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Dozens Killed Near Gaza Aid Site; Russia's War On Ukraine; Boat Capsizes In Vietnam. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired July 20, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to all of our viewers watching around the world and streaming on CNN MAX. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London.

Coming up on CNN Newsroom, Gaza officials say, Israeli troops open fire on people trying to get food more on that deadly attack, and a look at the war's devastating toll on children.

Ukraine calls for new peace talks with Russia as Russia's military carries out new strikes.

Plus the death toll climbs after a tour boat capsizes in Vietnam. What officials are saying on the ground.

We begin with new explosions that rattled Gaza just a short time ago.

At least three back-to-back blasts could be heard from across the border in Israel as large balls of fire lit up the skies. We have to warn you now that the next video can be very disturbing. Gaza's Health Ministry says at least 32 people died on Saturday after Israeli troops opened fire on them while they were trying to get food. That's the latest in a long line of deadly incidences, near aid distribution sites. This is how one witness described what happened.

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HISAM DARGAM, WITNESS: At 4:30 A.M., gunfire erupted from soldiers and tanks as if they were in a battle with us. Half an hour of continuous shooting, a massive number of martyrs and wounded. People are still lying there, abandoned. No one can reach them. For half an hour, tanks, shells and soldiers kept firing as if it were a battle. We went there because of hunger. No one goes unless they're starving.

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ABDELAZIZ: Earlier this week, the U.N. said 875 people were killed in other incidences. And at eight sites since May, it said 674 of them were killed near places run by this controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. A U.N. official said more than 200 others were killed while seeking food, quote, on the routes of aid convoys or near aid convoys run by the U.N. or U.N. partners. Our Barbie Latza Nadeau has more on Saturday's incident, and, again, a warning that viewers may find the images in her report disturbing.

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: More than 30 people seeking food in the Gaza Strip were killed early Saturday morning when Israeli troops opened fire on them, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military said they were approached by subjects in the Rafah area, about one kilometer from a closed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid site. The GHF is backed by the U.S. and Israel. One witness described a half hour of continuous shooting from soldiers and tanks.

Although the GHF site was not open, people say there that they have to line up for hours in advance sometimes if they hope to get any food at all in what has become an increasingly desperate situation in the embattled enclave.

Children were among the victims, including this man's young son whose childhood had been marred by the ongoing war. His pain is difficult to watch.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What am I supposed to do? By God Almighty, I don't know. I don't know. This child just wanted to eat. What could he do? He wanted to bring food for his siblings, and he came back, carried in people's arms.

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NADEAU: The latest tragedy in an increasingly dire situation comes just days after Gaza's only Catholic Church was hit in a fatal attack, which prompted Pope Leo to call for an immediate ceasefire. But such a stop in hostilities has been hard to secure with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Friday that another ten hostages would be released soon, though no proof of such a deal has yet been given.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

ABDELAZIZ: UNICEF says more than 50,000 children in Gaza have been reported dead or injured since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The children who live through this will carry a burden that many of us may never know. We want to show you a video that illustrates just the sheer terror of the war in Gaza. Take a look here.

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You can see a single child running, plus a woman and another child. They are running for their lives during an Israeli airstrike at a refugee camp in Central Gaza. This took place Thursday. Health officials say the area was hit twice, killing five people and wounding 20 others.

Now to break all of this down, I am joined by Kieran King. He is the head of humanitarian at the War Child Alliance. He visited Gaza in November and December of last year. First of all, thank you so much for making the time to speak to us.

Let's just start by looking at some of these figures, more than 50,000 children killed or injured in the Gaza Strip, the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. Now, parents are watching their children die in their arms as famine spreads. How can you even begin to grasp the impact of this on children as a humanitarian worker? Just speak to us about the scope and scale of this tragedy.

KIERAN KING, HEAD OF HUMANITARIAN, WAR CHILD ALLIANCE: Yes, thanks for having me to speak. The -- I think the first thing to say is we haven't seen anything like this, particularly on the psychological level and the psychological impact is something where we see at a population level.

I mean, we conducted a study at War Child last year with our local partners, which found that 96 percent of children believe their death was imminent, and 49 percent of children want to die. We see four out of five children showing signs of acute trauma, which is nightmares, anxiety, withdrawal, et cetera, et cetera. And I think now we're at a stage where, which I've witnessed personally in Gaza in December, where the normalization to violence is something I've personally never seen before.

I witnessed an airstrike on a displacing camp killing a family in that tent. And within ten minutes, children were playing in the crater where that missile landed.

ABDELAZIZ: It is so difficult to hear you retell these stories and to understand just again the impact on the population. You're saying 96 percent of children fear that they're going to die. Half of children want to die because they're so afraid. Your mission, your organization's mission is to save lives, heal trauma, and restore hope for Gaza's children. How can you do that when aid workers are struggling even to get access to the enclave?

KING: I mean, we work with amazing partners on the ground, but, I mean, our staff who are also on the ground working alongside our partners, they go to work, they get work done. They're conducting recreational activities, individual group counseling, some distribution, protection of children, particularly accompanied and separated children. But the reality is that they themselves are starving. The specialist staff that we have on the ground are themselves traumatized. So, it is difficult to expect a specialist, counselor, or psychologist to provide that support to a child when they themselves are suffering the effects of acute trauma.

I think it's the job of every humanitarian worker to retain some semblance of hope that political leaders will step up and align with their responsibilities. We need a coordinated U.N.-led response to this crisis. But instead, what we're seeing at the moment is an Israeli and U.S.-sponsored militarized aid system, which also has huge ramifications for future conflicts and other conflicts around the world, as I'm doing decades and decades of learning of how to respond to crises, such as Gaza, but also Sudan, Myanmar and others in the right way. ABDELAZIZ: You're talking about even the aid workers who are trying to give this help. Even they are suffering, even they are hungry. Can you just, again, to try to explain this to our viewers? You were in Gaza last year. Give me one case. Give me one child. Give me one story.

KING: I was in a displacement camp, and it's worth mentioning there are hundreds of micro displacement camps across Gaza and people moving week on week as new displacement orders or forced evacuation orders are issued. I was in -- observing one group counseling session where psychologists in that tent are able to identify children with specific vulnerabilities, specific risks or signs of trauma, and take them aside for more focused support.

There's one child who I sat with and observed, who hasn't spoken since June of last year, so over a year now, after witnessing his parents being killed. He was drawing -- asked to draw by the counselor his experience with a happy face and a sad face, right? And in the happy face, there was him and his family on a beach, an awning, you know, a beach ball. The sad face were bombs dropping on what looked like rubble and the dismembered heads of his family.

That's not normal. You know, that is not acceptable, and that's something that politically just needs to take further charge of and start holding people accountable.

ABDELAZIZ: And this is a child that you're speaking of, I mean, this is such a difficult story to hear who lost both of his parents, you said?

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KING: Yes, correct. Yes. So, I mean, that's a new phenomenon. You know, we have doctors in Gaza who talk about children with no remaining living relatives as a new term coins specifically for Gaza. There's not a term that's been necessary to coin until this war.

ABDELAZIZ: Kieran, thank you so much for your time, and we wish you luck in trying to reach those children and provide that help and aid that is so desperately needed in the Gaza Strip. Thank you.

KING: Thank you. Thanks, Salma.

ABDELAZIZ: Syria is sending security forces to the southern province of Suwayda, the site of deadly sectarian clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes. The violence continued Saturday with new reports of gunfire in shelling. Syria's Interior Ministry says hundreds of people have been killed in the past week of fighting the country's presidency has declared what it called an immediate, incomprehensive ceasefire.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa saying the violence quote marked a dangerous turning point in serious security and political landscape.

Some Bedouin and Druze groups say they are ready to accept a ceasefire and indicated they would stop fighting once government forces were deployed, but others insisted they will keep fighting. Now to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for peace talks with Russia next week as Ukraine continues to fend off deadly Russian attacks. A source close to Moscow's negotiating team confirmed that they have received Kyiv's proposal for a meeting, according to Russian state media. It comes after us. President Donald Trump gave Russia 50 days to agree to a ceasefire deal or face new tariffs.

The two countries have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul in recent months, but have yet to make any breakthroughs.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: National Security and Defense Counsel Secretary Umerov also reported that he has proposed the next meeting with a Russian sign for next week. Negotiation dynamics must increase. Everything must be done to achieve a ceasefire. The Russian side must stop avoiding decisions, the exchange of prisoners, the return of children, the cessation of killings.

A meeting at the level of leaders is needed to truly ensure peace, a lasting peace. Ukraine is ready for such a meeting.

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ABDELAZIZ: In Vietnam, at least 38 people were killed when a Taurus boat capsized. Eight of them were children. The boat was carrying 53 people when it flipped over in stormy weather in Ha Long Bay. Strong winds and heavy rain were reported in the area at the time. Officials say rescue teams have found at least ten survivors so far.

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DANG THUY LINH, CAPSIZED BOAT SURVIVOR: I have lost contact with my son, my husband, and my friend's, whole family. What I am asking now is for everyone to speed up the rescue mission to save all of them. Please don't leave anyone behind on that boat.

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ABDELAZIZ: Heavy rain and limited visibility is making rescue operations difficult. One local newspaper reports that more than 20 children were on board.

Still to come, a driver plows into a crowd outside of a nightclub in Los Angeles, California. We will have the latest after the break.

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ABDELAZIZ: At least 30 people were injured in Los Angeles, California when a car drove into a crowd outside a nightclub on Saturday. No deaths have been reported, but seven victims are in critical condition.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has the latest.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're now beginning to piece together what exactly happened in the moments before this crash outside a nightclub in East Hollywood. Authorities say that a man plowed through that crowd injuring at least 30 people. And after that, he was taken out of the car and then a fight ensued. He was beaten by the crowd outside, and then somebody pulled out a gun and shot the driver.

That shooter is still at large. Authorities say that he's considered armed and dangerous right now. That remains the priority for police. But they also say that this was a very unusual scene.

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JEFFREY LEE, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: This is not common at all. I would say in my 18 years as a law enforcement officer in the LAPD, I would say this is first of its kind that I'm aware of.

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JONES: Now this is a part of Los Angeles that has a vibrant nightlife, but it is not a particularly dangerous or violent part of the city. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on Saturday that, quote, this is a heartbreaking tragedy. I want to thank the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help save lives. The hearts of Angelinos are with all of the victims impacted this morning and a full investigation into what happened is underway.

Now, according to reporting from CNN's John Miller, there's no indication beyond the impaired state of the driver that there was any other criminal intent and no connection to terrorism at this point.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

ABDELAZIZ: U.S. President Donald Trump is slamming persistent interest in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein despite his request for the release of some grand jury testimony from the case against the late sex offender. This comes in the week of a Wall Street Journal report that has added new scrutiny to their relationship.

CNN's Betsy Klein has more.

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BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, President Trump's preference is for this entire Jeffrey Epstein controversy to go away, but one of the reasons he hasn't been able to turn the page on this narrative as quickly as he would have liked to is because the president himself, along with other top lieutenants, Vice President J.D. Vance, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, along with FBI Director Kash Patel and others were among those pushing conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein for years, calling for transparency, saying that there is a there, there. And it's been just about two weeks since the Department of Justice and the FBI released that memo that concluded Epstein's death was a suicide and that there was never a so-called client list.

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Since then, MAGA world has been in full revolt, demanding that transparency that those officials had also asked for at one point, calling for more information and documents, and essentially setting a loyalty test between President Trump and the movement that he created.

President Trump announcing that he had asked his Attorney General Pam Bondi to release pertinent information and records related to Epstein, the U.S. government putting in a request for that in federal court on Friday. And it's going to take a little bit of time for a judge to rule. But any of that grand jury testimony really marks a small portion of the overall body of evidence against Jeffrey Epstein.

So, it really shouldn't be a surprise after all of this that the president's most ardent supporters and followers are quite frustrated. The president appeared to acknowledge some of that frustration in a post to social media on Saturday. He wrote, quote, I have asked the Justice Department to release all grand jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to court approval. With that being said, and even if the court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more.

Now, the pressure continued to mount this week when The Wall Street Journal published a story about a letter reportedly sent to Epstein by Trump on the occasion of his 50th birthday with a drawing of a naked woman. The president has dismissed that report as fake and has threatened to sue The Wall Street Journal, making good on that threat this week with a libel, slander and assault lawsuit up to $20 billion of damages. Wall Street Journal's publisher Dow Jones saying in a statement, quote, we have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.

But the president here clearly reverting to a familiar playbook attacking the media, but this really marks an extraordinary escalation here and really raising more questions about how close the president really was with Jeffrey Epstein and whether he was aware of Epstein's proclivities.

Betsy Klein, CNN, Washington.

ABDELAZIZ: The tech company CEO caught cuddling an employee on camera has resigned His former company, Astronomer, says CEO Andy Byron has tendered his resignation and the board of directors has accepted. Byron and his employees were spotted on the kiss cam you see there at a Coldplay concert. Their reactions made the video go viral.

The company says, co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will serve as an interim CEO while the board searches for a new chief executive. Pope Leo will celebrate holy mass in the Cathedral of Albano in just a few minutes. It is a short distance from Castel Gandolfo, the traditional papal retreat, about 24 kilometers or 15 miles southeast of Rome.

The pontiff is staying at a villa on the grounds, reviving the tradition of summer breaks. The area is high above sea level and provides relief from the sweltering heat in Rome. Later today,

Pope Leo will recite the Agnelus prayer in Castel Gandolfo before returning to the Vatican.

A new Korean pop boy band is getting a lot of attention, partly because two of their members have a history unlike any other in K-pop.

Mike Valerio has the story.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They are two North Korean defectors who could be on the verge of K-pop superstardom.

Meet Hyuk and Seok, two 25-year-olds who each escaped North Korea when they were teenagers. They're now living in Seoul, determined to launch the next great K-pop band.

You both have come so far from North Korea. What parts of your journey have affected your music the most?

HYUK, 1VERSE MEMBER: After coming to South Korea, I like writing down lyrics or phrases that I wanted to remember. A teacher saw me jotting things down and said, you seem to like writing. Why don't you try rapping?

SEOK, 1VERSE MEMBER: I liked music when I was in North Korea. I liked singing songs or lyrics about mothers. I also wrote lyrics of songs I used to sing.

VALERIO: They're both members of the group 1VERSE with band mates Aito from Japan, Kenny from California, and Nathan from Arkansas.

Seok and Hyuk have trained for more than two years now united in a love of songwriting.

What's a lyric that comes from a memory, and when you sing that lyric, it hits pretty deeply?

SEOK: In Shattered, there's a high note part, who's going to save us now?

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That line reminded me that sometimes we all need someone's help.

HYUK: Our songs come from our own stories and experiences. They're like puzzle pieces we put together. VALERIO: They already have more than 22 million likes on TikTok and are planning to debut in America, perhaps even teaming up with U.S. artists down the road, like we saw with Bruno Mars, for instance, and K-pop icon Rose.

If you two could collab with any American sensation, Ariana Grande, J- Lo, Mariah, who would it be?

HYUK: I really like Post Malone songs when I was younger. I'd love to work with him.

SEOK: The first person that comes to mind is Charlie Puth

VALERIO: For Seok and Hyuk, taking a leap into the unknown, from unlikely beginnings, is something anyone can relate to. And through their music, they hope fans worldwide will find the same courage, daring to dream.

HYUK: When those people see that we came from tough circumstances and manage to grow and share something with fans, I think that process itself can be meaningful and give others the courage to try.

VALERIO: Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

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ABDELAZIZ: Almost 5,000 athletes from 34 nations competed in Eastern Germany this weekend in the colorful World Dragon Boat Racing Championship.

This sport traces its origins to Ancient China, and its rules are apparently very strict with so many participants in the week-long event. Medals are awarded every single day. Racers say they love the sport from the excitement of the competition to the training that builds that team spirit.

Thank you so much for watching. I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London. Quest's World of Wonder is up next.

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