Tonight, we are closely watching multiple developing stories that have the world on edge. And israel, thousands of troops and tanks remain on the border with gaza awaiting orders for unanticipated ground offensive. As gaza descends deeper into a humanitarian crisis. A United Nations agency says gaza is, quote, running out of life, with dwindling supplies of food, water, energy, and medicine. Up to 600 americans also remain stuck in gaza as the rafah Border Crossing into egypt is still closed. Just hours ago, we learned hamas is foreign hostages when the necessary conditions are available. But until that happens, and if that happens, the families of what we know to be at least 199 hostages await any word about their loved ones who are being held hostage by hamas. The tara group also released Video Footage of a hostage for the first time today. It shows a 21yearold woman speaking to the camera under duress. And it is unclear when it was actually recorded. Right now, its 3 am in israel, and Secretary Of StateAnthony Blinken just concluded a Marathon Meeting with Prime Minister netanyahu, stretching more than seven hours through two rounds of air raids and Secretary Blinken is expected to make an announcement at any moment. We will bring that to you live as soon as we hear it starting. In iran, tehrans former minister gave a stark warning today saying, quote, if the crimes and gaza do not stop immediately, new fronts will be open. Thats what were already seeing, action on the border. This comes while israel moves to evacuate nearest border with lebanon, as tensions are flaring up with the iranianbacked terror group, hezbollah, one of their proxies. In brussels, two people were shot dead just hours ago, and the suspect is still at large. While the motive is still not clear, its being investigated as a terror attack. Authorities in belgian say the suspect posted on social media that he was inspired by the islamic state. Brett and brussels to its highest level. Back here at home, President Biden is strongly considering a trip to israel. Those discussions are happening in the white house as we speak. As soon as this week. Brie u. S. Officials said planning are underway, including on the ground in israel for a potential visit. This news comes after the trip to colorado today, instead meeting with his National Security team to discuss the escalating conflict in the middle east. And in illinois, a family gathered today at for the funeral of a sixyearold palestinian boy who was brutally stabbed to death in his home but his landlord. Authorities say he was killed because he was muslim, and the Department Of Justice has now opened a federal hate Crimes Investigation into this senseless, horrific attack. We clearly have so much news to cover tonight. Were gonna get into all of it, and we have the Perfect People to do it with. Senator chris murphy and former governor Chris Christie will be among my guests, but we start our coverage tonight with john brennan, former director of the cia, and jeremy bash, who served as Chief Of Staff about the cia and the pentagon in the obama administration. Clearly a lot going on. I appreciate you both being here with the this evening. Director brennan, i want to start with you. Hamas says theyre prepared to receive the nonisraeli prisoners when they felt the conditions have been met. What theyve also said is they will release foreign nationals, not israelis. How do you think this could impact israels plans for a Ground Invasion . Well, certainly, israel has to lyttons to these office. I seem to believe that hamas lacks any credibility at this point. And they may be facing internal divisions within hamas, as well as external pressure coming from arab states such as egypt and qatar, to be at least somewhat accommodating. But i do think its an effort to try to delay or to make it even more difficult for netanyahu and the israeli war cabinet to make the decision to move in. If there is some prospect or hope that hamas is dangling Director Brennan. I dont want to cut you off, but were gonna go directly to Secretary Blinken to hear his remarks and come back to you. Hes coming here to do the following. First, the president will reaffirm the United States solidarity with israel. And our ironclad commitment to its security. President biden will look and make clear, as hes done unequivocally since the massive slaughter of more than 1400 people, including at least 30 americans, that israel has the right, and indeed the duty, to defend its people from hamas and other terrorists, and to prevent future attacks. The president will hear from israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with congress to meet those needs. Second, President Biden will underscore our Crystal Clear message to any actor, state or non state, trying to take advantage of this crisis to attack israel. Dont. Attato that end, hes looked pld to Aircraft Carrier groups and other military assets to the region. Third, the president will continue to coordinate closely with our israeli partners to secure the release of hostages taken by hamas, including men, women, small children, holocaust survivors, and American Citizens. As an indispensable humanitarian effort. Fourth, President Biden will receive a comprehensive brief on israels war aims and strategy. Fifth, the president will hear from israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties, and enables humanitarian assistance to civilians and gaza in a way that does not benefit hamas. To that end, today, and at our request, the United States and israel have agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multilateral organizations to reach civilians and gaza, and them alone, including the possibility of creating areas to help keep civilians out of harms way. It is critical that aid began flowing into gaza as soon as possible. We share the concern that hamas may seize or destroy aid entering gaza, or otherwise preventing it from reaching the people who need it. If hamas, and anyway, blocks humanitarian assistance from reaching civilians, including by seizing the aid itself, we will be the first to condemn it, and we will work to prevent it from happening again. We welcome the government of israels commitment to work on this plan. The president looks forward to discussing it further when hes here on wednesday. Thanks very much. So, we just heard there Secretary Blinken after a Marathon Meeting with Prime Minister netanyahu and other members of the israeli military, two pieces of news there. A visit to israel by the president , whats expected to that, as well as an agreement about humanitarian aid, and what sounded like perhaps an agreement on the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, or making progress towards that. So, two big pieces of news. With that, im Gonna Go Back to Director Brennan, and jeremy. Thank you for your time. Appreciate you being here, and also the Perfect People to aska. Director brennan, the secretary Just Announced that this is been speculated about a day, that President Biden is going to go to israel soon, this week. What do you anticipate . He laid out what is to be expected, what do you think thats the right decision . What do you think he will get out of that trip . What does success look like . I think, first of all, it reflects the depth of President Bidens support for israel, and his support for israel to be able to defend itself against these horrific Terrorist Attacks. Clearly, he also is going to emphasize, to the greatest extent possible, the importance of trying to protect civilian life in gaza, and to ensure that there is going to be some type of humanitarian leave for all of these thousands, millions of civilians and gaza, who have not had anything to do with these attacks. So, its a bit of a risk in terms of going over there, because i think people are gonna see that the United States is closely identified with whatever israel then does in terms of the Military Incursion into gaza. But again, i think President Biden feels so strongly about this, about the support for israel, and also the importance of trying to protect civilian life, the life of innocence, that hes willing to go to this extent and make that trip to israel within two days. Yeah. Its very soon. Its a quick turnaround. Thats what theyre focused on in the white house right now. Jeremy, he didnt talk about this, but he did mention the carriers, the two carriers that there, but he didnt talk about the announcement made by the Department Of Defense today that 2000 u. S. Troops were given prepared to deploy orders for possible support to israel. I dont want to over crank or under crank this, but i think a lot of people are wondering, what does that mean . What could that include . And what could be expanded to . Hed been a part of these announcements. What should we understand about it . What this announcement just now in the last few minutes from Secretary Blinken, President Biden is gonna be in israel on wednesday, and hes going there to show both emotional and moral support for israel for the people of israel, for the jewish people, and for the jewish state. Also very tangible support, jen, and that tangible support comes in the form of two Carrier Strike groups in the Eastern Mediterranean parked off of israels coast, specifically to deter iran, to deter hezbollah. And comes in the form of munitions, weapons, and planes that are landing in israel at this hour, and it comes, as you referenced, in the form of several professional Liaison Officers from the United States military our military to go coordinate with their israeli counterparts. Theyre gonna coordinate on intelligence sharing, operational activity, they will also coordinate, potentially, understanding the terrain in gaza so that as israel conducts targeted Counterterrorism Operations from the ground, from the air, from naval platforms, that they do so going after hamass command and control and not targeting civilians, as was referenced by the Secretary Of State. So it sounds like intelligence, deterrence, those are some of the capabilities there. They also mentioned medical existence, which im wondering if that means to israel as well as to people impacted in gaza. I want to ask you, Director Brennan, about what we heard from the Iranian Foreign minister today. He told preemptive strikes against israel are possible in the coming hours, and that, quote, if the crimes and gaza do not stop immediately, new fronts will be opened. Thats his words, not ours. Weve already seen increased attacks from hezbollah over the last several days. They started early on in this conflict, and in iranian proxy, of course, hezbollah, on the border with women on, but how did you make of that warning . It sounded pretty stuck to me from iran, but theyve made these warnings before. How should we read it . Well, iran is noted for its saberrattling, and its unclear whether or not theres actually something thats gonna follow up on that. But as the northern border of israel heats up with these hezbollah rocket attacks, and returns as really fire, theres a prospect that that could become another front. And so, i think that the u. S. Military force in the region, as well as President Bidens trip out there, its designed to send a very clear signal to those outside of this area of right now the conflict, that they better not getting engaged, because the United States is willing and able to do everything necessary to support the state of israel. So, i think possibly those remarks from these Iranian Foreign minister today may have convinced President Biden that this is the time to go, to show the flag in the most tangible, highprofile way possible, that the United States is with israel, and will make sure that we stand with it against any adversaries that may decide to enter this fray. There are, jeremy, but you will know, as Director Brennan well knows, so many Contingency Plans that exist in the u. S. Government. That you dont want to even use. That includes the possibility of attacking iran. Im just curious, and addition to the capacities that we know have been announced for these 2000 troops who have been deployed or are waiting to be deployed, as well as these two ships, what is the capacity . Is the u. S. Prepared with that group . If iran attacks . What are they thinking about in planning for inside the pennant gotten on a day like today . Obviously, jen, the United StatesDepartment Of Defense can bring to bear and norms capabilities. I would argue, strategic over any iran or any of its proxies to threaten our allies. We do have the military power to backup the guarantees we played out with respect to our middle east policy. But i think its also important to note that there are some things we dont have plans for. Ill tell you one thing we dont have plans for. Thats how to rescue 200 hostages who may be held in tunnels under gaza city. Among them, maybe, is up to 20 americans that are held hostage. So, thats the other, i think, Important Mission that Liaison Officers from our Military Branches will be performing in israel, together with our counterparts in the idf, which is how to understand the terrain there. How to figure out whether were gonna be negotiating for hostages, whether were gonna be rescuing hostages, whether were gonna be conforming Military Activities by the idf around hostages. This is a highly complicated problem. It deserves the attention of the world. Im so glad the president is going to israel, in part to say were not gonna leave any hostage behind, were not gonna rest until all of these people are returned home. Director brandon, jeremy just referenced all the complications here. You and i talked about this on the show as well. Theres the hostages, is of course, now theyre trying to establish getting humanitarian s assistance in, as Secretary BlinkenJust Announced. The president is going there. Doesnt that mean we should anticipate a delay in the Military Offensive here . What do you expect that beyond the president s trip . Beyond the establishment of some of what tony blinken Just Announced . Well, i would expect that the israelis are not going to launch the invasion while President Biden is on the ground in israel. But also, israels been making additional preparations for such an incursion. And make sure that theyre able to take care of wounded, and make sure that the logistics and all the different types of support necessary for such a large force, that they go into gaza, has behind it. I think that, again, what President Biden will do, and what i think Secretary Blinken did today, is to get the israelis to give as much thought as possible to be able to strike this very impossible balance of destroying hamass terrorism capabilities, finding the leadership, destroying their arsenals of weapons, but also to try to recover the hostages safely, and in a densely populated urban environment where, as jeremy mentioned, hamas is planning, and im sure, anticipates that Israeli Force this is gonna be a very challenging, difficult, bloody battle that im just hoping theres gonna be a way a balan, minimizes the loss of innocent life. In addition to the hostages, obviously, its a completely separate situation thats up to 600 americans that are currently stuck in gaza. And theres been a range of reports, conflicting at times, about whats happening there, and why the crossing is not open. Jeremy, how have you read those reports . What do you think is going on there . What do you think the United States could do, if anything, to get it open and get those americans and others are . Its one of the Main Missions of Secretary Blinken