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Israel Says It Struck Military Infrastructure in Syria; Crowd Storms Russia Airport After Arrival of Flight from Tel Aviv; U.S. National Security Adviser: "Risk is Real" of Conflict Expanding; "Friends" Actor Matthew Perry Dead at 54. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired October 29, 2023 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:01:09]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. My colleague, Jim Sciutto, is joining us live in northern Israel. Good evening, everybody.

Just minutes ago, we learned of a new strike outside the borders of Gaza. Israel's military says it struck military infrastructure in Syrian territory. They say it's in response to launches coming from that country.

Also new tonight, we're seeing this stunning video from the southern Russia Republic of Dagestan. Russian authorities saying a crowd waving Palestinian flags forced their way into an airport after a flight from Tel Aviv landed earlier tonight. Russian state media says the crowd was protesting the Israel-Hamas war.

In Gaza City, an aid organization says nearby Israeli air strikes have caused extensive damage to the second largest hospital. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says that's endangering the lives of patients, 12,000 displaced civilians are also sheltering there.

And gunfire and explosions echo across much of Gaza, as Israel's ground offensive advances. Israeli troops appear to have advanced over two miles into Gaza, according to CNN analysis of video published by Israeli media outlet.

Meanwhile, rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into Israel. Earlier today, President Biden spoke to Benjamin Netanyahu. Their phone conversation comes amid a stark warning from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. He says there is an elevated risk of the conflict expanding across the region, and, quote, the risk is real.

Let me bring in my colleague Jim Sciutto to talk about this.

Jim, you know, that warning from Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, it is bearing out at least to some extent this evening, as we're getting this news that the Israelis have launched a strike on Syrian territory, running the risk, once again, of this conflict widening.

How do you see things from your vantage point where you are, Jim? JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Jim, it's a

reminder that what is already happening to some degree, it's a low grade war in the north, at least a conflict. The fire is going back and forth, not just across the border between Israel and Syria to the northeast, but between Israel and Lebanon to the north. We found ourselves in the midst of that today, cross -- in the cross fire of artillery fire from Israel into Lebanon, Lebanon, Hezbollah fighters into Israel.

And it's happening multiple times a day, certainly not on the scale of what's happening in Gaza. But it is daily, and it's been sufficient to, in effect, evacuate the northern part of this country. Some of that is mandatory. Some of these towns and villages have been turned into military zones. And some of it is voluntary. Families making the decision that it's just no longer safe in the north. And they've moved south for safety, as many residents of southern Israel have moved north for safety.

And, of course, the concern, Jim, is that Iran orders its proxies, such as Hezbollah, to expand that war even more. And then in that situation, Israel's looking at a multi-front war.

ACOSTA: And, Jim, I know you've worked in the national security realm for many, many years, and I'm just curious what your thoughts are on this remarkable and very disturbing video coming out of Dagestan of this airport just coming under siege from this mob of people, pro- Palestinian protesters. We're told my Russian state media. But obviously we don't have a lot of independent visibility into what's going on there.

But what are your thoughts?

SCIUTTO: Listen, it's -- one, it's an enormous security failure. Here's an airport, should have security, a mob allowed to storm it. And they were able to get onto the tarmac even.

[21:05:03]

I mean, you had pilots telling their passengers don't get off the plane, keep the doors locked. Don't allow these people into the planes. That's a remarkable security failure. But also more so, it's just a measure of the hatred that we are seeing boiling over here.

That crowd was attempting to attack civilians, what they thought were Israelis arriving on that flight from Tel Aviv. It's quite a measure of just how volatile a mix of emotions and anger, not just here in Israel, but around in the region and around the world.

And goodness, for those passengers on the plane, you saw that crowd surround some of them. What a frightening and dangerous moment that was for them. We're going to continue following that story.

I'm joined now by Aaron David Miller, who, of course, was a longtime negotiator in the Middle East, as well as Kimberly Dozier, CNN national security analyst.

Good to have you both on.

Aaron David Miller, if I could begin with you, it appears that the U.S. president, at the start of this conflict, after October 7th, he deliberately wanted to make the U.S. approach this with some balance. When he flew out to the region, he was going to meet with the Israeli leaders, which he did, then Arab leaders.

But that summit, as it were, was cancelled with the initial reports of the hospital strike initially blamed on Israel. But now U.S. intelligence, the assessment has been that that was actually a Palestinian -- a Hamas rocket, rather, that fell on the hospital. That summit was cancelled.

But the clear direction of the Arab world's impression of this is that the U.S. is on Israel's side and Israel's side alone. Is that fair?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: You know, Jim, thanks for having me. October 10th, the president set a pretty strong frame in which he sent a signal that he was prepared in response to the brutal slaughter on October 7th. And I think frankly is the new point of departure in the president's mind. But he sent an unmistakable message he was going to give the Israeli government the time, space, and support to do whatever it felt it needed to do with effect to Hamas in Gaza.

I think that frame has devolved over the course of the last two weeks. The hostages played a role, and he pressed for time and space to seek negotiations on humanitarian issue. It's still unclear to me, Jim, why the trickle of aid coming through Rafah is not a tsunami by now. I think that has a lot to do with Israeli interests, Hamas interests, and Egyptian constraints as well.

And he's pressed the Israelis to consider the implications, the consequences of a move to eradicate Hamas, and press them on the day after. So, I think the frame is evolving, particularly in view of the humanitarian catastrophe and the extraordinary loss of life on the Palestinian side, as the Israelis try to strike Hamas.

However, let's be clear -- and I mentioned it earlier -- I think the main thrust in the president's mind is sequential. We would not be having this conversation tonight, had the events of October 7th not had occurred. And the world clearly is looking for moral consistency from the Biden administration. That is to say, what happened on October 7th was horrible, but so is what's happening to Palestinians in Gaza.

And frankly, the president's demeanor, his temperament, I think he certainly angered and dismayed, I think, by the level of civilian casualties. I think the mainframe is going to remain the same.

SCIUTTO: Yeah, it's something that we've seen from a number of directions now. And we should remember, it's only three short weeks ago that the events of October 7th took place.

But as you say, in the view of the Arab world, those were Queen Rania's word. Queen Rania of Jordan saying that -- from her perspective and Jordan, of course, is a very close U.S. ally, there's a double standard in terms of how civilian casualties are viewed.

Kim Dozier, we saw today one example of where U.S. pressure has worked to some degree. And that is allowing the restoration of communications or at least some communications out of Gaza.

Do we have any sense as to what U.S. pressure on the Israeli military to temper its military activities in Gaza, to minimize or reduce civilian casualties? Is there evidence that that pressure has made a difference on those operations?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, from the perspective that the Arab world, there has been no letup in the constant bombing.

[21:10:03]

From the perspective of military planners looking at this from the outside, you can see how Israel, as it's doing a major ground incursion into Gaza, which it did over the weekend, that it would want the communication shut down so that it could confuse the adversary and get as many of its people in as safely as possible.

So, turning the comms back on a day later might not be militarily that destructive to their ultimate goal. But if you were just going to prosecute this all out, you would keep those communications off. You would keep the enemy in the dark. You would be trying to force them to use any alternative, means of electronic communications, so you can try to spy on that, figure out where they are.

The major goal is to not just disable Hamas, but to try to collect as much intelligence as possible to figure out where the hostages are being held to try to get to them. And turning communications back on could be seen as one sign that the U.S. is behind the scenes influence is working.

But as you've seen from interviews with Jake Sullivan and Jake Tapper today, they will not criticize Israel in public.

SCIUTTO: Aaron David Miller, as we watch events here in northern Israel and a low-grade conflict but a conflict nonetheless between Israeli forces, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian-backed proxies in Syria as well, the concern had been that if Israel were to go into Gaza in numbers for a large scale offensive that Hezbollah might very well expand this war. To date, they're certainly firing in this direction.

By the way, that's having an effect. It's frightened thousands of residents out of the northern part of the country. But they have not yet declared war, as it were, from the north. Do you see that as a lasting decision by Hezbollah and its Iranian backers?

MILLER: You know, it's a fascinating question. When the national security adviser in the United States of America publicly talks about fear and his concern over escalation, it's something that I think we need to take very seriously. They could be getting intel and chatter that Hezbollah's calculations, which for now, Jim, over the last three weeks, have, I think, remained within what I would call the rules of the game that the Israelis and Hezbollah have set since the last big encounter in the summer of 2006.

We haven't seen the deployment in Hezbollah's high trajectory weapons, varying range in lethality. Some of those weapons can cover as much as 300, 400 kilometers from the border. I think Hezbollah's calculation is simply this. They know that Israel's international legitimacy is starting to erode. And they're prepared to fight Israel to the last Palestinian.

Supporting Hamas to the degree they can. But Hamas has been pressing them, my understanding, for more engagement. And they resisted. And they resisted because, I think, Iran does not want to undermine its key asset in Lebanon. That's reserved for the prospects of an Israeli or an American strike against Iran's military conventional and unconventional sites.

So, Hezbollah understands, you have two carrier strike groups with 200 strike aircraft, a position I think Dwight D. Eisenhower is there. And they know that if, in fact, you get into a huge fight, the U.S. may well get involved.

SCIUTTO: Listen to that comment there from Kim if you can. That's quite a remarkable statement from Aaron David Miller, one of the most experienced diplomats I've spoken to in this region, to say that Israel's legitimacy is failing here remarkably just three weeks after witnessing this horrible attack by Hamas, with civilians, with women and children and elderly bearing the brunt of that Hamas terror attack. That's a remarkable turn of events in such a short period of time.

And I wonder if you share that assessment.

DOZIER: I have to say, when you see how the U.N. vote went against condemning Hamas for the October 7th attack, that was shocking to people inside Israel. But it's a sign of if the goal was to damage Israel on the international scene and to revive the Palestinian freedom fighting movement, as the Palestinian militant movement would call it, this attack has done that.

The horrific scenes that we in the West have seen and believed of Israelis being attacked brutally and horribly on October 7th, some of that was shared on Telegram, et cetera, across Arab social media.

[21:15:12]

But largely what you're hearing now is that people don't believe that actually happened. They do believe the pictures of destruction inside Gaza by the Israeli military. So, to take a 30,000-foot view of it, if you're Iran and you're watching this and you wanted to damage both the U.S. and Israel, you don't need Hezbollah to attack all out. Everything you wanted is already playing out.

The U.S. reputation is already damaged just by sticking by Israel. And the world seems to have developed collective amnesia, or at least large parts of it, about what happened on October 7th.

SCIUTTO: Yeah, one of the great ironies here, right? Short memories and long memories. And that is the conflict we live with every day. Sadly possibly an expanding one.

Aaron David Miller, Kimberly Dozier, thanks so much to both of you.

We are in northern Israel continuing to follow cross-border fire here not just from Lebanon but also from Syria and from Israel back into Lebanon and into Syria while, of course, in the south, Israel is expanding its military operations inside Gaza.

We will continue to cover both fronts of this conflict. We'll be right back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: This week, the Anti-Defamation League reported that since the Hamas attack on October 7th in Israel, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have increased by nearly 400 percent. That rise also echoed by several other U.S.-based advocacy groups since the war began.

[21:20:03]

And Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz of Florida joins us now.

Congressman, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

And I know this hits home for you. Last night, you posted this on social media saying: Today, the temple I belong to was targeted by five people wearing ski masks and shouting, kill the Jews, as congregates left. These people are not interested in protesting policy. They want to mass murder an entire religion just like Hitler.

I'm very sorry that this happened to you and members of your temple. Where is all of this heading?

REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): Jim, thanks for having me. Thanks for having this discussion.

Jim, I don't know where it's heading, but it's not heading in a good direction. It's extremely troubling, right? We have gone from the barbaric events of October 7th to obviously a war in Gaza in which people can argue both sides of. But now this has gone into a horrible place that reminds the Jewish community, quite frankly, of the reason why Israel was created in the first place.

It's because there is a tremendous amount of antisemitism in the world. We are no longer debating Israel policy. A lot of these protests you see, whether it's in Russia or in the UK or France or even on college campuses here, you see the signs that say gas the Jews, kill the Jews.

They're not talking about Israel policy. From the river to the sea is not a two-state solution, Jim. I'm for a two-state solution. I think the Palestinians should have a state. But now they're talking about eliminating the entire state of Israel and they're advocating for the mass murder of Jews. And so, you know, this has gone to a dark place, and the Jewish community has seen this before. ACOSTA: And I want to get your thoughts on the situation in Dagestan

in Russia. Protesters were making antisemitic comments after a flight arrived from Tel Aviv. I mean, it just looks like a wilding broke out inside this airport and out on the tarmac. What are your thoughts on all of this? It seems like it's spreading across the world.

MOSKOWITZ: Well, look, that was an angry mob that broke through security at an airport looking for Jews. They saw a plane come in from Tel Aviv, and they were looking for Jews. And I'm pretty sure, Jim, they were not looking to have a robust foreign policy conversation, right? They were looking to cause harm to folks coming off the plane from Tel Aviv. So, we're seeing this.

We saw Jewish students at Cornell not being able to leave the cafeteria. We saw a Jewish student the other day being locked the in a library. So, you know, this is something that we're seeing all across the world, in which Jews are being targeted. Again, this is a debate that has gone from the Mideast conflict, the war that's going on between Hamas and Israel, and this has now gone to dramatic antisemitism to the lengths we have not seen since World War II.

The Jewish community had been warning, by the way, that the antisemitic attacks are on the rise. We've been seeing it year over year over year, online, especially on social media. But now we're seeing, unfortunately, even visual pictures the fruition of all of that antisemitism.

ACOSTA: Let me get back to the Israel-Hamas war. We're receiving word this evening that the Israeli military said its aircraft struck military infrastructure in Syrian territory in response to launches in Israel coming from that country.

Are you concerned about this conflict widening in a way that could potentially draw in the U.S.?

MOSKOWITZ: Of course. I have no doubt that the Biden administration, who's done a tremendous job, by the way, but the Biden administration is deeply worried, this widening beyond the current p conflict. There's no doubt whether it's Iran or some of their proxies in the region, rogue actors Iran might not be able to control, may be looking to try to expand the conflict.

You know, obviously the U.S. has those battle strike groups in the region to try to make sure that folks don't want to get involved. And, look, you know, the U.S. obviously is going to stand by its greatest ally, Israel. The president has been crystal clear on that. I think the message the United States is sending is that should other nations decide to get involved, the United States will come to Israel's aid.

ACOSTA: Let me talk to you about something very important that's happening here in the United States. You're an alum of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, where 17 people were killed in that mass shooting in 2018 in Parkland. Last week, we saw this mass shooting in Maine.

Tonight, our Shimon Prokupecz is reporting that the Maine national guard had asked local police to check on that reservist, who ended up killing 18 people, prior to the shooting after a soldier became concerned that this eventual gunman would snap and commit a mass shooting.

[21:25:09]

It sounds like warning signs were missed. How does this get fixed?

MOSKOWITZ: Jim, I know what's happening in Maine all too familiar. We had the same issue at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland. The warning signs of the former student were everywhere, killing animals, police coming to the house dozens of times, tips to the FBI. He had a file at the school board a mile long.

Everyone knew that that kid was in trouble. And yet people who are mentally ill in this country can go and get a weapon. And here in in the state of Florida, we stopped that. We passed red flag laws. We raised the age to 21. Within three weeks on a bipartisan basis, signed by Republican Governor Rick Scott, now U.S. Senator Rick Scott, to make sure that something like that didn't happen again.

So, it's deeply troubling, Jim. We have to figure out in this country how we can recognize that, yes, there is a robust Second Amendment that we have to respect. But at the same time can we at least agree that mentally ill people should not be able to get weapons of war.

I know what that community is going through. The funerals, the parents that a kid is not coming home, a spouse that now there is an empty chair at the dinner table. Those people will never be the same. That community will never be the same.

Six years later, the city of Parkland is not the same. Those families haven't moved on. They've moved forward. But, look, elected leaders, whether they're in Maine or in Congress have the ability to do something, to stop this epidemic of mass shootings.

ACOSTA: And, just finally, very quickly, we had Congressman Dean Phillips on this program talking about how he's running for president against Joe Biden. I assume you're supporting the president in his re- election bid.

Your thoughts on Dean Phillips? Should he -- should he not be doing this?

MOSKOWITZ: Yeah, look, Dean -- yeah, look, Dean is a good friend. He's a good colleague. And, you know, I think he means well.

But no, I'm supporting President Biden. I'm with President Biden 100 percent of the way. I don't think we should have any primaries at the moment. With the Republicans having the mess of the primary they're having, I think we should be laser-focused on defeating former President Trump. He's an existential threat not just to this country but to the world even.

At this fragile time, the idea of Donald Trump coming back and being so unpredictable and with the policies he's been espousing on the trail, I just think that it's so important that Democrats can unify around President Biden.

ACOSTA: All right. Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz of Florida, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it. Thanks for staying up late for us.

MOSKOWITZ: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. In the meantime, Israel says it's hit more than 450 targets over the past day. We'll take you live to the Israel Gaza border, next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:31:39]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. I'm Jim Sciutto in northern Israel.

A short time ago, we learned that Israeli forces struck targets inside Syria just to the northeast of where we are. That is in addition to strikes from Israel into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah targets, as well as strikes from southern Lebanon into Israel and also Syria into Israel. It gives you a sense of the scope of the war, how Israel is fighting this, in effect, on multiple fronts right now. Although of course the principle front remains its expanding military activity inside Gaza in response to the October 7th attacks.

Our Nic Robertson is in southern Israel. He's been watching this closely since the beginning.

And, Nic, tomorrow, just like on Friday, in fact, when there was a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate truce in Gaza, there will be another gathering at the U.N. Security Council to apply more pressure on Israeli officials to limit their campaign. I wonder, if Israel responding to this pressure in terms of how it is carrying out military activity on the ground in Gaza so far?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think there is a political realization here that the international community is more heavily prescribing, if you will, the amount that the IDF can do, can perform in Gaza. So, I think there is an increasingly increasing international effort to try to shut down the scope and scale of what the IDF can achieve inside of Gaza despite the high bar that's been set by the government at the moment to completely crush him and eradicate Hamas.

I think Monday, tomorrow, the U.N. Security Council resolution unlikely to pass, I would expect, is going to be part of that. We continue to hear from the U.N. agencies responsible for welfare inside of Gaza from save the children about the high civilian children casualties there from the World Health Organization about deteriorating health situation in Gaza, just loading up the pressure for Israel to have a humanitarian pause.

Now, Israel's partners around the world, whether they are the French President Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President Biden equally calling for Israel to be restrained in what it's doing.

But it comes from not only care and concern about the humanitarian aspect and abiding by international humanitarian law for whatever happens in Gaza, but it's also, again, to that point that you're talking about there, the multiple fronts that Israel finds itself fighting on now, the strikes going into Syria in response to launches from there. And we've seen other strikes from the airport in Damascus, the airport in Aleppo over the past few weeks to sort of deny those, the launch sites were attacks on Israel with Hezbollah potentially because the friends and allies of Israel recognize that not only could this situation escalate against Israel, but it could very much inflame the whole region.

And the dangers of too many big steps, miscalculations in Gaza, high civilian death toll, not enough humanitarian relief, these contribute to how the situation is going to evolve in the region.

[21:35:11]

Missiles fired from Yemen towards Israel. There are multiple fronts of attack that Israel faces. But its allies and friends that will also get pulled in here as well.

SCIUTTO: That seemed to be the warning from the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan today, speaking about the risk of escalation. They are watching closely.

Nic Robertson, good to have you in the south there. Thanks so much.

Well, into that mix has been a growing presence of U.S. forces in the region. There are now two U.S. carrier strike groups in the eastern Mediterranean, and also we learned today about the addition of a marine rapid response force to the region.

Our Oren Liebermann is at the Pentagon.

And we should be clear, Oren, as we discuss this, that those U.S. forces, they are not involved in Israeli military operations in Gaza. They are certainly a warning to others about any potential expansion of this war. But can you describe what the specific role is, the intended role of this rapid response force?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Jim, we have been watching very closely the forces the U.S. has sent into the Middle East. That includes the land forces, nearly 1,000 troops, as well as a patriot battalion and the FAAD battery, those are air defense systems but also the naval forces we have seen two carrier strike groups, one already in the Eastern Med, and one very close, as well as an amphibious assault group.

And that's what we're looking at right now, the U.S. Bataan, an amphibious assault ship, and marine rapid response force, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit that had been operating in the past several weeks in the waters of the Middle East. Two U.S. officials tell us it's in the Red Sea set to pass through the Suez Canal and will be in the Eastern Mediterranean quite soon, essentially swapping places over the next few days with one of those carrier strike groups.

Now, why is this significant? First, it's obviously another show of force here, as the U.S. sends considerable fire power and a considerable show of force to try to send the message to Iran and Iranian proxies as a show of deterrence. But crucially, one of the mission essential tasks of that marine rapid response force, the marine expeditionary unit, known as the MEU in short hand, is not only special operations but also evacuations of non-combatant evacuation operation known as a NEO.

Now, earlier last week, John Kirby, the strategic coordinator for the National Security Council said it would be irresponsible and prudent to not plan for a possibility of an evacuation, although there was no execution of that yet. However, the U.S. has warned the region is still at risk of wider escalation. That's perhaps why the marine force response force is moving very close to Israel and Lebanon -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: No question. And, of course, there was an evacuation during the war in Lebanon in 2006, evacuation of Americans there by sea, U.S. naval assets, preparations at least underway for that possibility again.

Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon, thanks so much.

And there you have yet another measure of a potential for escalation here and enormous show of force from the U.S., the intention, as President Biden said in his address shortly after the October 7th attacks, he directly had a message for others in the region saying if you were thinking about getting involved, don't. Those were his words.

We'll continue to watch events here in northern Israel and in southern Israel, as we cover Israel at war. Please do stay with us. We'll be right back after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:42:27]

ACOSTA: Israel is warning of a long, difficult conflict to take out Hamas and ensure its security. But it's a brutal response to what took place on October 7th, the terrorist attack in Israel. More than 1,400 Israeli civilians were killed and more than 200 people taken hostages. But Israel's military campaign is having devastating consequences on the ground.

Here's CNN's Scott McLean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There isn't much left of the Bilal Bin Rabah mosque in Central Gaza. The building was flattened by an overnight Israeli airstrike. People inside the neighboring apartment blocks weren't spared either. Roofs were ripped right off, everything now covered in a pale shade of gray. More than a dozen were killed and more injured according to medical

staff at the local hospital, where outside the bodies of those killed are wrapped in white sheets and marked with their names.

Both the IDF and Israeli prime minister have renewed calls for civilians to urgently evacuate northern Gaza. The apartment buildings next to the mosque were filled with people who had heeded those warnings, believing central Gaza would be safer.

There were no warnings at all, this survivor says. We've seen the entire thing collapsing on us. We didn't know exactly where the hit was, we started running to get our children out. It's a miracle they survived.

This man said there were no warnings, there was a strong airstrike and people pulled us from underneath the rubble and took us to the hospital.

CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment. Israel said that overnight some 450 terror targets were hit and say that some strikes were directed by troops now on the ground inside Gaza.

This was the aftermath of one of those strikes on a family home in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Desperate scramble to move slabs of concrete hoping to find survivors, instead they found at least one body.

By daybreak, the urgency has gone. The pile of rubble is all that's left. Hospitals already at the breaking point are only getting more overwhelmed. In Deir Al-Balah Saturday, doctors operated on this boy on the floor.

Palestinian Red Crescent now says that Israeli authorities called the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza City twice with a clear and direct threat that the hospital must be evacuated at once. Otherwise the Red Crescent holds full responsibility for the lives of everyone inside.

[21:45:00]

That amounts to hundreds of patients, thousands more people taking shelter. Israel says it called more than twice since the war began and says that Hamas is shielding themselves inside of hospitals.

Foreign aid is entering Gaza at a trickle. The desperation apparent in this video of people ransacking a U.N. warehouse carrying out bags of food. Maybe a temporary lifeline for those people, the U.N. calls it a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down, as the situation in Gaza only gets worse.

Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And there are new developments tonight in the Middle East. Israeli air strikes in Syria. Stay with CNN for instant updates on the story. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Tributes are pouring in following the news actor Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub late yesterday in Los Angeles.

Here's CNN's Camila Bernal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities in Los Angeles are still trying to determine a cause of death for "Friends" star Matthew Perry. Perry, who was 54, skyrocketed to stardom as the affable Chandler Bing on the sitcom, "Friends."

[21:50:04]

MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: All right. Fine, you know what? We'll both sit in the chair.

MATT LEBLANC, ACTOR: Fine with me.

PERRY: I am so comfortable.

LEBLANC: Me, too. In fact, I think I might be a little too comfortable.

PERRY: All right, all right.

BERNAL: Perry was found unresponsive Saturday in his hot tub, according to "The Los Angeles Times" citing law enforcement sources. The news met with shock and sadness by fans and those who knew him.

BILLY BUSH, TV HOST: Instantly I thought, oh, no, how horrible. Then I started thinking about what a difficult life he led. He struggled so much off camera. For a guy who is so effortless on camera, for his timing and his good nature just always upbeat and quick and then you realize it is the exact opposite when he's not.

I mean, he just struggled and struggled so hard with pain killers and addiction. I think we are hearing there is no foul play but immediately you think what, wear and tear, that poor heart of his took.

BERNAL: In a statement Warner Bros. Television Group which is owned by CNN's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery wrote in part: The impact of his comedic genius was felt around the world and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. This is a heart breaking day and we send our love to his family, his loved ones, and all of his devoted fans.

Perry struggled with addiction for many years, publishing a candid memoir titled "Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing."

EMILY LONGERETTA, SENIOR TV FEATURES EDITOR, VARIETY: It was so impressive to hear because he said at one point he was taking over 55 Vicodins a day, things absolutely shocking to anyone who just watched him on screen and of course not knowing him in real life. One thing he said that really while he was on "Friends", his cast really stepped in and said we need to help you.

BERNAL: An L.A. Fire Department spokesman telling CNN that a 911 call came in for a water rescue emergency around 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time. A law enforcement source says that while no foul play is suspected, Perry's death remains under investigation.

PERRY: Tell you what, when we're 40 if neither of us are married, what do you say you and I get together and have one?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why would I be married when I'm 40?

PERRY: Oh, no, no. I just meant hypothetically.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Such a terrible loss.

Camila Bernal reporting there. Thanks very much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:56:09]

ACOSTA: After the Hamas acts earlier this month, some Israelis living in settlements are organizing their own defense groups and CNN's Rafael Romo has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELI TZUR, SURVIVED TERROR ATTACK: This is the shelter.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For several long and agonizing hours, Eli Tzur and his family hunkered down in their home shelter built to protect them from air missile attacks. Afraid and unknowing that atrocities were being committed outside on the ground by hordes of attacking terrorists.

E. TZUR: This is the closet.

ROMO: The emergency door meant to be life saving for families can be deadly when holding it closed against militants.

E. TZUR: They shot with the AK-47.

ROMO: They shot through the door.

E. TZUR: Yes through the door. People got killed because they hold the handle like this.

ROMO: A problem that he has since solved with a 2 x 4.

E. TZUR: You put it like this and Hamas cannot come inside. ROMO: IDF says the response to the attacks was a military failure.

LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCE: It is a military failure that we will have to look into but it is a military failure that will create the possibility for a much better future.

ROMO: Now communities are taking the future into their own hands. Tzur says he was one of five men who organized themselves to protect their Jewish settlement of about 700 people located just a few kilometers from the border with Gaza after police and soldiers in his community were called to the front lines.

So, that was it, five men in charge of security for this community?

E. TZUR: Yes.

ROMO: With pistols.

E. TZUR: With pistols. We cannot do nothing against AK-47s, but that's what we had.

ROMO: The entire Tzur family survived the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, but the emotional wounds are extensive.

GAYA TZUR, ELI TZUR'S DAUGHTER: I don't know if I can deal with this situation anymore.

ROMO: Eli Tzur's 27-year-old daughter Gaya says she always believed peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.

G. TZUR: I always talking about peace and to be okay with them, to live with them. But after that I learned that maybe there is no people there that want peace with us.

ROMO: Gaya has friends who were killed by Hamas. She can't begin to understand the hatred behind the brutal attacks but she also finds no hope in trading an eye for an eye.

G. TZUR: I don't know. This is not our culture. This is not what my parents taught me to be happy that the Palestinians -- never, never.

ROMO: Missiles being fired by Hamas right above their heads doesn't help.

And this is a situation the families who live here near the border with Gaza face on a daily basis, sometimes hour by hour. This is a way it has been.

CONRICUS: And at the end of this war, all of those deserted communities around Gaza, the kibbutzim that have been burned and ruined, they will flourish again and will again be the sound of Israeli kids playing in their backyards.

ROMO: The Tzurs say the terrorist attacks have shattered any hope they had for peace.

Can you make a distinction in your mind between the Palestinian people and Hamas?

E. TZUR: I was one of the people that said the Arabs want -- not all Arabs are bad. They want to live with us. Now I'm not so sure about it.

ROMO: Do you want to still live here? Do you want to stay after everything that has happened?

E. TZUR: I am going to die here. I have a lovely plot in the cemetery.

ROMO: For some Jewish families who live along the border with Gaza, the October 7 terrorist attacks mark a before and an after. But they say the hard lessons they learned that tragic day about protecting themselves will only make them stronger and ensure their survival.

Rafael Romo, CNN, at the Israeli border with Gaza.

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ACOSTA: Thank you for joining me this evening. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

Stay with us for a new episode of "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER". Good night.