Welcome to the lead. Im jake tapper. We start with Breaking News. The Israel Defense forces announced this evening it is expanding its Ground Operations against hamas in gaza. This was the scene just moments ago. It has been nearly constant rocket fire and explosions. Gaza residents tell cnn that these are the most intense air strikes that they have experienced since the war began 20 days ago. And there are reports of widespread power and cellular and internet outages across the gaza strip. It is unclear what these ramped up attacks will mean for Hostage Negotiations. Today israel said it believes hamas is Still Holding 229 innocent people that they kidnapped october 7th. In the United States, the white house says it is in, quote, active conversations with israel about a humanitarian pause to work on the release of the hostages. Diplomatic sources told cnn earlier today that significant progress had been made. U. S. Officials are insistsing those talks are going to continue, although they warn its, quote, touch and go given the kinetic operations going on right now in gaza. It was, of course, only three weeks ago right now that the citizens of this country were celebrating the sabbath and a festival honor the end of the cycle of reading the torah. Residents of two kibbutz were holding anniversary parties. Hundreds of young people from All Over The World were flocking to a Music Festival to celebrate peace and music. All of them blissfully unaware of the horror that was coming for them at 6 30 the next morning hamas. Roughly 1,400 would be cruelly slaughtered. Some beheaded, some burned, more than 220 kidnapped. The deadliest day for the jewish people since the holocaust. And now resulting in a war against hamas. The government of Neighboring Gaza whose residents, the Palestinian People, are tragically now bearing the brunt of what their government did 20 days ago tomorrow, three weeks ago tomorrow. Jim sciutto is in northern israel. Jim, what are you hearing . What are you seeing right now in northern israel . Reporter in the north today there were sporadic attacks from hezbollah on a pace that weve seen for a number of days almost going back to october 7th. In effect hezbollah reminding israel we are here, we can strike in numbers if we want to. So far those strikes have been limited. Of course the question is, and the reason you have many Tens Of Thousands of idf forces up here in the north is if israel were to expand its operations inside gaza as we seem to be witnessing tonight, Will Hezbollah react more definitively in a more devastating way. We cents seen that yet we havent seen that yet tonight, but theres certainly forces up here, the Israeli Forces up here are on alert for exactly that. Whats notable as we watch events in gaza is that its not just in the north that were seeing these air strikes at a level we havent seen since october 7th. Our reporters on the Southern Side of gaza, from egypt, are reporting similarly unprecedented strikes on the Southern Side of the strip. And that would be notable, jake, because as you know there have been some discussion of an israeli operation in gaza that might focus on the northern side, thats part of the reason the israelis have been encouraging gaza residents to move south to the southern half of the gaza strip. But now tonight were seeing air strikes on both ends in effect, and the entire strip, as you mentioned, jake, out of communication, right, with the outside world, with those networks, cellphone networks, Internet Networks down. We dont know how large this grown offensive is Ground Offensive is. We think only witness at this point the air portion. But that signals quite a large Ground Operation there, perhaps on a larger part of the strip than expected. And that is something, as well, you and i have talked about, that u. S. Advisers to israel, military commanders have been cautioning again saying the cost of such a largescale operation would be immense. So the beefed up presence of the United States in the mediterranean i would think would be a deterrent to hezbollah. Theyre not there for hamas. Theyre there for iran and hezbollah which has much more direct ties to iran, even though iran funds hamas, hezbollah is directly an iranian arm. Reporter no question. And when i speak to israeli officials, leaders here, they give a great deal of credit to the u. S. For that early and forceful presence of expansion really of the presence of u. S. Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean and elsewhere in the region as being a signal of deterrence that seems to have worked to date against, for instance, hezbollah, but other iranian proxies in the region. Now, we saw this those proxies, theyre certainly taking shots, theyve been taking shots at u. S. Forces in iraq and syria, and the u. S. Responding to those shots today with air strikes on iranian bases in Eastern Syria. It shows, i think, jake, that we dont know. We dont know what is the red line for hezbollah leadership. Is it a largescale Ground Offensive inside gaza . Were going to find that out in the coming hours and days. There is a school of thought here that hezbollah may be hesitant to get involved because as you note their perception that they might pay a heavy provides themselves from, in parts, u. S. Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. That is a calculation for hezbollah leaders to make. We know that the Iranian Foreign minister said in an interview today with npr that irans proxies in the region have their fingers on the trigger to respond if necessary. Thats, of course, a threat. Well see if those proxies act on that threat. All right. Jim sciutto in northern stall. Thank you so much. New explosions lighting up the night sky seen from ashkelon in israel which is north of gaza. This is just moments ago. Cnns Jeremy Diamond is in ashkelon. What have the last few minutes been like . Reporter well, jake, this evening we have been hearing really the most intense and the loudest strikes on gaza that we have heard in nearly three weeks of covering this war. It has been really the explosions have been shaking the hotel where we are staying, shaking the windows as we hear these thuds pounding the gaza strip. And we know that this comes as the idf says that it is expanding its Ground Operations inside of gaza. What we dont know yet is whether or not this is the official start of that ground invasion, that israels military and Political Leadership have been telegraphing for days now saying that it will come at a time and place of their choosing. But what we certainly do know, jake, is that this doesnt come without operations that have happened over these last several days. The two previous nights we had seen targeted raids as the idf has called them involving Infantry Troops and tank forces moving into gaza. But what they have done over these last few nights is that they have then returned to israel after that. And a big question will be in the morning, are those tanks still going to be inside of gaza. I spoke with a source inside the Israeli Military this evening who told me that we will get an update in the morning, a sense of whether or not those tanks are still there, a sense of what was accomplished this evening. And again, what we are hearing tonight is unlike anything that we have heard over these last three weeks. And were also seeing reports inside of gaza of telecommunications being knocked out which is also something we havent seen as the idf conducted smaller scale targeted raids over these last couple of days. So we will certainly learn more in the morning, jake, as day breaks and we get a sense of whether those tanks remain in gaza. Jeremy, how does all of this factor into what the idf is saying are 229 hostages, kidnapping victims, in gaza right now . Reporter it certainly complicates things there a number of vantage points. First of all, operationally, you know, the idf is focusing a lot of its operations on taking out those tunnels. Miles of tunnels under the gaza strip that hamas uses to conduct its operations, to carry out Rocket Attacks on israeli towns and cities. But also those tunnels are where many of those hostages are believed to be held at this hour. So as the idf goes after those tunnels, there is, of course, a significant risk of collateral damage. The other way in which this operation complicates things is that we know there have been very intensive, very complex, very delicate negotiations over the last several days being mediated by the qatari government and the United States involving hamas and israel to try and see if there is a deal to get these hostages out. Ive been talking to sources all week on this, and there was certainly a sense in the last couple of days that significant progress was being made to try and release perhaps women, children, and the elderly. Those hostages being held in gaza. It appears something changed today. The senior u. S. Officials i spoke with would not say the talks have collapsed, but clearly there was a sense that the optimism of yesterday and this morning had perhaps changed. Now what these officials also say is that regardless of this intensified bombardment and intensified Ground Operation and even if this is the start of that ground invasion, they insist that talks to try and get the hostages out including we believe about ten americans, that those talks will continue. Jake . All right. Jeremy diamond in ashkelon. Thank you so much. Retired u. S. Army general David Petraeus also a former director of the cia and former member of the u. S. Central command. Good to see you, general. What do you make of the idf saying its Ground Operation is expanding . What does that mean exactly, and is this what you expected it to look like . It is, jake. And the question is whether this is the night that they use their night vision devices, their thermal sites, the advantages they have over an enemy that may have some of that but will not be anywhere near as sophisticated. And they use the preparatory fires that you hear going in that are indeed quite intensive and that are the prelude to seizing a foothold, say, in the builtup areas just inside the border. As you noted, they have gone in previously, sort of felt the edges of hamas, seeing how they would react, doing it in armored vehicles. I suspect thats what theyre going to do here. Theyre going keep their soldiers as protected as they absolutely can until the very last minute when the first instrument has to get out of that under body armor and kevlar, start to enter buildings, and actually clear those in order to begin the process of destroying hamas. So it appears that that moment is at hand when they are going to seize the foot hold. Im sure theyll react appropriately as hamas does respond and develop the situation from there. I mean, i cant imagine this as a Scenario Given in army war college, an impossible scenario go into this strip of i mean, essentially enemy territory, where there are two million innocent civilians, a hostile Terrorist Organization that has 230 or so innocent hostages that theyve kidnapped, and a network of highly sophisticated tunnels and an urban environment that is boobytrapped. I mean, that is not an assignment i think any general would want to take. But it is one that a general is going to have to accept, and im sure has given the order to commence. We have faced very difficult situations, cleared massive cities, none as large as gaza city with the exception possibly of mosul. But this is more fiendishly difficult than in any of those without question. This is what the military does train to do, jake, actually. This is an attack into an urban area to destroy an enemy that has shown that it cant be negotiated with, it cant be reconciled with. It has to be destroyed. Its not just a small terror organization, this is a terrorist army. And the only way to do that is to clear every building, floor, room, cellar, tunnel, progressively, and then hold it because you have to leave forces behind each time you clear a building before you can go on to the next one. And then, by the way, they should start rebuilding, as well. I hope well hear not just the vision for how they intend to carry this out while minimizing loss of innocent civilian life and damage to infrastructure, but also a vision for the future for the palestinians in gaza after hamas is gone. And for that matter, a vision for the palestinians throughout in the west bank, as well, as well as how they will administer. Theyre going not after hamas the Terrorist Organization and the islamic jihad, but also after the political wing of hamas which is going to take apart essentially the governing structure in gaza, and i see no alternative but for the israelis to take over those roles at least in the short term until they can get a viable palestinian entity in there. And that vision should be provided, as well. All right, general, stick around. As we watch and hear the air strikes continue in gaza and near the border, we need to take a quick break. Were going to have much more ahead. Stay with us. Were back with the Breaking News, israels expanding the Ground Operation to go after hamas. Live images that weve seatbelt seen and heard countless explosions over the last four hours. Much of gaza plunged into darkness with communications cut off. Retired u. S. Army general David Petraeus is still with us. And general, the white house says the u. S. Is Still Holding conversations with israel about trying to get what they are calling a humanitarian pause so they can continue to get more hostages out. There are 229 estimated hostages, kidnap victims by hamas in gaza. Earlier diplomatic sources had told cnn there had been significant progress on getting them out. But what now, what would the result of this uptick in activity, how would that impact that . I know the israelis believe that military might could help in this. Im wondering what you think. I think a ceasefire at this point, if this is indeed when they seize a foothold, would be the wrong time to have any kind of halt in the action. Once you generate momentum, shut off the Cellphone System for a reason, so that the hamas fighters cant communicate with one another and with their headquarters. Im sure that once this gets the enemy dynamic, gets them moving, gets them responding, theres not going to be a halt to the action if, indeed, there is the period of darkness during which they are establishing that foothold. Do you think that the hostages were basically taken so that the israelis wouldnt just destroy the tunnels right now . There are an estimated 200 kilometers of tunnels, its a highly sophisticated network. The israelis say in some of the tunnels are wide enough to vehicles to go through, they have railway systems, that most of the money thats between into gaza over the last few years has not gone to Building Schools or universities or factories, its gone into buying rockets and building this elaborate network of tunnels. That obviously they could destroy fairly quickly but for the hostages, thats the theory anyway. What do you think . Well, certainly theyre using this to complicate the tactics of the israelis, as they use civilians as essentially as human shields. Also in a way as hostages. Their own population. And keeping in mind that this destruction that is being visited on the northern part of gaza, this needs to be laid at the feet of hamas, not at the feet of the israelis who have been forced into this action after a period where they actually thought they were starting to have a reasonable relationship with hamas and actually increasing the number of worker visas out of gaza, as well. So again, there is all part of this is all part of just making, what you described accurately, as the most fiendishly difficult and challenging possible context. By the way, you left out one other element that makes this very challenging, as well, and that is the use of individuals who are willing to blow themselves up to take the israelis with them. Suicide bombers mean that you have to keep everyone, the entire population, beyond arms length. That is a pernicious factor that theyll have to deal with, as well. Theres nothing more challenging than what the israelis are undertaking here. We never faced anything quite as difficult as this even in the toughest of the fights in fallujah and ramadi. This should be done with a corresponding vision for the future for the palestinians in gaza and in the west bank. And of who is going to take care of the restoration of basic services, the humanitarian assistance, in the wake of this. We learned the hard way after the fight to baghdad and toppling the regime that youve got to put serious thinking into that postconflict phase. Im sure actually that there are individuals hard at work, planners tel aviv and jerusalem, who are addressing those issues. General David Petraeus, always good to see you. Thank you, sir. As we watch repeated explosions over a Pitch Black Gaza this evening, the big question, of course, what does this offensive look like in the coming hours. A Senior Adviser to israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu will join me liv