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CNN International: 17 Hostages Freed by Hamas on Day Three of Temporary Truce; 3 Palestinian College Students Shot in Vermont; Russia Launches Wave of Drone Attacks Against Kyiv; Plains, Georgia Residents Pay Tribute to Former First Lady. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 27, 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]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: For some Israeli families, and nightmare that began more than seven weeks ago has finally come to an end. CNN's Matthew Chance has more from Tel Aviv.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They arrived by helicopter to the safety of an Israeli Children's Hospital near Tel Aviv. Their 51-day nightmare as hostages in Gaza, at an end. Just hours earlier, they were released to the Red Cross. Hamas posting this highly choreographed video, its audio removed, apparently showing Palestinians in Gaza City, which Israel has relentlessly pounded cheering as hostages are handed over. Including U.S. Israeli toddler Abigail Edan. Who turned four just days ago in captivity. Her parents were killed by Hamas. Her relatives say Abigail doesn't know she's returning home an orphan.

NOA NAFTALI, COUSIN OF FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGE ABIGAIL EDAN: Her brother and her sister have survived. They hid in a closet for 14 hours after watching their parents murder, thinking that Abigail was murdered too. They are now with their grandparents and their aunts and uncles who lived with them on the kibbutz. They have a wonderful extended family. And we are all waiting for Abigail to come home.

CHANCE (voice-over): This was the horrific aftermath of the Hamas rampage through Kfar Azza, one of the Israeli communities near Gaza, where so many were slaughtered or abducted on October the 7th. Family members say Abigail was in her father's arms when he was gunned down, and she fled to her neighbors, the Brodutch family.

CHANCE: How old?

AVICHAI BRODUTCH, HUSBAND AND FATHER OF FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGES: He's four and a half.

CHANCE (voice-over): Only to be abducted and now released along with them. From the start of this ordeal, Avichai Brodutch told me he's kept faith.

BRODUTCH: I've got all this hope with me and my beliefs. And I believe that they're doing fine. You know, these guys, they took them. I know they're religious, I know they're Muslim, so I've got this really great hope that they are, you know, treating them well, feeding them and letting them move around a bit, maybe play some soccer.

CHANCE (voice-over): Now also released, 9-year-old Tal Goldstein Almog, seen here before he was abducted from Kfar Aza, along with his mother, a sister and brother. They're also now freed. But return, their uncle told me, to a shattered family. Tal's other sister, Yam, and father, Nadav, were both murdered.

OMRI ALMOG, UNCLE AND BROTHER OF FORMER HAMAS HOSTAGES: I mean, the best is in the front of us. It's going to come. Whatever happened, we cannot change. Nadav is no longer with us. Yam, the beautiful girl, is not with us anymore.

CHANCE: But there's still a chance. There's still a chance for your sister.

ALMOG: Yes, yes. We have to bring what left. We need to bring back what left from this family. It's a broken family.

CHANCE (voice-over): And there are so many broken families that each hostage release may now start to help rebuild.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, some major cities saw massive protests related to the Israel Hamas war on Sunday. In London, thousands rallied against anti- Semitism. Police say hate crimes have spiked in the city ever since the conflict began last month. Protesters called for the release of hostages, and some carried signs that read, "Act Against Hate before it's too late."

And in New York in one of the busiest travel days of the year, the Manhattan Bridge was shut down for almost 4 hours by a massive sit in, with protesters calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The bridge reopened late on Sunday afternoon.

Three Palestinian College students were shot in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday. Evening. Police say they've now arrested a suspect. 48-year- old Jason Jay Eaton, who lived in an apartment building near where the shooting took place. CNN's Carlos Suarez has the details of the attack.

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CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities in Vermont are looking into the possibility this was a hate crime. According to police in Burlington, the three Palestinian students were walking on a street on their way to visit a relative on Saturday when they were confronted by a man armed with a gun. All three students were shot. Now at the time of the shooting, we're told two of the three victims were wearing a keffiyeh. That's a traditional Palestinian scarf. We're told the photo of the three students was taken earlier in the day on Saturday. All three victims are being treated at Vermont Medical Center. Two of

them were told are in stable condition. The third suffered more serious injuries.

Now according to the Institute for Middle East Understanding, that's an organization that is in contact with the victims' families. The students were identified as 20-year-old Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Hisham Awartani. We're told all three graduated from a private school in the West Bank before coming to the U.S. to attend different colleges.

[04:35:04]

Awartani's great uncle, a former Palestinian Minister of Education, said Awartani was visiting grandmother. Here now is an attorney representing one of the victim's family on why they're certain this was a hate motivated crime.

ABED AYOUB, LAWYER FOR VICTIM'S FAMILY: The suspect walked up to them and shot them. They weren't robbed. They weren't mugged. It was a targeted -- a targeted shooting and a targeted crime. And they were wearing the keffiyeh. They are known in the area for, you know, for being Palestinian, you know that that's a very well-known symbol. It's a very well-known cloth that's very symbolic of the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian culture and history. So, the fact that we're wearing this and then fell victim to a shooter leads us to believe that that that played a role, their identity played a role in them being targeted.

SUAREZ: Sunday night, a crowd gathered outside of the Burlington City Hall and called on police to investigate the shooting as a hate crime. Now, earlier in the day, the chief of police said no one can look at this incident and not suspect it may have been a hate motivated crime. The FBI said it is aware of the incident and they're ready to investigate the shooting.

Carlos Suarez, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Next on CNN newsroom, Ukraine is retaliating after Russia launched a record number of drones at Kyiv over the weekend.

Also ahead, the families of Chinese victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 are getting their long-awaited day in court for their battle for answers and closure far from over.

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FOSTER: Russia says it destroyed at least 24 Ukrainian drones that were headed for Moscow and other cities just in the past day. Dozens of other drones were also taken out over Ukrainian areas that are under Russian control. This all happened the day after.

[04:40:00] Russia launched its largest drone attack against Kyiv since the start of the war, according to local officials. A Ukrainian energy company says power has been restored to everyone in the capital after those attacks left people in the dark. CNN's Anna Coren joins us live from Kyiv. I mean, this whole battle happening in the air at the moment.

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, on Saturday, Max, an unprecedented wave of drones targeting the capital here early Saturday morning. We heard the air raid sirens, then loud explosions from the air defense systems working overtime, and then the sound of drones. This lasted for more than six hours. As you say, 75 drones targeted Ukraine, mainly Kyiv. 74 of those were shot down.

Now we visited one of the areas where the drone debris had dropped. It was on a kindergarten in a residential area. Meters away, hundreds of apartments in this residential complex. One of the mothers that we spoke to, she said, we're used to this, but we don't want to be used to this.

And the fact of the matter is, Max, that Ukrainians know that there will be more attacks like this in the coming weeks and months as they move into the depths of winter. It is snowing here in Kyiv. Temperatures are freezing and Russia wants to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure. So, the Ukrainians know that there will be more attacks. These air defense, you know, obviously protecting Kyiv. They are critical. But Russia's aim to hit them and obviously to terrorize the population.

FOSTER: President Zelenskyy calling for more help with those defenses, right?

COREN: Yes, absolutely. We heard from him over the weekend saying that whilst Kyiv is protected, there is a deficit of these air defense systems. He's in touch with countries who have promised more. He specifies the regions, particularly on the borders of Belarus and Russia. He says Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Dnipro, Sumy, Junigiv and the Donetsk region, these are very difficult places to protect. Let's have a listen to what President Zelenskyy had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There is a certain number of air defense systems with certain names. We are asking for them. We've already got a positive answer when those systems will start to guard that region, because there, both the corridor and the people are important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Now, Max, you know we know that that Ukraine needs absolutely everything. We are moving into the second year of this war. They need arms. They need ammunition. They need drones. They need air defense systems. As we just heard from President Zelensky. But there is a growing consensus amongst -- certainly, the people that we are speaking to and the analysts -- that the West is providing Ukraine enough to stay in the fight, but not enough to win. And there is real confusion as to why that is the case.

We then speak to these soldiers on the frontline. Yesterday we went to a hospital where there were dozens of soldiers injured in this war. They were the lucky ones to have survived. And they say that they do not have enough weapons to fight this war. General Zaluzhny, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he said as much in a nine-page essay printed in "The Economist" a few weeks ago. He said there has been a delay in the weapons provided by the West. We know the F-16s that are coming from the United States. Training is underway now for the pilots, but those won't be up in the air until, you know, spring at the earliest.

So basically, the world needs to step up. The West needs to step up. You know, Ukraine is fighting Europe's war and the people here they need these weapons. They need these air defense systems now.

FOSTER: Anna in Kyiv, thank you.

Sierra Leone's president says most of the leaders responsible for an attack on military barracks in the capital city of Freetown have been arrested. The president says a group of people had attacked the armory early on Sunday morning but managed to escape after coming up against security forces.

On Sunday, a nationwide curfew had been opposed and officials are continuing the investigations.

Compensation hearings are now underway in Beijing for the families of Chinese victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. About 40 families are suing the airline as well as its insurer Boeing, and the manufacturer of the plane's engine. The plane disappeared over the Indian Ocean nearly ten years ago, a mystery that still never been resolved. Of the 239 people on board, 150 were Chinese nationals. The plaintiffs in the hearings, who've turned down previous settlement offers, claimed the tragedy not only deprived them of their loved ones, but also left them in financial distress.

[04:45:02]

Still to come, winter weather set to dump snow on some states in the U.S. We'll have the latest forecast and where it's going to hit next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: This week in Atlanta and cities across Georgia, many people will pay their final respects to former U.S. First Lady Rosalyn Carter, who died last Sunday at age 96. CNN's Eva McKend is in Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia, where parishioners gathered over the weekend to celebrate her life and her legacy.

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EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the Maranatha Baptist Church Sunday morning, a hopeful tone, a spirit of gratitude as congregants reflected on the life of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. At one- point, former President Jimmy Carter's niece, Kim Fuller, asking congregants to sing "Morning has Broken" as loud as they could, as if Rosalynn could hear them. That was one of her favorite songs.

She thanked one of the congregants for readying for this week by redoing the flowerpots. At one point, the parishioners all praying for the Carter family.

[04:50:04]

We had the opportunity to catch up with one of the deacons of the church, and he spoke about the significance of servant leadership, something that he said Rosalynn truly embodied. Let's listen.

ZACH STEELE, DEACON, MARANATHA BAPTIST CHURCH: I personally heard the food ministry, she would give just loaves of bread into the windows of cars. That's all she could hold. This was even last year. But it was -- she would serve until she absolutely couldn't serve anymore. You see so many people who are worried about themselves these days. But you know, it's a different generation of servant leadership what we saw from the Carter family. So, we're forever grateful for her.

MCKEND: A number of celebrations of life will take place this week, including on Tuesday in Atlanta. A memorial service that President Biden and other dignitaries are expected to attend. Wednesday will be the funeral service here in Plains. Tomorrow in nearby Americus, a wreath- laying ceremony.

And a question in many folks' mind, is will President Carter be able to attend any of these events this week? The short answer is we don't know for sure. But we do know from a walk-through we were at today in Americus, the preparations are underway for him in the event that he is able to come.

Eva McKend, CNN, Plains, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: An end to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the U.S. came with thousands of flight delays. These were the lines at Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta on Sunday as travelers waited to board their flights. More than 7,000 flights within or in within, into or out of the U.S. were delayed on Sunday, according to the tracking website FlightAware, where but less than 50 were reported cancelled. American Airlines says Sunday was their busiest Thanksgiving ever, servicing nearly 6.5 million customers and more than 6,100 departures.

More travel delays across the U.S. may be coming this week thanks to winter weather as well. The U.S. National Weather Service reports more than a foot of snow fell across some states on Sunday, and even more is on the way for the states in the Northeast. Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the latest forecast for the U.S.

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ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Some snow showers could slow you down on the roads as you get back to work after the Thanksgiving holiday. We have a couple of warnings in effect for snow, some lake effect snow warnings off of Lakes Erie, and Ontario advisories stretching up into Maine., and you can see where some of that travel slows from Minneapolis to Chicago and Detroit as some of those lake snow showers, really start to pump.

Then even from New York and Boston, the last of that rain and even some snow showers getting into New England even late in the day on Tuesday. Some totals for rain could be up to an inch. The snow totals really zeroing in on some of these communities right off of the lakes as that cold air really starts to pump some of that lake effect snow. What's happening is we have Arctic air coming in behind that front. That very cold air is going to swipe across the lakes.

When that happens, the lakes are relatively warmer than that cold air. So, the cold air is able to pick up some moisture from the lake. It starts to hit into the land rises very quickly and it gets that snow machine to pump. And man, will it pump. We're looking at some totals well over a foot for some communities near Cleveland and Erie, some 12 to 18 inches of snow possible. Up in Oswego, this Tug Hill could be looking at some totals, maybe two or three feet. So, getting pretty treacherous as we start the work week here after the holiday. Temperatures are going to stay below average. We'll keep that Arctic air in play. But at least Tuesday and Wednesday with quite a bit of a chill in the air.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now the headlines are filled with news of war and suffering in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, of course. But people around the world are still finding reasons for hope as the holiday season brings warmth and cheer. Here's Michael Holmes. With more on that.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gift from one city to another. Every year for the past 76 years, the people of Oslo fell a tree from a nearby forest to send to London where it will shine bright for the holiday season in Trafalgar Square. A token of gratitude for Britain's support of Norway during World War II. A beacon of hope for some and a break from some of the bleakness in the world.

ANNA LINDBOE, OSLO MAYOR: But it's also become to mean so much more. And we're living in this really, really dark times and I think the Christmas tree symbolizes peace. It symbolizes standing together, friendship between cities.

HOLMES (voice-over): That spirit of love and light in full swing in many cities. From the celebrations on the Champs-Elysees, to a holiday selfie with sparkling backdrop in Madrid. Or a stroll through a Christmas market where the warmth of the season is doled out by the cup full.

[04:55:00]

ISABELLE SERVANT, TOURIST (through translator): It's the magic of Christmas. The lights, the mulled wine, the cinnamon, the pretzels. You get away from the every day. HOLMES (voice-over): But there are some places where loss overshadows joy. In Israel, despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, there is hope more Israeli families could be reunited with loved ones kidnapped by Hamas before Hanukkah begins in a week and a half.

Christian leaders in Jerusalem have advised churches in the region from refraining from overly festive activities for Christmas. The city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, which is usually illuminated each year to mark the birth of Jesus, says it is dismantling its Christmas decorations this year in solidarity with Palestinians and Gaza.

Ukraine faces its second Christmas while at war with Russia. This year, it's officially moved the holiday to December 25th when many Christian denominations celebrate it, instead of following the Russian Orthodox calendar which observes it on January 7th.

Last year, there were some reservations about putting up a tree in Kyiv's city center. But a 12-meter-high artificial tree was lit up in the colors of Ukraine's flag. The lights, powered by a generator, because of repeated Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure. Kyiv's mayor called it a tree of invincibility. A light that won't go out even in the darkness of war.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thanks for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" with Kasie up next here on CNN.

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