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CNN International: Officials: U.S. Intel Suggests Iran Surprised by Hamas Attack; Hamas Official Claims Group Attack for Two Years; Some GOP Hardliners Oppose Scalise as New House Speaker; Palestinians: Gaza Death Toll Tops 1,200 After Airstrikes; UN: Need Humanitarian Access to Gaza Now. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired October 12, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was happening and the sort of scale of it and the precise timing, but obviously looking forward, the big worry for the U.S. certainly with Blinken in the region today and the reason why we see things like the aircraft carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean, is that Iran and Iranian proxies like Hezbollah could now get involved. This is where we see warnings like what we saw yesterday from President Biden, directed specifically at Iran, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're surging additional military assistance to the Israeli Defense Force, including ammunition, interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome, and we moved to U.S. carrier fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and are sending more fighter jets there in that region and made it clear, made it clear to the Iranians, be careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: And you know, I think if you look at how this is connected to other events going on right now, the war in Ukraine, there is a separate fear beyond Iran aiding Hamas that this conflict could push Russia and Iran even closer together. Which of course, is something that the U.S. had been in the lead up to this trying to avoid.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And Russia's language on this has been interesting, hasn't it? Because it does have a relationship with Iran, obviously, but also with Israel. And it hasn't got a particularly strong public position on Gaza. So its attacks seem to be on America getting involved again.

SEBASTIAN: Yes, it's been treading a strangely fine line, which I think lays bare the effect of Ukraine will certainly on its relationship with Israel. I think that the fear is when it comes to Ukraine is that Ukraine could lose out as a result of this. We know that military industrial -- the military industrial base in the U.S. and the EU is heavily strained by the war in Ukraine, which they were not expecting, nor were they expecting this to happen with Israel and Gaza. So there are worries certainly in the Pentagon that if there is a

ground incursion, they may struggle to support both. And you know, there are those who believe that given a choice, Ukraine would be the one to lose out. There's also concerns, I think given what's been happening with the war in Ukraine that this potentially puts Israel in a more vulnerable position. Because of course, Russia did have s fairly strong relationship with Israel before the war.

That has been significantly deteriorating during the war. Israel did not appreciate the multiple comparisons to fighting Nazi Germany, nor the reproachma, the intense relationship that we've seen between Russia and Iran, which has now fully fledged defense partnership. This has put Russia at odds with Israel even though it is still delicate. Because of course, one and a half million, you know, ethnic Russians live in Israel, former citizens of the Soviet Union. So it is very delicate for Russia. But I think, you know, this is again going to be part of the backdrop as we see these diplomatic efforts with Blinken in the region today.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you so much.

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take you to Tel Aviv now. The Israeli President has been giving an address and moments ago our Becky Anderson asked this question.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECK ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. has warned Israel to uphold laws of war. Is Israel listening?

ISAAC HERZOG, ISRAELI PRESIDENT: Becky, You haven't heard probably their reply to ITV. And I'm quite disappointed that that's what you're asking instantaneously. Haven't you seen it? You've seen, you're all say you were all there. You've seen. So now we're starting with the rhetoric about war crimes. Really, truly, truly!

ANDERSON: With respect, with respect President Herzog --

HERZOG: You're saying I just said that Israel abides by international law, operates by international law. Every operation is secured and covered and reviewed legally. With all due respect, I truly believe that it is -- comes totally out of context.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: A senior Hamas official based in Lebanon claims the militant group prepared the attack on Israel for two years.

FOSTER: Our CNN's Sam Kylie has more on the assault and the shadowy figure who may be behind it. A warning, the report contains graphic content.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A brazen political move. Hamas demands that the U.S. negotiate the release of American hostages on Russian TV.

ALI BARAKA, HAMAS NATIONAL RELATIONS ABROAD (through translator): There are also prisoners in the U.S. We want them, of course. There are Hamas members sentenced to life in the U.S. We demand that the U.S. frees our sons from their prisons. The U.S. conducts prisoner swaps. Only recently it did one with Iran. Why wouldn't it conduct one with us?

KILEY (voice-over): Confirmation of part of the intent behind the Hamas assaults in Israel. They were enabled by a failure of Israeli intelligence, but plotted by a shadowy Hamas officer they call al- Dief, the guest. Only two photographs exist of Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, who's nearly 60. He's known as al-Dief because he billets as a guest in a different location every night.

He's the mastermind or monster, the murder of more than 1,000 in Israel, and the kidnapping of about 150 hostages.

MKHALMAR ABUSADA, CHAIRMAN, POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, AL-AZHAR UNIVERSITY: From the beginning of his life, he was very much interested in fighting the Israeli occupation.

KILEY (voice-over): In the mid-1990s, he was believed to be behind a wave of atrocities in Israel.

[04:35:02]

And in 2014, he's believed to have lost an arm and a leg in an Israeli airstrike aimed at him that killed his wife and daughter.

For the last two years, though, Hamas has pretended to focus on welfare, not warfare.

BARAKA (through translator): All the while under the table, Hamas was preparing this big attack.

KILEY (voice-over): Israel, meanwhile, invested in automation and sensors, a high-technology iron wall around Gaza and focus forces on the West Bank. Under Dief, Hamas encouraged Israeli complacency. Then last weekend, it hit hard. Attacking communication towers and automated machine guns with drones, overrunning command and control centers, killing senior officers, among them three colonels, and unleashing terror on thousands of civilians.

The Israel Defense Forces found Hamas anti-tank mines and other heavy weapons, a sign they may have planned for a longer stay. The shock infantry attack has either deliberately brutal from the start or degenerated into a massacre as Israeli defenses collapsed. It shifted attention and power to Hamas.

ABUSADA: He has become like a god to some of the Palestinians because of what he has done.

KILEY (voice-over): Many Palestinians are dismayed by the massacre and the bloodshed that's followed. But with the lives of hostages in his hands, the guest now has an unwelcome place in America's mind. Sam Kiley, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: We'll have much more on our top story throughout the hour, but right now we want to tell you about some other headlines today.

FOSTER: Yes, the Biden administration says military aid to both Israel and Ukraine are top priorities, but Congress can't act until House Republicans elect a new speaker.

NOBILO: On Wednesday, Steve Scalise was picked as the GOP nominee for the top job over Jim Jordan, but Scalise's chances of winning a floor vote are already in doubt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I'm not supporting Steve Scalise. I'll be voting for Jim Jordan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the leader that I want to stand behind is Jim Jordan. And right now my mind hasn't changed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's a leader and a really great man and I committed publicly to voting for Jim Jordan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can anyone get 217?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, CNN's Manu Raju has all the latest details for you now from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Republicans are growing fearful that Steve Scalise's path to the speakership may be getting much smaller amid opposition from members of the hard right and others as well, who are not yet sold on his nomination to be Speaker of the House. It's now simply is a challenge for him at the moment. This is a narrowly divided house, meaning he needs to get 217 Republicans to support him for the speakership. Well, to win the Republican nomination, on Wednesday, he won 113 votes and three of those votes were from non-voting delegates. So he has essentially 110 Members who vote on the House. Floor and he'll needs a lot more.

We do expect dozens of those people who voted against Scalise and voted for Congressman Jim Jordan to support Scalise on the floor. But there are a number of others who say that they will vote for Jim Jordan on the House floor, even though Jordan himself has urged his supporters to back Scalise and end this paralysis in the House and the aftermath of that unprecedented vote last week to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership. But even despite those calls from Jim Jordan, a number of Republicans we have talked to are making clear they still plan to vote against Scalise on the floor. Making it incredibly difficult at the moment for him to win the speakership.

RAJU: You're going to vote for Jordan on the floor in the first ballot. Are you going to speak with vote for Jordan? For every single ballot.

REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): I mean I it's hard to say, but I think we'll have to go several rounds and I will, I will not move from that position, at least initially. And I'm talking to different people in different camps and you know, figuring out where they are. And that would be conservatives, that would be moderates, that would be Democrats and figuring out what the next steps might be.

RAJU: Now the timing of the vote is still uncertain. Republicans had come out of the Wednesday meeting hoping to have a vote by Wednesday afternoon, and maybe even the evening time to elect Scalise as a speaker. That did not happen. Thursday remains a possibility as well. But Scalice does not have the votes. The question is, does he go to the floor? Does he dare Republicans to vote against him, try to seek the nomination? Does he grind it out like he did -- like Kevin McCarthy did back in January? Winning the speakership after 15 ballots.

All key questions for Scalise and some worried that there's just no path for him to get the nomination, to get the speakership and believe that perhaps another candidate could emerge down the line.

[04:40:00]

All those key questions continue to loom over the GOP at this time when the House cannot act on any legislation until the speaker is elected.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The month-old U.S. auto workers strike escalated dramatically late on Wednesday, with 8,700 workers walking out at one of Ford's highly profitable truck factories in Kentucky. Ford says it has no warning.

FOSTER: The union said it wasn't satisfied with the pace of negotiations after four weeks and targeted the Ford plant because a work stoppage there could have a significant impact on the company's bottom line.

NOBILO: The UN says there's an urgent need for humanitarian aid in Gaza as civilians seek shelter from Israeli air strikes. Next, we'll speak with the guests from Oxfam about efforts to get that aid to those in need.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel just a short time ago. FOSTER: The top U.S. diplomat is set to meet in the coming days with

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Blinken says, he's also been discussing a possible humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to depart Gaza by Egypt.

NOBILO: His visit comes as the only power station in Gaza shut down on Wednesday after running out of fuel under Israel's blockade. Meanwhile, Israel's military launched a new wave of air strikes on the region Thursday morning.

FOSTER: The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed and nearly 6,000 bounded by Israeli bombardment. The Health Ministry says it expects hospitals to run out of fuel for generators today leading to what it calls catastrophic conditions.

NOBILO: Joining us now is Najla Shawa, Oxfam Regional Country relations manager in Gaza City. Naida, thank you so much for sharing this time to speak to us. I know that yesterday or certainly earlier this week, Oxfam was warning that what's happening in Gaza would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Would you say that's already begun?

[04:45:00]

NAJLA SHAWA, OXFAM REGIONAL COUNTRY RELATIONS MANAGER: Yes, hi. Thanks for having me, first of all. Yes, I mean it's it, it's very obvious that the crisis is increasing rapidly and there is a severe, severe impact on the population of Gaza, the entire population of Gaza. The numbers of displaced people has been increasing reaching to around 200 plus 1,000 people within the Gaza Strip. I know, some of them are in UNRWA in UN administered schools trying to take shelters there.

We are extremely worried because of the tightening of the Israeli siege. We have to be aware that the Israeli siege has been there for more than 15 years. And so when you ask me about electricity. We never had a full day of electricity since more than 15-16 years. Now we have 0 electricity. Before, at the best times we had eight and that's just an example, 8 hours.

I mean, currently we are extremely worried about the infrastructure that is responsible for delivering basic services such as water. So electricity affects water directly in the Gaza Strip. There is no ability to pump water through the networks. That's also, in addition to the severe damages, that is not yet clear, the extent of it, but apparently it's going to be very, very grave.

I think what is also most important to know that Gaza is already suffering before October 7th. Before October 7th, you had half of the population under poverty. You are living in a situation where there is no economic viability of any activity. Israel has full control about on export and import. Israel conducts regular attacks and that affects different livelihood groups within the Gaza Strip.

FOSTER: Yes, so just in terms of your immediate concerns, obviously, the Secretary Blinken is trying to organize a humanitarian corridor. It's going to be very difficult to negotiate right now, isn't it with the Israelis? Because they're talking about a complete siege. But what is the most important thing that you need right now just to get through the next few days?

SHAWA: What is really needed immediately is to have a ceasefire to allow people of Gaza to receive support and basic services, to at least for the paramedics, to be able to have some work around their hospitals. Hospitals are packed with injuries. There are still injuries that are everywhere. There is no accessibility to organizations on the ground to deliver support. There's no ability for us, a population, to move and get what we need or, you know, get the water that we need or the food that we need.

We need immediate, immediate ceasefire so that we are able also to support those who are under these very, very harsh circumstances. Especially who are taking shelters at the schools. And who are being hosted in just very random places and public places around the Gaza Strip. I know everyone I know personally has is not living in their home. Everyone I know is moving from one place to another, from a public place to another home, to a relative, etcetera.

This must be stopped. And I think it's going to be very worrying in terms of supplies, food supplies, entry of medical supplies, all these essential items. I mean, by the hour there is a severe suffering in addition to the actual death in the hospitals themselves that are overloaded with injuries and casualties from the bombings just --

(BOMB EXPLOSION)

NOBILO: And please don't continue this interview if you feel like you need to go somewhere else for your safety, Najla. Do you do you need to leave?

SHAWA: No, I think it's fine. No, I'm good. I'm good.

FOSTER: Is that what it's like all the time?

SHAWA: Yes, I mean, exactly. Just this morning there was a massive air strike at Al-Shati camp, and it's extremely shocking the images -- and I hope these images will make news at your channel for example. Where it seems there's a huge massacre. It's a densely populated area where just bodies are under rubble.

I mean, I think the situation is extremely critical and negotiating safe passage. I'm not just bodies are under rubble. I mean, I think the situation is extremely critical and negotiating safe passage, I'm not sure if this is going to be just to evacuate foreigners or who. I mean, this does not really respond to what would -- what people would need. Of course it's an interest of, you know, holders of foreign countries --

FOSTER: I just wanted to ask you about -- you know, you've just had that, you know, it was obviously very close explosion and you just sat there and carried on with the interview. Whereas, you know, what you know, a lot of people watching would assume you would run off and go to some safe space. But is it because you just haven't got anywhere to go and you're just so used to it? Just explain what went to your mind.

SHAWA: We don't have shelters. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you for raising this. I mean, in the entire Gaza Strip, I mean we don't have shelters. I mean, the best circumstances is that you go to a lower level, you know. I'm very lucky I have a basement where that's why I'm receiving more than 12 people in addition to my family, who are all now I'm hosting at my place. And so they are unable to go back to their homes because they are severely damaged in Jabalia area that was white. And we're managing to live together.

So whenever there is something, you know, kind of close or big like this, we just you know walk around in the corridors and then slowly, slowly go to the lower level, et cetera. And we stick around each other and that's what happened at 5:00 a.m. this morning. For example, when massive airstrikes were happening near the Gaza port and the western side of the city.

Just across the street from me, there was the building that was totally destroyed. We had to evacuate. We left running basically in the middle of the night after 1:00 a.m. two nights ago. And all of us, we were 20 at my house 20/22 people, who fled their region, came to us. Then we moved all of us to different -- we split into two different places. I mean, we're talking about the mad situation here, a totally mad situation.

NOBILO: Najla, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Obviously, your priority is to help these people and these civilians, but this is obviously -- this is your life as well. And we've seen that expressed so obviously today. Best of luck with what you're doing and thank you for making the time.

SHAWA: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

NOBILO: We'll be right back.

[04:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Just taking in the skyline over Gaza. I mean, we're doing it regularly. I mean, what really speaks to it is that every time we bring up the shot, there's another strike apparent.

NOBILO: And we literally just heard the impact from another vantage point, which was during an interview.

FOSTER: Yes.

NOBILO: Najla who was in Gaza.

FOSTER: So they're carrying on with the strikes. Obviously, they're as intense today, apparently from what we're seeing as they have been in the last couple of days. If you'd like to get some information about how you can help humanitarian efforts, then you go to our website, cnn.com/impact.

Thanks for watching us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: I'm Bianca Nobilo. And our coverage of the breaking news out of Israel continues next on "EARLY START" here on CNN.

[05:00:00]