Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Israel-Hamas War; Today, IDF Offers to Assist with Evacuation of Infants and Patients; Rafah Crossing Will Open Today, According to Gaza; Largest Hospital in Gaza Caught in the Midst of Fighting; Al- Shifa Hospital Neither Under Siege Nor a Target, IDF Says; Interview with Israel and Occupied Territories ICRC Spokesperson Alyona Synenko; "Point of No Return" Reached by Gaza's Healthcare System, According to ICRC; Israel Accused of War Crimes by Arab and Islamic Leaders; Israeli Boycott Demanded by Iran's President; Why Egypt is Hesitant to Take In Palestinian Refugees; Pro-Palestinian Rally in London; Rise in "Unbridled Antisemitism" in France Addressed by Macron; Worldwide Demonstrations in Support of Palestine; London's Pro-Palestinian Demonstration Sparks Counterprotests; Aid for Israeli Bedouins; Increasing Exchange of Fire on the Border Between Israel and Lebanon; Hostage Talks in Qatar Progressing Favorably; Hamas kills 19 Bedouin Israelis, According to Community Leaders; Government Shutdown Looming Again; Pressure to Call for Ceasefire Mounting on Biden; Acapulco Trash Crisis. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired November 12, 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]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: And welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on "CNN Newsroom", outcry from humanitarian groups as Israel's war with Hamas is at the doorstep of Gaza's largest hospital. The next constant bombardment of Gaza is sparking protests in cities around the world. How demonstrators are putting pressure on Western leaders.

And deja vu as the U.S. government once again finds itself just days away from a shutdown.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."

BRUNHUBER: Gaza's largest hospital has been caught for days in the middle of fierce fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas. And with some 20,000 people sheltered in and around the hospital, the situation is desperate. The Hamas controlled health ministry in Gaza said, three newborn babies have died since Friday night at Al-Shifa Hospital after nearby shelling knocked out a generator supplying oxygen to the neonatal unit.

A Gaza health official tells CNN, the other infants were hand carried to operating rooms which still had oxygen. Israel has now offered to help evacuate infants and patients sometime today, and says an evacuation corridor to the south from Al-Shifa complex will be open for a few hours. Like other hospitals across Gaza, Al-Shifa is nearly out of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity, with staff often working by flashlight. The IDF denies the hospital is under siege or that it's been hit by Israeli forces.

Meanwhile, Gaza authorities at the Rafah crossing into Egypt say it will open in the coming hours so people with foreign passports can leave if they're on a pre-approved list. CNN's Paula Hancocks is our former Jerusalem correspondent and knows the region well and she joins us from Seoul with the latest.

So, Paula, for Gaza's hospitals, as I outlined there, a dire situation seemingly becoming worse by the hour.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kim, Doctors Without Borders had described it as a catastrophic situation. Saying that is what those they were in contact with within the hospital were calling it. They have no longer been able to contact them, they point out.

But what we have heard at this point is the Israeli military saying that there is currently an evacuation corridor, which is going from north to south along Salah al-Din Road, within Gaza Strip, asking people to head to the south. So, that will be between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local. But when it comes to the actual hospitals itself, Al- Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital, which is in this catastrophic situation, the Israelis say that there will be a self-evacuation corridor from 10:00 a.m. -- excuse me, not from 10:00 a.m. but within that time as well.

So, we are having the first indication from the Israeli side that there will be an ability for some of those patients, doctors, nurses, and also thousands of internally displaced people within the compound to be able to head potentially to a safer area.

Now, what we had been hearing was that the situation was dire. We heard from a senior health official speaking about what was still working within the hospital. Saying that the ICU, the pediatric department, the oxygen devices had stopped working because the generator had been hit by a shell.

And so, they were unable to keep some babies alive. As you say, three, we understand from a senior health official, did die, but they had 36 others which they were -- we are being told, being kept alive by artificial respirations. Where effectively doctors and nurses having to manually pump oxygen and air into their lungs. They, overnight, we understand, were moved to the operating theatres within the hospital where oxygen supplies were still available.

And the Israeli military said that they would help to evacuate those babies. We are yet to hear clarification on exactly what the situation is with that. We also, within CNN, spoke to a freelance journalist within the hospital who said the situation was dire. Food, water, medical equipment, electricity was simply not there.

[04:05:00] Also, pointing out that there were dozens of bodies that were awaiting burial. So, not only were patients not able to come into the hospital for treatment, not only were doctors having to work in some cases by candlelight to keep patients alive, ambulances unable to leave to get to those injured. But it has been a very difficult situation for those inside as well.

Now, the latest figures we have were 400 patients within just this Al- Shifa Hospital, 20,000, we understand, or this is what we have been told, were taking shelter in that area. This is something we have often seen, that those internally displaced will go to a hospital, for example, believing that that may be an area that is less likely to be targeted.

But we have been seeing very heavy fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas. Operatives. Israel has consistently said that they believe Hamas operatives use the undergrounds of these hospitals for their command centers and use patients as human shields. Now. this is something CNN cannot independently verify. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate the update. Paula Hancocks in Seoul. Thanks so much.

So, as we mentioned, the Israeli military says, it's engaged in intense fighting with Hamas in areas around Al-Shifa Hospital. But the IDF insists the building isn't under siege or being targeted by Israeli forces. Here's what a spokesperson told CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN CORNICUS, IDF SPOKESPERSON: We are in contact with local authorities in Gaza, with the manager and others, and assisting them and informing them where they can go in order to evacuate from the area. And we are also trying to coordinate the safe removal and transport of the remaining patients that are still inside the hospital. I want to emphasize, we are -- haven't struck the hospital, and we are not surrounding it or applying any pressure on it. And we have troops in the vicinity, but we have not been engaging with the hospital or any parts of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. With us now from Jerusalem is Alyona Synenko with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, we just heard there from the IDF saying about the Al-Shifa hospital, "We have not struck the hospital and we are not surrounding it or applying any pressure." Does that tally with what your people are telling you?

ALYONA SYNENKO, ICRC SPOKESPERSON, ISRAEL AND OCCUPIED TERRITORIES: We speak with the staff in the Shifa Hospital and the situation that they are describing for them on the ground is dramatic. They still have some several hundred of patients, and we're talking about patients that are extremely difficult to move. People in ICU. People on life support, babies who need oxygen. There are other hospitals like Al-Quds Hospital that are run by the Palestinian Red Cross -- Red Crescent Society. And they also in a desperate situation without electricity, food, water, and still with thousands of displaced people sheltering in these hospitals.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, the conditions there, as you describe are dire. I mean, talk to us a bit more about what it's like for the doctors having to try and operate, as we've said, by candlelight, without any equipment, and without any fuel.

SYNENKO: It is -- it's hard to imagine what the doctors working in hospitals in Gaza City are going through right now, those who still remain. We have our surgical team that is operating in the south of Gaza, where conditions should be relatively better, but even they report shortage of medicine, shortage of fuel. And also, explosions, heavy blasts that take place in the near proximity of the hospital in the south that shake the walls of the building.

So, everybody, every single medical worker or humanitarian worker now in Gaza is under immense amount of pressure. But what makes it worse is also our inability to respond to these thousands and thousands of desperate phone calls that our hotline operators receive from civilians that are trapped in the crossfire in different parts of Gaza.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's exactly it. I mean, it's so dangerous to try and respond as first responders to collect patients or people who are in need of help.

SYNENKO: Indeed. First of all, it is a huge responsibility because there is always the do not harm principle. First of all, we must not put civilians in more danger than they already are, or put our own stuff in risk, and at the same time the situation is so desperate. And we are constantly talking to all the parties. We are in touch with the Ministry of Health.

[04:10:00]

But first and foremost, we are calling on the respect of the basic principles of the international humanitarian law, the law of war. The body of law that was created especially for such desperate situations that we're facing right now. And it clearly says that in any type of situation, whether they evacuate or not, civilians are respect -- must be respected and they are protected by the law.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I want to ask you, the ICRC said in a statement. I want to read here that the healthcare system in Gaza has reached a point of no return. What exactly does that mean? And what will that mean for the millions who depend on it?

SYNENKO: It means that the facilities that are still operating, they just put in the conditions where they can no longer provide adequate care to their patients. There are still -- thanks to the heroic efforts of some of the medical professionals, they are running the minimum of the operations where you have to carry babies to -- from one unit to another. And it's just not the -- it's not the conditions where the life -- lives can be safe. Where the medical personnel can properly operate. BRUNHUBER: Yes, and you speak about those babies. I mean, we were talking about sort of those premature babies who need, you know, ventilators and so on and so forth, having to be carried from one part of the hospital to another. The IDF says that it will help get them to a. "Safer hospital." I mean, it begs the question, where is safe these days? Do we have any more details on how that would work? Where they would go?

SYNENKO: Nowhere in Gaza is safe today, unfortunately, because I speak with our surgical team that is operating in Gaza European Hospital, which is in the south of Gaza and still they hear blasts taking place close to the hospital. These are extremely difficult conditions and we also have to be realistic as to how these people can be moved, how can you safely move across the war zone. Premature babies, people on life support.

We've seen these horrendous images of people walking on foot, on wheelchairs. Wounded people trying to cross into Southern Gaza. searching for minimum safety. But it's hard to imagine how this can take place without further loss of human life.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, hard to imagine indeed. We'll have to leave it there. Alyona Synenko with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jerusalem, thank you so much for speaking with us.

Dozens of Arab and Islamic leaders have issued a joint declaration, accusing Israel of committing war crimes and, "Barbaric, brutal, and inhumane massacres in Gaza." Now, this is the result of the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh on Saturday. The meeting ended with calls for an immediate ceasefire and a rejection of Israel's description of the war as self-defense. The Islamic leaders are demanding the International Criminal Court to investigate what it calls crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Our Eleni Giokos joins me from Cairo. So, Eleni, take us through exactly what came from this summit.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hey, Kim. What we've seen is the Arab and Muslim leaders coming together for this emergency summit to discuss the dire humanitarian crisis that currently is happening in Gaza, and we've heard it from your previous guest in terms of just how bad the deficits are of food, water and medical supplies.

But the Arab and Muslim world meeting, it's a show of force. They showed a United front. From an optics perspective, this is a region that came together to put a list of condemnations, of demands. And it's an important resolution. But what it was lacking is real action points from a multilateral perspective from the region, and that caused a lot of disillusion -- delusion in terms of what we've been seeing on social media. The people felt that there should have been a lot more action planned.

The only real big thing that came out of this is you've got, you know, the call of the UN Security Council to take action and the ICC as well. But one important point here, you've got the Iranian President, Ibrahim Raisi, going to Saudi Arabia for the very first time. Saudi and Iran mended relations earlier this year and it was an important step. And his presence in Saudi Arabia really was vital.

[04:15:00]

It's also what he said that is important. He's saying that they hold the U.S. accountable and complicit in Israel's actions in Gaza. But it's the Iranians that also said that more action should be taken using other mechanisms like sanctions. and also activating the blockage of sale of oil and gas. I want you to take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IBRAHIM RAISI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The cutting of any sort of political and economic relations with the Zionist regime by Islamic countries. In this context, a trade boycott against the Zionist regime, especially in the energy field should be prioritized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Now, I mean, you heard, floating around this notion of, you know, what other measures should be taken. Here's the reality, the region does hold the power to freeze out Israel and the United States, not only diplomatically, economically, as well as militarily. Here are a lot of U.S. military bases across the region. And, you know, we've also been hearing, the comments and the very strong message that the west is complicit. We also heard from the Saudi foreign minister who said, the only future in Gaza is when the killing stops, and that must happen now. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. I appreciate. Eleni Giokos in Cairo, thanks so much.

So, as we mentioned earlier, border officials in Gaza say the Rafah Land Crossing will open again today so foreign passport holders will be able to enter Egypt. Egyptian leaders are striking a delicate balance. wanting to provide aid to suffering people while worrying that Israel wants to push Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt permanently.

CNN's Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): For a month now, Israel's war on Hamas has mostly focused on the north of Gaza, splitting the enclave in two and forcing civilians south, even on foot. With 70 percent of Gazans now displaced, the pressure around the Rafah Crossing is growing, so too are Egyptian fears over an influx of refugees.

NABIL FAHMY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO: The assumption was the south is safer, and now the South is also being bombed. And of course, from the South, they will be asked to -- well, since we're still looking for combatants, you need to move out. To move out means move into Egypt. I don't know a case in history where the Israelis have allowed Palestinians to go back. We are not going to participate in a process that we know is meant to empty the Gaza area from its inhabitants and make it into an Israeli security enclave.

BELL (voiceover): Egypt has, from the start of the conflict, played a key role. Opening up its airports for international aid, setting up field hospitals for the most severely wounded Palestinians, and giving foreign passport holders a desperately needed way home.

SUSAN BESELSO, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN EVACUEE FROM GAZA: It's like, you die or you leave. What do you choose between your childhood memories, your home, your land, or being alive.

BELL (voiceover): But the numbers and nature of those getting out of Gaza has been carefully controlled by Cairo.

TIMOTHY KALDAS, TAHRIR INSTITUTE FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY: The Egyptian authorities have had a lot of concerns about that border area for quite some time, but also have cooperated with a really painful blockade on the Gazan population for much of the last 17 years.

BELL (voiceover): A complicated history with Israel and Gaza have fueled Egyptian caution, but so to have domestic issues.

KALDAS: The standard of living in the country has collapsed. Poverty has risen. Labor force participation has declined substantially. And the result is that people are very frustrated. Inflation in Egypt reached about 40 percent, inflation on food exceeded 60 percent.

BELL (voiceover): With elections next month, and as the conflict drags on, Egypt's president has taken no chances.

ABDEL FATTAH EL-SIS, EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The expansion of the conflict is not in the interest of the region. The region will become a ticking time bomb that harms us all. This is why I'm saying, please, Egypt is a sovereign country, and I hope we all respect its sovereignty and status. What I'm saying now is not to brag, but Egypt is a very strong country that shall not be touched.

BELL (voiceover): Egypt striking a delicate balance between meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of Gazans without opening the door too far even as it keeps a close eye on those voicing support for the Palestinian people back home in a country all too familiar with the power of the street.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, tens of thousands of Britons march in London calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. We'll hear from protesters next. Stay with us.

[04:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: French President Emmanuel Macron is calling on people to stand up against what he calls, the resurgence of unbridled antisemitism. In a letter published in a French newspaper, Macron wrote that more than a thousand antisemitic acts were committed in the country in just one month. Saying members of the Jewish community are experiencing legitimate anguish. Now, this comes as the French president this week called for a ceasefire. Saying it's the, "Only solution to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas."

Now, France was among the numerous countries where pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place Saturday. In Paris, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. Demanding that the French government help stop Israel's bombing of Gaza. Protesters stormed a major train station in Barcelona. Police officers used shields and batons against the demonstrators. In Brussels, more than 20,000 people marched in the Belgian capital calling for a ceasefire.

And hundreds of protesters gathered near the Delaware home of U.S. President Joe Biden. They waved Palestinian flags and chanted, ceasefire now. Biden was in his home state attending Veterans Day events. And London saw its biggest pro-Palestinian demonstration so far on Saturday. Counter protesters also turned out and police say they arrested dozens of people.

CNN's Clare Sebastian reports.

[04:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In our millions, in our billions.

CROWD: We are all Palestinians.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Organized and in one voice, tens of thousands of people took to London streets demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ceasefire now.

CROWD: Ceasefire now. Ceasefire now. Ceasefire now.

SEBASTIAN: This march is beginning now in Central London, but the final destination is the United States Embassy in South London, and that is the key here. The anger that we're hearing is mostly directed towards Western governments, and in particular, the United States for its support of Israel.

SEBASTIAN (voiceover): The conflict now in its second month has seen Gaza under unrelenting Israeli bombardment in the weeks since Hamas launched its October 7th attack on Israel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In one month, it's over 4,000 children died. This is not normal.

SREENIVASAN (voiceover): And as people got ready to march in solidarity with Palestinians, others were marking a second historic war.

Armistice Day, the date commemorating the de facto end of World War I. It was a crossover, some branded as insensitive. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially attempted to stop the pro-Palestinian rally from going ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Armistice Day is supposed to be about the end of the war, and this is exactly what people are here for. We want to see an end to the war in Gaza, and this is what we're supporting.

SEBASTIAN (voiceover): Heavy police presence had been promised in London Saturday, and they did face challenges. Far right counter protesters disrupted a two-minute silence observed for Armistice Day before clashing with police in central London. Police say, they detained dozens of those counter protesters following scuffles.

For the pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathering outside the U.S. Embassy at the end of their march, emotions were starting to show.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want to say I'm Jewish, and I fully support this march and everything that's going on today. Why can't we all stand up for the Palestinians?

SEBASTIAN: So, despite the controversy in the lead up to this event, it has remained very organized, pretty peaceful. But the scale of it reflects what we're increasingly seeing. This growing public mood that despite the horrific attacks of October 7th, the response may have gone too far.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Arab and Jewish volunteers are joining forces to help Israel's Bedouin community. One volunteer told CNN they're not just giving supplies, but trust and hope. That's ahead, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom".

Within the past few minutes, the Israeli military announced a seven- hour safe corridor near the embattled Al-Shifa Hospital for people to evacuate to the south. The Israeli military is also offering to evacuate the remaining infants and other patients from Al-Shifa Hospital sometime today.

The Hamas controlled health ministry in Gaza said, three newborn babies died overnight Friday at Gaza's largest hospital after nearby shelling knocked out a generator that supplied oxygen to the neonatal unit. A Gaza health official tells CNN, the other infants were hand carried to the operating rooms which still had oxygen. The IDF says, it's been fighting against Hamas nearby but denies the hospital is under siege.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again rejected international demands for a ceasefire, vowing to fight Hamas with full force. In a televised address, he said all Hamas members had been marked for death. Israel's defense minister is sending a strong warning to Lebanon after an intense day of cross border fire. Saying, "What we're doing in Gaza can also be done in Beirut."

CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from Lebanon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The low intensity war between Hezbollah and Israel along the border is heating up, with each side striking deeper into the other's territory and using heavier weapons. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, speaking on the occasion of the group's Martyrs Day said, his militants have begun using attack drones for the first time against Israeli positions, and have fired, also for the first time, an Iranian designed Burkan missile, a short-range ballistic missile with an explosive payload of 500 kilograms or more than half a ton.

Saturday was perhaps the most intense day of cross border fire, with more than 30 individual incidents. Lebanon's official news agency reported that an Israeli drone struck a vehicle near the town of Zahrani, 40 kilometers, or 25 miles north of the border. The deepest such strike since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Referring to dozens of recent attacks by pro-Iranian militias on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq, Nasrallah said if the Americans want to stop those attacks, if the U.S. doesn't want this to become a regional war, it must stop the war on Gaza. Commenting on the situation along the border, Saturday afternoon, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued an ominous warning. What we're doing in Gaza, he said, we can also do in Beirut.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Tyre, Southern Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Qatar's Prime Minister says, negotiations to release more hostages in Gaza are moving in a positive direction. He spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday. Qatar, a key U.S. ally, has close ties with Hamas and is acting as a broker of sorts as hostage negotiations continue.

The Prime Minister told Blinken that Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza isn't helping those talks. As CNN reported earlier, negotiations are working towards a deal that would entail a days-long pause in fighting in exchange for a large group of captives walking free. And the families of hostages are calling on Israel's Prime Minister and the Israeli government to do everything in their power to bring their loved ones home. They held a huge rally Saturday in Tel Aviv.

More than a dozen Bedouins were killed by Hamas on October 7th, according to community leaders. The Bedouins are a nomadic, Arabic speaking society, with many living in Southern Israel. Now, some told CNN they feel abandoned, like they're not a part of Israel. Here's Ed Lavandera.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In a community center 25 miles from the Gaza Strip, a remarkable sight has played out almost every day since the October 7th attack.

[04:35:00]

Arab and Jewish hands together, packing relief and food supplies. Many of these boxes will be delivered to residents of Israel's Bedouin society. The Bedouin are a traditionally nomadic Arabic speaking community. They're Israeli citizens here, and many live in the Negev Desert in Southern Israel.

Shir Nosatzki is the director of an organization called "Have You Seen the Horizon Lately?" which organizes this relief effort.

SHIR NOSATZKI, "HAVE YOU SEEN THE HORIZON LATELY?": When Hamas attacked us on October 7th, he didn't only murder Jews, he also murdered Muslims, the Bedouins, Arabs, citizens of Israel.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): Bushro El Vosges is the principal of a Bedouin school. She's here volunteering with her students.

BUSHRO EL VOSGES, BEDOUIN SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: We come here to teach them that living together is a good thing.

LAVANDERA: Really?

EL VOSGES: This is the most important to help. Teach them values of life.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): On the morning of October 7th, Bushro woke up to the sound of rockets striking her village. A moment she calls a black nightmare. Community leaders here say Hamas fighters killed 17 Bedouin civilians, as well as two Bedouins serving in the Israeli military. There are also six Bedouin civilians and one soldier still missing.

LAVANDERA: So, Talal says here in this village, about 40 kilometers east of Gaza, this was where the first rocket landed on October 7th.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): Talal Al Koran showed us the shrapnel from the Hamas rocket as he told us of the moment when four of his family members were killed. About 50 of Talal's family members live in this village surrounding an olive tree grove. As rockets fell from the sky, the family scattered to find protection.

LAVANDERA: Talal says, he was standing here on the phone when the rocket strike hit his family members where that white structure is down there at the bottom of the hill.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): I saw it. I heard a boom, he tells me, and suddenly there was no building, like it was never there. This is what the wreckage of the aftermath looked like. Inside, his four young cousins were killed.

I really missed them, he says. They were really like my brothers. It's difficult to accept, but there is nothing I can do. I must accept it.

Bedouin Israelis mostly live scattered across what are known as unrecognized villages. They're not allowed to build permanent structures, so they don't have bomb shelters like many Israelis. Talal says in many ways he does feel like a part of Israeli society. He works in the health ministry, but when it comes to security, there's a long-standing issue that makes his family feel isolated.

LAVANDERA: He says that because this area and this unrecognized Bedouin village is not protected by the Iron Dome and the sirens, the warning sirens, that it makes them feel abandoned and like they're not part of Israel.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): Which is the goal of delivering these relief supplies to Bedouin families who've been deeply traumatized by the October 7th attack.

NOSATZKI: We're packaging not just rice and pasta, but we're packaging trust and hope.

LAVANDERA: You have Arabs and Jews working together.

NOSATZKI: Yes.

LAVANDERA: It must make you smile in this difficult time.

NOSATZKI: It's -- it is. It's the only thing that makes me smile these days. And it's a really rare light in a terrible, terrible darkness.

LAVANDERA (voiceover): Ed Lavandera, CNN, in the Negev Desert of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, the Republican Speaker of the House has a plan to keep the government running. Why his own party might shoot it down. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Saturday was Veterans Day here in the U.S. with President Biden at Arlington National Cemetery honoring all those who served. The Commander in Chief called them the steel spine of America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We come together today to once again honor the generations of Americans who stood on the front lines of freedom. To once again bear witness to the great deeds of a noble few who risked everything, everything to give us a better future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Biden also laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and gave thanks to the families of fallen service members.

Well, it isn't just London that we've heard about earlier that's been seeing pro-Palestinian protests this weekend. On Saturday, people gathered near President Biden's Delaware home, calling for a ceasefire. CNN's Kevin Liptak has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: A sizable protest occurred outside President Biden's home here in Delaware on Saturday. Pro-Palestinian protesters, hundreds of them, marching in support of a ceasefire.

President Biden didn't necessarily see them at close range, but it did mirror protests that the president has seen over the last two weeks, including earlier this week in Illinois when pro-Palestinian protesters lined the streets near an event that he was speaking at. He's also have been interrupted twice by people calling for a ceasefire, so certainly reflective of the growing anger among a certain portion of the American population at his handling of this conflict.

And you see that playing out on the world stage as well. Just Saturday, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, calling for a ceasefire in Israel, saying that Israel's bombing of civilians in Gaza isn't justified. And saying that he hoped other leaders, including in the United States, join him in calling for a ceasefire. We've also seen divides within the American Democratic Party. Just last week, 24 Democrats and two independents.

So, a majority of the Democratic caucus in the Senate writing a letter to President Biden asking for more details about that $14 billion request for emergency military assistance and asking for guarantees that Israel mitigates its killing of civilians in Gaza. So certainly, this is all applying pressure on President Biden as he confronts this conflict.

Of course, he has been standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel. Certainly, very supportive of its right to defend itself and what he calls a responsibility to go after Hamas. But you have seen some caution creeping into his remarks and into remarks from other top American officials, including the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who just said this week that far too many Palestinians have died and that much more needs to be done to protect civilian lives.

What we have seen President Biden doing is pressing the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and what the U.S. calls humanitarian pauses. And they have seen the results to that effect, just last week, Israel saying that it would enact four-hour pauses every day to allow aid to go into Gaza and to allow civilians who want to flee.

[04:45:00]

President Biden, though, did reveal some discord with his Israeli counterpart when he was asked about those pauses, saying that he'd wished Netanyahu had agreed to them earlier.

Kevin Liptak, CNN, traveling with the president in Wilmington, Delaware.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Well, six days, and counting, until the U.S. finds itself, once again, on the verge of another shutdown. It's only been six weeks since the House passed a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Ad in less than a week, we could be right back at the same place waiting to see if a deal is in place to keep the government running.

Now, you might remember the last stopgap bill cost Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy his job. Now, with days to go, McCarthy's replacement, the new Speaker, Mike Johnson, is laying out his plan to keep the government funded. Now, the future of the funding bill is uncertain. At least three congressional Republicans have already indicated they won't support it. And with their slim majority in the House, the bill can only afford to lose a total of four Republican votes if all Democrats vote against it.

CNN's Annie Grayer looks at the uphill battle facing Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled his plan on Saturday for how he wants to keep the government open past the November 17th funding deadline. His plan breaks the government funding into two parts. Fund some of the government until January 19th, and the rest until February 2nd. It would keep funding at its current levels, and there would not be additional funding for wars in Israel or Ukraine. Members of the right flank wanted Johnson to take this two-step approach to government funding, but wanted Johnson to add spending cuts to his plan, which we do not see so far.

So, we are going to have to see how this plays out this week when it is expected to get a vote on the House floor. And the other unknown here is how the White House and the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, is going to react to this plan. Annie Grayer, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And we do now know how the White House has responded to Speaker Johnson's plans, and it has some harsh words for him. The White House Press Secretary said, "This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns, full stop. House Republicans are wasting precious time with an unserious proposal that's been panned by members of both parties."

Pope Francis has removed the leader of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas from his position, a bishop who was an outspoken critic of the pontiff's leadership. The Vatican announced on Saturday that Conservative Bishop Joseph E. Strickland was out. Strickland had proposed anti-vaccine messages, called Joe Biden an evil president over his support of abortion rights. No one's even dared Pope Francis to fire him during an interview in 2020, according to the National Catholic Reporter. Strickland was reportedly asked to resign on Thursday, but declined to do so.

All right. Still ahead, garbage is piling up in Acapulco just weeks after Hurricane Otis ripped through the tourist hotspot. How Mexico's dealing with the massive cleanup, that's next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: For weeks, several states along the U.S. Gulf Coast have been grappling with severe drought, but now some heavy rain is set to swoop in. Here is CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It has been a very dry last two months across much of the southern tier of the U.S., but especially states like Mississippi and Louisiana that have had over 80 percent of their area under extreme drought category.

And a lot of cities across the southeast, you're talking pretty significant deficits. Just since September 1st, again, Lake Charles, Louisiana looking at more than half a foot below where they should be right now. Jackson, Mississippi, similar numbers. Chattanooga looking at over eight inches of a deficit just since September 1st. But relief is on the way. We have a stationary front that's positioned right along the Gulf Coast, and that's going to be feeding a lot of moisture back in to all of the Gulf Coast states as we go through the next several days.

Now, widespread totals along the Gulf Coast expected to be about three to five inches. But there will be some spots that could pick up six, seven, even as much as eight inches of rain just as we go through Wednesday of the upcoming week. And that's because it's going to be multiple days of rain.

Take New Orleans, for example, you've got rain in the forecast all the way through Wednesday, that's going to keep those temperatures on the cool side, but it's a lot of moisture that's going to keep getting pumped back into a lot of the same places. This, however, unfortunately, will also increase the risk for flooding at the same time, helping with a lot of drought conditions in this area.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: A town in Southwestern Iceland has been evacuated as the area braces for a volcanic eruption. Hundreds of earthquakes have rocked the town of about 4,000 people, of about 25 miles or 40 kilometers southwest of Reykjavik. Some roads and buildings have been damaged. Emergency shelters have opened in neighboring towns. Scientists say, magma churning beneath the earth's surface triggered the quakes, and experts warn that an eruption could happen within days or perhaps even hours.

But first, it was hit by a deadly Category 5 hurricane. Now, the Mexican beach resort city of Acapulco is dealing with a massive pile of garbage. And they're not only a nuisance, they're also dangerous. And officials are counting on thousands of soldiers to help get things cleaned up and keep disease from spreading. CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Famed for its beaches and hotels, the whiff of garbage now overpowers the sea air in Acapulco. Two and a half weeks after Category 5 Hurricane Otis whipped through the coastal town, killing dozens of people and demolishing thousands of homes, the government says recovery efforts are underway, though some residents say the smell of rot suggests there is much more to do.

NELLY CASARRUBIAS, RESIDENT (through translator): There are a lot of problems. The smell of rubbish is intensifying a lot. The health problems, too. So, it's very important and urgent to help the whole port.

[04:55:00]

HOLMES (voiceover): Mexican officials say they have deployed nearly 10,000 National Guard troops to Acapulco to maintain security and help with the cleanup. Even before the hurricane, the resort city was in slow decline because of violent crime from drug cartels. Many businesses that weren't damaged in the storm were looted in the aftermath.

The government says, providing security and getting food, water, and power to the area have been top priorities, and it's working on ways to remove those piles of garbage.

ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They're fumigating to avoid diseases, and everything is going to be cleaned up. They're looking for new rubbish dumpsters, and there is a cleanup plan.

HOLMES (voiceover): But health experts warn the festering mounds could attract rodents, and pools of undrained water could breed mosquitoes which spread disease. The government has so far pledged 3.4 billion to rebuild the city, with the goal of reopening 35 to 40 hotels by next April or May. Residents hope that means making the streets safe and habitable again, not just for visitors, but for those who survived the storm. Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: More than a billion people of different faiths are celebrating Diwali, which marks the triumph of good over evil. Called the Festival of Lights, Diwali is largely observed by Hindus, although Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists also take part. It's one of the biggest festivals in India, but is observed wherever there are large South Asian diasporas. During Diwali, homes, businesses, and public spaces are lit up with oil lamps as people exchange gifts and eat sweets with loved ones. And fireworks also light up the skies.

All right, that wraps up this hour of "CNN Newsroom". I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with just more news in just a moment. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:00]