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Civilians Trampled, Hit By Trucks After IDF Fired On Food Line; Official: Biden Admin Now Feels Added "Urgency" On Ceasefire Talks Following Gaza Incidents; White House Concerned Israel May Launch Lebanon Incursion; Defense Secy Austin Questioned By Lawmakers Over Lack of Transparency Surrounding Hospitalization; WeightWatchers' Stock Plunges As Oprah Announces Exit. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired February 29, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:30:12]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Today, scenes of devastation out of Gaza today and conflicting versions of events from Palestinians and Israelis.

A warning now that the video we are about to show you, these are pretty graphic videos.

This was moments after chaos erupted when Israeli forces opened fire as civilians, desperate for food, were gathering at aid trucks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health saying that more than 100 people were killed and nearly 800 others were injured.

CNN unable to independently confirm those numbers at this point.

But an eyewitness as the gunfire triggered panic. People got trampled as these trucks were trying to leave the area.

But an IDF spokesperson says there was no strike from Israeli forces toward the aid convoy. And instead, soldiers were conducting a humanitarian operation.

Let's go live now to Tel Aviv where CNN's Jeremy Diamond is.

Jeremy. two very different accounts of what happened. Help us sort through this.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna well, let's start with what people on the ground are telling us happened. And this comes from eyewitnesses on the ground, as well as the journalists with whom we've worked before.

And what we understand happened was that as this aid convoy made its way into western Gaza city, thousands of people began swarming this convoy. They came around it, some people climbed onto it. The Israeli military released drone footage, which does, indeed, show that.

But then people on the ground say that within minutes of that happening, that the Israeli military then opened fire on those people, that it caused a mass panic with not only people running in different directions, but also the drivers of those trucks flooring it and driving away. And in the process, killing many people.

We understand from Heather Al Zaanoun (ph), that local journalists, that about 20 people were shot by the Israeli military and that the rest of the people, the 104 people that the Palestinian Ministry of Health says were killed, were killed in the ensuing chaos, including by being run over by these trucks.

[14:35:11]

But these really military offers a very different timeline. They say that the gunfire from their forces, which they acknowledged happened, happened only after there was already a stampede situation, including with trucks running over people.

They haven't provided any video evidence to that point. They've suggested that it's in that drone footage. But it doesn't actually show dozens of people being run over by these trucks.

The Israeli military says that its forces fired on a separate group of people who were near that convoy as they approached that checkpoint, they say, in a threatening manner. But the Israeli military saying they will continue to investigate it.

The bottom line here is that more than 100 people are killed on a day in which we are already marking this very grim marker of 30,000 Palestinians having been killed since the beginning of this war, the majority of whom are women and children.

And more could still die, not only by bullets and bombs, but also by starvation as the United Nations World Food Program is warning that about half a million Palestinians are now on the brink of famine. That situation is particularly acute in northern Gaza.

And that's all similarly why we saw scenes like today. Beyond the Israeli gunfire, these people are rushing these trucks because so few aid trucks have actually made it into northern Gaza.

People are struggling to find meals. They have been living off of grass and animal feed, and whatever they can get their hands-on. So this is a desperate situation growing only increasingly more desperate.

And of course, people hoping that there can be some kind of a temporary ceasefire reached in order to get that much needed aid and relief into northern Gaza.

KEILAR: Yes, that's right.

Jeremy Diamond, in Tel Aviv, thank you so much for that.

And this is happening, of course, Boris, as there are hostage talks and lots of big worries about whether this will endanger that.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, absolutely. It's a sensitive time. And that is the backdrop of this incident.

We are getting new reaction from the White House on what happened in Gaza. Earlier, President Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar. He actually told the Qatari leader that today's incident underscores the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible and expanding the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

We have CNN chief national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt, with us.

Alex, what is the president saying about how, what happened in Gaza could complicate these negotiations?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: He's saying exactly that, that this will complicate the discussions. And it's notable that he spoke with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt today. Those are the two other main mediators trying to get to this ceasefire.

Now, remember, Boris, a couple of days ago, the president had said that there could be a ceasefire in place as early as Monday. That took a lot of people by surprise. And the president actually walked that back today, saying that it's likely not on Monday. But he said that hope springs eternal.

What were really hearing from Biden administration officials today is that this really shows the urgency of the need for a ceasefire.

The question that I've been putting two sources is, does this derail the ceasefire talks. That's something that Hamas indicated might be the case. This certainly complicates them. Or does it accelerate them?

I think when you look at those overhead drone videos that we've seen, it really emphasizes the point that not enough aid has been getting into Gaza and it hasn't been getting to the right places.

This incident took place in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, a long way away from those two southern border crossings where the aid is going in.

So U.S. officials are saying, we need to get to a ceasefire because a major component of that ceasefire is not just getting those hostages released, it's not just a pause in the fighting, it's upping that amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza.

SANCHEZ: And you see the desperation in that overhead footage.

Alex, there's also concern about a possible Israeli movement into Lebanon to address concerns about Hezbollah. U.S. officials are worried about that.

MARQUARDT: They really are. And while these U.S.-mediated talks have been going on about a pause in Gaza, there's a parallel track where the Biden Administration is leading talks between Israel and Lebanon over a ceasefire up there.

Since October 7th, we've seen daily deadly cross-border strikes between Hezbollah and Lebanon. And the Israelis to the point where tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israelis have been displaced.

I'm being told by senior administration officials that they are operating under the assumption that Israel is going to launch a military operation, that this is something that is very possible, that there is a growing element of Israeli government and military officials who want this to happen.

There are others who are simply raising this tension, these officials tell me, in order to get to -= in order to pressure the Lebanese side into a diplomatic agreement.

What that agreement would look like is a wider buffer zone in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah would be pushed out of, pushed away from the Israeli border, so that it's harder for them to fire into Israel.

[14:40:04]

So the chance of an incursion is very possible, they say, in the late spring and early summer or early summer, but the administration working hard to prevent that from happening.

SANCHEZ: One of so many angles to this unfolding story in the Middle East to keep track of.

Alex Marquardt, thanks so much for the update.

Still ahead. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin grilled by lawmakers today over hospitalization. Why he says there was a breakdown in communication when he was sent to the hospitals toward the end of last year.

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[14:45:08]

KEILAR: Some pretty tense questioning on Capitol Hill as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies about his failure to immediately notify President Biden and lawmakers after he was hospitalized last month for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The defense chief waited several days to disclose his whereabouts. That is something that lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have strongly criticized.

Today, scolding him to his face in his first congressional appearance since his health crisis .

CNN's Natasha Bertrand is at the Pentagon for us.

And, Natasha, those lawmakers really didn't hold back here. What were the big takeaways from the hearing?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna. And as you said, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, they did express concerns over the significant delay that Austin incurred while, of course, he was in the hospital. In notifying any senior national security officials, really, including the president of his hospitalization and the fact that he was in the intensive care unit for part of that hospitalization.

But of course, the sharpest criticism really fell along party lines. And you heard Republicans call it an embarrassment. Some Republicans said that it was a boon to propaganda by the Russians and by other bad actors who are trying to boy any kind of appearance that there is no firm command and control at the Department of Defense.

But secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, he really emphasized here that even though there was a delay and a gap and something went wrong clearly in the notification process, there was never any actual gap in terms of the transfer of power.

Here's just a bit of what he told lawmakers early this morning.

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GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There was never any lapse in authorities or in command and control. At all times, either I or the deputy secretary was in a position to conduct the duties of my office.

But we did have a breakdown in notifications during my January stay at Walter Reed. And that is a sharing of my location and why I was here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERTRAND: So there was a pretty tense exchange with another Republican lawmaker during that hearing where Austin was specifically asked, essentially, whose fault this was that the president of the United States, the White House, national security adviser, even his deputy, were not notified until days after he entered the hospital of exactly why he needed to transfer his authorities.

And he could not give a very clear answer on that. He had told this lawmaker that he expected his staff, essentially, the building, to notify the proper people. But clearly, that did not pan out.

Still, though, he would not place blame squarely on any of his staff members. And he simply said that this is a process that is going to be fixed moving forward. And that is exactly why there was a 30-day review carried out by the Pentagon to try to figure out just how this process can be smoothed out in the future.

Again, really homing in here on the idea that this was a notification process failure and not one that actually jeopardize national security at any point -- Brianna?

KEILAR: How's he doing? How's his health right now?

BERTRAND: So according to officials, he's doing well. He says himself that it is going to be a lengthy recovery process. He still has some pain in his leg from those complications from his prostate surgery.

But by and large, according to officials, he has an excellent prognosis, particularly when it comes to his cancer diagnosis.

KEILAR: Yes. Well, we wish him the best. Obviously, it's tough what he's been through.

Natasha, thank you.

WeightWatchers is all about dropping the pounds, but now it's losing money and fast as a high-profile face of the company is heading for the exit.

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[14:52:59]

SANCHEZ: Oprah giveth and Oprah taketh away. The media mogul has sent WeightWatchers stock into a nosedive today after announcing that she's leaving the company's board and -- excuse me -- offloading her shares.

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KEILAR: So this move comes as WeightWatchers is grappling with some sudden competition from Ozempic, of course, and other drugs for weight loss.

In fact, Winfrey herself revealing, just this past December, she added a weight-loss medication to her regimen, though she didn't specify which one.

Let's bring in CNN business correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, to talk about this.

What's the impact here on WeightWatchers? It seems pretty severe.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: This is the power of Oprah Winfrey. When she announced that she's stepping down from the board of WeightWatchers, you see markets respond.

At one point, at the open, WeightWatchers stock was down 70 percent. At last check, it was down about 23 percent.

But she says that she's stepping down in May. She will not run for reelection for the board. She's donating all of her shares -- she owns about 10 percent -- to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

But she still plans to kind of stick around in some capacity advising the CEO and the company.

But Oprah joined WeightWatchers in 2015. She was a shareholder. She was a board member up until May. And she was very much a spokesperson for the company. She really was able to inspire people.

And she also was able to hold herself accountable to her weight loss goals. She has been very open about her struggles around weight loss. And she joined WeightWatchers, in part, to do it all naturally. However, as you mentioned, in December of last year, she announced

that she was taking a weight loss drug. She says that she has found freedom in it, and she's never felt better at 70.

So clearly, a big transition and for Oprah. But also a big transition for WeightWatchers.

SANCHEZ: Given that revelation, Vanessa, was it tenable for her to stay on?

[14:55:03]

YURKEVICH: Maybe not. This was clearly Oprah's decision. She's the one making the decision to step down.

But it's interesting that WeightWatchers actually, coming off of this weight loss drug craze, started a whole new membership program where folks could join WeightWatchers and be on weight loss drugs, and they'd have access to doctors who could write them prescriptions, but also nutrition plans.

And WeightWatchers, for their part, in a statement has thanked Oprah for all of the work she's done with the company and says that they very much look forward to continuing to work with her in some capacity as a collaborator and a partner going forward.

But clearly, this is a big, big loss for the company. But just Oprah starting her next chapter/

KEILAR: Yes, the power of Oprah. We see it.

Vanessa, thank you for that report.

Here just moments ago. President Biden arrived in Texas for a tour of the border as the issue of immigration tops a new poll for voters. And on the same day that former President Trump is also at the border. We're live from Texas, next.

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