Live from atlanta. This is Cnn Newsroom with Michael Holmes. Hello and welcome, everyone. Im Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company. It is now 6 a. M. In beirut where the possibility of a Ground Invasion by israel into lebanon is fueling fears of an even wider conflict across the region. Us officials say israeli troops have mobilized and are Clearing Areas in what could be preparation for Ground Troops to move across the border. Israel saying a Ground Offensive is only one option, being considered. The idf continuing their air offensive. Meanwhile, On Saturday, with blasts hitting close to beiruts airport. Saturdays strikes in lebanon reportedly killing more than 30 people, wounding close to 200. Overall, nearly A Thousand lebanese have been killed since this latest escalation, according to health officials. Hezbollah firing back, saying it launched missiles towards jerusalem, prompting a response from israeli Air Defenses police say pieces of an intercepted missile crashed in the suburbs. All of that happening amid fears that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah could set off a wider war in the region. Hezbollah is pledging to continue its fight, while iran says israel will face, quote, a Crushing Blow for nasrallahs killing. Israeli prime ministers response. Think twice and to the ayatollahs regime, i say those who strike us, we will strike them. There is no place in iran or The Middle East that the long arm of israel cannot reach. Today, you already know that this is correct Elliott Gotkine is following the story, joins me now from london. Good morning to you, elliott. New developments changing situation almost hourly bring us up to date. Well, michael as you say, you know, were seeing continued airstrikes by israel on hezbollah positions that it says its striking Infrastructure Rocket launchers and Weapons Storage facilities and the like. And Weve Seen Rockets being fired towards Northern Israel. Sirens were sounding the last few hours in Qiryat Shemona and also, in fact, sirens sounding in eilat, israels southernmost city on the red sea. Usually when sirens sound there, it suggests a projectile perhaps a drone or a missile being fired by houthi rebels in yemen. But certainly after decapitating hezbollah. With the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah on friday, its leader, israel, will and certainly seems to feel that it has the boot on Hezbollahs Throat that it has momentum, that hezbollah is in disarray, and that now is the time to press its advantage and ultimately, what israel says it is trying to do is to ensure that the 60,000 Plus Israelis who have been displaced from their homes in the northern part of the country are able to return to their homes. And that is the objective that israel says it has. It has been saying for months now. I mean, i recall going back to december, even when you had War Cabinet members such as Benny Gantz saying that if hezbollah doesnt Move Back, those 30km North to the Litani River in accordance with un Security Resolution 1701, that brought to an end the 2006 war between Israel And Hezbollah then israel will make them do that and that certainly seems to be what israel is trying to do, right now. And indeed, israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that not only is that necessary to do to to fulfill its War Objectives in the northern border, but also with its conflict with hamas in gaza Yeah Hundreds Of Thousands of of lebanese, meanwhile, have been displaced. Theyre out of their homes as well. You mentioned pressing an advantage. The idf now reportedly are moving troops towards the Border Making Preparations near the border. Reports of naval ships heading that way as well is the sense that pressing the advantage could mean a Ground Invasion. Israel has said itself that this is one option, and weve also heard it from a senior us Administration Official and another u. S. Official saying that they reckon that a limited israeli Ground Incursion is going to be on the cards is potentially on the cards, but their sense is that Israel Hasnt yet taken that decision. Now, of course, back in 2006, there was a Ground Incursion from israel and i certainly think that if israel doesnt feel its able to achieve that war objective, namely bringing Safety And Security to its northern communities to get those 60,000 people or so back to their homes in the north without being threatened on a Daily Basis by antitank missiles or short range rockets. Then, if it feels the only way to achieve that is with a Ground Incursion, then that is something that in itself has said that it would consider. But it wont do so. Likely it will be well aware that if it does so, it would be on hezbollahs home patch, and that theres every risk of quite large israeli casualties, so it wont take that decision lightly. But certainly feels that if that is the only way that it can achieve its War Objectives of getting Safety And Security back to the northern communities enabling people to Move Back to their homes, then it seems that that is something that israel will will do. Michael. All right. Elliot gotkine in london, appreciate it. Thanks so much. Now the u. S. President, Joe Biden hailing Nasrallahs Death as a measure of justice as he put it. But he is still urging a ceasefire in the conflict. Cnns Kevin Liptak reports from washington. White house officials are reacting to the death of the Hezbollah Leader, Hassan Nasrallah, with something of dueling dueling sentiment. Certainly, there are no tears being shed inside the White House for Nasrallahs Death. They describe him as a terrorist with american blood on his hands but at the same time, they do warn that this could potentially cause the situation in the region to deteriorate after what President Biden has said is an attempt to deescalate tensions in the region. And you saw these dueling sentiments reflected in the president s statement that was released almost 24 hours after that operation in beirut. The president saying that his death from an israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of americans, israelis and lebanese civilians. The president says Hassan Nasrallah and the Terrorist Group he led, hezbollah, were responsible for Killing Hundreds Of Americans over a four Decade Reign of terror but the president also goes on to say that ultimately, our aim is to deescalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza And Lebanon through diplomatic means. Its time for these deals to close, for the threats to israel to be removed and for the broader middle East Region to gain greater stability. And it was interesting to hear from President Biden On Saturday as he was leaving church in delaware describing his ultimate goal for the region. Listen, the president is a Ground Incursion into lebanon inevitable . I for a ceasefire so you hear the president there say its time for a Cease Fire. Of course, President Biden and his top officials were working for the majority of this week to try and achieve a 21 day Cease Fire across the israellebanon border. They had worked on the sidelines of the u. N. General assembly in New York to try and secure a statement and a proposal to reach that Cease Fire deal, and they thought that israel was on board and they were infuriated. The morning after they announced it, to hear the prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, essentially brushed that deal off. And then it was a day later on friday when these strikes in beirut occurred. President biden says that the u. S. Wasnt involved and had no forewarning. And certainly it does give you a sense of the widening disconnect between the president and netanyahu. They have not spoken for more than a month, and what american officials say is certainly that President Biden is still trying to work on these diplomatic arrangements. But obviously, this strike that took out the Hezbollah Leader only complicates that situation further and now what theyre watching for is any sort of reprisal from hezbollah or what remains of it, and certainly from iran. And that is something that President Biden was briefed by his national Security Team on earlier On Saturday. They say he talked about looking at the u. S. Forces in the region, the status of those forces but he also directed the diplomacy to continue. Of course President Biden very focused on trying to reach these Cease Fire deals but the status of them still remains very much uncertain. Kevin liptak cnn washington. Iran, meanwhile requesting an Emergency Meeting of the un Security Council to, quote, take immediate and decisive action to stop israels ongoing aggression and to keep israel from, quote, pushing the entire region into an all out catastrophe. Meanwhile, other middle eastern leaders are expressing Sorrow And Outrage over Hassan Nasrallahs killing. Syrias government, condemning the israeli attack that killed the Hezbollah Leader and, quote, a large number of innocent civilians in beirut. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he gives heartfelt sympathies to the lebanese government for civilian casualties there. Jordans Foreign Minister says his country will hold israel fully responsible for the catastrophic consequences of its attacks on lebanon and egypts Foreign Minister spoke out in the united nations staunchly condemn the israeli escalation. Its dangerous and it knows no limits. It is pushing the region to the brink of the abyss. We categorically reject and strongly condemn israels current aggression vis a vis lebanon. This is a flagrant violation of Lebanons Sovereignty its territorial integrity, its unity and its political independence. We go live now to oxford Senior Fellow and senior director at the strategic outreach at the middle East Institute in washington. Its good to see you again, sir. How damaged is hezbollah in terms of israeli impacts on, you know Command And Control . The hits on leadership, the Pager Attacks and these subsequent strikes and and how does losing such an influential long Term Leader worsen things for the group michael, from what we can tell, hezbollah is reeling under the pressure of subsequent blows by israel. If theres any evidence that we can point to here is that the barrage of rockets and missiles that had been expected to rain down on israeli cities as a result of the magnitude of what israel was able to pull off in the scope of ten days, the walkietalkie attacks the Pager Attacks, the decapitation of hezbollahs Military Leadership, and then culminating with the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah himself. That kind of response that was expected has not materialized. And so the educated guess here is that hezbollah has been thrown off balance and is struggling to regain that balance and will continue to have to do so as israel throws repeated punches whether its in beirut, its in the south or Up North in the bekaa valley. This had until recently been largely a Border Tit for tat. But but israel has escalated its attacks in the capital and elsewhere as well this massive bombardment of beirut. Do you think an israeli Ground Offensive is more or less likely now . And what would that look like . Well, Michael Ostensibly the objective of the operation is to return the people of Northern Israel to their homes some 60,000 that have been displaced now for the better part of a year. However, i think an understatement understated objective of this is to degrade the iranian Ring Of Fire that has been established around israel. Hezbollah, being Irans Crown Jewel in the midst of that Ring Of Fire so the houthis in yemen, the militias in iraq and syria, and certainly hamas and hezbollah. So i really do think that what were witnessing today is the Opening Battle of a struggle taking place between iran, on the one hand, and israel in the on the other for Control And Domination of not just lebanon but the broader levant region. And thats thats a struggle that both iran and israel have been involved in since the 80s. Now. Yeah. You know, despite providing much of israels munitions and billions of dollars, of course, the u. S. Seems impotent. I mean, powerless to influence Israel And Netanyahu in particular. I mean calling for and attempting to broker ceasefires, urging restraint almost daily. But being rebuffed by israel on all fronts. What does that suggest to you . What does it mean in terms of us power to keep the region from the brink . Well if i may, i would put this differently. I dont think its for a lack of power. I think the united states is still has significant leverage over israel should it choose to exercise it. Whats become abundantly clear from talking to senior officials here is that the will does not exist for for various reasons, having to do not wanting, sorry not wanting to lose certain constituencies during a very tightly contested president ial election here in washington. And so what were seeing really is the administration consistently stating a preference for diplomacy, laying out the diplomatic path. But also sitting idly by and watching israel take on a different path. The path of war. And Escalation Convincing Israel all along perhaps trying to cajole it back to diplomacy, back to diplomacy. On israels terms. But i dont see this administration using much leverage. Any time soon on israel. I wanted to ask you this through hezbollah is primarily a shia organization, and shias are actually outnumbered by sunni and christians and others in lebanon i mean, hezbollah claims to represent and protect the lebanese people, but how do ordinary lebanese View Hezbollah right now or how might they, as the damage the bombs keep coming well, there certainly isnt one view regarding hezbollah in lebanon. Lets remember the majority of the lebanese people did not want to be dragged into this war. They view it as not being their war. This is perhaps a legitimate war for the palestinians. And one of selfliberation and determination, but not The Way that the lebanese see it as their being, their own. So Hassan Nasrallah and hezbollah, single handedly pulled lebanon into this conflict on behalf of iran, very much as they did in the 2006 war between lebanon and israel. And back then, Hassan Nasrallah. Regrettably said, had i known that it would cause a major war that devastated lebanon, i would have not ordered the kidnaping of israeli soldiers. So this is one of those situations where many lebanese Nonshia Lebanese in particular, are looking around and saying maybe this is an opportunity to to decouple lebanon from the fate of gaza, but nonetheless, nonetheless, for sure, for many shias, Hassan Nasrallah is revered and iconic, and he will be remembered that way. Yeah, always great to get your analysis thanks so much. Firas maksad there. Thank you protesters in israel, meanwhile, demanding their government turn its attention from lebanon and back towards hostages in gaza. More than A Thousand people gathered in Tel Aviv saturday demanding prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on freeing those still held captive by hamas in gaza though some believe that targeting hamas and Ally Hezbollah is a step towards keeping israel safe. If youre asking me if the current. The story. The latest operation, what it did. I hope that it will, uh, that it will uh, deter hezbollah from continuing to create, to have a Terrorist Attacks against israel. The fact that these are more tense days and that theres other activities in lebanon doesnt change the fact that these hostages are still there. We need to do everything to bring them back safely. The north is a different problem we should attack hezbollah. Its a its an okay move but first we have to reach a deal to get all our hostages back home now alive i want to go now to Yaakov Katz, senior Columnist And Editor at the jerusalem post. Good to see you netanyahu calls the killing of nasrallah an historic turning point. Is it i think it definitely is michael. The region is safer, the world is safer, and a diabolical mastermind of terrorism that has been able to spread Destruction And Chaos across the globe to places like argentina, marine barracks, of course, in beirut, countless attacks of kidnapings and Thousands Tens Of thousands of Rocket Attacks against israel, Sleeper Cells that have been uncovered all over the world, targeting jews as well as other western targets in different countries. This is a better day for the world, and the world is safer and the world is better off. And i think we also have to keep in mind is that iran, with its strategy to spread terrorism around the world through proxies, iran is hurting today. And we had been told for so long that the iranians were powerful, that hezbollah was their extension of their arm, and it was what would stop israel as well as the rest of the world from ever being able to actually confront the iranians over their illicit nuclear program. Well, that might not be the case anymore. I was just discussing with the israeli forces reportedly mobilizing near the border. Given the events of the past week or more is it harder, though, to argue for israel to argue its reacting to events but rather it is shaping them . It is preempting them. It is, in a way fueling conflict. What what do you think the ultimate strategy is, and what are the risks . Well, i would dismiss, michael, this idea that israel is fueling the conflict. I mean, lets lets just put things into context for a moment, right. Hezbollah on october 8th, the day after the Hamas Massacre of october