Thanks very much for joining us, im wolf blitzer, In Washington. We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. This is cnn newsroom. Were following the major Breaking News out of israel this hour. Israel declaring it is at war, war with hamas. It follows an unprecedented attack on israeli soil by hamas. At least 70 israelis are now confirmed dead. More than 900 wounded. Numbers that are clearly expected to rise in the coming hours. The attack catching israel clearly by surprise. At sunrise, the Palestinian Militant Group launched their offensive by air, sea, and land. Hamas fighters infiltrating israeli towns launching more than 3,000 rockets into israel. Scenes of urban warfare, as gunfights unfolded features israeli and Palestinian Militants and just a short time ago, i spoke with the Israeli Military spokesman. When we target someone, we go for a military target. These terrorists came in this morning, they didnt go only for military targets. They went into communities. They abducted grandmas. They abducted families. They killed children. A very, very severe morning. And we are going to respond. Israel is now clearly striking back, launching its own air strikes into gaza. Palestinians say nearly 200 have been killed there. Israel also mobilizing its troops and calling up Tens Of Thousands of Reserve Forces for active duty. This is a very fastmoving situation and it is unfolding, and i want to bring back cnns hadas gold joining us from jerusalem right now. I know youre getting more information. Whats the latest . Reporter the latest were getting right now is the Israeli Military is confirming that there have been kidnappings, captors, what theyre called Prisoners Of War, Israeli Soldiers and civilians, they are not giving specific numbers, but we do believe them to be in the dozens. We do believe that some of those, or not all of them, have been taken to gaza. We do have videos of at least some Israeli Soldiers appearing to be taken out of the israeli tank, by Palestinian Militants, but we are now hearing confirm place from the Israeli Military not only are these Prisoners Of War as theyre calling them but were hearing of Hostage Situations. These are Hostage Situations in israeli villages and at least two israeli villages and towns in Southern Israel. As we speak, hostages are being held by militants in israeli villages and towns near the gaza border, again, we dont have specifics on the numbers who are being held, but the Israeli Military clearly calling this a very, very active situation, as they try to clear out the militants from these areas. It is now entering hour 12 of this conflict. As we noted, thousands of rockets have been fired towards israel from gaza. And we are still referring regular reports of airraid sirens going off, mostly targeting Southern Israel. We had a few sirens ourselves here, All The Way Out Here In Jerusalem earlier today. We heard several explosions overhead. Those could have been inceptions. Those could have been rockets making impact. We have not heard any sirens in the last few hours. It has been relatively quiet in jerusalem. Not the case in Southern Israel at all. And most concerning is the infiltrations of these Palestinian Militants who came literal bebe air, paragliding, by land, by sea, and there was a major question, what was the security failure, how did this israel not see this first of all happening, coming, how did the militants make their way in, were they already in israel, and we are hear brg the casualties, at least 70 have been killed, more than 090 wounds, this is on the israeli side of things, palestinians are reporting 198 killed and more than 1600 wounded the but some of those fatalities are said to be actually be within israel. So these would be militants who had entered israel being killed in firefights. This is a very, very quickly unfolding situation that is continuing to move very quickly. The Israeli Military is calling up Tens Of Thousands of reservists, not only of course for the air strikes that weve seen going on targeting hamas targets in gaza but to reinforce israeli communes around israel, especially in the south. As they continue to contend with these militants. As we speak, firefights are ongoing in some of these towns around gaza, the town most, many people are familiar with that sits right near the border between gaza and israel, literally as we speak, fire fights continue. We are now entering hour 12, with accounts from israeli civilians essentially trapped in their homes as they hear gunfire going on right outside of their homes, calling for ask, asking for help, israeli families on air trying to find Family Members because there was a festival, a nature and Music Festival going on not far from the border that Militants Attacked, and so there is a fear of a number of wounded and dead as a result of that, as well. This is the situation that will likely go on for some time. Israeli military, the israeli Prime Minister calling it a state of war. The response will likely continue in intensity over the next few hours, over the next few days, hamas is calling this the alaksa storm, directly connecting it to a rise, and there was no a major raid at the compound, there was not a major clash, or a major capture of a militant of some sort that might have triggered this. And it is so clear that israel was caught by surprise. The parallels to 50 years ago to the day to the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and israel was also caught by surprise, an attack also on a jewish holiday, today is a jewish holiday, the parallels here are stunning. Wolf . Very significant indeed. Is there any evidence so far that any of these Military Reservists who have been activated have been called up for duty right now, as a result of this war, are refusing to serve because of their earlier opposition to netanyahu governments judicial Overhaul Program . Reporter no, not yet, and we actually did hear from one of those major organizations representing those reservists. They call themselves Brothers And Sisters in arm. They sent out a statement quite early on the day calling on the reservists to heed the call to serve during this time and to go to their duty when called. According to the Israeli Military, they have not had, at least they have not recorded any significant effect on their preparedness or on reservists who are saying they will not serve as a result of this. This is the major test, everybody has been talking about, as a result of the judicial overhaul that netanyahu has planned and reservists saying im not going to serve a government with this type of judicial overhaul and there was a question, if there is a Major Military operation, how will they respond and so far were seeing theyre responding to the call to serve. Thats what im hearing as well, hadas. Right now im joined on the phone by michael herdoing, the israel ambassador to the United States. Thanks for joining us. It is sad that were talking under these circumstances right now. The idf, as you know says the fighting is ongoing right now. Firefights and more than 20 various locations, as hamas Militants Attack by land, air, and sea. Against israel. What can you tell us, first of all, ambassador about this rapidly evolving situation, with israeli civilians and hostages involved . So israel is looking at the war on a holy day in the jewish calendar, and hamas earlier in the day, launched thousands of rockets and they sent in dozens, reaching the border, and firefights and other means and now fighting going on as we speak in israeli villages across the border. This is war. This is an unprovoked war. And we have to fight this war, and we are to win this war and we will do it. As you know, ambassador, President Biden has now spoken with the israeli Prime Minister benjamin netanyahu, what can you tell us, if anything, about that conversation, and the partnership between the two nations in this very critical moment . I would say it was a very good call, and we appreciate the stre strong statements of support issued by the white house and the State Department. I think everybody understands that this unprovoked attack on israel deserves a very strong unequivocal condemnation and support for israels right to selfdefense, and as i said, this is war, and were to fight this war and win it. I understand the israeli Prime Minister has convened his National Security cabinet for an Emergency Meeting right now. What can you tell us about that . Has there been a formal Declaration Of WarJust Announced . There is a declaration in that we are in a state of war, and we are calling in reservists, for active duty. And i think hamas made a mistake by Being Overimpressed by the internal debate in israel, but everybody who knows israel knows that, or understands that in moments like that, israelis close ranks and join hands, and we are all in it together. Israel and the world as you know, were caught offguard by this widespread, rather sophisticated hamas attack earlier this morning. How concerned are you, ambassador by that . Was this an Intelligence Failure on the part of israel . There was an element of surprise. Well get to that later. Right now, we have to fight a war, and win, as i said. Later on, well have time to investigate what happened. As i say, hamas was overly impressed by the internal debate in israel, but i also think that their intention is to derail the joint u. S. israel effort to bring about peace in the middle east. Ambassador, youre the ambassador of israel to the United States. If israel is now in a State Of War With Hamas In Gaza and potentially this could escalate into other areas as well, hezbollah, and south lebanon, for example, and maybe even from some groups on the west bank, what, if anything, do you need from the United States right now . What is your major need, militarily speaking . Right now, we are assessing the situation, assessing our needs, and to the extent that we will need some support, we will not hesitate to ask for it. And im confident that the administration and Congress Will Support Israel in this difficult moment. And what happens in the iron dome, israels very sophisticated air defense system, that has been so effective in earlier confrontations, were seeing these pictures coming in from areas there, rehobeth, other populated areas, not far from gaza, civilian areas, that have literally been destroyed, whats going on with israels Air Defense Capabilities . Well, i think you are already seeing it in action, what happened is, as we all understand, the hamas launched this surprise attack out of the blue, so not all the batteries were in a state of preparedness, but i think that is going to change very soon. This is clearly a significant moment in israels history right now. And as you note and a lot of people have noted it coming almost exactly on the 50th Anniversary of the 1973 war when egypt and syria surprised israel and launched the attack at that time, causing, it really caught the Israeli Military by surprise. Help our viewers better understand, ambassador, how significant this moment right now is for israel and what could come next. This is a very significant moment for israel. Israel is under attack. And im confident that the same as 50 years ago, we are surprised but we ultimately prevailed and won the war. I think the same will be in this case. Ambassador michael herzog, thanks for joining us. Thank you very much, wolf. The white house is now weighing in on the surprise attack by hamas of israel. Were following all of the latebreaking developments. Our special breaking News Coverage will continue right after this. Were following the Breaking News out of israel right now, israel is clearly at war right now with the Palestinian Militant Group hamas in gaza. That war started earlier this morning when hamas launched various strikes against israeli targets. I want to bring in cnns sam kiley who has covered israel and reporting from israel for a long time this. Appears to be at least so far a major failure of intelligence on israels part. What is your analysis . I think it is clear that it is a disastrous failure of intelligence, but that is the backward look, for historians already, i think, wolf, because right now, there is an ongoing firefight in israeli kibbutz, plural, there are Hostage Situations inside israeli territory, and now hamas, as has been partly confirmed by the Israeli Defense forces, claiming that it has taken hostages into gaza. Possibly dozens of them. Now, we have seen video at least of one israeli woman taken into gaza, in a captured Israeli Military jeep. We have seen other military images of a soldier, alive, being captured after his tank was destroyed. His whereabouts or indeed whether or not he is alive still is unknown. But conceivably, he is now a prisoner of war as the israelis would call him, and he inevitably will be treated as a hostage by hamas. This has been a very complex operation. Very clearly sealed off even from hamas allies on the west bank, where there has not been a parallel uprising as hamas might have liked to have seen. Precisely i think they needed to keep it very close and they have been able to penetrate through the gaza wall, as we know, in the past, they have used tunnels, they used them again, they used seaborn attacks, the idf has released pictures of them trying to stop some of those and successfully stopping some of those seaborn infiltrations into israel. And then even paragliders flying over the gaza fence, and into israel proper. So all of this adding up to a very complex attack with a lot of forplanning by hamas militants beginning at dawn with the massive salvo of rockets now numbering at least 3,000 rockets fired in a day. A very substantial use of rocks, causing the israelis to be at least temporarily on the back foot. Now, inevitably, that means that benjamin netanyahu, the Prime Minister, wolf, is essentially declared a state of war with hamas, theres Mass Mobilization of israeli troop, but the conundrum for the israelis now is how do they go in and stop this, how do they go in and rescue these hostages, and how do they go in and break the back of hamas, which theyve tried and failed to do in the past. Essentially, this is a trap that hamas has laid for israelis. Hamas will know that they want to send in grounds troops, into gaza, and if the israelis do do that, no doubt, hamas has got all kinds of operational activity planned for that, now, of course, israelis have good intelligence, normally speaking, about what is going on in gaza, and are currently hitting a number of hamas, at least 70 hamas or alleged hamas locations inside the gaza strip. But the real problem is going to be how theyre going on the ground, and this is how it unfolded in the last few hours. Palestinian militants celebrate the destruction of an israeli tank near gaza. Dragging what appears to be the body of a crewman from the vehicle. Dozens of Gazabased Palestinian fighters have infiltrated israel, under the cover of a massive rocket bombardment. In what could be the biggest Israeli Intelligence failure since arab nations attacked israel 50 years ago. Hamas brought war to the streets. Its bullets tearing into a civilian vehicle, locals filmed fighters on rooftops and shooting at police. Here, the aftermath of the gun battle, israeli civilians lie dead on the street. Close by, what are reported to be Palestinian Militants also dead. We are at war. Not an operation. But at war. This morning, hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the Early Morning hours. Israel has already hit back with air strikes. But the countrys right wing government will be under pressure to attack deeper into gaza, as reserves are being mobilized, countrywide. Its very possible that we will witness a massive Israeli Ground operation in gaza streets, that basically will aim to try and change total