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Biden in Israel; White House Downplays Trip; Biden Comments on Explosion; Mustafa Barghouti is Interviewed about the Explosion; Biden to Deliver Remarks in Israel; Biden and Netanyahu Give Remarks. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired October 18, 2023 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:53]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: President Biden is in Israel this morning after the deadly blast in Gaza hit a hospital killing hundreds. This is according to Palestinian officials. We do know a lot of people are dead, hundreds of people. No yet firm number. But it is heartbreaking and horrible. And there was horrible injury and death after that blast. And so many of those people, people who had sought refuge. That is the reality of the situation.

And that blast is also sparking mass anti-Israel protests across the Middle East today, starting last night in Jordan, and continuing through the day today. In Jordan, local security forces were seen using tear gas to try to disperse huge crowds near the Israeli embassy in Amman.

And I want to go to our own Nada Bashir, who is in Amman, Jordan, with more.

And, Neda, I want to just - you know, the context here, of course, is that the president of the United States was going to be going there, right? And it gives people the context of what happened when this hospital strike occurred, that immediate outpouring in the street in a city where the president was going to go. The anger is -- has boiled over.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. We have seen that translated to not only the popular front, but also the diplomatic front. As you mentioned, that summit between the leaders of Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and, of course, the U.S. president, Joe Biden, has been called off.

We heard from the foreign minister of Jordan yesterday saying that their singular focus in holding this summit was to bring an end to the war, to bring some respite and relief to the Palestinian people inside the besieged Gaza Strip. And he doesn't feel - the Jordanian authorities do not feel that their international partners are on the same page when it comes to that focus at this current point in time.

And, of course, we cannot ignore the fact that this has come in response to that horrifying attack on the al Ahli Hospital inside the Gaza Strip. We know that three days of mourning have been declared. This is being observed across the Middle East. The flag behind me is at half mast in response to that attack.

And, of course, as you mentioned, we have seen huge protests taking place across the region. In fact, these protests have been going on from the outsets of the war, particularly here in Amman, where almost half of the population are either Palestinian or of Palestinian descent -- across Jordan rather. So, this is a central cause for many people in this country. We saw huge crowds gathering yesterday, towards the Israeli embassy. Some protesters attempting to storm the Israeli embassy. And we are expecting to see even further protests today, including one protest which is said to be scheduled outside the U.S. embassy. Of course, the U.S. being seen as a key ally here to Israel. In some sense complicit in what many feel are these horrific air strikes happening inside the Gaza Strip.

But I think it is really important to underscore here the outrage that we have seen amongst people across the Middle East. I think your military analyst just before described this as a bias that is felt in the Middle East. But I have to say, what we've seen from people that we've been speaking to is a sense of horror and outrage at the civilian toll that we've seen inside the Gaza Strip. An area of land that is under blockade and is facing a complete siege at this current point in time. And I think it is also important to underscore that while Hamas, and, of course, in the eyes of many Arab leaders have placed the blame squarely on Israel. We know that Israel has categorically denied any involvement in this attack, placing the blame on Islamic jihad in Gaza for a failed rocket launch according to the IDF.

But I think it's important to underscore that over the course of more than a week now what we have seen is civilian areas inside Gaza repeatedly coming under attack by Israeli air strikes. That's not only according to Hamas and Palestinian Authorities on the ground in Gaza, that's according to international rights groups, it's according to people we've been speaking to, hospital, medical facilities, schools, even evacuation routes that are said to be safe for people to flee to southern Gaza.

So, you can imagine, across the Middle East, the outrage that is felt. And, of course, we are expecting more protests across the region. As you mentioned, some are going on as we speak in Tunisia. We will continue to see people taking to the streets. And this will only intensify as Israel's aerial bombardment of Gaza continues.

[06:35:01]

BURNETT: Absolutely, an aerial bombardment that we know will continue, Nada. That is the reality that we are living right now.

And I want to go to Nic Robertson, who is in -- live in Sderot, Israel, where you have been since the very beginning, Nic.

So, obviously, the White House now downplaying expectations for the trip, but it is clear they had hoped for much more. That's the reality. They thought they were getting to talk to Arab states, as well as the Jewish state, but that's not happening.

What do you think the number one thing is that Biden has to accomplish today given the reality of the changed schedule of this trip?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I think with the -- all the deaths at the hospital overnight, the stakes, obviously, went up almost when President Biden was in the air and the fact that his meetings with the Egyptian president, the king of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority president, that was canceled is clearly -- undermines some of what he wanted to achieve. But the big thing that he wanted to achieve was to send a very clear and strong message, as he has since the beginning, that the United States stands with Israel. And that was a message that was designed to signal to Israel's enemies in the region, be they Hezbollah, be they - be they elements in Syria, be they the Iranian leadership, whoever they are, to stay out of the fight. That's been the verbal message and that was - that was the importance of his message here.

And I think because of what happened in the hospital last night, and the perceptions around it, that message is needed even more loudly. And that's the one that President Biden has delivered here, very publicly, standing with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

There's another sort of important part of the context I think when we consider the reaction. The reaction on the streets around the region is a worry for Israel, but it will be a worry for the king of Jordan. It will be a worry for the president of Egypt, because outrage support of Palestinians on their streets is destabilizing for them. And these are both two countries, two leaders who depend very heavily on financial support from the United States. And, in a way, their populations know that, but ignore it. But it puts them in a difficult position as well when they have to choose the steps that they take, there is the reaction on the street in those countries and then there is what the political leaders do.

And I think the bottom line that we've heard signaled from President Biden today is, last night was horrendous, horrific, everyone knows it, the pictures are just awful. However, it changes little in the calculus. Israel's enemies must hold back. And I think it still leaves a door open for what Israel wants to do in terms of taking on Hamas. And that's a critical point, which may very well be, it seems to me, that the possibility of a ground incursion remains an open option.

BURNETT: Definitely remains an open option when we see that border and everything along it amassed and ready, ready positioned.

Nic, what are you seeing on that front. And I - and I do want everyone to understand, you know, your location is so close to the border. When these rockets come in, the house next to the one where you were was actually even hit by one of those rockets. So, that's the proximity with which you are observing this. What are you seeing?

ROBERTSON: Yes, this town, for example, normal population 40,000, down to about 4,000 according to local officials -

BURNETT: Yes. ROBERTSON: Over the past, I would say, 18 plus hours, when there have been incoming rockets from Gaza and there was some coming -- incoming in the last hour. We're not seeing any intercepts, any Iron Dome intercepts. And, in the past, we were. We are hearing the sirens and that does give the population of about 4,000 people here literally about six or seven seconds to take shelter. Almost all houses here have rooms for shelter. There are shelters on the streets. But the streets are deserted, which, I think, tells you the situation here. People are very aware of the threat that comes from Gaza. It is still an active and real threat.

And that, of course, gives support and impetus to Israel's desire to go into Gaza and take out the leadership of Hamas. At the same time, we're continuing to hear heavy drone activity, continuing to hear Israeli jet activity and missile strikes on Gaza.

So, you know, again, going back to the big picture, as terrible as last night was, it depended on the writ large Arab street reaction and the ability of leaders in those countries to maintain stability at home, it seems, and also dependent on Iran's leadership's reaction, it seems that actually in the broader calculus of what's going to happen, very little has actually changed. As horrible as it was, events have yet to fully play out.

[06:40:04]

So, we don't have a whole picture. But from statements so far, that's what it looks like.

BURNETT: Certainly does and, of course, the IDF insists, and we were talking to a former general last night, that this will not affect their planning for what they're doing in Gaza. We shall see.

Nic Robertson, thank you very much.

And the White House, of course, already downplaying expectations for President Biden's visit to Israel, which has been further complicated, at the least, by that booming of a hospital in Gaza.

Any moment now, President Biden will speak again.

We'll be back.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Any minute now President Biden is set to deliver remarks in Tel Aviv. His visit to Israel comes amid deepening tension in the region after a blast that killed hundreds of innocent civilians at a hospital in Gaza.

This morning, President Biden seeming to agree with the IDF's assessment. The White House already downplaying expectations for the president's war zone visit.

Let's get straight to our senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche. The big question is what changed from when Biden left Washington, when

the White House said they were continuing to investigate who launched what caused this blast, to what Biden saying with Netanyahu, saying, it appears it was done by the other team? Do we know if the president got more intelligence or another briefing on the plane?

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We don't. But we assume, Poppy, that on a very lengthy multi-hour flight, where he directed his national security team to find new information, that perhaps they did obtain new information. We just don't know what that is. And we've reached out to the White House and the National Security Council to figure out exactly what did transpire overnight and whether anything informed the president's significant shift when he was sitting next to Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning where he said that he believed that - that the hospital strike was carried out by the other team, and essentially was backing Israel's assessment of who was responsible for that attack.

That is a significant departure from where the president was just before his departure. Even though the public statements did say that they did not know who was behind the attack, I'm told by my own sources that when advisers briefed the president before his departure, that the U.S. did not even draw a conclusion behind closed doors. And at that time were not even certain that they would be able to draw one in a timely manner.

That being said, you know, they are certainly downplaying the expectations for any deliverables on this visit with a critical cancellation of that summit in Jordan. Officials telling me that if the president is able to show his support and solidarity and the solidarity of the broader United States with Israel, and also send a message of deterrence to other players in the region not to open up a second front in this war, that that would be seen as a success.

[06:45:07]

But certainly there are risks associated with this trip. It is an incredibly volatile environment and the U.S. is inserting itself in this conflict at a time of asymmetric information. And we're still learning more about what exactly that information is that's leading to some of these shifting assessments.

HARLOW: Also the fact that he will no longer be speaking -- he will no longer be going to Amman. He will no longer also be speaking with President El Sisi of Egypt. We know how much President Biden values face-to-face meetings and communication. I understand they're going to talk on the phone, on the president's trip home. What does the White House hope to accomplish and what's your reporting on how disappointed they are that these in-person meetings aren't happening?

TAUSCHE: Well, certainly they knew that it was always a possibility that something that was fairly hastily assembled could be just as hastily disassembled given how much was happening in the region. But it is very fair to say, Poppy, that it was that forum in Jordan and the face-to-face with those leaders where some of those key conversations about humanitarian passage and humanitarian aid were going to be had. And without that face-to-face conversation, we know the president believes that phone and Zoom are no stand-ins for that personal diplomacy. It's hard to see, an official say that it's also hard to see how anything concrete comes out of it, at least within this very short time frame.

HARLOW: Yes. Kayla Tausche, at the White House, thank you very much.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this morning we're hearing from a doctor who was in the hospital at the time of the blast, and his harrowing experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. FADEL NA'EEM, HEAD OF ORTHOPEDIC DEPARTMENT AT AL-AHLI BAPTIST HOSPITAL: I was waiting -- I finished -- just finished one surgery and suddenly we heard a big explosion. We thought it was outside the hospital because we never thought that we would be bombed being a hospital. The people run in the operation (ph) setup. They're screaming, help us, help us. Many patients - many people are injured, many people are dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Joining us now to discuss is Dr. Mustafa Barghouti. He's a Palestinian legislature and the president of the Palestinian National Initiative, which is a political party.

Sir, we appreciate your time.

I want to start with where you are in Ramallah. We've seen protests throughout the region. Certainly, a volatile moment in the wake of the explosion at the hospital. How would you describe how people are feeling, how they're reacting right now where you are?

DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN LEGISLATOR: People are very angry, and, of course, nothing can be more embarrassing than a deliberate war crime of an Israeli air strike killing civilians and killing innocent children and women. Five hundred victims and hundreds of others injured who could die at any moment. And let me tell you that what we - what we believe is that we urge you to remember that the Israeli military lied to the world on many occasions before changing their stories many times. A very good example of that was their denial of killing Shireen -- the American Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, and changing their story four times.

Today they already changed their story three times. But the world doesn't notice that. The first time they said that they strike the hospital because there were militants, Hamas militants hiding there. Then they said that Hamas is taking Palestinian civilians as shields, human shields. Then they said that it was jihad and it was a rocket of jihad. I do not believe any of this nonsense because there are many facts here.

One fact is that 57 strikes have already taken place against health facilities, hospitals and clinics in Gaza. This cannot be denied. Another fact is that they warned the hospital, the Baptist hospital, run by the Anglican Church, they warned them that they should leave and evacuate. And they couldn't do that because they couldn't leave their patients to die.

They also attacked and killed no less than 18 Palestinian first aid providers. They also destroyed 23 ambulances with their air strikes.

MATTINGLY: Right.

BARGHOUTI: And most important, the Israeli air strikes have already demolished 70,000 houses, whole neighborhoods where (INAUDIBLE). I cannot understand how President Biden, the head of the most powerful country in the world, continues to accept lies from Netanyahu, some of which have been proven to be incorrect.

MATTINGLY: Sir, just to -- I understand -- I understand your point. I understand what you're saying. I think what - what we have seen from the IDF, and to be very clear, my colleague, Jeremy Diamond, asked the IDF at the press conference about the lies and changing stories as it relates to the journalist that you referred to.

What you're saying are all contextual pieces. What the IDF is laying out, and I think what the president was responding to today, was specific signals intelligence, specific tracking of rockets they have documented what they have. I guess my question to you would be, what have you seen that explicitly shows that it was an air strike beyond the kind of what's happened around it?

[06:50:04]

BARGHOUTI: Of course I wasn't there, but I have the people -- my people are there and they told me that the type of air strike they've seen on this hospital is exactly the same air strike they've seen in other places.

One more fact in addition to what I said before. One more fact is the type of explosion that happened after the Israeli air strike is a type that no Palestinian rocket could ever have. This wide, huge kind of explosion, killing 500 people in one minute, this never happened by Palestinian rockets. And anything - any - any (INAUDIBLE). And what we ask for, OK, let's have an international, independent commission investigating that. The criminal - the criminal --

MATTINGLY: To that point, do you think an international, independent commission would be allowed to investigate?

BARGHOUTI: No, no, no.

MATTINGLY: Would that be something that international investigators would be allowed on the ground to investigate?

BARGHOUTI: Yes, Israeli - I'm sure - no, record my -- what I say to you, Israel would never allow an international investigation, like they never allowed an investigation of the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. And there because you can't - you can't have the criminal investigate himself or herself. And the big question here, why Mr. Biden does not call for a cease-fire. How many more Palestinians should be killed before we can get cease-fire. Three thousand two hundred Palestinians have been killed so far. Three war crimes are being committed in front of the world. Ethnic cleansing, genocide, land seize and collective (INAUDIBLE) Palestine.

MATTINGLY: Can I ask you, sir, what - what would you -- I understand what you're saying about the cease-fire and President Biden has been -

BARGHOUTI: And you know - one (INAUDIBLE).

MATTINGLY: But just, real quick, I would just want to know, he is going to speak later today. And it is very clear that the United States, and from the president, that they are not going to call for a cease-fire. And I understand your perspective on that.

What could the president say outside of that, from a regional perspective, that would signify to you a positive step forward?

BARGHOUTI: You know, with all due respect, I see that President Biden cares only about one thing, which is to be re-elected. And that's why he's taking the side of Israel. He's believing Israeli lies, like the lie of decapitation of children, which was never verified, or the lie of raping women, which was never verified. And they continue.

And now this lie that Palestinians killed themselves. This is totally unacceptable. He should call for cease-fire immediately to save Palestinian and Israeli lives. At least he should care about the lives of Israeli prisoners who are being bombarded with Israeli air strikes now. Twenty-two of them have already been killed by Netanyahu's air strikes on Gaza. This should stop.

How many thousands and thousands and thousands of people should be killed and especially children and civilians before Israel accepts a cease-fire?

MATTINGLY: Right.

BARGHOUTI: Mr. Biden has a responsibility. And his responsibility now is immediate cease-fire. And let me remind him of the lies that were told about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. After years everybody admitted it was a big lie that justified the killing of one million Iraqis. Enough is enough. We don't need another atrocity here.

MATTINGLY: Right.

BARGHOUTI: We don't need ethnic cleansing of Palestinians to Egypt.

MATTINGLY: I would note that it was the Jordanian summit in Amman, the president wanted to meet, that was canceled. Certainly you have a very different perspective from what we've heard from the IDF, what the president has said as well. We do appreciate your time. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, thank you.

BARGHOUTI: Thank you.

HARLOW: All right. Well, obviously, as you saw from that conversation, significant questions. President Biden is in Israel after that blast at the hospital that killed hundreds of people. He will speak soon. Will he speak about any additional intelligence he may have seen about that blast? Much more ahead. You'll see the president live right here.

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[06:55:20]

HARLOW: OK, we're waiting to hear from President Biden once again this morning. He's going to make some remarks again in Tel Aviv, after we saw him speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu. We'll bring that to you live as soon as it begins.

As we wait, let's bring in our CNN chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, and CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. Also White House correspondent and national security correspondent for "The New York Times."

Christiane, let me begin with you.

You just heard that conversation, I believe, that Phil had. And you see the live pictures around the world, from Tunisia, to Amman, Jordan. And many, many, many who do not believe -- in the Arab world who do not believe what Israel is saying, that this was not their strike on the hospital.

We're looking at these live pictures.

And now President Biden is there, in the middle of all of this, with a canceled summit that was hastily arranged in Amman, Jordan. What comes out of today, and what can the president say, if anything, to calm tension?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, Poppy, Phil, this is truly considered by just about everybody an unmitigated disaster. That the president has walked into this terrible, terrible catastrophe that's unfolding in Gaza. And as you heard from Mustafa Barghouti, who is a moderate Palestinian, who has tried all his life to bring the factions together, there is their narrative based on context and what's happened before. And they do not believe, and the street does not believe, no matter how much the IDF says it's done its five hour investigation, it's just not believed around the world. And that is what is mattering right now. That is the narrative, it's not believed.

And I can tell you that the Israeli defense minister himself said last week, when imposing a siege on Gaza, which the international community says is against international law, he also said, we remove - I have orders to remove all restraints from the IDF.

MATTINGLY: Christiane, let me -- let me interrupt you. And I apologize. I apologize for the interruption. I want to tell people what they're watching on the screen right now. It is president - or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking. This is before a meeting between President Biden, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Prime Minister Netanyahu's war cabinet that was put together in the wake of the October 7th attacks. We're going to listen to both of them. Who -- they are expected to give remarks. Prime Minister Netanyahu is speaking now.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Will do everything it can to keep civilians out of harm's way. We have asked them and will continue to ask them to move to safer areas. We'll continue to work with you, Mr. President, to assure that the minimal requirements are met and we'll continue to work together to get our hostages out.

Mr. President, the road to victory will be long and hard. But united in purpose and with a deep sense of justice and the unbreakable spirit of our soldiers and our people, Israel will prevail.

Thank you, Mr. President.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, thank you, Mr. Prime Minister.

In the wake of Hamas' appalling terrorist assault, it was brutal, inhumane, almost beyond belief what they did, this cabinet came together. And standing strong, standing united. And I want you to know, you're not alone. You are not alone.

As I emphasized earlier, we will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people. We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians.

Seventy-five years ago your founders declared that this nation would be one based, quote, "based on freedom, justice, and peace." Based on freedom, justice and peace. The United States stands with you in defense of that freedom, in pursuit of that justice, and in support of that peace, today, tomorrow, and always, we promise you.

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, everyone. Thanks to all of you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

NETANYAHU: They don't give up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, guys.

NETANYAHU: They don't give up.

BIDEN: Nothing changes. (INAUDIBLE) --

HARLOW: I want to -- OK, you just heard the end of Netanyahu's remarks there and what President Biden said.

[07:00:00]

With us again, Christiane Amanpour, David Sanger, Erin Burnett in Tel Aviv, along with Kaitlan Collins.

Kaitlan, let me go to you first.

We missed the beginning half of what we heard from Netanyahu. Talk to us about.