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Growing Tensions in the Middle East; 30 Killed in Israeli Strike on a Central Gaza; White House Condemns Attack on Golan Heights; Gaza Ceasefire Talks to Resume in Rome; Trumps Amps Up Campaign Rhetoric; Harris and Trump Hit Campaign Trail; Olympic Excitement Builds Up; U.S. Doctors Plead for Ceasefire in Gaza; CNN Talks to Team USA's First Medalists; U.S. Wins Gold in Men's 4x100M Freestyle Relay; California's Largest Wildfire Keeps Growing. Aired 4- 5a ET

Aired July 28, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

HILL HARPER, CNN ANCHOR: Terry Nichols, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Michael Poitier agreed to testify against McVeigh in exchange for a 12-year prison sentence and is now in the Witness Protection Program. Five years after the cowardly attack, President Bill Clinton dedicated a memorial to the victims and survivors on the site where the Alfred Murrah Building once stood. It features 168 empty chairs, one for each of the lives lost.

I'm Hill Harper. Thanks for watching.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

New concerns of a growing conflict in the Middle East. Israel's military responds with force to a deadly rocket attack it blames on Hezbollah.

Donald Trump on the campaign trail, making it clear he doesn't want to tone down his rhetoric just two weeks after the attempt on his life.

And another full day of competition ahead at the Paris Olympics, with the excitement building around top U.S. athletes on the world stage.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."

BRUNHUBER: Israel is following through with its pledge to retaliate after Saturday's horrific rocket attack in the occupied Golan Heights. It says its warplanes hit Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanon overnight, including weapons caches and what it describes as terrorist infrastructure. It all came after this attack, which was caught on video. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) (END VIDEO CLIP)

But that is the moment when rockets hit the village of Majdal Shams on Saturday, killing at least 12 people and leaving 29 others wounded. Israel says many of the victims are children after a rocket hit a soccer field where they were playing. Israeli officials are pointing a finger at Hezbollah, which denies having anything to do with the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flying home from the U.S. at this hour and plans to convene his security cabinet as soon as he arrives. But one of his predecessors says Saturday's attack amounts to a declaration of war on Israel but says Lebanon can still stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAFTALI BENNETT, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We are not going to tweezer our way through and look for Hezbollah amid Lebanon. Hezbollah is part of the government. Hezbollah is part of Lebanon. And what Lebanon needs to do tonight is move all of Hezbollah away from the border, all the way up to the river of Litani, and stop everything they're doing. That is the only way they can prevent an all-out war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, this comes after a deadly Israeli airstrike on a school in Central Gaza on Saturday. Palestinian officials say at least 30 people including a number of children were killed. More than 100 were reported wounded. One official at a nearby hospital says most of the victims treated there were women and children. Israel's military says it was targeting a Hamas command control center inside the compound. But a Palestinian civil defense spokesperson says the school was sheltering more than 4,000 displaced civilians.

I want to go to London where Nada Bashir is keeping an eye on development. So, Nada, first walk us through what happened in the Golan Heights.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you can imagine, the Druze community of Majdal Shams are still trying to come to terms with this deadly attack. It took place on Saturday evening at around 6:00 p.m. local time. Rockets striking an area of the village where children had been playing a soccer field in the area. We've heard from Israeli authorities at this stage, they believe 12 people were killed in this strike, all between the ages of 10 and 20 years old.

Now, our colleague Jeremy Diamond has been at the scene speaking to eyewitnesses, one eyewitness said that there was only a matter of seconds between alarm warning sirens going off, warning civilians to get to shelters before the rocket actually struck near the soccer field, so not enough time for civilians to get to safety.

And of course, this has really sent shockwaves across the Druze community in Majdal Shams. We know, of course, at least 29 others were injured in this strike and this has really drawn concern over the potential for an escalation We've seen the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, visiting the site. Israel, of course has vowed a fierce response.

At this stage, of course, the community is still coming to terms with what has happened. Funerals are set to be taking place today following that deadly strike. And again, many of those who were killed were just children, young adults. So, this has really been a moment of mourning for those in the Druze community of Majdal Shams.

[04:05:00]

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. Nada, take us through -- you mentioned the Israeli defense minister there, but give us a bit more on what the response has been from Israel.

BASHIR: Well, look, there is real concern over the potential here for an escalation. We've seen for months now the exchange of fire between Iran-backed Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon and the Israeli military across the border. But this is, of course, an attack with a significant civilian death toll here. One Israeli military spokesperson describing this as the deadliest attack on civilians since October 7th. So, you can imagine that there are warnings now of a fierce and firm response from the Israeli military.

As you mentioned, the Israeli prime minister is returning now following his trip to Washington, D.C., a few hours earlier than had previously been scheduled. He has also vowed fierce response. Has said Israel will not be silent in this matter.

And we've already seen the Israeli military carrying out airstrikes across parts of Southern Lebanon overnight, but there are fears that there could be more of a response from the Israeli military, questions as to what this will be, whether this latest incident will be enough to trigger an all-out war, as we've heard warnings now for weeks, for months rather, around the potential for an all-out war, for an escalation between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

According to state media in Lebanon, the Lebanese government has condemned any attacks on civilians. It has called for a cessation of hostilities on both sides of the border. We've previously heard from the Lebanese government saying they do not want to see an all-out war with Israel -- between Israel and Lebanon. But again, these airstrikes have largely been coming from Hezbollah.

And of course, it's important to note that Hezbollah has denied responsibility for this latest strike in the Golan Heights. They've said that they were not responsible. The Israeli military believes those rockets came from Southern Lebanon. They have accused Hezbollah. But again, this could certainly trigger a broader escalation. That is a huge concern, not only for those in Lebanon and Israel, but of course, more broadly in the region and internationally.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, absolutely. All right. Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much.

And the White House has condemned the deadly attack in the Golan Heights. The U.S. National Security Council. Told CNN "Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones today. Our support for Israel's security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iranian- backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah."

Other world leaders are responding as well. Estonia's president says he's deeply saddened by the brutal attack on civilians including many children. E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he strongly condemns the bloodbath. He's calling for an independent international investigation and is urging all parties to avoid escalation. Norway's foreign minister says attacking civilians is unacceptable and is also calling on all parties to deescalate a situation that can lead to a major war on Israel's northern front.

All right. For more analysis, we're joined by H.A. Hellyer, a Middle East Studies scholar at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and he's speaking with us from Malaysia. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, we've heard Israel's defense minister has promised Hezbollah will pay the price. Israel has retaliated with strikes already, but you expect further retaliation and in what form do you think that might take?

H.A. HELLYER, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE FOR DEFENCE AND SECURITY STUDIES: Well, thank you for the invitation to come on your program. I do think that there will be further retaliation. Actually, I don't think that there's been retaliation for what took place already. I think that that's unfortunately -- the structure you're mentioning, unfortunately, part for the course that we've seen over the past nine months since post October 7th.

I think the retaliation or what will be termed as retaliation by the Israeli government will only take place after Netanyahu returns from his trip, convenes the cabinet, and decides on a course of action. And I think that the danger that we've all been warning about, frankly, for the past nine months is that if you don't have a de-escalation paradigm put in place pretty quickly, then escalation becomes inevitable, and you can always have catastrophe emanating from the law of unintended consequences with strikes going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth we've seen over the past nine months.

There is always the danger that somebody was going to do something that they thought might have been calculated, but happened by mistake, or they miscalculated and then, suddenly, escalation takes place. And one thing that is positive about this particular attack is that Hezbollah may well be responsible in terms of the actual missile strike, but didn't mean to actually target that particular area. It doesn't really fit with the pattern that they've been engaged with so far. It also runs a different type of risk.

[04:10:00]

The community in the Golan Heights, of course, the Golan Heights, as you mentioned, is occupied territory. It's Syrian. Israel occupied in 1967. The Jewish community are linked to the Jewish community that are in Lebanon, which has a relationship, of course, given in Lebanon with Hezbollah. So, Hezbollah will probably be concerned -- would probably be concerned about causing tensions with that community even within Lebanon itself. So, it's -- I think it's open to debate whether or not this was an intended target. And of course, as Josep Borrell of the European Union pointed out an independent investigation needs to be conducted in order to understand quite what happened there. There's even speculation that this might have been the result of an Iron Dome malfunction. We frankly just don't know at this point.

BRUNHUBER: So, you isolated the key question, will this lead to all- out war between Israel and Hezbollah? For Israel, what would that mean? I mean, yet another front and already the IDF short of manpower.

HELLYER: So, there are a few things here. First, as you mentioned, Hezbollah -- well, as your program mentioned, Hezbollah has denied responsibility. If they were looking for escalation of this type, I don't think they'd be denying responsibility. The Iranian ambassador to Beirut also sent out a message earlier today on Twitter. And I think that indicates as well that the Iranians are not looking for escalation.

So, I think that the Israelis will be looking at this and thinking, OK, we're going to respond. How are we going to respond? And how can we respond without a full-scale war breaking out? Because I don't think the Israelis want the full-scale war at present. I think that there are forces within the Israeli establishment that are certainly looking for that sort of war, but I think that at the moment the -- on balance there are more voices within the establishment, particularly within the security establishment than those that if full-scale were to break out, it would not be a repeat of what Israel is doing to Gaza. And the repercussions there.

Of course, Gaza has been a complete catastrophe for the people of Gaza, more than 40,000 people, mostly civilians killed by the IDF and their strikes. But the response upon Israeli towns and cities and civilians has been quite minimal in comparison because Hamas simply doesn't have that capacity or capability.

When we talk about a strike on Lebanon going beyond what's taken place so far, the risk of Hezbollah responding in kind or escalating on Israeli towns and cities, they have far more in terms of people, but also in terms of weaponry. And I think the Israelis know that. I think that it would be catastrophic for the Israelis, as well as, of course, for Lebanon and the Lebanese.

BRUNHUBER: Right. Listen, we'll have to leave it there, but appreciate your analysis, as always. H.A. Hellyer, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

HELLYER: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: So, as the fighting grinds on and fears of escalation grow, some efforts to stop it are expected to resume today. Two sources tell CNN that hostage and ceasefire talks for Gaza will take place in Rome. CIA Director Bill Burns will lead the U.S. negotiating team and meet with counterparts from Egypt, Qatar, and Israel. A senior Israeli official said his country shared its latest proposal for a hostage and ceasefire deal with the U.S. on Saturday. Barbie Nadeau is standing by in Rome with more. So, Barbie, what more can you tell us about the ceasefire talks that we're expecting there today?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, you know, we see the Italian media reporting just a few minutes ago that the head of the Israeli Mossad has arrived in Rome. We don't have any confirmation officially on that. We don't have any confirmation yet either whether or not the CIA chief has arrived yet. But these talks, if they are to take place today, as everyone says they will, you know, there's a lot of urgency, but not a lot of optimism in terms of what they can do just given that the volatility of the situation there. They're very fluid.

But, of course, these talks about -- these peace talks supposedly have been in the works for about a week, you know, after Netanyahu's visit to the United States, pressure from the U.S. administration to try to stop the hostilities as soon as possible, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and after that, I mean, there'd been sort of renewed optimism of a deal after that visit to the US, but as -- you know, we've been here before, we've seen that a deal seemingly reportedly close only to stall. So, any indications that things might be different this time?

NADEAU: Well, I suppose the pressure from the United States is growing ever stronger, and that could have some sway in terms of whether or not Israel accepts this -- the peace talks, accepts the ceasefire parameters. And, you know, it is really, at the end of the day, about returning those hostages, both dead and alive, to Israel.

[04:15:00]

And the pressure from the families of increasing pressure from the United States, especially from Vice President Harris, who made some you know, very strong comments about how she may treat the situation if, in fact, she becomes the nominee and then the president of the United States, all of these things are factors that are playing a role in this.

But, you know, these -- as you said, these -- the talks have come and gone before without any resolution, whether or not this will be any different is really too soon to tell, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right. We will see. Barbie Nadeau in Rome, thank you so much.

We are just 100 days away from the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Both candidates hit the campaign trail on Saturday. Donald Trump held a rally with his running mate, J. D. Vance, in Minnesota. Vance aimed to define Kamala Harris as a "wacky out of touch San Francisco liberal" who is part of a "lunatic fringe."

In the meantime, Trump called Harris worse than President Biden. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's terrible. She's worse than he is, I'll tell you right now. I want to be nice. They all say, I think he's changed. I think he's changed since two weeks ago. Something affected him. No, I haven't changed. Maybe I've gotten worse, actually, because I get angry at the incompetence that I witness every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The former president also used scare tactics at the rally. Trump said the vice president wanted "jihadist sympathizers" in Minnesota. He claimed that if she were elected, she would flood the country with refugees from Gaza. Trump also attacked Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, telling the crowd she wants to "turn the Midwest into the Middle East."

Now, earlier in the day, the Republican presidential candidate was making crypto friendly policy pledges of Bitcoin summit in Tennessee after previously deriding the cryptocurrency, while laying out a plan to create a national stockpile using UCSs (ph) Bitcoin. Trump seemed to refer to the Biden administration's Department of Justice as a fascist regime. The DOJ has seized significant Bitcoin assets during both the Biden and Trump administrations.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is pushing back against Donald Trump's attacks against her. While in Massachusetts on Saturday, she said the former president was "resorting to some wild lies about her record." CNN's Eva McKend has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA MCKEND, CNN U.S. NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Harris eager to prosecute the case against Trump. At a fundraiser, she talked about her law enforcement background and said she has experience taking on perpetrators of all kinds, like predators who abused women and fraudsters. Before going on to say she knows Donald Trump's type.

Harris also giving virtual remarks this weekend to young people, a group called the Voters of Tomorrow, leaning on them for their support and highlighting the significance of their participation in this election. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: In this election, we know young voters will be key, and we know your vote cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned, and that is exactly what we will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Harris also needling Trump for now seeming to back away from the debate, saying she hopes he reconsiders because they have a lot to talk about.

Eva McKend, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Still to come, American doctors who volunteered in Gaza say they've seen hell on earth and they're demanding the U.S. government pay attention and act now to save lives.

Plus, Paris is preparing for another full day of Olympic competition. We'll have a live report on what we can expect today after the break. Please stay with us.

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[04:20:00]

BRUNHUBER: 13 Olympic gold medals are up for grabs as the second full day of competition in Paris gets underway. All eyes are on the women in gymnastics with qualifiers happening right now. Olympic royalty Simone Biles is competing in her third Games, leaving the defending world champions Team USA.

The first medals were handed out on Saturday. Australia leads the pack with three golds. China also has three and the U.S. is in third with one gold win. France and South Korea round out the top five. All right. I want to bring in CNN's Amanda Davies in Paris. So, Amanda, obviously plenty of excitement there, including for the local fans, right, for the French.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, and not only because the sun has finally started shining here in Paris. It is a very summer Olympic day today and it really couldn't have got off to a better start for the hosts on the first day of medals in front of President Macron and royalty Princess Anne and Prince Albert of Monaco. This was the one they really wanted, the rugby sevens gold.

They'd moved around the schedules here to make it their best chance of gold on the opening day of competition. The stage was perfectly set. We were there at a full house at the Stade de France on Saturday evening with Antoine Dupont getting the moment he says he's always dreamed of, having made the somewhat controversial decision to skip the six nations.

He led his team to victory over a Fiji side who until now have dominated this competition very much since it came onto the Olympic agenda in 2016. They inflicted their first ever Olympic defeat. So, we saw quite the dance from French seven's team following their victory. Will Smith's Miami proving to be the soundtrack to their gold medal success.

But whilst that event is done and dusted, the basketball is just getting going. It feels like a tougher task for France in that one, even with NBA stars Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert in their ranks. They lost all four of their exhibition games in the build up to the Games, but they've got massive hopes for the impact of seven-foot four Wemby, the NBA rookie of the year, of course. They want him to be the one that makes the difference for them after their defeat to the USA in the final in Tokyo. They did get off to a winning start. Wemby helping them come from behind, scoring 19 points to beat Brazil in their open.

[04:25:00]

And not such a great day though for NBA rival Giannis Antetokounmpo. He scored 34 points in his Olympic debut with Greece, but it ended in defeat to Canada.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, I'm not sad to hear that as a good Canadian. But listen, we're talking about basketball. So, looking ahead to today, a massive day for Team USA. Men's basketball team plays their first game against Serbia. Then we have the women's soccer team back on the pitch for their second game against Germany. And then three years after a huge disappointment in Tokyo, Simone Biles finally gets her shot at redemption on the Olympic stage for Team USA.

DAVIES: Yes, Kim, I was actually just talking here on our beautiful rooftop to a former British gymnast. He was in Rio in 2016 and got a medal, Nile Wilson, about the excitement levels within the sport about Simone Biles being back. People within the gymnastics community are really willing her to do well after everything she's done for the sport and everything she's been through.

This is a moment she so deserves after that heartbreaking decision to withdraw from Tokyo, suffering from the now infamous twisties. It's the qualification rounds today. Many people would've eased themselves back, perhaps dialed back the levels of skill after what she's been through, but not a 37-time Olympic and world gold medalist, the most decorated in history.

She's applied to have a new move with new difficulty, entered into the playbook. As she put it, she has a new outlook. She says she's aging like a fine wine, but she still has her sights set on goal. The atmosphere there will be incredible this morning.

It's also worth keeping an eye on the U.S. women's national football team. They're back in action as they look to reclaim Olympic gold after their 3-nil win over Zambia in their opening game later on Sunday. It's a tougher test, I think it's fair to say, against the 2016 champions, Germany. They know a win will secure a quarter final place. Anf that, I hate to tell you, Kim, is something that will feel a very long way off for Canada as things stand. They were handed a six-point deduction yesterday as punishment for that drone spy gate scandal, from flying drones to spy on their rivals. It doesn't mean they're eliminated, but it does mean the Tokyo gold medal winners have to win all three of their group stage matches to be in with a chance.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. All right. we'll leave it there. And Amanda Davies in Paris, thank you so much. Appreciate it. All right. Coming up, U.S. volunteer doctors in Gaza say they cannot remain silent about what they're seeing. One doctor's eyewitness account after the break. Stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Let's get you up to speed with our developing story in the Middle East. Israel says its warplanes struck Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanon overnight, hitting weapons caches and what it called terrorist infrastructure. It's coming on the heels of Saturday's rocket strike on this village in the occupied Golan Heights. Israel says at least 12 people were killed and 29 others injured, including children who played at a soccer field hit by one of the rockets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to arrive home from the U.S. in the coming hours. But before leaving, he said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We embrace the families and the entire Druze community in its difficult hour, which is also our difficult hour. Since I was updated about the disaster, I have been holding continuous security consultations, and I have directed that our return to Israel be brought forward.

As soon as I arrive, I will immediately convene the security cabinet. I can say that the State of Israel will not let this pass in silence. We will not overlook this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A group of doctors is demanding the White House pay urgent attention to the plight of civilians in Gaza. Forty-five American physicians and nurses who volunteered in hospitals across Gaza have sent a letter to the White House. They say they are the only independent observers in the territory and bear witness to countless daily horrors.

The letter says, "With only marginal exceptions, everyone in Gaza is sick, injured, or both. This includes every national aid worker, every international volunteer, and probably every Israeli hostage, every man, woman, and child." The doctors say the solution begins with an immediate and permanent ceasefire. They call on the White House to withhold military, economic, and diplomatic support from Israel and to participate in an international arms embargo of both Israel and all Palestinian armed groups until there is a permanent resolution.

Dr. Mohammad Subeh is an emergency room physician who signed the letter, and he recently volunteered on medical missions in Gaza, and he joins me now from Saratoga, California. Thank you so much for being here with us. What you describe in the letter is heartbreaking. I'm just going to read a part of this here. We wish you could see the nightmares that plague so many of us since we have returned. Dreams of children maimed and mutilated by our weapons and their inconsolable mothers begging us to save them.

Clearly, you've come across so many heartbreaking stories. What has stayed with you the most?

DR. MOHAMMAD SUBEH, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN, VOLUNTEERED IN GAZA AND SIGNATORY TO WHITE HOUSE LETTER: There are many people that I encountered during my time in Gaza, both in the months of February and March, as well as my return in June and July, and I think what always sticks with me and my fellow colleagues who have had the privilege to go serve the people of Gaza are the stories of children, many of whom have lost either one or both of their parents and who have lost limbs.

The story of seven-year-old Anas (ph) who a missile strike caused all of his family members to be killed and he's left only with one surviving uncle. The story about the Dahrakman (ph), nine years old, who had lost his father and was going to pick up some bread for his mother and three-year-old sister, and a missile struck next to him. Blowing off his left leg. And many countless other children.

[04:35:00]

And, you know, one of the reasons we put this letter together is because as American doctors and nurses, we know that, at our core, our oath is to do no harm and to save as many lives as possible. And that includes helping people on the ground, but that includes also exercising our ability to share what we witnessed while.

And that also -- I think for us, we're hoping that the administration -- the conscience of the administration as human beings we can tap into that by just sharing merely what we've seen, which has been corroborated over the course of the past 10 months by every humanitarian, both from the United States as well as abroad, that what's happening now is manmade, and this can be stopped immediately just by withholding weapons and holding those some leadership accountable.

BRUNHUBER: So, you and the other doctors and nurses wrote this letter. You yourself have been meeting with folks in Washington. So, what's been the response so far?

DR. SUBEH: You know, you realize over time, this is an issue of dehumanization of a population. So, unless we're able to share not only the statistics but the stories and the impact of what's happening there on the ground, nothing will change. This is not something -- I've met with dozens of congress people in D.C. as well as locally, and, you know, it's been, I would say disheartening in terms of the response because you'd hope -- you expect that when you're engaging with a human being and you're having a conversation and you're sharing what you're seeing that they would be moved enough to take action.

These are people who can make huge decisions that carry big impacts on the population there. And we're hoping that the president will wake up to this.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And you're talking about the population there. I mean, you know, including your relatives, right? I mean, for you, this is personal. You yourself were a Palestinian refugee. You still have family in Gaza. Is that right? I mean, you said that everybody there is, you know, injured or sick or both. I mean, how are they doing right now?

DR. SUBEH: So, you know, my family is, you know, a family amongst tens of thousands of families that have been displaced constantly, not once, not twice, more than three times from the north to the south, now Central Gaza. And when you land in Gaza, and especially during this past mission, I just returned last Friday, you realize that this is a systematic attempt at annihilating the population on the ground, and that includes not only via targeted precision missiles and bullets via drones and snipers, but it's also this slow killing of the population via forced starvation withholding clean water.

We know that in order to survive, this population needs at least 15 liters of clean water per person per day. And yet, they're only allowing four liters of water per person per day. And then, it's also with the withholding of medical equipment and supplies and medications. Many people died in my field hospital from chronic conditions that could have easily been prevented. Decompensation of heart failure, diabetes, hypertension. And then, we're not even talking about the infectious diseases that are prevalent, Hepatitis A. Now, they're detecting polio and many other infectious diseases that are killing off both the young and elderly.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it's a desperate situation for so many. Appreciate your efforts and everybody else who's been trying to help folks there and work for peace as well. Dr. Mohammad Subeh, thank you so much for speaking to us. Really appreciate it.

DR. SUBEH: Thanks for having me, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: Day two of the Paris Summer Olympics is underway, but on Saturday, Americans Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook claimed the first medal for the U.S. in the women's synchronized three-meter springboard. They spoke with CNN's Coy Wire about the big win.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KASSIDY COOK, U.S. SILVER MEDALIST: The highlight is just, yes, today, getting this, bringing this hardware home, being able to share this experience together with our families. And, you know, this entire day has been amazing.

COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes. And you're carrying a piece of the Eiffel Tower in that metal with you.

COOK: I know this thing has got some serious weight to it.

WIRE: Yes. She's heavy.

COOK: She heavy. I feel incredible. I feel on top of the world right now, living my dream quite literally. I'm so overwhelmed with emotions to be able to share this experience with one of my best friends in front of my entire family, you know, and be able to rep the stars and stripes and get on that podium is just unreal.

SARAH BACON, U.S. SILVER MEDALIST: Being able to see our Olympic medals, it's all starting to sink in. And it's just -- it's crazy. I'm on top of the world.

WIRE: And I must say you have the coolest nickname in all of sports, Cook'N Bacon.

COOK: Yes, Cook'N Bacon.

WIRE: How did it come about? How does it fit your personality? Tell me about it.

COOK: I think growing up, we competed against one another in junior diving. So, that's kind of where -- and we would always go 1, 2 at, like, the Junior Nationals. So, that's kind of where the Cook'N Bacon started as, like, a little joke, like, oh, who's going to win, Cook or Bacon?

Ever since then, when we started doing synchro, I was like, it's -- it seems meant to be. It's a great little tool. Very American. And just got to say shout out to my -- to our dads for the last names, because lots of opportunities have come our way because of it.

WIRE: Like what?

COOK: The Minnesota Pork Council. Shout out sponsor.

BACON: Poor Mal Bacon (ph).

COOK: Poor Mal Bacon (ph). Yes, just like, lots of plays on words.

BACON: Yes.

COOK: I got my bacon socks on. So, good luck charm. But, yes. No, it's been really fun. Just kind of, like, vibing off our last names.

WIRE: I want to change my last name to Bacon.

BACON: Yes.

WIRE: Now, you've been friends since you were eight and 10 years old. Something like that. Forever. And now, Kassidy, you guys have been through the highs and lows together. You almost retired. You missed the last Olympics. Sarah, what was it like seeing one of your best friends go through that?

BACON: Yes, it's hard. I mean, we've both had our fair share of adversity, our fair share of injuries, illnesses. But seeing Kassidy struggle with her shoulder through the last Olympic trials, it was truly heartbreaking. You don't want to see anyone go through that type of injury, that type of pain, especially in sports.

So, seeing her go through that was hard, but she pushed through it and continued fighting. And now, we're standing here at this Olympic Games, my first Olympic Games, and our first Olympic medal. So, proud of her for pushing through it. I couldn't be more proud of her.

WIRE: Congrats on being the first medalist for team USA. And can we get a in sync high five on three? One, two, three. Yes.

COOK: Let's go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[04:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: Fantastic. Well, it was a face off in the pool for the U.S., Australia, and Canada on Saturday in one of the most anticipated races of the games. Australia's reigning Olympic champ, Ariarne Titmus, won the women's 400-meter freestyle beating out American Olympic record holder Katie Ledecky. She took home bronze while Canadian Summer McIntosh grabbed silver.

Sports Analyst Christine Brennan joins us now from Paris and she's also a sports columnist with USA Today. Good to see you again. So, Team USA got its first gold medal in the pool. It was on the men's side. You've been pool side. So, take us through what happened.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN WORLD SPORT AND SPORTS COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: Yes, Kim, you know, it was a great first night of swimming. And Australia really ruled the pool. No surprise. They are on top of their game. They had a great world championships last year and they have just been riding that wave, so to speak, into these Olympic Games. And they got two gold medals. Their women's 4x100 freestyle relay. U.S. was second in that. So, that was a nice result for the U.S. China, third.

And of course, the race, right? They call it the race of the century until there's another race of the century later this week. But it's great to see that a woman's race would get that kind of attention. The 400 freestyle, Katie Ledecky, Ariarne Titmus, as you mentioned from Australia, Summer McIntosh from Canada. You know what it is? Kim, it's really past, present, and future of women's swimming.

Now, to say Katie Ledecky is past is not quite right, but she is 27. And she's now has 11 Olympic medals, an extraordinary medal haul in four Olympic games. She won that 400 in Rio. Remember when people -- I'm sure, remember, when there were pictures of the pool and Katie Ledecky and no one else was in the pool because they weren't in the picture. You know, they were down at the other end, like she was so far ahead. That was in Rio eight years ago.

And then, three years ago in Tokyo, Titmus, who is 23, four years younger than Katie, Titmus won the gold. Katie came in second. This time, Titmus Gold, 17-year-old Canadian Summer Macintosh, a real rising star, came in second. And then, Katie Ledecky, the bronze, which was expected. That is not a surprise. This was not the race that Katie was expected to win.

But what a great moment for Australia. And for Ariarne Titmus, who has become a very worthy rival. And of course, dear friend of Katie Ledecky.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And you mentioned Australia there. Obviously, the U.S. not the only nation with high profile swimmers. So, what other countries are kind of coming out strong here?

BRENNAN: Certainly there are, of course -- well, I will tell you this, the French. Anytime a French swimmer is swimming, the place -- they tear down the place, the noise is incredible, which is great to see. And Leon Marchand, who will be starting today for the 400 IM, he, of course, is a superstar in France. A lot of pressure, the weight of the world on his shoulders.

You know, China is a big story for all the wrong reasons. The doping, the 11 Israeli -- 11 Chinese athletes, excuse me, who are -- were -- their drug tests, their positive drug tests were hidden back in 2021, 11 of them are still here competing. So, that's a big story as well.

And, you know, I think what's happened now is there's much more equity and equality across the nations. It's not just the U.S., it's not just Australia, it's certainly in the old days the East Germans who also were doping and cheating, you know, other countries that have been so dominant. Now, you can see and if anyone kind of rise up, and that's wonderful. Many of them, by the way go to U.S. colleges and play and swim in the NCAAs, and then, go back, of course, understandably, to their home nation and win medals.

So, it's wonderful to see it kind of spread across the board at this point and all of the opportunities for so many nations to win a medal or two and swimming.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And so many great rivalries emerging. We'll talk to you next hour again. Christine Brennan in Paris, thank you so much.

BRENNAN: Kim, thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, unfortunately, it's an all too familiar scene in parts of Northern California. A massive wildfire races over the landscape as fire crews struggle to get the upper hand. We'll have the details on the devastating Park Fire next here on CNN. Please stay with us.

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[04:50:00]

BRUNHUBER: California's largest wildfire of the year is forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. Searing hot temperatures and high winds are pushing the Park Fire across a massive area north of Sacramento. Officials say dozens of buildings have been destroyed and more than 500 square miles of land have been scorched. And it's treading across some painfully familiar territory with smoke visible around the town of Paradise. You might remember that's where California's deadliest wildfire killed more than 85 people and destroyed thousands of homes back in 2018. Allison Chinchar has more on the fires plaguing the American West. ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than 90 active total wildfires across nearly a dozen western U.S. states. But a lot of the focus is really on the Park Fire. And the reason for that is how much has actually burned. Over 300,000 acres have burned just since late Wednesday. The continued stretch of this and how far it has spread. Really, to put that in perspective, means it has burned roughly 60 American football fields every single minute since it started. So, that just goes to show you how quickly that fire has grown.

Now, another concern going forward is going to be the smoke. All of this gray color you see here is air quality alerts that are expected to last through the weekend, and some of them even stretching into midday Monday, and that's all from the smoke in these areas. You'll notice as we go through the day Sunday and even pushing into Monday, a lot more of that smoke begins to spread into states like Nevada, Utah. And a lot more of the red and orange color really start to fill in across Idaho, indicating the incredibly thick smoke that is expected in those areas.

One bit of good news that we had, at least on the front-end of the weekend was the big temperature drop. So, take Sacramento, for example, going from a high temperature on Friday of 102 to a high temperature yesterday, Saturday of only 82 degrees. Similar drops for Fresno, Reno, and Redding.

[04:55:00]

Now, the hope is that we can keep that trend going at least for a few more days, because you'll notice here on Sacramento, not too bad again for today's Sunday, but then we really start to see a lot of those temperatures jumping right back up as we head into the next week.

And it's not just Sacramento, even Portland, Oregon, after that brief dip, we'll see those temperatures going right back up. The hope here is that at least during this brief reprieve of that intense heat, that the firefighters can really start to make big advancements and allow those containment numbers in the fire to begin to go up before the temperatures go up this week.

BRUNHUBER: Contractor trailer carrying hazardous materials overturned and caught fire, closing a portion of a major U.S. roadway, Interstate 15, connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas for more than 30 hours on Friday. Emergency personnel are working on clearing the accident would have been severely hampered by the hazardous nature of lithium-ion batteries on fire that need to be allowed to burnout on their own. Southbound traffic is moving again, but the northbound lanes remain closed indefinitely.

Canadian officials say nearly 40 percent of structures in the town of Jasper have been destroyed in a growing wildfire. Some 25,000 residents and tourists who evacuated last week haven't been able to return. The blaze now covers an area nearly 125 square miles and is the largest in Jasper National Park in a century. There are about 150 separate wildfires burning now across Alberta, with 43 out of control.

Canadian firefighters will be joined Sunday by colleagues from Australia and South Africa in an effort to contain further spread of the fires.

All right. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Please do stay with us.

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