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CNN International: Israel at War; "Fabric of Society" in Gaza Starting to Break Down, According to U.N.; Over the Past Day, IDF Attacked More Than 450 Hamas Targets; Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Getting Worse Every Day; Interview with International Center for Transitional Justice Executive Director Fernando Travesi; Humanitarian Aid Must Be Allowed Into Gaza, According to ICC; Flight Arriving from Tel Aviv, Anti-Israel Demonstrators Storm Airport in Russian Republic of Dagestan; Pence Ends Campaign; Friends, Fans, Colleagues Remember Actor Matthew Perry; Following Pence's Withdrawal, Eight Contenders Remain in GOP Field; Interview with Political Analyst, Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount President University, and The Modern Presidency Author Michael Genovese; 2024 U.S. Presidential Race Joined by Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips; Actor Matthew Perry of "Friends" Passed Away at 54; Couple Missing Since Hamas Attacks; Biden's call with Netanyahu; 239 Hostages Held by Hamas in Gaza; Interview with Parents Missing Since Hamas Attacks Iris Weinstein Haggai; Future Prospects Uncertain for Israeli Border Communities; Israeli Military Says it Hit Hezbollah Targets; Drone Attack Against U.S. Base in Syria, Reported by U.S.; King Charles to Visit Kenya; 10 People Killed in an Indian Passenger Train Collision; At Least 43 People Died as a Result of Hurricane Otis in Mexico. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired October 29, 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]
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PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Paula Newton with our coverage of Israel's war on Hamas.
Israeli forces are pushing ahead into Gaza by land as strikes by air show no sign of letting up.
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NEWTON: Now, this was the scene in Gaza City a short time ago. Israel's military says, it exchanged gunfire with Hamas on Sunday. According to CNN analysis of video published by Israeli media, IDF forces have advanced now about three kilometers inside the territory. Now, 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 breaking into warehouses to try and find survival essentials. A child at a refugee camp in Gaza says, everything is scarce.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (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.
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NEWTON: CNN's Nic Robertson is following developments and has more now from Sderot, Israel.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: So, the intensity of the military barrages, the artillery fire, the tank fire, the missile strikes significantly down Sunday night into Monday compared to Friday and Saturday. But still hearing those strikes from the aircraft, still seeing the yellow flashes from the horizon, the occasional artillery round fired into Gaza as well
But also, significantly as well, Hamas or other groups inside Gaza still able to fire rockets into Israel. We had to take cover here twice through the evening because of incoming rocket fire. The sirens went off. The Iron Dome intercepts came up, but it is generally quieter. But we're also hearing now that the IDF have made it at least two miles into the Gaza Strip, two miles from the northern border.
It does seem that they've come down the coast and they've avoided those dense -- densely populated civilian area. Significant in part because President Biden has been -- has had a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and again stressed the need to avoid civilian casualties.
U.N. agencies are voicing their concern, perhaps even more loudly about the situation in Gaza. One of the agencies, the U.N. agencies there that handles humanitarian supplies for refugees there, has said that their warehouses were overrun by people looting them on Saturday, and they're concerned that the fabric of society in Gaza is breaking down. The -- one of the NGO agencies for protecting children has said it is absolutely time for a ceasefire to protect the children of Gaza.
So, there is increasing pressure on Israel to, sort of, contain control this increasing -- increasingly deeper military incursion into Gaza, at the same time pressure -- more pressure to allow humanitarian aid in, more pressure to have a ceasefire. But at the moment, it feels as if there's not a pause, but at least not as much military movement as there was in the early part of the weekend.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Sderot, Israel.
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NEWTON: Now, diplomatic sources tell CNN the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday regarding Israel's ground incursion into Gaza. The United Arab Emirates is expected to seek a binding resolution from other Security Council members for an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting. Now, the UAE is in fact the only Arab country that's currently a member of the Security Council. To date, the U.S. has vetoed a resolution at the Security Council calling for a ceasefire. And voted against a similar resolution introduced by Jordan at the General Assembly on Friday.
Israel has warned of a long, difficult conflict to take out Hamas and ensure its own security in response to the brutal October 7th terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,400 Israeli civilians and resulted in more than 230 people taken hostage inside Gaza. But Israel's stepped-up military campaign is having devastating consequences on the ground in Gaza. CNN's Scott McClean has the latest on the increasingly desperate situation there.
[22:05:00]
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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.
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NEWTON: So, the International Criminal Court says Israel needs to exercise caution during airstrikes to avoid civilian casualties as much as possible. CNN's Melissa Bell spoke to the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, here's part of that conversation.
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KARIM KHAN, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT PROSECUTOR: There should be no doubt that every decisionmaker from the head of government to military advisors to lawyers that are making targeting decisions should be on clear notice that they will be required to justify every strike against every civilian object, whether it's a dwelling house or a school or a hospital or a church or a mosque, because they are protected unless they become military objectives. And that requires analysis and information.
And this is going to be complex. The laws of war are complex because one has to see, you know, what it's being used for and has it lost -- has a particular object lost its protection? And then one has to look at proportionality. You know, has the principle of distinction being observed in the first instance?
And then secondly, is it proportionate to the military advantage that is being sought to be obtained? And, one has to have a very forensic approach to this, and I think that's why we have an ICC.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Could you give us an idea of some of the possible war crimes that you've seen committed over the last three weeks?
KHAN: Well, I can't really comment on that. What I can say clearly is that willful killing and hostage taking are grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. It's a crime to target willfully civilian objects or civilians. It's a requirement under the Geneva Conventions to allow humanitarian assistance to civilians.
It can be a crime, it is a crime under the Rome Statute, to deny that. And I think that's, again, a matter that needs urgent consideration by Israel to make sure that food and medicine go to children and women and men.
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NEWTON: Fernando Travesi is the executive director for the International Center for Transitional Justice, and he joins me now from New York. And good to have your insights here.
[22:10:00]
As we just heard from the ICC prosecutor, you in fact, right, that the Hamas attack was, your words, brutal and indiscriminate. But you also say, "That Israel's response has so far been no less horrific." How and why do you see an equivalence there?
FERNANDO TRAVESI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE: Thank you. Thank you very much for having me. I think these attacks have been to be understood independently but also related to the contact. And each party to the conflict need to have, as we've just heard from the ICC prosecutor, an analysis and information when they are conducting the hostilities.
In the case of Hamas, I think it's clearly, we've seen all the images of the war crimes and crimes against humanity they've committed. On the response of Israel, I think the attacks on civilian infrastructure and population, it's hard to understand that as proportionate and that the principle of distinction has been in compliance of the principle of distinction. So, I think that's why it amounts or it could amount to an international war crime in this context.
NEWTON: Yes, understood. And you've answered my next question that I was going to ask you, if you already have observed what you believe would be able to be proven war crimes in an international court.
TRAVESI: Well, clearly, the determination of an international crime relies on a court, on a national or an international court. Judging by what we are watching on the screens, what you are showing the witnesses that are sending information, footage, testimonies, and also judging by statements of the parties to the conflict is very, very -- it's likely to be the commission of international criminal court. I am not a judge and this is not a court, but I think many, many of the conducts that we are witnessing these days raise the prospects of commissions of war crimes.
NEWTON: Now, we just heard, in fact, from Karim Khan, and he's put either side of this conflict on notice, right? He has said that every act of war will have to be justified. In his words, be required to justify every strike against every civilian and every civilian infrastructure. What I want to know from you is how can that warning actually be effective? Because he's there in Egypt, and he's hoping that it has some kind of a deterrent effect.
TRAVESI: Yes, I think both parties to the conflict, in this case, they are both responsible to abide by (INAUDIBLE). And I think now with all the digital infrastructure that we have in the world, there are a lot of ways to collect documentation. There are satellite images, there are open-source information, there are many news statements. And as I've said before, witnesses and a statement of victims. So, I think, the moment will come that both parties to the conflict will be hold accountable for the conducts of hostilities that needs to be abiding by the principles of international humanitarian rule. As we heard before, the military necessity, the principle of distinction, the principle of proportionality, and of course, the principle of humanity, which is put in humanity of the civilian population at the core of conducting hostilities.
NEWTON: Yes, it has been depressing how little humanity we have seen in any of the images thus far. You argue that what we are witnessing today, though, sits atop, in your words again, a mountain of impunity for past crimes. And yet, you know, impunity is the issue here. Arguably state and non-state actors in many cases all over the world, they are -- they do have immunity. They have still not been prosecuted to this moment.
So, I'm asking you, again, if we want more humanity to be exercised here, how do we go about getting that in real time?
TRAVESI: Yes, at the moment of the conduction of hostilities, it's difficult to have a conversation about accountability or -- and it's more about putting pressure on the parties to the conflict, on the expectation that they will hold accountable for the conducts.
Accountability has come at national or international level for war crimes. It's a long path. It's not easy. It requires a lot of political support and social demand and collective effort. But we've seen that in different countries. It can come at the national level, international level, or using universal jurisdiction.
What is important here is that the violations are being committed the impact on civilian population, including children as we are seeing is undescriptable. And those crimes need to be politically censored, morally and ethically censored. And of course, justice needs to be watching and looking at those who are taking the decisions now to be hold accountable tomorrow,
[22:15:00]
It will happen with a lot of effort and a political will, and that's what many organizations from the civil society and many countries work full time -- is our full-time job, just trying to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring justice to the victims from both sides.
NEWTON: Yes, it is just the beginning of -- as the ICC prosecutor said, a forensic investigation, but a beginning nonetheless, Fernando Travesi, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
TRAVESI: Thank you for having me.
NEWTON: Now to some worrying images of how the conflict between Israel and Hamas is having a ripple effect in other regions.
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NEWTON: 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. Some of them waving Palestinian flags after a plane arrived from Tel Aviv. Images verified by CNN show people within the crowd holding antisemitic signs.
The Dagestan Health Ministry says, at least 10 people were injured too critically. Authorities have closed the airport and are investigating about how to ensure it is safe going forward. Now, Israel said it was working with Russian authorities to secure the wellbeing of Jews and Israelis at that site. And the U.S. is calling on Russia to protect Israelis and Jews after the incident.
OK. Straight ahead for us, the shake up in the GOP race to become president of the United States. More on Former VP Mike Pence's decision to step aside and the impact the move could have, that's next.
Plus, fans, friends and colleagues continue to pay tribute to actor Matthew Perry in the wake of his death. We'll have more reaction and the latest on the investigation into how the "Friends" star died.
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NEWTON: So, 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.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND U.S. 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 can be very disloyal. I've never seen anything like it.
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NEWTON: With Pence dropping out, the Republican field has narrowed down to eight potential candidates. Trump still leads, though, all polls in the Republican field. We are joined now by Political Analyst Michael Genovese, the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University.
[22:20:00]
He's also the author of the book, "The Modern Presidency, Six Debates That Define the Institution." Good to see you. Mike Pence is out. Many contenders though still remain. What impact do you think his dropping out will have on the race, if any, I have to ask?
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST AND PRES., GLOBAL POLICY INST., LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIV. AND AUTHOR, THE MODERN PRESIDENCY: I think the, if any, is the appropriate question because he was only pulling at maybe five percent. And that five percent may switch to others. probably not to Donald Trump, but there's not enough to make a big dent. Donald Trump right now is over 50 percent in popularity.
And so, in terms of the kind of money that the other candidates might get, Pence is not going to have an impact. And in terms of votes, there's not that many that he'll be able to spread around. And so, likely to have a very minimal impact, if any.
NEWTON: Now, obviously, Donald Trump still has a stranglehold on this race. We can take a look at one of the recent polls here that proves that look, there's really no contender that comes close at this point. Do you still believe that perhaps something could change in the next few months to come? I mean, look, I know I'm just preaching to, apparently, a choir that tells us he will be the GOP nominee. And it doesn't matter how many indictments, court appearances, even convictions if they come that will affect this.
GENOVESE: Well, the smart money is on Trump, and for a lot of good reasons. But there are two scenarios that you need to consider. One is what if Republican field narrows down? Right now, it's Donald Trump and the seven dwarves. What happens if three, four drop out and one or two alternatives become more prominent? Then it could become a race. Then you could see some of the support shifting towards the rivals.
But the bigger question is what will happen in court? The court cases that Donald Trump faces will not be final or decided by the time of the elections. I was two months away. And even if he is convicted, he will appeal. And so, the question is, will that have a political fallout? Have been seen all the time in court, and all the troubles that he has in court. But again, the smart money really is on Donald Trump.
NEWTON: Yes, I guess we continue to watch this space. But as you said, the polls really have not budged. If anything, Trump has become even stronger in some of those polls in some of those states.
I want to move to the Democrats, though, now a certainly abysmal, I'll call them approval ratings for President Biden. And he has a challenger now from within his own party. I want you to listen now to Congressman Dean Phillips earlier on CNN.
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REP. DEAN PHILLIPS (D-MN), U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's very clear. President Biden, a man I admire, much of the country admires, is not going to beat Donald Trump in the next election. The numbers are clear. People are speaking up. I'm hearing it. In fact, we talk about misinformation in this country around the world. The political industrial class in Washington says the same thing I'm saying every day in quiet tones. I'm only saying the quiet part out loud. (END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Michael, what do you think? Can he do a lot of damage to President Biden here?
GENOVESE: I don't see him doing a lot of damage. Congressman Phillips is a viable candidate in other circumstances. He came in late. And I don't know that he's correct when he says that Donald Trump will beat Joe Biden. Polling of late says that it's neck and neck.
And so -- but remember for Biden, you're seeing all the screaming and the shouting in the Republican Party over the House race and in the Republican primary with all the conflict, and Biden is going about very quietly doing his job, governing. He's being a leader on the world stage. He's setting the agenda for the nation. He's pressing on the big issues. The economy is at 4.9 percent growth rate in the first -- in the last quarter.
And so, he has assets. And so, I don't think that in spite of Donald -- excuse me, Joe Biden's age, which is a liability, and Democrats believe that to be a liability, I don't see anyone coming in, especially Phillips, who I think is perhaps running now for 2028.
NEWTON: Yes, still, it is interesting to hear him at times sound like more of the GOP contenders than Democratic congressman who says he supports President Biden. Michael, we'll have to leave it there for now, but thanks so much. Appreciate it.
GENOVESE: Thank you very much.
NEWTON: Now, the creators of the TV show "Friends" are expressing shock and sorrow over the death of beloved actor Matthew Perry. The star made his name playing Chandler Bing on the sitcom which became a TV phenomenon. CNN's Camila Bernal now on Perry's passing.
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CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): 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."
[22:25:00]
MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR, "FRIENDS": All right. fine. You know what? We'll both sit in the chair.
MATT LEBLANC, ACTOR, "FRIENDS": Fine with me.
PERRY: I'm so comfortable.
LEBLANC: Me too. In fact, I think I might be a little too comfortable.
PERRY: All right. BERNAL (voiceover): 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, HOST, "EXTRA": Instantly I thought, oh no, how horrible. And then I started thinking about what a difficult life he led. He struggled so much off camera. For a guy who was so effortless on camera, his timing and his, you know, his good nature, always just upbeat and quick. And then you realize it's the exact opposite when he's not. I mean, he just struggled, struggled, struggled so hard with painkillers and addiction. And I think, you know, we're hearing there's no foul play. But immediately you think, what wear and tear that poor heart of his took.
BERNAL (voiceover): In a statement, Warner Brothers Television Group, which is owned by CNN's parent company Warner Brothers 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 heartbreaking 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, SR. TV FEATURES EDITOR, VARIETY: It was so impressive to hear because he had said, at one point, he was taking over 55 Vicodins a day. Things that were just absolutely shocking to anyone who had just watched him on screen and of course not known him in real life. And one of the things he said that really while he was on "Friends", his cast really stepped in and said, we need to help you.
BERNAL (voiceover): An L.A. Fire Department spokesman telling CNN that a 9-1-1 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?
COURTENEY COX, ACTRESS, "FRIENDS": Why won't I be married when I'm 40?
PERRY: Oh, no, no, no. I just meant hypothetically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: You'll laugh every time. Our thanks to Camila Bernal for her report.
Still ahead for us, I'll speak with a woman whose parents are missing after they went for a walk in their kibbutz ahead of the deadly attacks of Hamas.
And U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to Israel's Prime Minister for the first time since Israel ramped up its operations in Gaza, what he's urging the Prime Minister to do.
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[22:30:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. You are watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm Paula Newton.
The main U.N. relief agency for Gaza is warning that the dire humanitarian situation there is causing a breakdown in civil order. On Sunday, agency director Thomas White told CNN, "The fabric of society is starting to break down." He said, essential public services and humanitarian aid must be provided to Gaza civilians in a sustained way.
Meantime, French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated a call Sunday for humanitarian truce, adding that his government has donated some 17 tons of aid to Gaza. Now, he said the humanitarian freight arrived in Egypt, Sunday. U.S. President Joe Biden stressed the need for more humanitarian aid as well to get into Gaza and calls with the leaders of Egypt and Israel.
Here's CNN's Kevin Liptak with more.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Biden spoke for the first time today with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, since Israel expanded its assault on Gaza. In that phone conversation, the President reiterated that Israel had a right to defend itself, but he also underscored the need to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritizes the protection of civilians.
And that was from the White House summary of the call. Of course, this is all illustrative of the fine line that President Biden is walking as he confronts this growing crisis in the Middle East. On the one hand, he is a staunch defender of Israel and certainly a defender of its right to protect itself. But he is also calling for protection of civilians and calling on Israel to adhere to international humanitarian law and avoid targeting civilians.
And certainly, as the images out of Gaza come to light, there will be pressure on President Biden, certainly from the progressive left in the United States, but also from American Arab partners to do more and to say more to ease the humanitarian suffering. And in that phone call with Netanyahu, President Biden did say that there was a need to immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Now, we did learn more from the U.S. National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, about those negotiations to free hostages who are being held in Gaza, among them potentially Americans. He said that the expanded Israeli effort in Gaza had not stopped those negotiations, but that so far Hamas had not been forthcoming in releasing the hostages. And he also addressed these efforts to get Americans who are stuck in Gaza, hundreds of them, out -- across the border into Egypt.
He did say that the Egyptians are willing to accept foreign nationals and that the Israelis are also not putting up resistance to that effort, but that so far, Hamas is making its own demands and putting up resistance to opening that border.
So, President Biden certainly remains focused on the situation in the Middle East. We also learned that he did speak to the Egyptian president. With him, he discussed the humanitarian aid efforts, and he also discussed the expanded Gaza offensive. But interestingly, the two men also discussed the importance of ensuring that Palestinians in Gaza are not displaced to Egypt or any other nation.
And so, while the Egyptians appear receptive to having foreign nationals cross the border into Egypt, it does not appear as if they are receptive to having Palestinians cross that border.
Kevin Liptak, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
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NEWTON: Now, as Kevin mentioned there, American citizens are among those trapped in Gaza. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says, the Biden administration is working tirelessly to help them return home.
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JAKE SULLIVAN, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: So, just as there is ongoing discussions and negotiations over the hostages, we are facing a similar situation with the American citizens and other foreign nationals who are trapped in Gaza.
It is true, the Egyptians are prepared to allow American citizens and foreign nationals to come through the Rafah gate into Egypt. The Israelis have no issue with that. Hamas has been preventing their departure and making a series of demands. I can't go through those demands in public, but that is the subject of the discussions and the negotiations that are ongoing.
We are trying to work through those to get to a point where we have secured the safe passage of any American in Gaza who wants to leave. We are in contact with them on a near daily basis. We will continue to stay focused on this. This is an equal priority to us as getting the hostages out. It equally requires us to get to a point where Hamas will permit their safe passage, and we are working hard at that every day.
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[22:35:00]
NEWTON: Now, the Israeli military, meantime, now believes Hamas fighters are holding 239 hostages. The families of the missing have been pushing for Israel's government to do more to secure their release, including public demonstrations like the one you see there. Now, an IDF spokesperson says, their forces are looking for Yahya Sinwar, he is the highest-ranking Hamas leader based in Gaza. Warning that ground operations will only continue to intensify.
Now, Israeli officials believe two of those hostages are Judy Weinstein Haggai and her husband Gadi Haggai. The last time they were heard from, they were taking a walk near their kibbutz that was close to Israel's border with Gaza, and they called for help amid a rocket attack. Since disappearing, Israeli officials tell their family that their cell phones were in fact tracked back to Gaza.
Their daughter, Iris Weinstein Haggai joins me now from Israel. Iris, firstly, I really thank you for speaking with us and giving us some insight into how the last few weeks have been for you and your family. I want to ask you how you're doing. I know you live in Asia. You're now back in Israel. How are you doing? And have you had any more information either from U.S. or Israeli authorities?
IRIS WEINSTEIN HAGGAI, PARENTS MISSING SINCE HAMAS ATTACKS: I'm not doing well as expected. Hi, Paula. I haven't received any new information. They are still considered hostages by the Israeli government. Unfortunately, no new information. The last thing we heard is that they were shot and that my mom called for help and that Hamas, ISIS, whatever you want to call them, burned the ambulance so nobody could get medical help and they lost contact with my mom. So, that's all we know, and it's been three weeks.
NEWTON: Indeed, it has, which must be just such a struggle as you and your family continue to try and parse exactly what happened and where they may be. I mean, you can see, as we report every hour here, that the conflict now is expanding into ground incursions into Gaza. I mean, how do you believe this will affect the fate of your parents? Are you worried?
HAGGAI: You know, at this point, I think Hamas values the hostages lives more than it values the Palestinian lives. So, if I'm completely honest, I don't think the hostages are in danger. But, you know, you never know. These people came into my kibbutz and slaughtered my friends. I mean, they cut gas pipes, put into my friends' houses and burned them alive. So, these people are capable of anything.
So, I have no idea. I mean, I'm hoping for the best. I'm hoping the world will also understand we're not dealing here with a government that's, you know, just demanding its rights. We're dealing with a terrorist group that's oppressing their own people. And, you know, Israel is not fighting Palestinians. It's fighting a terror group. And this actually should be a global concern for everybody. And everybody should help, you know, somehow, make sure that Hamas is not in control anymore. But this is also a very, very delicate and scary situation. So --
NEWTON: And given --
HAGGAI: -- all I can do is hope for the best.
NEWTON: And Iris, given how delicate it is. There are calls for humanitarian pauses. And some people actually believe that if there's a humanitarian pause in Gaza, that this could lead to more effective hostage negotiations, and Israeli officials, as you know, tell us that actually they believe escalating the war with Hamas will more quickly lead to hostage releases. How do you and your family see it?
HAGGAI: I feel the IDF knows what it's doing There was a little chaos in the beginning because you know, this has been the biggest attack since the Holocaust. But you know, everything is scary. Every step that Hamas takes, every step that the IDF takes, every step that the Americans take, everything is scary because we don't know anything.
I'm hoping the, you know, the American government, the Israeli government, they know more than they're telling us and they just can't, you know, share that information because it's dangerous. But, you know, I don't know. My parents could be thrown somewhere dead, alive. I really have no idea. So, yes, like every day is scary. I can't really say that I'm sleeping.
[22:40:00]
You know, my cousin just went to the U.S. to speak to senators over there. We're trying everything to -- you know, our goal is peace. But is there somebody to speak to? Is there a peace? You know, any peace desire from Hamas? I highly doubt it. So, you know, speaking of ceasefire and humanitarian pause, I don't know what the correct answer is. All I know is that I want the hostages to be a priority. And I do feel like they are kind of being pushed aside because of, you know, many, many civilians are being killed, unfortunately, you know, in Gaza and also in Israel.
And I feel it's also a bigger talk than just Israel, Palestine. It's becoming, you know, antisemitism. It's becoming fake news. It's becoming this global, viral thing. And people are, kind of, dehumanizing the hostages, the Israelis, but also the Palestinians. It's just such a mess. It's just such a mess. And it's crazy because most of the hostages, if not all of them, are peace lovers. Especially from my kibbutz, most of the hostages are from my kibbutz, Kibbutz Nir Oz.
NEWTON: And Iris, if you can talk a little bit more about that. I mean, you and I have spoken before and you told me point blank, my parents were agents of peace. That's what they preached their entire lives.
HAGGAI: Yes. Yes, definitely. My parents are like hippies. You know, my mom is a mindfulness teacher. She teaches kids with learning disabilities. She even made an application, actually, because of the continuous war. You know, rockets over Israel, terrorists invading Israel. There's nothing new in that area, unfortunately. Nothing this scale, but my mom invented an application to help kids relax.
During this time, my dad is a musician. You know, their whole life is like vegan, whole food, plant based. And everybody in that area, they just want to live a peaceful life, you know. So, it's crazy that they are the victim for everything, you know, innocent civilians. It's just really, really sad. Really sad. NEWTON: Well, Iris, I really want to thank you for speaking to us. I'm glad that you're back home there in Israel, as I know you'll be getting a lot of support from friends and family. We will continue, obviously, to follow this very, very closely. Iris Weinstein Haggia, thank you so much.
HAGGAI: Thank you, Paula.
NEWTON: Appreciate it.
HAGGAI: Thank you. Take care. Bye.
NEWTON: It's now been more than three weeks, as we were just saying, since the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel. Families who lived near the border with Gaza are still trying, as you heard there, to process their pain and their anger and plan for their future security.
CNN's Rafael Romo visited one border community and met a family still deeply shaken and uncertain about what's to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELI TZUR, SURVIVED OCTOBER 7 ATTACK: This is the shelter.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): 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: If you close it --
ROMO (voiceover): The emergency door meant to be life saving for families can be deadly when holding it closed against militants.
E. TZUR: And they shot with AK-47 --
ROMO: They shot through the door.
E. TZUR: Yes, through the door. So it was, you know, people get hurt, get killed because they hold the handle like this.
ROMO (voiceover): A problem that he has since solved with a two by four.
E. TZUR: You put it like this and the Hamas cannot come inside.
ROMO (voiceover): The IDF says, the response to the attacks was a military failure.
LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: It's a military failure that we will have to look into, but it's a military failure that will create the possibility for a much better future.
ROMO (voiceover): Now, communities are taking the future into their own hands. Tzur says he was one of five men who organized themselves to protect their Moshav or 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.
ROMO: So, that was it, five men?
E. TZUR: Five men.
ROMO: In charge of security --
E. TZUR: Yes, yes, yes,
ROMO: -- for this community?
E. TZUR: Yes.
ROMO: With pistols?
E. TZUR: With pistols. We cannot do nothing against AK-47, but that's what we had.
ROMO (voiceover): 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 (voiceover): Eli Tzur's 27-year-old daughter, Gaya, says she always believed peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.
[22:45:00]
G. TZUR: I was always talking about peace and to be ok with them, to live with them. But after that, I learned that maybe there is no people there that want peace with us.
ROMO (voiceover): 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 Palestinians dead. Never. Never.
ROMO (voiceover): Missiles being fired by Hamas right above their heads doesn't help.
ROMO: 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 the way it has been.
CONRICUS: And at the end of this war, all of those deserted communities around Gaza, the kibbutzim that have been burnt and ruined, they will flourish again and there will again be the sound of Israeli kids playing in their backyards.
ROMO (voiceover): The Tzurs say, the terrorist attacks have shattered any hope they had for peace.
ROMO: Can you make a distinction in your mind between the Palestinian people and Hamas?
E. TZUR: I was one of the people that said that the Arabs want to -- 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'm going to die here. I'm going to die here. I have a great -- 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Still ahead for us, the Israeli military says it struck more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Why the skirmishes are sparking fears of a wider regional conflict.
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NEWTON: Israeli forces say they struck military facilities inside Syria, again, just hours ago. Now, the exact target is not clear, but the IDF says it came in response to launches toward Israel from inside Syria.
Meantime, seemingly undaunted by U.S. airstrikes, a U.S. military base in Syria has once again come under attack. A U.S. military official tells CNN a drone attack struck the base near al-Shaddadi, Syria on Saturday night. There were no injuries or damage.
[22:50:00]
It follows U.S. airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in the country which come after previous attacks against U.S. bases last week in Syria and Iraq.
Israel says, its fighter jets struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in Southern Lebanon on Sunday, and that was in response to shelling toward Northern Israel. And it comes as the war in Gaza has raised concerns of a wider conflict in the region.
Here's CNN's Ben Wedeman with more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The border between Lebanon and Israel remains tense as Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel, and Israel responded with air and artillery strikes. Since the 8th of October, the day after Hamas' surprise attack, Hezbollah has fired into Israel on a daily basis, with other groups, including Hamas and Palestine and Islamic Jihad, also launching salvos of rockets or trying to infiltrate across the border.
And Israel has hit back. Targeting, among other things it says, Hezbollah infrastructure. Hezbollah concedes that almost 50 of its fighters have been killed in these skirmishes. Several Lebanese civilians have also been killed. According to the International Organization for Migration, around 29,000 civilians have fled communities along the border to safer ground further north.
The continued skirmishes on the border are feeding fears the conflict in Gaza could spark a broader regional conflict. Friday, the U.S. Embassy advised all U.S. citizens to leave Lebanon now while commercial flights are still available. The U.S., just the latest country to urge their nationals to leave while they still can. A hint of where Hezbollah sees this conflict going may come this Friday when the group's charismatic but reclusive leader, Hassan Nasrallah, silent until now, is scheduled to make a speech.
I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Beirut.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Qatar's prime minister says he spoke with Iran's foreign minister by phone Sunday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict. And on a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said the risk of violence spilling over into other regions would have, "Dire consequences."
Still ahead for us, a big trip this week for King Charles. We'll have a preview of his visit to Kenya.
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NEWTON: At least 10 people are dead and more than two dozen injured after two trains collided in Southeast India Sunday, that's what a government official has said to Reuters. Now, a railway official says, one of the trains stopped after an overhead cable broke and an oncoming train slammed into it, derailing at least two carriages of the stopped train. India's railway minister says the early indications are that human error was to blame. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences in a message on X.
Now, authorities now say at least 43 people have been killed after Hurricane Otis battered parts of Mexico. The Category 5 hurricane hit the country's Guerrero State this week. Heavy rain and high winds caused widespread destruction. Officials say, more than 200,000 homes have been impacted in the resort city of Acapulco has been devastated. People there have been lining up for food and water and any other essentials that have now been missing for several days.
[22:55:00] This week, King Charles pays his first visit to a Commonwealth nation since he took the British throne -- pardon me. He'll visit Kenya as that country prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence from Britain. There will be ceremonies and celebrations, but also tensions over the two nations shared past. Larry Madowo is in Nairobi for us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: King Charles lands here in Nairobi on Tuesday, just weeks before Kenya marks 60 years of independence from the British. President William Ruto has called it an honor for Kenya to be the first for King Charles to visit and Queen Camilla in the Commonwealth. But ordinary Kenyans are divided on symbolism here and the value of this trip.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll be so excited if I see him, of course. And it's a good thing that he's visiting Kenya. Yes, so I'm looking forward to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just don't care. Yes, I just don't care. Like, I'm not really bothered much about that. Yes, I really don't care. What is he coming to do?
MADOWO: King Charles will be walking in the footsteps of his mother. Queen Elizabeth learned while she was here in Kenya in 1952 that her dad had died and she would be monarch. But during the same 1950s period, the British colonial government violently cracked down on the Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule. Thousands of Kenyans are believed to have died. And some Kenyans want an apology, a full accountability for that colonial period and reparations.
NDIRITU MURIITHI, KENYAN POLITICIAN: What you should be doing is apologizing. And what you should also be doing is paying reparations for the misery, for the deaths, and for the havoc that was visited upon the people of Kenya.
MADOWO: There is renewed anticolonial sentiment all across the African continent. In Cape Town recently, the Dutch King Willem- Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima, encountered protesters from indigenous group, demanding accountability for the colonial period in South Africa.
King Charles has a packed schedule here in Kenya from a state banquet hosted by President Ruto, to meetings with creatives and young entrepreneurs, to visits to the U.N. office in Nairobi to highlight climate change and conservation issues here. It's his first big swing at rebranding the Commonwealth, which was really his mother's pet project, hoping to set aside all the colonial baggage and chart a new path, a new relationship, not just here with Kenya, with all of these African countries that used to be part of the empire and hoping to move that forward.
Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I want to thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. I'll be right back with more news after a short break.
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