>> sandra: a short time from now, expected to get an update from the white house and jake sullivan as the fighting between israel and hamas picks up in intensity at this hour and as the pentagon ramps up the response of the dozens of attacks from iran-backed terror groups. sandra smith in new york. afternoon by now, john. >> john: call it afternoon at this point. good to be back with you. i can see you are still enjoying the weekend. john roberts in washington, this is "america reports". american troops from across the middle east have been under attack day after day for nearly two months and criticism has grown from both sides of the aisle, president biden may be taking the problem a bit more seriously than in the past. >> sandra: u.s. carrying out a drone strike in northern iraq, killing five iranian proxy fighters. that strike came just hours after iran-backed houthi rebels attacked several commercial ships and a u.s. destroyer in the red sea using drones and ballistic missiles. >> john: complete verage for you now, mike waltz standing by on whether president biden is doing enough to deter iran. but first, we go live to southern israel where our trey yingst is on the ground. idf expanding the ground offensive in khan younis. what are you hearing from your sources how this is unfolding. >> good afternoon, day 59 of the war between israel and hamas. i just received a text from a source in the southern gazan city of rafah, he says telecommunications are down in the southern part of the strip, we are getting reports of renewed airstrikes against khan younis, gaza's second largest city and appears israeli forces are moving in on the ground. you can take a look at this video from earlier in the day, you can see an israeli airstrike in khan younis and outgoing rocket fire. this is a familiar scene along the border throughout the day in exchange of fire taking place along the strip as hamas continues to fight the israelis hammering the northern and southern part of the strip. you can hear the artillery there. israeli forces say they hit 200 different targets inside gaza, bringing the total number to more than 10,000. amid the heavy air camera, the death toll in gaza is rising. authorities at the health ministry say more than 700 people were killed in 24 hours over the weekend. israelis going after the leadership, killing the commander of the shati battalion, and also from another battalion, he was responsible for the deaths of seven soldiers during the 2014 war. israel expanding operations into southern gaza. the developments among rising regional threats. we do know the israelis have been preparing for the possibility of more fire from yemen. also keeping an eye on their northern border with lebanon, where hezbollah continues to target northern israel. the israelis not quiet, responding with airstrikes and artillery strikes against hezbollah positions in southern lebanon, understanding what we are seeing in the north and the south could be the very beginning of a much broader regional conflict. john. >> john: watch it as it unfolds. trey yingst, thank you. sandra. >> sandra: thank you, bring in florida republican congressman mike waltz, congressman, thank you for your time today. put up the map, at least 75 attacks and counting on u.s. forces since october 7th. are we responding forcefully enough? >> well, clearly not, sandra. because iran has not been deterred, they are continuing attacks and i think the simplest explanation is they know they can get away with it. and they will trade their proxies and those casualties for american casualties all day long. we have yet to hit anything that they truly care about, and that does not have to be military. that can be cyber, actually enforcing the sanctions that are on the book. that could be stopping the massive increase in the outflow of oil, but i want to speak to the attack on international shipping. look, 15% of global shipping flows through the red sea and through the suez canal. my understanding is commercial ships have been struck, that our ships are responding to protect that international trade and then they have been targeted. sandra, i don't know what it's going to take, is it going to take a catastrophic attack on one of our ships, is it going to take american dead on one of our bases in iraq, for this administration to actually take action that is going to stop iran, and no matter what you think of them politically, it is a fact that the middle east was better off after president trump, isis was defeated, iran was broke, and we had the abraham accords because he understood deterrence and he understood that peace would only be restored once iran met american steel. >> sandra: congressman, israel and hamas have engaged in some of the fiercest fighting so far, saw the escalation over the weekend. secretary austin said this on the risks of strategic defeat in gaza. listen. >> kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population. and if you drive them into the arms of the enemy you replace a technical victory with a strategic defeat. >> sandra: your reaction to that, congressman. >> sandra, i was there, and i was a bit dumb struck that there were more warnings to israel, our ally, a democracy, with a military that abides by the laws of war, there were more warnings in the secretary of defense's speeches to our ally israel than there were to hamas and iran was not mentioned at all. it was what he left out of the speech i thought was so damning but it shows, i think at the end of the day, the true colors of this administration. they are putting more pressure on israel than the terrorists or their backers in tehran. and by the way, the center of gravity, all roads lead back to tehran. we are going to find ourselves in the same situation, next year, three years, five years from now, they are not going to quit until they expell the united states from the region. >> sandra: we are about 22 minutes away from the white house press briefing. karine jean-pierre is bringing in jake sullivan. what do you want to hear from the who us and the national security adviser? >> i'm praying for our soldiers in the middle east and our ally that we see a reversal on iran policy. enforce the sanctions, the house of representatives have put bills on the table at the senate's feet to sanction the ports, the shipping, the banks, and others that will dry up the regime's buckets of cash that they now have in the last two years to fund terrorism all over the world. that's what we have got to see. that's how we can best help israel and by the way, where are the american hostages? let's see some information on them as well. >> sandra: that is reason to listen to every word that comes out of this white house when this briefing is underway a few minutes from now. john. >> john: pamela jayapal is under intense scrutiny from colleagues after controversial comments about hamas terrorists and sexual violence against israeli women. later this hour we will speak with the leader of an israeli women's group at the united nations today and get her take on jayapal's remarks. but first, gillian turner is live at the state department. what exactly, gillian, did the congresswoman say over the weekend to spark such outrage, even among members of her own party. >> i want to top off with breaking news. i just came out of the state department press briefing, i asked mark miller whether the israelis have shared with the u.s. the evidence that hamas raped israeli women and girls on october 7th. he said the government has shared the evidence with the biden administration, they condemn it and what's more, they actually support israel's calls for the u.n. to take up a formal investigation of hamas using rape as a weapon of war. despite this, seems some folks in washington are torn over condemning the rape as a weapon of war. nancy pelosi, her daughter tweeted out this, punching back against jayapal, i should not have to say this in 2023 but here we are. rape is rape. do not minimize, excuse, balance or both sides sexual assault, that is victim blaming. we have spent decades trying to undo. >> with respect, i was just asking about the women and you turned it back to israel. i'm asking you about hamas, in fact. >> i answered your question, dana. rape is horrific, sexual assault is horrific, i think it happens in war situations. terrorist organizations like hamas are obviously using these as tools. however, i think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against palestinians. >> now, a moment ago gal gadot called on the u.n. to take action, writes this is our moment as women and allies of women to act. speaking at the u.n. earlier this hour, tech titan sheryl sandberg said the evidence of the war crimes against women is available for anybody who wants to see it. >> the world has to decide who to believe. rape is for bid en, therefore it count have happened on october 7th, or do we believe the women whose bodies tell us how they spent the last minutes of their lives? who are we going to believe? >> john, the evidence that these women are referencing that the state department is referencing is forensic investigations that were conducted by the israelis on corpses after october 7th that showed hamas had raped women and girls on that day during those attacks. back to you. >> john: just horrible stuff. gillian, thanks. we are going to be talking to leo terrell ahead of the woman at the u.n. today. i have a quote to share with our viewers that will just stop you in your tracks when we talk to leo on this topic. >> sandra: a lot of shock to that interview with jayapal and that is coming from members of her own party, including debbie wasserman schultz from florida, only balanced approach to condemn violence loudly, forcefully and without exception. hard to believe that was a member of congress with that response. >> john: it really is. but you know, the further we get into this, the less surprising it becomes. >> sandra: indeed. so we'll have more reaction to that coming up. meanwhile, we are waiting the white house press briefing. just a few minutes out from that beginning now as the u.s. destroyer comes under attack in the red sea. jake sullivan we have learned is expected to face plenty of questions at that podium when he joins the briefing about how the pentagon is now responding. we'll listen in for that live, plus this. >> john: ugly scene in philadelphia, a large group of pro-palestinian supporters, in front of a restaurant and accuse the owner of genocide. that and the hamas rape issue coming up next. opping and cooki. but we know christmas isn't about something you buy at a store. it's about something so much greater. it is the day we celebrate the incredible truth that god so loved the world that he gave his only son. it's not about presents. it's about jesus. join me this advent in praying every day on hallow. cut through the noise and find god's peace. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪) pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. and now, get max strength topical pain relief precisely where you need it. with new tylenol precise. veteran homeowners need cash but worried you can't get a home loan because of your credit? here's great news. at newday we've been granted automatic authority by the va to make our own loan approval decisions. in fact, if you've had credit challenges and missed a payment along the way, you're more than five times more likely to get approved for the newday 100 va cash out loan. no one knows veterans like newday usa. i'm patriotic kenny. and, hi, i'm amanda on tiktok. my scooter broke down. i went into a depression. how do you feel about that? pretty sad. and i posted it to show that kenny's not always happy. within 24 hours people had donated over $5,000. no, you're kidding. we set up the patriotic kenny foundation to give mobility scooters to veterans. it has changed my life tremendously. none of this would've happened without tiktok. nice footwork. man, you're lucky, watching live sports never used to be this easy. now you can stream all your games like it's nothing. yes! [ cheers ] yeah! woho! running up and down that field looks tough. it's a pitch. get way more into what you're into when you stream on the xfinity 10g network. >> john: a holiday shopping nightmare in downtown philadelphia, a man stopped by security at macys returned to the store and stabbed two security guards, one just 30 years old dying from his injuries. the other guard was rushed to the hospital where he's in stable condition. the suspect then fled by train before being arrested at a nearby station. we are keeping an eye on this and jump in with updates. >> sandra: we are watching that closely, anti-israel protests in philadelphia turning violent. demonstrators vandalizing property and chanting threats at jewish business owners. and u-penn students had lights with free palestinian. bryan is here on set in studio. what has been the response to all of this. >> philadelphia's mayor says the civil rights agency, the city's civil rights agency is reviewing the incident. the white house and pennsylvania's democratic governor are condemning the protest in philadelphia, hundreds accuse the jewish owner of a restaurant called goldy's of committing genocide. >> you can't hide. >> you can't hide. >> we charge you with genocide. >> we charge you with genocide. >> the protestors graffitied multiple businesses downtown and through the university of pennsylvania campus calling for an intifada. the governor called it blatant antisemitism. >> the purposeful gathering of a mob outside a restaurant simply because it is owned by a jewish person, well, that's antisemitism. plain and simple. really hearkens back to a dark time in our history. it evokes memories of crystal night in 1930s germany. >> a white house spokesperson said antisemitic and unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve israeli food over israeli policy. it's a cruel and double standard a calling card of antisemitism. michael solomaniv co-owns restaurants, including goldy's, his younger brother david was killed by hezbollah while patrolling the border years ago. >> cooking has not gotten me over my brother's death, it has connected me to the things i love about the country, to the food, the culture, the people, to the things, to the land that i care about. it's all the things my brother died defending. >> sandra, after the october 7th attack, he raised over $100,000 donating all of his restaurant's proceeds for a non-profit to help israel. >> john: bring in leo terrell, when you take a look at the scene outside of goldy's fa lafal shop, accusing him because he's israeli, accusing him of genocide, you wonder what century we are living in. >> unfortunately we are living in the 21st century. and frank, i say this as a 33 year experienced lawyer, civil rights lawyer. the jewish community is not getting equal protection under the law. and i don't care what the governor says, john, and all these democrats talking tough. you basically are giving these protestors, these people trying to intimidate the jewish community a green light. i heard bryan's report. 0 arrests. john, these are hate crimes. and i will submit to you and everyone watching that if this was any other protective class in this country, you have national guard, religious leaders, this would never happen. you would have arrests, convictions and imprisonment, ab but the jewish community is not getting equal protection under the law. >> john: not just here, but at u-penn, they have added security to protect jewish students because they did not take the steps in the aftermath of october 7th, liz magill saying this, i condemn personally these hateful, hateful antisemitic acts and words, nothing but inhumane and penn will take full action in accordance with policies and laws. where were they 6, 7 weeks ago? >> john, that quote upset with the word, we are going to investigate, what. everyone watching this program knows those are hate crimes, those are hate crimes. where's the police, the convictions. i'm old enough to remember when people of color went to a university, they were escorted because they had to get protection. the jewish community is not being protected. i mean, let's stop playing games here. those are just words. the white house press release, shapiro, what you just read, just words. jewish community is in fear in this country and throughout the world, and in this country we have the constitution, we have the first amendment, we have the 14th amendment, we have equal protection, the jewish community is not getting it and that's a fact. >> john: i also want to draw you, and your attention to the comments of jayapal yesterday with dana, in the interview asked her if she would unequivocally condemn hamas's rape of israeli women. >> i already answered your question, dana, i said it's horrific. however, i think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against palestinians. >> john: so this idea of being balanced in the outrage against palestinians. listen to this account of hama rape at the supernova music festival, from a survival, and quote in the u.k. sunday times. he says i saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel, and 8 or 10 of the fighters, that's hamas, beating and raping her. she was screaming stop it already, i'm going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me. when they finished, they were laughing and the last one shot her in the head. what -- when you think of that, what do you say to what jayapal would say? >> well, i'll tell you, you could have also played jayapal's comments a year ago where she called israel a racist country. this woman, this congresswoman is antisemitic, she have you been primaried and she's a poor representative of the extreme progressive left in this country that basically is antisemitic, anti-israel, and that's not what we believe in in this country, john. she's offensive because of those comments. the moral equivalency, trying to make the moral equivalency, she is a disgrace to congress and to the american people. >> john: leo terrell, good to get your thoughts this monday afternoon. appreciate it. >> sandra: john, thank you. leo, thank you. truce talks between israel and hamas fall apart with dozens of hostages still left in captivity. joined by the cousin of a father of three who has been held by the terror cell for nearly two months now. >> john: plus again on the subject of sexual violence in israel, disturbing new report shedding light how hamas has raped and mutilated women during the ongoing war with the jewish state. leader of one of israel's leading women's rights groups taking part in a rally t at the united nations. >> silence is complicity. and in the face of terror we cannot be quiet. bience sounds] [car screech] [car door slam] [camera shutter sfx] introducing ned's plaque psoriasis. [camera shutter sfx] he thinks his flaky, red patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. [ned?] it can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing it for nearly a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. [crowd gasp] ♪ with clearer skin, movie night is a groovy night. [ting] ♪ live in the moment. ask yo