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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Soon: Qatar to Announce When Israel-Hamas Truce to Begin; Trucks Wait At Rafah Border Crossing Ahead of Expected Truce; Israeli Families Await the Release of Hostages; Cold Thanksgiving Morning Across Northern Half of U.S. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 23, 2023 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:29]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And good day to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Max Foster, in for Kasie Hunt today. It is Thursday, November 23rd. Happy Thanksgiving to those in the U.S.

Now, it's 5:00 a.m. in Washington where the White House officials are hopeful that Hamas will begin releasing hostages on Friday now. Plans to release the first hostages today under the deal reached between Hamas and the Israeli government ran into a snag yesterday just hours ahead of a truce negotiated as part of the deal.

Now Israel says that the first group of hostages, women and children, won't be released until Friday at the very earliest, the reasons for the delay unclear. The White House National Security Council says the deal was agreed and remains agreed. The parties are working out final logistical details. Our primary objective is to ensure that the hostages are brought home safely.

Now, just hours ago, officials in Qatar which is mediating the negotiations said timing for the truce could be announced at any moment.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is live for us in Tel Aviv.

I mean, what are you hearing at the moment, Oren, about the timing?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Max, we don't have official word on when this timing will begin. The expectation is it could begin as soon as tomorrow. But whether that means at midnight or later in the day, that's still an open question, which is why we're waiting for the announcement from Qatar when the pause in fighting and then the release of hostages set go into effect.

As you pointed out, U.S. officials have said the delay was over the final logistical details, and that includes the location and routes of the hostages that they would take outside of Israel, because that hadn't been hammered out yet in all the details needed to make it happen, it was agreed to between Israel, Qatar and Egypt, that there would be a delay in the implementation of the deal and therefore, a delay not only in the pause in fighting but also in the release of the hostages.

Crucially, this does not mean, according to officials we've spoken with, that there's any expectation that the deal is falling apart. It simply has taken a bit longer to get to the point where all the details are worked out and we're waiting for that announcement from the Qataris on when it will begin.

FOSTER: Any clarity about who will be included in that first group of hostages released? We know it is women and children, but there seems to be a lot of issues about getting actual names for them which is obviously agonizing for the families.

LIEBERMANN: That's been a process to find out who was in the first list as of course the families here wait to find out if their loved ones are not only in the first ten but amongst the first 50. We don't have any indication that Israel has received that list, and yet, that's not yet a cause for concern. If there's no list of the first group later on tonight, that may then become a different issue.

But it is expected that names will be shared later on this evening and that will begin the transfer of the first 50 of women and children. Families here, of course, hoping that it will lead to all of the women and children.

And from there, there is effectively a hierarchy of how this will go into the next groups. After women and children, it will be elderly men, and then foreign nationals and then the last group, arguably the hardest group to secure the release will be men and women who are of the age to be in the IDF. That presents its own challenge and frankly may require its own set of negotiations just like we saw to negotiate the first release of the women and children.

FOSTER: Technically how will it look when those hostages are released, do you think? Presumably, they'll come out through the Rafah Crossing into Egypt, is that right?

LIEBERMANN: That will be one of several options. So Hamas will transfer the hostages to the Red Cross, likely in different locations. The Red Cross will then bring them to border crossings. Rafah is the one we've seen used in the past. That's what the first four hostages came out, but it is possible that they come out simply straight into Israel.

And then depending on age, the age of the hostage release will determine who meets them. If it's children under 12, they'll be met immediately or as quickly as possible by family. If not, they'll be taken straight to the hospital, where their family will meet them, and there are a number of hospitals who are ready to intake the hostages who are released, and then the process continues.

Palestinian prisoners will be released. They are from the occupied West Bank in Jerusalem, so they will effectively return home. And then if the first day works well, the process continues. The first two days, in fact, are viewed as testing days, according to U.S. officials, and if this works out, then you can begin to talk about extending the pause in the fighting and growing that number of 50 women and children to be released.

FOSTER: Just take us through the fact that there is obviously opposition within Israel to this truce.

[05:05:01]

Just explain why that is and whether or not that feeling is growing or shrinking, as a result of all of this.

LIEBERMANN: I think broadly speaking there is very much support for the release of women and children. And you've seen that in the families -- certainly in the families we talked to and in talking to people on the street here.

There is some option. First, we saw it in the full cabinet a couple nights ago where two of the far right ministers voted against the deal. Not nearly enough to try to sink it. And then there have been appeals filed at the Supreme Court to try to stop this deal, three in total to this point. Those were rejected by the Supreme Court.

Those were appeals or cases filed to try to prevent the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of this deal which would have, of course, sunk the entire agreement. But those are rejected and the deal itself moves forward. There are some who want to see everybody released, an agreement that would see all 240 or so hostages released at the same time. There are others who believe that the military campaign needs to continue until Hamas is defeated, and then the release all of the hostages.

But broadly speaking, there is support for the agreement we're seeing come together, and hope that it comes together as soon as possible.

FOSTER: Oren in Tel Aviv, thank you so much for that.

Well, President Biden spoke with the emir of Qatar yesterday, thanking him for, quote, the personal role that he and his team played in reaching a deal. That's according to the White House in a readout of that call.

Now, both leaders commit to remain in close contact to ensure that the deal is fully implemented. Part of that deal includes 200 trucks carrying aid and fuel to cross into Gaza each day.

Eleni is following all of that from Cairo.

I mean, no amount of aid it feels is going to be enough at this point, but what do you understand about the aid? What's included and how it will be distributed?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not really clear in terms of what is going in right now. What we do know is that there are dozens of trucks now at Al Arish heading toward Rafah border. Our teams on the ground are saying they have never seen this busy, especially over the past few weeks. But what we do know is that they are waiting in anticipation for that truce to come into effect to get the much needed aid into the Gaza Strip. In terms of what we know that has already gone in, I'll bring you some

of the numbers of the 6,000 tons of food, 2,000 tons of medical aid and also 4, 500 tons of water. That -- those numbers were until yesterday. So, we're hoping to see a lot more going in.

It might sound like a significant number of aid, but frankly, the organizations on the ground, Max, have been very clear that they are running out of water, that food is scarce, fuel is a very big issue because it can't -- you know, it's one of the deficits that you can't keep hospitals running if you don't have any fuel for generators.

As of November 21st, we have seen 378 tons of fuel going in to the Gaza Strip, but huge deficits. The U.N. has categorically said they want to see more than just a truce. They need to some kind of prolonged ceasefire in order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that is currently playing out in Gaza.

FOSTER: The Hamas-run Gaza ministry of health just announcing that the director of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza was arrested by Israeli forces. I put that to the IDF spokesperson. He said he can't confirm it at this time and needs to speak to the ground teams, but it does make sense.

What are you hearing?

GIOKOS: Yeah, exactly, it does make sense. I mean, you've got to remember the context of Al-Shifa. We have seen a lot of talk frankly for the past few weeks that the IDF was saying that al-Shifa could be used as some kind of Hamas command post or a node. We know that there was an IDF raid in Al-Shifa over the past week and now this evacuation with doctors and as well as patients.

The very few doctors that were remaining in Al-Shifa now evacuating and being reportedly reheard that Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of the hospital, was arrested, together with other doctors as well. That is according to the Hamas-run Gaza ministry of health spokesperson. That's what we know.

The IDF hasn't commented on this as yet. But, frankly, in the context of what we're seeing and the fact that the IDF says that they found Hamas tunnels underground, it is no surprise that we're seeing this playing out as well.

Importantly, we've been covering this as well, the Al-Shifa was falling apart the past few week, running out of medical supplies. We also saw importantly those neonatal babies in Al-Shifa trapped without incubators, those babies eventually evacuated into Egypt. And this was the last tranche of doctors as well as some of the injured patients that we've been seen evacuated out.

[05:10:00]

We're waiting to hear more on this story, but importantly, that report coming through that the director of Al-Shifa hospital has been arrested.

FOSTER: Eleni Giokos, in Cairo, thank you so much for that update.

Now, coming up, an explosion near Niagara Falls triggering major delays at the U.S./Canada border.

Plus, it's cold turkey for millions for Americans, as Thanksgiving temperatures plunge from Washington state all the way to New York.

And a holiday staple kicks off in just a few hours. We'll have the latest on Macy's Thanksgiving parade.

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FOSTER: Dozens of hostages are preparing to come home to their families who are waiting their release with anticipation and hope and a lot of anxiety. But they are not on their own. Israeli counselors and psychiatrists are offering their support.

[05:15:02]

CNN's Matthew Chance spoke with some of the families and he has more now from Tel Aviv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Israelis await the release of some women and children held in Gaza, a vigil for one of the hostages who may be left behind.

A 22-year-old Alon Ohel was abducted at a music festival on October 7th. As an adult male, he's unlikely to be among those freed, under the latest hostage deal.

Still his mother Edit told me she believes her son will eventually be set free.

IDIT OHEL, MOTHER OF ALON OHEL, HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: I know in my heart that I want my son home. I believe this is just the start, you know, because if everyone has to get home, this is just a start. And there will be more.

CHANCE: You're optimistic.

OHEL: Very.

CHANCE: Israel insists it's keeping up pressure on Hamas, even as the agreed pause in this Gaza war approaches.

Under the hostage deal, strikes like this one in Khan Younis in southern Gaza will be suspended. While Israel frees Palestinian prisoners and hostages are handed over.

Hostage support volunteers like Oman Dotan tell me that they are bracing to counsel dozens of traumatized women and children, as they return home.

OMA DOTAN, HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM: Maybe Sharone (ph) and her daughter will be released today, maybe, because it is daughter and a mother.

CHANCE: Yeah.

DOTAN: The way they are going to continue is first of all we have to ask for the permission to go inside. And to do the first step together.

CHANCE: And, of course, a possibility that these people could have suffered terrible trauma while in Gaza.

DOTAN: We are so afraid about the conditions that they will come, so we cannot plan the trauma program because first, we have to meet them, to understand from the best psychologists, what is the best way to do it. And then step by step with the family, as a family and as a community.

CHANCE: Step by step down a long road.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Matthew Chance there.

Now, ahead of the expected truce, Israeli forces continuing their ground and air operations striking parts of northeastern and central Gaza. Palestinians say areas further south were also hit.

Let's bring in CNN military analyst, retired colonel, Cedric Leighton.

Thank you so much for joining us, Colonel.

Just in terms of the delay, what's your understanding of what happened there? The truce is meant to be in place. It's now going to be Friday and we're told -- all we're told from all sides is that there were some sort of logistical issues.

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yeah, Max, good morning.

There are so many aspects to this where things could go wrong and one of them is, of course, the logistical side of things. But it seems that this is at the moment at least legitimate delay. There is one thing that lot of Arab organizations thrive on and that is bureaucracy and if the bureaucracy isn't functioning properly, in other words, it doesn't have all the right pieces in place, that could can cause a delay. It doesn't mean that it won't happen, but there could be some other things that need to be worked out.

And in particular, I think that the areas around the actual physical transfer of the hostages from Hamas to the Red Cross and from the Red Cross to the Israeli authorities, that is an area that absolutely needs to run smoothly, and working that out is certainly a necessity.

Of course, each side could take advantage of this delay. They might give other reasons for it, but I think at this moment this is something that just has to be worked out at this point. FOSTER: Does it concern that you we don't appear to even have a list

of names? Obviously, excruciating for the families back home in Israel.

LEIGHTON: Yes, it certainly is excruciating for them and it does concern me quite a bit, because that should be the first thing that's released. Of course, I think the Israelis are being careful -- Israeli authorities that is, are being careful.

They may have a list by this point. We had word yesterday that the United States had a preliminary list and sort of stands to reason that the Israelis would have the same list. But that could mean that maybe there were change to the list so you don't want to notify a family that they are receiving a loved one when that in fact is not the case because of some changes in that listing.

[05:20:12]

But there are certain things that certainly need to be taken care of. And I think that that would be the first one and it should be taken care of very quickly.

FOSTER: There are huge risks here, aren't there? Both for the White House and Israeli officials have acknowledged that Hamas could take advantage of this four-day humanitarian pause if that's what it ends up being.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. JONATHAN CONRICUS, IDF SPOKESPERSON: Yeah, one would hope that Hamas would use the pause in order to care for the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian population. But I think that that would be a naive way of thinking.

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: But, of course, Hamas has proven to be anything but a humane group of people. And so, we can't be sure exactly what they're going to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: From a military standpoint, what are the risks associated with these types of pauses in fighting?

LEIGHTON: Yes, so the adversary in this case, Hamas, is going to look at this as a way in which that they can actually move their forces under a degree of cover. I do share the IDF spokesman's skepticism about their ability or their willingness to take care of humanitarian issues for the Gaza population.

So that is certainly something that from a military perspective, they're going to take advantage of it. They are going to move their forces into places where they may have a better position to engage the Israelis once the truce ends. And they may also want to move forces in an area where they are better protected. So that is something that could easily happen and they also engage in concealing their forces and their weapons.

So those are the kinds of things that are most likely to happen on the part of Hamas and that very fact of course could in the end prolong the conflict once this particular truce is over.

FOSTER: OK. Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton, really appreciate your analysis and insight today.

Now, the search ramps up for three people missing in Alaska after a deadly landslide.

And, no can do. Rock legend Daryl Hall files a restraining order against former band mate John Oates after hitting with a lawsuit last week. We'll tell you what all that is about.

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[05:26:54]

FOSTER: Welcome back.

Quick hits across America right now.

A deadly car crash on a key bridge at the U.S./Canadian border does not appear to be terror-related, according to New York's governor. Officials say a man was traveling with his wife in a 2022 Bentley at a high speed when the car hit a curb and went airborne before bursting into flames.

Daryl Hall has filed a lawsuit against former band mate John Oates in a national court. The two are famous as members of the band Hall and Oates. According to the sealed court records, the suit filed by Hall is listed as a contract debt dispute.

And in Alaska, officials are still searching for three missing people following this week's landslide in a small community Wrangell. Authorities say two minors and one adult are still missing.

And now to weather. A cold Thanksgiving morning for the northern half of the U.S., with some frigid temperatures in the forecast as well.

Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins us.

How are things looking for the parade as well? I mean, everyone is looking at the weather today.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. That's right.

And I will say this -- the Western half of the U.S. is where we're really going to see most of the problems. You've got some snow starting to settle in across Oregon, Idaho and then gradually spreading into Nevada, as well as Utah, Wyoming and eventually Colorado. But the eastern half of the country seems to be a bit less complicated and that does include New York City for the big Macy's Day parade. The high temperature is about 52. Now, this morning, it's going to be

a little cooler than that, temperatures into the mid-40s. Light breeze maybe about 10 miles per hour, but that should be necessarily high enough to cause any issues with the balloons, especially since they're going to be a little bit higher off the ground. But the key thing right here, mostly sunny, so at least it won't be raining. It won't be snowing. You're going to have the sunshine out in full force.

Out in the West, that's a different story. Again, we notice all of the snow there, look at all these areas that are under some type of winter weather alert, whether that's for this morning or if that's carrying into the afternoon and evening hours.

And you can see the system will gradually progress eastward so eventually ending up in cities like Denver and Albuquerque, as we head into the next 24 to 36 hours.

Pretty significant snowfall accumulations expected, especially the higher up in elevation you go. Widespread totals, a lot of these are 4 to 6 inches, but again, once you start going up, now, you're going to be measuring upwards of a foot.

One thing to note after the other system moves through, you got a lot of this cold air that's going to start to spread in and it's going to shift eastward. So, really, as we get into the back half of the weekend, and especially next week, you're going to start to see those below average temperatures taking shape in the eastern half of the country.

Denver going from a high yesterday in the upper 60s to a high on Friday of only 25 degrees, having those snow showers mixed in as well. But the cold snap is short lived. Notice those temperatures will get back up closer to normal once we get towards early to middle portion of next week.

So again, there will be some cold temperatures out there, but we'll finally start to see them rebound next week.

FOSTER: Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for joining us today.

Now, just ahead, more on the last minute snag that's holding up the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.

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