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New Poll Results Ahead Of Iowa Caucus; 100 Days Of War In Gaza; Cross-Strait Impact Of Taiwan's Election; North Korea Reportedly Launches Ballistic Missile. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired January 14, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:39]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: And a very warm welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.

Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM:

A new poll shows Donald Trump with a massive lead in the Iowa caucuses as candidates battle not just each other, but dangerous winter weather ahead of Monday's polling.

Plus, it's been 100 days of war in Gaza. And Israel's prime minister says there will be no stopping the bombardment until it meets its goals.

And, Taiwan has a new president-elect. Now, the country grapples with the cross strait impact of the voting.

(MUSIC)

NEWTON: Okay, so we are less than 48 hours before the first nomination contest of the U.S. presidential race, the Iowa Republican caucuses. And a just released poll shows Donald Trump holds an iron grip on the GOP. The final "Des Moines Register" poll, and that is "The Des Moines Register"/NBC News/Mediacom poll of likely Republican caucusgoers chose Trump support at 48 percent. Nikki Haley is at 20 percent. And Ron DeSantis at 16 percent.

Iowa is coping now with a vicious winter storm that has forced candidates to cancel events during this critical final weekend. Now amid the concerns, the storm will affect the turnout of Monday's caucuses and candidates, of course, are still working to try and build enthusiasm.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, Monday is going to be cold, really cold. But what I'm asking you is if you will take the time to not just go to the polls, take people with you. Wear layers, because you might be standing in line. Take your ID, but think of the fact that you might be making history in this moment.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They can throw a blizzard at us, and we are going to fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's chief U.S. national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny has more now from Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: With two days to go before the Iowa caucuses open the Republican presidential nominating contest, Donald Trump still remains far and away frontrunner in Iowa, according to the new "Des Moines Register"/NBC News poll. This Iowa poll which has a storied history of capturing the final movements in this race shows Donald Trump at 48 percent in the poll.

The race for second place is fascinating, with Nikki Haley edging out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just narrowly, 20 percent followed by 16 percent. The rest of the field is far below, Vivek Ramaswamy 8 percent, the rest goes down from there.

But it is the top of the field, showing that Donald Trump still has an overwhelming lead of the race, his supporters the most committed. The reason this matters, weather has been a central concern, blizzard warnings and dangerously cold weather, the committed supporters may be the answer to who shows up on the caucuses here on Monday night in Iowa.

But Haley is riding a wave of momentum, although the poll finds that her supporters are not as committed or enthusiastic as others. It also shows that some 68 percent of people have made up their minds, a quarter of Iowa voters have not made up their minds. So, there's still room for movement in this race.

But bottom line, this is still Donald Trump's race to lose, there is no doubt. Also, this poll raises expectations of it. He's 28 points ahead of his leading rival, so his margin of victory should he have one on Monday night should be judged against that number.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Joining me now is Jeff Stein, program director and radio host on 1540 KXEL in, yes, Waterloo, Iowa.

And we are so glad to have you with us on really what is nearly caucus eve here. You have been covering this for such a long time now. I want to start with what you just heard from the latest poll results. And if you think there has been a lot of movement there. Is there anything that surprised you?

[02:05:03]

JEFF STEIN, IOWA RADIO HOST: Paula, what's really interesting is how stable the numbers are, regardless of which poll you look at. The numbers from the most recent "Des Moines Register" Iowa poll, virtually identical to those that were released not long ago by Trafalgar Group, all the major polls have Trump virtually identical to those that were released not virtually identical to those that were released not long ago. All the major polls have Trump solidly ahead near the 50 percent mark. And Haley in second.

But when you go beneath the raw numbers you find that Trump support, very solid, not as solid however, is the support for either Haley or DeSantis. And that is why either last minute comments or things that happened on the campaign trail or, yes, the weather, could impact that big race for second place Monday night.

NEWTON: And let's get to that weather. You get it to us straight, right? So many people have talked about it. Said it would affect the turnout. Others saying it won't affect the turnout. You know, what do you think?

STEIN: Well, we are used to heavy snowfall. We are used to cold temperatures. We are not as used to two big snowstorms, then the arctic blast all in one week. But this is something Iowans take very seriously. It's their responsibility every four years.

And so, as long as all we are dealing with is below zero cold on Monday night. Folks are used to this. And keep in mind, there are nearly 1,700 precinct sites for caucuses. That means you're in your neighborhood. You're a short distance away.

Yes, it is more of a problem in a rural area. But again, those of us who live in rural areas are used to it. So I do not think it will affect the turnout that much. If it does affect one candidate as opposed to another, it might be Nikki Haley because her support is softer, certainly than President Trump's is.

NEWTON: And I'm really interested in what you are saying there, just because the weather has featured so much. If you don't have a four wheel drive, someone probably has one and will take you to where you need to go. They will get that all organized.

I want to ask you if we look back at the last few months and yes, this campaign has been going on for months. What has surprised you in terms of everything that has gone on the last few months?

STEIN: We are used to seeing candidates rise and fall, rise and fall, sort of the flavor of the month if you will. And I don't mean that disparagingly. But they are very popular, then they drop back. Ramaswamy was the first who kind of spiked up there in the 15 percent range. Now, he has fallen back.

Haley, though, has been the one with the momentum. DeSantis had a certain flat level, really has not really risen or fallen. Despite all of the effort, despite all of the endorsements, Governor DeSantis is only hovering at 20 percent. And I have to tell you, if the Haley supporters and she has been the hot candidate over the last couple of months. If those supporters show up, and she finishes second, no disrespect to Governor DeSantis, but I don't know where his path is to victory given Haley's strong showing in the polls if you believe those in New Hampshire.

NEWTON: And that's usually what they say about Iowa. That even if you guys don't always pick the winner you certainly do the job in terms of getting that field down to size.

What can Iowa teach us, though, about the choices that are in front of Americans in this campaign? Campaign 2024?

STEIN: Iowans have a pretty good detector for those who are coloring the truth or those who are just blustering. They will ask follow-up questions. And so, our bold detector, if you will, is pretty good, and that does help expose candidates who come in and are used to talking in sound bytes.

The Iowa caucuses as you note are not necessarily designed to pick the ultimate winner. If they were, then we would not need 49 other states to weigh in, but it is a way for people who are above average in terms of intelligence, and education, who take this very seriously to ask the candidates tough candidates, require follow-ups, and then give you the rest of the world our judgment on who we think could be qualified and who is nothing but an empty suit.

NEWTON: Certainly engaged and listening. And a no bull sign there on the state of Iowa. We all look forward to it and the results of it.

Jeff Stein, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

STEIN: Thank you, Paula.

NEWTON: Sunday marks 100 days since Hamas launched its deadly rampage in Israel killing about 1,200 people. Right now at this hour, a massive rally is underway in Tel Aviv to mark that terrorist attack. It is set to last for 24 hours straight, calling for the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

Meantime, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had blunt words reacting to accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

[02:10:01]

He called the case brought by South Africa a, quote, hypocritical onslaught which he said was brought on behalf of those who want to commit another Holocaust. Regarding the war's 100 day mark, Mr. Netanyahu said this. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We today mark 100 days of war. 100 days since the days our citizens were slaughtered and kidnapped. We are continuing the war to its conclusion, to total victory, until we have achieved all of our objectives --the elimination of Hamas, the return of our hostages and the guarantee that Gaza will never pose a threat to Israel. We will restore security in the south and in the north. No one will stop us. Not the axis of evil or anyone else. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Elliott Gotkine is standing by for us in London.

One hundred days in, Elliott, and we just heard the words from Benjamin Netanyahu. Can you give us insight into how Israelis are feeling about this, especially when he, the prime minister and his war cabinet seem to really want to take this to its logical conclusion which could take years if they go by their stated goal of destroying Hamas.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Well, I suppose this is the dissonance, if you like, among the Israeli public, which is everyone is universally agreed that Hamas need to be destroyed who went universal. Everyone supports getting all of the hostages back home. But certainly according to many of the people we spoke with at that rally being dubbed 100 days of hell, many saying that, look, these two objectives are contradictory. You can't keep destroying Hamas and expect them to come to the negotiating table to bring about another truce that would see the more than 100 hostages who have presumably been kept deep inside Hamas' tunnel network to get them back.

Israel's perspective, the prime minister has said it is the military pressure that will force Hamas to eventually release those hostages. But at the same time, there are concerns, of course, that is just simply not going to happen. So while I do have very broad support for the war aims of destroying Hamas, Israel has been traumatized for those 100 days since what was the worst day in the country's history, and the deadliest attack and murderous day against Jews in the Holocaust.

And yet, at the same time, they all agree they want the hostages home. Are they contradicting one another? I'm not sure those two objectives can be achieved simultaneously.

Of course, they are all there in Israel, due to last for 24 hours. They are all there not just to keep up the pressure on the government to do all that it can to bring them home. To make bringing the hostages back the number one priority. But it is also to remind the world that 100 days on, these people, more than 100 of them, are still being kept by Hamas and other groups inside the Gaza Strip. And they want, they are not to be forgotten and to get them home as soon as they can, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah, as you're speaking, we are looking at more pictures, certain from Saturday, and as you said, the protest goes onto today.

I don't have a lot of time left. But in terms of what you are saying, those contradictory statements, that he wants to prosecute the war, but it's also a priority to bring the hostages home. I get the sense there is more skepticism among the families of the hostages right now, as to whether or not they can actually get the outcome they want from this government.

GOTKINE: There is skepticism. Some of them will say yes, Hamas need to be destroyed. In fact, they all agree that Hamas needs to be destroyed. But they don't want that to be at the cost of their loved ones. And so, there is this potential contradiction going on there.

And so, yes, they want them home. Everyone in Israel wants them home. I don't think any thinking person would suggest they shouldn't be allowed. Be free to go home. Israel despite attempt has only managed to free one hostage since this war began. There have been a number of attempts, all of them have failed, to bring other hostages home in terms of, you know, doing it militarily.

And so, it does seem the truce (AUDIO GAP) that something like this is going to happen. There is no sign of that coming about, things like the assassination of al-Arouri on January 2 presumably by Israel isn't helping matter, in fact, it's making it even harder to get the hostages home, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah. Certainly, a difficult hour and days ahead there in Israel.

Elliott Gotkine for us in London, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Still ahead for us, while many in Taiwan are celebrating the results of an historic election, China is not happy. More on why after the break.

[02:15:00]

And flooding from Africa's second largest river has left a trail of devastations in its wake and any hope of relief is still weeks, weeks away. That is also ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Breaking news out of Asia now as North Korea has reportedly launched at least one ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. That's according to South Korea's joint chiefs of staff.

Japan's coast guard says the projectile landed in the sea. The launch comes a little more than a week after Pyongyang fired hundreds of artillery rounds into the maritime buffer zone with South Korea in what Seoul called a provocative act.

China says that Taiwan is still its territory, and that will not change, even as the island's ruling party celebrates an historic election victory. Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party got 40 percent of the total vote. China had warned Taiwan that a Democratic Progressive win could increase the risk of conflict.

But voters, they shrugged off the warnings by making Lai Ching-Te their new president.

Listen.

[02:20:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LAI CHING-TE, TAIWAN'S PRESIDENT-ELECT (through translator): The Taiwanese people have successfully ignored efforts from external forces to influence this election, as we believe we can choose our own president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Mark Stewart is following all of this from Beijing and join us now.

Marc, good to see you and have you weigh on this story.

Now, China and Taiwan traded sharp words about the selection result. In terms of action, will China just sit back and absorb this at least for a little while?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. I think right now, Paula, what we are seeing is very much according to script. Despite this push of a narrative by China to Taiwan that this election is a choice or was a choice between war and peace, it has dealing with the result that it is less than thrilled with.

And for the moment, we are seeing a statement, something to the effect of there is only one China and Taiwan is part of that China. That is something that we saw overnight into the morning hours here in Beijing.

There is no question, Paula, that Beijing has a very big tool box. It could certainly do something militarily as we have seen before. It also has some diplomatic tools, some economic tools it could use to show its force, its presence over Taiwan.

But China has to be careful. Right now, it is dealing with a long list of domestic issues including a very slow-growing domestic economy. It is dealing with unemployment. It is dealing with a housing crisis. In addition, President Xi Jinping has seen a lot of leadership changes around the people who surround him. So does China really need to add bold aggressive action toward Taiwan amidst these current troubles? Perhaps maybe China will wait until the spring. Once the inauguration takes place to make a judgment as far as what that next step will be.

NEWTON: And, certainly many will be watching and that includes of course the United States. How is the U.S. playing into all of this? We have to remember Taiwan is assuming robust American support for years to come now.

STEWART: Right, and we cannot have a discussion with Taiwan and China without bringing up the United States. What we are seeing in the immediate moment is a bipartisan delegation expected to arrive in Taipei some time today. A big point, a big stress is to call it an unofficial delegation so there is a lot of former government officials in this group.

I was talking to (INAUDIBLE), he's a watcher of Taiwan. He is based from Illinois state university. He said to me, this is definitely a symbolic move. A signal to show Taiwan that yes, the United States still supports it. And the response from Beijing is along the lines of look, this is an election in China. This is a Chinese matter to the United States, kind of stay away. Don't move into our territory.

Yet, also at a time when we have seen the United States and China really try to establish diplomatic ties after many, many frosty months, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah, it seems to have had some progress. We are looking at pictures of the meeting between the two leaders in November. And as you said, perhaps a good time to stay on the sidelines for just a few months.

Marc Stewart, appreciate it.

Now, months of flooding of Africa's Congo River has killed more than 300 people in the surrounding countries, and according to authorities, destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes. While the World Health Organization is bracing for the fallout of water born diseases.

CNN's Michael Holmes has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Homes submerged to their rooftops, murky water, plastic bottles, shoes and a foul smell are flooding some neighborhoods that for now can be only navigated by makeshift canoe. Officials say more than 300 have died in recent months from the overflowing Congo River, the second longest river in Africa after the Nile.

Burst river banks and intense rains have left tens of thousands of homes on both sides of the river destroyed.

NICLETTE LUZOLO, FLOODING VICTIM (through translator): We were born here, and this is our plot with four shops that helps us with the children's school fees. This water overflows without it really raining, water often overflows, but this time it overflowed badly. We have children and a plot of land but are homeless.

HOLMES: In the neighboring Republic of the Congo, with its capital Brazzaville also bordering the river, 64,000 households have been destroyed or damaged according to the World Health Organization.

Small waterways that crisscross are sometimes open sewers, overflows.

[02:25:06]

Some residents resorting to shovels to paddle through the murky flood waters.

DIDIER KAYENGA, CONGOLESE BOATMAN (through translator): The water used to come up to our knees, now it's up to our chests. I had the ingenuity to think of installing a canoe, and now I have three.

We're supporting the government because they're waiting for the water to recede before they build a bridge here. HOLMES: Flooding in Kinshasa is common this time of year, but today's

water levels are up nearly 6 meters, submerging entire ports along the river, a situation unlike anything many have seen in their lifetimes.

HELEN, KINSHASA RESIDENT (through translator): We've lived in this neighborhood since we were children, it's the first time since we were born we've experienced this situation. So to get around, we have to use dugout canoes and we continue to live in this situation because we have nowhere else to go.

HOLMES: The World Health Organization says it's responding to health threats like water and vector-borne diseases, maternal and child nutrition and food insecurity. Rain is expected to lighten up but might not be until February that the water line will go back to normal.

Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: To Colombia now where rain is forecast in the northwest region as the number of people confirmed dead in landslides rises. In the past few hours, the prosecutors told CNN -- the prosecutor's office told CNN that 37 people have died. The governor of that region said more than a dozen bodies were transferred to the city of Medellin for forensic examination. She say she will not rest until everyone in the area has the information they need about those relatives who may be affected.

I'm Paula Newton. For those of you watching NEWSROOM in the United States and Canada, we'll have more of those top stories coming up after a break.

For those tuning in from elsewhere, "MARKETPLACE ASIA" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:41]

NEWTON: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and Canada. I'm Paula Newton and you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Israel's war against Hamas is crossing its 100-day mark on Sunday.

Massive rally is underway in Tel Aviv at this hour, calling for the release of more than 100 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza. An estimated 120,000 people are taking part in the event which is scheduled to last 24 hours straight, wrapping Sunday night.

Hamas launched its deadly rampage into Israel on October 7th, killing about 1200 people. But Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza drew more protests around the world Saturday, including near the White House.

CNN's Gabe Gutierrez was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was a huge rally that included a march through the streets of Washington and a protest outside the White House. And its size and program mirrored the last massive march for Gaza we saw in Washington, which I covered in early November. But the message on Saturday felt even more urgent as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. These protesters calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and really trying to put political pressure on the Biden administration to send its unequivocal support for Israel and end military aid for the war effort in Gaza.

I spoke to a Palestinian-American woman who has lost family in Gaza since the conflict began, and she voted for President Biden in 2020, but 2024, she said, is a different story. Take a listen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have American family stuck there now. And we have tried every avenue for their evacuation. They've tried four times, they were shot at, at the border.

There's no circumstance in which President Biden has my vote in the upcoming election. He's single-handedly funding the genocide of my people.

COHEN: And we do know there was at least one incident connected to the protest with U.S. Park Police arresting two people, they say, for disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer.

Gabe Cohen, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: U.S. congressional leaders have apparently reached an agreement on a short term funding bill that will keep the government running into March. Now source tells CNN the House Republicans will have a conference call Sunday night to discuss it. Far right lawmakers are pushing to include border policy changes in exchange for not shutting down the government.

Now it is a topic that has proven to be a political flash point for the Biden administration, Priscilla Alvarez has more from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: President Joe Biden saying Saturday he is willing to make quote significant alterations in the border. This as Senate negotiators on Capitol Hill continue to try to hammer out a deal on border policy changes to pass the White House national security supplemental request. That Republicans say hinges on border policy changes and the president on his way to Camp David having this to say to his Republican colleagues.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've been pushing for fundamental change in the border for a long time, a long time. And so, I'm hopeful. I'm going to let those negotiations play out. But other than that, I'm going to take action myself. ALVAREZ: Now, of course, this comes against the backdrop of the Biden administration asking the Supreme Court to intervene as Texas blocked a part of the Texas-Mexico border from border patrol, essentially blocking them from carrying out their federal enforcement duties. Now, Texas since responded saying they were trying to address the situation.

But it was part of the ongoing dispute between President Biden and Texas Governor Greg Abbott over the handling of the U.S.-Mexico border as he continues on with his border mission which has caused alarm within the Biden administration. Again, it comes to show again the challenges that the president faces in trying to navigate what has become a political vulnerability for the White House. And, the border policy changes that Republicans are asking for to get billions through for Israel, Ukraine, and border security as the president has requested.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: In Texas, three migrants and adult woman and two children have drowned in the Rio Grande River in city of Eagle Pass.

[02:35:04]

Now, that's according to a Democratic lawmaker there, who is calling it a tragedy for which the state bears responsibility. It comes days after local authorities blocked the U.S. Border Patrol from accessing miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. We are hearing tragic stories more and more often lately. But it seems to be impossible to deter those who are desperate to reach the United States, despite the real dangers.

Rafael Romo has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When we were at the border less than three weeks ago, there were as many as thousands of migrants crossing the Rio Grande daily with the purpose of surrendering to immigration authorities to request asylum. Now the number has plummeted to just a few hundred per day. But the asylum crisis in America is far from over. And as we found out, it is proving to be very costly for cities across the nation.

(voice-over): A small boy's abandoned shoe, a jacket stuck in barbed wire, a pile of recently discarded clothes along the Rio Grande, not far from Eagle Pass, Texas, signs of human presence are everywhere.

This 38-year-old Honduran mother traveling with her 3- year-old son and 16-year-old daughter said their reasons for crossing are more powerful than the measures intended to stop them. She says she decided to leave Honduras after her daughter was kidnapped.

REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): This crisis has spiraled way out of control, and we're at the point of no return.

ROMO: A local law enforcement official says an influx of about 1,000 migrants a day in December was way more than they could handle at Eagle Pass, Texas, a town of less than 30,000 at the border with Mexico.

TOM SCHMERBER, SHERIFF, MAVERICK COUNTY: We're suffering because we don't have the manpower to take care of what we call the local business, the criminal elements and then the immigration problem.

ROMO: New York and Chicago have made headlines because of the resources and money they've had to divert towards care for asylum seekers transported to them from Texas.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: We talk about $12 billion in addition to what we already need to run this city. And it's just unfair for New Yorkers to carry that burden.

ROMO: But the impact is also being felt in smaller cities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted nearly $12 million in funding to Atlanta since 2022 to offset costs associated with migrant arrivals.

Maricopa County where the city of Phoenix is located, allocated $5 million last May in funding for nonprofit agencies serving refugees.

The cost of sheltering asylum seekers in Pima County, Arizona, has been more than $65 million since 2020. Denver spent over $33 million between December 2022 and the same month last year to shelter more than 32,000 asylum seekers. And the city is projecting a cost of $180 million for 2024 if arrivals continue at the current rate.

And more migrants are now on their way to some of these cities, including Marseille Hidalgo (ph), a 33-year-old domestic worker from Colombia who says she risked everything in hopes of giving her only daughter a better life.

We witnessed an emotional reunion, a family of Cubans who hadn't seen each other for five years. Two sisters who risked everything for the American dream. She told us they were kidnapped in Mexico. Her family had to pay ransom only to be robbed again shortly after being released.

Now, they have nothing but the support of their family. Her motivation, her 7-year-old son, her only child, she's hoping to bring to America once her asylum request, she hopes, is approved.

The cost of sheltering asylum seekers we included in our report come from official documents and also directly from local officials working with the federal government to get those amounts reimbursed. But that doesn't include other cost of charities, immigrant organizations and families have incurred taking care of these new arrivals.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) NEWTON: OK. Coming up for us, a CNN investigation examining a series of strikes on hospitals in Gaza and in the Hamas-Israeli conflict. That's after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:29]

NEWTON: Controversial strikes on hospitals in Gaza have happened often in the Israel-Hamas conflict. We have an in-depth look at investigation at those attacks.

We now go to CNN's Katie Polglase with an in-depth look at investigation at those attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside an ambulance at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza on November 9th. Nearby, at the Indonesian hospital the same night, sheer panic. The first two months of war decimated Gaza's health care system, as Israel launched an air, then land offensive on the north of the strip.

Out of 22 hospitals in northern Gaza, CNN has identified 20 that had been damaged or destroyed between October 7th and December 7th. Imagery analyzed by CNN shows over half have been directly attacked. Several, including the two largest in Gaza, Al-Shifa and Al-Quds, were directly attacked by Israel Defense Forces, this evidence suggests.

At Al-Ahli hospital, CNN previously found evidence a misfired rocket from Gaza was likely responsible for a deadly blast. But this appears to be the exception.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's called the Qatari hospital.

POLGLASE: Israel and U.S. intelligence say Hamas used many of these hospitals as command and control centers, a claim Hamas denies.

While protected under international humanitarian law, a hospital's protection during war is not absolute.

CRAIG JONES, AUTHOR, "THE WAR LAWYERS": There are instances where those protections can be lost, and that is for such time as they are being used for military activities to sort of further the activities of an enemy. That does not give carte blanche to militaries to launch an attack however they want.

POLGLASE: This is al-Quds, Gaza's second largest hospital. We modeled out how weeks of Israeli attacks around it caused severe damage and civilian harm. Behind the hospital on October 29th, an explosion has just hit. The director of al Quds spoke to CNN that day, saying there was bombing all around us.

On November 7th, the IDF published a video of them conducting a strike, just 100 meters from the hospital entrance. Here. They claim they were targeting a Hamas weapons depot. [02:45:02]

The strike appears to have taken place on November 5th. This video from the ground shows people being stretchered away from the scene and into the hospital. But inside already looked like this, after days of strikes nearby.

The IDF say they repeatedly told people to evacuate, medical staff inside at the time said this was just not possible.

MSF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON, AL-QUDES HOSPITAL: We have thousands of civilian people in the hospital. How? How to convince them to go outside? Where? Were to go?

POLGLASE: The IDF legal adviser told CNN they did not attack al-Quds hospital, except in mid-November, when apparently returning fire from Hamas militants releasing this footage as evidence, 21 people were killed. The IDF said they were terrorists, but acknowledged civilians were still inside.

Over at Al-Shifa Hospital, displaced civilians were sheltering in the courtyard where aerial attacks were intensifying.

An IDF legal advisor again told CNN they did not attack Al Shifa. But weapons experts told CNN this is a remnant of an Israeli illumination shell.

A couple hours later, and the maternity ward is hit. Here, part of an Israeli tank missile is found.

Within a week, Israeli forces enter the hospital.

DR. AHMED EL MOKHALLALTI, SENIOR PLASTIC SURGEON AT AL-SHIFA HOSPITAL: We can see them checking and searching the east part of the hospital.

POLGLASE: Al-Shifa was one of the hospitals the IDF and the U.S. say Hamas were operating in. But when troops arrived, they appeared to have found very little evidence of this, publishing these videos of a network of tunnels.

What the IDF videos don't show is what they would have found just meters away. Multiple graves dug by civilians who were forced to bury their loved ones within the hospital grounds, amid the continued siege.

The cameraman asked, who was in the grave? My mom, she replies.

Can I just put to you a conversation I had with a legal adviser to the IDF? They said to me, at the end of the day, as long as Hamas continues to use these hospitals and facilities for the military operations, and our aim is to defeat Hamas militarily, there is absolutely no choice but to go there.

JONES: Much of the death and destruction, damage including to hospitals, health care facilities is known in advance and part of the calculation. And that is absolutely a choice and to frame it not as a choice is to frame the death and destruction is just an inevitability.

POLGLASE: Those first two months of war, and now among the most deadly and destructive of any conflict in recent history. The question remains as to whether any military objective can justify this.

Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: CNN sent a full list of the hospitals we identified as damaged or destroyed to the Israeli military. In response, the IDF said they, quote, did not conduct any targeted attacks against hospitals in the Gaza Strip. They also said that, and I'm quoting here again, any strike which is expected to incidentally damage hospitals is approved by the highest echelons of command.

And we will be right back with more news in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:52:21]

NEWTON: We are following a devastating storm system that's continuing to pummel parts of the U.S. with blizzard conditions, heavy rain, snow, and dangerous coastal flooding.

In Maine, the water level has reached historic high along the coastline and is still continuing to rise. It's the second time that has happened in the past week alone. More than 80 million Americans are under wind-chill alerts through the weekend and beyond and in some places frostbite could occur in as little as ten minutes on exposed skins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The blizzard exits and Arctic air is diving south. Wind chill warnings in effect for the northern and central plains for a wind chill as cold as 45 degrees below zero, as that arctic air some of the coldest air that we've seen so far this season. And it's coming right that time for the Iowa caucus on Monday.

Iowans waking up Sunday morning to wind chills as cold as 45 below zero. Frostbite happens in ten minutes or less. Monday evening, we're still looking at wind chills as cold as 30 degrees below zero, frostbite times 25 minutes or less.

This is by far the coldest caucus on record. Most caucus days have been in the 30s and 40s. You do have one that sticks 16 degrees back in 2004. Now it looks like this one will be much, much colder than that, probably not breaking zero degrees in Des Moines, with a high of only minus 2. So, very cold and again factoring wind-chill is even colder than that in the evening.

Most of Iowa looking at temperatures at 10 degrees below zero. So, subzero temperatures and then you factor in wind-chill, again 30 degrees below zero. It's not just Iowa, the air temperatures for Upper Plains here, the Northern Plains, subzero temperatures through Tuesday and Wednesday for Rapids City, Omaha, Chicago as well, minus 10 waking up on Tuesday morning.

That cold air gets as far south as Texas, looking at temperatures in single digits and teens for places like Lubbock, Dallas, Austin, waking up to the teens by Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

So, as this continues to spill south, it's going to impact most Americans. Looking at 80 percent of the lower 48 with temperatures below freezing by the time we get to Tuesday, almost 20 percent of us subzero, that we're looking at records falling, maybe 250 or more records, both daytime cold highs and overnight low temperatures that could fall as a result of this arctic invasion.

Now, this is coming kind of first of the season, a lot of these places, especially in the upper Midwest places are in the midst of the warmest winter on record.

[02:55:08]

All of their red dots there, that's the difference of weather and climate. This is really their first colds now, but the trend since December 1st has been a warm one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Our thanks to Elisa there. And given what we just heard, you can imagine, extreme weather is creating chaos at U.S. airports. The tracking site Flight Aware counted more than 1,300 flight cancellations across the United States Saturday with more than 6,600 delays. Almost 700 flights have been canceled for Sunday already.

And, it has already been a disastrous week for U.S. air travel to say the least. Over the past week, more than 200 United and Alaska flights were canceled each day due to the federal official's grounding all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.

To Patterson, New Jersey now where first responders had to rescue 20 people trapped in flood waters. The area remains under a flood warning. That's according to the National Weather Service. Officials say there are more than 20 streets and one bridge that remain closed.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy surveyed the flood damage Saturday. He said the state is committed to getting help to those affected.

Now, after three years on the job, John Kerry plans to leave his post as the U.S. climate envoy according to a source close to Kerry. The 80-year-old former U.S. secretary of state is expected to attend two more major conferences before stepping down by this spring. In his tenure, Kerry led U.S. negotiations at three international climate summits and was key in restarting U.S. climate talks with China. Kerry intends to join the Biden reelection campaign.

All right. I'm Paula Newton. I want to thank you for joining us for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

But stay with us. I'll be back with more of today's headlines right after the break.

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