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IDF Says It Killed Hamas Commander In Gaza Refugee Camp Strike; Skies Over Gaza Light Up After Refugee Camp Strike; Gaza Hospitals Stretched Beyond Limits As War Intensifies; Senate Voted To Confirm Jack Lew As U.S. Ambassador To Israel. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired October 31, 2023 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:30]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: You are watching CNN Special Live Coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. I'm Brianna Keilar with Boris Sanchez here in Washington.

And we begin with a devastating and very deadly Israeli airstrike on the largest refugee camp in Gaza. The Israeli military says the strike on Jabalya refugee camp took out one of the leaders of the October 7th terror attack. Eyewitnesses and medics told CNN that the strike caused a large number of casualties.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A spokesman told Wolf Blitzer the target was a very senior Hamas commander. Here's part of their conversation.

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LT. COL. RICHARD HECHT, INTERNATIONAL IDF SPOKESPERSON: We'll be coming out in the next, hopefully, hour with more data, but I can update you now that there was a very senior Hamas commander in that area. Sadly, he was hiding again, as they do, behind the - within civilians and that's all I can say at this point. We're looking into it and we'll be coming out with more data as we learn what happened there.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: So can you confirm it was an Israeli attack that destroyed a big chunk of that Jabalya refugee camp?

HECHT: Yes, I can. We went - we were focused again on our target ...

BLITZER: And the fact there are the ..

HECHT: ... a senior commander, Wolf, and we'll be updating you with more data as the hour moves ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, we want to share some video with you from the scene and we should warn you, it's very graphic. It shows the inside of the Indonesian hospital in Gaza, which is treating some of the survivors. And the hospital's director tells CNN that hundreds of dead and injured people have arrived there.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Obviously, you can make out the profiles of children, as so many of the victims in Gaza have been.

We're going to turn now to CNN's Nic Robertson. He is in Sderot, Israel, for us.

Nic, describe the situation as you know it there in northern Gaza. We're hearing that multiple homes were destroyed in this.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Local officials in Gaza, Hamas-controlled, say that 20 homes were destroyed. The videos appear to show multiple impacts on the ground, multiple explosions. One eyewitness described what they say was an F-16 firing multiple missiles into Gaza at that location. Another witness said it was like they thought it was going to be the end of the world.

It does appear as if the casualties are extremely high. The doctors in that hospital, you just heard from one of the doctors there at the Indonesia hospital, say - describing the casualties they're receiving. They're treating them, they say, on the floors, in the corridors. They're literally running out of space. And this is in a hospital that was already on the brink of being on the edge of not being able to cope with the casualties it was getting.

The Jabalya refugee camp, according to U.N. agencies in Gaza, is the largest of eight refugee camps in Gaza. The population there is estimated to be around 110,000 people in a very small area, densely populated. The IDF say that they were targeting a Hamas commander who was hiding among civilians. They say that he was in a bunker with other Hamas fighters. They say that they have killed 50 Hamas terrorists today.

Now, Hamas has responded as well. And they say the commander that the IDF says they killed wasn't in Jabalya. The IDF isn't saying - the Hamas is saying that he wasn't there. This is a situation already where we're hearing from Egyptian officials saying that this - Israel cannot continue this war, where there are so many civilians and there can be so many casualties.

So, already, this is putting additional pressure on an already pressured government here to take stock, take a breath, allow in humanitarian aid and have a pause in the fighting, something they're not been willing to do yet.

[15:05:04]

SANCHEZ: And Nic, you're also learning about the first deaths among Israeli troops since Israel expanded its ground operations into Gaza. What can you tell us about that? ROBERTSON: Yes, the IDF is saying that the two men, one a staff sergeant, the other a sergeant, both 20 years old, the IDF is saying that they died heroes in face-to-face combat, fighting with Hamas operatives inside of Gaza. We don't have numbers on casualties yet from the IDF, but it would be expected if you have soldiers in direct contact and some of them are dying, it would be likely that there will be additional casualties.

The death toll now from this incursion so far, according to the IDF, two soldiers who died in this face-to-face fight.

KEILAR: All right. Nic, thank you. We should mention these are live pictures that you are looking at from Gaza. So, following that Israeli strike on a refugee camp, the largest refugee camp in Gaza. We are now seeing this and we understand that there has been rocket fire in the skies over Gaza as well.

All right. Let's talk more about all of these developments. We're joined now by Senior Columnist and Editor at The Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz, and we are also joined by White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, David Sanger.

Yaakov, first off, the Israeli military now claiming that it killed a Hamas commander, one who was responsible for the October 7th massacre in this strike on the Jabalya refugee camp. Obviously, it did so at the expense of civilians living there. We can just see with our eyes the collateral damage. What do you make of what we're seeing?

YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST & EDITOR, THE JERUSALEM POST: Look, Israel warned that this, unfortunately, is what's going to happen because of the way the Hamas cynically embeds itself in civilian infrastructure. And for that reason, just over three weeks ago, after the October 7th massacre inside Israel and Hamas' invasion, Israel spent three weeks trying to urge, and about 90 percent of the people who reside in the north of Gaza move to the south where there is that American and Egyptian-led humanitarian effort.

But with that said, Israel needs to be able to defend itself. It needs to take out these terrorists. Ibrahim Biyari, who's the commander of Hamas' central Jabalya battalion, was the target and was taken out of, in this strike. He was responsible for sending those Nukhba Hamas terrorist operatives into Israel, who, as Secretary of State Blinken just today testified before Senate and spoke about what they did, gouging out father's eyes in front of their children, cutting off limbs of children in front of their parents, cutting off the breasts of the mother at the kitchen table, and then sitting down to have a meal, right.

So these people needed to be taken down. And unfortunately, and this is tragic, right? This is tragic what's happening in Gaza, but there's one side to blame here, and that is Hamas for failing its people and also attacking Israel.

SANCHEZ: David, you have new reporting in The New York Times about a shift in tone from the White House about Israel's war. And notably we're getting word from our team at the White House that the White House sees indications, despite the bombing we saw at the Jabalya refugee camp, that Israel is trying to protect civilians there. I'm curious what your read is of how the White House is handling this response. They're obviously concerned not only about the deaths of civilians, but Israel's endgame in Gaza, and what happens if they succeed in eradicating Hamas.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes. That's absolutely right. And what we've seen in recent times is a significant shift in the President's own tone about this. You'll remember that on October 10th, just three days after the horror of this terror attack, the President came out and basically said the United States would respond decisively and overwhelmingly if it had been attacked.

But he has begun to shift his tone. He did during his visit to Israel. And then you heard both Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Blinken, say how Israel does this makes a big difference and that there is an additional burden on Israel to make sure that they have reduced civilian casualties.

And I'm sure that this horrific set of casualties in this refugee camp is going to raise the question anew, not whether or not the Hamas leader was a legitimate target, he clearly was a legitimate target. But I think the question the administration is going to face and that Israel is going to face is, is it an acceptable degree of civilian casualties to go after them with a bomb like this if you know that there are that many civilians around.

[15:10:04]

And that's the really hard question. It's one thing to go on TV, as many officials have and say, you've got to do it both ways. You've got to protect civilians and go after the terrorists. It's another thing when it comes down to a case like this.

KEILAR: And Yaakov, we saw Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, he was on TV yesterday and he was making the case for Israel. Do you feel that he made that case and I wonder sort of what observers are thinking? Did he make the case soon enough to be effective and has he been making the case for Israel enough globally leading up to this? What do you think?

KATZ: Look, I think Netanyahu probably should be out there more making the case for Israel. This is one of the first times that he's spoken up publicly. We know that he has that ability of an orator and he knows how to speak. So he could be out there doing more of that.

But he's been quite silent since the outbreak of these hostilities and probably (inaudible) with the fact that he feels somewhat responsible, even though he doesn't know how to take that responsibility personally.

But what I think we need to keep in mind is that on the one hand while the world tells Israel, yes, you, of course, not only have the right to act in self-defense, you are obligated to act in self-defense. But then the other hand - with the other hand, literally says to Israel, but don't kill any civilians.

And unfortunately, in this type of combat and in this type of urban warfare and in the use that Hamas makes of civilian infrastructure, right? So when you're going to attack a building like what was attacked in Jabalya, and there are tunnel networks, there's a whole underground city in Gaza. There's what we see above ground in Gaza and then there's the below Gaza City. That city, when you attack a building, if there's going to be a tunnel network there, abscise. And while Israel can do everything it can, and I know that it does, to try to protect those civilians. And that's why, for example, it gave them three weeks notice before coming in.

What military gives notice, right? When Hamas invaded Israel, last I checked, they didn't tell the 1,400 Israelis who live in those kibbutzim and those communities along the border, hey, we're coming to kill you, right? They just came in and butchered them.

So I think that what Israel did shows a whole other standard in the way that we fight as a country.

KEILAR: Yaakov and David, thank you so much for the discussion. We do appreciate it.

KATZ: Thank you.

KEILAR: And still to come, as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsening by the day. We are going to show you what life is like inside of a hospital in northern Gaza.

Plus, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin making their case to Congress to approve emergency military aid for both Israel and Ukraine. We have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[15:17:20]

KEILAR: The conflict between Israel and Hamas has so far forced about half of Gaza's population, 1 million people, out of their homes.

With so many on the move, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is reporting on their plight. A warning that the images that you are about to see in this report are graphic.

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): Where do you go when the bombs won't stop? Where do you shelter your family when the shelters are full? For many Gazans, the answer is a hospital. The head doctor shows us around.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

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ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): "All that separates these families and the ICU is this door," he explains. "These are not proper sterile conditions."

Some 12,000 displaced people are camped out in al-Quds Hospital in northern Gaza. And every single person you see here has been told by Israel's army to leave and move south, an evacuation order the U.N. previously called inhumane.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

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ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): "This is not a place for children to play. This is a disaster," the doctor says. "Look, these are sick people. How can a man on a walker be evacuated?"

Hospitals are protected under international law. But Israel claims Hamas uses medical facilities as command centers. Aid groups and Palestinian officials deny these allegations.

Either way, this is still not a safe place. Step outside the doors and this is what you face, non-stop Israeli artillery and airstrikes. Everyone here fears the explosions will only get closer. But there's nowhere else to run. Across the street, desperate people steal basic supplies. The war and a suffocating siege is causing civil order to break down, the U.N. says.

"Families cannot be expected to flee into this chaos," this father says.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

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ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): "This is a war against our children. See how scared he is from the bombs? Now we are alive, but tomorrow we could be dead. Please save us." He pleads.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

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ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): Less than a quarter mile away from the hospital, this is the aftermath of one of those strikes. Residents pull people out of the rubble of their homes. They can depend only on each other. Comms are down. No one can call an ambulance.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ (voiceover): "Just try and carry him out on your shoulder," someone shouts. "Are my mom and dad alive?" The wounded man asks.

[15:20:00]

The sound of war never ceases. You could die trying to help the living.

This is one neighborhood during one hour in Gaza, a tiny glimpse into the horror. The humanity and dignity of more than two million people that live here, a casualty of a war so many did not choose.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Some very difficult images to process there. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz for that report.

Let's discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza with Janti Soeripto. She's the president and CEO of Save the Children, one of the world's leading humanitarian organizations for children.

Janti, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us.

I want to let our viewers know you were able to get a first truck with 45,000 bottles of water into Gaza on Sunday. That was the first piece of aid that your organization was able to get in. Bring us up to speed on what the situation has been like since. Have you been allowed to get more aid into Gaza?

JANTI SOERIPTO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, SAVE THE CHILDREN: Thank you, Boris.

No, not yet. We've got another truck waiting at the border. We're already sending more trucks as well. We have huge preposition of supplies happening in Egypt. We are also standing by in Lebanon if necessary with required supplies. But clearly, we still need to get - need to be able to get more trucks in, which is why we're also calling for a humanitarian pause ceasefire, because it's not just about getting trucks in. It's also having the ability to then distribute the supplies safely and securely.

SANCHEZ: When it comes to the supplies that are most needed right now in Gaza, other than water, what would you say you're hearing from your teams on the ground is most in need?

SOERIPTO: Well, it's almost everything by now, definitely water. We would also say fuel, because without fuel, it's very hard actually to distribute supplies adequately, speedily and safely. Because essentially, you're asking our teams to carry supplies on their back towards distribution centers.

Food is absolutely required. Medicine, drugs, we've heard it from multiple other agencies as well, that hospitals are running, have already run out of painkillers, out of any other anesthesia, any other required drugs to actually help the injured, the wounded, the people who already were sick.

SANCHEZ: Janti, when you were answering the question a moment ago, you talked about the potential for a cessation of hostilities, a ceasefire effectively. We've heard from multiple officials, most notably the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that a ceasefire would be surrendering to Hamas. I'm wondering how you respond to that, how you absorb that viewpoint.

SOERIPTO: Yes, look, it's not safe for someone's role to decide or to position how a ceasefire is seen. We see a ceasefire as something that is critical to actually stop the killing and injuring, maiming of children on all sides. We see it as an opportunity to get much, much needed support in, more supplies, but also humanitarian - human support.

Doctors and nurses, humanitarians in Gaza have been working around the clock. They are exhausted. They need also help to do their work safely and securely and at the scale that is required. So we need to have that pause. We need to - the fighting to stop because in the end, children always bear the brunt of a conflict like this.

SANCHEZ: We should point out there are some 2 million people inside of Gaza. More than half of them are children.

Janti Soeripto, we have to leave the conversation there. We very much appreciate your time.

SOERIPTO: Thank you very much.

SANCHEZ: We are tracking some breaking news. Just moments ago, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Jack Lew as the next ambassador to Israel. In just moments, we're going to explain why the majority leader in the Senate says this is one of the most important and consequential nomination votes the Senate has taken in a very long time.

CNN NEWS CENTRAL returns in just a moment.

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[15:29:05]

SANCHEZ: We're following new developments on Capitol Hill. Just moments ago, the Senate voted to confirm Jack Lew as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel. Now, his confirmation comes despite some Republican opposition over his key role in the Iran nuclear deal when Lew served in the Obama administration.

Let's take you to Capitol Hill with CNN's Manu Raju.

So, Manu, how did this vote play out?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a close vote. 53-43, Jack Lew confirmed as a U.S. ambassador to Israel after some concerns from Republicans, but enough to get him over the finish line. This comes as there is division among Republicans about how to move forward with aid to Israel.

People like Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, pushing to include aid to Israel with aid to Ukraine. That is something that has badly divided his Republican conference.

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SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): I think he's wrong.

RAJU: You think McConnell is undercutting Speaker Johnson's position?

PAUL: I think he's attempting to - and I think it's a mistake because it's also in defiance of most conservatives in the Republican Party.

[15:30:03]

So I think McConnell's position is very, very unpopular, both in Kentucky, but also very, very unpopular across.