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CNN International: Gaza Health Ministry: 104 Killed As They Waited For Food; Hamas Sr. Member Warns That "Killing Of People Collecting Aid" In Gaza Could Lead To Failure Of Ongoing Talks On Hostage Release & Ceasefire; Putin Bashes The West In State Of The Nation Address. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired February 29, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNNI HOST: Hello everyone, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I am Fredricka Whitfield, and we start with this breaking news.
The Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 104 people were killed as they waited for food. Eyewitnesses say civilians had gathered around aid trucks that had just arrived when Israeli tanks and drones opened fire in the western Gaza City. An Israeli official tells CNN that IDF troops used live fire when the crowd approached the forces in what the official says was a manner that posed a threat.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Abu Dhabi, and joins us with the latest. What are you learning, Paula?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, our team has managed to get information from eyewitnesses, also from the Palestinian Red Crescent, saying that when these aid trucks, these desperately needed aid trucks arrived in this area, it was just in the eastern part of Gaza City, Al-Rasheed Street, then there were many hungry people that swarmed around the trucks themselves. Now, according to those eyewitnesses and the Palestinian Red Crescent, then the Israeli troops and tanks opened fire and panic ensued, saying that there were also further deaths and injuries as those trucks tried to escape from the area. It does appear as though there was clearly panic, as they did try to escape.
It is unclear at this point the loss of life, whether it was mainly due to Israeli fire or the trucks trying to escape the area afterwards. We do understand, though, from eyewitnesses and Red Crescent that they believe that this death toll and they fear the death toll may rise because they say there are some areas they are still unable to get ambulances to. There is rubble in certain areas, and they are unable to access, and also, of course, the concerns of further gunfire.
Now, from the Israeli point of view, we have spoken to the IDF, and they say that while they were escorting these aid trucks to this particular area, they say that certain individuals did approach them in a way that their troops on the ground found to be threatening, and then they did open fire. So, at this point, it's not clear exactly the order of the events. We have two differing accounts, the IDF saying that the incident is under review, but a devastating incident for people who are desperately hungry, who desperately need this aid, and at a time when very, very little aid is actually getting to these specific areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And so, Paula, how many aid trucks do we understand there to be at this time when people had descended upon them because people are hungry? So, they were all there in large numbers with their families, men, women, children? Do we know how many aid trucks there were?
HANCOCKS: I don't have an exact figure on the number of aid trucks at this point. You can see from this video, this is footage that has been given to us by the Israeli military. There are clearly a number of different aid trucks that have been managed to get through to this area. And we have been hearing from the UN, we've been hearing from NGOs, that they have found it increasingly difficult to try and get through to northern Gaza even when they have pre-arranged information and pre-arranged routes cleared by the Israeli military. So, we understand that the Israeli military was alongside these trucks. They had been taking them to this particular area.
But, just looking at that footage, you can see the sheer number of people that are desperately trying to get close to the trucks, trying to get close to aid, any kind of food, water, anything that they can take back to their families. Now, we heard from the Gaza Health Ministry as well earlier, saying that at least six children died in recent days from dehydration and malnutrition.
You have USAID (ph) aid groups -- UN aid groups, sorry, warning of potential famine, saying that the Gaza Strip at this point has the highest level of malnutrition in children under the age of two than anywhere else in the rest of the world. So, it just speaks to how desperate the situation is. And you can see from those images how people are trying to get anything they can to keep their families alive. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Right. They're desperate.
[08:05:00]
They're hungry, and it's difficult to discern, well, we are glad to see some of the imagery there, you can see about four vehicles, maybe a little bit more, it's difficult to discern which is the aid truck, which are the Israel forces trucks that you mentioned, were also escorting them, and of course we're going to continue to try and get more detail on what is happening, how it happened, and what the best explanations are. Paula, standby.
I want to go with Alex Marquardt who is in Washington, D.C. We heard President Biden just a few days ago talking about what he -- that he was very hopeful that there might be some sort of ceasefire underway. Are you hearing anything more about negotiations or the possibilities of such?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, overly hopeful, some would say. There was sort of swift response, Fredricka, to the prediction from the President just a few days ago that there could be a ceasefire in place as early as Monday. So, just a few days from now. We've been told by multiple sources that in fact there is no sign of that.
And so, the big question today is going to be, how does this horrific incident that we saw take place in Gaza City impact that? We're already hearing warnings from a senior Hamas leader that this could severely impact the talks, Izzat al-Risheq saying that we will not allow for the pathway of the negotiations to be a cover for the enemy's continued crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip. So, some stark words there from a senior Hamas leader, Fredricka.
It did appear that the talks for a hostage release and a temporary ceasefire were going well. We've seen a flurry of activity, meetings in Paris with senior intelligence leaders, meetings in Doha with technical teams to essentially iron out the finer points of this. We know what the broad strokes of a deal would look like. It's believed that it would be weeks, at least around six weeks of a pause in the fighting which, of course, Palestinians in Gaza so desperately need. Israeli hostages released, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons released as well. We understand that Hamas had kind of backed off some of their demands in order to get this first phase of a ceasefire in place.
So, even if it doesn't look likely or didn't look likely for as early as Monday as the President had had said, it did look like some progress was taking place. This incident, however, at least 100 Palestinians died or killed in this incident, could certainly throw those things off and put those talks in jeopardy. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And I wonder when you mentioned the President was overly optimistic, has there been any explanation as to why he was so optimistic when these negotiations are ongoing? And as you said, this now may be a very sizeable setback. But, what were the indicators that President Biden was going on?
MARQUARDT: Well, in those comments, and he was in an ice cream shop in New York with the comedian Seth Meyers when he said this, he was -- it was a shouted question from reporters, and he said that it was according to his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that by the weekend, by Monday, a ceasefire could be put in place. So, I think what he was expressing there was general optimism about the direction, the momentum that the talks were taking.
Remember, Fredricka, they had essentially been stalled. Hamas had put forward a detailed counterproposal that asked for a huge number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, that asked for the IDF to leave Gaza for conversations, discussions about an end of the war, that was according to the Israeli Prime Minister, delusional.
And so, the talks essentially hit an impasse. But then, they started to ramp up a little bit last week when on Friday in Paris the CIA director met with his Egyptian and Israeli counterparts as well as the Qatari Prime Minister essentially to get those talks back on track. And then, just a few days ago, on Monday, there were more meetings in Qatar, which has been at the center of the mediating efforts, with lower level officials to go over these broad areas and essentially dot the i's, cross the t's, go through the technicalities, the specifics of how a deal would unfold. So, there was movement. There was cautious optimism. One diplomatic source told me that they were still struggling with how to get to an agreement.
But, I had heard from a senior Biden administration official saying that this could happen within days. But, everyone you speak to, Fredricka, cautions you that these talks are very fragile, that they're very fluid, that at any moment the parties could walk away. And so, when you see an incident like this today, more than 100 Palestinians killed, either by trampling or by fire from the IDF, this is the kind of incident that could throw these off. So, we have not heard from the Biden ministration yet today. We have not heard from the White House or the State Department specifically on what happened in Gaza City.
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But, you can be sure that they are watching this with all kinds of fear that this will throw off these talks, because remember, this is not just about getting those hostages home after almost five months or getting a temporary ceasefire in place. The U.S. administration sees this as a way essentially to end the war, to get to a place where during calm there can be discussions about how to bring this war to an end. Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. Well, perhaps it could either throw off talks or perhaps it could expedite things. Alex Marquardt, stay with us.
I want to bring in Jeremy Diamond who is in Tel Aviv. So, Jeremy, people are desperate. They are hungry. We just heard Paula underscore how many malnourished children there are. So, what's the IDF's explanation and justification? Yes, there were a lot of people. But, where was the threat?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are not providing many details. But, this is what an Israeli military official told me this morning. They said that the crowd that swarmed around these trucks, then approached the forces, the Israeli forces that were in the area, in a manner that posed a threat to the troops and that they say that those troops then responded with live fire. The Israeli military is also pointing to a chaotic situation, pushing and trampling that also led to injuries and deaths on the scene. The Israeli military says that this incident is under review.
Now, we've also been speaking with eyewitnesses on the scene, including one of our local journalists who was there, and said that the chain of events effectively was that there were hundreds of people who were gathered, waiting for this aid. When the trucks arrived, people who, again, keep in mind as others have noted already, that this is a place where about a half a million people are on the brink of famine, very few aid trucks have made it in.
It appears that hundreds of people then swarmed these aid trucks when they arrived at that location on Al-Rasheed Street in western Gaza. And then, it was at some point after that that the Israeli military opened fire. That triggered, according to those eyewitnesses, a chaotic scene in which people were stampeding, in which aid trucks were then running over people as they tried to escape the scene. So, that is the chain of events as we understand it.
But again, none of this would be happening if the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza were not so desperate. These are people who are just trying to get a bag of flour because they have not tasted bread in weeks. People in northern Gaza have resorted to eating soups made with dirty water. They have been resorting to eating a grass and animal feed. I mean, this is how people are trying to survive in northern Gaza. And one of the reasons why there have been so few aid trucks going into northern Gaza has been, on the one hand, a lack of coordination with the Israeli military for these aid convoys to safely make it in.
And as of late, as we saw the World Food Programme ending its aid deliveries to northern Gaza, because of some of the looting, some armed people who were looting these trucks and a lack of security for those trucks, that is partly due to the fact that the Israeli military has targeted members of the police force that is ultimately controlled by Hamas in Gaza. But, these are police officials who have been trying to protect these aid convoys, and they have been targeted in strikes by the Israeli military.
And so, you have a lack of security for these trucks. You have thousands -- hundreds of thousands of people in northern Gaza who are increasingly desperate, who are hungry. And this is the kind of the deadly combination when you put all of those things together with the Israeli military nearby and the Israeli military then, for one reason or another deciding to open fire on some of these individuals. This is ultimately the end result.
WHITFIELD: And Jeremy, I do want to follow up with you on the kind of hospital and medical care. But, I'm going to come back to you with that question.
I want to go to Paula Hancocks right now who is learning about Hamas' response to this. What are you learning?
HANCOCKS: Well, Fredricka, we're hearing from Hamas senior member that this could jeopardize negotiations that are ongoing at this point, negotiations for a temporary ceasefire for release of Israeli hostages and also release of Palestinian prisoners. So, the senior member saying, negotiations are not an open process. His statement, he also goes on to say is, we will not allow for the pathway of the negotiations to become a cover for the enemy's continued crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip.
[08:15:00]
So, Hamas warning that what we are seeing at this point and what has happened in the eastern part of Gaza City with more than 100 people killed as they were waiting for humanitarian aid and for food could have implications on the wider issue, the wider chance of negotiations leading to some kind of temporary truce. Now, we heard just yesterday as well from the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh saying that the Hamas is displaying flexibility, but also saying it remains to fight on. Now, we have heard that Hamas had been backing off from some of its demands. At one point, maybe a week ago, we'd heard from the Israeli side that some of the demands that Hamas was putting forward were "delusional".
We understand from different officials familiar with these negotiations that Hamas had backed off from some of those demands, and there had been a hope that a temporary truce, temporary ceasefire could have happened within days. That's what we heard from John Kirby, the National Security Spokesperson, saying it could be within days. We heard a slightly more optimistic view from the U.S. President Joe Biden naming the end of the weekend, although many others within this negotiation process have distanced themselves from those comments.
So, of course, the concern now is, will this have a knock-on effect to negotiations that have appeared to be more positive in recent days than they have been for many weeks? Qatari officials, for example, saying that it was a positive trajectory. But, we're now hearing from a Hamas senior member that the killing of these people could lead to the failure of ongoing talks. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Paula, thank you so much.
All right. Hamas calling this a major setback in any kind of progress toward the release of hostages, or even a temporary ceasefire.
Back to you, Jeremy Diamond. As we are looking at these images over and over again, still trying to make sense of what happened. You've got aid trucks who have made -- which have made their way into western Gaza City. People are desperately hungry. They're waiting to get any kind of sustenance. And then, we hear from the IDF that there were so many people that it seemed to cause some threat, provoking these military members to open fire, and in some cases, run over many people. Consequently, more than 100 killed, many others injured.
So now, Jeremy, already it had been very difficult to get any kind of hospital care, medical care. Now, for those who are injured in something like this, where do they go for assistance? What can they count on?
DIAMOND: Well, there are -- yeah. There -- I mean, there still are functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, but they do not have all of their capabilities. They are struggling with shortages of key medical supplies. We know that some of the air drops that have happened in recent days have been dropping food for Palestinians, but also medical supplies for some of these hospitals.
We do have -- we haven't getting in some video. I don't know if it's in the system yet, of individuals arriving at these hospitals. Some of them being brought, both the wounded as well as those who have been killed, being brought in on donkey carts because ambulances were not able to get around in that area arriving at the hospital, and the hospitals just being flooded by the number of killed and wounded.
Again, the latest numbers that we have are 104 people who were killed in this incident, at least 760 people who were injured. I suspect that some of those injuries will be due to the stampede, the chaos that ensued amid this incident. Other injuries may be more serious as a result of the gunfire from the Israeli military in the area. We should also know that this incident comes on a very somber day, and that is the day that we have now reached 30,000 people who have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of this war on October 7, a war that, of course, was triggered by Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7.
But, since then, we have seen as the Israeli military has unleashed really overwhelming firepower in Gaza, resulting not only in the deaths of several thousand Hamas fighters, but resulting more than anything in the deaths of Palestinian civilians, and that's because we know, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, whose numbers we should note have checked out in previous conflicts, that a majority of those who have been killed in Gaza are indeed women and children, some 70 percent, according to some of the latest numbers.
[08:20:00]
And so, that's just important to keep in mind as we mark this day and as we also look at this latest incident, and the fact that this is all happening, as Alex was talking about earlier, amid these negotiations for a potential temporary ceasefire, a temporary ceasefire that would not only see dozens of Israeli hostages released, but would also provide for much needed relief to those very same Palestinians who were gathered around these aid trucks, who were trying to get bags of flour, who were trying to get essential supplies. If there is a temporary ceasefire, I think you would see a significant uptick in the number and the amount of humanitarian aid actually making it into Gaza. And we know that right now that is just so desperately needed, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. Horrible situation. Jeremy Diamond, Paula Hancocks, Alex Marquardt, thanks to all of you. We'll check back with you as news merits.
All right. We'll be right back after a short break.
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WHITFIELD: Russian President Vladimir Putin says it's time to strengthen his country's western border. His comments came during his annual State of the Nation address Thursday. He told the Federal Assembly that having neighbors Finland and Sweden join NATO is cause enough to take the military to a different level. Mr. Putin says "The West wants to", in his words, "bring trouble to our homes and make us weaker."
Matthew Chance joining us live now from Moscow with details on this. So, Matthew, I mean, this was a two-hour record-breaking speech --
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: -- following Navalny's death and nature's expansion. What's at the root of his message here? CHANCE: Yeah. It's a tricky one to summarize it in a minute. It was a two-hour wide-ranging speech in which Vladimir Putin, who is facing reelection in the country, which is expected to be a shoo-in in a couple of weeks, in which he talks about how -- he basically used it as an opportunity to slam the West and the United States, talking about how the West had started wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East and in other regions. He accused the West -- Western powers, including the United States, of wanting to see a dying Russia, which he said was a miscalculation. And he warned against the -- any moves towards sending Western troops to Ukraine. Now, that hasn't been that floated in the United States, but the French have talked about it recently, and it was a sort of response to that.
One thing, Fredricka, that was conspicuous by its absence is any reference to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He died earlier this month in a notorious Arctic penal colony. He is going to be buried tomorrow. Now, the Kremlin have denied any responsibility for his death. But, his funeral on Friday could be a real flashpoint. It could be an opportunity for thousands of his supporters to come out and voice their support for him and their opposition to the Kremlin. So, we're watching that very carefully as well, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And then, Matthew, on Navalny being buried tomorrow, we know that his mother said and family saw his body and said that they believe it had been very much manipulated and neglected and abused.
[08:25:00]
Is it an option for the family to retrieve, keep the body so that they can do their own independent review of Navalny's body?
CAHNCE: It doesn't seem that that's an option at the moment. I mean, in the past, Alexei Navalny, when he was poisoned a few years ago, he was medevaced out to Germany, and they found that he was poisoned with Novichok. When it comes to the situation now, though, it seems that the Russians have -- the Russian authorities have given the body back on the condition there is a funeral sort of in the days ahead, and that's what's being planned. I've not heard any speculation that Navalny's family will be able to take that body away and have a post- mortem done independently.
Their allegation, of course, is that Navalny was killed in prison on the cusp of being freed in a prisoner swap, which was being negotiated between Russia and the United States. The Russians have not commented on that. They've rejected, as I say, any allegation they were involved with his death. But, what we are going to see tomorrow is potentially a big flashpoint with these thousands of mourners coming out onto the streets in Russia, potentially in Moscow, to pay their last respects to Navalny, and that's something -- there is a big preparation, security-wise, being prepared for here.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. Who is conducting the burial, this ceremony?
CHANCE: It's the family. I mean, it's the family that are doing that. I mean, there is going to be a ceremony, a church ceremony in the area of Moscow, the Russian capital, where Alexei Navalny and his family lived for a long period of time. There are preparations at a nearby cemetery called the Borisovskoye Cemetery for a funeral to take place. But, even last night, Navalny's team was saying, look, we don't know where the actual funeral is going to take place, because the authorities are putting pressure on us to move the burial to a different location where there can be a more private ceremony, because what the authorities want is for this to be as closed off to the general public as possible. They don't want this to be a flashpoint.
And so, there is real tension in what the family wants, what the authorities want, and we're going to see that play out on the ground tomorrow. It's going to be an --
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
CHANCE: -- interesting thing to watch, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Right. That's why I wonder if it will mean a large number of people will gather, how much the public knows about it, his supporters, and if there is fear of disruption by the Russian government?
CHANCE: I think there is. Look, I mean, all over the country, there has been thousands of people turn out to make it to the memorial of Alexei Navalny, people laying flowers, people paying their last respects when news earlier this month broke of him actually dying in that Arctic penal colony. And the authorities really used a heavy- handed approach to those mourners as well. Hundreds of people, according to human rights groups, were detained just for the act of laying flowers, and sort of paying the last respects to this prominent Kremlin critic.
And so, when it comes to his funeral, I think the expectation is that we could see the same kind of approach by the authorities as well. Certainly, we expect to see a big security operation around the cemetery where the funeral is being held, and in anticipation of large crowds, something that Putin, the Russian President, wants to avoid, particularly as it's only a couple of weeks to presidential election that he is seeing as being kind of inevitably going to win. He doesn't want to see necessarily a massive outpouring of anti-Kremlin sentiment in the weeks before that.
WHITFIELD: All right. Matthew Chance, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much.
Ukraine's top general is admitting certain "miscalculations in the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhia sectors," when it came to defense. The body says all measures have been taken to remedy the situation. It comes as Russian troops are making slow but steady gains on the battlefield.
As Nick Paton Walsh reports, ammunition shortages, rather, are making it harder to hold back Moscow's army.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not even tree cover means safety. They're firing to defend the tiny gains of Ukraine's counteroffensive. But now, they are outgunned by Russian troops trying to search forwards. You can hear how many shells they fire back. No U.S. aid means Ukrainians risk losing right here, right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 401 -- target infantry. High explosive around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger that. Targeting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One round, fire.
WALSH: I feel like they're fighting really with one hand behind their back, such a shortage of shells here. They get to do that if they're lucky by 10 times a day.
[08:30:00]
WALSH (voice-over): Back in the summer, counteroffensive, they would fire 80 a day. The cat is called Diva (ph). Down in the bunker, it is strange to hear men who live underground to avoid death be so familiar with Republican procedural dysfunctionality.
ANTON, UKRAINE'S 65TH MECHANIZED BRIGADE (Interpreted): I hardly understand the Republican policy on aiding Ukraine. The biggest issue is lack of ammunition and the tiredness of soldiers. Most of my guys spend two years here.
WALSH: Do you have a message for the people in Washington?
ANTON (Interpreted): We are very much waiting for aid. We urgently need it. More rounds equals saving more lives.
WALSH (voice-over): That drone footage shows the remains of last night's failed Russian assault, this is what was a key prize in the counteroffensive, the tiny village of Robotyne, still Ukraine's, but now another frontline where Russia is hitting back hard. This thermal night imagery shows their latest bleak tactic. It's a quad bike carrying three Russians, charging at the frontlines to simply see how far it can get.
KOKOS, 15TH NATIONAL GUARD (Interpreted): It's more maneuverable than armored vehicles. It's hard to hit with artillery, so we have to use drones. We heard from prisoners of war that they are given pills before assaults. They just keep on coming and coming.
WALSH (voice-over): While Russia seems to squander infinite resources, Ukraine must be more ingenious and crowdfund. This 3D printer to make tiny components for about 10 attack drones a day. Without more artillery, they say only these drones hold Russia back here. It is a bleak and fierce fight which is more the nearby town of Orikhiv. Russian airstrikes have left it looking like defeat rather than a symbol of Ukrainian tenacity it is.
WALSH: It's time to come back here. It's just worse and worse, and you just don't even really imagine what people can do to survive here or what there is really worth left fighting over. WALSH (voice-over): And on the road out, these, a stark warning
Ukraine is preparing for bad news. Six months ago, they were trying to search forwards with new Western armor here. Now, they prepare to lose. Only one thing changed and it was in Washington, not in their hearts.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Orikhiv, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: (Inaudible) moves out of Gaza. Stay with us.
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WHITFIELD: All right. More now on our breaking news. Health Ministry -- the Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 104 people were killed as they waited for food. Eyewitnesses say desperate civilians had gathered around aid trucks that had just arrived. An Israeli official tells CNN that IDF troops used live fire when the crowd approached the forces in what the official says was a manner that posed a threat. And we just got some new footage from the aftermath right now, how a senior member of the Hamas now is warning that that incident could jeopardize ceasefire talks.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Abu Dhabi with the latest now on the reaction coming from Hamas, and you saw those new images of the injured and perhaps even dead being wheeled away on carts being pulled by donkeys.
So, Paula, what is the reaction from Hamas now?
HANCOCKS: Well, from Hamas itself at this point, Fredricka, we are hearing from a senior member saying that this could jeopardize what is ongoing at this point, these negotiations ongoing to create a ceasefire, a temporary ceasefire, which would allow humanitarian aid to get in to Gaza itself. That's one of the key elements of these negotiations to make sure that a pause in the fighting would actually allow enough food and water and shelter to get into those who so desperately need it. And you can see from what has just happened in Gaza, how desperate people are to try and access any kind of aid in order to try and keep their families alive.
Now, the images are really quite disturbing to see the bodies of those who have been killed or those who have been injured, when what they were doing was trying to come out to gather humanitarian aid. Now, you can see from the aerial images just how many people were there. We have accounts from eyewitnesses on the ground and also from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society that there were hundreds there who were swarming around these humanitarian aid trucks, trying to get any aid that they could for -- from this particular area. This is just in the eastern part of Gaza City. Now, very little, if any, aid has gotten to the northern part of Gaza
in recent weeks. This is Al-Rasheed Street. And it just shows how desperately needed it is. And that is why you're seeing quite so many people on the streets surrounding these trucks. Now, of course, there are differing versions of events as to what the timeline was, which ended up in this disaster with more than 100 killed, more than 700 injured from the Palestinian eyewitness accounts. They say that Israeli troops and tanks opened fire, and that is when many were killed. They also say that when those aid trucks tried to escape, there were more injured and killed in the stampede that followed.
From the Israeli point of view, the Israeli military saying that there was a stampede. The issue and the event is under review at this point, but they used live fire, they say. When some of those that we see in the footage actually approached the troops, they say that they felt under threat, and that is when they opened fire. So, two differing accounts of exactly what did happen. But, the end result is a devastating death toll, and of course, injury toll in an area where health supplies and hospitals are barely functioning. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And so, as we tried to piece together perhaps the sequence of events, prior to the crush of people and the aid trucks arriving, do we know anything about how are people notified that trucks are on the way in? Or if there is any real systematic way in which the convoy arrives and the distribution takes place? Do we know anything about that? I mean, you certainly painted the picture. People have been waiting for a very long time for aid. People are malnourished. They're hungry. In the sight of a truck, people are very excited and they come out in large numbers.
[08:40:00]
But, do we know anything about the sequence of how people are notified when the convoy of trucks is coming in and how aid would customarily be distributed?
HANCOCKS: There is nothing systematic about the way that aid is brought in and is distributed, certainly in northern Gaza at this point. We've heard this repeatedly from UN agencies that are within Gaza, from NGOs that are there, that the difficulties of even trying to access these areas are significant. Even when they have pre-agreed routes with the Israeli Defense Forces, we've heard from UN agencies, they were then denied access or even some of their members were fired upon, incidents which the IDF say that they are looking into.
But, there is nothing systematic. There is very little that can be organized in this kind of structure when NGOs say the infrastructure -- the NGO infrastructure has collapsed within the Gaza Strip. So, it is very likely that it was the case that the people who are there may not have known that this aid was coming ahead of time, or at least many of them may not have known. And you get that impression from the way that many are rushing towards these trucks.
Now, we do know from the Israeli side, they say that they were escorting the trucks to this particular area, again, an area that is not seeing much aid, if any at all, medical supplies, fuel, food, water, shelter. There is very little in that way in this part of Gaza -- the Gaza City, and many people would not be living in good condition as well. Much of the infrastructure, much of the housing, the buildings has been damaged or destroyed in this area as well. So, when it comes to systematically distributing aid to those who need it most, that system really broke down some time ago. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. So, this may have been one of the first times that aid trucks may have even reached this area in these many months of conflict?
HANCOCKS: We don't know that at this point. We do know that very little aid has reached these areas. We know that those in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, right next to where the aid is coming in, do not have enough food, water or shelter. So, it stands to reason that those in the northern part and those in Gaza City certainly would not have seen anywhere near what they needed to see, to be able to sustain themselves. And we have been hearing repeatedly from NGOs that they struggle to be able to get the aid to where it is needed, further away from these crossings.
And just the very fact that we are now seeing an increased number of humanitarian air drops, that is what you do when the situation is so desperate on the ground, that it is difficult to get to those areas physically. We know that the U.S. is considering doing some kind of airdrop and getting the humanitarian aid to where it's needed. That way we've seen Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, France, in recent days carrying out these airdrops, and that just speaks to the chaos on the ground. If you can't get to these areas by road, many of which have been destroyed, then you try and get aid into people from the air.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. All right. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much in Abu Dhabi. We'll check back with you.
All right. Back in the U.S., the 2024 race for the White House travels halfway across the country today to the U.S.-Mexico border. Joe Biden and Donald Trump both planning to visit the southern border near simultaneously, as they highlight the issue of migrants crossing into the country. Trump continues to make border security one of the central planks of his campaign, promising mass deportations if he regains the White House, while Mr. Biden can talk about the ways Republicans in Congress have blocked him from boosting border security.
Our White House Correspondent Priscilla Alvarez is waiting Joe Biden's arrival in Brownsville, Texas. So, Priscilla, what will be the focus there for the President?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Fred, President Biden is expected to hammer Republicans over walking away from that failed Senate border bill. That was a bill that included some of the toughest border security measures in recent memory, including an extraordinary authority that would allow the Homeland Security Secretary to shut down the border if certain triggers were met. That is something that Republicans have called for before. But, all the same, they have not agreed to sign on to this deal at the encouragement of former President Donald Trump. [08:45:00]
But, all the same, this is really a remarkable move by the White House which has sought to distance itself from border security. This is an administration that has dealt with multiple surges on the U.S.-Mexico border. Now, sources telling me that within the White House, discussions on this matter have been tense as it increasingly became a political liability. But, that Senate border bill was really a turning point for the President because it gave the opportunity, according to White House and campaign officials, for the President and Democrats to go after Republicans and flip the script, putting the blame on them for not wanting to move forward on this bipartisan deal on border security.
So, that is really the focus of the President's remarks today when he visits that Border Patrol facility right behind me, where he'll also meet with Border Patrol agents as well as other frontline personnel. All of this, as you mentioned, while former President Donald Trump also visits the border, about 300 miles from here. So, this comes at a critical time. Of course, we're in a presidential election year. Former President Donald Trump is making border security a key issue of his campaign. And polling has shown that this is an issue that President Biden often meets a lot of disapproval among voters. So, the President today really taking the opportunity to seize on border security in a way that we just haven't seen up until this point. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much, traveling with the President once the President arrives there. The White House now on offense despite border security having been a real vulnerability.
All right. We'll be right back.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Turning now back to our top story, a scene of desperation turns into the site of a tragedy in western Gaza. At least 104 civilians who were gathering around food trucks were killed and nearly 800 others injured when Israeli forces opened fire, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. A warning here, new footage showing the aftermath of the attack. The dead are being taken on donkey carts. An Israeli official telling CNN that IDF troops did use live fire when the crowd approached in what one official describes as a threatening manner. A Hamas senior member says the incident could jeopardize ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Let's bring in Alex Marquardt. So, indeed, this is going to be a real setback. What now?
MARQUARDT: Well, Fred, when you and I were speaking earlier, I think you raised the possibility that this could accelerate talks, and I think the talks over a ceasefire could really go one way or the other. Hamas is already warning this morning that this horrible incident with more than 100 killed or dying in stampeding around those aid trucks could essentially lead those talks to fall apart. [08:50:00]
At the same time, I can certainly see a scenario in which the main mediators for this temporary ceasefire, so, that would be the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, could essentially step up the pressure on both sides to get to a pause in the fighting that is so desperately needed by the very people you're seeing right there, swarming those trucks, because a major component of the ceasefire deal that is being talked about is more humanitarian aid for Gaza. It's not just about hostages being released and Palestinian prisoners being released and a pause in the fighting. It is -- so much of it is about getting the aid to the people who so desperately needed, not just in southern Gaza in Rafah where so many people are gathered, but all across the Gaza Strip. The incident that we've seen today, that was in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, around Gaza City.
And so, I can see American negotiators essentially going to Israel today, saying this was a horrific incident. This really highlights the need for a pause in the fighting. The U.S. has really been emphasizing that the civilian death toll is far too high at the hands of the Israeli military, and that not enough aid is getting in or getting to where it needs to be. Even if the quantity of aid manages to get into Gaza, that does not mean that it is getting to the people who actually need it. And one of the major reasons is because those trucks can't drive wherever they want to either because of damage to the roads or because of the ongoing fighting. But, Fred, the bottom line is, today, major questions about how this will impact the ongoing talks around a ceasefire that had been showing some progress, small progress, but progress nonetheless.
WHITFIELD: Right. All right. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much. We'll check back with you. And we'll be right back.
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WHITFIELD: Since the October 7 attacks, the already high tension between the U.S. and Iran has worsened. That's led some in Iran to fear a proxy war between the two countries, could devolve into a direct confrontation.
Fred Pleitgen has more from Tehran.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As Israel continues its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza with casualties mounting, Iran warning the Israel-Hamas war risks leading to a direct confrontation between Tehran and Washington, the Speaker of the Iranian parliament's Foreign Policy Committee tells me.
ABOLFAZL AMOUEI, IRANIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN: We think that if there will be no finish for the -- this war, it can go in bigger scale, and it's -- it can be harmful for everybody. United States is one of the parties who are in support of Israel.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The U.S. accuses Iran of arming Hamas for years, aiding the group's attack against Israel on October 7 last year, killing more than 1,000 Israelis and taking hundreds hostage, and for supporting the Houthis in Yemen who are targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, allegedly to force an end to the Israel-Hamas war. But, it was attacks by Iran-backed militias against U.S. bases in the Middle East, including one killing three U.S. service members on January 28, and the U.S.-UK military counterstrike in Iraq and Syria that brought the U.S. and Iranian tension to a new level. President Biden says the U.S. is not seeking conflict. But, when Americans are harmed, he promises a response.
AMOUEI: Iran has its power to defend itself.
[08:55:00]
But, as I know that there will be no place for the United States forces to be hide -- hidden in the -- to defending themselves. It will be no place for them to be staying in the Middle East.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): In Tehran, folks hope the calm music ahead of the Persian New Year won't give way to the drumbeat of yet more confrontation.
PLEITGEN: Of course, when you speak to people on the streets here, they'll tell you the main concerns that they have are about the economy and also about inflation as well. But, of course, there are also people who really fear that things could spiral out of control between the U.S. and Iran, and possibly even lead to an armed conflict.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Even here, confident tones. Not only the U.S. is afraid but also Israel and neighboring countries, this man says, the U.S. does not have the courage to get close to Iran because of military concerns. But, a fear of what might happen after the upcoming U.S. elections.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next year that Trump is coming, everything is going to be much worse than now. Yeah.
PLEITGEN: How do you think it will be worth? Do you think it could be war?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't think the war is coming. But, the economy is going to be awful. Yeah. It's going to be awful. Yeah.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much for joining me here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World is up next.
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