clarissa ward is cnn's chief international correspondent. hank you for joining us, it is really good to see you. >> thanks gayle it's really good to be with you. >> every time i see you on tv i tensed up a little bit and say, please, please, please let her be. safe let all the people over there who are covering the war be safe, it's so crucial and critical jobs are doing. i want to start with the obvious. most of the world is watching from home, we are watching from the safety of our homes. watching from the safety of our countries, wherever that may be. but you're often there you have a front row seat what are you seeing on the ground. >> up until this point we've been lobbying for weeks and weeks to try to get into gaza, but it just hasn't been possible basically. the borders have been blocked by israeli officials, by egyptian officials, and so the reporting that has been done up until now has been done by the extraordinarily brave journalists of gaza. they've been paying an incredibly high price, more than 60 journalists have been killed.

i have to tell you, her name is clarissa ward and i used to work with her back in the day.i have always admired her reporting because she is a badass, and she is fearless, especially her desire to be on the ground where the biggest and most dangerous news is breaking. tonight is no different. thanks to clarissa, cnn was the first media outlet to report in gaza independently. she has footage you won't see anywhere else, and this is the first time she's talking about it since returning. we thank you for joining us. it is really good to see you. >> thanks, gail. it is really good to be with you. >> every time i see you on tv, i tense up a little bit and say, please, please, let her be safe. it is so crucial and critical the job that you are doing. but i want to start with the obvious because most of the world is watching from home. we're watching from the safety of our homes, watching from the safety of our countries, wherever that may be. but you are often there. you have a front row seat. what are you seeing on the ground? >> so up until this point, we have been lobbying for

this is a child in gaza today, a child that our clarissa ward saw. clarissa and her team were the first western media outlet to gain independent access to gaza without an idf escort. some of those images you saw, one can only imagine what it was like for you to be there with them in person, clarissa. what else did you see? >> reporter: well, erin, we have been trying for weeks and weeks to get into gaza as many international journalists have. we've all been relying on the courageous reporting of journalists in gaza, who have been dying in record numbers, trying to tell this story. and feeninally, we were able to gain access on tuesday with a contingent of volunteers at a field hospital. newly established by the uae, the united arab emirates, built just two weeks ago. and already near capacity. take a look at a clip from our story. arriving at the field hospital, we meet this doctor. no sooner does our tour begin when -- [ explosion ] this is what you hear all the time now? >> yes. at least 20 times a day. maybe more sometimes. i think we're used to it

first, clarissa ward with her reporting, to which, we warn you, the viewers, it's graphic. clarissa, what do you see? >> we have been trying for weeks and weeks and weeks to get into gaza, like everyone, we have relied on the courageous and extraordinary reporting and journalists in gaza who have been dying in record numbers. on tuesday, we were finally able to get access into gaza into the southern part of the gaza strip. this is now where israel has intensified its military operations that is exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe that is playing out there and leading to record number of civilian casualties, as we saw for ourselves. >> reporter: you don't have to search for tragedy in gaza. it finds you on every street, strewn with trash and stagnant water, desolate and foreboding. >> so, we just crossed the border into southern gaza. this is the first time that we have been able to get inside gaza, since october 7th. we are now driving to a field hospital that has been set up by the uae. >> reporter: up until now, israel and egypt have made access for international jou

clarissa ward, it's remarkable work. to your point, there are dozens of journalists on the ground that have lost their lives covering this, dozens still there covering it every day, lost family members, and your work supplementing that and adding to it is incredibly important and we appreciate your time as always. thank you. >>> the biden administration staffers calling for a permanent ceasefire in gaza. holding a vigil outside the white house. the impact of this growing rift between israel and the united states. >>> and russian president vladimir putin holding his first end of the year news conference since the ukraine invasion. what he just said about detained "wall street journal" reporter evan gershkovich. >>> we stand b house tonight on the seventh night of hanukkah and as we get ready to celebrate christmas and the winter holidays with our loved ones to make clear that we cannot stay silent about the atrocities that are continuing in gaza. over 800 of us have signed a letter to the president, vice president, and ca

and he went in a field hospital where doctors are treating young patients, and clarissa ward went inton gaza, and give us a sense of what you saw. >> we were able after weeks and weeks of unsuccessfully trying to finally manage to get into gaza with a team of medical volunteers who work at a newly established field hospital that has been set up by the uea, by the emiratis, and john, within minutes of arriving at the facility, there was a large strike nearby and about ten minutes after that, we saw the first casualties of the strike arriving at the hospital. a man and a young boy of 13 years old who had both lost part of their legs. the doctor said it is like that all day everyday and sometimes 20 strikes a day, and you are talking about one single area of gaza. we also talked to children who have been severely injured and often maimed due to the ferocity of the bombardment there, and it is truly harrowing and horrifying at the end of it, and of course, we had the privilege of leaving, and most gazans do not, and most importantly, the gazan journalists who have been dying in record numb

invaded iraq. >> clarissa ward reporting for us, so happy you're safe and out of there right now. clarissa, thank you very, very much. i want to go to cnn's alex marquardt right now. he's in israel. president biden's national security adviser jake sullivan has been in talks today with top israeli leaders. what are you learning about these key meetings? >> well, wolf, sullivan really did meet with the senior most leaders here from prime minister netanyahu to the defense minister and head of intelligence. sullivan and the administration don't want to be seen as telling israel what to do or being seen as applying too much pressure on israel. they're framing this trip as coming here to ask hard questions. it's clear so much of the discussion today, wolf, was about the conflict, where things stand now, where israel sees things going forward. the administration really wants to see a transition in this conflict soon for israel to move from what they're calling a high-intensity phase like we're seeing now to a low-intensity phase. you'll see many more counterterrorism operations against le

cnn's clarissa ward and her team. the first western media to access southern gaza without being escorted by the israeli military. the overwhelming scenes she witnessed. that's coming up.. >>> welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. this hour, $48 million. that's how much two georgia election workers want rudy giuliani to pay up for smearing their good names. jury deliberations are under way right now after giuliani abruptly declined to take the stand in his own defense. >>> plus, the planned attack for a mass shooting at a synagogue back in september. court documents obtained by cnn show the suspect was just 13 years old. >>> and leading this hour, we're about to show you the first look from an independent journalist, not one minded by the idf or living in fear of hamas, of what is actually going on in gaza right now. cnn's clarissa ward and her team gained access to bring the story of the horrifying reality on the ground. this as president joe biden today has a new public message for the government of israel. >> i wa

here's cnn's clarissa ward. >> it used to be -- >> arriving at the emerati field hospital, we meet dr- . no sooner does artur began when. >> [sound of artillery] . >> this is what you hear all the time now? >> yes. at least 20 times today. >> at least 20 times today. maybe more sometimes. i think we got used to it. >> one thing out of the doctors here have gotten used to is the number of children they are treating. the u.n. estimates that some two thirds of those killed in this round the conflict have been women and children. it-year-old -- was lucky enough to survive a strike on her family home, that crushed her femur, inspired her median family. >> she says she's not in, pain so that's good. >> her mother was outs when it happened, i went to the hospital to look for her, she says, and i came here and i found her here. the doctors told me what happened with her, and i made sure that she's okay. >> [speaking in a non-english language] . >> they bombed the house in front of us, and that are home she tells, us i was sitting next to my grandfather, and my grandfather held me, and we'll c

cnn chief international correspondent clarissa ward was in gaza, now is in abu dhabi. tell us what you saw. >> reporter: well, john we've been trying for weeks and weeks and weeks now to get into gaza. it has not been possible for us. we've been relying on the heroic and courageous work of journalists inside gaza who have been dying in this record numbers in order to tell the stories of what's happening there. we were finally able to cross the arafa border crossing from southern egypt. on tuesday we traveled with a team of medical volunteers who are working at a field hospital that the united arab emirates, uae, has set up. this hospital is almost at capacity, they are being inundated with patients flooding in from other hospitals in the gaza strip that have simply stopped functioning and within moments of us arriving there for the visit there was a big strike nearby, casualties were brought in. i want to play you an excerpt of our story we'll be playing throughout the day. take a look. >> used to be a stadium -- >> arriving at the field hospital we meet dr. abdullah.

and netanyahu or both, this is the ugly and brutal reality of the slaughter of innocents that clarissa ward brings us now. a warning. that many of the images we're about to show you are difficult to watch. >> reporter: you don't have to search for tragedy in gaza. it finds you on every street, strewn with trash and stagnant water, desolate and foreboding. >> so we've just crossed the border into southern gaza. this is the first time we've actually been able to get into gaza since october 7th, and we are now driving to a field hospital that has been set up by the uae. up until now israel and egypt have made access for international journalists next to impossible. and you can see why. >> since october 7th the israeli military says it has hit gaza with more than 22,000 strikes. that by far surpasses anything we've seen in modern warfare in terms of intensity and ferocity. and we really honestly are just getting a glimpse of it here. >> reporter: despite israel's heavy bombardment there are people out on the streets. a crowd outside a bakery. where else can they go? nowhere is safe in gaza. >>

cnn's clarissa ward got exclusive access to a field hospital in southern gaza.is part of what she saw. >> reporter: 8-year-old janan was lucky enough to survive a strike on her family home that crushed her femur but spared her immediate family. [ speaking in a non-english language ] she says she's not in pain, so that's good. her mother, hippa, was out when it happened. i went to the hospital to look for her, she says, and i came here and i found her here. the doctors told me what happened with her, and i made sure that she's okay. thank god. they bombed the house in front of us and then our home, she tells us. i was sitting next to my grandfather, and my grandfather held me, and my uncle was fine, so he is the one who took us out. >> here tonight, mark -- senior adviser to israeli prime minister netanyahu and former israeli ambassador to the uk. thank you, ambassador, for being here. you just heard part of what clarissa saw when she was in gaza. it's scenes like that that have president biden himself warning about israel risking losing global support, as it is

the beginning, was the originating source one of them of the 40-beheaded baby history, including clarissa ward, and i'm not trying to name and change, but these are huge news organizations with deep pockets and they have lot of years of experience and entire teams of fact checkers to verify information, now as a journalist, as someone who studied journalism, whose practiced journalism, makes mistakes like all journalists. i would just like to understand, is this a mistake that the bbc published? is it a mistake for npr's? steve, i forget the journalist name who interviewed netanyahu as as he continued to make claim under claim that had been debunked and dispropen on this platform and in mainstream media. this regime continues. killing more palestinians and destroying more infrastructure and its genocidal onslot on gaza, new strike on magazi refugee camp in central gaza leaves nearly 30 palestinians dead. schools, hospitals and mosks are the main targets of the regime's air rates. a senior, hamas part official has condemned israel's incessant attacks on southern gaza which have declared safe zo

beginning, who was the originating source, one of them of the 40 beheaded babies story, including clarissa ward and i'm not trying to name in shame, but these are huge news organizations with deep pockets and they have a... lot of years of experience and entire teams of fact checkers to verify information. now as a journalist, as someone who studied journalism, whose practice journalism and who makes mistakes like all journalists. i would just like to understand, is this a mistake that the bbc published? is it a mistake for nprr's steve, i forget the journalist name, interviewed uh netanyahu as as he continued to make claim after claim that had been... the flagrant weaponization of anti-semitism by zionist extremists to mozzle opponents of israel's savagery in gaza has resulted in some people losing their jobs for expressing revoltion at israel's murderous military tactics. this is a one. the first time is been tried on the other side where is been attempt to show that designs are engaged in genocide and promoting hatred against muslims and arabs and palestinians and anyone else for palestine a

beginning, who was the originating source, one of them of the 40-beaded babies story, including clarissa wardas a journalist, as someone studied journalism, whose practice journalism and makes mistakes like all journalists, i would just like to understand is this: is it a mistake that the bbc published? is it a mistake for nprr's steve, i forget the journalist name who interviewed uh netanyahu as as he continued to make claim after claim that had been debunked and disproven on this platform and in the mainstream media. unyielding resolve, look into the tumoltuous life of yoster arafat, the palestinian leader who dared sit at the negotiation table with israel only to face broken promises and shatter dreams. witness his lifetime tour from fighter to a diplomat and again from a diplomat to fighter to save palestine. this is story of sacrifice, betray and unbreakable spirit of a leader who fought against all odds. israel continues pounding the besieg gazo's trip for second day after end of its weeklong truce with the palestinian resistance movement hamas. meanwile hamas says israel has resumed it

clarissa ward filed an amazing report from inside gaza this week after bearing witness to the devastating wreckage of buildings and infrastructure destroyed from the war and visiting a field hospital established by the uae. and on friday the idf said it accidentally shot and killed three hostages who were shirtless and waving a white flag in gaza. u.s. officials say israel is transitioning into another phase of the war focused more on precise attacks against hamas leaders. this comes after president biden warned that israel is losing international support. as the destruction and civilian death toll continues to rise, it's unclear how much it would cost to rebuild. my next guest argues that no arab nation or lawmakers on capitol hill will support funding or reconstruction of gaza unless israel has committed to a two-state solution. here's what the israeli ambassador to the uk said on that issue. >> without offering a state to palestine, how wcan there be peace? >> the world should know now the reason the courts failed is the palestinianss never wanted a state next to israel. they want a st

chief international correspondent clarissa ward witnesses the horror for mayfield hospital. rows and rows of women and children injured, dying, or already dead. >> arriving at the emerati field hospital, we need dr. abdullah i'll knock. the no sooner does our tour begin when -- [sound of artillery] >> reporter: and this is what you hear all the time now? >> yes. at least 20 times a day. >> at least 20 times a day? >> maybe more, sometimes. i think we get used to it. >> reporter: one thing none of the doctors here have gotten used to is the number of children they are treating. the u. n. estimates that some two thirds of those killed in this round of the conflict have been women and children. this eight-year-old was lucky enough to survive a strike on her family home, it crushed her femur, but spared her immediate family. >> [speaking in a non-english language] >> translator: she says she's not in pain, so that's good. [crying] >> reporter: her mother was out when it happened. i went to the hospital to look for her, she says. and i came here, and i found her here. that doctor

because i know you spoke with my colleague kaitlan collins last night reporting from our colleague clarissa ward at the field hospital. a young woman said to clarissa nobody is listening to us. nobody cares about us. we have been dying for over 60 days. you talk about getting aid in to field hospitals, food, water. the world food programme declared a catastrophic crisis ten days ago. how concerned are you about this growing humanitarian crisis in terms of getting that aid in, what can you prom it's this morning? >> i can promise we will beef up our efforts together with the international community to make sure that food, water, medicine, all the elementary school humanitarian supplies leach the people of gaza. we are going back now close to 07 days. we said the idf places no limitations on food, water and medicine going into the gaza strip. and we want to work very closely with our american partners, the united nations and other humanitarian groups to make sure that that food, water, medicine enters the gaza strip and reaches the people. now, here we have a problem because hamas is in many case

chief international correspondent clarissa ward witnesses the horror from a field hospital. rows and rows of women and children injured, dying, or already dead. >> right. >> a stadium. >> reporter: arriving at the emirati field hospital, we meet dr. abdullah al nukbi. no sooner does our tour begin when -- >> our ambulance -- >> and this is what you hear all the time now? >> yes. at least 20 times a day. >> reporter: at least 20 times a day. >> maybe more sometimes. i think we get used to it. >> reporter: one thing none of the doctors here have got used to is the number of children they're treating. the u.n. estimates that some two-thirds of those killed in this round of the conflict have been women and children. 8-year-old jenan was lucky enough to survive a strike on her family home that crushed her femur, but spared her immediate family. she says she is not in pain. so that's good. her mother hiba was out when it happened. "i went the hospital to look for her," she says, "and i came here and i found her here. the doctors told me what happened with her, and i made sure that

clarissa ward is on the ground for us. >> announcncer: five t things, brouought to youou by y carvana. they'll drdrive you hahappy. >>> a los angeles man was arrested and charged with a hate crime for an alleged attack against an elderly jewish man who was walking to service yesterday. the victim was treated on the scene, but didn't need any more medical attention. the man's son tweeted out this picture you're looking at right now of a bloody shirt his father was wearing when the suspect allegedly beat him with a belt and hurled anti-semitic comments at the victim and his wie. cnn spoke to this couple about the attack. >> he told me wife, something about -- >> give me your earrings. >> give me your earring jewel. i didn't know at the time. when i realized it was an anti-semitic approach, i was really upset, and i decided to intimidate him. i wanted to attack him in somehow. i didn't want the guy to get away because i was bleeding at that time already. something really bad happened, and i was afraid he would do that to somebody else. >> the suspect is 44 years old and is charged with a

note, just a little bit later here on "cnn this morning" our chief international correspondent clarissa wardill take you inside gaza to see the humanitarian crisis. this is the first time a western media outlet has obtained access into southern gaza to report independently since the start of the war. >>> the supreme court taking up critical cases that quite literally could reshape the 2024 election, abortion access, january 6th prosecutions all on the docket. >>> and vivek ramaswamy using cnn's town hall to push his favovorite conspspiracy theoeor. nenext. >>> reaching and inspiring the next generation of americans, i think i'm the best person in this race to do those things, and that's why i'm in it. >> this is far more than a campaign. this is the greatest political movement in the history of our country. >> dueling campaign events, dueling messages, the same populist appeal. donald trump and vivek ramaswamy campaigning in iowa one month before the iowa caucuses. >> both pushing conspiracy theories that have been critical to their campaigns on the trail. trump speaking in coralville, iowa,

media outlet to cross into southern gaza to report independently without the israeli military, clarissa ward joins us to talk about what she saw after this rare access inside the war zone. >>> were you better off four years ago, or are you better off today? >> it is the critical question, as 2024 kicks into gear, donald trump issuing a stark warning from the campaign trail last night. >> if we're not elected, we'll have a depression the likes of which i don't believe anybody has ever seen, maybe 1929. that's what's going to happen. >> the clear republican front runner moving to press what poll after poll after poll has shown as a clear issue voters care most about. it's fair to say the timing probably could have been better on that front. trump's comments came the same day the federal reserve painted probably the most optimistic view of the economy's future in months. inflation continues to showing meaningful signs of the dissipating. joinings now, washington correspondent for bloomberg, and cnn political congremmentator s jennings. despite everything that happened yesterday on the economic

no wonder then that the excellent veteran war correspondent clarissa ward entered gaza with an emeratial team. when she did that, she can paired the wounds she saw with her own was, another war zones in chechnya, and ukraine. >> a man and a 13 year old boy were weldon, both missing limbs, both in a perilous state. like crossing, 11 in mariupol, gaza will go dow civilian population of gaza. and there is part of it that is true and within dispute. hamas is interwoven with the dense population of gaza. it doesn't have some sort of huge area marked as hamas military base, set apart from apartment blocks that israel can attack no worries of civilian casualties. there's two problems with this justification. international humanitarian law says there is no category human shields. for example, if the number of terrorists are hold up the in a school with a number of children you can't simply bomb the school and blame the terrorists for the children's death. but that aside, the deeper problem here is that if you spend any time at all reading the israeli press, listening to what israeli leaders an

no wonder then that the excellent veteran war correspondent clarissa ward entered gaza with an emeratiired the wounds she saw with her own was, another war zones in chechnya, and ukraine. >> a man and a 13 year old boy were weldon, both missing limbs, both in a perilous state. since the field hospital opened less than two weeks ago, it's been inundated with patients. 130 of their 150 beds are already full. like crossing, 11 in mariupol, gaza will go down as one of the great horrors of modern warfare. >> the israeli governments is the ultimate responsibility for this destruction lies with hamas because it hides within civilian population of gaza. and there is part of it that is true and within dispute. hamas is interwoven with the dense population of gaza. it doesn't have some sort of huge area marked as hamas military base, set apart from apartment blocks that israel can attack no worries of civilian casualties. there's two problems with this justification. international humanitarian law says there is no category human shields. for example, if the number of terrorists are hold up the i