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Israeli Tanks, Troops Line Gaza Border for Possible Incursion; Egypt's Red Crescent: 17 Aid Trucks Ready to Cross into Gaza; Israel Calls for Voluntary Evacuations Near Lebanese Border; U.S. Says It Will Boost Defense Posture in Middle East; House Republicans Scramble to Elect a New Speaker; House Remains Paralyzed with Speakership Battle; CNN Goes Inside The Most Fired-Upon City In Israel; Detroit Synagogue Leader Found Stabbed To Death; Medic Rushed Toward Danger When Hamas Attacked Kibbutz; Bringing The Classroom To Migrants Far From Home; Israeli-Americans Fund Aid Efforts As War Rages. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired October 22, 2023 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:39]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, October 22nd. I'm Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Thank you for joining us.

We begin with the expected Israeli ground offensive into Gaza. On Saturday, the Israeli military said it would increase airstrikes on Hamas targets ahead of any ground incursion. Thousands of Israeli troops and hundreds of armored vehicles are at the Gaza border ready to strike Hamas. Israel Defense Forces dropped flyers into northern Gaza warning civilians to once again evacuate to the south or they might be considered a partner for the terrorist organization.

WALKER: As fighting increases at Israel's northern border with Lebanon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. military is taking steps to increase its readiness in the region, including deploying additional missile defense systems to the Middle East and placing American troops on stand-by to deploy at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Red Crescent says 17 aid trucks carrying food and medicine are standing ready to enter Gaza through the Rafah Border Crossing but did not provide further details on when those trucks might enter. Aid workers inside Gaza are calling for more aid to be allowed through, saying the 20 trucks that crossed through Rafah on Saturday are just not enough.

CNN's Scott McLean is joining us now from London. Good morning, Scott. We are hearing that there are more aid trucks ready to cross into Gaza at the Rafah Border Crossing. What more do you know?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This might, Amara, be a very small shred of good news in a part of the world that frankly has not had very much lately. So, we have been told by the Egyptian Red Crescent that there are 17 trucks at the border who have been told to get ready to actually cross it. They are carrying food and aid supplies. There is no indication that they are actually carrying fuel.

And as you said, the Palestinians have said that even the 20 trucks which were able to get inside of Gaza yesterday through the Rafah Border Crossing in Egypt, that is just a tiny fraction of what the Palestinians need. They say that there are some 500 trucks that normally cross into Gaza every single day because we are talking about supplying the essentials for more than 200 people who actually live there.

The other difficulty is that the U.N. says that some 60 percent of the health care facilities inside of Gaza have closed down either because of damage from bombing nearby or because they simply do not have enough fuel. And there was no indication yesterday that any of those 20 trucks were carrying fuel.

We know that many of them were carrying medical supplies, which is desperately needed, food and water. But again, fuel. So, whatever the hospitals have right now in terms of fuel for their generators and some aid groups like Doctors Without Borders say that the supplies are running very low. But whatever they have right now, all indications are that's all they are going to get at least for the time being.

BLACKWELL: Scott, tell us about these flyers that the IDF dropped into Gaza.

MCLEAN: Yes, so this is something that we have seen over the last couple of weeks, leaflets being dropped in northern part of Gaza. There were leaflets dropped on Thursday telling people to go south of this sort of arbitrary line that they have drawn at the Wadi Gaza. So, about one-third almost one half of Gaza where a good chunk of the population lives is being told to move south.

In this case, on Saturday these leaflets -- the wording on them was a little bit different. And I will read it to you verbatim. It says, urgent warning to the residents of Gaza Strip. Your presence in north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Everyone who chose not to evacuate from the north of the strip to south of Wadi Gaza might be considered as a partner for the terrorist organization.

That language, obviously, is concerning. The IDF was asked about this by CNN. It confirmed that it did in fact dropped those leaflets but sort of walked back the wording on it saying that there was no intention to consider those who have not evacuated from the affected area of fighting as a member of the terrorist group. Again, going on to stress that it does not intentionally target civilians.

It also said that the translation that it says is circulating online was imprecise, though didn't clarify what precisely that was. The translation that I just read you by way that is CNN's translation of this. And of course, you also have to consider that this line that Israel has drawn telling people to evacuate south of it, that doesn't mean that there are no airstrikes happening there. [06:05:06]

In fact, there are many of them. Some near the Rafah Border Crossing, in fact, and a lot in the Deir al-Balah City which is in the central part of Gaza where we are seeing some really disturbing images of hospital morgues being filled up already, and some five strikes just this morning or overnight and this morning being quite close to that hospital as well.

And in the northern part of Gaza, Victor and Amara, we also know that at least one -- at least one hospital but likely more, there are people sheltering in those places, people who for whatever reason have declined to go further south because they figure that hospitals are still their safest bet of places that won't be targeted by Israel.

WALKER: And, Scott, we're also getting new information and details about the Al-Ahli hospital bombing in Gaza City. What are we learning about the cause of that explosion?

MCLEAN: Yes. So, this was an analysis done by a team here at CNN who looked at dozens of videos from social media, live footage that was broadcast on other outlets, and also shot by our own team or our own photographer on the ground in the aftermath, and also spoke to weapons and explosives experts to try to decipher what may have happened. And the conclusion that they have drawn, though not a conclusive one, is that the most likely scenario is that this was a rocket that originated from Gaza that broke up in midair and then the rest of it fell on that hospital complex site and then exploded.

And they based this on a number of things. But one of the key pieces of evidence is actually live footage that was broadcast on Al Jazeera Arabic at around the time where you see this flash in the sky and then you see another flash on the ground presumably the hospital site. And then also they looked at the size of the crater based on the pictures that we have. And experts say that, look, the size of the crater is far too small to be from a bomb that would have been dropped from an aircraft.

But again, they stress that this is not conclusive. Obviously, the U.S. has drawn the same conclusion. No one can be sure without getting on the site and examining shrapnel that may have been found.

It's also important to point out that, look, many in the Muslim world have already drawn their own conclusions. I think the Jordanian foreign minister, perhaps summarized it best last week when he said, look, good luck finding anyone in the Middle East who is going to believe that Israel didn't do this. Even if they actually didn't do it, because Israel, he says, has been known to change their story in the past. He points to the example of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian American journalist who was killed in the West Bank where Israel initially denied it had anything to do with it and then the truth came out later that, in fact, it had. Victor, Amara.

WALKER: All right. Scott McLean, thank you very much. The IDF says it is preparing for -- quote -- "the next stages of the war," including the expected ground offensive. BLACKWELL; CNN's Brian Todd looks at the challenges of a likely Israeli ground incursion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meeting with soldiers in recent days, Israel's defense minister said -- quote -- "Gaza will never return to what it was." An ominous signal of what's to come when Israel launches its expected ground invasion of Gaza.

MAJOR JOHN SPENCER (RET.), AUTHOR, "UNDERSTANDING URBAN WARFARE": One of the biggest forces in the world who is prepared for entering a contested environment like this is the IDF. But of course, there is no bloodless war. They'll take a lot of casualties, and I think they know that.

TODD (voice-over): With more than 300,000 soldiers and reservists getting ready for combat, military analysts expect the Israelis to launch the invasion on multiple fronts.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), FORMER AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: This is Gaza City. And what we can expect is for the Israeli forces to most likely go in this way and this way. Probably, the preponderance of force will be in this direction into Gaza City.

TODD (voice-over): Inside Gaza, experts say, this will be urban combat, possibly even tougher than what was seen in this footage from Israel's 2014 invasion of Gaza, block to block, building to building, and vicious. The Israelis facing an enemy that knows every corner.

SPENCER: Many challenges that the defenders had time to prepare. And that no matter what, you have to move forward and basically wait until a defender shoots you.

LEIGHTON: Look how narrow this alleyway is. Look how this soldier has to point up to see if there are any fighters above him in these areas. This is a perfect place for these fighters to be situated for them to rain down fire.

TODD (voice-over): Often caught in the crossfire, Palestinian civilians. Experts say Hamas does not shy away from using civilians as human shields in a combat environment.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Hamas wanted all those people to stay. It has blown up, put in barricades, it has destroyed transit areas and other things in an effort to fix them in place.

[06:10:01]

TODD (voice-over): To ambush the Israelis, analysts say Hamas will use sophisticated IEDs, snipers hidden on upper floors of buildings.

Another Hamas asset the Israelis will have to navigate, hundreds of miles of tunnels, known as the Gaza Metro.

HAREL CHOREV, TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY: With the command and control and communication rooms and supply rooms, and it appears, for launching rockets.

TODD (voice-over): And there's the added complication of the hostages Hamas is holding. While two hostages have just been released, there are likely up to 200 more still inside Gaza. Many of whom, analysts say, could be held in the tunnels.

(on camera): Does that mean that they will go into the tunnels, the Israelis, to try to get them? Or is it just too dangerous?

LEIGHTON: It's very dangerous. But in certain circumstances, the Israelis will probably feel the need to go into these tunnels.

TODD: And the dangers don't end even in the areas the Israelis will have secured. Former CIA Director David Petraeus told CNN that in the areas they capture the Israelis will then have to conduct counter- insurgency operations, because Hamas and its allies will try to come back.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: With us now, former State Department Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller. Aaron, good to see you. I want to start with some questions and the concerns, of course, of expansion of this war.

Israel is now expanding evacuation orders near the Lebanese border. They say that Hezbollah has hit several Israeli targets, killing civilians and soldiers. "New York Times" reports that the Biden administration is urging Israel not to launch a large-scale attack against Hezbollah. Do you think that lasts, that restraint?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I mean, you know, it really depends, I think, with an Israel and Hezbollah calculations. Hezbollah, I think, is going to feel increasing pressure to involve itself from this if in fact the Israelis move into Gaza with an intent to destroy Hamas. They can't let the axis resistance only be comprised of Shia members, Iran and Hezbollah. They really do need that Sunni component.

So, Hamas is important to them. At the same time, you know, I think Hezbollah understands that if they get involved in a major conflict with Israel, which could involve the United States, we have almost 200 aircraft on those carrier strike groups in eastern med, are likely to suffer a significant defeat and loss of much of their high-trajectory arsenal. So right now, I think they are weighing the benefits versus the costs.

Miscalculation, Victor, though is clearly a possibility. In '06, two Israelis were kidnapped by Hezbollah fighters and it ended up in a 34- day war, which shot down the northern half of the Middle East most preeminent military power, the state of Israel. So, a lot riding on that calculation up north.

BLACKWELL: Let's go to Cairo and the president, President El-Sisi's Summit for Peace ended without any joint statement. I don't know how high the expectations were going into this, but coming out of it, what was accomplished? What did we learn?

MILLER: You know, I think it reveals the bind that the Arab states are in. Certainly, the ones who have full treaty of peace with Israel and even the Abraham Accord agreements. Because the more civilian casualties there are, the more Hamas propaganda infiltrates throughout the region, the greater pressure on these regimes by their respected publics.

I am not sure without Israel there and, obviously, Hamas is not going to be able to be present, but those are the two main players in this drama right now. The U.S., obviously, sent a relatively -- I think it sent a charge to the conference. And it's -- in many respects an embarrassment to Washington because right now we're caught between the Arab states pushing for major humanitarian relief and a ceasefire with the U.S. clearly wanting to facilitate humanitarian relief, but also determined to support the Israelis.

So, low expectations. And I think the summit produced exactly what I thought it would produce, which isn't much meaningful contribution to fixing this problem.

BLACKWELL: You wrote something on social media. I'd like you to expound. You say that the U.S. is increasingly alone in a pro-Israel corner. Now, the administration has committed to staying in Israel's corner. But what do you mean by this increasingly alone -- and are there implications for the U.S. of being in that corner as you say alone?

MILLER: You know, if you look at the president's trip, which was designed to expand American engagement, not just with the Israelis but an Amman summit in which the president was going to sit down with President Sisi of Egypt, king of Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian authority, that strike on the hospital which now appears to be a consequence of the Palestinian Islamic jihad missile ended up putting severe pressure on the Arab states and the Palestinians and they cancel.

[06:15:19]

And increasingly, I think, through no fault of the Biden administration in my judgment, the administration is perceived to be fundamentally in support of Israel with waning influence among key Arab states, with one exception, and that is Qatar, who seems to be playing a pretty important role in trying to negotiate either unilateral releases or some sort of negotiated settlement in order to free more hostages.

BLACKWELL: On the question of negotiation, I introduced you as the former State Department Middle East negotiator. Do you think that Israel is in a negotiating mood at all?

I mean, Netanyahu in 2011, as I've cited several times, did negotiate for the freeing of an Israeli soldier. It took 1,100 Palestinian prisoners to get him back. But after two Americans were freed, is there any likelihood that Netanyahu will want to do that to get the Israelis free? MILLER: I have to say that I think there is a lot more in train that we are not seeing in the hostage negotiation which involves Israeli requirements trying to balance off against Hamas' cruel manipulation of the hostages. With American pressure, I think, to give these negotiations with the Qataris and Hamas more time and space to succeed.

I think one of the reasons that you have not seen a ground campaign yet other than the fact that I think the Israeli politicians in the IDF are divided over the scope and capacity of the IDF to achieve its goals, is this notion of creating some more space to determine whether or not there can be more hostages released. I can't find any other explanation, frankly.

This is day 16 of the war. The Israelis have 360,000 reservists mobilized, and they are under increasing pressure from their public to try to address the savagery and brutality of what occurred in that 24- hour period after October 7. So, I think, yes. I think the hostage issue is very much in play and I think it's affecting Israeli calculations.

BLACKWELL: Aaron David Miller, good to have you. Thank you.

WALKER: Coming up, more Republicans are entering the fight to be the next speaker of the House. The deadline they face is today. More on the impasse coming up.

Plus, the leader of a synagogue in Detroit was found stabbed to death outside her home. What police are saying and not saying about her death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:05]

WALKER: Today, members of Congress have until noon to officially declare their candidacy for the speakership. The House Republicans then expected to hold a forum for the contenders tomorrow. And in a dear colleague letter, Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson said he initially stayed out of the speakership race, but now he is stepping forward.

In addition to Johnson, here is a look at the other candidates vying to become the next House speaker. Representative Kevin Hern, Representative Austin Scott, Representative Jack Bergman and Representative Tom Emmer and Byron Donalds.

Joining me now is Mychael Schnell, a congressional reporter for "The Hill." Hello, Mychael. Good to see you. So, this long list, this growing list, I guess, who at this point seems to be the frontrunner?

MYCHAEL SCHNELL, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Yes, Amara, look, the key question these days is who isn't running for speaker rather than who is? Because as you mentioned, that field is just growing and growing by the day. Right now, it appears that Tom Emmer is going to emerge as the frontrunner. He is currently the majority whip. He previously served -- he served in leadership for a few years now. He's going to be the highest-ranking Republican to be vying for this seat now. And he would essentially be third in line. After McCarthy came Scalise and then after Scalise the highest Republican in the conference is Tom Emmer.

He also received a very large boost last week winning the endorsement from former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. So, a really significant boost there. But we will have to see if he is able to, you know, get enough support from all different corners of the conference.

As you mention, there are a number of other individuals running. Kevin Hern, Mike Johnson, Byron Donalds, just among the few of them. But the general consensus and assumption is that Tom Emmer is going to surge at the front of this race as the frontrunner again just because he is the highest-ranking member currently running.

WALKER: You know, I do want to play some sound of some of the 2024 presidential candidates, the Republican candidates criticizing the dysfunction that is happening in the House while they were on a campaign trail. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We should be embarrassed as a party, quite frankly, about what's going on in the House of Representatives. I mean, these guys and women look like a group of 11th graders trying to pick the junior class president rather than the speaker of the House.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Even if they get a speaker, I just think that they are too divided to probably deliver significant results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: I mean, the House is too divided to get any work done, even with a speaker, right? So, electing a speaker is half the battle. And once they do, hopefully, get a speaker, hopefully, soon, the most difficult part seems to be getting to the -- passing a spending bill and, of course, dealing with the request from the Biden administration, funding the wars in Ukraine and Israel.

SCHNELL: Yes, look, these dynamics are nothing new, right? If we look back to January, it was a small contingent of conservative Republicans who held up then former -- you know, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid for the gavel, again, that was because the slim majority that House Republicans have in the conference, in the chamber.

[06:25:12]

And then once McCarthy was able to clinch the gavel, we saw a number of these Republican versus Republican clashes within the conference, again, because of that really slim majority. It took Republicans a lot of time and effort to pass key bills, you know, whether that be the NDAA or that be other spending bills, you know, single subject appropriations bills. And then, of course, we saw that clash over a Republican crafted continuing resolution.

So, yes, even though -- even if Republicans are able to eventually coalesce around a speaker, and I will note there are a number of lawmakers who are publicly wondering if even anybody can get the subsequent votes needed on the House floor to clench the gavel, whoever that next speaker is is likely going to have a lot of problems that we saw Kevin McCarthy trudge through when it comes to having to pass legislation because, again, that very slim majority.

And you bring up two of them. A, government funding is, you know, creeping up that deadline. November 17th is inching closer and closer. That is going to be a heavy lift for the House, specifically the Republican conference.

And then you mentioned President Biden has unveiled a supplemental request for Israel, Ukraine, the border, and so on. That also is going to be something that Republicans and the House in general is going to have to work towards once a speaker is elected.

WALKER: All right. It seems like there is a lot of work ahead. We will see if there is some kind of consensus on a potential speaker. Mychael Schnell, great to see you. Thank you.

And make sure to watch "STATE OF THE UNION" later today. Republican Congressman Mike Turner sits down with our Jake Tapper to discuss his bid for House speaker. That's at 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, Detroit police say a trail of blood led them to the home of a synagogue leader who was found stabbed to death. What officials are saying about this case.

[06:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: It's been more than two weeks since the war between Hamas and Israel began. And right now, the most fired-upon city in Israel is in chaos. Hamas has fired more than 1000 rockets into Ashkelon. CNN's Jeremy Diamond shows us how people there are dealing with this constant danger.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go inside. Go inside. Go inside.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): This is life in Ashkelon, the most fired-upon city in Israel since Hamas launched its first rockets 12 days ago. Here fear still grips some. Others carry on, ignoring the sirens' whales.

SHLOMO COHEN, RESIDENT, ASHKELON (through translator): When we are outside, we are very careful. When we are inside, God is protecting us. Every missile has an address. You don't need to be afraid. DIAMOND (voiceover): In a city where 90 percent of businesses have

closed, this supermarket is a lifeline.

DIAMOND: There's a lot of businesses that are closed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're closed.

DIAMOND: But the supermarket --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The supermarket is working because people have to eat. They have to drink.

DIAMOND: So, you come like, once a week or?

ETL GLIBOA, RESIDENT, ASHKELON: Once a week? Enough. We are afraid. They send no rockets. I was lying on the -- on the road and to put my hands on my --

DIAMOND: Head.

GLIBOA: -- head.

DIAMOND (voiceover): Getting to a bomb shelter is an option for everyone here, prompting the city to help evacuate thousands.

HEZI HALEVI, CEO, ASHKELON: We still have around 35,000 people that actually live without shelters. So, each and every rocket, it means a direct risk for them. So, we are trying to find solutions for them.

DIAMOND (voiceover): More than 1,200 rockets have targeted Ashkelon. And while most are intercepted by the Iron Dome, about 200 have made direct hits, displacing families from their homes, causing casualties and shuttering businesses like this bakery.

DOR MACHLUF, BAKERY OWNER, ASHKELON (through translator): When we got here, everything was in pieces. The door was out of place. There was a smell of gunpowder. A lot of nails and shrapnel were spread out. Everything was destroyed. We are starting to put things right.

DIAMOND (voiceover): In the basement of an unassuming building, Ashkelon's CEO takes us into the city's emergency operation center where officials try and shorten response times, tracking incoming rockets headed for the city.

HALEVI: Rescue teams, police, ambulances, everything is going from here.

DIAMOND: So, before the rocket even lands, we can see where it would land.

HALEVI: Yes, we have some estimation where it's going to be land.

DIAMOND (voiceover): Until then, the first responders wait and pray.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN Ashkelon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, here's what else we are following this morning. Right now, Detroit Police are investigating the death of a synagogue leader.

WALKER: Authorities found the body of Samantha Woll at her home Saturday morning. She had been stabbed multiple times. It's still unclear what led up to her killing and authorities have not identified a suspect. The Detroit police chief is asking that everyone remained patient and not draw conclusions.

CNN's Polo Sandoval has a story.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Amara and Victor, Detroit Police are searching for a motive right now in the murder of the president of a local synagogue. The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue of Detroit confirmed the death of their board president, Samantha Woll. Investigators believe that she was stabbed to death at her home, but she was discovered Saturday morning on the sidewalk outside.

At this stage in the investigation, homicide investigators can only say that she was stabbed multiple times and insists that the motive in this killing is still unknown. They are calling on the community for any potential tips or information as they try to piece this case together. The FBI also says that they have been made aware of this murder and they stand ready to assist Detroit police as requested.

[06:35:10]

Meanwhile, though, tributes are pouring in. Many describing Woll as a kind member of the Detroit community who has been previously active in political campaigns. Michigan's own attorney general, Dana Nessel, writing on social media that Woll used her faith and also her activism to improve her community. And then there's MoReno Taylor who says that he previously worked alongside Woll on Nessel's campaign.

On Saturday, he fought back tears, as he told CNN about the friend that he lovingly called and Sam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORENO TAYLOR II, WORKED WITH SAMANTHA WOLL: I was always taught, you know, in these positions that you always look out for your teammates, you know, so -- you know, I was -- again, Sam is kind of a little sister. And I wanted to make sure that we protected one another, you know, whether we were out on doors, whether we were at events, you know, trying to watch out for crazy stuff because as we all know, last campaign cycle was extremely tense.

And so, we got to know each other very well. And it is honestly a devastating loss. You know, as someone who has sisters, this is just kind of one of those things you can never really -- you can never really prepare for.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: Another tribute from Detroit's mayor, Mike Duggan, over the weekend wrote that he recently celebrated alongside Woll the recent renovation of that synagogue that Woll helped with that project. Duggan writing that the loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community, a community that left not just with a deep sense of grief, but also lingering questions about the circumstances of this murder.

Amara, Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right, Polo, thank you for that.

Police throughout Tennessee are searching for a man who shot and wounded to police officers Saturday outside Nashville. They say the suspect is the estranged son of Nashville's police chief. Authorities say 38-year-old John Drake Jr. shot two officers during a confrontation over a stolen vehicle. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warns that he is armed and very dangerous. Drake's father says his son is a convicted felon and that they have not been part of one another's lives for a very long time.

WALKER: Maryland authorities investigating the death of a judge. They say that they have found the suspect's car in a remote area, but they're still looking for the suspect, Pedro Argote. He's accused of fatally shooting Judge Andrew Wilkinson Thursday outside his home.

Authorities believe he targeted Wilkinson because the judge ruled against him in a child custody case. Police say Argote has no prior criminal record. They consider him armed and dangerous. A $10,000 award is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

Up next, she could have stayed in a safe room when Hamas struck, but instead a 22-year-old medic gave her life to try to save her neighbors. Her story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:42:31]

BLACKWELL: Well, off top, I want to warn you that the story you're about to watch contains graphic and disturbing images. So, it was October 7th when Hamas gunmen attacked a kibbutz near Israel's border with Gaza and killed the innocent civilians who lived there.

WALKER: But not before, a 22-year-old medic left the safety of her apartment and rushed toward danger, ultimately giving her life to help others. Amit Man documented those final moments with photos and messages to her sisters. CNN's Anderson Cooper has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: When Hamas gunmen arrived at the entrance of the Be'eri Kibbutz around 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning, they waited for a car to arrive and open the gate. Then they executed the people inside. A 22-year-old medic, Amit Man, was already in the community clinic. She'd run there when rocket sirens first sounded at 6:30 a.m. She could have stayed in her apartment's safe room but wanted to help in case anyone was wounded.

For the next seven hours, Hamas gunmen roamed the grounds, burning homes, breaking into houses, hunting residents, slaughtering more than 120 men, women and children.

HAVIVA IZIKSON, SISTER OF AMIT MAN: She wrote us that there is terror in the kibbutz. They heard shooting. They heard Arab talking. They were there and she let us know that.

COOPER (voiceover): Haviva and Leor are two of Amit's sisters. They exchange messages with her on WhatsApp all during the attack.

COOPER: She says -- at 7:51, she says there are a lot of dead and injured here.

IZIKSON: Yes.

COOPER: (BLEEP) up situation. I don't have any way to help.

IZIKSON: She was so upset that she can't help them. All she ever wanted to do is to save life and help people.

COOPER (voiceover): At 9:13, Amit wrote, the shooting is just continuing. And 14 minutes later, sent them this photo, a man lies dead in the clinic hall. We blur the image of his body. The floor is smeared with blood. At 11:02, Amit messages her sister about the gunmen. They went into houses and slaughtered people. 11:27, she writes, there's no way to get out.

Her sisters wanted to see Amit and asked her for a photo. You can see blood in the hallway behind her. Minutes later, Amit wrote, where is the army? I don't understand. It's been hours.

IZIKSON: They told her it will be OK. I promise. I wrote it. I promise you. And they didn't kept my promise. I really believed she will be OK.

COOPER (voiceover): At 1:50 p.m., Amit messaged, the terrorists, they are here coming to us. They were coming inside the clinic.

[06:45:05]

IZIKSON: She had with her a nurse and the doctor. The doctor got murdered as well. And two members of the kibbutz that day came with weapons to protect the clinic. Both of them also got murdered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After the ran out of ammunition.

COOPER (voiceover): At 1:54, Amit wrote, they are here. I love you. Then minutes later, her last text, I don't think I'll get out of here. Please be strong if something happens to me.

IZIKSON: And we, as you can imagine, we go crazy. And we write Amit, please, Amit, what's going on. And she doesn't answer. Then she sends us an audio recording. You hear a lot of shooting and screaming. She sends it to us. COOPER (voiceover): This is the recording Amit sent them at 2:05 p.m.

We want to warn you, it's disturbing.

AMIT MAN, MEDIC (text): Shahar, Shahar, Shahar! Please! Please, please, please! Please let it stop! They're here.

IZIKSON: She's screaming, please make it stop. They are here. Please make it stop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's screaming, please, please, please.

IZIKSON: Please make it stop. And she's calling the name of Shahar. He's the member of the kibbutz that was murdered. Probably, she saw him dying and then she understood --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're coming for her.

IZIKSON: -- she's next -- she's next, exactly. So in a desperate move, I call her on the phone. And she answers. And she's telling me, they shot me in the legs. And she's telling me, they murdered everybody in the clinic. She's telling me, they are on me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On top of me. On top of me.

IZIKSON: On top of me. And I'm crying and I'm telling her, Amit, what do you mean? What do you mean? And she's telling me, I don't think I'm going to make it. And that's it, the call goes down. And that was the last time we heard from her.

COOPER: That was the last thing she said to you, I don't think I'm going to make it?

IZIKSON: Yes.

COOPER (voiceover): It was two days before they found out for sure Amit was dead. Her family buried her this week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least we got to say goodbye.

IZIKSON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many other families --

IZIKSON: We got to say goodbye, we got to bury her, you know. There are so many dead bodies that are missing. We tried to find comfort in that thing. And also, that she died doing what she loved the most, which is save lives.

MAN (singing): When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry.

COOPER (voiceover): The other thing I meet loved was singing. And before we left, Aviva and Leor wanted us to hear her voice, not as it was in those final awful seconds of her life, but as it was when she was at peace.

MAN (singing): And my mama swore that she would never let herself forget. And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love if it does not exist.

COOPER (voiceover): Amit Man was just 22 years old. Anderson Cooper, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[06:52:47]

WALKER: This week's CNN Hero helps children whose families are living in shelters at the U.S.-Mexican border waiting to enter the U.S. legally.

BLACKWELL: Estefania Rebellon is a native of Columbia and was a migrant child herself. When she learned that some children are out of school for weeks or months or maybe years, she decided to take to the classroom to do something about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ESTEFANIA REBELLON, CNN HERO: I just kept feeling like the weight of this crisis was on my shoulders. Schools are the way to be able to help them heal. So, I thought we're going to turn a bus into a mobile classroom. We currently have three mobile school buses and we have also opened four school locations along the border.

We partner with shelters to provide bilingual educational programs for migrant children and refugee children at the U.S.-Mexico border.

REBELLON (text): I am from Colombia.

REBELLON: And a lot of them are always very surprised that I myself was a migrant child. I always want the kids to realize that being a migrant is not something they need to be ashamed of.

REBELLON (text): Thank you for sharing. I love you very much.

REBELLON: I want our efforts to be something permanent. And that when it's all said and done, that we would be proud to look back and say that we were there when people needed us the most.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: To see more of Estefania's work and to learn about her journey, go to cnnheroes.com.

Israeli Americans are coming together to raise money and collect humanitarian aid as the violence in the Mideast rages.

WALKER: The head of -- excuse me -- one nonprofit talked to our Camila Bernal about their efforts to help.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Victor, the focus here is to raise as much money as possible to collect as many supplies as they possibly can, but also to try to help with mental health resources and try to fight misinformation. I talked to one organization, Bulletproof Israel, and this is specifically what they're trying to do.

The CEO of the organization told me, look, I felt heartbroken, sad, and in a way helpless by seeing what was going on and being here in the U.S. So, he said he essentially stopped working, did everything he could to provide these resources to the people of Israel. He told me that initially the need was for tactical gear, for things like bulletproof vests. But right now, they're very focused on medical supplies and really just the basics, anything they can.

They've been shipping things from L.A., also from Miami and from New York. And they say they will continue to do this as long as there is that need. Here is the CEO and what he told me.

[06:55:38]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, it wouldn't make sense to go back. But knowing so many people in Israel and knowing what they're going through, what my goal is, is just to do everything that I can to help them out. Everything, everything. It doesn't mean -- there's no limit to what I would do. It doesn't matter. They're there and they're fighting for us and they're trying to get my family out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And Leon told me that two members of his extended family have been kidnapped, which is also part of the reason why he's trying to do as much as possible from the U.S. Now, I also reached out to a number of organizations that are trying to help Palestinians in Gaza. And I heard back from one organization, Yalla Indivisible. And they say it is extremely difficult for them to try to get any aid to that area.

They're trying to raise as much money as possible because they know that getting supplies there is almost impossible for them, which is why they're focused on the funds but they're also focused on trying to reach out to political leaders to get them to listen to their demands.

Amara, Victor?

WALKER: Camila Bernal, thank you.

We have the latest on the war in Israel just ahead, including the IDF's warning to people in Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive.

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