breaking news this morning. block boxes and bodies of victims handed over from malaysian flight 17 crash scene. prorussian rebels cooperating but days after the tragedy, has there been a cover up at the crime scene and will evidence lead investigators to russian president, vladimir putin? we have live team coverage on the angles of this story. a push for peace in gaza as the death toll skyrockets from air strikes and stepped up ground invision. john kerry hopes to broker a deal. is that possible? we are live. welcome back to "early start." a lot going on. i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. it's 30 minute past the our. we welcome our viewers from the u.s. and around the world. black boxes from flight 17 have

been turned over. a crucial development from investigators trying to determine who blew the boeing 777 out of the sky killing nearly 300 people on board. president obama is not satisfied investigators are getting the full access they need at the crash scene. >> unfortunately, the russian backed separatists continue to block the investigation. they have repeatedly prevented international investigators from gaining full access to the wreckage. as investigators approached, they fired their weapon sboos the air. the separatists are removing evidence from the crash site. what exactly are they trying to hide? >> meanwhile, russian president, vladimir putin distancing himself. he's trying to suggest the downing of flight 17 was nothing more than a mistake. >> according to them, the people

are saying -- there was confusion. there was confusion not an act of terrorism. >> moscow keeps up the spin campaign blaming ukraine and the west for the tragedy, the fighting continues miles from the flight 17 wreckage. let's bring in ivan watson in donetsk. this is a crime scene happening in the middle of a war. >> reporter: that's absolutely true. with residents here in this separatist controlled city i'm in called donetsk, describing shelling continuing throughout the night in the northern edges of the city and throughout the day on monday, we heard the constant rumble of artillery and witnessed, saw some civilian neighborhoods, residential neighborhoods hit by artillery that appeared to have come from

ukrainian government military positions with eyewitnesses telling us that several civilians were killed as a result of what looked like indiscriminate shelling that clearly raised fear among the population here, which is greatly diminished. this city is largely empty at this time. it does not look like a normal city. the streets are largely empty. we saw terrified people bidding farewell to their children, their wives, sending them on the train to moscow, out of the war zone and to safety on monday. again, that underscores the complicated situation here. for example, the train that is carrying the bodies of more than 200 victims of the flight has to cross front lines from rebel controlled territory today to ukrainian government controlled territory. that underscores how complicated

this effort has been. this is an active and deadly war zone. christine? >> it is, ivan. does it feel as though it's changed, you are seeing more cooperation? for four or five days of confusion, does it feel as though now with the trains leaving, with the black boxes turned over, ivan, there's a new page here? >> reporter: well, governments whose citizens died aboard the plane have welcomed some of the positive steps. i spoke with the spokesman for the osce international monitors here. he says access improved to the crash site. the pre-dawn ceremony we saw today where the leader of the separatists here in donetsk handed over the flight record s recorders. at that ceremony, they say see, this is a sign we are cooperating and denied they had anything to do with bringing

down the plane. it called into question the credibility of the rebels. the devices have, on the side of them, written in english, flight recorder. up until sunday night, yes, we have taken objects but we don't have the expertise to recognize if they are the flight recorders. it's kind of written in plain english on the side of the devices. games like that help lead to the accusations that there's some kind of cover up or at the very least the rebels are not being transparent when it comes to the investigation period of this terrible disaster. christine? >> thanks. every time i hear a self-declared prime minister, i want to put quotes around prime minister. that's not what happened. >> not a lot of people in ukraine proper call his prime

minister. the malaysian leader in making the deal for the black boxes did. the pro-russian leader got a diplomatic coup there. the long journey home is on the way for the victims that died on flight mh17. pulling out of donetsk going to the city of kharkiv. for the families who lost loved ones, there's no end to the pain and anger. >> i am very angry about the whole situation. i'm not only angry with the rebellion club, the ukraine government not to be able to silence, president obama finds a way to punish the responsible people for this hideous act. >> you know, i can report this just in, a team on the ground witnessed the refrigerated train

arriving in the rail station. that leg of the journey, at least for one of the trains seems to be complete. that will be welcome news to the families of those in the netherlands. erin mclaughlin is live in amsterdam. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, john. a development will be welcome to the families in the netherlands. so many of them want the bodies of loved ones to bury them with dignity and respect. i'm here outside schipol airport, meters away from where the victims of mh17 checked in. let me give you a sense of the scene. there's a makeshift memorial that is growing by the hour. people have been taking pictures, leaving flowers and candles. children have been leaving drawings and toys. there's a condolence book they have been signing. people have been leaving notes. one reads, we cannot comprehend how this could have happened.

we share your deep anguish and despair. we pray for those who have passed to another place. now, i spoke to a family that lost two boys to mh17. the mother and the grandmother told me how they are struggling to come to terms with this tragedy. >> everybody is crying. everybody is losing something that belonged to them. but we feel like we have lost ourselves as well. >> why didn't they take my life? they still young. they still have a future. why the children? why not me? >> reporter: the prime minister said it is this country's priority to identify the victims and get the bodies. once the bodies have arrived at the train station, they will be loaded into coffins and placed

in planes before being returned to the family so they can be buried with dignity and respect. >> it's so important to remember there are 298 stories, the victims with no role in the conflict lost their lives. erin mclaughlin live in amsterdam, thanks. 282 bodies from malaysian flight 17 have arrived in kharkiv. nick payton wall sh joining us. >> reporter: traveled here from the donetsk area. very few will be said by the men traveling with the train. be friendly with them.

we understand the train, the doors of which have been sealed by instruction gel to keep a sense of privacy to those kept inside. away from the station, back down people are trying to -- nearly 300 bodies from the journey to the plane that is will carry them back to the netherlands. we understand from a dutch official here, a team has flown in to try to assist with the very sad situation and complicate complicated -- we understand the train has been taken to a closed military base where the bodies will be taken off, placed into

coffins and taken to the main airport. this happens very quickly. some suggestions it's a complex task moving this number of coffins. this -- victims of the crash on board the train. the train is outside the territory, much closer. christine? >> certainly a complicated process and something we have never seen before. just complicated and tragic. thank you, nick. >> seven hours from donetsk to kharkiv. the rail car has arrived. as the investigation unfolds now into who shot down malaysia airlines flight 17, all eyes on

russian president, vladimir putin. will evidence at the scene link him to the crime? will he break and admit responsibility? after the break.

this morning, all eyes are on russia and its president, vladimir putin. while putin is backing a u.n. resolution to return the flight 17 victims and allow investigators complete access to the crash scene. his propaganda machine inside russia continues to blame to the west and ukraine. listen to the latest journalist from "russia today" to publicly resign. >> a story like this is absolutely not russia's fault. it's ukraine's fault or whatever country we are trying to fight back against. at that point, you really, really feel the sense that there's no adequate questioning. >> sir tony is the british ambassador to russia and joins us via skype in england. thank you for being with us.

i suppose the question many are asking is that a day ago, there was extreme stubbornness, you might say stone walling from the pro-russian rebels in eastern ukraine. they would not turn over the crash site or the black boxes or turn over the bodies. why do you think they cracked? >> it's an encouraging sign russia is applying pressure to them to conform to what they are demanding. they are embarrassed about what happened. they know they fired the missile and they are keen to the extent they can to distance themselveses from the crime. that's helpful in another way. to the extent it encourages them to distance themselves, it could be a step toward ending the war. >> a step toward ending the war, but when you look at the

propaganda machine, he's about to do his policy. >> they are insisting their position firmly in the eyes of the russian public. russia has been in the lead in pressing for international investigation in this incident. as i say, the russians seem to apply pressure to ship the bodies, the black boxes and undoubtedly, they are very, very embarrassed by being associated with the crime and looking for ways to dissosuate themselves from the crime and those who committed it. >> what do you make, sir, of the elaborate pageantry of the handover of the black boxes? there was the self-proclaimed prime minister of this pro-russian region in eastern ukraine turning over the black boxes to officials from malaysia that cut the deal with the rebels. does this provide some kind of international legitimacy to their cause?

>> no, not really. it feels to them more proper. it gives them the slight feeling they are like a government. there's a little bit of the deal that needed to be done to get the black boxes. that was the important point. >> right. >> what about sanctions on russia? we know the european leaders are meeting today. many of them are calling for tougher sanctions on russia. do you think that's the right strategy here? >> well, first of all, i think today is going to produce no more than a marginal strengthening of what they have already done. no, i don't think sanctions are the right policy. they are ineffective and can be counter productive. it's pride for russians to be on the sanctions list. to stop this problem, we have to get putin back and separate himself from what's going on there. we are not going to do that by

imposing the sanctions. infuriate putin and strengthen his attachment to the rebels in ukraine. >> thank you so much for being with us this morning. appreciate your analysis, your insight into the russian leader and perhaps the moves going on right now. >> what he said about sanctions is what you are hearing. diplomats in brussels talking today, does it strengthen him when you start to really put the pressure on. >> they have been weak sanctions so far. if you issue real sanctions, does it make a difference? 49 minutes after the hour. flight 17 continues all morning. the major story, the death toll rising in gaza. bloody battles on the street, leading to a push for peace this morning. we are live with what's being done and if there's a chance it will work, next. d up for your credit report site and i have a problem. i need to speak with your fraud resolution department.

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on family movie night. this message paid for and approved by xfinity's family hits. tell me the whole thing again, i wasn't listening. watch to vote with xfinity on demand. for this summer's top 100 shows and movies. and remember, the only thing to fear is fear itself, and spoilers for shows you haven't seen yet. global...pandemic. ♪ turning now to the middle east and the bloody struggle between israel, hamas and gaza. 29 israelis have been killed along with 600 palestinians, most of them, according to the united nations civilians.

relentlessly bombing the city overnight. secretary of state, john kerry is in cairo to convince hamas fighters to put down their weapons and have a cease-fire. karl penhaul is live with the latest from gaza this morning. good morning, karl. >> reporter: as you point out, twin developments, one on the diplomatic field in cairo, but there's little trust by hamas of the egyptian government. they have been hostile in the past. no love lost between the united states and hamas, either. so, really, what they have to do this is do a huge task in confidence building. here on the battlefield as well as the gaza strip, you have to raise the question, why would i want a cease-fire now. when they launched into the gaza strip, the stated aims were to shot down the rockets and the

militant tunnels they have been using to barrel into israel and launch raids there. israel has not achieved those aims. we have rockets going out from the gaza strip and hamas continues to get its commandos on to israeli soil and engage the soldiers on their own turf. if you look in gorilla warfare terms, hamas is giving a good account. so far, among the casualties, 27 israeli soldiers killed. that is more than twice the number killed in 2008-2009. hamas must feel emboldened by this. one reason why all sides should silence their guns, the huge toll on civilians. more than 70% of those killed and wounded are civilians. john? >> you would hope the deaths of around 600 people would be reason enough to stop the fighting.

cal penhaul live in gaza, thank you so much. in thorning, the aftermath of the downing of flight mh17. we have more on the sanctions, next. ♪

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pressure on president putin with expanded economic sanctions against russia. that means widening the list of people and companies on travel bans and company freezes. how far is europe willing to go. they have a pending deal to sell ships to russia for over $1 billion. they have to decide if they want blowback from that. it's a tricky position to be in. >> "early start" continues now. our breaking news this morning, international investigators trying to figure out who shot down malaysia airlines flight 17. pro-russian rebels handing over the plane's black boxes, now the bodies of the victims on board. as investigators move on to the scene, what evidence will they find and will it lead them to russian president vladimir putin. we have