♪♪ >>> HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY."

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

THE DEVASTATING AND UNPRECEDENTED SLAUGHTER BY HAMAS.

THE NUMBER OF ISRAELIS CONFIRMED KILLED IN THE ATTACK CONTINUES TO RISE.

AS FEARS GROW FOR THE PEOPLE TAKEN HOSTAGE, MY CONVERSATION WITH A WOMAN WHO SAYS HER 19-YEAR-OLD SISTER WAS KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS.

AND WE SPEAK TO A SURVIVOR OF THE MASSACRE AT THAT MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL.

>>> ALSO AHEAD, HOW THIS ATTACK UNFOLDED.

AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

I SPEAK TO A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE IDF, TO VETERAN POLITICIAN TZIPI LIVNI, AND TO A FORMER HEAD OF MOSSAD.

>>> AND PALESTINIAN DEATHS AS ISRAEL STRIKES THE TERRITORY.

>>> "AMANPOUR AND COMPANY" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- CANDACE KING WEIR.

THE FAMILY FOUNDATION OF LEILA AND MICKEY STRAUS.

JIM ATTWOOD AND LESLIE WILLIAMS.

MARK J. BLECHNER.

SETON J. MELVIN.

CHARLES ROSENBLUM.

KOO AND PATRICIA YUEN, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG.

>>> ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THESE FUNDERS, AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE, I'M CHRISTANE AMANPOUR IN LONDON.

THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES HAVE SUPPORTED ISRAEL IN ITS 9/11, ITS PEARL HARBOR MOMENT.

THE DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS NO WATER, NO FEUD, NO ELECTRICITY, NO FOOD WILL BE ALLOWED INTO GAZA.

THIS COMES ON THE THIRD DAY OF ANGER, AGONY, AND DESPAIR IN THE COUNTRY, AFTER HAMAS LAUNCHED A SURPRISE ASSAULT FROM GAZA ON SATURDAY.

THAT'S KILLED MORE THAN 700 PEOPLE, TAKEN DOZENS HOSTAGE, AND LEFT THOUSANDS MORE INJURED, AND THESE NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE.

GAZA IS BEING HIT WITH NEAR CONTINUOUS AIR STRIKES AS ISRAEL HAS DECLARED WAR.

SO FAR, MORE THAN 550 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED, WITH THOUSANDS MORE INJURED, ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY INSIDE GAZA.

AND THERE ARE CONCERNS OF A BROADER CONFLICT, AS THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES REVEAL IT IS ALSO STRIKING WITHIN LEBANESE TERRITORY.

THE SCALE OF THE ATTACK, THE WORST SINGLE DAY OF DEATH SINCE ISRAEL WAS FOUNDED IN 1948, MEANS EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN IMPACTED.

MANY OF THEM DIRECTLY, LIKE ALEXANDRA ARIEV, WHO SAYS HER SISTER WAS SNATCHED AND TAKEN HOSTAGE BY HAMAS ON SATURDAY.

19-YEAR-OLD KARINA WAS SERVING AT AN IDF BASE WHEN IT WAS OVERRUN EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

AND I STARTED BY ASKING ALEXANDRA HOW SHE AND HER FAMILY ARE MANAGING.

>> I'M DEVASTATED INSIDE.

MY PARENTS ARE CRYING ALL DAY LONG.

I'M THE ONE WITH -- TAKING ACTION, TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.

I'M TRYING TO REACH THE PRESS, LIKE YOU, I'M TRYING TO TALK ABOUT IT, I'M TRYING TO REACH GOVERNMENTS OF OTHER COUNTRIES.

I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THE STORY.

I WANT THE GIRLS THAT ARE KIDNAPPED, THAT ARE MISSING, IF THEY CAN SEE US, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT IF THEY CAN SEE US.

SO, WE WANT TO TELL THEM THAT WE ARE STRONG FOR THEM AND THAT WE WILL DO ANYTHING SO THEY WILL BE RETURNED SAFE AND SOUND.

>> SO, TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

YOUR SISTER KARINA, WHAT IS THE LAST YOU HEARD FROM HER?

WE HAVE SOME REALLY DISTURBING VIDEO WHICH SHOWS SEVERAL WOMEN, WE BLURRED SOME OF THEIR FACES, BUT YOUR SISTER IS THE ONE WITH A BLOODIED FACE, AND THERE'S -- THERE'S UNPLEASANT SOUND IN THERE, INCLUDING YOU'RE DOGS.

TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW.

>> I KNOW ONLY THAT MY FAMILY SAW THIS VIDEO FIRST ON TELEGRAM YESTERDAY -- I THINK YESTERDAY, WE LOST TRACK OF TIME.

WE SAW IT ON TELEGRAM.

MY MOTHER WAS THE FIRST ONE TO IDENTIFY MY SISTER.

MY FATHER AND I, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, SWIPE THE VIDEO, BUT THEN CONCENTRATED ABOUT IT AND WE IDENTIFIED HER ALSO.

WE WENT TO ANYONE THAT WE COULD, THE POLICE OR THE ARMY, AND WE WAITED A LOT OF TIME, NEARLY 24 HOURS OR MORE, UNTIL SOME SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE ARMY CAME TO OUR HOUSE AND TOLD THAT IT IS CONFIRMED BY SOME MEANS, DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHICH ONES, THAT SHE IS HELD BY TERROR ORGANIZATION.

AND WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OR -- >> BUT WHAT YOU THINK NOW IS THAT SHE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO GAZA AND SHE IS A HOSTAGE?

>> YES.

WE BELIEVE THAT, IN ALMOST 100%, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET ANY MATCH WITH THE DNA FROM THE CORPSES FOUND ON THE BASE SHE WAS SERVING AT.

>> OKAY, THIS IS JUST -- IT'S SO AWFUL.

SO, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT SHE'S A SOLDIER, I THINK WE KNOW THAT.

TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BASE.

IT'S AN ALL-WOMAN BASE, RIGHT?

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE?

HOW MANY PEOPLE SURVIVED?

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO, WERE TAKEN ALONG WITH HER?

>> SO, THE BASE, HER DUTY, IS MAINLY A FEMALE DUTY, SO THERE ARE NO MEN PRACTICALLY ON THE BASE.

SOMETIMES THERE ARE COMBAT SOLDIERS THAT ARE THERE ON THE BASE DOING THEIR STUFF, THEY'RE CHANGING EVERY FEW MONTHS.

THE GIRLS DO NOT HAVE ANY ARMORY WITH THEM, ONLY THE MALE ONES, ONES WHO COME THERE.

AND THE BASE IS ON THE BORDER WITH GAZA.

I KNOW THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 20 GIRLS ON SATURDAY AT THE BASE.

THE LAST -- THE LAST CALL MY SISTER MADE WAS ON THE SEVENTH OF OCTOBER, SATURDAY, 6:30 A.M., SHE CALLED ME, THEN MY PARENTS.

AND SHE BASICALLY CALLED TO SAY GOOD-BYE, THAT SHE LOVES US, AND SHE TOLD US THEY'RE IN A BOMB SHELTER BECAUSE OF THE MISSILES AND THE BOMBING, AND THEN AFTER THE BOMBING, THERE WAS A RAID ON THE BASE.

THEY HEARD THE TERRORISTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE BASE NEAR THEM, AND THEY HEARD SHOOTING.

WE GUESS THAT THE TERRORISTS SHOT ALL THE MALE OR FEMALE WHO WAS -- THAT WERE ABLE TO GET A WEAPON.

AND THEY HURT THE OTHER GIRLS AND TOOK THEM AND ABDUCTED THEM.

AND THE VIDEO -- IN THE VIDEO, WE CAN SEE, I KNOW YOU BLURRED THE OTHER FACES, BUT CLEARLY WE CAN SEE THREE GIRLS, MAYBE THERE ARE MORE, WE KNOW THEY ARE IDENTIFIED BY THEIR FAMILIES.

>> ALEXANDRA, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE HAD TRANSLATED, THE TWO MEN SPEAKING IN THE BACK GROUND OF THIS VIDEO, ONE OF THEM SAYS, THIS IS NOTHING, WE ARE JUST STARTING.

WHAT IS YOUR GOVERNMENT OR YOUR MILITARY DOING TO HELP YOU?

DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ANY NEGOTIATIONS?

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY EFFORTS NOW THAT THEY'VE TOLD YOU ABOUT TO TRY TO GET YOUR SISTER AND OTHER HOSTAGES BACK?

>> IT'S REALLY AWFUL, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, BUT NOTHING.

THEY DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING.

THERE ARE NO NEGOTIATIONS CURRENTLY GOING ON, NOT ONES THAT WE'RE AWARE OF, US FAMILIES OF THE ABDUCTED.

WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE NEW INFORMATION, AND WE REALLY WANT THE RED CROSS, HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION, TO GET IN THERE AND TO GET CONFIRMATION OF WHO ARE THE ABDUCTED ONES, CIVILIANS, CITIZENS, AND SOLDIERS.

AND THEIR STATUS.

ARE THEY ALIVE?

ARE THEY WOUNDED?

IS THERE ANY HUMANITARIAN NEEDS THAT THEY'RE SUPPLIED WITH, WATER, FOOD, BLANKETS?

WE WANT THIS ORGANIZATION, WE WANT THE GOVERNMENTS TO HEAR US, TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THAT, THAT WE NEED TO KNOW IF THEY'RE ALIVE.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT DO NOT KNOW WHERE ARE THEIR CHILDREN.

CITIZENS OR SOLDIERS, AS I SAID.

THEY DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING.

THE ARMY OR THE GOVERNMENT, THEY DON'T CONTACT THEM.

THEY'RE SAYING, IT'S ABOUT 60 HOURS, I OPENED SOME WHATSAPP GROUPS OF PARENTS OF PEOPLE, I'M IN SOME OF THEM, AND THEY JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.

>> ALEXANDRA ARIEV, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US, AND YOU ARE GETTING YOUR MESSAGE OUT THROUGH US, SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHRISTIANE.

I APPRECIATE IT.

AND I SEND A BIG HUG FOR EVERYONE.

>>> A DEVASTATING SLAUGHTER THAT'S DRAWN THE WORLD'S CONDEMNATION WAS AT THAT MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

NADA BASHIR HAS MORE.

>> THIS WAS ISRAEL'S NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL IN THE EARLY HOURS OF SATURDAY MORNING.

BUT IN THE DISTANCE, ROCKETS SEEMINGLY INTERCEPTED IN THE DAWN SKY.

THE FESTIVAL THEN BROUGHT TO AN ABRUPT, TERRIFYING END, AS HAMAS GUNMEN LAUNCHED A DEADLY RAMPAGE, KILLING HUNDREDS AND TAKING DOZENS HOSTAGE.

>> AND THEY WERE JUST SHOOTING AT THEM AND TAKING THEM BY FORCE.

THEY WERE WAITING -- MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO GET TO HER CAR, AND THEY HAD MILITARY PEOPLE STANDING BY THE CARS AND WERE SHOOTING, SO, PEOPLE COULDN'T REACH THEIR CARS, EVEN TO GO AWAY.

AND THAT'S WHEN THEY TOOK HER.

>> 21-YEAR-OLD ADI WAS AMONG THOSE TARGETED IN THE AMBUSH.

HER MOTHER HOPED SHE COULD STILL BE ALIVE, HELD CAPTIVE IN GAZA, BUT FEARS TIME IS QUICKLY RUNNING OUT.

>> I'M A MOTHER WHO IS LOOKING FOR HER DAUGHTER.

SHE'S MISSING.

I THINK -- I BELIEVE SHE'S HURT.

SHE'S BLEEDING SOMEWHERE.

AND LIKE ME, THERE ARE MORE HUNDREDS FAMILIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR BELOVED.

I'M A MOTHER, I WANT TO PROTECT MY KIDS.

THAT'S ALL I WANT TO DO, AND I'M SURE THAT ALL MOTHERS IN THE OTHER SIDE, IN GAZA, IN EVERYWHERE, THAT THEY ARE NOT ME, ARE THINKING THE SAME THING.

>> DASH CAM FOOTAGE SHOWS HAMAS GUNMEN AT THE SITE, SHOOTING AND KILLING PEOPLE AT POINT BLANK RANGE.

THE SITE OF SATURDAY'S MASSACRE NOW STANDING EERILY QUIET.

CHARRED CARS LINE NEARBY STREETS.

HAMAS CLAIMS IT HAS CAPTURED MORE THAN 100 ISRAELI CITIZENS.

THERE ARE NO EXACT FIGURE YET FROM THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES.

THE RESULT, DOZENS OF FAMILIES LEFT IN ANGUISH, ALL HOPING AGAINST HOPE FOR A MIRACLE.

>> Translator: SHE CALLED AND SAID, MOM, THEY ARE SHOOTING AT US, THE CAR IS HIT.

WE ARE ALL WOUNDED.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, BUT THE NIGHTMARE OF A PARENT, SITTING AND HEARING HER CHILD SAYING, MOM, COME AND HELP ME, AND WE CANNOT DO A THING.

NOTHING.

ONLY TO BE WITH HER ON THE PHONE AND SAY TO HER, RAMI, I LOVE YOU.

RAMI, HIDE.

>> BUT AS THEIR ANXIOUS WAIT CONTINUES, QUESTIONS ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO MOUNT AS TO HOW AN ATTACK OF THIS SCALE WAS ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE.

>> Translator: WHAT IS HAPPENING IS UNBELIEVABLE.

SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE.

I JOIN, WE JOIN, IN GRIEVING OF ALL THE FAMILIES.

WE DEMAND ANSWERS.

NOT ALL THE ANSWERS WILL BE HAPPY ONES.

>> THAT WAS NADA BASHIR REPORTING.

JOINING ME NOW, SOMEONE THAT WAS AT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT MANAGED TO ESCAPE.

AMIT GANISH IS WITH US.

HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

>> YES, TODAY I'M GOOD, BUT I'M SAD FOR MY FRIENDS THAT -- NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE.

>> AMIT, WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST UNDERSTAND THAT THE FESTIVAL WAS BEING STORMED AND THAT YOU WERE UNDER ATTACK?

>> OKAY.

AT 6:30 IN THE MORNING, WE HEARD THE ROCKETS AND WE SAW THEM IN THE SKY.

AND AFTER 30 MINUTES, APPROXIMATELY, WE HEARD THE TERRORISTS SHOUT ALLAHU AKBAR, ALLAHU AKBAR, AND THEY WERE RUNNING TO US WITH THEIR GUNS WITH A LOT OF FACIAL THINGS, LIKE -- AND ME AND MY BEST FRIEND WERE TOGETHER, AND WE START TO RUN TO THE OTHER SIDE AND FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A CAR THAT TOOK US, THE DRIVER SAID TO US, GET INTO THE CAR RIGHT NOW.

AND MY BEST FRIEND'S BOYFRIEND DIDN'T GET INTO THE CAR AND I DON'T KNOW EITHER WHAT ABOUT HIM, UNTIL NOW.

THE DRIVER TOOK TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND WE SAW A BIG UNIT OF TERRORISTS SHOOT TO US WITH GUNS, AND HE TURNED TO THE OTHER SIDE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS ANOTHER BIG UNIT OF TERRORISTS SHOOT TO US.

SO, THE DRIVER WAS THE BIGGEST FIGHTER THAT I EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE, HE STOP THE CAR AND EVERYBODY IN THE CAR, THERE WERE NINE PEOPLE IN LITTLE CAR, WE STARTED TO RUN -- I RAN INTO THE FOREST, AND MY FRIEND WAS WITH ME, RAN AFTER ME.

>> WOW.

AMIT, WHEN YOU GOT TO THE -- WHEN YOU GOT TO THE FOREST, AND WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT THIS, YOU MEAN, THE CARCASSES OF THE CARS THAT HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT AND DESTROYED, SO, YOU COULDN'T EVEN ESCAPE.

MANY PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLES.

WHEN YOU GOT TO THE FOREST, WERE YOU SAFE THERE?

OR DID THEY CHASE YOU INTO THE FOREST?

>> OKAY, WHEN WE GOT TO THE FOREST, FIRST, WE RAN FROM THE TERRORISTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WANT TO KILL ME, TO KILL MY FRIEND, TO KILL EVERYONE THEY SEE.

SO, WE HID IN A LITTLE TREE.

WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY SOUND FOR NINE HOURS.

WE STAYED IN THE TREE AND THAT'S HOW WE SAVED OUR LIVES.

>> WOW.

YOU HAD TO -- YOU HAD TO BE COMPLETELY QUIET AS A MOUSE TO SURVIVE.

AND MY VERY LAST QUESTION, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE -- WAS THERE ANY OFFICIAL HELP THAT CAME, THE MILITARY, POLICE, I DON'T KNOW?

>> OKAY, SO I -- I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

I CALLED TO EVERYONE I KNOW, TO MY MOTHER, TO MY FATHER, TO EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY, I DON'T -- I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF BATTERY, BUT WITH THE LITTLE BATTERY I HAVE, I CALLED THE POLICE A LOT OF TIMES, BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF TERRORISTS, SO, THEY DIDN'T SUCCEED TO GET US ABOUT -- JUST ABOUT NINE HOURS, AND THE BIGGEST MAN, BIGGEST ANGEL, RAMI, FOUND US IN THE FOREST, AND HE RESCUED US.

>> WOW.

AMIT, THANK YOU.

THANK GOD YOU HAD A GUARDIAN ANGEL.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND NOW, WE ARE HEARING NOW FROM ISRAELI MILITARY RADIO THAT THE DEATH TOLL INSIDE ISRAEL HAS RISEN TO AT LEAST 900.

SO, LET'S GET REACTION TO THAT FROM THE IDF SPOKESPERSON, JONATHAN CONRICUS.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT NUMBER?

THAT IS 200 MORE THAN WE'VE BEEN REPORTING THIS DAY.

>> YES, SINCE THESE ARE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION, THEN THINGS ARE MOVING VERY QUICKLY.

THE NUMBERS OF ISRAELI CASUALTIES, THE DEATH TOLL OF THIS HEINOUS ATTACK ARE RISING, AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE SHARP SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF ISRAELI CASUALTIES, BY THE WAY, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THEM, ARE CIVILIANS, NOT MILITARY.

I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE BIG JUMP IN THE NUMBERS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN CLEARING SOUTHERN ISRAEL, AND HAVE STARTED TO PROCESS AND NAME AND IDENTIFY THE COUNTLESS CORPSES THAT WE HAVE FOUND IN VARIOUS -- CORPSES THAT WE HAVE FOUND IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL.

THE MASSACRE AT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL.

BUT ALSO, IN EACH AND EVERY ISRAELI COMMUNITY AROUND THE GAZA STRIP.

THERE ARE HORRIFIC SCENES.

HORRIFIC SCENES OF MASS EXECUTIONS BY TERRORISTS, TAKING ISRAELI CIVILIANS AND JUST EXECUTING THEM AT POINT BLANK.

THINGS THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN AND WITNESSED BEFORE AT THIS MAGNITUDE.

>> I WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU WHETHER YOU CAN TELL US DEFINITIVELY WHETHER ISRAEL HAS FULL CONTROL BACK OF ITS OWN TERRITORY, WHETHER AROUND THE FENCE, WHETHER IN THE VILLAGES, IN THE BASES, ARE ALL OF THOSE THAT WERE INFILTRATED ON SATURDAY, OR, ARE THERE STILL HAMAS TERRORISTS INSIDE ISRAEL?

>> AS FAR AS I KNOW, AND THIS IS BASED ON VERY RECENT INFORMATION, YES, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED -- RE-ESTABLISHED CONTROL OF SOUTHERN ISRAEL, AND WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THERE ARE NO ACTIVE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE TERRORISTS FIGHTING OR TRYING TO KILL ISRAELI CIVILIANS.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE IS NOT -- THAT THERE ARE NOT SKIRMISHES AND ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS BY HAMAS AND THE ISLAMIC JIHAD TO INFILTRATE THE BORDER.

BUT YES, I CAN CONFIRM AT THIS STAGE THAT WE HAVE FINALLY, AFTER 48 EXTREMELY LONG AND PAINFUL HOURS, BEEN ABLE TO DECLARE TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER SECURITY FORCES, POLICE, ET CETERA, THAT SOUTHERN ISRAEL IS NOW BACK UNDER THE SOVEREIGN CONTROL OF ISRAEL, AND FROM HERE ON, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND ALONG THE BORDER, AND MITIGATE ANY ATTEMPTS TO ATTACK AND INFILTRATE, AND WE WILL FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON BRINGING THE FIGHT TO HAMAS.

>> SO, FIRST, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT FIGHT.

EVERYBODY ASSUMES THERE'S GOING TO BE A GROUND INVASION, A GROUND INTERVENTION TO CONTINUE THAT FIGHT, BUT I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT THE HOSTAGES.

WE SPOKE TO, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM, THE SISTER OF ONE OF THOSE HOSTAGES, SHE WAS 19 YEARS -- SHE IS 19 YEARS OLD, SHE'S BEEN TAKEN, AND IS A HOSTAGE, AS FAR AS HER FAMILY KNOWS, AND AS FAR AS SHE WAS TOLD, INSIDE GAZA.

HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD SAY THEY'VE GOT ABOUT 130.

DO YOU KNOW YET HOW MANY ISRAELIS OR ANY OTHER NATIONALITIES HAVE BEEN SNATCHED FROM YOUR TERRITORY AND TAKEN INTO GAZA?

>> YES.

WE ARE AWARE OF DOZENS OF ISRAELIS, CIVILIANS, AND WHEN I SAY CIVILIANS, I SAY WOMEN, CHILDREN, INFANTS, ELDERLY, AND AND EVEN DISABLED PERSONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BRUTALLY, BY HAMAS.

PARADED ON THE STREETS OF GAZA TO BE RIDICULED AND HARASSED AND ATTACKED AND MANHANDLED.

UNFORTUNATELY, ALREADY, ALSO REPORTS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED.

THE SITUATION IS UNPRECEDENTED IN ITS SEVERITY, AND I -- THIS IS A -- IT CREATES, OF COURSE, A CONSIDERATION FOR ISRAELI DECISION-MAKERS, HOW TO PROCEED.

ON ONE HAND, NEEDING TO EXTRACT AN EXTREMELY HEAVY PRICE FROM HAMAS.

WE HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY THE CABINET TO MAKE SURE THAT AT THE END OF THIS WAR, TAKE IT HOW LONG IT NEEDS TO TAKE.

AT THE END OF THIS WAR, HAMAS WILL NO LONGER HAVE THE MILITARY CAPABILITY TO INFLICT ANY DAMAGE ON ISRAELI CIVILIANS.

AND WE HAVE ALSO BEEN TASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CANNOT CONTINUE TO GOVERN THE GAZA STRIP.

THESE ARE THE TWO TASKS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED ON.

THAT IS WHAT THE IDF IS PREPARING.

WE HAVE ALREADY CALLED UP MORE THAN 300,000 RESERVE TROOPS, WHICH IS UNPRECEDENTED.

IN SPEED AND SCOPE.

NEVER BEFORE IN OUR HISTORY HAVE WE CALLED UP SO MANY IN SUCH A SHORT TIME.

THOSE TROOPS ARE NOW PREPARING, EQUIPPING, LEARNING THEIR TASKS, AND GETTING READY TO EXECUTE THE MISSIONS.

AT THIS STAGE, OF COURSE, IT WOULDN'T BE WISE TO ADVERTISE ON CNN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND WHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO, BUT I CAN ONLY SAY THAT THESE ARE OUR TASKS AND WE WILL IMPLEMENT THEM.

>> SO, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS, FROM WHAT YOU SAY WHAT'S PLANNED AND WHAT IS COMING.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR MANY, MANY YEARS OF WAR WITH HAMAS, IN YOUR -- THIS IS NOW YOUR FIFTH, AND THIS IS THE WORST, YOU ARE PLANNING TO DECAPITATE HAMAS IN EVERY WHICH WAY, NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THEM IN, NOT GOING TO HAVE A TRUCE, NOT GOING TO DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PREVIOUS INSTANCES?

>> ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIVES GIVEN TO US BY THE GOVERNMENT, WE ARE GOING TO DENY HAMAS ANY MILITARY CAPABILITY IN THE FUTURE.

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THIS VERY WELL, BUT THE VIEWERS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND IT, WE ARE NOT IN ANOTHER ROUND OF ESCALATION WITH A TERROR ORGANIZATION.

WE ARE AT WAR.

THE AMOUNT OF ISRAELI CASUALTIES THAT HAVE BEEN INFLICTED BY HAVE COME ACROSS OUR BORDERS, TO KILL OUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, IS UNPRECEDENTED.

NEVER BEFORE IN OUR HISTORY HAS THIS HAPPENED, AND AS SUCH, OUR RESPONSE WILL BE UNPRECEDENTED.

>> JONATHAN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHAT A SIEGE IS LIKE, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE BOMBARDED IN A SIEGE AT WAR.

AND I WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU HOW YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO UNFOLD FOR THE CIVILIANS INSIDE GAZA.

THE DEFENSE MINISTER, YOUR BOSS, HAS SAID TODAY THAT THERE IS A TOTAL CLOSURE OF GAZA.

NO FOOD, NO FUEL, NO WATER, NO ELECTRICITY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON A CIVILIAN AND HUMANITARIAN LEVEL?

AND ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THAT?

>> WHAT WE ARE PREPARED TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SITUATION CHANGES FUNDAMENTALLY, AND THAT HAMAS WON'T BE ABLE TO EXECUTE ANOTHER ATTACK AGAINST ISRAELI CIVILIANS.

AND THAT IS OUR FOCUS.

NOW, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A TOPIC THAT IS VERY CONCERNING FOR MANY AROUND THE WORLD, BUT I'M SURE THAT YOU CANNOT EXPECT US TO BE FEEDING AND PROVIDING ELECTRICITY AND FUEL AND FOOD TO THE VERY SAME ENEMY THAT HAS JUST COME ACROSS OUR BORDERS TO BUTCHER OUR CIVILIANS.

SURELY YOU CANNOT BE EXPECTING ISRAEL TO DO THIS AT THIS STAGE.

>> CAN I ASK YOU TO ANSWER THE TWO, AT LEAST THE TWO EYEWITNESSES AND VICTIMS THAT WE SPOKE TO EARLIER, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM, THERE IS A LOT OF TALK FROM THEM, FROM SOCIAL MEDIA, ABOUT HOW LONG IT TOOK YOUR FORCES, WHETHER THEY BE MILITARY, WHETHER THEY BE SECURITY, WHETHER THEY BE POLICE, WHETHER THEY BE MEDICAL, TO RESCUE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE UNDER ATTACK, FOR HOURS INSIDE ISRAEL.

HOW STRETCHED IS YOUR MILITARY?

WHAT -- WHAT HAPPENED?

>> YES, THOSE QUESTIONS ARE VERY RELEVANT.

I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY COME FROM.

AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THE OUTCRIES IN ISRAELI SOCIETY OF PARENTS THAT ARE WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE FATE OF THEIR CHILDREN, CIVILIANS AND MILITARY, AND OF CIVILIANS WHO WERE STRANDED AND FELT DEFENSELESS INSIDE ISRAELI COMMUNITIES AND WAITED AND WAITED FOR THE BACKUP THAT TOOK A LONG TIME TO ARRIVE.

ALL OF THIS IS, OF COURSE, AN EVENT AT A MAGNITUDE THAT WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE, AND IT WILL TAKE A VERY LONG PROCESS OF REVIEW, INVESTIGATIONS, AND RECKONING BY THE IDF, AND WE WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE VERY SINCERE AND HARD ANSWERS TO THE PEOPLE WHO TRUST IN US AND RELY ON US FOR OUR SKUFRT SECURITY.

AND THIS IS A -- AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TOPIC.

MAYBE EVEN AS IMPORTANT AS ACTUALLY GETTING THE JOB DONE, AND SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT WITH HAMAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

BUT IT IS NOT OUR FOCUS NOW.

IT WILL BE THE PRIMARY FOCUS ONCE THE LAST BULLET IS FIRED AND ONCE THE LAST HAMAS TERRORIST IS EITHER DEAD OR SURRENDERS.

THEN WE WILL AVAIL OURSELVES TO FOCUS ON THAT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE TASK OF PROVIDING ANSWERS, EXPLANATIONS, AND LESSONS LEARNED TO OUR ISRAELI CIVILIANS.

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, THIS WILL BE A PROCESS LIKE -- LIKE WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.

BUT IT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON NOW.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON FIGHTING, ON SETTING -- DEFENDING OUR BORDERS AND ON PUTTING THE EFFORTS AGAINST HAMAS AS WE'RE SPEAKING.

THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, BUT I CAN REALLY -- >> OKAY.

>> WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS AT THE TOP OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRIORITIES AT ALL LEVELS OF THE IDF, IT IS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THERE WILL BE EXTREMELY TOUGH ANSWERS TO BE GIVEN TO OUR ISRAELI CIVILIANS.

>> INDEED.

INDEED.

AND THEY'RE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.

JONATHAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

>>> JOINING ME NOW IS TZIPI LIVNI, A LONGTIME ISRAELI POLITICIAN.

SHE WAS THE NEGOTIATOR FOR PEACE TALKS WITH THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AS JUSTICE MINISTER IN A PREVIOUS NETANYAHU GOVERNMENT.

WE WELCOME YOU FROM TEL AVIV.

TZIPI LIVNI, THE BLOODIEST DAY IN ISRAELI HISTORY.

900 DEAD IS WHAT WE HAVE LATELY JUST HEARD.

COULD YOU EVER -- EVER IMAGINE THIS HAPPENING?

>> AH, NO.

THIS IS A NIGHTMARE THAT TURNED INTO OUR REALITY, AND JUST LISTENING, LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, IT'S HEARTBREAKING, AND I CANNOT TAKE THESE PICTURES OUT OF MY BRAIN AND HEART.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO US, AND THE DAY AFTER, NOW, THE FOCUS IS, HOW CAN WE FIGHT AGAINST HAMAS AND CHANGE THE REALITIES ON THE GROUND IN SOUTH PART OF ISRAEL?

BUT YET, I THINK THAT IT WILL TAKE US TIME TO ABSORB THE MAGNITUDE OF THE WHOLE THING.

>> YOU'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, IN MANY DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT POSITIONS, AND THROUGH PREVIOUS CONFLICTS.

AS YOU HEARD, THIS IS NOT A PREVIOUS CONFLICT.

THERE'S NOTHING SIMILAR, ACCORDING TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY, THIS IS A DIFFERENT PAGE.

HOW DID ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST SOPHISTICATED MILITARIES, MOST POWERFUL ARMIES IN THE WORLD, MOST SOPHISTICATED INTELLIGENCE AGENTS, AS FAR AS WE ALL KNOW, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS, HOW IS THIS SAME MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU ALL SAY HAS TO HAPPEN NOW?

AND THAT IS END THIS STORY.

>> FIRST, HAMAS DEFINED THAT THIS IS A NEW PAGE.

I MEAN, WE HAD ROUNDS OF -- THEY TARGETED ISRAELIS AND THEY ACTED IN TERROR, BUT WHAT WE SAW NOW WAS A MASSACRE.

ENTERING INTO HOUSES, SHOOTING BABIES, FAMILIES, ABDUCTING FAMILIES, BABIES, CHILDREN, ELDERLY PEOPLE.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT ACT LIKE WE USED TO DO IN THE PAST IN DIFFERENT ROUNDS AGAINST TERROR.

AND THEREFORE, THIS WAS THEIR DECISION TO DO SO, AND WE HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE -- >> YEAH, MY QUESTION REALLY IS, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN THINKING, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE AND HAVE AN AFTER REVIEW.

>> OF COURSE.

>> BUT HOW DID -- HOW DID YOUR SYSTEM GET SO, YOU KNOW, SO DUPED, SO CAUGHT OFFGUARD?

>> I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS.

>> YEAH.

>> AND FOR SURE THEREIN INQUIRIES THE DAY AFTER.

BUT HAMAS MUST PAY THE PRICE, BUT WE'LL HAVE THE INQUIRIES POSSIBLE TO BE BETTER NEXT TIME, HOPEFULLY THAT WE'LL NOT FACE ANOTHER ROUND LIKE THIS.

>> SO, YOU'VE HEARD, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD THE IDF SPOKESMAN ON, I WANT TO ASK YOU AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, BECAUSE MANY, MANY HOSTAGES HAVE BEEN TAKEN, CHILDREN, WOMEN, ELDERLY, WE UNDERSTAND EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE HOLOCAUST SURVISURVIVORS, THEY'VE BEEN YANKED OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND BEEN TAKEN TO GAZA.

I WANT TO READ SOMETHING TO YOU, I WANT TO PUT THIS TO YOU.

LET ME JUST GET THIS.

BASICALLY, HAMAS HAS SAID THAT THEY WOULD EXECUTE CIVILIAN HOSTAGES IF THE ATTACKS IN GAZA CONTINUE WITHOUT WARNING.

WHAT KIND OF A POSITION DOES THAT PUT YOUR NATION IN?

>> THE SITUATION IS DIFFICULT, AND THIS IS CLEAR.

BUT NOW IT'S TIME THAT HAMAS WILL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE.

THE ROLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOW IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I KNOW THAT HAMAS REALLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AS SUCH, BUT THEY DO CARE ABOUT QATAR, ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES THAT SUPPORTS THEM WITH MONEY, ABOUT EGYPT, AND THEY THINK THAT THE FIRST MISSION AND ROLE AND -- IS TO FORCE THEM TO RELEASE THE ABDUCTED PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE HOLDING.

DON'T THREATEN ISRAEL ANYMORE, BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THE SAKE OF ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE, FOR THEIR LIFE AND SECURITY.

AND IT'S -- I MEAN, DECISION-MAKER ARE NOW FACING REALLY DIFFICULTIES, NOT EVEN JUST -- DESCRIBING THE SITUATION, BUT YES, NOW THE GOAL IS TO MAKE HAMAS PAY.

CONTAINMENT WITH HAMAS DOESN'T WORK, SO AS WAS SAID BEFORE, THIS SHOULD BE A NEW PAGE, AND HAMAS CANNOT CONTROL GA SA ANYMORE, THEY CANNOT -- WE ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE ANYMORE.

BY THE WAY, THE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA ARE PAYING THE PRICE BECAUSE HAMAS CONTROLS THEM.

AND I THINK THAT THIS IS ALSO THE MOMENT TO REMIND THAT THE ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT WE LEFT GAZA STRIP, WE DISMANTLED ALL THE SETTLEMENTS, WE PULLED OUT OUR FORCES.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GREENHOUSES, AND WE GOT THE GREEN FLAG OF HAMAS, THAT ARE NOT RECOGNIZING THE RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO EXIST.

AND FOR THOSE LISTENING TO US, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT NOW ARE UNDER THE SHOCK OF THESE HORRIFIC PICTURES, BUT I WILL SAY, BUT MAYBE THEY ARE FREEDOM FIGHTERS -- NO, THEY ARE NOT.

IF THEY WANT TO GIVE FREEDOM TO THEIR OWN PEOPLE, THEY NEED TO STOP VIOLENCE OF TERRORISM, TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT OF ISRAEL TO EXIST AND TO ABIDE TO THE AGREEMENTS.

THESE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SO MANY YEARS, AND THEREFORE, THESE HORRORS SHOULD BE STOPPED.

ISRAEL SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, WHEN WE WILL TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS TO DO SO.

AND OTHER PLAYERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN INFLUENCE AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LEVERAGES ON HAMAS TO DO SO, AS WELL.

ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, CONCERNING THE ABDUCTED CITIZENS THAT THEY ARE HOLDING.

>> TZIPI, CAN I ASK YOU A POLITICAL QUESTION?

OBVIOUSLY, YOU HAVE A POLITICAL OPPONENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER.

OTHERS ARE, AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE CALLING -- CALL ON US, WE'LL JOIN YOU, WE'LL HELP YOU, GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY.

IT DOESN'T APPEAR, AT LEAST YET, THAT THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN UP.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S A GOOD AND NECESSARY IDEA?

>> IT'S NOT HELPING THE PRIME MINISTER, I MEAN, THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY I BELIEVE NETANYAHU SHOULDN'T BE THE PRIME MINISTER, BUT NOW, AS AN ISRAELI, I HOPE THAT I'LL SEE IN THE DECISION-MAKING CABINET THOSE THAT HAVE NO EXPERIENCE, EXPERTS ON SECURITY, REGARDLESS TO THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, THIS IS NEEDED.

IT'S NOT JUST A MESSAGE OF UNITY TO ISRAELIS THAT ARE UNITED NOW, AND YOU SHOULD SEE, EVEN THOUGH THE VOLUNTEERS, WE ARE HELPING EACH OTHER, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE DAYS IN THE SECURITY CABINET THOSE THAT CAN HELP GETTING THE RIGHT DECISION.

THE DAY AFTER, I SAID THAT NOW, HAMAS NEEDS TO PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE, AND LATER, THERE ARE POLITICAL PRICES THAT WILL BE DEMANDED.

>> INDEED.

INDEED.

TZIPI LIVNI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>> AS WE SAID, THE GAZA STRIP IS BEING POUNDED HARD, AS WE HEARD EARLIER.

IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED PLACES ON EARTH.

AND RESIDENTS, CIVILIANS, FEAR THERE IS NOWHERE TO HIDE.

BEN WEDEMAN NOW HAS THIS REPORT.

>> MOMENTS AFTER AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE ON GAZA'S REFUGEE CAMP, DESPERATE CALLS FOR HELP.

THE DEAD, THE DYING, AND THE INJURED COVERED IN DUST AND BLOOD.

ISRAEL'S RATH IS NOW UNLEASHED UPON GAZA.

THE ISRAELIS HIT THE BUILDING WITHOUT WARNING.

THEY DIDN'T ASK US TO EVACUATE.

SUDDENLY, WE HEARD THE AIR STRIKE AND WE RAN TO THE BUILDING AND FOUND IT HAD COMPLETELY COLLAPSED.

AROUND 75,000 PEOPLE IN GAZA HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISPLACED, ACCORDING TO THE U.N.

RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY, WHICH DEALS WITH PALESTINIAN REFUGEES.

IN THIS CRAMPED STRIP OF LAND ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN, 2 MILLION PALESTINIANS ARE NOW IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF AN ENEMY BENT ON REVENGE FOR HAMAS'S SURPRISE ATTACK, WHICH LEFT HUNDREDS OF ISRAELIS DEAD AND THOUSANDS WOUNDED, AND DOZENS NOW IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY.

BY MID-AFTERNOON, THE DEATH TOLL IN GAZA WAS APPROACHING 600.

WITH ALMOST 3,000 WOUNDED, ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY.

GAZA AND ISRAEL HAVE GONE TO WAR MANY TIMES BEFORE SINCE HAMAS TOOK CONTROL.

THIS WILL NOT BE YET ANOTHER BRIEF OUTBREAK OF ATTACK AND COUNTERATTACK BEFORE A RETURN TO THE STATUS QUO.

ISRAEL IS MASSING TROOPS AND ARMOR ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF GAZA, PREPARING IN ALL LIKELIHOOD FOR A GROUND INVASION ON A SCALE NOT SEEN BEFORE.

AND NOW, ISRAEL'S DEFENSE MINISTER HAS ORDERED WHAT HE CALLED A COMPLETE SIEGE OF GAZA, CUTTING OFF ALL FOOD, FUEL, AND ELECTRICITY.

THAT IN A PLACE WHERE, ACCORDING TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, 63% OF THE POPULATION WAS FOOD INSECURE BEFORE THIS WAR BEGAN.

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE SATURDAY MORNING IN ISRAEL AND GAZA, AND IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.

>> IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING, INDEED.

AND THE GAZA HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THAT SOME -- MORE THAN 500, NEARLY 600 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED SO FAR.

OF COURSE, THAT WAS BEN WEDEMAN REPORTING.

AND WHAT'S SHAKEN ISRAELIS TO THE CORE AND ISRAEL'S ALLIES IS, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, THE TOTAL INTELLIGENCE FAILURE ON SATURDAY.

SO, WE TURN NOW TO EFRAIM HALEVY, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE, MOSSAD.

WELCOME BACK TO OUR PROGRAM.

LOOK, YOU'VE DESCRIBED THIS AS A TOTAL SURPRISE, THERE WAS NO EARLY WARNING OF ANY KIND.

I MEAN, GIVEN YOUR DECADES OF EXPERIENCE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN?

>> IT CAN HAPPEN IF THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING WHATEVER THEY HAVE IN MIND, CLOAKED ALL THEIR ACTIVITIES IN SUCH A WAY THAT NOBODY IS ABLE TO MONITOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

>> SO, THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK IT IS, BASICALLY, THAT THEY WERE TRAINING AND PLANNING IN A -- IN A NON-ELECTRONIC KIND OF MANNER?

THERE WAS NO MOBILE PHONES, AS SOME HAVE ALLUDED TO?

>> NO, I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN USED ON A REGULAR BASIS TO MONITOR WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GAZA, SOMEHOW FAILED AT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME WITHOUT THOSE WHO ARE OPERATING IT REALIZING THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING FULL PICTURE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.

>> I SEE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THIS IS -- IS TRUTH, SO, I'M GOING TO -- OR ACCURATE, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE QUESTION.

ARE YOU AWARE OF INFORMATION ON HOW HAMAS PLANNED FOR THIS, OR HOW THESE PLANS WERE KEPT SECRET, BUT HOW LONG?

REUTERS, FOR INSTANCE, CITES A SOURCE CLOSE TO HAMAS THAT SAYS THE ORGANIZATION MISLED ISRAEL BY, QUOTE, GIVING A PUBLIC IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS NOT WILLING TO GET INTO A FIGHT OR CONFRONTATION ANYMORE WITH ISRAEL WHILE PREPARING FOR THIS MASSIVE OPERATION.

DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S ACCURATE ANALYSIS AND DO YOU THINK ISRAEL KIND OF THOUGHT IT HAD HAMAS IN A BOX, THAT IT WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAMAS WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC SURVIVAL AND GETTING VISAS AND PASSES FOR WORKERS INTO ISRAEL, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PLANNING?

>> THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, IN ACTUAL FACT.

IT WAS NOT ONLY THE FACT THAT EVERY DAY, MANY, MANY THOUSANDS WERE LEAVING GAZA TO WORK IN ISRAEL, IT IS ALSO A FACT THAT ISRAEL OPENED ITS HOSPITALS FOR TREATMENT OF PEOPLE IN GAZA.

IN MANY CASES, GIVING THE BEST TREATMENT THAT CAN BE GIVEN, WHETHER IT'S IN THE OPERATING ROOM OR ELSEWHERE.

AND I THINK THAT IN THIS, ISRAEL MORE OR LESS WAS EXTENDING A HAND TO HAMAS, WITHOUT SAYING IT IN AS MANY WORDS, AND THEY, AT THE SAME TIME, AS RECEIVING ALL THIS, THEY WERE PLANNING SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP IT SECRET.

>> YOU KNOW, NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO GO TO THE POLITICAL AND THE INTELLIGENCE YET, AS WE'VE HEARD, THE UNIFIED MESSAGE FROM YOUR GOVERNMENT IS THAT, WE WILL ASK THOSE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS LATER, WE WILL DO AN AFTERACTION REVIEW LATER, NOW, THE MISSION IS WAR AND TOTAL ELIMINATION OF HAMAS CAPABILITIES, IN ALL AREAS.

BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, AS FORMER HEAD OF THE MOSSAD, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?

WHY DO YOU THINK -- I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT -- WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE IDEAS AROUND THE INTELLIGENCE FAILURE, BUT ALSO, IT TOOK SO LONG FOR OFFICIALS, AS I SPOKE TO, TO GET TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIMES.

WHAT'S GOING YOUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, DO YOU THINK?

AND DO YOU BELIEVE, ARE YOU CONFIDENT, THAT YOUR SYSTEM CAN TAKE THE WAR IN THE WAY THAT WE'RE BEING TOLD?

FOR THE GOAL THAT WE'RE BEING TOLD?

>> I THINK THAT THE SYSTEM SUFFERED A VERY, VERY SEISMIC SHOCK.

I THINK THAT THEY ARE NOW RECOVERING VERY QUICKLY.

I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN COMMAND ARE CAPABLE OF READING THE FORCES IN BATTLE AGAINST THE HAMAS.

THE STEPS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN TAKEN CONCERNING ACTIVITIES IN THE GAZA STRIP SHOW THAT WITHIN A VERY FEW DAYS, THEY WILL BE PROBABLY BEGGING FOR WATER AND FOR OTHER FACILITIES, WHICH THEY WILL NOT BE OFFERED.

AND I THINK THAT THEY WILL THEN REALIZE THEY HAVE MADE A TRAGIC MISTAKE FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE SO PROUD OF WHAT THEY HAD DONE UP TO NOW.

>> YOU HAVE ALSO SAID, AND YOU SAID IT ON CNN THIS WEEKEND, QUOTE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD THIS QUANTITY OF MISSILES AND WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T EXPECT THEY WOULD BE AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY WERE TODAY.

SO, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID, AND I WANT TO KNOW THEN FROM YOUR INTELLIGENCE PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ADDITIONAL THREATS FROM OUTSIDE?

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HEZBOLLAH WOULD GET INTO THIS FIGHT?

DO YOU THINK IT WILL ERUPT ON THE WEST BANK AND ARE OTHER AREAS?

>> THERE ARE INDICATES, AT LEAST, AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, THAT HEZBOLLAH IS NOT INTENDING TO ENTER THE FRAY.

THERE WAS AN INCIDENT THIS AFTERNOON ON THE BORDER IN THE NORTH, THERE WAS A CONFRONTATION WITH A GROUP OF PALESTINIANS, THERE WAS A BATTLE FOUGHT, AND THE HEZBOLLAH MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT PART OF THIS, AND THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED INING AND RAISING THE TENSION IN THE NORTH, WHERE IT MIGHT LEAD TO SOMETHING VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.

>> THAT'S -- THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF JUST WHAT HAPPENED UP THERE AT THAT BORDER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO GO LIVE TO GAZA, TO SPEAK TO THE OXFAM HUMANITARIAN WORKER OMAR GHRAIEB, HE'S JOINING US BY PHONE, AND WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THE PROGRAM.

CAN YOU FIRST, OMAR, START BY TELLING US WHAT YOU ARE WITNESSING RIGHT NOW, WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL DAY TODAY?

>> YES, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, CHRISTIANE.

A LOT IS HAPPENING.

YOU ARE WITNESSING A COMPOUNDED ROUND OF ESCALATION.

SO, HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED ACROSS THE GAZA STRIP AND OVER 3,000 ARE WOUNDED.

AND, OF COURSE, THE NUMBERS ARE ESCALATING BY THE MINUTE.

SO, ISRAEL ALSO DECLARED A FULL CLOSURE OF GAZA, WHICH MEANS NO ENTRY OF FOOD OR FUEL OR MEDICINE, REALLY COMPROMISING THE SITUATION EVEN MORE.

WHAT WE WITNESSED IS VERY HEAVY AIR STRIKES.

HUNDREDS OF MILITARY AIR STRIKES BY ISRAEL ACROSS THE GAZA STRIP.

BY LAND, AIR, AND SEA.

INCLUDING SOME OF THAT DESTROYED ESSENTIAL WATER AND SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE.

WHICH REALLY RAISES THE FEAR THAT GAZA WILL RUN OUT OF DRINKABLE WATER, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT DRINKABLE WATER IS ALREADY SCARCE.

SO, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF TARGETING TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, HOUSES, TOWERS, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S EFFECTING THE -- SO, YEAH, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH COUPLE OF DAYS, HONESTLY.

>> OMAR, ON SATURDAY, AFTER THIS ASSAULT, NETANYAHU TOLD, QUOTE, RESIDENTS OF GAZA TO GET OUT NOW, BECAUSE WE WILL OPERATE EVERYWHERE, AND WITH FULL FORCE.

AND YOU MAY HAVE HEARD SOME VERY, VERY, YOU KNOW, TOUGH COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING FROM OUR ISRAELI IDF SPOKESMAN AND OTHERS ON OUR PROGRAM EARLIER.

SO, MY QUESTION SO YOU IS, WHERE ARE CIVILIANS MEANT TO GO?

WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

ARE THEY GETTING THE WARNINGS IN TIME?

>> ACTUALLY, WE'RE HAVING THE SAME QUESTION, HONESTLY.

IF THE GAZA STRIP HAS NO SHELTERS, HAS NO BUNKERS, AND HAS NO SAFE ZONES, SO WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT, I'M NOT SURE THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO GO, CONSIDERING THAT ISRAELI ATTACKS ARE CASCADING ACROSS THE WHOLE OF THE GAZA STRIP.

SO I -- I'M NOT SURE HOW PEOPLE WILL PERCEIVE THIS NEWS AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

I DON'T DEEM IT AS REALLY BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE GAZA STRIP IS A SMALL COASTAL ENCLAVE, AND AS IT IS COMPROMISED WITH ISRAELI ATTACKS, PEOPLE HAVE NO PLACE TO GO BESIDES THE -- SO, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

>> DO YOU -- ARE YOU ALL BRACING FOR A GROUND ASSAULT?

AND AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, I MEAN, BASICALLY WHAT THE DEFENSE MINISTER SAID, THAT THERE IS A TOTAL SIEGE ON THOSE, YOU KNOW, LIFE-SAVING FOOD, WATER, FUEL, ELECTRICITY, ARE YOU BRACING FOR A GROUND ASSAULT?

AND, AGAIN, HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING TO COMPARE THAT WITH IN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST?

>> OF COURSE, I WITNESSED ALL THE PAST ESCALATIONS, OR MOST OF THEM, AND JUST TO TALK TO YOU FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, IT'S LIKE BRINGING ALL THE PAST BOMBARDMENTS AND COMPOUNDING THEM INTO ONE REALLY TEN TIMES OR 100 TIMES MORE INTENSE ESCALATION AGAINST THE GAZA STRIP.

WHICH IS REALLY LEAVING EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY FRANTICALLY THINK OF WHAT MIGHT COME NEXT, AND WHAT TO DO TO SEEK, YOU KNOW, SAFETY.

>> AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO START FOCUSSING IN A FEW DAYS, NO DOUBT, ON THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION.

THE U.N. WORLD FOOD PROGRAM CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY POSSIBLE AT ALL NOW.

WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> WHAT'S REALLY ON THE GROUND IS FOR THE GROUND TO TELL WHAT YOU ARE THE NEEDS.

WE'RE CLOSELY MONITORING, OF COURSE, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO BE ON THE GROUND AND, YOU KNOW, CLOSELY ASSESS, SO, WE'RE MONITORING TO SEE WHAT'S EXACTLY HAPPENING TO WE CAN HOPEFULLY IMMEDIATELY PREPARE AND IMPLEMENT HUMANITARIAN RESPONSES.

>> YEAH.

>> BUT FOR NOW, NOTHING IS CLEAR AND YOU CAN'T REALLY DECIDE ANYTHING.

>> OMAR, WE'LL KEEP CHECKING IN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OXFAM INSIDE GAZA CITY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

SO, FOR MORE ON ALL OF THIS, I'M JOINED BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL JAN EGELAND.

HE'S BEEN SPEAKING TO HIS TEAM ON THE GROUND IN GAZA.

JAN, WELCOME BACK.

YOU ARE A VETERAN, I'M SORRY TO SAY, OF SO MANY OF THESE HORRENDOUS SITUATIONS.

IN TERMS OF HUMANITARIAN, HOW DO YOU FORESEE A STATE THAT IS DECLARING WAR ON A MURDEROUS ATTACK, ABLE TO PROTECT CIVILIANS?

HOW -- WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO UNFOLD?

>> I THINK IT'S A HORRIFIC SITUATION, IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH, MUCH WORSE IN THE COMING DAYS.

YES, IT STARTED WITH -- WITH TERROR.

THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO DESCRIBE MEN GOING INTO ISRAEL AND KILLING CIVILIANS IN THE HUNDREDS, AS THEY DID.

BUT NOW, A SIEGE ON AN ENTIRE POPULATION, THERE ARE 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE IN GAZA.

IT'S LIKE NO OTHER PLACE ON EARTH.

THEY ARE CRAMMED TOGETHER IN THE SMALL AREA, WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE MUNICIPALITY OF OSLO, WHERE I'M SITTING.

1 MILLION OF THE 2.4 MILLION ARE CHILDREN.

AND THEN THEY DECLARE NOW, THE ISRAELIS, THEY WILL CUT FOOD, WATER, ELECTRICITY, FUEL?

IT'S GOING TO AMOUNT TO WAR CRIMES, IF CHILDREN ARE GOING TO STARVE AND DIE IN HOSPITALS BECAUSE OF LACK OF ELECTRICITY, FOR EXAMPLE.

>> AS YOU KNOW, WAR CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED BY HAMAS AGAINST CIVILIANS INSIDE ISRAEL, WITH THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS THERE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

>> WHAT ARE YOU -- WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR ACTUAL TEAMS ON THE GROUND?

>> WELL, ON THE GROUND OF OUR 52 COURAGEOUS AID WORKERS INSIDE GAZA IS THAT THEY DESPERATELY WANT TO START RELIEF WORK WITH THOSE -- WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE LOST THEIR APARTMENTS, BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE BOMBARDMENT, BUT WE CANNOT, UNDER THIS INDISCRIMINATE BOMBARDMENT, PLAN AND EXECUTE RELIEF WORK.

WE NEED SOME CALM, THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THE CALL FOR HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS.

THEY SHOULD COME BOTH FROM ISRAEL, WHICH HAS DECLARED THEY DON'T WANT TO KILL CHILDREN, THEY DON'T WANT TO STARVE CHILDREN, SO, LET'S HAVE HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS.

SECONDLY, WE NEED SAFE ZONES WHERE THERE WILL BE NO BOMBARDMENT.

EVEN THE SCHOOLS HAVE HAD BOMBARDMENT VERY CLOSE TO THEM.

MANY COLLEAGUES, SEVERAL OF THEM, HAVE HAD APARTMENTS NOW DAMAGED.

THEY HAD TO FLEE, RELIEF WORKERS HAD TO FLEE.

5:00 THIS MORNING, ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE DECLARED AS TARGETS OF ATTACK, ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY ALSO HAD TO FLEE.

IT'S BEYOND BELIEF, REALLY, WHAT'S HAPPENING.

>> JAN EGELAND, PUT ON A DIPLOMATIC HAT FOR A MOMENT.

IS THERE ANY WAY, YOU THINK, THAT THERE CAN BE ANY, QUOTE UNQUOTE, DE-ESCALATION?

OR IS IT JUST OBVIOUS THAT ISRAEL IS GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THIS WAR, FINALLY, TO FINISH OFF HAMAS IN GAZA?

AND DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE?

>> WELL, NUMBER ONE, THE VIOLENCE CAN END TOMORROW.

THERE CAN BE TALKS THAT WOULD LEAD TO ALL OF THE HOSTAGES FROM ISRAEL BEING RELEASED, THE LATEST OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENT BY HAMAS IS THAT THEY WILL START TO KILL HOSTAGES IF THERE ARE MORE BOMBARDMENT.

THE U.S., EGYPT, AND THE GULF COUNTRIES HAVE TO MEDIATE SOMETHING THAT GIVES SECURITY GUARANTEES FOR ISRAEL, BUT ALSO, A LIFTING OF THE SIEGE, SOME HOME, SOME FUTURE, SOME POSSIBILITIES FOR THE YOUTH OF GAZA, THAT HAVE NO HOPE, BITTERNESS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE POLICIES THEY'VE HAD NOW.

IN 2014, 2,000 PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED IN THE BOMBARDMENT FROM ISRAEL AT THAT TIME.

THERE'S BEEN TOO MUCH BLOOD AND VIOLENCE FOR TOO MANY YEARS BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES.

>> YEAH.

JAN EGELAND, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S COMING UP ON THE SHOW EVERY NIGHT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER AT PBS.ORG/AMANPOUR.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

GOOD-BYE FROM LONDON.