We begin tonight with Israeli’s invasion of Gaza growing more intense, with troops and tanks advanced further to enemy territory. This as the FBI Director, C.W, warned senators on Capitol Hill that the war could inspire extremist groups to launch attacks here in the US. Israeli forces are engaged in urban combat with Hamas fighters as they advance toward the densely populated center of Gaza City. Two Israeli soldiers were killed, the first since the ground incursion. Israel says it hit about three hundred Hamas targets with airstrikes in the last twenty-four hours, including at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, causing catastrophic damage. Several apartment buildings were destroyed, killing dozens of people. And we learned today that the US is sending three hundred more US troops to the Middle East. They won’t go into Israel, but they will help with things like communications, disposal of explosives, and other support. And back here in Washington, protesters calling for a ceasefire disrupted, Secretary of State A.B’s testimony on Capitol Hill. Senators today confirmed former Treasury Secretary, J.L, as the new US ambassador to Israel. That’s actually a position that has been vacant for more than three months.

Tonight, fierce fighting is underway inside Gaza. Hamas has fired a barrage of rockets into Israel, several aiming there at Tel Aviv throughout the day, while rescue teams tonight are racing to find survivors in the latest series of Israeli airstrikes. The vast craters left behind as deep as they are wide, the sheer destruction surrounding residential buildings, the terrible human toll are all evidence of the ferocity of the Israeli airstrike north of Gaza City, right in the middle of the densely packed refugee camp. One survivor said felt like an earthquake. Hamas said dozens were killed with another a hundred and fifty badly wounded, making it one of the deadliest single attacks since fighting began. Israel Defense Forces released more video today, said to show its troops advancing through a desert scrubland, bulldozers paving a way through the sand and debris for tanks, and soldiers on patrol walking their way through the remains bombed out buildings after weeks of airstrikes.