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17 Hostages Return To Israel On Day Two Of Truce; Source: Israel Receives List Of Gaza Hostages Set For Release Sunday. Aired 9- 10p ET

Aired November 25, 2023 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:30]

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: You are live with us in the CNN NEWSOOM. I'm Alex Marquardt in Washington. My colleague, Kaitlan Collins, is live in Tel Aviv. Jim Acosta is off tonight.

We do continue our breaking news coverage, as Israel welcomes home a second group of hostages released earlier today. This was the extraordinary scene that you see right there, at the Rafah crossing, from Gaza into Egypt. We witness those hostages finally making their way out of Gaza in those vehicles from the International Red Cross.

Just moments ago, we also watch as some of those hostages finally arrived at a hospital in Tel Aviv. And it's there, where they will be reunited with their families, after more than seven weeks in captivity. We are still waiting for more hostages to arrive at the hospital, that should be moments from now.

As part of the deal involving a four-day pause in the fighting, which we are halfway through, more than three dozen Palestinians were also released from Israeli prisons, both yesterday and today.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins is with me from Tel Aviv. She has been bringing us up to the minute coverage of this ongoing caught hostage exchange -- Kaitlan.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yeah, Alex. And as we are just now seeing, you know, here 4:00 in the morning, those hostages arrive at the Al- Shifa Medical Center, right now. We are still learning more about what is going to happen potentially, tomorrow with the third group of hostages because we do now know that Israeli officials have received the list of hostage who are slated to be released by Hamas from Gaza tomorrow.

We know the Israeli government has already contacted the families of the hostages that are on that list, to give them the news. Also, contacting the families whose loved ones are not on that list tomorrow, and are not set to be released by Hamas.

Right now, these are the 13 Israeli hostages who are released today. Eight children, and five women, they range in age from 67 to just three years old. The IDF also says that four Thai nationals who are being held hostage are part of the group that were being released today. We have eyes and ears on the ground covering all of these breaking developments here in this second hostage exchange, as part of this major temporary truce.

Our CNN chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance has been following this all day.

And, Matthew, obviously we are watching, still seeing these hostages. I mean, so much later than the first group of hostages, make their way to these medical centers.

What's next for them?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So much later, but at least they are here. There is a point earlier on this evening when there was a possibility that they weren't going to be released at all. So still I think it is positive. In terms of what's next, well, obviously, they're going to be undergoing a much more thorough medical checkups, to make sure that there is nothing medically wrong with him that could be treated.

For instance, they've spent a lot of time potentially in darkness, some of them probably underground. That is certainly a concern. And so, one of the first things that the Israeli medics will have done, is examine their eyes, to make sure there's been no permanent damage from that kind of lack of light.

That medical treatment will continue. But if everybody is in the sort of relatively good health, and one of them has been sent directly to a hospital, with some potential conditions. Well then, they will be psychological counseling. They want to make sure that this first contact back at home is as soft and as easy as possible. They are going to be psychological problems, they expect. The Israelis expect. You know, the trauma of being torn away from their homes on October the 7th, in such a violent way, and, of course, their subsequent ordeal, as well. These will have left scars.

COLLINS: Yeah, you know, I keep thinking of, as delicate as we saw, it's so clearly was today. Prime Minister Netanyahu said at one point that the Red Cross will be able to go in, as a part of this agreement, to tend to the other hostages who are not being released, who aren't expected to be in this group of 50. But we haven't seen that happen yet, because Israeli officials have been telling us Hamas isn't letting it happen.

CHANCE: That's right. And, when I heard that, as being one of the things that had been conceded to by Hamas, I think it's a big thing, that Hamas are going to allow an outside organization like the ICRC, the Red Cross, to come in and inspect the other hostages inside Gaza, where they are being hidden, of course, to make sure that the Israelis don't stage special forces, military raids to rescue them.

And so, look I think it was always a little unlikely, that they were going to go to agree to that.

[21:05:03]

Or, at least allow it to happen once they had agreed to it. And so yes, that's been a concern. But, there have been allegations of violations, from Hamas. It's one

of the reasons of the agreement. It's one of the reasons why this hostage exchange, this hostage release rather, was delayed so long. They are saying that the Israelis did not allow sufficient aid into the Gaza strip, to release the right kind of prisoners, the right level of prisoners from Israeli jails either.

And so yes, there is disagreement. But it is a very fragile one, and it is full of lots of conditions that you know, maybe violate -- may be being violated, but maybe not to the extent that it is worth calling off the deal. No one wants to derail this, for the sake of, you know, a small disagreement.

COLLINS: The one part that does appear to have held is, there's been no fighting in Gaza. And part of that was also no drones flying overhead. I mean, Becky Anderson was showing this video of a young nine year old boy saying, for the first time no drones flying over Gaza, it's the quietest it's been. And he couldn't remember how long.

What does that cost Israel though, as far as intelligence, as far as what they can see when it comes to moving around hostages, or Hamas regrouping?

CHANCE: Well, I mean, this was one of Israel's big concerns that, that the reason they didn't do stage this pause in the fighting is because they thought it may give Hamas the opportunity to regroup, to resupply, using the hostage deal as cover for that. I mean, yes, they are not flying drones in the air either, but they've still got ways, I think from satellites and things like that, to keep an eye on what's going on on the ground.

Also, you know, the other boon for the hostage release is that those individual hostages who are coming out, may well have intelligence that could be actionable, and they will be able to paint a sort of -- a bit more of a three dimensional picture of what the situation is for the other hostages on the ground. And, I don't know this for a fact, but you can imagine that each one of those hostages is going to be deeply briefed by the security services of this country, to see what they can pass on, to see what intelligence they can offer.

COLLINS: All right. Matthew Chance, thank you for that reporting. We will continue to watch this as we do now know, that there is this third list, Alex, of what is really hostages.

Of course, a big question is whether or not American citizens are going to be on that list. We didn't see them in the first group. We did not see them on the second group. The White House is hopeful they will be in this third, or potentially fourth group to be released by Hamas.

MARQUARDT: And we will certainly be asking the White House whether they have gotten that list from the Israelis, or from the Qataris. And certainly, whether they know any Americans to be on that list or not. Thank you very much, Kaitlan.

President Joe Biden and his top aides have been closely following today's events unfold. CNN's Arlette Saenz has been with the president for the past few days, as he spends time in a Nantucket with his family for Thanksgiving weekend.

Arlette, we have heard the president repeatedly say how involved with this process he has been. He has made clear that he has personally inserted himself into these conversations. Notably with his Israeli Egyptian and Qatari counterparts, he called the emir of Qatar again today, there have been repeated calls between the two men.

And that was happening, that call happen as this delay was beginning to form, as we were starting to understand what was going on. What role did the president play in making the parties move, forward and get to where they are now with this hostage release?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alex, President Biden has talked about this entire process about the implementation of this plan would be key. And that is why he got personally engaged, involved today, as there were these signs that the deal could be, delayed or potentially falling apart.

And, the officials in the White House say that President Biden spends part of the morning on the phone, speaking with the emir of Qatar. And actually, the Qatari prime minister, to talk about these possible hurdles that were popping up, as well as ways they could try to alleviate some of those concerns.

Of course, the Qataris have been acting as one of the main mediators between Israel and Hamas, in these negotiations. And, it was around 1:30 in the afternoon here Eastern Time, where the White House got word from the Qataris, after they had this extensive engagement with senior White House officials, as well as their counterparts in both Egypt, Israel and Qatar. Around 1:30 is when the White House got word that this released today was moving forward, and that the Red Cross was moving to try to recover these hostages.

And Vice President Kamala Harris actually spoke a bit about this earlier today, as she was out in California. Take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There were some issues and the challenges around implementation.

[21:10:04]

President Biden spoke with the emir, to resolve those issues. And we do believe they are being resolved.

We are going to continue to be diligent, and vigilant, and doing all that we can in that regard, to ensure that there is humanitarian aid, going that hostages are going, and then our highest priority, of course, are the American citizens who are being held.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SAENZ: So President Biden is hoping to keep this deal on track towards completion. But one concern is about those American citizens who are still being held hostage by Hamas. They were not part of their releases that occurred on Friday and Saturday. And, so, officials we watching for the coming hours, waiting to hear whether any American citizens will be in this next batch. Expected to be released on Sunday.

There are three Americans that the U.S. is working to try to get back to their families, that includes two women and also that four-year-old Abigail Edan. The White House saying that they are hopeful that they will be released in the coming days. And of, course there are still many more Americans who remain hostage, as well as that larger group.

MARQUARDT: Yeah, they believe they're as many as ten of them. And when the president was asked if he knows their conditions, he said that he did not. So, that is a major question. Arlette, signs traveling with the president in Nantucket, thanks very much.

Hamas released 17 hostages tonight, 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals. But, there are still many families hoping that their relatives will be next to be released. The father and mother of one hostage join CNN, next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:15:17]

KAITLAN: So far, a total of 26 Israeli so far, a total of 26 Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas. The whereabouts though of roughly 200 more still unknown in Gaza tonight.

For so many families, the wait here is excruciating. And, that includes the parents of Sagui Dekel-Chen. We see his photo here, just 35 years old. He was kidnapped during that raid of kibbutz Nir Oz, or we saw so many hostages yesterday from that kibbutz.

Joining us now tonight, his parents, Jonathan Dekel-Chen and Gillian Kaye.

Thank you both so much for joining me. In what just must be an agonizing time, to see other family members coming home, while still waiting onward of your loved ones.

Jonathan, can you just tell me how your feeling, how you process this, to see what obviously must pay very bittersweet moment for you?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, SON KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Well, honestly, it's joyless, it's joyous. Yesterday, 12 of the 13 hostages that were released were kids and young, moms and elderly, all from a kibbutz. These are my extended family, really, not blood relations, because of the fact that we are a small, very tight community.

And today, with the release of more hostages, sort of on the same profile, different communities, I couldn't be happier for them, honestly. I don't know if this is the start of something bigger and longer, but for right now, I couldn't be happier for those families. But, we won't stop until all 240 are home and safe with their families, including, of course, Sagui.

KAITLAN: And Gillian, I mean, when you hear that, that is so amazing to hear that, that selflessness. And to know that it is such a tight- knit community, and, of course, and Nir Oz, we were talking to a dean I'm -- they were talking about just the fact that she was held underground, they said this entire time, in the dark.

And she had this moment, I was told, where she came out. And when she saw this on for the first time, she was on her way from -- she didn't know that if she was released, if he was taken to be executed, until she saw those Red Cross cars. I mean, it just speaks to all of these hostages have been through, for the last 50 days.

GILLIAN KAYE, STEPSON KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: I -- that's really, that's really heart wrenching what you just shared. Idina is a very dear friend. And I had heard that, a little speechless.

But, of course, every day, you terrible things go through your mind, and just to clarify, I -- am an, I'm here in the States, launching it from here, which is sort of a different kind of agony, not being with Jonathan, not being with the other kids, not being with the communities there in Israel right now.

And, you know, of course, every day it's a new, sort of horrible thoughts interspersed with hoped. And, is he okay, is he being treated all right, is he hurt. And then of course, hoping that he is okay, and we are going to get him back, like all of the rest of the hostages.

COLLINS: Jonathan, have you heard anything from, I know that you talk about how the U.S. government had done a really good job of staying in touch with y'all, with the families. Had you heard anything from either of the Israeli government or the U.S. government?

DEKEL-CHEN: No, unfortunately, I, we are especially challenging boat, with many others. Not just from Nir Oz, but some other communities. From the morning of October 7th, 9:30 to be exact in the morning, that was the last time we heard from the Sagui, and we have heard nothing else.

He did not turn up, or he was not identified in any of the horrific video clips that Hamas posted on their social media sites. And, we have no had no more formation for many sources, is really, American, or otherwise.

COLLINS: Yeah, I know it's difficult, and this deal is for women and children, and we have spoken for a lot of families who, they have young sons, it's hard to kind of wrap your head around, with the prospects here. And I also know, Gillian, Sagui has two young children.

[21:20:04]

He has a third that is due to be born any day now.

How is his family doing?

KAYE: How is his family doing? His girls miss him, his wife misses him. But they are strong. They are doing their best, to keep themselves together, certainly, his wife to take care of the girls. And, they are waiting, like we all are, hoping and waiting for him to come back. And, for life to go on in whatever way it will. What more can I say about how they are.

DEKEL-CHEN: Well, I would only add to that that, it's heartbreaking when they asked questions that we cannot answer, his girls. And it's also hard breaking, in a similar way that they ask why can't they go home, why can't they go home? And it's impossible to tell in that kibbutz Nir Oz was destroyed, it was burned to the ground. And that we not only can they not get their dad back right away, but also there is the home they have known their entire lives was destroyed by terrorists and looters a month and a half ago.

So, it's been agonizing to stand there in front of our children and other children, and have no good answers to any of totally legitimate answers.

COLLINS: Yeah, I wouldn't even know with his grandparents, where to start with those questions. When is his wife due to have his third child?

KAYE: Yeah, maybe two weeks.

DEKEL-CHEN: A week to two weeks.

KAYE: A week to two weeks, and she's been early.

COLLINS: Of course, a week to two weeks, that could be. Yeah, that could be any day now, we all know, I remember when my sister had my, nephews they were a month early. I mean, just -- how are you guys holding on?

I think, we talk to and we hear from a lot of viewers and people who are watching, who listen to interviews like this one, and they just don't even know how you guys have the strength to talk about this, to talk about your pain, and what is this agonizing situation that you were in.

KAYE: Well, you can start.

DEKEL-CHEN: Look, I'd rather be doing anything else in the world, right now. But, my son and 230 other Israelis are being held captive in a living hell. And it's my job, and other people's jobs to, despite the pain, alongside the pain and the fear, to do everything they can, to make sure that the world, through media like you, and governments in Israel and the states in partnering countries, and goodwill, countries to keep this really prioritized.

And, I keep going, because I visualize. A day, I hope tomorrow, but I don't know when that day is going to be, when his two little girls and leap into his arms, because that is what they're waiting for, that's what we are all waiting for, and for him to meet his third little girl, very, very soon.

KAYE: Yeah, I mean, there is no way to fight this, as he said, it's so impossible to wrap your head around. So, the only thing we can do is continue to lift up the story of the hostages, keep his name and the other hostages' names front, center in everyone's minds, to fight and struggle for that. But -- if we stop doing that, then there is just a lapse. And, it's not going to do Sagui any good.

COLLINS: Yeah, I am so grateful to you all for joining. Thank you all for coming on, and being willing to talk about this. The stories are so important. Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Gillian Kaye, your son Sagui Dekel- Chen, we are thinking of you guys, and his whole family tonight.

DEKEL-CHEN: Thank you.

KAYE: Thank you so much.

COLLINS: Thank you both. Of course, we are continuing to speak to families like Sagui who are just spending tonight waiting to learn more. Also, there are other hostages, the second group that was released today, they just rely arrived at hospitals here in Tel Aviv. We are continuing to track that, as they are being reunited with their families.

Our special live coverage of the latest hostage release continues right after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:28:35]

MARQUARDT: We have some incredibly emotional moments that have just come into CNN. I want to show you this video. This is the moment that Emily Hand, you can see her right there, was reunited with her father, Thomas Hand. That was moments ago, another family right there reuniting as well.

Emily is nine years old. She turned nine while in captivity. She was released today after 50 days held by Hamas.

Thomas Hand, you may remember, was interviewed by CNN. Several weeks ago by our friend and colleague Clarissa Ward and it was one of the most searing interviews that I've seen in my life where he was saying that he not only believe that Emily had been killed but that he had said that that was -- that would be a better outcome than being taken prisoner by Hamas because what he thought Hamas might do to his daughter.

He later found out that she was still alive and here we have this remarkable, unbelievably emotional reunion -- Kaitlan.

COLLINS: I mean, just to see that moment where that father gets to hug his daughter after hearing, you, know how candid he was with Clarissa and that interview about what he thought had happened to her. It gives you chills. I mean you see the smiles on the faces of the IDF soldiers who were there, as he is being reunited with her.

[21:30:01]

We've seen so many of these moments and I think each one gives you chills, and just another story.

And the other little girl that you see in this video, hugging the other man. That is Hila Rotem. She's hugging her uncle Yair I believe. He's done several interviews talking about her she was the hostage who was released today in unusual circumstances. When we've not seen play out in the last few days, Alex, which was without her mother.

Typically, what we have seen and what we heard from Israeli officials is that when they made this agreement with Hamas that there were parents and their children, mothers and their children, who were held together. They wanted them to be released together. Not to be separated. And we've seen multiple mothers and their children be released. We saw it yesterday, we saw several of them today.

Hila was the one released without her mother and we've asked Israeli officials, they don't really know what is the condition of her mom. Do they believe she was kidnapped, this video of her when of her being kidnapped with her daughter hiding in the bushes on October 7th.

But I think it speaks to -- they don't know the conditions of any of these hostages until they turn up at the border. There is no insight into how they are doing. And so, to see her and obviously he law and Emily are friends. She was at the kibbutz. She was spending the night. She had asleep over with her friend. She did actually live there. And she was out asleep over on October 7th when that horrific day happened.

So just a joyous moment, when there's not been a lot of those moments and to see them reunite with the family, you can see it on their faces, Alex.

MARQUARDT: It's not just for the families, is for the whole country. They've been demanding the hostages come home. That is real do what they can to bring these hostages home. Obviously there are many other families that are holding out hope, that their family members are still alive and will be home soon.

And under this deal that was struck, there is the expectation that 24 more Israelis will be released over the coming two days. As you say, Kaitlan, things can change. And unexpected things can happen and people may not get released when they get expected to, when they are expected to. So it's a very fluid situation and very worrying situation.

But the one that we're looking at now is obviously one of tremendous joy for those two families.

Kaitlan and I are going to take a quick break. We will have more on our special coverage from Israel and Washington about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, right after this break.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:36:30]

MARQUARDT: As the second wave of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners were released today, Qatar, a central figure of negotiations between Israel and Hamas is hoping now that the truce can be extended beyond the four days that was originally agreed to. As hostages arrive, you can see, there, the Israeli hospitals.

Palestinian detainees and prisoners also arrived in the West Bank where celebrations erupted. Israeli military, these really military did use tear gas to disperse some of the crowds.

I want to bring in Andrew Hallman who's the vice president of National Security Strategy and Integration at Peraton, and joins us now. He also served in the office as director of national intelligence, one of this country's highest intelligence figures.

Andrew, thank you so much for joining us.

We know that during this pause, six hours a day, there will be no drones in the sky -- not Israeli drones, not American drones. How does Israel make up for those eyes not being there to try to keep tabs on Hamas and try to figure out where the hostages are?

ANDREW HALLMAN, FORMER PRINCIPAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Alex, this was a major concession made by Israel and United States to restrict drone flights. They've been an important tactical asset in the ability to locate and track Hamas operatives. To make up for the loss and the capability, Israel has other capabilities settling reconnaissance capabilities. They're better for strategic intelligence collection, and for technical intelligence collection.

It puts a premium on human intelligence collections, spies, on personal accounts, for example, of released hostages. Of social media accounts, of other open source reporting, as well as other potential standoff capabilities as Israel has. But it's an important collection capability that they will be without several hours a day.

MARQUARDT: The concern now during this pause is that Hamas will be able to reset and move around, perhaps re-arm and prepare for the next wave of fighting. What is Israel doing right now to capitalize this from an intelligence -- capitalize on this from an intelligence standpoint?

HALLMAN: It's an important opportunity for Israel because with the movement of Hamas, with the ability of Hamas to then get about to try to reconstitute, resupply, regroup, reconstitute as commanding control, that offers movement possibilities that are opportunities for intelligence collection, as well as it's probable attempt to then move other hostages around and preserve their liability as future negotiating bargaining chips, for example, to extend the truce longer.

These are all movements and opportunities for intelligence collections, as well as the potential that Hamas will try to re- contact and be in contact with its Iranian sponsors, with the IRGC. Those also offer opportunities for intelligence collection, not just against Hamas but against Iran to run at the picture.

MARQUARDT: There have been questions really about to what extent Iran was involved in the October 7th attacks.

What kind of contact do you think there is currently between Iran and Hamas given how much scrutiny there is on Hamas?

HALLMAN: I suspect they're still contact. I do believe that Iran will provide guidance to Hamas as Hamas tries to reconstitute, to regroup and resupply. But again that offer is an opportunity for intelligence collection. There's also opportunities that Israel has for example sensitive side exploitation is the idea that it's cleared the north, as it has captured Hamas operatives, an opportunity to interview them, to debrief them, to interrogate them, and to try to turn that around fast with a rapid turn on the cycle to get actionable intelligence for future location and tracking of Hamas operatives.

[21:40:07]

But the truce, the longer that goes, the harder it is for Israel to do that because that intelligence become stale, the longer the truce goes on.

MARQUARDT: I want to ask you about the rule of Bill Burns, the director of the CIA. He's been central to this. He's gone to the region. We know that he's been on numerous phone calls.

What does that tell us? Why do you think that the CIA does have that role and Burns in particular?

HALLMAN: There's two primary reasons, Alex. One is simply the personal stature that burns brains, the incredible standing that he has as a professional diplomat without parallel which gives them a lot of trust and credibility around the world.

Secondly, intelligence channels have proven to be an affective means of negotiation because they tend to offer enduring lasting trusted channels that tend to be more resilient to shifting political winds and so they provide a trusted channel for some time. George Tenet did this, for example, in the Clinton administration as an interlocutor of the Palestinians and Israelis.

MARQUARDT: This has been cast, including by Biden administration as an intelligence failure by Israel. The U.S. has left a lot of this up to Israel to keep things on tabs on Hamas and other Palestinian groups after this. Do you think the U.S. intelligence community is going to be more of an effort so they can have their own intelligence?

HALLMAN: I do think that will come under pressure both within the administration as well as from Congress to have more of its independent streams. But I think it will also be in and emphasis on helping Israelis learn from this conflict, help to retrain them, offer assistance to them to reach store their intelligence capabilities so that they don't suffer the same kind of catastrophic intelligence failure.

But it will also be important for the U.S. to be keeping its eye on its long term more strategic from China. So, while it can walk and chew gum at the same time, it will have to be cognizant of the need to maintain the intelligence collection and capabilities against, for example, the Russians with the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and at the same time the prospect of a broader Middle East conflict, it has to be cautious that it doesn't get dragged into too many places at once.

MARQUARDT: All right. Andrew Hallman, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much for time and expertise. Appreciate it.

HALLMAN: Thank you, Alex.

MARQUARDT: And we will be right back with more special live coverage. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:46:29]

MARQUARDT: Earlier, I spoke with the spokesman for the Qatari foreign ministry who told me that there is a chance that the four-day pause that has been negotiated could be extended. But for a moment, he told me, it did look like today's deal might fall through.

I asked Dr. Majed da Al-Ansari what happened today and what slowed down the transfer of hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: As you know, Alex, I can't get into the details of the ongoing situation as it's going on right now. Our main focus is to get the hostages and prisoners back home and united with their family and as you might (INAUDIBLE), there's a lot of tension within the process itself that we don't want to dissipate even further.

However, I can tell you that this kind of mediation, you always going to find both sides saying that the other side did not abide by the agreement and this is why we had the operation. We are able to get things across in real time, to immediately hash out these issues. And this is how we were able to date to move from a bleak moment where it seems like the agreement is not going to be delivered on this day to now the family is on their way to be reunited with their families.

MARQUARDT: A very bleak moment you say. Our understanding of this agreement that was put in place is that parents and children need to be released together. We've now seen several sets of family members released today and yesterday. Was that one of the issues today?

AL-ANSARI: Again, I can't get into the details of what the issues you're talking about, but we are very happy to see at least family members, especially the children, being reunited with their families, and on the other said, we had 39 Palestinians and 13 Israelis today, alongside the four Thai nationals. So, generally speaking, I think that we are progressing in a positive

way. It is the second day of the truce and being able to do that on the first and second, day it makes us hopeful that we can work towards a more sustainable agreement and get more hostages out.

MARQUARDT: I understand you do want to get into a-for-tat, he said, she said, between the two sides, but one of the big demands by Hamas was that more aid would be allowed into the Gaza Strip. You said in your press conference the other day that it was going to be 200 trucks of aid per day.

Is the amount of aid that was agreed upon making its way into Gaza?

AL-ANSARI: As Alex -- as you were saying with the -- we're getting here with the numbers of trucks getting in, they are certainly below -- well, there are always going to be below what is needed, as the need is great and the level of destruction is quite high. However, the agreed amounts need to be there, it's something that we're working with our partners in Egypt, in the United States and both parties of the conflict to make sure that logistically, things are already on the ground. There are a lot of moving parts on the ground when it comes to the humanitarian aid there, which we need to work through operations here in Doha, has been working 24/7, since the humanitarian pause began to make sure that all the elements come together again, with the freeing of hostages, the freeing of prisoners from Israeli prisons, the aid coming in from Egypt, all of this is happening at the same time, and at the same time maintaining and monitoring the pause itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[21:50:00]

MARQUARDT: And on the question of Palestinian prisoners being released, the spokesman, Dr. Al-Ansari, said that the prisoner releases are based in part on time served and for those at risk. CNN's specialized life coverage continues next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Leading up to the two days of hostage releases that we have been watching uncovering here closely, CNN's Nic Robertson has covered the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack and Israel's military response in Gaza on pause for now as a temporary truce takes hold.

He looks back at everything that he's seen, what he's heard, and what may be next.

I want to advise you that this report from nick contains graphic images that says he's never seen anything like this in his 30 years of war reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Minutes after leaving the plane in Tel Aviv -- The sirens have gone off, people are taking cover. We have got off the

bus. People are taking cover. You can hear the intercept missiles banging in the air.

It's October 7th, 14 hours since Hamas's attack began. No one knew what to expect. A few hours later, three and a half miles from Gaza --

It's Iron Dome being fired up all around us right now. It's illuminating the sky here. The bangs are the Iron Dome intercepting rockets being fired from Gaza just a couple of miles away.

The coming days reveal Hamas's horrors. More than 1,200 dead.

You can look at all these shell casings that are scattered around on the ground here. This gives you an indication of the intensity of the firefight.

More than 300 at the Nova Music Festival. A rocket shell there where some were mercilessly killed in cold blood had the biggest impact.

Six weeks later, we happened to be passing as Israel's recovery specialists clean it out.

This is bringing back a lot of painful and difficult memories. The last time I was here six weeks ago, it was still full of human flesh and remains. I'm looking inside, it seems worse. The grenade splatter, the gunshots in the wall here, they are bigger. They are worse.

Just looking at it, that night I was -- I was really emotionally beaten by what I saw here. I don't know, it's clean, but I don't think I will ever forget it, and that feeling.

Equally unforgettable, the scale of suffering and death inside Gaza. An average of 2,000 people a week killed, two thirds of them women, children, and the elderly. The worst I have ever witnessed while covering a war.

My only access to Gaza, the IDF, revealing an apocalyptic landscape where every building appears crushed, collapsed, shot up, burnt are blown apart, nothing untouched by the war. Destruction on a scale I have never encountered before.

More rockets coming out, more rockets coming out -- guys, more rockets coming out.

For weeks from a balcony a mile from Gaza, witnessing the destruction, explosion by explosion, day after day, as the IDF followed political orders to destroy Hamas, and Hamas emerging to fire rockets back.

Through these long weeks talking to families of hostages, hearing their pain.

DEKEL-CHEN: It's excruciating. We don't know if he is healthy or wounded. We know nothing.

ROBERTSON: And sharing difficult moments. Guys, siren!

With victims returning to where Hamas attacked them.

ALIZA SAMUEL, OCTOBER 7 ATTACKS SURVIVOR: They were lined up, they were -- I saw one of my friends, she was begging for her life.

DEKEL-CHEN: So, what next? Cease-fire, hostage release? Maybe. But it won't be all hostages. And the halt in fighting is unlikely to last.

Israel fears Hamas will exploit the pause to regroup. Hamas will do whatever it takes to survive, including not handing over all the hostages.

Israel vows to completely destroy Hamas and release the hostages. Their tactics show fighting Hamas is the priority and it's far from finished.

The implication just watching the past six weeks, for some hostage families, more days and more weeks of agonizing wait. For Gaza's besieged civilians, continuing misery. Gaza is still cut off from the world, the vast majority of its 2.2 million citizens displaced, crowded in the southern end of the enclave.

Humanitarian access on a scale to match the scope of their need is absent. Israel vows to route Hamas there, as well.

Most of Gaza's hospitals are out of action. International pressure on Israel is mounting.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: We are witnessing killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am secretary general.

ROBERTSON: The only concrete certainties today in Gaza rebuilding what is destroyed will take years. And in Israel, no one will feel safe until Hamas is gone.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Sderot, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Our thanks to Nic Robertson for that report.

Of course, stay with CNN for the very latest here on the ground in Israel on what's happening in Gaza. Thank you so much for joining us tonight. I'm Kaitlan Collins in Tel Aviv.

MARQUARDT: And I'm Alex Marquardt here in Washington. Have a good night.