>>> HAMAS' CHIEF SAID TODAY THAT WHILE THE TERROR GROUP IS SHOWING SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TALKS FOR A POTENTIAL DEAL THAT WOULD INCLUDE RELEASING SOME HOSTAGES HELD IN GAZA, AND A TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE, IT'S PREPARED TO CONTINUE FIGHTING. THIS AS NEGOTIATORS IN QATAR CONTINUE TO PUSH HARD FOR A DEAL BY THE START OF RAMADAN, WHICH BEGINS MARCH 10th. TODAY FAMILIES OF THOSE HELD BY HAMAS BEGAN A FOUR-DAY MARCH TO JERUSALEM, CALLING FOR ALL OF THE HOSTAGES TO BE FREED. JOINING US NOW, RAF SANCHEZ, IN TEL AVIV, AND FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER, ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS. RAF, NEITHER HAMAS NOR ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER APPEAR TO BE ON BOARD WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN'S HOPE THERE'S A CEASE-FIRE BY NEXT MONDAY. NOT SHARING THAT OPTIMISM. THE TALKS ARE UNDERWAY IN QATAR. THE LEADERS ARE PUTTING OUT WORD THEY ARE WORKING HARD ON IT. WHAT'S THE LATEST? >> Reporter: I SPOKE TO AN ISRAELI OFFICIAL EARLIER TODAY. THEY SAID AT THIS POINT THE TALKS ARE BASICALLY AT A STANDSTILL. YOU REMEMBER LAST WEEKEND, THE CIA DIRECTOR BILL BURNS, OTHER U.S. OFFICIALS MET IN PARIS WITH COUNTERPARTS FROM ISRAEL, QATAR AND EGYPT. THEY HAMMERED OUT A FRAMEWORK FOR A TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE. THEY ARE STILL WAITING FOR HAMAS' FORMAL RESPONSE TO THAT. WE ASKED HAMAS ABOUT THAT. ONE OF THE SENIOR POLITICAL OFFICIALS CONFIRMS THEY ARE STUDYING THIS PROPOSAL. THEY HAVE YET TO GIVE A FORMAL RESPONSE TO IT. HE SAYS, THERE ARE MAJOR GAPS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. HE CITES THREE SPECIFIC AREAS. THEY WILL BE FAMILIAR TO OUR VIEWERS. THEY HAVE BEEN THE ISSUES THAT HAVE DOGGED THE TALKS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS CEASE-FIRE WOULD BE TEMPORARY, WHICH IS WHAT ISRAEL SAYS MUST HAPPEN, OR PERMANENT. HAMAS WANTS IT TO LEAD TO A COMPLETE END OF THE WAR. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ISRAELI FORCES WOULD WITHDRAW FROM THE CITIES INSIDE THE GAZA STRIP DURING A TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE OR WHETHER THEY WOULD LEAVE THE GAZA STRIP ALL TOGETHER. FINALLY, THIS QUESTION OF ALLOWING PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS TO RETURN TO GAZA CITY AND THE NORTH OF THE STRIP. THE SITUATION IN GAZA CITY RIGHT NOW IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF GAZA IS DIRE. THE U.N. IS SAYING, IT IS UNABLE TO MAKE FOOD DELIVERY TO THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STRIP BECAUSE OF ISRAELI MILITARY RESTRICTIONS AND PARTLY BECAUSE THERE'S A COLLAPSE OF LAW AND ORDER IN THE NORTH OF THE STRIP. YOU HAVE CROWDS OF DESPERATE PEOPLE BASICALLY LOOTING TRUCKS THE SECOND THEY COME IN. OUR CREWS IN GAZA HAVE SEEN FAMILIES THAT ARE COOKING LITERALLY FLAKES OF BARLEY THAT ARE INTENDED FOR DONKEYS. THEY ARE COOKING THEM INTO WHAT LOOKS LIKE PANCAKES. WE ARE HEARING FROM ONE OF THE FUNCTIONING HOSPITALS IN NORTHERN GAZA, THEY SAY AT LEAST FOUR CHILDREN HAVE DIED FROM COMBINATIONS OF DEHYDRATION, MALNOURISHMENT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. THE U.N. IS WARNING THAT THERE IS A REAL, REAL RISK OF FAMINE IN NORTHERN GAZA IF THERE ISN'T A CEASE-FIRE AND IF THERE ISN'T AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS AID DISTRIBUTION ON A STEADIER FOOTING. >> ADMIRAL, THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND IS SO FRAUGHT. WE ARE HEARING FROM ISRAELI GENERALS, PROFOUND DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER. HE IS INSISTING THEY WILL GO AHEAD AND INVADE RAFAH WITHOUT GIVING THE U.S. ITS DEMANDED PLAN FOR WHAT HE WOULD DO WITH THE MILLION PEOPLE PLUS WHO ARE THERE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RELOCATED WHO ARE LIVING IN THE WORST CONDITIONS, IN TENTS, NO FOOD, NO WATER, NO FUEL. >> YEAH. THE ISRAELIS, FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE, HAVE ESSENTIALLY AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK. THEY HAVE FOUR THINGS THEY ARE TRYING TO DO, WHICH IN MANY WAYS ARE CONTRADICTORY. NUMBER ONE, THEY WANT TO DESTROY HAMAS OR RENDER IT COMPLETELY INCAPABLE OF MILITARY RESPONSE. THEY ARE PERHAPS TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY DOING THAT. THAT'S A LOT OF PROGRESS. IT HAS COME AT A HUGE COST, WHICH IS THE SECOND PROBLEM, TO WHICH YOU AND RAF JUST ALLUDED, WHICH IS THIS TERRIBLE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALL OF US. THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS IS THE NEED FOR THE ISRAELIS TO GET THEIR HOSTAGES AND ALL THE WHILE DEFEND TO THE NORTH AGAINST
