Here in the United States and Around The World. Im wolf blitzer. This is a Special Edition of the Situation Room, israel at war. We begin this hour with the Breaking News out of israel. Hamas militants pouring across the gaza border in a Surprise Attack. Listen to one israeli womans terrifying firsthand account of the raid. Translator suddenly out of nowhere shots are coming in. They started shooting in every direction and i took the car keys and just drove and started moving forward to get out of the shots. Out of the shots. And at some point, they overtook us. We were overtaken by the shooters. They started shooting at our vehicles. We got out of the vehicles. I didnt keep driving. We took cover. Nic robertson is on the ground for us right near the gaza border in israel. So far, what have you seen tonight . Reporter this is the point where that area of israel that the Defense Forces are still going through confronting the hamas militants is taking place. We can hear it. We can see it. About 10 or 15 minutes ago we saw a reinforcement of military come down this road, stop at the cheng point here, get clearance and go further toward gaza. Were about two and a half miles from the northern end of the gaza strip here. You can hear maybe a helicopter above me. Thats become an increasingly dominant sound here in the night sky. It is hard to see. Then at times, it will open up with its heavy machine gun. That does appear to be in support of those israeli troops who are on the ground still confronting the militants. That is going on within our earshot just over there. Were hearing over this way, out toward the sea heading toward gaza that way. Were Hearing Fighter Jets fly over. Were seeing flashes on the horizon. We just heard a couple of big detonations. They appear to be coming from gaza or around gaza where the israeli Defense Forces are still confronting those hamas militants. A priority for the government is take back control of this area here around gaza. Seal off gaza. Make sure that they are no more hamas militants in that area. What were seeing here in essence, were hearing and seeing the battle play out over there. The shelling in gaza and reinforcements coming down the highway here. What else do you expect to see tonight . Reporter i think realistically there will be an increase. This is what the Israeli Defense spokesman was saying earlier. Expect the attacks to ramp up. I think well see more israeli Defense Forces arriving here, going toward gaza, and likely to hear, until those hamas militants are killed or back inside gaza, we will continue to hear the helicopter in the sky above us. The gunship, the Helicopter Gunship Firing its heavy machine guns. It will be a very active and fluid night down here, wolf. Do you get the sense as i do that this is going to be a protracted fight . That this war for all practical purposes is only just beginning . Reporter very much so, wolf. We both know, weve been covering these sorts of situation in israel and other countries for many, many years together. It takes time for the government to make its decisions. For the military to enact that. To mobilize the the reservists. To get all the heavy Military Hardware required for a potential incursion, which is the expectation for what will happen in gaza. When that happens, it will be coming down roads like this here. It will probably take at least several days for that flow of Military Equipment and the support for it. The fuel. The ammunition, to get it all here in place. To get the plans mapped out. For the Israeli Defense force and israels Intelligence Services to map out as precisely as they can where hamas is. Where any hostages are being held, and how the recovery of those hostages might take place. None of those sorts of decisions can happen quickly. From what we are seeing, the movement of troops coming down tonight. Already some decisions have been taking place. Heavy equipment, we havent seen that arriving yet. Nic robertson in zakim, israel. Well get back to you later this hour. Here in washington the Biden Administration is condemning the attacks and reaffirming its strong support for israel. Im joined by Senior Correspondent who has reaction from President Biden. What are sources telling you first of all about the conversations that are happening right now over at the white house and across, indeed, the u. S. Government . The white house has been working around the clock to assess the scope of israels needs as it responds to this situation, which officials are calling appalling and unprecedented. A Senior Administration official says this evening that the focus is on keeping the violence contained, and on assessing what military aid is needed. With conversations up and down the Military Chain to that effect, that there could be an announcement as soon as tomorrow. This official says there are unique challenges posed by the fact the u. S. Lacks a speaker of the House Of Representatives as well as a permanent ambassador to israel. That obstacles in providing timely support to the israelis. President biden in no Uncertain Terms said that that support will be unwavering. Do you have the number, Lieutenant Colonel, of how many israelis i believe we have the wrong sound bite there. President biden said that the u. S. Will provide rocksolid support to israel. It will be unwavering. He had a message to the rest of the world saying this is not a moment for any party hostile to israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The president says the world is watching. While he didnt specify the target of that message specifically, it was seen as a Shot Across The Bow to iroan. A senior official said theres no indication at this stage that iran was directly involved in the violence overnight, although the Administration Says irans role is a longtime been factor of hamas cannot be ignored. Thank you very much. Lets discuss what is going on. Cnn National Security analyst beth, National Security analyst david sanger, and a contributing correspondent for. This was a Surprise Attack by hamas. How unprecedented was todays assault . Well, wolf, i think it is the most deadly invasion israel has endured since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. I guess you know israel very well. I guess when you saw those pictures of what was going on Inside Israel, you couldnt believe your own eyes. I think many people Around The World are watching what was going on and they just couldnt believe that israel was that surprised of this huge attack by hamas with some assessments say 1,000 hamas operatives entered israel from the border with gaza, and just, some of them managed to reach five miles into israel, into whole cities, driving around the cities with pickup trucks, shooting everybody they see. This is something i think that will, that is shocking for many, many israelis and will have at least the same ramifications as the Yom Kippur War domestically, maybe even more. And kidnapping a lot of israelis. Men, Women And Children and bringing them back to gaza. Very, very Serious Development as well. Beth, let me get your reaction to what an Idf Spokesperson told me in the Situation Room about the Hostage Situation that has now developed. Watch and listen to this. Do you have the number, Lieutenant Colonel of how many israelis, men, Women And Children for that the matter have been kidnapped by hamas and taken from Inside Israel to gaza . I can say that it is a significant number. I cannot yet say the official number. But i can say that it is unfortunately a significant number of both israeli civilians and Military Personnel. Some of them alive. Some of them presumed not to be alive. It is an extremely delicate situation. It is unprecedented in our history that we have so many israeli nationals in the hands of a terrorist organization. So beth, what is your reaction and what kind of impact do you see this having . Well, i think it is a totally, totally unprecedented. It will lead to israel having to take actions against gaza that they really havent wanted to take in the past. In the past they havent wanted to go in with ground troops. Now that you have hostages, i kind of feel that first, this was clearly planned. You dont take that many hostages just by happenstance. This is part of what hamas wants. And i think it will drive the israelis to do a Ground Operation. And then i think were really again looking at a real risk of an escalation of this war to include maybe hezbollah coming in with attacks from the north as they have warned. Thats what israelis are clearly concerned about as well. Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu is warning that israel will exact a huge price from the enemy. A huge price from the enemy. What do you anticipate that will be . I think the big question is, do they go to a Ground Operation to go into the gaza . Something that as betted pointed out, they have been hesitant to do. Once youre in, obviously, then you run into all the problems that weve seen happen time and again with occupation forces. It was interesting that when we got a briefing from the Senior Administration official just a few minutes ago, they did not, would not take a position on whether or not the u. S. Would support a Ground Operation into the gaza. They said they obviously are 100 behind the israelis. They will provide the israelis with enhanced intelligence. It sounds like tomorrow theyll be announcing, making something other defenserelated announcements. This question is a very big one. You can imagine a situation in which President Biden and Prime Minister netanyahu are divided on this. It will be President Bidens position, i suspect, fairly quickly, that they need to deescalate and calm things down. And yet Prime Minister netanyahu is going to want to reestablish deterrence. And clearly deterrence failed here along with the Intelligence Failure. So i think we could see the u. S. And israel differ on the tactic of where to take this next. Interesting. Barack, is this from your perspective, youre an expert on this, is this the biggest Intelligence Failure in the history of israel . No doubt. It is clear to everybody, gaza is a small place. It is right around the corner for israel. It is not something that is, you know, thousands of miles away. The Israeli Intelligence is watching gaza all the time. It built a technological fence around gaza. Exactly for that kind of a scenario. It all failed. Nobody had a clue. There was no Early Warning. And i think it also shows something about where israel, the Israeli Government and the Israeli Military attention was in the last nine months. It was not in gaza. It was not in iran. It was all domestically, in the domestic crisis over the judicial, and i think what we see now is one of the results that the domestic crisis israel was engulfed in the last few months, and i think that hamas saw what was going on and decided to take advantage. Interesting indeed. Beth, israel as we all know, has a very sophisticated air Defense System called the iron dome. Why did this system fail to protect the country today . I think it is just volume. They just, it overwhelmed the system. That number, and where they fired, i think it was very, very carefully planned. And to baraks point, all those Early Warning systems also failed and i think it goes beyond gaza. We know that iran has been meeting with hezbollah and hamas for months since last april. And doing a lot of joint planning. And specifically regarding israel. So there should have been more information about this. And i think that there is going to be quite a bit of Soul Searching once theres enough room to breathe after this incredible challenge is passed. A major challenge indeed. David, do you think an idf assault into gaza right now could spark even more attacks on israel by hamas . Well, it could spark them by hamas. It could bring hezbollah in from the north. It could bring the iranians in. So certainly israel is not going to want to do that unless it thinks it has a fairly good ability to deter having this war spread to multiple borders. Thinking back on the intelligence question youve been discussing with beth and with barak. What was supposed to happen in the last couple years was that the technological improvements that israel had from satellite, from the ability to get into cell phones, from drones, was all supposed to go toward increasing warning. But not only has this current government been focused on the judicial reform, it has been focused on the expansion of settlements elsewhere in the country. So there is going to be, i suspect, a lot of Soul Searching over the question of whether they were looking in the wrong place. My guess is there will have to be some kind of commission. An equivalent to the 9 11 commission to ask, how could you have spent so much money and so much time over the last couple years and been so taken by surprise . Excellent analysis indeed. Thank you very, very much. Just ahead, the braus will continue in the Situation Room. Well get another live report from israel. This is a Special Edition of the Situation Room. This is a picture posted by the german chancellor olaf schwartz. The Brandenburg Gate in berlin showing solidarity with israel. This is in germany. Look at that picture. Were following the Breaking News out of israel. At least 200 israelis are dead after a truly shocking raid by the terror group hamas. Lets get to more right now from the editorinchief from the jerusalem post. Thank you for joining us. What can you tell us about the situation on the ground now . Is the fighting ongoing . Are the Hostage Situations ongoing as well . The fighting does seem to be ongoing in at least several locations in southern israel. It is unclear how many. There have been reports some of the Hostage Situations have been resolved but we are getting conflicting reports on exactly what is happening on the ground. The situation is extremely ten tenuous. There is a lot of confusion about what is actually happening on the ground in southern israel, which to be perfectly frank, reminds me of the day of 9 11. I was a High School Senior in the d. C. Area. I remember just how devastating that day was and how much confusion there was during the course of the very tenuous and scary hours. This is numerically the equivalent of three 9 11s. You take israels Population Size into account. This is a devastating day for so many israelis who are wondering whether their loved ones are kidnapped or killed and dont have that information at this time. Theyre comparing it not just to 9 11 but to pearl harbor as well. Hamas launched this very complex Multipronged Attack. Do these tactics represent from your perspective an entirely new type of assault against israel . It does seem so. Certainly with regard to the skill of the attacks. The audacity of Multipronged Attack that took place by land, by air and by sea. This is totally unprecedented. Weve never seen anything like this. Certainly with the number of casualties and the number of israelis that have been abducted and taken into gaza which include elderly men and women, Women And Children, young people who are partying in the desert. They were dragged by hamas into gaza, being held there at this time. Weve never encountered anything like this in israels long history. Do you have any sense of how many israelis have been abducted and kidnapped and taken into gaza . Well, i dont want to parrot hamas Talking Points but i will tell you that the numbers appear to be quite high and they include not only civilians but also soldier