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Rafah Crossing Opens Briefly, Allowing 20 Aid Trucks Into Gaza; Biden Requests $105 Billion Aid Package For Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan And Southern Border; Biden Speaks To Mother And Daughter Freed By Hamas; U.S. Family Trapped In Gaza After Border Crossings Failed; Israeli Ground Incursion Into Gaza Could Be Imminent; Col. Shaul Shay, Former Deputy Head, Israeli National Security Council, Discusses Israel-Hamas Conflict; Rep. Jim Jordan Out Of Speaker Race, No Clear Choice Ahead. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired October 21, 2023 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:50]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta, alongside Wolf Blitzer in Washington.

We'll get to you, Wolf in a moment.

We're continuing with our special coverage of the events unfolding today on the ground in Israel and Gaza. After days of waiting, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was opened briefly this morning.

20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were permitted to cross into Gaza. Water, fuel, and food are all running desperately low there. And the United Nations is warning that Gaza's hospitals are on the brink of collapse.

Smoke was seen earlier over parts of Gaza as Israeli airstrikes continue. The death toll, they are now standing at more than 4,300 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Meantime, tens of thousands of Israeli troops continue to amass along the Gaza border.

And today, the Israeli Defense Forces updating the number of hostages held by Hamas and Gaza to 210 people.

Two American hostages, a mother and her teenage daughter are free now following their surprise release yesterday. They were visiting family at a kibbutz close to Gaza when they were taken hostage by Hamas. Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The U.N. says the aid that just arrived at Gaza was so desperately needed. As CNN's Clarissa Ward explains, the hope is that more will follow quickly. CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, now, it's been two weeks of no aid, relentless bombardment, mass displacement. 20 trucks is obviously just a drop in the ocean.

But officials are saying that they're hopeful that this is the start of something more sustained, more continuous. The U.N. believes and hopes that potentially tomorrow or on Monday that more of their trucks could go through. Today, those 20 trucks were Egyptian Red Crescent trucks, they drove through the Rafah Border Crossing, they unloaded that aid with was food, water, medicine.

Palestinian trucks, then loaded the aid and drove it through to the Gaza side.

Now, there's a meeting today of Arab leaders here in Cairo. It's called, Conference of Peace. President Sisi, the Egyptian president spoke in the last hour or so. He said, this is a welcome sign, but it's not enough. We need to build on this and establish a sustained humanitarian corridor.

We need a humanitarian ceasefire as well. And beyond that, we need to work on, establishing some kind of a peace process, a two-state solution. So, quite a long list of things that need to happen.

Right now, there seems to be consensus, at least on that first step of trying to establish a more continuous or sustained humanitarian corridor.

The hospitals at this stage are barely functioning. The fuel supplies, according to one U.N. person who I was speaking to will be out or depleted in two or three days.

So, that is a vital resource that is desperately needed, and negotiations ongoing to try to get at least 100 trucks in every single day in what will be the beginning of a continuous corridor. And hopefully, eventually, also, the establishment as the Israelis had previously mentioned, and also, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, of some kind of a humanitarian zone, where some of the 900,000 displaced people inside Gaza could find some refuge and some respite.

We are still though a long way from that.

BLITZER: Clarissa Ward, reporting for us from Cairo.

The Biden administration, meanwhile, is asking the U.S. Congress for $105 billion in security funding for Israel and Ukraine. Some of that money would also be provided for the U.S. southern border and for Taiwan.

But the President faces an uphill battle up on Capitol Hill. House Republicans have been unable to agree on a new Speaker of the House for more than two weeks. So, Congress cannot pass any legislation unless there's a new Speaker.

A growing number of House Republicans are also opposed to additional funding. of Ukraine's ongoing war.

[13:05:02]

CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez is joining us now from Rehoboth Beach in Delaware where the president is spending this weekend.

Priscilla, what is the administration's plan to get this funding through Congress?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Wolf, I'm told that over the course of this weekend, the White House legislative affairs team is going to be making calls to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the need for this supplemental request, and also trying to get those lawmakers in line with the administration's priorities.

And that's really what they see as their role here, is shoring up support while the House decides on its Speaker. Now, in terms of what this includes, this is a $105 billion supplemental request and broken down that includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, just over $9 billion for humanitarian aid, as well as funding for the U.S. Mexico border, and the Indo-Pacific region.

Now, the White House has indicated that they feel confident that there is enough bipartisan support for a funding package like this. But the reality, Wolf, is that there is just no Speaker of the House yet. And without that, all of this remains in limbo.

Just this week, House Republicans wrapped the week pushing Republican Representative Jim Jordan out of the race. And over the coming days, new Speaker hopefuls are expected to emerge. But that still does not indicate a conclusion to all of this, a fight that has dragged on for more than two weeks, in what the White House has called, "chaotic infighting".

So, the president making a direct appeal to Americans this week in that primetime address to underscore the needs while his team behind the scenes talks to those lawmakers to get them to realize the needs and how critical it is as these conflicts are ongoing abroad. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Priscilla, thank you. Priscilla Alvarez, reporting for us.

We are now also hearing the voices of the American mother and daughter released by Hamas. President Biden spoke with Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, by phone. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey, Judith.

JUDITH, RAANAN, ABDUCTED AND FREED BY HAMAS: Yes. Hello, President Biden.

BIDEN: I'm so glad you're home or not home, but I'm glad you're out.

RAANAN: Thank you so very, very much.

BIDEN: Hey Nat, how are you? God love you.

NATALIE RAANAN, ABDUCTED AND FREED BY HAMAS: I just wanted to say thank you for your services for Israel.

BIDEN: Oh, look, that's been long-serving. I'm just delighted we're able to get you out. We've been working on it a long time. We're going to -- we're going to get them all out. God willing. I just wanted to say --

(CROSSTALK)

N. RAANAN: Yes, God willing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That call from the Oval Office came shortly after the two Americans were released. Both were held hostage for nearly two weeks after being abducted in Israel by Hamas.

Let's turn now to CNN's Whitney Wild. She is joining us from Evansville (PH), Illinois. That's the hometown of the Raanans. Whitney, do we know if they have been reunited with their family yet?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: According to Natalie's father and Judith's ex-husband, Uri Raanan, they did reunite with relatives in Israel. The wait here though, continues because Judith and Natalie will not likely be back to the United States until early next week.

The hope, Wolf is that Natalie is back here by her 18th birthday. That is on Tuesday. The day that Uri sees his daughter again will be the best day of his life.

We spoke with him last night about how excruciating these last two weeks have been. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URI RAANAN, HUSBAND AND FATHER OF RELEASED HOSTAGES: I'd been waiting for this moment for a long time, for two weeks. I haven't been sleeping for two weeks.

Tonight, I'm going to sleep good. I spoke with my daughter earlier today. She sounds very good. She looks very good. She is very happy. And she is waiting to come home.

I'm going to hug her and kiss her and it's going to be the best day of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Wolf, we spoke with several people who know Judith and Natalie really well. We spoke with their rabbi, their family members. And they said, what has made this entire experience especially cruel, what makes it feel so especially unfair, is that Natalie and Judith are so endlessly kind, and they would never hurt anyone. And that is what has made this journey here in this community so painful.

And what continues to weigh on this community, even in this moment of pure joy, of pure relief, is the fact that people here know how it feels for these hundreds of other families who are waiting for their relatives to come home.

Uri said he has a simple message for those whose relatives are missing, whose relatives may remain in Hamas hands, and he says simply, keep praying and do not lose hope. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. And we're not losing hope. Whitney Wild, thank you very, very much.

Still ahead, Israel is urging its citizens in Egypt and Jordan to leave immediately. We're going to explain why. That's coming up next.

[13:09:47]

Plus, as Israel strikes on targets in Gaza, as those strikes continue, so to protest in countries across the Middle East. We're live in Jordan right after the break.

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BLITZER: We're seeing pro-Palestinian demonstrations taking place across the Middle East and indeed around the world, including this protest in London earlier today.

CNN's Nada Bashir is in Jordan for us, where there have been demonstrations throughout the week, in fact.

Nada, how intense are some of these protests where you are in Jordan?

Looks like we've had -- we're trying to -- we're trying to get Nada ready.

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Well, look, Wolf, for more than a week now, since the outset of this war, we have seen protesters taking to the streets in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

We have seen thousands demonstrating on Friday following Friday prayers marching through downtown, a man chanting their solidarity with the people of Gaza, but also expressing their anger and their outrage at the Israeli government and the government of the United States, which is of course, a key ally of the Israeli government.

In fact, some people were calling for the embassies of both the U.S. and Israel in Jordan to be closed down by the Jordanian government.

[13:15:07]

Of course, it's not just on the popular front. We have, of course, seen protests across the region. But this is also translated into the diplomacy of the country, King Abdullah of Jordan, as well as the Jordanian government have been vocal in their condemnation of the airstrikes, we are seeing ongoing by the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

Let me just read to you a quick bit of King Abdullah's statement today at the Cairo peace summit. He said I'm outraged and grieved by those acts of violence, waged against innocent civilians in Gaza, in the West Bank and in Israel.

The relentless bombing campaign underway in Gaza as we speak is cruel and unconscionable on every level.

It is collective punishment of a besieged and helpless people. It is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. It is a war crime.

Now, this is the statement from a key ally of the United States. And as we know, Jordan will continue to play a key role as world leaders look to mediate some sort of resolution, some sorts of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, some sort of end to the bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

But look, we are seeing these protests intensify here in Amman, in Jordan, across the Middle East, from Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, where the government typically does not sanction protests.

But of course, we have seen people taking to the streets of (INAUDIBLE). And further, field in the region and, of course, elsewhere London, to Washington, D.C. Wolf.

BLITZER: Nada Bashir, reporting from Amman, Jordan, for us. Nada, thank you very much.

Still to come, Israel continues to prepare for the next stage of war. More in a possible Israeli ground incursion. What it could look like. We'll have details right after the break.

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[13:20:45]

BLITZER: The IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, now claimed that a majority of the more than 200 hostages abducted by Hamas are still alive in Gaza, some two weeks after that deadly attack in Israel.

Tensions are running very, very high right now with Israeli troops, staging along the Gaza border for a possible ground operation. IDF officials say troops will soon see Gaza "from the inside".

But what would that actually look like? And how long could that operation last?

CNN's Nic Robertson has more on what Israel's plans could look like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice over): In Israel's war with Hamas, more than 60 of the terror groups operatives arrested early Thursday in the West Bank.

The clock now ticking on a far more dangerous phase of the war for the IDF, going into Hamas' heartland, Gaza.

NIR BAKAT, ISRAELI ECONOMIC MINISTER: The Israeli government made a decision, gave green light to the army, wiped them out, and now it's in the hands of the army.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Israeli politicians are preparing expectations. for a long war and for the first time hinting at what an end of war may look like.

AVI DICHTER, ISRAELI AGRICULTURE MINISTER: The Gaza Strip all along will have a margin that they will not be able to get in. It will be a fire zone. No matter who is -- who are you, you'll never be able to come close to the Israeli border.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Dichter, a former head of Israeli security, says what Israel wants is the level of security control they currently have in the West Bank. Complete access on their terms.

DICHTER: Today, whenever we have a military problem in every single place in the West Bank, we are there.

ROBERTSON: So, that's what you have in Gaza going forward?

DICHTER: Gaza in terms of security. Remember that in the Gaza Strip, once there is no administration, it has to be built in other administration.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): But as these plans take shape and troops prepare to go into Gaza, airstrikes are triggering international calls for a humanitarian pause to ease civilian suffering.

Dichter rejects the need for a pause.

DICHTER: We don't activate against civilians.

ROBERTSON: But there are civilians' collateral damage.

DICHTER: In a war -- in a war -- in a war, (INAUDIBLE). In a war, we do understand and unfortunately, we have suffered.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): With or without a pause in strikes, 20 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid are expected to enter Gaza from Egypt soon. Against the scale of need, it's a token ahead of a possible ground incursion, maybe, all that gets through for a while.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Sderot, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Nic for that report.

Meanwhile, a Massachusetts family is among hundreds of Americans trapped in Gaza now for some two weeks. They plan to come home yesterday from an overseas family reunion and are now stuck in a very terrifying and extremely dangerous situation in Gaza.

I'm joined now by Abood Okal, he is a Palestinian American, who is currently stranded in Gaza with his wife and 1-year-old son.

Abood, thank you very much for joining us. I know your family has made several attempts to cross that Rafah in southern Gaza into Egypt. What is your situation right now?

ABOOD OKAL, UNITED STATES CITIZEN, STUCK IN GAZA (via telephone): Yes, thanks, Wolf, for having us.

Today, we just came back two hours ago from the Rafah crossing, after being instructed by the state department to hit there today, given instructions that the border crossing would be open from 10:00 a.m. And after the aid is allowed into Gaza, that American citizens and other foreign nationals would be allowed to exit through Egypt.

So, we were pretty hopeful this morning we had there. And we stayed there until about 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. and nothing.

BLITZER: So, what did you hear last, Abood, from the state department?

(CROSSTALK)

OKAL: Then, possible cause --

BLITZER: I was going to say, what did you hear last from the state department? What did they tell you about when you and your family might be able to get out?

[13:25:01]

OKAL: No information is what we hear from the state department. As the last that we heard was this morning actually about 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning. And we were told that basically, the Rafah crossing would be open at 10:00 a.m. It might be open for a short period of time. So, to try to make our way there, and we're staying close to the borders, for exactly that reason.

But unfortunately, this is today, we thought would be a third time is a charm. But today, it was the third failed attempt, it completely fell through, and it seems like there is a complete lack of communication of what's actually being arranged by the state department, as neither information from the Egyptian side, Egyptian authorities, or on the Palestinian side, seem to indicate that there is any type of arrangement for American citizens, hundreds of families that were at present, at the crossing today, to exit to Egypt.

So, we're not quite sure what's happening at this point. I was talking to a friend earlier. And I told them that after attempting this three times, based on instructions from the state department, it feels and it seems like it's just that the state department hears that the Rafah crossing would be open, just like we do through the press, and they tell us to head there without actual coordination with Egyptian authorities. It's either that or whatever arrangements are being happen or just totally being ignored by the different parties. And I doubt that, that is something that's happening with the U.S. government, it's all influenced -- its influence on the partners in that region.

BLITZER: Abood, can you explain to our viewers what you've experienced, just to get to that southern border with Egypt near that Rafah border crossing?

OKAL: Yes. Certainly, Wolf. We, since the beginning of the war, we were sheltering actually with my wife -- that's where they -- that's where we're just because it's relatively your area, compared to other places in Gaza.

And it -- clearly was not as we heard airstrikes all around us. And then, it was few days into the war, we lost track of days. When the IDF actually asked all the residents of Northern Gaza Strip to hit South for a safe zone. So, we did that.

-- our in a complete chaotic --

BLITZER: No. No.

OKAL: This is because there was no -- even knowing where to go. As I mentioned previously to friends and others who have been touched with, that it's almost like asking someone to get up from where they live, and in New York or Massachusetts, and ask them to move to a different state within 24 hours and consider -- tells that a new arrangement.

So, we've started hitting south, we're fortunate enough that we're staying at a friend's of a friend's house. And we say we're fortunate because the other stories and other people, the 1.1 million that had to leave Gaza Strip -- northern Gaza Strip down south don't all have friends that they could stay with.

Many ended up in schools that are run by the United Nations and actually even more ended up just on the streets in open air.

So, we're in the house right now, a single-family home of two floors.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Abood, Abood, Abood, I was going to ask you.

OKAL: Yes.

BLITZER: How's your little boy handling all this?

OKAL: Mixed feelings. He does not know what's happening. He is under two. So, we tried to kind of keep him shielded as much as we can. But as airstrikes and bombings happen near where we're staying, whether we were in northern Gaza or southern Gaza, there is no way to hide it from him.

I mean, some of the bombs are -- the sheer force, earthquake that happens, glass shatters, and grownups, including his own parents would jump out of fear, because you're startled when tons of explosives fall few meters -- tens of meters away from -- then, that nothing is happening.

Yet, we tried to pretend that's fireworks, when it's in the distance. For other children, American children that are sheltered with us. My sister has three kids, the youngest is 2 months old, and she is staying with us as well, waiting for the state department arrangement to exit Gaza.

We tried to pretend it's fireworks or thunder. And sometimes, we get called out by the kids and they say, well, it's a clear night. How could this be thunder?

[13:30:01]

My son have had a fever. Actually, a few days ago, he had an ear infection as well. His main source of nutrition remains to be milk.

(AUDIO PROBLEM)

BLITZER,: It looks like we've lost our connection, sadly, with Abood Okal.

If you can hear me, Abood, good luck to you, good luck to your family. We hope you get out of there very, very soon, safe and sound.

Appreciate it very much for joining us.

Coming up, we'll have much more on the war between Israel and Hamas. It's escalating.

But first, up on Capitol Hill, Republicans are back to the drawing board to find a new speaker of the House and actually get to work on an aid package. We'll have details when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is CNN's special coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. We're continuing our special coverage.

[13:35:00]

Right now, joining us, the retired Israeli Colonel Shaul Shay, the former deputy head of Israel's National Security Council. He's now a senior research fellow at the International Institute for Counterterrorism.

Colonel, thank you so much for joining us.

Israeli officials have said their goal is to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure in Gaza. Is that even possible given the level of control this terrorist group has in Gaza right now?

COL. SHAUL SHAY, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COUNTERTERRORISM: I think that Israel has no choice. After the last attack, Israel has to remove this existential threat from the southern border of Israel.

I believe that the IDF is well trained, well equipped and ready to carry out this mission. Although it's going to be a very complicated one.

Because it's a kind of combination of urban warfare combined with subterranean warfare. Both of them, together, are a great challenge for any military in the world.

BLITZER: That's what I keep hearing from all these military analysts.

We've seen Israeli forces, as you well know, Colonel, amassing near the border with Gaza now since shortly after the Hamas attack. Some 300,000, maybe 400,000 Israeli reservists have been activated.

Why do you believe Israel has not yet begun this full-scale ground invasion of Gaza to try to destroy Hamas?

SHAY: I think the idea of different reasons to choose, the best time to start the operation.

I would like to remind you that all the time we have to watch the other fronts, because, unfortunately, we are fighting now a war with a main theater Gaza Strip, but it's part of a wider conflict arranged by Iran, mobilizing its other proxies as well.

So every day we are now dealing with challenges from the Hezbollah in the north, to a lesser degree from the Golan Heights.

And just a few days ago, first time in history, the Houthis from Yemen launched missiles and drones towards Israel.

So it's not just the Gaza Strip that is the main priority of Israel. But all the time, we have to calculate our steps looking to the whole regional situation and not just to the theater of Gaza.

BLITZER: What I hear you say, Colonel, is that Israel could be facing multifront war in the coming days. Is that what I'm hearing?

SHAY: Yes. I think that for quite long, Israel is aware through this situation and prepared for it.

Of course, Israel prefers to fight now only on the Gazan front. But if we were forced to open another front, I believe that the idea, as you say before, mobilized in the south and the north.

BLITZER: As you know, Hamas released two American hostages yesterday, a mother and daughter. Why do you think that happened?

And do you think, Colonel, it's likely that Hamas may release more hostages as Israel prepares for a possible ground operation in Gaza? If so, what impact could that have?

SHAY: I think that we have to take into consideration that, unfortunately, from the moment that they had all the hostages in their hands, it will be a long process of psychological warfare that Hamas cynically will use these hostages to achieve its goals.

One of the goals is to try to undermine the Israeli offensive. So we are always very happy with each hostage that is released, but we know as well that Hamas will try to manipulate in the future.

And we have to look at it cautiously and to see how to overcome this maneuvers and to follow with the main task to destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

[13:40:003]

BLITZER: This morning, as you know, the first aid trucks were allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing into Gaza from Egypt.

How much pressure, Colonel, is there on Israel right now to allow more international aid to enter Gaza through that Rafah border crossing?

SHAY: I think that, first of all, it's important to say Israel is not fighting the people of Gaza. Israel is fighting Hamas.

Hamas that is using the people of Gaza as human shields and, cynically, use them along all the years. I can say, in 2007, in June 2007, actually, Hamas kidnapped two million people, not 200 that they did here last week.

So we have to take into consideration to prevent humanitarian catastrophe.

But on the other hand, it will be necessary to guarantee that these supplies are not going to Hamas, but to those people who need it.

And again, Israel asked the people in Gaza to move south for humanitarian purpose in order to prevent civilian losses during the ground maneuver.

I think those people that are moving to the south will get this humanitarian supply along the border.

BLITZER: Colonel Shaul Shay, thank you so much for joining us.

SHAY: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, as you know, the people of Gaza and Israel need a lot of aid right now. If you want to help, go to CNN.com/impact or text "Relief" to 707070.

And we'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:46:37]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Congress has now gone 18 days with no speaker of the House of Representatives. Jim Jordan is out after losing three straight votes on the floor and then a secret ballot vote by his fellow Republicans. Candidates have until noon tomorrow to file as a speaker candidate.

On Monday, House Republicans will hold another candidate forum with a secret-ballot leadership vote on Tuesday morning.

CNN's Melanie Zanona has the latest from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, the Republicans are back at square one. For the second time in two weeks, their GOP nominee for speaker has failed to win enough support within the party.

Jim Jordan tried to take another vote to the floor on Friday. He failed to win enough support to win the speaker gavel. In fact, he bled even more support.

So after that vote, Republicans huddled behind closed doors and took a secret-ballot vote where they essentially voted to dump him as their speaker nominee.

There are serious questions about who, if anyone, can get the 217 votes it will require in order to win the speakership.

A lot of members are really upset about the situation that they find themselves in.

One of those members includes Dusty Johnson. He is a more moderate- leaning member.

Our Manu Raju caught up with him after that conference meeting. Hear what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): America's got real problems. This is a time where we need people who are interested in problem solving, not self- aggrandizement.

It is time for big boys and big goes to girls to stop with the nonsense and get back to work for the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZANONA: So now lawmakers will go home for the weekend. They'll have another candidate forum on Monday with an internal speakership election on Tuesday. That's the earliest we could potentially see a new candidate emerge.

Already, there are half a dozen Republicans who have jumped into the race. That includes Tom Emmer, the majority whip and the third-ranking Republican.

Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican. He's also a member of the far- right Freedom Caucus. And Kevin Hern, who leads the Republican Study Committee, which is the largest conservative caucus in the House. But as of right now, it is shaping up to be a messy competitive race.

These candidates have not had a head start, so it's going to be a while before anyone is able to unify around a candidate in the party.

But as of right now, no speaker, no consensus and no ability to govern.

Melanie Zanona, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[13:48:55]

WHITFIELD: All right, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire. Ahead, what's next for the region. And could there ever be a path to peace? That's next as our coverage of the war involving Israel and Hamas continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:53:47]

WHITFIELD: All right, for the first time in two weeks, much-needed aid has been delivered to Gaza. This morning, 20 trucks, loaded with medical supplies, food and water, passed through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza when the border was briefly opened.

But international groups warn those supplies are not enough. The World Food Program says the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and calls for more aid to be let through.

I'm joined now by Shamil Idriss. He is CEO of Search for Common Ground, a peacekeeping group based in Washington, D.C.

Shamil, great to see you again.

How concerned are you about the growing humanitarian situation unfolding in Gaza?

SHAMIL IDRISS, CEO, SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND: Thank you for having me.

It's terrifying, both for the current conditions and the people who are suffering, and also for the prospects of us getting out of this and getting to a place where nothing like this will ever happen again.

You have to say, and I've learned in discussing, particularly this conflict, you have to start with something that seems obscenely obvious, but, unfortunately, oftentimes isn't.

[13:54:56]

None of the civilians, none of the civilians, none of the Israeli civilians, who were wounded or murdered or abducted two weeks ago, none of the Palestinian civilians, who are cowering in terror and weak from hunger from having been cut off from food and water, none of the civilians deserves this or had it coming. And again, it seems obscene to have to say that, but you have to start

there.

And honestly, if we're going to get out of this, there has to be, first and foremost, an end to violence against civilians before we can move on to what's next.

WHITFIELD: Except until that happens, there are people who need basic sustenance, food, water, medicine.

There are about 20 truckloads that made it through the Rafah border today. Surely, not enough for some two million people who are in Gaza. And we don't really know how many people are in the greatest need right now.

So what are your concerns about how what has been delivered will be distributed? And how much longer people can go without more?

IDRISS: Well, we have to recognize it's a positive step. It's a very small step, it's a positive step.

And all those who are responsible for enabling this to go forward, President Biden, President El Sisi of Egypt.

Frankly, if all of this aid gets all the way through to the people who actually need it. Both the Israeli military and Hamas are also enabling this to happen. So it's a positive step.

We have to recognize the World Health Organization has just told us they need 100 trucks a day to prevent catastrophe. Not 20 trucks every two weeks. So that is the first issue.

And this is part of the larger issue, Fred, of preventing violence against civilians. All of the violence against civilians.

By far, by far, the majority of people who have suffered from this violence are civilians, both in Israel and in Palestinian. The siege, the cutting off of food, water, medications, the taking of hostages.

Far too much of the missile damage, both fire from Hamas and fire from Israel, are landing on sites that are clearly out of bounds by any rules of war, schools and refugee camps and hospitals, and, you know, it's houses of worship and residences.

So this has to stop. And there has been to be -- after this aid is delivered, there has to be relentless pressure from the international community to enable more aid to get in and to prevent more civilian deaths and casualties.

Then we can look to what happens next. Because if we're going to ever get out of this, what we really need, ultimately, is a political process, a genuine and inclusive process, which we really haven't had for a good two decades or more on this conflict.

WHITFIELD: In what ways do you feel you and your organization are able to help, or perhaps what are the frustrations that are standing in the way of you being able to assist in the ways that you can?

IDRISS: You know, I appreciate you having me on, because there haven't been enough people in mainstream people who have genuine experience peace building, including on the ground by teams from both communities.

And one of the things that infuriates me and my other colleagues in the entire peace building community is you pump a conflict like this full of hate speech and military assistance and securitized approaches, and billions of dollars over all these years and you put hundreds of thousands of dollars into peace building and really no effort into a genuine political solution.

And then when everything goes to hell, you say, I guess peace building doesn't work. Enough, that's just not the case.

This conflict is particularly complex. I get that. I don't know any other conflict that goes back 3,000 years and has the religious symbolism and all of that.

But it's made a lot harder to solve when you actually ignore the basics. Forget the complexity for a second. The basics of any conflict is you resolve the conflict by generating a peace process that involves the parties.

There hasn't been a genuine effort at a peace process that was inclusive. There have been diplomatic breakthroughs between Israels and other states in the Arab world, which is wonderful.

But those have not been a substitute. Not only have those not been a substitute for delivering a genuine Israeli/Palestinian peace agreement that can be durable, but all the time those breakthroughs have happened, the situation on the ground has worsened substantially.

This was already the deadliest year in over a decade in this conflict before this war ever broke out. And with more housing demolitions as well and violence between settlers and Palestinians and confiscations.

And so that is -- we have to address that or this will be just the latest chapter, not the end of violence.

WHITFIELD: And then I wonder, quickly, do you see the U.S. playing a significant role in helping to broker the peace that continues to remain absent?

IDRISS: The U.S. has already played a role in helping to open up this humanitarian corridor. But we are in touch with people all over the world in communities in conflict.

[13:59:56]

And the credibility of the U.S., you know, has never been particularly high on this conflict. I can't remember a time when it was this low.