in its war against hamas. we'll have the latest developments out of the middle east in just a moment. plus, what the new speaker of the house is saying about aid packages for israel and ukraine and how soon the funding could pass in the lower chamber. and also ahead, we'll look at the state of the republican presidential primary now that former vice president mike pence has bowed out of the race. ♪♪ good morning and welcome to "way too early" on this monday, october 30th. i'm jonathan lemire. thanks for starting your day and week with us, and we'll begin this morning with israel, expanding its ground operation in gaza. on saturday, prime minister benjamin netanyahu announced that israel is in its second phase of its mission to destroy hamas. netanyahu described the assault as israel's second war for independence. the operation began overnight friday with an intense wave of air strikes and ground raids. at the same time, phone and internet service to the region was severed, leaving the vast majority of gaza cut off from each other and the outside world. those services did resume early sunday. israeli defense sources say they've been targeting hamas' network of underground tunnels. this morning they say they've destroyed depot stations. it's amid a growing international cause for a cease-fire or some humanitarian pause. the white house says president biden spoke to netanyahu about the issue over the weekend. biden reiterated israel's right to protect itself, but asked the country to prioritize protecting civilians. now, despite israel's ground invasion, it appears that hostage negotiations with hamas are continuing. sources are telling "the wall street journal" talks are going but it's progressing as a slow pace. israel believes the ground assault will put pressure on hamasorelease the more than 200 people taken hostage and believed still held captive. before the ground invasion had advanced, talks had stalled. it refused to allow fuel into gaza and refused to release foreign captives. only four have been released so far. joining us now is nbc news international chief correspondent keir simmons. thanks for joining us this morning. let's talk about the hostage situation where you are, the qataries playing a role here, mediating role. how is the ground offensive playing into this? is it helping or hurting these efforts? >> reporter: that's a great question. they've been speaking directly to israelis and hamas from here in doha. those talks have been continuing every day since the terror attacks on the 7th of october, but then we are told by multiple sources that that former u.s. official with knowledge of the talks, an israeli official and diplomat with the talks, they did staal on friday. the former official telling nbc news they've been resistant to receiving fuel and the other countries and u.s. want a large batch of citizens released. the talks were going very well on thursday. the negotiators were hopeful a teal could be reached over the weekend, but differences emerged early friday, which led to the talks stalling. sources tell nbc news that those talks are continuing today and through the weekend, but you're right. the air and ground operation by the israelis, the israeli defense sources say they've hit 600 targets across the gaza strip, that continuing. there are those on the israeli side who say if we put pressure on hamas -- those being the israelis -- if we put pressure on hamas, that will push them to negotiate. there are others, a hamas official telling us they're not going to negotiate while this is going on. while there's a lot of rhetoric in public, it appears there is negotiating going on behind the scene, perhaps at a slower pace. i suppose that isn't surprising with news, for example, the kibbutz hospital in gaza, the large amount of those struggling to escape are told hamas is hiding in places like hospitals. >> live for us from doha, keir simmons. we'll have more reports throughout the morning live from the middle east. joining us now, editor of good to see you. israeli's air force says they've struck about 600 targets in the past 24 hours including warehouses and places they believe hamas has been gathering and hiding. there are some in the israeli military who say there's been a limited ground incursion, but massive air strikes. >> i've seen geo-located footage along the main thoroughfare that runs north to south. that would put them in control of one of the major highway systems in gaza and quite possibly put them on the outskirts of gaza city. it seem as what the israelis have done is underplay the invasion of the ground incursion. they were saying it was an expansion rather than the main show itself while digging in and plowing further into the strip than they had led on. jonathan, i think the question is what is the endgame here? the united states is keen to know the answer to that question. is it to reoccupy all of gaza and undertake that, according to israel's own intelligence assessment leaked years ago, which could take as many as five years, or eradicate hamas? if you do that, how do you do that? this is a terrorist organization that has had 30 years to plan and to entrench itself in fwz. it's got tunnel systems that could be as long as 300 mile. if you compare this to the battle of mosul to get rid of i.s.i.s. in iraq, that was at the undertaking of many months that took over 10,000 in casualties. here we are. i know this is a contentious issue, but the u.n. seems to credit these statistics upwards of 7,000 civilian casualties so far. so i think we're all wondering what is israel playing at here? what is the end of this conflict, meaning this particular campaign look like for them, and where does it leave hamas at the end of it? are they going to survive as an ideological movement or are they going to be left with some power to conduct other cross-border raids in the ffuture? >> you're right to bring that up. other advocates have said for the most part they've been right on. what is your assessment of what the resistance has been like? i know it's hard to get information from inside gaza. but from your open-source channels and people you've been talking to, the israelis have said hamas has been using the hospital as a hideout, using the hospitals as shields. do you know what fight they're putting up with the israelis moving in. >> al shifa has been around for a long time. they've begun to declassified their own human rights organizations. hamas have been accused of using the underground tunnels of the hospitals to torture people and execute people. it's a dense environment. it's no secret hamas has used civilian infrastructure in which to store their munitions, launch rockets into israel. indeed, one of the reasons they don't want to let foreign hostages, meaning non-israelis or duo passport hostages is they do want to use them as shields. hamas themselves, one of their political spokesmen said, you know, the blood of our women and children is meant to ignite revolutionary fervor. they don't care. you look at the footage from this territory. 2 million, half of whom are children, this is already looking like a blighted, you know, potmarked moonscape of an urban environment. it's been pummeled for the last several weeks. so, again, i have the question i don't have an answer for it. where does israel go from here and what is vic does victory fo israelis look like by the end of this thing? we don't know how long this could be. israel is saying this could take several years. >> u.s. wants to know the same, and certainly we want to know about the support hamas has been received. i'd just note for the record, hamas representatives met with russia. in this early stage of this ground invasion, there's a lot of stories to be told, "insider" michael weiss, thank you very much. still ahead on "way too early," what we're learning about the warnings issued to law enforcement in maine weeks before the deadly mass shootings in that state. plus, donald trump is back under a gag order in his federal elections case. it comes as his children are likely to testify in his civil trial this week. plus, we'll give you a check on sports and weather when we come right back. and weather whe come right back. with the freestyle libre 2 system, know your glucose level and where it's headed. no fingersticks needed. manage your diabetes with more confidence. freestyle libre 2. try it for free at freestylelibre.us (crowd cheers) sore throat got your tongue? mucinex instasoothe sore throat medicated drops. uniquely formulated for rapid relief that lasts and lasts. that's my babyyy! -ow! get mucinex instasoothe. it's comeback season. welcome back as we turn to a number of major headlines that developed over the weekend. this week several members of the trump family will take the stand in the$250 million civil fraud trial against the former president and his company. the new york state attorney general's office annd on friday they plan to call trump's oldest child thetand later this week. donald trump jr. will testify on wednesday, eric trump on thursday, and ivana trump on friday. the former president himself is monday.d to be called next prorsay they expect donald trump to their final witness, november 6th, for that one. on trump's truth social paid he caged the judge crazy and corrupt. he's already been fined for speaking against court stauf. but there's no protection against speaking against the judge and prosecutors. now to the latest on the elections interference case brought by special counsel jack smith. the gag order on that one on former president trump has been reinstated after the u.s. district judge tanya chutkan lifted a temporary hold yesterday. itse after opposition from the trump legalte. the former president reacted to the news on his truth social page -- where else -- writing in part this, it illegally and unconstitutionally taking away my right of free speech in the mid of my campaign for president. trump has promised to appeal the ruling, but it is in place as of hour. elsewhere we're learning more about law enforcement's concerns surrounding the gunman leading up to last week's mass shooting in the state of maine. two law enforcement officials are telling the "associated press" that a statewide awareness alert was sent out last month concerning robert card, specifically telling officers to be on the lookout for the 40-year-old after he made threats against both the u.s. army reserve base where he trained as well as some of his fellow soldiers. the officials who spoke to the "a.p." say they increased patrols of the base where he worked and visited his home, but they moved on after he never showed up. and finally, as you may have heard over the weekend, actor matthew perry, who was best known for his role as the sarcastic but loveable chandler bing on the hit show "friends" has died. perry was found unresponsive saturday in an apparent drowning in his hot tub at his los angeles area home. according to the los angeles police department, the cause will likely not be determined for some time, but there is no immediate indication of foul play. for decades perry publicly struggled with drinking and drug use, leading to a series of hospitalizations for a range of many ailments. he spoke candidly about his struggle to stay clean. he said he meant much of his life in rehab. matthew perry, just 254 years old, gone far too soon. still ahead on "way too early," we'll turn to sports. we'll go to sunday's action around the nfl, plus a season-ending injury takes a big name out of trade long island discussions, and we'll also discuss world series game three tonight. that's all straight ahead. rld s tonight. that's all straight ahead. emergen-c crystals. ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well. ♪ ♪ jardiance ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell. ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance, ♪ ♪ at each day's staaart. ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to seee. ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c. ♪ jardiance works 24/7 in your body to flush out some sugar! and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. jardiance may cause serious side effects including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction, and don't take it if you're on dialysis. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. ♪ jardiance is really swell, ♪ ♪ the little pill with a big story to tell. ♪ [city ambience sounds] [car screech] [car door slam] [camera shutter sfx] introducing ned's plaque psoriasis. 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(vo) get iphone15 pro, apple tv 4k and 6 months of apple one. all three on us. only on verizon. ♪ today, my friend you did it, you did it, you did it... ♪ centrum silver is now clinically shown to support cognitive health in older adults. it's one more step towards taking charge of your health. so every day, you can say, ♪ youuu did it! ♪ with centrum silver. 40 seconds to go. hurts firing for the end zone and a one-handed attempt. oh, my goodness! a.j. brown with an amazing touchdown! lawrence sets and throws. a deep shot. it's caught by etienne. etienne is going to take it all the way. in his direction. to the end zone. it's caught. tyreek hill. fourth and 22. mahomes. getting away from benito and keeping it down. it's intercepted. caught by justin simmons. cowboys bring pressure. stafford sees it. fires one. intercepted. it's a pick six. duron bland has his third of the year. >> toward the end zone, got a man, touchdown. >> hard to throw. wants to go. he's got shahid out there. he's got it. shahid in for the touchdown. second down and eight. runs for his life. flips it down. caught. fielded again. that one is caught. the flag down. blockers in front. still going. reese hall will take it. no will it stand. here they are on the 17th. wide open. touchdown! >> those are some of the biggest plays from around the nfl yesterday including the end of the san francisco 49ers 11-game winning streak and the worst home game played between the giants and jets. meanwhile the vikings say the season is likely over for kirk cousins. he has been playing well. tore his achilles tendon when he was sacked in the fourth quarter. there's some speculation he could be on the move with a trade deadline. one wonders if minnesota will indeed blow it up. let's go to los angeles. hosting the chicago bears. l.a. led with the first five drives of the game. leading over chicago. the series will wrap up tonight in detroit. the lions host the raiders on "monday night football." the world series game three continues. the texas rangers and arizona diamondbacks are tied. friday night had a thrilling win with texas's comeback opener. this is going to be a long series. time for the weather. let's go to meteorologist michelle grossman. what's it looking like out there? >> it's looking cold. frost and freeze alerts. so many freeze warnings. the south central states into the northeasting we're looking at temperatures feeling like the single digits in spots this morning. these are the temperatures currently. denver feeling like 6. feeling like 10 in the northern plains. it's cold in the south central states. dallas, 39, feels like 28. it's a very cold start. we're going to keep the chill in place tomorrow. it's do u to the long cold front. so back behind this front you see a lot of blues and purples. that's indicating the cold air in place. a lot of 30s and 40s on the map tomorrow. these are high temperatures tomorrow -- today, excuse me. the cold front will be a dividing line between cold air and warm air. d.c., 79, well above normal. the cold front will come tomorrow. it will drop the temperatures into the 50s. off to the west, 30s and 40s. some spots, the 20s as well. along the front we'll see showers and storms. the reds, oranges, yellows, that's where we see the heaviest downpours, and then the cold air in place. that's going to bring a chance for freezing weather and precipitation of rain and snow. we could see up to six inches of snow in portions of northern maine. so that season is changing. >> michelle grossman, thank you so very much. still ahead on "way too early," we're going to turn to politics. what about funding for ukraine? we'll go through that and check on the status of the impeachment inquiry now that there's finally a new leader in the lower chamber. we'll be right back. e lower chamber. we'll be right back. c'mon, we're right there. c'mon baby. it's the only we need. go, go, go, go! ah! touchdown baby! -touchdown! are your neighbors watching the same game? yeah, my 5g home internet delays the game a bit. but you get used to it. try these. they're noise cancelling earmuffs. i stole them from an airport. it's always something with you, man. great! solid! -greek salad? exactly! don't delay the game with verizon or t-mobile 5g home internet. catch it on the xfinity 10g network. welcome back to "way too early." it is coming up on 5:30 a.m. on the east coast, 2:30 out west on this monday morning. i'm jonathan lemire. thanks for being with us. new house speaker mike johnson says aid to israel will be considered on the house floor this week. the catch, there will be a standalone measure. that's despite president biden's call for congress to provide a broader package that also clud aid to ukraine. during an interview yesterday with fox news, speaker johnson expressed confidence that the standalone measure would pass. >> there are lots of things going on around the world that we have to address and we will, but right now what's happening in israel takes the immediate attention, and i think we've got to separate that and get it through. i believe there will be bipartisan support for that, and i'll push it there. >> do you believe there will be in the senate? >> i do. this is a very serious matter. earlier this month the white house asked congress to provide more than $105 billion in aid to ukraine and israel as well as some other national security needs. before he was elected speaker, then just congressman johnson, vote last month with 93 other republicans to cut off aid to ukraine. but during an interview he did on fox the day after he was sworn in, johnson did emphasize the u.s. must stop russia's advances. so joining us n