Transcripts For CNNW The 20240703 : comparemela.com

Announcer this is cnn Breaking News. Welcome to the lead, im jake tapper. And we tart with our world lead and a vow from israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his countries response to the horrific Terrorist Attacks carried out by hamas over the weekend is just beginning. [ sound of gunfire ] this is just a glimpse of what that response from the Israeli Military has looked like over the last few hours. Explosion after explosion. Lighting up the night sky in gaza with very real consequences on the ground in gaza. As isreal launched what it is called wide scale strikes on hamas targets. The israeli army released video showing some of the strikes it carried out earlier today. You could see the buildings absolutely flattened. Hamas retaliated by firing more than 100 rockets at the coast. This is the scene in ashkellon after they intercepted most if not all of the rockets. Cars on fire, debris and littering in the streets. At least 900 people have been killed so far in israel by Hamas Terrorists according to the israeli army. Of the 900, the vast majority appeared to have been civilians. The Biden Administration said at least nine were u. S. Citizens. The bar Bake Aid Nature has been on full display with Hamas Terrorists kidnapping children, killing the elder wly and there are reports of young women raped. There was announcement that they will begin to execute the civilian hostages that they took and broadcast videos of those executions, those murders, if israel continues to attack Gaza Civilians in their homes without warnings. That is the words of hamas. Throughout the next few hours well be speaking to Family Members who are desperately waiting for news about loved ones who were kidnapped by hamas. Among the nine u. S. Citizens killed in the Terrorist Attacks is deborah mattia, a mother died shielding her son from bullets. Her father told cnn today he was on the phone with her when she was killed. Deborahs husband who was an if Israeli Citizen was also killed. Theyre son was shot in the stomach but is expected to recover. There is still no clear number as to how many u. S. Citizens are missing or have been taken hostage. Jacob ben sr. Believes that his doctor danielle was kidnapped. Shes an israeli american citizen. She was born in los angeles, but largely grew up in israel. Danielle was working at the Music Festival along the gazaisrael border. The festival that was attacked by Hamas Terrorists early saturday. These disturbing images show some of the carnage and terror that hamas unleashed. Shooting attendees at pointblank range. Taking these largely young people hostage. Israeli rescuers say they found at least 260 dead bodies at that site. Danielles family has not heard from her since friday. Our Coverage Starts with cnns clarissa ward. And you were on the ground earlier in sderot and saw rockets firing over your head as the Israeli Military pounded gaza with rockets. Now it is night and youre in Ashkellon North of the border, are you still seeing rockets firing in gaza . Yeah, it is really sort of extraordinary, jake. The tempo today was just relentless. Rockets but also strikes, of course, ferocious strikes on the gaza strip. And then just after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke, for about an hour, you could hear a pin drop. Nothing. No jets, no drones, no strikes, no rockets. And just now, literally in the last two minutes, were starting to hear some jets again. Weve heard some strikes in the distance. So not at all clear what was going on during that lull of just about one hour. But certainly i think that the anticipation of a Ground Offensive has been somewhat stalled by netanyahus remarks where he didnt really seem to decisively say one way or the other what the next steps of the war are going to be. He did just make the point that hes made several times now to the israeli people, that it is not going to be quick and it is not going to be easy an it certainly hand hsnt been easy either side of the border. The Palestinian Death toll has risen to 687 and as i said before, just the veracity of the bombardment of gaza throughout the day has been astonishing. Ive never seen anything like it in quite sometime. Earlier today, you and your crew had to shelter in a ditch from incoming rockets. Lets play that. Yeah. Rockets. Get down. Down. Youre fine. Youre fine. Youre fine. Youre okay. Youre all right. Okay. Yeah. Guys, are you seeing our situation, guys . Yes. Stay down. We have to stay here. Were so glad youre okay. Reporter thanks, jake. Listen, i think the real takeaway from that is that we just experienced a small sample of what people on both sides of this border are going through every single day. These barrages of rockets have been pretty relentless and it is had a devastating effect, certainly here in the city of ashkellon where i am now. When we came back to the hotel, there were many people whose houses, one woman her house had been destroyed, people shaking like leaves and working out where to take cover and youre seeing scenes of absolute desperation and buildings being flattened on the gaza side of the border as well. And the anticipation for the moment as, you know, as netanyahu said, is that this isnt going to end any time soon, jake. Clarissa ward, thank you so much. Joining us now is abby owens, an american who has been living in israel for last eight years. She has Family Members who were kidnapped by hamas. They include her 8yearold cousin, carmela, and her soninlaw and carmelas grandchildren, sahara and annoya. Im so sorry to hear about what has happened to your family. What could you tell us about what happened and how they got kidnapped . Thank you so much for having me on. Like most israelis, we woke up saturday to sirens. And we thought it was, you know, the regular kind of war but we quickly began talking to all of our Family Members, we have family all over the country and carmela and her family live in near kibbutz, and that they were in the kibbutz and they were in their homes and Hearing Gunfire and scared for their lives. What do you want the world to know about these missing relatives, these abducted innocent civilians . That this was an awful Surprise Attack on a holy day in israel. That this is not connected to the Political Part of this conflict. This is humanitarian. These are peoples grandparents and children. There are children who are special needs. There are parents and that any one of us, as a parent, as a mother, as a sister, as a daughter, i it is anyones Worst Nightmare and we want people to understand the humanitarian piece of this. And to help make sure that we put all of the pressure on necessary to get them home safely, y safely. Youve been living in israel for the last eight years. Obviously it is a place where there has been this conflict between the israelis an the palestinians, between the governments, the Israeli Government and the government of hamas and in gaza an the Palestinian Authority in the west bank. Did you ever think anything like this, this invasion, this war and these Terrorist Attacks on saturday, would happen on this scale . No. This is unprecedented. And unfathomable. Look, i also think it is important to say that there is a difference between the Palestinian People and hamas. Hamas is a terror group. They are terrorists who terrorized israeli civilians on saturday. And continuing. And that is what we want people to know, is that you could care for the Palestinian People and still be against terror and against hamas. And prohumanitarian life and bringing these people home. These are civilians and we just want to make sure that they come home. If you could send one message to those who are holding your loved ones hostage right now, what would you say to them . To think about your own mother, to think about your child and to know that all you ever want for them is peace and safety and this is not the way to solve anything. The government of israel right now says that they want to block off all water and food and electricity from the gaza strip. And im wondering if you think im wondering what your response is to that. Because obviously i think what hamas did is beyond words. I cant even imagine waking up to that. It keeps me up at night thinking about that. But i also know that there are more than 2 Million People in gaza and as you just noted, palestinians are not the same thing as hamas. And im wondering what you think what you think about that response of blockading and keeping all food and water and electricity out of gaza. My heartbreaks for all of the civilians in this situation and im not in a place to make decisions about kind of military or government tactics. But i only hope that whatever happens, results in the safe return of these hostages. Yeah. God bless your family, abby, and god bless and were all hoping and prayinger praying for the s of your family. Well be keeping them in our thoughts. Thank you very much. The government of israel confirmed that americans are among the scores of hostages taken by hamas. So what is the Biden Administration planning on doing to get them back . Or help the israelis get them back. Well talk to the National Security Council Spokesperson john kirby next. Just into cnn, President Biden plans to hold a call this afternoon with the leader of france, germany and italy and the u. K. To discuss a coordinated response to the hamas attacks in israel. That is according to sources who say the call is expected to focus on how to provide both military and humanitarian aid to israel. Joining us now, the National Security counsel spokesperson admiral kirby. We know of at least nine u. S. Citizens who were killed because of hamass attack on israel. Do we expect that number to rise . It is hard to say, but sadly, yes, i think we are bracing here at the white house for the possibility that more americans could end up having been killed in these terrorible reprehensible attacks and we have a number of americans that are their whereabouts are unknown. Theyre unaccounts for and were also deeply concerned about the possibility, the likelihood that some of the americans could also now be held hostage by hamas. You could give us any numbers on those with the understanding that youre still searching for people and that the number of those unknown does not necessarily mean kidnapped. Im not able to give you a number. There is so much we dont know. An were working literally every hour with israeli officials to try to get more granularity on these americans, where they are and how they are. But, no, im afraid i dont have more detail. That is why im saying we have to assume or i should say accept the possibility that some are being held hostage. I know there are americans who are who have loved ones, other americans in israel who they have not been able to reach since saturday. Who they do expect have been taken hostage. If it turns out that americans are being held hostage, by hamas, is it possible that Special Operations would be discussed in u. S. , special Operations Forces would be discussed to rescue them. Ive seen members of congress say that is a possibility. What i could tell you, is that we take the safety and security of americans overseas very, very seriously and youve seen us act as efficiently and effective itly as we can. And well continue to do that in this case. Their safety and security matter. How we go about working on that, we dont know if or how many are being held hostage but how we go about doing that, we wont detail too much publicly. How does a white house make the decision as to how involved to get when a Terrorist Group Kills Americans abroad and or Kidnaps Americans abroad. I understand it is not an easy decision necessarily, if it takes place abroad. But if they are americans. Yeah. And it is an ally country, that must always be at least on the table. I would tell you, broadly speaking, that we will do what we need to do to protect our National Security interests there in the region. We will certainly do what we need to do to look after the safety and security of the person people. One of the reasons you saw yesterday we moved a Carrier Strike group into the Eastern Mediterranean as a measure of reassurance but also deterrence. So without speaking to specifics or hypotheticals, this president will do what he has to do to look after our National Security interests and that is just the way it is going to be. If the Israeli Government makes a decision that they cannot in good conscience continue to allow hamas to operate and govern in the gaza strip, is that something that the u. S. Government would dissuade them or permit . What what would the u. S. Say to Something Like that, to a decision like that . Well i certainly doan want to get ahead of decisions that havent been made yet or articulated by the israeli side or any potential Policy Decisions one way or another. I would just telling that what were focused on right now is making that israeli has what it needs to defend itself. The Security Assistance is arriving and more will be arrived in days to come. We want to make sure that theyve got the tools and capabilities that they need to defend themselves. As to policy and political decisions they might make going forward, i wont want to get ahead of where they are. What is the response to the Wall Street Journal story that hamas and hezbollah sources told the Wall Street Journal that iran had planning or played a role in planning and executing the intricately planned and executes Terrorist Attacks on saturday. That iran and the Revolutionary Guard played a role. I know that officials have told cnn they have yet to find a smoking gun directly linking iran to it. But what do you think . Well, there is no question, jake, that iran has complicit here. I mean, theyve been supporting hamas now for many, many years. Tools and training and capabilities. Certainly rhetorically, the Supreme Leader cheering on this attack. So there is a complicit there. But what we havent seen and our israeli counterparts have said the same thing, we havent seen evidence that directly links iran to these complex as you put it very complicated set of attacks over the last couple of days. That doesnt mean we wouldnt. Well still looking at that and monitor that and share our perspectives with the Israeli Intelligence community as well, we just havent seen that. How about the claim to the Associated Press that president al si si said they were picking up some word that there was a major trike from gaza being planned. Cant confirm that either. I seen that a. P. Story and not able to confirm that. Again, were going to continue to dig through the intelligence to try to learn as much as we can about what happened here. And there will be a time, jake, when it is appropriate to go back in time and look at sort of what the intel picture was saying, who knew what when and whether something was missed. That is not now. The time now is to make sure that theize israeli people know were supporting their peace and security and theyre getting what they need. Is it true that netanyahu told biden that israel does not have any choice but to unleash a Ground Operation in gaza . I wone speak to the details of that private conversation. I would just tell you that the president appreciated the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister and make sure he knew how solidy in support we were of him an the israeli people and ill leave it at that. Today hamas said they will execute hostages if they continue to target people in gaza without warning. Are you concerned about that announcement . Of course we are. The barbaric attacks, they are just off the charts in terms of the violence that they have visited upon innocent israeli civilians, people going about their lives and going to a Music Festival. So when we hear those threats, it is chillingch and we have to take it seriously and were concerned because we dont know if there are americans in this hostage pool potentially. So, yes, it is very chilling and yes, were taking it seriously. So we were just told that the number of americans killed was updated to 11. It was nine at the beginning of our conversation. It is now 11. Do we ha