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CNN International: As Ground Operations Increase, Israeli Tanks And Vehicles Move Toward Gaza; Water, Food, Fuel, And Medical Supplies In Short Supply In Gaza; Netanyahu Met Families Of Israelis Held Hostage By Hamas; Qatar Stays Positive Regarding Hostage Situation With Hamas; Matthew Perry Dies At 54; Mike Pence Calls Off His Presidential Campaign. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired October 28, 2023 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM with me John Vause. Please stay with us. My friend and colleague Paula Newton picks up after a very short break. She'll have a lot more on our ongoing coverage of Israel's war with Hamas. You're watching CNN.
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PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: And welcome to another hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton, and this is our continuing coverage of Israel at war.
It is 4:00 a.m. in Gaza, and now facing another night of intense airstrikes and artillery fire in what Israel's prime minister calls the second stage of the war against Hamas.
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NEWTON: As you can see and hear there, Israel says it's been hitting Hamas targets, including terror tunnels and underground combat spaces. All this while Israeli ground forces are expanding their operation inside Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicting victory against Hamas.
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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Our heroic fighters have one supreme goal, to destroy this murderous enemy and ensure the existence of our country. We always said, never again. Never again is now.
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NEWTON: Now, inside Gaza meantime, a near total communications blackout. Hospitals are filled to capacity, unable to accept more patients. Aid groups say an already dire situation is, if you can imagine this, getting even worse. As what little food, fuel or medicine is in Gaza, obviously, gets quickly used up. CNN crews near the Gaza border have been observing the heightened military activity throughout the past day.
CNN's Nic Robertson has the latest now from Sderot, Israel.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voiceover): Racing along the border with Gaza, Israeli Merkava tanks, an incursion force on the move. Part of the IDF's intensification of operations preparing the way for an expected large-scale ground offensive.
ROBERTSON: That dirt track down there where you can see the dust coming up, that's the road that runs along the Israeli side of the border. We've been able to hear intense gunfire from the IDF shooting into Gaza. Tank rounds as well, fired from there, right into Gaza.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): Machine gun fire erupts as unseen soldiers battle for control of the fields that separate the border from the crowded Gaza towns. Inside the towns, smoke rising from intensified strikes where the IDF says Hamas hides in underground tunnels and among civilians.
[22:05:00]
Israel's defense minister announcing a new phase in the war.
YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): Last night, the ground in Gaza shook. We attacked terror operatives of all ranks in every location.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): The tempo of battle rising noticeably Friday night. Power, phone and internet services cut in the north of the densely populated Palestinian enclave. Hospitals already short of medicine, water and other essentials, at times appearing overrun with casualties.
On Saturday, in apparent desperation, with deteriorating humanitarian conditions, some Gazans stormed a UN compound, looting food.
PHILLIPE LAZZARINI, UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL: People in Gaza are dying. They are not only dying from bombs and strike. Soon, many more will die from the consequences of siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): With nightfall Saturday, the IDF keeping up the pressure on Hamas. The pace of strikes unrelenting as the ground offensive continues. Israel's Prime Minister promising more to come.
NETANYAHU (through translator): The war in Gaza will be long. We are going to fight in the air, ground, and sea. We are going to fight and win.
ROBERTSON (voiceover): So far, only a tiny fraction of Israel's fighting force of more than half a million troops have crossed the battlelines into Gaza. What comes next could ignite tensions way beyond Israel's borders. Nic Robertson, CNN, Sderot, Israel.
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NEWTON: I want to bring in now Peter Layton. He is a visiting fellow at the Griffin Asia Institute. Peter, good to see you. And I'm hoping you can help us characterize exactly what the aims would be for the Israeli military at this point, right? I mean, we see the aerial bombardment, it's relentless. But we also see these incursions. Do you think they are incrementally planning and crucially planning to take and hold certain parts of Northern Gaza?
PETER LAYTON, VISITING FELLOW, GRIFFITH ASIA INSTITUTE: The answer is yes and no, I suppose. The incursions are to -- are -- certainly are to draw Hamas I -- UI from the main thrust. I think that the main thrust is still coming from the north. It sounds like the Israelis have advanced about one kilometer into the northern part of the North Gaza district, and principally round the coast there.
The Israelis have been saying -- have been talking about this tunnel network. And from what they say, they believe it is centered around -- or around and within Gaza City. So, I'm assuming that the main thrust will be to put troops into central Gaza City and try and find the hostages who are presumably in this tunnel network. So, it's a bit of a complicated plan that they have to try and get the hostages out while the incursions are drawing away Hamas forces.
NEWTON: You know, what you discuss is no small task here, and the Israeli military and Netanyahu himself has put it that way. This is going to be extremely difficult and take a long time. I ask you, though, there's been a debate about whether or not any kind of full- scale ground invasion would actually achieve the security goals that it's designed to execute. What do you think?
LAYTON: I don't think so in that sense. Clearly at the present time, they just want to kill, injure, capture as many Hamas fighters as is possible. So, these incursions have another advantage in that they do draw out Hamas forces and reveal Hamas forces so that the Israelis can use their firepower and break them.
The problem is, as you said, is that the invasion, the ground incursions need to be undertaken with an eye on the future and an eye on the peace after this particular war. At the moment, the Israelis are destroying a lot of Gaza City and of North Gaza. It would seem at the end of the war, we'll have about a million homeless displaced people. That's a lot of people. The humanitarian burden after the war will be significant. And at the moment, it doesn't seem that the Israeli campaign is being waged with that in mind.
NEWTON: No, instead, they are certainly opposing it as an existential threat. I want to go to the wider region now. Can you walk us through what some of the risks are now as you see them? They obviously involve the U.S. and how it is trying to obviously act as a deterrent in the region, but obviously, Iran, front and center.
[22:10:00] LAYTON: They're front and center because they make a lot of noise. And of course, they are supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon in the north. By the same token, the Iranians are unlikely to sacrifice Iran or even Hezbollah for Hamas.
So, I think that while we'll see a lot of sound and an awful lot of fury, I'm not too sure that we'll actually see a lot from the north. The Israelis, though, have certainly -- are risk managing that and they are firing and undertaking attacks into the southern part of Lebanon. So, there will be a fair bit of noise, but the main action, I think, remains around Gaza City and North Gaza.
So -- but we've also have of course, the West Bank as well, the occupied territories there. There's about 3 million people there, and there's a fair bit going on there with low-level violence and a small number of people being killed daily. I can see that the Israelis are very concerned and, one would say, fearful at the present time because of course this is, sort of, almost a three-front conflict that could happen but is perhaps unlikely
NEWTON: Yes, and still a huge risk and I'm glad you pointed out exactly the activity on the West Bank. Again, many people saying that this conflict will change the way the West Bank and Israel interact throughout -- for the next few years if not decades. Peter Layton, we'll have to leave it there. Thanks so much. Appreciate it
LAYTON: Thank you, Paula.
NEWTON: Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coming under pressure, as you can imagine, to cut a deal to obviously release hostages held by Hamas. Now, Mr. Netanyahu met with hostages' family members on Saturday who told him they only support a comprehensive agreement that would have all the hostages released.
Meantime, Hamas says, it's ready to immediately swap the hostages for more than 6, 000 Palestinians, it says, are held in Israeli jails. The IDF dismissed that statement as, "Psychological terror." Qatar and Egypt are trying to mediate efforts to release the 230 people that Israel says Hamas is holding. Now, one Qatari official told CNN's Becky Anderson he is still hoping that some deal can be reached. Listen.
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MAJED AL ANSARI. SPOKESPERSON, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY: The talks, as you just mentioned, were going with all parties. We were working around the clock. The task force responsible for this was working around the clock to make sure that we are able to reach a deal. And we were very hopeful that that might happen. Obviously, this escalation makes it considerably more difficult.
But, as you heard today, even during this escalation, Prime Minister Netanyahu is mentioning talk of mediation on the release and the prisoner exchange deal. You had the Hamas spokesperson just minutes ago saying that they are willing to conduct the prisoner exchange deal. So, although the situation on the ground is becoming more and more and more difficult from a logistical perspective and from a political perspective. But we are still hopeful that the efforts that we are leading will be able to reach a situation where we have a release of more hostages.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: So, let me be quite clear, the talks, the mediation to effort the release of civilian hostages, possibly a prisoner exchange at this point, have not collapsed, correct?
AL ANSARI: No, I believe they are still going. The task force is still working on it. And I said, it's becoming more and more difficult with the current escalation, this escalation that is happening right now, you know, one of the most terrible escalations that have happened in the region for a really long time, is making it certainly more difficult.
As I said, on the logistical side of it, they're just moving people during a land incursion and the increased bombardment. But also from a political side, of course, you know, mediation only works when you have calming periods. Under this kind of conflict, this kind of confrontation between both sides, it becomes more difficult, but it's still ongoing and we can't give up.
Becky, I can tell you that clearly, we can't give up on this on all sides. Nobody in the region can afford to give up on this and just leave it to the military people to decide what happens in the future.
ANDERSON: What can you, provide us in terms of the details of these talks?
AL ANSARI: Well, obviously, Becky, I can't get into the details of this because our main concern now is getting the hostages to their families and making sure that this mediation succeeds. And that would be very difficult, you know, right now if we share a lot of the details.
But as you heard today from Prime Minister Netanyahu and from the spokesperson of Hamas, we are talking around the idea of more hostages coming out. We're talking around the idea of a prisoner exchange. We are optimistic that the talks are heading more towards all civilian hostages. But obviously it's a fluid situation on the ground. We still don't know what will happen.
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NEWTON: And now we want to bring in Daniel O'Shea, he's a former U. S. Navy SEAL commander and coordinator of the hostage working group.
[22:15:00]
It's good to have you here, especially as these are just such tense hours and days for the families of those hostages. We have heard from Israeli officials that they believe increasing the military pressure on Hamas inside Gaza, they believe it's an effective strategy in terms of trying to get those hostages released. Are they right? Is it?
DANIEL O'SHEA, FORMER NAVY SEAL COMMANDER: Anytime you involve military operations, it complicates, obviously, negotiations. But again, as I've been stating in multiple interviews since this whole crisis started, the whole reason these hostages were taken were leveraged, they were the bargaining chips. And I've said that every day that Hamas has delayed the IDF offensive, which appears to be occurring now was a victor for them.
And there comes a point that Israel had to make the decision to go in. Their stated goal is to wipe out Hamas, and that's what we're seeing right now. I wouldn't necessarily say kinetic operations helps hostile negotiation. If anything, it certainly -- it endangers the lives of everyone in Gaza, including the hostages.
NEWTON: You know, we just had that interview there that Becky Anderson had with the spokesperson from the Qatari government saying that those negotiations continue. I mean, with all of your experience, do you believe they are continuing materially, given what we see on the ground there in Gaza at this hour?
O'SHEA: Well, listen, there's no direct -- again, I'm not there, but I'm just speculating. There are no direct negotiations at a table across from -- you know, Hamas and Israel are not sitting across the table. So, these, these negotiations are going through multiple third parties, non-government organization, Red Crescent Society, you know, the Red Cross Society, and then, of course, intermediaries, including religious figures.
So, there's multiple discussions going on in these negotiations, and it's not as simple as a traditional state to state player trying to negotiate a settlement during warfare. So, that's why this is so complicated.
NEWTON: Yes, complicated is definitely underestimating what this whole -- there's rarely been a complex situation with what we're dealing with now, especially as Israel continues to step up its military activities. You know, in speaking with some families of the hostages, I have to say they are absolutely terrified. And quite frankly confused from one hour to the next about what they believe is best for their loved ones being held. What is your advice to them at this hour?
O'SHEA: Well, my heart bleeds for them to be frank, because I was on the -- you know, the embassy side across -- halfway across the world in Iraq trying to recover hostages, and there was -- there's nothing like the Gaza situation.
You have 220, 200 plus -- 30 plus nations involved. This is the most complex hostage environment I've ever seen. And I've been tracking this problem set for 20 plus years. So -- and that's the hardest part for the families is that they don't know. They're held in suspense. Every moment is a concern for them. And their number one priority is to bring their loved ones home. The number one priority for the Israeli government is to wipe out Hamas. And those two goals and aims are not necessarily always going to be aligned, unfortunately. NEWTON: And just to follow up on what you just said, and given all of your experience with these situations, especially in Iraq, when we look at Hamas motives and what might -- they have released now four hostages. What do you think, perhaps, might get them to at least release more hostages, especially, you know, children and elderly?
O'SHEA: Well, those are negotiations were all driven by -- you know, my perspective that Hamas was releasing a couple hostages every few days in the attempts to prevent the offensive, and now that the offensive has started, that's kind of changed the whole dynamic. And now it's turning to Israel stating, well, we're going to go rescue the hostages by doing kinetic operations and then sending in hostage rescue forces.
But again, it's, you know, hostage rescue missions are very challenging and no more challenging than a place like Gaza with the density of the population. The civilians are integrated, you know, amongst the target sets, both you know, the hostages and of course Gazan civilians themselves. So, this is a very challenging environment, and I don't think the world has ever seen any hostage situation that you can even use past history as a -- as an example to reference, unfortunately.
NEWTON: Yes, and it is the reason at this hour that the families are so worried and literally are praying for a miracle to come of this. Dan O'Shea, I want to thank you for weighing in. Appreciate it.
O'SHEA: Thank you.
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NEWTON: Now, you know him as Chandler Bing in the popular TV show "Friends". We are now getting reports of some sad news that actor Matthew Perry has died at the age of 54.
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NEWTON: American Canadian actor Matthew Perry, known for his memorable role as Chandler Bing in the TV show "Friends", has died. Warner Brothers Television Group has confirmed the news in a statement, and according to "The Los Angeles Times", law enforcement sources say, Perry died from a drowning incident at his home. The sources told "The Times" no foul play is suspected.
Matthew Perry, of course, made his mark on the small screen with the long running American TV show "Friends" beginning in the mid-1990s. A show about a group of 20 somethings trying to make it personally and professionally in New York City. Matthew Perry was 54 years old. Variety's Senior TV Features Editor Emily Longeretta spoke with CNN earlier tonight about Perry's legacy.
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EMILY LONGERETTA, SENIOR TV FEATURES EDITOR, VARIETY MAGAZINE: Yes, this is absolutely heartbreaking. It's something you never want to read the news about. You never want to report on the news. But, of course, that's part of the -- the hard part of our job. But I think it's really important to know, as you guys were saying that he was so much more than just Chandler that we all fell in love with this character. And he was so much so open to sharing his struggles through the year, and really was able to help other people around him.
I mean, when his book came out, so many of his friends, co-stars, his former co-stars from "The West Wing", from "Sunset Strip." So, many of them spoke about his kindness and the amount that he cared about other people and how great of a comedian he was.
I think it's so important that people realize that a lot of what Chandler was, of course, was in the writing and the tremendous writing staff on "Friends", but also was that he brought that cadence. Those famous lines that were delivered in the way he did was something that he actually came up with. He came up with the way that Chandler was delivering those. And I think it's really, really meaningful to talk about that and how great he was that he wasn't just an actor that was reading lines on a page.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: And I'm wondering, Emily, if you're hearing anything from your sources about the death of Matthew Perry as we wait to learn more about the circumstances.
LONGERETTA: Yes, right now, we are still hearing the same thing you are from the LAPD that has spoken to "L.A. Times." We've not been able to speak with them yet to confirm or any of the details. So, right now, it's still unknown exactly what happened and if any foul play was involved. Of course, we hope that that's not the case, that hopefully he -- you know, everything was OK with him and that he -- you know, I think that it's a really, really sad thing. Anytime someone goes so early and so young and such great talents, I think we're just kind of standing by to hope for more details soon.
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[22:25:00]
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MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: So, after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.
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NEWTON: That's former U. S. Vice President Mike Pence ending his run for president on Saturday. He was speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual conference in Las Vegas. Pence also told the crowd he'll never stop fighting to elect, "Principled Republican leaders."
Now, sources tell us he was struggling to secure donors, and there was concern that he might not qualify for the third Republican debate next month.
OK. Coming up for us, their goal is to raise awareness about people taken hostage by Hamas, but not everyone is sympathetic. Coming up, we'll show you how a simple act of empathy is being attacked.
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NEWTON: It is just after 4:30 in the morning in Gaza, which remains under siege, under fire, and in the dark. The IDF says, Israeli forces still remain inside Gaza more than 24 hours after first crossing the border. Israeli airstrikes have intensified and conditions, you know, for those civilians inside Gaza must be terrifying with communications cut with the outside world.
In London on Saturday, thousands of people marched to show support for the Palestinians of Gaza and to demand an immediate ceasefire. But Israel says, it's fighting for its survival after Hamas killed 1,400 people, who took more than 200 hostages on October 7th.
Michael Robbins is the Director and Co-Principal Investigator at Arab Barometer, a research group that measures attitudes and sentiment across the Arab world. And he joins me now from Santa Fe, New Mexico. And it is really good to have you on and to hear your insights. And incredibly, right, as we see these Gazans, these civilians suffering within Gaza, they seem and likely are utterly powerless even over Hamas. I mean, you guys conducted this survey, and apparently just ended a few days before the war broke out. What did you learn?
MICHAEL ROBBINS, DIRECTOR AND CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, ARAB BAROMETER: Well, thanks so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. What we did was a public opinion survey in Gaza that ended the day before the Hamas attacks on Israel. We found that there is very low support for Hamas overall. In fact, 44 percent said no trust at all, just 29 percent said comments of the government at the time. And so, only 27 percent even supported the party. Said that this was the party they were closest to. So, the bottom line is there is very little support for Hamas among the Gazan public.
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NEWTON: Now, in fact, your survey results, which we have up now, say that the vast majority either, you know, do not trust Hamas at all or very little, and that is the vast majority again. I want to ask you, though, as frustrated as people are within Gaza, and we see them suffering now every day, you also say that in your survey, you've noted that they do not agree with Hamas ideology. What do you mean by that?
ROBBINS: No, so Hamas' ideology is the destruction of the State of Israel. And what we find is that the majority of Gazans, 54 percent say that they actually favor the two-state solution. Another 10 percent say they favor a confederation or one state solution, respectively, and 20 percent do support armor assistance. These tend to be those who support Hamas, about three quarters of those who say that they support arm resistance are those who are in favor of Hamas. But overall, we find that the majority of Gazans say that they want a peaceful settlement to the conflict. They don't want to have a situation where Israel is destroyed. They want to find a way to live in peace.
NEWTON: You know, we have seen certainly concerned citizens all over the world, including Jews, stand up for the right of Palestinians, and the fact that they need to be heard. Do you believe that Gazans, even before the war, were resigned to never having that voice or any agency over their future? There has been no meaningful vote there in nearly a generation. I mean, what do you think would happen, based off of what you've learned from this survey, if elections could be held again?
ROBBINS: There's a lot of despondency. One of the top -- when we've asked about who would you vote for president or what parties you closest to? Often no party or I wouldn't participate takes the -- is the highest percentage. We do see that support from Marwan Barghouti tends to be the highest at about 32 percent. Ismail Haniyeh at about 24 percent. And Mahmoud Abbas a bit lower.
So, we do see that there is a frustration. That said, people do want democracy. I think what they want is a real choice. The Palestinian leadership has been very -- we can divide it between Hamas and the Palestinian authority in the West Bank, and we do see this tension. But citizens do want to say -- I think, that if they were given a say with real leaders who could potentially help them with their future, this is what they'd look for.
And so, in the current environment, it would be a difficult election. There would be a lot of frustration. But there is a sense that people want democracy and they do want a real choice.
NEWTON: Yes, which is obviously devastating now when you see everything that they're suffering through at this hour. And the fact that they won't be getting that option anytime soon. Michael Robbins, I really want to thank you for your insights here.
ROBBINS: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: Now, families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas held a candlelight vigil Saturday night in Tel Aviv. They held pictures of their loved ones and chanted, bring them home. In cities across the world, concerned citizens are putting up posters of kidnapped Israelis to help raise awareness of their plight. But what's happened in some U.S. cities is part of a worrisome trend. Camila Bernal reports now from Los Angeles.
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ADVA REICHMAN, SUPPORTER, "KIDNAPPED IN ISRAEL" PROJECT: So, we can start on one side and come back on the next.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (voiceover): The goal is to raise awareness to those kidnapped in Israel by showing their faces, names, ang ages. REICHMAN: This is a 12-year-old boy who was supposed to have his celebration with his family, and instead they can't even say happy birthday. They don't know if he's alive. They don't know how they are.
BERNAL (voiceover): But after Adva Reichman puts these up, sometimes in minutes they're ripped off.
REICHMAN: To see them taken down was another hit. To see faces of innocent civilians who were taken from their homes, they don't have a voice right now. And what we're trying to do is give them one, and they're being silenced.
BERNAL (voiceover): And in some cases, it's personal.
NITZAN MINTZ, CREATOR, "KIDNAPPED IN ISRAEL" PROJECT: It's not only that I've seen the people tear down the posters on videos, I actually witnessed it with my own eyes. I struggled myself walking in the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and people were so, so hateful towards me. People curse me. People threatens me on social media. Threatening my life.
BERNAL (voiceover): Nitzan Mitz and her partner created the posters. The Israeli citizens were in New York for an art program. But after the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel that killed 1,400, they felt they had to do something. So, they stopped their program and started the "Kidnap from Israel" Project.
MINTZ: And then after we uploaded it to our social media, people just downloaded it. So, for us it was like a miracle.
BERNAL (voiceover): A miracle and a curse.
MINTZ: The antisemitism is rising above any nightmare I ever thought.
[22:35:00]
BERNAL (voiceover): She feels it in New York, and Adva feels it in California.
REICHMAN: We are not foreign to antisemitism. This is not a new concept. I've known this. I've experienced this. I've held this for years. But the louder they get, the louder we have to get. It just hurts.
BERNAL (voiceover): But it's not stopping them.
REICHMAN: Abba (ph), let's put another one here.
BERNAL (voiceover): Even when the posters are taken down, they come back and do it again.
REICHMAN: Judaism and Israel is about human life. And we value and cherish human life. So, until they're back, you're going to see these posters.
BERNAL (voiceover): Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, of course, Israel's Prime Minister has vowed that every effort will be made to retrieve the hostages held in Gaza. Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the U. S., discussed the options with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR AND "SITUATION ROOM" HOST: The Israeli defense minister earlier today, and you probably saw the news conference. He said that the Israeli assault on Hamas in Gaza, that's ongoing right now, he says, will help hostage negotiations. Do you agree?
MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISREALI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: I do. I do. And I explained the logic of it because there was a certain theory that by starting the ground operations, we were basically forfeiting the ability to negotiate for the hostages. I think it's just the opposite.
As long as Hamas was sitting underground with the hostages and we weren't on the ground attacking, then Hamas could determine the conditions and the conditions were far, far more than Israel could ever accept. It was not just releasing all the terrorists in Israeli jails, these are people who have killed hundreds, in the case of the Second Intifada, killed a thousand Israelis, OK.
So, with a lot of blood on their hands, the Hamas also wanted unlimited fuel supplies for its fighters, and it wanted a ceasefire. Now, you understand a ceasefire for Israel is death. Ceasefire means that Hamas gets away with mass murder. It means, we can't restore our security. We can't restore our deterrence power in the region. We're finished. So, we couldn't accept that.
But as the forces -- Israeli forces move into Gaza slowly and encircle Hamas, Hamas is going to have to use those hostages as, sort of, a get out of jail free card. They could pull what -- you remember this, what Yasser Arafat did in Beirut in 1982. They'll say, OK, let us get out of here. We'll go to Algeria or something, and we'll give you the hostages. It also, I think, increases the chances that they'll keep the hostages alive and in good shape because that's their last bargaining chip.
BLITZER: Is it possible that Israel might accept some sort of pause, not a ceasefire, but a pause, to allow more humanitarian aid to get in to help those civilians in Gaza?
OREN: It's possible. It's very difficult politically here, and I'll explain why. While -- you know, we don't want to see Palestinians suffer. It's important to move them out of the combat zone as much as possible, because if they're in the combat zone, the amount of Palestinian civilian casualties will shoot very, very high up.
On the other hand, many Israelis, especially the families of these 222 Israelis who are held hostages, are saying, why should we give food and fuel to the Palestinians when they won't even let us know who they have as hostages. They won't let the Red Cross in to see them. And by opening up those corridors, we're basically giving up the last leverage we have to find out about our loved ones.
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NEWTON: Israel says, its fighter jets hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Saturday. The statement says, the planes hit a military compound and observation posts following rocket and missile fire from Lebanon into Israel. That was the latest in a series of cross border clashes since the latest crisis began. Now, its top general says the IDF is on a high level of readiness to prevent possible future military moves by Hezbollah.
The Director General of the Hamas controlled Gaza Health Ministry tells CNN, the hospitals there are used to treat patients only. That's in response to an Israeli claim that Hamas has set up a command-and- control center in bunkers underneath Gaza's largest hospital.
Nada Bashir has more on the situation inside Gaza and how civilians are increasingly paying the ultimate price. We have to warn you, her report contains some images that you might -- may find distressing.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voiceover): A flash of light over the chilling, imposed darkness that engulfs Gaza every night. A glaring promise of more death and destruction. The ongoing siege and a communications blackout plunging Gaza into eerie silence. What little video has emerged so far paints a picture of the devastation wrought by Israel's relentless bombardment. Scenes of incomprehensible loss. Shrouded bodies, the latest amongst thousands of victims.
[22:40:00]
Israel says, it is targeting Hamas, now also expanding its ground operations. A retaliation, they say, to the Hamas terror attacks of October 7th, which left at least 1,400 dead and more than 200 others held hostage inside Gaza. But in the besieged strip of land, the number of Palestinians killed also rises with each and every airstrike.
The situation here is dire. Our homes were destroyed in the airstrikes. Six of our family members were killed. What can we do? We are all living through this.
This was the scene on Friday at the Al Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza. Now, not only a lifeline to thousands of patients, but a sanctuary to tens of thousands, including children displaced by the war.
We're not even asking for food. We're not asking for water. we're asking for safety, for security. Our men, women, our children, they've all been killed.
Many have come in the hope that hospitals will remain a safe haven. But this safe haven is now being characterized by Israel with no verifiable evidence as a potential target.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The red buildings, as I mentioned, are buildings that Hamas is using.
BASHIR (voiceover): It is a claim rejected by Palestinian officials in Gaza who accuse Israel of falsifying intelligence and say the hospital is only used to treat patients. But the consequence of such allegations is feared by many. Any suggestion that this hospital could be viewed as a legitimate target by Israel for doctors who know the hospital well is a warning of unimaginable bloodshed.
DR. MADS GILBERT, PROFESSOR, CLINIC OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF NORTH NORWAY: I've been walking in all parts of Shifa, in the basement, in the different clinics, in the different buildings. I've been there night and day, peacetime, wartime, all over. I have never seen anything that could look like or function as some command center.
BASHIR (voiceover): On and on, Israel's airstrikes lay waste to this already ravaged enclave. Artillery shelling now adding to the devastation. The people of Gaza ripped by a constant cycle of mourning. Still struggling to comprehend this endless nightmare. Death now woven into the very fabric of their lives.
Nada Bashir, CNN, in Amman, Jordan.
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NEWTON: Still ahead, the children of war. A heart wrenching look at the most innocent victims of the Israel Hamas conflict.
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[22:45:00]
NEWTON: Of course, desperate barely begins to describe the situation inside Gaza at this hour as Israel ramps up its airstrikes on the enclave targeting Hamas. And we have to warn you, some images you're about to see are graphic. This video shows ambulances rushing the injured to a hospital in central Gaza after Israeli strikes. A local journalist says, most of them were hit by artillery fire. Now, the footage also shows a little boy being operated on the floor. If you can imagine, as hospitals struggle with the new influx -- with the influx of new patients.
Meantime, hunger is pushing some people right to the edge, including a crowd that stormed a U.N. warehouse to take food on Saturday. One man told the news agency AFP, his children are so hungry that sometimes can't even sleep.
Now, internet and phone services, meantime, have been largely cut off in Gaza. And fuel and electricity have been in short supply for days now. Elon Musk has said he'll make his Starlink satellite internet available for aid groups working in the Palestinian enclave, but Israeli officials have slammed that idea, saying it will be used by Hamas. CNN's Becky Anderson spoke about that earlier with the Norwegian Refugee Council's Shaina Low.
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SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATION ADVISER, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: At this point, we're open to any and all options to be able to communicate with our staff and for them to be able to do their work.
And so, for us, Starlink is definitely something that we've been discussing since Elon Musk made that announcement. We're also looking at alternatives. One of the things to keep in mind as we face this communications blackout is that one of the core ways that we've been able to respond while our staff in Gaza has basically been hibernating and focused on keeping themselves and their families safe, is that we've been able to provide cash grants to some of Gaza's most vulnerable families.
But in order for them to access that money, there needs to be telecommunications. There needs to be the ability to communicate with them. There needs to be the ability for the cards that they receive those money on to work. We can't even contact people right now who we are trying to help to let them know that aid is on its way or arriving.
ANDERSON: How worried are you at this point? I mean, given that we have seen this uptick in the operation, we now understand it to be the second phase. We know that so much of the world is calling for an immediate ceasefire, an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. There seems to be no evidence of that, you know, in fact to the contrary. Just how worried are you?
LOW: Personally, I'm extremely worried. And I think I do speak on behalf of NRC that we are deeply, gravely concerned. Not just about our staff, but all the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped inside of Gaza, half of whom are children.
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NEWTON: Shaina Low there. And we will be right back with more news.
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NEWTON: The death toll in Mexico has now climbed to 39 following the devastating landfall Tuesday of Hurricane Otis. Now, the Category 5 storm battered parts of Mexico's Pacific coast, and that includes the resort city of Acapulco. Officials say, 80 percent of the buildings run by the hotel sector were damaged along with some 220,000 homes. As Gustavo Valdes reports from Acapulco, residents are desperate for basic necessities.
[22:50:00]
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GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've made it to Acapulco, but just barely because once you get into the city, there's a big traffic jam that is preventing us from advancing. But the story you can see is behind me. All these people, the residents, the people you don't usually associate with a tourist town are trying to go and find whatever they can to get by because so far, we have not seen any help from the government. We have not seen a centralized location where people might be distributing water or food.
And you can see people were hearing reports of looting. We saw it on Thursday. Now, we're seeing all these people. And this is the problem, the cars just come from whatever they can, but let's see if we can talk to this guy. This gentleman over here.
(Speaking in a foreign language).
What is -- what do you have here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES: UNIDENTIFIED MALE:
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES: There's no food. There's nothing. (Speaking in a foreign language). What do you have?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES: Food and water and some toilet paper and some dishes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in a foreign language).
VALDES: They are admitting that they went into a store and they got what they needed because they can't find it anywhere. So, you see, everybody is complaining. They're asking. They need help. They need help. So, the destruction is one thing in the tourist part. Now, the residents, they're just begging for help.
Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Acapulco.
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NEWTON: South Africa took home the Rugby World Cup for the second time in a row beating New Zealand on Saturday. Here's CNN's Patrick Snell with more on the historic final.
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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: A classic epic final in Paris on Saturday amid a truly historic achievement now for South Africa, who are the first country ever to win the Rugby World Cup four times. Two storied rivals, two powerhouse nations when it comes to international rugby. A clutch moment as New Zealand's Sam Cane in the first half, crashing head on into Jesse Kriel. Initially the Kiwi skipper getting the yellow card but it's upgraded to red. Kane now the first man ever to see red in a World Cup final.
South Africa's Handre Pollard is accurate as ever with his kicking. Four first half penalties from him as his team open up a 12 points to six halftime lead. The All Blacks though came roaring back and it would be one of the three Barrett brothers, Beauden, who goes over to get his team to within one point. He's now the first man to score in two World Cup finals.
Then with six minutes to go, another Barrett brother, Jordie, with a long-range penalty to put New Zealand ahead, but he pulls it wide. South Africa led by their inspirational captain, Siya Kolisi, sealing their place in history to win it by one single point just as they did in the quarterfinals and the semis as well.
SIYA KOLISI, SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN: There are so many people who come -- from where I come from, we are hopeless. But with what we do and there's so many divisions in the country, but we show as people from different backgrounds that it is possible to work together as Africa, not just in the rugby field, but in life in general.
SNELL: In 2019, Kolisi became the first black captain to lead South Africa to World Cup glory. Now, he's just the second skipper in history to lift back-to-back titles. And with that, it's right back to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: And thank you to Patrick Snell there. I'm Paula Newton. Stay with me. I'll be right back with the latest on the Israel-Hamas war after a short break.
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[22:55:00]
NEWTON: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Paula Newton with our coverage of Israel's war on Hamas. It is 5:00 a.m. in Gaza which has endured another night of intense airstrikes and artillery fire. And what Israel's prime minister calls the second stage of the war against Hamas.
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NEWTON: Israel says, it's been hitting Hamas targets, including terror tunnels and underground combat spaces, all this while Israeli ground forces are expanding their operation inside Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is predicting victory against Hamas.
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NETANYAHU (through translator): Our heroic fighters have one supreme goal, to destroy this murderous enemy and ensure the existence of our country. We always said, never again. Never again is now.
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NEWTON: Now, Hamas continues firing back. This is video from a CNN producer in Gaza, capturing rockets being fired towards Israel. Inside Gaza, meantime, hospitals are filled to capacity, unable to accept any more patients. Very little food, water, fuel, or medicine remain.
Large demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people were held in many places on Saturday. New York police had to temporarily close the Brooklyn Bridge because the demonstration got so large. The president of the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, offered his dire assessment of the situation in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAHMOUD ABBAS, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT (through translator): Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now, CNN crews near the Gaza border have been observing the heightened military activity throughout the past day and night. Our Nic Robertson has the latest now from Sderot, Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: You know, it's only when the intense artillery barrages, the tank fire, the heavy machine gun fire, the missile strikes, it's only when they ease off that you can actually hear what's happening on the battlefield. Right now, we can just about hear -- well, that was another artillery strike. We can just about hear the tracks on some of the tanks and armored fighting vehicles that are down there right at the border, right at the Gaza fence. They're less than a mile from where we are right now.
But through the night, it has been very, very intense at times. Multiple missiles strike lighting up the sky, huge detonations. We've heard helicopters come in close, heavy machine gun fire from those helicopters in a way that we haven't heard before along the front line here.
We've heard heavy tank fire being fired out from close to here. So heavy, so sustained, going on for long periods of time that this building was shaking as well. We've heard multiple artillery rounds going in from artillery batteries to the north and to the south of where we are, huge detonations from those. Flares, we've seen in the sky as well.
The whole indication, the whole tempo here through the night is one of continued military confrontation of this buildup of what the prime minister has talked about. He's talked about more commanders and more fighters being inside enemy territory, that this is going to the next phase to another phase of the operation. And that is what we have been witnessing play out here through the night. Intense, very intensive at times.
[23:00:00]
