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Four Israeli Hostages Rescued In Gaza Military Operation; Interview With Former Israeli Ambassador To The U.S. Michael Oren; Trump Vows Revenge If He Wins The White House Again; CIA Assessment: Netanyahu Likely To Defy U.S. Pressure To Set A Post-War Plan For Gaza; 4 Israeli Hostages Rescued In Gaza Military Operation; 2 New Victims, Graphic Evidence In Gilgo Beach Case. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired June 08, 2024 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:02:17]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Jessica Dean in New York and we begin with breaking news.
And an emotional day for the people of Israel as four hostages are rescued from Gaza after eight months in captivity.
Loud cheers there from a crowd greeting the newly rescued hostages as they climbed out of a helicopter and took their first steps back in Israel.
The four hostages kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova Musical Festival during the October 7 attacks. They include 25-year-old Noa Argamani, 22-year-old Almog Meir Jan, 27-year-old Andrey Kozlov, and 41-year-old Shlomi Ziv.
And you may remember Noa Argamani from this horrific video from October 7. It shows the attacks. It shows Hamas fighters taking her away on a motorbike.
Israel saying the special military operation took place this morning in central Gaza, among residential buildings where Hamas had been keeping those hostages.
Palestinians described the raid as hell on earth as heavy shelling and artillery fire bombarded that area. The Hamas-run government media officer in Gaza says at least 210 people have been killed. And more than 400 injured including women and children.
CNN cannot independently verify these numbers and Gaza's media office does not differentiate between civilians and militants who are killed.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Tel Aviv with more on today's rescue mission and the aftermath in Gaza
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Their first video call in eight months. Friends or former hostage Almog Meir Jan welcome the 22-year- old home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's nice to be home, right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Hallelujah.
Just hold each other, yes, yes, yes. You know, we are so happy to see him.
HANCOCKS: Meir Jan raised his hands in the air in celebration as he touched down on Israeli soil. One of four hostages rescued in what was called a high-risk complex mission Saturday morning in Nuseirat, central Gaza.
The IDF says all four were taken captive by Hamas militants at the Nova Music Festival on October 7 where hundreds more were killed.
Noa Argamani has become a symbol of Israel hostages being held in Gaza filmed on the back of a motorbike, being taken into Gaza by Hamas militants from the festival, used in Hamas propaganda videos while in captivity.
[17:04:49]
HANCOCKS: Today, she is free, hugging her father, waiting to visit her terminally-ill mother in a separate hospital.
Andrey Kozlov and Shlomi Ziv were working as security at the music festival when they too were taken hostage.
All four were brought for medical checkups once back on home soil.
All four are said to be stable and in good medical condition in this hospital just outside Tel Aviv.
Now Israel's military security agency and police pleased say that this mission had been planned for weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving the green light on Thursday evening.
HERZI HALEVI, ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES CHIEF: This was a high-risk complex mission based on precise intelligence conducted in daylight in two separate buildings deep inside Gaza.
HANCOCKS: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the rescued hostages.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We're committed to getting the release of all the hostages and we expect Hamas to release them all and if they don't, I'll do whatever it takes to get them all back home.
HANCOCKS: The hostage and missing families forum says 120 more captives remain in Gaza. The way to rescue them is with a ceasefire deal. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thats not the way we can bring 120 hostages back
home. We must, all of us together, The world follow President Biden's speech and go with the deal.
HANCOCKS: But the price paid in Gaza for these rescues has been unquestionably high. More than 200 killed, more than 400 injured according to the enclave's government media office. There is no clarity on the breakdown of civilian and militant casualties.
This man says, "There are children torn apart and scattered in the streets. They wiped out Nuseirat. It is hell on earth."
An endless cycle of dead and wounded rushed into al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Saturday, a medical center already well over capacity and dangerously understaffed and under supplied.
It is a jarring view of two clashing impacts of one rescue mission.
Paula Hancocks, CNN -- Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Paula, thank you.
And CNN's Ben Wedeman is joining us now with more on today's rescue operation. He is joining us now live from Beirut. Ben, what more are you learning?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're learning is that this operation began at about 11:00 in the morning local time, focused on Nuseirat refugee camp which is in the central part of the Gaza strip.
There according to residents it was like hell on earth. The Israels using a lot of firepower, grand foot ground forces, as well as Apache attack helicopters in the air.
Now, because it was 11:00 in the morning on a Saturday, there were lots of people out in the street shopping and whatnot, and that might account for why there were so many casualties.
According to medical sources in Gaza, at least 210 people killed, more than 400 injured. I went through tons of video that came out of Gaza from our camera men at one of those hospitals.
And even though we don't get a breakdown on the casualty figures, what I saw was a lot of children, a lot of women, a lot of civilians, either dead or injured. You can tell that the medical facilities in Gaza are at a breaking point after more than eight months of war, Jessica.
DEAN: All right. Ben also we know Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveling to the Middle East to push for the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. How might this rescue mission impact those efforts?
WEDEMAN: Well, we shall see now Hamas has put out a statement now saying that today's events will not impact, their position on the American proposal. Their position however has not been finalized, so we don't know really where they stand.
Certainly both sides are sending out mixed messages. The Israelis have indicated in some respects that they favor it, but we know that Primary Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that his final goal, his major goal, is to destroy Hamas completely.
Hamas on the other hand, wants a permanent ceasefire and obviously it wants to survive this war. So how Blinken is going to bridge that gap is anybody's guess, Jessica.
DEAN: Ben Wedeman for us in Beirut tonight. Thank you very much.
Former Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren is joining us now.
Ambassador, thanks so much for being here with us.
First, I just want to get your reaction to this operation that rescued four hostages earlier today.
[17:09:52]
MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: Well good to be with you, Jessica? Hi.
Listen, it's a joyous day for the state of Israel after many months without any joy. We all know that Noa Argamani was basically the poster child of all the hostages. And her release, her freedom is just deeply precious to all Israelis.
With it, the joy is mix with sorrow. One of our commandos was killed in this raid, three are seriously wounded. By all accounts, there was a furious firefight there.
And we talk about Palestinian casualties, 200 killed. We really don't know how many of those were terrorists. I'm going to assume that a great number were.
But that joy and -- but that joy is going to remain qualified as long as we have at least 80 more hostages alive and in Hamas captivity.
DEAN: Right. And again, we can't confirm those numbers that they have given us out of Gaza and they don't -- they do not break down civilians versus militants in those numbers. So important to keep in mind when we are talking about those numbers.
And Mr. Ambassador, you talked about the joy for the people of Israel that it was a joyful moment in about eight months that have been very -- those have been far, few and far between for them as that nation has mourned so much since October 7th.
I do want to ask you more broadly what today's operation, if at all, what does it mean more broadly for the conflict and for those negotiations that continue to be ongoing for a potential deal. OREN: Certainly. Jessica, I'm not a spokesman for the government. I'm not in office, but I think I reflect a lot of Israeli opinion in saying Israelis would be willing to agree to a temporary ceasefire -- six weeks in return for the release of say, 33 hostages. Thats the deal that Israel put on the table that President Biden presented to Hamas, that Hamas has so far rejected unfortunately.
A permanent ceasefire means the war is over. Israel withdraws. Hamas comes out of the tunnels it rearms, it recapture Gaza and its own leaders said they're going to launch 10,000 more attacks on Israel until it's -- until we're destroyed.
So I think Israelis generally were willing to make that risk of a temporary ceasefire to get more hostages back. But until that happens, Israel's going to have to keep up the military pressure on Hamas. And it's (INAUDIBLE) that goal of denying Hamas the ability to mount another October 7 type attack.
DEAN: And in the meantime, there's a lot going on politically in domestic politics within Israel. The war cabinet member and Netanyahu rival, Benny Gantz, had set today as his cutoff day, to leave the government if Netanyahu did not have a plan for what comes after this war.
He then later said he would not be holding that press conference today because in light of this rescue mission and the successful rescue mission.
What do you think is -- what does this mean for the current Israeli strategy or the lack of one because the Biden administration has been pushing them very hard to come up with a plan. And Netanyahu has been reticent to agree to anything for what comes after this war is over.
OREN: Yes, I personally think that we should have a morning after plan. It's not going to be easy. The administration wants to move elements of the Palestinian Authority from the West Bank to Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is having great difficulty managing the West Bank. It's fabulously unpopular and corrupt. About 85 percent of the Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the most recent poll, support Hamas.
But still, I don't think the Israeli army is in a position to govern Hamas in the long -- and leverage Gaza rather in the long run, taking care of the health needs, the food needs of 2.5 million Palestinians and many of whom are homeless and need tremendous support.
We're going to need an international support there preferably from our friends in the Arab Gulf being involved and international funds to rebuild Gaza.
But Israel has to maintain some level of security control over Gaza because you can destroy Hamas as a military force, you can't destroy Hamas as an idea and there will be cells that will pop up just as you can't destroy ISIS and al-Qaeda entirely and they will keep popping up.
So Israel has to maintain some degree of security involvement in Gaza.
I think it's very important that Israel and the American government -- the Israeli government, the American government, get involved in a very detailed, intimate discussion about the day after. We do need a day after program.
But very important point Jessica, American media is very much focused on what's going on in Gaza and certainly in light of today's events, we can understand why.
But in the northern of Israel there's a war going on. Dozens of Hamas -- excuse me, Hezbollah rockets raining down on Galilee (ph). One of them hit as far south as Nazareth today, which is in southern Galilee and 80,000 Israelis have been displaced. Half of Galilee is up on flame from Hezbollah rockets.
And the government in Israel is under tremendous pressure to react to this. And that could trigger a much, much broader war because Hezbollah has a military force that's ten times what Hamas was. And with rockets that are far more accurate, 150,000 of these rockets.
[17:14:50]
OREN: So the Israeli government and Benny Gantz's decision to remain in the government very much reflects not just what's going on in Gaza today, but I think even more to the point, what's going on in Galilee.
DEAN: And I want to underscore something you just brought up because when the president announced this plan that he said was the Israeli plan and pressured Hamas to accept it he said that he it was his understanding and belief that Hamas was not able are in a place where they could go forward with another October 7 type attack at this moment.
And you bring in Hezbollah and what they are doing in the north. Would you say it's a fair assessment now to say that President Biden is correct about where Hamas is says and that so much of the military strength is now with Hezbollah in the north?
OREN: All that is yes. But with one caveat that Hamas is not in a position to mount another October 7 now. But if Israeli forces will withdraw basically to the border and end the war, Hamas would be in a condition to mount of similar attack in a year from now, two years from now.
So I think Israel is right in trying to secure guarantees from the Biden administration. Ok, how do you plan to stop that happening not just in the short run but in the long run? And I think that's crucial for Israelis because there are still tens of thousands of Israelis in the southern part of the country, who can't go back to their homes, who won't go back to their homes unless they're sure that two years from now, three years from now, another October 7 is not going to happen. I think that Israel also has a primary interest in concluding as quickly as possible major military operations in Gaza wo we can focus the major thrust of our military might to meet the threat from Hezbollah, which I said earlier is a threat of a far greater magnitude.
DEAN: All right. Ambassador Michael Oren, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
OREN: Thank you.
DEAN: Former President Trump and allies are vowing revenge on those who've crossed him if he wins a second term in the White House, but is retribution a winning strategy for the GOP in November? We're going to discuss next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
[17:16:52]
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DEAN: Republicans have been standing by former president Donald Trump since last week when he was convicted of 34 felony counts in the New York hush money trial. they're taking cues from Trump, who's also been flirting with the topic of revenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, revenge does take time. I will say that.
DR. PHIL MCGRAW, TALK SHOW HOST: It does.
TRUMP: And sometimes revenge can be justified so I have to be honest.
MCGRAW: No --
TRUMP: Sometimes it can. Look when this election is over based on what they've done. I would have every right to go after them and it's easy because it's Joe Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: CNN political commentator and columnist at the "New York Daily News", S.E. Cupp and CNN commentator and "New York Times" journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro both join me now.
Great to have you both here with us on this Saturday.
S.E. As he lets start with you. We just heard that clip from the former president. Is this a winning strategy, revenge?
S.E. CUPP, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, it is with his base. He knows his base very well and they've been into this long before the trials. He ran on a politics of revenge. The first time in 2015 and 2016 and carried that through his campaign.
Remember, lock her up. Remember Mexico is going to pay for sending their rapists and their criminals. They're going to pay for the wall.
His politics of revenge was predicated on his personal grievances, but it was also on behalf of the perceived grievances of his voters. It's why they like him.
So yes, the answer is yes. This works for him and his base.
What it does not work for are of those Independents and the undecideds in the swing states that he will need to win this election.
DEAN: Right. And those -- I want to get to some new polling on those in a minute. Thats very interesting, but you're exactly right. It's -- it is that kind of sliver of these more moderate voters, these swing voters.
Lulu, how might the Biden campaign then effectively respond to this type of rhetoric and try to win over those voters with a different message.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Forcefully, I think. You know, Trump is trying to paint this as some sort of righteous retribution. And it's not. And it's not for those swing and Independent voters and soft Democrats that he really needs. Those Nikki Haley voters, for example.
You know, what Trump is talking about is using the government to prosecute his personal political enemies. And you can argue about Trump's conviction but he was judged guilty by a jury in a fair trial.
And this was a state trial. This wasn't a federal trial. The federal government had nothing to do with it. And so Democrats feel that Trump's calls for personal vengeance are good for them.
DEAN: All right, so S.E. let's go to this new polling.
It's from Fox News. It's from battleground states. They're all within the margin of error, which just underscores how very tight this races. But we see there Trump up by five in Arizona and Nevada, almost four in Florida.
What is interesting here I thought to Virginia is tied. Joe Biden handily beat Trump there in 2020 by ten points. What do you make of all of these together and specifically that Virginia poll, S.E.
CUPP: Yes. these swing states are going to be super important. They are going to decide this election and it was close last time in swing states.
[17:24:50]
CUPP: Remember Joe Biden won Georgia by only 11,000 votes. It was even tighter in some other places. So that's where both of these candidates really need to be pouring their effort and attention into.
And those polls those are interesting. Now when you pierce the layers of them, there are plenty of undecided and -- undecided and Independent voters who are not into the politics -- politics of revenge, who don't think the trial was good -- was good for Trump are having thoughts, you know, about what that means for Trump and voting for a convicted felon.
So it is important, but it really just underscores how close this election will be. There are other states from Virginia to Minnesota where the race is tightening as well. We could, you know, see adding those as swing states this year.
So it's a super, super tight race. Every vote is going to count.
DEAN: Yes. And Lulu as the Biden campaign tries to sell their message and what they've done in the last four years, they do have this list of legislative accomplishments that they want to be talking about. They want to be talking about an infrastructure bill that's putting jobs in different states, but it does not seem to be breaking through in these places.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes. I mean, we've actually seen other polls show a small but significant movement towards Biden in the wake of the conviction, especially amongst soft Democrats who might be disengaged voters of color that had been going towards Trump. And now in the wake of the conviction seemed to be pulling back.
So I do think this is a very fluid race. But yes, to your point there's no question that Biden is struggling and he needs his surrogates out much more aggressively because he's not the best messenger for his own message.
Weve seen that repeatedly when people see him, they see him as old, they see him as frail. They wonder about whether he really has enough in the tank to go the distance.
And so Democrats really need to get their surrogates out and really bring the Democrats' message to the people.
DEAN: And S.E. so much about this is creating contrast where they can between these two candidates for voters.
And I'm thinking back to this last week where President Biden, right now, he's meeting with President Macron in France. But previous to that, he's marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He's talking about democracy in the world and the western alliance.
And you do contrast that with what former president Trump has said about NATO. What -- the message he's putting out right now. When you kind of take that in totality what do you take away from it in watching those kind of side-by-sides last week.
CUPP: I mean, they should be reminders that, you know, Joe Biden has a much better relationship with our allies and where Trump had a much better relationship with our enemies and seems to want an even cozier one.
But I've got to be honest, Jessica, when we go out, we talked to voters this isn't really top of mind right now. You know, they're worried about the economy, crime, immigration, women's reproductive rights, this melange of domestic issues that are very frightening for a lot of voters on both sides of the aisle, depending on what you're asking them about.
That's what's driving them to the polls this year. That's what both of these candidates need to be talking about. Not revenge and not on the other side on Biden's side pretending that things are rosier than people feel they are.
DEAN: And Lulu, do you agree, just as we, as we wrap up here, do you agree with kind of that assessment from S.E. there?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Yes, I do agree with that assessment. You know, Biden is trying to show that he's the leader of the free world, that the danger to the free world now comes from Trump and his plans for the United States.
And what was interesting to me was seeing that indeed the United States' traditional allies embraced Biden on this visit and really I think seem to support that message.
But at the end of the day I don't think that that's going to be what wins this election. What wins this election is as S.E. was saying, domestic issues.
DEAN: All right. Lulu and S.E. -- thanks to you both. I appreciate it. Good to see you.
CUPP: Sure.
DEAN: Still ahead, a new report from the CIA concluding Israel's prime minister, maybe ready to defy international pressure by not coming up with a plan for Gaza after the war.
And startling new images into our NEWSROOM of a catastrophic landslide that has a crucial Wyoming highway completely shut down.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[17:33:36]
DEAN: Back now to our breaking news today, four Israeli hostages held captive for eight months have been rescued in the military operation.
Israel saying it took place at two separate locations in central Gaza near a refugee camp.
Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the rescued hostages and their families at the hospital, vowing to do what it takes to bring those still being held captive back home.
His visit and this rescue mission comes as a new CIA assessment reveals more about Netanyahu's mindset about the ongoing war and what comes next. CNN's Zachary Cohen has more.
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ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: This represents one of the most up-to-date intelligence assessments about Benjamin Netanyahu's mindset that's been circulated to senior U.S. officials.
And it shows the CIA has concluded that Netanyahu likely believes he can continue to defy pressure from the Biden administration and Western allies and some within his own coalition government, who were pushing for him to define a post-war plan for Gaza.
Now the CIA assessment underscores how deep fractures within the Israeli government are likely impacting Netanyahu's calculations.
And specifically, it says Netanyahu, quote, "Probably believes he can maintain support from his security chiefs and prevent defections sections from the right wing of his coalition by discussing the future of Gaza in vague terms."
That's what the June 3rd report that CNN reviewed says. And the CIA report is consistent with what CNN and others have reported in the days since President Joe Biden announced a three-pronged peace deal proposal for Gaza.
[17:35:04]
Look, the assessment is also significant because it reveals U.S. intelligence agencies expect Israel is likely to act in a way that has didn't direct opposition to the Biden administrations stated goals.
And it comes amid a clear shift in how the Biden administration views Israel, less as a trusted partner and more as an unpredictable foreign government to be analyzed and understood -- Jessica?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Zach Cohen, for us, thanks so much.
We're joined now by Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a CNN military analyst and former U.S. Army commanding general.
Great to have you here with us.
Let's back up for a second and then I want to get to Zachs reporting there.
I first want to get your reaction to this very high-stakes rescue mission that brought home four Israeli hostages today.
LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, from the details we know about it, Jessica, we know that these four hostages were in two different locations. They were very close to a refugee camp, a U.N.-sponsored refugee camp. They were taken out of civilian homes. And what we know so far is the Israeli government has suggested, is
that there were citizens in those homes who were taking care of these hostages.
We also hear early reports from the Hamas-driven Ministry of Health within Gaza that over 200 people or 400 people -- they can't even get the figures correct in terms of their estimates -- have either been killed or wounded.
So it is a continuation of the kinds of things on both sides where the Israeli Defense Force is attempting to find, through intelligence sources, where these hostages are.
They -- they evidently had some good -- pretty good sources on this one because they were able to rescue these four that were in a neighborhood, basically in a refugee camp or in a resident area.
So I mean, were talking about the continuation of Palestinian citizens protecting Hamas or Hamas using them as human seal shields and asking them to do their -- to coordinate with them in terms of their actions.
DEAN: And I want to ask you now about what we just heard from Zach Cohen, the CIA assessment that Benjamin Netanyahu thinks he can get through all of this without any plan for a day after.
And so many of the military analysts we've spoken to on the show said that that is always part of a military strategy or it should be part of a military strategy.
We know that President Biden and the administration have pushed them very hard for some sort of day after plan. What do you make of that assessment and what it means for them moving forward?
HERTLING: Well, I'd be hesitant to comment on an assessment I haven't seen, Jessica, especially one that probably was classified if it came from the CIA.
But what I will tell you is it's interesting what you just said. All of the military analysts, myself included, have said since October that unless you have a political strategy as opposed to just a military strategy for these operations, it won't come to a good end state.
Mr. Netanyahu has said from the very beginning that he wants to destroy Hamas. That's a very valid military strategy, but it has nothing to do with what then. What does it look like when you do destroy Hamas?
Because you have an area of Gaza with two million people living there. And it has to have some kind of political outcome. And Mr. Netanyahu has been hesitant to describe what that looks like, even when Mr. Biden has pushed him on that.
So there are -- you know, I don't have a doubt that the CIA assessment said exactly what Zachary just said, but truthfully, this war is going to continue because Mr. Netanyahu has placed the destroying of the Hamas organization before anything that has to do with the political ramifications of what happens next in Gaza.
DEAN: And looking ahead to what comes next, I do want to ask you if you think we're going to continue to see more of these types of operations as they tried to rescue some of these hostages.
You know, you laid out the situation, which is the Gaza government, which is the Hamas-run Gaza government media office says that more than 200 were killed. We can't independently verify those numbers. And they don't differentiate between civilians and militants killed.
At the same time, the IDF is saying the previous rescue missions were called off, saying that Hamas is holding hostages in civilian buildings and it makes it impossible for them to get to the hostages without entering civilian areas.
But you and I've been talking about this for eight months now and it always comes back to this push and pull of going into the civilian areas. And that is, again, where these hostages were being held. Do you think we're going to keep seeing these types of things?
HERTLING: I do, Jessica. It's unfortunate for the civilians that are put in this position by Hamas. We have to continue to go back to that. Hamas is using these civilians as part of their strategy. They want civilians to die so they can blame it on Israel.
[17:40:03]
As a former commander in combat, I've had to call off missions when I knew that there were civilians nearby, that we had to stop the mission because of it.
Israel has -- has done that on multiple occasions. I know that to be a fact.
But the fact of the matter is that Hamas continues to use human shields and place these hostages as well as the Palestinian citizens in harm's way.
They like to do that. They have their tunnel complexes and their operations nearby and underneath these facilities.
So you're going to see Israel continuing to go after these terrorists that are either underground or fighting from civilian structures.
And we're certainly going to see more of this because it's part of the requirement to destroy this terrorist organization that continues to fire rockets into Israel, attempting to kill their citizens.
DEAN: All right, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
HERTLING: Thanks, Jessica.
DEAN: A suspect in a string of deaths in Long Island going back 30 years has two new charges on his case after authorities tied to new deaths to him. CNN was in court for that dramatic moment when prosecutors shared the
new details they have learned about Rex Heuermann.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:58]
DEAN: Two new murders were tied to the suspect accused of killing women and leaving their bodies scattered along Long Island beaches, bringing his total number of alleged victims to six.
Prosecutors are now revealing disturbing planning documents as they allege the New York architect, Rex Heuermann, is the Gilgo Beach serial killer.
CNN's Jean Casarez has more.
And we do want to warn you, these details are disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAYMOND TIERNEY, SUFFOLK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: His intent was nothing short but to murder these victims.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Prosecutors say it is the forensic evidence that links the alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer with the murder of two more victims, Jessica Taylor in 2003, and Sandra Costilla in 1993, bringing the total number of known victims to six.
MICHAEL BROWN, ATTORNEY FOR REX HEUERMANN: He has indicated he is not guilty of these charges.
CASAREZ: In 1993, a forensic scientist determined Taylor had been decapitated, dismembered at her arms below her elbows.
A male human head hair was recovered from underneath Taylor's body and underwent DNA testing.
TIERNEY: The results of that were able to exclude 99.96 percent of the population. The defendant could not be excluded as the donor of that hair.
CASAREZ: Taylor last called her mother on July 21, 2003. She was going to visit on July 25th to celebrate her mother's birthday, but Taylor never showed up.
One day later, a person in Manorville, Long Island, found her dismembered body. Eight years later, her hands, forearm, and skull were found at Gilgo Beach.
TIERNEY: Those remains were found on the same side of the road as the Gilgo Four. CASAREZ: The alleged serial killer was previously charged with murder in the killings of four women, who have become known as the Gilgo Four, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
Before the Gilgo Four, in November 1993, remains of Sandra Costilla were discovered by hunters. The 28-year-old was found in Suffolk County, Long Island, lying on her back.
Three hairs, one male, two female, were found on Costilla's remains. DNA testing determined the male hair was more likely to have come from a person genetically identical to the Gilgo killer.
And the female hair matched a woman the alleged serial killer had previously been living with.
Also found, documents on a hard drive in the alleged killer's home. Among them, what authorities describe as a planning document, essentially, a blueprint to plan out his kills.
It listed out problems to avoid apprehension, and supplies to carry out the serial murders, and to avoid leaving behind DNA.
Another document talked about body prep. The need to wash body, remove trace DNA, and included references to remove head and hands, and package for transport.
TIERNEY: This case is about the victims and their families and, hopefully, providing them with that small measure of closure.
CASAREZ: Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: Still ahead, why President Biden says his state visit to Paris is the most remarkable trip he's ever taken to France as conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine put some stress on the while-running bond between the two countries.
[17:49:29]
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: A former astronaut from the historic 1968 Apollo 8 mission has died in a plane crash in Washington State.
And we want to warn you, these images are disturbing.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office says William Anders was in a plane that plunged into the water near Jones Island and sank. A passerby took the video of the plane going down.
Anders may be most well-known for the iconic photo of the earth he took from space called "Earthrise." Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson posted this about Ander's 1968
moon mission that he, quote, "traveled to the threshold of the moon and helped all of us see something else ourselves." Anders was 90- years-old.
[17:54:51]
From Paradise, California, to Maui Island, we've seen how quickly wildfires can suddenly appear, burning everything in their path. In a new episode of CNN's original series, "VIOLENT EARTH WITH LIEV SCHREIBER," CNN's Bill Weir explores the destruction that these fires cause.
Here's a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paradise, California, burned from an ember attack from a plume miles away from Paradise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like 9:00 in the morning and its pitch. Given the smoke, it almost appeared as though it was the middle of the night and it was snowing/ Ash and embers began to rain down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in the middle of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what is safe, if anywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fire was moving about a football field per second.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the way it did that, of course, was by jumping ahead and starting these fires.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would immediately take hold and rapidly grow into a hundred acre, 200 acres spotfire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was happening all through town.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That resulted in the town starting to burn all at once.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirty thousand people were trying to be evacuated while being overran by fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn around. Turn around and go north. Turn around and go north. This is bad.
(SIRENS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Catch a new episode of "VIOLENT EARTH WITH LIEV SCHREIBER," Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only here on CNN. Up ahead, Israeli forces rescuing four hostages who were being held by Hamas in an operation that also reportedly killed hundreds of people in Gaza. Ahead, what it took to carry out the rescue and the role American forces played.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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