LEAVE IT THERE.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

BE WELL.

>> TURNING TO INTERNATIONAL NEWS, IT'S NOW MORE THAN FIVE WEEKS SINCE THE HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON ISRAEL.

WITH THE DEATH TOLL IN GAZA TOPPING 11,000 AND GROWING.

"HERE & NOW" REPORTER ADITI DEBNATH CONTINUES THAT REPORTING ON HOW THE ESCALATING WAR CONTINUES TO TORMENT THESE WISCONSIN FAMILIES.

>> THERE ARE NO POSITIVE WAYS TO SPIN WHAT IS HAPPENING.

>> I JUST WANT THIS THING TO BE END.

>> THIS WISCONSINITES HAVE CLOSE TEXAS CITY TO THE WAR.

LIKE HAMA, A NATIVE OF GAZA, WHOSE FAMILY THERE DOES NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS TO TELL HER IF THEY'RE ALIVE.

FOR NOW, PICTURES OF HER FAMILY ARE ALL SHE AND HER MOTHER HAVE.

>> SHE JUST HAVE OUR HOUSE WITH US AND THE CRYING.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING SHE'S DOING RIGHT NOW.

>> HAMA RECENTLY APPLIED FOR U.S. CITIZEN AND FEARS PALESTINIAN BACKLASH IF SHE SPEAKS TO THE MEDIA.

SHE ALSO WORRIES THAT HER FAMILY IN GAZA WILL BE TARGETED.

>> I HAVE ZERO HOPE TO SEE THEM AGAIN.

>> THIS WAR IS IN A DECADES-LONG CONFLICT.

SHE FEARED FOR HER FAMILY IN 2014 ALSO.

>> THAT WAR, I LOST MY AUNT FAMILY, EIGHT PEOPLE DIED, KILLED IN THAT ONE.

>> WHO LIVE UNDER THE CONSTANT THREAT OF MISSILE ATTACKS AND DEATH.

>> THE FATE OF ALL PEOPLE IN GAZA AND ISRAEL READS RABBI BET SID FORESTER TO PRAY FOR THEM MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.

>> TO HOLD IT TOGETHER I BELIEVE IS WHAT MY JOB IS.

>> BUT IT WAS HARDER FOR HER TO HOLD IT TOGETHER WHEN HER HUSBAND, SCOTT, WAS IN ISRAEL WITH THEIR DAUGHTER, AND ISRAEL DECLARED WAR.

>> I FELT VERY HELPLESS HERE.

>> SCOTT IS BACK HOME NOW BUT STILL UNSETTLED.

>> EVERYBODY IS WALKING AROUND WITH A CLOUD HANGING, YOU KNOW, A CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY.

>> FOLLOWING HAMAS' ATTACK KILLING AN ESTIMATED 1,200 ISRAELIS, THE UNRELENTING RETALIATION BY ISRAEL HAS SO FAR KILLED MORE THAN 11,000 PEOPLE IN THE GAZA STRIP, AND THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO GROW DAILY.

UW-MADISON PROFESSOR SAMER ALATOUT, IS A NATIVE OF PALESTINE AND A GEOPOLITICAL EXPERT OF THE REGION.

HE SAYS AT ISSUE IS ZIONISM.

THE MOVEMENT TO ESTABLISH A JEWISH NATION ON PALESTINIAN LAND.

>> THE PEOPLE WHO PAID THE PRICE FOR THE ZIONIST PROJECT ARE THE PALESTINIANS, AND THEY PAID A HEAVY PRICE.

>> THAT HEAVY PRICE IS WHAT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL DEEMS APARTHEID.

DECADES OF ISRAELI LAWS AND POLICIES DESIGNED TO, QUOTE, MAINTAIN A CRUEL SYSTEM OF CONTROL OVER PALESTINIANS.

EVEN IN ISRAEL, MOST CITIZENS DON'T SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT'S LEADERS, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER.

>> SO IT'S A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH TIME TO BE AN ISRAELI.

>> MARC KORNBLATT LIVED IN MADISON FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS BEFORE HE AND HIS WIFE MOVED TO ISRAEL IN 2019.

NOW IN TEL AVIV, HE SAYS MOST ISRAELIS DO SUPPORT PALESTINIAN LIBERATION.

>> I'VE NOT BECO ME MORE ZIONISTIC OR MORE RIGHT WING OR MORE RELIGIOUS.

I'VE BECOME MORE JEWISH.

>> KORNBLATT SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW HIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE.

HE VOLUNTEERS AT A CLOTHING DONATION CENTER AND PARTICIPATES IN A CITIZEN PATROL.

>> I WOULD RATHER IS THE VITAL LIFE THAT I HAVE HERE WHERE I MIGHT MAKE A SMALL DIFFERENCE, THAN THE QUIET LIFE THAT I COULD CHOOSE BY LEAVING.

>> KORNBLATT SAYS THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS A SMALL ONE.

.2% OF THE WORLD POPULATION, ACCORDING TO PEW, AND MANY OF HIS NEIGHBORS KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TORTURED OR KILLED NOTICES WAR.

>> ONE OF THE BIG CALLS THAT COMES OUT TO THE PLACE WHERE I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DONATED CLOTHES IS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, TO BE ABLE TO SIT WITH PEOPLE AND LET THEM TRY AND BREATHE AND TALK.

>> OVER IN GAZA, A WISCONSIN MAN'S SISTER WAS KILLED IN A BOMBARDMENT WHILE AT A MARKETPLACE THERE SOON AFTER THE OCTOBER 7th ATTACK.

SHE WAS A PALESTINIAN SOCIAL WORKER AND HER BROTHER, MOHAMMED HAMAD, LIVES IN BROOKFIELD.

>> AND SHE WORKED ALL HER LIFE.

HER KIDS ARE GOING THROUGH TRAUMA.

>> HAMAD SAYS HE'S LIVED THROUGH NUMEROUS WARS AND HOPES FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.

BETSY SAYS THE CURRENT WAR IS ONLY SETTING PALESTINIAN LIBERATION BACK.

>> LARGE SWATHS OF THE ISRAELI POPULATION AND THE AMERICAN JEWISH POPULATION HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD FOR A TWO-STATE SOLUTION AND AN END TO THE OCCUPATION OF THE WEST BANK.

>> PROFESSOR ALATOUT BELIEVES IN ONE STATE, FROM THE JORDAN RIVER TO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA THAT EQUALLY INCLUDES PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS.

>> THE SOLUTION IS ONE DEMOCRATIC STATE BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE SEA WITH A STATE OF ITS CITIZENS AND FOR ITS CITIZENS AND WITH EQUAL RIGHTS TO EVERYBODY.

>> NO MATTER THE SOLUTION, HAMAD SAID THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT OF THIS WAR.

>> THERE WILL BE END FOR THIS FIGHTING BY AGREEING, BY PEOPLE AGREEING THAT THEY WILL LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACEFUL SITUATION.

>> UNTIL THEN, THE CLOUD OF UNCERTAINTY AND THE FOR A OF DEATH REMAINS FOR THESE WISCONSIN FAMILIES AND HANGS HEAVY.

HEAVY.