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CNN Sunday Morning

Israel Invades Gaza

Aired January 04, 2009 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING, January 4th. What a morning. Hello. I'm Betty Nguyen.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rob Marciano. T.J. Holmes is off. It's 7:00 a.m. here in the east, 2:00 p.m. in Gaza.

And our breaking news this morning, Israeli troops on the attack in Gaza. As those troops surround Gaza City, Israel's prime minister says all other options have been exhausted to end militant rocket fire into his country.

NGUYEN: Well, after eight days of punishing air strikes, Israeli tanks and troops plunge into Gaza. Their target: Hamas leaders and weapons. Now, the militant group has been firing rockets into civilian areas across the border. Israeli officials say that made their ground offensive unavoidable. Arab nations -- they are outraged and calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Let's get you some casualty numbers right now. Although, I will tell you they are sketchy. But here is what we know. Medical sources in northern Gaza say at least 21 Palestinians have been killed there since the ground offensive began. The Israeli military says 30 of its soldiers have been wounded along with dozens of militants.

Our team of experienced correspondents is bringing you comprehensive coverage in this crisis: Ben Wedeman, Paula Hancocks, and Nic Robertson -- they are on the Israeli-Gaza border. Octavia Nasr is CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs. She's going to join us right here in Atlanta. We also have reports from chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, Karl Penhaul, and Brian Todd. And in Washington, we have Kate Bolduan.

Well, as you can imagine, the deepening crisis in Gaza is raising tensions at the United Nations. The Security Council is deadlocked over how to respond to Israel's ground attacks. And our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth, has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Many diplomats expected this ground assault by Israel, but that didn't make it easier to reach agreement on how to react. After four hours of closed door debate, no consensus among the 15 countries, not even to call for an immediate cease-fire. A tight-lipped president of the Security Council could only state... JEAN-MAURICE RIPERT, PRESIDENT, U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL: We had extensive talks and consultation about the current situation on the grounds in Gaza and in the south of Israel. I must tell you that there was no formal agreement.

ROTH: Last weekend, the Security Council did issue a statement to the press calling on both Hamas and Israel to stop fighting. At this emergency session, the United States objected to any kind of U.N. response, blaming Hamas and supporting the Israeli ground war.

ALEJANDRO WOLFF, DEPUTY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Issuing another statement that it will be violated or simply consolidates their ability to maintain rockets and continue smuggling is not an answer and is not going to bring peace.

ROTH: The U.S.' refusal to sign on to a statement just increased Arab frustration as the Israeli ground offensive continues.

RIYAD MANSOUR, PALESTINIAN ENVOY TO THE U.N.: It is the business of the Security Council to deal with the situation threatening international peace and security. We have war. We have aggression against the Palestinian people, and it is a sad and tragic moment when the Security Council cannot address this issue.

ROTH: The Security Council president said there were converging views on concerns of the escalation and the need for a cease-fire, but the good thoughts were not enough to overcome United States' opposition to put these concerns on the official U.N. record.

(on camera): There will be more discussions and debate with visiting Arab ministers in the days ahead, but the fastest solution to this latest Middle East cycle of violence is not likely to be produced here.

Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO: And we're getting comments to this crisis from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He says the Israeli incursion into Gaza is necessary to stop Hamas from launching rockets into Israel. Olmert says Israel needs to defend itself and the operation was unavoidable. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Hamas has a warning for Israeli troops battling Hamas fighters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISMAIL RADWAN, HAMAS SPOKESMAN (through translator): To the Israeli army, your incursion in Gaza will not be a picnic. And we promise you that Gaza will be your cemetery, God willing. You have no choice but to end this aggression and this siege without any condition. You will not live in peace until our Palestinian people live in peace.

We will not abandon the battlefield and we will stay on the thorny course. And we will fight until the last breath. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, CNN senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, has joined us to discuss reaction to Israeli troops in Gaza.

And, Octavia, as you've been watching this -- I mean, as we see these Arab nations come together to try to find some kind of a sustainable peaceful end to this, is that really something that is on the table or are we looking at just maybe a halt to fighting temporarily?

OCTAVIA NASR, SENIOR EDITOR, ARAB AFFAIRS: Betty, if you watch Arab media, you're getting a sense that no one is going to be able to do anything at this point. Arab media is pretty tough on Arab leaders first and foremost, talking about how late they were in getting to work. They're saying they still didn't meet. They went to the U.N. instead of having their own, basically, Arab League meeting. So, they are already talking about them as failures.

And if you're watching Arab media, it's almost as if you are watching a different story, really, because Arab media -- they have reporters inside Gaza. They have locals, as a matter of fact, living in Gaza and reporting from the streets of Gaza, talking about, basically, the other side of the story.

So, it's a different story. You're hearing more, and see that sound bite that we heard from the Hamas leader, for example, you're hear more of that on Arab media, more of what they're calling their victory against the Israeli invasion. They're calling it the war, the invasion on Gaza. So, really, a different rhetoric, a different perspective.

NGUYEN: Let's pick some of that apart -- because we've heard this before and we'll hear it a little bit later. I spoke with the Palestinian legislative council member who'd also called it an invasion, yet time and time again, we have heard Israel say, "This is not an invasion. We're going in to target Hamas militants to take out the weaponry." But yet inside Gaza, it is viewed as an invasion.

NASR: It is viewed as an invasion and Arab media are really focusing a lot on how this is affecting people. As a matter of fact, an op-ed that I was just reading in Al-Sharq al-Awsat -- Al-Sharq al- Awsat is a Saudi-owned newspaper based in London -- and this op-ed is from an executive, the executive of Al Arabiya television.

So, really, he represents the bulk of what Arab media are saying right now and he says there is a big difference between 1.5 million people living in Gaza and a few hundred Hamas militants. He's drawing that distinction and he's calling on the world to pay attention to the fact that there are people suffering in Gaza because of the Hamas group and basically -

NGUYEN: Well, are they laying blame at all or are they just saying this is an attack on the people?

NASR: No, definitely. NGUYEN: They're laying blame on Hamas?

NASR: Laying blame on Hamas -- yes. So, you have groups laying blame on Hamas and also laying blame on Israel and the world for not paying attention that what's happening here is hurting the citizens of Gaza.

You have to think -- you heard Ben Wedeman describe the situation there. You have Gaza sandwiched in between Israel and Egypt closed off. So, basically, Israel and Egypt control what goes in and out of Gaza. People cannot leave.

So, even if you warn them, you say there is going to be shelling, there is going to be an incursion, people can't leave. They have no place to go. And Hamas using people as human shields, really the victims in all this are the citizens because they don't have a choice. So, you have right now, on Arab media, a focus on that, basically, plight -- on the plight of the civilians and how they are stuck in the situation.

NGUYEN: And speaking of Egypt, since that is a way in and a way out, what are you hearing from Egyptian leaders?

NASR: Egyptian leaders are saying some interesting things right now because they're under attack. It's very interesting. You know, you have to think of the Arab world, you can't think of it as one big group with one view on things. Egypt right now is being attacked as much, I want to say, as Israel and the U.S., because it is viewed as a country that is very close to Israel, and very close to the U.S. Even in the minds of some, it is basically working on setting the agenda or on making the agenda happen for Israel and the U.S.

So, Egypt has taken a lot of hits right now, a lot of criticism for closing off the border, not opening it for humanitarian aid into Gaza, not allowing, for example, the injured to leave Gaza to be treated in Egypt and so forth. Many, many other reasons.

So, the language out of Egypt is interesting because they really seem to now want an end to this, a quick end one way or the other. And it seems that right now everybody is asking for a cease-fire because that's -- if you read them well, it seems that this is the only thing they think is attainable at this point: a cease-fire.

NGUYEN: A temporary cease-fire or sustainable cease-fire?

NASR: Well, right now, they just want a cease-fire. You know, the sustainable cease-fire, I think, that's the language that we're hearing from the U.S., that's the language that we're hearing from Israel, basically that they want a solution that Hamas should be basically paralyzed and Hamas shouldn't be able to launch rockets into Israel -- that's when the cease-fire will come.

At this point, on the Arab side of the sense, they just want a cease-fire because they see that people are suffering, the citizens, the ordinary, those 1.5 million, as Abdul Rahman al-Rashed says, they are the ones suffering for what -- for just a few hundred Hamas militants. As a matter of fact, according to Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, Israel should be able to deal with those hundreds of Hamas militants in a different way and overpower them and paralyze them.

MARCIANO: I'll tell you, everybody seems to want a cease-fire but it takes two rational parties to do that. Just before you came on, the spokesperson for Hamas came on, Ismail Radwan, and -- I mean, he spoke with venom, he spoke with bravado. Is that a cultural thing or is it just a vengeance that the leaders feel or is that pervasive throughout the entire Gaza Strip?

NGUYEN: Gaza.

NASR: And, you know, this is a great, great question. This article by Abdul Rahman al-Rashed touches on that. He talks about this bravado, this, basically, rosy language that is only words. He calls it empty words. He said, this is what happened to Saddam Hussein. He was fooled into this bravery talk and this -- you know, we will attack and we will win, and all that.

He said, "This is empty words." Hamas right now, he says, cannot stand in the face of Israel. Hamas cannot win in the face of Israel. And he feels that Hamas is to blame for putting the people of Gaza in the situation that they're in today.

So, you are absolutely right. You hear this language and you say -- and also, at the same time, rockets are still falling on Israel. So, that is the other side of the story. It's not like this is over by any means at this point.

NGUYEN: Right. Both sides are still engaged.

NASR: And what's interesting is that, both sides are still engaged and both sides are still talking about security, peace for their people. So, you know, as a media person, especially in my case because I observe Arab media and watch how they report the story, it's pretty confusing. So, I don't blame viewers if they are confused about this, because that's really the situation.

If you're watching Arab media, for example, some organizations have taken a stand. They are totally in support of Hamas. Others have the cool heads, basically trying to bring both sides of the story.

And it's very interesting. It's an array of viewpoints. It's not just one view point or it's not one Arab world that speaks in one voice. It's very interesting. So many different -- you know, you have black and have the white, and you have everything in between.

NGUYEN: All that gray in between.

All right. Octavia Nasr, thanks so much for the insight today.

MARCIANO: Yes.

NGUYEN: And, of course, we'll be checking in with you throughout the morning. NASR: Sure.

MARCIANO: A great asset to CNN.

Our assets on the ground want to talk about that as well, get you as close to the action as possible. Israel is keeping news correspondents out of Gaza, as we mentioned. But our Ben Wedeman is on the Israeli-Gaza border, live there now.

Ben, what can you tell us?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rob.

Just a few moments ago, I'm going to step aside, we saw that there was some sort of an incoming, a bomb falling in an area close to the border between Gaza and Israel. And just a little while before we saw an outgoing trail of smoke, which means that there was a rocket fired from, it looked like the eastern edges of Gaza City itself.

Now, the Israeli ground operation was intended to take over and take control of those areas from which the rockets were being fired, but what we've seen actually for quite some time is that those rockets as the longer -- the range gets longer, it's easier to fire them not from the outskirts or the edges of Gaza, but rather, from right in the middle and it seems that was the case there -- a rocket being fired from, what looks like the edges of Gaza City.

Now, we understand, Rob, that the Israeli forces have managed to get close to the scene in an area called Netzerim, that's south of Gaza City named after an Israeli settlement that was evacuated in September of 2005. What it appears Israelis are trying to do is cut the Gaza Strip in half that obviously will impede communications and movement by the militants of Hamas.

The humanitarian situation, Rob, continues to be very difficult -- intermittent power, shortages of medicine, shortages of fuel. Apparently, the only people who really venturing now are those who are lining up for bread at bakeries.

Regarding rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, we understand from the Israeli police that since midnight today, local time, about 30 missiles have been fired from Gaza into Israel. One hitting the town of Sderot, which is very near where we are, slightly injuring one woman. There's also been mortar fire. In fact, two mortar rounds landing roughly in this area. So, it doesn't appear that the ground operation has been all together successful at stopping that rocket fire -- Rob?

MARCIANO: Ben, but it certainly has advanced quickly seemingly. Any word from your military contacts there on the ground how long this ground offensive may very well last?

WEDEMAN: Well, we did hear from the defense minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, that this could be a long operation. Now, they're not specifying exactly how long, but obviously, what they want to avoid is, essentially, reoccupying Gaza, something Israel did from June 1967 until September 2005.

Gaza is a very difficult place to control. Obviously, the population does not welcome an invading occupying army. So, the Israelis are probably not going to want to stay inside Gaza too long, but short of some sort of cease-fire agreement, some sort of decisive victory over Hamas. It's hard to say when this operation is going to end -- Rob?

MARCIANO: Ben Wedeman covering live for us, right along the border there of Gaza and southern Israel. We'll be checking back with you for sure. Thank you, Ben. Stay safe.

And stay with us for more of this breaking news out of the Middle East: Israeli forces have now entered Gaza. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Israel is not allowing any western media to enter Gaza, but we are still able to monitor what's going on there from several television networks in the region. We'll give you some live pictures right now. The Israeli network, Al Arabiya, Al-Jazeera, Ramatan TV, Al Atheer TV (ph), our international desk as well, also monitoring video from each of them, and we will continue to bring you the latest.

MARCIANO: All right. Let's get you back on the ground. We want to go inside Gaza by phone. Let's get to Sami Abdel-Shafi. He's a writer from San Francisco who had opened up a business in Gaza, and he's on the phone.

Sami, what can you tell us? Where exactly are you and what have you been experiencing?

VOICE OF SAMI ABDEL-SHAFI, WRITER, BUSINESS CONSULTANT: I'm in the middle of Gaza City actually. We have been experiencing a very stressful time here. You can hear high powered machine gunfire from Apache helicopters as I speak.

To put it simply, Rob, it's very regrettable the state the Gaza Strip is in. The ordinary people of the Gaza Strip have long endured a crippling siege by air, sea and land. We have been downgraded now to a state of massive war that's also waged from air, sea and land. It's a great misfortune that the people of the Gaza Strip are enduring.

MARCIANO: What are the people feeling right now as far as where the blame goes? Are they putting full blame on Israel or any of the citizens there, any of the Palestinians saying, "Well, Hamas, even though they are the government we elected, they're not exactly playing fair here"?

ABDEL-SHAFI: While Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip, are getting better at looking at the matter and identifying their internal problems, what is currently going on is so incredibly massive that people don't look anywhere but at Israel for their tremendous disappointment with how much force Israel hammering the Gaza Strip with. It's a very disproportionate treatment that they're harming a great deal of civilians. And honestly, and so are many, it won't result in much long-term stability.

MARCIANO: Did you receive -- the Israeli air force dropped pamphlets during the air strikes days ago, dropped pamphlets in Arabic, describing the attacks that would be coming in order to give civilians there warning. Did you experience any of these leaflets?

ABDEL-SHAFI: I actually heard it. I'm trying to get a copy but I did not dare step out to get one so far.

But some important points about this, Rob, if I may. It is virtually impossible for any civilian to leave their homes because where would they go? Would stand in open sky at a time when the entire Gaza Strip is being bombarded and shelled by air, land and sea? So, it's an impossible choice really.

Israel, I'm afraid, is giving the ordinary people of Gaza no options at all. And it's a very unfair situation that must be stopped immediately.

MARCIANO: Well, we're certainly hoping for this conflict to come to an end, unfortunately, it has resulted in military operations and, of course, the Israeli side says that's the only option they have. And folks on that side certainly would see it that way.

Sami Abdel-Shafi from San Francisco, now living in Gaza with a business, live on the phone with us -- stay safe, sir. And we appreciate your report from there.

NGUYEN: And there's still much more to come right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We are focusing on the crisis in the Middle East.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Let's get you the latest on the crisis in the Middle East. After eight days of blistering air attacks, Israel sends thousands of its troops pouring into Gaza. The ground assault now is more than 20 hours old. At the United Nations, Arab countries say the U.S. has blocked their demands for an immediate cease-fire. U.S. says a cease-fire must require Hamas to stop those rocket attacks on Israel.

Casualty numbers -- well, they're still sketchy. But here's what we have. Since the ground attack began, Palestinian medical sources in northern Gaza say at least 21 Palestinians have been killed. The Israeli military says 30 of its soldier have been wounded. That's in addition to earlier casualties.

Palestinian sources say at least 460 total Palestinians have been killed, and more than 2,700 wounded in the Israeli air strikes. Israel says at least four of its citizens were killed by Hamas rocket attacks.

MARCIANO: An update on the situation from Rafah, Egypt on the southern border with Gaza. Our Karl Penhaul is there. He tells us it's evident a big military operation is going on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A distance of about 300 to 400 yards of where I would estimate Israeli missiles have been crashing into the ground, and there had been loud explosion. It's very difficult in the dark and because of the flat terrain, to detect exactly what the target is, but I would suggest that it's probably only a little beyond the Palestinian side of the border, just a little beyond that border post.

In addition, to hearing the missiles come in from what I assume are Apache attack helicopters, I've also heard slower helicopters, those could possibly be transporting troops by air to some other positions on the ground. I've also heard the grind of Israeli tank tracks moving into positions but those tanks are now silent. I haven't heard movement from them.

I've also heard sporadic exchanges from heavy machine guns, and more recently, the crack of assault rifles. That might indicate that Hamas and Israeli forces are in somewhat closer quarters.

But, of course, now, about an hour away from dawn, and it will be interesting as the first light comes, to see where the chips have fallen in military terms, but, of course, in the civilian terms, the signs are over the last week that there's a growing humanitarian crisis inside of Gaza, and this ground incursion will certainly not help matters.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Rafah border crossing, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And we are going to take you on the ground for the latest on the conflict in Gaza.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: And welcome back to our continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. I'm Rob Marciano, in today for T.J. Holmes.

NGUYEN: And good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.

On the ground now in Gaza. CNN's Paula Hancocks is live right at the border between Israel and Gaza. Paula, you have been watching the situation play out since those ground troops went in. What are you seeing?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, at this point over the last couple of hours certainly the shelling seems to have calmed down somewhat on the air strikes but we're still seeing significant plumes of smoke rising from the Gaza skyline. From our situation here in Israel obviously we're still not allowed into Gaza to report on exactly what's happening on the ground.

But according to the Israeli military speakers that we're having, there's about 45 targets have been hit since this ground operation started on Saturday evening and still the rockets are coming as well. About 30 rockets we understand coming into Israel. So at this point with a combined ground and air assault, the Israeli military still not managing to stop these militants firing the rockets and also a number of mortars being fired also but certainly the thing to focus on is the humanitarian situation in Gaza. It is getting worse by the hour. It was already dreadful before the ground troops even went in. The hospitals couldn't cope. There weren't enough qualified doctors. Not enough medical supplies and the equipment that they have in these Gazan hospitals is basic at best. Betty.

NGUYEN: And when it comes to progress that's being made, if any is truly being made in this conflict there, we understand that Israeli troops have gained control of the eastern section of northern Gaza. Do you know that to be true?

HANCOCKS: Well this is what we're hearing from Palestinian security forces that the eastern part is being controlled by the ground troops going in and the Israeli military said their objective at this point is to make sure that they can control all of these open areas around the cities, around the towns just inside the border with Gaza. These are areas that the militants have favored in the past for launching their rockets and their mortars so certainly the Israeli military had said this is their first objective to secure those areas.

As we understand it from those on the ground, they're also trying to split up Gaza up into different areas to try to dissect the Gaza strip. So keeping the militants separate from each other so they can't bring supplies into each other. Of course, that also means you can't bring humanitarian supplies into those who need it in the north of the country or the size of the country. So that's the latest that we have from here. Betty.

NGUYEN: And we're looking at nighttime video of the situation and it appears that much of Gaza is without electricity according to the video that we've been seeing. Paula Hancocks is joining us live. Thank you, Paula.

MARCIANO: Back home the state department and the White House say they are working on a cease-fire in Gaza but with a caveat. Here's CNN's Kate Bolduan.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: According to a White House spokesperson, President Bush was briefed Saturday afternoon on the current situation in Gaza and the actions of the IDF. The spokesperson also saying U.S. officials have been in regular contact with the Israelis as well as officials from countries in the region and Europe.

Earlier in his weekly radio address, President Bush condemned Hamas for instigating the violence. He along with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice have called for a cease-fire but one that comes with a long-term solution.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

VOICE OF PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Another one-way cease-fire that leads to rocket attacks on Israel is not acceptable and promises from Hamas will not suffice. There must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure the smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The state department also put out a statement following the latest developments in Gaza. Spokesperson Sean McCormick saying the U.S. is still working toward a cease-fire and "that cease-fire should take place as soon as possible but we need a cease-fire that is durable, sustainable and not time limited."

He goes on to say "we have expressed our concern to the Israeli government that any military action needs to be mindful of potential consequences to civilians." On the ground assaults specifically, the White House has in recent days avoided taking a position, declining to comment on whether a ground attack would be justified. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.

NGUYEN: Let's talk a little bit more about that justification. The ambassador Reda Mansour, the Israeli consulate general to the U.S. Thank you for your time again today.

As we look at this ground assault and what is being done, what progress, if any, is being made in this entire conflict? Do you expect the ground assault to last very long? And we've talked about the humanitarian aid situation. And it's really -- it's not a good one in the sense that the infrastructure is gone and people are being caught in the middle.

AMB. REDA MANSOUR, ISRAELI CONSULATE GEN. TO THE U.S.: Well, we declared right from the beginning of this conflict that this might take weeks. It is not going to be a short operation. A big part of the reason here is that we're fighting a terrorist organization which is embedded in civilian areas, and if you want to be sensitive to the civilians who live there, who are captives of the Hamas, you have to do it slowly and you have to acquire a very pinpointed targets.

We don't want to rush into anything. At the end of the day, we have a very simple aim. One is a cease-fire, a real cease-fire. And the second one is a cease-fire that will be there without the Hamas using it just to restart for the next round, but a real cease-fire in the sense that it will give an opportunity for the political process.

Regarding the humanitarian situation, you know, since the beginning of this operation, we have been declaring it every day that we will open the border for any kind of international humanitarian relief. And some days, we have 96 big trucks go into Gaza with supplies. From the Egyptian side, the Egyptians also opened their border crossing for anybody who is injured.

However, it was interesting to follow up with Hamas' declaration. They told the Egyptians we won't let the injured leave to Egypt if you don't open the border entirely for Hamas to get supplies.

NGUYEN: But the borders, as I understand it, are closed at this point, which means people are still inside, trapped in the middle of this conflict. The hospitals can't deal with all of the wounded. The electricity, the gas, the water, all of these main things needed for life during this conflict are being destroyed. So when we look at how long this is going to take, I mean, can the people truly be caught up in the middle of this for an extended amount of time?

MANSOUR: I think that we have to work out very soon some mechanism of coming back to the same mechanism that we had in the first days of the operation, which I'm sure that we will do. If the Hamas will not use this issue -- and they did it in the past just to achieve another, score a few points in the international media basically. We know that sometimes even when they have supplies, they will show pictures of people who don't have. You know, even after two days of operation, they will show people that are supposedly starving or don't have any medical supplies. Many times, it's not reasonable. You know, no major city runs out of supplies in two days.

So we have to be careful of the images we see, of the declarations we hear. But Israel is very sensitive to this issue. Our prime minister stated it this morning to the Israeli public and to the Palestinians. We are not in this war against you. We are against Hamas. All we need is a cease-fire. And I'm sure we'll find a mechanism with the Red Cross, with other international organizations to keep the supplies going into Gaza.

NGUYEN: But Israel wants a permanent, sustainable cease-fire. At the heat of this, this conflict that we're watching play out right now, is that possible? I mean, do we need a temporary halt to this fighting so that there could be cooler heads, a calming situation, so that people can come together and form that sustainable cease-fire?

MANSOUR: Well, you know, we gave this process many chances in the last eight years. We have been receiving these incoming missiles for eight full years trying everything possible, negotiation, leaving Gaza entirely. Israel wasn't in Gaza before it was in Hamas control. Nothing seems to work. Hamas get emboldened. Its people stockpiling, training, and they thought that this was the way to defeat Israel, maybe to wipe it off the map, to fulfill their extreme ideologies.

They need to understand that Israel can't take this situation anymore. We can't let our citizens, even if they're not dying and people are looking at the numbers and who's dying more, maybe we should apologize that in eight years we didn't have too many people who died, but we had a terrorized population. One million people living under daily rocket showers.

I believe that the international community will work out the mechanisms in the next few days for a cease-fire and then for a serious talks, but they also have to bring Hamas into this idea that it's not just another temporary cease-fire. That's not going to work.

NGUYEN: So you are looking at the next few days for us to find some kind of wording, us meaning the world, come together, some kind of wording to create a cease-fire. But in the meantime, as we look at the situation, those inside Gaza -- and we've been monitoring Arab television -- say -- and I want to get a complete answer from you very quickly, is this an occupation?

MANSOUR: No, it's not. We declared back and forth, Israel don't want to come back to Gaza. And we have to be careful also with their media very much. You know, I was hearing yesterday Al Jazeera, their military analyst was telling this reporter in the field, would you show us the Israeli forces so we can see their formation, and maybe this can help the Hamas, like it helped Hezbollah in Lebanon during that war, when they used to see all the activities of the Israeli military on the screen.

So Al Jazeera and other channels are part of this war. The incitement, the false numbers, the false reports. I would be very careful now, because Hamas said we will use any means we can, and they don't have any red lines. They will use their people as human shields. They are keeping the injured hostage. They will even keep supplies out of reach of their own people just to show the world that supposedly there is a humanitarian crisis.

NGUYEN: All right. We do appreciate your time. Ambassador Mansour, we do appreciate it. And to provide equal time on this subject, we want to get you now to the Ziad Asali with the American Task Force on Palestine. He is in Washington. We've been listening to the ambassador from Israel speaking about the situation and something that we've been debating a lot here as we look at Arab television. We look at what the Israelis are saying. Is this in your view an occupation now that ground troops have gone in?

ZIAD ASALI, AMERICAN TASK FORCE ON PALESTINE: Well if you ask the people of Gaza they would not hesitate for a second but to tell you they are under occupation right at this minute. In fact, they are not just under occupation, in large sense they are under occupation the fact that they can't get out in the streets. They cannot stay in their homes if they have a basement.

There is a complete lockdown on life in Gaza other than all of the humanitarian causes that you talked about. It might not be an occupation in the legal sense that the Ambassador might like to define but in real fact, it is exactly that.

NGUYEN: But at the same time the ambassador says he's hopeful that within the next couple of days that somehow the world will come together and create some kind of wording to form a cease-fire of some sorts. Are you hopeful of that?

ASALI: Well I have two comments about this. The people right now are suffering from an incredible humanitarian crisis and they cannot wait - they cannot wait for the world politicians to debate and perhaps for days or weeks or whatever it takes while they're relieved of the present danger to their lives and to their well-being that they're exposed to. There has to be a mechanism, a grand mechanism, a prioritized mechanism to take care of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. That's on one hand.

On the other hand, of course this will end up in some kind of an agreement at the United Nations security council level debated by so many people before. It may take time but that agreement has to have in mind that eventually this whole conflict can only make any sense for anybody if it would lead to a stable situation in Palestine in general and not in Gaza. There has to be a state of Palestine somewhere down the road so that this sort of thing does not happen again and again and again.

NGUYEN: But as you talk about stability. Let me ask you this, is it incumbent upon Hamas to come to the table to say we will no longer fire those rockets into Israel.

ASALI: I can not imagine an agreement as agreed upon by the United Nations security council that does not include a cease-fire that is imposed on Hamas and also on Israel on both sides.

NGUYEN: And in the meantime those caught in the middle, what are you hearing about the situation on the ground? Because we have talked to our person or expert on Arab media here who monitors the situation and they are hearing different stories within Gaza. Some saying were supportive of Hamas. Others saying you know what there needs to be some kind of a solution here because there are 1.5 million innocent people who are being caught in the middle of this.

ASALI: I'm talking to many people in Gaza and people who are not even in the political process. People just want an end to this, to what's happening to them now. This is unacceptable. You know, people are living without electricity, some of them without food, certainly without cars and there is no mobility and no security and it's cold and miserable and the children are scared and bombs are flowing.

This is an unacceptable situation to the people. And to policy and military decision makers in Israel have to understand that this is a priority that they have to take into consideration top of the line. This is not a minor thing. They have to live in the neighborhood after this.

NGUYEN: All right. We are losing our satellite window. I have so much more to ask you both in fact but obviously the time is running out. But hopefully both of you will join us again throughout the morning. Thank you so much. Ziad Asali, we appreciate your time.

ASALI: Yes, thank you.

MARCIANO: Much more to come including back on the ground there in the Middle East, our focus this morning. Our Josh Levs has this.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, guys. We know that Israeli troops are inside Gaza but where exactly and what are they doing exactly and which populations are in danger on both sides of the border? We are going to talk you through that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Pictures yesterday out of London. Pro-Palestinian marching there throwing shoes as you know that's a big deal especially when it's chilly out there.

We want to recap what's happening with our top story. The Middle East certainly our focus this morning. The violence escalates and the crisis deepens. Israel reports thousands of troops into Gaza. It's the next step of an Israeli offensive that included eight days of blistering air strikes. Their targets, Hamas leaders and obviously shutting down those rockets so that they are no longer launched into southern Israel.

I want to get you over to Josh Levs because he's got the maps, he's got the gizmos to tell you exactly how far deep into Gaza these Israeli troops have gone.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. He's also hearing from all sides.

MARCIANO: Right.

NGUYEN: As many people weighing in with their own opinions about this conflict in Gaza. So what are you hearing, Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We got a lot going on. We're here at the CNN International desk which is following every angle to this story. When any news breaks, we grab it and bring it to you right away, working 24/7 here of course, monitoring feeds from all over.

All right. We know Israeli ground troops are inside Gaza. I want to talk to you a little bit about what we know about their positions. I'm going start off on this simpler map. A lot of the times, the simpler ones make it easy to tell you the story.

This is Gaza right here. 1.5 million people live inside. It's twice the size of Washington. Look here, this is right where I want you to focus. This right here that says Gaza. That's Gaza City. It's the largest population center in the northern half of Gaza. And what we do know is that Israeli troops did very much want to take this area and this area, because these are major areas that Hamas militants used to fire rockets northward into Israel and eastward into Israel.

And Israel is now saying this morning that it controls the northeast section of Gaza. We have also heard about fighting inside Gaza City. So we know that that is part of what has been going on. We don't know if the troops have stayed there or go in and out. What we do know, Israel is saying, it controls this section.

Let's go now to google earth video I want to show you. This gives you the sense of the lay of the land there. It's going to show you some of the borders, what's where. And I want you to get a sense of how small that area is. If you look on the right side of your screen, where the border is, the entire border with Israel is just 32 miles. A lot of people in America have a longer commute than that.

So we are talking about a very small area. And that's how it got impacted. Now we have one more video I want to show you as well. Because I want you to see both sides. Let's go to this next google earth video, you're going to be able to see from there how close one Israeli city is.

We're zooming in on Gaza, and then I'm going to show Ashkelon, which is one of the Israeli cities that has been hit repeatedly by rockets from Hamas. It's only seven miles up there. So if you look at how incredible tight everything is, you can think about the Israeli troops operating in this area and that Ashkelon is just one of many cities that's there. Let's zoom in on one more of them.

Check this out. This down here is Gaza. The tiny little thing right here. Everything in light beige is Israel. The city I was just showing you is Ashkelon, seven miles up there. Now, Israel says that Hamas rockets can reach up to here. They have hit this city, Ashdod. They've also gone east over to Beersheba. So what we're hearing from Israeli officials is that hundreds of thousands up to a million Israelis are in the range of Hams rocket fire. That's as much as we know about where the Israel troops are and what they're fighting to do right now. There's no live satellite. And we can't get straight-up I know - everything the Israeli government isn't saying at all but every time we get new positions, new word on skirmishes or clashes in different areas, we'll bring them to you here.

MARCIANO: You know, on that map, Josh, you had the West bank, obviously much larger than Gaza, not playing as big of a role obviously, not directly in the conflict but what role exactly is it playing?

LEVS: Yes, you know that's interesting. Take a moment for that. I said 1.5 million Palestinians live in Gaza. 2.5 million live in the West bank. And it's important to keep in mind the West bank is not controlled by Hamas. The West bank is controlled by Fatah, which is the other political party, major political party inside Palestinian life. And there was actually a lot of fighting going on between Fatah and Hamas for a long time.

Also Israel still does have an occupation in the West bank. There are Israeli troops and settlements inside the West Bank, but you know Gaza - Israel pulled out of Gaza completely in 2005. So there's not been an occupation here. Sometimes when you hear the word "occupation" it could be a reference to this section, what's going on in the West Bank specifically, although the militant groups and Hamas refers to Israel itself as an occupation of Palestine. Guys.

MARCIANO: Any e-mails there coming in?

LEVS: Oh, right.

MARCIANO: We posed that question, you know, what our viewers think the solution maybe to this mess, how would you solve the mid east crisis?

NGUYEN: Well, that's a big one to tackle, isn't?

LEVS: Yes, wouldn't it be great if one of our viewers came with a solution? But we do know a lot of you want to weigh in. And you have been inundating us with emails. This is great. Your constructive ideas, your viewpoints on what it actually takes to solve the mid east crisis, write to us there at weekends@cnn.com. Include your name and your city. We've got hundreds of e-mails already this morning. I think I'm going to be back in about 25 minutes to read some. So get going. We'll share them in a little bit. Thanks, guys.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Josh.

LEVS: You got it.

NGUYEN: Throughout the morning we are bringing you this breaking news of the crisis in the Middle East. Latest Israeli troops now battling Hamas fighters inside Gaza. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARCIANO: Let's recap our top story. The Middle East. The violence escalates and the crisis deepens. Israel forced thousands of troops into Gaza. It's the next step of an Israeli offensive that included eight days of blistering air strikes. Their target Hamas leaders and weapons. The militant group has been firing rockets into Israeli civilian areas across the border. Israeli officials say the Hamas attacks made their ground offensive unavoidable. Arab Nations are outraged and calling for an immediate cease-fire.

NGUYEN: Well, Israel is not allowing international reporting teams in to Gaza. So it is very difficult to confirm casualty numbers. But medical sources in northern Gaza say at least 21 Palestinians have been killed there since the ground assault began. The Israeli military says 30 of its soldiers have been wounded in the ground offensive, along with dozens of militants. During the Israeli air strikes leading up to yesterday's incursion by Israeli troops, Palestinian sources say a total of 460 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,700 injured. Israel says at least four of its citizens have been killed by Hamas rocket attacks.

MARCIANO: Well, throughout the morning we are bringing you the latest on this breaking news out of the Middle East.

NGUYEN: We'll have so much more with live reports from the region at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is January 4th; 8:00 a.m. here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, 3:00 p.m. in Gaza. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.

MARCIANO: And I'm Rob Marciano, in today for T.J. Holmes. Thanks for being with us.

NGUYEN: Well, the crisis in the Middle East, let's get you to that.

After eight days of blistering air attacks, Israel sends thousands of troops pouring into Gaza. The ground assault is now more than 20 hours old. At the United Nations, Arab countries say the U.S. has blocked their demands for an immediate cease-fire. The U.S. says a cease-fire must require Hamas to stop those rocket attacks on Israel. Casualty numbers -- well, they are still sketchy. Since the ground attack began, here's what we know, Palestinian medical sources say, again, since the ground attack began, in northern Gaza, at least 21 Palestinians have been killed. The Israeli military says 30 of its soldiers have been wounded. That's in addition to earlier casualties.

Palestinian sources say at least 460 Palestinians total have been killed, and more than 2,700 wounded in the Israeli air strike. Israel says at least four, total, of its citizens have been killed by Hamas rocket attacks.

CNN crews they are following this story as it ripples around the world. CNN's Paula Hancocks is at the edge of the conflict along the Israel-Gaza border. And in Chicago, White House correspondent Ed Henry is shadowing President-elect Barack Obama.

So, let's start on the ground in Gaza. CNN's Paula Hancocks is live at that border.

Paula, you've been watching the situation play out since those Israeli troops went in by ground. What are you seeing from your vantage point?

HANCOCKS: Well, Betty, we're still seeing intermittent explosions on the horizon of Gaza City. Without the Israeli government allowing us inside, it's very difficult to tell you exactly where these explosions are, but there are continuing plumes of smoke rising from Gaza itself. Now, according to the military, they've hit at least 45 targets overnight, and we're also hearing from the military that at least 30 rockets are coming in the opposite direction.

So, at this point, even though there is a combined air and ground assault, they haven't crippled the Hamas militants or they haven't stopped them from being able to fire rockets back into Israel itself. And they are also firing mortars.

Now, certainly the humanitarian situation on the ground we are hearing is getting worse and worse. It was already dire even before the air strikes started eight or nine days ago. Certainly, U.N. officials were warning of a humanitarian crisis we've now had. This is now the ninth day of significant air strikes, the second day of significant ground troops entering Gaza, and the humanitarian situation of those injured, a couple of thousand at least, is getting worse -- Betty?

NGUYEN: And, Paula, we understand that the hospitals are overloaded. The electricity situation, as you talked about, is deplorable in the sense that very few people have it at all. Supplies are running out. Any indication as to when some of these relief workers, these aid workers, are allowed in to help the situation?

HANCOCKS: There's been no indication of that whatsoever. I mean, before the ground operation started, every couple of days, the Israeli government would open up one of the border crossings and allow some trucks through with food, water and medical supplies. But we've heard from every single aid agency that it's quite simply not enough, it's a drop in the ocean.

The Gazan hospitals were badly equipped, to say the least, before the air strikes even started. They're close to collapse. They just cannot cope with thousands of people coming in injured from air strikes. So, certainly, it's a very dire situation.

We understand from our sources in Gaza that people just aren't going outside unless they absolutely have to. If they have to run outside to try and buy food which, of course, is in very slim availability in Gaza, then they're rushing out to do that, and then getting back in their basements and trying to just hunker down and try to wait this out. It's really a terrifying time for 1.5 million residents in Gaza behind me -- Betty?

NGUYEN: Try to wait it out and there's no telling how long it will last.

CNN's Paula Hancocks joining us live. Thank you, Paula.

MARCIANO: A Palestinian politician says Israel's response to Hamas firing missiles into Israel is way overdone. While Israel's defense minister says his country deserves to defend itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHUD BARAK, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: We are determined to afford our citizens what any citizen anywhere in the world is entitled to -- peace, tranquility and freedom from threat.

MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN POLITICIAN: What Israel is doing today in Gaza in an area which is still under Israel occupation as President Mubarak has said, is nothing but a massacre. It's like Warsaw ghetto. They have an occupied city that is surrounded from sea, air and land, and now, they're attacking it with this heavy army. I don't think there is any proportionality between what Hamas as fighters and the Israeli army. The big sufferer will be the human beings in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Well, CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, is here with us to discuss reaction to Israel troops in Gaza.

MARCIANO: Trying to give us some perspective as to what's going on in the other side of this thing. Any Arab nations, you know, pushing for some sort of cease-fire there?

NASR: Well, they tried, didn't they, with the United Nations and they failed miserably.

MARCIANO: Yes.

NASR: This is definitely a headline on Arab media talking about how Arab leaders acted too late, and then, they went to the U.N. and couldn't achieve anything. As a matter of fact, right now, there is anger starting to brew against the U.S. It is seen as the country that really blocked any possibility of any statement out of the U.N. to call for a cease-fire.

But really, Rob, look at these images coming from Lebanon, from New TV in Lebanon. This is a promo. It says "Gaza, the Glory. Gaza, the Glory." They show these pictures, show Hamas leaders, show rocket attacks on Israel, and they call it "Gaza, the Glory." And then when it comes to Israel, they say the cowardice of Israel. They show an Israel man hiding in a shelter.

The propaganda machine, some Arab media outlets, is really working its magic right now. If you're watching Arab media, not all of them are in support of Hamas. As a matter of fact, a very small minority is, like this station New TV, and others. But very interesting, the focus is really on the crisis, not Hamas.

MARCIANO: But seriously, just how much balance is there among -- and there are several stations -- but just how much is there?

NASR: And, you know what? Balance is a subjective term. You know, what seems like imbalance to us might not seem so to them. But you have to think that Arab media, for example, they have reporters inside Gaza. They're residents of Gaza. So, they're on the receiving end of this incursion.

And when they report the story, they're definitely reporting it with a perspective. They're reporting it with a point of view -- the point of view of someone who's living the incursion and living, you know, all those shortages that we are reporting on, they're on the receiving end. So definitely, there is a perspective there.

But I have to tell you, there are media outlets that are totally in support of Hamas. They call anyone killed from Hamas a martyr. They call Hamas "the resistance," they call Israel "the invader." They describe the incursion as aggression.

So, very interesting to watch Arab media because you have all kinds of perspectives. But definitely some of them are all out for Hamas; some of them all-out against Hamas, but with the people of Gaza.

MARCIANO: Certainly, more tough talk than on American television.

NASR: Oh, definitely. No doubt about that.

NGUYEN: All right. Octavia, thank you so much for that. We do appreciate it.

Well, President-elect Barack Obama officially moves to Washington later today. Meanwhile though, the situation in the Middle East -- it is growing more dire. CNN's Ed Henry is in Chicago and that's where the president-elect is right now.

Ed, any reaction from Obama on this crisis?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, not from the president-elect himself, Betty. His staffers continue to react, but they don't say very much because they're very much trying to stay out of the way, make sure they're not stepping on President Bush's toes.

We got a statement yesterday from Brooke Anderson. She's the chief spokesperson on national security issues for the president- elect. She said, quote, "The president-elect is closely monitoring global events including the situation in Gaza. There's one president at a time, and we intend to respect that."

We've heard that mantra over and over since the election, from the president-elect and his staff, that there is one president at a time. There is a serious purpose there in the sense that they want to make sure that the United States is speaking with one voice right now. They want to make sure that there is no confusion around the world about who's really in charge, who's really making foreign policy.

And for a couple of more weeks, it still is President Bush -- although the world is watching everything that the president-elect of the United States says and does. And that's why there have been protesters here in Chicago on the Palestinian side. As well as in Hawaii -- when I was there with the president-elect -- there was a small group of protesters outside his vacation house there, urging him to speak out more, saying there is a double-standard because he did speak out after the Mumbai terror attacks around Thanksgiving. They think that despite this mantra of "one president at a time," he should be doing more to try to get Israel to pull back a bit. And so, he is facing that pressure.

I think when you take a step back from today though, what this whole situation, the ground war now, signals is the fact that while we've spoken so much about financial security issues, it still could be national security issues that define the Obama presidency. This is obviously going to be one of many national security challenges that will be on his desk when he is sworn in on January 20th.

You look around at the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, as welling threats from Iran, North Korea, look all around the world, there are a lot of global hotspots that this president-elect will be dealing with as soon as he's sworn in to office, Betty.

NGUYEN: That is the understatement of the day.

HENRY: Absolutely.

NGUYEN: All right, Ed Henry, thank you so much for that.

HENRY: Thank you.

MARCIANO: Well, stay here for more breaking news out of the Middle East as Israel forces have now entered Gaza.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, IREPORT)

DAVID WHITE, IREPORTER: I want all of you civilians to consider this, because I want you to know, deep from inside of my heart, urban warfare is the most arduous of combat operations. Imagine someone breaking into your house while you're home. All right? You see them coming. You're going to throw chairs and everything else in their direction to try to limit their capacity of getting at you.

Remember, it's your house. You go where everything is in that house. Now, if you have armament, all you have to do is get to that and take care of that individual that's breaking into your house. You follow me? This is what urban combat is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARCIANO: Some straight talk from our CNN iReporter David White of Washington, D.C.

If you have any videos or pictures you want to share with us, you can send them to CNNiReport.com.

Well, the ground assault was preceded by more than a solid week of intense air strikes. But sooner or later, every major offensive requires boots on the ground. CNN's Ben Wedeman has more on Israel's extensive preparations for this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Israel's armed forces have been training for years for a major incursion. Not far from Gaza, the Israeli army, with help from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, has constructed what looks like a Palestinian town complete with minarets. It's the army's urban warfare training facility.

I went there two years ago and saw how they simulated conditions that sound a lot like Gaza.

BRIG. GEN. UZI MOSKOVICH, ISRAELI ARMY: (INAUDIBLE), suburban areas, more, I would say, a highly-dense urban areas.

WEDEMAN: This facility, no doubt, busy in recent months. The Israeli army believes Hamas hasn't wasted time either.

MAJ. AVITAL LEIBOVICH, ISRAELI ARMY SPOKESWOMAN: We estimate that Hamas invested a lot in their infrastructure, and this include, of course, booby-traps, explosives everywhere.

WEDEMAN: From a once-highly secretive collection of small cells -- the movement's military wing has taken on many of the characteristics of a regular army, with intensive drillings - and plenty of on-the-job training providing by countless Israeli incursions.

Hamas has studied the lessons learned by Hezbollah in the 2006 war with Israel, during which Hezbollah made Israel pay a high price in lives and equipment for, at best, modest gain.

Hamas' exiled leader Khaled Meshaal insists his men are ready to put up a fight. "If the enemies go into Gaza," he says, "our people will fight from one street to the next, from one house to another, and on every inch of the land." In the past, militants set up obstacles on main roads. Israeli and Palestinian sources say Hamas has also dug an extensive tunnel and bunker system inside Gaza, which might protect the movement' fighters' leaders, while the rest of the densely-packed population remains above ground and exposed.

The militants have land mines, IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic rifles. Light weaponry compared to Israel's modern, largely American-made arsenal. They have the advantage of fighting on their home turf, which as one Hamas spokesman recently vowed, will turn into fire and volcanoes under the feet of the invaders. And the only certainty then is that there will be many more civilian casualties.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And the latest on the crisis in the Middle East right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

NGUYEN: All right. So, as we watch the situation play out in the Mideast, we asked and you wrote in -- what do you think is the best way to handle the situation in the Mideast? What would you do? That's the e-mail question.

MARCIANO: Interesting answers coming in. Josh Levs is at the international desk with some of your e-mails -- Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I'm pretty sure this is the most e-mails we've ever seen. I think this is the most I've ever seen. They're flooding in to us.

Let's just go straight to it, I'm at the international desk, as you said. We're following all angles, including your e-mails this morning. Here's the board. We have some of them as you just saw the question: How would you solve the Mideast crisis?

Let's start off with this from Reem: "Any initiative is going to take time and compromise. However, solving the Mideast crisis certainly cannot entail a unilateral offensive."

Next from Michael: "The only way is from Israel to withdraw from Gaza and for Hamas to stop firing rockets. There must be devotion from both sides." He's in Toronto.

"Both sides need strict sanction, they are unable to abide by U.N. rules. So, shouldn't we step in and with any means put military pressure on both sides?" -- from Jas in Vancouver.

"Israel must maintain the security of their country. Hamas doesn't even want Israel to exits. I support what it is doing in Gaza." That's from Fred.

Let's have a couple more here. "By lifting the siege of food, water, medication and medical supplies on the Gaza Strip, the civilians in Gaza will be able to live with dignity and health. Without this, there will be anger and hatred towards the Israeli government.

There cannot be any lasting peace until Israeli and Palestinian perceptions of each other change. Whether Israel is justified or not, their attacks will only exacerbate the situation. The U.N. and U.S. need to pressure Israel to take the first step and cease their attack." That's from James.

How about this? "Let the Israelis and Palestinians fight it out. The Palestinians chose Hamas so let them get a taste of what Hamas is all about." That's from Marcus Lawrence.

And we'll end with this one, guys. "Have the top leaders from both sides live in a locked facility together for many months, working together on several projects so that they can see the humanity of both sides and possibly become friends." Ed from Marysville, Michigan.

I don't think they can lock them up together that way, but obviously, we do look forward to hearing your e-mails on this. Keep them coming.

MARCIANO: Maybe if it's in an octagon. That maybe -

(LAUGHTER)

MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE) on pay-per-view.

LEVS: People are trying, what can I say.

MARCIANO: Yes.

LEVS: People want to see this resolved.

MARCIANO: Hey, some good answers, Josh.

LEVS: Yes.

NGUYEN: Yes, really some good suggestions there.

MARCIANO: Yes.

NGUYEN: All right. So, once again, here's your chance to weigh in. It doesn't stop, there is still much more to come. Here's the e- mail question: How would you solve the Mideast crisis? It's a big question but we know that you have some answers out there. So, e-mail us at weekends@cnn.com. We'll read some of those emails in the next hour.

MARCIANO: And there's still more to come on this special edition of CNN SUNDAY MORNING. And, of course, we're focusing on the crisis in the Middle East. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's wrong with you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm an American.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm an American.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Americans support Israel.

(INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: All right. Well, you just heard a heated exchange in Albuquerque, New Mexico, between supporters on both sides of this crisis in the Middle East. There have been several rallies here in the U.S. protesting Israel's military incursion into Gaza.

MARCIANO: Well, the Pentagon was given an advanced warning about the Israeli ground offensive into Gaza. According to reports, the chief of the Israeli defense force informed Admiral Mike Mullen, he's the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Israel did this as a courtesy to the U.S. military, which does not, as you would imagine, like surprises when it comes to military movement around the world.

NGUYEN: You know, it's easy to talk about the attacks on a couch or from the kitchen table, but what about the people who live in war- torn Gaza or in southern Israel, where violence lives right around the corner? We're hearing from civilians in both areas.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm standing on my back porch, and I can hear the firing from outside. And from time to time, we have the red alert which tells us that we can expect the Qassam to come in our direction. It's been sleepless nights, and hopefully, all this will end as soon as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are 500 meters approximately from the scene. We've been hearing almost constant bombardment from the sea. That's in addition to the almost constant air raids which have been continuing since yesterday. We are in the ninth day now and we have almost had no sleep throughout all of these days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just aim to take over Gaza or to topple the government or the ruling forces there. What we want is just what every ordinary citizen would want, is to live in peace, and be able to live with our neighbors. I have been a neighbor of Gaza for the last almost 50 years, and it's about time that my children and grandchildren would be able to live in peace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost everyone in Gaza Strip was very short on the basic supplies they needed because of the long-imposed blockade. And as of the beginning of the war, no one really is daring to step out of their houses to buy anything, assuming they can find it in the market, and assuming they find a place that is open.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one will get 100 percent of what they want -- neither us, nor they. And we must be able to accept that and find some way to live together even though we are different people with different beliefs, different cultures, different languages. But we are neighbors, and they just have to learn to live together. They don't have to love one another but they have to learn to live together. And that's what we must aim for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ordinary people of Gaza are losing all of their political colors if they have an affiliation or sympathy of any kind. They're losing their political color in the face of such a massive attack that's started by Israel's military. What is unfolding here is truly of extraordinary magnitude and one wonders what -- whether the world is actually thinking of the aftermath of all of this.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

NGUYEN: So, you've heard from the people on the ground. What is your solution to this? Do you have one? We've been asking that question of our viewers and gotten some really good responses.

Here's one of them. "So long terrorist organizations such as Hamas and al Qaeda exist, any lasting solution will be impossible. Diplomacy cannot be effective until terrorist leaders become cooperative and willing to negotiate." That's from Ted.

MARCIANO: And this from Baja (ph) on the other side. "The solution is called freedom to the Palestinian people who have been suffering under occupation for decades now."

NGUYEN: And our question again: How would you solve the crisis in the Mideast? E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com.

Well, our coverage does continue on the growing crisis in the Middle East with live reports from the frontlines with chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

MARCIANO: That's coming up at 9:00 o'clock. But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta starts right now.