CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Israel-Hamas Conflict

Interview

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HARLOW: Welcome back. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left no doubt the fight against Hamas from Israel's point of view is nowhere near over and will not end until its job is done militarily namely shutting down the tunnels into Israel and hopefully they want, of course, to bring every soldier home.

Let's talk about this what Netanyahu said this afternoon with Bob Baer, CNN national security analyst and also former CIA operative, joining us also is Representative Adam Schiff, a California democrat, also a senior member of the House intelligence committee.

Congressman, let me start with you. When it comes to the U.S. they have been clear, we back Israel in all of this. We support Benjamin Netanyahu. Also you heard President Obama and other U.S. leaders, Secretary John Kerry, condemning the fact that the cease-fire was clearly broken yesterday after just a few hours and the capture of that Israeli soldier.

From your perspective what did you make of Netanyahu's comments today saying that there will be a regrouping, that they have significantly deteriorated Hamas' capability but not saying what the regrouping or change of strategy will be?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, I think what the prime minister is saying is really reflective of what the Israeli public wants, and that is they want an end to the tunnel threat and I think anything short of that isn't going to satisfy Israeli concerns about their own security. So, it's hard to see this ending anytime soon.

The best prospect was that truce that allowed Israel to continue destroying those tunnels but Hamas violation of that and their inability potentially to control or enforce the cease-fire makes that pretty impractical going forward. So, my guess is Israel will continue as long as it feels those tunnels are a risk. And it may go beyond that as long as that soldier is still unaccounted for.

What we can do I think is stay in touch with our allies in the region. Continue to talk with Egypt, with Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, the Palestinian authority, with Jordan, to get a sense of what might be the right ingredients to bring about a real and lasting cease-fire and a longer-term solution. Other than that I'm not sure that there's much we can do at the moment.

HARLOW: And we know that representatives from Israel, at least at this point in time are no longer going to Cairo for the peace talks. We also know that here in the United States, you know, overwhelming passage of more funding, millions in funding for the iron dome. This coming from Congress yesterday.

To you Bob Baer, I want to read to you some of the statement that we got from a senior Hamas leader in reaction to what Benjamin Netanyahu said. He said in his statement "Netanyahu showed his defeat and his admission of failure of his aggression against our people in Gaza. This was, moreover, a failed attempt to lift the morale of his defeated army." Of course, rhetoric on both sides. But what do you make of that reaction to what Netanyahu had to say?

BOB BAER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I think it's clear at this point that Hamas continues to fight on. It thinks it's fought to a stalemate and the fact that the Israelis had to regroup. Is in a certain sense in their terms small but important victory. I don't think Hamas at this point intends to give up. I mean, they would like the Israeli army to keep coming in deeper and deeper, increase the number of casualties. This is an organization frankly that's on the ropes, with the new regime in Egypt, the chances of getting resupplied aren't good, with the Israelis closing down most of the tunnels they're going to start to get what they get this time.

I was thinking a very hard time rearming for the next conflict and so they're hoping for the best they can get out of it. And they frankly don't mind that Netanyahu's going to continue on.

HARLOW: Does it matter for Hamas in the long term, though, Bob, that they have lost support or do not have the vocal support of almost all of the Arab world outside of Qatar?

BAER: Poppy, that's very important. I think you have to look at the mess in Iraq with ISIS, the mess in Syria, we have to look at what Hamas is essentially the Muslim Brotherhood, even ISIS is the most militant end of the spectrum of the Muslim Brotherhood and you're seeing the Arabs as well as the Israelis and the United States turning against political Islam, Sunni radicals and I think these people know it. And deep down everybody would like to see them destroyed and Hamas is going to go down with them.

HARLOW: All right, we appreciate it. Congressman Adam Schiff and Bob Baer. Thank you both very much. We will be right back.

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