you are live in the cnn newsroom. i'm jim acosta. we've been watching some pictures of multiple explosions lighting up the night sky around gaza city. nic robertson in sderot, israel, witnessed some big secondary explosions and a huge fire in gaza. you're looking at the images there. that's what his crew witnessed. they witnessed eight rockets as well, being fired from gaza into israel. the idf says six of the eight rockets were intercepted by that country's iron dome defense system and israeli police say there are no reports of casualties just yet. the night is young. on the diplomatic front, secretary of state antony blinken has wrapped up his meeting in jordan, with the request to implement pauses. in tel aviv, the family of hamas hostages held a rally in front of israel's military headquarters. organizers say it was not an antigovernment protest but rather a call for israel to do more to secure the hostages released. and cnn was part of the first group of foreign press granted access to israeli forces inside gaza. journalists embedded with the idf operated under, and may not move around unaccompanied within the gaza strip and to get this kind of access, news outlets must submit all materials and footage before it can be published. cnn has agreed to these in terms of in order to provide a limited window into israel's operations in gaza. jeremy diamond was there. some of the footage that you've obtained is extraordinary. it really shows what is happening on the ground. something we haven't really had a window into until the point. tell us what you're seeing. >> reporter: we were the first foreign journalists to get into gaza since the war began and it comes a week after israel launched this ground offensive. israeli forces, we joined up with them on the israeli side of the border. we went into an armored person he will carrier. about 20 minutes later, we found ourselves at an israeli location about one mile inside the gaza strip. it was overlooking gaza city. and there was active fighting happening between militants and israeli forces. we could hear small arms fire, rockets, as well as antimissile systems being deployed. all of this as israeli forces in the area were trying to work to divide the northern part of gaza to the southern part. >> reporter: at this israeli military post on the outskirts of gaza city, the fighting is fierce. the center of the gaza strip, the idf soldiers are fighting against the militants and using all that they can in order to harm and to get to the idf soldiers. >> reporter: one week into its ground offensive, israel's military says it has encircled gaza city from posts like this. >> we're about one kilometer inside of gaza. gaza city just this way. there is a lot of jongoing fighting. what they're trying to do is flank the positions. that's what the italian commander just told me and all of this to cut off gaza city from the southern part of strip as the israeli forces move in from the north. cnn was part of a small group of reporters given access to israeli forces inside gaza for the first time since the outbreak of the war, using the same techniques. we're going on the exact same roads, the same neighborhoods, to the same area, to their trucks, in order to go there and be able to get them to pay the price and eliminate the hamas organization that had this attack on the state of israel. [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: but still, israeli forces face the danger of ambush from underground tunnels. >> and over there, over there, and inside the neighborhood also. >> reporter: so in just this area there are at least three tunnels. >> i believe at least, yeah. >> reporter: israel says many of the tunnels lie below residential buildings. for weeks it has relentlessly hitting targets. the forces here say they're working to secure a humanitarian corridor to help civilians 93 the heaviest fighting. >> this is a huge objective for the brigade right here. the population would be able to go from the north to the south and get the idf to do what they intend to do. >> reporter: for these soldiers, achieving that goal may see them depl deploying. >> they will be here as long it is a takes. weeks, months, years, until israel is safe and secured for the long time. if we need to get inside gaza house by house, that's exactly what will happen. >> reporter: and jim, the israeli commanders on the ground said they have places just along the mediterranean sea and gaza's border with israel. while they may have control of that line of contact between northern and southern gaza, they certainly know that they control over what is underground. that is dozens of miles of hamas tunnels below ground that hamas fighter can use to evade israeli forces, but also to ambush them. we know there have been several instances of fighters ambushing israeli fighters. so far 29 israeli soldiers have been killed in action since the start of this. >> with some extraordinary footage for us. in the meantime hamas is blocking foreign nationals including americans to leave through the rafah crossing. hamas is demanding that ambulances from gaza can reach that crossing. melissa is in cairo for us. what can we expect in the coming hours? >> reporter: what we expect is the negotiations to pick up again. they are between israel, egypt, coordinating with qatar and the united states. it has been going on several weeks. it led to the breakthrough that allowed the foreign and dual national citizens to leave. today, that stopped. why? because we understand this fresh demand on the part of hamas that follows the bombing of the al-shifa hospital yesterday. that is the largest hospital, hitting ambulances as it did. it led to this fresh demand. what hamas did from the start, in order to allow foreign nationals to leave gaza, the most severely injured left. you saw hundreds of foreign national leave. you also saw dozens of wounded palestinians. what palestinians say, the authorities at the hospital that that convoy of ambulances struck on 48 was in fact carrying the wounded and heading toward rafah. they have confirmed that they've been notified about a convoy. for that agreement to pick up again, it wants the ambulances to get safe passage down to the gaza strip. the trouble is it is very difficult to see how that can be made to happen. there is nowhere that is safe. we have been hearing it day in and day out, that they urgently need to find a system where aid workers can find their work. the result is that the 700 foreign nationals, including 400 americans who had been due to get out through the rafah crossing today, are still stuck on the other side and with very little prospect that a fresh deal will be found any time soon. >> thank you very much. there's going to be a lot of this in the days to come. we appreciate it. thank you. let's talk more about the diplomacy surrounding the israel-gaza conflict. joining us now, a former deputy assistant secretary of state under president obama. joel, thank you very much for being here. let's start with this. he stopped short of calling for a cease-fire. that's what they want. the israelis don't want it. this is going to be some tough sledding ahead. >> very tough diplomacy. and secretary blinken is demonstrating what it means to roll up your sleeves and get into the hard work and have the hard conversations. there's no magic bullet to fixing this solution at all. and by being there, being present, and listening to our allies, we have multiple allies across the region, he is beginning to construct a process and a program. and we hear that with the kinds of discussions about how to watch ambulances leaving. watch individuals leaving through the rafah border. watch the humanitarian assistance that comes in. trying to build up some confidence that while not every request is being met, the maximum that there are processes moving forward. but this is tough. really tough diplomacy right now that the secretary is engaged in. >> i was talking to mark earlier on the program and he was saying no, the israelis are not interested in a pause unless we see some hostages come out. and i mean, that position is certainly understandable. when you put that next to what we've been seeing in the last 24 to 48 hours, civilians feeling the impact of the israeli strikes in gaza, just today, a u.n. school that is used to take care of refugees was struck. and cnn obtained images of the casualties that took place there. that is going to make things even more difficult diplomatically speaking. >> you're right. every day that goes on goes forward, there are heartbreaking images of civilians being kill. the reality is in this war, there are competing objectives. israel does want to neutralize hamas. they want to get hostages out. what are the tools for doing that? hamas is not coming to the table providing names. they're not allowing the red cross in to provide review and sharing information with the families. what are the tools available? so the question of a humanitarian pause for getting people out, that needs to be enacted. secretary blinken can lean on that for those who have access into hamas, all the better. all the better. but it is incredibly difficult. i think that's why we're seeing the delay in an agreement. that that, it is not as if israel is not allowing goods in. whale they may not publicly declare pauses, they are allowing for materials to get in. >> what about the impact on support inside the united states for what israel is doing? as these images are coming out. as you see a school being hit. the israelis say they're looking into what precisely took place and why that happened. you look at the political pressure happening at the white house right now. the president is feeling it. you have democrats in the arab american community saying i supported joe biden last time around. i may not do it this time around. all the pressure has to be coming to bear. >> it's real. and the democrat ic party, i'm engaged in conversations across the party with folks making the pitch. the pitch is real. and there's deep concern that right now, the needs of the palestinian civilians are not being met. that's not because president biden is not advocating for it. president biden put in money for humanitarian assistance. he actually put in money for the supplemental that the house has decided, they stripped out, excuse me, the palestinian aid and conditioned the aid to israel. they understand there is political challenge but that metastasizes as well into the islam phobia that we're seeing in the streets as well. for the united states as the leader in the region, the only country that can truly get the parties together, it is incumbent to be out there, as secretary blinken is, and trying to get all of our allies to lean in. the reality is this war will be ongoing for quite some time and there have to be continual measures to get the port to the palestinians while the israelis feel comfortable that they are getting rid of hamas as a threat at the southern border. >> what do you think has to be said to netanyahu? to his top advisers privately in a moment like this? we saw tony blinken over there saying the u.s. stands shoulder to shoulder with israel. biden made it very clear, they're not calling for a cease-fire. it would allow hamas to inflict more damage on the israelis. you know this. privately there are other discussions going on behind the scenes. >> there are two aundiences in israel. the israeli public and the leaders. and they're dismayed by benjamin netanyahu. his poll numbers have tanked. there is no confidence in his leadership across the board in israel. however, they are standing behind the flag and fighting for survival of their state. he who is the remain them that he has an obligation to map out a vision. what is the plan for the day after? the united states, the president has been putting forth that goal. a two-state solution to allow palestinians to have self-determination. that is crucial. and those are the messages behind the scenes that the secretary can push while saying we have your back militarily, supporting you, and to the israeli public, the united states has your back and that, of course, gives president biden a lot of leverage and he'll continue to push and he has the high ground on that. >> we heard your old boss, barack obama, saying this earlier today in a message hour. complicated this issue is, trying to remind people on all sides, you have to understand the complexities of all of this. coming up, we've seen large protests calling for a cease-fire in washington. plus, the leader of hezbollah made fiery comments this w week. whwhat was h heard in his first speech s since the o october 7t attackck. all flights to and from hamburg, germany have been canceled. a man parked underneath an airplane. the driver is in his car with his 4-year-old daughter and police are trying to end this hostage situation. his wife had previously warned the police that her child was missing. people who were on board the plane that he parked underneath were able to safely depart on a jet bridge. we will continue to monitor all of this and bring you the latest as it comes in here at cnn. in the meantime, pro palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in major cities around the world today in london and berlin, thousands rallied to demand an immediate cease-fire in gaza. >> it's a bloodshed. and these israelis are targeting hospitals and schools. we can't stand by and just watch this. >> we can only hope. we have to keep going until we do. there's power in people. we have to keep going until they listen. >> the protests in trafalgar square marked the third co consecutive weekend. in washington, demonstrators marched demanding an immediate cease-fire. demonstrators were gathered earlier this evening. >> reporter: thousands of protesters marched through washington and ended up here at the white house after that huge rally just a few blocks away at freedom plaza. hours of speakers who called for an end to the bombings and the ground operations in gaza. but also, demanding that the white house and president joe biden called for a cease-fire and end the unequivocal support for israel, saying that it could be a serious political issue for the president in 2024 if he does not call for that cease-fire. here's what some of the protesters told me. >> my message to president biden is i voted for you and i regret it. >> reporter: will you vote for him in 2024? >> absolutely not. >> i'm not going to vote for him. because he's supporting israel. he asked to do more killing of the palestinian people. >> reporter: now, organizers told me they hoped they hope this would be the largest pre-palestinian rally. i can tell you it is the largest i've seen in washington since the war began last month. >> thanks very much for that report. hezbollah's leader praised the attack against israel and saying america is responsible for the war in gaza. the idf says it will allow people in gaza to move south on specified streets tomorrow. they say that's despite their troops coming under fire while trying to secure safe passage for civilians. it's unclear how widely the message will be received because of electricity and internet outages. israel lab repeatedly telling residents in gaza to move south to avoid being caught up in the war. in the meantime, the leader of hezbollah in lebanon has praised the october 7th attacks on israel and warn the israel-hamas war could and expand into a regional conflict. it holds 13 seats in lebanon's parliament. joining us to discuss, a senior fellow for counter terrorism at the council on foreign relations. bruce, your sense as to what you heard from him when he made those comments. there was a lot of expectations that he would try to ignite things and make life even more difficult for the israelis. it sounds as though maybe he's backed off a little bit. what is your sense of it? >> absolutely right. he was a remarkably noncommittal and unequivocal speech even though it lasted for 90 minutes. it is hamas's fate that hezbollah will intervene if necessary but basically, he was backing off any commitment of opening up a second front which is what happened after 2006 when the war between israel and hamas and gaza precipitated a war in the north and an invasion of south lebanon. >> so why do you support he's saying what he's saying? >> i think the main reason is iran is restraining him. hezbollah in 2006 had an arsenal of about 15,000 rockets and missiles. fired roughly a third of them at israel and afterward was rebuked by tehran for wasting the missiles. those missiles are there if and when israel and perhaps the united states targets their facilities. israel now has twen time that amount. it is for when it is really needed if iran is ever attacked. >> and president biden was asked about all this. he warned, don't. how much is that message received inside hezbollah, inside iran? do they take that kind of a warning seriously? >> i think they do. because lebanon is in very dire economic and political disarray. they don't need anything else that will shatter what is israel's ten with us control of the lebanese government. lots of protests continuing still over the murder of the murder of a woman a area ago because of her head scarf. economic travails as well. so at the moment iran doesn't want to provoke a larger regional war that brings lebanon into it. behind the scenes, they will encourage the proxies like hezbollah to lob missiles, to fire shots, to keep active but not provoke they hope an escalation. >> let me ask but what is going on inside gaza. one of our correspondents, jeremy diamond, was on the ground with id fmpbl forces operating inside gaza. it sounds as though the israelis are moving in the direction of another stage in all of this. they want to get at those tunnels which is obviously highly important from a counter terrorism standpoint. how critical will that be and how costly? >> well, it is absolutely critical. hamas in essence functions from those tunnels. there are 1,300 to 1,500 miles of tons. they have operating theaters, command centers. so if israel is really serious about fulfilling its pledge of destroying hamas, it has to come to grips with the tunnels. what the idf is trying to do, they've succeed in the cutting gaza in half and they will isolate gaza city, the nerve center of hamas's rule. and hopefully from there choke hamas off without having to go into the tunnels. >> what about the costly strikes taking place? hitting civilians inside gaza? we talked to a couple of spokespersons for the israeli government during this program. they continue to maintain that they are doing all that they can to avoid civilian casualties. we saw a u.n. school was hit inside gaza. there were casualties. we witnessed those firsthand. what about the old question that we heard raised by don rumsfeld, are we creating more terrorists than we're killing? >> i think from israel's point of view, their preeminent priority is to destroy hamas. they realize, if they don't, they will be vulnerable to another attack that could be far more serious. and this one was sufficiently serious. so for use of a better term, bunker busters. >> the craters we're seeing in some of the videos is extraordinary. >> they're not targeting the schools and apartment buildings. i'm not saying that pardons the civilians who died. >> they're trying to get into the tunnels. >> exactly. and that's why you sue at the huge craters. >> and how much can israel dois from a strategic standpoint? at some point you have to be there and go tunnel by tunnel. >> well, in 2008 they stayed 50 days. i'm that sure you can stay that long. when you have 360,000 mobilized, that will begin to impact israel's economy. there will come a point they'll have to disengage. before that they want to inflict the maximum damage possible in that span of time. >> tha