaza strip. And they use Human Shields when israeli fires rockets back, and the death toll among the civilians climbs. They use that for pr purposes. How do you get control of it when there are so many civilians involved, who may not have a choice in this matter, have nowhere to go. Theyre under blockade. Its not like you can escape and go to another town. It is everywhere there. So how do you deal with that when one of the Negotiating Partners is a terrorist organization . You know, this is devastating. And it is gonna be devastating. And i think what the president United States is doing now, what we need to do more is, and i think thats what the essence of what the Abraham Accords was supposed to put together. To get some of the arab countries in the surrounding area to work, support, and help the palestinians, to have that negotiation so that they do have a way to go. But to put pressure on hamas also, where everyone turns and understands that they dont care about the palestinian people. They only care about the destruction of israel. Its the reason going to get more involved . Right now, the images of what i must have done our bad with the massacre people at a bus stop, what might have happened in this desert raid, the death toll among israelis is 600. The idea that they are kidnappi