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Israeli Proposed Cease-Fire; Israeli Strike on School; Ebola- Infected Americans; Hamas Leader Speaks

Aired August 04, 2014 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You're watching CNN.

A deadly day in Jerusalem as the crisis unfolds rapidly in the Middle East. At least one person is dead, and five others are injured after what Israeli police call a terror attack. What you're looking at here, this is aftermath of the scene. Officials say a backhoe slammed into a passenger bus, overturned it, the driver, a 20-year-old Palestinian, shot dead by authorities.

We are also learning about a separate act of violence on the streets of Jerusalem involving a man on a motor bike who opened fire in a tunnel. Israeli police and rescue services tell CNN, an Israeli soldier was severely wounded. All of this bloodshed happening as a temporary humanitarian cease-fire declared by Israel expires.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Our level of faith in Hamas' ability to honor any sort of arrangement made internationally is at an all-time low. What happened on Friday where we were given assurances, the U.N., the Americans were given assurances from the Qataris that all Palestinian factions would abide by that cease-fire and then one- and-a-half hours in the cease-fire we're brutally attacked and three of our people are killed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go straight to Israel to our own Jake Tapper, who's joining me live.

So, Jake, we know Hamas says it never agreed to the cease-fire in the first place, calling the whole thing a PR stunt. The Israeli military has confirmed that its forces launched an aerial strike today before the expiration of this cease-fire on this refugee camp in Gaza City. And a warning, as we talk, you know, the video is pretty tough to look at. But was this, Jake Tapper, was this a violation of the cease-fire?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was Israel's unilateral cease-fire in order to deliver humanitarian aid into -- to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. So it was their own cease-fire that they were violating. It's hard to understand how an aerial bombing of a refugee camp would not qualify as a violation, but Israel says it did not. We should point out that this specific incident happened at a -- shortly after 10:00 at a house at a refugee camp in north Gaza. They say that it was part of an ongoing operation so it didn't violate the cease-fire. Nonetheless, 30 individuals were injured, and an eight-year-old girl was killed. That's in north Gaza.

And then, of course, you have all the violence here in Jerusalem today. Almost a new front in this latest conflict with the two incidents you mentioned. And an Arab Israeli taking a large backhoe type machine and overturning a bus, killing a 25-year-old orthodox Jew before being shot by Israeli police himself. The Israeli police calling it an act of terror, although as of right now, we do not know the motivation of this individual.

And then, of course, a lone gunman opening fire on an Israeli defense forces soldier at the Hebrew University Mt. Scopeus (ph) campus. He was severely wounded and the gunman on the motor bike managed to escape. And as of now, we still don't - do not know if he has been apprehended at all. So a bloody day both in north Gaza and here in Jerusalem, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Jake, you come at the story with a unique perspective. You've been there just for a couple of days. And so just with your own eyes, we've been watching your Twitter account and you took this photograph of something I just want to share with our viewers. A message to President Obama from someone who lives in Ashkalan (ph) in Israel. And the sign reads, "would you also give the order to cease-fire when missiles will fall down on your children's head? If you're our friend, don't interfere. If you're our enemy, just give us the heads up." Tell me, just why you chose to photograph that.

TAPPER: Yes.

BALDWIN: What is the general consensus from Israelis you're speaking to?

TAPPER: Well, the Israeli populous -- the Jewish Israeli populous, and we should point out there is a large Muslim and Palestinian Israeli populous as well, but the Jewish Israeli populous is strongly behind the current IDF operations in Gaza according to polls. Although Netanyahu has slipped a little bit in approval ratings, he is still well above 50 percent here. And what I've heard from Jewish Israelis is resentment at the criticisms that President Obama and the Obama administration have offered, which really are very small when you think about what President Obama has said about Hamas in terms of the United States continuing to fund the Iron Dome. Just last week, more than $225 million, continued military and political support for Israel from President Obama and his administration.

Nonetheless, some very harsh comments from his administration, perhaps the harshest I have ever read when it comes to the civilian casualties, and specially yesterday that Israeli strike near that U.N. school turned shelter in Rafah in southern Gaza. So a lot of Israelis, I've heard, have said to me that they resent the posture President Obama has taken, even though, as I say, President Obama still voicing very strong support for Israel and its right to protect itself, offering some criticism here and there about specific operations and civilian casualties, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Not just strong words from the president, also from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, calling that specific attack on that school moral outrage, criminal attack. We'll talk about that a little bit more in detail. But, Jake Tapper, thank you so much for now. Just to remind our viewers, Jake will host "The Lead" live from Jerusalem today in about two hours from now here on CNN. Jake Tapper, thank you so much.

Speaking of the Obama administration, it's still defending Israel's right to defend itself. It says Israel's deadly attack Sunday on that U.N. school where civilians were taking shelter was both appalling and disgraceful. At least nine people were killed when explosive shells hit that school in Rafah. Here on CNN, a State Department spokeswoman said the Israelis need to do better to try harder not to hit civilians, among whom militants are known to seek cover, hide their weapons. Take a listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: When you have a situation where innocent civilians are killed in Gaza, there's more that Israel can do to hold themselves to their own standards. And the United States, of all countries, has experienced this in places like Afghanistan. We're saying, they need to hold themselves to their own standards and do more here in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's talk a little bit more, though, about the United Nations, because if you read "The New York Times" this morning, there was a piece citing a U.N. review that purportedly indicates Israel last week used non-precision artillery shells in a strike on yet another shelter, leaving 21 dead in Gaza. A human rights lawyer based in Jerusalem, and quoted by "The Times," said this, "heavy shelling into a populated area would be inherently indiscriminate." That last word, "indiscriminate," it's key here, very important, since Israel says Hamas is the one who's been launching weapons, artillery indiscriminately, thus putting Israeli citizens at risk.

So we have for you live now from Gaza City, Robert Turner, local director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

So, Robert Turner, welcome to you.

These civilians in Gaza, they are dying in supposed safe zones. These U.N. safe zones. Are you talking to, are you communicating with the Israelis to tell them where these safe zones are?

ROBERT TURNER, U.N. RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY: Absolutely, on a daily basis, sometimes more than once. The attack yesterday in Rafah, the location of that particular shelter had been transmitted to the Israeli forces on 33 different occasions, the last just an hour before the attack. The Jibali (ph) attack you mentioned that was last week, the location had been transmitted 17 times, the last just the evening before the attack. They know where these buildings are. They know where these shelters are. They're supposed to be indicated on their maps and they're supposed to be protected.

BALDWIN: "Supposed to be," obviously the key word in that final thought. We know that Israel and some of its strongest supporters say that we, members of the media, you know, are only telling half the story. They say that the media is showing death and destruction in Gaza, for example, failing to mention that it's Hamas, as we try to doing our due diligence here at CNN, reminding the viewer, you know, that they're hiding fighters, they're hiding weapons among these mosques and schools and shelters and among civilians. So for the record, we have done that, as I mentioned, over and over again here on CNN. Just take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR, CNN'S "THE LEAD": I'm just trying to provide the larger context here. If militants are firing from near a school, does Hamas or whatever group the militants are with, Islamic jihad, whoever, do they bear any responsibility, do you think?

WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR, CNN "THE SITUATION ROOM": But, Mr. Ambassador, you're not condoning Hamas putting weapons in United Nations facility in Gaza, are you?

JOHN BERMAN, ANCHOR, CNN'S "AT THIS HOUR": The United Nations says that they found munitions stored in a United Nations school inside Gaza.

KATE BOLDUAN, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY": Hamas, according to Israel, has hidden rockets in civilian areas, even in U.N. shelters.

ANDERSON COOPER, ANCHOR, CNN'S "AC 360": You don't believe Hamas bears any responsibility for firing rockets near schools or anything else?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So we've been reminding our viewers, Robert. But just to ask you, since you are there in Gaza City, have you seen with your own two eyes Hamas, you know, having hidden these weapons at either of the schools we're talking about, and as part of that thought, are you able to reach out to Hamas and demand that it move its weapons, move its artillery away from civilians?

TURNER: Well, there's a couple of -- there's a number of issues tied up in that. One is the issue you've said, which is that we have found weapons cashes in our installations on three occasions. The reason that you know that is because we've said so, because we've been public about it, we've been transparent about it, we've told all the parties about it. We have done all that we can. We have called on all parties, including Hamas, to respect the neutrality and invalability (ph) of our own installation. We've done that consistently, for all the parties, and we have (INAUDIBLE).

The incidents of fatalities in our shelters, of which there have been three, all a result of Israeli fire. On the first, they claim that there was a strike against their forces, a shot against their forces from 80 to 100 meters away from our shelter. They've not shown evidence of that.

They then responded between eight and ten mortar shells, one of which landed in the courtyard of the school, causing fatalities and injuries. Is it an appropriate use of munitions, is it appropriate precaution being taken to fire a mortar barrage to a site that you say is 80 to 100 meters from a -- from a shelter, from a designated shelter? If you - similarly in Gibalia (ph), the location of that school, they've shown no evidence that there was any militant activity around there. And if there was, is it showing adequate precaution to fire multiple artillery shells into an area where you know there's shelter? If you're tracking a motorcycle and you want to fire a missile at them, is it showing appropriate precaution to fire that missile when the motorcycle is adjacent to the entrance to a shelter? Where can these people hide if their supposed to go away from anywhere that a motorcycle can drive?

BALDWIN: That's the question, where do these people go, given the fact that they are basically fenced in, in Gaza. Robert Turner, I appreciate you and all of your work with the United Nations. Thank you so much.

Just ahead, the political leader of Hamas sits down with CNN and addresses whether he is using civilians as human shields, as we were just discussing. Wait until you hear his direct response with Nic Robertson.

Also, did a secret serum enable an American infected with Ebola to walk -- here he is, out of the ambulance -- to walk into the isolation room at the hospital on his own? Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me live from outside that hospital as another infected American gets ready to come to the United States. Stay with me.

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BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN.

A doctor in Liberia describes it as miraculous. This top-secret, experimental serum given to just two American aid workers infected with the deadly Ebola virus. And so far, the pair's response appears to be remarkable. This serum has made it possible for Nancy Writebol to prepare to come home. A special plane outfitted with an isolation unit is actually en route to pick her up, bringing her back to the United States for treatment. She is likely to arrive in Atlanta's Emory University Hospital at some point tomorrow.

As for the other American Ebola virus victim, Dr. Kent Brantly, he is waking up today in that very same Atlanta hospital after a life-saving and well-orchestrated emergency evacuation from Liberia, from Africa. His arrival to this hospital, just over the weekend, is amazing to watch because here he is seen walking himself, climbing out of that ambulance, days after being in grave condition. It's pretty impressive.

CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is live for us right now outside of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, where we should point out he is also on the faculty. Sanjay Gupta, I mean, first of all, just to see him walking out of the

ambulance is incredible in and of itself. But secondly, I want to know about this top-secret serum. What is this stuff and how is it working?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, we got some extraordinary details about this, Brooke, just over the last several hours. It is a serum, first of all, that has never been tried on a human being before.

BALDWIN: Wow.

GUPTA: Just preface it by saying that. Only in monkeys where it had significant benefit, and that obviously was part of the reason that it was going to be tried at all. It was sent into Liberia. It was frozen, stored at subzero temperatures. It came into Liberia. It had to be thawed naturally, meaning no heat was administered to it. And at that point, Dr. Brantly and Ms. Writebol, as you mentioned both patients, they had conversations about this whole thing, the ethics of it, would they take it. Dr. Brantly ultimately suggested that Ms. Writebol take it first, because she - because he was younger and more likely to recover.

During the thawing out process, Brooke, takes several hours to thaw it out, Dr. Brantly's health deteriorated. He got quite, quite sick. His breathing became labored. The rash over his body was starting to really grow. He thought he was going to die. The doctors who were caring for him thought the same thing and a decision was made collectively to take the now thawed medication, this experimental medication, and instead give it to Dr. Brantly.

Here's where it got even a little bit more extraordinary, Brooke. Once the medication was administered, my reports, sources say that within 20 minutes to an hour, Dr. Brantly's condition dramatically improved. He was near death, he had had a conversation with his wife about that and he now was able to -- his breathing improved dramatically. The rash nearly went away. By the next morning, he was able to get up and shower prior to his flight, his prearranged medevac flight to the United States.

So, you know, again, he is one patient. The first patient in the world to ever receive this. But in his case, it seemed to have a really dramatic improvement. Ms. Writebol got the medication as well. She's had two doses. The first dose didn't seem to have as dramatic improvement. It could have been because she wasn't as sick. But the second dose had a significant improvement, and, you know, she's stable enough to now make the trek from Africa to Atlanta, as well.

BALDWIN: Well, let's talk about that trek, Sanjay. I mean we're seeing -- it's almost like a scene out of a movie, right? They're covered from head to toe. They're in isolation. Presumably in isolation on some sort of very special plane, and then in isolation, of course, at Emory. Tell me what we know about that process.

GUPTA: Yes, it's -- you know, this is something that, you know, we're talking about. And it's a pretty novel thing, Brooke. Much of what we're describing has never really happened before. This jet is the only kind in the world to do what it does. It goes and it basically creates a containment unit around the patient. They want to make sure the patient is medically stable, obviously. But they also need to protect the health care workers that are with the patient, the people who are transporting the patient, and they obviously got to know where they're taking the patient. In this case, they know that. It's here to Emory University Hospital.

But it's quite a process. After the plane lands at an air force base outside of Atlanta, yesterday we know Dr. Brantly was brought by ambulance then to the hospital. Probably the same thing will happen with Nancy Writebol tomorrow and it's expected to happen sometime before noon. But there are so many different steps. Obviously, everyone needing to protect themselves, while all the time making sure the patient stays stable as well.

BALDWIN: We wish them well. And, of course, kudos to the good people at Emory. And I've read about nurses who've declined vacation just so they could really help and be part of this really unprecedented medical effort.

GUPTA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Dr. Gupta, thank you so much, in Atlanta.

GUPTA: You got it, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Just ahead, we need to take you back to the Middle East, to the war there. One question many people are asking, is the media, is western media helping Hamas, the group U.S. considers terrorists? One columnist says, absolutely. Hear his explanation and the pushback against him.

Also, we are just getting word that James Brady -- James Brady, the White House press secretary who was shot during the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, has died. Former Reagan adviser, David Gergen, joins me next.

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BALDWIN: As would-be cease-fires come and go in the Mideast, the political leader of Hamas insists his side is winning this war. Khaled Meshaal sat down in Qatar for an exclusive interview with our own senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. And in Meshaal's words, Hamas, quote, "their steadfastedness is a victory."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHALED MESHAAL, HAMAS POLITICAL LEADER (through translator): All the money we have receive is directed toward the humanitarian needs of our people, to hospitals, education, the families of those killed and those in prison. And with our money, we rebuild what the Israelis have destroyed in their cruel aggression against us in Gaza. But, of course, yes, some of that money goes toward our ability to defend ourselves, which is our right.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: So let me bring in Nic Robertson, who sat across from him in that exclusive interview.

So, Nic, Khaled Meshaal told you Hamas may lose some battles but will win this war. What does he mean by that?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what he means is that by a - by just being there and being able to withstand, you know, the conflict as it goes on right now, after many, many weeks, and the Palestinian people still, as he says, are united behind the position of demands for a better future, demands of a lifting of what he describes as a blockade of Gaza, opening the borders, he want opening access to sea (ph). The very fact that they are willing to be -- to continue to fight, to not stop firing rockets when they're told to. That alone, regardless of whether they're achieving any military victories on the battlefield, if you will, that alone, because they continue in the face of much larger army, he believes, is a sign that they're winning.

BALDWIN: On the flip side, when you talk to people from within Israel, they frequently point out to us that Hamas is dedicated to the absolute destruction of Israel through its charter. And so he told you, he's ready for an end to the fighting, but did he acknowledge Israel's right to exist?

ROBERTSON: You know, I asked him that specific question, because it's so important and fundamental to getting to grips with what Hamas really wants and what they're really willing to concede. I asked him, would they give up the tunnels, would they give up firing rockets and would they accept Israel's right to exist as a state? He said that they would stop firing the rockets. He said that they would essentially stop the military activities. But he didn't even reference my question on would they accept Israel's right to exist as a state. And this, of course, is such a divisive issue, and really that would be a true test of a clear intention to turn a corner.

BALDWIN: Sometimes it's what people don't say that really is the headline. Nic Robertson with that exclusive with the leader of Hamas, thank you so much.

And now this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I just wonder, in the newsrooms of America and the world, are you wondering, are you pausing to reflect upon the idea that maybe you're being used as dupes by very evil regimes?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That columnist suggests by showing video of civilians, children, women being attacked, the media is helping Hamas. I know a couple of people who would like to sound off on that, so we'll do so coming up next.

Plus, mudslides leaving thousands of people stranded, including at one point children. Church campers. We will take you there live, coming up.

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