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Photo on your phone, install the free keepsake app. We would love a chance to frame it for you Closed Captioning is brought to you by sokoloff Law Mesothelioma Victims call now 30 billion in trust money has been set aside. You may be entitled to a portion of that money call when 8085920400. Thats when 8085920400 i everyone youre in the cnn newsroom and im jessica dean in new york. We begin this hour with growing fears in Gaza Tens Of Thousands of palestinians flee the city of rafah amid a looming major assault might israels military. Today, the idf ordering the immediate evacuation of more Neighbors Woods In Rafah after the Israeli Security cabinet approved an expansion of its military operations, their Satellite Images show many of the densely populated camps were more than 1 million civilians have been taking shelter suddenly cleared out within a matter of days the idf estimating about 300,000 people have already left that area. And all of this coming amid a new report from the State Department that says its quote, reasonable to assess that american weapons have been used by Israeli Forces in gaza in ways that are inconsistent with International Humanitarian law. We have cnns Priscilla Alvarez with more fallout from that report. But first lets go to cnn correspondent scott mclean, who is has more on the dire situation in gaza. Scott, there has been more airstrikes targeting rafah. What do you know whats the latest right now . Hey, jessica. Yeah. So this is according to hospitals and rafah, they say that they were two airstrikes carried out in the city, some 15 people at this point have been confirmed to have died, including women and children. And what is especially noteworthy is that those strikes took place in in areas that were not ordered to be evacuated by israel. Israel did order several parts of Northern Gaza and also of rafah, two evacuate today. At all in anticipation of a steppedup Ground Offensive in rafah and renewed Bombing Campaign campaign in the north. And i say renewed because there have there has been restarted bombing there just this afternoon, according to the idf and it comes after there were several airstrikes overnight in northern and central gaza. These came without warning though. In the middle of the night. And frankly, when can you look at some of the video of the aftermath in the hospitals which are chaotic on the strike locations, which are completely destroyed. It is especially hard to watch because there are so many children in those videos. Some of them very, very small. Infants, even also among the victims, is a journalist, his wife and his 12yearold son, that marks the 140 journalists to be killed since this war began the idf was asked about those strikes last night, they declined to comment other than to say that they are trying to dismantle hamas and that they work within International Law and they take precautions to safeguard civilians. Thats notable, of course though, because it comes just a day after this report was released by the us State Departments strongly suggesting that in many cases, the opposite is actually true. Israel has been pushing those that its asked to evacuate toward one particular area along the coastline called almuwasi is a sandy area, it dunes there and very little though in the way of infrastructures to support the 300,000 people who have pitched tents in those areas. Thats double the number that the idf estimated on thursday, 150,000 and inside rafah, theres theres already plenty of evidence that the streets are starting to hollow out. People are leaving, theyre picking up whatever they have in their going either by car or by donkey cart or in many cases on foot and our cnn stringer today, jessica was able to speak with one woman as she was leaving today with three young kids in tow and she was very emotional and she said, it horrible. Is the world happy to see this . We cant find a place to stay. We dont know where were going to go. And shes obviously not even close to the only one, jessica . Yeah, there are many many more just like her. Scott. Thanks so much for that reporting. Lets go now to Priscilla Alvarez, whos at the white house in washington. Actually, shes in seattle. Shes traveling with the president there. I see the space needle behind you, priscilla this highly anticipated report from the State Department stopped short of officially saying israel violated the law but it certainly didnt totally let them off the hook. Whats the response been thats right, jessica, this highstakes and highly anticipated report came as the president is on his west coast swing concluding here in seattle for fundraising. Now, this report was really another moment, another stark moment in the is rarely relations. It was put together by the Biden Administration and it found that quote, its reasonable to assess that us weapons have been used by Israeli Forces in gaza in a way that is inconsistent with International Humanitarian law. But it stops short of saying that israel via its violated the law. Of course, this report stemmed from a february National Security memorandum that was required to make it determination on this matter as well as whether israel withheld humanitarian aid to gaza in violation of us law. But there has been some push back here because while the report came to these conclusions and was highly critical, it doesnt it doesnt provoke any type of us policy change at this point. And it also doesnt mandate any actions by the israeli government. So allies to the president have pushed back on this saying that, yes, there are there, it is critical and yet there is no change on the horizon. And of course, all of this, jessica comes against the backdrop of the president s interview with cnn earlier this week, were for the first time, he said that he is willing to withhold some weapons from israel real if they move forward with a major Ground Operation in rafah, rafah been that area were more than 1 million palestinians are displaced. Of course, he said that the us will continue to provide defensive weapons that could change though with offensive weapons. So still a lot of questions here in terms of what this looks like moving forward. But what is very clear, just because if there are underlying tensions that remain between the us lesson, israel, as it wages its war against hamas. And priscilla Family Members of the american hostages that are still being held, met with white house officials yesterday. What did they have to say . Well according, to a white house readout, they expressed a quote, immense frustration over another pause in these ongoing Hostage Talks in their meeting again with National Security adviser jake sullivan. And let me read you part of this reread out what says quote, the families expressed their immense frustration with yet another pause, especially after recent Hostage Videos showed their loved ones disabled, thin, pale, and under apparent duress. All of this coming out with the meeting between the families of the five americans katz, who are believed to be held hostage. There has been a lot of activity in recent weeks in these Hostage Talks to the cia director going abroad to engage in some of these talks, the Secretary Of State and even the president and the israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all engaged ding on this, but there is still no deal. Its unclear whether there will be one. And in the interim, this meeting happening happening, this week with National Security adviser for the hostage, the families of the hostages continue to express their concern and frustration all right. Priscilla alvarez traveling with the president this weekend on the west coast in seattle, washington. Thanks so much for that reporting. And joining us now from tel aviv is danita known . Hes a member of israels knesset, a former israeli ambassador to the united nations. Mr. Vassar, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. I just first want to get your reaction to the state Department Report on israels use of us weapons in gaza jessica, we havent seen very yet, but i can tell you one thing. The way we conduct the wall, we take all precautions in order to make sure we minimize casualties for civilians. And we have proved it the very fact that as we speak, were asking but relation to move lets do a different area. You just shows you that it takes us too long, seven months to operate in gaza. But thats only because we do it slowly. We try to minimize civilian casualties. And we will continue to do that. And i think i will friends in the that aware that they know whats happening the ground. And then they should they actually look at the fact whats happening here, regardless of those allegation that will every once in awhile right. And they did look at the facts they had. They it was a Long Research report and yet the president has warned israels Government Number of times the Prime Minister netanyahu about the civilian deaths in gaza, about President Bidens concern and the administrations concerns about the civilian deaths and wellbeing in gaza. And he recently withheld a Weapons Shipment out of concern over these powerful bombs that potentially could have been used in rafah were over 1 million palestinians flood during the war. Do you think the president has been President Biden has been justified in those actions it absolutely not. We are very disappointed, were confused because only few weeks ago we heard with the pregnancy that is supposed to use well, understand that we have to operate in a laptop. But you want well see how we handle the humanitarian aspects and we have plans out to deal with the civilian population to move them to different days before we operate in an alpha. And all of a sudden we held those do about holding a shipment and that at the same time when i want is doubling their shipments to the proxy in lebanon we are being attacked by hizballah by proxy w1 by hamas so yes, we are disappointed, but we will continue the dialogue with us. We are grateful for the support, but at the end of the day, we will take the decisions by ourselves. We will not forget the hostages, including five american hostages being held by hamas. We have no desire to go to alpha. I can tell you as a father over officer in the military, nobody knew really happy to send a Family Member to fighting gather. But we dont see any other option to bring back the hostages and to finish the wall if hamas will serrano tomorrow morning and well release the hostages we will. Definitely not going to have but those bombs that he withheld there, some of the biggest that exist in the arsenal the fallout zone is dozens of Football Fields is that something that you would actually need in rafah where Hundreds Of Thousands of million civilians are all kind of huddled together. I know some of them are moving out and youve told them to leave. I understand that, but were you planning to use those in this offensive what i dont know. We dont we dont know exactly what we will do and how we will do it. But if you compare to the way that the us for terrorism, whether what it in afghanistan, lilac sometimes you have to use falls to fight of the terrorist and that hiding behind civilians, they are committing a war crime by hiding behind civilians. So its challenging for every democracy with fighting a thorough organization to fight when you fight inside a civilian population were doing our best to minimize casualties we will continue to do that sometimes when we get the support of the us, it allows us to use sophisticated weapons in order to achieve our goals. If we will not have those reference, we will continue without those weapons. And i think it will be harder for us and the casualties will be larger. So we would try to avoid and i believe this will continue the negotiations with our colleagues in dc and you mentioned the hostages that are still being held in gaza, that there have been many, many talks to try to get to an agreement for either parma for a ceasefire, a pause in the fighting, and returning some of those hostages then go stations apparently are kinda back at square one after the backandforth do you think that the rafah whats going on in rafah . How do you think thats affecting these negotiations . I seem that if we would apply a military false, we will be able to move forward with the negotiations. Because look what happened exactly one week ago on saturday night, who received an offer from hamas . Basically what they told us that they will release 33 hostages, but they cannot tell us with a live and who is not. And that was very bad news for us that even 33 hostages that would committee to give us the number of people who are alive. So thats bad news. I think we will have to use more false in order to get to a deal thats what happened when we started the wall. We put a lot of false. We forced them to negotiate and to achieve an agreement. I hope will happen because we know we we get testimonials about the conditions of the hostages, about that wasnt is and we know that every day more of the journey the light over there. And were looking at video while youre speaking, we have Video Playing to of a big protests against the government in tel aviv that happened today. Some calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign many want the hostages back a deal to be strapped to get those hostages back. And just going appoint you just said, the white house National Security Communications Adviser john kirby, told reporters this week that a fullscale invasion of rafah would actually, in his word, strengthen hamas. And hamas his hands at the negotiating table, not israels. Are you concerned . About that yes. We have because thats very confusing to you, both voices coming from washington in one hand, we hear that the usu standing with israel and at the same time, we feel that our handle being tied behind our back. You cannot win a war like that. Israeli, the strongest democracy, the strongest ally of the us in the region. And i want to remind you that when we were caught by surprise on october 7, we add a ceasefire with hamas, but they chose to invade our communities, kidnapped innocent people raped in bucha. The innocent is valid so thats a wo, of, that. We dont want to have, but we have no other option because if hamas will stay in power in gaza they will put their acts together and they would attack us again, we cannot allow that thank you so much for making time for us. We appreciate it thank you, Jessica Prosecutors in Donald Trumps Criminal Hush Money Trial so they could rest their case by the end of the week, but not before there star witness, former trump fixer, Michael Cohen takes the stand. The potential impact of his testimony Plus Y The Solar Storm giving us these amazing using images also has the National Weather service a little worried about problems with the power grid. Phone calls, the internet, and more, youre in the cnn newsroom most pistorius was by the absolute peak of his celebrity in olympic heroes, Shotgun Murder Trial we learned of a much darker individual. How would really happen with jesse l. 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