Announcer this is cnn breaking news. Hello and welcome, everyone. Im michael holmes, and we continue our breaking News Coverage of israel at war. And there are growing signs this hour that an Israeli MilitaryGround Operation into gaza could get under way at any moment. After a week of air strikes and artillery aimed at hamas inside gaza and a hastily ordered evacuation of up to a million civilians from gaza city, israel declared on saturday that it is ready to open a new phase in te war with a focus on, quote, significant Ground Operations. Earlier israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu met soldiers on the front lines. You see him there offering words of support, telling them to be prepared. Also on saturday iran warned farreaching consequences if the israeli attacks dont stop. The Iranian Foreign minister met with a senior hamas official for the First Time Since the fighting began, and there is deep concern that iran and its proxies might try to escalate the conflict especially along israels northern border. As a deterrent of sorts the u. S. Is sending a second Carrier Strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean as well as additional fighter jets. Military experts say it is extremely rare for the u. S. To post two Carrier Groups at the same place, but they say it underscores the seriousness the Biden Administration places on this crisis. Covering all of this for us from london. The signs continue to point to a Ground Incursion by israel. Bring us uptodate on the latest. Michael, i think ever since hamas launched this devastating and brutal Terrorist Attack on israel killing more than 1,300 people a week and a day ago, its been a question of when rather than if israel will launch a Ground Invasion. It does now seem this Ground Invasion is imminent. Israel reprayering for in its words significant military operation. It does now seem imminent. Its always fraught with danger when israel went in the past, and it did carry out a copal of reconnaissance raids into the weekend. This time, of course, very much complicated by the presence of more than 100 hostages that hamas took when it launched that attack just over a week ago. But israel it seems undoubtedly will go in and it will go in hard. Hamas is not only expecting them but perhaps even welcoming them because it will give hamas more opportunity to kill Israeli Soldiers and also potentially abduct them. Lets not forget hamas has a kind of warren of tunnels underneath the surface of the gaza strip, which it will use, no doubt, for both offensive and defensive capables. At the same time, there is concern about growing violence in the Israel Occupied west bank and of course on that Northern Front you mentioned weve already seen exchanges of fire by hezbollah backed by iran launching rockets into israel. Weve seen some fire from syria and also reports israel has also carried out strikes on syria as well such as aleppo airport. Concern there syria may be used as a conduit for additional weapons to its proxy in Southern Lebanon hezbollah. So a lot of concerns, a lot of potential for ezclagz, but israel saying if it gets involved that it will be the destruction of hezbollah. This is why we see the second carrier being deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean to deter any escalation in the north. Thanks. An Idf Spokesperson joins us now from tel aviv. Thanks for coming back, colonel. Appreciate tat. I wanted to ask you because hamas has been saying israeli hostages have been killed in the bombardment. There are also reports they found bodies of abducted israelis. What do you know about those reports, and whats your reaction to them . Yeah, good morning. And thank you for having me. I would say categorically that any piece of information that comes from hamas or comes from the gaza strip including the socalled Health Ministry should in my perspective be treated with extreme caution whether its about israeli hostages or events that happened or not happened with convoys that gaza is trying to flee. Did the idf recover the bodies of israelis who had been taken because that was reported in the region. No, we have not. You are referring to operations that we conducted a day and a half ago where we launched a few raids in order to obtain information to shed light on the situation and basically identity of abductees or people held hostage, those operations have ended. We did find some useful intelligence, but unfortunately we did not recover bodies. I appreciate you clearing that up. Now, israel urged civilians to flee gaza city, but of course not everyone can leave. Theres people in hospitals, the elderly, the infirmed, those without access to transport and so on. What happens with them if this Ground Incursion does get under way those who wont or cant move . What happens to them . Well, one thing is that everybody should make an utmost effort to evacuate for their own safety. And if they can get help in doing so, then the authorities in gaza and Civil Society should definitely help and provide that assistance. Second, of course we will not target civilians, but it is our interest to not have civilians in an active combat zone, and thats why we have asked them to do so. In any case if they stay we will, of course, take the available precautionary measures in order to minimize Collateral Damage and minimize the killing of civilians. But, again, we must remember we are going to fight. If this will be a Ground Invasion, we are going to fight a ruthless enemy that has no problems using everything available, civilians as Human Shields and using civilian infrastructure for military purposes. We have to plan accordingly. But bottom line, well take caution not to inflict damage to civilians. And to that point, what will a ground battle, urban combat, building to building look like in a place like gaza city . Ive been there several times. It is a crowded, cramped, lots of alley ways and narrow streets and that where you cant maneuver tanks and so on. And how is that going to look . And how does the presence of israeli hostages complicate the mission . Yes. I remember your coverage from gaza several times, and i agree. Extremely difficult for any modern military to fight in such a dense urban area. And to add to the complexity, if you compare gaza to other cities where theres been fighting, what we have in gaza is the subterranean dimension, and we know that hamas has an elaborate network of tunnels both for defensive and offensive purposes, which will for sure compound the complexity of fighting, and we are prepared for that. Fighting will be slow, advances will be slow, and we will be cautious, but we are very determined to get to the Hamas Terrorists that currently are Hiding UnderneathHiding Underneath civilians in the tum systems that they have. Our hostages are the responsibility of hamas. They are most likely held underground in various locations. And of course it is a top priority for us to get in and get them out. Yeah. If israel achieves what it wants to go back in and break the back of hamas, i mean its impractical to think all of the militants, all of the leadership will be killed. Is it the israeli plan to take gaza city, run the operation, but then stay, continue operations from there, occupy the area for a period of time . I dont think so. And thats for our cabinet to say. Our current aim is as you said in good terms to break their back, and as i said say in military terms to totally dismantle their military capabilities. We touched on this when we spoke 24 hours or so ago. Israel has in previous conflicts said it would crush hamas, destroy them. And yet they still perpetrated the horrors of the past week, had that capability why would this time see them crushed . Whats different from an idf perspective . The main difference is that there is a clear directive on what needs to be done, and i think a widespread understanding in the military and in government, and for that extent in Israeli Society as well this is an untenable situation and we cannot allow this conflict like hamas to exist on this doorstep. That is the foundational difference and what we will execute. It will be better for israel and in the long run better for gazans as well. The Idf Spokesman lieutenant colonel, i do appreciate you making yourself available for the conversation. Thanks so much. All right, thousands of palestinians have fled to Southern Gaza since israel issued that Evacuation Order early on friday, but of course as we were just discussing there, not everyone can leave. Many say theres nowhere to go. They fear they wont be able to return, perhaps they dont have transport. Some hospitals in gaza refusing to evacuate saying its simply too dangerous to move ill patients. In the south, though, thousands of people have been stranded at the rafah crossing into egypt. The egyptian Foreign Minister says the crossing with gaza is open, but he says have begun arriving in egypt but cant yet enter gaza for that reason. One Young Palestinian pleading for the fighting to stop. Translator i want the war to end, go back home, learn, and live like regular people. Its a tragedy. Theres no water, no electricity, and i have no money. Im standing here and hungry wondering whats left. I want to go back home, learn, and live like regular people. Im not really living right now. I just look like i am. Salma now with what people are facing right now. And a warning her report contains graphic and disturbing images. Reporter this is what running for your life looks like in gaza. An ambulance with a young girl and wounded woman inside rocked by explosions as they attempt to flee. It is unclear what happened to the pair, but theyre among the tens of thousands of people on the move after israels military called on nearly half of gazas population some 1. 1 Million People to get south in a matter of hours. But along the safe passages specified by the idf, utter horror. Youre looking at the carnage and chaos on the street, one of of the designated evacuation routes. In the aftermath of explosions, families killed amid their belongings. Cnn has geolocated this video and four other clips from the horrifying scene. The u. N. Calls israels Evacuation Advisory impossible and a violation of the rules of war. And palestinian officials accuse the idf of bombing civilians even as they fled. Dozens of evacuees were killed or wounded by israeli air strikes, according to hamas. Cnn has reached out to the Israeli Military for comment. The victims are flooding into gazas overwhelmed hospitals. And again, its the youngest caught in the cross fire. Nearly half of gazas population is children. What did the children do to deserve this, this woman says. Did they fight you, did they fire rockets . My niece and her whole family are dead. The only survivor is a 2yearold girl. Reporter the Health Care System is on the brink, the complete siege making it impossible to get aid into the enclave. And already theres a shortage of everything, even space in the morgue. Were keeping the dead in Ice Cream Trucks so the bodies dont rot, this doctor says. Gaza is in crisis. Gaza needs help. For those still able to move south, this is one of the neighborhoods families are expected to flee towards, where israeli air strikes have wreaked havoc. This is a genocide, not a war. Its genocide, this man says. And its an attempt to force all palestinians out of the guzza strip. Finding refuge is proving dangerous and deadly. And for the many families desperate for shelter, the fear is there may be no safe places left. Cnn, london. The United Nations is once again warning the conflict is inflicting a heavy toll on children. Unicef says more than 700 children have been killed in gaza, and more than 2,400 have been wounded. It says, quote, hospitals are overwhelmed and demanding that, quote, the killing of children must stop. It is also calling for the release of israeli children being held hostage in gaza. Still to come on the program, hezbollah targets several israeli positions at the lebanonisraeli border. What does that mean for this ongoing fight in gaza . Well have details coming up. Syria says israeli air strikes hit the International Airport in the Northern City of aleppo again rendering it nonoperational. The Syrian Military reporting air strikes on Saturday Originating from the mediterranean sea. State media reports all scheduled flights had to be redirected through another airport on saturday. Aleppo airport was hit by an air strike earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Lebanese Militant Group hezbollah says it attacked five israeli positions in a disputed area near the lebanonisrael border. Israel says it hopes the group will not get involved as israel is trying to avoid getting into a twofront war. Experts say they believe the main fighting is still between israel and hamas. Yeah, i think it would be very clear to all of us if hezbollah was trying to open up a second front. We are nowhere close to that. What i would best assess right now is lack of centralized control and militants on the border that are engaging in skirmishing as well as some Incursion Off of the border over the border. But this is, again, what we have seen over the course of the last week is that overwhelmingly the fighting is hamas. The fighting has been planned by hamas. The fighting has been perpetrated by hamas, and of course gaza is where this war is. Now, there are, of course, concerns that israel might still face a war on multiple fronts with lebanon in focus. Cnns ben wedemen with that. Reporter South Lebanon remains in a state of hightension as fire continues to be exchanged between israel and militants in lebanon. Saturday afternoon ortillry, rocket, and small arms fire echoed across the mountains in the disputed farms area between lebanon and israel in the most prolonged exchange yet. Israeli military said 30 Mortar Rounds were fired from lebanon into israel while hezbollah put out a statement claiming its fighters had used Precision Weapons to target five israeli positions including an israeli surveillance post. Late saturday the groups media wing put out Video Showing precise hits on communications and surveillance equipment at those positions. The official Lebanese News Agency reported that an elderly couple was killed when an israeli round struck their house in the lebanese town. One of its fighters was killed in confrontations with israeli forces. Earlier in the day residents of a southern lebanese town came out to mourn the killing of a reuters cameraman wellknown In The Middle East Press Corp for his work in conflict zones around the region. Friday afternoon he was filming an exchange of fire between israel and hezbollah when their position was struck with rockets fired, witnessed tell cnn, on the israeli side of the border. Six others were injured. All were wearing protective gear with press markings. A spokesman described his death as tragic but didnt concede it was caused by as israeli strike. Also this evening the head of Israels National Security council in a televised briefing with journalists said israel hopes to avoid a twofront war involving lebanon. He said the current level of clashes between israel and hezbollah is in his words below the escalation threshold. He also said we hope hezbollah wont bring about the destruction of lebanon. Now, in the past israeli leaders have warned among other things that if hezbollah goes to war with israel again israel will send lebanon back to the stone age. Im ben wedemen, cnn, reporting from Southern Lebanon. Now, israel has assembled a considerable force, of course, along its northern border. And cnns Matthew Chance caught up with an israeli commander to discuss whats ahead. Whats the objective right here in Northern Israel . So we have mobilized our troops here, our reserves to be prepared for any scenario by lebanon opened up in the northern borders. When you say any scenario you say if this area is hit by rockets. Thats one of the scenarios. It could happen here as well. So we are here to be ready with our troops. It seems the Israeli Military down south near gaza were not ready. Are you going to make the same mistake here . Were here now so were not going to make the same mistake. I havent heard yet all the debriefing what happened there, so i dont know to say whether they were prepared or what we knew. What we knew this is war. We do the best we can. We prepare ourselves with all the restrictions and d