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Isa Soares Tonight
Dozens Of Casualties Seen After Incident Near Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital; Journalists Death Toll Since Start Of Crisis Increases To 36; Blinken Pushes For Protection Of Civilians In Gaza; 20 Ambulances Enter Gaza Via Rafa Crossing Friday; Blinken Calls For "Humanitarian Pause" During Israel Visit; 1,000+ High Wind Gust Reports Across Northwestern Europe. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 03, 2023 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, HOST: Hello, and welcome to our continuing coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, I'm Lynda Kinkade. We begin tonight with breaking news
out of Gaza. Video shows what appears to be a strike outside the main hospital, Al-Shifa Hospital. The cause is unclear. Take a look at some of
the video just in to us.
CNN has geolocated the videos to the area around that hospital. This is from outside the Al-Shifa hospital, showing crowds and journalists
gathering at the scene. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza who is at that hospital said that Israel was responsible for an
attack.
We don't know if that's accurate at this stage. We are waiting for a response from the IDF. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now from London. So,
we are just getting this information into us, Salma, good to have you with us. So, this was -- this is the main hospital in Gaza. It appears there may
have been some sort of strike outside that hospital. What can you tell us?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's important to understand about Al-Shifa Hospital, Lynda, is, it's not just Gaza's main hospital. It is
essentially the nerve center, the city's center of Gaza itself. The beating heart of the city, because in addition to it being that medical center, it
is also now housing tens of thousands of displaced people.
People, families, moms, dads, kids who believe that the only safe place they can find right now is inside a hospital. If you don't mind, we're
going to play those pictures one more time that you had, because you can begin to see the chaos, the panic in that scene. We understand that there
could potentially be dozens of casualties. We're still working to find out more.
But you see the blood on the ground, the indication just of what may have happened, what may have taken place there. Now, the other reason why Al-
Shifa Hospital is on edge is because it's very much in the war zone, Lynda. Israeli troops have encircled Gaza city, that was the announcement made by
the IDF today.
And Al-Shifa Hospital has been in the headlines because the Israeli military has made accusations against it, saying that it is potentially a
Hamas command and control center, and that there are underground tunnels. Now, the Israeli military provided very little evidence for these claims,
Palestinian officials, those on the ground, doctors who have worked in the hospital deny these accusations, but it's the reason why families inside
are so terrified.
They fear they could be the next target. And again, you have to think about that intensifying Israeli offensive around the gates of Gaza city.
Relentless bombardment, ground forces moving in with tanks, with artillery, with shelling, that is adding of course, to the sense of chaos inside Gaza
city. Al-Shifa Hospital has also been experiencing blackouts recently.
They've run out of fuel, they're running out of the ability to care, not only for the sick, but again for the tens of thousands of people trying to
shelter in that hospital, but it's just another example, Lynda, of what we keep hearing over and over again from Gazans, over and over again from
rights groups, which is, there is no safe place in Gaza.
KINKADE: Yes, and as you were saying, Salma, it's not just people wounded being treated at that hospital.
[14:05:00]
Many people who were displaced, they are seeking shelter. And you've heard from people in Gaza who have had enough, even journalists working in that
region who were at breaking point.
ABDELAZIZ: Yes, so, we do have the tragic story of one Palestinian TV journalist killed. This is our report on him, and I do have to warn you,
the images in it are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): "It is every journalist's worst nightmare. We'll live on air". This reporter found out, his colleague was killed. In his
utter despair, he rips off his flak jacket. "There is no protection at all, no international law, nothing", he says. "The safety gear, this helmet, it
does nothing to keep us safe. These are just slogans. No journalist is protected at all."
Correspondent Mohammad Abu Hatab and 11 of his family members were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike, Palestinian TV reported. He is among at
least 33 journalists killed since the start of the conflict on October 7th. The committee to protect journalists says, making it the deadliest period
for the news media since the group began tracking in 1992, it said.
MOHAMMAD ABU HATAB, LATE PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
ABDELAZIZ: Abu Hatab was killed in southern Gaza. The part of the Strip, the Israeli military tells civilians to flee towards, but continues to
strike daily. Many families too afraid are unable to evacuate remain here in the north of the Strip, where Gaza city is encircled by Israeli troops,
the IDF says, and some 300 to 400,000 civilians are trapped, the U.N. estimates.
They are stuck in a hell-scape. Relentless airstrikes and an intensifying ground assault have leveled neighborhoods and left over a 1,000 children
missing under the rubble, humanitarian organizations say. Their parents keep digging for them.
"My four children", this father cries. "Why God, why didn't you let me die? Why?" And there is nowhere to turn for refuge. U.N. Shelters, where
nearby Israeli firepower has claimed lives are no longer safe. Now, many Gazans live on the streets of a war zone.
"We are humans, we are not terrorists", he says. Look, we have our children around us! Not even the U.N. shelters can protect us. Only God can protect
us. And with Israeli troops closing in, their plight seems increasingly more precarious.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABDELAZIZ: Now, of course, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region. There were hopes a diplomatic push for a pause. Israel has rejected
that so far. That means the plight of those many civilians, 300 to 400,000 again that are trapped in Gaza city in the north of the Strip is of utmost
concern to the international community.
The United Nations keeps ringing the alarm and meanwhile, of course, the bombs, the shells keep falling in that area. I do understand that we have
more material to show you from Al-Shifa Hospital, Lynda, so if we could go back to speaking on that. Al-Shifa Hospital, again, the main hospital in
Gaza city. We have some images to show you.
We're going to roll those pictures again to give you a sense of what's taking place there. Utter fear, utter chaos. You can see bodies on the
ground there, multiple bodies as people try to pick them up. Again, you have to remember, look at that child just being carried away. I mean,
absolutely, scenes of panic and horror that you're seeing there.
It is important to remember again, that this hospital is not just a medical center. It is also essentially a refugee camp, a displacement camp for tens
of thousands of people who truly believe that the only place they can go, even knowing that the hospital isn't safe, it's about as safe as they can
get. That's going to, of course, shake them to see this.
And you have to remember, the medical facility itself, Al-Shifa Hospital is running out of fuel, it's running out of medical supplies, it's struggling
to treat the many wounded that it receives on a daily basis. And again, we have no sign of Israel agreeing to a pause, agreeing to any cessation of
hostilities. Then you're only looking at the suffering getting more and more dire by the hour, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, it's just shocking. Salma Abdelaziz for us in London. Thanks so much for that report. Well, civilian safety in Gaza is high on the U.S.
Secretary of State's agenda. A short time ago, he met with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
[14:10:00]
During his stop in Israel, Antony Blinken tried to convince Israeli leaders to do more to protect civilians in Gaza. Well, according to the Palestinian
Health Ministry in Ramallah, more than 9,000 people have been killed. Humanitarian conditions there are continuing to worsen, and very little aid
is getting in.
Blinken asked Israel for a humanitarian pause in the fighting. But Israel says it won't agree to that without the release of the hostages taken by
Hamas. And while Blinken reiterated America's support of Israel's right to defend itself, he said the way it does this matters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: We need to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. We've been clear that as Israel conducts
this campaign to defeat Hamas, how it does so matters. It matters because it's the right and lawful thing to do. It matters because failure to do so,
plays into the hands of Hamas and other terror groups.
There will be no partners for peace if they're consumed by humanitarian catastrophe and alienated by any perceived indifference to their plight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Our Ed Lavandera is live for us from Tel Aviv with the latest. Good to have you with us, Ed. So, as we just heard there from Antony
Blinken, he is walking a tight-rope, telling Israeli you have the right to defend yourself, but again, trying to plead for Israel to do more to
protect civilians where the death toll in Gaza is now over 9,000.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that is kind of the perfect way to explain it, is this tight rope that the U.S. Secretary of State was walking
during his visit here for several hours as he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli war cabinet, as well as the Israeli
president.
But the images that you were just showing there from this recent incident as we try to figure out exactly what happened there, what caused all of
this, but clearly, painful images to witness and really speaks to the tragedy that is unfolding there inside of Gaza. And U.S. officials trying
to stress to Israel that those images are having a very -- you know, consequential effect on the perception among many people around the world
as to exactly how this situation is being handled by the Israeli military.
And that is why U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was trying to push for a pause in military operations that would allow for humanitarian aid
and for a possible release of hostages, 241 hostages that are still inside of Gaza. But even before Antony Blinken had left Israel this afternoon,
Benjamin Netanyahu was saying that he opposes any kind of ceasefire, unless all of the hostages are released.
So clearly, Israeli military, Israeli political officials saying that there is no intention of slowing down, that their goal right now is to dismantle
the Hamas military operation inside of Gaza.
KINKADE: And Ed, we are starting to see some people leave Gaza, not many, just a trickle really. Foreign nationals mostly, as well as some injured
Palestinians. But these are the first people to leave Gaza in over three weeks of war.
LAVANDERA: Right, the Foreign Ministry in Egypt have said that they were making plans and trying to process up to as many as 7,000 foreign nationals
from Gaza, but that has been slowly developing, probably, several hundred per day. There have been a line of -- a daily line of ambulances there at
the Rafah Crossing. This is on the southern edge of Gaza that borders with Egypt.
And that is really what we've seen. But clearly, the U.S. Secretary of State talking today about the need for much more humanitarian aid. And
speaking with Israeli officials today of ways to try to get concrete -- in their words, concrete resolutions and concrete ideas that they could put
into place and into practice to try to increase that humanitarian aid.
U.S. officials stressing to the Israelis here today that, being able to provide that is crucial at this moment. And that's -- back to what you said
originally, you know, that U.S. officials stressing that the importance and the need for all of that at the very same time, saying that Israel has the
right to defend itself. But as you mentioned right off the top, how it defends itself matters very much in this situation.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Ed Lavandera, good to have you there for us in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for your reporting. Well, will the Israel-Hamas war
become a regional conflict? That has been a key question for weeks. And today, Lebanon's militant Hezbollah leader gave his first public address
since the war broke out, warning of an escalation.
In his speech, Hassan Nasrallah promised and praised Hamas' October 7th attacks as a great blessed operation, that was 100 percent Palestinian
planned and executed.
[14:15:00]
And he said the United States is entirely responsible for the Gaza war. He also warned that all scenarios are possible along the Israeli-Lebanon
border.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSAN NASRALLAH, LEADER, HEZBOLLAH (through translator): The worry is that the possibility of this front actually escalating or going into a
fully-fledged war or becoming a wider war is a realistic one. It can happen, and the enemy has to make every provision for this. And I'm sure
they do make every provision for this, and I'm sure they do think about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: And CNN's Ben Wedeman is live for us in Beirut, covering the developments from there. Ben, good to have you with us. So, we just heard
there from the leader of Hezbollah, he basically went on to say that the U.S. warning us not to enter the war. The U.S. putting aircraft carriers
out at sea don't scare us. He said there could be an escalation, but thankfully, he stopped short of calling for war. What else did he say?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, it's important to stress that he did not call for war, and he said all of his --
everything he said was possibility, maybe. So there was much anticipation, Lynda, that his speech might raise the temperature significantly. But that
didn't happen. He essentially laid out that there is very much a possibility that the Lebanese front, the border between Israel and Lebanon
could flare up.
But it's already a slow burn down there. Yesterday, Hezbollah claimed 19 strikes on Israeli positions. That's really the highest number we've seen
so far today. But he is maintaining the conflict on the border within what's known as the rules of engagement. Unwritten understanding between
Israel and Hezbollah that as long as these exchanges of fire are limited to the border area, are limited to military targets, that neither side will
escalate beyond that.
And it's important that he pointed out, as you mentioned, that he said that this was a 100 percent -- the 7th of October was 100 percent a Hamas-
Palestinian operation. He stressed that not even other factions in Gaza were aware of the attack being planned. And among those that didn't know
was Hezbollah and Iran. Iran being the main backer of Hamas Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah here in Iran.
He said that Hezbollah's primary desire or goal at the moment was a ceasefire in Gaza, but another goal was victory by Hamas and the other
militant factions in Gaza. How you can square those two, I'm not quite sure. But by and large, his speech ended with a note of ambiguity. Lynda?
KINKADE: Yes, Ben Wedeman, good to have you there, breaking it down for us from Beirut, Lebanon. We appreciate it. We're going to take a quick break,
but when we come back, Israel's war with Hamas has inflamed tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. We'll
have more on yet another night of violence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Well, the Palestinian Health Ministry says nine Palestinians were killed overnight -- military conducted
raids. In a statement, Israel said it had taken part in counterterrorism activity overnight in the Jenin Refugee Camp. It says an aircraft struck an
armed cell that had held explosives that Israeli troops, several assailants were killed.
Well, the war with Hamas has inflamed tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called the
attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by Jewish settlers a real concern for the United States. He says that Israeli officials have committed to
dealing with it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLINKEN: I think it's fair to say that what I heard today was a clear commitment from the government to deal with extremist violence in the West
Bank, to condemn it, to take action to prevent it, to take action against those who perpetrated. So, this is important, and we will be looking
closely to ensure that our friends make good on that commitment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now from Jerusalem. Good to have you with us, Nada. So Palestinians are not just being -- facing airstrikes in
Gaza, but in the West Bank, many are being forced from their homes. You've been speaking to some in the West Bank. What are they telling you?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, look, Lynda, there certainly isn't a new issue. We have seen Palestinians being forced from their homes by Israeli
settlers long before the beginning of this war. But when we've been speaking to people on the ground, Palestinians on the ground in these
villages as well as rights activists here across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
The message that we've been hearing is that these attacks, these instances of settler violence and settlers pushing Palestinian families out of their
homes and communities has seen a serious uptick since the beginning of the war. We've heard those warnings from the U.N. Human Rights Office, more
than 800 Palestinians are set to have been displaced since the beginning of this war as a result of settler violence.
And as you saw -- as you mentioned there, we have seen these attacks as well increasing, not just these raids by IDF forces happening overnight as
they did in Jenin last night. But we are also seeing violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers unilaterally against Palestinian civilians and
families. The U.N. says that, that level of violence that we have seen has gone up from an already high average of three incidents per day to seven.
There is a significant concern felt here more broadly that this could continue to increase as the war, as Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
continue. Rights activists telling us that these actions by the Israeli state have emboldened Israeli settlers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
BASHIR (voice-over): Armed and threatening, this is the face of Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. It's these acts of aggression
which are chasing Palestinian families out of their homes. Piece-by-piece, Palestinians in the village of Herza Banuta(ph) pack their lives away,
never to return.
"The settlers come at night while we're sleeping. They beat us and try to kill us. They tried to force us out of our homes. I can't sleep anymore.
I'm too afraid. Families in this village, once home to some 140 Palestinians tell us they have been left with no choice, but to flee their
homes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What's happening now is another Nakba, a catastrophe. I'm 60 years old, I've lived here my entire life.
BASHIR: And despite the fact that settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal by many in the international community, they
continue to grow and expand with the backing of Israeli authorities.
[14:25:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We inherited this land from our forefathers. We've lived here for generations. Now it's only getting worse.
The war in Gaza has only encouraged the settlers.
BASHIR: According to Israeli rights group at Salem(ph), at least 15 Palestinian farming communities have been forcibly displaced since October
7th.
YEHUDA SHAUL, ISRAELI HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: The real thing that is influencing the life of Palestinians here is the outpost up there.
BASHIR: Yehuda Shaul, an Israeli human rights activist says encroachments on Palestinian land are rapidly advancing, and personal attacks in the
occupied West Bank have only intensified.
SHAUL: The next stage is not only attacking Palestinians when they're out in the field, going into the communities, enter their homes, burning
houses, slashing water tanks, beating up people, threatening women and children, elderly, and the result of it is what you see in front of your
eyes.
BASHIR (on camera): People leaving?
SHAUL: Entire communities packing up and leaving. Settlers are taking advantage that all eyes are on Gaza, to accelerate their violence as
there's no protection from the Israeli army, there is no protection from the Israeli police, and many cases, the Israeli army is accompanying the
settlers, and in many cases, the settlers are the army.
(GUNFIRE)
BASHIR (voice-over): In the nearby village of Atuba(ph), a remote Palestinian community, Israel's military keeps a watchful eye. IDF soldiers
never too far away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you need to go. You need to go.
BASHIR (on camera): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you're in a fighting field --
BASHIR: Sorry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You need to go. You need to go.
BASHIR: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now --
(CROSSTALK)
BASHIR (voice-over): This village knows the price of settler violence all too well. Palestinians here say their attacks are edging closer each night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They come and threaten us, saying we have to leave or they will be back to target us. They're all
armed. They never come here without weapons. In the last week alone, residents here say Israeli settlers have slashed this village's water tanks
and cut through local power lines. An effort, NGO workers say, to pressure Palestinian families to leave the area.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we're seeing now is under the cloak of the war that's happening now. The settler activity is settler violence has
increased tremendously over the last few weeks.
BASHIR: This crisis is not new to the Palestinian people, but it's a crisis that is deepening. Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip said to be
emboldening violent settlers. Across the southern Hebron hills, there are right now fears that smaller, more remote Palestinian villages could be
next. But for Palestinians in Herza Banuta(ph), it is already too late.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR: And of course, this is just one village amongst many that are now facing displacement as a result of settler violence. And as you saw there
in that report, the concern, the fear is that many settlers are now part of the Israeli military called up as reservists working in uniform, and that
has posed a serious threat to Palestinian civilians who say that this violence that they're seeing has not only increased, but it is happening on
the watch of the Israeli government. Lynda?
KINKADE: All right, it's good to have your reporting there on that story, Salma Abdelaziz, thanks so much. Well, still to come tonight, for some
family members, of the hostages in Gaza, no news is good news. In a moment, we'll hear from three Israelis to explain why they still have hope their
loved ones will be set free and will be allowed to return home.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:32:37]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Hello and welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for being with us.
There is some progress on getting assistance to those who desperately need it. CNN has learned that 20 ambulances from the Egyptian Red Crescent
passed through the Rafa Crossing and into Gaza earlier today to pick up wounded Palestinians. It comes after the White House announced that 79
American citizens and family members have arrived in Egypt from Gaza through that checkpoint.
As we mentioned earlier, the top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, was in Israel today pressing for a, "humanitarian pause." My colleague, Becky
Anderson joins us now from Doha, Qatar, on more of this. Good to have you there for us, Becky.
America's top diplomat back in Israel is saying again that we support Israel's right to defend themselves, but urging them to protect civilians,
to do more to protect civilians.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR, CONNECT THE WORLD: That's right. Absolutely. He had a real message today in what were some of his most forceful comments to
date, Lynda. He condemned Hamas' use of civilians as human shields, but said that civilians should not suffer the consequences of the terror groups
in humanity and brutality.
America's top diplomat, as you say, once again, underscoring Israel's right to defend itself, how Israel does this, though, he said, matters. We can
see a number of civilians killed in Gaza tops 9,000, according to authorities, a third of those children.
The protection of civilians, according to Antony Blinken, clearly should now be a priority. Now, sources tell CNN, and certainly before he arrived,
that he would press Israel for a temporary pause in its military operations. This would be to provide space for humanitarian support on the
ground, for those who need it most, and to help try and progress mediation talks on the release of the more than 240 hostages still held by Hamas in
Gaza.
After Antony Blinken met with Israel's war cabinet, this is what he told reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: A number of legitimate questions were raised in our discussions today, including how to use any period of
pause to maximize the flow of humanitarian assistance, how to connect a pause to the release of hostages.
[14:35:02]
How to ensure that Hamas doesn't use these pauses or arrangements to its own advantage.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: Those were, as he described it, legitimate questions. After he spoke, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Israel opposes any
truce or legitimate questions. After he spoke, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel opposes any truce or halt in its operations
until the hostages are released. Increasing military pressure, he insisted, is what will lead to those hostages being released.
But Lynda, I have to say a period of calm is exactly what officials here in Qatar say is needed to get these negotiations across the line and those
hostages to freedom. Here's what Majed Al-Ansari, adviser to the Qatar Prime Minister told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO)
MAJED MOHAMMED AL-ANSARI, ADVISER TO THE QATAR PRIME MINISTER: Obviously, when there is bombardment, you know, constant bombardment on the sector,
you can't even expect for the hostages to be safely moved from one place to another. So, the prime and the best situation for us, the best scenario for
us, would be a period of calm, a considerable period of calm, that would allow for the hostages to be taken out of Gaza. But at the same time, it
would allow for humanitarian aid to go in.
(END VIDEO)
ANDERSON: And that message hasn't changed. I spoke to Majed a couple of days ago now after Israel upped its operations on the ground and entered
this second phase. And they say they still need that period of calm. So Antony Blinken leaves the Israel, at least, with the hostages still being
held, now on his way to Jordan, there he will hear what this region is echoing, calls for an immediate ceasefire in this conflict that risks
spiraling not just in Gaza, but, Lynda, around the region.
KINKADE: Becky Anderson, really good to have you there on the ground for us. Thanks so much for your reporting.
Well, for the families of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, it has been nearly a month of desperation. I sat down with three Israelis who,
between them, have had over a dozen family members abducted, the youngest just three. They say they're a peaceful people, they don't want revenge,
they just want their families back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Thank you so much for joining us. I'm so sorry for what you're dealing with. All nine family members were taken by Hamas. Two have been
released, three killed. How are you coping?
OR SELLA, RELATIVES HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: You know, coping is a really big word, I think. Each and every day I wake up and I just start doing
everything I can, everything in my power to try to bring them back in any means necessary.
KINKADE: Two of your family members were released, Judith and her teenage daughter, Natalie Renan. Describe the moment when you saw those two family
members walk across the border from Gaza.
SELLA: They've been through hell. They got back in the same clothes that they were kidnapped in. We were relieved by their release and thankful for
the American administration and President Joe Biden for the efforts to bring them back. It gave us a lot of hope for returning the other family
members and all the other hostages.
KINKADE: Have they spoken to you about those weeks in captivity?
SELLA: We spoke a lot. What has been said in these conversations are between us. We're just happy to have them back and with that, we don't have
the privilege to celebrate as well as the privilege to mourn our dead family members which was buried through these days.
I can't allow myself to really open myself to feel something because it can break me down and I really need to keep going every second until they are
all back.
KINKADE: Of all the family members that have been taken hostage by Hamas, the youngest is just three years old. What are your hopes for the coming
days, the coming weeks, in terms of getting news of your loved ones?
SELLA: When you see the innocence of someone who has her, literally her whole life ahead of her, and then you try to imagine where she is now,
under a tunnel, at gunpoint.
[14:40:03]
She's three years old, we are at a point that any news is good news. We hope for any sign of life.
KINKADE: Shani, your cousin, Rimon, and her husband, Yagev, were captured by Hamas. What do you know about what happened to them?
SHANI SEGAL, RELATIVES HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: My cousin got into a safe room, and it's 7:00 in the morning, she started to say that she sees
terrorists outside of her window. The kibbutz is built line by line. The houses are line by line. So, she saw them moving line by line using
explosives, yelling, shooting. So, at 8:25 in the morning, she texted her mom and said mom, they're shooting at us.
The window is shattered. She then left her mom a voice message at her 8:30 in the morning. She told her that she loves her, she loves her dearly, and
she's sorry she's not there with her. And that was it. And at 3:30, when the army reigned control on the kibbutz, they found the house, glass
shattered, bullet holes, signs of struggle, some blood, and they were gone.
KINKADE: And Shani, Hamas has released a video of your cousin pleading for a ceasefire. We're not going to show that video, but I would like to gauge
your reaction upon seeing that and hearing what she said.
SEGAL: So first and foremost, thank you for not showing it. Secondly, When I saw the video, my first reaction was to smile because she's alive. Just
imagine for three weeks not knowing, over three weeks now, not knowing if she's alive or dead. Not knowing if she's well.
KINKADE: Several hostages have been released or rescued. Does that give you hope?
SEGAL: It's a very tricky question. Because I have hope. I've had hope for the past 3 1/2 weeks. But we're dealing with a terror organization.
KINKADE: The Israeli prime minister has said -- has rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying now is the time for war. Qatar, which is negotiating
hostage releases, has said that would jeopardize our negotiations. What do you think about that risk?
SELLA: I plead and even demand that anyone who has any influence on this matter put the hostages on the first priority.
SEGAL: The community that was affected the most on October 7th was a community that fought the most for coexistence and believed in peace and
did everything in their power to push for it. We are peaceful people. We want peace. We don't want revenge.
KINKADE: If I can turn to you, Ilan, your sister-in-law, Aviva, and her husband, Keith, aged in their 60s, grandparents, taken hostage by Hamas.
What can you tell us about them?
ILAN FELDMAN, RELATIVES HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: Aviva has dedicated her life to the kindergarten caretaker. She takes care of babies. Her life is
family. My wife, Sandy, says all the time that if Aviva is in Gaza and if she's taking care of babies, she's going to be OK because that's her life.
Keith is just like one of these very friendly. He comes to any place he comes and says hello to everyone. He's just super friendly. Both of them
are just, you know, gentle people. It's the last thing I would ever imagine, you know, for them.
KINKADE: Thank you so much for sharing your stories. And I really hope that you are reunited with your loved ones very soon.
SELLA: Thank you.
FELDMAN: Thank you for having us.
SEGAL: Thank you for having us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: We want to update you now on some breaking news we brought you at the top of the hour. Israel now confirming that it carried out an airstrike
on an ambulance outside Gaza's main hospital that witnesses say killed and wounded dozens of people. We want to warn you that the video is graphic.
Israel says the ambulance was being used by Hamas. Videos showed dozens of casualties outside Gaza's al-Shifa hospital.
[14:45:00]
This is a breaking story, and we will bring you more information as we get it.
Well, still to come tonight, we'll bring you up to speed on the other big headlines, including the impact of storm Ciaran, which is sweeping across
Europe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to take a look at some of the headlines today. Ukrainian officials saying more than 40 drones were
launched at Ukraine overnight. The Air Force saying the strikes targeted infrastructure and military facilities across 10 regions. Ukraine's top
commander says the war with Russia has reached a stalemate.
In an essay in the Economist, he likened Kyiv's stalemate to the First World War.
Well, large parts of Europe are recovering from a major storm. In Italy, at least six people have died due to intense floods and several are missing.
In France, more than 500,000 households in the northern region still don't have power after the storm swept through the country Thursday into Friday.
At least two people were killed there and more than 40 others injured. Let's take a closer look at the storm right now. CNN's Chad Meyers is
joining us.
Chad, I was reading about Tuscany and just the unprecedented amount of rain they had a couple of months' worth in just a couple of days. What more can
you tell us?
CHAD MEYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I can tell you that the center of Ciaran didn't come within 600 kilometers of the pictures you're seeing here in
Tuscany. Not within 600 meters. This thing was still well now to the east of the U.K. and we're talking about Tuscany, Italy. So of long distance,
but how did this happen? Well, the winds were strong. It was a big storm and it had wide consequences. Look at the radar and the satellite down here
across parts of the Mediterranean. Right down here, hour after hour, there's the tail of the cold front, hour after hour of rain that came in
over the same areas.
When the storm is way up there to the west of Copenhagen, nit it was the cold front with the warm water of the Mediterranean combining to get that
much precipitation. Some spots, a quarter of a meter of rainfall. So, that's just an awful lot here.
And then the winds were pushing 184 kilometers per hour along the coast there in France, and also obviously all of the U.K. took a real beating
from this. Lots of power lines down.
[14:45:01]
People are still trying to get their life back together there.
Now, there's another storm on the way behind this, Domingo. There's the storm here coming in in the next 12 to 24 hours. It's nowhere near what
Ciaran was, but it still will bring wind and it still will bring rain. The winds will be about 100 kilometers per hour and that is a far cry from 184.
I know it just seems half, or a little bit more than half, but that's a lot less when you talk about the damage, the force of 184 kilometers per hour
wind compared to the force of a 100-kilometer per hour wind. So by Sunday, it's still breezy, but this really is now a storm for Saturday when people
here in Italy are still trying to clean up from all of that water. As you said, two months' worth of rainfall in some spots in 36 hours. And so, yes,
it's the wet season at times down there, but not this wet, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yeah. Sort of flooding they haven't seen there in decades. Just incredible pictures. Chad Meyers, good to have you with us. Thanks so much.
MEYERS: You bet.
KINKADE: Well, Australian police have brought murder charges against a woman in the deaths of three people from suspected mushroom poisoning. It
followed a meal they had served by that woman back in July. They say a 49- year-old woman was charged with three counts of murder, as well as five counts of attempted murder after being arrested in connection with the case
on Thursday.
Police say the woman served the meal to her former parents-in-law, her mother-in-law's sister, and ex-husband who were guests at her home. Local
media have identified the woman as Erin Patterson, but police declined to comment on the woman's identity. Patterson has previously said that she was
unaware that the mushrooms were poisonous.
Still to come tonight, the U.S. president and the first lady are heading to Maine. They're there to support a family and grieve with a family reeling
from last week's mass shooting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, the Trump family fraud trial was back in a New York court today. Donald Trump's son Eric has done testifying for today. He
has left court. His brother, Donald Jr., are accused of being involved in a scheme to inflate the net worth of the former U.S. president and the Trump
organization's companies for financial gain. Eric Trump had this to say.
[14:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO)
ERIC TRUMP, SON OF FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We've done absolutely nothing wrong. We have a better company than they could have
ever imagined. And this is a big charade that's a huge waste of taxpayer money. And it's the very reason everybody's moving out of New York State,
and I was actually one of them. It's sad. It shouldn't happen. I love this state. The state is absolutely going to hell. And it's because of people
like the Attorney General of New York.
(END VIDEO)
KINKADE: Well, Monday is shaping up to be a big day. That is when Donald Trump is expected to testify in that civil fraud trial. Eric Trump told
reporters a few hours ago that his father is, "fired up to testify."
Well, any moment now, U.S. President Joe Biden and the first lady will be arriving in Lewiston, Maine. They're planning to pay their respects to the
18 people killed in a mass shooting there last week. The White House says the Bidens will meet with the families of the victims as well as the first
responders, nurses and others on the front lines during that massacre. We will bring you more on that story in the coming hour.
Thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. Zain Asher will be back after a short break with much more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
