[Tony Harris, Cnn Anchor:] All right. Hello everyone. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM, and here are the headlines from CNN for this Tuesday, the 30th day of December. Israel bombards Gaza for a fourth day. Its leaders signal the attacks against Hamas targets will go on for some time. A cruise ship passenger overboard. Did she jump or was she pushed? The FBI says it still doesn't know if a crime was committed. A tear in your beer and a reboot for your resume. A St. Louis tavern comes up with a way to help the jobless and his own business. Fast-moving developments in the line of fire between Israel and Hamas. Israel's prime minister now describing the massive bombing blitz in Gaza as merely the first stage of a wider military campaign. The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli assault jumping to more than 375, most of them militants, but several children also killed. Hamas militants still able to fire off rockets into Israel despite the ferocity of the Israeli airstrikes. The Palestinian rockets killing six Israelis, five of them civilians. Let's get you right to the region. Our Ben Wedeman live in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, about seven miles north of Gaza. And Ben, if you would, how would you describe the rockets from Hamas positions on southern Israel today?
[Ben Wedeman, Cnn Jerusalem Correspondent:] It's certainly been less, Tony, today than it was yesterday. Yesterday, there were approximately 70 missiles landing in southern Israel. Today, we're looking at more like 30. But about half an hour ago here in Ashkelon, we did hear the rocket alarm go off, and moments later heard a distant thud when a rocket impacted. But despite that, it's been relatively quieter today than the previous days. The crew that was here yesterday from CNN said especially in the evening, it was quite hairy, with the rocket alarm going off very frequently. And they said it was reminiscent of when they covered the war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, when they were up in the north, when there were rockets coming down by the dozen every day Tony.
[Harris:] Just a quick note here, Ben. I'm starting to get a lot of traffic, wire traffic now, suggesting that there are efforts under way to bring about and I have to be careful with the wording here either a ceasefire, a truce. Are you hearing anything along these lines?
[Wedeman:] Yes. What we've heard is Israeli media reports suggesting that third parties have intervened to propose a 48-hour truce to allow humanitarian goods into Gaza, and but what we've heard from both of the Israeli army, as well as the spokesman for the prime minister, that they have vehemently denied that such a truce or ceasefire of 48 hours is in the offing. Now, these Israeli media reports, Tony, are also suggesting that this would simply be to allow humanitarian goods into Gaza before the much-awaited ground offensive. So this doesn't necessarily mean, whether this is true or not, confirmed or unconfirmed, that this is the end of this operation in any sense Tony.
[Harris:] OK. Ben Wedeman for us in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Ben, appreciate it. Thank you. Controversial accounts about why an Israeli warship hit a boat taking medical volunteers and supplies to Gaza. Our Karl Penhaul was aboard the Dignity at the time of the incident. Here's his account of what happened.
[Karl Penhaul, Cnn International Correspondent:] This is the Dignity. It's a 60-foot motor yacht, and it was in this vessel that the Free Gaza Movement, both its members and also a group of doctors, surgeons, a former U.S. congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, and a member of the separate parliament were trying to head from Cyprus to reach Gaza to take three tons of much-needed medical aid to the people of Gaza and help them in the humanitarian crisis that has come as a result of the Israeli bombardments there. But then in the black of night, it was probably still three hours before dawn, the Dignity was in international waters, the seas were very heavy. Very stormy seas. And at least two Israeli patrol boats then came in very fast pursuit of the Dignity, they approached it very easily, and then for the next half hour, moved and maneuvered around the vessel, in front, behind, and on both sides. At least one of those Israeli patrol boats had a powerful searchlight lighting up the Dignity. The Dignity itself was sailing with full light. After half an hour and there was no previous radio communication, according to the Dignity's captain one of those Israeli patrol boats with no lights on rammed the front left side of the Dignity very hard. Now, that shattered the glass windows around the wheelhouse. It also caused part of the roof to peel back and punctured the hull. At that stage, the captain sent out a Mayday distress signal. Another crew member came back to the passenger area, issued us all with life jackets and said that we should be prepared in the next few minutes to take to the life rafts. The fear, the very real fear at that stage, was that the vessel was going to sink. But in those intervening few moments, the captain went down below deck and he said that he managed to activate some of the bilge pumps, and that started to pump the water out of the hull. That really is what saved the vessel. Those actions are what saved the vessel and prevented us from having to abandon ship. Subsequently, the Israeli defense forces have issued a statement. They claim that the incident was an accident. They say that the Dignity was trying to outmaneuver the Israeli patrol boats. The captain and also members of the Free Gaza Movement who were organizing this trip say that they do not accept that version of events. They say the incident took place in international waters, that the Israelis had no right at that stage, they say, to try and intercept them, and they also say that it was a very definite ramming. They say that the lights were on the vessel, there was no question the vessel was in the position that it was. And those boats had been moving and maneuvering very efficiently for the previous half an hour, and they see no reason why at that point the patrol boat would collide with the Dignity unless it was a deliberate ramming. Fortunately, though, no casualties. The boat has now docked in Tyre, Lebanon, and members of the Free Gaza Movement will now look at other options to see how that much-needed humanitarian aid can be delivered to the people of Gaza. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Tyre, Lebanon.
[Harris:] The Bush administration puts blame for the violence squarely on Hamas. We are awaiting a statement from the White House later this hour. Right now, live to our Elaine Quijano in Crawford, Texas Elaine.
[Elaine Quijano, Cnn White House Correspondent:] Well, Tony, President Bush is remaining out of public view, monitoring events very closely, though, from his ranch nearby here in Crawford, but leaving it to a spokesman to lay out the U.S.'position. Now, the United States believes that in order for the violence to stop, Hamas must stop firing rockets into Israel. That has been the White House's position all along. At the same time, the United States is notably not urging restraint, even as Israel amasses tanks and troops along the border with Gaza. I should say Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been in touch with regional leaders trying to push through what the United States is calling a durable and sustainable ceasefire. So far, though, no word on any progress on that front. And the president, meantime, again, continuing to watch the events unfold in Israel and Gaza very closely getting updates, Tony, by phone and by secure video from his top aides Tony.
[Harris:] All right. Elaine Quijano in Crawford, Texas, with the president. And that news conference scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The incoming president keeping close tabs on the situation in Gaza while keeping a low profile on the conflict. But in just three weeks, Barack Obama inherits this problem in the Middle East. Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry traveling with the president-elect. Live now from Honolulu. Ed, good to see you again. You know, I'm getting I'm just sort of curious I'm hearing it from a lot of people that I talk to on day-to-day basis, particularly in a crisis situation like this, the Middle East. We know that it is a top priority for the president-elect, but many wonder how the Obama administration will deal with the situation like the one that is unfolding before our eyes right now in Gaza differently than the way the Bush administration has dealt with it.
[Ed Henry, Cnn Sr. White House Correspondent:] Well, good question, and it's hard to answer right now, because as you know, the president-elect is here on this vacation and is not speaking out, really, at all about the situation. Continuing this mantra of there's only one president at a time. So all we can do is take a look at what he has said in recent months, take a close look at it. And for example, this past summer, in July, as a candidate, he went to Jerusalem. He was being Republicans were charging he was not a strong enough defender of Israel, so he went there and really spoke out. And at one point, sort of emotionally said, look, if Hamas was sending rockets into the home where my two daughters sleep he made it that personal...
[Harris:] Yes.
[Henry:] ... I can understand why Israel needs to defend itself. What's fascinating is, yesterday, as you know, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, basically in the Knesset used Obama's remarks to say, look, the president-elect of the United States is sort of behind us, you know, to sort of justify Israel's actions. And that's what happens when you have a vacuum like this and the president-elect is not speaking out. People start picking and parsing what he has said in the past. And if you look at that closely, what he said last summer in Israel, that sounds very similar to President Bush's approach to Israel they have a right to defend themselves, Hamas has to stop sending the rockets. Pretty much exactly what Elaine Quijano was just saying about what President Bush has said and his aides are saying now. And so, frankly, on the surface, you don't really see very much that would be different in terms of the approach from the president- elect than we've seen from President Bush. And as you know, over the last eight years, President Bush has not been able to get a peace deal Tony.
[Harris:] Al right. Well, let's see if we can drill down on to one specific question here. Has the president-elect taken negotiating with Hamas off the table?
[Henry:] No. But what's interesting there as well, you'll remember in the campaign, again, Republicans were attacking Barack Obama...
[Harris:] That's right.
[Henry:] ... as a candidate when he said, you know, maybe you need to talk to folks like Hamas. And they were saying, look, he's soft on terror, and they were really hammering in. And so what he did in response was say, look, my suspicion is the same at John McCain's. You only talk too Hamas if they renounce terror, number one, and if they finally recognize the state of Israel. That's really not different, again, from what President Bush has said. So, over time, we've seen Barack Obama move closer to the Bush administration's position on a lot of these things. Again, we've got to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's not speaking now. Maybe on January 20th, January 21st he'll have some whole new idea we haven't heard yet. But with him being silent right now here in Hawaii, and we look closely at what he has said, his approach is not much different than President Bush. And President Bush's approach has not yielded very many results. Now, as you know, this morning, Anthony Zinni, the retired general, said that it's time for Barack Obama to negotiate with Hamas, once he becomes president. But again, you've got to remember, it was with those conditions...
[Harris:] That's right.
[Henry:] ... not just willy-nilly talk to terrorists, but that they renounce terror and they recognize Israel. Those are the same conditions that Barack Obama has had in his position. So if he were to talk to Hamas, it would be under those very strict conditions. So, frankly, I don't see a lot of daylight between the Obama and Bush positions Tony.
[Harris:] OK. Ed Henry for us in Honolulu. Ed, appreciate it. Thank you. More demonstrations here in the United States against the Israeli strikes on Gaza. About 250 protesters marched down Fifth Avenue in New York late yesterday. They waved Palestinian flags and called for an end to the attacks. Some protesters handed out leaflets urging a boycott of Israel. Demonstrators shouting "Free Palestine!" marched through the streets of New Orleans yesterday. Protests are planned in several cities today. We will keep you updated as developments unfold throughout the day right here in the NEWSROOM. And be sure to log on to our Web site for more on the conflict, the international response, and the history behind it, including a look at the important players and the latest pictures and video. Check it on out at CNN.com. A little political tinkering in Russia today. President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a law extending presidential terms from four to six years. Many say the move may be a way for Vladimir Putin to regain the office. There is rampant speculation Medvedev could actually resign, opening the door for his mentor to step in. The Russian constitution barred Putin from a third consecutive term. He is currently prime minister and continues to hold great power. Does anyone see a real solution to the Mideast problem? Thoughts from a Mideast expert, that's next.