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Trump Heads To Mideast As Israel Awaits Hostage Release; Interview With Founder Of "The Jerusalem Journal" Avi Mayer; Interview With Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD); Official: Hostage Release Expected To Start Early Monday; V.P. Vance Defends Trump Admin's Firing Of Federal Workers; Palestinians Scramble For Food As Aid Trucks Arrive In Gaza. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired October 12, 2025 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:42]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Hello, and thanks very much for joining me.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv, along with Erica Hill in New York. Fredricka Whitfield is off.

We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And we begin with major, major breaking news right now.

Take a look at these live pictures coming in from Hostage Square here in Tel Aviv. Israelis are waiting for the release of the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. They're expected to be returned to Israel overnight.

Tonight, in just a short time from now, President Trump will depart the White House and head here to the region. He's expected to address the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, before traveling to Egypt for a summit to meet with other world leaders as this story unfolds.

In Gaza, meanwhile, the ceasefire is holding for a third day, and that's good news. And as Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza and aid trucks are rolling in big time, we're seeing some dramatic scenes like this one.

About 400 trucks of aid, food, water, medicine, medical equipment are expected to enter southern Gaza today. We have full coverage of all of today's historic and dramatic developments unfolding.

With me here in Tel Aviv is CNN anchor and chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins. Also here in Tel Aviv is CNN Jerusalem correspondent Jeremy Diamond.

Jeremy, first of all, take us through what we can expect in the immediate coming hours.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well Wolf, we know that the deadline for Hamas to release those hostages is indeed fast approaching. It is noon tomorrow, local time, is the absolute drop- dead deadline for Hamas to release those 20 living hostages, and at least some of the bodies of the 28 other hostages being held by Hamas.

We expect, however, according to Israeli officials, that this release of hostages by Hamas is likely going to happen in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

We still don't know exactly at what time, but it would appear that those hostages are likely going to be released before President Trump actually arrives in the region.

We know that once the hostages crossed back into Israel, they will then be taken to hospitals in the Tel Aviv area. There are several hospitals here that are prepared to receive these hostages.

Of course, it is not the first time that many of these hospitals have had to do so, but a lot of preparations have been made in order for them to return, to greet their families and to do all of that in privacy and surrounded by the proper physical and mental health support that they may need.

We also know that once those hostages are released, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinians who have been held prisoner or detained by Israel. Most of them, 1,700 of them, individuals who were detained in Gaza; some 250 of them are Palestinian prisoners, high- security prisoners who were held and under life sentences.

We have also been monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, Wolf. And what we are beginning to see beyond Palestinians returning to their homes there, is also Palestinian rescue workers who are beginning to go through the enormous piles of rubble that encompass much of the Gaza Strip. And they are beginning to retrieve bodies that have been under the rubble for some time.

Today alone, 117 bodies were recovered in Gaza, just a small indication of the enormous task that lies ahead to pick through that rubble in the coming days, weeks and potentially even years.

And again, keep in mind that international organizations have long estimated that thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of bodies are still under the rubble.

[14:04:51]

DIAMOND: So, a very long road ahead for Gaza as well, Wolf.

BLITZER: Very long road indeed. All right. Jeremy Diamond on the scene for us here in Tel Aviv.

Kaitlan Collins is with me here in Tel Aviv as well. Kaitlan, the president is expected to depart in the next hour or so, be flying from Joint Base Andrews nonstop here to Israel.

He's got a lot of activities that are scheduled for the next several hours. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And Wolf,

you know, from covering the White House that it's not easy to put together presidential travel.

This has kind of come together in just a matter of days from the White House after this agreement came to -- together on Thursday night, the president announced it, of course, on Truth Social. And then the White House started planning what his visit here was going to look like.

And so he'll depart the White House. He'll come straight here to Israel, where he's going to meet with hostages while he's here.

And he's going to speak to Israels parliament and address them during his time here on the ground. Obviously, that's going to be a closely watched speech to see what they say, what the president's message is and what he delivers to them.

And also just to watch his interactions with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because, of course, the last time a U.S. president was here, Wolf, it was 11 days after October 7th. That was when President Biden came.

And everyone can remember that moment on the tarmac where President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu hugged. It was kind of like this bear hug between these two men as this nation was dealing with such grief after that attack.

And also just what has happened since then and now coalescing around this agreement, we'll see the two of them.

And then the president will go on to Egypt, which is where this deal was brokered, in the last-minute details were put together, including with Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son in law, who are both now here in Israel waiting on him.

And so all of those moments, obviously will be closely watched. But he's not expected to be on the ground very long. He'll leave Egypt then and return to the White House, all basically within a 24-hour window.

BLITZER: He'll be meeting in Egypt with several world leaders who are also coming in to remember this special moment.

COLLINS: Yes. France, Germany, Italy, Britain -- they're all coming. And obviously we'll be watching there as he actually signs this agreement.

And that will begin the period, of course, after the hostages are released overnight. Wolf, of the questions of what happens next and the further parts -- the more challenging parts of this agreement.

BLITZER: Everything I've heard here in Israel over the last few days is that this president of the United States will be very, very warmly received once he arrives here in Israel.

COLLINS: Well, I mean, we were actually just in Hostage Square earlier. And, you know, there was that moment last night where Steve Witkoff was speaking and he said President Trumps name and the crowd cheered. And seconds later he said Prime Minister Netanyahu and the crowd booed.

And Steve Witkoff, who obviously works closely with Netanyahu, kind of tried to stop the crowd from doing so. But it speaks to the mentality here of these hostage families who felt like the Trump administration was really fighting and pushing forward to get their families released.

I actually spoke with Moshe Lavi, whose brother-in-law, Omri, has been held captive in Gaza this entire time, and he's expected to be released in the coming hours. I spoke with him in Hostage Square earlier, and I want you to just listen.

His brother-in-law and his sister -- they have two little daughters, one who was just six months old about at the time that her father was Kidnapped into Gaza. They were at a kibbutz that day.

I want you to listen to what Moshe Lavi had to say to me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: You told me something really beautiful when we first spoke, which was that with your two nieces who were so young. And to think that they've gone two years without seeing their father, that she would take them out and look at the stars every night and talk about your brother-in-law returning.

MOSHE LAVI, BROTHER-IN-LAW WAS KIDNAPPED: They're still doing it.

COLLINS: They still go out and look at the stars.

LAVI: Yes. It's a ritual for Roni. She's four years old now. Omri used to do it with her. And it's -- for her, it's like a religious duty. I have to go and wish good night to the world, because our father also hears it. And somewhere in a tunnel in Gaza, he's wishing good night to her.

That's the kind of bond she has. She dreams of him so many times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So he's saying that every night his sister would take his nieces out and wish good night to their dad, looking at the stars.

And obviously she's now waiting for him to be returned in the coming hours. She -- Lishay is her name. She actually posted a picture earlier, Wolf, of their two daughters with two suitcases saying that they're ready for dad to come home.

It just speaks to this moment of these families that have worked with the Biden administration, worked with the Trump administration. This family was actually in D.C. just in recent days, and President Trump was called into a dinner they were at, put on speakerphone as they were hoping for this moment and hoping for their loved ones to come home.

BLITZER: And so many of these young kids clearly have not seen their father, in what, more than two years now? And they're going to have to adjust to this. This is going to be a painful, wonderful, loving experience, but it's going to be difficult.

COLLINS: And obviously we've seen so many of these hostages come out, Wolf, completely malnourished and obviously not eating and look almost so different than when they were captured and kidnapped. And it's just a horrific thing.

[14:09:45]

COLLINS: But I think the one thing that they kept coming back to was this family fought so hard to keep Omri's captivity held at the forefront when it felt like other people were moving on. They wore shirts with his face on it, as is customary for so many of the hostage families here in Israel.

And what Moshe was saying to me was, he can't wait to not have to wear that shirt anymore after his brother-in-law's home.

BLITZER: I'm glad you had a chance to speak to him. Thanks very much, Kaitlan Collins, who's going to be on the scene with us for the next several days as well. Kaitlan, thank you very, very much.

I want to turn right now to Avi Mayer, the founder of "The Jerusalem Journal". Also, the former editor of "The Jerusalem Post. Avi, thanks very much for joining us.

Israeli officials say 20 hostages held in Gaza for now, more than two years will be released together tomorrow morning overnight here in Israel. How are people in Israel feeling in this moment?

AVI MAYER, FOUNDER, "THE JERUSALEM JOURNAL": Well Wolf, this is a moment that we have been desperate to see for two years. While these 48 individuals have been held hostage, it feels as though the entire country has actually been held hostage during that time. We feel like we have actually been stuck on October 7th, unable to move forward because we've been mired in the trauma of that day, knowing that there are 48 individuals who still remain in captivity.

And so we're waiting with bated breath to see the condition in which they are returned. While the official number is 20. We also are hearing that there is quote, unquote, "grave concern" for the lives of two of them. So it is possible that we will see fewer than 20 actually being brought home.

And of course, when it comes to the bodies, we also know that there's some number that have not been recovered and in fact may never be recovered.

And so while there is, of course, the anticipation of great joy on the part of some families, we also have to acknowledge there will also be tremendous, tremendous heartbreak awaiting some of those families who will be receiving either the bodies or won't be receiving any at all. BLITZER: Yes, the estimate is that 20 Israeli hostages are still

alive. They will be released simultaneously in the coming hours. About 28 are dead, the remains will be coming -- we assume they'll be coming soon as well.

Avi, you've said that Israelis must brace themselves for what you describe as deeply emotional days ahead, your words. how are they processing those emotions?

MAYER: Look, I think for many of us, even though this is a day that we were hoping would come, it feels almost surreal that it has actually arrived.

And so we won't actually believe it until we see it; until, quite frankly, those families are able to embrace their loved ones for the first time in two years. We know that Hamas has in the past sent wrong bodies, has booby-trapped bodies with explosives.

And so we know that officials are going to be very gingerly opening caskets to actually confirm the identities of those individuals who are inside.

And so, yes, this will be a deeply emotional few days. But I think Israelis are very eager to move past this extraordinarily difficult and painful chapter in their history and start moving towards rebuilding and healing after this period.

BLITZER: And as you know, Avi, President Trump will be heading here to the region very soon. He'll be leaving Washington in the next hour or so. He will address the Israeli Knesset, the parliament, and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with hostage families. All happening tomorrow.

How do you think President Trump will be received in Israel? I assume very favorably for what he's achieved.

MAYER: Look, the president of the United States is possibly the greatest hero to many Israelis at this time.

He will be very warmly received as the man who made this day possible. The previous administration did try to put in its efforts and try to sort of broker the ceasefire. It was able to release some of the hostages.

But ultimately it was President Trump who was able to bring this home. And so I think you will see a great deal of warmth and love for the president. As we know, all politics is local.

And at the end of the day, Israelis have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones brought home and to have this chapter put behind them. And so there will be a great deal of gratitude for the president when he arrives.

BLITZER: I'm sure he will be very, very warmly and welcome -- and enthusiastically received. Avi, I know you had a chance to visit Kibbutz Be'eri in Israel in the

days immediately after the October 7th attack. Be'eri was right along -- not far from the Gaza border. It was among the hardest hit communities on that October 7th, with roughly a hundred people killed at that kibbutz and some 30 others taken hostage.

So what goes through your mind, Avi, as you reflect on the past two years with this war finally, finally appearing to come to a close, at least the ceasefire.

MAYER: You know, I visited that kibbutz about nine days after October 7th, and it was so fresh that there was literally still blood seeping into the ground and the smell of death was pervasive throughout this kibbutz. And I have to be honest, it still lingers in my nostrils to this day.

I think we're all looking forward to, quite frankly, breathing a breath of fresh air. This is something that we have been unable to do for the past two years, that we've been mired in the trauma and the grief of that day.

[14:14:48]

MAYER: We understand that for many, this chapter is not closed. That we'll be dealing with concentric circles of grief and post-traumatic stress disorder over the course of the next few years. That we may be dealing with a mental health crisis unlike anything we've ever experienced. That, of course, families will be grieving their loved ones who have been killed during this war and October 7th for the rest of their lives.

But ultimately, this is a country that believes in life, and that is something that we are looking forward to embracing in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

BLITZER: Well said. Avi Mayer, thank you very, very much.

I want to send it back to my colleague Erica Hill right now. She's got a lot of other news unfolding in New York, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you. And of course, we'll check back in with you in just a few minutes for more on the developments in the Middle East.

First though, we are closely watching the strong nor'easter lashing the East Coast as it moves north. The dangerous conditions -- those are really still to come in many areas. These are live pictures from Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Meantime, as frustration over the government shutdown reaches a boiling point, leaders of both parties are digging in their heels today.

Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson joins us live just ahead.

[14:15:54] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: A powerful nor'easter is set to drench the East Coast with heavy rain and strong winds. You can see some of that cloudiness, clearly some precipitation there in Seaside Heights in New Jersey. These are live pictures we're showing you here. Communities up and down the East Coast preparing for possible power outages, as well as flooding.

CNN's Leigh Waldman is in Atlantic City.

So in terms of what you're seeing, it looks like it's starting to kick up there. Just walk us through what you're seeing even in terms of preparations from folks there too.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erica, yes. It's really starting to pick up with the amount of wind that we're seeing and that we're feeling.

But take a look at what this nor'easter is doing to the ocean behind us. You can see the boardwalk. It's raised fairly high off the water there. But some of these waves are so large they're actually kicking up to the top of that boardwalk here.

We'll walk around to show you some of the furniture that's boarded down, held in place. We've seen law enforcement coming through here. The Beach and Boardwalk Division making sure that everything is secure.

Not a lot of people walking around, but there are some trying to see all of the effects for themselves. We were driving around Atlantic City today, and people are putting sandbags in place in some of those low-lying areas. They're preparing for the flood waters that they're expecting to see.

They could get over eight feet into that flood stage by tomorrow, by Monday. That would be the most significant flooding this area has seen since Hurricane Sandy back in 2012.

They've used $20 million of Hurricane Sandy funds to try and shore up the areas that were deeply impacted by that superstorm as it came in.

But take a listen to what officials are saying, what their message is to people who live here in Atlantic City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MARTY SMALL SR., ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY: We don't have to get prepared because we've been prepared. We have a playbook for this.

MICHAEL FAMULARO, ACTING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ: We never want to compare this to Sandy, but we know what got flooded in Sandy, and we're just preparing the same way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Now, you can see some of those wind gusts coming through here. The wind's been consistent but we've seen and felt wind gusts of almost 50 miles per hour. Here's a big gust coming up now.

And Erica, we're already seeing the impacts of some of that flooding. Route 30, Route 40 -- both closed in and out of Atlantic City. New Jersey Transit is stopping some of their routes that come into Atlantic City and along the coastline, because you can see for yourself the effects that this nor'easter is having on this community here.

HILL: All right. Leigh, appreciate it. Thank you.

We also want to share with you some shocking video we now have of the moment a helicopter crashed in California on Saturday. Take a look at this.

A witness telling CNN the chopper's landing gear was down, as you can see in that video, when a piece broke off causing it to then spin out of control before ultimately crashing down into some trees.

Huntington Beach officials say two people were rescued from the wreckage. Three others who were on the street were injured. All five people were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The aircraft was part of a local event scheduled for today. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.

Coming up here, we are just hours away now from the anticipated return of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Wolf Blitzer got a firsthand look at how hospitals in Israel are preparing for their arrival.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: I'm here in Tel Aviv at Ichilov Hospital. It's a huge hospital here in Tel Aviv, one of the main hospitals indeed in Israel.

And this is where many of the hostages who will be arriving here in Israel, back after some two years in captivity. It's where they will get their initial medical and psychiatric evaluations. They've done this before for other hostages.

So I'm going to be speaking with some of the doctors and others here to get a sense of what to anticipate. That's coming up.

[14:24:19]

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BLITZER: Welcome back to our special coverage.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in Tel Aviv, where Israelis are on the streets right now. They're counting down these final few hours before Hamas releases the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages. That's expected to take place in the coming hours.

The Trump administrations peace deal, which secured their freedom, is getting very rare bipartisan praise back in Washington.

Listen to what former President Biden's then-national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: To get to something like today takes a village, and it takes determination and really hard work. And so I -- without question, offer credit for that.

Now, the question is, can we make sure this sticks as we go forward? And you know, I hope and we'll support every effort to make sure that that happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I want to bring in Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota right now. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us on this historic, important day.

[14:29:47]

BLITZER: Why do you think both sides were ready to agree to this ceasefire proposal put forward by President Trump? And how confident are you that this deal will actually hold?

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): There has been so much bloodshed and so much destruction.

[14:30:03]

People, Wolf, have just been worn out, understandably so. I have talked to the families of these hostages. I have talked to -- I've got friends who have family members there in Gaza. Both sides feel like there has been enough suffering.

And I just want to say thank you to Jake Sullivan. We're in an area where we love to play politics, an era when we love to play politics, but this is a time for us to put away the partisanship and just celebrate, hopefully, an end to this violence.

I know a lot of people want to criticize President Trump at every turn. Thank you to Mr. Sullivan for not doing that.

BLITZER: Important point you make indeed, Congressman.

I want to quickly, while I have you talk a little bit about this government shutdown back home in Washington and indeed throughout the country, thousands of federal workers were laid off on Friday as the Trump administration followed through on its threat to carry out mass firings while the shutdown continues. I want you to listen to what Vice President J.D. Vance was asked about this earlier today.

Listen and watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You really have to ask yourself, who do we care more about? Federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. or low income women getting the food benefits they deserve, our troops getting the payment they need, flood insurance across the Southeast in the midst of hurricane season --

KRISTEN WELKER, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: But laying people off is a priority?

VANCE: -- being willing to have to lay off some federal workers -- Kristen, if you would let me finish, we have to lay off some federal workers in the midst of this shutdown to preserve the essential benefits for the American people.

(END VIDOE CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Congressman, do you support the mass firings of these federal workers?

JOHNSON: Well, obviously, there are federal -- there are folks who got federal jobs who shouldn't have federal jobs. I generally like these personnel matters being done with a scalpel rather than with a hammer but more importantly, Wolf, let's just end the shutdown. Let's stop bickering over whose fault it is or whether this layoff or that cut is more damaging than any other. Let's open the government back up so we can do the negotiations we've got to do on funding levels and covid era health care subsidies.

BLITZER: These federal bureaucrats, as the vice president, referred to them using the word bureaucrats. They have families. They're taxpayers. They're everyday people who are now without a job. Do you think they're being used as political pawns?

JOHNSON: There are, I think, 13,000 federal employees in South Dakota, and I think its offensive that the civilians missed a paycheck on Friday and that the servicemen and women will miss one here in a few days. We need to -- we should never be taking federal employees or the American people hostage with these shutdowns. I've got a bill with Senator Ron Johnson that would eliminate government shutdowns.

Wolf, you probably know this, but we are one of the few countries in the world that shut the government down when we don't get a funding agreement.

BLITZER: Yeah, it's an important point you make. Indeed, the Democrats say, as you well know, Congressman, they won't vote for this short term funding bill, this continuing resolution, a clean C.R., as it's called, that the House Republicans passed without changes to health care subsidies included in any new legislation. Republican leaders are refusing to negotiate. What do you say to Americans who are concerned that their health care costs are going to spike next year, unless the subsidies are extended?

JOHNSON: Reasonable people can disagree about to what extent COVID era health care subsidies should remain in place. I think there's probably plenty of folks in congress that could come together to focus those subsidies on working class Americans, but an extension of all of those subsidies, as has been asked for, is a nonstarter. We're not going to -- we're not going to borrow more money from China so that we can subsidize health insurance costs for people making 600 percent, 700 percent of poverty.

I mean, people making $250,000 or $300,000 as a family, we're not going to do that. But more to the point, and this is the central point, it's going to take some time to negotiate that. And do we want to do those negotiations while the government is closed, which is nonsense, or should we be doing those negotiations when the government is open so we're not hurting America?

Let's open up the government and finish the negotiations.

BLITZER: And while I have you, Congressman, a quick, quick question about China, specifically President Trump's trade war that's escalating right now with China. Today, the president says the U.S. now wants to, quote, help China after previously saying he wanted to impose an extra 100 percent tariff on all Chinese goods by November. First of all, do you support this and wont this just end up raising prices for Americans?

JOHNSON: I'm not supportive of tariffs as a permanent part of the economic landscape. I think we all understand what the presidents been trying to do using higher tariffs as a leverage point to get better bilateral agreement agreements with our trade partners, which we absolutely need.

[14:35:01]

China has treated us terribly. India's average tariff is much higher than our average tariff.

There is a balancing that can be done here. Now, let -- I'm going to be clear. American farmers are the tip of the spear. They are feeling a disproportionate amount of the pain over this trade war. And I certainly hope we can get it resolved quickly.

BLITZER: Everyone hopes that indeed.

All right. Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, thanks so much for joining us.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

BLITZER: And thousands of displaced Palestinians are now making their way back into Gaza City, which is clearly unrecognizable from all the destruction that has taken place.

Coming up, I'll speak to a UNICEF spokesperson who is on the ground in Gaza about what she's experiencing.

Stay with us. Lots of news. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[14:40:30] BLITZER: Thousands of displaced Palestinians have now made their way back north to Gaza, to Gaza City, specifically as the ceasefire holds this for a third day. Many are returning to homes and neighborhoods, though, in ruins following two years of war. At least 117 bodies have also been recovered in the rubble over the past day alone that, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Our next guest is joining us from Gaza City right now, UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram.

Tess, thanks so much for the important work you're doing. Thanks so much for joining us.

What's the situation on the ground where you are in Gaza right now?

TESS INGRAM, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: Wolf, I spent the best part of today driving around, talking to families who've just returned here to Gaza City and the situation is really beyond anything that I've seen in the nearly two years that I've spent here. The destruction shocked us all. When we arrived, it was like driving through a skeleton of a city. No life, stripped of color, just bones, and it becomes hard to tell where you are because there are no landmarks left.

I was with colleagues who were from the neighborhoods, and we got lost, and you could see the emotional toll it took on them, as well as the people we were speaking to who told us they had come back with almost nothing, including one mother, Hannah, who said to me, I have two children and two jerry cans, and that's it. And she was making the long journey back to the rubble of what used to be her home.

BLITZER: And as you've been meeting with these families in Gaza, assessing their needs, what are you hearing specifically from them as this ceasefire holds? Are they pleased that the ceasefire is holding, that Hamas is releasing all the Israeli hostages?

INGRAM: They're not exhaling yet. They're holding their breath. I think that people have been disappointed here before. They really do want to see the release of the hostages. They want to see the ceasefire hold, and they want to resume their lives in peace.

That is the main message that I get from people is that we've had enough. We want to rebuild and restart our lives. And I think that's why the humanitarian response and the ceasefire is so important. You know, the ceasefire has to hold for us to get aid in. It has to hold for the release of the hostages, hopefully tomorrow. And it has to hold for the people of Gaza to be able to start new.

BLITZER: And as you know, a lot of this aid is now just beginning to flow into Gaza -- food, medicine, liquid gas, which is used for cooking and heating, has entered Gaza today for the first time in, what, seven months? What will the people of Gaza need most as aid efforts are scaled up over these coming weeks and months?

INGRAM: I did come in today, which is a really good thing. UNICEF, we got intense, we got in hygiene kits, we got in some tarpaulins and winter clothes for children. We're going to try and give every child under 10 a set of winter clothing and a new pair of shoes, and it's so needed, Wolf.

Today in Gaza City, there were children barefoot, walking across broken rubble. So, we really do need to help families prepare for the winter, which is about to begin here. Shelter is key. We're also bringing in nutrition supplies to fight the famine. People are desperate for food.

Still -- and water, everywhere we went today, people were doing that universal sign for water, please. Asking for something to drink. So, we're trying to get water systems back up and running today. And that was a big part of our assessment.

BLITZER: And these trucks are now beginning to go into Gaza with all this vitally needed equipment.

UNICEF -- your organization, Tess, -- reports that more than 56,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both of their parents, the U.N. noted back in August that more than 90 percent of Gaza's schools have been either destroyed or severely damaged.

What's it going to take to build a better future for the children of Gaza?

INGRAM: I met one of those children, one of those kids who's a number today. Reba, she's one and a half years old. Both of her parents have been killed. She's being cared for by her elderly grandmother, who actually said, I am -- I'm hopeful for the future for Reba.

She's hopeful that schools will return. At the moment, we're trying to get temporary learning centers up and going, but ultimately, schools will need to be rebuilt because more than 90 percent are damaged, 90 percent of homes are also damaged or destroyed.

[14:45:03]

So, there's a big job here. But I think our first push for the children, like Reba is to make sure that they have what they need to survive, and that's those basics. And then it's getting them back into a classroom, getting the mental health support, and then beginning that long process of reconstruction.

BLITZER: Tess Ingram of UNICEF, thanks so much for what you're doing. Thanks so much for UNICEF does. We appreciate it very, very much.

INGRAM: Thanks, Wolf.

And up next, I -- visited an Israeli hospital earlier today in Tel Aviv, preparing for the arrival of the remaining Israeli hostages. Just hours from now, they're expected to arrive here in Israel. One doctor told me about the first issue they will need to deal with when these hostages come to this hospital for their care.

Stay with us.

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[14:50:30]

RAJU: In a matter of the next few hours, the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza will return here to Israel. Once they arrive, hospitals in Tel Aviv, elsewhere in Israel, will administer care for the urgent medical needs that they have.

Earlier today, I visited one of the medical centers preparing to treat these survivors, getting a first look at the care awaiting these patients.

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BLITZER: We're here at the beautiful Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv, one of the main hospitals in Israel, and I'm being helped by dr. Dr. Eli Sprecher, who's the CEO. He's a doctor himself, a dermatologist, but he runs this hospital.

You're in charge. And this is where some of the hostages will be arriving soon to get their initial medical checkups. Right?

DR. ELI SPRECHER, CEO, ICHILOV MEDICAL CENTER: Absolutely. And we are all very much looking forward to that truly historical moment I would say.

BLITZER: This is not the first time that you at Ichilov Hospital here in Tel Aviv, have received hostages who have been freed.

SPRECHER: No, it is not. So far, we have been taking care of 24 hostages --

BLITZER: Twenty-four hostages.

SPRECHER: Yes.

BLITZER: And so, let's walk in. This is a typical room.

SPRECHER: So, the general idea here was to try to recreate a kind of a home-like atmosphere. Of course, the best would have been to bring the hostages directly to their home. We cannot.

On the other hand, of course, this doesn't look like a typical hospital room. So we have arranged it in order to give the hostage a kind of a good feeling about being almost at home.

BLITZER: And there's two beds, one for the hostage and one for a family member. Is that right?

SPRECHER: In case the hostage wants somebody to stay with him during the night. There is a bed here. The family will be accommodated, in the room next to us. And we have additional home in a small hotel within the hospital for the bigger family.

BLITZER: And so when they get here, and based on your previous experience with other hostages who have been released, what are the main medical issues you're looking at? SPRECHER: So first and foremost, I think the major issue will be

malnutrition. And as you know, malnutrition can affect almost any organ in the body, any tissue in the body, the heart, the brain, the kidneys, et cetera. So, they will go through a very thorough screening process. We are expecting them to arrive here in much worse conditions than they were based on the videos that I'm sure that you have also seen, and also the fact that they have been staying there for so long, two years in under terrible conditions. And I'm not speaking about isolation, starvation, torture in some cases as well.

BLITZER: All right. We're here in the middle of this tunnel that goes from Gaza into Israel.

I was one of the first journalists at the Israeli army allowed to go into one of those tunnels between Gaza and Israel, and it was hard to even breathe. I was there for maybe an hour or two, and I remember getting nauseous at the time. But these hostages have been in there for a year, let's say.

So, they have potentially medical complications as a result of spending all this time underground. And for the most part, those tunnels are pretty low. You can't even fully stand up.

SPRECHER: Exactly. So, the fact that you cannot stand up is actually causing wasting of your muscles, all kinds of orthopedic problems and all these will be looked at and also be being taken care of.

BLITZER: So, Dr. Sprecher, this is another room that you've established for the children of the hostages and a lot of toys you've created. That's so nice. I'm sure these kids are going to be very excited.

SPRECHER: Yeah. So, we expect, of course, you know, that those children are emerging from two years waiting for their parents. And one of their parents. And this is on the one hand, a very emotional. But on the other hand, also a very challenging time point. And we are trying to, again, create a kind of environment which is as supportive as possible. And children like to play with toys.

BLITZER: And these are a lot of these children have not seen their fathers in almost more than two years.

SPRECHER: Absolutely.

BLITZER: So that's going to be a major adjustment for these little kids.

SPRECHER: It will be indeed.

BLITZER: So, they will come here. They'll have a chance to give their dads, their fathers, a big hug and a kiss, and then they'll be able to play a little bit with these toys that you've established.

SPRECHER: Uh-huh, absolutely.

BLITZER: Very important. (END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:55:01]

BLITZER: Our special thanks to Dr. Eli Sprecher of this Ichilov Hospital here in Tel Aviv and his entire staff, they're going to be working very, very hard in these coming days.

Also coming up here in the CNN NEWSROOM, we're standing by for President Trump to actually leave the White House, head to the Middle East as we await the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza in the coming hours, just a few hours from now.

We'll have dramatic live coverage of all of that. That's coming up. Stay with us. Much more ahead.

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