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CNN International: Synagogues, Churches Targeted In Dagestan Attacks; Netanyahu: "Intense Phase" Of The War "About To End"; Just Days Until Biden-Trump Debate On CNN. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired June 24, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:12]
ERICA HILL, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Erica Hill. This is CNN Newsroom.
Just ahead, at least 19 people are dead after a series of attacks on religious sites in Russia's Dagestan region. What we know about the terror attack? Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaling intense fighting in Gaza may be nearing an end, while suggesting his focus may now shift northward. And just days before CNN's presidential debate, Joe Biden is in prep mode at Camp David, as Donald Trump gears up for a fundraiser tonight, as his legal team logs another day in court.
Today marks the first of three days of mourning in Dagestan, Russia's southernmost republic, following a major terror attack over the weekend.
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At least 19 people were killed, 25 others wounded on Sunday, in what appeared to be a series of coordinated shootings carried out by armed militants, those shootings targeting churches, synagogues and police posts. Authorities say the victims include 15 police officers and a priest. No group has yet claimed responsibility. Russian officials say their counterterrorism operation has now ended, and the investigation is underway. These deadly shootings come, of course, three months after Russia suffered its worst terror attack in decades.
CNN's Clare Sebastian joining me now live from London. So, there are still so many questions, Clare, about the attack itself, who may be responsible. Can you just walk us through what do and what we don't know at this hour?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erica. I think the key thing that we don't know is who exactly is responsible, unlike what we saw after that very deadly attack in Moscow three months ago at the Crocus City concert hall. There has been no claim of responsibility from any specific group. And because of that, we also don't know a specific motive for this attack. We don't also know how many suspects could still be at large. Five militants were killed during the operation to the anti-counter terror operation to stop this attack from happening. But, obviously, we don't know that there may have been more involved. This was quite an ambitious, quite a large-scale coordinated attack
happening pretty much simultaneously across these two cities, Makhachkala and Derbent, which is some 100 or so kilometers away along Dagestan's Caspian Sea coast. What we do know, as I said, is that authorities believe that this was very much coordinated. And obviously, the crucial pattern here is that it targeted these houses of worship, synagogues, and churches in both of these cities, which, of course, is raising questions in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region, but one which does have an ancient Jewish population.
So, that is what we do know, obviously, raising serious security questions coming three months after the Crocus City Hall attack, but minimal comments so far from the Kremlin, simply offering condolences to the victims, Erica.
HILL: That seems interesting in and of itself that we have heard so little. This is also a region, though, and an area that has a long history of unrest.
SEBASTIAN: Right. And in fact, this was really the sort of signature task of Putin when he came to the presidency in 2000. He was the security guy. His sort of focus was to put down an insurgency in the North Caucasus. You remember, he fought that very brutal Second Chechen war over the first couple of years of his presidency, and has been battling really a long-running Islamic insurgency in that region ever since.
I think the question coming out of this will be, has he sort of taken his eye off the ball in that region, given the laser focus on the war in Ukraine? And there is a secondary issue here, which is that we've seen ethnic tensions raised in that region. Last October, there was an anti-Jewish mob that basically stormed the main airport in Makhachkala, the regional capital, as a flight landed from Tel Aviv. This was just a few weeks after the October 7 attacks, very scary, terrifying scenes on the tarmac there around this plane, and that led to extra security around synagogues after that. So, I think that is raising questions as to the motive of this latest attack. But, obviously, this is the very last thing that President Putin needs. He needs stability more than ever, as he tries to keep the approval of the Russian people for his war in Ukraine.
HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. Clare, appreciate it. Thank you.
An ominous warning from the European Union's top diplomat. We're on the eve of Israel's war with Hamas spilling over in to Lebanon. These are abroad comments coming after the Israeli Prime Minister said that the intense phase of fighting in Gaza is quote "about to end". But, Benjamin Netanyahu also making it clear, this does not mean the war against Hamas is over, adding, though, the military will be shifting focus to the northern border with Lebanon where Hezbollah has, of course, been launching cross-border attacks.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): After the intense phase is finished, we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north, and we will do this, first and foremost for defensive purposes, and secondly, to bring our evacuated residents home. If we can, we will do this diplomatically. If not, we will do it another way. But, we will bring all the residents home, all the residents of the north, as well as the residents of the south.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Jerusalem and joins us now. So, Paula, practically speaking, do we have a sense of what comes after this intense phase in Gaza ends?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this is really the first public on-the-record clarity we've had from the Israeli Prime Minister, talking about the future of the war in Gaza. So, the fact that the intense phase of this war is going to end is significant. It's something we have been hearing in the past few days. Certainly, the Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, before going to Washington, said that it was the phase C that they were looking at now, suggesting that he was going to Washington so that he could talk to U.S. officials about this next phase and what the focus will be.
So, Netanyahu did say that this isn't the end of the war in Gaza. He was clear in that, but said that it would be the end of the current stage in Rafah. This is where the most intense fighting has been in recent weeks, in fact, since about May 6 or 7th. And what that means, he says, is so the military can then refocus its attentions on the northern border with Lebanon, where there has been increasing cross- border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli troops.
Now, he also said that he was ready to accept a partial deal with Hamas when it comes to the hostage deal, saying that he is ready to make a partial deal to return some hostages. He also specified, though, that after that ceasefire, he has every intention of going back into Gaza and having -- this will continue until the group is eliminated completely, saying that he hasn't given up on that idea. Now, this is something that hostage families have rejected. They have condemned, saying that that it is not about some hostages. It should be about all hostages. It's also something that Hamas has rejected, saying that it shows he is rejecting what the deal of the ceasefire and hostage deal is on the table at this point and what the U.S.-led and backed deal is.
So, there has been condemnation about that part, Hamas saying that they want a complete permanent ceasefire, and this is clearly not what Netanyahu is subscribing to here. Erica.
HILL: Yeah. Interesting development there as well. And Paula, you touched on this a bit. But, as we look at these rising tensions at the northern border, what is the messaging in Israel? You're there, right? What is the messaging in Israel, and is there a real marked shift that's already begun that is visible?
HANCOCKS: This is -- yes. This is a message that we have been hearing for weeks now that potentially there would be more of a focus on the north. Certainly, we're hearing from both sides messaging that this could be the next war, the next front that opens. It's obviously not something that the Biden administration, that countries around the world want. They don't want this conflict to escalate.
But, certainly, Israeli officials and within the military have been very clear that what is happening on the northern border at this point is unacceptable, saying that there are tens of thousands of residents that had to evacuate just after October 7, and they have not been able to return since. Similarly, on the other side of the border, there is something like 90,000 Lebanese residents who have had to move away from southern Lebanon because of the continuing and recently increasing cross-border attacks.
So, we're certainly seeing and hearing from the Israeli establishment that this is going to be the next focus, and as I mentioned, the fact that the Defense Minister is in Washington, in the United States, speaking with U.S. officials about this next phase of the war, that's certainly bringing it into sharper focus as well. Erica.
HILL: Yeah. It really is. Paula, appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, we are in full countdown mode here to the most significant event thus far in the U.S. presidential race, the first presidential debate, moderated, of course, and hosted by CNN. Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off Thursday night at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Now, while Trump has been working with aides on his policy positions, he has largely avoided debate practice, spending weekend on the campaign trail.
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Biden, for his part, taking an opposite tack, hunkering down at Camp David over the weekend for intense debate preparation.
Joining me now with more on how both men are preparing for this moment, CNN White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz, and CNN's Alayna Treene, who is covering the Trump campaign.
So, Arlette, President Biden, we know, deep into debate prep over the last several days. That continues this week. His campaign, though, today also really seizing on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned. How are they balancing? How is the campaign balancing these two moments?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erica. President Biden remains at Camp David where he is expected to stay preparing for this debate right up until the last minute, traveling down to Atlanta on Thursday, as he prepares to face off against his -- former President Donald Trump. But, at the same time, the Biden campaign is engaged in an all-out push today to try to warn that abortion rights remain under attack. The campaign is using this two-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade to argue that Donald Trump poses a threat to the future of abortion rights in this country. Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at two campaign events in Maryland and Arizona today.
And this morning, the campaign is out with a stark new ad warning about Trump's plans. The ad features a Louisiana woman named Kaitlyn Joshua, who says she was turned away from two emergency rooms after experiencing a miscarriage at 11 weeks of pregnancy. She said that this was due to Louisiana's abortion ban and directly blames Donald Trump for her experience. Take a listen.
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KAITLYN JOSHUA, LOUISIANA: I was right around 11 weeks when I had a miscarriage. The pain that I was feeling was excruciating. I was turned away from two emergency rooms. That was a direct result of Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade. He is now a convicted felon. Trump thinks he should not be held accountable for his own criminal actions, but he will let women and doctors be punished.
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SAENZ: Now, it's also notable that this new television ad which will run in battleground states is the second time that the Biden campaign has used Trump's criminal conviction in their advertising, tying it to another issue that advisors believe is really potent in this November's election. Now, the White House and the campaign are also bracing for the possibility that the Supreme Court this week could issue a major decision in a case involving emergency care relating to abortion.
Now, it all comes as Biden's advisors really believe that this issue of abortion rights is something that will galvanize voters, especially women and independent voters, heading into November's election. Democrats saw some success around the issue of abortion rights in the 2022 midterms, and that is something that Biden's team is hoping to replicate heading into November.
Now, President Biden is still at Camp David with his advisors, preparing for his in-person showdown with Donald Trump, their first matchup in person since that -- those two 2020 debates. Now, the campaign advisors have said that abortion rights is one of the issues where they really believe they have a stark contrast to draw with Trump. So, it certainly is expected that it will come up in the upcoming debate. Biden is running through some informal discussions surrounding possible questions that could arise with the debate before transitioning into full 90-minute mock debates, as he is preparing to face off against Trump once again.
HILL: And Alayna, as we move forward to that face-off between the former President and the current President, Donald Trump is taking a very different approach this week, I know, who is out there on the trail this weekend. There is a fundraiser tonight. What does his debate prep include?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Erica, you're exactly right. Unlike Joe Biden, who has been hunkered down at Camp David, Donald Trump has for the most part kept a pretty aggressive campaign schedule. We saw him over the weekend make two stops, one at a conservative Christian conference on Saturday in Washington, D.C., and then later going to Philadelphia. He has a fundraiser tonight.
But, look, Donald Trump's team is trying to argue that he doesn't need as much debate preparation. They're trying to say that really his preparation is attending these rallies and doing media interviews and speaking to reporters and answering questions. However, behind the scenes, of course, Donald Trump is doing his homework. They recognize, Donald Trump's team, how important Thursday is and what a key moment it is going to be. And so, I'm told that Donald Trump is engaged in more than a dozen what they are dubbing policy discussions with a series of vice presidential contenders, senators, some of his former administration officials like Kellyanne Conway and Rick Grenell. And those conversations are really focused on sharpening his rhetoric on key issues. That includes abortion.
Today, as Arlette pointed out, is the two-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs decision. That is an issue that Donald Trump really does not want to talk about. He recognizes that abortion is something that Republicans, and him specifically, are very vulnerable on as they look forward to the general election.
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And so, that's one issue I know that they have been workshopping language on behind the scenes. They've also been talking about his handling of the January 6 attack on the Capitol and American democracy overall, all messages that they think Trump might struggle with on Thursday and might get pressed hard on.
Now, another part of this preparation is also trying to manage expectations. We've seen many of Donald Trump's advisors and surrogates span the airwaves, trying to raise the expectations after painting Biden for months as this weak and feeble candidate and really trying to argue that he is senile. But, that has actually set the bar pretty low for Joe Biden. We actually heard Donald Trump address this at his rally in Philadelphia on Saturday. Take a listen.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I look forward to Thursday. I know he is locked up in a log cabin someplace. You can imagine what he is doing. There is a lot of interest, tremendous interest in the debate. And you know, when you say prep, I think this is prepping. These people know better than anybody what they want. Right?
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TREENE: So, Donald Trump is trying to needle Joe Biden there, saying he needs to get his rest at his cabin in Camp David. But, look, they are going to continue to try and paint Biden -- even though they're painting Biden as this weakened people candidate, even though they are also trying to raise expectations. So, I think keep an eye on that this week, as we look forward to Thursday. Erica.
HILL: Arlette Saenz, Alayna Treene, thank you both. And a reminder, of course, you can watch the CNN presidential debate
right here on CNN this Thursday 9 p.m. Eastern Time. And good news, if that timing may interfere with your sleep pattern, depending on where you are in the world, fear not, we will replay the debate in its entirety a few different times for you. So, on Friday, tune it at 7 a.m. London time, 2 p.m. in Hong Kong, well, 12 hours later, 7 p.m. in London, 10 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.
The judge in Donald Trump's classified documents case set to hear arguments about several crucial pretrial issues today. First up for Judge Aileen Cannon's courtroom is a motion to dismiss Special Counsel Jack Smith from the case. Donald Trump's lawyers argue that his office has been improperly funded. And later today, a hearing into prosecutors' request for a gag order barring Trump from talking about the FBI agents who raided Mar-a-Lago.
CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz tracking all the development in this case. So, these two hearings planned for today, there is a lot happening in Judge Cannon's courtroom and a lot not happening at the same time. Walk us through what will be considered first of all today.
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, Erica, this is going to be another set of hearings, another several hours in the day, where there is going to be arguments where they are stress testing this case before Judge Cannon. So, Donald Trump's team, they are trying many different ways to get this case dismissed or to get the charges against him dropped, erased, thrown out. The way they do that is they come to Judge Cannon. She sets a hearing and is having hours and hours devoted to each of those separate requests.
So, today is part two of an attempt by Donald Trump's team to convince the judge that the Special Counsels' office doesn't have the constitutional authority to bring a case that there isn't money that Congress has given to the Justice Department that could be used for an office like this, the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith appointed to handle this case, investigate it and bring the charges, take it to trial. So, that is what is going to be talked about this morning.
In the afternoon, prosecutors then are going to be arguing what they want in the case. They want the judge to limit Donald Trump's speech. They want him not to be able to comment about law enforcement involved in this anymore. He has been speaking quite a lot about the law enforcement specifically that took part in the search of Mara-a-Lago in August of 2022. And he said misleading and false things about that search that such as that he was in danger. He wasn't even in Florida whenever that search took place.
And so, that is going to be argued before Judge Cannon. We don't expect any rulings to happen today. But, you never know. In court, it's always possible. Judge Cannon, though, she likes to take her time. She likes to hear all of the sides of the issues, and she often has a lot of questions. Erica.
HILL: All right, Katelyn, outside the courthouse in Florida this morning. Thank you. Still ahead this hour, finger-pointing and so many unanswered
questions after more than 1,300 people died in extreme heat during this year's Hajj pilgrimage. So, who is to blame? That's next.
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HILL: At least 22 people are dead after a fire broke out at a battery plant in South Korea. Fire officials say that blaze ripped through a factory southwest of Seoul, the capital. Most of those who died are Chinese nationals. Some battery cells reportedly exploded, igniting the fire. There is no word, though, on what actually triggered that.
Well, the Hajj pilgrimage may -- pilgrimage, rather, maybe over, but there are questions, so many questions that are just beginning, including how many -- how more than 1,300 people could have died during Saudi Arabia's annual religious event. Various authorities are pointing to a combination of extreme heat in what they call unauthorized trips. Now, as you can see in this footage, there is no real cover from the baking sun except for those personal umbrellas, temperatures at times peeking above 50 degrees Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit. And some witnesses clearly blaming the Saudi government, saying there was poor organization and infrastructure.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joining me now. So, first of all, more than 1,300 deaths, I know the Saudi government is saying many of them were due to heat stress. But, just give us a better sense of what do we know about the provisions, if any, given the extreme conditions this year, Salma.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And I want to start by saying those 1,300 deaths, that number could rise, and we've only gotten that official figure after for days we saw desperate families on social media looking for their loved ones who had gone missing in the Hajj. We now have that figure. Saudi authorities saying that many of those, over 80 percent, of those who died are what they call unauthorized. So, people who did not have the proper permissions.
But, here is the thing to understand about the Hajj. It is a pillar of Islam. It is a lifetime goal for most Muslims to get there. They will save every penny until maybe they're in older age, their 70s and 80s. And they're applying for this lottery system time after time with the hope that they'll get that green light. And then, in the midst of all this, this desperation, these families trying to get there, the elderly who want to be able to carry out that pilgrimage.
There are tour groups that governments now say were operating without proper permissions, and governments are beginning to crack down. Egypt, for example, has banned 16 of these tour groups. Reports indicating that people simply arrived to Mecca to find they had no proper accommodation, no proper cooling, no buses to carry them the many miles to the various sites they needed to go to. Tunisia is also taking steps. I believe their government has fired one of their ministers. Jordan is cracking down on these tour operators.
But, for these families, these reverberations around the Muslim world will only begin this week when people should be returning home. But, of course, those who lost their lives, for their families, they're going to be asking these questions to the government, seeking accountability. And they're going to wonder, why did it take 1,300 deaths for these tour groups to be held to account?
HILL: It's such an interesting and important point. And you note what different governments are doing, in terms of the Saudi government, as all those families are looking to hold somebody accountable. Is there any recourse for them?
ABDELAZIZ: This is a key question, and I think it is particularly difficult to sort of answer this directly for you at this time.
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So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to break down what we know is taking place. But, let me begin by explaining to you just how many people are on the ground, 1.8 million people. There is a huge system that's in place to get people these lottery tickets, these green lights to be able to go, again, people apply year after year, because each country has a quota system, a limited number of pilgrims that it is allowed to give permissions to, to go to the Hajj.
There is always pressure around this quota system, too many, and you end up with overcrowding, with deaths, with disease spreading through the camps, too little, and of course, many feel that they will not have the opportunity to carry out the pilgrimage before they die, before they pass, a very important, one of the pillars of Islam, rather.
So, all of the controversy here will be around a couple of things. Are governments doing enough to make sure that the system that provides that green light that provides those quotas and those OKs for people to go to the pilgrimage, is that system clear? Or are unfair operators, people who are working illegally, are they allowed to continue to operate and entice people who simply might not know that they have just signed up for an unauthorized pilgrimage?
And then, there is questions on the ground in Saudi Arabia, some of the eyewitnesses saying that, while they were walking along some of these roads, they simply saw people who were laying down, some who had fallen unconscious, others who had died. Were there enough medics? Some eyewitnesses saying, no, there were not enough medics. Were there enough fans? Was there enough shade? You showed that image of the personal umbrellas.
And bigger picture here, we have to remember the climate crisis. These temperatures, we had record-setting temperatures this time, 125 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 50 degrees Celsius. These temperatures could only rise making that pilgrimage that very important journey for so many Muslims so risky and evermore dangerous if that infrastructure on the ground doesn't begin to shift and accommodate to that changing climate. HILL: Yeah. And it will be interesting to see what changes are perhaps in place for next year, as we continue to follow. Salma, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Well, torrential rain is still lashing in southern China, triggering deadly flash floods and landslides. At least 71 people have died so far, according to Chinese state media. Tens of thousands have been forced to relocate. Heavy flooding and rainfall is also affecting more than half a million people in the eastern parts of the country and there is little relief in sight. China's Meteorological Administration forecasting more torrential rain for both the south and the east in the next 24 hours.
All of this extreme weather, of course, we're also talking about the heatwave here in the United States, much of the country baking. A little bit of that may ease in the northeast today. But, temperatures will continue to soar in the south and in the southern plains. Forecasters say places like Little Rock, Arkansas, and Dallas, Texas, could hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's about 37 degrees Celsius before sundown. Here you see some folks in the nation's capital trying to cool off on Sunday. Several places in the U.S. either tied or broke high temperature records over the weekend.
Meantime in the Upper Midwest, a lot of people there dealing with flooding. Iowa's governor now asking for a federal disaster declaration. Officials in South Dakota blame at least one death on the flooding.
CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa joining me now. So, Elisa, everybody is watching this extreme weather really across the globe. Looking at what's happening here in the U.S., the big question, of course is, when will there be some relief? What are you seeing this week?
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We're looking at that sweltering heat pretty much lasting from the Central Plains into the Southeast as we go through the next couple of days. A little bit of a break in the Northeast in the Mid-Atlantic today. But, I mean, look at the excessive heat alerts. You've got that heat index value possible up to 110 degrees. The alerts stretch from the Dakotas down to the Gulf Coast. We're talking about more than 1,000, rather, 1,000 miles of ground covered here by all of these heat alerts.
Here is a look at some of these high temperatures for today. 99 in Little Rock, 98 in Oklahoma City, nearing triple digits in Kansas City as well, Atlanta too getting close to triple digits. Here is your little bit of a break in the Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, 88 degrees in D.C. today after they hit 100 over the weekend for the first time since 2016.
So, all this really means is that the heat dome just nudged a little bit to the west. So, we're still going to have more than 77 percent of Americans, it's more than 245 million people, with temperatures at 90 degrees or hotter as we go through the week. We're talking about more than 200 records falling, both daytime highs and overnight lows, because the overnights will sit near 80 degrees. So, that's not really giving you any relief even at night. Here is a look at some of the three-day temperatures, again, up near
triple digits, up near 100 degrees in Atlanta. That's a good 10 degrees above the average. So, again, heat like this is not normal this early in the season. Same thing in Dallas, temperatures in the upper 90s, Oklahoma City as well.
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Even though you get a little bit of a break in D.C. and New York, temperatures do get back in the middle 90s by the middle of the week. So, the break is really short lived. That heat risk will continue as we go through the next couple of days. That means we need to watch for the signs and symptoms of heat sickness, checking in on children, elderly and pets because look at these overnight temperatures now dropping out of the 80s, overnight lows in the low 80s from New Orleans to Dallas, Memphis as well. That, again, gives you no relief, those temperatures much above average. And we do know that especially these overnight temperatures are about four to five times more likely due to climate change. Erica.
HILL: Elisa Raffa, appreciate it. Thank you.
Still ahead, she lost half her family in an Israeli strike in Gaza in an attack which became the focus of a CNN investigation. Now, that young woman is sharing more of her heartbreaking journey. Stay with us.
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HILL: Welcome back. The Israeli Prime Minister says the current phase of intense fighting in the Palestinian enclave is winding down. Benjamin Netanyahu, though, also making clear, even as the intense phase may wind down in Gaza, the war against Hamas is not over, saying it would continue until Hamas is eliminated. Mr. Netanyahu says the military will, though, be shifting its focus to the northern border with Lebanon. That, of course, is where Hezbollah has been launching cross-border attacks.
Earlier this year, CNN investigated an Israeli strike that killed half of a young woman's family in Gaza, and left her with life-changing injuries.
Our Jomana Karadsheh was part of that investigation, and has now met with the young woman who says she blames both Hamas and Israel for what happened. Jomana has her story. I do want to warn you, though, a number of these images are graphic.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War is forever imprinted on Roba's face, even here in the safety of Qatar, far from the conflict. She avoids people and going out, still haunted by what she survived. This scene of carnage, it was a horror we uncovered earlier this year.
[08:35:00] The Israeli military attacked this warehouse in central Gaza where Roba and her family were sheltering. When our cameraman met her in the hospital in January, she was seriously injured and in shock, struggling to tell her story.
ROBA ABU JIBBA, SURVIVOR OF ISRAELI ATTACK ON GAZA (Interpreted): They are all gone. I have no one left.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): She would become the heart of a CNN investigation, an example documenting how Israel is conducting the war in Gaza, revealing how indiscriminate Israeli fire killed displaced civilians, including half of Roba's family. But, with access to Gaza restricted, we never met Roba in person until this spring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
KARADSHEH: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
KARADSHEH: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Following our report, the Qatari government flew her on this military transport plane to Doha for treatment.
JIBBA (Interpreted): For my mother and my remaining siblings, I tell them, I'm fine, thank God. There's nothing wrong with me. And I'm strong.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): She and her family went through the unimaginable in that Gaza warehouse. They've taken refuge there in November following Israel's directive to evacuate south. Residents said that in the early hours of January 4, they heard what they called resistance fire in the area, though denied, there were militants where civilians were sheltering. The Israeli military told us that after coming under fire from the warehouse, they carried out a quote "precise strike". Experts told us that strike was likely a massive 2,000-pound bomb dropped with no prior warning to Roba's family and other civilians. Roba was trapped for days, bleeding, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her five siblings. The youngest was 10-year-old Azain (ph).
JIBBA (Interpreted): I blame the people and Hamas and this situation, because we were living normally in the warehouse for a month. If it weren't for those who fired the mortar, the incident wouldn't have happened. We didn't even want to stay in the warehouse, but the bastards [Israelis] made us stay there. I blame them [Israelis] for killing the children. They spared no one.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): The once outgoing 19-year-old has been left shattered inside and out, still grappling with seemingly endless pain and loss, not just her family, even the new love she found.
JIBBA (Interpreted): After losing my family, my five dear siblings, I found someone to fill that void. Then I lost him too. We were going to get married. He was killed. He supported and stood by me. He was killed seven days before I came here.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): That young man, Muhammad, she says, was out looking for firewood and was killed in Israeli strike.
JIBBA (Interpreted): People would say, "How could you marry her, she was injured in her eye and body?" He would say, "I don't care about here body." I care about what's in her heart.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): But, it is her body, the physical scars that are constant reminder of that horrific night. Roba came to Qatar hoping for a prosthetic eye, a shroud for her anguish.
JIBBA (Interpreted): I want my face to look like it did before, when I was normal. I know it would be a big difference. I won't see with that eye again, but at least it would look the same.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): We joined her for this doctor's appointment. She was expecting to get a date for the surgery. But, instead, it was crushing news. The doctor tells Roba and her aunt that reconstructive surgery is not available in Qatar. Slowly, the bad news begins to sink in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
JIBBA (Interpreted): I've had enough. I've had enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
KARADSHEH (voice-over): She can barely stand. No words can comfort her. She tries to shield herself as she'd likely did that night, reliving the trauma, reliving a nightmare that just won't end.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Doha.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters clashing violently on Sunday outside a synagogue in Los Angeles. Now, this happened in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. Social media video shows police pushing pro-Palestinian demonstrators and the video also shows counter-protesters with Israeli flags confronting those pro- Palestinian demonstrators. At one point, the protesters actually ended up blocking traffic. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the actions of these demonstrators, calling it appalling.
It was, meantime, another violent weekend across the U.S. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 13 mass shootings throughout this country, several of them deadly. In Arkansas, four people were killed, nine others wounded, including two police officers, when a gunman opened fire inside a grocery store. The 44-year-old suspect is expected to be in court today. Authorities are still trying to determine a motive.
[08:40:00]
Shootings also taking place in Alabama, New York, Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky.
Carlos Suarez, he is joining me now from Miami with more details. So, yet again, a terrible weekend in this country, looking specifically at what happened in Arkansas. What more do we know about this shooting and more than dozen others over the weekend?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. That's right. Erica. Good morning. It's almost difficult to keep track of all of these shootings. We went into the weekend, as you noted, with that mass shooting in Arkansas on Friday. The youngest victim that was killed there was a 23-year-old. She was identified as Callie Weems. Now, according to a GoFundMe that was set up by family and friends, Callie was a new mother. She leaves behind a 10-month-old daughter, and according to her family, she loved her child dearly, and everyone, according to them, saw her being a phenomenal mom.
The second person that was killed was 62-year-old Shirley K. Taylor. He daughter, Angela, said that she was a hardest working woman she knew and that she was a great person. 50-year-old Roy Sturgis also died in that shooting. He leaves behind a daughter and two sisters. And 81-year-old Ellen Shrum was the oldest victim on Friday. According to her family, Ellen worked as a cashier for a few months at the very same grocery store where this shooting happened. We're told that she leaves behind her husband, three children, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Now, over the weekend, as all of these families grieved, we learned a little bit more about the shooting, including the actions that Callie took, all in an effort to try to save the lives of others.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLONEL MIKE HAGAR, DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT FO PUBLIC SAFETY: During the incident, we observed the very best and the very worst of humanity. As an example, instead of fleeing from the obvious danger, Callie Weems began using her training as a nurse to render aid to a gunshot victim, and unfortunately, became a victim herself as a result of her selfless actions. The actions of the suspect were the most cowardly, pathetic actions imaginable, as he was literally preying on defenseless victims, the majority of which were female.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUAREZ: The spate of violence also touched Ohio where 10 people were shot early Sunday morning, all of this happened in Columbus, which is southwest of Cleveland. All of the victims there, we're told, were men and two of them were teenagers. The gunman later turned himself into police. And in Missouri, six people were shot, including an 18-year- old. That happened yesterday as well. We're told that the other victims were in their early 20s, and that the shooting was the result of a fight. As you noted, Erica, there have been at least 248 mass shootings in 2024, that number, according to the data that's collected by the Gun Violence Archive.
HILL: Sobering, as always. Carlos, thank you. Still to come here, the sea is slowly swallowing an island off Panama,
taking homes and livelihoods with it. And now, residents are weighing in on their government's response.
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[08:45:00]
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HILL: An update now on a story of that we brought you here on CNN. Rising sea levels forcing hundreds of families on one island off the coast of Panama to relocate to the mainland.
CNN's Rafael Romo has more on that move which has upended so many lives and livelihoods.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some 300 families have left their home on the island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama in hopes of a better future. For some, that does not seem to be the case. The Panamanian government relocated these families to the new community of Nuevo Carti on the mainland due to the rising sea levels affecting the island.
CNN went to the island and spoke with locals there, and on the mainland, not all locals seem happy with this solution to climate change. Resident Brenes Garcia goes back to his home on the island every day.
BRENES GARCIA, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (Interpreted): This morning, at 6 a.m., I crossed here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Interpreted): But where are you going to live here or there?
REYES (Interpreted): Haren (sp) there had quite a few things here. I would have to take everything with me.
ROMO (voice-over): Garcia owns a shop in Gardi Sugdub, and he tells CNN, there is not enough space in the new community for his business. It would not be profitable for him to stay in Nuevo Carti. Community officials say some 32 families stayed on the island. There were no more houses left, and others decided to stay on their own. Residents of the Panamanian island tell CNN, living on the mainland would affect their livelihood and lifestyle.
HERMINIO REYES, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (Interpreted): I'm losing fishing time because I'm not looking at the sea every day. And that's in my nature. I want to ensure that every day my family is eating fish and also yuccas, everything that is natural.
ROMO (voice-over): The community Secretary Agusto Walter said that before the move, the island of Gardi Sugdub had around 1,300 inhabitants, and in some homes, up to four generations would live under the same roof. But, conditions in the new community of Nuevo Carti do not seem to be better. Walter says that electricity and water go out sometimes for days at a time. The climate change effects will only get worse as sea levels rise. Residents of the island looked at other solutions to protect their homes. These fillings in here on the island are built with wood and stones to prevent water from entering the houses when the tide rises.
CLAUDIANO LOPEZ, GARDI SUGDUB RESIDENT (Interpreted): What they told me at first was that they didn't think it was climate change. They didn't believe it. But now, they're tired of drying everything. Removing stones and when the sea rises, it takes things away.
AGUSTO WALTER, COMMUNITY SECRETARY (Interpreted): I know that in 10 or 30 years, this will be noticeable but not now. Now, people think that it is not a big deal that it's not going to happen. But, yes, the sea level is going up.
ROMO (voice-over): Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Still ahead, residents in one Chinese village react to falling debris that appears to be from a rocket launch. What we know about that, after the break.
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HILL: We are keeping an eye on a developing story out of the UK.
[08:50:00]
A royal source telling CNN, Princess Anne has sustained minor head injuries at her estate in western England. There was reportedly an incident as the 73-year-old royal was walking on the grounds of her home. Princess Anne's medical team says her injuries are consistent with a potential impact from a horse's head or legs. Buckingham Palace says she has been hospitalized and is expected to make a full and swift recovery.
Dramatic video circulating on social media appears to show a piece of rocket debris raining down on a Chinese village. Take a look at this.
Steven Jiang has more details on the satellite launch that may be responsible for that debris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: These dramatic social media videos emerged not long after the state-owned Chinese company responsible for this launch hailed it as a complete success in a statement online Saturday, describing this mission as a Chinese-made Long March 2C rocket carrying satellites jointly developed by Chinese and French scientists into space.
Now, we have reached out to this company and the Chinese government for comment. But, for many people on the ground watching these suspected debris plummet towards their village, they felt quite differently about this mission, with one witness telling CNN that they thought they had seen a rocket fall down right in front of their eyes, with other people on social media saying they heard a loud explosion after the debris fell into the ground.
A since-deleted notice from village authorities posted on social media showed that local officials were telling villagers that they were about to conduct a rocket debris recovery mission and advising people to stay away from these debris, avoid being harmed by toxic air and explosions. Now, that assessment echoed by experts CNN spoke to with them telling us that these debris are likely from the first-stage rocket booster and are indeed highly toxic.
Now, if this falling debris incident is confirmed, it's not without precedents in China. Just last December, debris from another rocket launched from the same center in Xichang province landed in a nearby region, damaging two houses, according to stay media. And back in 2022, charred remnants from a Chinese rocket booster plunged and controlled back to Earth, an incident widely criticized by many Western experts as irresponsible and risky behavior by China's national space agency.
All of this, of course, is taking place at a time when China is not only catching up, but also trying to get ahead of the United States in an increasingly heated space race.
Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, NASA says he wants to try to fly a pair of astronauts back from the International Space Station until next month. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stuck in space, while scientists and engineers continue to study the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that is supposed to take them home. The Starliner suffered helium leaks and thruster problems on the way to the space station.
CNN's Tom Foreman is tracking this story for us. Good morning, my friend. So, Tom, in terms of the reasons for this delay, what are we hearing from NASA and Boeing?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they obviously say, as people often do, in cases like this, this is an abundance of caution. They want to make sure everything is all right. But, let's talk about what the issues were. The issues were helium leaks that were occurring on this craft, which took some time to isolate and to figure out. There are reportedly five leaks so far that they have found and that caused some of these thrusts -- well, a thruster shut down, then some others were shut down in response to that, which may be related to this.
Now, you may be wondering what helium is for up in space. Remember, when you have a zero-gravity environment, if you have fuel in a tank that needs to get to the nozzle part, gravity would assist on Earth, but up in space, it doesn't. So, helium, which is inert and doesn't really react with much of anything, can be used to pressurize the tank and drive it to the nozzle. Whether that's happening with this particular spacecraft, we don't know. But, that's one typical use.
So, if you're losing helium, the question is, why are you losing it? Does it interfere with the thrusters? And have you lost enough for that to be a problem? We don't have answers to those questions. But, NASA is trying to sort all that out. It's also complicated because they have a couple of spacewalks, one has happened, one about to happen, that they're -- that they'd like to get out of the way and not try to do all of this at once.
So, the bottom line, Erica, is though this may seem like an inconvenience that this capsule is stuck with the ISS right now, they need to solve these issues to be able to undock and to come out of orbit. They must solve them before that, and if not, this could be a much more serious problem than it appears at the moment. Erica.
HILL: So, we talk about this abundance of caution, Tom. There is also the planning that goes into any of these missions, which is not just, hey, is there enough food and supply on board --
FOREMAN: Right.
HILL: -- but also how the crew would prep even mentally for something like this? How much of that is a part of the preparation?
FOREMAN: It's a part because everything is planned.
[08:55:00]
Every minute in space is planned. They have things that they have to do. So, the idea that suddenly you have people staying up here much longer than expected, they're not running out of time. It's not like any minute they have to get off there. But, there are limits as to how far they can go. And if, for example, if this spacecraft can be returned autonomously to Earth, and we don't know that it can, if they determine that this is not safe for astronauts to get back on it and come back to Earth, even though these two astronauts have praised the craft, they flew up there on, if they determine that, then suddenly you have two people on the space station who aren't supposed to be there that long. And then, the question is, how do you get them out? How does that affect the rotation?
Again, this looks like a sort of a housekeeping matter right now, not something Boeing wanted, but it's something that can become serious, the longer it goes on and if they can't solve it.
HILL: Yeah. Absolutely. Tom, always appreciate it. Good to see you. Thanks.
FOREMAN: Good talking to you, my friend.
HILL: And thanks to all of you for joining me here on CNN Newsroom on this Monday. I'm Erica Hill. Connect the World with Eleni Giokos is up next.
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