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Shaking, thunderous noise, booming would seem to be right in our backyard. It lasted for about two minutes. Youre going to Add Lava Deir is joining us now from macedonia ready at wolf if you can imagine this a debris field that is massive, four investigators to have to comb through one of the things that i find the most haunting about my memories of that day is that there were seven inspiring astronauts that were out there somewhere. I just find that so chilling to think about. It was probably the sato store i have are covered was so unexpected. But when residents found and astronauts helmet, and a crew members mission patch, that nightmare of what had happened became clear. You were sent out there for a beauty shop or a beauty shot of the shuttle going over that the last thing it was the beauty was shattered by tragedy. Add lavandera, cnn, dallas and be sure to tune and the brand new original series Space Shuttle columbia, the final flight premieres tonight at 9 00 p. M. Eastern in pacific only on cnn hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. Fredricka whitfield. We begin with a Major Development in the war in gaza after months of intense fighting israel says, it is withdrawing its Ground Forces from the Southern City of khan yunis, israel described the area as a major hamas stronghold. And it put together its biggest ever Military Division for the operation there as the city became a key battleground in the war, were also learning that israels planned reopening of the erez Border Crossing in the north gaza is being delayed. It would have allowed for more aid to flow into gaza. Todays developments follow a call last week between President Biden and really Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sources tell cnn that during that call President Biden gave Netanyahu A List of things that he wanted to see done to ease the Human Suffering in gaza and it all comes as israel marks a grim milestone. It has been exactly six months today since hamas attacked weve got full coverage for you, Priscilla Alvarez is in washington. Nic robertson and jerusalem and ben wedeman in beirut. Priscilla, you first, what more we learning about the phone call between biden and netanyahu well, sources are sharing more about the pressure that was placed by President Biden in this 30 minute call with the israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last week. Of course, this was a call that came at a critical moment and was put on the books after the deaths of those world central kitchen employees were killed in an israeli air or strike. Now, the president , according to sources tick through what changes in policy he wanted to see from israel primarily focused on getting more humanitarian aid into gaza that included opening up a land crossing, as well as a port and also ramping up supplies into the region. Now, according to a source israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu replied by saying that they were going to do just that. But the president went further saying he wanted to see those announcements soon. And in the hours that follow that call, the Israeli Security cabinet did approve those measures. Now the white house up until this point has welcome the moves that have occurred since that phone call, but said that its also not enough and that more is still needed on the horizon. Take a listen to National Security Council Spokesperson john kirby this morning the announcements. Israelis have made while welcome and important cant be the end of it. Weve got to see sustained changes in the way theyre operating on the ground and the way they are allowing humanitarian assistance to get in unmolested now, the us has maintained its support of israel and its right to defend itself. And what theyre making clear now is that there could be a change in the way the us is addressing this conflict of israel doesnt make changes. Of course what that is still remains to be seen all right. Priscilla, thanks so much. And nic, their in jerusalem talk more about this israeli withdrawal from khan yunis and what that means the idf is sort of giving it a big push if you will, theyre saying the saying that this is effectively marking the end of Ground Operations in gaza in the current form. Theyre leaving a sizable force in the north, 167 i can division, but the biggest division. And it has been by far the biggest division created for the fight in khan yunis since israels inception as a state it has been fighting that the 98th Division Since december early december, theyve lost a number of troops theyve found perhaps some of the biggest, deepest and most complex of the tunnel networks. They had a fight there, which, which the Division Commander described to me as like fight, fighting an attack a truce puzzle where you sort of get one piece in place and then you find that hamas has come up behind you because the tunnel network, you can take the ground on the ground, but you have no idea where hamas are underneath you. So its taken a long time for the fight there. And the idf is saying that theyve had big successes there however, theyre pulling the troops out. They say to recuperate and prepare for their next missions there, indicating even that they could be used in rafah to go into the Southern City of gaza where the idf says there are still four battalions of of Hamas Holding out, whether 1. 5 Million People but it does appear to be a significant mood and can contribute to perhaps an improved dynamic at the Negotiating Table in cairo. So potentially this could over a few days help pave the way towards a ceasefire and Hostage Negotiation Deal that hasnt been pulled off yet. All right. Nic robertson in jerusalem. Thanks so much. Ben wedeman, you in beirut, israel is also saying today that its preparing to move to attack posture from defense on the border with lebanon and hezbollah and Senate Majority leader chuck schumer, also saying the us is prepared for any potential iran attack. So help assess whats going on here are really here in lebanon fears of a broadening of the conflict to a regional war have escalated following the monday is rarely attack on the iranian consulate in damascus, which lead two senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary guard dead. Weve heard repeated statements from Senior Iranian officials that revenge is inevitable, and therefore, obviously, nerves are on edge here and today, for instance, the Israeli Military qatari, put out a statement which began readiness for the transition from defense to offense. In arabic, however, it came across as preparing to move from defense to attack. Now, when you read further into the text, both in arabic and english it sounds more like preparations for the possibility of of hostilities, talking about getting, making sure that the equipment and the personnel or either in place or ready to deploy. Nonetheless, against the background of all that people here certainly saw this and were quite alarmed coming after a few days when the Israeli Military announced that all combat units there leaves were canceled and also yesterday has bellow was able to shoot down and is rarely hermes 900 drone, a very advanced drone. And we saw yesterday there were ten separate his butler strikes on israeli targets on the other side of the border. So take it in all together. It certainly is reason for concern particularly if youre in lebanon all right. Ben wedeman nic robertson, and Priscilla Alvarez. Thanks to all let me appreciate it for more on all these developments now, under the middle east, lets bring in cnn Global Affairs analyst, former Defense Secretary under president trump, mark esper. Im good to see you. So this move by the Israeli Military to withdraw from khan yunis, lets focus on that first what does that signal to you about the idfs Ground Operations in gaza and its intent yeah. First of all, good afternoon, fredricka. Good to be with you its a little unclear to me frankly why they would do this now you know, typically if youre conducting what we call military operations on urban terrain. You dont pull troops out of areas that youve seized and cleared because the concern is that the enemy in this case, hamas militants will come in behind you and either continue to fight from behind you where attack you from behind. And thats what we saw a couple of weeks ago at the Al Hospital Complex where all of a sudden, the idf found itself fighting hundreds of hamas militants. They killed a couple of hundred, they captured 700 more. So its a little unclear to me, keep in mind too that khan yunis has also the hometown of yahya sinwar, the leader of hamas in in gaza. And hes the man that theyre going after presumably he is now in rafah with other senior hamas leaders, as are those remaining four hamas battalions. So its a little unclear as to why theyre doing this. Are they doing it, making a transition or are they trying is it a gesture to hamas . For the Negotiating Negotiations in cairo to kind of pick up some speed and some more seriousness. Who knows well, are you satisfied with israels effort or lack thereof to show proof of benefits from its strategy is it your feeling or is it even your experience that israel is conveying that the military operatives are conveying that those kinds of accomplishments to say the Department Of Defense or Even White House during that phone call, say with the president well, first of all, theres two sides to this coin and theyre not mutually exclusive. The first is the israel has the right to defend itself and prosecute this war against hamas and erotic kate, the leadership and destroy its military capabilities. I think they are in need to go into rafah to do that. But at the same time, they need to do a whole lot more when it comes to expanding humanitarian aid and assistance and reducing Collateral Damage and the killing of civilians. And im disappointed to hear this morning, but maybe they shut down the Erez Crossing again after promising President Biden 24, 48 hours ago that they would open it up. I think they should try and open up more crossings. And of course, i think they should increase the number of inspectors to increase the throughput as a result. So clearly they need to do more on that front also. But it also like to add as your reporters played out, they have a tough game here. I mean, theyre theyre looking at three fronts on the military side between hamas in gaza has built and lebanon and now were very concerned about a pending iran i mean, attack somewhere. And then they have to deal with the political side of this. The political Side Being Domestic Politics and israel dealing with President Biden 101. And then they have a broader International Community that is continues to pressure them to do more on the humanitarian side of things. So its a really complex, difficult again i should games probably not the right word, but tasked for Prime Minister netanyahu and israels leadership. And then you perhaps heard from our reporter ben wedeman there that there is also the issue of lost in translation, that the interpretation of that move could be misconstrued trued. Does that give you pause . Are you concerned about whether this war in the region could escalate, could spread as a result absolutely certainly when it comes to a hezbollah and Southern Lebanon the fighting, the exchange of artillery and rockets and missiles has been going on now for six months today, of course, being the sixth month and we were always concerned that at some point that might break out and look, theres been Tens Of Thousands of israelis displaced from northern israel as a result, hundreds of hezbollah militants killed that said his blood does not want to expand this war. The lebanese people do not want to see an expanded war because the last time has blocked. And israel went to war. It was really bad for these people. So i think on the lebanese his blood side, they dont want the conflict that expand probably israelis two at this point in time. But the wildcard right now remains iran because of what happened last week with the killing of senior irgc generals in syria. And of course, syria until same extent, lebanon are both Launching Points for iranian attacks against israel so thats why i think people are on on their nerves over there right now. All right. Former Defense Secretary mark esper. Thanks so much thank you. Fredreka coming up were just hours away now from the Solar Eclipse and excitement is building how cities and towns along The Path Of Totality are preparing for tomorrows Out Of This World moment but severe storms could threatened the view for some people a look at the forecasts after the break well play National Championship. 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