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Source: American Citizen Expected To Be Among Hostages Freed Today; Day Three Of Four-Day Truce Now Underway; Israeli Official: American Citizen Expected To Be Among Hostages Released Today; Israel- Hamas War; In Tel Aviv, Thousands Come Together To Demand The Release Of Captives; Day Three Of Four-Day Ceasefire Has Begun; Interview With Project Dynamo CEO And Founder Bryan Stern; Psychological Impact Of Being Held Hostage; On Saturday, Following A Delay, 13 Israelis And 4 Thais Were Released; Today's Captive Release Set According To Israeli Government's List; Interview With Psychiatrist And Psychoanalyst And "How Can I Help?" Podcast Dr. Gail Saltz; Remembering Rosalynn Carter. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired November 26, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:52]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, November 26th. I'm Isabel Rosales in for Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Good to have you. I'm Victor Blackwell. Our colleague Kaitlan Collins is live in Tel Aviv this morning. Thank you for joining us.

We're starting this morning in Israel and Gaza where a third group of hostages is due to be freed this morning. And we're now three days into this fragile truce between Hamas and Israel. We've just learned this, from an Israeli official, that an American citizen, one American citizen, will be among those released today.

Thirteen Israelis, four Thai nationals were released yesterday, but only after an hour's long delay threatened to upend the exchange. The freed Israelis range and age from 67 all the way down to 3 years old.

ROSALES: CNN's covering the developments from all angles. We begin with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan, you have new details about who is being released today. What have you learned?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yes. We're learning that for the first time since this temporary truce between Israel and Hamas began that an American citizen is expected to be on the list of the third group of hostages that are set to be released today.

Obviously, something that comes with a lot of caveats given it hasn't happened yet. Yesterday, we saw that there were hours of delays before that second group of hostages were actually handed over by Hamas over their complaints that an enough aid was not going into Gaza and Israeli complaints that it wasn't the exact number of hostages they were believed were going to be on that list that were ultimately produced by Hamas. But what we are learning is something that the White House had been anticipating for some time. What we do know is there is at least one American on this list. We don't know how many in total could potentially be on today's list.

The White House has been anticipating that up to three Americans would fall into this category of women and children who are eligible to be in this group of 50 hostages that are set to be released as this four- day truce is going on.

And so this will obviously be welcome news for these White House officials that we are still waiting to see once this exchange actually happens and tracking to make sure that it goes forward.

Based on what we've heard so far, it does appear that they are on track to have this third set of hostages exchanged from Hamas today released, of course, here to Israel and that in exchange for those Palestinian prisoners who are also set to be released after the hostages have been turned over by Hamas. We are obviously still waiting to watch all of this very closely.

I want to bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann. Because obviously, Oren, yesterday, we saw -- I mean hours of delays in this as it was potentially not clear that that deal was actually going to continue to go forward.

What are we expecting today now that we do know Israeli officials have this list of the third group of hostages?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was a tremendous diplomatic effort to get this process moving forward yesterday when it looked like it might be stuck. And stuck doesn't mean stuck for a day. It means the whole thing could fall apart, which means we see the truce fall apart, humanitarian aid that's so desperately needed in Gaza. And then, of course, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners that too falls apart.

But the country stepped in, the U.S. stepped in and we're able to keep this moving forward. As of right now, and that's the key caveat here. As of right now, it looks like we are on pace for hostage released later today.

But then again 24 hours ago, we thought we were on pace for hostage release as we saw it earlier yesterday. So it shows you how fragile this entire process is and how much care is going into trying to make sure it keeps moving forward because of how critical it is for all the parties involved and that's not just Israel and Hamas, that's the U.S. that's Qatar, Egypt and others as well.

COLLINS: Yes. And you were down there outside the hospital yesterday as we were waiting hours for these hostages. I mean, it happened in the middle of the night here essentially way well past midnight when these hostages were friendly brought to the hospitals.

What was it kind of like to be down there? LIEBERMANN: So there was a tremendous sense of anticipation, as I'm sure there were the other hospitals. We were specifically at the Shamir Medical Center near the city of Rishon LeTsiyon. And that's where the foreign nationals were brought in.

There were already 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino citizen there. They brought in four more last night. Hospital staff still there.

It's worth noting that they didn't know who they would get out of the group of hostages until just a couple of days ago. They only knew prepare for hostages and it was just two days ago that they found out OK, you're going to focus on the freed foreign nationals. So they had to switch their mindset essentially.

[07:05:09]

It's obviously easier for an Israeli doctor, Israeli nurses and staff to deal with Israeli patients. This required them to have the translators ready, the embassy staff, and everybody else to try to get in the mindset because you want to meet the freed hostages there on their terms, and that was part of what they set out to do. And it's the same level of professionalism with the other hospitals taking in these freed hostages.

We also have a few new videos that we've just gotten released of family reunions. So let's take a look at a couple of these. One of these is 9-year-old Emily Hand. Her birthday was in captivity, in Hamas captivity. And her father went to Times Square, put up her picture on the -- on a billboard there, trying to call out for her release. That finally happened.

And you can see the unbridled joy here in this video here, the hug there, a father who has waited so long for this very moment.

And then there was another video we just saw a short time ago. This is 9-year-old Ohad Munder. He also turned 9 years old in captivity.

The idea for at least a video of his helicopter ride out, and it gives you a window into his mindset a little bit right as he came out of captivity, and the care that went into treating him. Take a look at this here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: It's worth noting there the sort of delicate touch they try to bring into the conversations with him. There's also a Rubik's Cube right next to him. He's known to love Rubik's Cube, so they tried to make it as easy as possible and as comfortable as possible to come back. And we hope to see more of those reunions, obviously, later on this evening.

COLLINS: Well, to see, she says, have you ever been on plane before? And he says, not an army one, his first time.

LIEBERMANN: Not a military helicopter. Hopefully, no reason to be on those all that often or ever again.

COLLINS: Yes. What do we know about how this process has gone? Because you're talking about how carefully these officials have been basically preparing for -- I mean, you can only prepare so much though for an unprecedented situation like this.

But it seems like what we're learning from a lot of the hostages is that they indeed were kept underground basically this entire time. That it was kind of a shock to the system to see sunlight that they weren't fed well. A lot of them are undernourished at this point.

What else are we learning from their family members about how they have been doing?

LIEBERMANN: So it is worth noting that one of the families of the hostages said they were kept in a house, not below ground. So there seems to be a mix there. But we've reported for quite some time now that the hostages were not kept together.

So it's very possible and seems likely now that they were kept in small groups, some above ground, some below ground and split up, which made it that much harder to figure out where they were and what their condition was.

Their condition appears to be pretty good from what we're hearing from the hospitals. The biggest physical issue we're hearing is malnutrition. They didn't get a lot of food. Now, it's the mental health question, which is much more difficult.

COLLINS: Yes. A lot of trauma. Oren Liebermann, thank you for that.

We are, of course, waiting to see when this third set of hostages are set to be released. The other major part of this truce that has been struck that nearly potentially derailed it yesterday was the aid factor. There's a surge in humanitarian aid going into Gaza. Hamas, yesterday, disputing whether or not enough of that aid was going into Gaza.

They waited to release the hostages until more trucks had made it through that Rafah Crossing. Not just into Gaza, but into northern Gaza, where, of course, we've seen the worst of the destruction.

CNN's Larry Madowo is in Cairo tracking all of this. And, Larry, obviously, this was a key sticking point in the release of these hostages yesterday. So we're keeping a close eye on it today.

But we've heard from, you know, humanitarian officials that they say, you know, they delivered more aid into Gaza that they have since October 7th happened. What are we seeing as of right now?

LARRY MADOWO, CORRESPONDENT: So, Kaitlan, we've seen more trucks coming today from the Egyptian side across the Rafah Crossing into Gaza, but I need to warn here that just because they're making it across from Egypt, that's not necessarily mean they're all immediately going into Gaza because there's another checkpoint the Israelis get to verify what's going in.

And then it goes up to the Gaza side where it's unloaded and reloaded into trucks to take them across the Gaza Strip. So even though they appear to be going in at a faster clip, not the same amount is getting out of the other side of the same rate. They're not getting intercepted. It's just a slow-paced taking process until they can get to the people that need them.

On Saturday, 187 trucks made it into Gaza, carrying food, fuel, water, other medical supplies. But, crucially, 61 trucks made it into northern Gaza. And as you rightly pointed out, this almost derailed the entire deal because Hamas was dissatisfied with the amount of aid coming into northern Gaza, which has been the most devastated part of the strip.

And the U.N. has warned that there's a likelihood of diseases breaking out. There's a likelihood of dehydration there. And the U.N. is now warning that they need at least 200 trucks going in every day just to meet the needs of the people that are serving there in hospitals and food distribution centers to run water desalination plants and just the humanitarian infrastructure that is central to the operation of northern Gaza. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:10:29]

ADNAN ABU HASNA, UNRWA SPOKESPERSON (through translator): The humanitarian situation in northern Gaza is dangerous. There is no drinking water and no food. So the aid we are sending is important.

Today, we are also sending convoys towards Gaza City and northern Gaza. The humanitarian situation is dangerous in both southern and northern Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: A lot of attention will be paid to how much aid comes in here, especially after the difficulties experienced on Saturday. And Egypt, on the first day of this truce, celebrated what appeared to be a successful first day, partly because aid had come in. The largest convoys on Friday, the largest convoys on Saturday and now aid coming in to northern Gaza.

But after Hamas delayed the release of hostages wanting more aid, I think, a lot of attention will be on, can many trucks get in? Is it a faster processing? And then going to get distributed. Because we have seen people queuing up for hours trying to get fuel, trying to get cooking gas, trying to get something.

There's a scramble sometimes as the trucks make their way across this roadways into the resettlement camps, into IDP camps, just because people have had lots so much. There's 1.7 million people displaced and there's not enough aid coming in, Kaitlan. COLLINS: Yes. And to finally see what they have gone for so long without these basic supplies, clean drinking water, fuel to cook. We'll continue to check in with you, Larry Madowo, given what a sticking point this was yesterday. Larry Madowo at Cairo.

Joining me now for analysis, former state department Middle East negotiator, Aaron David Miller. And I'm so glad that you are with me today, Aaron, because obviously this is a really sensitive truth that we are navigating here between Israel and Hamas.

We saw just how sensitive it was yesterday when it came close to, according to some Israeli officials, being derailed. You saw the president had to get involved calling the Amir of Qatar.

Now that we are on day three, I mean, what did you pick up from how Hamas was handling that yesterday, how they were purposefully delaying the release of these exchanges and essentially using it to enforce this agreement?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I mean, part of it is Hamas' manipulation of the hostages. And it will be interesting, Kaitlan. And, again, thanks for having me.

Whether or not an American will be among the hostages released today, the more the U.S. presses, obviously, on getting the Americans back, the more Hamas may resist. Hamas may also not have control of all the Americans. So we really don't know. It's really opaque.

But I think the broader game here is absolutely clear. Hamas' trading hostages dribbling them out over time in order to gain time in hopes. And you're there. You know what pressure is building in the current Israeli government from the families.

The more hostages are released, the more those who are not released are going to become pressure points in order to push the government of Israel to delay, constrain its looming ground campaign in southern Gaza. Add to that what I think will be a growing divergence between the United States and Israel on the issue of how the Israelis may operate in the South. And the Israelis really face a cruel dilemma. I think, frankly, right now, I'm not sure they have an answer to it.

COLLINS: Well, what do you make of the fact that we are reporting this breaking news at this moment from an Israeli official saying that for the first time, an American citizen is on this list?

Now, we know that the White House believes there are three American citizens who are eligible here. We don't know how many on this list. We just know at least there is one. What do you make of the fact that that's not happening until day three of this?

MILLER: Again, I think the more we press to get our own citizens back, the more Hamas understands. It's something we want. And they're going to resist. On the issue, I hope there's an American. I hope the others are released, but wouldn't surprise me at all if as of yesterday, you end up with some confusion and there are no Americans on this. COLLINS: Yes. And, of course, we're now -- this is day three. If this goes well, this will be the third set of hostages. We're only expecting one more, unless there is an extension.

What is the delay last night and how Hamas handled that? What does that bode do you think for an extension on whether or not Israel is going to be willing to do it? Or is it going to be the scenario that I've heard from some officials here in Israel where they believe Hamas is going to use these hostages to say, well, if you give us one more day, we've got five more over here or two more days. We'll get three more over here. Basically trying to use it to extend the ceasefire for their own benefit.

[07:15:09]

MILLER: I think there's no doubt that the latter explanation is the one that's driving Hamas. Although, I have to say the fact that despite these difficulties yesterday, you also have a Qatari delegation in Israel, at least as of yesterday, which is a good sign, because somebody has to own this and try to find a way to mediate between the two sides.

In fact, the Qataris are doing it, the fact that you've got three days now, let's hope today sees more hostages released, suggests that this is actually working and it may go beyond the initial four-day period at which the parties would agree.

But I'll point out one more thing, there's reportedly a six-page document, which lays out in some detail exactly what each side has agreed to. And I'm just wondering that document has not appeared, maybe for obvious reasons.

And I'm reminded and equipped by the Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn and Mayer, who said that an oral agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Remember, you're dealing with two parties who aren't negotiating directly, not only is there no trust, but it may well be in a few days that Hamas and Israel will be back to trying to kill one another.

So this entire enterprise, it should -- it should no one that it's fraught and uncertain.

COLLINS: Yes. We've certainly been trying to get our hands on that document. And it's -- and I should note, the Egyptians also had a lot to do with resolving this dispute yesterday as well, which I thought was notable.

I wonder how -- given your role as a former Middle East negotiator, do you believe the White House is viewing this? And if they do see this differently than Israeli officials do, who believe they are going to be back on the battlefield as soon as this is done, does the U.S. official -- does the U.S. view this as a potential off-ramp de- escalating what has been happening in Gaza?

MILLER: I think that's really a very astute lead. And despite the fact that the president personally, we've seen this both with respect to other hostages and certainly the several U.S. citizens who were wrongfully detained by the Iranians. He has a personal investment in this.

But aside from the moral and ethical motives, which are understandable, I think the administration does see the hostages as a way to begin to diffuse the confrontation, to create some sort of exit ramp, not just to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

And remember, they're under huge pressure at home and from the international community as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsens to figure out a way to deal with that.

I think they also see it as a transition to try to figure out a way to get to a ceasefire. That's a stretch right now. But to somehow contain or constrain the Israelis from operating in southern Gaza, where they think most of the senior Hamas leadership is and where most of the hostages may be as well.

COLLINS: Yes. We'll continue to watch it closely.

Aaron David Miller, as always thank you for your time and for your expertise.

MILLER: Thank you, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: And of course, there are a lot of major questions here. Hopefully some of them will be answered. Make sure you check out Inside Politics later this morning.

With this, Wolf Blitzer sat down with the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. That is going to air at 11:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Still ahead, the White House continues to closely to monitor what is happening on day three. They have been watching it just as closely as everyone here. And their top priority is freeing American hostages. They may get their wish just a few hours. We'll be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:07]

COLLINS: Just in to CNN, we are hearing that an American citizen is expected to be on that third group of hostages that are set to be released today. This is the first time since this temporary truce began that we have found out that an American may be among those released.

White House officials have certainly been hopeful, but so far, no Americans were on day one or day two on those hostages that were released by Hamas.

But the White House has been working closely with officials here in the Middle East to secure the release of those Americans who are being held by Hamas. CNN's White House correspondent, Arlette Saenz, has been tracking all of this closely from Nantucket, where President Biden is spending his Thanksgiving vacation.

Arlette, what more have U.S. officials heard? Do they know if it's multiple Americans who are going to be on this list? Or just they -- do they just know that it is at least one U.S. citizen who will be released potentially today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kaitlan, White House officials have yet to confirm to media whether an American citizen will be released today. But it certainly is welcome news, not just for the families of that American citizen, but also for President Biden and his team, who have been working around the clock trying to secure the release of these American hostages.

Now, as you noted, an Israeli source told you that an American is expected to be on this list of hostages set to be released in the coming hours. And the White House has outlined that there are three people that they believe could be part of this larger group of 50 women and children set to be released over this four-day period.

The White House has said that includes two women and also that young girl Abigail Edan, who turned just 4 years old on Friday. They have been held in captivity for the past seven weeks. And so we are waiting to hear more from White House officials about the fate of these American hostages.

But the White House has been quite hopeful, even if they have -- as they have been unable to pinpoint an exact day that they would be getting out of Gaza, they have been hopeful that they will be released in the coming days.

[07:25:07]

Of course, it's also worth noting that there have been two previous Americans who were released, Natalie and Judith, the Rannan, back in October. But the White House is certainly watching the coming hours, trying to ensure that everything stays on track to make sure that these hostages get out today, including potentially that American citizen.

COLLINS: Yes. Certainly a lot of hope here and making sure that that actually goes off without any issues like yesterday.

Arlette Saenz, we'll continue to check back over to you as White House officials are hearing more.

And, of course, be sure to tune in to State of the Union later this morning because Dana Bash will be interviewing President Biden's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, that Arlette just mentioned there, as well as Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog.

That will be happening at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN. A lot of good interviews coming up here. So make sure to keep watching. Still ahead, among the hostages that are released by Hamas are four Thai citizens. That's in that latest group. We'll have the latest on their conditions and what goes in to negotiating these kinds of releases. All of that's coming up right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:04]

ROSALES: In Israel, tens of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to call for the release of hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attack October 7th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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ROSALES: And you can see them holding up signs with pictures of their loved ones chanting, calling for the people still being held captive to be brought home. For one woman who says her son was kidnapped at the Nova Music Festival, it is important to keep pushing until everyone being held hostage goes back to where they belong, home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIVA WENKERT, SON OMER WENKERT KIDNAPPED AT NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL (through translator): We are here tonight because we are very happy for the people who come back with their families. But we have to keep going with our work to bring them back. Our efforts to bring them back. All of them. It's only the beginning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now, we learned just minutes ago that for the first time, an American citizen will be among the hostages slated to be released during this truce. 13 Israeli and four Thai hostages were released Saturday after delays threatened to end the exchange. U.S. Officials say they're working closely with Middle Eastern leaders to secure the release of the remaining U.S. hostages.

Let's bring in now Bryan Stern. He's the president and founder of Project Dynamo. It's a veteran led donor funded organization that assist in rescuing Americans in conflict zones. Bryan, good morning to you. So, 24 hours ago, we were sitting here talking about how day one went so well, hoping for a smooth exchange on day two. And then there was that hours-long delay in this confusion over Palestinian prisoners, seniority, and the distribution area of aid. Is that the type of hiccup or delay that we should have expected? That even as we go for the next two days, those types of challenges will happen?

BRYAN STERN, CEO AND FOUNDER, PROJECT DYNAMO: Yes, absolutely. These are -- the -- there's a lot of moving pieces with these things and a lot of different people with their fingers in the pie. I actually spoke about this two days ago on another outlet where we need to be ready for some stumbling blocks. There's not a lot of trust in these things. You know, Nelson Mandela famously said, you don't negotiate peace with a friend. Both sides have tremendous distrust, are looking to, kind of, play gotcha to get the upper hand for more leverage.

This is an ongoing deal. I think it's very important to understand that every little thing matters, every moment matters, every decision matters, and every mistake is going to be capitalized on by the other side. So, these things do happen. It's very common. This is very mechanical. There's a lot of moving pieces. It's not -- it's -- we're not baking a cake. It's a -- it's very complex stuff.

BLACKWELL: Many parts, so little trust here. So, opportunities for this to fall apart, at least be delayed. Does that delay -- do these challenges, foreshadow anything about what could happen on day five as the option to continue this truce with 10 per day, as Israel would require, hostages to be released. Does that make that any less likely to happen?

STERN: We -- I think it's important to understand that the men on the ground who are driving the trucks, who are manning the gates, who are handling the hostages, these are not the same people who are negotiating in Doha. Who are not in significant leadership positions. So, at any moment, any one of these guys can have a bad day and make a mistake that is seemingly benign or small that could have a catastrophic impact.

Project Dynamo is a donor funded organization. We rescued an American out of -- at a Russian captivity. We negotiate -- we had a deal on the 12th day. It actually took us 37 days to get him into our custody. So, these things do happen, delays do happen. And the name of the game is to be persistent, to stand your ground, and keep on going. That's a true statement for both sides. Both sides have equities here.

BLACKWELL: Yes, as you talk about, there are many strategies, many players here. We reported right at the top of the hour that an American is expected to be included in those exchange today. Is there some strategy? And if so, what is it to not include them on the first day? The expectation is that there are three who are eligible here and not, released the three at the same time. What do you see in this reporting of one American out today?

STERN: It's significant, of course, because getting any American out is a good day for America. You know, we -- Project Dynamo has done 608 missions to rescue Americans over the last two years. Every single one of them are hard, so it's awesome that we're getting somebody out. With respect to strategy, everything is a strategy in hostage negotiation. Everything.

[07:35:00]

I fully expected that the last hostage will be American, fully expect that. Of the 200 some odd folks that we have in captivity between all the different countries, I fully expect that the Americans will be the last one. Americans are the crown jewel of any hostage situation and Hamas are the absolute pros from Dover on how to use hostages as leverage. How to use propaganda. How to use media. How to strategically communicate and message to the world their goals, their intents. We need to remember this entire deal, this entire situation is predicated on being reactive to Hamas, which is a mistake. As we speak right now, we actually don't even know how many Americans they have hostage. We think we know. We have a pretty good, pretty good idea, but they haven't produced a list yet. That gap in knowledge is a weapon of war to us by itself. And that should be something that the negotiators should be working very hard on. It's extremely hard to negotiate if you don't know what you're trying to get.

BLACKWELL: And the numbers have fluctuated over the last seven weeks, and we certainly don't know the conditions of those who are still in -- who are being held by Hamas. Bryan Stern with Project Dynamo, thank you so much.

ROSALES: Still ahead, doctors are medically clearing freed hostages, but the trauma is far from healed. The psychological toll they may face. A psychiatrist breaks it all down as soon as we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:06]

COLLINS: Four Thai nationals were among the hostages who were released on Saturday, along with 13 Israeli hostages. So far, in total, 15 foreign nationals have been released by Hamas as a part of this temporary truce. 14 of them from Thailand, one from the Philippines, Jimmy Pacheco. We spoke with his loved ones earlier this week. Thai nationals make up the largest group of migrant workers here in Israel. Many of them working on farms that were attacked on October 7th by Hamas.

CNN Journalist Manisha Tank in Singapore has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANISHA TANK, CNN JOURNALIST: The latest hostages to be released are being taken care of at the Shamir Medical Center in Israel, it's reputed to be the country's fourth largest government facility -- health care facility. In fact, the director of the SMC has put out a statement saying that the foreign national former hostages who are there are all in stable condition. He added that they were also improving.

The attention, of course, shifts to their rehabilitation and dealing with some of the trauma that they will have experienced and witnessed over the last few weeks. In fact, earlier hospital officials speaking to a team from CNN had said the 10 that were released on Friday did so show some signs of lack of nutrition.

However, it is definitely a time of relief, a time of joy. The Thai foreign minister also putting out a statement, tweeting a statement saying he was elated to welcome this good news and added, congratulations to those recently released as well as to their families. And the highland was preparing to return them home, essentially. But also, attention then shifts to those hostages that remain with Hamas. And the foreign minister continues to call for the release of those remaining ties still held in captivity.

Manisha Tank for CNN, Singapore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: A notable part of this story. Manisha Tank, thank you.

Isabel, obviously this is, kind of, a surprising part to some people who were focused so much on the Israeli hostages, and not necessarily there wasn't a lot of attention for these foreign nationals who were also kidnapped by Hamas on that day.

And so, seeing them released on day one was a big surprise. And of course, now that isn't something we've been watching closely is they themselves have been here, getting treatment at these hospitals, undergoing those medical evaluations as well.

ROSALES: Kaitlan, thank you for that.

And let's talk about these freed hostages. Life for these hostages likely we'll never be the same and their journey to healing is just beginning. Many could face psychological trauma and severe stress related to the horrendous ordeal that they experienced.

Joining me to discuss the challenges that await for them is psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Dr. Gail Saltz. She is the host of the podcast, "How Can I Help?" OK. Dr. Saltz, we've been talking about seven weeks of captivity here. These freed hostages, they go through a medical evaluation where they are physically clear to go home. But what about the mind? What are the psychological red flags that experts will be on the lookout for?

DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST AND PSYCHOANALYST: Well, initially, they will be looking for the symptoms of basically what's called an acute stress reaction, which is a reaction to having been not only a hostage but kidnapped, whatever happened in the first place, and those are things that might impair their ability to think. They might feel somewhat dissociated. They might have difficulty concentrating, remembering things.

They may have emotional symptoms as well. Feeling very confused. Stirred up in a way that they're having -- easy startle to almost anything. It may cause them to feel like avoiding certain things, anything that reminds them of what happened. But they may have intrusive memories, basically what we call flashbacks that make it difficult to function throughout the day. Might make them very avoidant. It could affect their mood. Their sleep could be affected.

[07:45:00]

So, all of these things can be happening initially, but it's important to know that with time, most of those people, with support from those around them, will improve and ultimately in fact will improve and really reintegrate into society. A small percentage of those may go on to develop what's called post-traumatic stress disorder or an ongoing reaction that really never goes away, has more feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, feeling somewhat depressed and anxious.

Also, I should say a small subset of these people may also have developed what's called post Stockholm syndrome or an allegiance, an alliance really with the people who kidnap them, which is a complicated thing that can happen during hostage taking, during long captivity.

ROSALES: Yes, just the pain of what they went through just continuing to haunt them, it seems like, hopefully, that's not what's going to happen. Israeli health officials released detailed guidelines, Doctor, for aid workers and IDF soldiers on how the children should be handled after being released. They advised the children not to be touched without asking their permission. That they should not be overwhelmed with questions or a lot of words. And that they should not answer any of the children's questions about their family. Can you talk about why that would help?

DR. SALTZ: It's really important -- actually, not only for children, but to some degree for the adults as well. The people -- the children who are most at risk of these issues that I spoke about earlier, it is important to let them move at their own trajectory so that you can essentially re-traumatize them. That's why it's important for media to stay away. For them to be able to tell their story or play their story. When they are ready, as opposed to having it imposed upon them, which can essentially retraumatize them by forcing them to tell you what happened.

So, letting them do it at their own time. You don't know. Of course, we don't know, right? Have they been touched while in captivity? Have they been threatened in some way that they felt fearful so much of the time? And again, you don't want to retraumatize them in any sort of way. So, letting them move at their own pace, letting them come to you, letting them tell their story or play their story when they're ready.

All these things will be very important. To some degree, that's important for adults as well. It is important for them to be able to relay what happened to them. But only when they feel ready. So, we've learned that sort of compelling a person or a child to tell it, is actually turns out to backfire essentially and make it worse for them.

That's why they're saying these things. And we don't know really what happened yet to them while they were away. And we also don't know what happened to them during the kidnapping process. But I think it's fair to assume that many of them experienced terrible trauma than witnessing deaths of others, of close people to them. And so, that is also part of what is going to be difficult about this.

ROSALES: Yes, giving them that space and privacy. So, so important. And crucially, these hostages likely don't have a sense of the full scope of what happened on October 7th, and many of them likely lost family members. How do you break the news to them? Help them understand what happened without further harming them?

DR. SALTZ: You know, I think that you can take time and let them again, go someone at their own pace. If they're asking about this person, then you want to be honest. You don't want to lie. You want to tell them what has happened. One thing that is concerning is helping children and adults for that matter, with basically survivor's guilt.

Why did, you know, their loved one perished or someone else near them perish when they survived. And letting them know that none of this happened is their fault, nor could they have done anything about it in any sort of way. That this is something terrible that was out of their control. And, that you are there to support them, and love them, and be with them. And that they are safe now. Children are also going to be afraid about this happening again. Actually, some adults will be afraid as well. And so, it's important to tell them how they are protected, the ways they are protected, and how they really are safe.

ROSALES: Yes, and that healing for the days, weeks, probably years to come will be so important. Dr Gail Saltz, Thank you for your time.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, funeral Still ahead. Funeral services for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter are scheduled for this week ahead, details in a moment.

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BLACKWELL: President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be in Atlanta this week to attend a tribute service for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Tuesday. Her funeral is scheduled to take place in the Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia on Wednesday.

ROSALES: She was married to the 39th President, Jimmy Carter, for 77 years. Rosalynn Carter died last Sunday at the age of 96. Both are known for their tireless efforts for international human rights and world peace. CNN's Eva McKend has more from Plains, Georgia.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Victor, Isabel, the annual Christmas tree lighting here in Plains, Georgia, taking on a special significance this year in the wake of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's passing. It was the Carters themselves that historically would light the Christmas tree here in this tiny town. And when we speak to residents here, really in a period of mourning and reflection, they tell us that they are remembering Rosalynn as a person that embodied a spirit of service.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rose -- Rosalynn long was what was very, very personable. She was genuine in everything that she did and said.

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And, there's no other first lady that I can come to think in recent times or past times of somebody that had the elegance, eloquence that she did.

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MCKEND: Rosalynn and former President Carter's son, Chip Carter, addressed residents here. Thanking them for their support and then alluding to the many remembrances to come in the days ahead, which includes a wreath laying ceremony in Americus on Monday, followed by a memorial service in Atlanta on Tuesday. President Biden and other dignitaries expected to attend that event Tuesday. And then Wednesday, she will return to her final resting place, here in this town of Plains, where her funeral service will be held at her home church. Victor, Isabel.

BLACKWELL: Eva McKend from Plains, Georgia, thanks so much.

More of our special coverage of the truce between Israel and Hamas and the expected hostage release, ahead.

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