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Hostage Freed by Hamas Descriptions Kidnapping; Civilians Caught in Aftermath of Gaza Airstrikes; IDF Says Hamas Still Has 200+ Hostages; French President Emmanuel Macron Shows Solidarity with Israeli Leaders; UNSC Meets on Israel-Hamas War; Israel Preparing for "Multilateral" Operation against Hamas; Displaced Palestinians Fear Another Refugee Crisis; Inside Israeli Kibbutz Decimated by Hamas Fighters. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 24, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:32]
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome, I'm Bianca Nobilo in London. We will be returning to our top American political news
stories in just a moment. But first of all, let's turn to our breaking coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
NOBILO: "I went through hell."
The words of one of the two hostages freed by Hamas on Monday, speaking about being, seized beaten and taken into Hamas' underground network of
tunnels; 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz was released with 79 -year old Nurit Cooper, freed as humanitarian aid continues to trickle into Gaza.
She's been describing her experience as a hostage, including walking for many kilometers along Hamas' mysterious labyrinth of tunnels. She also
spoke about the horror of being abducted on the back of a motorbike after Hamas stormed her kibbutz.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOCHEVED LIFSHITZ, LIBERATED HAMAS HOSTAGE (through translator): It was a painful act. They brought us into a hatsheba (ph) tunnel. On the way, I was
lying on the side on a motorbike, legs to one side, body to the other. The Shabaab were hitting me, so they didn't break my ribs.
But it was very painful and made it difficult for me to breathe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Despite the release of those hostages, Israel is pushing ahead with its all-out war against Hamas. The Israeli prime minister is warning
that the fight could become a long one as the military continues to pound targets in Gaza.
The Hamas run health ministry says that more than 700 people are being killed in a 24-hour period. This as concerns deepen over the humanitarian
crisis in the enclave.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO (voice-over): These images shared on Telegram show a hospital without power. Despite one doctor warning that Gaza could become a, quote,
"mass grave" without fuel, Israel says it will not allow fuel in, in case it is stolen by Hamas. Salma Abdelaziz joins me now with more on this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Salma, we heard this morning from the IDF that they are claiming Israel conducted around 400 airstrikes in the last 24 hours. We've also
heard this horrifically tragic statistic that 2,000 children have been killed in this so far.
What do we need to know today?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the key thing to take away here, Bianca, is, as awful as the last 16 days have been in Gaza, that
enclave is preparing for even worse.
You mentioned the number of airstrikes, hundreds of them. That leads to intensification. That is more airstrikes than the day before. That, is
according to Palestinian health officials, leading to the deadliest day that Gaza has seen since this round of violence began, more than 700 people
killed in just a 24-hour period.
I want to show you the aftermath of just one of these airstrikes, take you to the moments right after. It but I do want to begin by warning our
viewers, the images in this report are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Moments after an overnight strike in Gaza, stunned survivors stumble out. People nearby rush to help.
"There is no ambulance, we have to get people, out" a man shouts.
Men dig with bare hands. It is dark, dusty. The screams are jarring.
"Look at the children, look at the children," he says.
It is sheer chaos and carnage. This is the aftermath of just one of the hundreds of bombings a day that batter the Gaza Strip, the scene captured
by a journalist. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and aims to wipe out the group.
But Palestinians and aid agencies saying that it is civilians that are dying by the hundreds. Drone footage shows entire neighborhoods already
leveled by the near constant bombardment.
Nothing is spared -- schools, mosques, shelters, medical centers, all struck, according to the United Nations. Gaza is all too familiar with war
but has never seen it on this scale. And for survivors, there is little life left here. Baby (INAUDIBLE) Halabi (ph) is now an orphan.
[10:05:00]
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): But he is far too young to understand that.
"What did this little boy do?
"An airstrike hit his house while he was sleeping," his uncle says.
"His whole family was killed. He's the only survivor. Stop this. Stop this suffering."
There are calls for Israel to pause hostilities but the IDF is only ramping up its attacks and preparing for what is expected to be a full on-ground
invasion of the enclave. But Gazans say they can endure no more.
Amad al Bakhtar (ph) says nearly 50 members of his extended family were killed after they followed Israel's evacuation instructions.
"We were hosting our family from the north, 50 to 70 people, because it was supposed to be safe," he says.
"But at dawn, our home was bombed. We don't know what to do. We have lost our minds."
Gaza is praying for relief. But the cries of anguish here are so far unheard, the bloodshed won't stop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: Now there are reports, Bianca, that Israel would potentially consider delaying an expected ground incursion. You remember that tens of
thousands of Israeli troops have been amassing on that Gaza border, that they would potentially delay that in order to get more hostages out.
We've seen two pairs of hostages so far get out. But of course, that trickle coming out of hostages is only matched with a trickle of aid going
in, meaning the humanitarian situation on the ground grows worse and worse by the day.
Prime minister Netanyahu today warning that this would be a long war and that could only mean many, many more civilian casualties -- Bianca.
Salma Abdelaziz in London for us, thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Joining me now is experienced hostage negotiator, Scott Walker.
Scott, it is great to have you on the program. Let's begin with the conditions that were described by the freed hostages.
How unusual is it to have this level of reported care and medical supervision from hostage takers?
And what does that tell us about them?
SCOTT WALKER, NEGOTIATOR: It's actually quite normal to have the hostages well (INAUDIBLE) (ph) as reasonably as they can be in these circumstances.
So they will be fed and watered, may be allowed to wash and certainly given some medical treatment if needed.
Because it is in the hostage takers' interest to look after the hostages as much as possible. Because the more than look after them, the greater the
bargaining power the hostage takers have.
NOBILO: We heard from Yocheved Lifshitz when she spoke this morning of the gentle treatment, as she described it, from her captors after the horrors
that she endured within her kibbutz and being transported to Gaza.
We also know that she shook hands with her captor when she was leaving and released, without obviously undermining a single word that she said,
because she seemed incredibly lucid and obviously brave to address the world media like this.
What emotions would be at play here?
She is obviously traumatized and she's been relying on her captors to look after her. And there's also people that she cares about that are still in
Gaza.
So is she really at liberty to speak the truth about what happened?
WALKER: I think, from the footage that I've seen, personally, it shows you the testament to the character of that woman, of being able to go through
the last couple of weeks and come out with such value and high character. It is remarkable.
And this actually is quite a frequent occurrence, where hostages, who can manage themselves with the resilience and psychologically whilst they're
held captive, when they come out, they respond and (INAUDIBLE) the world a lot easier.
NOBILO: It is certainly testament to that. She is an incredibly strong and resilient woman.
Talk to us about what you would imagine to be going on behind the scenes. We are having more hostages released, even though there are relatively few,
given how many people we understand are still being kept there. And there are some key mediators in the region as well.
WALKER: Yes, what the two pairs of hostages that have been released shows us is that our established, open, workable negotiation channels in place
bleed to the Qataris and the Egyptians. And that has allowed those negotiations to take place.
And trust has already been built up between the two sides there in any event, which is why all the Western governments, who have their hostages in
Gaza, will be relying on the Qataris to be mediated to get them back.
[10:10:00]
NOBILO: So we have evidence that these communication channels exist.
What is the practical process, though, of releasing a hostage?
WALKER: Well, the actual release and recovery can be probably the most dangerous aspect of this because, just because you get an agreement, does
not equal a safe and timely release.
So actually, once you manage to agree something with everybody involved, in the logistics, the practicalities of getting the hostages from where they
are being held to a safe place and, in these cases, it's to be met with the International Red Cross, to then be brought across (ph) into Israel.
So I always say to the families whenever I've been involved in these cases, is, great; we've got an agreement. But it's we're not home yet. And there's
a way to go until we actually get them back safely.
NOBILO: The release of two more hostages, I'm sure, is a source of optimism and hope for the families, who are just constantly frightened and
hoping their loved ones will return from Gaza.
How do you think that this slow drip of hostage release is impacting Israel's decision whether or not to go in on the ground?
How much harder do you think that would actually make facilitating these hostage negotiations and releases?
WALKER: I think it is fair to say that the U.S., U.K., the French, Germans and other governments that have hostages being held, will be putting
pressure behind the scenes on the Israelis to delay anything that is going to put the lives of their citizens at risk.
That said, Israel understandably want to eliminate Hamas as much as possible. And so they are caught in a bit of a quandary there. Will
continue their military operation, while at the same time, needing to keep the international community on board and get theirs and other countries'
citizens back as quickly as possible.
NOBILO: Scott Walker, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: French president Emmanuel Macron is showing solidarity with a visit to Israel. In Tel Aviv, Mr. Macron met with the families of French
victims. At least 30 French citizens were killed in the Hamas attacks. Nine are still missing.
He also spoke with Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem and proposed the global coalition that has fought ISIS could expand to
combat Hamas. Joining me now to talk about Macron's visit is CNN Paris correspondent, Melissa Bell.
Melissa, we are hearing similar refrain from Emmanuel Macron that we heard from other Western leaders in terms of the rhetoric.
But are there any key shifts here that we need to be paying attention to, which hint at a change of strategy?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think we are going to see coming from Europeans going forward and longer what is happening in and
around Gaza continues the stronger they'll become. A decided shift in terms of calling, not quite for a cease-fire but for a humanitarian pause.
And that is what we expect later this week when Europeans gather in Brussels to discuss just that. Even if there are dissenting voices, they
are more and more, European leaders, moving toward a position of showing total solidarity with Israel but calling increasingly for the defense and
protection and the help of Palestinian civilians.
What you heard from Emmanuel Macron today was very much that solidarity. He stood side by side with Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking about that coalition
that might be built to help Israel go in to Gaza and eradicate Hamas, speaking likely for this coalition that existed a few years ago against
ISIS and Al Qaeda.
But at the very same time, as the French president was holding that press conference with the Israeli prime minister, you were hearing from Elysee
sources, saying, yes, of course, Israel needs to look at broadening the base of support that it has for its fight against Hamas.
But to do so, it needs to be much clearer about its end game.
What will an incursion into Gaza look like?
What will this timeframe be, what's its practical ability?
And what, in the end, will it's operability be?
It needs to be much more transparent about that end game in order to gather that support.
So the French, as others, have played that very delicate game as they head into the region. It is going to be a two-day visit. We understand that
Emmanuel Macron is to speak with Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah also; we understand, Bianca, to meet with the Jordanian king in Amman tomorrow.
[10:15:00]
BELL: Before heading back to Europe, as I say, to meet with other European leaders, to discuss a very difficult statement to arrive at in terms of its
wording.
What we heard just yesterday from the chief diplomat of the European Union, Joseph Borrell, is that he expects that Europeans should be able to come to
an agreement on the idea for a call for certainly a humanitarian pause, if not quite a cease-fire -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Melissa Bell for us in Paris, thank you very much.
With the war between Israel and Hamas driving thousands of Palestinians from their homes, neighbors in the region say are not willing to take a
flood of refugees. More from Jordan next.
And the U.S. is providing Israel with some high-level advice from one of its top defenders. That and a warning that Washington is sending to Iran--
when we come back.
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ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL: We're going to continue to bomb the south (ph) itself. I am deeply concerned about the
clear violations of international humanitarian law that we're witnessing in Gaza.
Let me be clear: no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law. Excellencies, thankfully some humanitarian relief is
finally getting into Gaza. But it is a drop of aid in an ocean of need.
In addition, our U.N. fuel supplies in Gaza run out a matter of days. That would be another disaster. Without fuel, aid cannot be delivered. Hospitals
will not have power. And drinking water cannot be purified or even pumped.
The people of Gaza need continuous aid delivery at the level that could respond to their enormous needs. And that aid must be delivered without
restrictions.
I salute our U.N. colleagues and humanitarian partners in Gaza, working under disastrous conditions, risking their lives to provide aid to those in
need. They are an inspiration.
To ease epic suffering, make the (INAUDIBLE) safer and facilitate the release of hostages, I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian
cease-fire.
Excellencies, even in this moment of grave and immediate danger, we cannot lose sight of the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability,
a two-state solution. Israelis must see the legitimate needs for security materialized.
And Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent state realized, in line with United Nations resolution, international laws
and previous agreements.
And finally, we must be clear on the principle of upholding human dignity. Polarization and dehumanization are being fueled by a tsunami of
disinformation. We must stand up to the forces of anti-Semitism, anti- Muslim bigotry and all forms of hate.
Mr. President, excellencies, today is United Nations day, marking 78 years since the U.N. charter entered into force. That charter reflects our shared
commitments with (INAUDIBLE) peace, sustainable development and human rights.
On this U.N. Day, at this critical hour, I appeal to all to pull back from the brink, before the violence claims even more lives and spreads even
further. Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thank the secretary general for his briefing.
I now give the floor to minister Tor Wennesland.
TOR WENNESLAND, U.N. SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS: Mr. President, Excellencies, members of the Security Council, I thank you
for your sustained attention to the grave developments unfolding in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in and around Gaza.
In light of the horrific violence of these past weeks, allow me to begin by expressing my most sincere condolences to the thousands of families in
(INAUDIBLE) Palestine and across the globe, who are in mourning, in shock and in profound pain.
This includes the families of 35 U.N. staff (INAUDIBLE) in Gaza. The abhorrent attack to us (ph) by Hamas on 7 October and Israel's devastating
ongoing military operation in Gaza have taken a staggering toll on civilians and deeply shaken Israelis and Palestinians alike.
[10:20:00]
WENNESLAND: As I told this council last week and the secretary general has just expressed, the events we are witnessing are unprecedented. They risk
expanding to the wider region and may have profound long-term impact on the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mr. President, on the morning of the 7 October, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a large-scale complex assault on Israel. The
unprecedented attacks to an estimated 1,500 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants from Gaza in an (INAUDIBLE) of 20 Israeli communities and
military facilities in the Gaza periphery --
NOBILO (voice-over): You've been listening to U.N. secretary general Antonio Guterres addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ensuing
discussion there at the U.N.
NOBILO: Now report turning to our program, a U.S. Marine three-star general is in Israel, lending his expertise to the Israeli military ahead
of an expected ground incursion into Gaza. It is unclear what specific advice he will give the IDF.
Lt. Gen. James Glynn is the former commander of the Marines' special operations. Meantime, U.S. officials say recent intelligence shows Iranian-
backed militias are ready to step up attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East. But the U.S. is strongly warning against any escalation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET.), COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: We continue to send a strong message to
actors in the region, including Iran, that if you think about jumping in here, you are thinking about deepening and widening and escalating, don't
do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Let us go to CNN's Oren Liebermann who's at the Pentagon for us.
What can we read into this visit?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lt. Gen. James Glynn, it's unclear how long he's been in Israel but we can look at his experience
to see what kind of, according to one U.S. official, big picture advice he might be willing to give the Israelis and willing to offer from his decades
of experience in the Marine Corps.
He was and has been deployed to Iraq several times in his military career, including the battle of Fallujah, according to his Marine Corps biography.
And that is urban warfare that was one of the bloodiest conflicts in the U.S. war in Iraq.
And because Israel is getting ready, it appears, to conduct essentially urban warfare, his experience there might be incredibly relevant.
Also according to the U.S. official, confirming Glynn's visit to Israel, he will bring up, as has just about every U.S. official, the need to avoid
civilian casualties in terms of what's happening in terms of the civilian death toll.
That's been a major focus for the Pentagon and something Glynn will bring up as he might offer a way to look, at a way to think, about and a way to
operate within the confines of Gaza and the essentially densely populated areas there -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Oren, will avoiding regional spillover and also the activities of Iran be on the agenda for discussion?
LIEBERMANN: I don't know if he will bring that up specifically; that's a much bigger picture issue, that the U.S. is dealing with at the highest
levels. We did hear from the Iranian foreign minister at a press conference yesterday. They had received from direct channels presumably two messages
from the Americans.
One, was that America does not want a wider conflict and, two, warning Iran to stay out of it and keep its proxies out of it. The foreign minister did
not say how those messages or when exactly those messages had been delivered. But presumably through an intermediary like Qatar or perhaps the
U.N. or something like that.
The challenge here is making that happen. The U.S., well aware of the risk and having intelligence of the possibility of a significant escalation. We
have seen the U.S. move air defense systems into the region, a THAAD battery, which is a medium and long range air defense system, as well as
Patriot battalions,
The U.S. is very much prepared for this to escalate beyond simply Gaza, even as there are diplomatic efforts to try and keep it confined to the
Gaza Strip.
NOBILO: Oren Liebermann, at the Pentagon for, us thank you.
A programming note for, you at home. Be sure to watch Christiane Amanpour's exclusive interview with Queen Rania of Jordan, coming up in just a few
hours' time; 6 pm in London, 8 pm in Jordan, right here on CNN.
Still to, come today Israel's defense minister tells his soldiers that a multilateral operation into Gaza is coming soon. We'll have details on the
ground and a live report on that.
Also, we go inside one of the places terrorized by Hamas. We'll show you what's left behind at this kibbutz after a Hamas massacre took place there.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:25:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
NOBILO: Welcome back. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London.
An Israeli hostage released by Hamas is sharing her story of survival with the world; 85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz said she initially went through
hell after being kidnapped but then was treated well during her captivity.
Lifshitz, seen here after her release, says a swarm of Hamas militants stormed her kibbutz during the October 7th massacre and abducted her on a
motorbike. In Gaza, she said she was held underground with four other hostages. Here she describes the treatment she receives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIFSHITZ (through translator): As we got, there people told us that they are people who believe in the Quran and they will not harm us and that we
will get the same conditions they get in the tunnels.
There we lied on mattresses. They really took care of the sanitary side, so we won't get sick, God forbid. And we had a close doctor who came to see us
every 2-3 days. The paramedics took it upon themselves and took care of medicines. If there were not medicines, they would bring substitute
medicine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Lifshitz was released on Monday, along with her neighbor, 79 year old Nurit Cooper. Israel believes more than 200 people were captured by
Hamas on October 7th.
Now to another big story we're following in Gaza. A senior adviser to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN that Israel will not allow fuel into
Gaza, even if all of the hostages are released.
He says Israel fears the fuel will get into the hands of Hamas and will be used to power rockets. All of this comes as huge numbers of Israeli troops
and tanks are amassed at the border. CNN's Nic Robertson is in its Sderot, Israel, and is covering that part of the story.
Nic, we keep hearing from the Israeli government that this is likely to be a long campaign. Just explain to us why they're saying that, especially,
when on the face of, it the capability difference between the Israeli military and Hamas is quite startling.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think there are a couple of reasons. One is the initial reason which was stated very quickly by the
government, that they would absolutely crush and destroy Hamas in totality.
[10:30:00]
ROBERTSON: And the reality of doing, that they believe, means a long incursion and a long war to do that. The incursion may only be part of it.
We are witnessing the airstrikes that they say are targeting Hamas and not the civilians of Gaza. But as we see civilians are being in many, many,
many occasions, by the hundreds every, day, being caught up in those airstrikes that are targeting Hamas.
The other thing we're hearing from the Israeli government -- or rather not hearing -- is their articulation of what the end state may be.
What are they trying to achieve in that incursion?
They're under huge pressure from their partners in the international community, the French prime minister today, sources at the Elysee Palace
telling CNN that what is required is for prime minister Netanyahu to articulate to those regional partners what that end state is, what he plans
to achieve and precisely do in Gaza.
So I think all of that remains a question. Interestingly, we have just heard from the commander of the IDF, General Halevi, speaking to troops
within the past hour, actually articulating a slightly more nuanced position, than we heard from the prime minister's spokesman Mark Regev late
last night.
CNN understands from sources close to Hamas, that what they want is fuel in return for hostages. And Mark Regev was making very, clear last night, that
there is not going to be any fuel given to Gaza, because of the concerns it will end up in Hamas' hands.
But General Halevi just outlined a scenario whereby some fuel could potentially get in. He said we would not-- we would make sure that there is
fuel to treat civilians but again reiterating none of that is to end up in Hamas' hands.
How Israel actually affects that on the ground, how it feels it can get those guarantees, isn't clear. But that does seem to appear to perhaps
answer the critics of Israel at the moment. And the pressure that's being put on Israel.
And what we're hearing from the hospitals in Gaza and U.N. officials is that the hospitals are running out of fuel needed to treat the patients. So
perhaps there's a first indication here from the IDF that fuel can be provided to those hospitals -- not as explicit as that. And the details we
are not aware of at the moment.
NOBILO: That shifts in rhetoric. Nic Robertson in Sderot, thank you very much.
The Palestinian health ministry says 12 hospitals are out of service as of Monday after Israeli strikes and fuel depletion. Doctors in Gaza tell CNN
that means death for patients being treated at those hospitals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. GHASSAN ABU-SITTAH, BRITAIN PALESTINIAN SURGEON: Two thousand children killed in under 16 days. We are just waiting for the electricity to run out
and the fuel and then that will be the death toll (ph) of the health system. Without electricity, you know, this hospital will just be a mass
grave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: As we've been reporting, the aid that has made it through so far is just a drop in the ocean of what is really needed. All of the aid going
in is through the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: I'm joined now by the CEO of the Egyptian Red Crescent, Dr. Rami Al-Nazer.
Thank you very much for joining us. I appreciate it. Let's start with when you are expecting the next trucks of essential supplies to come through
that critical crossing.
DR. RAMI AL-NAZER, CEO, EGYPTIAN RED CRESCENT: Yes, thank, you very much. As you said, that humanitarian aid that we delivered is just a drop in the
ocean.
Since the beginning of this crisis, we are communicating very well with Palestine, with Red Crescent Society, to assist the need and to see the
requirement in terms of humanitarian aid.
We succeeded until now to deliver 35 trucks. But this is nothing compared to the need that we received every today. The number of casualties and also
the number of injured peoples.
And I think that there is displacement happening inside of Gaza. So the need is high. We need more and we all international community to support
and to activate the international humanitarian law.
We are sending messages because we need to protect civilians, protect women, protect kids and also health care (INAUDIBLE) are not a target and
also to protect the health (INAUDIBLE).
You see that a lot of, maybe thousands of people move to protected inside the health care institutions because then they seek their protection. They
need help.
[10:35:00]
EL NAZER: All of this is very, very important. So certain abilities of humanitarian corridors is very important. I ask all the International
Federations of Red Cross and Red Crescent, most of Red Cross/Red Crescent (INAUDIBLE) the supporting ongoing operation here in Egypt.
And again, we created many internal mechanisms in Egypt (INAUDIBLE) level and the global level, to see how we can support in the proper way. Because,
at the end of the day, we are helping people in need, civilians.
NOBILO: One of Israel's sort of chief objections they say to allowing more aid in is that they are concerned that it will end up in the hands of
Hamas.
So once the aid is being distributed, how is that monitored?
Is there anything that you can say to countervail that argument for blocking aid?
EL NAZER: As I said from the beginning, that we delivered it to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which is recognized by the (INAUDIBLE)
International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent.
She is still in the movement and also there is an internal committee inside Gaza that also has an (INAUDIBLE). So you have -- I'm pretty sure that a
neutral committee from UNRWA (ph), from Palestinian Red Crescent Society is a part of the global movement, receiving aid and stood on the where houses
and (INAUDIBLE) distribute (ph) to the people in need.
NOBILO: Do you have any evidence to suggest that the aid going in has fallen into the hands of Hamas?
EL NAZER: Again, UNRWA is a U.N. agencies. Palestinian Red Crescent, a national society, is recognized by the global International Federation of
Red Cross/Red Crescent. And the president of Palestine Red Crescent is an ex board member of ifarc (ph). So to be a board a member of ifarc (ph), you
should have all of the necessary documents, all of the things that prove that the (INAUDIBLE) society is neutral.
So I'm not talking about something new, or U.N. agency, humanitarian agency all over the world can know what I'm talking about.
NOBILO: Yes, this is really helpful to get this clarification, when it is constantly cited as one of the reasons that this aid is being held up. So
really appreciate you going through that.
Let's talk about fuel because Israel has said that it is not allowing any more fuel in.
Why is that so critical, that that has to change?
EL NAZER: So for the fuel (INAUDIBLE) mechanism for the fuel, which the Red Cross/ Red Crescent, we are responsible for the humanitarian aid. And
but for the other mechanism, I think that both governments is talking about how to support on this.
Because it is really, really, very important at this time because a lot of hospitals cannot work without fuel. And also, the systems -- so the
(INAUDIBLE) is very, very important at this moment.
NOBILO: Dr. Rami Al-Nazer, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: U.S. House Republicans are back to the drawing board again, choosing from six candidates to become the next speaker.
But can any of them get the votes to win?
That is next.
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[10:40:00]
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NOBILO: Former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis has pleaded guilty for her role in the 2020 election subversion case in the U.S. state of Georgia.
She has become the fourth codefendant to Donald Trump to plead guilty in the criminal case and take a plea deal.
In a tearful statement, she apologized for her actions and being misled by others in the campaign.
JENNA ELLIS, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN LAWYER: In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states, including
Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence.
I believe in and I value election integrity. If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post election
challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse.
For those failures of mine, Your Honor, I have taken responsibility already before the Colorado bar, who censured me. And I now take responsibility
before this court and apologize to the people of Georgia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Other Trump codefendants have recently pleaded guilty for trying to overturn election results, including former Trump campaign attorney,
Sydney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro, who helped devise the fake elections plot. Ellis says she will cooperate with prosecutors.
Now let's get you up to speed on some other stories that are on our radar right now.
China officially announced Tuesday the defense minister, Li Shangfu, has been removed from all of his government positions. The Chinese general had
not been seen in public since August, fueling rumors that he had, in fact, been ousted.
It is just the latest unexplained personnel shakeup in China in recent months.
Ukraine is ordering the mandatory evacuations of hundreds of children in the Donetsk and Kherson regions of the country due to the worsening
security situations there. Officials say increased Russian military activity in eastern and southern Ukraine makes these evacuations necessary.
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday kicked off its annual Davos in the Desert investment conference in Riyadh. The heads of major U.S. financial
institutions are in attendance, despite security concerns for Americans traveling to the Middle East, given the Israel-Hamas conflict.
And the Icelandic prime minister is one of the thousands of women across that country who have walked off the job for Women's Day Off. Women are
staging their one-day strike to raise awareness of wage discrimination and gender-based violence in the workplace for women, as well as non-binary
employees.
More news for you after the break.
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NOBILO: One of the hostages freed by Hamas is telling the world what she's been through. She's also criticizing the IDF for allowing it to happen.
Listen to what Yocheved Lifshitz had to say earlier on today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIFSHITZ: The lack of awareness by Shin Bet and IDF hurt us a lot. They warned us three weeks beforehand.
[10:45:00]
LIFSHITZ (through translator): They burned fields. They sent fire balloons and the IDF did not treat it seriously.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Meanwhile, inside Gaza, Palestinian officials warn that the enclave's biggest hospital will soon run out of fuel. One doctor, putting
that in stark terms earlier on, saying the hospital will become a, quote, "mass grave" if nothing is done. Neighboring countries like Jordan are
watching the situation in Gaza with growing concern.
Nada Bashir joins us now live from Amman.
Nada, Arab leaders have described forced displacement of Palestinians as a red line.
What exactly do they mean by that?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Bianca, there is a huge amount of concern, particularly here in Jordan, also, of course, in Egypt, the
fact that we have seen more than 1 million Palestinians who did live in northern Gaza being displaced now to southern Gaza.
There is a concern that this could soon lead to calls for evacuation across the border, into Egypt and that is a huge concern. It always has been. The
vast majority of those living inside Gaza have already been displaced.
Many of them are either refugees or descendants of refugees who were internally displaced following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. And we've been
hearing from Palestinians who live inside Gaza.
They, too, are terrified that they will soon be forced to evacuate Gaza, that they will be made refugees and that they won't be guaranteed a safe
return home.
And that is a concern shared by many in the Middle East. There are questions about what that would mean for the future of a viable Palestinian
state. But for those on the ground in Gaza, many fear that they are seeing history repeating itself. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR (voice-over): Carrying whatever clothes they're able to bring with them, making do with however much water is still available, this is life
for the internally displaced in Gaza, sheltering under what they tell us is the constant buzzing of Israeli drones.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Let us return to our homes. We cannot cope living under these conditions. Our children are tired. They are
all getting sick.
BASHIR (voice-over): For this family, a single tent is all they have for shelter. They were forced to evacuate their home in northern Gaza, warned
by Israel that airstrikes would only continue to intensify. But for so many here, this is not the first time they've been made refugees.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I lived through the Nakba of 1948 and now I'm living through the nakba of 2023. I was already affected
psychologically by the first Nakba. But the second one is worse. I see death 20 times every day. The force of the blasts affects us
psychologically. It feels like it is on our heads when it is nearby.
BASHIR (voice-over): The vast majority of Gaza's residents are either among or descendants of the more than 700,000 Palestinians, who were
expelled or forced to free their homes following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
It is a tragedy that is remembered by elder Palestinians as the Nakba, a catastrophe now feared by new generation forced to face horrors no child
should ever have to witness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were evacuated from the north of us. Now we are in Khan Younis. They said that this was a safe place,
that we would be comfortable. But we are not safe. There is no water, no food, nothing. We only manage to eat one piece of bread for the whole day.
BASHIR (voice-over): Aid supplies getting into the besieged Gaza Strip is just a drop in the ocean. And with food, water, electricity and fuel
quickly running out, the U.N. has warned that Gaza is now facing a humanitarian crisis of unthinkable scale.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Our children need milk and food. They don't understand why we are here. They don't understand that this is
against our will. We don't have money. We don't have gas. We don't even have electricity
BASHIR (voice-over): The U.N. estimates that some 1.4 million people in Gaza have now been internally displaced. But available shelters have now
exceeded capacity. The death toll in Gaza is rising with each and every hour.
Hospitals are overrun and medical supplies are dangerously low. Men, women, children all hoping for an end to Israel's relentless air campaign. They
say the situation feels almost apocalyptic. And for some, the prospect of being evacuated, of being exiled once more --
[10:50:00]
BASHIR (voice-over): -- seems a fate worse than death.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR: Bianca, we've been speaking to people here in Jordan who still have loved ones and family members in Gaza. Many of these are family
members they have not been able to see in decades because of the ongoing land, sea and air blockade.
And when we talk to them about what they are seeing, it's the airstrikes, seeing the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. Their message, all of, them
was that they want their loved ones to stay in Gaza because they fear that that will face the same fate that they did.
That they won't be able to return home, they will be exiled and that they will never see their homes in Gaza again.
NOBILO: Nada, just briefly to you, this is very difficult to answer in a short question. But we've seen another Western leader visit Israel,
Emmanuel Macron, following Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden, of course.
What is the view of Arab nations to have these Western leaders arrive in the country and espouse such strident rhetoric?
Is there a frustration, perhaps of the lack of understanding of the region and its history?
Or is it welcomed on any level?
BASHIR: Look, there is intense focus on the diplomatic front, on trying to bring world leaders together to bring about some sort of peaceful
resolution.
We heard a little while ago from the U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, saying that
that basis of peace can only be established with a view to a viable two- state solution. And that will certainly be welcomed across the Middle East.
We know, of course, the king of Jordan, the Jordanian government as well as the Egyptian leadership has now (INAUDIBLE). It will be key players in any
prospect for some sort of peaceful resolution.
But amongst the Arab population, the protesters that we are seeing, there was certainly frustration and anger, directed toward the international
community. And many here say that they feel they have ignored the Palestinian people.
NOBILO: Nada Bashir, thank you so much for reporting from Jordan for us.
We're learning more about the Israeli neighborhoods decimated by Hamas and the lives of families who live there. CNN's Kaitlan Collins visited a
kibbutz that came under attack on October the 7th and saw firsthand the aftermath of the horrific violence inside people's homes.
The report that you are about to see contains graphic video and may be difficult to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Kibbutz Kissufim sits less than three miles away from the Gaza border, a quiet community where residents
grow avocados and raise poultry and their families.
But as the sun rose on Saturday, October 7th, the kibbutz that around 300 people called home became the site of a massacre as Hamas militants stormed
inside and murdered 14 people, kidnapping four others.
Major Marcus Sheff, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces, watched from home as the brutal attack unfolded that day. Now he's leading a small group
of foreign press into the kibbutz for the first time, wanting the world to bear witness to the atrocities firsthand.
MAJ. MARCUS SHEFF, IDF RESERVIST: You know, the shock is still there after two weeks. We've seen the damage and yet it's still hard to absorb the full
horror.
COLLINS (voice-over): The stench of death is thick in the air as you walk along the tree-lined streets. But if you didn't look too closely, you'd
never guess that a slaughter took place here. Then you notice the bullet hole in Gina Smietich's door.
The 90-year-old grandmother, who loved gardening, was in her bathroom when Hamas militants shot her in the head. Her blood is still smeared on the
entryway two weeks later.
COLLINS: If you didn't look over here, it would just look like a regular home on a Saturday morning. Orange juice out, the newspaper, her mail, some
cookies. When you look over here at the kitchen, you can see people have gone through it.
They opened all the cabinets. There's still cups in the sink. Her kettle is still out. And Gina is one of several who was brutally murdered in her
kibbutz on that Saturday morning.
COLLINS (voice-over): The Zak family lived just down the street. Parents Atai, Eddie and their 14-year-old son, Sagi, were at home when the attack
began. Their older children, Hadar and Tamer, were away. We reached 24- year-old Hadar on FaceTime.
COLLINS: What's through there?
What was through that window?
COLLINS (voice-over): This is the first time he's able to see the charred remains of his family's home.
HADAR ZAK, PARENTS AND BROTHER KILLED BY HAMAS: Someone from the kibbutz told me that he opened the (safe room) and he found my dad laying on the
ground with my dog. Just watching the doors so the terrorists won't come in.
COLLINS (voice-over): The bodies of his mother and little brother were found hugging each other in the nearby bomb shelter, where they asphyxiated
after militants set their home on fire.
Just days before, Sagi was dancing his heart out at a Bruno Mars concert in Tel Aviv.
ZAK: I'm 24, we have 10 years between us.
[10:55:00]
ZAK (from captions): It's hard to me to say my little brother because it was my child.
COLLINS (voice-over): Hadar and his sister, Tomer, are now orphans. His grief and his anger is palpable.
ZAK: It's kind of absurd to me that you guys show me this first and not someone from Israel, you know what I mean?
I love my kibbutz, my kibbutz is amazing but the government -- I have no words to describe the disappointment.
COLLINS (voice-over): Just 24 hours later in the Kissufim area, an IDF soldier is killed and three others wounded during a raid ahead of Israel's
expected ground invasion in Gaza, an ominous warning shot of what is yet to come -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, Kissufim, Israel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: For more on the ways you can make a practical difference to help people in Israel and Gaza, simply head to cnn.com/impact. There you will
find resources on humanitarian efforts that actively need support, as well as the very latest on this fast-moving story. That is cnn.com/impact.
"STATE OF THE RACE WITH KASIE HUNT" is up for you next. See you soon.
END
