Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Trump Heads To The Middle East, Israel Awaits Hostage Release; Nor'easter Bringing Heavy Rains And Winds To The East Coast; United Nations Slash 25 Percent Of Peacekeeping Force And Operations Worldwide; Fragile Ceasefire Holds; Gaza Rebuilds. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 12, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

CAMILA DECHALUS, CNN REPORTER: Now Erica, as you can see, it's not just disappointment about missing out on some of DC's most famous museums. Many of the visitors that I spoke to were also talking about the bigger picture, even drawing comparisons between what's happening here and what's going on in their own countries. And several tourists told me that they didn't really realize the full scope of the government shutdown until they got here and really started talking to locals.

One woman told me that she only learned the extent of this in her Uber ride about the layoffs of federal workers and even how many of the agencies are just being impacted by this shutdown. So this is just something I've just been hearing time and time again as people not really understanding exactly what the government shutdown means until they saw it firsthand.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Yeah, absolutely. It's an important point. Camila, I appreciate it. Thank you for the reporting.

Good evening. I'm Erica Hill in New York in for Fredericka Whitfield. Thanks for joining us here in the "CNN Newsroom." We begin this hour with the breaking news. Just moments ago, President Trump leaving Joint Base Andrews. He, of course, is on his way to Israel for the expected release of the 20 remaining hostages in Gaza. That is due to happen in the coming hours. The president addressing cameras briefly before boarding Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So this is going to be a very special time and I guess if you read your own papers and your own networks, everybody's very excited about this moment in time. So I'll see you on the plane. I think you're traveling with us. But this is a very special event. They had 500,000 people yesterday and today in Israel.

And also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody's cheering at one time. That's never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't. The other is the opposite. This is the first time everybody is amazed and they're thrilled, and it's an honor to be involved. And we're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be

something that's never happened before. So I'll see you on the plane, and we're going to have a good time. Okay, Peter? Nice to see you. Thank you, everybody. See you in a little while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Meantime in Gaza, some relief for Palestinians as aid trucks are making their way into the enclave. Hundreds of aid trucks have now passed through southern Gaza border crossings. CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us now from the White House with a closer look that we can expect from President Trump for this very quick visit, but important visit to both Israel and Egypt. What is on the agenda, Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, it is a very quick trip. His schedule has him in the region for just about eight hours, but it is quite a stacked agenda. When the president arrives in Israel, his first stop will be at the Knesset building in Jerusalem. That is where he's expected to meet with families of hostages. It's not exactly clear whether he expects to also meet with some of the hostages who will have just been released by the time he lands, but that clearly nonetheless will be quite a powerful moment.

He will also address the Knesset, that's the Israeli parliament. He's the first president to do that since George W. Bush in 2008. From Israel, he'll travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, that's the resort in Egypt where this deal was finalized last week. He'll essentially preside over a signing ceremony, a number of other world leaders from Europe, from the region will also be on hand to watch as he does that and then it's back to Washington.

So a very quick trip, but also, you know, quite a significant one for the president and you heard him talking there about how this deal has sort of brought all sides of this together, that everyone's cheering at the same time, which he accurately described as quite a rare instance when you're talking about the Middle East. I would describe the mood in the administration right now as anticipation. you know, expectancy.

I think that Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, probably summed it up best when he was speaking last night in Hostages Square, which is that no one is going to celebrate until all of this is finalized, until those hostages are out from Gaza, until phase one of this plan is actually completed.

They're very quick to acknowledge that this is a fragile moment. This is a delicate deal, but certainly one that everyone is very excited has been finished. They also are quick to acknowledge that there is a long road ahead. There are lot of aspects of this plan that haven't necessarily been finalized, that have been left for the second phase, whether it's getting Hamas to disarm or who will rule Gaza going forward, or the biggest question of all, which is whether all of this results in a Palestinian state.

You also see how the administration is not really taking any chances to ensure that this deal holds that's part of why 200 U.S. troops from the CENTCOM region will be participating in monitoring this. I thought it was notable that two of the officials aboard Air Force One with President Trump are the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Caine, all sort of part of this effort going forward.

[17:04:58]

So a valedictory trip by the President. Certainly, he has accomplished something quite significant, but also, I think just the start of the process, not quite at the end of it. Erica.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Kevin, appreciate it. Thank you. Families in Israel, of course, are eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more now on what we can expect to see in the coming hours.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the families of the Israeli hostages have been told to anticipate that their loved ones will be released by Hamas tomorrow morning. They have now been told to arrive, to prepare for the release at 8:00 a.m. local time. That is the latest information that the hostage families have been given, according to a source familiar with the matter.

We still don't know the exact timing that this release will take place and things are indeed quite fluid. They could change, of course, in the coming hours. But we do know that 20 living hostages are expected to be released. We've been told by the Israeli military that this could happen from several different locations, potentially inside of the Gaza Strip, but they will all go to this Re'im military base just on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip where the families of those hostages will be waiting for them and where we will see those first embraces that have taken more than two years to become a reality.

From there they will go to hospitals here in the Tel Aviv area. Several hospitals that are prepared for their arrival, prepared to surround these hostages with physical care as well as mental health care and they will likely remain in those hospitals for least several days, potentially even several weeks. This is a process that Israel has gone through before, but they have never seen on the same day at the same time 20 living hostages released. And so this will be something altogether quite different.

And we also do not yet know what the condition of those hostages will be after two years of captivity. The bodies of some of those 28 deceased hostages also expected to be released later in the day on Monday. The timing of that still very much uncertain as well. And as all of this is happening, we will also later see the release -- we expect to see the release of Palestinian prisoners, 250 of whom are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, and then 1,700 Palestinians who were detained inside of the Gaza Strip, most of those detained without charge or trial who will be returned to their families in Gaza, and you can expect to see reunions there as well.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire seems to be holding so far inside of the Gaza Strip. We're beginning to see this surge of humanitarian aid that is happening there and also Palestinians beginning to sift through the rubble of Israeli airstrikes, finding the bodies of those who have been stuck under the rubble. An indication of course that this will take weeks, months, perhaps even years in order to get the full death toll inside of Gaza and in order for families there to have the closure that they are looking for as well.

HILL: Jeremy Diamond for us in Tel Aviv. For more on the President's trip to Israel, I want to bring in now CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel, always appreciate your insight here. So Vice President J.D. Vance this morning said that the President does plan to greet the Israeli hostages in person after they are released by Hamas. That is before the President is set to address the Knesset Israel's Parliament.

This is a massive undertaking. As Kaitlan Collins pointed out earlier, the fact that this trip also came together so quickly given the security needs is important to note. Talk to me about the security that will be needed for the president in the coming hours there.

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, it's going to be quite a challenge, Erica, and it's great to be with you. The Secret Service, of course, has the primary function of protecting the president when it comes to not only his domestic trips, but also his foreign trips. And in a situation like this, we'll have to be coordinating with the Israeli Secret Service equivalents, the Shin Bet, which is the domestic intelligence service for the Israelis as well as the Mossad and the Israeli police.

Then, of course, when he moves on to Egypt, to Sharm el-Sheikh, they will have to coordinate with the Egyptian police and the Egyptian intelligence services. Now, the Secret Service, our Secret Service, has had a lot of practice with these particular entities, with these particular nations. And it's very clear that one of the things that they'll have to do is they'll have to make sure that each location that the president goes to is going to be secured.

They'll have to, you know, do everything from checking for a bomb, possibly a bomb being there, they'll have to check for drones, they'll have to check for snipers. So those are the kinds of things that they'll have to look for. There is no intelligence indicating that any of that is about to happen, but they have to be prepared for that just because preparedness is really the key to protecting the president in situations like this.

HILL: As we look further down the road, of course we heard last week there would be some 200 troops, U.S. troops, in Israel who would help with monitoring the ceasefire. They will be helping with the humanitarian aid, organizing that, helping with the flow of the logistics, security assistance. But we are told they will not be setting foot in Gaza.

[17:10:01]

That being said, there's also going to be this international stabilizing force. How important is a U.S. military role moving forward in ensuring that not only the ceasefire endures, but moving forward into the days ahead and what this means for the future? LEIGHTON: Yeah, that's going to be critical, I think, Erica. In this

particular case, we're talking about the Civil Military Coordination Center, which this agreement has set up. So that's going to really -- its success is going to depend on that international stabilization force. Now, we don't know what the components of that international stabilization force are going to be. The idea is that many of the components of that are going to be from Arab nations, nations such as Egypt, potentially the UAE, Qatar, Jordan.

Those are countries that have at least been talked about in this situation, but it's going to really require a major grouping of all of these different pieces to come together. So, the Civil Military Coordination Center is going to be, in essence, the command center for a lot of this. They're going to have to work with the Israelis. They're going to have to work with the Egyptians. They're going to have to work with whatever is in Gaza in terms of the local authority there and that is going to really require an amazing amount of coordination.

That will require a lot of coordination also from CENTCOM, the U.S. command that's responsible for this part of the world. So, it's going to be basically putting a lot of jigsaw pieces together. And that's what will take a long time to actually get done in this case.

HILL: As we look at the future of the region, I'm wondering what your sense is of where this leaves Iran in this moment, especially given the support that Iran, of course, had given to Hamas for so long.

LEIGHTON: Yeah, Iran is isolated at this point, Erica, and this is a critical change, you know, no matter what one thinks of the military actions that have gone on in the last few months. The the end result is basically that Iran has been taken off the table when it comes to its dealings with Hamas as its main proxy in Gaza, also with its dealings in Lebanon with Hezbollah. And, of course, the part that's kind of remaining right now is its efforts with the Houthis in Yemen. So that's a proxy that still is a viable proxy for the Iranians.

But regardless, Iran has basically been weakened in this particular situation, and it is no longer as powerful a player as it once was. Now that doesn't mean it can't become that powerful player again, because if there's one thing that the Iranians know how to do, it's to actually bring these forces together, to mold them into a coalition and to create mischief, both from an asymmetric warfare perspective as well as from an intelligence perspective.

So they are still a dangerous foe, but they are a much less powerful foe because of the Israeli actions against their leadership, as well as the actions by the United States against the nuclear facilities that Iran had set up for their nuclear program.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton, always good to talk to you. Thank you.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Erica.

HILL: The CNN's coverage of the ceasefire in Gaza and the expected release of the hostages continues throughout the hour. We are also following this massive nor'easter that is already wreaking havoc along the East Coast. These are images out of Virginia of some of the flooding that has already occurred. Powerful winds, heavy rain, severe flooding expected to impact a number of states. Those details on the other side of a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

HILL: Right now, a powerful nor'easter is lashing the East Coast bringing heavy rain and strong winds. There are concerns about power outages in a number of areas. Several cities along the eastern seaboard from the Carolinas up into New Jersey are already experiencing significant flooding during high tides. This video here shows you a neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia. You can see the flooded streets there.

Earlier today, along the South Carolina coast, drivers actually had to be rescued from rising water in Georgetown. Leigh Waldman is in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the flooding is expected to cause issues in the area. We can see just how much the ocean is churning up behind you. I know the winds have really been picking up as well, Leigh.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Erica, just before you came to us, a big gust of cold wind came through here. But I do want to point out what we've noticed since we last spoke to you a few hours ago. You can see how far back the tide has moved. At one point today, that tide was at the end of this wooden pier or wooden railing that we see right here. So the tide is moving back out, but the acting emergency manager in Atlantic City is warning people we still have two more tide cycles to go in this community and they're expecting the next few to bring those floodwaters up even more than we saw earlier today.

And like you mentioned, it's already causing issues. Route 30, Route 40 closed due to flooding right now. New Jersey Transit is altering their schedule and the rounds that they're serving because of flooding in this area. Looking to tomorrow, we could see over eight feet of water rising here in this community. That would be the highest water level since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

[17:19:56]

Now we know that resources have been moved in from the state and from other counties. Two hundred cots in the convention center to help people who have to be evacuated out of their homes. There's high water rescue vehicles that have been moved in. Swift water rescue teams that have moved into place. But something that we've seen that's been very heartwarming is businesses working together placing sandbags so that they can protect their businesses from those water levels rising. Take a listen to some of the people we spoke to today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LANCE MANCUSO, ANGELO'S FAIRMOUNT TAVERN EMPLOYEE: Well on a normal rain, the waters up on the sidewalk so with the heavy rain, the wind, and you know, it was a full moon last night, night before, it's going to be -- it's going to be pretty bad.

STEPHEN RANDO, PRESIDENT, A. RANDO'S BAKERY: I guess nowadays is everybody's preparing for the worst, but we're kind of hoping for the best, which is I guess, really the best way to prepare for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. That's the mindset from city officials here in Atlantic City, but also from the people who live here. Now, we've seen wind gusts of almost 50 miles per hour in this community. Rain has been falling all day long. That's expected to continue all day today. It's causing issues at all of the major airports in this area. Newark, LaGuardia, also JFK. So they're asking people to be patient, try and stay inside if they can, Erica.

HILL: Yeah, absolutely. Leigh, appreciate it. Thank you. Well, this brutal nor'easter is perhaps not surprisingly, already impacting air travel as the storm makes its way up the eastern seaboard. The FAA says windy conditions have forced ground delays at airports in Boston, Philadelphia, and Newark. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking more here with the forecast as this storm intensifies. Allison, what are you seeing?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We have not one but two low pressure systems sitting off the eastern seaboard. And this is what is going to lead to that potential for flooding, but also the very gusty winds over the next few days. Now that low pressure off to the north fades away. The southern one becomes the more stronger of the two and really becomes very impactful across portions of the mid-Atlantic and the northeast through the evening hours tonight and especially into Monday.

We've already had some very powerful wind gusts reported in the 50 and 60 mile per hour range along the Carolina coastline. But these numbers are what we expect to see, especially in the northeast going through the day on Monday. As for flooding potential, two separate areas here to finish out the rest of Sunday, likely going to still see much of the same coloring for Monday as well as more of that heavy rain is expected to inundate the northeast over the next 24 to 36 hours.

Through the overnight hours tonight, we still anticipate some heavy rain across the Carolinas, but the bulk of the rain is now expected to shift into portions of the northeast. This means if you have some travel plans Monday morning, whether it is by car or by plane, please anticipate some delays, not just for the heavy downpours, but also the very gusty winds that are expected.

Here you can see New York, Philadelphia, Boston, all looking at some very heavy rain bands to slide through, not just Monday morning, but even through the afternoon and the evening hour. So this is not going to be a very quick storm. You're going to see lingering effects well into the day on Tuesday, and that's the same for even the winds. Here you can see Monday, lots of those yellows in the orange color indicating 40, 50 even 60 mile per wind gusts.

And also note too, it's not just for Monday. A lot of those linger into Tuesday and even into early Wednesday before we finally start to see them subside.

HILL: And we'll continue to follow that weather for you of course throughout the hour in the evening here on CNN. Still ahead, major changes at the United Nations as the U.S. slashes funding. Global peacekeeping efforts now facing an uncertain future. We'll take a closer look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Following two years of devastating war, the fragile peace between Israel and Hamas seems to be holding. New cuts at the United Nations, however, could undermine just how long that continues. The U.N. says it plans to slash up to a quarter of its peacekeeping troops, forcing thousands of soldiers to leave some of the most tense, sensitive areas across the world. Joining us to discuss, the AP's U.N. correspondent, Farnoush Amiri. It's good to have you with us. So you've done extensive reporting on this. walk us through -- so these cuts -- why the cuts are happening in this moment?

FARNOUSH AMIRI, ASSOCIATED PRESS UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, thank you for having me. I mean, this is a direct response to the U.S. deciding to withdraw from their support from the United Nations and other international organizations. The decision that the U.N. made came after a meeting last Tuesday with representative -- I'm sorry, he's no longer -- with Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. And, you know, he really laid out what the U.S. is focused on reform and cutting back is going to be.

And the U.N. had to respond by cutting 25 percent of its peacekeepers across nine missions. And that is going to really just change what peacekeeping around the world looks like, as you mentioned, at a moment where there is so many global conflicts.

HILL: Where are the areas of greatest concern?

AMIRI: Yeah, so I mean, the U.S. has decided to, you know, really prioritize certain areas. They have agreed to continuing to pay for Lebanon, for UNIFIL, to continue peacekeeping operations on the border between Lebanon and Israel. They have agreed to a certain amount of money to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo. But some of the other places like Sudan, you know, other parts of Africa where there are conflicts or there were conflicts most recently and they have, you know, post-conflict zones, are where many people, including U.N. officials, are worried that if you remove those thousands of soldiers, that those conflicts will arise once again.

[17:29:59]

HILL: And so as we are following those developments, there are also questions. You noted some of the areas where they will be staying in place. What will the role be? What would the impact potentially be of some of these cuts when it comes to Gaza? And as we're looking ahead to, there is, of course, all of this discussion of the establishment at some point of the international stabilization force that's going to be there. But how could the U.N. play a role, if at all?

AMIRI: Yeah, there have been discussions, like you mentioned, about the civilization force. Obviously, that would be something that the U.S. and -- and other partners would bring to the U.N. Security Council. There would be a vote on it similar to the most recent action the U.S. proposed on Haiti, getting suppression force. It would be a similar situation with that.

HILL: Uh-hmm.

AMIRI: And it really just seems like the U.S. is picking and choosing which peacekeeping operations it wants to fund, and that is unprecedented. Before the U.N. -- the U.S. would pay its peacekeeping obligations and the U.N. would decide where that money would go to. But at this point, they're pointing to conflicts in areas around the world where they think that money is best used and the U.N. is now having to respond to that shift.

HILL: And so, is there a way for the U.N. to make that up? So, of the other countries that are paying in, if they are not putting the same conditions on that funding that the U.S. is putting on it, is there a way to make up that difference so they don't have to draw down as many forces in some of these peacekeeping operations?

AMIRI: There is. I mean, uh, the U.N. -- sorry. The U.S. and China are the biggest funders of peacekeeping operations. The U.S. pays around 26% of the peacekeeping budget and China is right behind with 24%. China has agreed to pay in full that 24%, that it -- it has paid year over year.

And what you're going to see is which -- you've seen with other international aid opportunities is that China, Russia, and other U.S. adversaries are not waiting to jump in where the U.S. has left vacant space. They -- they know that when they have an involvement, when they have peacekeepers on the ground, when they're funding those efforts, their global prominence and power in conflict zones and important areas like in Africa continues to grow.

And so, the U.S. is taking quite a risk, as U.N. officials say, by removing itself from this. So, it's possible that we'll see China, Russia, and other world powers step up their peacekeeping funding. But, honestly, the U.S. is just such a major funder, not only of peacekeeping, but of all U.N. operations that it's hard to see anyone being able to fully make it up.

HILL: Yeah. Before I let you go, I do just want to ask you about humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Um, the U.N., of course, has been working so hard to get more aid in. We are seeing trucks go in at this point. Um, where do things stand when it comes to you and officials and how hopeful they are about how quickly they're going to be able to get some of this much needed aid to the people who -- who need it the most?

AMIRI: Yeah, I mean, folks I've been talking to, I've been more optimistic than they've been since the ceasefire broke down earlier this year. I mean, there are -- I was told today by a source that there's cooking gas that's going into Gaza for the first time since March. There is medical supplies and food for children who are experiencing famine or extreme hunger is going in for the first time in months. So, there's an extreme optimism.

I think there -- the urgency to get as much in as quickly as possible from U.N. officials and humanitarians is a response to the worry, the real worry that this ceasefire could break down, that it doesn't go past phase one. And so, I think you're seeing people trying to bring as many trucks as possible, hundreds and hundreds of trucks, to be able to kind of, you know, prevent what any future downfall or breakdown in negotiations look like. And --

HILL: Yeah.

AMIRI: -- but there is a huge optimism in a way that has not been for many months.

HILL: Which is good to hear. Farnoush, really appreciate it. Thank you.

AMIRI: Yeah. Thank you.

HILL: Just ahead here, celebration in Israel. We are now just hours away for the expected release of hostages still being held by Hamas. We'll take a closer look at the fragile ceasefire that is holding at this hour and also the efforts to stabilize the region, including, as we were just discussing, the need for food, for housing, for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Right now, President Trump and a number of administration officials are on their way to the Middle East. The president traveling to Israel first, where he will mark the U.S. brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza and also to celebrate the return of 20 living hostages being held in Gaza. The anticipation, understandably, building in Israel. The first hostages are expected to be released in just a matter of hours. The president will also address Israel's parliament and meet with the families of the hostages.

Meantime in Gaza, some relief for Palestinians as aid trucks have finally been able to make their way inside the enclave. Hundreds of aid trucks, we're learning, have now passed through the southern border crossings. More are still awaiting permission to enter Gaza. An important milestone, though, there.

Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the hostage families in Israel, President Trump will make his way to Egypt where leaders from more than 20 countries will meet to discuss Gaza's future. CNN's Nic Robertson has more now about what awaits the president's -- the president once he arrives in Egypt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: President Trump will really be arriving into a picture-perfect setting Sharm el-Sheikh known as the "City of Peace." The Egyptian presidency here describing this as a peace summit, say more than 20 different leaders will be invited.

[17:40:00]

We know that the French, British, German, Italian leaders are coming. The Emirates will be here. Qataris, Turkish, Jordanians, Indonesians, Pakistanis, a number of others. Other leaders also expected here. And on the agenda, so much focus on phase one, the prisoner release, the hostage release, all of that. By the time President Trump gets here, will be in motion. It'll be happening.

And what the leaders gathered here will want to do is use the momentum of that phase one to drive through phase two. And one of the most important things on phase two is the international stabilization force to go into Gaza to provide the stability. How big is that force going to be? What countries is it drawn from? What mandate does it have on the ground? Will it have a U.N. stamp of approval? All of these are outstanding questions.

But their role is huge. The deal for Israel is that Hamas-Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel. So, the Israelis will be looking at that stabilization force, making sure that Hamas doesn't have weapons, isn't able to exploit its tunnels.

From a Palestinian perspective, they'll be looking at that stabilization force to make sure that Israel withdraws back to the periphery of Gaza to make sure that that peace and stability continues, to make sure that the humanitarian supplies can get through safely.

And the other piece of the picture going forward for Gaza is that technocratic Palestinian body that will emerge. Again, questions how that will happen.

So, all of those are the topics that will be expected to be addressed at the summit. There will be a signing. Precisely what is signed, we don't know.

I think one of the things we can be absolutely sure of, President Trump will arrive here from Israel with the sound of applause for his role in the region ringing in his ears. And I think he's going to get a second and perhaps even more vibrant version of that in the room with all the leaders here, congratulating him for what he has achieved so far. But part of that congratulations is all about convincing him to keep the momentum going, keep his engagement, and see through all the thorny details and issues to come.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And stay with us. Our coverage continues after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: Just moments ago, President Trump departed Washington en route to the Middle East. In addition to brief remarks he made just ahead of boarding Air Force One, he has also been talking on the plane.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us live from the White House. So, what more are we hearing from the president?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been a long, stated goal of President Donald Trump to bring the war in Gaza to an end. And now, after helping broker a ceasefire agreement that many hope will lead to a permanent end to this conflict, he is saying on this fight, he was asked in the context of recent comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the actual end to this war. And Trump was adamant in his response, saying that the war is over.

As Trump takes this trip, he is making stops in Israel and in Egypt, and he does expect to receive a warm welcome. We know that multiple world leaders have praised his diplomatic efforts.

And then an interesting, very telling moment last night as Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who have been involved in talks, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, spoke to a crowd in Tel Aviv as the people there eagerly wait now for the hostages to return home. There were multiple times that the crowd broke into chants of thank you, Trump. That same crowd, though, at the mention of Netanyahu broke out into boos. Take a listen to more of what Trump had to say about his relationship with Netanyahu and the end of this conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (voice-over): I don't think you'd ever see it again. They've never seen it for 3,000 years. If you like one group, you don't like the other group. And if you like the other group, you don't like the first group.

And this is the first time they've ever seen where everybody is unified because, as you know, we're going to Egypt after Israel, and we're going to meet all of the leaders of the very powerful and big countries and very rich countries, and others, and they're all into this deal. Everybody is into it. It has never happened before.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Mr. President --

TRUMP (voice-over): So, I would say this is a lot tougher, but we'll see how it all works out. UNKNOWN (voice-over): Mr. President, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, has not gone so far as to say the war is over. In your view, is the war between Israel and Hamas over?

TRUMP (voice-over): The war is over. The war is over. The war is over. Okay? You understand that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Trump was pressed about his relationship with Netanyahu, where he did say that he believes Netanyahu was the right leader for this time. Now, also important to note, as Trump adamantly states that the war is over, there are several sticking points that still need to be addressed, including Hamas disarmament, as well as the future governance of Gaza.

HILL: Yeah, important notes. Um, just give us a sense of what the next, Julia, what the next 24 hours or so look like for the president because he's going to be very busy on this short trip.

BENBROOK: This trip came together quickly and it will happen quickly. He is going to arrive there in Israel. We expect him to meet with some of the hostage families. We don't know specifically which families will be a part of that.

[17:50:01]

But then he will address the Israeli parliament before traveling to Egypt. And that's where there will be a summit with about 20 different countries represented there. And the focus there will be the future of the region, what security and stability look like going forward. And Trump will be the co-chair of that summit.

HILL: All right. Julia Benbrook live for us at the White House. Appreciate the updates. Thank you. Still ahead this hour, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are now returning home. What they are finding looks nothing like what they left behind. The toll task ahead for these communities as they hope to rebuilt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Total destruction. No home left. Three or four houses piled on top of each other. And we don't know where our house is. We don't know. All our neighbors' homes are on top of ours, and ours on our neighbors'. My house is underneath. It is not visible at all, our home. We don't know where the house is. It is sand, just rubble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HILL: Hundreds of CDC employees who were abruptly fired Friday night are now back on the job. According to the union representing federal workers, about 700 staff members were reinstated Saturday after nearly 1,300 were sent layoff notices. So, around 600 do still remain laid off.

Health officials say those reinstated were never officially separated, and they were notified of the error. Among the 700 employees, key staff responsible for managing the U.S. measles response and also publishing the agent's morbidity and mortality weekly report, as well as teams overseeing immunization, global health and billions in public health grants.

Some shocking video to show you now of the moment a helicopter crashed in California on Saturday. A witness telling CNN the chopper's landing gear was down when a piece broke off, causing it to spin out of control. This video is really something. It then crashes into some trees.

Officials in Huntington Beach say two people were rescued from the wreckage. Three others on the street were injured. All five of those people were taken to the hospital for treatment. All of this was part of an event scheduled for today. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating.

President Trump is, of course, now on his way to the Middle East, telling reporters just a short time ago he does believe the Gaza ceasefire will hold. He is set to arrive in Israel for the release of the remaining living hostages who are expected to be handed over to the Red Cross in the coming hours.

Meantime, in Gaza, Israeli forces are withdrawing. Hundreds of aid trucks are now rolling in across border crossings, bringing desperately needed food, fuel, and medical supplies to Palestinians.

Much of the attention in the next day, of course, will be on the return of the Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners. But if this ceasefire does continue to hold, the focus will then soon turn to rebuilding in Gaza. CNN's Jeremy Diamond spoke with some displaced Palestinians who say they're returning home to nothing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is no joy in this homecoming, only mounds of rubble to step over and sift through. Israeli troops have withdrawn. A ceasefire is in place. But at 70 years old, Majdi Al-Khour has returned to find his Gaza City neighborhood in ruins.

MAJDI AL-KHOUR, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DIAMOND (voice-over): I want to sleep on the rubble, but I do not even have a blanket or a cover to sleep on, Al-Khour says. I can't change my clothes. This is the only set I have. I want to take a shower, but I can't. I want to go to the toilet, but I can't. Where should I go? He is far from alone. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have begun to return to their homes in northern Gaza, trekking along the same coastal road. Many took to flee advancing Israeli troops just weeks earlier.

Here, the mood is still upbeat despite it all.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DIAMOND (voice-over): I feel immense joy. My heart is full of love, though also tired and weary, this man says.

ADEL ABU SALAMA, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DIAMOND (voice-over): Now, we will go to see our homes, and we hope to find them still standing, Adel Abu Salama says, because almost everything around them is destroyed and the children were killed. God willing, we will find other people safe and well.

This is the rude awakening that awaits many at the end of their long journey. The Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is one skeletal block after the next.

Khalil (ph) is still taking stock of the destruction after returning home to find everything destroyed.

UNKNOWN: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DIAMOND (voice-over): What are we supposed to cry for? What are we supposed to look for? Look, these are our cars. These are our homes. These are our lives. As one chapter closes, another only just beginning.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And our thanks to Jeremy for that report. Be sure to stay with us as our coverage continues here. I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for your company this afternoon. CNN Newsroom continues with Jessica Dean right now.

[18:00:00]