Weve been watching as more rocket fire continues. The air strikes are hitting these positions on the northern and eastern part of the strip in preparation for the expected ground operation. Our operations will be targeted against the specific threats that hamas boasts as an organization, as individuals, as an institution of terror. Right now Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken. Ed. The assistance that they need and were anxious to reunit them with their loved ones. We welcome their release and we share in the relief that their families and friends and loved ones are feeling. But theres still ten additional americans that remain unaccounted for in this conflict. We know that some of them are being held hostage by hamas along with an estimated 200 other hostages held in gaza. Men, women, young boys, young girls. Elderly people from many nations. Every one of them should be released. Since the earliest hours of this crisis, the president has made it clear he will do Everything Possible to security the release of every hostage. During my own recent travel to the region, i emphasized the importance of this to the United States and pressed our partners to do everything that they can to help us secure the release. Since that time we work with partners to do just that. I cant speak publicly about the details of the efforts. I know you understand that. But the urgent work to free every single american, to free all other hostages continues. As i worked to secure the Safe Passage Out Of Gaza for The Americans trapped there. In this particular instance, i want to thank the government of qatar for their very important assistance. When i was in israel last week, i met with the families of u. S. Citizens that hamas has taken hostage. President biden had an opportunity to hear directly from the families. Its impossible to put into words the agony that fear feeling of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. Worrying relentlessly about them, for their safety, security, wellbeing. No family anywhere should have to experience this torture. What i shared with the families as the president did as well is that the entire United States government will work every minute of every day to secure their release, to brick their loved ones home. They have my solemn pledge, those that continue to have loved ones held by hamas, that will continue to do that, working as though these Family Members were our own. With that im happy to take a few questions. Thanks for coming down, mr. Secretary. You said you couldnt talk about specific details. Im wondering, you did thank the government of qatar. Since you were there with and they have put host a hamas office, if you could elaborate on what their role was and if you continue to think that that channel there, them having an office there, is worth while. Then secondly a lot of has been made by you, the president , by other officials about how it is important for israel if and when they begin a Ground Incursion in to gaza for it to respect the rules of war. Im curious if you think that to date, even before that Ground Incursion that started, if israel is respecting those rules and laws. Thank you. Thanks for the questions. You understand that because this is an ongoing efforts to get americans who are hostage in this moment in gaza out to security their release to get them back with their families, i cant go into any details about what were doing, how were doing it. All i can say with regard to qatar is in this instance, we very much appreciate their assistance. Beyond that i really cant say because again, we want to focus on making sure were getting those that remain hostage back home and with their loved ones. Thats the single most important thing. With regard to how israel is conducting its operations. You heard the president speak to this very clearly. You heard me speak to it clearly. Weve said we believe strongly that israel has not only the right but the obligation to defend itself against what its very hard to put in to words, the nature, the barbarity of the attacks. They have the obligation to defend themselves, to do whatever they can to make sure that this doesnt happen again. We have been clear as well that the way israel does this matters and in particular its important that operations be conducted in accordance with international law, humanitarian law, the law of war as applicable and that everything be done to minimize the loss of civilian life. We continue to focus on that. Just as were focusing on getting assistance to people in gaza that need it. Theres plenty of time to make assessments how these operations were conducted. I can say for part of the United States that this continues to be important to us, again, its what distinguishes us, distinguishes israel from Terrorist Groups like hamas, which not only have absolutely no concern for innocent human life, they intentionally use innocent human lives to hide behind. To use as quite literally as Human Shields knowing that civilians invariably will suffer in conflict. Mr. Secretary, just following up on that. Hamas has issued a statement. I know with the huge caveat that its a terror group and one does not attach credibility to that. They have said all the hostages, the civilian hostages, which includes The Americans, could be released, this could be the start of something bigfer theres no air strikes. Would this be a moment if under israels discretion it would be wise to pause to see if this is a moment if the Ground Invasion is not started, should the air strikes to stop to get more people out . It was notable without going into details, the president s statement he said he expressed his thanks to israel and to qatar rather in partnership with israel. Notable connection there. The obvious inference that they were working together on this. Does this give you hope that despite everything that has happened that there could still be a broader relationship and avoid a wider war . Thanks. So two things there. First, its very simple. Hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally. Thats been our position from day one and remains our position to your point, i would not take anything that hamas says at face value. Im not sure anyone in this room would take it face value on report on something that isis said. Same thing applies to hamas. Our position is clear. Every hostage needs to be release and and released now. There is no doubt from my own travels in the region that one of the important things throughout this very difficult period and since the unconscionable attack by hamas is to continue to find ways for countries to cooperate, coordinate when its in their interest to do so. Well continue to look to that. Any cooperation that we can elicit that secures the provision of humanitarian assistance to the men, women and children in gaza that so desperately need it. We work on that every day. We can say weve seen that cooperation. The broader question is usually important. Because what is abundantly clear is the vast majority of countries, the vast majority of people want the same thing. They want a region where countries are working together, where relations are normalized. Where theres greater integration. Where people are working together, studying together, traveling, doing business. Overwhelming majority of people want that. And we want to see as well the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian People full nilled in the context of that kind of region. Thats one vision and it remains very much alive in every conversation that i had. The alternative is equally clear. Its very stark. Its hamas, its hezbollah, its iran. Its destruction, terrorism, d darkness. So the for we can make real the first vision, the more im convinced that thats the vision that every 1 or virtually everyone will subscribe to. So even as we are working through this challenge, this crisis, its important to let people know theres an alternative. Everything that they hope for and aspire to will be best addressed through what ive just described, the first vision. Well continue to do that. Thanks, mr. Secretary. What can you tell us about the condition of these two americans that have been released . What is their Health Status . Do you have details on the conditions of The Americans being held hostage . Have you seen any proof of lime on them . On the rafa crossing, what is the holdup . Will we see it opened this weekend . I cant speak to the condition of the two hostages that were just released. First out of respect for their privacy. Second, because we havent had a chance yet maybe its happening as we speak oh toe get our own team in there to see them, to evaluate them and most importantly to reunite them with their loved ones. Im sure that will come out in the hours, certainly the days ahead. I dont have anything on that now. For do i have anything for you on the status or condition of americans that continue be held by hamas. With regard to the raffa crossing, as you know when some of us were traveling together in the region the past week, getting Assistance Moving is among my top priorities. We worked very hard with the government of israel, the government of egypt to do just that. We secured an understanding that we would develop a plan to move assistance. That was cemented by President Biden when he was in israel and also speaking to the president of egypt. In the time since, weve been working relentlessly with David Satter Field on the ground, working with the united nations, working with egypt and israel to put that in motion. My expectation is that youll see that moving soon. Thank you. Thanks, everyone. Thank you. That was Secretary StateAntony Blinken making remarks on the release of the two American Hostages, a mother and a daughter. Of course, the question now is how will this release impact israels planned invasion of gaza. Were on it. Welcome, everyone. Im Charles Payne in for neil cavuto, this is your world. The former israeli ambassador joins us now. Michael, id like to get your initial thoughts on what we just heard from the Secretary State and also the release of the two American Hostages by hamas. First, lets start with the secretarys speech. Powerful, reassuring. Not being moved by hamas subterfuge and the attempt to manipulate world opinion. That ties directly to the hostages. The hostages, judy and Natalie Raanan were released because of a program that was on earlier this morning with the great reporter, Martin Fletcher that announced these were his Family Members and he broke down in the middle of the talk. It was very moving. We all got moved. Hamas realized that they had a great asset on their hands, a lot of publicity, profile. This would generate calls for the United States to put pressure on israel not to proceed with its invasion as it will now the narrative now will tray to change. Hamas will try to change it. Theyve been saying all that you heard about our beheading and raping and mutilating people, that was a false narrative. Thats what the hamas spokesman said, it was a false narrative and this is the feelgood, generous hamas. Look, were releases hostages. If you want the rest of the hostages released, put pressure on israel not to invade. Not to have a Ground Incursion. The Secretary State didnt fall for that in any way. You can see the reporters questions. They were getting there. Isnt this too time too put pressure on israel not to act . He wasnt going for that. He had an implicit criticism of the New York Times and of many of the western press that is taking hamas word about the hospital bombings. Would you take isis on their word . Would you quote a statement by is superior spokesperson . This is what i say nightly on the news and this was coming from the Secretary Of State. A powerful message. He reiterated that he expects israel to operate according to international law. Obvious we will. Our army is the most moral army in the world. Showing great restraint even know. Were up against an enemy that has created the greatest atrocities of the century and the greatest against our people since the holocaust. Charles you brought up two great points. I want to the first question was about the rules of war. Directed at israel. To your point, the Second Question was about maybe an olive branch of sorts that hamas has extended that where all the hostages could be released if certain things happened right now. Are you surprised at just how deeply the west and really the Massive Media has accepted hamas as a legitimate source or adversary that should be taken seriously . And the calls for cease fires. Its outrageous. Again, would you accept the word of an isis spokesman, alqaeda spokesman . The reason theyre making a distinction, the victims of hamas are jews. Theres some antisemitism in it. No question about it. Its Holding Israel and jews to a different moral standard than you hold anywhere else. Proportionately speaking, in two days, israel lost equivalent of 52,000 americans. What would america do if in two d days god forbid. Would the United States stop . Would america not respond to that type of heinous atrocity . No way. Charles before i let you go, this is the begin being of what everyone agrees will be a brutal ground fighting, urban fighting, treacherous fighting. Civilians will be put in harms way to try to sway global opinion. A few days ago, you said it was a golden opportunity to focus on hezbollah. How wideranging should this Military Operation be and how long will the political will even within israel hold out as these images happen . Things will happen in the fog of war. Indeed. Im sure they will. I fought in gaza myself before. Its booby traps and mines. Underneath, hands of yards of tunnels and bunkers. Most of the fighter will go on beneath the ground. Hamas is trying to use a million palestinians as Human Shields and trying to prevent them from leaving the battlefield. Its complicated and dangerous. Youre right. As for hezbollah, a Working A Sum Shun that they will entered the freeway when israel is bogged down and tired. Hamas represent as threat that is about 15 times that of hamas. Hezbollah has about 150,000 rockets in its arsenal. Very accurate, big rockets. They have a terrorist force Killing Hundreds Of Thousands of syrians for ten years. Think what theyll do to us. The big question do we wait or the hezbollah to begin the war or preempt it. Maybe we should held hostage off with hamas because theyre not going anywhere, theyre trapped. We can keep hitting them. Hezbollah has a greater threat. We have two American Naval groups off the coast providing deterrence. Maybe we should think about the north as well. Thats my feeling. Having said all that, israelis are determined. We have to restore our deterrence power. We have to restore security to 62 of our country, which is the south. If we do not do that, nobody will live there. We have to restore our peoples faith in our state, which has been impaired. Charles thanks, ambassador. We appreciate it. Have a nice day. Thank you. Charles its going to mike tobin with the very latest. Mike . The very latest, charles, is that judith and Natalie Raanan are out. Theyre in a base in southern israel from illinois. They were released from the gaza strip. Theyve been hooked up with the retired Brigadier General that was pulled out of retirement to handle this overwhelming task of securing the release of 200 hostages. Theyre out now and scheduled to be reunited with family. Two weeks that were held captive. Two weeks since the massacre of october 7. We spoke to an Israeli Commando that fought in his own neighborhood and said hes never seen fighting like this. What we did was anywhere from the gaza border to the settlement itself. When we identified terrorists that were coming in or going out with hostages, we attacked them. That complicates thing. You cant call in an air strike. Exactly. You dont know if anyone that is going out has civilians with them. Children, women, things like that. So every attack has to be very precise. We had times where we wendt in to place and a terrorist was just as a soldier in order to confuse us. Surprise us. And youd have to make an instant decision. Shoot or be shot. Even though im a fire support officer, because of the whole complicated situation that was going on over there, i also took on an aspect of rescuing civilians. Your job is to paint targets. Rescue is not what youre trained for. But the situation is not what we even though we train for war, we didnt expect Something Like this. This wasnt war. This was a massacre. Burning bodies. People being dragged through the streets naked. This wasnt war. This was a massacre. Have you had any time to deal with the emotions of what youve been through . So over the last couple days, weve been preparing for what is coming ahead. Im just trying to make it out to the other side. Later well have time to think about what happened really. This commando understands the kind of complications he can face fighting in the gaza strip. He says hes still more concerned about another front opening in the north. Hezbollah has greater financing and greater access to resupplying. Charles . Charles thanks,