Welcome to the lead, I'm Jake Tapper, and we start with breaking news.

The Israel Defense Forces announced this evening.

It is expanding its ground operations against Kamos in Gaza.

This was the scene just moments ago.

It has been nearly constant rocket fire and explosions.

Gaza residents tell CNN that these are the most intense air strikes that they have.

Experienced since the war began 20 days ago.

And there are reports of widespread power and cellular and internet outages across the Gaza Strip.

It is unclear what these ramped up attacks will mean for hostage negotiations.

Today Israel said it believes Kamos is still holding 229 innocent people that are kidnapped on October 7th.

In the United States, the White House says it is in, quote, active conversations with Israel about a humanitarian pause to work on the release of the hostages.

The diplomatic sources told CNN earlier today that significant progress had been made.

And US officials are insisting those talks are going to continue, although they warn it's, quote,

touch and go given the kinetic operations going on right now in Gaza.

It was of course only three weeks ago right now that the citizens of this country were celebrating the Sabbath and a festival honoring the end of the cycle of reading the Torah.

Residents of two Kibbutzim were holding anniversary parties for the Kibbutzim.

Hundreds of young people from all over the world were flocking to a music festival to celebrate peace and music.

All of them blissfully unaware of the horror that was coming for them at 630 the next morning.

Hamas, roughly 1400, would be cruelly slaughtered, some beheaded, some burned, more than 220 kidnapped.

The deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

And now resulting in a war against Hamas, the government of neighboring Gaza, whose residents, the Palestinian people,

are tragically now bearing the brunt of what their government did, 21, 20 days ago tomorrow, three weeks ago tomorrow.

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