Today began with some hard news from the White House.

The number of Americans confirmed killed by the Hamas terrorist assault on Israel this weekend

has climbed to at least 22, and that number may rise. On top of that tragic news the White House announced today that another 17 Americans remain

unaccounted for and the White House expects the number of known American hostages

taken by Hamas to climb.

We know that a number of those Americans are being held hostage right now by Hamas.

I think we all need to steal ourselves for the very distinct possibility that these numbers will keep increasing.

And that we may in fact find out that more Americans are

part of the hostage pool. Hamas is believed to have taken around 150

hostages and the group is threatening to execute those is in their homes. The scale and the brutality of this crisis is without modern precedent.

Today, as Israeli troops cleared the sites of Hamas's attacks near Gaza,

the scope of this weekend's violence became clear. Soldiers were seen recovering

scores of bodies. 260 people killed dancing at a music festival. Families killed in safe rooms or at bus stops, just going

about their daily lives. Today the US sent its highest serving diplomat to

Israel, Secretary of State Antony blinkin, in a show of support.

President Biden publicly addressed the war for a third time

and spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu for the fourth time

since fighting began on Saturday.

Inside Israel there are signs of political solidarity.

Today Netanyahu and his top political rival Benny Gantz formed a unity government in the Israeli parliament.

It is something that would have been almost unthinkable just a week ago.

But today with his former political rivals at his side, Netanyahu gave a speech vowing that every Hamas member is a dead man

...