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Hamas Freed Two American Hostages Who Are Now In IDF Custody; Interview With IDF Spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman; Secretary Of State Antony Blinken Expected To Give Remarks Following The Release Of Two American Hostages; Kenneth Chesebro, A Pro-Trump Attorney, Agrees To A Plea Agreement In Georgia Election Interference Case; Interview With Brother, Sister And Father Missing After Hamas Attack Gaya Kalderon; After Hamas Kidnappings, Teenager And Grandmother Were Killed; Following Hamas Attack, Israeli Family Lost Their Grandmother And Teen Girl, With Three Others Still Missing; After Hamas Attack, A Father And His Two Children Still Missing. Aired 3:30-4a ET

Aired October 20, 2023 - 15:30:00   ET

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

[15:30:00]

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: We continue to follow breaking developments in the Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli Defense Forces saying that the two Americans who were released by Hamas are now in IDF care. It comes as the IDF says the majority of hostages captured by Hamas are still alive.

I want to talk to Major Doron Spielman from the IDF. He joins me now. Appreciate you being with us. Can you tell us anything more about the condition of these two Americans?

MAJ. DORON SPIELMAN, IDF SPOKESMAN: Well, what we know right now, Anderson, is that they're undergoing medical checks. They're in our army bases. Of course, they've been through a harrowing ideal. We know that this young woman, Natalie, she just graduated high school. She and her mom came to Israel from Chicago. Went for a vacation with some friends and family in the southern community, and at 6:30 in the morning, Hamas gunmen, terrorists broke into the home and dragged them out at gunpoint.

So, they have been through God knows what over the last two weeks. We're making sure that they're, you know, as well as possible, and pretty soon they'll be back with their families which in the darkness that we've been experiencing a little bit of light.

COOPER: I believe, Rear Admiral Hagari yesterday or the day before, put the number of possible hostages at 203, which was a little higher than 199, the number that had been out there before. Do you have a sense of the number of people who are missing or unaccounted for now in total? Because obviously some of these people may be dead, some of those people may be hostages.

SPIELMAN: Correct. So, on -- that number is also changing. Unfortunately, earlier this morning or late last night, crews were inside a home, cleaning out a home that they thought was already abandoned. They went up to the attic and they found there the burnt bodies of a mother and her five-year-old daughter that had been -- they had -- five-year-old son had been hiding from Hamas and were burnt alive. And so, that's two more people that are now no longer missing and also are not hostages that we can do.

The massacre, as you saw with your own eyes, was so vast that even matching DNA and verifying this, and we've been doing, you know, raids on the border to try to gather as much DNA as we can on both sides of the fence, but there's well over 100, between 100 and 200 people that we simply don't know if they're being held by Hamas as hostages or if they are, unfortunately, if they've been killed.

[15:35:00]

COOPER: And Carmela Dan -- I'm sorry, my I.P. went out. So, I couldn't hear some of what you said, but Carmela Dan whose body was identified and whose family was notified on Wednesday. I know there are three others, I believe, members of her family, one of them a 12- year-old boy who there's video of him being kidnapped from near Oz. It is just sickening to imagine these children being held right now. I mean, do you know anything about why these two in particular were released?

SPIELMAN: You know, we've been hearing the reports from the U.S., you know, from -- where there's going to be upcoming reports. What is unique is those two both are American citizens. I think the mother is maybe dual Israeli-American, like I am myself. The daughter is solely American. But, you know, these are the first two, and what we see and what we know is that Hamas is trying to paint itself as, you know, a human rights organization now by having given back two of the hostages. The real face of evil still there, rockets are raining down on Israel as I'm speaking to you. And, you know, let's get back all the hostages and then, you know, then we can speak with them.

COOPER: You -- are you saying you don't think it's a coincidence that the two that are released have American citizenship? That that's part of a kind of message to America in some way or hoping to weaken support in America for Israel?

SPIELMAN: Look, you know, this is right out of the Hamas playbook, Anderson. We know how they operate. And even without being sure, this will play right into their hand. Hamas, it's a very, very typical cycle. They attack and massacre, threw rockets at Israel, they run back to Gaza in the past. They hid under their own civilians waiting for us to kill them while trying to reach them and then they turn to America and the International Community and claim, you know, human rights violations so we'll stop so they can regroup.

In this case, that would play right into this. They want to have us pause on eliminating them, which we've said we're going to do. We're at war with them. There's going to be no break. We are going to -- you know, we are going to eliminate them. And this is another tactic for them to try to get us to stop but they're mistaken. Hamas is an evil that has to be stopped completely, and that is what we're going to do.

COOPER: Major Doron Spielman, appreciate your time, thank you.

We are standing by for the State Department briefing. We're told that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be actually be speaking. We will obviously bring that to you the moment it happens. A quick break, we'll be right back.

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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN NEW DAY WEEKEND ANCHOR: So, again, we just want to remind you we are standing by for live comments from the State Department. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected to give remarks following the release of two American hostages that were being held by Hamas. We're monitoring the podium there at the State Department. We're going to bring you those remarks live.

But we do want to get to some other news. Jury selection was already under way this morning at the Fulton County courthouse in Georgia when Donald Trump's co-defendant and former attorney, Kenneth Chesebro took a plea deal in the election subversion case.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. CNN's Nick Valencia is joining us now from the courthouse with more on this. So, Nick, you had Sidney Powell who, of course, is another member of Trump's inner circle, also by the way, another Trump former lawyer, who took a similar deal yesterday. Was this a surprise?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Boris and Brianna, this was stunning. And stunning is, you know, it's an understatement. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone at the start of this week who could have predicted this. So, not only one but two plea deals secured by the district attorney's office here in Fulton County as they narrow their case against Former President Donald Trump.

And as a result of this plea deal, Ken Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit false documents. And as a result, he's going to have to pay $5,000, 100 hours of community service. But what's most important about this is explicitly he's going to have to testify against the remaining co-defendants in any future proceeding or trials, and that includes Former President Donald Trump.

It was after that Chesebro agreed to this deal that I caught up with his defense attorney, Scott Grubman. And I asked him, what would he say to those who say that Chesebro was turning his back on Trump and calling him now a snitch?

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SCOTT GRUBMAN, ATTORNEY FOR KENNETH CHESEBRO: He didn't snitch against anyone. He went in there, he accepted responsibility for what I would view as one of the minor, kind of, tag-on charges in the indictment, and that was that. I mean, I could absolutely tell you that, again, if he's called, he'll go testify and answer their questions. But I would disagree. I don't think Chesebro snitched against anyone. I think he simply decided it was time for him to put this behind him and go on with his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: I mentioned just how big of a win this was for the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. And as the D.A.'s team left the courtroom after the deal, Nathan Wade, the lead prosecutor had a smile from ear to ear, and you can tell that the district attorney's office was very pleased with itself here. But I mentioned, the biggest news and the biggest headline, the D.A. now has not just one but two key witnesses against Former President Trump. Boris, Breanna?

SANCHEZ: Nick Valencia outside a courthouse in Atlanta, thank you so much. We're still waiting for that State Department briefing. Again, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be speaking after Hamas released two American hostages. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[15:45:00]

COOPER: We're waiting for a State Department briefing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken that may occur at any moment, we'll try to bring that to you live. But I want to get to Gaya Kalderon whose family received has received some of the worst news possible this week. Two members of her family have been confirmed killed by the IDF, 80-year-old Carmela Dan and Carmela Dan's granddaughter, 13-year-old Noya Dan, have been killed.

Gaya, I'm so sorry for this. Carmela Dan was your grandmother and I know Noya is your cousin. You're also the daughter -- your sibling is missing, Eras (ph), and your dad Afar (ph) and Sahar (ph). I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand it was your grandmother's -- actually her 80th birthday on Tuesday.

GAYA KALDERON, BROTHER, SISTER AND FATHER MISSING AFTER HAMAS ATTACK: Yes. Yes, that's true. We actually --

COOPER: What do you want people to know about her?

KALDERON: My grandma was a special woman --

COOPER: You tried to celebrate.

KALDERON: Yes, we did. We did like the old birthday thing without her. We just was really hoping to see her again. But the day after, we heard the news, so that's not going to happen. My grandma was wonderful woman. She was American also. It's a really big loss. I can't even tell you how I feel. The -- it's like -- it was the bad day I have in, like, my whole life, actually.

[15:50:00]

Yes, I can tell you that my grandma was, like, such a beautiful woman. I don't really know what to say about her. I'm just so sad. COOPER: Have you received -- you have gotten any information about any other members of your family? I know Eras (ph), there was a video that was posted of him actually being taken by gunmen from near Oz, right by the gate, by the fence line to near Oz. I actually went to the site yesterday where that video was shot, and it is only about an -- a mile and a half from that spot to Gaza. Have you heard any more information about any of your loved ones?

KALDERON: No, I didn't hear anything. You know, I'm trying to find some videos. It's very hard to watch all of these videos, but you know, I just want to see his face, maybe my sister's face, maybe my father. I don't know anything else. But I just -- I'm still in the same position. I was in this -- I have this information, like, one week ago, nothing changed.

COOPER: And you're still looking at videos. I mean, that -- I think many people don't -- in -- who are watching this who are not here don't really realize that so many family members eager -- you know, wanting any kind of sign of their loved one or any images of their loved one. I mean, the -- people are looking at Telegram and these other channels where these sick videos are posted. And just scrolling through them looking for signs of their loved ones. Are you -- you're still doing that?

KALDERON: Yes. You know, I'm trying the best. I try to do everything I can to just find some information about them. I don't know. I'm just hoping that they are OK. You know, every minute is important in this time. Every minute, like, every minute they can kill him. Every minute that's passed, they can kill someone in there. So, it's really -- it's so important to do everything so fast and to try to bring them back home, like, right now. Not today, yesterday. Last week. You know, every minute is important.

COOPER: Knowing that two hostages were released today, and we're waiting for more word on that from the secretary of state and in the United States, Antony Blinken, does that -- how do you feel about that?

KALDERON: It -- giving -- it's giving hope, you know. It's first step. But I think I'm not sitting down right now, I'm just keep going and try to do everything because every minute that passed again, they can kill them. They can -- I don't even know what, but they can do something bad. Their life is in danger. It's so important. It's really giving me just a little bit of hope, but nothing else.

COOPER: Well, Gaya, thank you for talking to us. And I'm so sorry for your loss this week, and I'm so sorry for -- that you haven't gotten any more word. We'll continue to be in touch with you. Thank you.

KALDERON: Thank you so much.

COOPER: Stay with CNN. We're standing by for words from Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the return of two hostages today.

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[15:55:00]

KEILAR: All right. So, right now, you're looking at live pictures, this is at the State Department in the briefing room because we're standing by for a pretty extraordinary State Department briefing where we're expecting that Tony Blinken, the secretary of state, is going to be there. And he's going to be speaking about these two American hostages who have been released. Judith and Natalie Raanan from the Chicago area, of course, we've heard President Biden saying in a statement, he's over joyed to learn that they have been released and certainly we've heard that from their community as well.

SANCHEZ: Yes, absolutely. Their rabbi in Chicago actually put out a statement that CNN obtained a short time ago saying, our prayers have been heard for Judith and Natalie. And we're so overjoyed for that, at the same time, please, continue praying. And that note, the worry about more hostages being held by Hamas is top of mind, especially when you consider that president Biden, we just learned a short time ago, had a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel after the news of this release, talking about a continued effort to get all the hostages out, especially those Americans still being held by the terror group.

KEILAR: That's right. And learning that there are more Americans as well. The government were getting, sort of, a view, I think, into this process as it is unfolding in these efforts that are happening. Which are the governments of Qatar and Israel were partners in this release effort. And Biden reiterating in a statement that his administration has been working around the clock to free Americans who have been held hostage by Hamas. Of course, that is the case as well with these other governments as well, with these more than 200 hostages held in Gaza.

SANCHEZ: Another thing that stood out to me about the statement that was put out by the White House, while the president laid out the U.S. support for Israel and its right to defend itself, its obligation to protect its citizens. He also discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu the protection of civilians in Gaza that are caught in the conflict launched by Hamas.

Of course, there have been questions about whether the aid that is in Egypt right now, food, water and medical supplies, would be allowed through the Rafah Crossing. Initially the understanding was that it would be let through today, that apparently has not stood up. That was pushed back until at least tomorrow. So, we'll see if following this call with President Biden that perhaps changes. If perhaps, Secretary of State Antony Blinken may mention that whenever he takes the podium.

KEILAR: Yes, this is the other effort, of course, that American diplomacy is trying to push through. It's so critical because each day we hear the situation is becoming more and more dire there in Gaza.

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