Civilians. Ive been lost of words. Really. Every hour, every day its getting worse. We know that the first days are the most important. Its okay. Take your time. I want my family. If by any chance theyre watching this, i want them to know that we love them and were doing everything we can to get them. I want them to be strong. And we are strong. We want this to end in the best way possible. Hours after we did that Interview Yifat sent us this picture that they just found online. It shows shiri, her cousin, shiris husband yarden with blood on his head and his hands seemingly in captivity. This photo that theyve seen now is the first Proof Of Life the family has got nen more than three days since he went missing. But they dont know his whereabouts right now. Cnns coverage from israel continues. This is the source. Im kaitlan collins. Tonight, americans are among those who have been taken hostage by hamas. A Disturbing Development that was confirmed by President Biden today, whos about as angry as ive ever seen him since taking office. In a speech where he condemned the slaughter of at least 1,200 people in israel, a death toll that was just updated moments ago. President Biden Denouncing the attack by hamas as, quote, sickening, evil, saying terrorists terrorists butchered innocent people, and compared the rampage to the worst of isis. As he condemned the terrorism in israel, he also defended israels absolute right, as he put it, to defend itself. This is an act of sheer evil. This is terrorism. We must be crystal clear. We stand with israel. Israel has the right to respond, indeed has a duty to respond to these vicious attacks. I just got off the phone with my third call with Prime Minister netanyahu. I told him if the United States experienced what israels experiencing our response would be decisive, swift and overwhelming. The president did not urge for israel to have any restraint in those remarks. He also pledged ongoing support from the u. S. I should note that after that the first plane that was carrying u. S. Ammunition actually landed in israel tonight. Secretary of state Antony Blinken will be flying there tomorrow. Right now we know that 20 americans are unaccounted for tonight. But Officials Say its unclear how many exactly are being held hostage. The families of at least four missing americans are pleading for help today in israel. They say that theyre frustrated with the lack of information or even contact from officials both in the United States and in israel. Well speak to a Family Member of one of those victims tonight, one of those who is missing tonight, i should say. But first, israel is not letting up when you look at what is happening on the ground. The idf striking more than 100 hamas targets again in gaza today. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble. At least 900 people have been killed in the counteroffensive so far. Hamas is also Firing Hundreds of rockets toward the Southern Israeli city of ashkelon earlier today. Many of them were intercepted by israels iron dome Missile Defense system. That is a system that the u. S. Is promising to help keep funding tonight. And its important to keep reminding the world of the horrors and the savagery of these attacks by hamas. My colleague Nic Robertson spoke to an israeli general about what he saw after arriving at a kibbutz in Southern Israel that had been terrorized by hamas. They come out with their children and they killed them. They killed babies in front of their parents and then killed the parents. They killed parents, and we found babies between the dogs and the family that killed before him. They cut the head of the people. I had during my childhood about the pogrom in europe and the holocaust of course. All my family came from europe, and they are survival, et cetera, et cetera. I never think that i would see in my eyes picture and things like this. I want to head straight to Anderson Cooper, who is live in ashdod, israel tonight. Anderson, obviously unfortunately what is really coming into clear view today is just the size and the scope of the atrocities that have been committed. I mean, just even more clearer view, i guess, since saturday i should say. U. S. Officials that weve been speaking with are openly getting choked up while talking about it. What have you been seeing on the ground . Yeah, look, the early indication was 260 people or more killed, slaughtered at that Music Festival. That was a sign of things to come. That was a horrific loss of life at one single event with thousands of people who had been gathered, killed in just horrific, very personal facetoface awful ways. A Grenade Being tossed into a bomb shelter. People being stabbed. All sorts of slaughter. But what were also now seeing at kfar aza, that kibbutz also nir oz, another kibbutz, all these kibbutzes which are very close to the border, they were among the first places attacked as hamas breached the border at multiple locations. And i mean frankly the savagery that we have seen taking place in those from survivors accounts and evidence on the ground as you just heard from that general, its it really is coming now into focus. You have very personal killing of families, of people with their hands tied behind their backs. You know, in many of these kibbutz, in all of these kibbutz theyre right on the border. Theyre used to rockets. Theyre used to the threat. They all have safe rooms in their houses. Many people would escape tried to escape to the safe room. But many it happened so fast it was so early in the morning they were caught unaware. Theres one account at the kibbutz where nic was of a family which put their two children in a cupboard and then the family was slaughtered. The children survived in the cupboard. They were rescued hours later when neighbors heard them screaming, were able to finally get to them. Again, this is these stories are really now just emerging today. And it just it speaks to the brutality that people here experienced. Its really its hard to imagine. And yet you hear the same thing over and over and over again from people at different locations. You hear them talk about these safe houses which are supposed to protect them from those incoming rockets, which are unfortunately part of everyday life, not terrorists coming into their communities. I mean, given that, though, it just makes the stories of those who were able to survive almost unbelievable. And i know you spoke with a man who had escaped from the nova Music Festival. He was crammed into a bunker with 50 other people. And what i couldnt get over when i was listening to you talk to him earlier is how he said he pictured jews who were killed in the holocaust while he was inside that bunker. Yeah. This is a man his first name is rafael. He was at that Music Festival. He said he ended up in this shelter, small bomb shelter essentially they use to protect against rockets. It ended up with about he said 40 to 50 people crammed inside. And then the terrorists came and they tossed some sort of device inside. He said that the room filled up with smoke. He said gas. People were suffocating, he said. Listen to some of what he told me. I just protected myself and after hours of that i just covered myself with dead people. A lot of dead people. So i stayed there inside like for hours, like just just waiting for die, you know. I just wanted to die in peace because i suffered so much. So much. The gas. I just in the middle of the gas i just remembered i dont know how it was, but now i know how was. I just started to think how was in the holocaust with the jews, like in 30 seconds you are dead and you dont have option. You cannot breathe. You cannot its crazy. Its crazy. I passed through the hell. Everybody was dead, with the bodies on the floor, not sitting. I was like covered with the people. I was like that. With the dead people. And on the top of them and without move because if i move i know then probably theyre going to catch me. He said that six people got out of that bomb shelter. He has Shrapnel Wounds in his back. And yeah. Its incomprehensible. Kaitlan, back to you. Its just hard to even hear him. Someone so young and just as he was saying at this Music Festival. Talk about how that ended for him and so many others. Anderson, thank you. Meanwhile, President Biden confirming in a raw and angry speech today that 14 americans have been killed in this attack. His National Security adviser says that 20 more are still missing tonight. The white house has been reaching out to those families of those who are unaccounted for as Intelligence Agencies are also working with their israeli counterparts to try to locate them. Ive directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts. Because as president i have no higher priority than the safety of americans being held hostage around the world. One of those americans who is missing tonight is adrian neta. Shes a 66yearold who was born and raised in fresno, california. She moved to israel in 1981 and now lives in beeri in Southern Israel near the gaza strip. Her son nahar neta is joining me now. He was at that Press Conference earlier. Thank you for being here on such a painful subject. Have you heard any update on your mom tonight . No. The last update that we had with my mom is when the call got disconnected with her between my siblings and her, when the terrorists burst into her home. That was saturday morning around 9 45 a. M. So you and your siblings, you had been on the phone with her as hamas was in the community and then entered her home. What did you hear . What did you and your siblings hear on the other end of that call . So initially it was just bombardment. A lot of bombs. A lot of noises. And then my mom started to report that shes hearing a lot of shouting in arabic outside of her home. Along with a lot of shooting. At this point we urged my mom to go into the safe house, safe room that she has in her house, which she did. And we stayed on the line. Eventually, we heard the Terrorists Attack the house and barge into the safe house, safe room. There was a lot of screaming and shouting in arabic. And no shooting, though. And thats where the call got disconnected. And thats the last that we heard from my mom or any other information regarding her whereabouts. I heard you say earlier that she has seven grandkids. I bet shes a great grandmother. I know you said shes a nurse as well. What else can you tell me about what your mom is like . Yeah. Very special person. Very peopleloving. Devoted her life to taking care of other people. As a nurse first in communities around the area and later on at the Regional Hospital in beersheva. A happy woman. Very active. Very sporty. Retired about a year ago and really devoted her life to the grandkids and being very involved in their lives. In addition, she was volunteering at the small farm that takes care of youth that kind of got rejected from all other educational systems and was very much involved with those kids as well. Yeah. Came from california in the early 80s, started a family rooted in israel in the kibbutz where we live. What made her move to israel . I know you said you grew up in that kibbutz. What made your mom move there . Yeah, so my mom just followed my dad. Hes from over there. And they met in the u. S. And she fell in love with him and with the idea of the country of israel, and she came and joined him and started our family in the kibbutz. What kind of i mean, to hear about the atrocities that have happened in these communities where everyone i know its not just a typical neighborhood where you kind of know your neighbors and say hey. I mean, they all Work Together for the good of the community. Did you ever think that Something Like this could happen where your mom lives . No. Not in my worst dreams. I mean, it hasnt been a calm part of the country for a while now. But usually its about bombardment and missiles coming from the gaza strip. And the Community Learned to deal with that part. You go to the safe room. You close up and youre safe. As terrible as that may sound, we got used to that. And we learned how to flourish, how to thrive in this environment. But this ferocious and murderous attacks by hamas terrorists, killing women, children, and elderly in their beds in our kibbutz and in our community, we did not expect that. And yeah, its not something that you can imagine in your worst dreams. Nahar, you said something today that stunned me, which is that you have heard and had zero communication with the Israeli Government about your mom. It has now been over three days. Is that still the case tonight, that youve heard nothing from them . Yeah. Im afraid to say that with the Israeli Government that that is still the case. We did submit all the information to the Missing Persons department, the people who are taking care of it. But we have not received any information back to date. We are in touch with the American Embassy in tel aviv, who have reached out. Has not provided any information. But we have reached out. Along with State Department that reached out to let us know that theyre aware of the situation and are following it closely. But still did not provide any information regarding the whereabouts of my mother. Well, we know Secretary Blinken will be there in the coming days. Hopefully you will get a meeting with him as well, nahar. I mean, we are thinking of all of you and of course your mother tonight. Thank you for coming on to share about her tonight. Thank you very much. On the ground in israel as the response to this attack and what weve seen the Prime Minister pledging, Tens Of Thousands of Israeli Forces are on the move. More than 300,000 reservists have been called up. Israel says it is preparing for the next phase in this war. Well be back on the ground in just a moment with Anderson Cooper for an update. And welcome back. We are in ashdod, israel tonight, about 19 or 20 miles or so from the border with gaza, which is in that direction. And even from this distance you can feel the impact of Artillery Shells landing inside gaza. We have seen a barrage of rockets coming out of gaza today as well in areas around ashkelon and elsewhere. But even from this distance all throughout theres this steady just pounding, booming. You can actually feel it from 20 miles away. Cnns Matthew Chance is on the ground now for us in tel aviv. Matthew, lets talk about the next phase, what we may see here. Obviously, the idf is not telegraphing what their intentions are, what their plans are. There has been a massive callup of reservists. There have been largescale movements of equipment, personnel as well. The big question of course, is there going to be a Ground Incursion into gaza . To really effect change, to try to get hostages. To try to decapitate the leadership of hamas or completely destroy their military capabilities. Hard to see how an operation here does not involve some level of activity on the ground. Yeah. And actually, i think that the israeli officials have made it pretty clear that a Ground Offensive is on the cards. Although theyre not being absolutely definite about when thats going to happen. You just look around. You see the fact that israel has first of all, is furious and is filled with horror and rage as weve been reporting, but has also mobilized, or called up 300,000 reservists. Another 60,000 in the past 24 hours. Its deployed Something Like 35 battalions of its armed forces around the country in what looks like preparation for a land attack against gaza. And so yeah, theyre not saying look, were definitely going to do this right now. But all the signposts indicate that a Ground Offensive into gaza is the next step in this war. Perhaps theyre waiting for u. S. Forces to build up off the coast of israel. Theres already a Carrier Fleet there. Theres another one potentially on its way as well to provide some sort of support perhaps in case theres a regional backlash against a Ground Offensive. And i think that might be what theyre waiting for because other countries, hezbollah in lebanon, for instance, have said if theres a Ground Attack they would look at striking israel as well. Its a risky strategy, but politically for Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Government here it looks like its got a lot of support amongst the israeli public. Yeah. It certainly does. Matthew chance, thank you very much. Our coverage continues from israel tonight. For more on whats coming up in israels war to crush hamas, israeli ambassador to the u. S. Is joining us next. From chrome to duckduckgo. Duckduckgo is a browser you download to your mobile and deskt