Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Trump Goes to Egypt for Summit on Gaza; Hostages Released from Gaza. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 13, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I think this was a strong -- Brett described it as a victory speech. I think it was a strong message, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the war is over and the return of the hostages eliminates, I think, the justification for major Israeli offensive operations in Gaza.

If that is the case, then you get to the third piece. The U.N., reputable agencies, facilitated -- facilitated by the Egyptians and the Israelis, can now flood the zone with humanitarian assistance. So, phase one will set the stage, could this -- could set the stage for the heavy lifts to follow.

One more point. I have attended over the years, worked and voted for Republicans and Democrats. The hardest day after the peace conference, and I've attended many of them, is Brett and Barbara's points, what to do now? And on the three critical challenges decommissioning, demilitarizing Hamas, including shutting down the infrastructure and tunnel system, which is half the length of the U.S. -- of the New York subway system. What to do about Palestinian governance and the international board? And, of course, the issue of Israeli withdrawal and the international stabilization force. This is going to require 24/7 and the president's involvement. I just hope he's prepared to focus in the weeks and months ahead.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's great to see you guys. I really appreciate it. Thank you all, especially on this moment, bringing your expertise to us. Really appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast. You're looking at live coverage and live pictures from Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv. That, of course, is Air Force One. President Trump is expected to arrive there very shortly. This after addressing the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on this historic day, a day when all 20 of the remaining living hostages who had been held in Gaza for 738 days, they are now free.

During his speech to the Knesset, President Trump was greeted by really a thunderous standing ovation. You can hear the gavel right there. This after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The president called it the, quote, "historic dawn of a new Middle East."

Let's listen to a brief moment of that speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In an unprecedented achievement. Virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan that Gaza will be immediately demilitarized and Hamas will be disarmed and Israel's security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, we have pictures now of where President Trump is headed. That's Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. He will attend a summit which is ostensibly on the future of Gaza, with the leaders of 20 other countries there.

BOLDUAN: But just a look at the -- the signage that they have up as they are going to be arriving. "Peace in the Middle East." I mean, this is -- this is setting up to be -- they are setting a high bar for what they want to accomplish on a very big day. And you can see a podium there. Lots, lots, lots to come here.

And as we await that, we are witnessing finally the emotional -- just look at this guys, emotional reunions taking place between those freed hostages and their loved ones that they haven't seen in more than two years. Finally coming face to face at a military base in southern Israel.

Listen.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Just amazing moments long overdue.

See that helicopter there? Several of the hostages being flown to hospitals from southern Israel to hospitals in and around Tel Aviv, where they're going to begin a very long road to recovery.

Let's get back to Tel Aviv. That's where CNN's Kaitlan Collins has been standing by, reporting all morning.

Just amazing moments after amazing moments that we're watching play out. Really, history, Kaitlan.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And moments that weren't guaranteed for -- for these families. Obviously, they'd been advocating for more than two years for those moments to happen, to be reunited with their loved ones.

[09:05:03]

And you just showed those helicopters. They've been flying overhead where we are all day, Kate, because they're landing just past Hostages Square, where Clarissa has been reporting from at the hospitals here ferrying those hostages back and forth. They were able to have initial medical checks, reunite with some of their loved ones, and then go on to hospitals for further evaluations where more of their family members could be.

And you've just seen those beautiful moments playing out, including people who were kidnaped together into Gaza and finally being reunited in this moment. And so, we've seen that that play out before in previous hostage releases, but now seeing it play out this time. Obviously, it just hits really close to home for -- for so many people here as they're breathing a sigh of relief here.

And on the political front, the president just spoke about this, getting all these hostages home, as he was addressing the Israeli parliament here. And now he is headed for the airport. We're waiting for him to -- to board Air Force One before he heads to Egypt to go to Sharm el-Sheikh.

We have full coverage across the region as we are watching those moments. And I want to go to CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

And, obviously, Jeremy, we just talked about those emotional moments. And you're exactly where all of these hostages are being brought after they are released onto Israeli soil.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Kaitlan, we have another helicopter that just landed here. We saw at least one of those newly freed Israeli hostages getting off the helicopter and then walking on his own two feet toward these busses that are waiting here. There are crowds of Israelis as well that cheer every time they hear one of these helicopters coming in, once they see the busses passing as well.

Moments ago we saw a couple of the other hostages who just arrived here at Sheba Hospital. One of them got out of the window and started waving to the waiting crowd. Obviously, for their families, we know the anguish that they have been through for more than two years. The incredibly emotional reunions that these are.

But just think about the emotions that the former hostages themselves are experiencing right now. They have spent more than two years in incredibly isolating conditions. Many of them have been kept in tunnels deep underground, have not seen the sun for months and months and months, and now they are finally being reunited with their families. They're back home in Israel for the first time. They're seeing sunlight. They're seeing their fellow Israelis. It can be incredibly overwhelming for these newly freed hostages. I can tell you that personally from having spoken with many of them, many of those who were released in the previous ceasefire and hostage release deals.

And you can see right here, actually, if we pan over briefly, these are the busses carrying one of those newly freed hostages as they arrive here at Sheba Medical Center. And these scenes have been playing out all day. We expect at least one more helicopter to arrive here at Sheba Medical Center. Two other hospitals in Tel Aviv have also been receiving hostages and have been prepared for this very same scenario. And remember, some of their family members are meeting them at that

Rahim (ph) military base, where I was earlier today. But then you have extended family and friends who are waiting for them here at the hospital to have a much more extended reunions. And then again, they will undergo a full battery of medical exams, psychological evaluations, and there's really so much support that's ready to go for them here in order to begin what will be a long road of recovery, of that I can assure you.

Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Yes. And, Jeremy, just -- I mean, on that note, you talk about the loved ones and these families who've been advocating for this release. So many people have gotten to know them because of their family members, but also for the hostages themselves who, obviously, have been dreaming about this day for over two years now, for 738 days.

And as Brett McGurk, who worked on this issue for President Biden, was saying earlier, you know, initially some of these hostages may not have even realized they were being freed, that they were on the cusp of being able to return to their loved ones until they were able to -- to get in the Red Cross vans before maybe that realization actually was even able to set in.

DIAMOND: (INAUDIBLE) freed hostages. Some of them were told when there was momentum in the talks. They could also sense a difference sometimes in the way in which their captors would treat them. Sometimes when negotiations fell apart, they would get worse treatment. They would get abuse from their captors. And then sometimes when things were looking up they would start to get more food, for example,

I know that during the last ceasefire deal some of the hostages got better food and more nutritional food in the days and weeks leading up to their release in order for them to look better fed than they actually had been during much of their captivity.

You also have to think about the psychological toll of all of this. I mean some of these hostages were held completely alone for months and months at a time.

[09:10:04]

You'll know Keith Siegel, Kaitlan, the American citizen who was held hostage by Hamas until this past January or February, he spent more than six months in isolation. And that's obviously an enormously challenging task. One that I'm sure some of these hostages who were freed today also had to undergo.

COLLINS: Yes.

Jeremy Diamond, we'll check back in with you as you're -- you're seeing those remarkable moments where the hostages are landing in these helicopters going into Sheba Hospital.

I also want to go now to our CNN chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, who is here with us.

Christiane, I just wonder your big picture thoughts as you've been watching this day play out.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Big picture thoughts. So, this is the day for real joy that those hostages are back, and that eventually all the remains of those who did not survive will come back. And also that the killing has stopped in Gaza as well.

This is a ceasefire. Today is the day to really mark the ceasefire and to surge aid into Gaza and to make sure the hostages are taken care of, their physical and mental health at the hospitals as well. This is a day that all those Israelis and members of the families have been waiting for a long, long time. And it's a day, obviously, that the civilians in Gaza have been waiting for. They are returning with some hope, only to find a complete and utter devastation. And what I've been told is that even the bits that we have seen by virtue of iPhones and maybe some drone stuff over the last two years, do not paint the full picture of the utter, almost total extinction of Gaza.

So, I think this is really important. But most important for me today was listening to what President Trump said in the Knesset, where he said to the Israeli people, to the Israeli politicians, to Netanyahu, with our help, you have done everything that you could do on the battlefield. With our arms, you have essentially won the war. And now it is time to translate that, as he called it, victory, into a permanent peace.

And, Kaitlan, that is going to be the most difficult part, because even on this day, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided he will not take up the invitation of President Sisi to go to Sharm el-Sheikh to deal and talk with all those other international leaders, including President Trump, to discuss the day after, which is not just a day after for a Palestinian state, but it's a day after for the eventual security of Israel itself. Everybody knows that Israel can only be secure for the future and not suffer any more of these October 7th horrors if there is a political solution. And that was what was meant to be starting, is meant to be starting in Sharm el-Sheikh. So many are saying that's a seriously missed opportunity, and we don't know why he decided to. And we hope that he's not playing politics on a day like this and trying to satisfy his very, very far right.

So, also we're going to really see whether President Trump doubles down and capitalizes on the incredible success of his negotiating team. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and his own moving off the sidelines and putting all the weight of his presidency and the leverage that only the United States can carry with Israel and, frankly, around the world to come to this day because if it's only a ceasefire and it's not the peace plan that President Trump has been talking about, then, you know, this -- we could be really, you know, watching some horrible recurrence in the future, or at least endless conflict and not a peace for the people who so desperately need it.

I think, big picture also, it was pretty incredible, Netanyahu's highly politicized speech in the Knesset, talking about how Trump had given them jurisdiction over the Golan, over, as he called it, Judea and Samaria, otherwise known as the occupied West Bank, all of that territorial domination that he was talking about before he ever talked -- this is the prime minister of Israel, before he ever mentioned the hostages. And I think that will go down pretty badly amongst the Israeli people who have been incredibly upset by the fact that their prime minister, they believe, has put off this day.

Big picture, this could have happened, you know, at least a year or so ago, or even in January when President Trump first came into office.

COLLINS: Yes.

AMANPOUR: So many hostages could have had their lives saved. So many in Gaza could have been spared. And some political resolution could have happened.

So, now the burden is on the leaders of all parties, including the Palestinians, to make sure this is not a two years that's wasted in just blood and guts and tears, that it's not two years of struggle in vain.

COLLINS: Yes. And, Christiane, as we're watching President Trump board Air Force One hours later than he was scheduled to depart here in Israel to go to Egypt for that summit, one part of that speech that you just reminded me of was when President Trump was basically referencing public opinion of Israel and how it had changed as this war had gone on.

AMANPOUR: Yes.

[09:15:06]

COLLINS: And the president was saying, you know, that the world is a big place. That eventually the world wins. I mean he was essentially arguing there about what public opinion was shaping up to be in regards to Israel when he was saying to take the win.

And you think of -- we've seen people going back into Gaza. Reporters have been restricted from going into Gaza largely. Obviously, there have been many Palestinian journalists who were there reporting throughout this war. But that's another big question here is, is when other people will be able to -- other reporters will be able to get a full look at the damage inside of Gaza.

AMANPOUR: Well, Kaitlan, you can imagine that's a question that I'm asking every day, and surely all of my colleagues. It is unconscionable that us, we have not been able to go in and help our Gaza colleagues tell the full story to the world. That is just something that I've never seen any democratic nation forbid outside journalists. And I've asked every Israeli official who I've interacted with over the last two years, publicly and privately, to open the doors and let us in.

And I pretty much can assure you that one -- that once those doors are opened, it will be a scene of absolute abject horror. And I think for sure people who start to talk to the hostages, who have only just been released, will find that it will take a long, long time for them to recover physically, but also mentally. It's been a terrible, terrible two years for them because not only are they there -- you know, they're probably being treated better than the average Gazan because they are the pawns and the chips that Hamas had. Now, Hamas has given up all its leverage, by the way, by giving them all up. So, that is a victory for the Israeli side.

But they will have had so much horror and terror as well because they were also in the war zone. Many of them underground we understand from those who we've spoken to in the past. We'll hear more details. But that will be incredibly difficult. And everything that -- they will have so much more at their disposal in Israel, you know, of a proper world country that has all the medical and -- and mental health facilities and all the rest of it, they will be able to, to, to, to help their people. In Gaza, the medical facilities are destroyed. I mean, the idea that there's any mental health facilities that can help 2 million people is just a farce. There isn't, obviously. And they need to start eating to be able to survive, start drinking clean water, start being able to treat their families. The, the, the follow- on medical and mental health issues are going to be long and very, very difficult.

And in the big picture again, if there's not a political resolution, and every Israeli military intelligence security official who I have ever talked to, including former prime ministers, have said, our existential threat as the state of Israel is not to be able to resolve this conflict. It's not the Abraham Accords. Those aren't peace deals. Those are normalization accords. And they're great. It's great. It's fantastic. But they do not address the problem at hand. And the problem that unless it's solved will not bring peace to this region.

So, it's phenomenal to see today and it's going to be super important to see what comes out of Sharm el-Sheikh and beyond.

COLLINS: Yes. Absolutely.

Christiane Amanpour, so great to have your -- your insights here. Jeremy Diamond, earlier, for your reporting as well.

Our special live coverage of this historic day that is playing out in the Middle East will continue right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:23:16]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson, here in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Donald Trump is just in the past hour wrapped up his rousing speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. During that speech he talked about a new vision for the Middle East. He talked about the end of forces of terror. He talked about a new dawn for this region. He talked about a region of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. He talked about a roadmap for peace.

Are we there yet? Not yet. Is there a credible pathway given what we have just heard from Donald Trump? Perhaps.

So, the next question is, what happens next? Well, he is now on his way from Israel to here, Sharm el-Sheikh. This is the conference center for what is being called the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit for Peace. And the purpose of this is to ensure that the -- the war in Gaza comes to an end.

Again, what is the detail on that? Not sufficient as of yet. What is likely then to happen here? The idea is to maintain momentum. The end of the ceasefire, the return of these hostages, the guns going quiet for the time being. What's next? And that is what will -- will be discussed here at this summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Who will be here? Well, leaders of some of the wealthiest countries in the world.

[09:25:04]

More than 20 leaders. Donald Trump suggesting that the world's wealth is convened here in Sharm el-Sheikh. Many of those leaders waiting for him. Here he is about -- running about three and a half hours late. He should be here within the hour.

But leaders from countries around this region, from -- from Saudi, from Qatar, from the UAE, from Egypt, from Jordan, from Turkey, the leaders of the mostly Muslim countries of Indonesia and Pakistan, and then a host of other countries who Donald Trump believes can be linked with bonds of friendship, cooperation and commerce. That is the vision.

Again, are we there yet? Not yet. Everybody tells me that they just need to ensure that the momentum continues. One regional diplomat describing the next stage as sort of flying the plane while building it. There is so much detail to discuss and implement. What does the security and governance of Gaza look like going forward? Who will play a role in the international stabilization force to ensure that Gaza is safe and secure going forward? What does a reformed Palestinian PA look like going forward? And what future for a two-state solution?

So many of these questions, which are points in a -- in a plan, in a pathway to peace, set out in a 20-point plan by Donald Trump, really need an awful lot more detail at this point. But if this was by sheer force of will that we might see peace in the Middle East going forward, then we might be talking about success today because that is how it felt as we listened to Donald Trump. And as I say, a lot more detail needed at this point before any sort of implementation of an end to the war in Gaza. That, of course, is the through line to the potential for peace in -- in this region.

And I can tell you, the vision set out today by Donald Trump very much reflected and voiced by countries around this region who want to see economic integration. They want to see the end of conflict. They want to navigate a new Middle East. But again, it is about maintaining momentum according to those that I have spoken to because at this stage there is an awful lot of work to be done.

I want to get to Jeremy Diamond, who is on the ground in Israel.

You have been witnessing -- before I get to Jeremy, I'm being told, let me get to Nada Bashir, who is actually in Ramallah on the occupied West Bank today.

And you have been reporting on the returning Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisoners, Nada. What have you seen? What have you heard? And what are people that you have spoken to made of the speech that we just heard at the Knesset?

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Becky, we've been here before. We've seen this prisoner release and exchange process before. But it has to be said that this time around it did feel a lot more controlled. There were less crowds. The prisoners were bused to the Ramallah cultural palace where then they were reunited with family members and sent home.

And we've been hearing the warnings from Israeli authorities telling Palestinians in the occupied West Bank not to celebrate this release, not to show any flags, not to show any support or association with groups they deem to be terrorist organizations, namely political factions here in the occupied West Bank. And we've certainly seen warnings earlier in the day. Even a quadcopter flying over outside the Ofer (ph) prison, where those prisoners had been held, handing out leaflets, dropping leaflets with that same warning.

So, it was a very controlled release process. We saw the -- some of the 250 Palestinian prisoners who were expected to be released today being brought into Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Some others were released in east Jerusalem. But also important to note that more than 150 have been deported to Egypt. These are prisoners who have been convicted of more violent, serious crimes, and they have been deported by the Israeli authorities.

And it's also important to underscore that many of those that have been released today were convicted and held for long term sentences. So, this is a significant move by the Israeli authorities to agree to this release. We've been speaking to Palestinians here who have said that this is a moment of hope, but there is a very clear sense of cautious optimism around what phase two will look like of the ceasefire deal and if the ceasefire will hold and, of course, what this means for the Palestinians in Gaza.

[09:30:03]

Becky.

ANDERSON: Thank you, Nada.