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Netanyahu: "Citizens Of Israel, We Are At War"; Biden And Netanyahu Have Spoken About Today's Events; Biden Condemns "Horrific And Ongoing Attacks" In Israel; Netanyahu: "Citizen of Israel, We Are At War"; Palestinian Council Member Reacts To Israeli War. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired October 07, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN "BREAKING NEWS"

[12:00:44]

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. And thanks for joining us. I'm Christiane Amanpour in London, and we're following major "BREAKING NEWS" at this hour.

Israel declares it is at war with Hamas. That follows an unprecedented attack into Israel today, where, at least, 70 people are dead, and 985 wounded, and those numbers are expected to rise.

The attack called Israel by surprise at sunrise. The Palestinian group, Hamas, launched their offensive by air, sea, and land. Hamas fighters infiltrating Israeli towns and launching more than 3,000 rockets into Israel.

Scenes of urban warfare as gunfights unfolded between Israel and Hamas.

A short time ago, CNN spoke with an Israeli military spokesman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. RICHARD HECHT, INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: When we target someone on their side, we go for a military target. These terrorists that came in this morning, we didn't go only for military targets, they went into communities. They abducted grandmas. They abducted families. They killed children. A very, very severe morning and we're going to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Indeed. Earlier, Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, said, "Today, we saw the true face of Hamas. A terrorist army whose only goal is the cold-blooded murder of innocent men, women, and children. I call upon the family of nations -- this war waged against us marks a line in the sand."

And Israel is indeed now striking back. It has been doing so. Launching its own airstrikes into Gaza, where Palestinians say hundreds have been killed. Israel also is mobilizing its troops and its reservist, calling on 10s of 1000s of them to join up now.

This is a fast-moving situation. So, let's go straight to Hadas Gold, who is in Jerusalem for the very latest. Hadas.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Christiane. All day long, sirens have been blaring across Israel, indicating incoming rocket fire. And as we speak, exchanges of fire are still ongoing on the streets of Israeli communities in southern Israel, such as Sderot, between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers.

And we now have confirmation from the Israeli military that Hamas militants have taken as prisoners of war, Israeli soldiers, and civilians. And that there are ongoing hostage situations of civilians in towns in southern Israel, specifically towns like Be'eri and Ofakim. These are ongoing situations.

We don't have specific numbers of those prisoners of war or hostages being taken.

Hamas has claimed that they have taken what they say are calling a big number of prisoners. They claim, they've also taken senior commanders and saying that they are -- they have started this battle and ready to pay all that is needed.

To give you a sense of the scale of what we've been experiencing in the last more than 12 hours now, more than 3,000 rockets have been fired. That number was given to us by the Israeli military a few hours ago. So, it's slightly higher. That's just in less than 12 hours.

In 2021, during that 11-day war between Hamas militants and Israel, 4,300 rockets were fired.

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: Yes.

GOLD: So, already, within just a span of hours, we've reached the level of where we were in days in 2021.

Also, when you look at the casualties, at least 70 have been killed on the Israeli side, more than 980 wounded. Palestinians say that at least 198 have been killed, more than 1,600 wounded.

on the Israeli side, these numbers are approaching the same types of numbers that we saw in the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

So, we are in unprecedented times. Also, Christiane, you can't ignore essentially what is a clear and obvious security and intelligence failure that Israel was caught completely off guard. Even the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a surprise. They were not expecting this coordinated attack, not only from the rockets, but also this infiltration by militants on the ground. We've seen stunning video of militants on the streets of Israeli communities in pickup trucks, walking along, shooting at civilians. And we are hearing harrowing tales from Israeli civilians who are still at this hour, holed up in their houses, in their bomb shelters, reporting that they continue to hear gunfire outside of their houses. They cannot get out. They are begging for help. We're hearing families, saying that they are missing their family members.

There was a festival going on in a sort of desert community not far from the border with Gaza, and their reports that, that was attacked by militants as well.

[12:05:03]

This is an ongoing situation. The Israeli military calling up 10s of 1,000s of military reservists, not only for these ongoing airstrikes we're seeing that are targeting Gaza. We just saw -- we just saw from our producer who was there in Gaza, that one of the towers in Gaza was struck and completely leveled by one of these airstrikes.

But we also expect to see the Israeli military on the streets of Israeli communities.

And that is in -- that is because of these militant infiltrations. Israel still does not have control of all of these -- of all of these -- of all of these villages and towns in southern Israel.

And not just civilian towns, we know of at least two military bases, where they were firefight with Palestinian militants. And we know this was also taking place at the Erez Crossing, where so many journalists, humanitarians, and Palestinians, who cross into Israel from Gaza to work day by day, cross every single day, that has also been severely damaged by what's happening.

Hamas calling on all Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, across Jerusalem and Palestinian, who are also citizens of Israel, they're calling on them to take up arms. They are saying this is essentially their ultimate battle.

Christiane?

AMANPOUR: Hadas, thank you. And according to your reporting and others, as yet, that call to arms from Hamas has not been met in the territories and the areas that you're just saying, but clearly, all eyes are on that.

And we're also getting video, geo located and authenticated by CNN, that shows at least one Israeli soldier has been taken prisoner by Hamas, as indeed Hadas was talking about. A warning that this video could be disturbing to some videos. And we should note that it was released and edited by Hamas.

It shows Hamas fighters yanking two soldiers out of a disabled tank. It's unclear from the video how the tank was disabled. But Hamas has been using drones to drop bombs onto Israeli tanks.

You see one of the soldiers being kicked on the ground, and second soldier is seen being led away, while another is on the ground.

CNN does not know the current whereabouts or status of the three soldiers. An Israel Defense Forces have not fully commented on the claims that they have captured them.

So, let's bring in CNN Sam Kiley. Sam, I really need to focus on this idea of the soldiers that have been -- have been -- being held hostage by the Hamas as they say.

I think I heard Hadas say that Israel is now confirming that.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Christiane. That's exactly right. The IDF has confirmed they haven't gone into any detail, but they have said that they believe that there are hostages now being held by Hamas, and that there are what they're calling prisoners of war.

So, it's unclear whether there are civilians and or military personnel. Clearly from that video, you just played, there were military personnel. We've also seen authenticated video that we're going to bring to our viewers presently of a female civilian or somebody in women in civilian clothes being -- looking rather bloodied, a younger woman being bundled into what appears to be a captured Israeli jeep by Hamas militants inside the Gaza Strip.

So, this is clearly going to be an extremely difficult problem for the Israeli authorities to deal with. If they've now got a hostage crisis on top of the desire to go into Gaza, and seek revenge and try to break the back of Hamas, it's going to be that much harder.

But this is how things have evolved in the earlier part of the day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KILEY (voice over): Palestinian militants celebrate the destruction of an Israeli tank near Gaza. Dragging what appears to be the body of a crewman from the vehicle.

Dozens of Gaza-based Palestinian fighters have infiltrated Israel under the cover of a massive rocket bombardment. In what could be the biggest Israeli intelligence failure since Arab nations attacked Israel 50 years ago.

Hamas brought war to the streets. It's bullets tearing into a civilian vehicle in Sderot. Locals filmed fighters on rooftops and shooting at police.

Here, the aftermath of a gun battle, Israeli civilians lie dead on the street, close by what a reported to be Palestinian militants also dead.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): We are at war. Not on an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours. KILEY (voice over): Israel's already hit back with airstrikes. But the country's right-wing government will be under pressure to attack deeper into Gaza. As reserves are being mobilized country wide.

AVI MELAMED, FORMER ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL: It's very possible that we will witness a massive Israeli ground operation in Gaza Strip.

[12:10:03]

They basically will aim to try and to change totally from the ground the conditions that have been put

Israeli ground operation in Gaza strip that basically will aim to try and to change totally from the ground the conditions that have been prevailed for the last almost two decades.

KILEY: Israel's death toll climbed throughout a day of fighting. Militancy have claimed, so far without proof to have taken Israeli soldiers' hostage. And the Hamas-led operation is the most complex and ambitious in its history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Israelis --

KILEY: Here, militants in Jenin on the West Bank, foreshadow what was coming to CNN last October.

JENIN BRIGADE LEADER: There are extensive meetings with the resistance factions in Gaza and the West Bank, and with our brothers abroad about starting that fire.

KILEY (voice over): That fight now appears to have begun in Gaza. With this, Hamas call to arms. "If you have a gun, get it out, he said. "This is the time to use it. Get out with trucks, cars, axes. Today, the most glorious and most honorable history begins."

But that appeal has so far not been answered on the West Bank or among Israel's Palestinian population. Not yet.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KILEY (on camera): Now, Christiane, that call may not have been answered yet, but there will be a lot of -- the Hamas hoping to galvanize support with these very violent videos that they've been putting out of their military campaign against the Israelis, firstly.

And secondly, if the Israelis go in hard as is anticipated, that is something that Hamas will have planned for, and in many ways, will be seen something of an inevitable trap that the Israeli is going to walk into.

The more damage they do in Gaza, the more inflamed the Arab world will become. Christian?

AMANPOUR: Sam, thank you very much, indeed.

And now, let us go to Israel and to Merav Mechaeli. I'm afraid her shot just died, and we're going to get her back as soon as we can.

We're going to go to break, and then we'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:16:08]

AMANPOUR: Let's bring in Merav Michaeli now. She is the leader of the Israeli Labor Party. Thanks for being with us. Obviously, you're in the opposition. But I want to hear from you, how all of Israel's constituencies are reacting to the prime minister, who said that we are at war today. Presumably, you all support that.

MERAV MICHAELI, LEADER, LABOR PARTY: I don't think we react to the Prime Minister. We react to reality. We woke up everyone with the sirens. And we have been in a nightmare for over 12 hours now of a ferocious, sustained, horrible terror attack on Israel, with missiles, with Palestinians infiltrating over 15 communities in Israel, killing civilians, children, kidnapping civilians and soldiers, and just showing everyone that we are in a war.

And I think it's a good opportunity to notice many people think that when Hamas speaks against Israel, they don't really mean it, or I don't know what, but I think this is an opportunity to see that. They mean what they're saying. They want to eliminate the State of Israel, and I think the whole of Israel. And certainly, we all stand with our society and our country in saying, obviously, we will not let them.

AMANPOUR: There are lots of questions that I need to ask you. But first and foremost, the fact that some of these towns and villages inside Israel along the Gaza area, apparently, still not controlled by Israel. They're still fighting there. Do you confirm that?

MICHAELI: That's what we know from the IDF spokesperson, and this what -- this is what we have been following and living through these hours. Yes.

AMANPOUR: And secondly --

MICHAELI: By the way, what -- also what we have been getting informed here is that the number of deaths are already over 100, and not as was reported with your very good reporters. And we are speaking, we already of more than 1,000 people injured and wounded.

AMANPOUR: Well, those numbers are very high and pretty unprecedented in recent times, I think.

I want to ask you another question, because it goes to the fundamental heart of this that there appears to be Israeli soldiers taken hostage, according to Hamas and confirmed by your spokespeople.

Do we know whether they are hostage inside Israel? Do you know whether they've been taken into Gaza? And this is a huge matter for Israel, which always tries to get its hostages back? How will that unfold? MICHAELI: First of all, the hostages situation is both in Israel and in Gaza. And it's not only soldiers, it's also civilians that have been kidnapped and taken. We are not sure about the numbers yet. And our forces are still combating those terrorists within the communities in Israel. And we're still doing first and foremost, you know, what needs to be done in order to take back our communities, and the control back into our hands.

I think it's premature to speak about how exactly the hostages situation will unfold. But what is clear is this unprecedented attack, and this horrible attack on Israel should be respond -- should be responded really severely. I think there isn't a person in Israel today that does not agree to that.

AMANPOUR: So, then, what do you think the Israeli people expect?

[12:20:01]

Do you believe the prime minister will order a ground incursion into Gaza? How do you think given what's unfolding right now that the prime minister's declaration that Israel will win this, how about unfold?

MICHAELI: First of all, Israel must win this. It must protect itself in a way that will return the understanding of everyone else that will not get any ideas and that will not become emboldened by this thing that happened this morning.

So, we must win by protecting ourselves and making very sure that it is really very non worthy, trying to deal with Israel, the way Hamas just did this morning.

AMANPOUR: I mean, I don't need to read this to you because you know it, but Hamas is calling on the wider Palestinian population. And in the -- in the area to also take up arms.

One of their deputy chiefs has told the Al Jazeera network that Hamas has enough Israeli captives to make Israel free all Palestinian prisoners in its jails. I mean, that's just, you know, the -- I don't expect you to answer that.

President Biden has spoken with your prime minister and condemned what he called the appalling assault against Israel, by Hamas terrorists from Gaza. And many, many, many leaders, all the leaders around the world have condemned this and stand very, very firmly with Israel, and its right to self-defense.

The only, as far as we can gather, country that has come out in support of the attack is Iran. The question now is what do you expect to happen from Iran, Hezbollah? Do you think there might be more attacks? And also, what do you expect from all your allies and other nations who have pledged their support?

MICHAELI: Well, first of all, I've been reaching out myself to all of the leaders from our sister parties around the world -- our social democratic parties. And have been receiving -- really unreserved support in every possible way. And I've also heard President Biden saying that it -- the U.S. will stand with Israel, giving it whatever it needs in order to protect itself, which is a very, very important commitment to us.

And I hope, Iran and Hezbollah and everyone else heard it loud and clear, because it should mean a lot to them as well. As I said to you before, I hope it gave no one an idea and gave no one some unnecessary, so-called courage to try us again, because it will not end well for them.

This is clear. Israel with all the hardships we are going through, we are a very strong society and a very, very strong country, and we shall prevail. So, it's, I think, better for the Palestinian interest, and for our neighbors' interest not to try us, and not to try receive or accept Hamas's invitation to join the horrors that they are inflicting in the last 12 hours.

AMANPOUR: Merav Michaeli, you are a politician. You're the leader of the opposition Labor Party. We have heard from our reporters that there is a lot of anger, shock, and dismay that this actually even was able to happen. That there was apparently it to seems an intelligence failure. What is your comment on that?

MICHAELI: Listen, Christiane, it is no secret that I have always been an opposition to Netanyahu. Always. And I personally will certainly hold him accountable for his policies.

But today is still not the day for this. Today, we first and foremost, have to back our security forces, our military, and of course, our people, to stand with my fellow Israelis, and to encourage one another, and to make sure that we come out of this stronger than we came in to this.

And then, we can talk about all the rest and there is plenty to talk about.

AMANPOUR: Merav Michaeli, leader of Israel's Labor Party. Thank you very much for joining us.

And we will have much more on this breaking news coverage right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:28:32]

AMANPOUR: Just moments ago, a group of high rises in Gaza City was hit by an explosion causing these two towers to collapse. This is the Palestinian tower which holds media offices and residential apartments. It's not immediately clear if there were any casualties there. We're monitoring the latest developments from Washington, as well, in response to the unprecedented Hamas attack against Israel.

So, let's bring in CNN White House correspondent M.J. Lee for details. What are you hearing the latest from the White House from the president? M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden is here at the White House. We know that he has been briefed by his national security advisors. And we also know that he just spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and he released this statement just within the last hour or so, saying the United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the government and people of Israel.

He also goes on to say that terrorism is never justified.

Christiane, given that Prime Minister Netanyahu has effectively said, this is the beginning of a war, I think, it is safe to say that from the Biden administration's perspective, any assumptions that may have been made prior to this morning about the situation in the Middle East, those all go out the window, or at the very least, are on hold.

[12:30:04]

And that certainly goes for this deal that President Biden had been very involved in over the last few months, and trying to broker this deal to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, given importantly, that U.S. officials have been pushing for concessions to be made to the Palestinians. We also know that this is a situation that could certainly test the already strained relationship between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu. And we also think that it is likely that President Biden is going to receive some criticism from some factions here for the administration's recent decision to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian funds for the release of Americans that had been detained there. Of course, a senior administration official wanting to put context to that criticism, saying that those funds did not go to Iran, and they can only be spent for humanitarian efforts. But of course, John, this is certainly a very volatile situation, a quickly unfolding situation. And we do expect that President Biden will continue to be updated throughout the day.

AMANPOUR: M.J. Lee, thank you so much. And we are also going to be looking out for any international efforts to try to end this escalation and this war as, as Prime Minister Netanyahu says, and as indeed, the Hamas leaders are saying in comments to Al Jazeera, the deputy leader says that Hamas is ready for all options for the worst case scenario, including a ground invasion. They claim that they are really in this for a battle. So joining me now is Susan Glasser. She is a staff writer with the New Yorker.

Susan, welcome to the program. You've heard what President Biden has said, what all the world leaders have said, and the both Israel and Hamas seem to be digging in for an actual war and a ground invasion. How do you think diplomacy might have any option at this particular time in time?

SUSAN GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: Well, this is a good question, Christiane. Obviously, this is a very complex operation that caught Israel by surprise on a very historically resonant date, essentially, the 50th anniversary of the surprise attack that began the Yom Kippur War. I think there people are bracing in Washington and of course around the world, for the prospect, not only of a potential ground response by Israel to this horrific attack on its civilians, but also potentially the prospect of wider conflict in the region. I think that's going to be the most urgent focus of diplomacy. Egypt historically has played a role for example, in mediating that will be one thing to watch, I think, in the coming days.

But again, people are definitely evaluating the question of whether this sinks for now, the prospects of the wider regional peace deal that the Biden administration has been involved in intensive negotiations with Saudi Arabia and the Israelis over so that's one immediate question, Mark.

AMANPOUR: Susan, I want to ask you, clearly Israeli officials have for obvious reasons do not want to talk about the intelligence failures that are being lobbed at them. The allegations of that, on the other hand, many outside are just stunned by it, including former U.S.- Middle East negotiators who have been on CNN today. So give us a sense of, of what you have what you think went wrong, and how I mean, this is the most surveilled area of the Middle East, just about that Gaza border is heavily heavily monitored by Israel. And certainly the US and others have a lot of eyes on in that region. What do you think the fallout of just the surprise attack? What do you think that's going to be?

GLASSER: Yeah, absolutely. I'm already you know, seeing and hearing recriminations not only inside Israel. But here in Washington, as you pointed out, the United States also has intensive interest in that area and tension capacities to gather intelligence. So of course, people are going to be asking questions about what did it Tel Aviv and Jerusalem know, but also, what did Washington know? And when did it know it? Is it that there were indications of a kind of potential military operation and incursion? Or is it a question of not putting together the information that was there?

I think that's going to be very important. The shock to Israel cannot be underestimated. Already, we're talking about a level of civilian casualties that far exceeds anything in recent memory. This is a small country, the relative impact of deaths and injuries is much, much higher. And so these numbers I think, are going to be very shocking to Israelis already. We're talking about more than thousand injured, and that's by the official numbers over a hundred dead this is going to rise. So I think that the intelligence failures also the question we have to point out that Israel in recent months has been consumed by an enormous series of domestic political risks over Prime Minister Netanyahu has plans to reform and to change the Israeli judiciary that's led to hundreds of thousands of people in the streets recently, it may be that there was an opportunity here by Israel's opponents to seek to further and to take advantage of those divisions within Israeli society.

[12:35:35]

AMANPOUR: Susan Glasser, thank you very much. I'm going to put some of that to the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. He was prime minister from 2006 to 2009, also a former mayor of Jerusalem, but crucially, Ehud Olmert was Prime Minister during the last major ground incursion. And that was Hezbollah across the Lebanon Israeli border toward that I covered. Prime Minister Olmert, welcome to the program.

So first and foremost, can you just cast your mind back to then obviously, you're watching what's happening now? How much worse is it today than what happened in 2006, which was, you know, the last major time Israel was infiltrated?

EHUD OLMERT, FMR. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Without going into all the details, I mean, so long story, but the outcome of the second Lebanese war in 2006, was 17 years of deterrence, which stopped the Hezbollah from shooting even one bullet across the border to the State of Israel. So obviously, the confrontation in Lebanon was a major success from a strategic point of view. And I think that will happen today is a terrible, terrible event, which will almost inevitably will have serious consequences in terms of the need to fight against the terror from Gaza in a somewhat different way. The truth is that in the last few years, Prime Minister Netanyahu did everything in order to appease and to try and reach out to the Hamas, instead of trying to build up a relationship of trust with the Palestinian Authority, which now I think he's back in a very tragic and painful manner to the Government of Israel. But we -- it is much less important, but to the people of Israel into the reputation of the strengths of Israel visa vie, the terrorists in Gaza.

AMANPOUR: So Prime Minister, why do you think though you've been an outspoken critic of Benjamin Netanyahu, and we know that a court has ordered you to pay him defamation charges last year, but in this critical moment, as a former Prime Minister, what would you advise him to get basically people through this crisis and also to when the situation we understand that it is still ongoing inside Israel, that there are certain villages that are still there still attacks going on? both Israel and the Hamas are saying that close to the close to the border fence there, and there are hostages that have been taken in Israel's already sent a lot of airpower into Gaza. We've seen the pictures, and the deaths and the casualties are building up.

OLMERT: Well, obviously, we will have to do two things into different than separated tricks. One, we have to fight the terrorists, there is no question about it. These are brutal, vicious terrorists, they are not interested in making peace with Israel, they are motivated, inspired, equipped, and triggered by the Iranians and by others. And Israel has to plan in a very careful manner. I would not give advice to the Prime Minister, not even through you, Christiane, and CNN. But I think that the reaction of the Prime Minister has to be very calculated, very careful, very aggressive, and very powerful with in a manner that will hit the terrorists and try to avoid as much as possible, hurting, non-involved civilians --

AMANPOUR: Okay, so that's --

OLMERT: -- quite a few of them. I want to add something to this. If there was a dream, or an illusion, that the Palestinian issue can be ignored. I think the events of today prove that it can't be ignored. It can't be overlooked. And something must be done in order to deal with the Palestinians not will come as we have to fight Hamas, but we have to reach out for the Palestinian authority we have to speak with those who are capable and interested and perhaps maybe ready to speak with us which we didn't do up until now, for many years already, and this is a tragic mistake. Now, we'll have to do it. We'll have to reach out for Abu Mazen, and we'll have to fight the Hamas.

[12:40:23]

AMANPOUR: From what you know about the Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority and the West Bank, do you believe that this could erupt further around, you know, West Bank and elsewhere and not be limited just to the Gaza area of Israel?

OLMERT: Well, you probably know quite well, that over the last few months, there is an ongoing terror activities by individuals, but it's orchestrated and inspired by the Hamas in the West Bank. So there is already terror on a on a lower level, on the lower level in the West Bank, but quite a significant terror. And it probably can expand and we have to be careful and aware of that.

But this is not the only other arena. Question is what will Hezbollah do and what the Iranians will inspire the other factions to do so this is something that needs to be taken care of in a very careful, but in a very powerful and decisive manner. Two things two tracks at the same time, fighting Hamas and talking to Abu Mazen.

If someone thinks that we can continue to ignore the Palestinian issue as if it doesn't exist, I think the events of today are a tragic and painful, and bloody reminder of the impossibility of this dream.

AMANPOUR: Yes. And we will obviously put that to Palestinian officials who we plan to talk to in the ensuing you know, hours. But can I ask you this? Again, it's a sensitive issue. Israeli officials don't want to talk about it right now, because you're in a battle for existence. But what about, are you surprised that this happened? Are you surprised that it happened first, without apparently any knowledge with such a devastating effect? What do you think triggered it?

Apart from all the other issues, what sort of actual events do you think triggered it? Is it just the anniversary and to make a point by Hamas? Is it something else has been going on? What is it in your mind?

OLMERT: I think I think it's been building up for a very long time. I mean, we were supposed to be a lot more knowledgeable about the plains of the Hezbollah and the Hamas and I'm sure that sooner than later, I mean, the questions will have to be raised about how come the Israeli intelligence was not aware of what they are planning. And because obviously, I mean, this kind of operation, which is, from their point of view, a very dramatic and devastating operation. It has not been planned over the last 24 hours, it's been planned and for a long time, and somehow, we were not prepared to face it in an appropriate manner and to stop it.

So these questions will have to be seriously discussed. But at the present time, I think that we have to use all the all the wisdom that we have, and I hope we have it in order to deal with cabanas, and it will not be simple, it will be bloody. It will be you will see many -- in many days, you will see terrible pictures coming from Gaza. And sooner than later, the tide of public opinion may change in favor of the suffering of those who will be caught identified as the victims of Israeli aggression, forgetting entirely that thousands of Israeli civilians not involved at all, were attacked today by the Palestinians.

But this is something that we have to deal with, as I said, in a very decisive, powerful, aggressive, and articulate manner. Yet at the same time, I think we have to soften up the possible ramifications of this reaction by reaching out for the Palestinians that are ready to talk with us.

AMANPOUR: You made that clear.

OLMERT: That were anxious to talk with us that are looking for some kind of a recognition by the Israeli government. Unfortunately, and as long as this government will prevail with the Messianic members that are a major part of this government, it will not be very easy.

[12:45:08]

So the Israeli government is caught in a very, very delicate situation. And I think that, you know, after the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago, you mentioned it before. He took few months before the government of Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan had to resign in the new leadership came on. I think that this is almost inevitable outcome of the events of today will have also to be to foreign government. And I hope that the Israeli public opinion and the rioters in Israel in a democratic manner will bring it about.

AMANPOUR: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert used to be a member of Likud, now, obviously an opponent of the current Prime Minister. Thank you for your perspective given that you went through this in 2006.

OLMERT: Thank you.

AMANPOUR: And we'll have more on our breaking news coverage after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:07]

AMANPOUR: We're back with our breaking news. Israel is at war with Hamas says the Prime Minister. Hamas today launched a major surprise attack on Israel by air, land and sea, air of course paragliders. 70 people are dead and more than 900 wounded. Although officials have told us that death figure is actually much, much higher right now. And some Israeli citizens and Israeli soldiers are being held as hostages and prisoners of war.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has just spoken with President Joe Biden is the international community braces for a conflict that no one saw coming, at least to this extent. And we're now getting new video that shows Hamas appearing to take Israelis captive. This video has been geo-located by CNN, but we want to warn you that it is disturbing. It's war. This is in Gaza.

You can see a barefoot woman pulled from the trunk of a Jeep by a gunman and then forced into the backseat of a car. Her face is bleeding and her wrists appear to be cable tied behind her back. The Jeep is also appearing to have an Israeli Defense Force license plate, suggesting that it might have been stolen and brought into Gaza.

Now Palestinians in Gaza are paying the price for Hamas is brutal attack today on Israel. The death toll there is rising, too. The Israeli prime minister has declared war and promises a severe retaliation against Hamas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in operation or in rounds. But at war. I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves, and that we returned fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Joining us now is Mustafa Barghouti, he's a senior member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and the General Secretary of the Palestinian national initiative.

So Mr. Barghouti, welcome to the program. Everybody is really, really taken by surprise. What was your first reaction when it happened today?

MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, LEADER, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL INITIATIVE: Well, my first reaction that was that this was going to happen, simply because and I think we owe it to the audience to know the background of what's happening. And the background is that we've been under Israeli military occupation for 56 years, Palestinian refugees have been displaced from their homelands in 75 years.

We have been suffering all these years. My grandfather, my father, myself, and my daughter never had a day of freedom here, like all Palestinians. And during the last eight months since the beginning of this year, the Israeli army killed 248 Palestinians, including 40 children. We've witnessed terrorist settlers attacks on Palestinian cities, burning cars, burning houses, attacking villages. And we've seen unprecedented level of settlement expansion. And we've seen Netanyahu carrying the map of Israel in the United Nations, which included all of the West Bank, all of Gaza Strip, including also Jerusalem, and the Golan occupied territories, and declared that this is Israel.

His government declares that they want to annex the West Bank, that there is no place for Palestinian statehood. And what we've seen is Netanyahu advocating normalization with Arab countries to marginalize and liquidate the Palestinian cause. I think Mr. Olmert has just said that, of course, Palestinians would react to that and would react to the efforts of Israel to marginalize their course. And that's what happened today.

AMANPOUR: Okay, so --

BARGHOUTI: And I don't think that the narrative that is explained here is quiet, right? I think one has to see the fact that the people in Palestine are occupied and oppressed for all these years.

AMANPOUR: The international community and people certainly understand that and we are obviously giving the narrative from your perspective right now. So what I want to know from you is you explain it, but Hamas is not on your side. It's not on the Palestine -- Palestinian Authority side. You're in the West Bank, and they are also threatening you. And I want to know -- okay.

BARGHOUTI: I don't agree with that. I don't think Hamas is threatened us what threatens us is our the Israeli settlers.

AMANPOUR: Okay.

BARGHOUTI: What threaten us, the Israeli occupation. What threatens to threaten us is the fact that Israel never learns from its mistakes and from its history, and the same and for in my opinion, as the American administration which fails to see things in an equal manner the fact that we are looked at as if we are all terrorists. I mean, look, it's not just Hamas that is described as terrorists, the American Congress considers the PLO, including Mr. Abbas as terrorist as well. So the issue here is, are we Palestinians equal human beings or not?

[12:55:24]

Are we allowed to resist occupation as international law says or not? Are we entitled to peace and security as well or not? If Israel is has the right to defend itself, do Palestinians also have the right to defend themselves or not? That is the question.

And at this very moment, since the beginning of this day, Israel has already killed 220 Palestinians in Gaza, including civilians, and injured 1,800 people. I care about the life of everybody, whether it's Palestinian or Israeli or anybody else, I don't want anybody to die. But I also say, we should be treated as equal human beings. And that means we are entitled to freedom, that means we are entitled to Indian occupation. The main cause of what is going on, is the continuous occupation is the fact that the world has been silent about Israeli crimes against Palestinian people.

AMANPOUR: But do you think I mean, look, you've been there for a long time, do you think this is the way to do that? And the other question is, where is this going to lead? Because as the U.S., you know, negotiate himself has said, it's quote, unquote, "rinse, repeat, wash," whatever that statement is. It's the endless cycle of what happens.

So Israeli civilians have been killed today. Israelis are being held hostage and where does this lead? BARGHOUTI: And Palestenian as well.

AMANPOUR: Do you believe that it's going to erupt on the west bank where you are?

BARGHOUTI: It is already erupting in the West Bank since eight months, Christiane. I think we have had clashes everywhere because the Israeli settlers continue to attack us. And Israel continues to grab land. And during the last three months, Israel forced 20 communities to be ethnically cleansed in the area C of the West Bank. So practically this is going on before the attack happened from Gaza.

And the big question here is what is the way out of this? The only way out of this situation and of -- and I hope that the word will not continue to say that Israel has the right to attack Gaza aggressively again. This will not solve the problem. Israel already conducted five wars on Gaza. 5,000 people have been killed mostly civilians, this did not change much. The only way to change the situation is to accept us as equal human beings is to end the Israeli occupation. And in the system of apartheid, that everybody says is much worse than the system of apartheid that prevailed in South Africa at one point of time. Equaly is the way.

AMANPOUR: Mustafa Barghouti and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the Palestinians have to be engaged once the Hamas threat is neutralized. So this is obviously something that everybody's going to be looking for looking towards for the future. But right now, this war is on. Thank you for joining us, and we are following the latest developments from Israel. Our special coverage will continue right after the break.

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