Ground there as they heard the sirens go off. Israel is now striking back. Its launched its own air strikes into gaza, where palestinians say hundreds have been killed and many, many more injured. New video from cnn shows this Tower Collapsing in gaza city following an air strike. Israel also is mobilizing troops and calling up tens of thousands of reservists. Sam kiley has the latest. Reporter Palestinian Militants celebrate the destruction of an israeli tank, dragging what appears to be a 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 250 years ago. Hamas brought war to the streets. Its bullets tearing into civilian vehicles. Locals on rooftops and shooting. Here the aftermath of a gun battle. Israeli civilians lie dead on the street. Close by are what are reported to be Palestinian Militants, also dead. We are at war. Not an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning hamas launched a Surprise Attack against israel and its citizens. They have been in this since the Early Morning hours. Reporter 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 strip that basically will aim to try and change from the ground the conditions for the last almost two decades. Reporter israels death toll climbed throughout a day of fighting. Militants claim they have taken several israelis hostage, which the Defense Forces are saying are Prisoners Of War, and the hamasled operation is the most complex and ambitious in its history. Here militants on the best bank foreshadowed what was coming to cnn last october. There are extensive meetings with the resistance factions in gaza on the west bank and with our brothers abroad about starting that fire. Reporter that fight now appears to have begun in gaza with this hamas call to arms. If you have a gun, get it out. This is the time to use it. Get out with trucks, cars. Today the most glorious and honorable history begins. That appeal has so far not been answered on the west bank or among Israels Palestinian population, not yet. Sam kiley reporting there. That was sam kiley. So lets bring in head of the Palestinian Mission to the uk. Welcome to the program. First and foremost, do you condemn what hamas did inside israel to israeli civilians . Theyre dead and there are hostages. First and foremost, the Western Media must abandon this framework that has gotten us to where we are today. I just want to know, do you support the killing of civilians . Of course not, of course not. So you condemn that . The loss of civilian life is tragic on all sides and what is happening is extremely worrying and very tragic, as we speak the loss of life, youve counted 70, they believe there is more than 200 so far, more than 1,600 entire as compounds are being wiped out. This is a war crime. What is equally tragic is the blindness and the deafness of the world and the International Community for so many years, of the warnings we have been saying that this was coming. Israel knew this was coming their way. We, the National Movement of palestine, the plo, have found a different path 30 years ago. We have committed to what the world asked us, recognize israel, commit to negotiations of non violence, and to a resolution. Israel was expected to do one thing only, roll back its occupation, stub the colonial expansion. Not one day it did so, killing the process expect of the solution. And the world was expected to do one thing, Uphold International Law equally on everybody, on ukraine, on palestine. No accountability. Now every single political avenue is blocked, every single legal avenue is blocked, like the International Court of justice. Youve heard what the u. S. Said. I want to know what happens now. Theres a war that israel has declared after Palestinian Militants, who i dont think are your friends, hamas is not a supporter of the palestinian authority. Theres a war, and as you say, theres going to be a massive escalation. There is a war. This happened because israelis have seen what they have seen today. But my people see this every day, every single day. Palestinians are targeted, killed, arrested, their land is confiscated, their holy places are desecrated, not only muslims, but christians. You have been following what is happening in the christian churches, the spitting on worshippers. Our people have been seeing a p this happen and their rights disappearing. This is what we have to discuss. I know. As you know, neither the israeli political spectrum, nor the United States, nor anybody, its like the palestinian issue doesnt exist anymore, the twostate solution, the diplomacy is on deep freeze. Can i ask you, before we get to there, what triggered this attack . Its on a certain date, 50 years to the date, just about 50 years ago it was october 6th, yom kippur, syria launched a Surprise Attack on israel. What do you think triggered this . Its a very sophisticated hamas attack. I dont know. I really, really dont know. What i know is that it was a matter of when, not if. The weve been shouting every day, downtown unheed what we are saying, pay attention. Dont underestimate peoples desire for freedom, for ending the bondage and captivity. Pay attention to the destruction that israel is doing. Make sure that these supremacists are not going to turn the whole thing upside down. This is not about timing and all that. This is about the fact that we discuss everything except the core thing, the fundamental issue, the root causes. Weve been doing this for 75 years. One sentence, you know that 70 of the population in gaza, the palestinians are refugees, since 1948. You know they have been under besiegement since 2007. This is what leads to events that you want to discuss. Obviously the israelis will say this is what happens when we evacuate, for instance, withdraw from gaza, which they have done. Youre right, it is sealed and it is a very heavily guarded situation. But what now happens . So, for instance, i was speaking to the former israeli ambassador to the u. S. , and he said, you know, even you, palestinian authorities, All Of You Guys who are in the west bank, youre under threat from hamas, and he said mustafa only allow it because israel keeps them alive, that youre under such threat from our own people. What would you answer to that . Nonsense. Absolutely nonsense. Lies all the time. What the people are subjected to are the same in the west bank, in jerusalem, and the refugees. We are united by our suffering and we are united by our goal, which is ending this occupation, ending this. We have our political differences, but we make no mistake, the one thing we need to rid ourselves with is the Israeli Military occupation, the colonization, the system of racial domination that has been imposed on us. We make no mistake of that. This is not a palestinian, this is the failure of every International Actor to pay attention. You see, instead of learning the lessons, what i heard today from many International Actors, including from the u. S. And uk, is doubling down on the very same mistakes and failure that has led us to where we are. What is the option right now . What happens . The alternative is statesmanship, courage, the equal application of International Law. We are not lesser of human beings. We are not the children of a lesser god. We are equal. Its been 75 years, 75 years of oppression, of wholesale destruction. Youve seen what happens in gaza. Wait until tomorrow and see the thousands who will lose their lives and livelihoods. Enough is enough. The only solution is respect peoples legitimate birthright, the right to return, the right to establish a state of their own, and stop dodging this. Stop finding detours around it. There is no such thing as detour. Peace can only be struck with us, the palestinians, not with anyone else. Because israel is at odds with us, because israel has taken our land, because israel is oppressing us, not anybody else. And bravery from the International Community requires equal application of International Law. Israel is occupying and as a full responsibility to protect the civilians under its own occupation, right . This is International Law. Israel has the full responsibility to make sure no civilian is harmed. Its been the opposite for 75 years. Do you worry that that statement that youre making is completely compromised when Palestinian Militants, terrorists, bomb israeli civilians, kill them, capture them, hold them hostage . No. How do you keep the moral high ground in that case . We keep the moral high ground by sticking to International Law. By reverting and seeking the ruling of the International Criminal court. Let International Judges come to palestine, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and rule, and we will accept the ruling. If we commit any mistakes or crimes, well accept it. But Everybody Knows its israel that has been violating every provision of International Law and our common human decency. Do you see final question, is there any mediator, the u. S. Or anybody right now, who would deescalate this . The u. S. Is completely disqualified. Ive been following what is coming from washington. What washington considers israel to be a domestic issue, not a Foreign Policy issue, and washington is playing political football with this, and regrettably we have been at the receiving end. The solution is the world, the International Community. The u. S. Should be at the table, but so is europe, the rest of the world, china. The world must come together to end this conflict as it did with all other conflicts. We are not an exception. Are head of the Palestinian Mission here. Thank you for that perspective. Cnns breaking coverage of this unprecedented situation continues right after a quick break, and we will be back. Welcome back. Were following a major breaking story out of The Middle East, of course, israel declaring its at war with hamas. At least 70 people are dead and nearly 1,000 wounded. Those numbers are expected to rise. Thats inside israel. The Palestinian Terrorist group hamas launched an offensive by air, sea and land at sunrise. The chief Military Analyst of the israeli newspaper, welcome to the program. First and foremost, tell us, youre in tell aviv, and weve heard sirens and loud booms reported from our correspondents. What are you hearing or seeing now . Im not seeing anything in particular, but there are quite a lot of alarms and sirens all over israel for 12 hours. There were recent attacks on tel aviv around 8 00 israeli time in the evening, just in time for the evening news, and there are casualties in tel aviv and other places, all over southern and central israel, as well as the massive event which occurred on the gaza border, which is the hamas unprecedented attack, a Massive Attack across both Israeli Military positions, and especially villages and towns near gaza. And are those villages and towns still being fought over . Are there active gun battles happening in those places . Absolutely in a few places. The idf has announced there were 22 different places in which hamas gunmen were seen and active. Its assumed that most of these places were taken over by the idf and other security forces, but there are many casualties on both sides, there are civilians, dozens and dozens of civilians that have been slaughtered murdered by Hamas Terrorists, and there are others who were kidnapped, both soldiers and civilians, among them young and old people, and even presumably children kidnapped into the gaza strip. This is still going on as we speak, and this is, i think, more than 15 hours since the attack had begun. Youre the chief Military Analyst for your newspaper, you know what your government does when its under attack, it defends itself. You also know what happens when hostages are taken, it does everything it can to get them back. Therefore, what are you expecting to be the next military moves from your government . I would assume that it wouldnt have to do with the hostages. There are so many hostages, these are Prisoners Of War from the israeli point of view. I dont think that israel would start any kind of negotiations for the time being. I think this is about a massive israeli response. Weve already heard of many, many air strikes, but this is not the end of it. It will continue for the next few days. I would guess that the israeli response would get harsher, i think there will be massive casualties on the palestinian side. Israel will focus on military targets, but since hamas is spread all over, there will be casualties for the civilian population. I would also take note of whats going on in lebanon. We havent seen any kind of threats from hezbollah, and this is probably going to get worse. You expected heavy palestinian casualties as well. Weve reported the numbers as far as we know that are being told to us from israel and the palestinians are saying already more than 200 dead on their side. But i also want to ask you, because weve talked about the intelligence failure, one of your own former Idf Fospokespeoe told cnn earlier this is like your pearl harbor moment. I was fascinated to hear from the former cia operative that he thought its not an intelligence failure, its the fact that hamas have completely gotten off the grid, off the telephone grid, off all those kinds of things that could be electronically surveilled. What is your feeling about that . And i know theres a lot of i think theres a lot of social media, ive been told, anger about the surprise nature of this from inside israel. Look, theres no point in hiding this. This is a spectacular failure, not only for the intelligence agencies, but for the whole Security Apparatus and for the government of israel, which has been otherwise occupied with this attempt at judicial upheaval for the last nine months. So this is a massive failure, something that we havent seen since the Yom Kippur War In 73, which was our equivalent of the american pearl harbor, if you like. Its a combination of an intelligence failure, of the fact, apparently, that hamas went off the grid, but also of the whole concept of the border, and i think we underestimated hamas capabilities, we were busy planning for a possible attack by hez babollah. Personally, my sense is that hamas leaders will come to regret this and there will be huge repercussions for what has happened. Thank you so much for joining us. In a few minutes, President Biden will speak about the unprecedented situation that were covering, so stay with cnn for that. Our Special Coverage continues right after the break. The power goes out and we still have wifi to do our homework. And thats a good thing . Great in my book who are you . No power . No problem. Introducing stormready wifi. Now you can stay reliably connected through Power Outages with unlimited cellular data and up to 4 hours of battery backup to keep you online. Only from xfinity. Home of the xfinity 10g network. We continue with our major breaking story, israel has declared war with hamas. It follows an unprecedented attack on israel itself, when at least 200 israelis have now been reported killed after Hamas Terrorists launched a Surprise Attack on the country earlier. According to israels Emergency RescueService Moments ago, and of course there are many, many more wounded. Hamas fighters infiltrating towns, launching more than 3,000 rockets, some Israeli Citizens and soldiers are being held as hostages and Prisoners Of War. Also, a short time ago, sirens and more than a dozen loud booms could be heard across tell a leave. Hamas says its fired 150 rockets at the city. This was the scene earlier this cnns Nic Robertson and others took cover while at the airport. [ sirens ] we literally just got the plane here. The sirens have gone off, people are taking cover. You can hear the intercept missiles banging in the air. Nothing incoming here. Everyone is taking cover. A lot of concern about whats going to happen here this night. Now, the u. S. , of course, is calling on its airlines to be very careful around that area and to, perhaps, avoid it. That warning ha