world. i'm bianca nobilo. ahead on "cnn newsroom" -- the firestorm leading to the university of pennsylvania president stepping down. one member of congress says expect more to follow. plus the idf tells civilians to leave the center of kahn yunis, but it is not sure that they are getting the message. and -- >> oh, [ bleep ]. oh, my god. >> deadly storm system rips through tennessee, and now several counties are under a state of emergency. the university of pennsylvania president liz mcgill and head of the school's board of trustees have resigned. it comes after the intense backlash to the comments made by three u.s. university presidents to congress about anti-semitism on their campuses. this all began amid a wave of protests over the israel-hamas war. many at college campuses, many of them expressing assume for the palestinian cause. but there is a debate over whether phrases like from the river to the sea amount to a call to eradicate israel. mcgill and the presidents of harvard and m.i.t. struggled to answer a congress member's question about where their universities would draw the line. >> specifically calling for the genocide of jews, does that constitute bullying or harassment? >> if it is directed and severe and pervasive, it is harassment. >> so the answer is yes. >> it is a context dependent decision. >> that is your testimony, calling r the genocide of jews is defending on the context? >> that congresswoman had a blunt response, one do, two to go. and some jewish u penn students said they hope her resignation will bring positive changes. >> it became clear that president mcgill didn't really seem to have a strong xwrach on the situation on the ground. >> there is a lot of tension on campus. and i really hope a lot of it starts to go down and people start to calm down a little bit. >> mcgill's resignation also comes after a a wealthy alumnus threatened to withdraw a $100 million donation. polo sandoval pexplains what happened. >> reporter: in back to back resignations the president of the university of pennsylvania announcing that she would step down just moments before the university official who made her announcement announce it that he too would be resigning. liz mcgill announced that she would be stepping down as u penn president. she will remain tenured faculty at the law school and also agreed to stay on board while they find an interim repl replacement. as we've reported before, students, faculty, even donors say into they lost confidence in mcgill after tuesday's pretty disastrous hearing in which she along with the presidents of harvard and m.i.t. failed to explicitly say that calls for genocide of jews would immediately violate their codes of conduct. and moments after, scott box said that he too would be stepping down as chair of the board of trustees. in a statement he writes former president liz mcgill made a very unfortunate misstep. and following that, it became clear that her position was no longer tenable and she akon currently decided that it was time for her to exit. he also defending mcgill calling her a good person, a talented leader, and in his words not the slightest bit anti-semitic. he also shared some perspective about what may have been mcgill's state of mind the day of the hearing saying that mcgill was not herself at the time, that she was overlawyered, that she was overprepared, and that she provided a legalistic answer to what was a moral question. and that bok says was wrong. polo sandoval, cnn, new york. this gaza, israeli airstrikes and ground operations aring on o. going oig what israel says are hamas targets. some of the fiercest battles are said to be in and around the southern city of kahn yunis which the idf has described as a hamas stronghold. the israeli military is telling people that they have to leave specific areas although due to poor communications, it really isn't clear if palestinians are able to receive those warnings. two large explosions and a building in central gaza early saturday set off a frantic scramble to pull victims from the wreckage. residents say at least 150 people were thought to be sheltering inside. the hamas-run health ministry in gaza claims more than 17,000 people have been killed there and nearly 49,000 wounded since the war began two months ago. cnn can't verify those figures. the u.s. is preparing to rush thousands of tank shells to israel as it advances its military operations across gaza. weapons sales normally go through congress and require a 20 day review period. but a source with direct knowledge tells cnn that the state department notified lawmakers late friday that it would wave the waiting period to send 13,000 tank shells right away. the state department's emergency declaration came on the heels and request of congress last week to transfer 45,000 rounds of tank ammo to israel. elliott gotkine is covering all of this here for us here in london. bring us up-to-date on the latest on the ground. >> reporter: in the last couple of hours, the idf has given an update talking about more than 250 strikes taking place on targets in the gaz stria strip e previous day. in one incident it says it struck what it described as a hamas military communications site adjacent to a mosque, but at the same time, there has been fierce fighting on the ground. hamas itself describing the fighting as talking about fierce battles from zero distance taking place. especially in the northern part of the gaza strip where israel says it is closing in on the command and control centers of hamas in jabalya and in the northern part of the daz strip which it describes as stronghold of the group. and it released footage of its soldiers doing battle on the ground. in one video you can see soldiers firing with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades down the street in gaza. and in another, you see them firing into a house where it said it has been coming under fire. and once the dulgsst has settle you see the blurred images of the militants it says it killed in that battle. at the same time you mentioned the death toll in the gaza strip since israel launched its operations in the wake of the hamas terrorist attacks of october 7, the hamas run health ministry saying 17,700 people now killed. israel's national security adviser saying that at least 7,000 militants have been killed since israel launched its operations. now, we have no way of verifying the figures, no way of verifying the hamas health ministry figures either. but if they were to be accurate, that would reduce greatly the number of civilians that has been killed, but even then clearly 10,000 or so noncombatants being killed in this conflict is a mind boggling number. >> what are you learning about the hostages still being held by hamas? >> reporter: well, we heard from the israelis over the weekend talking about the death or murder it described of one 25-year-old sasha who had been kidnapped by hamas or other militant groups on october 7. after his death, there are still 137 men, women and children still being held by hamas and other militant groups inside the gaza strip. and on saturday evening, there was another rally by thousands of people calling for the release of those hostages, signs saying bring them home now. and we heard first person testimony like one 77-year-old woman saying militants had taken her oxygen canister, talking about the deprivations, lack of sleep, food and medicine affecting the hostages while they were being held in the gaza strip. one father, one talking about his 19-year-old who was still being held captive in the gaza strip saying that time to get them released is running out. >> we have no time. any meeting that goes with the israeli government, when i was there tuesday at the war cabinet meeting, i put this in front of them and said we have no time. and you will be judged by the ability of how many and how soon hostages are able to be brought back alive. >> reporter: idf very much under pressure do all it can to free those hostages. in one incident over the weekend talking about how soldiers tried to free at leasten would of the hostages that couple soldiers were severely wounded and that particular attempt failed. but very much getting the hostages back to israel is very much in the uppermost minds of the war cabinet as it carries out its battle plans. >> elliott, thank you very much. another border crossing with gaza could finally open to help get more aid in to the enclave. world food program says it is testing the process for inspecting aid trucks through this border. it says that the needs are massive and opening the crossing would help organize the convoys going into gaza. thursday an israeli official said they would open it in the next few days but only to inspect aid trucks. those of protestors filled the streets of london saturday. many carried signs and palestinian flags calling for a ceasefire. police estimate nearly 40,000 people were at the rally. at least two people were arrested for carrying offensive posters. and in new york, pro palestinian demonstrators rallied in brooklyn on saturday, they flowed the roads and reportedly blocked traffic in some areas. many in the crowd held signs and chanted palestinian will be free. in eastern tennessee, an eyewitness captured video of this tornado as it moved over madison causing electrical flashes and an explosion. >> oh, [ bleep ]. oh, my god. >> chilling. now a state of emergency has been declared in some communities as twisters swept the area. at least six people are dead and nearly two dozen are injured. this is the scene in clarksville on saturday where buildings were torn to shreds. the mayor lamented our hearts are broken. officials say that they are still in a search and rescue phase and are trying to see if there are more casualties. authorities are urging residents to stay away from the damaged areas as the emergency crews work. witnesses describe what happened. >> walls about yourselfed, windows about yourselfed, everything exploded. >> like a lot of pressure built up and it just popped. russia is ramping up its strikes as ukraine braces for another brutal winter. we'll get reaction from ukrainian parliament members as cities are targeted across his country. just days before he's expected to take a stand in the civil fraud trial, donald trump calls his numerous indictments a badge of honor. what else he said about the legal cases is coming up for you next. ukraine is getting a preview what have could lie ahead as russia steps up attacks across the country. officials said on saturday that russia launched close to 100 airstrikes over the preceding 124 hours. kherson was hit by barrage of artillery and drone attacks which killed at least one an wounded another. that happened a day after russia used cruise missiles for the first time in more than 2 1/2 months. western intelligence officials sxebl expect moscow to ramp up strikes on infrastructure and electrical facilities this winter. ukraine's first lady is making a somber appeal for soldiers back home. she spoke with the bbc after the u.s. senate republicans blocked the latest batch of military aid for kyiv. the bill is now in limbo with money for ukraine quickly running out. she said it would be the equivalent of letting ukrainians die. for more, we're joined by a ukrainian parliament member who represents the odesa region. thank you for being with us this morning, sir. first i would like to speak to you about what mrs. zelenskyy said and whether that sentiment is widely shared in ukraine. it must be frustrated to see the partisan gridlock in the united states. what is the feeling in ukraine about that? >> definitely she is right when telling that without u.s. support, we are speaking about the genocide of ukrainians. because russia is committing genocide. all five criteria, sexual crimes, mass murders, forceful deportation of people including children, all of this is happening. so if russia expands its control in new territories of ukraine, it will mean that hundreds of thousands of ukrainians will be under threat of genocide. that is the very grim reality that we have and that is why we're so concerned to ob serve what is going on in the u.s., congress now with the new package of support to and the leading we're been telling for two years we'll be with ukraine as long as it takes. but we can't believe that, as long as it takes meant just two years. >> do you also think that it is a shaky argument for some republicans to make that they want to not be embroiled in the war in ukraine and directly at odds with russia, but if ukraine starts to struggle to hold russia back and russia is in some ways successful that putin won't stop there and that might actually bring the u.s. into closer contact with russia if russia strikes a nato country? >> again let us -- those who are watching us from the united states, ask yourself, is russia an ally with the united states or is russia is rival of the united states? i think the answer is absolutely clear. and today ukrainians are destroying these probably second strongest rival after china. maybe the first. because we don't know anything about chinese army. but russian army now received unique experience of warfare of 21st century. putin feels emboldened. and who really think that having some even partial success in ukraine he will stop. so ukraine today with no one life, no risking any one life of american soldiers or officers is destroying capabilities of the biggest rival of the united states. so i can't understand how it could be a bad investment than to help ukrainians. we're not asking for boots on the ground. we don't need courage. we have enough of our own. but we just need weaponry. and to provide us with this weaponry, i think that this is the smartest idea and that is the best investment that united states could do. and it is not about when i hear like people saying that ukrainians are to receive $200 billion or something like this, it is just not true. ukraine received in military is to calculate the weaponry which we received, but in reality in ukraine, not refreshing the stockpiles in the united states, not like this, but what ukraine receive is just more than $20 billion. and most of this money is still in the united states. they came to the united states factories, to companies which produces missiles, drones and other things. so isn't it a wonderful investment not really a very big one, but very successful one. so i can't understand why ukraine became a hostage of internal political discussion in the united states. making such a great investment and ukrainians being so resilient and strong. and don't forget that ukrainian army today probably is one of the strongest in the world. let's ask yourself if the united states will need support, it is a lie. who will be in trenches? that is the question. ukrainians are ready to be. and i'm not sure that many other countries which are allege lies of the united states are ready to be there. >> indeed. when i speak to my friends who are in ukraine, that is always what they say to me, that they very much see it as ukrainians are paying the price with their lives and their limbs and their families to keep putin at bay from the rest of nato's territory. i'd like to get into some of the tactics that the russians are using especially as the harsh winter in ukraine is setting in. do you have concerns that russia will continuously target power infrastructure even more so? i presume it has been impossible for ukraine to fully rebuild from last year's onslaught. >> yeah, it is absolutely possible. we'll see what will be in russia playbook this year. but that is russia in general their playbook. just to cause as much suffering to civilians as possible. because attacking power grid, it is nothing about the frontline. it doesn't hurt in any way ukrainian military. but it hurts ukrainian civilians. and russia is making this campaign of terror against ukrainian people all the time. they did it last winter and it is very possible that they will try to do this this winter. and that is why we so desperately need the support. we need air defense to protect our city, to protect women and children. i don't believe, really i don't believe that the americans who will be just -- they will not be interested watching how children and elder people and women will be frozen to death in ukraine during this winter. i don't believe in this because that is something which is not in the u.s. values of american people. i know many american people and they are with a great heart. so just to mention what an awful suffering, almost two years to full-scale invasion, in reality ten years of war because russia started invasion of ukraine in 2015. and don't forget one thing when we are addressing to the united states of america, it is not just that we ask, it is not just that we also can be a very strong ally of the united states in the future, but united states has some responsibility. why? because this week there was a 29th anniversary of budapest. ukraine is only country in the history of the world which voluntarily gave up its nuclear weaponry. and at that time, we had the third biggest in the world arrests nell. and that was under the guarantees of the united states of america.nell. and that was under the guarantees of the united states of america. that we will be protected and not attacked. so that is also moral and legal responsibility on the united states of america to be with ukraine in such harsh time. so i hope that the u.s. congressmen and senators, as well as all politicians, will realize this and will not let ukraine down and will not show that united states is not the country others can rely on. >> thank you so much for joining us. i hope they hear your message. >> thank you. the presidents of venezuela and guyana have agreed to meet soon amid a growing impasse over disputed land. at issue is the status of the densely forested area that is rich in oil and minerals. it makes up two-thirds of guyana's territory but claimed violence. accord -- claimed violby venezuela. cnn has reached out to both governments for comment on the proposed meeting. and i'm bianca nobilo. for our international viewers, going green is next for you. for those in north america, i'll have more news in a little bit. welcome back. i'm bianca nobilo and this is "cnn newsroom." in the u.s. presidential politics, the first real test for republicans next month when iowa holds its caucuses. between now and then are the holidays which means that gop hopefuls have little time left to make a good impression. here is eva mckebd. >> reporter: ambassador haley, governor desantis, vivek ramaswamy leaning on iowans to caucus for them in just a few short weeks. they all appeared on the same stage at a faith and family forum, an opportunity to talk about how faith and family informs their policy visions. something of course that is so important in the state of iowa where so many of the caucusgoers are evangelical voters. for the most part, they stayed away from attacking one another, but base haley, governor desantis, did seem to suggest that both of them would be better general election candidates than former president trump. >> what i know is you don't defeat democrat chaos with republican chaos. and that is what donald trump gives us. i had a great working relationship with him. but rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. you know i'm right. chaos follows him. and we can't have a country in disarray and world on fire and survive this chaos. >> it is important to point out that normally in an iowa caucus, you've got five or six candidates that are running as conservatives and conservative voters are having to look through. that is not the case this year. you have donald trump who obviously moved left, not even really putting in the work to earn people's votes. >> reporter: and at a