Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Israel at War; Two Missing Israeli-American Hostages' Bodies Have Been Found; Tonight at 8PM ET, Biden Will Address the Nation for Future of U.S. Support on Israel and Ukraine; After Explosions in Southern Gaza, Civilians Flow into Hospitals; Medical Supplies, Fuel, and Food Running Low in Gaza Hospitals and Stores; Interview with Palestinian Doctor in Gaza Mahmoud Ali; Expected Friday: First Aid Shipments to Reach Gaza; For Interfering with Civil Fraud Trial of Trump, New York Court Employee Arrested; In Georgia Election Case, Sidney Powell Entered a Guilty Plea. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired October 19, 2023 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: All right. We are getting some breaking news just in to CNN. We've learned that Israeli American Carmela Dan who is 80 years old and her grandmother, Noya Dan who was 13, they were kidnapped from their kibbutz by Hamas, that is the kibbutz where they live near Oz, they have now been found dead. That is what their family just told CNN.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the two deaths to the family, that's according to a relative who lives in the United States. Again, Carmela Dan who was 80 had Israeli, U.S. and French citizenship. Noya Dan was just, again, 13 years old, she was an Israeli, again, kidnapped here from this kibbutz near Oz, they were feared kidnapped, now we understand they are dead. We're trying to understand the circumstances of their deaths and how that information was obtained for the loss of these two lives, one 80-year-old and one 13-year-old.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Just tragic.

That is some of the news that is coming in. And also, we are tracking what President Biden is going to do. Fresh off of Air Force One, and now, preparing for a huge appeal from the Oval Office. President Biden tonight will be addressing the nation. Asking Americans in a primetime address to get behind his plan for the future of U.S. support in Ukraine and also in Israel. Two nations now gripped by war. We have new reporting on what Biden is looking for, we will bring that to you.

In Southern Gaza, this is the scene. As you can see right here, we're showing it right here, this is a scene outside a hospital in Khan Yunis, this is from a few hours ago. It's part of the area where civilians, Khan Yunis's, where civilians have been told to flee too for safety. After a blast this morning, a stream of people, including children were seen being rushed to a hospital there. Now, right now, it is not confirmed clear what caused explosions, the IDF says they're looking into it.

John.

BERMAN: All right. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now with more on this situation in Khan Yunis. I can put this up on a map here, Salma, so people can see what we are talking about. Khan Yunis is right there in Southern Gaza. This is the line which people in Gaza have been told to move south from. What are you learning about what happened there, Salma?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and about half a million people, an estimated half a million people followed that evacuation order and moved southward. So, this was people who were looking for safety, desperate for refuge, only to find themselves only in a place of more death and more destruction.

I want to play those images if we can one more time of people just streaming into the hospital. There is something I want to point out there, John. If you take a close look, many of those victims are children. Half of the population of Gaza is children.

[10:35:00]

You have 2 million people, and again half of them children, trapped in what is essentially an urban war zone. The borders are sealed off. There is a complete siege imposed by Israel. The Rafah Crossing is closed. Aid, fuel, food, water is not allowed in. Meanwhile, explosions, bombs, munitions, artillery continue to rain down on that impoverished enclave.

And the aid, the treatment that those children are going to get in that hospital, John, is going to be absolutely awful, because we already know from these hospitals that the medical system is on the brink of collapse. Some hospitals warning that they're going to lose power in a matter of hours. That they've run out of painkillers. That they are performing surgeries on the floor.

Rights group say, what you are looking at here is collective punishment of the Gazan population. And all of this highly concerning humanitarian situation is spiraling out of control, rights groups say. You mentioned President Biden has drawn that deal to allow some aid into the Rafah Crossing, but we're talking about is 20 trucks. 20 trucks of aid, that is a drop, an absolute drop in the ocean of need inside Gaza.

BERMAN: And Salma, I can show people where the Rafah Crossing is right here. That's the Rafah Crossing right there. Those trucks moving from Egypt, they will be if President Biden's deal goes through crossing into Gaza some time perhaps soon. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you very much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right. And joining us now on the phone is Mahmoud Ali, he's a doctor at a hospital in Southern Gaza, near Khan Yunis. But to note for our viewers, the hospital where Mahmoud works is different from the one that we were just talking about. The videos we've been showing you just playing from Khan Yunis where patients were being taking from -- after the blast this morning that Salma was just discussing.

Doctor, thank you for jump -- for getting on the phone with us because I know the connection can be very challenging. Your hospital is between Khan Yunis and Rafah. What are you seeing at your hospital? What kind of patients are you treating?

MAHMOUD ALI, PALESTINIAN DOCTOR IN GAZA: Actually, on the hospital is full of injured, most of these injured are children and women, and also other patients. And alongside of this, we have patients with legal (ph) diseases, not trauma patients. As it is, you know, we are lacking of hospital beds for the lot -- the injured. And the scale of injuries has put extra pressure which has always -- has been the -- on the hospital bed.

They have to expand the hospital and we had to expand the ICU setting, and (INAUDIBLE) in it. We used to have eight beds of ICU, now we have more than 30 beds of ICU, and they are almost all full. We have only two or three beds capacity -- three capacity.

BOLDUAN: All the reports we have coming out, Doctor, are that supplies are dwindling or they are gone at many hospitals. What is it like at your hospital? How are you on medicines, on -- just critical things, I mean, this -- and this goes beyond the fact that we know that water and electricity and fuel are on short supply?

DR. ALI: Actually, everything, everything is in short supply. The -- actually the medication, the most shortage is in number of beds, especially critical ICU beds. Also, we have shortage in fuel. Water in the hospital is -- because we have seawater (ph) from the Israeli side as the hospital is close to the border. And they cut the water from last few days. And the drinking water is a bigger challenge to provide to our patients.

And additionally, the disposable (ph) are lacking. We try hardly to manipulate the things to make it use for another -- for certain reasons to deal with the casualties that we are receiving. Additionally, the fuel is lacking, especially for transport. And if we need some doctors or nurses to come to the hospital, because the transportation is very dangerous and terrifying. And most of the time, we don't find them -- ambulances to bring them to the hospital.

Additionally, medication like analgesia is lacking.

[10:40:00]

And we used to have IV analgesia, intravenous, but now we shifted to oral which is just effective and patients had to buy it from the private sector.

BOLDUAN: The circumstances sound horrific and challenging for any doctor. Outside of the work that you're doing now day in and day out, and trying to help people at your hospital, how are you? How is your family? Have you had to move out of your home?

DR. ALI: Actually, the condition in every single point in Gaza is terrifying. There is no safe place. About 250 meters from where I'm living, night -- yesterday, (INAUDIBLE) and have died. They have family and these people who came from the northern part from Gaza to seek a safe place. And the -- and very important (ph), the bombardment came at the middle of the night, and about 40 persons -- 40 people have died.

And unfortunately, until now, there is no equipment to get to them from the -- under the buildings. And bombardment in a single minute, it goes everywhere and there is no safe place. We cannot find a safe place for our children, for our families. So, usual people who are not fighters, there is no place which is safe. And every single minute, we have to keep eye on our children to reassure to not to have this trauma of being exposed. Because this huge amount of putting against civilian people, civilians.

BOLDUAN: Look, we really --

DR. ALI: Additionally, additionally, additionally, it is very hard to get them food. And you have to stay in long queues for bread, for anything you want the buy, and it's not safe to go to these places because bombardment also have targeted those people who are -- who were standing in the bread queues, and you cannot get them -- to get them food is very difficult.

Additionally, the drinking water is a very big challenge to have. There is no water in the market to buy. And as you know, Gaza is having a very huge water problem over the last two decades. And the drinking water in the ground (ph), the -- under the water of Gaza is not suitable for human need. And we have to -- or either filtrate it or to buy water. And at the time being because there is no electricity, these -- to get clean water for drinking, is also a bit challenge. And once you get refilled bottle, you get some water for your kids to drink and to stay -- to survive.

BOLDUAN: Mahmoud Ali, thank you for --

DR. ALI: Additionally --

BOLDUAN: -- thank you for getting on the phone with me, Mahmoud. We will continue to check back in with you. Thank you so much from inside Gaza.

We're going to have much more on the international response unfolding from this war, how -- where the humanitarian aid is, is when will it start flowing in from Egypt into Gaza as we were just hearing from the doctor. Yet again, another example of the desperate need. As he said, they're running out of anesthesia. Coming up in just a moment, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00] BERMAN: President Biden says, he expects aid trucks from Egypt will begin rolling into Gaza as soon as tomorrow. They will enter here through the Rafah Crossing. The president said, a deal for 20 trucks has been agreed to by Israel and Egypt so long as the supplies do not get to Hamas. President Biden will address the nation tonight from the Oval Office on both the crisis in Israel, as well as Ukraine.

CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour is with us now. Christiane, what do you expect to hear from the president tonight?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: So, John, it's really interesting because you remember it was a month ago even that President Biden floated the idea of giving a major speech about Ukraine, that was, you know, way before the catastrophe unfolding in the Middle East right now. But because of what was transpiring in Congress, and at the time, the speaker had been kicked out, of course, there still is no speaker, it's pretty dysfunctional. No matter what he asked for in terms of help for now in the Middle East as well, Israel as well, it's going to be very tricky.

But I happened to have at that time the opportunity to sit with Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. And I asked her what the president needed to do to at least make the case for Ukraine, which in the last few weeks has essentially fallen off of the visibility map. Here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: But just like in years past, when someone is under attack by an authoritarian regime, a dictator, you have to pay attention to what that dictator's true intentions are. Putin invaded Georgia. He invaded Ukraine the first time in 2014. He was not stopped.

[10:50:00]

And why is it that all of our allies in Europe who border Russia, who have firsthand experience with Putin are begging that we support Ukraine? Because they know that if Putin gets his way in Ukraine, he will not stop there.

I know hope that there's a vote in the House. I know it will turn out the right way. But even if they drag their feet and play to the worst impulses and find common cause with those American firsters and frankly supported Hitler, you know, shame on them, we still need to figure out how to fund Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: So, she's making a very forceful case for Ukraine, but essentially that is America's national security. Whether it's trying to get stability, peace, democracy in the Middle East, whether it's trying to make sure the same happens at least stability in China and around Taiwan, that the U.S. aim right now. And it seems the president wants to make that case to the people even while Congress is tied up in knots. BERMAN: Yes, speaking directly to the American people tonight at 8:00. Christiane Amanpour, very interesting stuff there. Thank you so much.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, a court employee was arrested during the civil trial against -- civil fraud trial against Donald Trump. What we are now learning about what she was trying to do. We will be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

BERMAN: All right. To breaking news. We saw moments ago inside a Georgia courtroom, Donald Trump's former lawyer, Sidney Powell, reaching a plea deal in the Georgia election interference case in exchange for her guilty plea, she will avoid jail time and will be required to testify in future trials which could, in theory, include Donald Trump's trial in at least Georgia.

Also happening this morning, the civil fraud trial against Donald Trump where he has already been found liable for fraud, Jack Weisselberg, the son of former Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg will be on the stand.

CNN's Kara Scannell is outside the courtroom. What will we expect today after what was actually a really bizarre day yesterday, Kara?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the former president is not here today, so the mood is definitely a lot lighter, security is a lot more calm. You know, as you said, Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer, his son has just taken the stand for the second day today, and they just began questioning by the state attorney general's office. You know, a lot of this has to do when he helped the Trump organization get a loan for one of the buildings, and these loans are at the center of this case.

But it's very different mood from yesterday where just before the lunch break, there was a woman who was dressed in professional clothing. She walked up into the gally, the public area of the courtroom where all the reporters are sitting, and approached the court officer who was standing just in from of Former President Trump who was seated on the other side in the well at the defense table. And the woman had spoken with him, it was inaudible to hear what she had said. I was sitting about four rows back from where this happened.

And then he, apparently, told her to go sit down, so she walked back down the aisle, sat across the aisle from me. And then another court officer came over and asked her to leave. Now, when they took her outside, there was a heated exchange there. She was ultimately arrested and charged with court disturbance -- contempt of court, disruption of a court proceeding.

And we learned that she is a court employee, and has been placed on administrative leave. Now, it seemed that the former president was completely unaware that this had happened because when he was asked about it later, he did not know what had occurred. But, you know, that was the scene yesterday. Today, we're back on the course of just the normal testimony. John.

BERMAN: All right. Kara Scannell, a lot of activity down there. Keep us posted. Thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: We're going to continue to have more detail coming on our breaking news of Sidney Powell pleading guilty in Georgia. What this could mean for Former President Trump's defense and the other legal cases. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]