idf. they are being examined on a medical basis right now before they head to hospitals and will be greeted and met by their families. >> john: as all of this unfolds, negotiators are working around the clock to secure another ceasefire extension as hamas still holds more than 150 people hostages somewhere in gaza. >> sandra: "america reports" hour two begins right now. i'm sandra smith un-new york. >> john: john roberts in washington. good to be with you on a busy wednesday. hearing from families of hostages just freed describing the traumatic conditions that their loved ones had to ensure during 51 days of captivity. one of those family members joined us in our last hour. >> they couldn't raise their voices, they were often made to watch things that they should never see that should have never happened, that they were held at gunpoint, they didn't have a bed to sleep in. you don't know if they were warm when they needed to be or cold when they needed to be, if they were seeing sunlight. it is unimaginable. >> sandra: really something hearing from her and all that she and her family have been going through. all of this while here at home anti-israel protests continue at this hour, including one right now at nyu here in new york city. >> john: but in california, jaw dropping display of hamas praise at an oakland city council meeting. several speakers outright defending the terrorist organization. listen to this. >> calling hamas a terrorist organization is ridiculous, racist and plays into genocidal propaganda. >> the notion this was murdered jews. >> continue terrorist organization and violence. >> sandra: william, what exactly happened here? >> oakland city council in the bay area last night passes a resolution calling for a ceasefire in gaza, no big deal. but also rejected a resolution condemning hamas, so here you had a u.s. city proudly inclusive, progressive oakland, refusing to denounce the slaughter of 1300 civilians on october 7th. one jewish councilman was stunned how many speakers blamed israel for the hamas attack. one comparing israel to a wife beater when complains when the wife fights back. another calling israel a genocidal state. hamas are not terrorists, said another, but resistance organization and a crowd booed when one said hamas raped israeli women. >> we could have put forth a resolution condemning the countless, countless crimes committed by the zionist entity. >> jewish people are misled by the villefication of hamas. >> genocide of palestinians was happening to a white population, a ceasefire would have already been in effect. >> outside you had duelling rallies but no violence. oakland is almost equal number white and hispanic, 22% asian, 16% christian but muslims out number jews 4-1. the area is all democrat and extremely liberal. >> any damage -- must be rejected. 75 years and not one [bleep], free palestine. >> a half dozen u.s. cities passed similar resolutions and no legal authority, and don't mean anything to the middle east, but these moments live on for weeks and months and obviously help many with their re-election campaign. back to you. >> sandra: interesting stuff, william from los angeles for us, thank you. john. >> john: pressure growing on president biden to curb his support for israel and more of that is coming from inside his own administration. we have covered protests from state department employees but now we are learning about federal officials who are posting personal opinions about the war on social media, some of them even mocking israel. gillian turner is live at the state department and gillian, one of those employees is an attorney? for the department of veterans affairs? >> that's right, john. this female official over at the v.a., an attorney, posted a video on instagram which she adopts a fake accent and is openly appearing to mock israelis pleading for the return of hostages. take a listen to this short clip. >> we just want our hostages back. give us our 200 hostages. >> that official ultimately deleted the clip, but it was captured by a third party source and reposted. veterans affairs tells fox news we are aware of the incident, are investigating the matter and take any appropriate action. there's no place at v.a. for antisemitism or any expression of bigotry or hatred. separately fox news has confirmed the cia sent an internal warning to staff about social media posts in which they express political opinions. the move comes amid reports a senior cia officer posted a pro palestinian image on to social media. cia tells us "cia officers are committed to analytic objectivity," officers may have personal views but this does not lessen their or cia commitment to unbiased analysis. now, all of this comes after a state department internal dissent cable opposing biden's support for israel sparked government-wide criticism about the president and the secretary of state. listen to the spokesperson. >> did address in that email all the issues underlying our policy and made sure people understood what the policy is. we think the diversity in the department is a strength, not a weakness. >> we know as you mentioned that opposition is fairly prevalent here at the state department, also at the white house. opposition to the president's pro israel support in the ongoing gaza war. now looks like it is spilling over to the intelligence community and veterans affairs. john. >> john: we'll be watching to see what secretary dennis mcdonough does, if anything, with that one individual. >> sandra: arkansas republican senator tom cotton, member of the collect committee on intelligence. weigh in on gillian's report there. >> well, i think these reports are very troubling, especially the cia officer. why do they have a social media page expressing political opinions of any kind. they are not supposed to make policy and post a picture of a palestinian flag waving the day the israeli defense forces goes into gaza is not some innocent expression of sympathy with the palestinian people. obviously expressing hope for their victory over the israeli defense forces. akin i would say to having an intelligence officer in the department of war on december 8, 1941, posting someone waving a japanese flag or nazi german flag after they declared war on us and vice versa. so these people should be at a minimum suspended and have the security clearance suspended until an investigation can decide what should be done with them. >> sandra: to the degree that the agency had to remind staff that it violates agency policy to post personal positions on social media, i mean, should we have senior officials, senior officers in the cia that need to be reminded of that, senator? >> it's unfortunate we do. i mean, i've long thought that people who are in our intelligence agencies and our uniform military should not be on social media, shouldn't be posting political or policy viewpoints on social media, maybe if they want to use it as a conduit to see the grandparents or the grandkids that's one thing. but intelligence officers and military officers on social media expressing political and policy views, that runs contrary to their commitment to give non-partisan, unbiased viewpoints and assessments to the policy makers, the people elected to make those decisions for the people of the united states. any view at all. even if i agree with it. certainly waving a palestinian flag the day israel's defense forces moved in to gaza to try to destroy terrorist savages like hamas is beyond the pail. >> sandra: i want to ask you now focusing on the hostage release this hour as the war continues, there is a quote in the "washington post" on the israel war creating divides inside the biden white house. with this headline, white house grapples with internal divisions on israel-gaza, senator, reads the israel-gaza war that is roiled the administration more than any other issue in biden's three years in office. according to numerous aides and allies, as staffers agonize over their positions on emotional issues. before i ask you how you support any conditions on further aid going over, what is your reaction to that? what are you hearing about this divide inside the west wing? >> well, i think it's appalling that senators like bernie sanders are calling on conditions as aid to israel. as if israel is a third world country abusing its own people. israel is elected democratic society that suffered the most savage attack against jews since the holocaust. and the divisions you see in the democratic party is because democratic leaders like joe biden and chuck schumer have allowed a growing antisemitic wing to rise in the democratic party. chuck schumer gave a big speech on antisemitism on the senate floor today, that's great. but where is the action. he did not call out bernie sanders by name saying we should condition aid to israel. looked the other way for years while you had campus radicals who went on to the senate or administration of barack obama and joe biden saying that we should boycott israel and now all of those chickens are coming home to roost in the democratic party for allowing this growing antisemitic wing to fester in their party. >> sandra: just to be clear, this is where we caught up with some democratic senators whether or not there should be conditions on aid to israel. here was a few of the responses, real quick. >> israel is an ally, a friend, so no. >> i would oppose conditions that in effect straight jacket the israeli government. >> well, there are conditions of course for anyone who receives military aid from the united states. >> sandra: quick response to that, senator, before we let you go. >> i'm pleased to hear some democratic senators saying we shouldn't condition aid to israel as if it's a third world country, but more need to push back firmly against their actual colleagues. it's not some idea of campus radicals or intellectuals, it's their colleagues, people like bernie sanders and need to say we should move on to pass the israel aid bill on the senate floor, already passed the house of representatives, yet chuck schumer and every democrat voted not to send it to president biden two weeks ago. >> sandra: senator, appreciate you coming on today. thank you so much. all right. >> thank you. >> the average price of a home in america today is $416,000. how could we be giving through worse cost of living and wages than 1930. >> john: young people flooding social media with negative talk about the economy and it's not sitting well with the biden administration. the white house is now turning to tiktok in an effort to change young voters' minds ahead of the 2024 election. will that strategy work. >> sandra: awaiting the release of the sixth group of hostages held captive by hamas as negotiators are scrambling to extend the truce between israel and the terror group. victoria coates will give us her take on the progress that is being made right now. she will join us coming up. riedg a home improvement loan at a bank lately? good luck. some of those rates can be 12 to 15% or higher. our rates are a fraction of what some of those banks charge. veterans across the country are using the newday 100 va loan to get cash to update and improve their homes. whether you need to replace your roof windows or hvac or want to upgrade to your dream kitchen, call newday. >> sandra: fox news alert here, president biden is now on the ground in pueblo, colorado after taking off from denver just a short time ago. we do not have audio of this moment, otherwise we would dip in and take you there live, but we will effort that and this is the president, he's arrived there, he is on his trip as we are waiting this hostage release situation obviously overseas as two hostages were just turned over into israeli territory. listen here to see if we get anything from the president. we'll turn that around for you if we do. meantime, the idf has confirmed two russian hostages, another ten israelis are expected to be freed. mediators are trying to extend the truce so more can be released. former deputy national security adviser victoria coates is standing by to weigh in on that, but northern israel, nate foy is reporting live. >> the two israeli russian women like you said are back in israel after spending 54 days in hamas captivity and we have some video showing you these two women. 73-year-old mother and her 50-year-old daughter. they were kidnapped from their kibbutz along with the daughter's son and girlfriend who reportedly are still in hamas captivity. their names are irena tati and urenia tropnova. we are wondering if any americans are included in the bunch and comes after the fifth exchange yesterday with nine israeli women and a 17-year-old girl, with 30 palestinian prisoners going back. take a look at the next video. two israeli russians release after the release of this man, who also holds dual citizenship in israel and russia. releases are considered a gesture to vladimir putin who refuses to condemn the october 7th attack. humanitarian aid bound for gaza, negotiations continue regarding the possibility of an extended truce in return for more israeli hostages, but prime minister benjamin netanyahu made clear today when this truce is over, israel will push deeper into gaza to destroy hamas. >> there is no way we are not going back to fighting until the end. this is my policy. the entire cabinet stands behind it. the entire government stands behind it. the soldiers stand behind it. the people stand behind it. this is exactly what we will do. >> the transfer of the ten additional israeli women is underway right now, we are waiting for confirmation that the red cross has them in their care. we'll let you know when that happens. we'll send it back to you. >> nate foy reporting live in northern israel. thank you. john. >> john: bring in victoria coates, former deputy national security adviser, where to start, i guess let's start with social media thing, and these officials in the biden administration posting personal thoughts on line and that lawyer from the veterans affairs department who posted that video about whining about hostages. >> it's extraordinary, john. and when i was serving in the white house the personnel office took down all of our social media accounts, noted them down, and then monitored them. and i actually got a, sort of humorous report of philadelphia sports and they were watching. and these employees of the american people, government employees, thought this was permissible behavior is really shocking and shows you somebody is asleep at the wheel. >> john: all right, next issue, this just in to us, a bulletin, u.s. warship in the red sea north of the strait between yemen and border, shot down a drone fired by houthi controlled yemen. they are still at it. >> at it and more and more frequently. >> john: this morning. >> i don't know if it was attack 75 or 76 over the last month. but this is not close to israel, i mean, this is all the way down, the saudi peninsula. >> john: about as far down to the red sea before it turns into the gulf of aden. >> and why are the houthi attacking israeli and american assets in the red sea, very damaging to potentially, they shouldn't have the dog in the fight, but iranians are giving them the missiles and the drones, and trying to create a greater regional war. >> john: the conversation with adam boehler sitting there an hour ago about the fact that among the saudis and emirates and jordanian, no love loss for hamas, they are not rallying them on, they would like to see them gone, they are troublemakers, they think they are destabilizing entity as is iran in the region, and talked the saudi deal as well, he helped negotiate the abraham accords and said if the deal to normalize relations between the saudis and israel was so class, why didn't the biden administration see something like october 7th was for seen, and they say it's about blowing up the deal because the palestinian cause would be taken off the table. >> absolutely. and going to the first point, adam's point about sort of the no love lost for hamas. no, that's the whole reason we got to the abraham accords, uae and bahrain with the permission of the saudis say we are not going to give the palestinians a veto anymore and they went forward. we were able to execute the abraham accords without a major outbreak of violence but boy were we on the lookout for it, similar to the embassy move. weeks ahead of time, you could predict there might be violence around this, lucky there wasn't, but meeting at the nsc every day in the lead-up to that, to make sure all the assets where where they needed to be and the fact the president claims he was close to a deal in september, that month, jake sullivan could say the region is as peaceful as it's ever been and not take any of these common sense measures to make sure israel was good and secure, it's extraordinary to me. >> john: it's amazing that nobody was watching. now the hostage process, we are expecting another ten israelis released any moment now, two dual citizen israeli russians were released, a woman and her daughter. biden is really kind of actively involved here in this hostage negotiation process. william burns, cia director is in qatar for an extended ceasefire, in exchange for more americans released and we are beginning to creep up to the edge here of what stated u.s. policy is in regard to hostages, which says the u.s. government will make no concessions to individuals or groups holding official or private u.s. citizens hostage. u.s. government policy to deny hostage takers the benefits of ransom prisoner releases, policy changes or other acts of concession. and remember what george bush said in the days after 9/11, no concessions to terrorist demands and strike no deals with them. no distinction between the terrorists and those who knowingly harbor or provide aid to them. 31 americans were killed, probably a dozen americans taken hostage, 8 or 9 still remain in custody, yet for all intents and purposes, we are negotiateing with hamas. >> they are, planes full of aid, paid for by american taxpayers. if that's not a payment i don't know what is and to have burns in qatar, blinken in jerusalem to get the israelis to accept whatever burns may negotiate, it's coercion against israel and rewards for hamas and not seeing any americans coming out because of it. >> john: victoria, always great to spend time with you. >> sandra: protests against israel continue on college campuses coast to coast. how a university's lack of action could backfire and maybe even lead to lawsuits. there's challenges, and i love overcoming challenges. ♪ when better money habits® content first started coming out, it expanded what i could do for special olympics athletes with developmental needs. thousands of bank of america employees like scott spend countless hours volunteering to teach 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