Room. Hi everyone. Im jessica dean in new york and we begin this hour with israels military ramping up operations in gaza, ordering the immediate evacuation of several more neighborhoods in the Southern City of rafah. Thats where more than 1 million displaced palestinians have been taking refuge its the idf saying about 300,000 have already fled. Now this is happening as a newly released state Department Report finds it, quote, reasonable to assess that america in weapons have been used by Israeli Forces in gaza in ways quote inconsistent with International Humanitarian law. We have cnns Priscilla Alvarez with more fallout from that poor but first lets go to cnn correspondent scott mclean in the dire situation in gaza and scott, israels military confirming war airstrikes. Today, this as hundreds of thousands of people are trying to leave rafah, what do we know . Yeah. So the Israeli Military ordered two parts of gaza to be evacuated, several areas of Northern Gaza. And also several parts of rafah as well. And there had been airstrikes carried out in both of those places since then in Southern Gaza in rafah, these were in areas that were not actually ordered to evacuate the hospitals there, say 15 people were killed among them, women and children. And in the north, the Bombing Campaign there has resumed, i say resume because there were also airstrikes overnight across northern and central gaza, they came really without warning among the dead journalist, his wife, and 12yearold son, the 143rd journalists killed since the war began, there were also dozens of other people killed, among them many children and i should warn you the report that youre about to watch his very hard to watch and contains some highly disturbing images the bomb that hit this building in central gaza didnt leave much of anything or anyone intact local say it hit in the middle of the night while families were sleeping without any warning with little more than flashlights in their own hands. Rescuers dig for survivors find the bodies as this child is loaded into an ambulance next to another, their pulses are checked. It seems on the vein these are the victims of a series of strikes across central and Northern Gaza that killed scores of civilians, many of them children, Israel Defense forces declined to comment on specific airstrikes and said it was operating to dismantle hamas military and administrative capabilities at the hospitals. They save who they can. The dead are placed in body bags. This one is big enough for three. A bloodied soot covered faces are wiped off. A small measure of dignity in death inside a field hospital, shellshocked kids lie on dusty gurneys. Even after seven months living in a War Zone Sound of a nearby airstrike is no less terrifying from an ambulance. This man is rushed inside through the hospital and hoisted frantically onto a bed but its quickly apparent hes dead for a moment. A relative sits with him in stunned silence before more family arrive at overwhelmed by daybreak, theres still pulling bodies from the rubble like this one crushed under the weight of a cement slab without heavy equipment, the process is slow but the biggest body part weve recovered was half a child is man says, oh ben pencil kind and gentle with it. Were all civilians. There were no militants here what did the children do to deserve this, this man wonders. Meanwhile, the idf has now towards civilians and parts of Central Rafah to leave signed the Ground Operation. There is about to pick up streets look increasingly empty as people pack up and leave a car, horse cart, or on foot its horrible. Is the world happy to see this . This woman asks, again, look, we cant find a place to stay. We dont know where were going israel is directing people here to a designated area along the coast now flooded with hence but little infrastructure to accommodate the roughly 300,000 people. It estimates are now theyre with ceasefire talks seemingly at a standstill. The citizens of gaza are just waiting for this nightmare. There to end and jessica, some of the people that spoke with our cnn stringer on the ground in gaza, who were packing up to leave rafah for said that theyve been displaced now since the war began, seven or eight times, one man who had kids with him said that hes only leaving because of his children. He doesnt care if he dies. He said and he said, quote is this a life or death is more honorable than this humiliation. Jessica scott mclean for us. Thanks so much for that reporting. We appreciate it. Cnns Priscilla Alvarez joins us now with more on the state Department Report thats investigating israels use of us weapons in gaza priscilla, youre out west with the president as hes on a Fundraising Swing out there, theyre report stopped short of accusing israel of violating International Humanitarian law but what does it say well, it says that they have found instances where that may be the case. Of course, this was a highstakes and highly anticipated report, then marked yet another stark moment in usisraeli relations. The Biden Administration putting together this report that it says it says is 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 to your point, it said it just stopped short of saying that they violated the law. Of course, this report stems from a february National Security 30 memorandum that required the determination on this matter and also whether israel withheld humanitarian aid from gaza in violation of us law. And while the report is highly critical, it does not mandate additional actions by these really government nor mark any type of us Policy Change toward israel. And that has received pushback from some democratic allies on capitol hill who say that this is doing, trying to do two things and walk a very fine line here by saying that there are inconsistencies and yet there is no Policy Change. And of course, jessica, this comes against the backdrop of President Bidens interview with cnn this week, where he said for the first time but hes willing to withhold some weapons if israel launches a major Ground Operation in rafah, where there are more than 1 million displaced palestinians. He said that they would sell support defensive weapons, but that may change with a fence of what are still a lot of questions there, but theres no doubt jessica, that this report yet another data point and the underlying tensions between the us and israel as it wages its war against hamas, but also some of what some points of tension still between the white house and some of its allies and priscilla President Biden is, as i mentioned on this fund raising swing, hes hosting a private Fundraiser Fraser Seattle where you are and were getting some details on what hes saying to some of his supporters Behind Closed Doors. What are you learning thats right. He closed out his swing here in seattle. He just left and he essentially needled his republican rival, former President Donald Trump. It was a theme over the course of his warrant for fundraisers and something that he touched on again Behind Closed Doors today saying that the former president is Quote Unhinged and also saying that quote something snapped at him after the 2020 election. Of course, the president here trying to show and strike a stark contrast with his republican rival by noting multiple themes of his campaign about protecting democracy see abortion rights of Climate Change investments, while also trying to show that the former president is stuck in court in new york. And again, in these private remarks saying that he is quoting unhinged. All right. Priscilla alvarez traveling with the president in seattle, washington this afternoon. Thanks so much for that reporting. Joining us now is the former Deputy Assistant secretary assistant secretary of state during the obama administration, joel rubin, jolt really nice to have you on. Thanks so much for being im here. Thanks, jessica, my first i just want to get your take on this state Department Report and its implications on the us israeli relationship today yeah, this report is very hardhitting report. It is one that describes the use of americanmade weapons by israel and other countries as well. It derives, as you mentioned, from National Security memorandum that the president signed back in february but, its threads the needle appropriately, i believe because what it does is it calls out concerns, but it also says that it does not have evidence that israel is intentionally engaging. In efforts using those weapons to violate an humanitarian law in american loss. So its, its balancing a lot of equities here. And this this is, this is what we should expect from a Commander In Chief who has to back in american ally against the terrorist organization while also holding that ally up to standards that we expect and we should expect from our allies and our friends who receive our weapons yeah, i talked to one of our analysts are National Security analysts yesterday and described it as kind of straddling the line here. Do you think thats a Fair Assessment . Yeah, it really is just hill. I worked in bureau the bureau for political military fares that the State Department that produce the reports like this. And i also worked in a legislative Affairs Bureau to transmitted them to congress. Theres always going to be pressure from the left, from the right internal, you name it. But what this president is doing, what the state Department Report is providing is a clear vision of how to go forward a clear view of what it is israels doing with the weapons, but also saying now it doesnt have the kind of robust information that needs to have as well and so it does point out how its a difficult reports to construct neural likely be more reports in the future, but this balancing matters because we have to support israel in this fight against hamas will make sure that its being conducted in a manner that really does match our values in our interests. And some members of the president s own party were disappointed with this report. As you mentioned youve been in this position, youre going to get pushback from both sides probably, but i want to listen to what democratic senator jeff merkley said on cnn. Lets take a listen to that its a massive diplomatic dodge. It is frustrating because its so important at this moment that we use the leverage we have to persuade israel to change its conduct do you think that this report should have tried to leverage that more so reports to congress are just can be blunt instruments in congress tends to put down very hard lines and what the president is doing with his authorities commanderinchief is to use the tools at his disposal suppose which to try to incentivize israel to put pressure on israel. And we saw this week quite frankly with this delay now of the transferring of 3,500 bombs, heavy bonds to israel to try to persuade israel to think through how it conducts an invasion into rafah. But if congress were to have it and just cut aid immediately tomorrow, that would undermine our relationship. It may not vary. It may not either lead to the kind of outcome that the senator is looking for us. I think the president is using his tools properly. Hes trying to persuade israel pulling back a little bit on the aid appropriately, hes going to take flack from both sides, but thats what a Commander In Chief needs to be thinking about is the policy not the politics. Okay, so i want to talk more about that decision to withhold these, those large bombs from israel in the last hour, i talked with a member of israels knesset about about that, about the ultimatum from biden on not crossing a line theyre and rafah, heres what he said do you think the president has been President Biden has been justified in those actions . It. Absolutely not. You know, we are very disappointed, were confused because only few weeks ago we heard with biden saying that his hes well any understand that we have to operate in an alpha, but he wants to see how we handle the humanitarian aspects and we have plans out to deal with the civilian population. Two moving them two 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 their proxies in lebanon. And we are being attacked by hizballah by poxy w1 and by hamas so yes, we are disappointed so joe, im just curious in listening to that, you would imagine that thats what we would hear from members of the israeli government. But how, how far can biden take this before he risks rupturing . This relationship between israel and the us, which is already for many reasons, including the relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu really at odds right now. Yeah, i dont think that hes a rupture of the american israeli relationship by any stretch. And what the president hasnt done is tell israel you cant move on to rafah. There is a hamas target in rafah multiple targets. There are four battalions of hamas fighters. There the United States is saying is do it right, dude, in the manner that gets at the hamas fighters, at the hamas leadership Us Intelligence assets used our support to have targeted strikes and do it in a way that doesnt cause a humanitarian catastrophe, like what weve seen elsewhere. And theres a logic to this after say jessica, we have experienced variants from our wars in iraq a hard experience, weve learned a lot, and part of that is that dont destroy the civilian population. To achieve a military objective and have Security Plans in place. Governance plans in place for the day after. And thats where the president is team are trying to guide this conversation. They havent gotten clearly adequate responses and so they need those responses. And that is a helped israel in the long run for its overall security. Yeah, certainly something we hear to a lot from the defense secretary lloyd austin, when hes talking about this. All right. Joel ruben. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. 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