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CNN International: Israel At War; Aid Groups Running Out Of Food & Medical Supplies; Blinken: Key Gaza-Egypt Crossing Will Be Open For Aid; Rallies On Both Sides Of Israeli-Hamas War Taking Place Around The World; Afghanistan Struck By 6.3 Magnitude Quake. Aired 9- 10p ET

Aired October 15, 2023 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:36]

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: And warm welcome everyone watching us around the world. I'm Julia Chatterley in New York.

Ready for the next stages of war. Israel's military says it's preparing for a combined and coordinated strike from air, sea, land, in response to the terror attack by Hamas just over a week ago. The IDF says more than 1,400 people have been killed by Hamas since last Saturday.

But while we wait on a potential ground incursion into Gaza, Israel has given no indication of when it might begin.

Already though, aid workers say the situation in Gaza has descended into, quote, complete catastrophe, as tens of thousands of people flee from terrifying airstrikes. Israel has told more than 1 million Palestinians living in northern Gaza to keep moving south despite the pressing dangers. Palestinian officials say the death toll has passed 2,600 lives.

On the global stage, America's top diplomat has been meeting regional leaders in the meantime, including those from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He insisted the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open for aid to be delivered. The U.N. is calling for urgent humanitarian access into Gaza, and for Hamas to immediately release its hostages, saying, quote, we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East.

U.S. President Joe Biden also has a warning for Israel in an interview with "60 Minutes". He's calling for restraint. Saying it will be a big mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza, his part of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, what happened in Gaza, in my, view is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don't represent Palestinian people. I think that it would be a mistake to -- for Israel to occupy Gaza again. To take out the extremist Hezbollah is up north, but Hamas down south is a necessary requirement.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHATTERLEY: And Hadas Gold joins us now from Washington. I calibrated message. In the past eight days, he has been behind Israel suggesting there need to defend themselves and light of October 7th.

This message comes at a time when prime minister of Israel has invited President Biden to Israel himself, which, of course, would follow an entire weekend of diplomacy in the region from the U.S. secretary of state.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that would be a visit if President Biden arrived in Israel while a war is going on. It would be such a momentous moment considering the relationship between President Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over the past ten months or so has been fraught. And this would be a major show of support because literally as a war is raging down south, we will see if that actually happens.

Now, regarding President Biden's comments about Israel reoccupying Gaza, you know, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, dismantled the Israeli settlements there. And essentially then overtime, power turned over to Hamas.

But, interestingly, actually just earlier today, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was on CNN. He was asked and said Israel has no intention of re-occupying Gaza. And I have to say, on all of my conversations with Israeli officials, that's the last thing they want to do. They don't want to be in charge of Gaza.

Now, I won't be surprised if Israeli troops will be on the ground in Gaza for quite some time because the operation that they are likely to undertake is one of the largest they have ever undertaken because they want to completely decimate Hamas. Hamas is not going to be an easy target to decimate.

So, we should expect a prolonged military presence there. Of course, it will be a question then of what will happen to Gaza afterwards and who will be in charge afterwards. This conversation will take place later.

But in terms of diplomacy, you are right, that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been really hop-scotching around the region. It's incredible to see where he's gone back and forth. He's expected back in Israel tomorrow.

Top of mind, of course, is trying to keep the situation contained and not let it explode into some wider regional conflict, but also the humanitarian situation.

[21:05:02]

And that issue about the Rafah crossing, Rafah crossing is the key here to not only getting some of these Palestinians out, but to get the aid back in. A lot of this is actually up to Egypt. Israel does not control the Rafah crossing. Now, they there will be an indication to give some assurances that they won't strike around the Rafah crossing. But this is something for Egypt. This is something for Hamas. We heard

from the White House saying that Egypt is willing to let Americans cross. Palestinians with -- from Gaza into Egypt. It is Hamas not letting them.

We do have indications that this crossing will potentially be open hopefully in the next few hours. This is so key, though, for the lifeline of all the civilians who are desperately in need of aid right now.

CHATTERLEY: Yeah, and we shall wait and watch for that.

Hadas Gold now, thank you so much for that.

And as Hadas is saying, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to return to Israel on Monday after several days of shuttle diplomacy across the Middle East. Hopscotch I think was the word. He met with the leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and other nations. His goal is to help ease some of the anger in the Arab world, though Israel's actions in Gaza and humanitarian crisis that continues to worsen.

Blinken says he heard a lot of good ideas from Arab leaders about the way forward, and that Washington's position remains clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Four key objectives: to make clear that the United States stands with Israel, to prevent the conflict from spreading to other places, to work on securing the release of hostages, including American citizens, and to address the humanitarian crisis that exist in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And joining us now, Aaron David Miller. He's senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. He's also a former State Department Middle East negotiator.

Sir, welcome to the show.

I want to pick up on what President Biden said in that "60 Minutes" interview. I'll be careful not to take it out of context, but this idea that Israel should avoid occupying Gaza in the aftermath of what takes place in the coming days and weeks. Our reporter Hadas was just saying that is the last thing she hears that the Israelis want.

But you have to be careful about what your actions participate, perhaps.

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yeah, I mean, the president's comments reinforced to some degree the frame that he established. Several days ago when he clearly made it unmistakably clear that he was going to give Israel the time and space and supported to do what it fully -- believed it had to do in Gaza. I think the humanitarian crisis, which is now ongoing, probably will not be resolved to satisfaction of any party suggest that the president has ejected a certain sort of cautionary note into how the Israelis do what it is they need to do.

So I think this is smart diplomacy on the part of the president. He set a very, very pro-Israeli frame. He's not going to impede or constrain the Israelis with respect to their ground campaign. He's simply I think stating the obvious.

Hadas Gold is right, and so our most military planners. They may be in Gaza for quite some time and they do not want any sort of permanent reoccupation.

CHATTERLEY: No, the Israeli leadership, to your, point you need to send a signal about their ability to protect the citizens now and restore some level of confidence in light of what took place on October the 7th. Is diplomacy, talk of cease-fire perhaps possible at this stage? And does nothing prevent a broader ground offensive?

MILLER: Well, you know, I could identify a proposal. I am not sure the Israelis would accept it. All hostages are released. There will be no ground campaign. Hamas agrees to surrender all of its weapons, high trajectory weapons and to leave Gaza, top leadership as well as a good many of fighters.

You offer that as ideal. I don't think the Israelis will buy it, precisely for the reason that you suggest, that legitimacy on their capacity to protect their citizens has been fundamentally eroded as a consequence of their inability to protect those border communities. Kibbutz (INAUDIBLE) small rural villages, I think they want to deal Hamas a -- something near a death blow, at least with respect to military capacity.

So, I'm not sure there's a whole lot of space and/or time for diplomacy, certainly not for a cease-fire.

[21:10:04]

I am not entirely sure would address perhaps some of the humanitarian issues. But then again, Hamas is not allowing Palestinians or make it more difficult. I'm not sure what a cease-fire, frankly, would do.

CHATTERLEY: No, we spoke to an IDF spokesperson earlier. He said cease-fire is not on the table. And he proposed a similar suggestion that you made, which was an immediate downed weapon, hand it over, hand yourselves over. Not an option, to reiterate his words.

Do you think there can be a military solution to the bigger problem here? Does the removal of Hamas, if the Israelis managed to achieve that help facilitate some form of longer term peace? I just look at the diplomacy that's taking place around the region now. Is that part of the conversation? Could this be a possibility?

MILLER: It should be a part of the conversation. I can sketch an outcome for you probably more appropriate for galaxy far, far way than Planet Earth. But assuming the Israelis could create a post-Hamas military solution, okay, the U.N. comes in and creates transitional mechanisms. The Palestinian Authority weak and dysfunctional as it is, comes back to Gaza to assert its political and security control, Saudis fund construction assistance, elections are held in Gaza, the international community stands up in an effort, in an economic, political full-scale effort to convert Gaza from what it is now, which is an open air prison to something that would give 2.3 million people, half of whom who are under 15, a better sense of security and prosperity in their lives.

Is that possible? Sure, with the right amount of political will and skill, it requires the, sign the moon, the stars to align at the same time. And in the Middle East negotiations, that's really the case.

CHATTERLEY: Yeah, to your point, social stability requires some form of economic prosperity, political stability. And it's difficult to separate any of those three things beyond anything else. What do you fear --

(CROSSTALK)

CHATTERLEY: Please?

MILLER: I'm sorry?

CHATTERLEY: What were you going to say?

MILLER: No, no, I said it is indeed. It's not beyond the realm of imagination and human capacity to envision a better future for Gaza. But it requires a different leadership. It requires converting Gaza from what it has been for the last 20 years in terms of Israeli and Hamas conflict, a sort of free fire zone into something with predictability, stability, good governance, transparency, international monitoring, employment for citizens. Predictable social services to minister to the needs of the population that has been traumatized by decades of conflict and badly served, to say the least, by Hamas leadership.

CHATTERLEY: It's important. You're saying it now. We are talking about a humanitarian crisis, and a social crisis, the need for decent leadership to avoid -- to achieve stability, political stability and economic prosperity. Do you see enough separation wherever we look around the world of the Palestinian people from Hamas leadership? Whether that's pro-Palestinian rallies around the world, even in the United States, from President Biden himself, enough separation.

MILLER: You know, it's funny, because in the 80s, before we got involved in Israeli Palestinian negotiations, I asked the Palestinians why he supported Arafat and the answer was illuminating. I supported Arafat because Arafat is a stone that I throw with the Israelis every day.

Some degree of parallelism, that's what Hamas is for many Palestinians, I'm sure. Hamas has set is self up as the liberator of historic Palestine, carrying out the armed struggle. I think, though, that the narrative, if countered, by a real capacity to give Palestinians a better future, I'm not just talking about chickens in every pot, a computer in every home. If this was just a matter of fulfilling economic needs we could've

solve this conflict along time ago, but it's not.

[21:15:07]

It is an issue a political identity. It's an issue of sovereignty, of independent, of statehood. And I think overtime, the Israelis and Palestinians have found a way to live together. I would argue, some people believe that it's a two state solution that's gone the way they don't know. It's the least bad solution to this problem. It is the only solution. It solves the demographic, geographic, political and psychological challenges that confronts Israel's and Palestinian, separation through negotiation.

If you can come up with not just a process, but something that actually delivered in real-time, I think the narrative of armed struggle, certainly the savagery and the brutality that Hamas trying to page out of the ISIS and al-Qaeda handbook exhibited in those horrible days, October 7th through the eighth or ninth. You could get somewhere.

And, you know, one last point, when this is all over, we will emerge from this very dark tunnel. Israelis and Palestinians are still going to confront the same proximity problem. Their futures and their past and certainly there presents are inextricably linked together. Neither of them is going anywhere, and there is no military solution to this problem. Too hopeful now I suppose for many, but let's be clear, without hope there is no life, and this will have, this conflict, this particular phase and round will act. Let's just hope. It ends in a way that offers a realistic promise of a better future for Israelis and for Palestinians.

CHATTERLEY: Yeah, amen. Some gain for all the devastating pain.

Sir, we thank you for your time. Thank you.

MILLER: You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

CHATTERLEY: Coming up next, humanitarian groups issuing urgent pleas to get aid into Gaza as the situation there grows ever more dire. We will discuss that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: And welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.

A U.N. agency estimates that nearly 1 million people have been displaced from their homes in Gaza, in just the past week. Videos authenticated by CNN show a large explosion along evacuation routes for civilian south of Gaza City. One video shows a flatbed trailer carrying victims away from the city. It's not clear what caused the devastation. But the IDF has denied it was caused by an airstrike.

Earlier today, CNN's Becky Anderson spoke with Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

[21:20:03]

The council is urging Israel to withdraw warnings and Gaza to move to the south. He told CNN that what he is hearing from inside Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN EGELAND, SECRETARY GENERAL, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: They described an increasing desperate situation. Several of them fled south from Gaza, where we have the headquarters, Gaza Cty. They come back.

It was so hopeless in the south. It was so overcrowded. There was no supplies. There was nowhere to stay. There was no security in the south. So, they came back and said we would rather die with a minimum of dignity here and our own homes in Gaza City than go south.

That's the nature of this horrific situation in the besieged enclave which is smaller than a Norwegian municipality, with 2.3 million civilians are held there, one million of them are children.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Yeah, and you have been calling for Israelis to reverse their demand that civilians flee south. Frankly, that has not happened. They continue to demand that those who haven't left to go now.

As we understand it, we have been told the numbers are about 600,000. I'm not sure if you have been able to scan those figures up. Does that suggest to you that despite a chorus of calls from around this region and beyond now to stop any further action. This pause is a full scale attack and is likely just that, a pause at this point. And however long that might be, what is the likely fallout if we are looking at a full scale invasion at some point?

EGELAND: Well, if we are looking at continued bombardments of civilian housing, a ground invasion into a heavily urbanized area, hundreds of thousands will not and cannot leave. What about patients and their hospitals? What about the elderly? What about the disabled? What about the windows with no car, no fuel, no transport?

It will be filled to the brim with very, very vulnerable people. We all agree that Israelis and Americans and the rest of the world agree that the children of Gaza have had no responsibility for the atrocious, horrific terror in Israel. So, it will be a bloodbath.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And as we've been reporting, aid workers say people are running out of food and water in Gaza.

Earlier, my colleague Erin Burnett spoke to Marwan Jilani, the director general of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, about the aid challenges they are facing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARWAN JILANI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT SOCIETY: It is already quite bad. It is horrendous. Before going on air, I was chatting with our colleagues in Gaza city who are staying at a hospital. They are telling me that there is a bombardment of every five minutes around the hospital, which is not only hosting patients and our teams, but there is about 2,000 to 3,000 people who have fled and are staying at the hospital.

Smoke and dust from that bombing is getting into the hospital. Yesterday, our colleague told us they are running out of food. We managed to get some bread from Khan Younis in the south to Gaza City.

Food and water is running out, medicine and obviously fuel. We have been saying that we only have fuel for a few days. Today, I can say that we only have fuel, maybe tomorrow and after tomorrow. Without fuel, the hospitals will not function.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Right, right, you can't run a generator, you're saying, tomorrow or perhaps the day after.

Marwan, of course, I'm not going to speak to that specific hospital. But as you know, Israel says that's an extensive network of tunnels beneath Gaza, and that Hamas militants put those tunnels and their arms and arsenals and headquarters underneath civilian targets like hospitals and like schools.

What do you say to that? And the horrific possibility that puts out there?

JILANI: Look, we are organization. We care and our mission is to serve humanity and to provide resistance and medical attention to those people who are wounded and sick. We are seeing every minutes that passes by, more civilian people are killed, children and women and elderly people.

[21:25:10]

Normal civilian people who have sought refuge. You know, this evening, we had a call with one of our colleagues who fled, as was told, who evacuated to the south of Rafah. He was worried. He said my wife did not come back home. I am going to go out and look for her.

A couple of hours later, he came back and he says my son has been killed. My wife is critically injured.

These are people, these are civilians. Every minute that passes, there are more lives lost. And we appeal to the humanity of the world. We still believe in humanity. Nothing, nothing, nothing justifies this tragedy, the killings of civilians on both sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Coming up, Israel still preparing for a potential ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. You will hear our conversation with a spokesperson from the IDF with the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: And welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.

We're getting confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces that Hamas is holding 155 hostages. Efforts continue on several fronts to get them released. Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, tells CNN he's trying to determine their fate and bring them back to Israel. President Herzog also points out some of the hostages are in need of special medications and treatment.

The families, of course, too, are trying to find out any information they can about the missing their loved ones. Earlier, I spoke with Mark Avsker, an American from Oregon who said members of his family are being held in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Mark, good to have you with me, and I apologize our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families, specifically it's your brother-in-law under nephew that were taken?

MARK AVSKER, AMERICAN WHOSE FAMIL MEMBERS ARE BEING HELD IN GAZA: Yes, thank you for having me. Indeed, my brother in law, son, my nephew, Etan, is 12-year-old. They have gone missing from their home in a kibbutz Nir Oz, which is less than two kilometers from the Gaza border a week ago, and there are no real news of them since.

[21:30:00]

CHATTERLEY: You haven't heard anything -- you haven't heard anything in the last eight days?

AVSKER: No, we haven't heard anything since the mother of the family and the wife saw them last, Ohad were wounded in the entrance of their house. And her son Etan had taken them on motorbike towards Gaza. She managed to escape. With enormous courage, using a moment of confusion and part of (INAUDIBLE) to escape and tell the tale, but we didn't hear anything and we really do not know what is happening.

Again, 12-year-old child and his father have gotten missing. We do know that they were alive at that point.

CHATTERLEY: Yeah, and that's something at least to hold onto. You mentioned his mother, obviously, the wife, too. How is she holding mop up she she's clearly incredibly brave, she managed to get away from them, but now she has to wait.

AVSKER: Well, I will not try and get to the head of a mother with you a young son who has been kidnapped and held in these conditions. She's -- physically, she's safe, she's with her family in central Israel, with her daughter, ten year old daughter and a baby girl, 18 months old baby girl. Physically, they are with their family, they're okay.

Again, she's a strong woman if you deduce from the way she managed to escape. But obviously, I wouldn't try to even imagine what's going on with her. I know how it's hard to me in my family, it's certainly not easier in any way for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Israel says it's killed a commander of the Hamas southern district national security in Gaza. I spoke with Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, earlier about the latest military and diplomatic developments and the outlook for the hostages. We also discuss the possibility of some kind of prisoner swap or a cease-fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS, IDF INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON: I think it's pretty simple, the best way to end this war to release the hostages would be an unconditional surrender of Yahya Sinwar and all of Hamas, all of the members of the military wing, all of the terrorists and all of the financial institutions, and all of that supporting infrastructure of Hamas give unconditional surrender and a swift, unconditional return of the hostages. That would end this war rather quickly. And it would alleviate a lot of suffering and save a lot of lives.

If Hamas wants to do that, then that will be a great thing. If not, the war will continue and we will continue to operate according to the law of conflict, and according to our morals until Hamas is completely dismantled of its military capabilities.

CHATTERLEY: Are you saying a cease-fire does not allow you to carry out your plans, your operations as far as the war with Hamas is concerned?

CONRICUS: Listen, it's not an option, it's not on the table. We're at war and we're going to dismantle Hamas. If they're going to surrender then that changes the situation. But if it doesn't happen we continue until we will dismantle them.

CHATTERLEY: That message is very clear. You also describe being patient while Palestinians evacuate from the north into the south for their safety. Can I ask how long you're prepared to pause?

CONRICUS: Yes, we are being very patient out of a concern for human life. We want civilians to the greatest extent possible out of an active combat sound which we know is going to be quite violent. We have as you said, given many, many hours more than 48 hours for Palestinians to evacuate.

I think it is appalling that Hamas is actively stopping Palestinians from evacuating. They have put up roadblocks, they have taken car keys, they have taken vehicles from the Palestinians and violently stop people from evacuating. I think that should be condemned an equivocally by any of the many humanitarian organizations that are present and tweeting, speaking about the humanitarian situation, the focus should be on making the situation such that the war can be -- can proceed and that we can pursue our military aims without hurting civilians.

[21:35:16]

And I think that should be the focus of the international community and organizations that claim to be humanitarian.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Our Nick Robertson is in the Israeli town of Sderot, where people are leaving their homes and heading to other parts of the country, too.

Nic, let's just be clear. This is a government-supported evacuation and there's been numerous rocket attacks on the city since the attack on October the 7th. Can you give us a sense of progress in terms of the amount of residents they managed to evacuate now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, a lot of people left last week because this was one of the towns that Hamas came into, took control of the police station, killed people all around the town. So, a lot of people left right after that. But a tiny handful held on, but over the past couple of days, the mayor has said, look, this is now a military zone, Sderot is a long way deep into the zone, the border with Gaza is a mile from where we are standing.

And the reality is if there is a ground incursion there could be a lot of troops coming through here, all the stores are closed, the remaining people, look, I'm not forcing you to go but you really should go, the smart thing as Tel Aviv. The streets have been deserted here for sometime.

But some of the remaining residents did decide to leave, better safe somewhere else than in their homes here if it incursion happens. That incursion could come pretty soon, we don't know one, there isn't an order for that to happen but we've been down watching some of the troops training for it if they get that order to go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Close to Gaza, preparations underway for a much anticipated ground offensive. Troops from different units training together. There is an urgency here. They have to be ready fast.

Right now, this is a rehearsal. If and when there is an incursion, these troops could be at the front of it. The tanks, or for this practice, model ones right now, followed by combat engineers -- a combined force spearheading an incursion.

If they do, Major Ofek will be near the front.

MAJOR OFEK, IDF TROOP COMMANDER (through translator): We expect to go to war. We expect to destroy the terrorist organization of Hamas, kill its government, and kill every last terrorist. That's what we planned to do, and that's how it will be.

ROBERTSON: The last time the IDF went into Gaza, targeting Hamas's leaders was 2014. Ariel Bernstein was 21, in the special forces, one of the first to cross the border.

ARIEL BERNSTEIN, FORMER IDF SOLDIER & PEACE ACTIVIST: We're just afraid that there's something waiting for you at every corner.

ROBERTSON: But his experiences then has left some questioning the tactics today. Back then, he says that the IDF wants civilians to leave, and Hamas told them to stay, just as it's happening now. But some had stayed. His orders, he says, assume the civilians had left.

BERNSTEIN: So, whoever you see is basically engaged in fighting, and is involved, and therefore, we call it engaging with fire, with any home you enter, with nay kind of shape of a person that you see from afar.

ROBERTSON: In many ways, Israel's actions are playing out just as they have in the past. 2021 gun positions, freshly dug back in use.

And in Gaza, the civilian death toll, according to Palestinian health officials, already higher than in 2014.

And like then, Israel is already facing huge international pressure to avoid more civilian casualties.

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: What we are doing is saying privately what we have said publicly, which is that all military operations should be conducted consistent with the law of war, that civilians should be protected.

ROBERTSON: The problem, the IDF says it faces, just like in 2014, Hamas will be hiding amongst civilians.

MAJOR DORON SPIELMAN, IDF SPOKESPERSON: The whole situations we're talking about with Gazan civilians forcibly embedded is another element of Hamas. Hamas has to be fully defeated.

ROBERTSON: So, the responsibility is on them and not you?

DORON: The responsibility is on Hamas for their own civilians. Our responsibility is to eliminate Hamas's capabilities completely.

[21:40:05]

ROBERTSON: Major Ofek pausing during training in a mockup Palestinian town says they don't hurt innocents, only terrorists. But admits if they are sent to Gaza, avoiding civilian deaths won't be easy.

Do you think that it's possible to fight Hamas without civilians getting injured?

OFEK: We are concerned with overthrowing the Hamas regime, and killing the terrorists in Gaza. If it would be difficult, it would be difficult, not easy.

ROBERTSON: Outside of the camp gates, Israel's military ponders their next move, troops are saying their fond farewells.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): And any of those troops going in now know that they could in reality face civilians in the combat zone even though they're being told anyone that's there is going to be a terrorist. The reality is it's going to be a very challenging, battling environment for them, and hugely dangerous for civilians in there.

CHATTERLEY: That's what we wait for now.

Nic Robertson there, thank you so much for that report.

Coming up, the Gaza crisis, the Hamas attack igniting protests all around the world. We'll bring you the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.

And we're hearing from the United Nations now. It says no one was hurt after a rocket hit its peacekeepers headquarters in southern Lebanon. Human officials say they're still trying to determine where the rocket was launched from. There was an intense exchange of fire on Lebanon's border with Israel earlier. And we're also getting updates from the Israeli defense forces to the IDF, its fighter jets hit Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon earlier Sunday.

An uptick in clashes with Hezbollah is raising fears of the conflict could spread.

Ben Wedeman is in southern Lebanon exploring where these exchanges may lead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was another day of cross border strike, counterstrike, between Hezbollah and Israel with the violence edging beyond isolated incidents and starting to veer toward the scenario so many here fear. Another full on war between Hezbollah and Israel, one worse perhaps in the more than month-long battle they fought in 2006.

Throughout the day, Hezbollah fighters targeted Israeli military positions on the border. Firing guided missiles, and communication observation and surveillance equipment, and also hitting some Israeli towns, killing one Israeli civilian and wounding several others. Israel fired artillery and launched air strikes on what it called Hezbollah military infrastructure.

[21:45:03]

As a result of the fighting, Israel declared a four kilometer deep closed military zone along the border to keep civilians away. In the afternoon, a volley of rockets was fired into Israel most intercepted by the Iron Dome, but it wasn't Hezbollah but rather the military wing amassed that claimed responsibility.

At roughly the same time Iraq hit the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force, just north of the border slamming in to the helipad there, no one was injured. The U.N.'s trying to determine where the rocket was fired from.

All of this doesn't amount to war yet, but it's getting their dangerously close.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Southern Lebanon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: And around the world, people are taking to the streets to share support for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Jewish communities in the United States have been holding rallies in solidarity with Israel since the Hamas assault. And several western nations have stepped up security at synagogues and Jewish schools.

Just take a look at this gathering in Sydney, Australia, where there was cause for peace and justice and condemnation of Israel's military action against Gaza. In some countries like France and Germany, pro- Palestinian demonstrations have faced bans.

Melissa Bell is standing by in Paris.

Melissa, as you and I have discussed, there's some piece of this protests where everybody agrees that the right people on both sides, Israelis are Palestinians to live in safety and peace?

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: And what we have seen, Julia, was the first few days after the attack by Hamas on Israel, a groundswell of support around the world for Israelis. But we've also seen as you point out a lot of demonstrations around the world in favor of the Palestinians and expressing concern about what's unfolding recently.

We've seen in Holland today thousands protested against what's happening especially for relieving a flag a reminder of the concerns that have been about these rallies and the apology for terrorism that some might be wanting to express. We've also seen across so many of these demonstrations much more protests in favor of protecting the civilians, it's what we saw around the streets on Saturday were tens of thousands who took to the streets in the name of Gazan civilians.

And that's been a theme that we've seen throughout the week at rallies around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PROTESTERS: Palestine will be free!

BELL (voice-over): In Sydney, thousands turned out to express solidarity with Palestinians and oppose Israel's military action in Gaza. The police out in full force as well, with organizers warning that antisemitic behavior that had been seen at previous protests would not be welcome.

No signs of that chaos here, but the crowd's message to the Palestinian people was loud and clear. LIQAA, DEMONSTRATOR: What's a protest going to do except to win us

support? We have no legitimized, legalized, any possible power to do anything to protect them. Shame on the government who do and don't do anything.

BELL: Pro-Palestinian rallies have been held in cities around the world.

In France and Germany, where they have been banned, demonstrators gathered regardless.

Some of the largest rallies for Palestinians were held in the Arab world. Thousands attended a rally in Turkey, where crowds vented anger at both Israel and the United States.

Similar scenes of solidarity in Pakistan.

SALMA REHEEL QAZI, DEMONSTRATOR: We are saying from our rallies and all over the Pakistan, that Palestinians are not alone.

BELL: And in Tunisia, anger that more is not being done to protect Palestinians.

SAHER ELMASRI, GAZAN LIVING IN TUNIS (through translator): My people are facing extermination. And Gaza is being devastated. Where is the international community? Where are the Arabs? Where is the Arab conscience?

BELL: In Tokyo, a smaller crowd with a similar plea.

AWEED SADEED, DEMONSTRATOR: I am here to show that we are united now with Muslims. They're very tired of war. Everyone is very tired of conflicts. And everyone wants justice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (on camera): Out on the street so many of those cities over the course of more than a week of these protests, Julia, a reminder of how far back these issues go with group supporting Palestinian rights way beyond what we've seen over the course of the last week. As you heard, just there this is in after all in Gaza, a part of the world where half the population lives in poverty.

This is a result of the siege that it's been under for many years, 80 percent of the population lives with humanitarian aid. And that's been the focus of so much of the support for the Palestinian cause that's built up around the world over the last few years, reignited, of course, by the events of the last week. But these are long-standing and deeply felt concerns about a people that have been through so much already even before we look ahead to what is likely to happen over the course of the next week, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, and we shall see. Melissa Bell, for now, thank you so much for that.

We'll be back over this with a look at some of the headlines from around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:55:33]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM with a look at some of the other stories we are following around the world.

The polls are closed after a hard fought parliamentary election in Poland. The exit polls suggest that the populace ruling party reign may now be over. It shows the Law and Justice Party will lose its majority in parliament and will lead coalition support in order to retain power. The results of this election were expected to have major ramifications for Poland's political direction, the balance of power in the European Union and the future of the war in Ukraine.

And a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on Sunday morning, just over a week after another deadly quake hit the same region in the west of the nation. The Taliban government officials estimate that more than 2,000 people were killed in that drummer back on October 7th, most of those were women and children -- as Anna Coren reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beneath crystal blue skies on the outskirts of Herat in western Afghanistan, the sound of vanished hope fills the air.

Under mounds of earth, lie countless bodies, there are no survivors here. Only evidence of Mother Nature's wrath and fury, unleashing further misery on a traumatized country.

Last Saturday, around 11:00 a.m., a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the district of Zinda Jan, completely flattening 11 villages.

You can see the state of my home, it's now in ruins, say 56-year-old Zahir. There is no need for words.

Zahir wasn't home when the earth violently shook for only a few seconds. But when he returned, he found 13 family members crushed to death, including his daughters, sons, and multiple grandchildren.

Simple mud brick structures supported by wooden polls, with the homes in villages on these dusty plains. They have already been reduced to rubble, aid agency tents are now their new homes.

Thirty-year-old Sha Bibi (ph) lost two daughters when her house collapsed. The only reason she survived was because she was standing under the door framed.

My children were buried under the wall, she explains. Everything is gone. Nothing remains for us.

The Taliban government and international organizations estimate more than 2,000 people were killed across the region during Saturday's earthquake. [21:55:08]

And according to UNICEF, more than 90 percent of the victims were women and children.

U.S. charity Too Young to Wed, part of the humanitarian relief effort on the ground says there is a clear reason for this staggering statistic. It's because women and girls are forced to stay at home under Taliban rule, denied their basic rights, banned from education and work, and being part of society.

STEPHANIE SINCLAIR, CO-FOUNDER, "TOO YOUNG TO WED": They have been systematically stripped of the rights over the last two years. So, instead of being at school and at work on a Saturday, which is when they have their school week and their work week, they were home, confined to their homes, imprisoned in their homes. I mean, it's a whole -- it is a country where half of the population is under house arrest.

COREN: At this hospital in Herat, makeshift wards have been erected in the courtyard to cater for all the injured.

Lying on a bed, 35-year-old Fatima, who is knocked unconscious when her home collapsed on top of her. While being rescued from the rubble, she worked to discover her seven children, age four months to 14 years were all dead.

I have experienced a great deal of pain and sorrow, she says. We've lost everything in our life. Nothing remains.

With the world firmly focused on the war in Israel, aid organizations are pleading for the international community not to forget the earthquake victims in Afghanistan.

SIDDIG IBRAHIM, CHIEF OF FIELD OFFICE, UNICEF: The children in Afghanistan deserve equally as all children in the world. Things happening in the world are not going to stop. It doesn't mean we abandon them.

COREN: Anna Coren, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: And that's about all the time we have for this hour. I'm Julia Chatterley, our coverage of the brewing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the efforts by citizens to move from north and south, the ongoing diplomacy filing the secretary of state's visit in the Middle East, and meetings with the Saudi and Egyptian leaders and, of course, the countdown that continues as we avoid a bog offensive by Israeli troops into Gaza.

Stay with CNN.