Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

IDF: 320 Targets Hit In Gaza Overnight; Aid Worker With Family In Gaza Shares Harrowing Experience. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired October 23, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:01:16]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman in New York. Sara Sidner is in Jerusalem. And this morning, the number of people taken hostage by Hamas is climbing. The IDF is now updating its count, saying that it believes Hamas has kidnapped 222 people in the October 7th terror attack. Sources also telling CNN that the U.S. is asking Israel to delay a ground incursion into Gaza to allow more time to get these hostages out.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Yes. Nevertheless, there has been this huge buildup of Israeli forces right on the border with Gaza. Infantry, armor stationed all around the perimeter of this enclave. And Israeli officials say that its soldiers are training and preparing for possible ground assaults, even as it has conducted more intensified airstrikes overnight. Our Nic Robertson, who's stationed right here in Sderot, has said it's some of the most intense shelling he has seen into Gaza for some time. Let's go right to our Sara Sidner, who is here in Tel Aviv, as I said, Nic Robertson also standing by right there in Sderot.

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: Yes. And I have come over to Jerusalem, which is about an hour drive from Tel Aviv. Here there is quiet in Jerusalem, honestly, but in the West Bank, there has been a lot of activity. There have been protests in solidarity with those people who they are related to some of the Palestinians and who they see being bombarded in Gaza.

There have also been dozens of arrests by the Israeli military in the West Bank of Palestinians, as well as several people who have been killed. The number now stands at 92 people since that October 7th attack on the border. You are seeing 92 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, mostly by the Israeli military, but also by settlers.

So unrest is happening everywhere in this region. There is also news from Lebanon, the Lebanese Minister of Information, telling Russian state media that they do not want a war with Israel. But there's a caveat, there have been missiles that have been sent over in the last 14 days. There have been ground incursions that have happened on the Lebanese Israel border, which is to the north, the far north of Gaza. And there have been whole towns in the Israel side that have evacuated because of the dangers there. The Israeli Prime Minister has been very stern warning that Lebanon will see the wrath of Israel if it does begin a war and if Israel has to fight a war on two fronts, the Prime Minister says it certainly will.

Now to Gaza, where there is just devastation that is happening there. It has gone from a humanitarian crisis, according to those on the ground, to a humanitarian catastrophe, even though there have been more trucks that have been let in. So far there are 34 trucks filled with aid that have been let in.

It is just a fraction, less than 4 percent of what normally comes in through the borders into Gaza. And so we are seeing a situation where not only are people hungry, thirsty and in need of medical care that is just not available, but they're also suffering those taking care of the injured and the sick, the doctors and nurses here is what the Palestinian Red Crescent Society has to say about what is happening to the caretakers in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARWAN JILANI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY: A few days ago, we didn't have food for our medical teams in the north, so we had to bring in our colleagues, risked their lives moving from Khan Yunis in the south to Gaza City, some bread in order for us to feed the medical teams, who, by the way, have been for the past two weeks working round the hour. They don't have shifts. There are no extra teams in order for some of them to take a rest. And, of course, the number of injuries are huge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:05:24]

SIDNER: Imagine that, the doctors themselves don't have enough food and they're working so many hours, there is no respite for those who are supposed to be taking care of the sick and infirmed and injured. All right, let us go to Nic Robertson. He is on the border very close to Gaza. He is in Sderot, where you have been watching the mass of military might from Israel's side, getting theirselves ready for what everyone says will be eventually a ground war. What are you seeing today?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the very heavy artillery and airstrikes that were hearing over Gaza late yesterday afternoon and into the early hours of this morning, that's abated to a degree. We have just been listening to a couple of very heavy explosions in -- coming from Gaza. We can hear a military helicopter in the distance, somewhere not too far away.

And it doesn't feel as if the tempo is up or doesn't feel perhaps, that it will come up to the same tempo in terms of artillery and missile strikes as we witnessed last night. It's early in the evening and that can change. The troops along the border, that has not changed either. They're still in place. Many hundreds of tanks and armored personnel carriers and some of the heavy mechanical diggers that are usually used to sort of go at the spearhead of an incursion into Gaza. Historically, that's what they do.

They go in and clear the path for the tanks to make sure that there are no mines, there are no traps. But it very quickly any force going through comes into an urban environment. And that's the area where the troops know that they'll face some of their toughest challenges. But at the moment, they haven't received the orders to go forward. They're still around Gaza.

We can't see precisely where all these forces are, but wherever we can see them, there are very significant numbers. It is a large force that is preparing, we're told, for a long operation as well, weeks, possibly more than that. Sara?

SIDNER: Yes, it's really not going to be something that is fast in and out of Gaza. Nic Robertson, thank you and your team for all the reporting that you have been doing in a very dangerous spot. Now, I'm going to send it back from Jerusalem to Kate, New York. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So any moment now, thank you so much Sara, any moment now, President Biden is going to be returning to the White House, as sources are telling CNN that his administration is asking Israel behind the scenes to delay its possible ground incursion in Gaza. It's a tactical decision the White House is hoping will offer up more time to get hostages released, the hundreds of men, women, and children kidnapped by Hamas during its terror attack. CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House for us. Arlette, what are you hearing from the White House about this today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the White House publicly is saying that any decisions about military operations into Gaza are up to the Israeli Defense Forces themselves. But CNN has learned that behind the scenes, the administration has been pushing Israel to delay a possible ground incursion into Gaza, in part for two reasons to ensure that they can try to get more humanitarian aid in there and to work to secure the release of more hostages.

On the humanitarian aid front, there was some progress made over the weekend as convoys started going into Gaza to distribute supplies to the civilians on Saturday. But that is just a fraction of what people on the ground there say these Palestinians need as they are dealing with dire circumstances within Gaza. Now, over the weekend, just yesterday, President Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the White House said that the two men agreed to have a continued flow of aid going into Gaza.

So that is one step that has been made when it comes to offering some humanitarian relief to the Palestinians there. But then there is the issue of the hostages. On Friday, there was the release of those two Americans. And both the U.S. and allies are hoping that more hostages will be released as this conflict continues.

The President yesterday held a phone call with several European leaders as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and one of the things they talked about was the need to get more hostages released. There is also concern about the Palestinian Americans who are currently in Gaza and have been unable to leave. So those are some of the issues that the White House is trying to tackle in these coming days as they await to see whether Israel will, in fact, launch that possible ground incursion into Gaza.

[11:10:07]

BOLDUAN: Arlette thank you so much. John?

BERMAN: All right. With us now, retired U.S. Army Major Mike Lyons. Major, look, we know that Israel has got troops stationed all around Gaza, including armor all around Gaza. And by the way, it should be said, and we haven't focused on it much, naval forces stationed off the coast of Gaza. Talk to me about this pause that the United States has been pushing for. What would the impact be on all these troops waiting to go in strategically?

MAJ. MIKE LYONS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I don't think it's a pause. I think it's deliberate on the Israeli side to make sure they have everything in place in order to -- a launch what they're going to be a successful ground operation. They have to set up logistical, supply places, for example. They have to make sure there's 10 to 15, 20 days of resupply close to those troops once they go in. So I think they're going to continue to shape the battlefield with the air. The air campaign remains the top priority.

BERMAN: Well, talk to me about that, then. Talk to me about shaping it from the air. There have been intensified airstrikes. Nic Robertson, who's right here in Sderot has said overnight he saw some of the most ferocious shelling he's seen. What's going on there?

LYONS: Well, it appears that they've cut the Gaza in half through that Wadi that's there, where they're going to let the southern portion be the place where civilians can gather and call it no fire zone. But their focus is in the north. The focus is on the tunnels, observation posts, command and control centers, which are things that the air can target.

Those are the kind of things that you use that air campaign for. If you pound that for 30 days, 35, 40 days, you're trying to get that enemy so their head so shaking that they really don't know what's going on. So when the ground troops come, they have that shock effect that they could use.

BERMAN: There's also been interaction between Israeli forces and Hamas militants on the border in the last few days, including, we know, right here, which is interesting because it is south of that evacuation line. What do you think might be happening there?

LYONS: John, those are raids, and they're done on purpose. They go across the border probably a few miles in order to collect intelligence, kill as many fighters as they can, also figure out where those tunnel groups are, figure out if they're going to destroy them, possibly gain intel on where the hostages could be. But those are very tactical decisions that they're making there.

BERMAN: One weapon that we are told has been used for the first time in fighting is what's called Iron Sting or Steel Sting, depending on the translation, which is an Israeli mortar that we're looking at here. What does that mean and what is it intended to do?

LYONS: So a mortar is an indirect fire weapon. It's close in battle. Normally, artillery fires over great ranges. This is going to allow troops on the ground there to call on a fire mission what's called, at a very close manner with an accuracy to the target. As you can see here, it goes right through this target here. It's fired with laser designation, all these kinds of things. It's an increased technology.

Normally, mortars are kind of fire and forget, you fire them quickly, area fire weapons and the like. I think this is going to go after tunnels. They're going to mark where these tunnels are. They're going to mark where these areas are and then come back later laze and blaze them. They're going to figure out where they are and then use these mortar systems together.

BERMAN: These are some of the tunnel systems that existed in 2021. They're probably much more elaborate now at this point. Arlette and Kate we're talking about this pause that the United States has been pushing for reasons of getting the hostages out and maybe more aid in. But one other reason is to bolster or secure the U.S. interests that are in the region.

This is a map, actually, the red countries are countries of either Iran or where Iran has proxies. But the U.S. does have people stationed in these areas.

LYONS: We do. We have troops up here in Syria, up here in Iraq, and while Iron Dome protects Israel, the systems we're bringing in are going to be umbrella to protect U.S. troops that are there in theater. The Patriot system, the Thad, these are anti-ballistic missile systems that should the Iranians decide to escalate, should Hezbollah decide to escalate, we'll be able to fire from them with the ships that we have in the sea.

BERMAN: All right. Major Michael Lyons, great to have you here. Thank you very much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, food, water and fuel remain in short supply in Gaza. Ahead, the story of one man in Washington, what he's hearing from his family in Gaza and how he's trying to help.

Plus, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin laying out his concerns over the very real risk of this conflict escalating and expanding throughout the Middle East, why he's sending more military assets to the region now.

And embarrassing and dangerous, House Republicans sounding off and venting over where they find themselves right now. Now, three weeks in with no House Speaker. Today, they have nine new candidates to choose from. Do any of them have a chance? We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:19:08] SIDNER: Aid workers are warning the situation in Gaza has become a humanitarian catastrophe. Shipments of critical supplies are really just trickling in. Nothing compared to what they need. Trucks carrying food, medicine and medical supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing at the Egyptian border. But officials say it is simply not enough to meet the needs of the people.

The hospital system is completely overwhelmed with patients. And some say doctors have been forced to operate without morphine or painkillers. In a CNN opinion piece, our next guest writes knowing my family could be killed at any moment, I live with the gnawing fear that any buzz my phone makes will be the news I fear the most.\

Joining me now is Hani Almadhoun, who is the U.N. philanthropy director at UNRWA, USA, which supports the U.N. Agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza. He is speaking with us in a personal capacity today because, as you heard, he does have family in Gaza.

[11:20:14]

Hani Almadhoun, thank you so much for joining us. I know this is a terribly difficult time to be discussing what is happening with your family. First and foremost, have you heard from your family today? And if so, how are they?

HANI ALMADHOUN, PALESTINIAN AMERICAN WHOSE FAMILY IS IN GAZA: Yes, Sara, thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity. It's -- as you can see, and you can imagine, things are not going great. The family is not in a good place. My immediate family is unharmed physically, but the emotional trauma, the food insecurity, you know, there is a lot of bombing around them and I worry for their safety, as you can imagine.

Over the weekend, my sister-in-law lost 12 family members. Just the whole bloodline is gone, and, you know, I just don't know, it keeps getting closer. And I pray for their safety and, you know, for the safety of all those folks involved who have nothing to do with this, like my family. So thank you for asking.

SIDNER: I'm sorry, especially hearing about your sister-in-law and 12 members of her family gone. Can you give us some sense of what they're experiencing and where they were living? Were they in North Gaza and did they have to evacuate to South Gaza? Or where are they and how are they handling what they're experiencing there? What are they seeing?

ALMADHOUN: Right, Sara. Yes, so my family is in northern Gaza. That's the evacuation zone. They've moved places just to be a little bit farther from the lines with, you know, with Israel, but the reality is they're not safe. The house five doors down from them, the Kahlut (ph) family house was bombed. And, you know, some of these houses get bombed more than once, so that's just a little bit cruel.

The family that we've lost, they're actually about 10-minute drive from our house. And remember, Gaza is very small. You could cross Gaza west to east in 10 minutes. So you're talking about a very fairly tiny place, and the family does not have anybody in the south or the middle area. The schools are really crowded.

Our colleagues at UNRWA doing a good job housing people and trying to provide food. You've mentioned aid is strict legging (ph), thank you. There is some movement there. It's obviously a drop in the bucket, but, you know, we know 20 trucks came on Saturday, 14 yesterday, and maybe a few more today. We're hoping that we get some fuel. The issue is none of this aid is getting to people like my family up north. They're just, you know, everything is doubled and tripled in the price, and that's OK, you know, but just the part that the safety. You don't know what's going to happen.

You know, uncertainty, you know, my dad, the market where he has a small grocery store, was bombed. My mom worried. Hamdullah (ph), he's doing OK. But, you know, you can't imagine there's a lot of people who have nothing to do with this like the 50 percent of the people in Gaza under the age who didn't even elect anything or had any time to make a bad or a good decision. They're still not in a good place. My family is hurting. A lot of families are hurting.

I have lost a friend of mine who's a journalist just yesterday, so it's just unfortunate, we lost 29 staff members, you know. We continue to work under difficult conditions, you know. We try to comply with whatever orders the IDF provides. But as you know, 29 at least 35 underwater installations got bombed. So we don't really feel the U.N. flag is not protected anymore.

So if U.N. ambulances don't feel safe, can you imagine civilians like my family who have just been praying hard and we're trying to keep in touch with them, but it's not really getting any easier. And I know you're about 50 minutes away from them because I was in Jerusalem over the summer, and, you know, I hope they're OK. I wish I was closer to them because I know that if we're together, but no matter happens, we will be together. And that seems cruel, but really, that's what myself is feeling, and that's what my wife also is feeling. She has a family in Gaza.

SIDNER: Hani Almadhoun, I am taken aback. I know we have been seeing the horrific images there, especially of the children in Gaza who have suffered injuries and have been killed, but also the mothers, the fathers, the grandparents, all going through this. I'm sorry to hear about your father's store being bombed, the home. And I know that at this point, everyone in Gaza feels that nowhere is safe and a ground war may be imminent.

I just hope that your family and all of the civilians can make it out of this, at least somehow make it out of this alive. Hani Al, I'm -- I -- just I'm speechless to listen to your horrific story, and I hope that you are continuing to talk to them. And we'll check in with you over the next few days to see how your family is doing. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

ALMADHOUN: Thank you for having me. I have my voice to yours.

[11:25:03]

SIDNER: All right, John. BERMAN: All right, just into CNN, an individual inside the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight, we are just getting information in, apparently attempted to turn off the engine of the plane. Again, new details just coming in. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:03]

BERMAN: All right, just into CNN, we are learning that an Alaska Airlines flight was diverted because --