Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
CNN International: Inter-Faith Groups Across U.S. Demand Immediate Ceasefire; Antisemitic Incidents on the Rise Since Start of Conflict; IDF Says Gaza City is Completely Surrounded; Palestinian Officials: 9,000+ People Killed Inside Gaza; Palestinian Health Ministry Says Nearly Half of Gaza's Hospitals are Out of Service. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired November 03, 2023 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo. Max Foster is on assignment.
The Israeli military says it now has Gaza City cut off and surrounded. The IDF says the primary objective is to locate and destroy Hamas tunnels and eliminate explosives. Israel says 23 of its soldiers have died in the Gaza operation.
Early Friday, the Palestine Red Crescent reported at least 21 people, mostly women and children, were injured from shattered glass and falling ceilings when Israeli air strikes hit near the al-Quds hospital in Gaza City.
The IDF continues to urge people in northern Gaza to go south. That's the only place that food, water and medicine are coming into Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent says 106 trucks crossed the border on Thursday, but it's still only a tiny fraction of what is needed.
Across the U.S., interfaith groups are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Philadelphia's biggest train station was brought to a standstill by hundreds of protesters from the Jewish Voice for Peace, the Philly Palestinian Coalition and other faith groups all demanding the fighting in Gaza stop.
And in Miami, Jews, Muslims and other protesters staged a 48-hour sitting across the city, several. The event named 48-hours in Solidarity, is a reference to the 1948 Arab Israeli War. The sittings began Tuesday evening and concluded with a candle lit vigil on Thursday night.
Anti-Semitic incidents have also soared in the United States and around the world. In Austria, the Jewish community has been targeted in an incident that is a disturbing echo of the past. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Valuable Torah scrolls and prayer books reduced to ashes after an arson attack on this ceremonial hall on the Jewish part of Vienna's main cemetery. The last time this very hall was set on fire was almost to the day, 85 years ago, by the Nazis on Kristallnacht, Chief Rabbi Jaron Engelmayer tells me.
PLEITGEN: How big is the damage, not just -- not just in terms of obviously the room itself, but spiritually for you, for the Jewish community here?
JARON ENGELMAYER, CHIEF RABBIE OF THE IKG VIENNA: I think it takes us back to times where the books were burned and it is an attack on the spiritual values of the religion and of humanity, which happened here.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): A swastika on the outer wall leaves few questions about the antisemitic nature of the attack.
ENGELMAYER: It should worry us, all of the people in the free world about what's going on in the streets right now. And antisemitic attacks are just the top of the -- what's going on.
[04:35:00]
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Since Hamas's October 7th attack on southern Israel, murdering more than 1,400 people and kidnapping hundreds, and Israel's military response in Gaza, which has also caused many casualties, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed by about 300 percent in Austria, the head of Vienna's Jewish community tells me.
OSKAR DEUTSCH, HEAD OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF VIENNA: We are anxious, we are -- people are thinking about their life. The first thinking is, is Jewish life possible in Austria? The second thinking is, is Jewish life possible in Europe or in the world?
PROTESTERS: Free, free, Palestinian.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): With pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demos sweeping across the continent, Jewish groups say antisemitism is not only getting more prevalent, but uglier.
From plastering stars of David on Jewish homes in Paris, to a Molotov cocktail attack on one of the main synagogues in Berlin. And near daily assaults and insults in various European countries. Today, just hours after the cemetery attack, Vienna's Jewish community hosted Israelis whose relatives were killed or kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th.
TAL YESHURUN, RELATIVE OF OCTOBER 7TH VICTIMS: Was cousin --
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Tal Yeshurun's family, four murdered, seven kidnapped. Tal lives in Europe, but while he's publicly advocating for the hostages in everyday life, he feels he has to hide his Jewish identity.
YESHURUN: Not to be associated with anything written in Hebrew, not to speak Hebrew. Not to go to places where considered Jewish, like a synagogue or things like that. PLEITGEN (voice-over): While many European leaders have come out strongly against the rising tide of antisemitism, the head of the European Jewish Association says it's not enough.
RABBI MENACHEM MARGOLIN, CHAIRMAN, EUROPEAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION: We know exactly when we are in danger, and we are now in danger. European leaders, we need you right now to act. Never again is now, not tomorrow, not next week, is now.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But as much as there is fear, there's also a sense of defiance. Rabbi Engelmayer himself painting over the Nazi slurs on the cemetery wall, eager to show his Jewish community will not be intimidated by antisemitic attacks.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Vienna.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Up next, I'll speak with a doctor in Gaza about the challenges of getting his patients the medical care that they so desperately need when we return.
[04:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: The head of the main United Nations Relief Agency in Gaza tells CNN that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 20 people sheltering at U.N. schools. CNN has asked the IDF for comment. And Salma Abdul Aziz reports on the third straight day of air strikes on the bombed and battered Jabalya refugee camp. A warning that the images in this report are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The victims of Jabalya victimized yet again. Some of the survivors of Israel's bombardment took shelter here, a U.N. school, only to be cut down.
Desperate moments after an Israeli strike nearby, shown on social media. This is one of four schools in Gaza impacted by strikes in a 24-hour period, the U.N. said, in total, housing some 20,000 displaced people. Many of them frightened young children.
What did we do? This boy cries. We did nothing wrong.
The living conditions in these shelters are unbearable. But families come here for safety. That too is gone.
Bring me my son! Bring me my son! This father screams. It's unclear if his child is dead or alive.
Three straight days of airstrikes in Jabalya have wrought horror and bloodshed. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on the latest attacks. Israel says it is targeting Hamas infrastructure in this densely populated residential area. And says it killed a senior Hamas commander with its strike on Tuesday.
But with scores of civilians believed killed, the U.N. Human Rights Council warns what you see here are disproportionate attacks that could amount to a war crime. Gazans don't understand why the world can't stop this.
We keep pulling out bodies. small children, women. It is a catastrophe, this man says. If the countries of the world had any shame we wouldn't be in this situation.
And more suffering is all but certain. Israeli troops are inching closer and as ground forces backed by near constant air raids move towards central Gaza, the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians hang in the balance.
The IDF has warned all residents in the north of the Strip to leave, an order deemed inhumane and impossible by the United Nations. So many remain in the crossfire.
Where's the world? This woman screams. Our children are being torn up before our eyes.
And with the death toll mounting, pressure is growing on the U.S. and Israel to stem the violence.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Dr. Yousef El Akkad is the director of the European Gaza Hospital and he joins us now from Khan Younis in Gaza. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Tell us, doctor, what have the last 24 hours in your hospital being like?
DR. YOUSEF EL AKKAD, DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN GAZA HOSPITAL: Yes, thank you very much for in -- for inviting me. We are in the European Gaza Hospital in and university. From the beginning of the violence we are receiving 10s and 10s of injured personnel and till now we have a lot of difficulty in getting more injured because of the better occupancy. You can imagine that our better compliance is more than 170 percent. The ICU beds is full. Even the normal beds for the patient is full. And there is a lot of lack and deficiency of all the medicine and medical supply, especially the drugs which related to the anesthesia. So this situation in my hospital getting worse and worse minute by minute.
NOBILO: What are the types of essential supplies? You've mentioned anesthesia and medical support that you are most short of.
EL AKKAD: Yes, as everybody know that the Gaza Strip under the siege for the last many years. That's why from the beginning we do have a lack and deficiency of the main drugs and medical supplies.
[04:45:00]
But after 7th, probably things are worse and worse because we are receiving too many injuries -- injured persons here who need a lot of medical care and surgical care. And so, the thing getting worse and worse regarding equipment and supplies which we need to fill for the surgery. Especially we are talking about external fixation for those injured who need to look after their limbs, broken limbs, different lamps and internal fixation for the spinal cord. Because we have too many patients who get this spinal cord fracture. Where they need urgently surgery. Unfortunately, because of the lack of the disposables and medical supplies, we are unable to do such serious surgery. That's why we are waiting for our gate to be opened and we can send our patients abroad to be able to get their services.
NOBILO: There have been strikes near your hospital. We know there have been strikes very near other hospitals as well in recent days. What is it like for you and your staff and the patients? Presumably, knowing that your hospital's not necessarily safe.
EL AKKAD: In fact, our hospital was established for -- by the European Union. That's why we expect the Europe to support our hospital and the hospital should be safe. The attack were around the hospital. There were no direct attack to the hospital. But even in these attacks was around the hospital make a lot of difficulties. It makes the patients and the attendants and running here and there and there was minor, minor damage to the building as well.
NOBILO: I'm very glad -- I'm glad to hear -- I'm glad to hear that. What is it like for you personally and your staff, seeing so many of your fellow people come in so injured and distressed and traumatized by what is going on, it must be taking a huge toll on the welfare of the medics as well.
EL AKKAD: It's really very hard time. We had never experienced such a hard time. Because many of our staff already has been killed and many of our staff, they received their relatives, brothers, father injured come into the hospital. OK, the hour they stopped working is 24-hours by 24 hours. A lot of hard time. They are trying their level best to provide surgical services to the -- to the seriously injured personnel. Especially that most of the injured they are suffering from polytrauma. When I say polytrauma, means that one injured will need many specializations, head trauma, chest trauma, vascular and neurosurgery, eye. So one injured will need a lot of time and offered, and those possibilities to be able to save his or her life.
NOBILO: Are you seeing an increase in other diseases and waterborne illnesses?
EL AKKAD: That's true, because unfortunately the hospital also became a shelter for thousands of the people who came to the hospital because they thought that it is a safe place. So those people whose inside the corridors and the room, they make their services more difficult and this will be -- the situation will be vulnerable to the different diseases, especially the communicable disease.
NOBILO: Finally, to you, Sir, obviously you're taking important time, precious time in your day to speak to us. What is your message to the international community today?
EL AKKAD: Our message to the international community, first of all, that ceasefire then end the war, then supply the hospital supplies, the hospital with all needed things, especially the fuel and the medical supplies, the medicine to be able to fulfill our humanitarian message for the people and the injured and for the patients as well. Gaza deserves to be a free land. Palestine deserves to be free land. We deserve to live as the other people peacefully and free. We love to live. We love life. We don't like war. And so please my message to the whole international community. Do your level best now to save us as a Palestinian, a human, we deserve to live peacefully.
[04:50:00]
NOBILO: You definitely do. Dr. Yousef El Akkad, thank you so much for joining us from Khan Younis today. Best of luck to you and everyone in your hospital.
EL AKKAD: Thank you.
NOBILO: Now if you would like information on how to help with that humanitarian relief effort going on in Gaza and Israel, please do go to cnn.com/impact. You'll find there a list of vetted organizations providing assistance. That's cnn.com/impact. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Large parts of Europe are either recovering from or bracing for Storm Ciaran's destructive path. In coastal France, authorities urged people to stay at home and avoid winds which were reaching almost 130 mph. That is 207 kilometers per hour, with reports of 20- meter waves off the coast.
And in Madrid one person has been killed and five injured on Thursday, when strong winds caused a tree to fall in a crosswalk.
Meanwhile, in Italy, an 85-year-old man was found dead in his home in northeastern Tuscany after the storm battered through the region.
[04:55:00]
The South African Springboks are on top of the world after winning their record-breaking 4th Rugby World Cup. And as an All Black fan this is really painful for me to read. And now they get to celebrate with their fans.
Good for them. The trophy was lifted during the victory parade on Thursday. The bus travelled through Johannesburg, Pretoria and Soweto, with players waving at crowds of adoring supporters. Rugby, once considered the sport of the oppressor, is now popular among South Africans of all races. And the team's slogan, Stronger Together, has been embraced by the country's presidents and their fans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOSHEH MEDALIE, SPRINGBOKS FAN: Look around over here. Just look at this Springbok team. And I think we've really, really come to a point now where the racial lines are totally blurred and now, we can really get together and work as a country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: The trophy parade is happening in Cape Town today. Then it's off to Durban before concluding in East London on Sunday.
It seems nothing, not even the deaths of two of its members, can stop the Fab 4 from releasing new music. The Beatles are back with one final song. Listen to now and then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEATLES SONG NOW AND THEN)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: John Lennon recorded the demo for the poignant tune of Lost Love back in the 1970s. His widow Yoko Ono gave it to the surviving bandmates after Lennon died. And over the years they added new music with Paul on bass and Ringo on drums to old tracks of George on his guitar, recorded before he died. AI technology isolated Lennon's vocals from his piano and then enriched it. Lennon's son, Sean, says it's incredibly touching to hear the foursome together again.
I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. Thank you for watching. "EARLY START" is next, have a good weekend.
