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Israeli Special Forces Raid Nasser Hospital In Gaza; NATO Chief Pushes Back Against Trump's Comments On Alliance; Ex-FBI Informant Arrested, Charged With Lying About Bidens; Fallout over Threat of Russian Anti-Satellite System; Israel Special Forces Raid Nasser Hospital in Gaza; Kansas City Mass Shooting; Greek Parliament Legalizes Same Sex Marriage; Figures Show U.K. in Recession with General Election Months Away. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 16, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome everyone coming to you live from Atlanta. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, chaos in Gaza as the Israeli military raids the enclave's largest functioning hospital, and a dozen people reported killed following an airstrike on a refugee camp.
We're just hours away from the Security Summit in Munich, where the U.S. faces the task of reassuring NATO allies after former President Donald Trump threatened to abandon them. And same sex marriage is legalized in Greece. How lawmakers passed the landmark legislation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: And we begin this hour in Gaza where Israeli forces have raided the enclave's biggest functioning hospital. The Hamas-run health ministry reports three patients have died and nearly 200 others remain inside the Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis in harsh and terrifying conditions. According to one doctor, intensive care patients have been left without medical staff.
Israel says it was a precise and limited operation as they put it to look for hostages. None have been found. But the Israeli military says a number of, quote, suspects were taken into custody. Israel had ordered hundreds of civilians sheltering in the hospital complex to leave, but doctors and medical officials say some was shot and killed by Israeli snipers as they tried to do so.
Meanwhile, another hospital in central Gaza reports at least 12 people have been killed by an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp, 10 of the fatalities, women and children. More now on the hospital raid from CNN international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, in the early hours of Thursday, the IDF said they went into the Al-Nasr Hospital because they had credible intelligence that there were either hostages or the bodies of hostages there. Later in the day, they held a press conference and the spokesperson saying that they actually detained three suspects that they named, that the IDF named and release photographs of who they say were involved in the October 7th attacks.
They didn't release any additional information to prove that claim. They also said that there were other people who were arrested that they'd be releasing information on later in the day. The IDF, however, didn't find what they initially went in there to try to find which was the follow up on that credible intelligence they said that led them to believe there could be bodies of hostages buried in the hospital grounds.
According to hospital officials, the IDF were digging up parts of the hospital compound looking for those bodies. But in the chaos when the IDF went into the hospital that was damaged, there was debris falling from the ceilings according to the hospital. At least one person was killed. The oxygen lines in the orthopedic unit were ruptured. The hospital saying they were concerned because those oxygen lines feed into the ICU, the intensive care unit.
The Ministry of Health, the Hamas-backed Ministry of Health at the end of the day, saying there was some 200 patients and about a similar number of hospital staff and dependents left in the hospital. They say that they were short of food, short of water. And during the operations during the day, the IDF filtering people as they came out of the hospital. Doctors Without Borders who had medical personnel in the hospital say they were forced to leave the hospital as well.
They said the IDF had told the hospital authorities, that medical personnel and patients would be safe. And MSF Doctors Without Borders saying that when their staff left through that same IDF filter process system, one of their MSF workers, medical workers, was detained by the IDF. And the MSF saying that they wanted an immediate ceasefire at the Al-Nasr Hospital.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Tel Aviv, Israel.
HOLMES: Palestinians in Gaza, of course are still suffering, excuse me, along with that Israeli raid. I want to bring in Daiana Al-Bukhari who fled the fighting in Gaza City in the early days of the war. She and her family displaced living in Rafah. She posted this message on social media.
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[01:05:12]
DAIANA AL-BUKHARI, DISPLACED 22-YEAR-OLD LIVING IN RAFAH: A recent attack on Nasr hospital in Khan Younis by the Israeli Air Force, it highlights the disturbing disregard for humanitarian loans. Hospitals are meant to be a safe place for injured not a target of violence. This kind of deliberate targeting violates international law at Arab's basic humanity. It's a stark reminder of urgent need for accountability and justice in conflicts. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And Daiana Al-Bukhari joins me now from Rafah. And I'm delighted to see you there. I wanted to begin by asking about daily life. What do you do? How do you survive at the moment?
AL-BUKHARI: Hi Michael. Actually every day I wake up I feel like I'm or I'm imagine that I'm in my house until I see the numbers I found in the last (ph) of (inaudible), the first thing they do I think if I'll get word today or not we evoke the gallons of water and lines until the water that comes six days, eight days to come. I'm saying and then I think about food. Will we eat? Will we got to eat food today or not?
Well, I made sure that my family are OK, I'm responsible. So I make sure that my family is safe, I go through, determine is what are happening around in Gaza or Rafah (inaudible) right now in Gaza.
HOLMES: What do you miss most about your life, I mean before the war? And do you ever think you'll get that life back, what you had before? I mean do you have any optimism at the moment?
AL-BUKHARI: Actually Michael, I wish it come to my life for like, my -- well, our lives as Palestinians in Gaza before the war wasn't that perfect. But I want to compare it with the situation right now, it was really broken. Our life was OK. We have our beautiful homes. We at least we can eat good foods and we can drink clean water. We have the electricity for six hours a day if lucky for us. Now we tend to reach one hour of electricity.
HOLMES: You've been praised for your messages about life on Instagram, you've got quite a following now. And you are very eloquent at how you speak and how you put that message and we've been watching some video from your account during this interview. What would you like to say to people listening to you now around the world?
AL-BUKHARI: So I want to say is (inaudible) and evidence of Palestinians in Gaza, people outside want to see what I and others mentioned or what we say. So it's all about beyond the politics right now. Palestinians are being murdered. Palestine is being demolished. The Israeli river denied, I'm sure something like that.
HOLMES: The Israeli military is planning to move into the Rafah area. Where you are now, you've had to move with your family multiple times already. What would be the impact on you, your family and those around you if the Israeli military moved in?
AL-BUKHARI: They of course are coming to Rafah. I think we all going to live out. You imagine that 1.5 million refugees in total area like Rafah. I mean (inaudible) I don't know what's going to happen. I hope this not happen. I hope.
HOLMES: There are diseases in Rafah, shortages of food, water, health care, what do you fear the most? What worries you the most?
AL-BUKHARI: There are great shortage of food, there's a few foods, you know. If you can, it's available. You can buy it because it's like three or five times the regular price. We can't buy it. About if you want to go to shower at six hour or you want to use (inaudible) for hours or if you want to get some bread, you have to do it for hours just get some breads.
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HOLMES: I, you know, as I said, we'll leave it there but you're very brave, you're very eloquent, a lot of people around the world are following you on Instagram now. Daiana Al-Bukhari be safe and thank you for your time.
AL-BUKHARI: You're welcome. Thank you.
HOLMES: Brave young lady.
Construction, meanwhile, underway on a new world buffer zone along Egypt's border with Gaza, rights group releasing video of the project, which it says was commissioned by the Egyptian armed forces. The buffer zone stretches from the end of the Gaza border with Israel all the way to the Mediterranean. The wall will reportedly be five meters high construction coming as Fears are growing that the horrific humanitarian conditions in Gaza and that potential of an Israeli move into the area could lead to a surge of Palestinians trying to get into Egypt.
Well, the U.S. delegation will have its job cut out for it when the Munich Security Conference gets underway in the coming hours. The U.S. team is led by Vice President Kamala Harris who arrived there on Thursday. Officials say the U.S. will try to reassure NATO allies that Washington will stand behind them, despite recent comments by former President Donald Trump. He said of course that if he's reelected, he would not protect NATO members who don't spend enough in his view on defense, and would even encourage Russia to, quote, do whatever the hell they want to those NATO allies.
But the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg now says a record number of alliance members, 18 in all, are expected to meet the recommended levels of defense spending this year. He spoke ahead of a NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels. CNN's Melissa Bell was there.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First commitments being made to Ukraine here in Brussels at the NATO meeting of Defense Secretaries pledges of a million extra drones, a training center that's be opened -- to be opened in Poland to help train Ukrainian armed forces. But perhaps more importantly, a commitment to continuing to press not just for the further support of Ukraine, but for the foundational principles of NATO and the importance of its strength now more than ever, that's what we've heard a great deal of here in Brussels in the wake of the comments by the former American President Donald Trump, over the weekend going so far as to suggest that Moscow may be encouraged to come and test a NATO member, those who didn't pay he said clearly rattled a number of European officials have been speaking out these last few days.
And here in Brussels, it was the turn of Jan Stoltenberg to address head on the question of whether United States would remain an unwavering supporter of NATO or not.
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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: When you look at the opinion polls, this record high support for NATO both in North America, United States, Canada and in Europe. And I'm confident that NATO will remain the strongest and most successful alliance in history. And I expect the United States to continue to be a staunch ally.
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BELL: Jen Stoltenberg there reassuring in a press conference at the end of the meetings, what he says will be the continued importance of NATO for all of its members. This was also the opportunity for a meeting of the Ukraine contact group. This is when NATO Defense Ministers speak directly to their Ukrainian counterpart who spoke to them from Kyiv by video conference, giving them an idea of what's been happening on the ground in Ukraine, and again, urging his counterparts now more than ever to stand firm.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Brussels.
HOLMES: The U.S. and its allies have disrupted a large Russian cyber espionage operation according to FBI director Christopher Wray. He says the Russian military intelligence agency was using a network of more than a thousand hacked internet routers to target the U.S. and other governments, military, security and corporate organizations all to gather intelligence. Wray also repeated warnings that hacking teams backed by Russia and China as well have been seeking a foothold in U.S. energy and telecommunications networks for a long time.
And a former FBI informant who is central to U.S. House Republican efforts to impeach the President Joe Biden, was arrested on Thursday. Alexander Smirnov is accused of lying to the FBI and creating false records about Mr. Biden and his son's business dealings in Ukraine. But the GOP seems undeterred. House Oversight Chair James Comer told CNN, his investigation does not rely on Smirnov. Our Evan Perez with the latest now from Washington, D.C.
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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: U.S. prosecutors charged a former FBI informant with lying about corruption claims against President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, and business dealings with the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma. The charges against Alexander Smirnov undercut a major part of Republicans corruption claims against the President and the impeachment inquiry that they've launched against.
Smirnov was behind two FBI memos in 2017 and 2020. The latter one came after Joe Biden launched his campaign for President. And it included explosive allegations that a Burisma executive claimed that the company paid Joe Biden and Hunter Biden $5 million each during the time that Biden was vice president in exchange for assisting the company's business interests. The indictment in federal court says that Smirnov's allegations against the Biden's were, quote, a fabrication and amalgam of otherwise unremarkable business meetings and contacts that actually occurred but at a later date than he claimed.
And for the purpose of pitching Burisma on the defendant's purpose -- services and products, not for discussing bribes to Joe Biden when he was in office. Smirnov appeared for an initial court appearance in Las Vegas, where he was arrested. And CNN has been unable to reach an attorney representing him. Congressional Republicans have touted Smirnov's claims and they fought with the FBI to release the memos of his discussions with the FBI.
The indictment against Smirnov cites those very same memos as proof that he allegedly made false statements and created fictitious documents. James Comer, the Republican chairman, who has been leading the investigation of the President, released a statement dismissing the importance of Smirnov to his inquiry and saying that there's more evidence that Republicans have uncovered.
The case against Smirnov is being brought by Special Counsel David Weiss, who is also prosecuting Hunter Biden on tax and gun possession charges. It's unclear why is this taken nearly four years to bring charges on the allegedly false claims?
Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.
HOLMES: Now despite all efforts to get the case tossed, Donald Trump is headed to trial to face criminal charges for alleged hush money payments to a porn star. That's just one of his court cases. We'll have a report on that.
Also the prosecutor leading the Georgia election interference case against Trump takes a stand. What she told her defense lawyers accusing her of misconduct. It got combative.
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HOLMES: Now, two of Donald Trump's for criminal cases face crucial tests on Thursday as the twice impeach former U.S. President tries to fend off looming legal challenges and focused on his reelection campaign. In the state of Georgia, the top prosecutor took the stand in her own defense. Trump and his co-defendants trying to have Fani Willis throwing off the case over allegations of misconduct. The testimony, very fiery and at times very personal.
[01:20:25]
And Trump was in the courtroom when a New York judge rejected his efforts to dismiss charges of covering up hush money payments to an adult film star. That historic criminal trial now beginning on March 25th. CNN's Kara Scannell with the details.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A New York state judge ordering Donald Trump to stand trial for criminal charges next month. DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Instead of being in South Carolina and other states campaigning, I'm stuck here.
SCANNELL (voice-over): This case related to a hush money repayment scheme involving porn star Stormy Daniels and former Trump fixer Michael Cohen will begin on March 25th.
TRUMP: There is no case.
SCANNELL (voice-over): It's a historic first, a former president facing a jury and on trial in the middle of a presidential campaign.
TRUMP: How can you run for election when you'd be sitting in a courthouse in Manhattan all day long?
SCANNELL (voice-over): The judge in this case, Juan Merchan, made the decision after consulting with Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was overseeing the election subversion case in Washington, D.C. During a pre-trial hearing in New York, Trump Attorney Todd Blanche seized on that unprecedented timing protesting for a delay.
We strenuously object to what is happening in this courtroom, he told the judge with Trump's eyes locked on his attorney. The fact that President Trump is going to now spend the next two months working on this trial instead of out in the campaign trail running for president, is something that should not happen in this country. Judge Merchan asked, what's your legal argument? That's my legal argument, Blanche said. That's not a legal argument Merchan replied, telling the lawyers he'd see them on March 25th.
TRUMP: We'll just have to figure it out. I'll be here during the day and I'll be campaigning during the night.
SCANNELL (voice-over): This case stems from actions that took place in the days before the 2016 election, when Donald Trump, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Michael Cohen allegedly schemed to keep Stormy Daniels from going public about an affair. According to the indictment, Cohen paid $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels, then submitted sham legal bills to the Trump Organization, which the former president reimburse with a series of monthly checks.
MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: I did it at the direction of in concert with and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Today the party's debated questions to ask prospective jurors and 18-person jury will ultimately be seated. Trump's lawyers wanted to delve into politics telling the judge they need to know if people like Trump. Judge Merchan called it inappropriate, saying they need fair and impartial jurors.
TRUMP: I'm honored to sit here day after day after day on something that everybody says the greatest legal scholars say it's not even a crime.
SCANNELL (voice-over): Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now that news out of New York was nearly overshadowed by jaw dropping testimony in Georgia. The prosecutor overseeing the state's election interference case against Trump pushing back hard against allegations that she financially benefited from an improper romantic relationship with the prosecutor she hired to lead the case. CNN's Tom Foreman picks up the story.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A stunning and fiery day in court as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand to defend herself and her case.
FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020.
FOREMAN (voice-over): In one explosive exchange after another, she explained her romantic relationship with the prosecutor she hired to lead the election fraud case. And she tore into the legal team around former President Trump and his allies.
WILLIS: It's highly offensive when someone lies on you and it's highly offensive when they implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met with them. And I take exception to it.
FOREMAN (voice-over): At issue in the hearing were two key questions. First, when did her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade begin?
NATHAN WADE, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN TRUMP'S GEORGIA ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE: Let's be clear, 2022 was the start of any intimate, sexual relationship with a district attorney.
FOREMAN (voice-over): While Wade testified that the romance started when the investigation of Trump and his co-defendants was well underway. A one-time mutual friend, Robin Yeartie, insisted it started way back in 2019.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you observe them do things that are common among people having a romantic relationship?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Such as, can you give us an example?
[01:25:03]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hugging, kissing, this affection.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Willis's take at that time she and Wade were friends, nothing more. And as for that contrary testimony --
WILLIS: I have not spoken to Robin in over a year. I certainly do not consider her a friend now. FOREMAN (voice-over): The second key question, did the district attorney financially benefit by choosing her romantic partner to lead the election fraud case? Team Trump came in saying Wade used money from that appointment to take Willis on trips to California, Aruba, Belis, the Bahamas and more. But hold on Wade said, Willis paid him back in cash for all that travel.
WADE: What alleges that our travel was split roughly evenly.
FOREMAN (voice-over): A line he held even as Team Trump drilled in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure you probably have the deposit slips, where you took the cash and deposited the cash in your account, don't you?
WADE: I did not deposit the cash in my account.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have a single solitary deposit slip to corroborate or support any of your allegations that you were paid by Mrs. Willis in cash, do you?
WADE: No, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a single solitary one?
WADE: Not a one.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And Willis was right there with him dismissing the claims of financial shenanigans.
WILLIS: I mean I paid for the hotel, I paid for the flights. I had a birthday luncheon for him. I paid for massages. I paid for everything.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And as for always repaying in cash.
WILLIS: I have money in my house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have money in your house, so it was just money that was there?
WILLIS: When you meet my father, he's going to tell you as a woman, you should always have, which I don't have. So let's don't tell him that. You should have at least six months in cash at your house at all time.
FOREMAN (voice-over): She also batted down questions about sensitive personal matters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The characterization.
WILLIS: I'm not going to emasculate a black man, but I'm just telling you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, what?
WILLIS: I'm not going to emasculate a black man. Did you understand that? FOREMAN (voice-over): And slapped away so much of what Team Trump said.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, last hour CNN's John Vause asked a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, what are the chances that Fani Willis would be removed as prosecutor?
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BERNARDA VILLALONA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY & FORMER PROSECUTOR: Fani Willis is removed or disqualified as a prosecutor on this case, what will happen is that the Special Counsel of prosecutors will appoint another prosecutor because neither she or Mr. Wade or her office will be able to prosecute the matter. So it'll go to the hands of another prosecutor that unfortunately, that prosecutor can make the decision not to go forward anymore against Donald Trump or the co- defendants. Is it likely that this judge is going to rule that Fani Willis should be disqualified? I don't think so.
I don't think from the evidence that was presented today there was any evidence that suggests that there is an actual conflict of interest that will require disqualification. Again, the case doesn't go away. If anything, it just goes to the hands of another prosecutor what that will make the ultimate decision about going forward on the charges.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Listening to the testimony and the case today, did you get the sense of this wasn't so much about proving any kind of conflict of interest, but more about trying to smear a reputation?
VILLALONA: Oh, absolutely. This was all about smearing her reputation. It was all about taking all the attention away from the actual charges that Donald Trump is facing. And even like, Fani Willis said like, look, those are the people right there that are on trial for trying to steal the election in 2020. So it was definitely about smearing her name, smearing her office and taking attention away from Trump and also delaying the proceedings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now more fallout on Thursday over the Republican U.S. House Intelligence Chairman's warnings about what he called a serious national security threat from Russia. Chairman Mike Turner caused an uproar on Wednesday when he revealed new U.S. intelligence that turned out to be about Russia's abilities to place a nuclear anti-satellite system in space. Biden administration officials are downplaying the threat but some Republicans are calling for Turner to be ousted as chairman and others are questioning his motives in disclosing the new intelligence. Take a look.
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REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): We put out, you know, our concern with Chairman Turner gaslighting the country on these things. And I worry that the motivation to draw so much attention to this is less about intelligence and national security and more about a politician who wants to send $60 billion to Ukraine and wants to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN: There is no immediate threat to anyone's safety. We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or caused physical destruction here on earth.
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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I want to assure the American people there's no need for public alarm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the U.S. has been aware of Russia's pursuit of anti- satellite capabilities for months, if not years. And President Biden has been briefed on it throughout.
And Kirby denied the administration gave the Republican chairman the green light to publicize the new intelligence on Wednesday.
More on the story now from CNN's Amy Kiley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNSON: We are going to work together to address this matter as we do all sensitive matters that are classified.
AMY KILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Members of Congress and the Biden administration meeting with defense and intelligence officials, according to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. They're addressing what House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner calls a serious national security threat.
Multiple sources say it relates to Russia's space capabilities specifically a nuclear anti-satellite system. A former defense secretary and CIA director says if Moscow were to blind U.S. satellites --
LEON PANETTA, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY AND CIA DIRECTOR: Make no mistake about it, that would be an act of war because it would threaten our national security.
KILEY: Russia's anti-satellite system is not yet orbital according to three U.S. officials. And lawmakers with intelligence access are downplaying the concern.
REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY): Some people were calling in and asked me should they rush for cover somewhere of that nature. There's no need for anyone to panic.
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): I'm sorry that maybe the wording of the tweet or something led people to believe that this was a, you know, dramatic thing that needed immediate attention. It's not.
KILEY: Turner says he released details to all members of Congress. He wants President Joe Biden to declassify the materials.
PANETTA: What the chairman was trying to do perhaps was to try to send a wake-up call to both the Speaker and his Republican colleagues that Russia still remains very much a threat to the United States.
KILEY: I'm Amy Kiley reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Israel is defending its raid on a hospital in Gaza. Just ahead, well take you inside the chaos as IDF soldiers did not find what they were looking for.
Also, police have ruled out terrorism in the deadly shooting at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade. We'll have the latest on the investigation after the break.
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HOLMES: Welcome back. You're watching CNN newsroom with me, Michael Holmes.
Let's get you up-to-date now on our top story.
[01:34:49]
HOLMES: The United Nations condemning an Israeli raid on the biggest functioning hospital in Gaza. The Hamas-run ministry of health reports three patients have died through lack of oxygen and nearly 200 others being left in what they call harsh and terrifying conditions. This is at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.
Israel says it had credible evidence that Hamas was holding hostages there, but none have been found. One doctor says the Israeli military is using bulldozers to dig up mass graves inside the complex ostensibly looking for the bodies of dead hostages.
Medical official says Israeli snipers shot and killed several people as they tried to flee from the hospital on Wednesday.
More now from CNN's Nada Bashir. A warning, her report contains graphic video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Plunged into darkness, engulfed in smoke, this is southern Gaza's Nasser hospital, one of the few still able to treat patients in Gaza hit in a direct strike overnight on Wednesday.
"Is there anybody still inside," this doctor asked. The sound of gunfire in close proximity.
"Get down", he shouts.
Others around him shout, "Get out". Another hospital now the target.
More casualties are rushed to whatever safe space there is left. But there is nowhere to escape.
This message from a surgeon inside the hospital shared with CNN, paints a terrifying picture of the situation on the ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Israeli army has forced all the patients and all the refugees inside Nasser Hospital and now they are forcing medical staff in Nasser Medical Hospital to evacuate immediately from the hospital.
Israeli soldiers and tanks are surrounding the hospital from all sides, shootings and bombings still continue
BASHIR: Outside, Israeli tanks edge closer within the hospital's grounds. The Israeli military is heard ordering civilians to evacuate.
The IDF says it entered the hospital after receiving credible intelligence indicating that Hamas held hostages on the complex with deceased hostages possibly still present though CNN is not able to independently verify this claim.
Israel's forces also say they have apprehended a number of suspects at the hospital and have opened a secure route for civilians to evacuate the area.
But doctors and medical officials tell CNN Israeli snipers shot dead a number of people as they tried to leave the medical complex. Among them, they say, this teenager, his lifeless body seen here just in front of the gates of the Nasser hospital a short, distance away.
A short distance away, a Palestinian detainee appears, set out and released by the Israeli military and used as a messenger, according to medical staff who spoke to a journalist working for CNN on the ground to tell civilians here that they must leave immediately.
But soon after, doctors say he too was killed under Israeli fire outside the hospital. It is unclear from the video what happened. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment on the incident.
As Israeli drones scoured the ground beneath, civilians nearby gather whatever belongings they have left, and begin to flee. For many, this is not the first time they've been forced to evacuate.
The vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million strong population is now concentrated in southern Gaza ordered by the Israeli military to move south.
But as troops push deeper into the besieged region with the looming threat of a ground operation in nearby Rafah, warnings from the U.N. of a potential slaughter of the Palestinian people grew more tangible with each passing day.
Nada Bashir, CNN -- Cairo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs says there is an urgent need to help Gaza's children, many of whom are suffering from severe malnutrition along with the traumas of war.
James Elder is the global spokesman for UNICEF. He joins me now from Geneva.
I wanted to talk to you about UNICEF's estimate of 17,000 unaccompanied or separated children in Gaza. It is a stunning number. Where are they? What is their situation?
JAMES ELDER, SPOKESPERSON FOR UNICEF: It is indeed, Michael. You've got to drill it down as I did in Gaza into what that life looks like for that individual out of that 17,000 estimate.
[01:39:45]
ELDER: What life looks like is that invariably they have had family members killed, mother, father, some of them entire families. So you got say Amal, Michael, a seven-year-old girl who's seen both her parents and her siblings killed. She's been displaced twice.
Rather than now begin her journey into some sort of psychological betterment, she is still in a war zone. So she'll be with community members. She'll be -- there are some non-government organizations on the ground in these shelters that are taking these children in.
So the community, broader communities are doing everything they can. Shelters are taking in children who are simply not theirs, who they don't know, remembering the psychological scarring these children have got, remembering at the same time all these people are living on at best, a meal, maybe two a day, a grave dangerous lack of water.
So these children, whilst they're being cared for and not being cared for by their parents in a place of immense deprivation.
HOLMES: The scale of damage to family units is hard to comprehend. I mean do you worry that an entire generation of kids in Gaza has been impacted for life. And if so, what will be the result of that in the years to come?
ELDER: It's a great question. We absolutely do. We had numbers before this all started, Michael. A large number of children in Gaza just because of the living conditions there and the confinement required psychological support. We were supporting around 100,000.
Now you can safely say every single child there require some sort of psychological support, just as thousands will in Israel. And it worsens by the day until we get some sort of a ceasefire.
Long-term -- long-term here, Michael, particularly for those children in Gaza, you have such a young population. If you give them the right skills and the right mental health, that is an economic boom. Any demographer, any economists will tell you that.
Without that you have the exact opposite. You have a demographic disaster or a generation of children scarred. And as your images just showed, every day that goes by being more and more scarred by the brutality of this conflict.
HOLMES: Yes. Yes and I should point out to that 17,000 that's just an estimate. You probably don't know what's going on in the north because it's so hard to get there. The numbers are probably much higher.
And now, of course extended families in that part of the world. And I know that part of the world well, they always take care of each other/ But how stretched are those families just taking care of their own kids? And how much -- more difficult does it make their situation to take on the children of relatives?
ELDER: Well, almost impossible. I still keep in contact with friends and colleagues I made in Gaza from being there in December, Michael. And what's striking to me in the last two weeks is for the first time those people when I get voice message all get a rare moment to speak to them are breaking down. Parents who for months did everything they could to keep that brave face despite the disease, despite the lack of food, despite the bombardment, despite having to leave a home four different times, they are absolutely cracking now and to absorb other children just simply becomes impossible.
Michael, if I may, when I was in Nasser Hospital, which you just showed there, this one story to me speaks to maybe some of those 17,000.
It was a rare moment I thought of optimism. It was a boy Mohammad. He had terrible burns from a bomb, but he was going to recover. He had no brain injuries and he was the best student of his school. I saw the photos he gave me a little thumbs up through his pain and I went, wow, this is as good a news stories you get, you're going to be ok.
And I said that to the person within his father and the man said, well no, I'm not his father, his entire family was killed when the bomb hit. Mohammad is the last surviving child.
That's what when we talk, that's what we talk of when we talk of this 17,000 or more children separated in Gaza.
HOLMES: And yes -- you always do the right thing. I mean, numbers are numbers but people and names are what's important.
We're almost out of time, James but I wanted to ask you about what you're able to do now to help kids mentally despite the situation on the ground. I know there are some programs that have been operating on at least some basic level. God knows, what you're going to need after all of this?
ELDER: Yes, exactly. At the moment, its doing everything we can in shelters. We've always had brave partners on the ground. I have brave colleagues on the ground. So those shelters where we have access to, we do any type of psychological support. We have counselors. So for those children who can access that and you're so right on the
access, that is making a difference. But it's a fraction of what's needed.
And as your report rightly showed, Michael the idea that Rafah, a city of children, becomes the epicenter of fighting, that's apocalyptic in terms of their minds, and of course, their bodies.
HOLMES: Thousands and thousands of children without a parent or both parents, or an entire family it just begs disbelief.
James Elder, always good to talk to you. Thanks so much.
ELDER: Thanks, Michael.
[01:44:47]
HOLMES: Well, a familiar scene in yet another American community in mourning after a gun violence shattered a city-wide celebration in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City police say there is no known link to terrorism or extremism. They believe that a dispute between several people spiraled out of control. They have detained two people.
CNN's Shimon Prokupecz reports from Kansas City.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gunfire. Police say a possible personal dispute at the end of a rally celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win leaving one woman dead and over 20 injured.
CHIEF STACEY GRAVES, KANSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Victims' age ranged between 8 years old and 47 years old, at least half of our victims are under the age of 16.
PROKUPECZ: Two juveniles are now in custody for the shooting.
Some kind of gangs --
GRAVES: You know, the relationship between the subjects involved, that's still under investigation.
PROKUPECZ: Several guns were recovered according to police.
Do you have enough evidence at this point?
GRAVES: So some of those questions I'm not able to give a direct answer just because I want to protect the integrity of this investigation.
PROKUPECZ: Seems like we are so many hours from (INAUDIBLE) at this point you have not announced --
GRAVES: We have subjects that are detained.
PROKUPECZ: At least one person was tackled by bystanders. Trey Filter (ph) said he helped knock down one man and hold him until police arrived.
TREY FILTER, WITNESS: We were pretty elated once we knew we had him and they started yelling that there's a gun.
Casey Filter said she grabbed the gun.
CASEY FILTER, WITNESS: At first, I actually thought it was -- it looked like a toy. But then once I picked it up, I quickly realized it definitely was not.
PROKUPECZ: Nearly 24 hours after the parade ended crews are out here cleaning up and what they're finding are many of the personal items that people left behind as they were running for their lives.
You could see some of them here, blankets and chairs, with strollers, little strollers here from babies.
The aftermath of thousands of parade goers rushing for cover as hundreds of officers on scene ran toward the shots.
MANNY ABARCA, WITNESS: All of a sudden through the partitions, a wave of people come rushing through screaming "gun, run", and I was watching people being trampled.
PROKUPECZ: One family said several of them were hit.
JACOB GOOCH, SR.: My son got shot and my wife got shot. She got shot in her calf. I got shot directly in the ankle.
PROKUPECZ: Lisa Lopez-Galvan died at the scene. She was a local Kansas City area radio deejay. This city now grieving after a day of celebration.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith said he and his fellow players have to take cover and helped young fans stay calm amid the shooting.
TREY SMITH, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FOOTBALL PLAYER: I'm pretty angry. The senseless violence, you know, someone lost her life today. You have children are injured. You know, children are traumatized.
Shimon Prokupecz, CNN -- Kansas City, Missouri.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Coming up next, the landmark victory for the LGBTQ plus community in Greece. We'll bring you the latest on an historic vote.
Plus, new economic figures out of the U.K. And it is bad news for the prime minister. We'll be right back.
[01:48:05]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And we have this in to CNN. South Korea's Football Association has fired the national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann in the wake of a brawl between two of his players. The KFA confirms that Captain Son Heung-min gone into a physical altercation and with midfielder Lee Kang-in on the eve of the Asian Cup semifinal match on February 6. One official tells CNN it happened at a dinner in Qatar.
Lee's lawyer says he deeply regrets his wrongdoings. The KFA criticized Klinsmann for his lack of leadership, and not spending enough time in South Korea since taking the job a year ago.
The Greek parliament voted on Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage, making it the first majority Orthodox Christian country to establish marriage equality.
Greece's prime minister lauded the legislation as a quote "milestone for human rights reflecting today's Greece".
CNN's Elinda Labropoulou brings us the latest from Athens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELINDA LABROPOULOU, JOURNALIST: It's been a historic day right here in Greece in the parliament right behind me. A very significant can legislation for human rights has just been voted in.
Same-sex marriage has been approved. Same-sex couples now have the same rights as heterosexual couples in Greece and they're also allowed to adopt and have full parental rights.
The bill stopped short of providing a surrogacy to same-sex couples. This is a very controversial issue in Greece and the prime minister who introduced the bill initially made it clear that he will not be tackling this issue.
As a result, some activists say that more could have been done, but overall there's huge relief about having this right for the first time.
We spoke to people here who said that for the first time they felt visible, they felt that they existed. They feel that now society is much more on their side. And it was something that they were not necessarily expecting to see from a center right government like the one that Greece has now but something that the prime minister has managed to have voted in.
Elinda Labropoulou, CNN -- Athens, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And when we come back, those new economic figures out of the U.K., it looks like the dreaded recession for that island nation.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: U.S. stocks bouncing back from steep losses earlier in the week. The S&P 500 in fact, closing at another record high on Thursday. The Dow and Nasdaq also up.
The market rebounding after U.S. Fed officials appeared to calm some anxious nerves across Wall Street. Investors had been worried the Federal Reserve would keep rates higher for longer than expected after a disappointing inflation report on Tuesday.
Official figures indicate the United Kingdom has fallen into recession, and with a general election just months away, the bad news has derailed the prime minister's plan for economic growth.
CNN's Bianca Nobilo with more from London.
[01:54:48]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.K. slipped into a mild recession in the second half of last year. Although the new U.K. data shows a recession that economists consider shallow, the figures come at a particularly bad time for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Voters in England go to the polls in three parliamentary constituencies this month. The opposition Labour Party has a commanding lead in the polls, ahead of a general election expected later on this year.
U.K. finance minister Jeremy Hunt responded that the economic stagnation was simply the cost of tackling inflation, but claimed that there are signs that the British economy is turning a corner.
The Labour Party accused him of being out of touch, saying that the U.K. is trapped in a spiral of economic decline.
Bianca Nobilo, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, hit the slopes in Canada this week while visiting training camp for the 2025 Invictus Games. The couple visiting on Valentines Day with plans to stay until training camp wraps up later today.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games as a competition for wounded, injured or sick veterans and military service members.
The 2025 games will be the first to feature winter sports. They'll take place next February with more than 500 competitors from nearly two dozen countries.
I'm Michael Holmes. Thanks for spending part of your day with me.
Kim Brunhuber picks things up from here as CNN NEWSROOM continues in just a moment.
[01:56:17]
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