Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: IDF: Dozens of Hamas Militants Killed in Gaza Operations; Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Growing More Dire by the Day; Al Quds Hospital Director: No Safe Route for People to Flee; Biden Speaks to Netanyahu, Urges Protection of Civilians. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired October 30, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo, live from London. And we begin this hour with new developments out of Gaza where the Israeli military says it has killed dozens of Hamas militants in ground operations overnight. The Israel Defense Forces says a staging post inside a building belonging to Hamas and an anti-tank missile launching posts were among the targets hit. Over the last few days, the IDF says it has struck more than 600 targets. According to CNN analysis of video published by Israeli media, IDF forces have advanced about 3 kilometers inside Gaza.

But as the ground invasion expands, the United Nations is warning of growing hunger and desperation in Gaza, after people broke into warehouses to take survival essentials. Meantime, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says Israel is continuing to launch air strikes next to the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza where it reports extensive damage.

CNN's Scott McLean is following developments and joins me now here in London. Scott let's begin with aid. There's increasing pressure from the international community on Israel now.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Even over the weekend, we heard from the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said that, look, getting aid in much quicker is essential for Israel maintaining its international support. You heard even more blunt words coming from the Norwegian Prime Minister. Who said that the pace of aid going in is, in his words, clearly contrary to the rules of war.

There is aid going in that direction. France sent some 17 tons to Egypt, but whether it can actually get into Gaza is another story. Less than 100 trucks over the course of this war have been allowed to cross in, compared to several hundred that would usually go in. And now you have the UN, the World Food Program, reporting their warehouses being looted or ransacked. The World Food Program says that it is evidence of the growing hunger, desperation and the fact that people are losing hope. And when you look at the pictures from the ground, it's not that hard to see why, watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MCLEAN (voice-over): 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 gray. More than a dozen were killed and more injured, according to medical staff at the local hospital, where outside the bodies of those killed are wrapped in white sheets and marked with their names.

Both the IDF and 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 have 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 on 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 that Hamas is shielding themselves inside hospitals.

[04:05:03]

Foreign aid is entering Gaza at a trickle. For desperation, apparent in this video of people ransacking a UN warehouse carrying out bags of food.

Maybe a temporary lifeline for those people, but the UN calls it a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down as the situation in Gaza only gets worse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Scott, changing gears now to the fact that medics are defying orders to evacuate al-Quds hospital. So we're hearing. Probably because they feel the duty to their patients and also because there's no guarantee of safety if they did evacuate. This is despite the fact that there are air strikes hitting targets very nearby. Why is Israel doing this?

MCLEAN (on camera): Yes, so the theory that we have from the Palestinian Red Crescent is that the Israelis are striking targets in the immediate vicinity of this hospital. They say three as of yesterday morning in order to essentially force their hand. To force people to evacuate because things will have gotten so miserable in that area.

Video -- you know you're seeing it here -- shows, you know, some of the dust that's gotten into the building. They say that there was also extensive damage to the building as well. And look, the Red Crescent, the hospital director there, calling on the international community to try to protect this hospital and others that are like it.

But look, the hospitals have maintained since the outset of this war and since Israel ordered the evacuation of these hospitals and medical facilities in northern Gaza, they have maintained that look, it is just not realistic. It is not safe to do that. A, there's no safe place for them to go in Gaza. Hospitals in the southern and central parts are already overwhelmed. And they say that look, you have patients who, you know, some of them babies in incubators. You have sick, you have injured people. And on top of that, you also have 12,000 people taking shelter inside this hospital. And they say that the vast majority of them are women and children.

The hospital director also very firmly denied the accusation coming from Israel that this hospital is being used as a shelter or as a shield for Hamas fighters. He says that, look, the hospital doesn't let anyone in if they are armed.

NOBILO: Scott McLean, thank you.

MCLEAN: You bet.

NOBILO: Joining us now from Geneva is Robert Mardini, Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Thank you so much for being with us this morning, Sir. Let's start with the fact that the ICRC is obviously calling for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire. Do you feel like that message is being heard by those who need to hear it?

ROBERT MARDINI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: We really hope it is heard because this is the only reasonable thing to do, given the unspeakable level of suffering Gazans are facing now, hour by hour, day in and day out. People are struggling to survive with the little water, with little food. They are in constant fear of violent death. There is nowhere safe in the Gaza Strip today. There is no electricity, no fuel. Hospitals are at the breaking point. In brief civilians, so they are running out of options. They are in a -- in a state of despair.

We hear from our colleagues that now parents are writing the names of their children on their arms to make sure they don't end up in mass graves, as if death was inevitable. So the only thing to do now is to deescalate, to ensure long humanitarian poses, to ensure the safe provision of aid to ensure the safe treatment of severely in the -- severely wounded people, because humanity must prevail.

NOBILO: Do you get the tangible sense of momentum building in terms of international pressure toward a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause? Whatever, you know, language you want to use?

MARDINI: Well, I won't speculate now, but this is a call that our President conveyed and we have been very forceful in putting forward because we know for a fact that we bear witness. Our teams are on the ground and they are bearing witness to the -- to the same challenges, the suffering, despair of the of the Gazan people. So we need this to happen and it needs to happen now.

NOBILO: There are so many humanitarian groups on the ground that are trying to alleviate some of this suffering, contribute to the humanitarian effort. What is communication like at the moment, on the ground in Gaza? Because we know that there are huge issues with using phones and the internet. Is that making things much harder?

[04:10:03]

MARDINI: Of course, over the weekend it was terrible because we lost all communication with our staff. But more importantly, civilians lost, for instance, the option to call an ambulance from the Palestine Red Crescent Society. So it was a total blackout. Some communication was reestablished yesterday, but it's still extremely difficult, extremely dire for people. And there is another ticking bomb with the wastewater treatment plant not working, with the sewage and wastewater flooding some streets and no clean water to drink. There is a rising risk of outbreaks, and this is another ticking bomb.

NOBILO: Can you speak to the role of the ICRC in terms of the hostage negotiations that are ongoing?

MARDINI: Well, first I'd like to say that and we want the families of hostages to know that the plight of their loved ones are one of our top priorities and we have been very clear from the very outset that all hostages should be released unconditionally. And at the same time, we left no stone unturned through our engagement dialogue with Hamas and the Israeli officials to offer to visit those hostages, to ensure that they are -- to check on their health to ensure that if they need any medicines, we can provide those medicines. And of course we stand still ready to facilitate the release of those hostages. So far, we've been successful in facilitating the release of four of them. But of course, much more needs to be done and our efforts are unabated in that respect as well.

NOBILO: We know that aid trucks carrying essential supplies are still only trickling in. Last hour, I think we had the number of 94 trucks of crosses -- through the Rafah crossing into Gaza since the beginning of this siege. Obviously, that is not nearly enough. What is the current justification for such a small amount of essential supplies being provided?

MARDINI: Actually there should be no justification because this is this is totally unacceptable. The Gaza Strip, even before this round of escalation, the situation was already dire and the close to 500 trucks were entering on a daily basis to keep the population afloat with regards to basic needs. So a couple of dozens of trucks are nowhere near enough for people living in such -- in such a tragedy -- humanitarian tragedy unfolding. So for us, there should be no justification. We have requested for sustained the flow of humanitarian aid in regular humanitarian process so that this aid can reach those who need it most.

NOBILO: Robert Mardini, thank you very much for joining us this morning. And of course, we hope that the humanitarian effort manages to continue with all of the brave colleagues of yours that are on the ground and that more of that aid can get in. Thank you.

Now to some disturbing images 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, some of them waving Palestinian flags after a plane arrived from Tel Aviv. Images verified by CNN show people within the crowd holding anti- Semitic signs. The Dagestan Health Ministry says at least 10 people were injured, two critically. Authorities have closed the airport until Tuesday and are investigating how to ensure that it's safe going forward and a local religious leader appealed for calm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEIKH AKHMAD AFANDI, SUPREME MUFTI OF DAGESTAN (through translator): We will talk with the relevant people. And we will continue to try to resolve the issue differently, not with emotions, not with rallies, but in an appropriate way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Israel said it was working with Russian authorities to secure the well-being of Jews and Israelis at the site. And the U.S. is calling on Russia to protect Israelis and Jews after the incident.

Still to come as Israel ramps up its ground offensive in Gaza, the UN Security Council plans to meet in the hours ahead to address the growing crisis.

And U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Israel about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. What was discussed on those critical calls after the break?

[04:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Diplomatic sources tell CNN the UN 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. The UAE is 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.

U.S. President Joe Biden stressed the need for more humanitarian aid to get into Gaza in the calls with the leaders of Egypt and Israel. Here's CNN's Kevin Liptak with more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

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.

[04:20:00]

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 that expanded Gaza offensive. But interestingly, they 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.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: The families of hostages being held by Hamas are calling on Israel's government to do more to help secure their release. Families and crowds gathered in Tel Aviv over the weekend, demanding swift action from the government. Families of hostages want the Prime Minister to trade all of Israel's Palestinian prisoners for all of Hamas's hostages. Netanyahu vowed to exhaust all options to secure the release of their loved ones.

Meantime, the U.S. government says it's also working to help American citizens in Gaza leave the Strip. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the matter has to stay a top priority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Just ahead a stark warning from Iran's president, who says Israel has crossed the red lines with its offensive into Gaza.

Plus, persistent fears that the conflict could spread beyond Gaza as tensions continue to flare along Israel's border with Lebanon -- when we return.

[04:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London with more on our top story -- the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces released this video of their troops operating inside Gaza. They say they killed dozens of terrorists and that a fighter jet struck an anti-tank missile launching site in the area as of Al Azhar University.

Israel's military also said it was increasing the urgency of their calls for people in northern Gaza to flee south. Humanitarian groups have criticized the demand, citing the difficulty of moving within Gaza while it's under attack.

Iran's president says Israel has quote crossed the red lines in Gaza. President Ebrahim Raisi warns that Israel's response to Hamas in Gaza may force other nations to take action. 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.

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said the risk of violence spilling over into other regions would have, quote, dire consequences.

Sources tell CNN, a U.S. Marine rapid response force is moving toward the eastern Mediterranean Sea amid concerns over the war in Gaza broadening into a regional conflict. CNN's Oren Liebermann has more from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: We have been watching very closely as the U.S. has sent considerable forces to the Middle East, to U.S. Central Command. That includes not only the land forces, nearly 1,000 troops, as well as patriot battalions and a THAAD battery -- those are air defense systems. But of course the Naval troops as well. One carrier strike group with the Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier is already in the Eastern Med. Another carrier strike group passed to the Strait of Gibraltar a couple days ago and it's on its way in that direction.

We've also been watching an amphibious ready group, the USS Bataan, which is an amphibious assault ship And a Marine rapid response force, The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEW for short. Over the course of the past several weeks, they've been operating in the waters of the Middle East, but according to two U.S. officials, they're now in the Red Sea on their way to the Eastern Med. First, that it's a tremendous show of U.S. power in the waters off the coast of Israel and Lebanon. A clear message to Iran and Iranian proxies not.