The U.S. has moved closer to troops in Jordan.

President Biden said today he# has decided how to respond.

As he left the White## House this morning, he said Iran shares the blame# because U.S. officials believe an Iran-backed## militia launched the attack.

But he stopped# short of saying that Tehran is now a target.

JOE BIDEN, President of the United# States: I do hold them responsible## in the sense that they're supplying the# weapons to think we need a wider war in the Middle# East.

That's not what I'm looking for.

GEOFF BENNETT: Later, the Iraqi militia# blamed for the attack announced its## suspending strikes against U.S. forces# in the region.

The Pentagon sa ying -- quote -- "Actions# speak louder than words."

Meantime, in the occupied West Bank surveillance# video showed Israeli comma in the city of Jenin disguised as civilian# women and medics.

Three Palestinian militants## were killed.

And in Southern Gaza,# fighting raged again around Khan Yunis,## while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin# Netanyahu ruled out any military withdrawal.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister# (through translator): I hear sayings about## all sorts of d end this war without achieving all of# our goals.

We will not pul IDF from the Gaza Strip and we will# not release thousands of terrorists.

GEOFF BENNETT: For his part, the# leader of Hamas said he will meet## with mediators in Cairo to review# the latest cease-fire We're joined now by our own Nick Schifrin.

So, Nick, let's start with the attack# in Jordan.

What more do we know about how# the administration is planning NI CK SCHIFRIN: Administration officials# say that the challenge is to re-establish## deterrence against these Iranian-backed# groups without going to wa So what could that look like?

And what I'm# about to describe are kind of the broad## categories of targets.

A group of categories,# number one -- a group of targets, numbe is Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria.

So,# these are Iraqis and Syrians who fight for these## groups whose weapons, intelligence,# and financing often comes from Iran.

The second category is Iranian# assets in Iraq and Syria.

Now,## what's the difference?

There are Iranians from# Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force,## that run centers in these places, that run# weapons sites in these places.

And these are## obviously Iranians running these places.

Some of# them are in Damascus and Baghdad in the capitals## where these commanders fly into, but there are# also more rural targets, I'm told, as well.

And then the third category would be Iran# itself.

We're talking about everything from## the IRGC headquarters in downtown Tehran# to Iranian naval ships, including a ship## that a former military official tells me# is helping the Houthis in Yemen.

So, again,## those are the broad categories.

We don't know, of# course, know what the final target's g But, today, National Security Council spokesman# John Kirby said that the response would be tiered,## multiple actions over a period of time.

And# that suggests more than one round.

They are## also looking at that statement that you# mentioned, Geoff, maybe Kataib Hezbollah,## the most likely group that targeted# the troops in Jordan this weekend,## saying that, look, we're not# going to fire on U.S. troops.

This is a sign, some regional officials believe,# that Iran doesn't want t administration official tells me they're# monitoring that statement, but they don't## take it as face value.

And, as you said, the# Pentagon say, actions speak louder tha GEOFF BENNETT: Well, as we mentioned,## Hamas an What does that signal, that# they're taking this seriously?

NICK SCHIFRIN: The mediators certainly hope# an it seriously.

And these details that we# have on the hostage talks now have been## provided to me by an official briefed on# the talks.

This is how they would unveil.

The hostage releases would occur over# three phases.

Older women and children## would be the first phase.

Men and# younger women would be the second## phase.

And soldiers and dead bodies would# be the third phase.

The first la st six weeks.

What does that mean?

The# war would actually stop for six weeks,## with assurances that the pause in the fighting# would carry on to phases two and three.

Now, despite what you just read,# Geoff, about what Netanyahu said,## Israel has agreed to this framework on# paper.

And that's why the ball Ha mas' court right now.

That meeting is# absolutely key and will decide whether## this deal goes forward.

And it's all being# mediated by Qatar, as we have talked about.

And just a short time ago, I spoke with# Dr. Majed Al-Ansari the spokesman for## the ministry of foreign affairs in# Qatar.

And I began by asking him how## significant it was that these# principles were now in place.

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL-ANSARI, Qatari Foreign# Ministry Spokesman: I can tell you that we## are at a good mome things that have eluded us for a# couple of months now we are at.

We are seeing a draft being# circulated, as you saw today,## Hamas announcing that they have received# the draft and are discussing it.

And that## is a point that we were very far from# a couple of weeks back.

Now we have a## general understanding of what the next phase of# the pause will be and how that will play out.

And I would say that this is very significant,# because, as long as the process is ongoing like## this, as long as we're having ideas going back# and forth, we can be sure that at least there## is a light at the end of the tunnel where we# can get to a sustainable pause at the end.

NICK SCHIFRIN: As you said, Ismail Haniyeh# today said he was going to review the dra and he's flying to Cairo, presumably to discuss# with Hamas' military commanders Bu t Haniyeh and Hamas in general# have reiterated the same point,## that they want a permanent cease-fire as part of# this deal and that, until that is in the deal,## they will reject it.

This deal does not have# the words permanent cease-fire.

So how do you## get over or how do you convince them to# go over that concern that they have h MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: You know Nick,# we have been mediating between the two sides## since 2006, when the United States asked# us to op And we have grown to understand the patterns# of the negotiations that go through.

on both sides, you will hear a lot of statements.## You will hear grand positions over a# lo is that the mediation in its entirety has# always been key to the process itself So we are listening to what we are getting from# both sides.

We believe that the language we have## right now builds upon the proposals that came# from both sides during the past couple of months.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But is Hamas still insisting# that the drafts have a permanent cease-fire?

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: Usually,# what happens is that you get a bu t" from both sides.

So, it depends on the sides of that# ask th I'm quite sure that we are on the right track.

NICK SCHIFRIN: We heard from the reiterating Israel's goals of -- quote --# "eliminating Hamas" and releasing the hostag And as we heard earlier, he said the# Israeli military will not withdraw from## the Gaza Strip.

That's what he said today.# Does that prevent this deal from happening?

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: I think it's# very important not to take ever in front of cameras at face value.

I know# we're speaking in front of (L AUGHTER) of this and trying to adhere to one's voter# base, rather than the reality of the situation.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Let me zoom out and look# at some regional issues.

President Biden## said today he has decided how to# respond to this attack tha saw over the weekend in Jordan that# killed three U.S. service members.

Yesterday, the prime minister, speaking here# in Washington, he urged de-escalation.

What## is your message to the Biden administration# today as they are about to launch this strike?

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: I can tell# you that this attack came as -- and we## all understand how dangerous it# is and how problematic it is.

And we -- as you know, we are members# in the coalition against therefore, our military personnel# are in the same operations as U.S.... (CROSSTALK) actually counter-ISIS mission.# That's wha MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: Exactly.

obviously, but we have to understand# also the bigger picture here.

All of this is a byproduct of what is# happening right now in Gaz the Middle East.

We -- it's a cliche to say# that the Middle East is the capital of all## crises in the world, but right now we are at a# situation where the people of the region can't## take any more refugee crisis, can't take any more# security challenges, can't take Wh at's happening in the region right now is# that you have a failure of the central state.## And it's very important for us to make# sure that we de-escalate.

Any escalation right now in the region could result in# open war.

We are -- we fully understand,## of course, that the United States has to# reestablish the deterrence in the region.

But we also are talking to our# partners in the administration,## our partners around the world the need# to -- for any response to be measured and for us to be able to talk about this and# to get the messages across on all sides.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Many U.S. officials don't# believe that this is actually about Gaza.## This is about Iran, Iran pushing# these or supplying the th e intelligence, the weaponry to# these Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq## and Syria and the Houthis in Yemen# to be able to launch these attacks.

Iran has been helping these groups.

The U.S.# is about to hit these groups and perhaps Iran## itself.

What is the off-ramp, in Qatar's view, for# what we're about to see, increasing escalation?

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: Well, the# important thing here is for a measure## of response and not to antagonize the --# all the sides While I fully understand that there is# a lot of emotion also linked to this,## we have to understand that, when# this crisis started in Gaza,## this is when this escalation started.

And# unless we diffuse the original crisis here,## unless we diffuse the war on Gaza, a lot of# escalations will utilize that in the region,## a lot of proxies will utilize that in# the region to conduct such attacks.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Finally, sir, I will ask you# about comments by Benjamin Ne This was leaked audio to a group of family members# of hostages being held in Gaza.

He said -- quote## -- "You don't hear me thanking Qatar.

They# have leverage because they finance Hamas."

I have asked you a version of this question# before, but there are critics of yours who## say you are both arsonist and firefighter;# you are coming in to try and but you are the arsonist, in the sense that you're# supporting Hamas.

What's your response to that?

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI: If you are going# to accuse Qatar of supporting Ha funding that was done through aid, then the same the funding that went into aid into Gaza was# done in complete coordination with Israel.

The money went through Israeli banks to make# sure that we have enough calm in Gaza that we## can work on mediation.

And this is what we have# been doing since 2006.

But I can tell you that,## sadly, when we hear these words# coming from Prime Minister Netanyahu,## the only thing we can see there is# the politicization of this crisis.

He has made such statements about Qatar# on the eve of -- and he doubled down o these statements on the eve of# the meeting in Paris, when he## is sending his chief of intelligence# to mee And while he is engaged in that mediation,# if he is sincere about what he is saying## in Qatar, can he answer the question of# why he worked with Qatar on the funding## of the aid programs in Gaza, why he is# working now in the mediation, and why,## even on the 28th of September of last year,# so just a week before the 7th of October,## his government was engaged in mediation that# Qatar was doing between Hamas and Israel?

It is totally unacceptable, but,# sadly, we have grown accustomed to it.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Dr. Majed, thank you very much.

MAJED BIN MOHAMMED AL ANSARI:#