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CNN International: 11 Hostages Released by Hamas on Fourth Day of Truce; Pause in Fighting Reveals Extensive Damage in Gaza; 1 of 3 Palestinian Students Released from Hospital; Ukraine: Fierce Fighting Continues in Embattled Avdiivka: Indian Rescuers Prepare for 41 Trapped Workers After Drilling Ends; Call to Earth Day 2023. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 28, 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: Dozens of hostages are still being held in Gaza, and eventually this pause in fighting is likely to end. When it does, Israel's defense minister is warning the military operation will intensify. CNN's Oren Liebmann reports from Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A nation celebrates once again as more Israeli women and children feel freedom. The fragile truce now extended by 48 hours, sealed with the release of hostages. Already some of the freed hostages, like Margalit Moses, are being discharged from the hospitals, ready to head home.

MARGALIT MOSES, RELEASED HOSTAGE (through translator): I need to tell you how amazing you are, really, for everything you have done.

LIEBERMANN: Meanwhile, others rejoice in their first moments of reunion. Maayan Zin waited 51 days to see her two daughters. Among those freed over the weekend, 4-year-old Israeli American Avigail Idan, still the only U.S. citizen to be released from Gaza. All of Monday's group from the devastated community of near Nir Oz.

The truce agreement now set to be extended by two days. Hamas will release another 20 Israeli women and children, and Israel will release 60 Palestinian women and children from prison. Humanitarian aid will flow into Gaza and the temporary ceasefire will last a bit longer.

YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): We will return to fighting. We will apply the same force and more. Therefore, this is the mission now.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The pause, revealing a hellscape in parts of northern Gaza with barely a building left untouched. A few days of quiet in the devastated Palestinian territory, does not mean any peace.

ABDEL QADER MOHAMMED AL-KAHLOUT, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): I came from the north. There is nothing left in the north. The north has become a large plain. Nobody knows where their houses are. We don't know what happened to us. Overnight, we became displaced from the north to the south.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Aid trucks are bottlenecked at the gate to Gaza. Meager relief for the crushing humanitarian crisis beyond the border. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians have rallied as women and children have been released. But according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, nearly twice as many have been detained has have been set free since Friday. At best, this remains an uneasy truce between two sides that vowed to keep fighting as the sun sets on the first stage of this agreement.

Oren Liebermann, CNN in Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: In Vermont, authorities are looking into whether the shooting of three Palestinian college students constitutes a hate crime. One of the three students has now been released from the hospital, a source tells CNN. The shooting comes amid a rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents ever since the war between Israel and Hamas began. Meanwhile, the suspect 48-year-old Jason Jay Eaton has pleaded not guilty to attempted second degree murder charges and is being held without bail. The uncle of Hisham Awartani, the college student who was most critically injured over the weekend, describes what happened that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICH PRICE, HISHAM AWARTANI'S UNCLE: They're our house guests for Thanksgiving. On Saturday, it was our eight-year-old twins' birthday party. These three young men, college juniors, agreed to come to this birthday party with us. Very graciously they play with our boys. We had just come back from the birthday party and they decided to take a stroll around the block to get some fresh air. They were just walking, talking amongst themselves. They were wearing their kufiyahs, which are traditional Palestinian scarves.

And this gentleman stepped out of the dark and pulled out a handgun and fired four times. And my nephew, Hisham was struck twice. And -- but all three were struck by bullets. And it's -- it's inconceivable that something like this could happen in our community. And you know, these three young men grew up in Ramallah. They're best friends from growing up. They grew up under military occupation. And who would imagine that they would come to a place like this to celebrate Thanksgiving and this is when their lives would be at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Awartani has suffered a serious spinal cord injury, and his mother, Elizabeth Price, told CNN he's lost functional ability in his legs and doctors say the prognosis is bad.

And now still ahead, Ukraine says a town on the eastern front of the war endures non-stop shelling and fighting. A Ukrainian soldier gives us an inside look from the trenches.

[04:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Nearly 300 children have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, according to police. Earlier this month, local officials ordered families with children to leave some communities that were being bombarded by Russia.

Also in the east, Ukraine says Russian forces are still trying to surround the town of Avdiivka, well as fierce fighting continues there. But officials there added that Ukrainian troops are holding their ground. Joining us live from Kyiv is CNN's Anna Coren -- Anna.

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Max, a fierce battle is being waged in Avdiivka, the Eastern Front line. There is fighting going round the clock -- 24 hours a day. Now the Russians have been trying to take this town since 2014, when Russian separatists occupied Donetsk. And it has been under fire since Russia's full-scale invasion of last year. But things have certainly picked up in the last month.

According to the Ukrainians, the Russians are trying to encircle the city. They're applying the meat grinder tactic like they did in Bakhmut. But the Ukrainian military says its troops are holding their ground.

Now President Zelenskyy has described this battle as an onslaught. He has also said that this battle will determine the course of the war. We have sat down with one of the company commanders in Avdiivka, Oleh Sentsov. And he told me that he filmed this battle, one of the most brutal battles on his GoPro, because he wants the world to know the truth on the frontline. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (voice-over): In the pre-Dawn light, a cacophony of military firepower fills the air. Incoming explosions, outgoing fire. As one of Ukraine's assault infantry units of the 47th Mechanized Brigade tries to take back trenches in Avdiivka captured by Russian forces.

We need drones, we need drones, says company commander Oleh Sentsov, filming on his GoPro.

The bastards are sitting in the tree line shooting at us, he explains.

In a rare interview, the former filmmaker imprisoned by the Russians in 2014 for five years, tells me about last month's mission in what has become one of the hottest spots on the Eastern Front.

OLEH SENTSOV, COMPANY COMMANDER, 47TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (through translator): My goal was for people to watch this and know what this war is really like.

[04:40:00]

Because it's very important to record this so that people know now and know later what a cruel and terrible war it is. COREN (voice-over): One of his troops has been hit. They remove his

body armor to reveal a bullet hole. As they apply a chest seal, the team has even bigger problems than they had.

Duck the tank is coming, yells one of them.

And then the war from the sky begins. Drone, drone, FPV, yells a soldier.

I see it, another shouts back.

Minutes later, another soldier is hit. This time shrapnel to the legs. While talking on the radio reporting on his injured troops, Oleh also gets hit but doesn't realize for a few moments.

There's a small hole. I see the blood. You're bleeding, says the female paramedic.

Quickly patched up, Oleh remains focused and composed, until suddenly they hear the rumble of tanks. Oleh's unit tries to bury themselves in the earth as one drives by.

The female paramedic cries, we are surrounded, the tanks are shooting on us.

Approximately 40 tons of terror so close the earth is shaking.

Drone footage taken by the Ukrainian military shows four Russian tanks firing on the tree line. Positioned in those trees are three Ukrainian assault groups in trenches spread out over a kilometer. Oleh's unit is in the middle. They were the only ones to be spared.

SENTSOV (through translator): We failed to hold our position and had to retreat. We had injuries but survived, but the other two groups were almost completely destroyed.

COREN (voice-over): This is the first time Oleh has failed a mission as commander in the almost two years that he's been here. The 47-year- old tells me, he wants the world to know the truth on the frontline. A war, this father of four, is returning to this week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN (on camera): Max, Oleh said to me that every time he goes to battle, he has to think that he could potentially die out there, that that is his mindset as it is with all the other soldiers that that are heading out there every single day. He wants the world to know what is happening. Obviously, Ukraine has dropped from the news headlines. And it is so important for the world to remember that these soldiers are fighting every single day in these trenches in what has now become a war of attrition.

You know those boys that you saw in that clip, they didn't gain any ground whatsoever. Their job was to gain ground. They couldn't even hold that, that, that, that trench. We heard from General Zaluzhny, the commander in chief of the

Ukrainian Armed Forces. And Max, we have talked about this and he has said that that this is now a stalemate. This is a war of attrition. And these two sides are slugging it out. And whilst this may be static, there is fierce and bloody fighting happening every single day. Mass casualties on both sides just to hold this ground.

FOSTER: Anna in Kyiv, thank you.

Now, linked documents suggest the United Arab Emirates plan to use its role as host of the COP28 climate summit to strike new oil and gas deals with other countries. The documents, published by the Center for Climate Reporting, appear to be briefing notes for Sultan Al Jaber, who will preside over the UN event, which begins on Thursday.

Among the documents are several suggestions to offer new oil and gas projects with the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which Al Jaber leads. COP28 spokesperson says the documents are inaccurate and were not used in meetings.

In India, rescuers say 41 workers trapped inside a tunnel for more than two weeks could emerge soon. Officials say the drilling was completed a short while ago, and rescuers have gone inside the tunnel. The men have been trapped since November the 12th after part -- after the part of the tunnel they were helping to construct gave way, blocking their only exit.

For more let's go over to CNN's Vedika Sud on the phone from New Delhi. They've still -- they've actually drilled a new shaft, which is a massive operation, but they're very hopeful about it.

Looks like we'll have to come back to Vedika a bit later on.

Now, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, meanwhile, expected to attend a memorial service for his late wife Rosalyn in Atlanta today.

[04:45:02]

Current U.S. President Joe Biden also expected to attend. The former First lady passed away last week at 96 years old. Right now, her body is lying in repose at the Carter Center. Rosalyn Carter is being remembered as a tireless advocate for mental health reform and to the dedication to humanitarian causes. A private funeral service is set for Wednesday in the Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia.

We can go back to Vedika now. Hopefully, you can hear me, Vedika, with an update on that rescue.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER (via phone): Yes, Max, we've been in touch with the officers on the ground in the state of Uttarakhand where this tunnel is, which collapsed more than two weeks ago. And we just spoke to one of the officers who said -- and I quote him here -- we're at the end of it all, unquote.

That itself is such an optimistic note, Max. It seems that this is the final stretch to bring those 41 migrant labor home out of that tunnel that collapsed two Sundays back on the 12th of November. We don't know what their current state of mind, of course, is. Imagine being stuck in a tunnel that has collapsed for more than 14 days. But we're being told that ambulances are on standby to take them straight away to hospitals where there will be medical checkups conducted.

But this comes after a very long wait. The breakthrough follows a series of agonizing setbacks, Max. There were so many times that they were promised and assured that they will be pulled out within hours or days. But every effort -- and this has been a constant effort for the 17 day now to bring them out -- had failed up until now. There was an auger machine that was brought in, manufactured in the United States of America, that was brought in. That broke down and that broke so many hearts of those inside that tunnel and their family members waiting outside.

CNN has also spoken, Max, to some of the family members. They have told us that they're waiting with extra pair of clothes for their loved ones who've been trapped inside. They're waiting to see the first sight of them after 17 long days. They're going to be emotional scenes very soon that we're going to see.

We're being told by the government and the Chief Minister of the state who did post on X some time back that this is the final lap and they're hoping that these men are pulled out in a couple of hours, perhaps from now. We don't have an estimate of the time within which they will be pulled out. But like you mentioned, the rescuers have gone through that pipe and we're hoping to see these men healthy, hopefully coming out of that tunnel. And for the first time in more than 17 days, seeing daylight -- Max.

FOSTER: Do we know how they've survived down there?

SUD: Well, there were piped, Max, through these pipes over the last 17 days. There was food that was being sent. Initially, there were very narrow pipes and there was dry food that was being sent to them. Then there was cooked food that were being sent to them. There was another dedicated pipeline through which oxygen was being supplied to these 41 men. About a couple of days into them being trapped there for the first time, we also saw video of them that emerged and through a megaphone the rescuer spoke to them and assured them that they would be well and fine and they would be pulled out in time to come.

I think it's just that they have been very strong and the rescuers have been constantly trying to get to them. This is massive debris they were dealing with, Max. So, we're talking about a mine tunnel with just one exit that was blocked. They've used auger machines. They've also done a lot of manual drilling. And finally, though, there were five options to pull them out. This one option is what perhaps is going to work, which is the horizontal drilling.

Now we just have to wait and watch and see when they're out. This could take just, you know, a couple of hours from now or more. But we're just hoping for their safe return to their families. And I think we're really one needs to worry about at this stage, Max, is their mental health condition. Being trapped inside for 17 days isn't easy, and it's going to take a while for rehabilitation for these men who've been so brave and who have been waiting so patiently to be brought out -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, our best for them, Vedika. Thank you so much for joining us with that update.

Still to come, CNN marking its third annual call to Earth Day. We'll take you live to school here in London, where students are raising awareness and taking action to help protect their environment.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Today, CNN's third annual call to Earth Day to raise awareness of environmental issues and to promote conservation education really across the globe. Let's go live to CNN, Anna Stewart who's at the Copper Mill primary school here in London -- Anna.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Hey Max, I have been sent back to school and I wanna show you what we are seeing here today. These are the members of the very illustrious Eco Council. 12 members that have been rigorous, application and interview process. And here I've got Clara and Bee. Girls, what are you planting today?

BEE: We're planting spring bulbs. So basically, this is -- these will grow into great plants. And plants and flowers really help the environment and pollinators and pollinators are really like essential to our survival.

STEWART: Clara, how important is?

CLARA: It's really important. Over there what they're planting some trees. So, trees just pretty much just breath in what we breathe out. So, if we keep on planting them, we'll turn out to just be one happy cycle.

STEWART: Good work. I love the spirit, right? We're also joined now by assistant head teacher David Gilbert. Because this isn't just something the school does once a year. Sustainability is really at the core of what your school does.

DAVID GILBERT, TEACHER: Yeah, absolutely. We were very lucky to win the Sustainable School of the Year award for 2023. Sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do at Copper Mill. So, the Eco Council work with us regularly. We've also got our sustainability action plan that we've put in place. We're getting solar panels fitted on school roof. We're going to set up rain gardens around the school to help with flooding.

So, yeah, sustainability really is at the core of everything we do here. And days like today really help to raise the awareness and to get the kids excited about it all as well.

[04:55:04]

We've been working with a company called Meristem who've helped us redesign this space. So, this is going to become an allotment and a fruit garden for the children to be able to grow and enjoy their own food.

STEWART: Well, we look forward to seeing that. Thank you so much for hosting us today. And thank you for all the work you're doing. Max, plenty to be getting on with here. I think I might have to get my hands dirty.

FOSTER: I think you should, Anna, it's absolutely calls for it. Thank you.

Here's a look at how other students. Are answering the call.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Hong Kong, where at the Harrow International School where year five students are marking call to Earth Day. In addition to creating these posters, the students here have also been writing poetry about our shared home. Victoria is just going to share a stanza of what she wrote. Victoria, please share.

A sigh escaped like a breath in the winter. Green grass wade happily as the creature walks by. All was silent. A perfect silence. Dandelion smiled up at this ruling canvas of twinkling stars.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: These 10, 11 old students coming from some 15 different countries, but for most of them there seems to be one thing in common, that is they are city kids. But already they're learning, even in sprawling metropolises like Beijing, it has more than just bustling city streets, but also farms, rivers and mountains with a lot of biodiversity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: We work to make our school ecofriendly place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: We raise awareness about protecting our planet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Almost 90 percent of all flowering plants and 1/3 of crops are dependent on pollinators. It's very micro level, but we want to help address this problem as best as we can as students. So, these are places where they can nest and rest while they also pollinate for the world.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And you can see just how built up it is. This is right in the heart of Seoul.

STOUT: Havens for wildlife. They could be found in our urban backyard, are beautiful and they deserve to be protected. And the students here in Hong Kong, they're doing just that by raising awareness, learning, education, even engaging in beach and trail cleanups. From Hong Kong, all the students here at Harrow Hong Kong like to wish you a happy -

GROUP OF KIDS: Call to Earth Day!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Thanks for joining us. We'll be following that of course throughout the day. This has been CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Maxwell in London. "EARLY START" is next here on CNN.

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