Welcome to the lead I'm Jake Tapper, the war in the Middle East at this hour appears

to be expanding as it steps up its Gaza offensive.

Israel has now formed an emergency wartime government in response to the Hamas terror

attacks that have killed at least 1200 people, 22 or more of the Americans.

The Israeli government is publicly accusing the Iranian regime of, quote, giving the

green light to Hamas, which it funds, to carry out the barbaric attacks over the weekend,

a statement that differs from sources familiar with U.S. intelligence.

If you thought this seriousness of this all, the deadliest day for the Jewish people

since the Holocaust, the war that will cost countless innocent Israeli and Palestinian

lives, risks of a regional conflict.

If you thought this all would motivate House Republicans to get their act together, to

elect a speaker.

So the U.S. legislative branch can function.

Well, you would be wrong.

Behind closed doors today, the majority of House Republicans chose Congressman Steve

Scalise of Louisiana to be their nominee to be the next speaker of the House, but 99 House

Republicans did not choose him and instead of coming together behind the majority choice

of the majority party, the minority is once again rebelling in the full House vote on

the next speaker.

Which could have been happening right this minute is not happening and it's scheduled

for, well, who knows when, really, let's start on Capitol Hill with CNN's Melonies

Inona.

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