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ISIS-K Attacks Moscow Concert Hall; Late-Night Senate Vote Averts Partial Government Shutdown; Catherine, Princess Of Wales, Reveals Cancer Diagnosis; Russia Detains 11 In Concert Hall Attack; Russia And China Veto U.S. Resolution On Gaza Cease-Fire; Netanyahu Says Hamas Cannot Be Defeated Without Entering Rafah; MLB Investigates Ohtani's Translator. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired March 23, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a deadly terror attack in the heart of Russia. Who's claiming responsibility and how Russia is responding.

And another devastating diagnosis for the royal family. What the Princess of Wales says about the treatment she's undergoing right now following a cancer diagnosis.

Plus Congress narrowly avoids a government shutdown.

What's in the deal senators made to get a spending bill pushed through.

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BRUNHUBER: The death toll from the terror attack on a concert hall near Moscow is now at least 60. ISIS says it was responsible. In startling video from inside the hall, you can hear gunshots and see people trying desperately to get away.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): More than 100 people have been hospitalized. A Russian state media reporter who witnessed the attacks sas the gunman shot people at point blank range. He also says they threw incendiary bombs. Two men whose wives were inside the venue say they're waiting to hear if their loved ones are OK.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I'm in complete panic, my whole body hurts, even my heart. Blood pressure rose and all that. I don't know what to do. Complete hopelessness. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I am scared. I try not to

panic, to control myself, to think soberly. I don't know what to do. We're standing here, just waiting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: In the aftermath of the attack, part of the concert hall was engulfed in fire and surrounded by emergency crews. Moscow's governor says the fire has been mostly elimiated. CNN's Ivan Watson has covered Russia extensively. He joins us now live from Hong Kong.

First, Ivan, bring us up to speed on the latest.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, when the sun rose this morning, just outside of Moscow, where this Crocus City Hall concert venue is, the building was still smoking and surrounded by rescue workers.

The authorities saying that they're still going through the rubble and that part of the ceiling, the roof had collapsed due to the flames. The casualty numbers are massive. We're talking about at least 60 people killed, more than 100 people remaining in hospital.

There were desperate pleas from city officials for blood donations, saying that this was a life and death issue for dozens of victims. As for what it was like inside during this deadly attack, it sounds absolutely horrifying. Listen to one survivor.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I was sitting in the hall upstairs where the balconies were. We heard gunshots. At first, we didn't understand what had happened. Then I personally saw how the terrorists came in, started shooting everyone.

In the end, they threw a Molotov. Everything was set on fire. We were led to the exit. Turned out the exit was locked. We ran all over Crocus City, trying to find an exit but to no avail. We went into the basement of Crocus City Hall and waited for the emergency services and got out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: The Russian authorities, the Moscow city government authorities, they have canceled public events for the rest of the weekend in Moscow. The band that was performing, Picnic, has said that none of its members were hurt.

They had not yet gone on stage when this attack was launched. And the lead singer, Shaman (ph), has come out with a statement, saying he would pay for the funerals of the dead and for the treatment of the many dozens of people -- more than 100 people who were wounded.

The organization, ISIS, the Islamic State purportedly has claimed responsibility for this deadly attack, the deadliest in years in Moscow on an ISIS affiliated social media account. We have yet to hear from the Russian president himself now, more than 14 hours since this attack took place, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Ivan, the Russian response to this, take us through that.

What are we hearing from Putin, if anything?

WATSON: Well, I mean, his spokesman has come out and said that Vladimir Putin himself is across this and is in charge of the event and has expressed condolences to victims.

[04:05:07]

But again, we have not seen Vladimir Putin himself. The questions about ISIS involvement here may come as a surprise to some viewers because so much of the narrative around Russia and national security has been dominated for more than two years now by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing loss of life there.

But in fact, just this month alone, Russian state media reported of at least four counterterror operations carried out by Russian security services, targeting suspected ISIS militants this month alone, including purportedly spoiling a plan to attack a synagogue in Moscow that was allegedly going to be carried out by ISIS.

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Moscow on March 7th, it published a statement warning U.S. citizens to stay away from large gatherings, to stay away from even concerts, saying that there had been intelligence about possible extremist attacks in the Moscow area.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, in fact, Russian president Vladimir Putin, fresh from declaring himself the victor of Russia's recent presidential election, which have been much criticized in many circles, he basically downplayed and rejected those warnings coming from the U.S. government.

He said that this was a provocation aimed at destabilizing Russia.

So a big question is going to be, how will the Kremlin frame this, the aftermath of this terrible attack?

Who are the suspects who could have been behind this?

BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much. Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Appreciate that.

World leaders are reacting to the attack. French president Emmanuel Macron says he strongly condemns the terrorist attack.

The United Nations Security Council issued a statement, expressing their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and the Russian people.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says, President Joe Biden is being kept updated on the attack and he says, quote, "our thoughts and prayers are to all those innocent people who are affected by this." A Ukrainian presidential adviser says his country has nothing to do

with the attack. He also says he believes the terror attack will contribute to expanded mobilization and ultimately the scaling-up of the war against Ukraine.

Now, as we just reported, the U.S. had warned Russia that it had intelligence pointing to a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, even going as far to say the attack could target large gatherings, including concerts.

Sources say there has been a steady stream of intelligence since November, indicating that ISIS affiliate, ISIS-K, was determined to attack it in Russia, when Vladimir Putin dismissed the warnings in a speech on Tuesday.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): I should also remind you of the recent, to put it bluntly, provocative statements by a number of official Western structures about the possibility of terrorist attacks in Russia.

All this resembles blatant blackmail and an intention to sow fear and destabilize our society.

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BRUNHUBER: And joining us now is David Herszenhorn, an editor at "The Washington Post," covering Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. He's also the author of "The Dissident: Alexei Navalny Profile of a Political Prisoner."

Thank you so much for being here with us. So, David, let's start there with those warnings from the U.S. that Russia brushed off -- Putin did so publicly.

Are you surprised Russia would be so dismissive?

Instead of acting on it, Putin politicized it.

DAVID HERSZENHORN; RUSSIA, UKRAINE, EASTERN EUROPE EDITOR; "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, it really is remarkable and Putin will likely face some scrutiny about this. He was so dismissive, suggesting that this was blackmail, extortion by Western structures, as he put it; an effort to destabilize Russian society.

And it's actually a reminder, it's hard through the fog of this war in Ukraine that's going on and the really soured relations between Russia and the West to remember that, at one point, there was a real possibility that Russia and the United States, Russia and the West would be partners against true enemies like ISIS.

Terror groups that were attacking societies around the world that presented a real threat. Now, clearly, his thinking is so completely dominated by the war in Ukraine. And we saw senior Russian officials, former president Daniil Medvedev, among others immediately suggests that Kyiv was responsible.

Ukraine quickly denied that it had anything to do with the Crocus City Hall attack. U.S. intelligence saying it bears the signature of an ISIS style attack. ISIS claiming responsibility.

So there will be real questions, as you heard, days after Putin claimed a landslide affirmation for a new six-year term, that something this dangerous and deadly, more than 60 people dead, has happened in his country, in his capital.

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BRUNHUBER: Yes, so, so the attack itself, what do you make of it and the way it was carried out?

HERSZENHORN: Well, it was absolutely brutal and inhuman. And of course, we should all condemn this. On a Friday night, anyone who's lived in Moscow knows Crocus City Hall is a very popular venue. Also notorious for being where Donald Trump attended the Miss Universe pageant in 2013.

But there are regular concerts, regular events, crowds of people. Certainly this would have been true on a Friday night as we saw, just absolutely inhuman that we've seen the videos, these gunman in camouflage coming in, shooting their way in and setting the place on fire.

BRUNHUBER: Now, as we reported, ISIS is claiming responsibility for this.

Why would they target Russia and why now?

HERSZENHORN: Well, Russia has a number of enemies going back years. You have to remember Russia's presence in Syria, Russia's actions in Chechnya, where it fought two brutal wars to suppress Islamic separatists.

Continuing battles with Islamic forces. In many cases, interestingly, Putin had opened his borders to send Russians who wanted to fight on the side of ISIS so that effectively they would -- they would die there rather than be in Russia as a potential destabilizing force.

Now you also heard the Russian security services, just in the last weeks, even as Putin himself may have dismissed this warning from the United States government, the Russian security services said they had thwarted at least two attacks, where they said ISIS was prepared to attack a chemical plant.

And then at a synagogue, where the same cell apparently was planning an attack on a synagogue and they thwarted this. So Russia itself understood and knew the threat that in fact ISIS was active in the country. How seriously that was taken at the highest levels in the Kremlin remains to be seen.

BRUNHUBER: We heard Ukraine say this might result in more mobilization from Russia. What kind of response do you think we can expect from Russia?

HERSZENHORN: Well, there's no question, Putin deals extremely harshly in these kinds of situations. If these perpetrators are found, they may well be killed on the spot. If not, they will be persecuted to the fullest extent.

But the reaction by some officials close to Putin, in immediately suggesting that this was Ukraine, Medvedev, the former president and prime minister, who had swapped jobs with Putin, immediately suggesting that it could have been the Kyiv regime.

Also a oligarch orthodox Christian, oligarch Constantine Melafayev (ph) even suggested a nuclear strike in response. This is how quickly and how rationally some folks have responded to this terror attack that seems to be unrelated to the war in Ukraine.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And the Russian election, I mean, just basically days ago.

Do you think this undermines Putin's aura of authority?

HERSZENHORN: Well, certainly in the run-up to that election, one thing that we saw that was connected to the war in Ukraine were Russian militias. These are anti-Kremlin Russians, who are mounting cross- border attacks in the Belgorod region.

My colleague at "The Washington Post," Francesca Abell (ph), was there, repording on thessse drone strikes and others, hoping to illustrate two Russians ahead of this vote, which we know was heavily managed and not free or fair, that Putin cannot protect and secure his own country, that the war is making things more dangerous and deadly for Russian citizens.

So on that line, this attack, that this could be carried out right on the outskirts of Moscow, again, at a very popular venue on a Friday night, innocent Russians being attacked in this way, certainly there will be questions.

Now whether those questions will be asked openly, given Putin's authoritarian grip, he has really tightened. There is no opposition left in Russia. There are very few people who are willing to question any of his decisions, any of his instincts. That's a real uncertainty there about whether there would be any blowback and repercussions.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Interesting to see how Putin will deal with this. David Herszenhorn, we will have to leave it there. Really appreciate your analysis. Thank you so much.

HERSZENHORN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Political drama was not in short supply in Washington, where a partial U.S. government shutdown was averted about two hours ago. That's when the Senate passed a package of spending bills to keep the government fully up and running. The legislation will now be headed to President Joe Biden, who will

sign it into law later today, according to a White House official. But as Melanie Zanona reports, it took some last-minute wheeling and dealing in the Senate to get that done.

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MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a deal has been reached to avoid a government shutdown. The House earlier on Friday passed a massive spending package that would fund the remaining six government agencies that have yet to be funded.

And then they sent it over to the Senate. But over in the Senate, it requires cooperation from every single senator in order to be able to move quickly on bills. And Republicans were refusing to give their consent unless they got their desired amendment vote.

So that led to a standoff between Democrats and Republicans for hours. They went back and forth.

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But they finally came to an agreement just minutes before the midnight deadline.

It has been such a tortured process to get to this point because Congress was supposed to have funded the government back in October. But instead they kicked the can down the road. They passed temporary patch after temporary patch.

And they finally released a massive government funding package at 3 in the morning on Thursday, leaving themselves not a whole lot of time to let lawmakers read the bill and get them through both chambers.

So this has been a long and tortured process. There's been a lot of drama over the last few months. But it looks like Congress is finally on track to avoid a government shutdown and put this funding saga behind them -- Melanie Zanona, Capitol Hill, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene is pushing to oust the House Speaker in the wake of the government funding deal. The right-wing congresswoman from Georgia says Mike Johnson keeps going getting rolled in negotiations.

She filed a motion to remove him from the top job on Friday, saying quite a few of her fellow Republicans have expressed support for our efforts to remove Johnson but she wouldn't say when she plans to call for a vote.

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REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I filed the motion to vacate, today. But it's more of a warning and a pink slip. I respect our conference. I paid all my dues to my conference. I'm a member in good standing. And I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and to throw the -- throw the House in chaos.

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BRUNHUBER: Some Democrats are signaling they might vote to save speaker Johnson, especially if he agrees to bring up Ukraine aid for a vote.

A shocking announcement Friday from Catherine, Prince of Wales. We have the story and will take you live to London for the latest reaction to her just revealed diagnosis.

Plus, Ukraine's power grid takes a hit in one of Russia's largest attacks since the war began. You'll hear from people who were on the ground when drones and missiles came down.

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BRUNHUBER: Messages of support are flooding in for the future queen of the United Kingdom after she released a video, announcing she has cancer. Catherine, Princess of Wales, said in her taped message that she is in the, quote, "early stages of chemotherapy treatment," but she didn't exactly say what kind of cancer she has.

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CATHERINE, PRINCESS OF WALES: William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.

It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that's appropriate for them and to reassure them that I'm going to be OK.

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BRUNHUBER: Well wishes have been pouring in from near and far. Her father-in-law, King Charles, said, he is , quote, "so proud for her courage in speaking as she did."

The U.S. president said on social media that he and the first lady joined others in praying for a full recovery.

The British prime minister echoed those sentiments and also hailed her, quote, "tremendous bravery." For more we're joined now by CNN's Nada Bashir in London outside Buckingham Palace.

So how are people there reacting to this news?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's been an outpouring of concern, of sympathy and, of course, support for the Princess of Wales. There has been a lot of speculation over the last few weeks, over the condition of the Princess of Wales, given that we were told that she had undergone abdominal surgery back in January.

And of course, there has been intense media scrutiny over the whereabouts of the Princess of Wales, even if she hasn't been engaged in public appearances over the last few weeks.

Of course, this announcement has come as a shock. The Princess of Wales herself said it had come as a shock to herself and her family members and loved ones, of course, that she is now taking the time to focus on healing, putting her health first.

And, of course, has asked for privacy during this time but, as you can imagine, there is an extreme amount of attention on her condition. We have seen that outpouring of support from officials here in the United Kingdom and of course, across the globe but also from members of the British public as well. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, obviously like I'm just completely shocked and it was just crazy that like I was actually like right in front of Buckingham Palace when I found out and it's just -- it's just shocking considering now King Charles was already just diagnosed with cancer.

And it's just -- and then all the like rumors, the speculations about Kate and then, finally, we know what happened. That was just complete shock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously it will be a big disruption to the -- to probably her operations and William's family and William's duties. And, yes, I can imagine it would have a big effect on what they do and how they do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now of course, while the Princess of Wales acknowledged this was a huge shock to her and her family, she was upbeat, positive in her messaging to the British public. Yesterday, she was very clear that she feels that she will make a full recovery and is hopeful that that will be the case.

And of course, this was an interesting moment for the Princess of Wales to give such an intimate, personal message. And of course, to reveal such a private matter. It is somewhat of an unprecedented step for such a senior member of the royal family.

Although of course, important to remember that this comes just weeks after the Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles III was also diagnosed with cancer. But again, a very personal intermessage from the Princess of Wales.

And of course, a plea for privacy during a time when the royal family has come under increased scrutiny from the media.

BRUNHUBER: Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

Weeks if not months of speculation about the princess' condition are now being replaced, as we said, with an outpouring of support across the United Kingdom and around the world. Conspiracy theories filled the void left by the absence of information.

[04:25:00]

But now after news of Catherine's diagnosis, world leaders and people everywhere are expressing their concern and calling on others to respect her privacy during her road to recovery. I'm joined now by CNN's royal commentator, Emily Nash, in London.

Emily, thanks for being here with us. So many people suspected there might be some kind of health issue.

How shocked were you by this revelation?

EMILY NASH, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: Well, we all knew that he was dealing with something very significant, given the amount of time of her recovery was slated for. Three months is a long time for any kind of surgery. But no one was expecting this cancer diagnosis.

And if it came as a shock to William and Kate, then you can imagine for the rest of the world, who unfortunately have been coming up with all sorts of lurid speculation about what may have been going on behind the scenes, I think this has been quite a sobering piece of news.

BRUNHUBER: The timing of the announcement and how it was announced like this.

NASH: The timing I think, you need look no further than the end of the school term. I think that what is very admirable about the way that they handled this is that they've absolutely put a Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the forefront of their minds in planning this announcement.

They wanted to give the children time to come to terms it, to process and use themselves before sharing it more widely. But doing it yesterday enabled them to whisk the children away from school, away for the Easter holidays and away from an environment where other children in the playground, other parents, are reacting.

This whole media frenzy, obviously in the light of this, this big news, is something that they can now entirely be shielded from.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, you touched on the lurid speculation. I mean, with all of the tabloid coverage, the conspiracy theories, allegations and so on, how much of a blowback will there be against the British press, the tabloids?

NASH: Well, I think it's interesting to note that, in this incident, the British press has been very respectful of the princess' privacy. It's interesting to note that, in the days of Diana, Princess of Wales, paparazzi tabloid media absolutely were at the forefront of the personal stories about her.

In this day and age, it's been replaced by social media. And the lot of the worst things that we've seen have been coming from people on TikTok, on Instagram, on various channels perhaps just broadcasting from a bedroom somewhere at the other side of the world and actually making money out of it.

And I think, how do you police that situation?

The U.K. press is quite tightly regulated and, of course, medical privacy very much applies to everyone in the U.K.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, interesting distinction there. All right, so two of the senior royals, the king, the princess, both undergoing cancer treatments.

For the royal family in terms of carrying on with public events and other duties, what does this mean?

NASH: Look at -- the royal family is very depleted in numbers. It goes without saying at the moment and those who are fit and well are going to have to -- are going to have to be putting in an extra shift at the moment to help keep up appearances.

We saw just this week, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Edinburgh, stepping in on behalf of the king at an engagement. I expect that that will continue. But the royal family has to be seen to be believed, as we found out this, in this last few months in particular.

And I think that it's very important they're keeping the king as visible as possible at the moment to maintain some kind of stability.

BRUNHUBER: Finally, the royal family itself is somewhat fractured.

Do you expect this to bring them closer together?

NASH: (INAUDIBLE) to say. I think certainly we've had a message of support from Harry and Meghan. There are some reports today saying that they'd been in touch privately with a couple. I imagine that will be the case.

Something like this, of course, focuses minds on repairing relationships and letting bygones be bygones. I'm sure we'd all like to see some kind of reconciliation there because, any family going through this needs as much support as they possibly can get.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Right. We'll leave it there, Emily Nash. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

NASH: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Russia takes aim at Ukraine's largest dam as it launches a massive attack on its power grid.

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Still ahead, you'll hear from people who were on the receiving end of Moscow's brutal barrage. That's coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

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BRUNHUBER: Breaking news right now: Russian state media says 11 people, including the four gunmen, have been detained in connection with the deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow. And the death toll has just gone up. At least 93 people were killed. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In dramatic and disturbing video, you can hear gunshots fired inside that venue and see people trying desperately get away.

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BRUNHUBER: Now this still image appears to show the four people who attacked the hall. Russian state media say they later left the scene in a white Renault. In the aftermath, part of the complex was on fire and surrounded by emergency crews.

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BRUNHUBER: Once again, the breaking news, Russian state media says 11 people, including the four gunmen, have been detained in connection with the deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

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BRUNHUBER: The White House has condemned one of Russia's largest attacks on Ukraine's power grid. Washington says Friday's strikes show congressional Republicans need to approve the next round of military aid for Ukraine.

Kyiv said the Kremlin fired more than 150 drones and missiles, going after power facilities across the country. At least three people were killed and more than a dozen others wounded. Fred Pleitgen has more.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A Russian cruise missile firing off flares right before hitting Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant. The massive explosion part of an early morning blitz, the Ukrainians say targeted areas across the entire country.

The destruction massive, like in this town in the Zaporizhzhya region.

"There were a lot of explosions after the first one," this woman says. "There was so much flying around, one couldn't realize. I had only one goal, to ensure that my child is alive. I rescued him from the rubble."

More than a million people are without power in what Kyiv calls one of the largest attacks in recent times. The Russians call this morning's strikes retaliatory, also releasing video of their jets dropping aerial glide bombs near the front lines.

Russia's defense ministry saying it targeted military facilities as the Kremlin steps up its war against Ukraine while trying to blame the U.S. and its allies for the escalation.

DMITRY PESKOV, PUTIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Legally, it is a special military operation but de facto it has turned into a war for us after the collective West has started to increasingly raise the level of its involvement in the conflict.

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PLEITGEN (voice-over): The latest Russian attacks come just a day after the Russians fired more than 30 missiles at Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The Ukrainians believe Moscow was targeting Ukraine's military intelligence headquarters, a source tells CNN.

The Russians have tried to assassinate its leader, Kyrylo Budanov, at least 10 times, Kyiv says. Budanov's wife also recently fell ill with what the Ukrainians say was poisoning by a heavy metal but she survived.

The Ukrainians say delays in Western military aid are costing them dearly on the battlefield and in cities, as civilians come under Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seemingly taking a swipe at House Republicans holding up U.S. military aid to Ukraine in Congress.

"Russian missiles do not suffer delays in the way aid packages to our country do," he writes. "Shahed drones are not affected by indecision like some politicians are."

The Ukrainians say they need decisively more Western air defense systems to fend off Russia's missile attacks on the country's urban areas -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The latest diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, we'll have a live report from the region.

Plus five days under siege at Al-Shifa Hospital as Israeli forces carry out a major military operation. We'll have those stories and more, when we come back, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: After vetoing prior U.N. resolutions on Gaza, the U.S. saw its own draft resolution rejected by the Security Council Friday. The measure received 11 votes in favor but Russia and China used their veto powers to dismiss the proposal. It called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire tied with the release of all remaining hostages.

It used language the U.S. had previously not been willing to use before. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. said the draft resolution would have been the first time the U.N. condemned the Hamas attack on Israel. He criticized the Security Council for rejecting it.

Fly off down to CNN's Paula Hancocks in Doha, Qatar, where negotiators have been discussing a potential ceasefire and hostage deal.

So Paula, take us through what happened at the U.N. and then the latest on the talks over a ceasefire and hostage deal.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we saw on Friday was really a three-pronged diplomatic attack by the United States. You had that U.N. Security Council resolution. We also have the talks that we believe are still ongoing here in Doha.

And then you had the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken meeting with Israel's prime minister and the war cabinet in Israel. Now we'll start with that.

So we did hear from the secretary of state saying that he believed talks for a ceasefire were -- the gaps were narrowing but there are still gaps. And when he was talking to Israel's prime minister, he highlighted the fact that the U.S. does not support a ground operation in Rafah, saying that it would be a humanitarian catastrophe.

The fact that there are so many that are sheltering there, anywhere up to 1.5 million. And of course, the fact that the main entrance land crossing into Gaza is in Rafah as well.

So really pushing Israel's prime minister not to consider that. But we did hear from Benjamin Netanyahu shortly afterwards. And it appeared that he had taken no notice what the secretary of state had said.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): I met today with Secretary of State Blinken. I don't think that I greatly appreciate the fact that, for more than five months, we are standing together in the war against Hamas. I also told him that we recognize the need to evacuate the civilian

population from war zones. And of course, to take care of the humanitarian needs, we are working for this.

But I also said that we have no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating the rest of the Hamas battalions there. And I told him that we hope we will do it with the support of United States. But if we have to, we'll do it alone.

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HANCOCKS: Now there's also an Israeli military delegation heading to Washington early next week, whereby the administration officials hope to be able to convince them of alternatives to this major ground offensive.

[04:45:00]

Now when it comes to talks in Doha, we have not heard that any the main players have left at this point. So from that, we can assume talks may be still ongoing, although there is very little information coming out.

We know though that the Israeli Mossad director, that the CIA director, that the Egyptian intelligence director and Qatar's prime minister have been meeting, have been talking, trying to hammer out this potential six-week temporary ceasefire in return for hostage releases and Palestinian prisoner releases.

Trying to come up with a counter proposal to what we heard from Hamas last week. So talks as we understand are ongoing. But no breakthrough at this point.

And then of course, the third thing you have is that U.N. Security Council resolution, that you mentioned, the fact that that didn't go through. But there may be another resolution tabled by other non- permanent members for an immediate ceasefire coming through next week.

BRUNHUBER: All right, appreciate that, Paula Hancocks live in Doha. Thanks so much.

Meanwhile, in northern Gaza, the situation continues to deteriorate at Al-Shifa medical complex due to an ongoing Israeli military operation that began on Monday. Smoke was seen billowing into the sky over the hospital on Friday as fighting raged.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Friday they've killed 150, quote, "Palestinian militants" in the operation. And they've arrested hundreds of what they call suspects.

The Gaza health ministry accuses Israel of detaining civilian patients, their companions as well as medical personnel. Thousands of people had sought shelter from the war at the hospital before the raid began and many remain trapped, unable to leave amid the ongoing fighting. On the West Bank Israeli troops have used a helicopter to kill a

Palestinian man who reportedly opened fire on a vehicle there. It happened near the illegal settlement of Dolev on Friday. The IDF says its troops chased down the man using drones and a helicopter.

Hamas later released a statement praising the alleged attacker. A Palestinian news agency says Israeli troops raided his home after the incident.

We'll be right back.

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BRUNHUBER: We're turning now to one of our top stories this hour, the cancer diagnosis of Catherine, Princess of Wales. Sympathy has been pouring in since she released a video announcing her condition on Friday. She asked for privacy as she focuses on chemotherapy treatment and returning to full health.

Catherine has been out of the public eye since late December and speculation about her has grown to a fever pitch in recent weeks. Now despite the rampant conjecture about her condition, Kensington Palace stayed mostly silent about the Princess of Wales for weeks.

As frustrating as that might be for the public and those of us in the news business, it is standard operating procedure for British royals. CNN's Tom Foreman explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even when Queen Elizabeth the Second was in the final year of her life, slowing down, using a cane, canceling engagements, the Palace said she was fine. And the story of solid health held on, even after a tabloid revealed she had been in the hospital.

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN HISTORIAN & ROYAL EXPERT: But I think that as soon as the winter is over, she will be keen, to get back on her feet, back out there, meeting people. It's just whether or not the doctors are going to agree with it.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Like so much around the Royals, secrecy about health is a deep-seated tradition.

The castle was cagey about Prince Philip's condition, the year he died.

Rumors of eating disorders swirled around Princess Diana long before she confirmed them. DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES: I have it, on very good authority, that the quest for perfection our society demands can leave the individual gasping for breath.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Meghan Markle says her mental health was so taxed, by life in the Palace, she considered suicide. But she talked to Oprah about it only on her way out.

MEGHAN, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX, MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY: I went to the institution and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help. And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution.

(VIDEO CLIP, "THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE")

FOREMAN (voice-over): Secrecy around much older cases, such as the growing madness of King George in the 1700s, was so strict, medical experts and moviemakers still speculate about the cause.

But even when the royals had lost almost all their practical power, maladies of the monarchs remained largely private, such as King George VI's battle with stuttering and lung cancer.

(VIDEO CLIP, "THE KING'S SPEECH")

FOREMAN (voice-over): So the revelations that King Charles, Princess Kate and Sarah Ferguson are all dealing with cancer are unusual, even if the details remain scarce.

FOREMAN: This revelation of a very serious health issue for a member of the royal family is not only unusual, it flies in the face of centuries of precedent.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, King Charles is dealing with his own recent diagnosis of cancer. Queen Camilla told well-wishers during a visit with local business in Belfast on Thursday that her husband was doing, quote, "very well."

She received a get well card for the king from one of the shops. When the queen accepted it on his behalf, she said he was disappointed that he couldn't be there.

Major League Baseball is investigating allegations surrounding superstar pitcher Shohei Ohtani and his longtime translator. Reports say Ippei Mizuhara is accused of stealing millions and placing bets with a bookmaker under federal investigation.

A statement from the MLB says, quote, "Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media. Earlier today, our department of investigations began their formal process investigating the matter."

[04:55:00] Meanwhile, the U.S. Internal Revenue Services says it's also investigating Mizuhara along with a California resident with a history of gambling debts. CNN's Hanako Montgomery has more from Tokyo on how Ohtani's fans are reacting to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japan's dynamic duo broken overnight. Ippei Mizuhara, the longtime interpreter and friend of baseball legend Shohei Ohtani, fired suddenly amid allegations by the athlete's lawyers that he stole millions from the star to cover gambling debts, ESPN reports.

In Japan, he is a living legend. But now, fans must grapple with the news that their favorite athlete has been plunged headfirst into a murky scandal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Interpreted): It's unfortunate. I personally want them to be a team again. So I'm really disappointed.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Ohtani, a national hero at home --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (Interpreted): It makes me proud to be Japanese. I'm the same age as him and he inspires me to work harder. He is like the son.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): -- and a celebrated legend around the world. He is the first two-time unanimous MVP of Major League Baseball but he is in a league of his own, recognized as the first two-way player in our lifetime.

But Ohtani didn't get here on his own. Mizuhara, his loyal interpreter and friend, has worked with him since 2013. The pair moved to Los Angeles six years ago when Ohtani first made the move to Major League Baseball. The two hardly ever spotted without each other but their shared future now uncertain.

MONTGOMERY: In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Mizuhara said he didn't know his gambling was illegal and said Ohtani agreed to pay his gambling debts, bills that swelled to at least $4.5 million.

But just a day after that interview, Mizuhara walked back much of those revelations, saying instead that Ohtani didn't know about the gambling activities or the debts and said Ohtani didn't make the payments.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Best friends one day and out the next. But Ohtani's fans still unwaveringly faithful to the star -- Hanako Montgomery, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, CNN reached out to Ohtani's agent, the LA Dodgers and the Orange County Sheriff's Office for further comment but we didn't immediately hear back. And CNN has also sought a response from Mizuhara. All right. That wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

I'll be back with more on the breaking news out of Russia following a terror attack near Moscow. We'll be live at Buckingham Palace covering reaction to the Princess of Wales revealing a cancer diagnosis. All that and more, please do stay with CNN NEWSROOM.