Welcome to cnn this morning. Im poppy harlow with Phil Mattingly in new york. Erin burnett is live in tel aviv. A hostage released by hamas yesterday is now speaking. She is tell her story this morning at the hospital. 85yearold Yocheved Lifshitz told reporters how she was abducted and held captive underground for weeks. The grandmother says they stormed her kibbutz and took her away on a motorbike and beat her with sticks. She says they took her in hamas underground Tunnel Network and held had her with four other ginls. They had guards, a doctor and paramedics who took care of them. Hamas had a stockpile of shampoo and other toiletries for hostages to use. There are huge network of tunnels underneath. It looks like a spiderweb. When she first arrived, they told them that they are muslims and they are not going to hurt them. And that they share they ate the same food that the hamas was eating. They have released four hostages as israeli troops gear up to launch an assault by gaza by gr
Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. This is cnns continuing coverage of israel at war. Right now it is 9 00 a. M. In israel. An American Woman and her teenage daughter are undergoing medical evaluations after being released by hamas. Natalie raanan and her mother judith both live in illinois. Natalie had just graduated from high school. They were visiting family at a kibbutz close to gaza when they were taken hostage by hamas two weeks ago. Natalies father said he couldnt wait to see his daughter again. Ive been waiting for this woman for a long time. Two weeks. I havent been sleeping two weeks. Tonight ill sleep good. I spoke with my daughter earlier today. She sounds very good. She is very happy and shes going to come home. Im going to hug her and kiss her. It will be the best day of my life. Israel says the Hostage Release was the result of Military Pressure on hamas. But a statement from the group claimed it was done for humanitarian
Carley President Biden just landing in israel where he will meet with Prime Minister netanyahu as violence and unrest rock the region. You are watching Fox And Friends, im carley shimkus. Todd im todd piro. An explosion kills hundreds at a gaza hospital. Israeli forces say they have proof it was a botched launch. Carley State Department Telling Americans not to professional to lebanon and offering to get americans out of the country. Hundreds of protesters gathering outside, sparking fires. The president planned this trip during a tense time, war had broken out in israel. He took off at 6 p. M. And just landed. Todd there is the president now walking down the steps of Air Force One. Netanyahu on the tarmac ready to meet the president. The handshake taking place right there. This is extremely historic meeting, because right now israel is in war. There are concerns this could become part of a larger global conflict. Think back to the History Books you read when you were a child in school
Israel and egypt agreeing to a cease fire in southern gaza. This allows anyone wanting to leave the war ravaged territory to do so now is happening as the Rafah Crossing Connecting Egypt and gaza reopens this all happening just moments ago. The crossing is the last remaining exit for palestinians wanting to leave gaza for the crossing. The crossings reopening will also allow much needed humanitarian aid into the territory through the Rafah Crossing was shut down while israel conducted airstrikes in the region earlier this week. Its military was responding to the brutal and deadly attack by hamas militants in israel just over a week ago. The closing of the border has stranded thousands of people trying to escape before israels potential major Ground Operation in gaza. That number includes 5 to 600 palestine americans as the reopening coming just hours after Secretary Of State Antony Blinken met with egypts president with regard to rafah. I had a very good conversation with president els
Positive sign harris gave a thumbs up to the fans as he was loaded into the ambulance. We are staying on all the Breakiking News Out of israel a gaza. Stay with cnn news central. Starts now. Hello, thank you so much for joining us, im kate bolduan with john in new york, sara sidner is in israel. The Breaking News were following right now, u. S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken is back in israel this morning. Blinken has been shuttling around the renal for days now. This morning he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hes also meeting with the israeli president and were standing by to see if blinken will be speaking after these critical meetings. One major focus, the horrifying news were learning this morning the idf says 199 are now being held hostage by hamas in gaza, thats a huge and significant jump from what was believed to be the number of people taken after the hamas Terror Attack. The latest from the Biden Administration is that at least 15 americans are still missing. W