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CNN This Morning

Rafah Crossing Opens Briefly Allowing 20 Aid Trucks Into Gaza; Hamas Frees American Woman And Her Daughter; Biden Requests $105 Billion And Package For Israel And Ukraine; Israel Urges Citizens To Leave Jordan And Egypt; Rep. Jim Jordan Out Of Speaker Race, No Clear Choice Ahead. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired October 21, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Saturday, October 21st. I'm Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's good to have you with us. New this morning, aid trucks have now been allowed into Gaza, but international groups warn that those supplies are not enough. The needs are far higher.

This morning, the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened. Twenty aid trucks made it through the crossing before it was closed again. According to the World Health Organization, the supplies included some medical supplies, medicine as well, but they said the hospitals in Gaza had already reached a breaking point.

WALKER: It has been two weeks now since Hamas launched its attack on Israel. And now, the Israel Defense Force says it is preparing for the next stages of the war. IDF tanks are lined up near the border with Gaza, where the prospect of a ground incursion is looming.

In Gaza, the Al-Quds Hospital says Israel has demanded the immediate evacuation of the building ahead of a possible airstrike. The World Health Organization says such a demand would be impossible to carry out. The hospital currently houses around 12,000 displaced people, plus, of course, hundreds of patients.

And an American woman and her teenage daughter are free now, following their surprise release late last night. They were visiting family at a Kibbutz close to Gaza from Chicago when they were taken hostage by Hamas. The IDF said today, it believes 210 people are being held hostage in Gaza. The group says a current priority is the return of all hostages.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward, is with us now. So, after weeks of waiting, the Rafah crossing opened just long enough to allow these 20 trucks in. Two million people plus there in Gaza. Walk us through what happened. Explain what we saw today.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, we got word at about 9:30 this morning that the Rafah border crossing was going to open at 10:00 a.m. That it was going to open for long enough to let in those 20 trucks. That is the initial amount that was agreed upon by all different sides. These were Egyptian Red Crescent trucks. They drove through the gate. They took off the aid.

Palestinian trucks then loaded the aid and it went through to the Gazan side of the border. This is obviously very heartening for so many people who've been pushing so hard, but mostly of course for people in Gaza who are in such desperate need of aid. But it's important to be clear that it's really a drop in the ocean in terms of what is actually needed, the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe.

To put it in some context or perspective for you, the U.N. told us that before this war, so two weeks ago, three weeks ago, roughly 455 trucks of aid would go into Gaza every single day. So, now, you've had two weeks with zero aid. Today, you've got 20 trucks of aid. The World Food Program saying that might be enough for 30,000 people.

And the demand they have right now is for 900,000 people. They need at least, according to the U.N., 100 trucks a day to be able to cross. They're hoping that starting tomorrow or starting Monday, potentially, that U.N. trucks will start to flow through as well, and that there will be a sort of more continuous and sustained humanitarian corridor established.

WALKER: How do they even begin to distribute the aid, Clarissa? I mean, that is staggering, the comparison you made. Today, just 20 trucks compared to the 455 aid trucks that have been going in every single day into Gaza. And also, if you can clarify what is on these trucks, because the WHO says medicine and medical supplies, but the needs are food and water, and of course fuel for the hospitals.

WARD: So, in terms of the distribution, it becomes very complex for the U.N. and for aid workers inside if it's only 20 trucks, because the concern then is that people will mob the trucks, people will be in a panic, there will be scenes of chaos if it's not clear that it's a sustained humanitarian corridor, that there is more aid going to be coming in every single day. That was a really, really big worry for the various different agencies on the ground there.

[07:05:12]

The four things that the U.N. says people desperately need: food, water, medicine, fuel. Fuel has been a controversial issue. The Israelis have said there is no fuel in that first 20 trucks of aid. But when you talk to people on the ground, fuel is really desperately needed because it's fuel that keeps the generators going, the generators that keep the hospitals going, to the extent that the hospitals are even still able to function at this stage.

But there is no electricity, so generators became crucial to maintaining some semblance of, you know, of functionality. So, they're still going back and forth about the fuel. The hope is on the U.N. side that we're going to see more trucks, more equipment, and that fuel will be part of that. WALKER: Clarissa Ward, appreciate your reporting. Thank you so much.

The release of two American hostages is an enormous relief, as you'd imagine, to their family back in Illinois. CNN's Whitney Wilde has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The walk to freedom in a snapshot. 59-year-old, Judith Raanan; and her 17-year-old daughter, Natale, are finally safe after two weeks as Hamas hostages. They're headed home after many prayers and tears. A community's fear now replaced by joy.

RABBI MEIR HACHT, CO-DIRECTOR, CHABAD OF EVANSTON: Our prayers have been heard for Judith and Natalie and we are so overjoyed.

WILD: Judith and Natale traveled to Israel from Evanston, Illinois and have been missing since the Hamas attacks on October 7th. They were visiting a Kibbutz in Israel for Judith's mother's 85th birthday. Judith's sister told CNN she had no idea if they'd ever return.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm very worried about my sister and my niece. My niece is, she's not even 18. She's supposed to be celebrating her birthday on the 24th of this month. We know that young women are being raped and injured and Judith is, she's not very, very healthy.

WILD: She says Hamas kidnapped 11 other family members from another Kibbutz and they are still missing, though CNN cannot independently verify that information.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As you can imagine, we are devastated and we are having quite a hard time.

WILD: Natalie's brother told CNN he's looking forward to hugging his younger sister again and helping however he can as she recovers from the trauma.

BEN RAANAN, NATALE RAANAN'S BROTHER: At least from my father, Natale is doing well, is composed. We are ready to start this incredible journey of healing and trauma relief for her.

HACHT: Both Judith and Natalie are artists, kind, giving, generous souls.

WILD: The office of the Israeli Prime Minister says the Israel Defense Forces met Judith and Natale at the Gaza border Friday, along with the International Committee of the Red Cross, transferring them to a military base in the center of Israel to meet family members. As one family readies to embrace their loved ones, the families and friends of hundreds more are left to wait and wonder.

HACHT: They've gone through the most evil period of their life and by people that inflicted just terror and horror to them and to so many others. And our job is to be there for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WILD (on camera): The White House says President Biden spoke with

Judith and Natalie by phone Friday. This as U.S. officials work around the clock to try to bring home 10 other Americans still missing in this conflict. Victor Amara.

BLACKWELL: Whitney, thanks so much. Joining me now is CNN National Security Analyst, Peter Bergen. Peter, good morning to you. Your latest piece says that Qatar brokering the release of these hostages is the best way to get the hostages release as we saw now. The State Department thanking Qatar for their role in releasing these two. So, the U.S. maybe in, in the mood for negotiations. Do you think Israel is at this point?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I mean the Qataris are one of the few governments that has some leverage with Hamas because they have been putting hundreds of millions of dollars into Gaza. They also have obviously good relations with the United States and have had a long track record of getting Americans out of either hostage situations or wrongfully detained situations.

For instance, last month, the five Americans who were held in Iran were released because of Qatari mediation. So, I mean, I hope that, Victor, that this is sort of a proof of concept and that this will continue because clearly the Qataris have had this success already with two Americans.

We have apparently 10 more Americans, but there are also nationalities from a variety of other countries. And then, of course, there's a lot of Israelis and, you know, Hamas may have a different view about the non-Israeli hostages compared to the Israeli hostages. I don't have any special insight into that. But clearly, you know, they've shown some willingness now to release some Western hostages.

BLACKWELL: Some willingness. The question is why. They say that this is on humanitarian grounds. Let's, every time we say humanitarian grounds, is there a reason? Remind people they just killed 1,400 innocent people in Israel. So, take that as context. But what, at this point, does this release tell you about where Hamas is two weeks into this war, that this is the point at which they're willing to start to release these hostages?

BERGEN: Well, I think it's a very good sign, Victor. I mean, this is, they are, you know, humanitarian reasons, but, you know, that could cover a lot of grounds. You certainly don't want a very ill hostage or even a dead hostage if you're a hostage taker. And, you know, when they seized these 200 plus, we still don't really, I think, know the exact number of hostages.

They had really no idea if somebody was an American, an Israeli, or somebody from some other country. I mean, they were targets of opportunity, unfortunately. They seized whoever they could. But, you know, they're going to, as you know, in the past, Victor, they've cut a very, very tough deal if they have to release just one Israeli soldier for a thousand Palestinian prisoners.

So, when it comes to the Israelis, I think it's going to be a different matter than what we've seen already, unfortunately. And, you know, obviously, this is a huge issue also for, there's a big, I think, contradiction Victor, between destroy Hamas, which is a stated Israeli position, and we need to save the hostages.

I mean, those are two very diametrically opposed kind of ideas. So, you know, we can only hope that this is the beginning that Hamas behaves in a responsible fashion when it comes to this particular issue. Obviously, they haven't behaved in a very responsible fashion in so many other ways, but I'm glad this happened.

BLACKWELL: So, let me ask you about the protests across the Arab world. We just had dotted this year up from Amman we've seen them in Beirut and other capitals as well. We've seen protests in Egypt now, the first time that al-Sisi has allowed these public demonstrations since the Arab Spring, since we saw Tahrir Square. Who's the audience for this?

BERGEN: Well, in the case of Egypt, obviously, you know, it's a military dictatorship and this is sort of a, I think, you know, there are Egyptians who are obviously very upset about what's going on in Gaza, but the government, you know, it's not like the government is allowing a lot of protests, except in this one sort of case.

I think yesterday was Friday, obviously, that's a day when people are in the mosque and there are sermons and often there are protests. I mean, from the American national security perspective, Victor, I mean, I think U.S. embassies and consulates, which the State Department have sort of put on a higher alert.

You know or you know we -- if this could go on for many months, the pictures that we've seen coming out of Gaza can continue to spread online suffering that we've seen, you know, so that's, I think this poses problem potentially for American diplomatic installations. And I think we'll get; I think these protests are just the beginning to be honest.

BLACKWELL: The beginning, pull that thread, what, what does this begin?

BERGEN: Well, let's take at face value that the Israelis are going to invade. I talked to multiple experts on urban warfare. Actually, I'll give you a very good analog, Victor. So, Mosul, which was effectively the headquarters of ISIS in Iraq, it's the second biggest city in Iraq, two million people, so about the same size as Gaza.

ISIS had a lot of time to prepare itself and dig in, very similarly to Hamas. It took nine months for the Iraqi army, with the support of American special operations forces, with the support of American air power, to extricate and basically destroy what remained of ISIS in Mosul. The situations are not exactly the same, but I think there are a lot of parallels.

And that gives you an idea of how long these operations can take. And the Israelis face multiple issues hostages, human shields, civilians, tunnels, various forms of IEDs, the fact that Hamas has had years to prepare for this, booby traps -- I mean, you name it. On the other hand, the Israelis have some advantages.

But the main point here, Victor, is if you're an advanced military like the Israelis or any advanced military, fighting urban warfare a lot of your advantages are not on your side, you know think about the Americans in Fallujah in 2004. It was a very tough fight with the Marines. So, this could go on for months, and then I think the protests will, you know, will continue as this, as this, as this conflict continues.

[07:15:12]

BLACKWELL: All right, Peter Bergen, always good to have your insight. Thank you so much.

WALKER: Still ahead, the Biden administration is requesting more than $105 billion from Congress in part to provide security assistance to Israel. We're going to break down, break down what that includes.

Plus, Israel is now warning against all travel to Jordan and Egypt, and urging citizens who are there to leave immediately.

Also, here in the U.S., House Republicans in chaos. They have no clear path forward after Jim Jordan failed to get enough votes to win the House speakership on his third floor vote.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: The Biden administration is asking for more than $100 billion from Congress as a part of a foreign aid package that will provide security assistance for the war in Ukraine, and in Israel.

BLACKWELL: So, the president faces several challenges. For one, the House still does not have a speaker, so they can't vote on any aid package until one. But also, he faces a lack of support among Americans and some Republican lawmakers in continuing to provide aid for Ukraine, which he is now tied to aid for Israel. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us now from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He's got some work to do. Priscilla?

[07:20:28]

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He does and it's the reason that he delivered a primetime address this week to make that direct appeal to Americans and build up support for these two ongoing conflicts, making the point that supporting them and providing aid to them is also a bid to support democracy.

Now, the White House believes that there is enough bipartisan support in Congress for this package but it does fail, it does face an uphill battle. So, again this is a $105 billion package to break it down in the numbers at $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and about $9 billion for humanitarian aid. It also includes funds for border security as well as the Indo-Pacific region.

So, a big ask here going to Congress, which as you mentioned, the House does not have a speaker. And that makes all of this all the more difficult and complicated. In fact, just this week, House Republicans are again scrambling after Republican Jim Jordan is no longer running for speaker. And so, all of these factors are what the White House is monitoring.

And in a statement yesterday, the White House called what's playing out on Capitol Hill "chaotic infighting." Now, over the course of all of this, the president is keeping in close touch with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two spoke again just yesterday on a phone call where they talked about continuing support, as well as trying to get more of those hostages held by Hamas released.

But there is no doubt here, Amara and Victor, that this funding package will be a difficult one for the White House to pass with big questions remaining as to how any of this can get through when the House remains without a speaker.

BLACKWELL: Priscilla Alvarez for us there in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Thanks so much. So, Israel has now issued a travel warning for Jordan, also Egypt. Officials warned Israeli citizens to leave immediately because of the ongoing war and the increase in anti-Israel protest in the surrounding Arab countries.

WALKER: Yes, in the past week there have been several protests in Egypt and Jordan against Israel's constant missile attacks on Gaza. The announcement recommended that Israelis avoid visiting all Middle Eastern or Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

These are images from Cairo. There are thousands of protesters there in the streets as protests were sanctioned in Egypt. CNN's Nada Bashir joining us now from Amman, Jordan. What is it seen there and tell us more about the tensions and the anger that seems to be escalating?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, Amara, Victor, there is certainly a lot of anger on the popular front being directed towards the Israeli government, the IDF over the continued aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip, of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

When you speak to people on the ground here in Amman, when you speak to people across the Middle East, there is a real sense of outrage over what is happening not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank. And of course, I cannot overstate the significance and prevalence of the Palestinian cause amongst many in the Middle East, particularly the Arab nations.

This is a cause that is deeply personal to so many and as you mentioned there we have seen protests cropping up across the Middle East and even further afield these protests have been taking place from the outset of this war but we are seeing them getting bigger, getting stronger and that is certainly what we've been seeing here in Amman, Jordan. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (voice-over): In downtown Amman, worshippers gather for Friday prayers. But it's not just the call to prayer that has drawn these crowds today, but a call to action and solidarity with the Palestinian people. This protest is a pledge, they chant, that the people of Jordan will not leave Gaza alone. Thousands of men, women and children, entire families draped in the traditional Palestinian scarf, a symbol for many of Palestinian resistance.

Well, you can hear how loud the crowds are here. For yet another day in Amman, thousands of people have taken to the streets protesting against Israel's continued aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We are doing this for our families who are dying in Gaza because we are unable to do anything. So, the least we can do is stand here in solidarity with them, to support them so that they know that we are with them with our hearts and everything.

[07:25:10]

BASHIR: There is palpable outrage here in Jordan over Israel's ongoing bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, and deep-seated anger directed towards both Israel and Israel's Western allies. Many here even calling on the Jordanian government to close down the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Amman.

For days now, protests have taken place not only across Jordan, but also across the wider region. In Cairo, where the state has long clamped down on mass demonstrations, hundreds gathered in Tahrir Square. Hours earlier, at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was forced to cut his visit short after protests erupted there.

Gaza has faced relentless Israeli airstrikes for almost two weeks now. And protests across the Arab world and the wider region are at a boiling point. Iraq, Tunisia, Yemen and Turkey and even further afield. And with Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, this protest movement is only growing stronger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR (on camera): And look, as you can imagine, we are seeing these protests sort of reaching a boiling point across the Middle East, and that is putting pressure, of course, on Arab leaders, Middle Eastern leaders, to be vocal on this. And they have been vocal from the outset of this war.

We've heard condemnation from the Jordanian King, King Abdullah, who is today in Cairo at the Cairo Peace Summit, where Abdel Fattah el- Sisi, the Egyptian President, will also be present. The focus there on ensuring that this conflict does not spill over into the wider region.

The focus, of course, also on trying to bring about some end to the Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip and the crippling humanitarian situation there. But, of course, as you can imagine, this condemnation is only getting louder and louder as we continue to see the civilian death toll inside Gaza rising as we continue to see these horrifying images of civilian areas inside the Gaza Strip which is under a blockade continuously being shared online on TV and as you have heard from our other colleagues on the ground.

We are hearing outrage and condemnation of Western media as well of the coverage of this conflict. So, this is very much a tense moment across the region and we are anticipating that we will continue to see these protesters taken to the streets.

WALKER: Nada Bashir, thank you. And of course, there are so many people impacted by the war. For more on how you can help, go to CNN.com/impact or text "Relief" to 70-70-70.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, House Republicans are again scrambling with no clear path to elect a new speaker after Jim Jordan failed for a third time to win the speakership and then lost in the conference vote. What's next?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:32:10]

BLACKWELL: And so, we got a new number. This is from the IDF, which says now that 210 people are being held hostage in Gaza. But the IDF says they're seeing some progress after an American woman and her daughter were released by Hamas.

WALKER: Another positive sign, if you will, the first humanitarian aid cargo went through the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza earlier this morning. The trucks were carrying food, water and medical supplies.

The World Health Organization says this is a good start, but they need a lot, lot more. A convoy from the United Nations is expected to cross Monday, and we will have more updates on the humanitarian aid, trying to get into Gaza just ahead.

BLACKWELL: Well back home, the House is still paralyzed with no Speaker. Congressman Jim Jordan is out of the race for the gavel. House Republicans will hold a candidate forum on Monday.

WALKER: GOP lawmakers are getting restless. CNN's Manu Raju heard their frustration, and he got a shortlist of who may get those coveted 217 votes to win.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor and Amara. A chaotic week and a paralyzed House. And many, many angry House Republicans in the aftermath of what has been just an absolute brutal battle within the House GOP, about how to move forward in the aftermath of Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House, then-Speaker of the House, who was pushed out of the speakership in historic and unprecedented fashion.

Now, nearly three weeks ago. And as a result, no Speaker, means nothing can happen in the House. No legislation, can't move on aid to Israel, can't move on aid to Ukraine. Can't figure out ways to avoid a mid-November government shutdown, all because they must elect a Speaker in order to allow the legislative process to move forward.

But, as Jim Jordan witnessed, he doesn't have the votes to become Speaker of the House. That's what happened on Friday. That's what he on the third ballot suffered the 25 Republicans voting against him on the floor, coming after he lost 22 on the second ballot and 20 on the first ballot.

And behind closed doors, he went and asked his conference whether or not they would support him staying in the speakership. A majority of them said no. As a result, he bowed out. And now, Republicans are back to square one, as many are furious at the eight Republicans, who initially pushed out Kevin McCarthy, voted with Democrats to oust him from the speakership.

And also, others furious at the members who are aligned with McCarthy and align with the more establishment members who essentially ousted ended Jim Jordan's bid for the speakership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): America's got real problems, and this is a time where we need people are interested in problem solving, not self- aggrandizement. It is time for big boys and big girls to stop with the nonsense and get back to work for the United States.

[07:35:03]

REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): I think it was a mistake for Republican conference to just walk away from arguably the most popular Republican in the Republican Party. So, we shouldn't have done that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, this has created a total free-for-all to be Speaker of the House. Several candidates have put their names in the ring, the list is continuing to grow almost by the hour, it seems. They have until Sunday at noon Eastern, to actually declare that they're going to run for Speaker of the House.

We'll see how many ultimately are going to run for the position. Already number them has said that they would run including Tom Emmer, the House Republican whip who is backed by Kevin McCarthy.

Also, Congressman Byron Donalds is one of them. Mike Johnson of being another one. There are several other Republicans that are saying that they will run. They will go behind closed doors on Monday evening, they will make their case to their members.

Then, they will go and have a secret ballot House GOP election to nominate their candidate for Speaker. That only requires a majority of the House Republican conference a majority of the 222 members of the House GOP.

Now, that doesn't mean that that person will get elected to be Speaker of the House, because in order to be elected Speaker, you need 217 votes of the full House. So, when Democrats voted for Hakeem Jeffries, that means a person can only lose four Republican votes on the floor -- on the House floor. And as Jim Jordan witnessed, that was not possible for him.

And Steve Scalise, who was nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy, the first Republican nominee to replace Kevin McCarthy. He didn't even go forward on the floor, because he was losing the support of a couple of dozen Republicans.

So, can one of these candidates get a 217 votes? That remains an open question, as Republicans will still remain badly divided, trying to figure out the way forward. So, can someone actually get them to the position where they can start to pick up the pieces? Or will we endured more days of chaos, and it paralyzed House GOP?

That remains a question that, at the moment, there is no clear answer to. Victor and Amara?

BLACKWELL: All right. Manu, thank you so much.

And Trump's ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. The former president has now been fined $5,000 by the judge for violating a gag order not to talk about any members of the court staff.

The judge also warned Trump twice. He could even face imprisonment if he does not comply. CNN's Kara Scannell has more.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The judge fined Donald Trump $5,000 and issued a stern warning that the former president could face harsher penalties or jail time if he violates the judge's gag order again in the future.

Judge Arthur Engoron in writing, make no mistake, future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of Court, and possibly, imprisoning him.

The judge said he was giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, when his attorney said that the failure to delete the post involving the judge's clerk on the campaign web site was inadvertent.

But the judge noted that Trump has received ample warnings and that he is "way beyond" the warning stage.

Trump attorney, Christopher Kise, told the judge the campaign web site automatically captures Truth Social posts, and it was inadvertently not deleted. He said it was on a back page and got lost in the campaign machinery.

Now, Kise apologized on behalf of Trump, and told the judge there was no intention to evade or circumvent or ignore the order. He said in the past 17 days, the post was viewed by 3,701 individuals out of the roughly 114 million visits to the web site.

The civil fraud trial enters its fourth week on Monday. Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen is expected to testify as soon as Tuesday afternoon. Victor, Amara?

WALKER: All right. Kara Scannell, thank you.

Still ahead, the Israel-Hamas war is raising concerns about free speech on college campuses as well as security. We'll discuss with an expert next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:16]

WALKER: The fighting in Israel and Gaza has raised concerns about free speech on college campuses and the rise of anti-Semitism.

At Columbia University in New York, both sides held competing protests. They actually had to close the campus on Thursday for security reasons. Pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups faced each other with signs and chants.

There were also protests this week at Harvard University, after a group of student organizations issued a statement, declaring Israel was entirely responsible for the conflict.

The backlash was swift with many donors, threatening to pull their financial support from the university. Joining me now to discuss this is Alex Morey, the director of Campus Rights Advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

Alex, good morning. I mean, this is a tinderbox. And we -- and we've been seeing student groups and universities making their stance. No, not all, some. I mean, of course, there's been backlash.

What should universities be doing? Should they be taking a public stance on polarizing global events like this one?

ALEX MOREY, DIRECTOR, CAMPUS RIGHTS ADVOCACY, FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION: No, they shouldn't. Not if they want to create an ideal campus climate for free expression. So, something we've seen for years, especially after 2020 and all the social volatility going on then, is that free speech has been such a difficult issue on college campuses. And one of the things universities are doing instead of --

WALKER: Oh, Bummer (ph), looks like we lost Alex Morey there. We're going to have to leave it there. Sorry guys. That's live T.V. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Still ahead, the breaking -- heartbreaking impact that the Israel-Hamas war is having on children, and how they are suffering?

[07:45:04]

That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WALKER: Oh, the magic of T.V. Alex Morey is back with us. So, we were just talking about universities, which are typically a place you know, where people come for fierce debate and to discuss, you know, even diverse opinions and polarizing issues.

But when it comes to this war in Israel, you're saying the best thing is for universities to not take a public stance, continue with your thoughts.

MOREY: Yes. And I mean, that's going to be difficult, given what's been happening in the last few years where universities have been coming out, you know, a lot like corporations weighing in on everything from the war in Ukraine to Supreme Court decisions, to presidential elections.

So, it's going to represent something of a change, but we think it's really important for the climate for debate and heterodox opinions on college campuses, which is, you know, what should be happening.

[07:50:07]

For universities to say, we are host to these debates, rather than participating in them themselves.

Instead, they should be focusing their energies, their resources, and focusing on their incredibly unique mission to teach students the skills to engage in these incredibly difficult debates now, so they have those skills when they go out into the real world and are called upon to, you know, help solve some of these incredible crises that are happening in our world right now.

WALKER: Right. But when it comes to this particular debate, there are also security issues that surround it. Right? So, it must be tough for universities to allow people to come to have these conversations. Yet, as we have seen, even before the Hamas attacks on October 7th, anti- Semitism has been on the rise in this country. And after the attacks, we also saw attacks on the Muslim communities.

So, what kind of role can the universities play in this moment when it comes to safety and protection?

MOREY: Well, setting the table for students to understand that they are going to hear diverse opinions on campus, sometimes even opinions that are incredibly offensive to them, or maybe even hateful, and helping students understand that, you know, words are not violence, instead, they can be an opportunity to avoid violence.

While also, as universities, making sure that students are safe from things like true threats or other, you know, violent things on campus that might stop free expression from happening. Speaker shutdowns, things like that. People ripping down posters.

Universities can take a strong stand against those things. Those are actionable misconduct under many existing university policies. So, there is no need to censor students or faculty. Instead, they can just point to those other misconduct policies and make sure students can stay safe.

WALKER: All right. Alex Morey, thanks for making two appearances here on CNN THIS MORNING. Thanks.

BLACKWELL: So, now, as this war against Hamas enters its third week, it seems that children often suffer the most. The stories are heartbreaking, but they are important to tell.

So. first, let me warn you that some of the videos, some of the images in this story are graphic. You may find them disturbing, but again, it's important that you see them.

Here is CNN, Jomana Karadsheh.

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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Why? Why have you gone my son, he wails. He wanted to be a pilot. You're only sleeping, he says, kissing his boy's lifeless body.

Every day of this war has brought pain, pain no parent wants to ever live through.

Every 15 minutes in Gaza, a child is killed, aid groups say. More than 1,500 children killed so far in a war that's only just beginning. A war they didn't choose. One for which they are paying the heaviest price.

Those who live haunted by what they've survived. The lucky ones still have parents to hold their hands. 10-year-old Abdulrahman (ph) still doesn't know the strike that left him injured took away his mom, dad, and three sisters. His aunt, the only one left to try and comfort him. He wakes up, he cries, they give him painkillers, and he goes back to sleep, she says.

I'm worried about him, the shock when he wakes up and finds out that his mother and father are gone, his aunt says. He is the youngest, he was so attached to his parents. He used to play football with his dad. He would go with him everywhere.

Families here say they all heeded the Israeli military's warning and moved south, thinking it would be safe. But it wasn't.

Malek (ph) is injured in the hips and legs. She lost her mother and siblings in an air strike.

A girl in the third grade, what did she do? Her aunt asks. Did she shoot Israelis? She didn't. We're peaceful people in our home, she says. We didn't launch any rockets or shoot. We didn't do anything.

9-year-old Mahmoud (ph) was out playing when his family home was hit. He is in hospital with head and leg injuries.

We were playing in the garden and suddenly a missile landed on us, he says. Trees fell on me. My mother, my father, my brother, and grandfather are injured. My uncle brought me unconscious to the hospital.

Most of the injured in Gaza, doctors say, are children and women. With no power, no water and medical supplies running out. The health care they need is on the verge of collapse.

Around half of Gaza's population are children. Most have only ever known life under a blockade and war. Now in this kill box, no place safe from Israel's relentless bombardment.

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Desperate for any promise of safety, many have flooded at Shifa hospital grounds. The constant buzz of military drones overhead has become part of existence in Gaza.

Some find a little escape from this living nightmare no child should ever endure. Though Jane (ph) and Julia (ph) say their neighborhood was flattened by airstrikes.

We've been living in so much fear, panic and anxiety, she says. Whenever I hear airstrikes, I don't know what to do. I hug my mom.

7-year-old Julia (ph), says she holds her mom to and hides. They are now living under the stairs.

I get upset when I see injured here in the hospital, Julia says. When I grow up, I want to become a doctor so I can treat them so they can get better.

It's a war on Hamas, they say, but it is the youngest who bear the brunt. Ensnared in violence they can't control, trapped in this race against death.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

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