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U.N. Chief: "There is Nowhere Safe to go" in Gaza; W.H.O.: Risk of "Major Outbreaks" of Disease in Gaza; More than 350 People Killed in East Africa Floods; Israeli Military Says Jabalya Refugee Camp Surrounded, Raid on Hamas Command Center; Hamas: Sexual Violence Allegations are "Unfounded Lies"; Daredevil Combines Wakeskating & Base Jumping. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired December 05, 2023 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: It's 6 pm here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos and this is "Connect the World". A top UN official says there
is no way safe to go in Gaza as the IDF intensifies its offensive. The constant bombardment is increasing risk of disease and hospitals there are
struggling to keep up. And climate change is a harsh reality that some face every day. We take a look at the unprecedented flooding in East Africa.
Welcome to the show. And one impossible choice after another the UN's top emergency relief official says that is the gut wrenching reality facing the
people of Gaza in what he calls apocalyptic conditions. The UN Secretary General is also appealing to Israel's military to spare civilian lives as
it ramps up ground operations in Southern Gaza and targets what it says are Hamas command-and-control centers in the north.
The Hamas controlled Health Ministry in Gaza counts more than 15,000 deaths there since the war started almost two months ago. It is not clear how many
have been killed in terms of Hamas militants. An Israeli military spokesperson says a reported ratio of two civilians killed for every
militant killed is "Tremendously positive given the challenges of urban combat".
We've got Alex Marquardt in Tel Aviv for us, great to see you, Alex. I'd like to start off with some of the intercepts, the rocket intercepts that
we've been seeing over Tel Aviv. What more can you tell us?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Eleni. The Alakazam Brigades the military wing of Hamas has just claimed
responsibility for a barrage of rockets that were fired in less than an hour ago against Tel Aviv. About 35 minutes ago, we heard the sirens going
off which is not all that uncommon. And we heard the Iron Dome interceptor rockets taking down some of those Hamas rockets.
But what is relatively rare is then the impact that we saw just north of our position here in the northern part of Tel Aviv by a power station a
large plume of black smoke. It is rare for some of those rockets to get through the Iron Dome. The vast majority of the rockets that are fired are
usually taken down.
But the Iron Dome is clever enough to also determine whether or not a rocket is going to impact near a civilian area. And I do have to say that
this was quite close to a residential area. We understand from the police that they are checking to see whether there were any injuries or
casualties. And so far none have been reported.
But Eleni this does come as the IDF is not only expanding but intensifying their operation moving not just from the north where their operation has
been taking place for the past few months, but into the south, we've seen satellite imagery.
We've seen other video of dozens of Israeli armored vehicles in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Now remember, Israel had told North Gaza
residents to move south more than a million of them. Now Israel is telling parts of Southern Gaza to evacuate as well, particularly around the City of
Khan Yunis, where officials believe that some Hamas leadership has gone.
And so it is an extraordinarily chaotic situation in Southern Gaza. 1.9 million Gazans are displaced according to the United Nations. That is the
vast majority of the 2.2 million Palestinian population of Gaza, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yeah, all right, Alex Marquardt, thank you so much for that update. Right on top of all of this news, a new warning, there is no way safe to go
in Gaza. Those are the words of UN Chief Antonio Guterres. He's speaking out as Israel's war with Hamas spreads to the south where many civilians
had previously sought refuge. A top health official says there could be "Major outbreaks of disease because of appalling living conditions".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD BRENNAN, REGIONAL EMERGENCY DIRECTOR, W.H.O. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: We're hearing 200 people sharing one toilet. So you know with toilets,
overflowing open defecation. These kinds of conditions are ripe for the spread of disease. And we're seeing increased numbers have respiratory
infections of diarrhea.
[09:05:00]
We've had over 1100 cases of jaundice, which would make us concerned about the spread of hepatitis, as well as terrible skin infections, scabies and
head lice and so on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right, we've got -- we're looking at footage of the Al Nasr Hospital in Southern Gaza, one of the few that are still operating. But the
manager there is using one word to describe what is happening at health centers across the territory, catastrophic. I want to bring in CNN's Ben
Wedeman live from Jerusalem for us. You know, we've been covering just the state of the medical facilities in Gaza for many weeks now.
And we've been hearing harrowing stories playing out, running out of medical care, medical equipment, and supplies, frankly. And now we're
hearing this dire warning of disease breaking out and the situation probably going to get a lot worse in the southern parts of Gaza as well,
Ben. What more can you tell us about what they're facing right now?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what they're facing right now, as you can probably tell, is inclement weather. We have a
winter storm going along the eastern Mediterranean. And according to the forecast in Gaza, in addition to heavy rains, there could be flash floods.
And we know that tens of thousands of people who have been forced to move several times since the beginning of this war, are sleeping out in the
streets, they're sleeping in the open. And basically all the schools that have been turned into shelters in the southern part of Gaza and Khan Yunis
and Rafah are jammed over capacity.
And therefore they're going to be in addition to under the threat of disease, starvation, dehydration, now they have the weather to deal with as
well. And in fact, Martin Griffiths, the Chief the UN Relief Officer said the following, every time we think things cannot get more apocalyptic in
Gaza, they do.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Desperate times call for desperate measures. And in Gaza if that means looting the local bakery destroyed overnight by an
Israeli airstrike, so be it. Look at the people, says Ikrama Rai (ph). They're doing this out of hunger. It was the Baraka bakery. Baraka is
Arabic for blessing. But now Gaza is under the curse of war.
It was the last functioning bakery in Deir al-Balah -- basic needs striking it is a kind of terrorism. Once the sun came up Monday, people of all ages
descended upon the bakery. Taking away bags of flour, cooking oil, scraps of wood to use for cooking and heating, and just about anything else they
could carry away. This man describes it in one word, chaos. The World Food Program's Abeer Etafa warns that people of Gaza are reaching the breaking
point.
ABEER ETAFA, WORLD FOOD PROGRAM: When you have civil order breaking down completely because people are becoming desperate, top hopeless hungry by
the moment this is of course, bound to happen.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): And with Israeli ground forces now operating in Southern Gaza, the hundreds of thousands who fled the north in search of
safety are now even more than before in the line of fire. Gaza after almost two months of war has come to this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (on camera): And of course one of the problems in places like Khan Yunis, where there's an active military operation ongoing is that the UN
and other relief agencies can't even distribute food in places like that, Eleni?
GIOKOS: Ben Wedeman, thank you so much for that update. While the health official we mentioned earlier, Richard Brennan is the Regional Emergency
Director for the World Health Organization in the Eastern Mediterranean. He joins us now live from Cairo. Richard, great to have you on thank you so
much.
And I referred to the W.H.O. Chief Dr. Tedros who tweeted this morning saying that they have received or you have received a notification that you
should be removing supplies from medical warehouses in Southern Gaza within 24 hours.
It is a stock warning that coupled with what we just heard from our Ben Wedeman as well. And the images and the stories that continue to come
through of the dire situation playing out in all of Gaza right now. How are you dealing with the latest news and preparing for a ground invasion in
Southern Gaza?
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BRENNAN: Well, let's be clear. Really the ground invasion has started. And it was interesting to hear that. Can you hear me? I'm sorry.
GIOKOS: Yes, I can. Thank you, Richard. There's a bit of a delay, go ahead.
BRENNAN: It was interesting to hear the hospital official just - I'm sorry. You know, it's interesting to hear the new hospital official that you
quoted earlier, using the term catastrophic. And we've been using the term catastrophic for several weeks now -- humanitarian and public health
situation in Gaza. We've been wondering what other term can you use with further deterioration?
So it's, it's striking and heartbreaking really to hear Martin Griffiths now using the term Apocalyptic. And that's, you know, it's probably an apt
turn; the situation is so dire Eleni. I've been working in humanitarian assistance for 30 years; I've worked on emergencies in over 40 countries. I
can't remember a situation with such high levels of violence.
So many volunteers in such an acute period of time, such acute levels of population displacement, and there's little access to those in need. And
it's not just me who's saying this. Quite a few of my senior humanitarian colleagues are saying the same thing. It is catastrophic, dire.
You know, I don't think any feeling person who sees the videos of children who have been nine, children who have been orphaned, parents who are just
in inconsolable grief, and the levels of destruction, I can't imagine anyone seeing those countless videos and thinking there's got to be a
better way. This conflict, it's brutal, it's ferocious, it's merciless, we have got a ceasefire.
GIOKOS: Richard, it seems that things are going to get worse if we look at the probabilities that could be playing out in the next few days and the
next couple of weeks. And Ben Wedeman had spoken about the bad weather that is imminent that is playing out right now. How are you on the ground, how's
the W.H.O. preparing for these eventualities, these dire scenarios the right hand?
BRENNAN: Well, I'll be -- of course, is health. So we have a number of different approaches there. The health system has undergone a massive
degradation throughout the conflict; we've gone from 36, functioning hospitals down to 18. And of those 18, they're all only partially
functional.
So what we are trying to do is expand the capacity of some of the hospitals by bringing in tenant facilities, prefab facilities, particularly to the
three main hospitals in the south. We know that many of the major hospitals in the north are either completely out of action are only very, very
partially active.
We're very concerned that the new -- the escalated offensive is going to put out of action, the remaining hospitals in the south, that cannot be
allowed to happen. So what we're trying to do is we're advocating that these hospitals be protected, that they'd be supported, we're putting in
more beds, bringing in supplies as best we can.
We're also working with a number of partners to bring in a limited number of field hospitals and put them in strategic places. There are not many
agencies in the world who wants to -- who feel that they can bring hospitals into southern Gaza because of the insecurity, because of the lack
of fuel, because of the questionable supply ones, but that's another option.
We're also looking at ways to bring people out try to help with medical evacuations into Egypt trying to strengthen that process as well and then
there will be issued steps around controlling infectious diseases that has been --
GIOKOS: Yeah. So Richard, on that note, in terms of infectious diseases and with the rain that is now on the horizon, what advice do you have for
people on the ground? What interventions are possible for people to get access to clean water to protect themselves? I mean, frankly, the stories
that we've been covering, the images that we've been seeing it almost seems like an impossibility to protect yourself if you're in Gaza right now.
[09:15:00]
BRENNAN: Yeah, it's incredibly challenging as one of my colleagues from -- said today, the houses are full, the shelters are full, the streets are
full. And we don't, you know, we're still not getting aid in at anywhere near the level required. So there are huge risks for the spread of
infectious diseases, especially diarrhea and pneumonia.
We're already seeing cases of jaundice indicating likely hepatitis skin infections and so on. Ass Ben has indicated that, whether that's going to
expose people to hypothermia and of course, the lack of food, people's nutritional status is starting to decline rapidly. That is a very, very
toxic mix.
If we start seeing people die from outbreaks, we start seeing people die of hypothermia and malnutrition. That is an absolute crime. And, you know, we
have the international community, we have an obligation to put on the political pressure to hope -- and reverse this terrible downward spiral.
GIOKOS: Richard Brennan, thank you very much for your time. Really appreciate it. Thank you. Well, in Gaza, tens of thousands of displaced
Palestinians have migrated south towards the Rafah border crossing with Egypt over the past two days according to the UN. Most newly arriving
people are settling in the streets and in empty spaces across the city, where they've been erecting tents and makeshift shelters.
Meantime, Israel says it --180 international humanitarian aid trucks and two fuel tankers for entry into Gaza on Monday. The UN says it only counted
100 trucks, which had called insufficient to meet the needs of civilians trapped there amid the war. We've got CNN's Larry Madowo joining us now
from Cairo with all of these developments, Larry, good to see you.
Look, the reality is, and we've been discussing this, that it's just not enough aid, we're not seeing it -- you're seeing enough trucks going into
Gaza. It's not nearly enough to meet the needs, even during the period of the truce where you had aid trucks increasing, again, not nearly enough.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The background here is I was at the Rafah border crossing just hours before the truce expired. And there
were miles of trucks waiting to get in. Hundreds of trucks waiting to get in, most of them have still not been able to get in. Because even though
there's many trucks on the Egyptian side of the crossing, for them to get past, they have to go the Nitzana crossing where Israelis verify every
single thing that's coming in, that's when it goes back to the Rafah crossing.
And that's then unloaded onto trucks, on the Gaza Strip however, that's been much slower. These rallies said yesterday that 180 humanitarian trucks
were allowed in, but as you mentioned, only about 100 trucks were received. That's according to UN humanitarian operations there. That's about 110,000,
during the truce about 110,000 liters of fuel was coming in.
Yesterday, that was 69,000 liters of fuel and almost 200 trucks were allowed to come in. And even that's still smaller than the amount that was
coming in before October 7th; almost 500 trucks of aid were coming in. Right now, the UN saying that the conditions for delivering aid do not
exist, the amount coming in is not enough.
And humanitarian operations cannot be operated based on a drip feed of fuel, which is important to learn hospitals, water desalination plants and
just about every other bit of humanitarian infrastructure. And then there is this blunt assessment from the President of the International Committee
of the Red Cross.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRJANA SPOLJARIC, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: We have to find solutions to this. We can turn away from what is evidently a
moral failure in the face of the international community. We are facing a situation here that will not be healed by sending in more trucks. We need
to provide protection to the civilians in Gaza, to the women and children to the elderly people that I saw today that have nowhere to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: Right now the Rafah border crossing is the only way in and out of the Gaza Strip that's not controlled by Israel. The UN, the World Health
Organization, or the aid workers in the strip say Israel has to open the Kerem Shalom crossing and allow a huge number more of aid trucks to come
in.
And the next phase has got to be the reintroduction of commercial goods from the private and public sector, because aid alone will not do it,
Eleni.
GIOKOS: Right, Larry Madowo, thank you so much. It is a part of the world that was desperate for rain just months ago. Now there's too much of it.
How East Africa is coping with massive floods, and is the bad weather over that's coming up just ahead, stay with CNN.
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[09:20:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now here in the UAE the first draft of the COP28 agreement is out. It's calling for the phasing out of fossil fuels. But
it's holding worth noting that the first drafts of COP agreements can include ambitious language that can get watered down in the final
agreements.
The conference is due to wrap up one week from now. Carbon emissions are expected to set a new record in 2023. Scientists with a Global Carbon
Project say global emissions could rise 1.1 percent this year when compared to 2022. That's 36.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the
atmosphere.
The good news is that the U.S. is expected to cut its emissions by 3 percent while the EU could reach a 7.4 percent reduction However, China is
up 4 percent. And India shows more than an 8 percent increase. Coal and oil emissions are also growing significantly in both of these nations.
Now speaking at COP28 East African leaders have been describing the harsh realities of climate change taking place right now in their countries. More
than 350 people have been killed in torrential rains and flash floods across the region. CNN's Lynda Kinkade reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Trapped and submerged by water. This was the scene in recent weeks, as heavy rains inundated the
Horn of Africa, causing unprecedented flooding and landslides. Hundreds of people have been killed more than 1 million now without homes. Displaced
many saw their possessions swept away in seconds, a trail of devastation left behind. After the floodwaters swallowed her home, one resident
returned recalling the horror.
FATIMA HASSAN GUMO, LOCAL RESIDENT: The water has ruined everything, my house and the toilet. It rained from the morning until the evening. By 8 pm
we had to pack and flee.
KINKADE (voice-over): The heavy rains in East Africa follow the worst drought in four decades. And whilst there's been some respite in parts of
Somalia, where the water has begun to recede, displaced families and others are still facing the risk of disease after floods destroyed toilets and
drinking wells. Speaking at COP28 in Dubai, Somalia's President says climate change is a reality they have to deal with every day.
HASSAN SHEIKH MOHAMUD, SOMALI PRESIDENT: I must note that today's victims of these devastating floods are sadly the survivors of yesterday's
droughts. On the year ago, Somalia apparently averted for me, following consecutive failing, rainy seasons. What's transpiring in my country today
is not unique to us.
[09:25:00]
KINKADE (voice-over): With vast areas of farmland decimated by the floods and livelihoods wiped away. There seems to be no break. As meteorologists
say parts of Kenya will experience rain into the New Year. Lynda Kinkade CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Now to more flooding in India from tropical cyclone Michaung. Police say at least six people have died and many others have been rescued
including a half a dozen pregnant woman. The huge storm is dumping heavy rain on Eastern India, after making landfall North of Chennai.
Schools will remain closed and planes grounded for now. But the storm is expected to lose strength over land. Let's get you up to speed on other
stories that are on our radar right now. The death toll following the eruption of Indonesia's Marapi Volcano Sunday has risen to 22. That's
according to officials who also say that nine out of 10 climbers who were missing have now been found. One person is still unaccounted for.
Officials in the U.S. State of Virginia are at the scene of a house explosion caught on camera Monday. The blast occurred after police arrived
at the house to investigate reports of shots fired. No word yet on the condition of the suspect inside. Russian President Vladimir Putin is
planning a one day trip to the Middle East on Wednesday.
The Kremlin says he'll hold talks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and that the discussions will include the Israel Hamas war and cooperation on oil.
Intensive discussions among world leaders as Israel expand its offensive in Gaza. Coming up what the U.S. National Security Adviser has to say about
efforts to protect civilian lives.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi and you're watching "Connect the World". Israel's military says it has the Jabalya refugee camp
in Northern Gaza completely surrounded. The IDF says its forces targeted Hamas strongholds and a "Command and control center there".
The camp has been pounded by renewed Israeli strikes in recent days as Israel looks to wrap up its offensive in the North. Satellite images show
Israeli armored vehicles are now operating in the south of the Enclave, while aid organizations say civilians have no safe place to go.
[09:30:00]
The UN's top emergency relief officials saying things have gotten even more apocalyptic in Gaza. The U.S. in the meantime is continuing to have
intensive discussions between Israel, Qatar and Egypt about getting hostages out of Gaza. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the
U.S. is doing "Everything in our power that comes as Israel expands its offensive in Southern Gaza".
Sullivan says the U.S. has been talking daily with Israel about protecting civilians during its Gaza strike. CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us now live
from outside the White House in Washington. Look frankly there have been a lot of developments in terms of what the IDF is planning in the South of
Gaza.
We've heard it from aid organizations; we're seeing the news about Jabalya camp. And then importantly, the ongoing discussions with Israel, Egypt and
Qatar with regards to the hostages. What are the main lines we're seeing coming through from the United States today?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Eleni, the U.S. has continued their both private and public pressure campaign in urging Israel
to take more precautions to protect civilian lives as they are waging this campaign now in Southern Gaza. But the White House so far, Jake Sullivan
yesterday has been unable to say whether they believe that Israel has actually been more precise in their targeting.
We've heard officials over the past few days saying that they feel that Israel has been receptive to this advice from the administration. But so
far, the administration really hasn't been weighing in on the specifics of some of their tactics. Things like the fact that they dropped leaflets,
with maps showing people where they could go, also those leaflets, the pamphlets with QR codes that people could scan to figure out the safe areas
to go to.
It really speaks to this willingness from the administration to try to just talk and offer this advice behind the scenes and a little bit publicly
without trying to criticize Israel publicly for the tactics are being used. So we will see whether they offer any other guidance on if they feel Israel
has been taking the right precautions to protect civilian lives in Gaza as they are continuing their hostilities against Hamas.
Now, at the same time, there is also the concern about those hostages being held that roughly a little less than 140 hostages, eight of which are
believed to be Americans, that one woman and also seven men. Now, the National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that there were intensive
discussions between the U.S. Israel, Egypt and Qatar.
But the negotiations to actually get these hostages out, those negotiations that had been ongoing between Israel and Hamas simply don't exist at this
moment. And officials say it seems unlikely that they would restart anytime soon. There have been major differences over the types of hostages to be
released, Israel and the U.S. insisting Hamas still has more women, Hamas wanting to move on to the discussion of others, as well.
At this point, it seems to be that the conversations the U.S. is having about this is simply strategy sessions trying to figure out how they can
get these hostages out even as the negotiations have completely stalled. Now National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that they've been briefing
President Biden on all options to get hostages out specifically those aid Americans.
But officials also say right now that it's unlikely that the U.S. would be striking any type of separate deal just to get these American hostages out.
So these are two of the main concerns facing this administration right now, as they're trying to get more hostages released from Hamas, even as those
negotiations have stalled and then also going to great lengths to warn Israel about protecting civilian lives as they are waging their campaign.
GIOKOS: Arlette Saenz, thank you so much. Well, nearly two months after the shocking attack on Israel, the Israeli military says it won't wait for the
end of the war to start investigating potential failures in preventing the terror attack. Among the issues to be studied is Israel's decision to move
reinforcement troops from the Gaza border to the West Bank in the days before the massive assault.
Israel's Channel 11 reported Sunday that more than 100 reinforcement combat troops were relocated on October 5th to coincide with the Jewish High Holy
Days. Israel is trying to draw the world's attention to some of the most horrific crimes committed by Hamas during the siege, torture and sexual
violence against women and girls.
Hamas denies the allegation saying they are unfounded lies. But Israeli police are compiling evidence, interrogating suspects and collecting
witness accounts building a case that Hamas targeted tortured and killed woman as a specific component of their assault. Bianna Golodryga has the
details and warning her report contains graphic and disturbing content.
[09:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The details are horrific. Listen to this Israeli paramedic whose Rescue Unit responded to the
massacre at Kibbutz Barry. He did not want to be identified.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While we're storming through those houses, one of the doors I open it's a bedroom. I see two girls, two teenagers. I guess 13 or
14 years old one is lying on the floor. One is lying on the bed, one on the floor. She's -- pull down towards her knees. And there's a bullet wound on
her backside of her neck and her head. And there's a puddle of blood around her head. And there remains of semen on the lower part of her back.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): A volunteer at the Shura IDF military base, where many of the victims of the massacre have been sent, testified at a UN event
in Geneva last week describing the evidence of sexual violence she saw on some of the bodies.
SHERI MENDES, IDF VOLUNTEER: Our team commander saw several soldiers who were shot in the crotch and intimate areas in their vaginas, or they were
shot in their breast. There seemed to be systematic genital mutilation of a group of victims.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Despite all of that the UN and its women's rights affiliates remained silent on the mounting specific allegations.
RUTH HALPERIN-KADDARI, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Their response was really devastating was heartbreaking for me.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari is an International Women's Rights Advocate and for 12 years helped lead the United Nations
Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
HALPERIN-KADDARI: Neither of them acknowledged or recognized the existence the fact that sexual violence was part of the Hamas massacre. And by not
acknowledging this by dismissing, by ignoring they are in fact, almost, I would say legitimizing the existence of these atrocities.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): I asked a representative from U.N. Women about that, her answer speaks for itself.
GOLODRYGA: Is there a reason though, Sarah, that you can't specifically call out Hamas and the mounting evidence now over seven weeks that Israeli
investigators have collected that we've shown our viewers about the atrocities they committed specifically on October 7.
SARAH HENDRIKS, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. WOMEN: Indeed, UN Women always supports impartial independent investigations into any serious
allegations of gender based or sexual violence. And within the UN family these investigations are led by the Office of the High Commissioner of
Human Rights.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Then three days later, finally an acknowledgement from UN Women, a statement of their own. We unequivocally condemned the
brutal attacks by Hamas on October 7th. We are alarmed by the numerous accounts of gender based atrocities and sexual violence during those
attacks. And over the weekend, even more accounts coming to light.
"The Sunday Times" quoted a 39-year-old witness who attended the Nova Music Festival. "I saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel and eight
or 10 of the fighters beating and raping her. She was screaming stop it already. I'm going to die anyway, from what you were doing. Just kill me.
When they finished they were laughing. And the last one shot her in the head".
A police commander leading Israel's investigation into sexual violence and crime said it's clear now that sexual crimes were part of the planning and
the purpose was to terrify and humiliate people. Being able to prove that the crimes were planned is critical in prosecuting such cases.
HALPERIN-KADDARI: Recall that the massacre actually took place in 22 locations. At the same time, the same method in which these horrific
atrocities were executed by the terrorists in separate locations in different locations, all at the same time. This demonstrates a preconceived
and premeditated plan, and that is why it does amount to crimes against humanity.
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Bianna Golodryga CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now to a spectacular mash up of two sports take a look at this video out of Dubai. America's Brian Grubb, a two-time
wakeskating world champion has combined wakeskating and base jumping right here. Look at that. That is incredible. World Sports Amanda Davies joins us
now. Amanda wow, wow that looks like -- I have to Google wakeskating by the way I wasn't really sure what it is.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yeah.
GIOKOS: But that is absolutely phenomenal. And it happened in my hometown.
DAVIES: It did in Dubai. And I have to say it really makes my stomach turn. The more I see it. There is absolutely no way you could get me doing that.
But he is a two time world champion wakeskater Brian Grubb. He has been practicing the base jumping nearly 300 meters above sea level.
And then he bails off the board and jumps down 77 floors to land on the beach. It is spectacular. And if you're going to do it, you got to do it in
style. He was wearing -- for the occasion, Eleni which is spectacular. Hopefully we're going to see some spectacular football in the Women's
Nations League a little bit later on. And that's what we're looking ahead to though in "World Sports" in just a couple of minutes.
GIOKOS: Great, Amanda. And we were just playing the video on repeat and each time I see it, I'm just absolutely no. Amanda Davies we'll see right
after the short break. Thank you so much.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:45:00]
(WORLD SPORT)
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