That does it for us tonight. My new book, prequel, goes on sale tonight at midnight, both the Print Version and the audiobook version which i recorded. I am very nervous about that, but its happening, whether or not im nervous. Now, its time for the last word with lawrence odonnell. Good evening, lawrence. Good evening, rachel. In the latest information about the president s trip to israel, as the report indicated, they already made an agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu that there will be a deal on how to handle humanitarian aid. And that is the kind of thing that is frequently done before these meetings, so that they are guaranteed some results. Im gonna ask ben rhodes about this when he joins us in this hour. Excellent. I was just talking about that with a man as well. Sometimes, you stack a president ial visit like this with an announcement so the president can be there to announce the details and it is paired with this visit. I really hope that we get some meat on the bones on that announcement because it could be it is life or death for hundreds of thousands of people. It is what everyone is waiting to hear. Thank you. Thanks, lawrence. The state of israel was established in 1948. 26 years later in 1974, Richard Nixon became the first president of the night states to visit israel. Most president s since then have visited israel at least once. But no president of the United States as ever visited israel during wartime. Tonight, Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken speaking in israel at three or four a. M. , and made this historic announcement. Good morning. On wednesday, President Biden will come to israel. Hes coming here at a critical moment for israel, for the region, and for the world. And he is coming here to do the following. First, the president will reaffirm the United States solidarity with israel, and our ironclad commitment to its security. President biden will again make clear, as hes done unequivocally, since hamas slaughter on of more than 1400 people, including at least 30 americans, that israel has the right and indeed the duty to defend people from hamas and other terrorists and to prevent future attacks. The president will hear from israel what it needs to defend its people, as we continue to work with congress to meet those needs. Second, President Biden will underscore it was still clear message to any actor, state or non state, trying to take advantage of this crisis to attack israel. Dont. To that and, he is deployed to Aircraft Carrier groups and other military assets to the region. There are, the president will continue to coordinate closely with our israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by hamas, including men, women, small children, Holocaust Survivors, and american citizens, as an indispensable humanitarian effort. Fourth, President Biden will receive a comprehensive briefing on israels warnings and strategies. Fifth, the president will hear from israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in gaza in a way that does not benefit hamas. To that end, today, and at our request, the United States and israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians in gaza. And them alone, including the possibility of creating areas, to help keep civilians out of harms way. It is critical that aid begin flowing into gaza as soon as possible. We share the concern that hamas macys or destroy eight entering gaza or otherwise preventing it from reaching it from people who needed. If hamas in any way blocks humanitarian assistance from reaching civilians, including by seizing the aid itself, it will be the first to condemn it, and we will work to prevent it from happening again. We welcome the government of israels commitment to work on this plan. The president is looking forward to discussing it further when he is here on wednesday. Thanks very much. After Secretary Blinkens announcement, national sy Council Spokesperson john kirby said this. On the same day that the president travels to israel, he will travel to a man, jordan, where he will meet with majesty king abdullah, the egyptian president sisi and Palestinian Authority president mahmoud abbas. Joining us now from the Israel Gaza Border is nbc news correspondent ellison barber. Ellison, what is President Biden likely to see or be in the middle of when he arrives in israel . Reporter you know, thats the big question. We have seen u. S. Senators, Majority Leader senator Chuck Schumer, and republican senator mitt romney, who visited israel in recent days. They were here yesterday. And there was an Air Raid Siren in tel aviv. They had to be rushed into a shelter. That is a very real risk for all of israel right now. And that certainly will be a risk when the president is here. This is not going to be his first visit to a war zone as president. Remember, in february of this year, he did spend 24 hours on the ground in kyiv, ukraine. We were just in a press briefing, a phone press briefing, with a spokesperson for the idf, and we were able to ask him if he thinks there will be any sort of impact or delay to their military plans because of the president s visit. I want to read you a little of what he said. This is Lieutenant Colonel jonathan. He said to our question, short answer is, i dont know. We will have to see. A little bit of a longer answer, he said, i dont think so, but we will have to see. And we would probably have more information tomorrow morning. I am sure the Israeli Government will make statements. He went on to say, i dont think that the aim of this visit is to hinder at all meaning, israels Military Operations. He said im sure what needs to be done is just to minimize the chances of a regional escalation, and to make sure, as a show of support and commitment to israel security, that israel has everything it needs to defend itself. The idf has said the next phase of this war will include an integrated and coordinated attack from air, sea, and land. We have been in this area on the north part, just to the north of gaza, on the Israel Gaza Border for days now. At about 1 48 am local time, we started to hear one of the most significant volleys of artillery that we have heard in the last couple of days. It began at about 1 48 am local time. It lasted until 38 and. Heavy caliber artillery fired in the direction of gaza. Let me let you listen to some of that because it will give you a sense of whats going on here and what the president could potentially see and hear during his visit. Listen. Visit listen reporter okay, they are saying we dont have that sound. But i can tell you, lawrence, it was constant. It was waves. You would see the flash in the distant, near gaza, near where we are. And then, you would hear that loud boom. There have been lows in the last couple of days as weve been here. But we have seen this constant Military Presence and escalation of troops, tanks, other equipment along the border here. Everything we have seen suggesting they are in a position to launch that anticipated ground assault. As soon as they decide the time is right. But, you know, obviously, a president ial visit could change things and someone in the region. But exactly how, we dont know. But there is not much control in a war zone, and thats the reality anytime the president makes a visit like this. Lawrence . Ellison barber, reporting from israel, thank you very much for starting off our coverage at this hour. Thank you. And joining us now is ben rhodes, former Deputy National security adviser for president obama. He is an msnbc political analyst. Ben, it seems likely that israel will not launch a land invasion, or Ground Invasion of gaza before President Biden leaves israel. Yes, lawrence. I cant imagine that israel would do that, both because of the potential risk of escalation while President Biden is there. And also, just because i think the purpose of this visit is to have a consultation, a full, robust, comprehensive consultation between President Biden and the Israeli Government before they launch that invasion. So, i think that this indicates that the timeline for that Ground Invasion is likely moving a bit to the right here. In the less than three minutes, Secretary Blinken laid out the agenda for President Biden when he comes to israel. He easily described the single most important meeting by a president of the United States in israel that has ever occurred. Yes, not even close, lawrence. I mean, this is absolutely unprecedented. Obviously, whats happened in israels unprecedented. The risk of regional escalation is unprecedented. And the idea of a president being in that kind of circumstance, where there is literal danger in terms of the rockets that are continue to come at tel aviv, but also, there whisks about not knowing where exactly this is going. What is clear is that Secretary Blinken was on that trip. He went to every major partner, partner in the region, after consulting with israel. And clearly, what he determined is there are a number of issues where its absolutely central to the u. S. And israel, theyre on the same page. How do we prevent regional escalation . What is the messaging that has to be done to iran, and groups like hezbollah, to prevent escalation . How can we ensure a sufficient humanitarian component to end the israeli operation in gaza that does not set the region on fire . And im sure thats the message that Secretary Blinken was getting from those air partners, that we have to take every step possible to both have an israeli operation, and also mitigates the arm to palestinian civilians. Clearly, Secretary Blinken took all those messages from arab leaders back to israel, compared notes, and saw whether or not the time was right for President Biden to step in like this. And the fact that he was meeting with seven hours with Prime Minister netanyahu indicate this is real substance, right . This wasnt window dressing, the Secretary Meeting with a foreign leader to the president s visit. They were really negotiating the agenda, the deliverables, the announcements that will come from President Biden as well during that visit. Yeah, at the Washington Post is reporting, u. S. Officials waited to announce President Bidens traveled to israel until they received commitments from israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu on a humanitarian package monday night, according to two u. S. Officials familiar with the discussions. And then, thats all about that sevenhour meeting that Secretary Blinken was in. Thats right. And you heard even in his remarks, tonys remarks, i think they clearly indicated what the back and forth and the points of tension are on this. On the one hand, there is an overwhelming imperative to address the humanitarian crisis in gaza, and that is growing more acute. And then, again, it really was the concern that tony blinken heard from all the different arab leaders, and obviously from leaders around the world. On the other hand, you heard in his messaging what the israelis are concerned about, which is that we provide a humanitarian corridor into gaza. We start shipping eight into gaza. If we create safe zones in gaza, then hamas we manipulate that, that they will dispute disrupt the aid, try to get their hands on things that might be used for military purposes as well. So, i think you heard, even though you heard those remarks from tony blinken, we heard exactly what was discussed in that meeting with Prime Minister netanyahu, which is that u. S. Wanting to make sure that there was a commitment to humanitarian effort to alleviate the situation in gaza. But israel wanting to hear from the United States that we understand that there is a risk that hamas could try to take advantage of that. And that clearly was a big part of the discussion in that meeting that tony blinken had in israel. There is a lesson, i would say, in the last 24 hours for people watching this coverage across television networks, with the president Last Night On 60 minutes, he was asked, pressed about humanitarian aid in gaza. And he was minimally forthcoming. He certainly said that it is necessary, we have to figure out something. The team is working on something. And of course, much more was going on than what was indicated in his answers 24 hours ago. 24 hours later, you see a hint of how much more. And of course, that means whatever we know tonight, there is even more going on underneath that. Thats exactly right, lawrence. I have been in situations like this. This one is perhaps more acute. But what has been going on is constant communication between the secretary of defense, the pentagon, and the idf, between im sure, the nsc, National Security adviser, Tony Sullivan and his counterparts. Tony blinken did a shuttle of diplomacy around the region. And really, the position of United States has meant President Biden has put himself in. He saw the trauma that this attack imposed on israel, they were thick nature of it. And their imperative to respond. He wrapped his arms around israel, quite literally, with his initial messaging. But then, obviously, theyre also looking to see theres risk here. There is risk that this Military Operation goes forward in haste, that it could prompt a regional escalation. As weve talked about, hezbollah coming in, the west bank exploding, air Public Opinion exploding. There is risk, obviously, to the civilians in gaza. Clearly, what the United States has been trying to do, saying to israel, lets take just a moment here, and think through how can we manage this operation . We know you are going to undertake that in ways that mitigate that risk. But theyre more likely to prevent regional escalation. We, the United States, well show you our commitment to our security, not just through our messaging, but by two Aircraft Carrier groups that are being sent to this mission to send a message to iran to stay out of this. At the same time, though, we need to see something from israel that indicates that they understand that the world is watching the humans are in crisis in gaza as well. It is incredibly complicated, but clearly, the administration once that messaging done in private, when it comes to the nature of the content crisis and how to alleviate that. The only tip of the hand, President Biden does not want to see a full reoccupation of gaza. But underneath that, in order for his visit to happen, because it is incredibly consequential and a risky step, lawrence. They are leaning into this thing. There was this, you have ownership of whatever happens next. But the reward is you can impact and you can prevent that regional escalation. And you might be able to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. And clearly, joe biden is determined that its better to lean in and try to have a new patio and dick summers about where this thing might go, then to step back. President biden, he always seems to have his eye on the risk, and of course the possible reward but then also. And perhaps more than others have in the past in israel, what he sees as his duty. Yes. You know, its both something people into wouldve too. And i dont know how many times i was in a room with President Biden when he would tell the story about going there in the 70s for the first time and meeting with Prime Minister gould mayer of israel, and telling him that the reason that were gonna be here is that we dont have anywhere else to go. Its something he feels intuitively. The other thing that i think is really important, lawrence, psychologically, i think, he understands that israelis feel vulnerable right now. They feel isolated. It is always the case. There are few places on earth where people are more appreciative of visits, of people stepping feet on the ground than israel. I cant even imagine what the impact of this visit will be on the psychology of israel, given how Vulnerable People are feeling right now. They are seeing the United States government literally is c