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CNN This Morning

Hamas Set to Release Fourth Group of Hostages Today; Israel and Hamas Express Interest in Extending Truce; Man Arrested after 3 Palestinian Students Shot in Vermont; Storms Dump more Than a Foot of Snow on Central Kansas. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired November 27, 2023 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:28]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good Monday morning, everyone. So glad you're with us. Welcome back.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Good to be back.

HARLOW: Great to have you here. A lot to get to this morning. Let's get started with "Five Things to Know" for this Monday, November 27.

New this morning: Hamas and Israel are both open to extending the temporary truce that is set to expire later today. Israel says it will pause fighting an extra day for each ten additional hostages released.

MATTINGLY: And Israel now says the list of hostages set to be released today, it has them in Hand. It comes after the first American was released yesterday. That's 4-year-old Abigail Edan.

And breaking overnight, police have arrested a man suspected of shooting and injuring three Palestinian college students in Vermont. Investigators now looking into whether it was a hate crime, as tensions rise over the war.

HARLOW: Also this breaking overnight, two ballistic missiles are fired towards a U.S. Navy destroyer. This happened in the Gulf of Aden after the ship helped stop pirates trying to take over a cargo ship. Those missiles, by the way, were filed from a part of Yemen controlled by Houthi-backed rebels.

MATTINGLY: And today, Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with Elon Musk, the owner of X, after he shared an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Herzog's office says he'll emphasize the need to fight a rise in antisemitism online.

CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

HARLOW: This is where we start. We're in the final hours of this four- day truce, and what a four days it has been between Israel and Hamas, both sides now talking about possibly extending this truce as Hamas prepares to release a fourth group of hostages today.

Here's a look at the women and children who have been freed from Gaza since Friday.

MATTINGLY: We've been seeing celebration and emotional reunions in Israel. Here you can see a cheering crowd greeting a convoy of buses carrying released hostages. There was also a crowd of well-wishers waving Israeli flags outside the hospital where hostages arrived in military helicopters.

One of the released hostages said they had little food in captivity. And her family survived for days eating only pita bread.

Yesterday, we saw the release of the first American hostage. That was 4-year-old Abigail Edan. President Biden says Abigail is in Israel, recover -- receiving love, care, and the services she needs after spending 50 days in captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She's been through a terrible trauma. You know, her mom was killed in front of her when her -- when her kibbutz was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7th.

Abigail ran to her dad then, who then was gunned down -- gunned down, as well, while using his body to shield little Abigail.

What she endured is unthinkable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: It certainly is. And look at this. Look at that video. That is 9-year-old Emily Hand, released and reunited with her father, Thomas Hand. She was at a sleepover at her friend's house when Hamas attacked their kibbutz on October 7th, and Emily's father was originally told that she was killed in the massacre. We will get you much more of her story ahead.

We have team coverage this morning from the White House to Tel Aviv. And let's begin with Oren Liebermann. Oren, let's talk about the group of hostages set to be released.

What can you share about, and what do we know? What about 40 hostages, we've learned, who are not being held by Hamas? Does that complicate these efforts?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: As of right now, the Israeli prime minister's office has received a list that are set to be released in several hours, if this day goes as it has the past three days. They're examining that list.

Israel has issues with the list from a couple days ago, because a family was separated, which they say is against the agreement signed for this pause in the fighting.

But as of right now, it looks like today's process appears to be playing out smoothly.

The truce itself has held since it went into effect, by and large. The humanitarian aid has flown -- flown into Gaza. And that means, at this point, we're waiting for the release of the Israeli hostages. According to the latest list. And then we're waiting for the list of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons later on this evening.

As for the 40 hostages not held by Hamas, according to a diplomatic source, that absolutely complicates the issue as of right now, because the agreement is with Hamas. The other parties, Islamic Jihad and other groups that may be holding hostages, are not a party to this agreement, which means securing their release is something Hamas has to do, effectively, on its own.

[06:05:19]

They've said they need time to be able to do that. But to what extent and how quickly they can do that, that is certainly a question Israel would love to know the answer to, as well as the U.S. and, of course, the families who are waiting to see their loved ones released.

MATTINGLY: Well I think that question also feeds into the idea of the possible extension of this four-day fighting pause. Hamas has said it's open to it. Prime Minister Netanyahu says it would be welcome. President Biden does, as well.

Is this something that looks like it will actually reach an outcome any time soon?

LIEBERMANN: I wouldn't make an exact prediction on whether it will or won't happen, but certainly, external pressure is there. The international community, the U.S., have called to do everything it takes to extend this pause in fighting and everything that comes with it, as well as internal pressure on Israel. The families here of the hostages have tremendous public support, because to put it frankly, they want to see their loved ones come home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): A moment of joy after 50 days of darkness. The families from Kfar Aza, who saw so many of their community killed and kidnapped on October 7th, finally had some of their own come back to Israel, released from Hamas captivity.

ORIT ZADKEVITCH, KFAR AZA RESIDENT: We didn't know is they were alive or not until today, so --

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Most of the hostages released on day three of this truce came from this tiny community near Gaza, where Orit Zadkevitch's ex-husband was killed. It's been seven weeks of hell for her before this night.

ZADKEVITCH: We've been through a Holocaust. They still have hostages. We're praying for them. We don't know if they're alive or not.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): The country as a whole has rejoiced as families have come together once again. Like the unbridled joy on the face of Thomas Hand as he embraced his daughter Emily for the first time after several weeks of captivity. Israel has found unity in this pain, coming together in the thousands

to press for the release of all of the hostages. But these notes are bittersweet for the families who are still waiting.

YAIR KESHET, FAMILY KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: You know, it's -- Actually it's a little bit happy and scarier, you know. It's horrible, going up -- up and down.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Yet, Yair Keshet is waiting for the release of his family, the youngest hostage in Hamas captivity, who turned 10 months old in Gaza. They had hoped Hamas wouldn't hold someone so young for so long.

KESHET: They want to make us suffer as much as possible. That is why. Everybody thought maybe the youngest will be -- will come earlier.

LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Families have been desperate for news of their loved ones still being held in Gaza, praying that their names come up on the list to be released.

Too often, it is more waiting and more pain.

But sometimes the kidnapped become the rescued. The list of missing grows shorter, and the community that can grow again grows even closer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIEBERMANN: We expect to see another group released sometime in the next several hours if everything goes well, and we expect to see that same sort of rejoicing at more hostages coming home. But that same sense of waiting, disappointment, and agony for those families who still haven't seen or heard from their loved ones in weeks.

HARLOW: Certainly, Oren. Thank you very much. We'll get back to you soon.

MATTINGLY: President Biden speaking by phone with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel on Sunday, the two leaders promising to keep working to free more hostages, with Netanyahu telling President Biden he welcomes the possibility of extending the truce.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is live for us at the White House. Priscilla, do we know any more about the details of that call, or what might actually happen as talks to extend this truce at least continue in earnest today?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We know a focus of that call was this pause in fighting and the release of more hostages, as well as getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

And President Biden has been personally engaged with world leaders involved in these negotiations, including the prime minister of Israel, but also the leader of Qatar, which has been critical in all of these negotiations. Now U.S. officials have said that Israel is prepared to continue a pause in fighting in exchange for Hamas releasing ten hostages over each of those days. And the prime minister seemed open to that in a statement saying, quote, "There is also an outline that says it is possible to release an additional ten hostages each day. That would be welcomed. At the same time, I also told President Biden that at the end of the outline, we will go to realizing our goals with full force, eliminating Hamas, ensuring that Gaza will not go back to being what it was. And of course, releasing all of our hostages."

[06:10:06]

Now, President Biden making it clear to reporters in remarks just yesterday that it is his goal to see this pause in fighting continue in hopes of securing more releases of hostages, including Americans.

But of course, whether or not that pause happens remains to be seen-- Phil.

HARLOW: Priscilla, before you go, the focus of the president's remarks over the weekend in Nantucket were really on Abigail Edan, who just turned 4 years old, the first American to be released.

Huge question this morning is what about the other Americans, including the two other women that were expected to be in this tranche of the first four days of hostage releases?

ALVAREZ: The president said he was hopeful that we would see their releases, and when asked if there was any more details he could provide, he said he didn't have any at the time.

There's specifically two American women who officials have said may be released. But when that happens, of course, is a big question, at least for yesterday. The president was welcoming the news of the release of Abigail Edan, that 4-year-old.

The president had mentioned her multiple times, including in calls with world leaders, and tracked her movements until she was in Israel. And it was only then that he came out and spoke to reporters and then to her family in Israel and the United States.

MATTINGLY: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, live for us on the North Lawn, thank you.

HARLOW: So we're also learning this morning about how the U.S. Navy foiled an apparent hijacking of a commercial tanker. This happened in the Gulf of Aden right near Yemen.

The tanker, owned by an Israeli billionaire, sent out a distress call that was answered by the U.S.S. Mason -- you can see it here -- and other allied ships and aircraft on Sunday.

U.S. military officials say five armed attackers surrendered after trying to flee on a small boat.

MATTINGLY: Just hours later, two ballistic missiles were fired toward the ship from areas controlled by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Both missiles landed in the water near the ships, but no injuries or damage were reported.

HARLOW: President Biden facing new pressure from within the White House and within his own party on aid to Israel. What some Democrats say Israel must do to get that money.

MATTINGLY: And breaking overnight, police make an arrest after three Palestinian college students were shot in Vermont. Why investigators say the victims were targeted and what we know about the suspect. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:11]

HARLOW: This breaking overnight: a 48-year-old white man is in custody this morning after police say three Palestinian college students were shot and wounded in Vermont.

This morning investigators are looking into whether the attack was a hate crime. The victims, all just 20 years old, were just walking on a street Saturday night when police say a man came up to them and shot them without saying a word.

Overnight, dozens of people attended a vigil for all three victims.

Polo Sandoval was live in Burlington, Vermont, with more. This is significant, because as of yesterday, they didn't have a suspect. They didn't have an arrest, and now they do.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this investigation appears to be moving forward quite quickly, Poppy, when you consider that that arrest was made just 24 hours after that shooting took place on this very street in Burlington, Vermont.

And today we do expect to learn more about that local man who police say shot those three Palestinian-American students, leaving one of them in critical condition.

So far at least the information we see from Burlington police, who's the actual authority in all of this, we've already learned his identity. It's a 48-year-old man by the name of Jason Eaton, arrested yesterday, that far from the shooting actually happened.

In fact, authorities say that he lives close to where that shooting took place. Those three 20-year-olds don't attend the University of Vermont. They were simply visiting. They were in town for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Over the weekend, the Institute for Middle East Understanding, who's actually in close contact with the family, identifying those three young men as Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and that is Hisham Awartani that you may have been able to see on the right in that group photo right there. We do understand that they were on their way to dinner on Saturday,

according to what investigators and also some of those folks close to the family have said, when the -- when the three of them were shot.

And in that photo that was actually snapped just not long before that shooting, I should say, you could see that at least, at least two, three of them actually are wearing those traditional Palestinian scarves. And the families believes that is what made them a target.

And as you're about to hear from an attorney representing the family, that is why they want authorities to investigate this as a hate crime. As Burlington Police say, they're not at that point quite yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABED AYOUB, ATTORNEY FOR VICTIMS' FAMILIES: The suspect walked up to them and shot them. They weren't robbed. They weren't mugged. It was a targeted, a targeted shooting and a targeted crime. And they were wearing the keffiyeh, very symbolic of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian culture and history. Identity played a role in them being targeted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now over the weekend, we also heard from local officials. As you can imagine this community has been shaken to its core because of what took place on Saturday evening.

The mayor of this city releasing a statement over the weekend saying, "That there is an indication that this shooting could have been motivated by hate is chilling, this possibility is being prioritized in the investigation."

The American Jewish Committee also joining other voices in strongly condemning this shooting, also urging authorities to investigate this as a hate crime, Poppy.

HARLOW: Polo, as I understand it, at least one of them was shot near the spine. I'm wondering their condition and the condition of all three of them.

SANDOVAL: Yes, Hisham. He appears to be in good spirits. And he, we understand, is in stable condition. The other -- in terms of the other two, we understand one of the others is also in stable condition. There's one that is critical at this hour.

But really, as you can imagine what this means to the families. In fact, Hisham, his mother is still in Gaza. So there is hope that shew will eventually be able to make it to her son's side to help him with that recovery.

HARLOW: Yes. We've heard she's trying to make her way from Ramallah to be by her son's side. We'll speak with that attorney a little later in the program, Polo. Thank you very much for the reporting.

[06:20:09] MATTINGLY: Turning now to weather, there's snow hammering the Central Plains, several towns in Kansas getting more than a foot of snow. Iowa wasn't spared either. You can imagine how this created major headaches for millions of people heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Meteorologist Derek Van Dam is live for us in the weather center. Derek, how are things looking today?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Phil, not the smoothest end to the busiest travel week of the year. Take a look at what it looked like yesterday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Yes, very busy, queues of people lining up behind those ticket counters trying to rebook their flights.

Because there was over 500 flight delays just on Sunday alone. JFK reporting 270. And it's all because of the snow that blanketed much of the Midwest and into the Southern Plains.

And I want you to draw your attention towards Topeka, Kansas, 7.2 inches of snow in 24 hours. That's more than their entire snowfall they got in the entire winter season of last year.

So you can see, this is current snow depth. That is the snow that fell recently. That energy transferred to the East Coast, created a low- pressure system that brought kind of a wet start to your morning, early morning, from New York to Boston.

But that is since moving out. The cold air is filtering in behind it. And you know what happens this time of year. Cold air rushing over the lakes, you get lake-enhanced snowfall. It looks like the heaviest will be South of Buffalo.

Here's a quick look at your temperatures as you start off your work week. Fifty degrees in New York City.

Phil, back to you.

MATTINGLY: Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, thank you.

HARLOW: Kind of ready for the snow. My kids want the snow.

MATTINGLY: This isn't Minnesota.

HARLOW: Can it be winter already?

MATTINGLY: This is Minnesota Poppy talking.

HARLOW: Yes, hello. You're going to hear a lot of that for the next five months.

This morning, though, back to top story this morning. There is a slight delay, we should tell you, in the planned release of the fourth group of hostages being held by Hamas. Families are waiting for more emotional returns.

MATTINGLY: This is the moment the Almog family was reunited with their mother and daughter last night, kidnapped on October 7th. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SOFT UNINTELLIGIBLE TALKING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:26:37]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: That's our goal, to keep this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into -- into those who are in need in Gaza. But the proof that this is working, and worth pursuing further, is in every smile and every grateful tear we see on the faces of those families who are finally getting back together again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So this morning, talks to release more hostages and to possibly extend this four-day truce between Israel Hamas, overnight Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that he would, quote, "welcome that possibility of an extension" and release for ten more hostages per day.

MATTINGLY: But Netanyahu added that, at the end of the truce, Israel will, quote, "go to realizing our goals with full force: eliminating Hamas, ensuring that Gaza will not go back to what it was and, of course, releasing all of our hostages."

Joining us now, Dan Senor, former foreign policy advisor in the George W. Bush administration, the co-author of "The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World."

Dan, thanks so much for being here. That tension has existed since October 7th. The military goals with the 240 hostages we're at a different moment now that there have been three days of releases, an expected fourth coming.

Is it incumbent upon the prime minister of the Israeli government to pursue releases as long as it's feasible?

DAN SENOR, FORMER FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR: Yes. So there's always been this tension. Does pursuing the hostages stymie the military effort? Or does pursuing the military effort actually advance the cause of hostages?

The war cabinet in Israel believes that the aggressive military action they took in first couple of weeks actually got a better deal on the hostage release in negotiating with Hamas than they otherwise would have. If they can actually get a few more days of hostage releases, I think they're going to go for it. I don't think they'll do much more beyond that. They do not -- the Israelis do not want to slow-walk into a permanent ceasefire. The Israeli leadership is totally committed to continuing to work on eradicating Hamas. If they can get a lot of hostages out in the process, and they think they are getting them out, because of the military pressure on Hamas, but there's a limit.

HARLOW: It was interesting when the president was asked by a reporter if he agreed with Bernie Sanders and others in the Democratic Party, have said you have to condition any more aid to Israel. And that has to include sort of how Israel conducts these operations going forward.

The president said, "I think it's worthwhile thought, but," quote, "I don't think if it started off with that, we'd ever have gotten to where we are today." Some are criticizing that.

How do you -- how do you stop, though, after a couple of more days? What do you say to the hostage families: OK, we decided to stop after seven days, but there are still a hundred remaining? How do you make that decision? Explain it to the families.

SENOR: It is brutal. These are gut-wrenching decisions. When the security leadership in Israel went to brief the security cabinet, the war cabinet and the full cabinet a few nights ago on this deal, they were members of the government who are against accepting the deal.

They thought it was a bad deal, and they got briefed by the security cabinet. They came away persuaded that they could turn back on the war fighting, Israel could turn back on the war fighting, pursuing a goal of eradicating Hamas. And not give that much up, while sending the hostages back in the short term.

And a number of members of Knesset, members of Parliament, members of the cabinet, who had before the meeting said were against the deal, flipped once they got the briefing.

If the security leadership goes in and says, We don't think we can do this now without undermining the military advancement against Hamas, I think that changes the dynamics.

It's -- there's -- no country has ever faced this. You're talking about hundreds of people.

[06:30:00]