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Israel Keeps Up Strikes on Gaza After Hamas Attack; Desperate Search for Hostages Taken by Hamas; U.S. Carrier Strike Group Heads to Eastern Mediterranean; Gaza Civilians Face Carnage as Leaders Hide; No Security Council Action Taken After U.N. Emergency Meeting; Tennessee Church Group Was in Israel When the War Began; U.S. Looking into Possible Iran Link to Attack. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 09, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[00:01:00]

LAILA HARRAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Laila Harrak.

It's seven in the morning in Israel. You're looking at live pictures, where the military says it's keeping up its strikes on Gaza and on Hamas militants after the group's large-scale surprise attack over the weekend.

Hamas also claiming to have launched a major missile attack on the Southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Just hours ago, militants say 100 rockets were fired in response to Israeli Defense Forces targeting their safehouses.

And Israeli police say the rocket attack made a direct hit on an apartment building. This all comes as Hamas claims to now be holding more than 100 hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking Israeli officers.

Inside Israel, the death toll from Hamas's multi-pronged attack now climbing past 700. Since then, Israeli forces clashed on the ground with Hamas fighters and responded by pounding Gaza with airstrikes.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says at least 413 Palestinians have been killed, including 78 children.

More disturbing images are emerging after Hamas's attack here. The bodies of victims from a music festival near the Israel-Gaza border, seen under tents. Emergency responders say at least 260 people there were killed.

That site, just one of several targeted by militants on Saturday.

CNN's Nada Bashir is following developments closely for you. She joins me now from London.

Nada, people are bracing for what more is to come.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. The real question is what we can expect to happen next.

At this stage, the priority for the Israel Defense Forces, for the Israeli government, continues to be on trying to secure those areas around the Gaza Strip where we have seen Hamas fighters infiltrating Israeli territory.

We've heard from the Israeli authorities there. They say that gun battles have continued overnight between IDF soldiers and Hamas fighters on the ground.

We've heard, in fact, from our teams on the ground who have witnessed some of these fire fights. And of course, overnight we have continued to see rockets being launched from Gaza into Israel, many of them, of course, intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, but some making landfall.

We have learned, of course, of a building in Ashkelon being hit by a rocket overnight.

And, of course, in response we have also seen continued strikes in Gaza by the IDF. They say they are targeting Hamas positions. They say they have been successful in targeting a Hamas command center in Gaza, but this has also raised concern over what could be next in the potential for an escalation of those strikes in Gaza, as is anticipated.

Now, of course, while that remains the priority at this stage, and of course, as you mentioned, being able to rescue those Israeli citizens and soldiers taken hostage and captive by Hamas and taken into Gaza.

There are questions around the next phase. And of course, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken on this. He spoke about this being the first phase, but in the coming days, moving on to a military response.

And it is anticipated that there will be a severe military response by Israel. Of course, we are anticipating there could well be a ground incursion into Gaza. Now of course, it isn't clear this is eminent at this stage. There is no telling when this could take place, but it is appearing to be, at this stage, a question of when, not if this will take place.

And of course, there are several complexities at hand, particularly with regards to the fact that there are Israeli settlers who have been held captive in Gaza. It will be almost imperative for the Israeli forces to have some sort of crowd presence in order to extricate these citizens.

But of course, the continued airstrikes also poses some difficulty, because it is anticipated that some of these Israel citizens, as well as Palestinian civilians in Gaza will fall victim, fall into the crossfire there. This is a tiny enclave, densely populated.

And as we have seen on multiple occasions in the past, these strikes on Gaza have devastating civilian tolls.

So of course, this is a huge concern, but that will be continue to be the focus at this stage. We know, of course, that Israel has been in touch with its allies, particularly in the U.S., calling for further military support on that front, but all eyes will be on what this next phase of Israel's response will look like.

HARRAK: CNN's Nada Bashir reporting. Thank you so much.

And as we mentioned, Hamas says it is holding more than 100 hostages in Gaza, including high-ranking Israeli officers. Families of those captives say they're desperate and are pleading for their safe returns.

CNN's Becky Anderson spoke with some of them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The unspeakable anguish of a father, describing the moment he saw a video, posted on social media, of his daughter pleading for her life.

"It was her, frightened and threatened," he says.

ANDERSON: I'm so sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, it's OK. It's OK.

ANDERSON: I am so sorry.

ANDERSON (voice-over): "You don't want to believe it, even though you can clearly see it's your daughter."

He now wants this video to be seen widely. Twenty-five-year-old Noa Algamani (ph), seen here on the back of a motorcycle, being driven away.

Her boyfriend, Amutan Ohr (ph), is seen here with two men, holding his hands behind his back. A dark plume of smoke can be seen in the background.

They've been among the more than 1,000 people, partying at an all- night music festival in Southern Israel, near the Gaza border. And it was raided by armed Hamas militants early on Saturday morning.

Her father says Noa (ph) and Amutan (ph) were kidnapped. Their whereabouts unknown, but are assumed to be held in Gaza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so sad at this moment. She's my only daughter.

ANDERSON (voice-over): And Yaakov's (ph) pain, mirrored by so many others. Parents, family members, wives, husbands, filled with horror and despair, thinking about the fate of their loved ones.

In this video that's been circulating widely online, a woman is seen in the back of a truck, as a militant puts a scarf over her head.

CNN has not been able to independently verify it.

But Yoly Asha (ph), a resident of the Sharon(ph) region, told CNN his wife and two daughters, aged 5 and 3, were visiting their grandmother near the Gaza border. He lost contact with them on Saturday morning and suspected they may have been abducted.

Later that day, his suspicions confirmed when he saw the video. The woman was his wife. He told CNN he wants the video to be shown, in the hopes of getting them home safely.

YOLY ASHA (ph), FAMILY KIDNAPPED: There was no doubt, in my mind, I recognized them. And surely my wife, my two daughters, my two little daughters, that they were on this truck. So I know for sure that they were taken.

ANDERSON (voice-over): The Israel Defense Forces told CNN it's taking pains to establish the exact number of hostages taken, emphasizing the complicated nature of the situation.

So far, they estimate there are dozens, possibly more, in captivity. Yaakov (ph) has a message to whoever is holding his daughter.

YAAKOV (PH), DAUGHTER KIDNAPPED (through translator): You have casualties, just like we do. This is an opportunity to connect, between the two nations, to reach an honest peace.

ANDERSON (voice-over): For now, Yaakov (ph) sits at home and waits for news, taking comfort from his family and Noa's (ph) friends.

"She's a very special kid, so loving, so giving. I miss her so much. It's only been two and a half days. I cannot believe she is gone," he says. "She made this house so alive. I feel like this house is empty without her."

Becky Anderson, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Joining me now is Uri Shacham, deputy director and chief of staff of Magen David Adom. He is live with us from Kiryat Ono, Israel.

Thank you, sir, for your time. It's just -- it's just difficult. I don't know if you were able to listen to that testimony, the anguish that that parent has, still waiting to hear about his daughter, which has been taken hostage.

[00:10:03]

Talk to us about the human toll these indiscriminate attacks have caused. What have you seen? What kind of injuries? What are you and your teams confronted with on the ground?

URI SHACHAM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND CHIEF OF STAFF, MAGEN DAVID ADOM: Well, Laila, I've been serving in Magen David Adom for the last -- more than 30 years. During my entire life, I haven't seen this kind of brutal attack on people.

Magen David Adom EMT was killed while he was driving an ambulance to assist those innocent civilians that were targeted by mortar shells, by rockets, and by gunfire. They actually shot a humanitarian ambulance going to assist others.

We have never seen this kind of thing. One of the ambulances was taken to Gaza without -- without the team. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine that, when you go to save lives, you actually encounter something that endangers your life. And this is something that Magen David Adom teams have been dealing with for more than 48 hours. This is something that is almost unheard of.

HARRAK: Uri, can you just explain for international viewers who might not be familiar, what is a Magen David Adom?

SHACHAM: Magen David Adom is Israel's emergency response system. We provide paramedic and ambulance services. We are the national blood services. We supply blood to the entire country. And we are also the Red Cross national society. That means that we deal with the entire aspect of humanitarian and emergency response to the state of Israel.

For -- after this brutal attack, after taking care of thousands of injured persons and hundreds of people that, unfortunately, were killed during this brutal attack, Magen David Adom went public and asked the people to donate blood.

And throughout the couple of days, we collected more than 4,000 units of blood each day. And this is to supply blood for the more than 2,000 people that were injured. This is a huge operation, but it's something that we've never encountered before.

HARRAK: And how are the local hospitals coping?

SHACHAM: Well, in the Southern part of Israel, the area that is under immediate, immediate danger, there are two hospitals, and those hospitals were overwhelmed with the amount of injured that were arriving.

So, what Magen David Adom did, besides sending ambulance to scenes where rockets were hitting civilian populations, we sent ambulances to the hospitals to transfer injured persons to the central of Israel.

We sent helicopters to take people from the cities, the villages surrounding Gaza and the hospitals to take them to more secure and less overwhelmed hospital.

But this is a national effort today. Everyone are involved. There is not -- there is not a single hospital or a single EMT in Israel that is not responding to the people that -- the people that are affected by this war.

HARRAK: Uri, I just have 30 seconds left and a few words. What kind of injuries are you seeing?

SHACHAM: Two kinds of injuries. First of all, shrapnel from mortar shells and rockets that are falling, and gunshot wounds from AK-47's and shots that the terrorists are shooting civilians.

HARRAK: All right. Uri Shacham, thank you so much for joining us.

SHACHAM: Thank you so much, and if you want to support the response for the population, please go to RedStar.org. That's RedStar dot O-R- G.

HARRAK: Uri, thank you so much. All the best for you.

SHACHAM: Thank you so much, Laila.

HARRAK: Thank you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:18:18]

HARRAK: Israel had been working on normalizing relations with the Arab nations in the region, including Saudi Arabia, when Hamas militants launched their surprise attack.

Well, now the future of that normalization is in question, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing new critics of his governance.

Nimrod Goren is founder and president of the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. He's also the cofounder of Diplomats, a policy group which promotes regional cooperation in the mediterranean. And he joins me now from Tel Aviv.

Sir, a warm welcome. "Haaretz," the Israeli daily, I believe one of the oldest publications in the country, had an extraordinary editorial saying that Mr. Netanyahu bears responsibility for Israel Gaza war.

Now, obviously I want to preempt this question -- this question by saying that the horrific attacks, the massacres, the abductions, I mean, they are unequivocally Hamas's responsibility. But what I wanted to ask you is are people asking why this happened on this government's watch, or is everyone rallying around the flag right now? And what are the conversations taking place right now?

NIMROD GOREN, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, ISRAELI INSTITUTE FOR REGIONAL FOREIGN POLICIES: So, thank you for having me. There are a pile of tracks (ph) over here.

At first, as you mentioned, this is an unprecedented attack which has caused immense damage and lots of flags. So the numbers are coming out, the names are coming out. It is exposed now to all the stories about what happened in these different villages, and people see that this is really horrible. And it affects all sectors of Israel's society.

And the events are still unfolding, so as we speak, there are still attempts to stop the hostilities within the territories or to try and help those in need, to gain eventually the upper hand in the military confrontation.

[00:20:00]

So, that's one channel through which Israelis are united and are jointly acting, and supporting of those at the front and those at the back.

Imperiled they are. They have political (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We've been experiencing an unprecedented political development throughout the last year with the government defying government, going after democracy and putting its priorities in different action than where Israeli national interests are.

And there is a lot of anger about where the government put itself, and whether it failed to protect its citizens, as it should be. This calculation would be more and more vocal as we finalize the military operation by, I guess, those who dominate our public debate later on.

HARRAK: Now, let's focus on what this crisis might mean for the region. What could it mean for the normalization with Saudi? A lot of people are talking about that right now. What do you make of the statement that the kingdom issued in response to these attacks? Was that a statement that a partner makes?

GOREN: So in general, we see the advance in tensions between Israel and Palestinian has been a slowed-down relation between Israel and Arab country. It did not dramatically shift the tale of events.

So of course, when there is such warfare talks about cooperation are put on the back burner. In general, the countries in the Middle East who decided to establish relationships with Israel, those were three countries that have signed peace treaties in the past. Those were from three years ago.

And considering to do some now, eventually, there's a specific decision that is based om to debate on their calculations, their assessment. And I don't think they support the type of action that Hamas has done. They may be critical of Israeli reactions in the days to come, especially when the dust settled. My assessment: It may take time, that we will not see a reversal of this trend. And eventually, the growing acceptance of Israel individuals will increase. The challenge is how to leverage that toward advancing Israeli peace, to advancing to a two-state solution, not to advancing those who are wishing for an increased conflict.

HARRAK: Now, in a few words, if you can, I mean, politically, what is the focus right now? How much of the current response -- you know and especially in the days to come, the weeks and months, is framed by domestic politics? And how might that kind of spill over in terms of regionally?

GOREN: It's less dominated by domestic politics. It's about the personal experiences and it's about families who are worried for their loved ones or mourning their losses, a military that is fighting.

So this is what dominates the discourse at the moment. I think the political calculations will come later.

Of course, we are looking on whether there will be some change of coalition composition, negotiations between Benny Gantz party, the Mo (UNINTELLIGIBLE) party and Netanyahu to form some kind of an emergency coalition.

So politics continue, but I think the mindset of Israelis are current somewhere else on the immediate international implications of this war.

HARRAK: Nimrod Goren in Tel Aviv, thank you so much for joining us.

GOREN: Thank you very much.

HARRAK: Much of the world is reacting to the Hamas attacks with shock and outrage. One notable ally is celebrating the militant group's actions.

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi says his country supports, quote, "The Palestinian nation's legitimate defense" against what he calls "the Zionist regime of Israel."

Well, as speculation swirls over what role Iran may have played in the elaborately coordinated attacks on Israel, an Iranian state media quotes Mr. Raisi as saying that Israel and its supporters are responsible for endangering the security of countries in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EBRAHIM RAISI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is a manifestation of resistance and standing up against the fake Zionist regime. Palestinian people and Palestinian shoulders, all Palestinian groups and the Islamic ummah really should be congratulated for this victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRAK: Well, a source tells CNN that members of Congress were told Sunday evening that four American deaths have been confirmed in Israel. The toll is expected to rise.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that Washington is working overtime to verify reports of missing and dead Americans.

That follows comments from the Israeli minister of strategic affairs, who told CNN that Americans are along among the scores of hostages being held in Gaza.

And U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged his full support to Israel in the wake of the attacks. He told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call Sunday that official existence from the U.S. is on its way.

Sources tell CNN that Israel is requesting precision-guided bombs, more Iron Dome interceptors, and other items from the U.S.

And President Biden has promised to ramp up support for Israel in the coming days. U.S. officials say the purpose of these military deployments is to deter any expansion of the fighting beyond Israel's border.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has more now from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. is sending a carrier strike group, the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group, to the, as it watches the beginnings of a war unfold and Israel promising to carry out a widespread prolonged campaign in Gaza.

The purpose of this carrier strike group, which includes the carrier itself, as well as a guided missile cruiser and several guided missile destroyers, is not to get involved in this fighting or take part in any way in Israel's campaign against Gaza.

Instead, it is a message to others in the region outside of Israel.

President Joe Biden said on Saturday, warning others actors in the region, without specifically naming home, but telling them not to get involved or try to exploit this opportunity without naming them.

That was clearly a message to Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Lebanon, and Iranian-backed militias in Syria, a message of deterrence to them. Not only that carrier strike group heading from the Western Med to the Eastern Med, but also several more fighter jets added to the region as a message of deterrence to Iran.

Those fighters will go to Israel, but there are other areas where U.S. fighters are based, again, as a warning to Iran not to carry out any more aggression or take advantage of the situation.

Israel, we've also learned from a U.S. official and an Israeli official, has requested certain arms from the United States, in particular precision-guided munitions, as well as Iron Dome interceptors.

And those are the two munitions the U.S. -- Israel has used at this point. Israel has carried out air strikes in Gaza using precision- guided munitions, so it makes sense that they're requesting more of that.

And then Israel's Iron Dome has been incredibly busy intercepting barrages of rocket attacks from Gaza, pretty much since the moments this began, with an opening salvo of rocket fire.

So, Iron Dome has played a critical role there. And Israel looking more -- for more of the Iron Dome interceptor missiles. Israel, of course, has its own stocks, and it uses those.

But there's also an understanding that Israel can tap into U.S. stocks, some of which are in Israel, in the event of an emergency. And certainly, this qualifies as one.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, spoke for a second consecutive day on Sunday. It seems they'll be keeping up a pretty steady cadence of communications, just to make sure that the U.S. is giving Israel what it has, what it wants, and what it needs.

President Joe Biden and many in the Biden administration promising full support for Israel.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: For the civilians living inside Gaza, the carnage their leaders have unleashed is leading to displacement and desperation.

Coming up, a look inside the Gaza Strip, now, under heavy attack by Israel, and the ordeal of the Gazans caught in the middle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:31:34]

HARRAK: Welcome back to all of our viewers around the world. I'm Laila Harrak, and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

And we're following breaking news out of the Mideast, where deadly fighting continues between Israel and Hamas. More than 700 people are dead in Israel after Hamas launched unprecedented surprise strikes on Saturday, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare outright war on Hamas.

Israel's own attacks on Gaza have killed more than 400 people, with the IDF claiming to have, quote, "severely degraded the capabilities of Hamas in a series of airstrikes."

Meanwhile, inside Gaza, Israel is unleashing devastating airstrikes on numerous sites it says are tied to Hamas and other militants. And while the militants' leaders are hiding out, Gaza civilians are trapped in the strip's narrow confines with nowhere to run.

CNN's Abdel [SIC] -- CNN's Salma Abdelaziz takes us inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are the first moments of what Prime Minister Netanyahu warned will be a long and difficult war. Airstrikes in the densely-populated Gaza Strip that the Palestinian health ministry says left hundreds dead and thousands more wounded.

Israel's military says that it is targeting headquarters belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad and released this video: Netanyahu vowing to avenge the hundreds of Israeli lives lost with more ferocious firepower to come. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): All

of the places which Hamas has deployed, hiding and operating in, that wicked city, we will turn it into an island of ruins. I am telling Gaza's people to leave those places now, because we will take action everywhere.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): But destroying or deterring Hamas will prove extremely challenging for Israel's army. A significant and unprecedented number of Israeli citizens were captured by the militant group, according to the Israeli military.

This disturbing social media video, geolocated by CNN, shows one of those victims, hands appear to be bound and in captivity. And Hamas claims the hostages are distributed across the strip, Israel believes to be used as human shields.

Still, Israel's military is pressing on, with air assaults already underway. The IDF says it is preparing for a potential ground incursion and that all options are on the table.

Thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up for the task.

Israel's army telling Gazans to clear the way for operations, ordering families to leave their homes, and providing locations for evacuations.

But with the conflict sure to engulf the whole of the strip, for most there is no way out. Gaza is largely isolated from the world by an Israeli air, land, and sea blockade, and Egypt's Southern border closure.

Electricity, which is mostly provided by Israel, was cut off to the enclave, and internet disrupted. Unclear how long services will be severed.

And with Hamas leadership reportedly going underground, the 2 million people living in the 140-square-mile territory have nowhere to turn. Fears that an unprecedented attack on Israel could yield unprecedented bloodshed in Gaza.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:35:02]

HARRAK: The U.N. Security Council took no action Sunday following an emergency meeting over the fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas. Israel's ambassador to the E.U. called Saturday's assault ruthless terror attacks, likening them to Israel's 9/11.

CNN's Richard Roth has more now from the United Nations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The U.N. Security Council failed to agree on a statement following Hamas attacks about Israel, which have killed hundreds of people.

However, the U.S. deputy ambassador, Robert Wood, told reporters the U.S. was not really expecting that and was pleased that several members of the council did speak out about Hamas's attacks.

ROBERT WOOD, DEPUTY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: When you say protecting civilians, we are very much concerned about the impact of this invasion by Hamas, not just on civilians right in that immediate area, but in the region.

This conflict could grow, and we don't want to see that happen. And obviously, our thoughts are with all civilians that are hurt. But what we need to focus on is this ongoing terrorist violence being committed by Hamas.

ROTH (voice-over): Earlier in the day, the Israeli ambassador said Hamas was guilty of war crimes, while the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations said that only now does the world and history care when Israelis are killed.

The United Arab Emirates, the sole Arab country currently on the Security Council, thought some progress had been made, but the ambassador thought there would be many more meetings ahead.

LANA NUSSELBEH, UAE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: I think the situation is stark and the council members are highly concerned, but we understand that right now we're in a very dynamic situation and a complex situation, and in a state of flux, and that all council members have to use both their international but also their bilateral channels to try and call for calm and de-escalation.

ROTH: The Security Council received a remote briefing from the U.N. special envoy for the Middle East. Every month, the Security Council holds a session on the Palestinian question. Things may be changing now on the agenda.

Richard Roth, CNN, the United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, a church group from Knoxville, Tennessee, was in Tel Aviv this weekend when the rockets started falling. And they told CNN's Abby Phillip they are supposed to stay a few more days, but they're worried things could escalate further.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAN WILLIAMS, VISITING ISRAEL FROM TENNESSEE (via phone): It all started the first day when we flew into Tel Aviv and the next morning I got up as usual, went down to the restaurant just to have a cup of coffee, and all of a sudden I hear a boom. And that boom kind of sounds like a, you know, construction site or something going on, but it was a lot louder.

And about a minute later, the server comes over and says, Sir, you're going to have to come to our safe place in the hotel." And I said, "Why a safe place?"

Well, that's when it all started. That was when a rocket hit in the middle of Tel Aviv, and it was about a mile and a half or two miles from our hotel.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Did you see anyone get injured or worse while you were there? There have been also a lot of reports of kidnappings, as well. What have you seen since you've been there?

WILLIAMS (via phone): Well, we have heard all of those, as well, but we feel like we've been going to some places with our guides that they know the area pretty well, and we're trusting their judgment.

We've seen a lot of roadblocks. We've seen a lot of -- and heard a lot of sirens. We've heard a lot of military show up that usually aren't here. And especially in a holy area like we are in old Jerusalem.

That just doesn't happens that often. So, they're on alert from where we are here. We occasionally hear a boom coming from somewhere. We know it's going on, but we just hope and pray that it's not anywhere close to where we are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Very scary ordeal there. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:42:45]

HARRAK: U.S. officials tell CNN they have not linked Iran to the attacks on Israel this weekend, but they're still trying to determine if it played any role, with one senior official saying Iran has clearly provided support to Hamas for years.

CNN's M.J. Lee has more now from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials tell CNN that at this moment in time, there is still no smoking gun that paints a direct connection between Iran and Hamas's attack in Israel over the weekend, though officials, of course, point out that there is a history of Iran funding and aiding Hamas.

As one U.S. official put it to CNN, they said, of course Iran is in the picture. And they -- they have been supporting Hamas and Hezbollah for a number of years.

And it does appear that U.S. officials are also more openly pointing to the possibility and the likelihood that it will soon be found that Iran had played a direct role in helping to plan and execute this deadly attack.

Now, we are aware, also, of an administration briefing that was held with lawmakers to share information about what the administration knows so far.

And one of the things that was shared tonight with lawmakers is that four Americans, at least, have been confirmed dead in Israel. Officials also warning that that number could rise in the coming days.

This, of course, all unfolding as the U.S. is continuing to determine what additional assistance could be offered to Israel in the coming days.

There have been military assets that have quickly mobilized into the region, and one key point of discussion in the coming days is going to be whether there could be additional assistance that is offered to Israel.

But of course, one complicating factor right now is that Congress is in a state of paralysis with not a permanent House speaker in the role. So it's unclear right now.

And administration officials say that they are very much in unique situation, because they don't know what exactly a non-permanent House speaker, what actions they might be able to take, even if there was consensus around a new assistance package for Israel.

[00:45:05]

M.J. Lee, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: Well, there's still uncertainty over how many hostages Hamas is holding, but we do know who some of them are. And we're seeing horrific videos of militants abusing them, parading them down the streets of Gaza.

One such video is Shani Louk, a German-Israeli dual national kidnapped who was kidnapped from the Israeli music festival on Saturday. Shani's mother has given us permission to show the disturbing images of her daughter. She spoke earlier with Anderson Cooper, and some scenes are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: First of all, how are you doing?

RICARDA LOUK, MOTHER OF SHANI LOUK, WHO WAS KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Yes, I don't know. I'm still not understanding everything, what's happening. And I don't know exactly what happens with my daughter. I will -- I will not know, for sure. So we are kind of waiting, waiting for news.

COOPER: When did you first get word that she had been taken?

LOUK: It started yesterday morning with the rockets early in the morning, about 6 a.m. We had many rockets and alarms. And then I started calling her and seeing where she is, if she is near to a secure location. And she said she's at the festival in the South, and she was panicked

a little bit. And she said she's going to take the car now and go to a safe location. And then, we stopped talking.

And, since then, I didn't hear anything from her anymore. And then she wasn't responding on her phone. And a few hours later, we -- we got the video from a friend through social media. And we identified our daughter on the pickup truck in the back, lying on the floor with the militant men around her and pushing her down. And with -- armed and they were driving into the Gaza Strip with her. So we saw that they were in the Gaza Strip already.

COOPER: I mean, the video is obviously extraordinarily disturbing. And -- and is that the last you have seen of her?

LOUK: Yes. It's the last we have seen. We're always looking for more videos, more news, something that shows her in some other places. And we cannot really see anything yet.

We saw that somebody tried to use her credit card in the Gaza Strip multiple times. And that's all. That's all we have. No other clue.

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

LOUK: Shani was such a loving and peace-loving person. She -- it was a music festival. She likes to travel. She's an artist. She traveled a lot in the world, and she has many friends abroad.

She was there also with a tourist group with Mexican and Guatemalan and European people. And most of them are also still missing. They have no idea where they are. They're probably also kidnapped together with her.

And I don't understand how such a brutal thing can just happen in the middle of the day. And it was a complete surprise.

I mean, we got used to the rockets. We live here with the rockets. We have a kind of a routine to go to the safe room and to take care of ourself. But this was a completely different attack that nobody was prepared for, and nobody can ever be prepared for such a thing like this.

And there are two other families that their son and the daughter-in- law were brutally killed in their beds, in their house. And they left two little children, babies, alive, alone the whole day there.

And another family where her son is a soldier and was -- so it's a small town of 200 families, maybe. And just the three cases here, it's just terrible. I don't know. We -- and it happens in every town. There are cases like this. Just unbelievable. We can't understand it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRAK: And that was Ricarda Louk, the mother of Shani Louk, a German- Israeli hostage, speaking to Anderson Cooper. Yaakov Katz is a senior columnist for "The Jerusalem Post" and author

and the senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, and he's joining us now from Jerusalem.

Good morning, Yaakov. Deeply distressing accounts that we've been hearing, you know, these past two days. The human cost, obviously, huge. How are people processing what happened?

YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, "THE JERUSALEM POST": I think Israelis are still very much in a state of shock, Laila. You walk down the streets, they're empty. There's, like, this eerie silence outside, throughout all the different cities that I've been to and talking to people.

[00:50:04]

People are afraid to go out. Restaurants are shut. Cafes are shut. Supermarkets are empty, barely open. Schools, of course, are closed down still. It's like this just paralysis that has gripped the nation and the state of Israel as we wait to see what's coming. Right?

We think that the worst is behind us. But let's remember that Israel came into this suffering huge losses. Right? Almost 1,000 people dead, and that number is still going up. A couple hundred taken as hostages in Gaza.

But there's still going to be a battle that's -- that's being fought as we speak. But it's going to come if the IDF goes into Gaza. So there's more to come. And Israelis are, with great anxiety, even on this day of Monday.

HARRAK: Let's talk a little bit more about that. Because you know, obviously, everyone is bracing for a potential ground defensive. Are areas being evacuated around Gaza while, you know, potential preparations are made for the incursion?

KATZ: Well, a lot of the residents of those communities along the border and nearby Gaza already began to evacuate themselves as they could, right? Because they were under siege and under attack.

But once they got cleared out, many and most of those places are now empty of people, who have decided to move towards the center of the country and to other places, go to family, stay in hotels, but to get out of there.

Because, first of all, many of these communities were destroyed, homes were burned. They -- there were terrorists that were holed up there. So those people decided to leave.

Just this morning, we heard of another battle that took place in one of the communities along the border with Gaza, where dozens of Hamas terrorists, gunmen, engaged with Israeli soldiers.

Possibly the fear is that maybe they came out of a tunnel underground. That's how they got there. Although we do know that when they crossed that border on Saturday, they caught -- crustaceans of spots. So the border itself is still breached in a number of locations.

But they're not there anymore. I would anticipate that if there is a ground offensive, and the rocket fire is going to intensify, more people will leave that area for the center of the country.

KATZ: And Yaakov, do we know if Israeli security forces have reestablished total control of the areas that were under siege?

So, as of late last night, just a couple hours ago, they were still battling in about five or six different locations with just a handful. Right?

If we go back to Saturday, it was close to about 1,000 of these Hamas gunmen who crossed into Israel. There were 25 different hotspots and locations where the fighting was taking place.

Now last night, there was just a handful. This morning, there's still just a couple. Israel is first trying to clear out those areas to safeguard within before it starts to launch that offensive that everyone is kind of bracing for inside Gaza, whenever that might come. Today, tomorrow, or the next day.

HARRAK: And Yaakov, are you surprised that it's taking them so long to regain these areas?

KATZ: Look, my surprise -- I mean, this is complicated. We know that Israel was definitely very much surprised on Saturday. It took time to understand.

There's that fog of war, Laila, in the beginning, when you don't necessarily know exactly what's going on. It takes time to gain some certainty and confidence and to understand the picture of what's happening. That took some time.

It, of course, took time also yesterday on Sunday. I think that today, there's a better handle of what's happening. Better coordination between the air force, the ground forces and the different elite units that are also operating.

We saw already some elite forces that -- that were able to abduct a top Hamas commander, as well. So Israel is regaining its footing. But this will take a little more time until they're able to definitely clear out that area of those Hamas infiltrators and be able to focus more on the -- on the ground offensive that might be coming.

HARRAK: And Yaakov, a final thought from you, a few words. The opposition leaders offered to form a unity government. Has Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taken them up on their offer?

KATZ: There are supposed to be negotiates that take place today between a representative of Netanyahu, a representative of one of the opposition leaders, a former chief of staff and defense minister, Benny Gantz.

It's still at a low level. It's just representatives. If you were to ask me, if they were doing this seriously, they should be sitting down together and wrapping this up. They can do it quickly, in an hour conversation.

It's what the country needs right now. The country needs to see. Not only can we expect the country to come together as a people, we need to see our politicians come together. And this is what this moment in time calls for, and it's incumbent upon them to find a way to make that possible.

HARRAK: So why do you think they're not doing it?

KATZ: Politics is a tough game. It's a dirty game. And I think that, you know, there's still a lot of bad blood. Let's not forget that Israel's coming out of five elections. It's coming out of 8, 9 months now of really being ripped apart from the judicial overhaul and the protests are taking place weekly over that.

[00:55:13]

There's still a lot of suspicion between these different sides. These two specific people, Netanyahu and Gantz, sat before in an emergency coalition that was established during COVID-19. And Netanyahu kind of betrayed Gantz, in Gantz's way of looking at it.

So there's suspicion, but I hope they can overcome it.

HARRAK: All right. "Jerusalem Post" senior columnist Yaakov Katz. Thank you very much for joining us, as always. Thank you.

KATZ: Thank you.

HARRAK: There are very few commercial flights going in and out of airports in Israel at the moment. Some carriers are in wait-and-see mode right now.

Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport saw a number of flights canceled on Saturday. American Airlines says it has canceled all flights from Tel Aviv to New York JFK through Monday. Air Canada canceling all flights until further notice.

And Delta Airlines canceled flights to and from Israel through the weekend and says it will work with the U.S. government with the repatriation of U.S. citizens who want to return home.

And with that, we leave you with this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Laila Harrak. Do stick around. Rosemary Church picks up our breaking news coverage after a quick break.

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