WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ISRAEL RIGHT NOW?

WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN ISRAEL?

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT ON THE SOLDIERS AND THE FAMILIES ON THE FRONT LINES.

JONATHAN CONRICKUS, the international spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force, will be speaking with me and our viewers tonight. I KNOW YOUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO ME AND OUR VIEWERS TONIGHT. THERE IS NEWS THAT THE RAFA WORD BORDER IN EGYPT WILL BE OPEN FOR PALESTINIAN FOREIGN NATIONALS, INCLUDING AMERICANS CAN YOU TELL US CATEGORICALLY THAT THIS EVENING, AS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CROSS AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IS TRYING TO GET IN, THERE WILL BE NO BOMBING OR SHELLING IN THE AREA? Sorry, there is no audio. We've already tried to coordinate the safe exit of Americans from the country with the help of the Egyptians, Americans, and others. SORRY, I WAS ON MUTES. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND I'LL REPEAT WHAT I SAID THAT WASN'T AUDIBLE. We were coerced into going to the Gaza Strip, and of course we made sure that there was no military activity of ours there, although HAMAS had mentioned it. Therefore, it is mostly up to Hamas to decide what they will permit to occur. Of course, anything humanitarian coordinated with Israel, the government, or the military would be clearly respected. IDF is reporting that there are 126 confirmed hostages, and these are people.ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL OR A THIRD PARTY. KIDNAPPED BY THE TERRORISTS OF HAMAS. ON RELEASING THOSE HOSTAGES, LIKE ANOTHER COUNTRY? He was an Israeli soldier that Hamas kept secret for five long years. >> Not that I'm aware of. No. >> I don't need to remind you. BUT MANY OF OUR VIEWERS MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HAMAS WILL NEGOTIATE WITH YOU OR THE U.S. FOR THOSE AMERICAN HOSTAGES? IT TOOK A PRISONER SWAP OF 1,000 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS TO GET HIM BACK. Without delving into politics and strategy, I don't think that Israel is looking to deal with what Hamas will do. DISMANTLING HAMAS, ITS MILITARY LEADERSHIP AND ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES SO THAT AT THE END OF THIS WAR, HAMAS DOESN'T HAVE ANY MILITARY CAPABILITY; AND OF COURSE IT IS OUR INTENTION AND COMMITMENT TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE HELD HOSTAGE TO BRING THOSE ISRAELIS HOME. I know you are aware of the Palestinian convoy that got stuck. PALESTINIAN MEDIA, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT IT WAS AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE AND I KNOW ISRAEL IS DENYING THOSE REPORTS, WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WAS IT AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE THAT KILLED THOSE INNOCENT PALESTINIANS. 70 PEOPLE INCLUDING CHILDREN, TRYING TO FLEE GAZA. We are in a war zone, and things change a lot when there is a war.

AT THE SAME MOMENT. WAR ALSO ENCOMPASSES THE INFORMATION REALM. AND WHAT WE HAVE SAID UNEQUIVOCALLY -- [INAUDIBLE] THE IDEA OF SPOKESPERSON, AND EVERYBODY ELSE, IS THAT CLEARLY WE HAVE NOT TARGETED ANY CONVOY, ANY CIVILIANS, ON THATROAD. SPECIFICALLY ON THAT ROAD. AND NOWHERE ELSE IN GENERAL. BUT SPECIFICALLY, TO THAT LOCATION, CLEARLY NO PURPOSEFUL TARGETING. IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INCIDENT OF FIRE AROUNDIT. But that is incredibly improbable. I also want to bring up the fact that the Gaza Strip is Jonathan, if that makes sense. I JUST LIKE TO COMPLETE AND SAY -- >> JONATHAN I WANT TO JUST STOP -- JONATHAN -- I JUST WANT TO STOP YOU FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE IT SOUND A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM ISRAELI OFFICIALS. ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS INDEEDAN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE BUT ITMIGHT HAVE BEEN ISRAELI BOMBS THAT KILLED THOSE 70 PEOPLE? GAZA STRIP IS GOVERNED BY TERRORIST ORGANISATION THAT HAS BEEN ATTACKED IN THE PAST, SO THAT WAS -- BEFORE -- IN THE MIDDLE SENTENCE, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GETTING TO WE ASSESSED THAT IT IS HAMAS WHO IN FACT STAGED THESE, AS THEY HAVE A LONG TRACK RECORD PROVEN RECORD OF LIEING, FALSIFYING AND DEALING IN MISINFORMATION. EXPLOSIONS. HAMAS IS -- RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AT THIS STAGE, WE HAVE READ THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY JOURNALISTS AND WE HAVE TRYED TO CORROBORATEQUESTIONS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED. I WANT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE AND YOU KNOW, THINGS CANHAPPEN IN WAR BUT THERE WAS DEFINITELY NOTHING PURPOSEFUL AND I THINK THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHO WOULD STAND TO GAIN FROM SUCH A CONVOY BEING ATTACKED. HAPPENED. IT IS A VERY CHAOS ENVIRONMENT. The organisation that stands to benefit from that is Hamas, and regrettably, I don't believe it would be within Hamas' power to attack their own citizens if they believe this would benefit the soldiers and families who are present on the front lines. Please accept my thanks for your report. MORE THAN 48 HOURS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE ISRAELI MILITARY ISSUED A WARNING TO 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE. JONATHAN CONRICKUS, the international spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Force, will be with us tonight. I KNOW YOUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR. CIVILIANS IN GAZA TO EVACUATE AND IN PREPARATION FOR A GROUNDOFFENSIVE. There is news that the RAFA WORD BORDER IN EGYPT WILL OPEN FOR PALESTINIAN FOREIGN NATIONALS, INCLUDING AMERICANS, TO GET OUT AND JUST A FEW HOURS, AND FOR AID TO COME IN, CAN YOU TELL US TONIGHT CATEGORICALLY, THERE WILL BE NO BOMBING OR SHELLING IN THE AREA AS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CROSS AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IS TRYING TO GET IN? AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO ME AND OUR VIEWERS TODAY. WE'VE ALREADY TRIED WITH THEEGYPTIANS, THE AMERICANS AND OTHERS TO COORDINATE THE SAFE PASSAGE OF AMERICANS OUT OF THEGAZA STRIP. WE WERE FORCED AND OF COURSEMAKED SURE THERE WAS NO MILITARY ACTIVITY OF OURS IN THE AREA, BUT IT WAS TALKED BY HAMAS. Therefore, it is mostly up to Hamas to decide what they will permit to happen. Of course, everything humanitarian coordinated with them must be allowed to happen. Israel will be treated with clear respect, whether it is by the government or the military. >> I DF IS REPORTING JONATHAN IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL OR A THIRD PARTY LIKE ANOTHER COUNTRY ON RELEASING THOSE HOSTAGES? THERE ARE 126 HOSTAGES CONFIRMED AND THESE ARE PEOPLE KIDNAPPED BY THE TERRORISTS OF HAMAS.

I'm not aware of anything, so no. I DO NOT NEED TO REMINDER YOU OF IT. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HAMAS WILL NEGOTIATE WITH YOU OR THE U.S. FOR THOSE AMERICAN HOSTAGES? HE WAS AN ISRAELI SOLDIER THATHAMAS KEPT HIDDEN FOR FIVE YEARS, FIVE LONG YEARS, AND IT TOOK A PRISONER SWAP OF 1,000 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS TO GET HIM BACK. Without getting into politics and strategy, I don't think Israel is looking to negotiate. What we're going to do is dismantle Hamas, its military leadership, and its military capabilities so that at the end of this war, Hamas doesn't have any military capability. Of course, it is our intention and commitment to the families of those held hostage to bring those ISRAELIS home. I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THE PALESTINIAN CONVOY THAT WAS STUCK. PALESTINIAN MEDIA, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT IT WAS AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE AND I KNOW ISRAEL ISDENYING THOSE REPORTS, WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENED? 70 PEOPLE, INCLUDING CHILDREN, TRYING TO FLEE GAZA. WAS IT AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE THAT CAUSED THE DEATH OF THOSE INDOLENT PALESTINIANS? We are in a war zone, I suppose. WAR ALSO INCLUDES THE INFORMATION REALM, AND WE HAVE SAID UNMISTAKABLY -- [INAUDIBLE] THE IDEA OF SPOKESPERSON, AND EVERYONE ELSE, IS THAT CLEARLY WE HAVE NOT TARGETED ANY CONVOY, ANY CIVILIANS, ON THAT ROAD. SPECIFICALLY ON THAT ROAD.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INCIDENT OF FIRE AROUND IT, AND NOWHERE ELSE IN GENERAL, BUT SPECIFICALLY, TO THAT LOCATION, CLEARLY NO PURPOSEFUL TARGETING. However, that is improbable, and I would want to bring out the fact that the Gaza Strip is Jonathan, instead. I JUST LIKE TO COMPLETE AND SAY -- >> JONATHAN I WANT TO JUST STOP -- JONATHAN - I JUST WANT TO STOP YOU FOR A MOMENT BECAUSE IT SOUND A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM ISRAELI OFFICIALS.ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT IT WAS INDEED AN ISRAELI AIR STRIKE AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ISRAELI BOMBS THAT KILLED THOSE 70 PEOPLE? GAZA STRIP IS GOVERNED BY A TERRORIST ORGANISATION THAT HAS A LONG TRACK RECORD PROVEN RECORD, OF LYING, FALSIFYING, AND DEALING IN MISINFORMATION. WE ASSESSED THAT IT IS HAMASWHO IN FACT STAGED THESE EXPLOSIONS. AND HAMAS IS -- RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AT THIS STAGE, WE ASK QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS WHAT JUST HAPPENED. BUT I WANT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE AND YOU KNOW, THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN WAR BUT THERE WAS DEFINITELY NOTHING PURPOSEFUL AND I THINK THE INVESTIGATIONSHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHO WOULD STAND TO GAIN FROM SUCH A CONVOY BEING ATTACKED, ESPECIALLY ON THE ROUTE THAT WE MADE SURE WOULD BE OPEN FOR EVACUATION. AND THE REALM