[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn:] Happening now, a SITUATION ROOM special report. Breaking news tonight: all U.S. flights to and from Israel canceled. A new FAA ban is now in effect after a rocket attack and a dramatic in-flight diversion. Israel's top aviation official standing by to respond in an exclusive interview. Plus, deadly new attacks on Gaza. We will get a live update from the scene, as U.S. attempts to promote a cease-fire go late into the night. And the U.S. releases new intelligence in the downing of Malaysia Flight 17. There's more confusion at the crash site and growing outrage about reports of looting and evidence tampering. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Jerusalem. You're in
[The Situation Room. Announcer:] This is CNN breaking news.
[Blitzer:] And let's get right to the breaking news tonight. All U.S. flights to and from Israel grounded. It is a very rare order by the FAA and it is driving home the danger to civilians as Israeli forces battle Hamas militants. Other countries are suspending flights to Israel as well. There is enormous concern right now about flying over war zones after the shoot-down of Malaysia Flight 17. We have our correspondents, analysts, newsmakers, they're all standing by. We are following all the new developments here in the Middle East and in the Ukraine crash. First, more on the breaking news affecting thousands of travelers in the United States and around the world. Hamas has threatened to aim its rockets at Israel's main airport. And this time, one landed dangerously close, hitting a nearby town and damaging a home. That forced a Delta plane from New York to Tel Aviv to divert in midflight and land in Paris. CNN's John Vause was on board.
[John Vause, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Out of an abundance of caution, they have decided to reroute the plane, now heading back to Paris.
[Blitzer:] Now the FAA has banned all U.S. airlines some flying to and from Israel for at least 24 hours because of security concerns. Other international airlines also are canceling flights to Israel, including Lufthansa, KLM and Air France. As Israel presses ahead with its assault on Hamas targets in Gaza, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Egyptian and Arab League officials in Cairo to push for a cease-fire.
[John Kerry, U.s. Secretary Of State:] The loss of lives and the humanitarian impact is really heartbreaking.
[Blitzer:] The death toll on both sides is rising. Most of Israel's casualties are troops, including a missing soldier, now believed to be dead after the ambush of an armored personnel carrier, according to Israeli media, and two Israeli-American soldiers killed during fighting in Gaza, one of them a Texas native. His funeral held in Israel, drawing thousands of mourners. More funerals in Gaza as well. The United Nations says up to 80 percent of Palestinians killed in the fighting are civilians.
[Unidentified Male:] The pressure is mounting. And I hope this massacre will stop.
[Blitzer:] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged both sides to agree to a cease- fire.
[Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-general:] My message to Israelis and Palestinians is the same: Stop fighting. Start talking.
[Blitzer:] Prime Minister Netanyahu argued that ultimately there isn't much Israel can do to satisfy Hamas because he says they are terrorists who want to kill civilians and wipe out Israel.
[Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister:] Hamas is like ISIS. Hamas is like al Qaeda. Hamas is like Hezbollah. Hamas is like Boko Haram. In the face of such terror, Israel has no options but to defend itself.
[Blitzer:] The Palestinian death toll in Gaza now is up to 630. At least 30 Israelis have also died, 28 soldiers, two civilians. Let's go live to Gaza right now for the very latest on the fighting there. Karl Penhaul is on the scene. What are you seeing, Karl? What are you hearing?
[Karl Penhaul, Cnn Correspondent:] You're absolutely right, Wolf. That debt toll continues to mount, now more than 630. That means effectively in the last 24 hours there have been around 80 deaths. Of course, the United Nations still insisting that between 70 and 80 percent of the casualties are in fact civilians, noncombatants. But, tonight, now that night has fallen, we are once again hearing heavy artillery fire. And it looks to be coming just from the east of Gaza City. We have also seen some flares up in the sky. That in previous nights has tended to indicate that Israeli ground troops are on the move, difficult to see here exactly. The reason they are putting those illumination flares into the sky is that a lot of the Israeli troops don't appear, at least from the night-vision scope video that we have seen, they don't seem to be operating with night-vision goggles. That's why in the last phases of maneuver, they are putting those illumination rounds up. We have seen that tonight. Does that mean that Israeli ground forces are coming deeper into Gaza? Could well be. As I say, that's been backed at certain points throughout the evening with heavy artillery fire as well, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Looks like no end in sight, at least for now. Let's see if the cease-fire can be achieved in the coming days. Karl Penhaul in Gaza, thanks very much. Let's get back now to the dramatic new development. The FAA back in Washington temporarily banning all U.S. flights to and from Israel's main airport that would be Ben Gurion International Airport after a Hamas rocket from Gaza landed not very far away. Joining us now for an exclusive interview, the director of Israel's Civil Aviation Authority, Giora Romm. Mr. Romm, thanks very much for joining us. Your reaction to what the U.S. government has decided to at least for 24 hours ban all U.S. flights in and out of Israel?
[Giora Romm, Director, Israeli Civil Aviation Authority:] Hello, Wolf. Yes, there was a decision there is a decision, an FAA decision to hold all-American flights for the next 24 hours. We held a conference call with the FAA officials about an hour ago in which we gave them full analysis of the precautions that Israel has taken in the last 15 days, how we conducted full operational airport, the Ben Gurion Airport. And we are awaiting their decision.
[Blitzer:] Well, they make the point and we just heard it again from the White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, who told, as the FAA said in their statement, that this rocket landed within a mile of the Ben Gurion International Airport. We showed our viewers the damage that was done to that home there. Isn't it wise now to err on the side of caution, if rockets are getting so close to the airport? Maybe it would be smart to avoid flying into Ben Gurion, at least for the time being?
[Romm:] Wolf, we are now about 2,200 rockets later and 15 days of fight and about 6,000 flights. And not even a single rocket landed in Ben Gurion. And it is not a miracle and not a trick. We know how to defend Ben Gurion, period. And we know how to do it. We have prepared ourselves. We know how to conduct air traffic management. We know how to safeguard Ben Gurion. And we know that that rocket was going to impact a point across the fence of Ben Gurion. And for different reasons, we let it impact that house in Yehud. But Ben Gurion itself has seen no single rocket. And I think the chances that it will see a rocket inside is extremely slim. And I expect the FAA to reconsider a decision.
[Blitzer:] Following the FAA decision, Mr. Romm, as you know, most of the European airlines, major ones like Lufthansa, KLM, they suspended flying in and out of Israel for 24 or 36 hours, some of the Asian airlines. Except for El-Al, are there other commercial airlines still flying in and out of Israel?
[Romm:] I had a very busy evening, so I don't have all of the information. I think British Airways is flying in and out of Israel. And there are others. But, yes, Wolf, you are right. The Europeans were running immediately after the Americans. I don't know if they have judgment of their own. But I do hope that when the Americans will hopefully change their mind, the Europeans will do the same.
[Blitzer:] How big of a deal is this for Israel? Let's say there's no flights coming in except for El-Al and a few other smaller carriers. This could be a major, a major problem for Israel. This is a heavy tourism season. A lot of tourists have already canceled because of the fighting with Hamas. You are going to lose a lot of revenue for Israel, aren't you?
[Romm:] Wolf, I will not hide it from you. This is a major setback from Israel, the unfortunate American decision and what followed later was the European decisions. And it is a big hit to the Israeli economy and to our pride that we could have hold and maintain the area traffic to and from Israel. And as I said for the third time, we hope that the FAA will reconsider its decision after we gave the FAA a very thorough analysis of why we believe that Ben Gurion is a safe and secure airport and we will see Delta and U.S. Airways and United flying again to Israel.
[Blitzer:] When you spoke to the FAA, and you say you just got off a conference call with the FAA back in Washington, did they cite only this one rocket that landed about a mile away from Ben Gurion Airport, or did they site other factors as well? I think Mr. Romm, can you still hear me or have we lost communications with you? Mr. Romm, can you hear me?
[Romm:] As far as I understand, this is I can hear you loud and clear.
[Blitzer:] All right, go ahead. Were there other reasons they offered other than this one rocket that landed near the airport? Did they say there were other factors as well?
[Romm:] Absolutely not, Wolf. The regulation, the FAA regulation said that if there is less than one mile hit on the rocket from the fence from the perimeter of the airport, activity of U.S. carriers is put on hold for about 24 hours. They didn't mention any other thing or any other activity which they feel uneasy about.
[Blitzer:] Giora Romm is the head of the Israeli Aviation Authority. Mr. Romm, thanks very much for joining us. We will touch back with you, touch base with you tomorrow, to see where this situation is unfolding, Giora Romm of the Israel Aviation Authority. Let's get an update now on the efforts to try to promote a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. A cease-fire if that were really to go into effect, presumably, the airport at Ben Gurion the flights in and out of Ben Gurion would resume as normal. There have been ongoing talks in Cairo involving Secretary of State John Kerry. Saeb Erekat is the chief Palestinian negotiator and he is joining us on the phone now from Jericho on the West Bank. Saeb, thanks very much for joining us. What is the very latest? I know have you been working very hard with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to get a cease-fire. Where does it stand?
[Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator:] Well, it is very, very critical, intensive efforts being exerted by Secretary Kerry, by President Abbas, by the Egyptian foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, by Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, and by Mr. Khalid Attiyah, the foreign minister of Qatar. I think there are parallel tracks trying to work out a balance between a cease-fire that would be accepted and then lifting the siege from Gaza. I cannot tell you at this particular moment, at this minute that we are close or we are far away. All I'm saying, it's the most serious efforts that we have seen in the last 15 days being exerted now, with the focus on Secretary Kerry. I think he is now holding all the lines and he just was on the phone about 15 minutes ago with President Abbas. And maybe, maybe by the early hours of the morning, I'm not saying I don't want to raise expectations or raise hopes, but I hope that these efforts will culminate in reaching the balance between the cease-fire and lifting the siege and beginning the negotiations under the umbrella of the Egyptians.
[Blitzer:] Because when I spoke to Osama Hamdan of Hamas, he was in Doha, Qatar, in the last hour, he seemed to think there was a good chance there could a cease-fire as well. Here's the question. The last time there was a serious Egyptian proposal, as you know, the Israelis accepted it, the Palestinian Authority accepted it, the Arab League accepted it. Hamas rejected it because they said they weren't actually presented formally that proposal. Are you confident that Hamas, this time around, will in fact accept a cease-fire?
[Erekat:] Well, as you know Wolf, yesterday, President Abbas spent almost three hours with Mr. Khaled Meshaal and Hamas politburo, and I know that Mr. Khalid Attiyah, the foreign minister of Qatar, is spending last night and tonight also a lot of meetings with Hamas leadership. And I'm telling you the parallel tracks with Sameh Shoukry, the foreign minister of Egypt, with our guys also in Cairo, and with Mr. Kerry being the focal point of all these contacts, I'm crossing my fingers, Wolf. I don't want to raise anybody's expectations, but I think if we can create the balance, and it's doable, between the cease-fire and lifting the siege and both sides getting their obligation, of course, at the end of the day, we have a national consensus government, Palestinian national consensus government that would be fully in charge of the implementation, whether opening the passages, whether the sea, with the prisoner issues, and the humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza. So let's hope that by tomorrow morning or tomorrow night when you speak to me, I will be explaining the details of how it was reached and was agreed. I'm really hoping that we can succeed. But I'm not giving you anything concrete tonight because I don't want to raise anyone's expectations. I have been there before. I don't want to raise anyone's expectations. All I can say, it's the most intensive efforts that are being exerted the minute I'm speaking to you now, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] That does sound somewhat encouraging. But you're absolutely right, it's not a deal until it is a done deal. Even if it is a signed deal, then you have to implement it. And there can easily be violations, as we all know. The last time the Egyptians put this proposal forward, they said a cease-fire right away. As I pointed out earlier, the Israelis accepted. This time around, would it be a cease-fire and then all of the other issues would be discussed and negotiated or are some of those other issues that, for example, Hamas wants included in this deal right now, are they going to be implemented right away, presuming the Israelis would accept?
[Erekat:] I think the approach now is not the sequential approach, what is first and what is second and what is third. I think now we're working in parallel tracks. We're working on a track called the cease-fire track, called the implementation of obligations, lifting the siege, lifting the closure. So, I think it's parallelism now, not sequential. And I think what you said about there is no done deal. Even if it is a done deal, it may be complicated. I think you know the Middle East very well, Wolf, so let's hope and pray we can have an agreement that can be implemented as of tomorrow.
[Blitzer:] Let's hope indeed. We will touch base with you same time same place tomorrow. Saeb Erekat joining us from Jericho on the West Bank, let's hope this fighting stops and people can go back to their lives and hopefully, hopefully emerging out of this. We can only hope and pray that there can be a resumption of the peace process eventually leading to real peace, two-state solution, as it's called, Israel and Palestine living side by side. Let's see if that can be achieved. It's a dream right now, and it's seems unlikely. But maybe something good in the end can yet emerge from this disaster. Saeb Erekat, thanks very much. Still ahead, we will have more on the breaking story we are following. The new U.S. ban on flights to and from Israel and growing fears about planes flying near an active combat zone. Congressman Peter King is standing by. He's on the Homeland Security Committee, on the Intelligence Committee. He has good inside information. He will tell us what we all need to know about flight dangers around the world.