we're going to start with a developing story. the united nations security council just a short while ago called for an end to the violence between israel and palestinians in gaza. take a quick listen. >> the security council members called for de-escalation of the situation, and the november 25 cease-fire. >> that call comes as the crisis goes more intense. with new strikes hitting gaza today. the gaza health ministry reports that more than 120 people have been killed there over the past month. israeli authorities report hamas forces in gaza have fired more than 700 rockets and mortar rounds into parts of israel. so far, no reported israeli fatalities. also, just a few hours ago, israeli tanks could be seen massing near the gaza border, raising new concerns about a possible ground assault. nbc's martin fletcher in tel aviv with the very latest for us now. martin, please tell us, what are you seeing there at this hour? >> reporter: well, hi, t.j. that israeli buildup of tanks and soldiers and army reserves of more than 20,000 called up. that buildup on the edge of gaza is exactly what is forcing the international community to begin to intervene in this situation. the call you mentioned by the united nations security council is the most significant so far of the international call to stop the fighting, to de-escalate, but there's also a meeting plan for europe tomorrow with the united states, the european union, france, germany, where they're going to be drawing up a truce proposal. the arab league is supposed to meet in europe on monday to meet for the same reason on monday. there are proposals on the table. so a lot of international movement now to stop the fighting, especially before the possibly israeli ground invasion. but the fighting in gaza has been brutal. it's up to about 140 palestinians killed already in the last five days. israeli's continuing its air assault, aiming at what they call the secret tunnels, the homes of militant leaders, the rocket launching sites. and israeli says they're going to continue until the rocket launches stop. so all that international activity building up, trying to stop a ground invasion, stop the fighting. nevertheless, the israeli prime minister netanyahu, who has said he's willing to talk, has also said israeli will not stop its assault until those rockets from gaza stop. t.j.? >> all right, martin fletcher for us in tel aviv. thank you so much for the update. and later this hour, we'll ask a former leading state department official if there is anything the u.s. can do at this point to lower the temperature between gaza and israel before the situation possibly gets even worse. we want to turn now back to this country, and new warnings from the obama administration to those thinking of crossing into this country illegally. listen. >> at the end of the day, our border is not open to illegal migration. and our message to those who are coming here illegally, to those contemplating coming here illegally into south texas is we will send you back. >> jeh johnson toured immigration detention centers in new mexico yesterday. obama administration says about 52,000 unaccompanied children from central america have been apprehended at the border since october. many cross over the rio grande from mexico into texas, and that is where nbc's jennifer bjorkland right now. and you're in that spot. explain why that spot, why is that one of the key areas where so many people are crossing? >> reporter: t.j., i can actually show you from here, you can just look right over my shoulder. the water there, that's the rio grande. on the other side, those buildings, that's mexico. that's a state park. all along the shore, it's become sort of a cottage industry for people trying to assist very lucrative cottage industry, trying to assist people to get across the border. where here, you see the river is very narrow. it's also the shortest route from central america, 1,200 miles, but it's still the quickest way to get here in a straight line. one other thing, reynosa is just that way, and that's a transit center. many of the bus lines and train lines that these folks come on to get north actually end up there on the other side of the border. so it's a very convenient spot. and as you can see, it's a really easy crossing, especially at night. >> jennifer, how are they being greeted there? many of the kids and many of the families, we've seen some of the pictures out of marietta, california, where a lot of them were bussed and a lot of people angry in those communities, wouldn't even let those buses stick around. they had to be rerouted, sent somewhere else. so how are you seeing people there being greeted? >> reporter: a lot different from marietta, which is about a two and a half-hour drive north of the border. so along the border cities in california and here in texas, they're looking at it as a humanitarian crisis. they're not making a political statement by greeting these people with open arms. they've had a horrendous journey. there's small children. the volunteers are coming out. the catholic charities and the non-profit organizations are trying to make them feel welcome here in the united states for as long as they're here, which could quite frankly not be very long, t.j. >> jennifer bjorklund there for us in texas. thank you so much. the obama administration has asked for nearly $4 billion to deal with that influx of children coming from central america. congresswoman sheila jackson lee is a democrat from texas, ranking member of the border security subcommittee. congresswoman, always good to talk to you. you have -- let's put up for our viewers here some of the pictures we have seen at least coming from your office. you have visited down there in texas and visited with some of these families. you tell me, what are you seeing down there? >> t.j., first of all for having me this afternoon. i'm wearing a red ribbon, i just want to acknowledge that i just came from a firefighter's funeral who fell on duty this past week, daniel brother. i say that because he was in service. and what i saw down there is not only children who are pleading for our help, because they are innocent, because they have been duped, if you will, by drug cartels, traffickers and smugglers who have befuddled their parents or guardians and indicated that there was open doors here. i saw a border patrol agent working at their very best along with i.c.e. officers, having diapers and formulas right in the jailhouse. i saw little faces pressed against the glass with tears in their eyes. and i saw a 3-year-old that was among the 54 toddlers that were there at the time i was there, who had been there for 13 days. and our country is working as hard as it can be. but i also saw the generosity of local communities who are not complaining, who are not speaking political talk, national talk. they were really talking about how we can help these children, along with a number of non-profits, who rolled up their sleeves and a lot of volunteers. and i think that's really the story that we must put forward. one of the reasons why the president is trying to achieve this $3.7 million is to be able to follow the law, to enforce the law, but also have the humanitarian side. but this final point, i'm looking to add an amendment that would provide for the reimbursement of the expenses, the must-do expenses that many of our local jurisdictions have already expended. including those around the nation. >> congresswoman, one of your points is so key there. the president wants to follow the law. he wants to be a humanitarian at the same time. it seems like sometimes those two things don't mesh. because these kids are here now, and they are here illegally, despite how they got here and what they were fleeing. the u.n. has chimed in on this saying the kids should be treated as refugees. a lot of the kids here will end up trying to seek asylum. so this is a key point that maybe is not getting enough attention. are young children who are fleeing possibly gang violence or extreme poverty, is that in your opinion enough to qualify them for asylum status or refugee status, which means they would be fleeing persecution in their home countries? is that enough, extreme violence or extreme poverty? >> first of all, t.j., thank you so very much for recognizing the united nations, which we are a member. the united nations has declared this, that these children have international protection. i think what is important to note is that the law that we have that has been so misused by our friends on the other side of the aisle, the republicans, is a law passed under president bush, but more importantly, it is a law that puts the children in deportation. so what secretary johnson said, he's speaking the law. but what it does do is that it gives these children the opportunity to petition or to express that they are in fear of their life. they have a credible fear of death. and we have documented that children have been threatened to lose their life if they didn't go into cartels. and it gives them the right to say yes, i've been trafficked. yes, i've been raped. yes, i've been abused. and that puts them in a category seek asylum, as it does for the children that are mexican children. but unfortunately, it's different where the children can voluntarily deport, but they have the right, which has not been used, and they should be given that right to also indicate they're in fear of their life. so this is a current law and i am concerned about manipulating the current law. >> i guess that's the concern, congresswoman. you're saying right there that they get to come here and plead their case. well, i guess -- how are we sending a message back to central america that we're going to send you back home if we are also saying at the same time you get to come here, you get to stay with a relative or a sponsor, you get to stay in housing or deportation housing or that we give you, and we're going to listen to you, and this is a process that could take years of trying to see through your case that we're allowing you to make legally. how is that sending any message to central america not to send your kids and that it's not worth it? >> i think you raise a very important question. first of all, i think we should thank all of the local non-profits and others who are keeping these children on a temporary basis. >> yeah. >> then, we should stand by what has been said, because it is true, by secretary johnson, that these children will return based upon them being in deportation proceedings. but we as a country must follow our values and the law. and how do we do that? we add more immigration judges for them to be processed as quickly as possible, making their point, which i've submitted legislation on. and that's what that bill is about. we need to have more i.c.e. officers that will transport them to guardians. but also round them up if they have received deportation orders, but in a humane manner, in a manner that does not treat these children as a national security threat or criminals. there is no conflict in that. we have to be orderly. and there is an orderly process. and the faith community wants us to be orderly. the charities want us to be orderly and health and human services is required for us to be orderly, because they are the custodians of these children. and i think that that is the way america should show itself to the world. a bishop said, t.j., that the world is watching america. >> are we going to see that $3.7 billion go through? is the president going to get that support? >> you know, i hope -- when i started out by saying i wanted to thank all the local communities who are not in any way having a discourse about republicans or democrats. they're just helping. i hope the congress will go back next week and say we just need to help, whether we want to make the law more flexible, whether we want to look at the law, i think we just need to help. in order to help, the president wants to help, we need to pass the $3.7 billion so that law enforcement can work and the humanitarian side can work. that's what america is all about. the world is watching us. >> congresswoman lee, as always, thank you. on that issue of the judges, it's very key and it's not being talked about enough. more immigration judges need to be in that courts and speed up the process itself. thank you so much. i know we'll be chatting again. appreciate you coming in this weekend. in our 3:00 hour, we'll speak with one of the folks behind the church-run immigrant center in mcallen, texas. we'll hear what she's been seeing. also ahead, scrapping enda, the employment nondiscrimination act spending decades in congress. it's literally been in congress for decades. some people who have been supporting it for decades are now pulling their support. why? also another potential political game changer unfolding in north carolina. this could change how people vote again. ...and a choice. take 4 advil in a day which is 2 aleve... ...for all day relief. 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>> none. flat-out none. we've seen this terrible horrific movie, t.j., at least twice before. in '08 and '09. it took three weeks and the israelis unilaterally declared cease-fear in response to try to stop hamas's high trajectory rocket fire. that operation took one week, and the egyptians with american encouragement brokered a cease-fire. so at best, you're looking at an end state that really is not going to solve the problem. and the reality is these crises have ebb and flows, only when the parties are ready, truly ready and amenable to de-escalation and to standing down are you going to be able to stop this, and right now, i don't think they are. >> does anyone -- you said when the parties are ready, is there anyone who is in anybody's ear right now, trying to nudge them that way, and i guess in particular, netanyahu says we hear you, international community, but we're not going to be deterred, we're going to do what we need to do. >> the united states has a very close relationship with israel, and i'm sure that washington, the president has talked repeatedly, secretary kerry, to benjamin netanyahu. but that's only one hand. i mean, you need two hands to clap. and the other reality is you have to have a party who's prepared to intervene directly with hamas. and right now, the egyptians who have proven in the past, traditional brokers, frankly they want to see hamas squeezed. this is not mohamed morsi, president of egypt anymore. it's a former commander of the egyptian military, and frankly, he wants to see hamas hurt. so again, you don't have a mediator, and the timing right now is simply not amenable to a quicker rapid standdown. >> you say we don't have a mediator. who's talking? is anybody talking? >> a lot of people are talking to the israelis, and maybe the turks, maybe even the egyptians are talking to hamas. but you need more than that. you need a sense on the part of both sides that they have accomplished what it is they set out to do. israel wants to fundamentally erode and retard hamas's ability to do this again. i don't think the israelis feel that they have succeeded. hamas, weak already, wants to get political dividends out of this, to demonstrate not only that they can resist the israelis and fire missiles at tel aviv, but they can justify the destruction that the israelis are not wreaking upon many innocent gazans. let's remember. of the 120 fatalities, roughly 60 of those are probably hamas fighters and/or operatives. you have a deadly game, and i call it a game, only because there is not going to be an end. it's a maneuver. and within a year or two, maybe three if we're lucky, we're going to see this again assuming we can get it stopped quickly. >> you mentioned just how to densely populated gaza is. it literally is -- people are in urban areas, so what is it going to look like if there's some kind of ground incursion by israel? >> it's going to result in more civilian casualties. in '08 and '09, the israelis went in. at the end of that operation, there were 1,300 palestinian dead. roughly 400 to 500 hamas fighters. but a substantial number of civilians. when you operate in densely populated urban areas, i don't care how good your intel is, i don't care how precise your weapons, i don't care if you give people warning. the reality is, innocents are going to die. >> all right. aaron david miller from the woodrow institute, woodrow wilson center, rather. thank you so much. >> thank you, t.j. want to bring you an update on a story we brought you a couple weeks ago. told you about a new tennessee law that now we are seeing put into action. a 26-year-old woman has become the first mother to be arrested for using drugs while pregnant. mallory loyala charged with simple assault could face a year behind bars. her daughter was born july 6th, tested positive for meth. this month, tennessee became the first and still is the only state to criminalize drug use by pregnant women. you're watching msnbc. when the pressure's on... only secret offers clinical