just ahead, tonight the mayor of new york, the former police captain, confronted by fbi agents and seized his phones and ipad as what appears to be a fast growing campaign finance investigation. we begin with israel's war in hamas, most notably the efforts to secure the hostages now believed to be held by hamas and other groups. it comes at the end of the day that saw israeli forces heavily pound targets in northern gaza from the air and troops on the ground continued to engage. the senior american official familiar with the hostage talks tells cnn that negotiators are working toward an agreement involving what this official call ls a sustained days-long pause in the fighting. in exchange, hostages would be freed on a rolling basis, starting with women and children over a period of days. that same official added that many details remain unresolved and negotiations could stall or break down at any point. also comments by secretary of state antony blinken gets more attention. secretary of state antony blinken raised concerns about the death toll in gaza and pushed for more in the way of humanitarian aid, beyond the daily pauses in fighting, to allow civilians to get out. >> far too many palestinians have been killed. far too many have suffered these past weeks. and we want to do everything possible to prevent harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them. >> cnn's nic robertson starts us off from where some of the video we showed you was taken, just across the border from northern gaza. what have you been seeing and hearing in recent hours? >> reporter: just in fact heard a very heavy detonation, anderson, coming from behind us where that fighting was taking place earlier. we think it's the jabalia refugee camp. and it appeared as if there was an intense fire fight because flares were dropped and a smoke screen created on the ground, which is normally what we've seen when the idf forces believe they've come into contact with a number of hamas fighters. we saw what appeared to be missiles coming in from above, perhaps heavy machine gun fire from an apache gunship but a very, very intense battle. significant because it's just a few miles into the north of gaza. troops have been on the ground there for two weeks already, and yet they still find themselves in these very heavy confrontations with hamas. and that's given that they still have many, many, many miles more to go in gaza before it can be cleared. which gives the understanding that this will be a very, very long military operation indeed, if it's going to succeed as the idf lays out, anderson. >> is it clear to you what exactly these pauses that israel has agreed to, seemingly under u.s. pressure, kind of, rolling pauses at different times? what that's going to look like? >> reporter: they do seem to be -- yeah, they do seem to be principally based on the idea that we're seeing these humanitarian corridors that have allowed tens of thousands of people to move from the north to the south. that begets another question as well that i'll just touch on because when you get all those people in the south, then the strikes are still happening in the south. and you have now double density gazan population in the south, and the military still has to move to the south. then it becomes harder to avoid civilians. but i think we've seen, perhaps, one of those pauses come into effect around one of the hospitals today. it's really unclear the situation. there are tanks around it. there's been casualties outside because of explosions. but it does seem, according to hospital officials at al shifa hospital, that a lot of the doctors and patients have now left. so, perhaps there was a pause of some sort in their location as well. these are the only ways where we're seeing it come into effect, anderson. >> are you seeing anything that would indicate israel's responding to international pressure to reduce civilian casualties? >> reporter: you know, i think these corridors are, but the military, in essence, despite the fact that it's only targeting hamas and the idf says that it's not intending to have civilian casualties, war here, the way it's being fought, is a very blunt instrument. and absolutely every day we continue to see civilian casualties. the number now has gone over 11,000, according to palestinian health officials, anderson. >> perspective now from someone we've been talking to since the terror attack on october 7th, mic michael oren. you hear secretary blinken hearing far too many palestinians have been killed in gaza. do you sense a concern or a weakening of the biden administration's support for israel? >> no. i think that this was anticipated. i think that when you're fighting against an enemy that's hiding behind its own population, using them as human shields, the administration has said, secretary blinken has said this repeatedly, there's going to be civilian casualties. we're going to do the utmost to hold them down. we in the white house, we're under a lot of pressure. we're getting pressure from our own party. can you do your yutmost, can yo open up the humanitarian corridors, humanitarian pauses to get aid in and perhaps release some of the pressure on us. help us help you, he's basically saying. and i think israel personally should try to meet, as much as possible, the requests of the administration. >> why not have as much aid as possible going in through that rafah border to the south to encourage as many palestinians to come down to the south as possible? >> i think that's a compelling argument. what's going on in public opinion, including the families of the hostages, is saying, listen, we have not had a word about any of our hostages. the red cross has not gone in there. by holding that aid, we're basically maintaining leverage over the international community, over red cross, and over hamas to let somebody in to see these hostages so we know where and what condition they're in. >> tom freedman wrote a piece nt in "the times," biden -- wartime diplomatic initiative directed to the palestinians at the west bank and hopefully oppose gaza that indicates some two-state solution if palestinian officials can get their political house unified and in order. that doesn't even seem to be something that the government in israel is thinking about. they're withholding tax revenues from the palestinian authorities, tax revenues which, by all rights, should go to palestinian authority to pay for security personnel. >> but some of that money now is going to be used to pay for the families of terrorists who killed jews and the palestinian authority pays them salaries. >> but not all -- they're withholding the entire tax revenues, which, again -- >> listen, i don't think it's a great idea. but here, you know, again, there's -- >> why weaken the security forces of palestinian authority at this point if there's going to be some sort of post-hamas rule of gaza, i assume, if israel -- palestinian authority would be the most obvious choice if they would be willing to do it. >> i don't think it's a great idea. but here's the reality on the ground. you have mahmoud abbas. he's the president of the palestinian authority. he's in the 18th year of his four-year term. he will not stand for re-election because he knows if he does, he's going to lose to hamas. he knows if you involve the authority and mahmoud abbas in a peace process, there's a return to gaza within a matter of days. >> who's going to be mayor of gaza? >> we don't know yet. we don't know yet. i think we have to internationalize it. i think it should be israel's problem. >> arabia, qatar, they don't want to have troops in gaza. >> i think it's early. i think it's too early. i think right now is to demilitarize the gaza strip, rebuild the gaza strip, and then figure out some type of international force. >> you know, the u.s., with great authority, had a deep campaign in the wake of kicking out saddam hussein. and a lot of those people who, you know, had military training, they ended up in the insurgency. >> i understand. >> how does there not be a hamas insurgency. they're not going to -- all hamas supporters are not going to be killed. >> no, they're not. first of all, i don't think you can kill the idea of hamas. any more than you can kill the idea of i.s.i.s. or kill the idea of al quaeda. listen, there are lots of neo-nazis running around today, but they're not as powerful as there was when there was a nazi germany. you can take care of the hamas state, and the people will still subscribe to the notion of hamas. you that you have to destroy the jewish state and create a caliphate in the middle east. they will be weakened. kids in gaza, children in gaza are not going to nursery school and learning to kill jews, not going to summer camp and learning to kill jews. giving them a different future, i think you can do that. you can't do it as long as hamas is there. >> thank you so much. >> always good to be with you. for hostage families, the wait for word is unbearable. cnn's ed lavandera has one woman's story of devotion and determination. >> i have her also here on my back, my beautiful sister. >> reporter: for more than a month, hamas has head this woman's 23-year-old sister hostage. she is sleeping outside israel's military headquarters and vows to stay here as long as it takes to get her sister home. >> it's a statement. we're here until they're here. and it's on your hands and the world's hands to bring them back. >> reporter: the families and volunteer supporters of the roughly 240 hostages have moeb liedsed a massive campaign demanding their release. but what price are these families pushing the israeli government to pay? >> it's probably going to take some sort of deal to save the hostages. >> okay, okay, okay. whatever it takes. >> whatever it takes? >> yeah. >> reporter: she wants the world to hear this terrifying recording of roammy's phone call with their mother from the music festival hamas fighters ambushed. [ sound of gunfire ] [ speaking in a non-english language ] >> if it was your sister, do you think there is a price for your sister? my sister doesn't have a price. she needs to be here. none of them have a price. they're innocent civilians. >> reporter: hundreds gathered at this tel aviv protest demanding that the international red cross ensure medical treatment for the hostages. but of the nearly dozen families we spoke with, all supported exchanging palestinian prisoners for the hostages. >> [ crowd chanting ] act now. >> reporter: nina's 84-year-old mother is a hostage. neta is fearful her mother won't survive. >> the first priority is to destroy the hamas, and we need the first priority will be to bring them back. >> reporter: this woman is waiting for news of her brother's entire family, including two young boys. >> we are willing to do whatever it takes. >> so, even if it's something difficult like a prisoner exchange. >> yeah. it's a difficult situation. so, there's no easy way. >> reporter: the israeli government says there will be no ceasefire without the release of hostages. >> so, there's a, kind of, contradiction that you want to negotiate with them to free hostages, but your goal is to kill them. >> reporter: in 2011, gershon baskin negotiated a prisoner exchange for israeli soldier -- more than 1,000 palestinian prisoners were released in the deal, including yahya, who became one of the masterminds of the october 7th attacks. israel's prison service tells cnn it's holding more than 6,000 palestinian prisoners. >> i know what decision i would make, and it's not a good decision. but i would make the offer. i think it's more important to bring those hostages home than it is to free the palestinian -- to keep the palestinian prisoners in jail. >> this woman says she would trade places with her sister to save her life. all she can do is remeain campe outside, demanding a deal to bring her sister home. >> and you're going to stay how long? >> until they come back. >> as long as it takes. >> yeah. i hope it will take two days at least at most. >> if it takes months? >> so, i'll be here. >> ed lavandera joins us now from tel aviv. what more do we know about these hostage negotiations? >> reporter: well, if there's any movement it's really hard to see, and it's really a question of what is going to happen next and questions about what exactly the israeli military is doing on the ground there. you know, this idea that the israeli military can carry out both of these objectives of destroying hamas militarily on the ground, as you've seen from nic robertson's reporting tonight, and save all of the hostages' lives. there's growing skepticism as to whether or not that can be done. in fact, some families of hostages released a statement saying that victory should not be measured by assassinating the hamas fighters that were responsible for the october 7th attack. they say the victory should be measured by getting the hostages home alive. so, there's really growing tension there about whether or not this is a viable option in the days, weeks, if not months ahead. >> ed lavandera, thanks very much. next, new york city mayor and the fbi search and what it says about the federal investigation. potential straw donors and the alleged roll of turkish nationals. and later, whether the former president will face trial in the documents case before or after the election. the top of the program, today's remarkable news that fbi agents executed a search warrant on america's biggest city mayor. they took mayor eric adams cell phones and an ipad monday night. this came days after an fbi search of his chief campaign fund-raiser's home. all of this connected to an apparently growing government investigation. shimon prokupecz joins us now with more. what do we know about how and why the fbi executed this search warrant? >> reporter: anderson, it's pretty extraordinary what happened here. it was on monday, just a couple of days ago when the mayor was leaving nyu behind me. he was at an event, he was speaking. what we're told is as he was leaving and started walking out on the sidewalk, fbi agents approached him with search warrants, seeking his devices. it was so serious that, you know, the mayor here has a security detail. they told the security detail to step aside. and then with the mayor, they went inside his suv. and that is where they took his phones and an ipad, we're told. a couple of days later, after they copied or whatever it is they were looking for on those phones, they returned the devices. this is all in connection to an fbi investigation that's been going on for quite some time looking at campaign finances. just last week, as you said, his finance person on the campaign, the fbi raided her home. they also seized documents there and phones and other electronics. and now they have taken the extraordinary step to approach the mayor and seize his devices as well. and it's very unclear to us actually what they're looking for. but still a remarkable escalation in this investigation. and really for the first time, we're seeing the mayor here interact with the fbi. so, it's a very significant move here by the fbi. and they're looking at finances. that's as far as we know connected to the turkish nationals and whether or not straw donors were used to funnel money into his election. >> what is the mayor's response? >> he said he's cooperating. he's basically saying he did nothing wrong, he has nothing to hide, anderson, and that he's fully cooperative. a lawyer for the campaign also issuing a statement, says that the mayor has been and remains committed to cooperating in this matter. and then confirming what happened here on monday and says that they're going continue to cooperate with the investigation. but i think it's important here anderson to highlight that despite what they're saying about their cooperation, the fbi didn't wait for their cooperation to seek these phones. they made such an extraordinary move. for some reason there was obviously some concern, so they approached them with these search warrants and seized his phones. >> shimon, stay with us. i want to bring in elie honig. elie, what would the fbi have to do in order to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant like this? >> anderson, it's not easy for prosecutors and the fbi to get a search warrant. you have to establish what we call probable cause that a prime was committed and the likelihood that you'll find evidence of that federal crime in whatever it is that you seize. you have to write it out in detail in an affidavit. as a prosecutor, you have to let the judge know exactly what is probable cause. and the judge has to review it and agree there is probable cause. in a case of this magnitude with a subject, such as eric adams, the mayor of the largest city in the united states, this almost certainly would have had to go down to the bosses at the department of justice headquarters for approval as well. a lot of people saw this and signed off. probable cause is a lower standard of proof than prosecutors, of course, would need to convict, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. >> elie, to the point that shimon raised, what does it tell you that the fbi stopped him on the street, got him in his suv to get these things, rather than asking him voluntarily to turn over his devices at some point? >> it's a great point by shimon here because if they believe that eric adams would be fully cooperative and hand over all the evidence they needed, they wouldn't do it that way. they would serve a subpoena. they would go through his lawyers. and the fact that not only did they serve a search warrant, but they did it in a sudden, dramatic, unexpected way, i think tells me the fbi believed there was some urgency and exigency here. >> does he have to give them the password to his phone when he hands over a phone? >> so, it's a good question. ordinarily one would do that if they're being cooperative, like adams' lawyers have said he's being cooperative. they've said he has nothing to hide. if they don't do that, the fbi generally does have the technology, and they'll have permission through the search warrant to do what we call dump the cell phone, means to scan all its contents, to get access, and to examine everything, emails, texts, whatsapp, encrypted apps, photos, you name it. so, ultimately the fbi absolutely will be able to get access to information on his phone. >> so, the fbi searched the home of mayor adams' chief fund-raiser last week. what is her role in all this? i mean, has anyone already been charged with anything? >> no. no one's been charged with anything. and obviously they're all denying any wrong doing. and they all say they're cooperating. and even that situation last week, she's essentially at the home of this financer, this chief financer. she's about 25 years old. i believe a lot of people in new york city in the political world have said it was, kind of, an odd choice to put her in that position. in her case, they had spent some time at her home. they took computers. they took other devices, records. you know, it's very much unclear to us at this point exactly what they were looking for. but, you know, perhaps something that they found there caused them some concern. so, they had to do this in the way that we've been talking about here tonight. the other thing you have to think about anderson is that the fbi might have a lot of this information already. they have other ways of getting subpoenas and search warrants through the cloud and through email and through other phone companies and all that. so, clearly something else has happened here, where they said, we need to do this now. and it could be based off of some information that they obtained in the search last week or something else came to light. but this is certainly something that is very significant and has everyone in the politic