reporters the first time on camera since the iran-backed houthi rebels attacked commercial strips and destroyer in the red sea using drones and ballistic missiles. the white house says the u.s. cannot assess the u.s.s. carney was the target. hello, welcome, everyone, a breaking news afternoon. i'm sandra smith in new york. and bret, great to have you here. >> bret: something that happens a lot on this show. i think. john has the day off. this is "america reports". we are also awaiting an update from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu as israel prepares to surround gaza's second largest city, that's where they believe hamas leaders are hiding and possibly holding hostages. >> sandra: meanwhile, we are getting brand-new video into our newsroom, the moment shrapnel falls in tel aviv. >> bret: greg palkot is on the ground in southern israel. what are you hearing there today? >> we are at a staging area for the israeli defense forces. outside the town of neteva, about six miles from the gaza strip. hearing a steady pounding of artillery from here as we watch the armored personnel carriers behind us shuttling forces back and forth to the front line. attention now is on the southern part of gaza, khan younis, it's believed the leadership of hamas is hiding out. gaza is seeing the most intense airstrikes of the entire nearly two month war and the most intense ground combat. critical remaining areas also targeted in the northern part of gaza. israel now saying 15,000 have been killed since the start of the fight, an important new number, that includes 5,000 hamas fighters but a whole lot of civilians. all the services are involved. we have been witnessing blasts against gaza even from israeli naval ships off the coast, amid reports of the consideration by israel of flooding hundreds of hamas tunnels. that carries a risk, especially if some of of the hostages possibly are hiding out there. the latest figure we have, bret, 138 hostages being held by hamas. some 105 were freed so far. families met in a rare session with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. his word to them and this is a quote "at the current time, it's not possible to bring back all the hostages." not encouraging word at all. back to you. >> bret: greg, speaking of the hostages, you know, we talked to some family members on this show and other shows over recent days. they are obviously concerned about how this process is going. is there any sense there are negotiations for another ceasefire, another pause, to try to get that diplomatic negotiation with hamas for more hostage releases? >> at this point, bret, that does not seem to be going forward. israel pulled back its main negotiators for talks with egypt, the united states, and qatari go-betweens with hamas. all seems to be getting them out in force, that is moving in the troops, both in the north and the southern part of gaza, really hiking up the airstrikes and trying to convince hamas that they have to give up more, but yeah, there are concerns that caught in the crossfire, not just the millions of civilians inside gaza at risk, also those hostages, bret. >> bret: greg palkot live in southern israel. thank you, over to you. >> sandra: keith kellogg, take us through what the operations look like as they move further and further south. brought back up this map of gaza so we can continue to show in the light blue areas the reported israeli clearing operations and the announced evacuation zone, we have seen for quite some time, you've got about 70% of the gaza civilian population has moved into the southern area of gaza. as this military operation moves and targets more of southern gaza, what is this going to look like, general? >> yeah, sandra, thanks for having me. look, they have now decided, they, the israelis, this is a total eradication of hamas in gaza itself. they have gone south from gaza city to khan younis and they are going to basically eradicate the organization, which they need to do. you know, bret made a comment and you and i had talked about this probably over a month ago, that the issue of hostages, they almost have to block that out of their mind. it's a really hard thing to say and really hard thing for the military to say and work through it. but they have got to go and eradication operation. israelis have two options. either to be or not to be as a nation and hamas is the impediment to them becoming a nation. and everybody watching this operation, think back to world war ii with united states and the allies when we went against germany and japan, eradication of an element of that society, which is hamas, and then you start to rebuild from there. and that's what they need to be thinking about. israeli military, they have to block out, and it's hard to say and hard to fathom, but war is war, and they know there's going to be civilian casualties, we said that over a month ago, hard to watch and it was going to be hard to look at and the chance of us getting all the hostages back is slim, almost down to none, we are not going to see the americans probably come out, they did kill 31 americans but this is one of those you almost have to block out in black and white, and an operation they have to continue that's going to continue to be bloody, i think they are going to go through khan younis, sweep through that, and make the decision, how do we get to the end on negotiations. who is there to get to that point of negotiations? >> united states is not a reliable partner in the region, you have to almost turn to the saudis to help rebuild gaza. >> sandra: i flipped to the next screen to take viewers through what you were saying as the idf expands into the southern areas there, this, in the red, is the area of active combat now in gaza, taking up almost the entire gaza strip, so just how much of that area they are now covering. flipping to the next screen, we remind everybody of the hamas tunnel system and how vast that is, general, in the north we have been focusing a lot, but as these military operations move into the southern part, you still see that vast underground hamas tunnel system that really complicates things for the israeli army. i mean, talk about that a little bit more and the obstacles that they will run into there now. >> you know, sandra, when you get involved in city fighting, and remember i said about a month ago, when you are a military man, you never want to get into a city fighting, it's so hard, so bloody and the tunnel is a great example. there's over 300 miles of tunnels and they have to get in those and eradicate it, flood them, do something, to go in there. your military tools that you have that make you better than the other side, night vision goggles, hearing devices, they don't have the capacity or capability when you get into urban terrain. so, it's basically face-to-face fight the whole way. it's not easy, it's hard, i think the israelis are committed to however long it takes to do it. >> sandra: while all that is happening in gaza, a snapshot of the u.s.s. carney shooting down the houthi drones, and the ongoing attacks of the forces in the region. we have some breaking news. thank you so much for joining us. >> bret: sandra, live to the pentagon and brigadier general pat ryder speak about getting supplemental funding passed as soon as possible. >> also on ukraine, senior leaders from dod to include secretary austin and dr. william la plant will participate in ukraine industrial based summit here in washington, d.c., alongside are ukrainian partners and interagency counterparts from the departments of state and commerce. the summit will reinforce our shared commitment to enhance ukraine's industrial base and further security cooperation between the two nations. on thursday, dr. la plant will hold the eighth meeting of the armament directors, held here at the pentagon, first time the forum is convened in the united states. the session is a vital forum that brings toge more than 40 nations, nato and the e.u., aimed at collaboratively solving industrial-based and sustainment challenges in support of ukraine. both to meet immediate requirements while also supporting ukraine's long-term defense and national security needs. we will post on these events on defense.gov. in the middle east, support usaid and relief operations in gaza. the department of defense airlifted another 16.3 metric tons, or 36,000 pounds of vital supplies to the people of gaza today, providing more vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing and food and nutrition. as in our previous airlift, these supplies were delivered via u.s. air force c17 to egypt to subsequently be transported via ground into gaza and then distributed by u.n. agencies. today's delivery follows the november 28th delivery by dod of 54,000 pounds of supplies to the people of gaza. additional flights are expected in the coming days and for more information on the ongoing efforts i would refer you to usaid. and other updates, host swedish minister of defense paul johnson at the pentagon to discuss key defense and security topics. secretary austin and minister johnson will sign the first ever u.s.-sweden defense cooperation agreement. enhance defense cooperation such as the legal status of deployed military personnel, access to deployment areas and prepositioning of military material. the dca also creates conditions necessary for u.s. military support when requested and is therefore an agreement of great importance to both countries shared security objectives. we'll post a readout of the meeting to the defense department website afterwards. earlier today, principal deputy secretary of defense for international security affairs joined the u.s. department of state to lead the department of defense delegation to the 50th anniversary session of the u.s.-portugal standing bilateral position, to discuss key defense priorities, including trans atlantic security and recognize 80 years of defense partnership at lodges field. finally, more than three dozen national guardsmen from the arkansas air national guard are in guatemala to work alongside physicians to provide free medical care for civilians in guatemala city. these guard airmen have been treating as many as 500 patients a day, dental, optometry, family medicine and orthopedic care. >> sandra: all right, so we are going to continue to monitor the pentagon. head to tel aviv now, prime minister benjamin netanyahu is now briefing, let's listen here. >> our generation is a continuation of the macabes. today as in the past, fighting with tremendous courage and determination and today as in the past we pray together for the safety of all of them and of our country. you have provided great salvation for the nation of israel. i and cabinet members met with the families of the abductees, those whom we succeeded in bringing back home and those we are doing everything we can to bring home. i heard heart-wrenching stories about the thirst, hunger, physical and mental torture, about children who are still fearful of the darkness in which their beloved ones are in. i heard and you also heard about sexual torture. unbelievable torture -- rapes and torture. i have to tell you, until -- until a few days ago i didn't hear the civil -- the civil rights organizations nor people in the u.n. organizations from there, i didn't hear the outcry and where are you? you are quiet because you are talking about jewish women? i have to say this. in a language that everyone understands. >> sandra: ok, so we seem to have lost the translator a bit there. we are going to try to reconnect here, bret. but this is obviously the prime minister weighing in very heavily on what he has heard about the atrocities being committed towards israeli women. >> deep anguish and fear of the families who have people still in gaza. i understand the insufferable pain. we are doing everything we possibly can to bring them home. this is one of the three main goals we have and the goals we have in this and they each serve each other. we have a huge intelligence unit -- huge one that deals with this around the clock to bring all our abductees home safely and i'm saying all of them. soldiers, men and women, young and old, all of them without any exception and in every decision returning the abductees is before our eyes. and we are on the right path. i saw today amelia, six years old, going back to kindergarten, the kindergarten teacher is embracing her, her girlfriends embrace here. if for one moment in these dark days the heart gets filled with joy and it doesn't happen often and we were able to bring 110 abductees back, by thanks to an unbelievable land warfare. that's the only way to bring the abductees, to bring back the rest of them, we have to do this. hamas is trying to tear us apart. we are tearing hamas apart. many of the -- many of the terrorists came from the brigade sagia, the commander we have killed now, who was in charge of the october 7th and other murderous acts. so far about half of the commanders hamas we have killed. and i'm telling you now, anyone who murders was involved, raped, burned alive, burned our people, we will not forgive, we will continue our war. we continue the land action in the north as well as south of gaza. we have acted there in tremendous force. the earth shook in khan younis, jabalia, both of them we have caused damage. there's no place in which we have not reached. our courageous -- our co-- and each battle and case of combat we are succeeding. we will continue until we have absolute victory. it shows this is -- epitomizes the strength and unity of our people. with all of this we have a price that's unbearable, tears the heart. zuesman fell in a fighting in gaza. he was a hero in israel. a great athlete. unbelievable fighter. additionally four other from high school also from the school also was able to come back and fight against seven, and also a commander of armor, also the last two from paratroopers. i tell you, i'm telling to the dear families of all those heroes of ours who fell, they did not die in vain. we will fight together, we will win, we will destroy hamas. we will fight until victory, until we reach all our goals. return of all abductees, destroying hamas and assurance that it will never constitute a threat to israel. there will be no element there or support to terrorism, teaches it or finances terrorism, and one more thing about the day after hamas. gaza has to be demilitarized, and only one power that can do this demilitarized, and that's the idf. we have seen where they brought in international forces for that, i am not willing to close my eyes and accept any other arrangement. i repeat to the organization, to the civilian population of gaza, to move out of the combat zones and also tell our friends in the world who are pressuring for a quick end of the war, the only way to end this war and to end it quickly, is to have strength, great force to destroy hamas, if our friends want us to shorten the war, against the barbarism, to flood the world, i tell them in english and any language -- citizens of israel, in my visits out in the field, i meet our heroes, our soldiers of the police, the security forces, one of them is named aerial in armor, spoke with me from the top of the tongue of the tank, his tank in gaza, and other tanks in the field. religious and secular people from the left and right politically, they are all fighting together. they are all -- they all have spirit, the spirit of unity, of comradeship, of victory. and beginning of hanukkah, we will again remember the heroes of the macabes and remember the macabes of our days, together we will win. we will be victorious. >> defense minister, please. approximately two months ago the war began. hamas thought the results would be different ones. it is being beaten, it begins to lose control. this is thanks to a very determined action by the idf in air, sea and land and intelligence. the results are very impressive, very precise, and we are using the absolute complete force that we can. every day i meet with the commanders in the field i see the results. however, to our -- there are unfortunately, and to our pain, there are prices to pay, very heavy. too heavy to bear. these people, the soldiers who have fallen, it's a loss to us, to their families, to their friends. many i know personally. many i knew -- know as commanders or as children of those and i tell them and the family members, to all of us, there's only one way to justify this loss, and it's a victory. it has to be exact targeted victory, which is to destroy hamas and dismantle its military and nonmilitary structures. yesterday i was at the border of gaza in the south and i looked with the division 36 with its commander about the fights that are taking place in the strip. i saw, i see the process, i see the preciseness of the action, and i know that our soldiers are not leaving behind a single tunnel, they are not missing a single missile silo or anything else so that -- and so they destroy y each and every of tho places. >> sandra: all right, while these israeli officials, including the prime minister benjamin netanyahu giving an update on the fighting happening in gaza, very firm statement from benjamin netanyahu as he concluded his remarks there, bret, together we will win together, we will be victorious. other news he said the israeli prime minister said i heard about the sexual assault and rape in meeting with the returned hostages. this, a growing part of this story and the acknowledgment over what is happening to these people in captivity, bret. >> john: sandra, it seemed like a bit of a pep rally for idf forces as they go through gaza and progress to the south and likely what is going to continue to be really heavy fighting with hamas there saying they are not going to stop until hamas is eradicated, and also i think touching on as you said the sexual violence from hamas which is obviously in the news with all of these comments that have been front and center. >> sandra: absolutely. >> bret: bring in fox news senior political analyst juan williams and christopher bedford. another topic to talk about, but start with what we have heard from the israelis and what we see happening on the ground. christopher, first to you. >> you know, he really evoked the memory of hanukkah coming up and the fight against the greeks. hanukkah the evening of thursday, that's something that's going to be on the minds and the israeli people know the story, it comes from a story of war and perseverance and incredible odds and the idf, facing really incredible odds. the technology that allows a modern army to defeat an army like hamas easily is lost in the city, so it's a bloody conflict and talking about the last few days the atrocities that hamas committed that people wanted to ignore. i don't think americans are disturbed when they see the protests some are pro-palestinian and some pro israel, but pro-hamas, the rapes, and crazy internet and insanity are horrifying to hear about. >> bret: juan, thoughts. >> i was interesting to hear benjamin netanyahu talk about israel's friends, and to say friends urging some restraint have to kind mind that israel needs to defeat hamas, and he said dismantle hamas's military structure. but he did not speak to the idea of what's going on with the palestinians and the civilians and we have seen stories even as we hear about the atrocities committed by the hamas forces. there is widespread concern, global concern about exactly the extent of civilians, palestinian civilians, and the kind of -- the pictures are just gruesome of damage done to the gaza strip. >> bret: last thing on this, a sense of how much time they have and looking at the operation. is it a short-term thing, a long-term thing, the onus is on hamas to release the hostages but how much time in the world's view does israel have to produce success against hama