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Egypt Receiving Injured Palestinians "One by One"; Bodies Line Street near Gaza Hospital; Over 11,000 Hamas Targets Hit, Say IDF; Israel Defends Airstrike on Gaza Refugee Camp; Donald Trump Jr. Scheduled to Testify; Kenya Marks 60th Year of Independence; UAE Condemns Gaza Airstrike. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 01, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, with our continuing coverage of Israel's war on Hamas, in for
my colleague and regular host of the show, Becky Anderson, who is in Doha right now, reporting on the deal that has been mediated by Qatar.
To see some civilians that are desperate to leave Gaza finally get out. Becky will be joining us in just a few minutes to pick up some of our
coverage. In the meantime, for the first time since the war broke out, Palestinians and foreign nationals are leaving Gaza.
The departure, the result of a deal that was mediated by Qatar involving Israel, Hamas, the United States as well as Egypt. Hundreds of foreign
nationals have been gathering on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing.
Palestinian officials say 110 foreign passport holders have left so far. One notable detail, CNN has learned, Americans are not among the first
group departing but may start to leave on Thursday. The deal also allows 81 seriously injured Palestinians to cross into Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS (voice-over): This video shows some of them loaded into ambulance after ambulance, at the Gaza side of the crossing. Egypt's health ministry
says they have begun arriving one by one. They will be treated in a field hospital that Egypt has opened in the Sinai.
The wars is grinding on. Israel's military says it has struck more than 11,000 terrorist targets in Gaza since October 7th. In addition to
relentless airstrikes, a CNN analyst reveals -- analysis, rather, reveals the Israeli troops are slowly advancing toward Gaza City after launching a
full ground incursion last Friday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: A state affiliated news outlet in Egypt says a first group of dual nationals has arrived from Gaza. Melissa Bell joins us now from Cairo.
Major activity at the Rafah border crossing. Injured Palestinians needing urgent care, finally moving through that crossing. I want you to give me a
sense of the latest. We know some foreign nationals, some dual passport holders, have already started passing through.
This is significant. These are the first Palestinians to leave Gaza and first foreign nationals to leave Gaza since October 7th.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Eleni. That's what we have been seeing coming across the border. So far what we have seen
from the Rafah crossing is, as you've said, Eleni, finally opening up the other way.
We've been covering over the course of the last 3.5 weeks, the very slow arrival of the aid trucks going into Gaza through Rafah into Egypt. And
we've seen a crossing entirely blocked since the conflict began. We're beginning to see the most severely wounded Palestinians; 81 will come out
today, 17 ambulances have already been seen leaving the Rafah crossing.
They are taking those people who are in need of urgent surgical intervention to a field hospital set up by Egyptian authorities, nine miles
away from the Rafah crossing. And also those remarkable pictures that you are seeing coming from, Rafah involving some of the families.
Those dual or foreign nationals that been waiting so desperately since this conflict began to be able to get out are finally able to do so. Amongst
them are children, families, people who will be greatly relieved to be arriving there on the Egyptian side, to be met with officials from their
respective countries.
I think it's worth noting the variety of countries that we are talking about. There are officials now at the Rafah crossing, from Austria,
Indonesia, Japan, Jordan. What we understand, Eleni, is that as far as some 400 American citizens that are inside Gaza, they are part of this deal that
has been struck by Qatar.
It may not be that they get out today in this first batch of those leaving. But they will get out. We understand that the deal has been fairly
comprehensive and it applies to all foreign dual nationals currently inside of Gaza.
So a remarkable development this morning, Eleni. And yet, really worth remembering that those images you are looking at of those leaving,
Palestinians, the first to get out since this began, or foreign nationals are really the lucky few. What continues to happen inside Gaza beyond the
bombarding --
[10:05:00]
BELL: -- is a severe lack of access for all of the population to food, medicine, water, any basic supplies. We've just been hearing as well that,
beyond that movement, through the Rafah crossing, there's an extra 20 aid trucks that have gone in.
To be clear, it's going to take around 250 aid trucks that have gone in since the total blockade that was announced by Israeli officials, a tiny
fraction, Eleni, of what is needed. So those making their way out today and for the families of those that are still inside, foreign, dual nationality,
those negotiations have finally borne their fruit.
GIOKOS: Significant negotiations, of, course happening behind the scenes. And of, course notable, there're 20,000 wounded reportedly in Gaza, only 81
getting out in terms of getting that extra assistance that they require.
But Melissa, we've also learned that Americans are not among the first group of foreign nationals to leave. They could be only leaving Thursday.
What do we understand about how they are splitting these groups?
BELL: I think the crucial thing is that the deal should have been comprehensive. I think we will have to wait over the coming days for the
various countries to be amongst those actually getting out.
It is an extremely complicated process, Eleni. Beyond the complication of the deal, that had, by the way, been clouded in secrecy and darkness, we
had not known anything about this until this morning, in terms of foreign nationals getting out.
We heard yesterday that the most severely wounded Palestinians are getting out. The foreign dual nationals breakthrough very sudden. And we spent the
day at Rafah today, there was no suggestion that this was about to, happen even though the Egyptian prime minister had been there with us.
No hint of a breakthrough and yet this morning this extraordinary development. The fact is, that as we understand, it all of them will be
getting out. But there, is of, course beyond the difficulties of the deal itself and how the negotiations must have been extremely fought together,
you talk about various parties -- Israel, Hamas, Egypt through, Qatar and with the United States, many of them not speaking to each other.
It would've been extremely fraught. There is now, the very logistical headache of getting these people through. Some of them will be traveling
without documents. Most of them have been through the most extraordinary events over the past 3.5. weeks not to say tragedies, depending on who is
getting there in the coming days.
People who will be traveling without documents, people who may or may not have been wounded, people who may or may not have lost family members. And
some of them traveling without documents. So the consular services that are there now and trying to help these people through will certainly have their
work cut out for them over the coming days.
GIOKOS: Absolutely, an important, significant breakthrough, as you said, Melissa. Thank you so much for that.
Many countries in the Arab world are condemning the Israeli airstrike on the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza that left behind catastrophic damage. The
exact number of deaths and injuries are not clear at this point.
But eyewitnesses say a large number of people were killed. One witness tells CNN that it felt like the end of the world, with huge craters in the
ground filled with dead people and body parts.
The Israeli military is defending Tuesday's attack, saying it killed numerous Hamas terrorists, including a top leader who helped plan and
execute the October 7th terror attack, killing 1,400 people. CNN's Nada Bashir takes a closer look at the horrific scenes from the refugee camp
and, a warning, her report contains graphic content.
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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Horrifying scenes of utter despair. Where is she?
This man pleads, with everything here is gone. Part of the Jabalya refugee camp, among the largest and most densely populated in Gaza, now turned to
rubble.
The latest target of Israel's relentless air campaign. The IDF has claimed responsibility for the airstrike. The targets, they say, a senior Hamas
commander killed in the blast.
LT. COL. RICHARD HECHT, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: We were focused again on a target a senior commander.
BASHIR: But this attack this massacre, as doctors in Gaza are describing it as hit civilians hardest. Response teams work desperately in the hope of
finding more survivors. But outside Gaza is overwhelmed Indonesian hospital, corpses line the street. The number of those killed and injured
according to the hospital's director already in the hundreds.
DR. SUAIB IDAIS, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN (through translator): They were just in their homes, children, women, the elderly, we have no idea what to do.
The injured are everywhere.
[10:10:00]
BASHIR (voice-over): Inside the hospital, mothers with their children, wounded and traumatized. But outside survivors continue to dig through the
debris of what once were their homes, desperate to find loved ones buried beneath but all fearing the very worst.
Some of the videos which have emerged from the aftermath of the airstrike on Jabalya are simply too graphic to show. Doctors tell CNN their bodies
were found charred and dismembered. This nightmare comes of the residents in northern Gaza for warned by Israel to evacuate southwards, for many
simply cannot leave.
And while Israel denies carrying out collective punishment against the Palestinian people but scenes like this, reflected across the Gaza Strip,
show that it is civilians that are paying the price -- Nada Bashir, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: We've been reporting that Israeli forces are defending the military's deadly airstrike on Gaza's biggest refugee camp, saying the hit
killed a top Hamas commander involved in the October 7th attack on Israel.
A doctor at a nearby hospital says scores of civilians were also killed in the attack. I want to bring in CNN's Rafael Romo, who is in Tel Aviv for
us.
And we've been hearing, Rafael, IDF defending the strike on Jabalya. We have just seen from that report, civilians have been severely impacted and
it's been put down to the tragedy of war. That is the line.
But give me a sense that they can confirm, if the man they were after has also been killed and how many Hamas operatives who were at this refugee
camp, to justify the strike?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Yes, hi, Eleni. That very same question was asked of the IDF earlier today. And what we heard is that
their own intelligence tells them that it was, indeed -- as we hear -- there was an alarm earlier today. What you hear over here is telling us
that that air -- the siren emergency is finishing up.
But they say that they're all -- intelligence is telling them they killed that commander and, let me tell you, Eleni the Israel Defense Forces insist
that the airstrike that killed a large number of people at the largest refugee camp in Gaza, was, quote, "a clear military necessity and also a
legitimate target."
This is what we heard in the last few hours from Peter Lerner, a spokesperson with the IDF.
Lerner described Ibrahim Biari, the Hamas commander they were targeting, as an arch terrorist, who, given the chance, would attack Israel again and
again. Lerner also said that Biari was surrounded by dozens of what he called his henchmen. And that they were planning to conduct more attacks,
which made them a legitimate target.
But this gets a little bit tricky, Eleni, because Hamas says that Biari was not even at the site of the camp when it was struck. A spokesperson for
Hamas has denied Biari was there and called the Israeli strike a heinous crime against safe civilians, children and women.
One point the IDF is trying to stress is that the bombing itself does not explain the collapsing of all the buildings. Another IDF spokesperson said
earlier today that collapsed tunnels were partially responsible for the scale of destruction from the Tuesday strike.
At this, point, Lerner also said that Hamas intentionally places its infrastructure in civilian areas, arguing that its militants are a brutal
enemy that has no regard for human life. As for confirmation, again, we are waiting to get more of that. But what they're saying so far is that their
own intelligence has confirmed that Biari is dead.
GIOKOS: Lot of questions around that. Just as reaction, Josep Borrell, the E.U. High Representative, says that he's appalled by the high number of
casualties at Jabalya refugee camp. Of, course is a story that is still very much developing. Rafael Romo, in Tel Aviv for, us thank you.
Let's go to Qatar now, which mediated the deal to release the foreign nationals from Gaza. Becky Anderson is in Doha for us.
Becky, great to have you on the ground there. You've been covering the significant shift today that we've seen at Rafah border. We have not seen
anyone move through that crossing.
And Qataris have been very instrumental in mediation talks; big shift today, foreign nationals moving out, as well as injured Palestinians.
How did they get this deal then?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: It was hard earned, this success, it's been days, weeks, effectively in the making. This dual track, because of course,
it is still Qatar-led negotiations, trying to get a deal across the line on the release of hostages, of course. This is separate at this point.
[10:15:00]
ANDERSON: This is dual nationals or foreign passport holders that we are seeing some success on 110 foreign passport holders, as we understand it
now, have left Gaza and have moved into the crossing area at -- the process is that they go into that crossing and then they will move out of that
crossing into Egypt, where they will be met by medical teams and delegations from their respective countries.
So as we understand, it 110 foreign passport holders, plus, importantly, some 80 to 81 severely or critically injured patients who need surgical
interventions to save their lives. That was also negotiated as part of this operation today.
With regard those who are left, well, as I understand, it I have been told by sources here that foreign nationals who want to leave will be allowed to
leave. It is just the process. It is starting today, for example.
As far as U.S. officials are concerned -- and I've been told here we are likely to see U.S. citizens today but likely to see them tomorrow. As we
understand it, there are some 400 U.S. passport holders with their families. That could be as many as 1,000 people going through that border
crossing, to be met by American authorities tomorrow.
Other countries, for example, Jordan, we now understand, have initiated their evacuation of their citizens. It is not clear on the numbers as of
yet. But that evacuation has now started through the Gaza side of that crossing.
So as I said, a well earned success by these Qatar-led negotiators, who are night and day negotiating with Hamas and Israel and Egypt, in coordination
on this file with the United States. That is the latest on the foreign nationals leaving today and in the days to come.
We are going up a lot more news on the story, the wider story, after this short break, stay with us.
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ANDERSON: As we've been reporting, up to 500 foreign nationals who are stuck in Gaza could be released now as part of a deal mediated by Qatar.
That is according to sources familiar with these negotiations.
The arrangement are separate from any negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas. I'm told that those are ongoing. No concrete deal as of yet. But
those negotiations are still ongoing. The deal to get these foreign nationals out comes as some Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza for
the first time since the war began.
Egypt says, severely injured patients have begun to arrive --
[10:20:00]
ANDERSON: -- in Egypt via the Rafah border crossing, as they describe, it one by one.
Meantime, Israel is defending a strike on a densely populated refugee camp that local doctors say killed scores of civilians. The Israeli military
says the hit was targeting a top Hamas commander.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, UNRWA, had a large presence at the camp. Let's speak now to the UNRWA's director of
communications, Juliette Touma, who joins us now from Amman.
I'm going to lean into you for whatever you have as far as what we can report.
Do you have the details of how many people were killed or injured at the camp?
JULIETTE TOUMA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, UNRWA: Becky, good to speak to you amid very, very bad circumstances. What we do know is that this is the
largest Palestine refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
Before the war, it was home to 125,000 people. We believe that there continue to be around 30,000 people only in U.N. shelters that we continue
to have in that area. That is the information that I have for now.
We were not able to bring in more information due to the communications blackout that Gaza went through this morning at around noon or 1 pm local
time.
ANDERSON: That's important to point out, because we reported across the board, of that blackout Friday going into Saturday and clearly there has
been another one this morning, making communications extremely difficult.
The IDF has said that the strike targeted a Hamas commander and that collapsed tunnels were responsible for the scale of the devastation there.
What is your response to that, as far as your understanding is concerned?
TOUMA: I am not in a position at all to comment on this statement, Becky, because simply we do not have the information for the reasons that I
mentioned in my first answer, due to the connectivity challenges.
I also wanted to let you and the viewers know that, today, our commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, he managed to finally get into Gaza after
weeks of pleading with the different parties. He just made it out of Gaza. He was there on the ground for a few hours.
ANDERSON: And what is he reporting?
TOUMA: Terrible conditions. Terrible, terrible conditions. Him and I just spoke before I came on live to speak to you, Becky. He was in one of our
shelters. There were thousands of people in one of our shelters.
This is a U.N. shelter that was indirectly hit during the war. The sanitary conditions are appalling, according to him. People live on the very, very
basic, just a little bread and whatever is left of some water.
Our staff are dedicated. They keep going. But they're also finding it extremely challenging to operate, given the little humanitarian supplies
that have been coming into Gaza.
ANDERSON: The only hospital treating cancer patients is now, according, to health authorities, in Gaza now out of service as a result of running out
of fuel, which is, you know, an awful thing to be reporting at this point.
What do you understand to be the limited resources and services left for medical help in Gaza?
We do know that some 80 to 81 Palestinians who are severely, critically injured are being evacuated through the Rafah border crossing today, those
who need surgical intervention, which simply does not exist in Gaza at this point, which, is of course, good news.
But what is your understanding on the ground?
TOUMA: I mean, I'll tell you what I know about our own fuel situation. We are running out of fuel. We have had to ration. It is simply because we did
not get any shipment of fuel for Gaza, not just UNRWA but Gaza did not receive any shipment of fuel since the 7th of October.
So it is almost one month that no fuel has come into the Gaza Strip and we are running out of the very little reserves that we have and, that of
course, has a huge impact on our humanitarian response.
[10:25:00]
TOUMA: We are currently hosting 670,000 people across our shelters. And we need fuel for very simple things, to drive our cars, to drive trucks to the
border and pick up the very little supplies, to stand up medical facilities for the water pumping stations.
Fuel is, really, really, critical. It is also critical for the bakeries that UNRWA have been supporting.
ANDERSON: As we understand, it there has been another strike on a residential area close to the Jabalya camp today.
From your perspective, what do you understand to be the IDF's commitment to not strike, to avoid striking anywhere where people are sheltering at
present?
Are you in direct communication with the Israeli military?
And what evidence do you have that those in your shelters -- and there are tens of thousands, not least in the south, not including those in the north
-- are safe at this point?
TOUMA: We are sheltering hundreds of thousands; 670,000 people are taking refuge in our shelters, including schools and medical facilities, even
warehouses we've had to open to bring in people who needed a safe place to stay.
However, there is no place that is safe across the Gaza Strip, not the north, not the south and not the middle areas. No place is safe.
We have lost at UNRWA 68 colleagues since the war began. They were all killed, 68. Some of them were killed in the line of duty; some, the most
recent colleague of ours, Hamid (ph), was killed while at home in the middle areas with his wife and eight children when his U.N. car, clearly
marked as U.N., was parked outside his house.
ANDERSON: Yes. These are horrifying statistics. I must say, my heart goes out to your organization (INAUDIBLE) sincere condolences for the loss of
those lives.
I just must ask you very quickly, your boss, Philippe Lazzarini, addressed the U.N. Security Council on Monday in an emergency meeting, imploring the
need for humanitarian aid and a pause, if not a cease-fire in Gaza at this point.
We still haven't had a vote on any text at this, point that was expected yesterday.
What is your message at this point?
TOUMA: It's long overdue. We need a humanitarian cease-fire. There are too many lives that were lost. It is absolutely time for a cease-fire and it is
also time to increase the number of trucks that are coming in and to finally, finally send fuel (INAUDIBLE), because UNRWA needs it for its
largest humanitarian operation in the region.
We need fuel.
ANDERSON: With that, we'll leave it there. We thank you very much for joining us. I know you're extremely busy important to get your message out.
As I can report the latest numbers coming today from the health ministry in Gaza, suggesting that 8,700 people in Gaza have lost their lives since
October the 7th. We'll be back with more news after this short break.
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GIOKOS: Welcome back to our extended coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi.
Now we are following significant new developments in the ongoing conflict this hour. First, Palestinian health officials say 8,700 people have been
killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. More than 22,000 people have been injured.
Meantime, Egyptian state media states that the first group of some 500 foreign nationals that could be allowed to leave Gaza soon has arrived in
Egypt after getting through the Rafah border crossing.
Under the deal brokered by Qatar, all foreign nationals in Gaza, excluding hostages, could be allowed to depart over the next few days.
Dozens of severely wounded Palestinians also beginning to leave Gaza for treatment in Egypt as part of this deal as well. The first of these
patients began entering the Rafah crossing via ambulance a few hours ago. A field hospital has been set up in Egypt to get them urgent care they need.
These are the first known Palestinians to be allowed to leave Gaza since the conflict began. The Israeli military now says it has hit more than
11,000 Hamas targets in Gaza since the start of the war. It announced earlier that nine more of its soldiers have been killed as part of the
ongoing ground incursion into Gaza.
Jeremy Diamond is in Sderot, Israel, near the Gaza border.
And, of course, Israel has intensified its ground offensive since Friday. We've seen major development over the last few days. And then, importantly,
we saw that big strike on the Jabalya refugee camp. Tell me the latest in terms of what we're seeing on the ground.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No doubt about, it Eleni. We are now in the sixth day of Israel's expanded ground operations. We are
hearing less aerial bombardment of Gaza.
But we are hearing the continuing thud of artillery fire being directed at the Gaza Strip, as well as gunfights happening. I can hear over both of my
shoulders, really, ongoing machine gunfire, as well as small arms fire.
Now we were near an artillery position earlier today, facing the Gaza border. And you can see hear artillery guns going off every 10 to 20
seconds. So really continuous pounding of targets inside the Gaza Strip.
And what we know is that Israeli forces on the ground have also been making increasing use of close air support. So what they are doing is that they
are seeing targets on the ground and then calling those in.
We've seen Apache gunships, firing missiles at Gaza. We've also known that forces on the ground are calling in other forms of air support, bombs being
dropped on specific targets, that those forces on the ground are calling in.
All of this as we're now seeing that humanitarian aid is increasingly making its way into Gaza. We are also seeing the first foreign nationals as
well as injured Palestinian civilians making it out of the Gaza Strip via that Rafah crossing into Egypt.
An estimated 500 foreign nationals are expected to be able to leave via that Rafah crossing today. But American nationals are not expected to be
part of that first group, though they could be allowed to leave Gaza as early as tomorrow.
GIOKOS: A really important breakthrough that we've seen of foreign nationals and injured Palestinians being able to exit into Egypt.
[10:35:00]
GIOKOS: And despite the intensity we're seeing on the ground, look, we've been talking all week. We know that there are many troops ready to head
into Gaza.
Have you received any indication about the next step?
We know the IDF is calling it the second phase of what they are doing. Second phase of the operation.
But what happens next?
DIAMOND: They've made clear that they are going to continue to be --
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GIOKOS: All right, we just lost Jeremy Diamond there.
Thank you so much for that update.
All right, moving on. Now as the Israeli military pushes further into Gaza, we will be bringing you more on that story a little later. I'd like to take
us now to Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta. He's a British Palestinian surgeon, working at Shifa hospital and a founding member of INARA, a charity that
focuses on war wounded children. He joins us now on the line from Gaza City.
Doctor, thank you very much for taking the time during this period. I want to start with some of the breaking news out today. We've got 81 injured
Palestinians that have been slowly entering Egypt. We know the overall number of injured in Gaza tops 22,000.
Do you have any idea on how the decision was made since those specific cases?
Are any of your patients part of that group heading to Egypt?
Do we have Dr. Ghassan?
OK. I think we've lost communication with Dr. Ghassan. We will try getting him on later in the show. Of course, it is an important conversation as we
are seeing injured Palestinians heading out into Egypt and, more importantly, the impact of the Jabalya refugee camp strike as well
overnight.
Now the Biden administration is confronting questions about Israel's commitment to minimizing civilian deaths. More questions are being raised
today after the airstrike on the Jabalya refugee camp that we've been showing.
Growing concern about the safety of Palestinian civilians, was also front and center, when the U.S. president spoke on the phone with the Israeli
prime minister a few days ago. I want to head now to Washington, D.C., we've got CNN's Priscilla Alvarez standing by.
Diplomatic calls have been happening behind the scenes.
What, if anything, are they actually achieving, specifically on the possibility of a pause, at least in the conflict, not perhaps a cease-fire
but we are looking at all options here, in terms of trying to find a way forward in the next few days, to get more aid into Gaza.
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials are still in very close touch with Israeli counterparts. But it is a tightrope that
the administration is walking for Israel. And that is that they are maintaining that they are urging Israel to protect innocent civilians and
contain casualties.
But they're also wrestling with the images coming out of Gaza, the destruction following that strike on the refugee camp just yesterday. And
that really captured the tightrope they're walking as this conflict continues to unfold.
Now those concerns are held among U.S. officials, as well as all the way up to the president, who has raised this with the prime minister in calls with
him, including this past, weekend where they discussed that Israel has the right to defend itself.
But they also need to contain those casualties. Those are conversations that they are having privately and publicly. And just yesterday, from the
national security spokesperson, we saw how the administration is still demonstrating empathy here but making clear that Israel does have the right
to defend itself.
Take a listen what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET.), COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Unlike Russia and Ukraine, unlike what
Hamas did on the 7th of October, the killing of civilians is not a war aim of Israel.
I'm not denying that it's happening. Of course it is. What I can tell you is that we have indications that they are trying. I am not predicting that
on any given day, they are not going to fail to meet their own expectations about killing civilians.
Sadly, our own experience as a military over the last 20 years has shown us that, even with our best intentions and all the efforts that we put into
avoiding civilian casualties, we still cause them. And it's tragic, each and every time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Now aides to the president believe that these warnings are more effectively delivered in private. But the reality that the administration
continues to face here is that it could see public support for Israel erode over time.
And that is something that they will have to monitor, especially as they see rifts within the Democratic Party over support of Israel.
[10:40:00]
ALVAREZ: So all of this weighing heavy on the White House as it moves forward.
GIOKOS: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much.
As the Israeli military pushes further into Gaza, casualties are expected to increase dramatically. And that is raising fears that skirmishes with
Hezbollah near the Lebanon border could grow more violent. Our Jim Sciutto has more.
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Israeli soldiers gaze north toward Lebanon, what they fear could be the next front of this war.
And in fact, Israel and Hezbollah are already exchanging fire across the length of the Israeli-Lebanon border. IDF howitzers firing on Hezbollah
targets and Hezbollah firing back. Virtually every village we visit along the border has come under fire.
SCIUTTO: When you travel along the Israel-Lebanon border, you see things like this multiple times a day. The smoke rising there, the flames from a
strike. That's just across the border inside Lebanon. Not clear if that was outgoing fire from Lebanon or incoming from Israel.
We did just hear from the IDF a short -- and there's another explosion as we're speaking. And we heard of another exchange of fire just a couple of
miles down here. That wall you see along there, that marks the border between Israel on this side and Lebanon on the other.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): The threat comes from further afield as well. Today, Israel said its Arrow high altitude missile defense system fired for the
first time since the October 7th attacks, responding to a missile launch by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Israeli officials see one nation behind all these attacks: Iran.
REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON (through translator): There are many actors who are acting at the behest of Iran, including the
Houthis, who are trying to challenge us and to distract us from the war in Gaza. We remain focused. We are focused on the war in Gaza.
SCIUTTO (voice-over): Gaza remains the main thrust but the IDF is attacking inside Lebanon and Syria multiple times a day. This strike, the
IDF says, hit Hezbollah infrastructure.
Funerals held for the last two days in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah saying nearly 50 of its fighters have been killed since the clashes began -- Jim
Sciutto, CNN, on the Israeli-Lebanon border.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: This just, in the Saudi defense minister, Prince Khaled bin Salman, is in Washington this week meeting with U.S. officials. Moments
ago, take look at this, he arrived at the Pentagon, where he is meeting the U.S. Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin.
He will also meet with Antony Blinken, the secretary of state. Of course, many diplomatic discussions happening, as the region faces and will face a
very new dynamic on a geopolitical perspective.
We will have more news after the short break, stay with CNN.
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GIOKOS: We are expecting to see Donald Trump Jr. today at a New York courthouse, where he will take the stand in the civil fraud trial against
his family and their business. Don Jr. and his brother, Eric, both senior executives at the Trump Organization and also, defendants in the case.
They are being accused of fraudulently inflating the value of the company's assets. The former president's daughter, Ivanka, is also set to testify
next week. I want to go live now to CNN's Brynn Gingras, who is just outside of the courthouse.
Great to see you, Brynn.
What kinds of questions do you expect Don Jr. to face today, to field today?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, Eleni, it is questions about the preparation of those financial statements at the heart of this
case. Keep in mind, the judge has already ruled the defendant, Trump Org, the former president, his two adult sons are liable for fraud.
However, the state is still trying to prove they all sort of worked together over decades, along the fraud scheme, in preparation of those
documents. Listen, we had heard a deposition from Donald Trump Jr. last year, when he was under oath, and sort of distanced himself from how those
documents were prepared.
Saying, listen, he has a business degree but he relies on his accountants, on his legal team to prepare those statements and then he signs off on
them. We do expect somewhat of that similar testimony when he finally does take the stand.
Quick thing to point out, right now, there is a state's expert witness on the stand. There will be direct examination of this witness and then cross-
examination. So it is possible that Don Jr.'s testimony could slide until tomorrow.
After that does happen, we are expecting Trump's next son, Eric Trump, to take the stand. More pointed questions toward him since we heard his name
come up numerous times throughout this trial so far.
And then, later next week, we expect the former president to take the stand and then, Ivanka Trump. So we have a pretty hectic couple of weeks in this
civil trial.
GIOKOS: Yes, absolutely. Eric and Ivanka Trump are also expected to testify. You mentioned this.
What is the state expecting them to say or to hear from them, what are we expecting?
GINGRAS: Listen, Eric Trump, mentioned numerous times by different witnesses, throughout the four weeks of this trial. He and Don Jr. took a
more expended role, when their father took the presidency when it comes to Trump Org.
That is why they are defendants in this case. To that point, they have a lot to lose. The state's -- the attorney general is trying to get $250
million from Trump Org in repayment from those financial statements that they say has created a loss for the state.
They are also trying to put the Trumps out of business, so they have their livelihood at stake here. The more pointed questions will be to Eric Trump,
though, because he has more of the business side of Trump Org, where Don Jr. has been more of a campaigning side with his father.
He is always on social media, talking about even this trial, how it is a witch hunt.
So it will be a little bit different in questioning but they all do center around how these financial statements were prepared and, you know, did that
really cause a loss for the state, in terms of money?
GIOKOS: Brynn, great to see you, thank you so much.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla are in Kenya for a state visit. They received a ceremonial welcome in Nairobi on Tuesday. The visit comes
as the East African nation marks 60 years of independence from British colonial rule.
And some Kenyans continue to seek reparations for human rights abuses by the British empire. As CNN's Max Foster reports, so far, the king has
stopped short of offering a full apology.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Elizabeth II became Queen while visiting Kenya in 1952 on the death of her father. That same year, Mau Mau
freedom fighters led by Dedan Kimathi rebelled against British rule.
London responded by declaring a state of emergency and its military rounded up more than 90,000 Kenyans who were tortured, maimed and/or killed,
according to the Kenyan Human Rights Commission. Their death warrants, signed by the British, hang in the Tunnel of Martyrs in Nairobi today.
Those who died in the resistance are honored here at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, along with all of Kenya's fallen heroes. King Charles
coming here to lay a wreath.
But for many Kenya, they want more than gestures.
FOSTER: The British government did concede in 2013 that it sincerely regret the abuses --
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FOSTER (voice-over): -- but it hasn't accepted responsibility or liability. But it has paid out a settlement of $30 million to more than
5,000 Kenyans who claimed human rights abuses. This mural depicts Kimathi. His daughter Evelyn wants a full apology
from Charles and reparations from the U.K.
EVELYN WANJUGU KIMATHI, DAUGHTER OF MAU MAU FREEDOM FIGHTER: Though we are not expecting so much because we have tried to reach them but they're
telling us he is not a political leader and he cannot make any political decision. But he's -- is the winning (ph) power. His goodwill is the one we
want.
FOSTER: Would the king go further and offer a full apology?
This is what he said at a state banquet held in his honor by President Ruto of Kenya.
KING CHARLES III, BRITISH MONARCH: The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. There were abhorrent and
unjustified acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and
sovereignty. And for that, there can be no excuse.
FOSTER: So short of a full apology and no mention of reparations.
WILLIAM RUTO, KENYAN PRESIDENT: While there has been efforts to atone for the death, injury and suffering inflicted on Kenyan-Africans by colonial
government, much remains to be done in order to achieve full reparations.
KIMATHI: We will still continue pushing. Yes, the struggle continues.
FOSTER: As it does in an increasing number of former British colonies across Africa and the Caribbean.
Max Foster, CNN -- Nairobi, Kenya.
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GIOKOS: All right, we are going to a very short break. More news, after this.
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ANDERSON: Well, diplomats and leaders are in full crisis mode around this region, in an effort to avoid a wider escalation of violence. Jordan's King
Abdullah II was on a state visit to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
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ANDERSON: He was welcomed by the president of the United Arab Emirates. On the same day, King Abdullah stressed in a phone call with U.S. President
Joe Biden the importance of a cease-fire in Gaza.
The UAE has condemned the Israeli airstrike from Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza. Its foreign ministry saying, indiscriminate attacks could, quote,
"lead to devastating outcomes for the prospects of peace and stability in the region."
Meantime, Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister met the Qatari emir in Doha, the tiny Gulf state playing a key role here in negotiations between the United
States, Israel and Hamas for the release of hostages and foreign nationals from Gaza.
That is in large part because of its good relationship with both Iran and the United States. The Iranian foreign minister met Ismail Haniyeh, the
head of the political arm of Hamas. Iran's foreign minister has since gone on to Ankara to discuss the conflict.
Turkiye's rhetoric toward Israel becoming more harsh in recent weeks as the death toll rises in Gaza.
All of that, after the director of Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, was also here in Doha this weekend. David Barnea was there to discuss the
ongoing efforts to get hostages released by Hamas.
Resources familiar to the talks tell CNN, looming over all of this diplomatic shuffling, another visit from the U.S. secretary of state Antony
Blinken to Israel expected this Friday.
The State Department saying he will make other regional stops. You can be sure those other diplomatic missions will be in an effort to quell rising
tensions.
I am Becky Anderson in Doha. Thank you for watching our continuing coverage.
GIOKOS: All right, I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. Thank you for watching. Joining us, up next, "STATE OF THE RACE WITH KASIE HUNT." stay tuned.
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