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Fatal Strikes In Kharkiv Claim Five Lives, Raise Concerns; Alliance Plans Aid For Ukraine Amidst U.S. Election Uncertainty; Intelligence On Russian Targets Ignored In ISIS Attack Near Moscow; World Central Kitchen Accuses Israel After Seven Aid Workers Killed; 7.4 Magnitude Quake Hits Taiwan, Leaving Nine Dead And Many Trapped; NATO Alliance Discusses Defense Strategy Amid Rising Tensions With Russia; Chef Andres: Israel 'Systematically' Targeted Aid Workers; Uganda Court Upholds Harsh Anti-LGBTQ Law; 105-Year-Old Eclipse Chaser's Journey. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired April 04, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: -- in you. I do believe I do believe in Harry Enten and his glasses. Can you see anything out of those by the way?

HARRY ENTEN, SENIOR DATA REPORTER: You can see absolutely nothing. So, when you look up at the sun, it will actually block it. I actually do see the lights in the studio here. It's the one thing I can see through my wonderful ISO approved glasses and make sure they're ISO approved, Laura.

COATES: We love you so much. Don't go towards the light, Harry Enten. Stay with us. Stay with us, please. Thank you so much. Hey, listen, be sure to join CNN on Monday for Eclipse Across America. We're on the air with special coverage starting at 1 p.m. Eastern on CNN and also streaming on Max. Hey, thank you so much for watching. Oh, I hear Bonnie Tyler. Our coverage continues.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome. I'm Paula Newton ahead here on CNN Newsroom. The founder of the World Central Kitchen accuses Israel of systematically targeting aid workers. Will the deadly strike push President Biden to set limits on military aid to Israel. He could find out after a planned call with Israel's prime minister Thursday and rescuers digging through the rubble and debris, hoping to find dozens believed to still be trapped after that deadly earthquake in Taiwan.

And we do begin with the growing fallout of the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza. World Central Kitchen says its operations in the enclave remain close down for now, and it's not yet reached a decision on when it will resume its vital work. Now, the group immediately suspended its mission there in Gaza after the death of its workers, and all of its ships are now back at the Cyprus port. The video shows one boat that left Gaza following the deadly strike without offloading most of its cargo, which added up to about 332 tons of humanitarian aid. Now, that's according to the Cypriot Foreign Ministry. The founder of World Central Kitchen is lashing out meantime at Israel, accusing it of, quote, systematically targeting his seven team members in Monday's strike. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSE ANDRES, FOUNDER OF WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: This was not just a bad luck situation where, oops, we dropped the bomb in the wrong place or no. This was over 1.5, 1.8 kilometers with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top, in the roof, a very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of, but that that's very clear who we are and what we do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, a CNN analysis of images and videos of the aftermath found that Monday's attack appears to have consisted, in fact, of multiple precision strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his forces unintentionally struck the convoy, but says Israel is taking responsibility for what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAL HEINRICH, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER'S SPOKESPERSON: When we make mistakes, when Israel makes mistakes, even the most tragic ones to admit, we take responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following developments closely from Jerusalem and a warning. Some of the images you're about to see are disturbing.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Expressions of regret coming not only from the Israeli prime minister, but also from Israel's top general, Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, not only issuing a public apology, but also calling what happened here a grave mistake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. HERZI HALEVI, CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF, ISRAEEL DEFENSE FORCES: I want to be very clear. The strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification at night during a war in a very complex conditions. It shouldn't have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: Even as the Israeli military's chief of staff says this was a misidentification, and that an investigation is going to be carried out, so many questions still remain about how this aid convoy could have possibly been misidentified. When the World Central Kitchen says that they informed the Israeli military of the convoy's route, when there were logos clearly marking the World Central Kitchen on top of these vehicles, so many questions here that still remain. But what is very clear is that the work of aid workers in Gaza remains increasingly important, but also increasingly dangerous. More than 390 humanitarian aid workers have been killed since the start of this conflict in Gaza, more than in any other conflict annually over the last 20 years.

[00:04:49]

NEWTON: Thanks to Jeremy Diamond there. Now, Joe Biden will speak by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the day ahead. One official describes the U.S. president as angry and increasingly frustrated and fully prepared to make that known. CNN's Kayla Tausche has our report.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm told that sentiment has permeated conversations between the two governments at basically all levels since that strike was carried out, that the U.S. has communicated to Israel's government in no uncertain terms that specific changes must be made to the deconfliction processes. One official telling me either the information about the convoy's location didn't reach the targeting team or it was disregarded by the IDF. Either way, it's a problem.

In response to some of those conversations, Israel's defense minister has said that they will be setting up a situation room and encouraging open and transparent communication about the location of aid workers. As a result of this, but even so, there are still a lot of very serious questions to be asked by the U.S. government. And the format for those questions going on right now will be that conversation happening between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where I'm told the themes will be anger and accountability. And on a leader-to-leader level conversation, some of those very serious concerns are going to be presented to Bibi Netanyahu.

Now, as far as the policy. That the administration is pursuing toward Israel, the sharp rhetoric that we've seen coming out of the administration this week, both privately and publicly, now appears increasingly divorced from what the administration's stated policy on Israel is. The White House was asked repeatedly in recent days whether there would be consequences for Israel and conditions placed on military aid as a result of these strikes on civilians. And here's how NSC spokesman John Kirby answered that question again today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER (voice-over): Well, we make no bones about the fact that we have certain issues about some of the way things are being done. We also make no bones about the fact that Israel is going to continue to have American support for the fight that they're in to eliminate the threat from Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAUSCHE: And yet the chorus is growing for the U.S. to place conditions on those aides from outside groups. We will see whether there is any change in tack after that phone call. NEWTON: Joining me now is Josh Paul, a former state. State Department official and currently a non-resident fellow at Democracy for the Arab World Now. And nice for you to be with us, especially given, as I said, the disquieting news that we have had over the last couple of days. I want to ask you first about Biden's call with Benjamin Netanyahu.

We have heard strong language from the president, but very little action that has persuaded, it seems, Netanyahu to moderate in any way, shape or form. Do you believe Biden can and will stall military aid to Israel? Is that even an option as far as you understand from this administration?

JOSH PAUL, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICAL: Thank you for having me. And look, it's been six months of disquieting news at this point, to put it mildly. I think holding or addressing in some form U.S. military assistance to Israel is vital and is very possible. The administration has the option within the law to suspend any arms transfer at any time for any reason. And it can certainly do so to gain leverage over Prime Minister Netanyahu as his forces continue their onslaught in Gaza. The question is, will he do so?

I do expect the president will ask very firmly for massively increased foreign humanitarian assistance to enter the Gaza Strip. I expect he will continue the push I understand he has been making to try and avert a disastrous Israeli invasion of Rafah, the city in the south of the Gaza Strip. But will he actually use the leverage at his disposal to force these issues? I remain deeply skeptical. In fact, the president has said he has no intention of doing so.

NEWTON: Do you believe that he has to make a direct threat of that to Benjamin Netanyahu in order for him to move? Because it doesn't seem like anything has persuaded the Israeli leader so far.

PAUL: Well, that's exactly right. That we have seen now for actually several months, various levels of American officials up to and including the president, try to push Israel in a better direction on its current operations. And yet nothing has succeeded. The withholding or the conditioning of U.S. military assistance is certainly one option. It is not the only option available to the president. There are diplomatic options as well that he could pursue. But it is certainly the most directly linked to what is happening right now.

NEWTON: Yeah. And we have heard other nations speaking out. I mean, and that includes Britain right now. I want to ask you, though, the despair and fury Jose Andres expresses is very raw in a conflict that many, including you, have long determined does not safeguard civilians. billions and worse, right? I mean, Jose Andres' accusations are chilling. He's saying that this was a systemic, a calculated attack on aid workers. Do you think we could be at a pivot point here that will force, and I'm not talking about Israel, that I mean will force the Biden administration to work differently, to look at this conflict differently?

[00:10:19] PAUL: So, this was, you know, not the first attack on aid workers. Let's note that there have been over 196 aid workers killed in Gaza in the last six months. I think that is important to take into account. I think we are seeing a shift certainly in Europe in the last couple of days in response to this strike. We have seen, you know, not only the UK becoming increasingly willing to speak up, but others as well. Whether that will translate to action on the part of the United States, again, I think we need to be very skeptical until we see any evidence that that is the case. As we speak, we understand the United States continues to move forward on arms sales. I know that it continues to authorize arms transfers to Israel on a daily basis and is preparing to notify Congress of a very large multi-billion dollar fighter jet sale to Israel. So will that go ahead? We will see.

NEWTON; You know, the link between those U.S. weapons that you're talking about and Israel's war fitting is direct, and many say it implicates the Biden administration. And yet, you know, I have to tell you, we've had a parade of former administration officials, both Republicans and Democrats here on CNN, saying that, look, support for Israel must be a bedrock of Middle East policy. What do you say to them?

PAU: I say following the United States law must be a bedrock of anything the United States does. And there are clear legal requirements here. For example, we cannot provide military assistance to a country that is restricting U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance. We know that Israel is doing so because the National Security Advisor has said so. The USAID administrator has said so. And yesterday, it was reported there is an internal cable in the State Department that said so. And yet, we are still providing that assistance. So, you know, before we get to any conversation about what should our policy be on Israel, should we condition military assistance, let's follow our own laws. That surely has to come first.

NEWTON: Yeah. And again, I articulate that while we continue to discuss this, people in Gaza right now are suffering. And because of what's happened recently with this attack on aid workers, it's become even more dire. I'll leave it there for now, though. Josh Paul, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.

PAUL: Thank you very much for having me.

NEWTON: Rescue teams in Taiwan are searching for more survivors a day after the island was hit by its strongest earthquake in a quarter century. Now, a driver's dashcam captured the terrifying moment the 7.4 magnitude quake struck on Wednesday morning. A warning, some viewers may find the video you're about to see disturbing. These drivers were on a hillside road when the quake triggered a rockslide. They put the car in reverse, but the quake was not a rockslide. They had to reverse and begin backing up when one of the boulders, you see it there, smashes into one of the vehicles. CNN has not independently verified the video and is unaware of how many people were inside and if anyone was injured. I mean, just look at that video. So terrifying.

Officials say the quake killed at least nine people and injured more than a thousand others. More than a hundred people remain trapped and dozens are missing or unaccounted for. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following all of this for us from Hong Kong. Kristie, you know, we're going to have to get back to you. We're going to into day two now of those rescue efforts. Dozens, as we mentioned, still trapped. What more are you learning about those rescue efforts?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this urgent search and rescue effort is certainly underway in Taiwan after it was hit by that massive 7.4 magnitude quake earlier on Wednesday, the strongest tremor to hit the island in some 25 years. We know that over 100 people in Taiwan remain trapped or stranded. This quake, it caused rock fall, landslides, collapsed structures, those tilted buildings that we've seen out of Hualien. And according to the latest Taiwan government tally, it came out about 10 a.m. local time today. At least nine people have died, more than 1,000 injured. 770 buildings have been destroyed and rescuers are working around the clock to free people trapped or stranded by the debris.

And they're also working just to get to them. You know, the epicenter is Hualien County on the east coast of Taiwan and many in this region, they live in remote coastal or mountain communities that can be hard to reach. And I want to show you a couple of videos. In this first video, you will see first responders rescue a man from a blocked highway right after the earthquake, after it struck yesterday. The man was found unconscious at the scene and he was later sent to the hospital for treatment and for care there. Now, in this next video, you will see authorities in Hualien. They've already started demolishing buildings in the epicenter, an area that was badly damaged by the quake.

[00:14:59]

Now, the mayor of Hualien, she spoke out. She says all the buildings in a dangerous state have been evacuated and the demolition work is underway. Demolition of four buildings began on Wednesday night. It will take at least two days. A day after the quake, residents are very much on edge. Some, in fact, slept outside last night because of the dozens of aftershocks in the area. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): I'm afraid of aftershocks, and I don't know how bad the shaking will be. And then the house is already a mess. How do you get in? There's no way to get in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Residents are rattled. After the initial quake, there have been a number of strong aftershocks, including one with magnitude 6.5. And authorities in Taiwan, they say more powerful tremors are expected in the next few days. Back to you.

NEWTON: Yeah, it goes to over 6.4. I mean, that's incredible in and of itself in terms of what they've already gone through --

STOUT: Yeah. NEWTON: -- and the fact that there have still been dozens and dozens

of aftershocks. Kristy Lu Stout for us in Hong Kong. Thanks so much. Still ahead for us, how NATO is hoping to secure future aid deliveries to Ukraine, even if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election. Plus, why the president of Botswana is promising to send thousands of elephants to Germany, whether they want them or not. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: At least five people are dead after Ukraine's second-largest city took more fire from Russian drones, according to Kharkiv's mayor. Now, officials say at least 10 people were also injured in Thursday morning's attack. Four Russian drones reportedly struck the city back- to-back. Three of the fatalities were emergency workers who responded to the initial strike when another drone hit the same area and killed them. The attack caused at least one fire and damaged a residential high-rise.

Now, NATO leaders are keeping an eye on the next U.S. presidential election as they consider how to support Ukraine's war effort in the future. That's according to three sources familiar with the matter, and they spoke as NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels Wednesday. The goal is to make sure western aid keeps going to Kyiv even if Donald Trump wins his re-election bid in November. CNN's Nic Robertson has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Ian Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general, had started the day by saying there needed to be a change in the dynamics of support for Ukraine, that this needed to be a multi-year process. He spoke as well on the 75th anniversary of NATO coming up the following day, with 32 nations, for the first time, joined by the Swedish foreign minister. But as we began to understand from the secretary-general, this is a meeting about setting up the basis for agreement but not the details about it. So, he did lay out some broad bones of what they'd agreed.

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: Today allies have agreed to move forward with planning for a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training. The details will take shape in the weeks to come. But make no mistake, Ukraine can rely on NATO support now and for a long haul.

[00:20:29]

ROBERTSON: Even so, Stoltenberg was pressed by journalists for more details. One of them asking about reports that it was a $100 billion commitment he was looking for over five years. As some have reported, the question was to Trump-proof NATO, that if Donald Trump should be re-elected U.S. president, that somehow this military aid package for Ukraine could withstand and sustain during the period of his presidency.

Now, the Secretary General, as he typically does, didn't again get into detail, said, look, you've been briefed by someone. But not briefed by me. But what he wanted to achieve and what NATO is trying to achieve here is this financial commitment that allows Ukraine to plan for the coming years of the war, know that it can have enough ammunition, let's say, if it chooses to have an offensive in 2025, and for defense providers, manufacturers throughout Europe, the United States, to know that there's long-term commitment for them to produce the armaments.

So that, of course, is where the devil will be in the detail of those details Stoltenberg hasn't yet spoken about and says will be worked out in the coming weeks and months. Nick Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Let's go now to Canberra, Australia, where we're joined by Malcolm Davis. He's a senior analyst on defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Good to have you with us. So, NATO, 75 years old today, and we marked the milestone with a really big walk back in time. Right. NATO bulking up to defend against Russia. Two new members. And I mean, who would have imagined even two years ago that this alliance would be expanding in this way? Can you just take stock of this for us?

MALCOM DAVIS, SR. DEF. STRATEGY ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Look, I think you're right. This is a really big occasion. NATO is the most successful military alliance in history, and it's recently grown with Finland and Sweden joining primarily as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the implicit threat that that aggression could extend against NATO itself. And I think that when you look at the debate now occurring in Europe, there is a recognition that there's real concern that Russian geostrategic ambitions extend beyond Ukraine. And so, NATO as an organization has to get ready. They have to get ready on the assumption that maybe Donald Trump might get elected. And so, therefore, they have to burden share to a much greater extent themselves rather than relying on the Americans to carry that weight.

NEWTON: Yeah. And strategically, the United States might even welcome that, given what's gone on with NATO in the last couple of decades. But the conflict has really been a jolt to NATO. I mean, it's highlighted its shortcomings, especially when it comes to military capabilities. Would you say that we can bet on a more fortified NATO in a five-to-ten-year span?

DAVIS: Absolutely. And I think you're right. It would be good for Europe to take more of the burden and to recognize that it does have to spend more, invest more capability in its own defense, rather than relying on the Americans. The US will have its hands full with China in the Indo-Pacific. It can't take its eye off the ball in Europe with Russia. But I think European NATO states stepping up and burden sharing to a much greater degree to counter that threat posed by Russia, which is very real. and potentially could manifest itself as a direct threat to NATO's eastern frontier within the next 12 to 24 months, I think is really important for NATO European states to achieve. They cannot afford to drift on the assumption that Russia wouldn't threaten NATO directly. NEWTON: And to that end, you know, and the U.S. involvement there. Now, NATO wants to look to the U.S. as an ideological and military beacon for its alliance. I would say no longer, or at least jury out, the Secretary General, you know, he no longer hides his frustration with the United States failing to come up with Ukrainian aid. And as was discussed, he's floating what some people are calling that Trump- proof plan. How effective do you think that will be?

DAVIS: Look, it's too early to tell. I think that the European defense industry sector will have to really increase its capability and do so very quickly to essentially arm Europe for war and essentially prepare NATO states absent the U.S. to defend their eastern frontier against Russian attacks, which could include, you know, hybrid warfare attacks, the so-called "little green men," cyber-attacks, all the way through to actual kinetic attacks on places such as Poland and the Baltic states and so forth.

[00:24:59]

The Poles, I think, get this; the Baltic states get this, but some other NATO members that are further west are still too relaxed and don't see that threat happening. I think that is starting to change, and you know, witness Macron's discussion about boots on the ground in Ukraine. I think the tide is changing, and the question is, has it changed too late in the day? Can European defense industry and defense leaders quickly get ready for the potential worst-case scenarios that, as I said, could occur in the next 12 to 24 months?

NEWTON: Yeah. And given the plan at this hour is not in place, it means that at the front line, Ukrainian fighters right now, dealing with quite acute shortages. Malcom Davis, I'll have to leave it there. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

DAVIS: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now, the US shared intel, apparently, on several potential Russian targets of a deadly ISIS attack near Moscow last month, but Russia didn't act on the intel. That's according to sources that CNN has obtained. Now, the ultimate target of the attack, Crocus City Hall, was one of the several sites the US shared under its duty to warn policy. The US ambassador to Russia says the information was given to Moscow in writing, calling it, quote, "specific, timely, incredible." More than 140 people died in that attack. Russia claims the warnings were too general to act on, but the US ambassador says they, quote, "dismissed the usefulness of the information."

Serious accusations for Israel from the founder of the World Central Kitchen. Chef Jose Andres speaks out about the aid workers who lost their lives and the crisis he calls "a real-life Hunger Games."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Newton. The U.S. president is going to make it clear apparently to Israel's prime minister that he's, quote, angry and frustrated over the recent killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. That's according to a senior White House official. The two leaders are expected to hold a phone call in the coming day, their first since the deadly incident. But the White House has stressed that despite the tragedy, the U.S. policy of supporting Israel militarily remains unchanged. Meantime, the World Central Kitchen says it has not decided whether or not to resume operations in Gaza. Its boat carrying hundreds of tons of aid left the territory and returned to Cyprus without unloading most of its cargo.

[00:30:14]

The foreign aid workers' remains were transported out of Gaza Wednesday via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The victims include a U.S.-Canadian national, a Palestinian, an Australian, a Polish worker, and three others from Britain.

Meantime, World Central Kitchen founder, chef Jose Andres is lashing out over the deadly attack, accusing Israel of systematically and deliberately targeting aid workers.

CNN's Brian Todd has our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 54-year-old founder of World Central Kitchen slamming the Israeli military for the attack that killed seven of the group's aid workers in Gaza.

JOSE ANDRES, FOUNDER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: They were targeted systematically, car by car.

TODD (voice-over): Celebrity chef Jose Andres, in a jarring interview with Reuters, describes how the vehicles in the team's convoy were fired on.

ANDRES: They attacked the first car. We have a feeling they were able to escape safely because it was an armored (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They were able to move in the second one.

Again, this one was hit. They were able to move in the third one.

TODD (voice-over): Andres says his team tried to communicate with the Israel Defense Forces at that moment.

ANDRES: In the chaos of the moment, whatever happened, to try to be telling IDF that why are they doing that? They were targeting us in a deconflicted zone in an area controlled by IDF. Them knowing that was our teams moving on that route.

TODD (voice-over): Regarding Israeli claims that the attack was a mistake and unintentional. Andres brushed back fiercely.

ANDRES: This was not use -- bad lag situation where we dropped the bomb in the wrong place or -- or not. This was over 1.5, 1.8 kilometers with a very defined humanitarian convoy that had signs in the top in the roof. A very colorful logo that we are obviously very proud of, that that's very clear who we are and what we do in teams, that what is happening is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- like true "Hunger Games." This has to end.

TODD (voice-over): Andres went after the leadership of Israel and the U.S.

ANDRES: We are letting the people of Palestine down. U.S. must do more. I need to understand that this was not by somebody that is above law and order that decided just to kill us because -- I don't know. Maybe because I did a tweet that was very strong against President Netanyahu.

Andres repeatedly rejected Israeli and U.S. claims that the strikes on his team were not deliberate.

ANDRES: Then if we were not in coordination with the IDF, not democratic country, and not military, can be targeting civilians and humanitarians, especially when the technology today allows you to know things in ways, not too long ago was not possible. Those drones have eyes on everything that moves in Gaza. I've been there.

This is drones nonstop flying above you; is nothing that moves that IDF doesn't know.

But said that, even nobody should be targeting, ever, humanitarian organizations and civilians continuously.

TODD (voice-over): Asked if World Central Kitchen will start its operations again in Gaza, Chef Andres said their work is, quote, "halted," but that they're analyzing the situation hour by hour to figure out how to keep doing the work.

And in a pointed message to the Israeli prime minister --

ANDRES: I went down to Prime Minister Netanyahu to 200 humanitarians have died already. Tens of thousands of civilians have died. I'm so sorry, but I think one humanitarian life is one too many. One children is one too many.

TODD: Again, regarding this attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces, quote, "unintentionally struck innocent people." The IDF chief of staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, has said that the attack was a, quote, "grave mistake."

Other Israeli officials have said the incident is being investigated at the highest levels.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: A Uganda court has ruled in favor of one of the world's harshest anti-gay laws.

Now, the law criminalizes same-sex relationships in the country and imposes extreme punishments on the LGBTQ+ community. Petitioners had challenged the law, saying it violated their constitutional rights.

CNN's David McKenzie explains the ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Human rights activists and lawyers are deeply disappointed in the decision of the constitutional court --

MCKENZIE (voice-over): -- in Uganda to unanimously uphold a draconian anti-LGBTQ law that calls for a life sentence, in some cases, even the death penalty in certain circumstances for the LGBTQ community in Uganda.

And now there were two aspects of the law that the judges said could be thrown out, including issues of privacy and health.

[00:35:04]

But in the main, they let it stand, despite the incredible pressure coming from Western governments and others ever since President Museveni signed the law last year. And extensive reporting by CNN has shown that LGBTQ --

MCKENZIE: -- Ugandans have been harassed, evicted, and beaten. And in some cases, even had to flee the country to seek asylum elsewhere because of the conditions in Uganda.

Now, it's likely the lawyers will appeal this ruling at the supreme court.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: The president of Botswana says he will send 20,000 elephants to Germany, telling a German tabloid that the thread is, quote, "not a joke."

This comes as Germany's government explores a ban on trophy imports. Earlier this year, Germany's Green Party raised the possibility of stricter limits to try and deter poachers.

But Botswana's president says a ban on trophy hunting would actually harm his country. He says conservation efforts have made the elephant population soar to more than 100. He claims they're causing havoc in rural villages, trampling people to death and eating crops.

Besides speaking up to the German tabloid, Germany's foreign minister says the Botswanan leader has not reached out to them about the issue.

Now the countdown is on for Monday's total solar eclipse in North America will introduce you to an eclipse chaser, who's seen quite a few and is 105 years. Yes, you heard that right.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: North America is just days away from experiencing a total eclipse of the sun. Now the line of totality, which is where the moon will completely block out the sun, runs from central Mexico's Pacific coast through a large swath of the U.S. and then Eastern Canada.

One thing that may complicate things, though: severe weather. Forecasters predict thunderstorms to pop up in parts of the Southern United States on Monday, eclipse day, right along that line of totality.

Now it's too early, of course, as we all know, to say precisely when and where clouds will develop. But millions of people in the U.S. who are traveling to view the eclipse may have a clear sense of weather conditions, we all hope, by the weekend.

Now, as that next solar eclipse approaches, some will experience it for the very first time. Others have been at it for years, even centuries.

KTVT's Ken Molestina introduces us to a 105-year-old eclipse chaser from Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEN MOLESTINA, KTVT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When you step into Mr. LaVerne Biser's Fort Worth home, it's impossible to not notice how much he loves eclipses and taking pictures of them.

LAVERNE BISER, ECLIPSE CHASER: That was a real accident position to take a picture.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): This 105, soon to be 106-year-old amateur astronomer has been chasing them for more than six decades.

[00:40:08]

MOLESTINA: You've seen eclipses since 1963 was your first one. And your last one was last year.

BISER: Here, right here in Fort Worth. I see 12 eclipses. We travel all over the world to see them. I was lucky I had money back in those days.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): Good thing for him, April 8's eclipse will happen right overhead.

BISER: I could go on, crack the door here, look up and see it. You don't need to go anywhere.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): His obsession with the cosmos, he says, began as a high school student in Ohio.

BISER: My science teacher. I love I -- I enjoyed all -- all my science classes.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): From there, he'd go on to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree from the Ohio State University, 1942. He moved to Fort Worth after and helped design airplanes at Carswell Air Force Base for the rest of his career.

But it's the thrill of eclipse watching, he says is one of the greatest passions he has.

BISER: You see one, you want to see them all. They're so pretty when that -- when that go -- and the corona comes out, and everybody goes, "Oh, look at that! Look at that!"

And cameras start clicking, and everybody's yelling.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): His favorite one, so far, the solar eclipse of 1979 in Williston, North Dakota, where he snapped this picture.

MOLESTINA: This is your pride and joy.

BISER: That's my pride and joy. Because it's harder to take. You had to put your camera up to a blank sky up there. The sun is out here. You -- you hope you're going to point it in the right direction.

MOLESTINA: When you realized you had captured this picture, what was that like? You must have been really excited.

BISER: I said, it works. I got it.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): He showed us around his shop.

BISER: I've made the whole thing. I made this. I made that. And around the mirror.

MOLESTINA (voice-over): Where some of his handmade telescopes sit. This one was made almost 60 years ago.

And with his 13th eclipse fast-approaching, Mr. Biser says he knows just how special this one will be for him.

BISER: I'm 106. I won't see -- they don't come but one or two every couple of years. I don't think I'll see any more. I may not see any more eclipses.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: We dare you to match that man's enthusiasm as you join us Monday for the total solar eclipse, as it travels from Mexico across America and into Canada. Our special coverage starts at 12 p.m. Eastern in the United States. That's 5 p.m. London time.

Fingers crossed there won't be any clouds.

Now, I want to thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton, and I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour. Right now, though, WORLD SPORT is next.

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(WORLD SPORT)