Captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com we want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world to cnns coverage of israel at war. Im Anderson Cooper. And im kaitlan collins. President biden is warning he does not believe israel should try to reoccupy gaza, though he is adding, to 60 minutes that israel has to respond to that hamas assault that has killed 1,400 people in israel. He also says the suffering of Palestinian Civilians that is happening right now can be managed. Im confident that israel is going to act under the measures of the rules of war. There are standards that Democratic Institutions and countries go by. And so im confident that theres going to be an ability for the innocents in gaza to be able to have access to medicine and food and water. Of course the president has had multiple conversations with Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu. Tonight we have also learned from the State Department that the death toll in israel now includes 30 americans. All of this is coming as President Biden is weighing whether to visit israel after he was invited by the Prime Minister. Its 4 00 a. M. Here in tel aviv. Much of the world wonders, will this be the day that Israeli Forces invade gaza. Right now along the border with gaza, more than 300,000 soldiers, tanks, artillery, await orders. A short time ago, the president of the Palestinian Authority issued his first public condemnation of the hamas attacks. Called for an end to Civilian Casualties, the release of prisoners, and a rejection of violence. Also tonight, gaza is running out of water and gaza is running out of life. Thats a quote coming from the United Nations agency, warning that the air strikes are pushing civilians into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Fuel, water, food, and medicine. Palestinian Officials Say the number of People Killed there has surpassed 2,600. Cnns Nic Robertson is sderot near the gaza border. Nic, i know you spoke to current and former idf fighters. What did they tell you . I think one of the big take aways is the similaritys that the forces that idf is going through right now and the situation in gaza is right now compared to the last ground incursion, 2014. One of the big issues thats going to be, if theres a ground incursion, for the idf to distinguish between hamas and civilians. Because there will be civilians in the area. I think everyone seems to accept that, despite the fact that there are these corridors for civilians to move mouth from the north end of gaza. That said, it doesnt mean that those civilians are going to be safe. We went with them, saw some of the troops training today. Reporter close to gaza, preparations underway for a muchanticipated ground offensive. Troops from different units training together. There is an urgency here. They have to be ready fast. Right now, this is a rehearsal. If and when theres an incursion, these troops could be at the front of it. Tanks, or for this practice, model ones right now, followed by infantry and combat engineers. A combined force spearheading an incursion. If they do, major will be near the front. Translator we expect to go to war. We expect to destroy the Terrorist Organization, hamas, kill its government, and ill every last terrorist. Thats what we plan to do, and thats how it will be. Reporter The Last Time the idf went into gaza targeting hamas leaders was 2014. Ariel bernstein was 21, in the special forces, one of the first to cross the border. Well, youre just afraid that theres something waiting for you at every corner. Reporter but his experiences then have left him questioning the tactics today. Back then, he says, the idf wants civilians to leave, and hamas told them to stay, just as is happening here. But some had stayed. His orders, he says, assume the civilians had left. So, whoever you see is basically engaged in fighting or is involved in fighting. And therefore we call it engaging with fire with any home you enter, with any kind of shape of a person that you see from afar. Reporter in many ways, israels actions are playing out, just as they have in the past. 2021 gun positions freshly dug, back in use. And in gaza, the civilian death toll, according to Palestinian Health officials, already higher than in 2014. And like then, israel is already facing Huge International pressure to avoid more Civilian Casualties. What we are doing is saying privately what weve said publicly, which is that all Military Operations should be conducted consistent with the law of war, that civilians should be protected. Reporter the problem the idf says it faces just like 2014, hamas will be hiding among civilians. The whole situation were talking about with Gazan Civilians forcibly embedded is another element of hamas. Hamas has to be fully defeated. So, the responsibility is on them and not you. The responsibility is on hamas for their own civilians. Our responsibility is to eliminate hamas capabilities completely. Reporter pausing during training in a mocked Up Palestinian Town says they dont hurt innocents, only terrorists. But admits if he is sent into gaza, avoiding civilian deaths wont be easy. Do you think its possible to fight hamas without civilians getting injured . Translator were concerned with overthrowing the hamas regime and killing the terrorists who are currently in gaza. If it will be difficult, it will be difficult, not easy. Reporter outside the camp ga gates, as israels Military Ponder their next move, troops are saying their fond farewells. And that really does seem to be the ground reality. It doesnt matter how much you ask civilians to get out of the way and how much you prepare troops to go into combat where civilians might be and their mission is to get the terrorists behind them, the civilians, unfortunately, are going to get caught up in the conflict. And for ariel, who was part of the forces going in in 2014, he is still left very traumatized. Lets talk about the humanitarian situation in gaza, hamas. Israel has asked civilians to leave, to go to the south. Hamas has told people to stay. The humanitarian situation always becomes a focus in other gaza conflicts. How is it this time . Whats being done about it . Yeah, i think youre absolutely right, anderson. You know, if we go back to 2014, there was discussion back then about trying to provide a safe humanitarian zone. And israels ambassador to the u. N. Has been saying the same. Theyre working with u. N. Agencies to try to create this humanitarian safe zone. But without you know, without housing, without tents, without food, without water, all of these things, theyre just not able right now in gaza. Its not a particularly safe space. I mean, youre talking there for about hundreds of thousands of people essentially living outside and hoping it doesnt rain. And it has been raining this season. More rain is forecast to come. And they still have to eat. Unless the border opens with egypt and that aid is allowed to come in or some people, palestinians in gaza, are allowed to go out into egypt, that humanitarian zone in gaza, you know, may be away from most of the bombs. But its not going to be somewhere where theyre going to get food and water and adequate shelter and Everything Else people would expect. Nic robertson, thanks very much, near the gaza border. Kaitlan. Tonight the secretary general of the United Nations that nic just mentioned, antonio gutierrez, is warning that the middle east is on the verge of the abyss and is calling on hamas to release all hostages and israel to grant rapid aid into gaza, which has not happened. Joining us tonight is ambassador to the United Nations, also former israeli ambassador to the u. S. Thank you, ambassador, for your time tonight. Lets start with what israel says is the next phase of this war. We heard from the Prime Minister just a few hours ago. What does the success, in israels eyes, of this mission look like . I think there is only one goal that we can define, and were very satisfied that also President Biden said it tonight. You know, the full obliteration of hamas terrorist capabilities, no other goal can be enough to secure the communities and the cities of israel that were attacked by the barbaric terrorists of hamas. So, that is our goal. And we are committed to use every mean at our disposal to achieve that goal. Is that all of hamas or just the leadership of hamas . All of hamas terror capability. And how long do you believe that this could take, ambassador . Whatever it will take, we will continue because we have suffered atrocities like we have never atrocities we have never suffered since the holocaust. I dont want to repeat even, you know, the numbers of thousands of people who were killed and injured and 150 hostages. This is a rescue operation, kaitlan. We want to rescue the hostages. We want to rescue our future. Its a matter of survival. We cannot promise a future to the people of israel and to our kids without knowing that we totally obliterated hamas terror capabilities and ensured that these atrocities will not happen again. I know rescuing the hostages is obviously one of the most complex parts of this, given how hamas operates in this sophisticated Tunnel System under gaza. Does israel have intelligence on where the hostages are located . How confident are senior israeli officials that youll be able to find the hostages . Obviously i cant share what we know or dont know about them. We know that israel has a very advanced intelligence agencies. And, again, we are now fully committed to releasing the hostages together with Obliterating Hamas terrorist capability. Are there any negotiations happening . The last time i spoke with your successor, the u. S. Ambassador to israel, he said there were no negotiations happening to get those haostages released. Is that still the case tonight . As far as i know, there are no negotiations and there shouldnt be any negotiations. Because, again, the only thing that we are focused on is targeting Hamas Terrorists and eradicating their capabilities. We have no interest by the way, im referred now to what the president said tonight. We have no interest to occupy gaza or to stay in gaza. But since we are fighting for our survival, and the only way, as the president himself defined, is to obliterate hamas. So, we will have to do whatever is needed to obliterate their capabilities. Okay. Thats an important statement there. You say that israel does not have plans to try to reoccupy gaza. Thats what President Biden warned about in his 60 minutes interview tonight. After israels next phase of this, what does who is in charge of gaza . Zr israel doesnt plan to reoccupy it. Who is in charge and in control of gaza after that . Kaitlan, there are many, many questions regarding the future. But we will have time to discuss them, to negotiate them. Obviously we would like to be coordinated with our american allies. But for now, the only focus should be how to release the hostages, how to secure our future by Obliterating Hamas capabilities. Its a very, you know, complicated goal to achieve. So, were not thinking now what will happen the day after the war. First of all, we need had to win this war. And thats the only thing that were focused on now. Israel, of course, has asked Gazan Civilians, Palestinian Civilians, to leave their homes in northern gaza, to go south ahead of this an ticipated next phase. One concern weve heard from gazans is whether or not theyll be allowed to return back to their homes. Will the palestinians who are fleeing be allowed to go back . I believe they will be allowed to return. The problem now is not if they are allowed to return. The problem right now is that we are trying to temporarily call for their evacuation because it can be reversed. The loss of human life cannot. And hamas is now threatening them because they always use them as Human Shields in order to try and recruit the International Community to put pressure on israel and tie our hands. So, thats the main problem right now because hamas is threatening the life of the people of gaza, trying to prevent them from evacuating the area where the war will take place. Weve seen reports that hamas is blocking civilians from being able to leave. Some reports that they have been taking their keys. Have you confirmed any of that . Have you heard or seen that they are, in fact, doing that . Yeah, 100 . We have even recordings of gaza residents who are speaking on the phone and telling other people that hamas doesnt allow them to leave their homes. And they are threatening them to stay there. As i said, they want to increase the number of Civilian Casualties in order to recruit naive organizations like the u. N. To pressure the lawabiding democracy that is israel instead of pressuring the terrorists that is hamas. And the question, of course, is when they leave, where they can go and how these civilians who live in gaza can exit. Can you confirm whether there are plans to open the rafah Border Crossing from gaza into egypt. There are reports that could happen as soon as overnight tonight. Do you know if that is the plan, ambassador . I dont know if it will happen tonight. We wanted to allow diplomats and foreigners to leave gaza. It was prevented by others. It is now under negotiation. And i hope that we will find the solution very soon in order to enable people who want to leave the gaza strip, to leave towards egypt. Jake sullivan, President Bidens National Security adviser, said earlier that israel had turned on the water back into southern gaza. We have not seen that confirmed, i dont believe, yet from an israeli official. Can you confirm that tonight, ambassador . From what i know, yes, there is water now in gaza. And to have that, obviously power would also be important for it to be pumped. Is that part of the plan as well from israel, to make sure these civilians who cant leave can have clean Drinking Water . I have to refer to all these questions about the resources in gaza. We should always remember that hamas has the sole responsibility for whatever is happening inside gaza. For the last 16 years, you know, it has funneled all the money that was funneled into gaza, they exploited it into turning gaza into a war machine. Theres a lot of energy and fuel right now in gaza that can be used for their hospitals and water desal nation, power plant. You know where is this fuel, kaitlan . Its right now being used for their missile launchers. Its being used for their subterranean terror city, that was built now to serve as a shelter for the terrorists. So, we should always remember that israel cherishes life, and we are monitoring the humanitarian situation in gaza. And once we see that theres a need, we will allow humanitarian aid to enter gaza. But the pressure should be applied on the barbaric terrorists of hamas. Mr. Ambassador, always appreciate you taking our questions, making some news there that israel has no plans to reoccupy gaza. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining me tonight. Thank you very much. And as this next phase of the war, what happens in gaza, as the ambassador was noting, what that looks like, is looming, the work to rescue hostages, including americans who are in that group, is becoming more complicated. Well talk about that as cnns special live coverage continues right after this. Israeli Defense Forces say hamas is Still Holding 155 hostages, some in precarious health. Families of hostages are urging the Biden Administration to act now. Lieutenant general Mark Schwartz served as the security for israel, also a green beret. What is the best strategy to secure hostages in a situation like this . Anderson, its good to be with you tonight. Obviously, as you reported on throughout the beginning of this crisis, its one of the most complex environments in which special Operations Forces would have to go in and secure the release of the hostages that have been taken. Over 150 hostages have been taken, representing a multitude of nations. As President Biden and secretary blinken, Secretary Austin have stated, israel has the lead in terms of the analytical efforts, the collection thats ongoing inside of gaza to try to locate. Im fully confident, particularly with the deployment of the uss Ford Strike Group that deployed the amount of inner Agency Intelligence collection thats ongoing, and im also confident that theres special operations working on this. The most difficult is to locate the hostages. So, ideally, the Security Situation will be such that once they are located, they can be rescued. How much more complex is this made . Because this isnt some Rogue Terror Group that is operating on its own in some country. This is the government of the gaza st