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CNN International: Israeli Forces Pushes into Gaza; IDF Forces Advanced Around Three Kilometers Inside Gaza; Every Strike on Civilian Infrastructure will have to be Justified; IDF Striking 450 Plus Hamas Targets Inside Gaza; Civil Order Breaking Down in Gaza; Family Members Anxious about Loved Ones in Gaza; U.N. Refugee Says Nowhere in Gaza is Safe; Israel Says it Struck Military Infrastructure in Syrian Territory; U.N. Security Council Holding an Emergency Meeting on Monday; Qatar Urge Immediate Ceasefire; Iran Foreign Minister Meets with Hamas' Political Leader; Interview with Yale School of Management Professor and Founder, CEO of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute and Time Magazine Columnist Jeffrey Sonnenfeld; Remembering a Beloved "Friend"; More Investigation Needed into Perry's Death; Police Sent to Maine's Gunman's Home Weeks Before Massacres; Lewiston Honoring Mass Shooting Victims; Mike Pence Drops Out of Presidential Race; Interview with Head of ICRC Delegation in New York and Permanent Observer to the U.N. Laetitia Courtois; Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Grows more Dire; Thousands March in Europe to Protest War; Crowd Storms Russian Airport; Survivors return to Nova Festival massacre site; U.S. Working Tirelessly to Get Hostages Released; U.S. Base in Syria Comes Under Drone Attack; India Train Collision; Mexicans Lining Up for Food Aid After Hurricane Otis; Drought Impacts Every Form of Line on Amazon River. 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.

[21:00:00]

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: ?You're watching "CNN Newsroom's" continuing coverage of Israel at War. I'm Julia Chatterley.

Israeli forces are pushing ahead into Gaza by land as strikes by air show no sign of letting up. The scenes in Gaza City a short time ago. Israel's military said it exchanged gunfire with Hamas on Sunday. According to CNN analysis, a video published by Israeli media, IDF forces have advanced around three kilometers inside the territory.

And these images filmed from the Israeli side of the border show the intense smoke billowing over Gaza. The U.N. is warning that the "fabric of society" there is starting to break down, with people entering warehouses to try and find survival essentials. A child at a refugee camp in Gaza says the bare minimums are all scarce.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have lost our right to education and lost our right to play. Life here is not good. Water is scarce, bread is scarce, everything is scarce. Life here is no good.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHATTERLEY: And in the past few hours, the International Criminal Court's prosecutor has told CNN that every strike on civilian infrastructure will have to be justified.

Nic Robertson is in Sderot, Israel, for us. Nic, and that may be the case. As you were saying to us earlier, though, actually what we're seeing, as intense as it seems to be from our perspective, the Israelis could have chosen to go in far more aggressively. And this is, it seems, more strategic than perhaps it appears.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Two levels, one because they risk losing the support of their allies who are being critical about the high civilian death toll and are also being critical about the lack of humanitarian support and are trying to guide Israel to take a course that doesn't put it irreversibly in a place where it cannot have a political way out of dealing with the people of Gaza in the future.

We don't know what's on the table. We don't know what ideas are being put forward by the Israeli government, if any, to international allies and partners about their vision for after an incursion. So, I think in part their hand has been moderated in that way and significant that the unit of the Israeli defense force that put a flag three kilometers inside the north of the Gaza Strip, they seem to be in an area and have come through an area that has very low civilian population.

You know, if they were to go further south or a little bit further in this direction, a bit further inland, then they would get to some of those heavily populated civilian neighborhoods. Gaza City being one of the principal ones. They haven't done that.

So, on the one hand, it appears at the moment avoiding on the ground contact with densely packed civilian neighborhoods, but on the other, potentially this is not just a military exercise to do what they say they're going to do, which is remove Hamas completely, it is also a pressure point potentially for in the negotiation for the release of those 239 hostages that the IDF says Hamas and other groups in Gaza have.

So, at the moment, it is hugely significant, because the troops are inside Gaza, and that's not a normal state for the IDF troops. But how many more are going to follow on, we don't know. But it would certainly be a much, much bigger number than what we've seen so far, if there was going to be a significant incursion into those civilian neighborhoods, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Certainly, and I want to pick up on the point that you mentioned about the hostages in particular, and Prime Minister Netanyahu said this weekend that he believes that piling on more pressure, as you're suggesting, raises the chances, makes it greater, the likelihood of getting those hostages back. Is that public opinion in Israel, Nic? Obviously, it's very different for the families, perhaps, that are hoping and praying, but is that public opinion?

ROBERTSON: Yes. And the families very much have the view that the more you put on military pressure, the more that puts their loved ones in danger. I think, you know, public opinion here is pretty united that there's a need to improve Israel's security by tearing apart Hamas.

Their opinions will be divided over how good a job this government can do in a period after Hamas is gone, how do they deal with the people of Gaza? Who administers Gaza? How all that is handled? You know, those are big questions.

[21:05:00]

But when it comes to the point about hostages, you know, I think people here take quite a pragmatic view, that the more military pressure goes on in Gaza, then that gets to a point where you can no longer guarantee the safety of the hostages because you're hitting the tunnels and places where Hamas is hiding and where they're hiding the hostages. So, that's always a danger.

But there is a real belief that the government should do everything it can to get the hostages back. So, we've heard from the defense minister as well say he believes putting on more military pressure will help get the hostages back. We've heard from Qatari officials involved in the negotiations saying, look, when there's military action, it makes it much harder to build the kind of trust, to get the environment around the table where you can actually release the hostages.

But having said that, they also say Hamas still wants to negotiate about hostages. It sees the hostages it has as a big bargaining chip for getting all Palestinian prisoners out of Israeli jails. So, you know, there is an intent on both sides of the equation here, both the Israeli and the Hamas and other groups inside Gaza, that they do see that there's an advantage to -- you know, to releasing people on both sides to getting the hostages released.

So, there is still a possible room for that. Now, do the people of Israel believe that this is actually going to happen? You know, I think they're in a position right now where it's down to the government and it's down to the military, and they're going to have to judge the government and the military on their actions afterwards. It's in the government's hands, essentially.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. And so many near impossible decisions to be made along the way. Nic Robertson, good to have you with us as always. Thank you.

And obviously, it comes with consequences. Earlier, we spoke to a man living in the U.S. but with family in Gaza. He explained what it's like to worry about loved ones and navigate the difficulties of living in the middle of this war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORGHAM ABUSALIM, FAMILY IS TRAPPED IN GAZA: It's been quite horrific and just incredibly difficult to go through the anxiety and the stress of what's going on in the Gaza Strip on the ground with Israel carrying numerous crimes that are defying humanity at an unspeakable level, quite frankly. You know, about a day and a half of no communication whatsoever with my family, that was incredibly stressful and terrifying.

Not to say, you know, what they are actually experiencing on the ground, and the situation seems to be only worsening and this is the reality that we're now facing while the world seems to be incapable of, you know, imposing or forcing a ceasefire or finding a solution and preventing Israeli violence.

CHATTERLEY: I want to come back to that point, but I hope you don't mind me sharing something about your parents' health. Your mother is in her 60s, and she's blind. And your father had a stroke, and now he's paralyzed, at least partially paralyzed. He also has diabetes. These are two challenges and challenging situations in the best of times.

One can only imagine what trying to evacuate, trying to move, try to deal with the situation that's going on right now. What about medical supplies? Medication? Do you know if they have those to treat hypertension to your mother?

ABUSALIM: To the best of my knowledge, the last I heard from them was that the supplies were diminishing and it's not clear if they will be able to find more of these medications.

Unfortunately, as, you know, numerous reports around the world have highlighted, because a Strip is experiencing a shortage off everything. This is not an overstatement. And unfortunately, this is a reality that has been inflicted on us by Israel as a result of his collective punishment against all people in the Gaza Strip, preventing food, medicine, humanitarian aid, you know, regulating it at a very strict base, electricity and water.

And, you know, for my parents, as the case goes for anybody in the Gaza Strip, but certainly for those who live with, you know, chronic illnesses or disabilities, the situation is even more severe and more dangerous, you know, threatening their lives and their livelihood.

And one thing I would like to add, you know, to your question, you had mentioned the word evacuation. I mean, this is the only home we've ever known. We should not have to be -- nor should my parents be confronted with that horrific prospect in such an undignified and inhumane way. This is the only home we've ever known. My father is 80 years old. He is older than the State of Israel. We predate the British mandate. We predate the Israeli State. We've been there all along. So, we're not going anywhere.

[21:10:00]

And quite frankly, the question that should be asked is, how do we remove the circumstances that are leading reporters asking us, why can't your people leave? Why should we? This is our home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: The desperate need for medical supplies, as we discussed there, affecting so many people in Gaza.

A few hours ago, my colleague, Becky Anderson, spoke to the head of the U.N.'s Refugee Agency for Gaza. He said there's simply nowhere for people to go as the airstrikes continue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS WHITE, DIRECTOR, UNRWA AFFAIRS GAZA: Nowhere in Gaza is safe. There is nowhere to flee to. There is nowhere to run to. Even in our schools that we are sheltering internally displaced people, we've had five direct hits. It's cost the lives of 17 people, 281 have been injured, and I'm getting reports tonight that another school has been hit by fire.

So, supplies are very short, which means people are going without. And essentially, they've got nowhere to flee to, they've got nowhere to run, they are scared for their lives.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR, CONNECT THE WORLD: I need to get your analysis of what is going on in the north, particularly with these warnings by the Israelis of a possible strike on the al-Quds Hospital. I mean, the WHO chief has called reports of Israeli forces threatening that Gaza hospital as deeply concerning. He says, we reiterate, it is impossible to evacuate hospitals full of patients without endangering their lives.

You will tell us that those hospitals are also sheltering thousands of people. That specific hospital, as we understand it, has got some 14,000 people sheltering in it. I mean, you know, what's your response to those reports that they are being warned that they could be struck?

WHITE: Essentially, these hospitals should be protected under international law. And the patients and the people sheltering there should be protected.

I was in Gaza City about two days ago and I visited some of the hospitals and I can confirm there are hundreds and hundreds of patients and thousands of internally displaced people taking shelter in these locations.

We also have shelters in the north. We've lost contact with the people sheltering there and some of our staff. And we are very concerned that in these shelters, you can have up to 1,500 people sheltering in a school. We are reminding the Israelis of their obligations under international law that these people should be protected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: The Palestinian Red Crescent said Sunday that the Al-Quds Hospital has been suffering extensive damage caused by Israeli strikes. The organization accuses Israel of deliberately launching strikes next to the hospital to try and get people to evacuate.

Meanwhile, to Israel's north, Israel's military now says it struck military infrastructure in Syrian territory in response to launches towards Israel coming from the nation. Diplomatic sources tell CNN the U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, will hold an emergency meeting on Monday following Israel's ground incursion into Gaza. The United Arab Emirates is expected to seek a binding resolution from other Security Council members for "immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting."

The UAE is the only Arab country that's currently a member of the Security Council. The U.S. has to date vetoed a resolution at the Security Council calling for a ceasefire and voted against a resolution led by Jordan at the General Assembly on Friday.

And Qatar's prime minister says he spoke with Iran's foreign minister to discuss the Israel Hamas war. He said that during that conversation, he stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. In a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, he said the risk of violence spilling over into other regions would have "dire consequences."

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister and the political leader of Hamas also held talks in Doha on Saturday. That's according to Iran's official news agency.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld joins us now with his perspective on the latest diplomatic efforts and what more can be done. Sonnenfeld was an adviser to the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized Israel's relations with the UAE and Bahrain. He was also an informal personal advisor to U.S. Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump. Great to have you on the show once again, Jeff. Thank you so much for your time.

I want to continue the conversation that we began last week and you hinted at in an op-ed that you then published subsequently, which moves us from the physical war to a financial war and tackling the money that flows to terrorist organizations around the world. Specifically, you say, we should be tackling Iranian oil output better.

[21:15:00]

JEFFREY SONNENFELD, YALE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT PROFESSOR, FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AND TIME MAGAZINE COLUMNIST: That's exactly right, Julia. It's good to see you. Although, we thought that the world was a tinderbox last week when we spoke, and it's unimaginable, but it's actually become even more dangerous and more frightening than when we spoke last week. But I did give you a hint about something we were about to publish then, which has now come out in in many forums.

Catherine Wolfram, who was a former assistant secretary of treasury, has come along with a similar statement, which we endorse in there, she's now at MIT, about going after Iran as the source of funds for Hamas, that the estimates are somewhere between 70 percent and 90 percent of Hamas' military is funded by Iran. But that wasn't the case five years ago. It's oil money and we could that off.

The tragedy is here, we actually, for the United States, give five times more than even Iran does to Gaza. We're giving a half a billion dollars a year. There's about a hundred million dollars of oil money from Iran that's been going to fund the terrorists. But the U.S. gives far more, in fact, more than 10 times, all the Gulf Arab states combined, the U.S. gives more, they give about $50 million a year, you know, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and Morocco and UAE, they don't even give $50 million.

But the Iranian money is going straight to Hamas and that's what's could be cut off by oil sanctions that we used to have in place.

CHATTERLEY: But the follow through has been sort of lax on this. I mean, as you point out in the article, Iranian oil production has gone from, what, less than 2 million barrels per day in 2019 to, what, 3.5 million barrels per day now. And that's -- we're talking tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues that you're saying should be limited, actually, in a similar way and we've now got experience of it to how Russia has been limited. And we can talk about the challenges of it, but an oil price cap is what you're saying is part of this, at least.

SONNENFELD: That is exactly right, Julia, is that an oil price cap is very easily designed and not so impossible to enforce. We worked very hard with the Treasury Department. We also have been an adviser to your list of presidents, with President Biden and his cabinet. We worked very closely with Treasury this round on oil price caps on Russia, that was at $60 a barrel because Russia is a hugely inefficient producer.

It cost them about $45 a barrel to extract their oil and another $12, $15 a barrel to get it to Asia, the only place where Russia can sell it. So, they're breaking even at $60. We're suggesting a much lower price because Iran, like Saudi Arabia, is far more efficient. They're $22, $23 a barrel.

So, right now, with oil around $85 a barrel, they're making a huge, a huge profit margin, much larger than Tiffany's makes on luxury goods. They're making a 75, 80 percent profit margin, and that could be cut back by -- we -- when -- I hate to say this, but the Trump administration, they did succeed. Jared Kushner and Brian Hook, who was their envoy to Iran were very effective of choking off Iranian. Oil, so it fell from that $2.5 billion down to like -- you know, $2.5 billion million barrels to about like $100,000 barrels. It was nothing.

And we could do the same again right now as a supposing, you know, close to close to 4 million barrels a year. That's -- that could be certainly cut back because that's about, you know, 40 billion right there going to Iran that should be shut off. And, you know, when people argue over the $6 billion that's frozen right now, that was going back to Iran, this is way more than that.

So, this is why -- and by the way, it would not drive-up oil prices, which some oil industry don't understand if the salaries are properly courted. The Saudis have the capacity -- right now that -- you know who the largest oil producer in the world is, it's us. We produced about 13 million barrels a day. The Saudis were up there during the Trump years for whatever reason. I don't know if they didn't like President Biden or they like President Putin or they don't like who knows what, is they voluntarily cut back the exact same amount that should be the cap on the same amount that basically Iran produces, it's 4 million more barrels.

So, right now, the Saudis are producing about 9 million barrels a year, and they could do 13 million. So. that's the 4 million that would go into world markets that would make up for cutting off the 4 million.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. I mean, I understand. I mean, I'll just make the point that they didn't have to dislike anybody. They could just like want to support prices, and that's why they've restricted supplies. The problem is --

SONNENFELD: No, you're exactly right. That's what they would say that. You're exactly right.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SONNENFELD: They would say that.

[21:20:00]

CHATTERLEY: But the political bandwidth here is narrow to not want to be deemed to be supporting Israel, particularly with what we're seeing against the Palestinians in Gaza, of course. So, it's that diplomatic dance between doing something that would benefit the Saudis by pumping more oil, but not looking like they're perhaps siding too much with the Israelis, given what's going on.

That also have to be a conversation with the Chinese as well. Not to sort of go around the back door and buy Iranian oil.

SONNENFELD: The choke point is that the Strait of Hormuz, where the Saudis could limit this, is 90 percent of Iranian oil that goes out through the Strait of Hormuz. And motivating this is the reality that the people who are most upset about any growing Iranian influence in the Gulf, of course, are the Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Morocco, they not only don't fund Hamas, but they also hate Iran, and this would be a way of cutting off Iran's influence that motivates them. And if it happens to help Israel, that's just fine.

CHATTERLEY: Yes.

SONNENFELD: And they were, by the way, about to be the next signatory of the Abraham Accords, as President Biden admitted. It was just three -- like, three days away from a signing, which was unbelievably tragic timing.

CHATTERLEY: But perhaps purposeful, too, on Hamas' part. Very quickly, because I have to end it. Yes or no, is the Treasury going to do this, Jeff? Do you think they will do this?

SONNENFELD: Yes. I think they will. I think they're quite excited about it. I think they want to get the Saudis on board. And we just heard from Jared Kushner, the Saudis do seem quite interested in moving ahead on this front. He just returned from Saudi Arabia. So, that's very important. And yes, they will move ahead on this.

CHATTERLEY: We'll see. Great to get your insights, sir, as always. Thank you once again. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld there.

All right. Just ahead, he made millions of fans laugh, even as he struggled with the pain of addiction. What Matthew Perry said he'd like to be remembered for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. CNN has learned that further investigation is needed into the death of Matthew Perry. That's according to the L.A. Medical Examiner's Office. It comes as friends and family express shock and sadness at the passing of the beloved actor.

Perry shot to fame playing Chandler Bing on "Friends," the sitcom that became a TV sensation. He was found dead this weekend at his Los Angeles home. And Perry was 54.

Camila Bernal joins us now live from Los Angeles. Friends, family and fans will mourn while they await more answers, Camila.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Just an outpouring of love and remembering Matthew Perry on social media from a lot of his fans and from Hollywood, whose has said that they were just shocked and saddened to hear about his death.

[21:25:00]

As you mentioned, the medical examiner here in Los Angeles County is continuing their investigation. They have released the remains to the family, or at least that's what we've been told. They approved the release of the remains. And also, they listed the cause of death as deferred. What that means is that there is further studies and investigation needed here.

Sources telling CNN that no foul play is suspected in this case. The 911 call went out at 4:07 p.m. on Saturday. And it was a water rescue emergency. Then LAPD came in at 4:10 and categorized it as a death investigation. And so, will likely need more time to really find out exactly what happened here.

In the meantime, though, his family did release a statement to "People Magazine" saying that they were heartbroken by the tragic loss of a beloved son and brother. They went on to say that Matthew brought joy to the world as an actor, but also as a friend, and that's how a lot of people are remembering him today.

He was very candid and open about his struggles with addiction, and he shared those struggles in his book, his memoir that was released in November of 2022. He spoke out in interviews, got very emotional and said that he wanted to be remembered as someone who helped people because they could relate to his struggles. They could understand what he went through and what he'd overcome.

And so, it was sort of this story of what he was going through behind the scenes as he was filming "Friends," which is, of course, the one role that made him extremely famous. And he was joyful and funny and sarcastic in his character, but it was what he was portraying on screen very different from what he was going through in his personal life with that addiction and those battles.

And so, when people found out about this, of course, they were rooting for him and understanding what he'd gone through for all of those years. And a lot of his friends, his supporters, again, just saying that they're saddened and really shocked to hear that he died at just 54 years old.

But of course, his work remains, "Friends," for example, you can watch and rewatch today. And so, a lot of people are pointing to so many moments where they made -- or he made them laugh, and that's sort of the memory that is left behind, him bringing so much laughter and so much joy to a lot of people.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. It doesn't matter how many times you watch, they still make you laugh. It's just the sadness behind the joy. Yes. Camilla, thank you for that.

We're just getting word that authorities asked local police to check on the home of the Maine government weeks before that massacre that killed 18 people. And there had been concern he would "snap and commit a mass shooting."

Earlier, mourners held a prayer vigil in the devastated community of Lewiston to honor the mass shooting victims. On Saturday night, a candlelit tribute was held in Lisbon, another community in Southern Maine impacted by the terrifying ordeal.

The White House says an official from its gun violence prevention office is heading to the state to try and provide support to the grieving communities.

And a prominent name has dropped out of the race to be the next president of the United States. Former Vice President Mike Pence announced on Saturday that he will suspend his campaign. Pence served under former president and current candidate Donald Trump. Pence said he would continue to help elect "principled Republican leaders." Donald Trump discussed his disappointment in Pence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody that leaves seems to be endorsing me. You know, people are leaving now and they're all endorsing me. I don't know about Mike Pence. He should endorse me. He should endorse me. You know why? Because I had a great successful presidency and he was the vice president. He should endorse me. I chose him, made him vice president. But people in politics could be very disloyal. I've never seen anything like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: With Pence suspending his campaign, the Republican field has now narrowed. It now stands at eight potential candidates. Former President Donald Trump still leads all polls in the Republican field.

And the tensions over the Israel Hamas war are being felt around the world. Still ahead, chaos at a Russian airport when a flight from Tel Aviv touches down.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:30:00]

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. Israel has warned of a long, difficult conflict to take out Hamas and ensure its security. In response to the brutal October 7th attack that killed more than 1,400 Israeli civilians and resulted in more than 200 people taken hostage inside Gaza.

But Israel's stepped-up military campaign is also having devastating consequences on the ground. Scott McLean has the latest on the increasingly desperate situation inside Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): There isn't much left of the Bilal ibn 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 grey. 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 the 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. It was a strong airstrike. The 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. A desperate scramble to move slabs of concrete, hoping to find survivors. Instead, they found at least one body. By daybreak, the urgency has gone. A 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. The Palestinian Red Crescent now says that Israeli authorities called 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. That amounts to hundreds of patients and thousands more people taking shelter. Israel says it called more than twice since the war began, and says the Hamas is shielding themselves inside hospitals.

Foreign aid is entering Gaza at a trickle, a desperation apparent in this video of people ransacking a U.N. warehouse, carrying out bags of food. There may be a temporary lifeline for those people, but 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.

[21:35:00]

CHATTERLEY: Let's now introduce Laetitia Courtois. She's to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis. She's the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross Delegation in New York and a permanent observer to the U.N. Laetitia, thank you so much for your time this evening.

We obviously have much to discuss, but can I first talk to you about communications with your team in Gaza? We know that communications were disrupted over the weekend. Have you managed to be in touch with them to check that everybody's OK?

LAETITIA COURTOIS, HEAD OF ICRC DELEGATION IN NEW YORK AND PERMANENT OBSERVER TO THE U.N.: Thank you very much for having me. The communication with our team is complicated. It's sporadic, but it's maintained. We have over 130 colleagues on the ground. 10 colleagues managed to enter into Gaza two days ago to support the team and the relief efforts. But this situation is extremely difficult and the communication challenges is also impacting us. Absolutely.

CHATTERLEY: Yes. I mean, this is an important point. A 10-person team, I believe, including a war surgery team, a weapons contamination specialist as well and six trucks with medical supplies managed to enter on Friday before we saw the violence escalate in Gaza and certainly the air attacks increase.

Can I ask about the conversation with those people? Very brave people to go in at this moment.

COURTOIS: But those are very brave colleagues, and we have dozens that want to go and follow them as well. But we're not able so far to bring in more colleagues, those are desperately needed to relieve colleagues, doctors, medical staff at a breaking point after weeks of working 24/7 facing an amazing and huge number -- unseen number of wounded. We need to bring in specialists to fix the water system, to support the local water authorities into repairing and fixing what can be fixed. And those are -- called for us, but from all humanitarian organization to be able to step in a humanitarian pipeline, of goods, of staff that can come and help responding in this critical moment right now.

CHATTERLEY: The president of the International Red Cross is also speaking out about what's happening in Gaza. Melissa Bell picks up that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A catastrophic failing according to the president of the International Red Cross, that is how he was speaking about the situation for civilians inside the Gaza Strip, even as desperate efforts are made to try and get more aid trucks in.

So far, the Palestinian Red Crescent says there have been 94 trucks that have managed to get through, an extra 10 went through on Sunday. That is a tiny proportion of what they should be getting through. We've also been hearing and seeing from inside the Gaza Strip those images of people desperately trying to get their hands on U.N. supplies inside U.N. warehouses of wheat, flour, hygiene supplies, giving you an indication of three weeks after the tightening of this siege and the bombardments of the Gaza Strip. Not to mention over the last couple of days, the ground operation that has now gone underway, just how desperate the situation is now for the civilians trapped inside.

Terrible images coming overnight as well from a refugee camp inside Gaza, where overnight bombing saw the destruction of a mosque, where many Gazans from the north of the Strip had been seeking refuge over the course of the last few days.

Thirteen dead, many injured. And a dire situation with Antonio Guterres warning on Saturday from Doha that the clock is ticking and that history will judge us.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And tens of thousands of people turned out in cities across Europe this weekend again to demonstrate against the war and show their support for the Palestinian people in Gaza.

In Rome, marchers carrying the Palestinian flag near the Colosseum. In Berlin, protesters filled the streets demanding a ceasefire in the conflict. London saw its third straight weekend of protests. Marches there criticizing the Sunak government's stance on the war. It stopped short of calling for a formal ceasefire. The prime minister says he's in favor of specific pauses to allow more aid in.

Now, to some worrying images, too, of how the conflict between Israel and Hamas is having a ripple effect in other regions. This was the chaotic scene at an airport in the Russian Republic of Dagestan. Videos show a large crowd storming the airport, making it onto the tarmac, showing some of them waving Palestinian flags after a plane had just arrived from Tel Aviv.

[21:40:00]

Images verified by CNN show people within the crowd holding antisemitic signs. The Dagestan health ministry says at least 10 people were injured, two critically. Authorities have closed the airport and are investigating how to ensure it's safe going forward. Israel said it was working with Russian authorities to secure the wellbeing of Jews and Israelis at the site, and the U.S. is calling on Russia to protect Israelis and Jews after the incident.

Now, last hour, I spoke to Mindy and Andrew Feldman, the proud parents of two young Americans serving in the Israeli Defense Forces in the fight against Hamas.

Thirty-five-year-old Corey Feldman, 24-year-old Tara Feldman are dual U.S. Israeli citizens putting their lives on the line during Israel's hour of need. Mindy Feldman says she has conflicting emotions during this trying time for her family.

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MINDY FELDMAN, TWO CHILDREN IN ISRAELI MILITARY: I am very proud of their commitment of their passion for and love of the State of Israel. And also, as their mother, very frightened about all of the terrible outcomes that can happen during times like this.

CHATTERLEY: What is it about them, Andrew, that made them both decide? I mean, your son, Corey, was called up almost immediately, but your daughter Tara, and she's only 24, volunteered.

ANDREW FELDMAN, TWO CHILDREN IN ISRAELI MILITARY: Yes. So, Corey has been in the reserves for 10 years, you know, following the service, and his unit was called up right away.

Tara was -- finished her service about two years ago, and was beside herself. And couldn't wait to go back and try and do something to be helpful. She was home for a week before coming back and raised money from friends and family and sent equipment and anything she could to be helpful. And as soon as she got back, she signed up to be a reservist and was called up within a day or two.

CHATTERLEY: And Mindy, your son only arrived in Israel on October the 17th because I know he was -- and you were attending. your other son's wedding. So, congratulations for that. I'm sorry. It followed something so tragic. But you did have a conversation with him at the airport where you asked him if he's lost where he wants to be buried in Israel or the United States. Talk to us through that conversation and what he said.

M. FELDMAN: The truth of the matter is that Corey took a little poetic license because I couldn't say the word buried. I said, where would you want to be? And we were both crying and I said, you know what I mean? He said, I do. And then he said, it's up to you. And I said, you can't do that. You can't leave it up to me.

And he said -- and I explained that I knew that I had spoken to Tara about her wishes, and I knew what she wanted. And he said, mom, it's enough that you're letting me go. To which I responded, I didn't realize I had an option. And he said, it's your decision to make. It was probably the hardest conversation I've ever had in my life.

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CHATTERLEY: Next, returning to the place they barely escaped alive. CNN joins two of the survivors of the attack on the Nova Festival in Israel as they return to the scene of the massacre.

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CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." Three weeks after Hamas launched an attack on an Israeli music festival that left at least 260 people dead, some survivors returned to the site and retraced their steps.

Jake Tapper reports.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST (voiceover): This was not a military target. The revelers here, not combatants.

And yet, without warning, Hamas terrorists turned the Nova Music Festival into one of the most brutal and bloody scenes of a new war.

It doesn't make sense that they came with that number of weapons to use against civilians. It just doesn't make sense, says Lital Avraham.

No one knew what to do. The news reported an army of terrorists had crossed into Israel so Lital and her friends ran to their cars. But then they got a call, warning them that out on the roads, everyone was getting shot. So Lital and her friends stopped the car and ran inside a camper. And for eight hours they stayed, in there. In total silence, the door locked, six on the floor, Lital and a friend flat on the bed. Terrorists banged on the windows, one poured a chemical on the camper and tried to set it on fire.

They feared machine guns spray but only twice did a Hamas terrorist fire into the camper. One time leaving bullet holes in the AC unit. The scariest moment, Lital says, is when terrorists tried to unhitch the camper from their car and tow it away.

TAPPER: If they had gotten in the car and taken the RV to Gaza, were you going to do anything?

TAPPER (voiceover): Lital says, as a girl, the worst thing that can happen is worse than dying is being taken to Gaza. We were all thinking about it, she says, that if they towed the caravan, we would all jump out, create a lot of chaos because we prefer to die than to be taken as hostages.

Inside until their phones died, they sent desperate text messages to their families. You don't understand how many terrorists there are, Lital told her father. They're here. Four hours into the attack, where are all the forces, she asked.

She said her family's connection to top military brass was little help. Her dad relayed their message from a former higher up in the Israeli Defense Forces who, "Said the centers where the terrorists are located are in the settlements and not the open fields where you are." He said to be calm one hour or two until the army would come.

Lital knew then that the Israeli Defense Forces knew nothing. Lital feared she would never again see her one-year-old son. But the army did eventually show up. And after eight hours hiding in terror, Lital and her friends emerged from the caravan to see piles of bodies. More than 260 innocents at the Nova Music Festival were killed that day. She realized how fortunate she had been.

I prayed really hard that God wouldn't leave my boy without his mother, she told us. He's so small. Many people who prayed weren't that lucky.

Lital said the distance they ran from the caravan to the soldiers which was about 300 meters, there were piles of bodies. And they started driving on the road, hundreds, hundreds, hundreds. She has no way to describe. Bodies were blocking the road. Then she got back home. She saw on the news that there were at least 100 murders.

She looked at her mom and said to her, there are at least 1,000. And her mom said, that was not possible. You've never seen a dead body before. You have post trauma. And Lital said no, I know what I saw. And Lital was right.

One of the most difficult parts is returning home and seeing a lot of people who are missing. And you saw them there, dead. And you can't tell their families because it's not your place. It was never ending, Lital tells us. It's still not finished. We're still in it. Maybe it's jarring to some people, she says, the comparison of this situation to the Holocaust.

It was also jarring to me at the beginning. But the moment that I felt and I heard and I saw the world's denial of what happened. I understood why they're comparing it to the Holocaust.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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CHATTERLEY: As Israeli forces expand their ground operation in Northern Gaza, there's growing fear among the families of those hostages about their release. Jake Tapper spoke with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about the diplomatic challenges in negotiating for their safe return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We are in almost hourly contact with regional partners and with Israel to try to get to a point where there is a deal to have the hostages released. It is difficult. It is challenging. The Hamas terrorists have not been forthcoming about allowing these hostages to go, but we believe that there can still be a pathway to get their release, and we are going to work tirelessly to make that happen.

And even though we have started to see Israel move in on the ground, that has not changed our basic view that this has to remain a paramount priority, that we have to keep working at it, and those negotiations are ongoing.

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CHATTERLEY: In the United States, the House of Representatives is expected to take up a measure on aid for Israel this week, that's separate for any requests for Ukraine, that according to the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. The move comes despite President Joe Biden's $105 billion supplemental package that combines requests for the two nations. Johnson said there's a pressing and urgent need for aid for Israel.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Marine Rapid Response Force is moving towards the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, that's according to two officials, amid concern that the Israel Hamas conflict could broaden. And a U.S. military base in Syria came under drone attack overnight Saturday into Sunday, but there were no injuries or damage. It follows another drone attack on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.

Now, just ahead, the latest on a frantic rescue after a deadly train collision in South East India. The details, next.

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CHATTERLEY: At least 10 people are reported dead after two passenger trains collided in India on Sunday. More than two dozen other people were injured in the collision in a southern state. A railway's official says one of the trains stopped after an overhead cable broke and the oncoming train then slammed into it, derailing several carriages of the paused train.

Rescue workers worked desperately to bring the injured passengers to safety. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences in a message on X.

And Mexicans are lining up for food aid after Hurricane Otis roared through the country's Guerrero State this week. Authorities say the Category 5 storm has killed at least 43 people. Others are in a really desperate situation. Just take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Many people can't go out to look for help, to look for something to eat. The people who can go out only look for food for themselves. Those who can't walk, the elderly, can't go out to look for and carry things. Those looting are those who can.

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CHATTERLEY: And heavy rain and high winds cause widespread destruction. Officials says more than 200,000 homes have been impacted.

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The Amazon River is usually teeming with life and providing a highway for commerce in South America. Well, now, that region is facing its worst drought in decades. Stefano Pozzebon takes a look.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST (voiceover): Under normal circumstances, you shouldn't be able to see these carvings that may date back some 2,000 years. Usually, they lie underwater. Submerged by the Amazon River near the Brazilian City of Manaus.

BEATRIZ CARNEIRO, BRAZILIAN HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC HERITAGE INSTITUTE (through translator): Unfortunately, the Amazon is facing the worst drought in 120 years. These carbons had already surfaced here in 2010 and we could study them. Now, they have reappeared because of this year's drought.

POZZEBON (voiceover): The drought has impacted every form of life on the river. While it's normal to have a dry season this time of the year, experts believe this year's extreme drought is due to rising temperatures around the world, combined with a particularly intense El Nino effect in the Pacific Ocean.

Transportation has been hampered because boats cannot navigate in the shallow waters. Exports of soy and grains have been reduced, and wildlife tourism all but halted. And animals, like these river dolphins, impacted by rising water temperatures, are dying at record numbers.

MARIANA PASCHOALINI FRIAS, BIOLOGIST, WWF BRAZIL: And that's why it's so important we take a very deep look inside what's happening now with the river (ph), because they are sentinels (ph). They are telling about the river is suffering. The fish is suffering and the people are suffering.

POZZEBON (voiceover): Normal temperature of the water is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but WWF says its researchers this week registered record temperature of more than 105. Too hot for the dolphins to survive people.

FRIAS: People know things are going wrong with the planet and we've -- not taking actions right now would be much more difficult than 20 years ago, because now the climate change is real. It's not more perspective, but we are living the climate change and we need to take the action.

POZZEBON: Now, this week, Colombia, together with Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela signed an agreement to protect the river dolphins in the Amazon basin. But activists believe that emissions need to be drastically cut all across the world to preserve the rainforest.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

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CHATTERLEY: And that wraps up this hour of "CNN Newsroom." Thank you for watching. I'm Julia Chatterley. Paula Newton will continue our coverage of Israel at War after this short break. Stay with CNN.

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