Anderson Cooper 360

Intense fighting in the Middle East continues as Israel's military says it has surrounded Gaza City. Flares and explosions illuminated the skies above northern Gaza Thursday night. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling provides perspective on the latest developments. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his way to the region tonight. Before boarding his plane, Blink...

Injured Palestinians and the first group of hundreds of foreign nationals, including two American aid workers, have made it out of Gaza into Egypt. Anderson speaks with Leah Okumura whose aunt was one of two Americans who were able to leave Gaza today. Also, New York Rep. Dan Goldman was in Tel Aviv with his family on October 7th when the attacks began. They were able to get out of Israel safely. ...

The Israeli military claimed Tuesday that it killed a top Hamas commander in a deadly strike on the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Hamas has denied the presence of one of its leaders in the camp. CNN's Nic Robertson has a live report from the region with the latest on the strike. Also, Anderson talks with Ricarda Louk, the mother of a 23-year-old German-Israeli woman captured during the Oc...

A female Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been rescued during ground operations in Gaza, said the Israel Defense Forces. According to Israeli authorities, there are still more than 230 hostages in Gaza. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, International Spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces, joins Anderson and gives some details on the rescue and discusses other developments. Also, f...

The Israeli military says it is "expanding” ground operations in Gaza and "operating forcefully" on all fronts to fulfill its goals in the war with Hamas.  Friday’s announcement came as intense Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza. The White House says the U.S. is still working to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Rami Igra, the former chief of the hostages and MIA unit of The Mossad, shares hi...

An intensive manhunt continues as law enforcement search for a suspect who authorities say left at least 18 dead and 13 injured in Lewiston, Maine in two mass shootings. Police returned to 40-year-old Robert Card’s last known address in Bowdain, Maine, but officials don’t know if he is inside. Card is facing an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder and is considered armed and dangerous. Former...

After weeks of party infighting, Rep. Mike Johnson was voted the new House speaker. The Louisiana Republican secured the speaker’s gavel without losing any GOP votes. Johnson has been a supporter of former President Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash joins AC360 to discuss where Speaker J...

85-year-old Yocheved Lifshitz described being kidnapped from her kibbutz and taken to a tunnel in Gaza as going through “hell.” Lifshitz is one of two Israeli hostages released from Hamas custody on Monday. Sources tell CNN that there are ongoing talks underway to try to secure the release of a large number of hostages still in Gaza. Yocheved’s daughter Sharone Lifschitz tells Anderson Cooper her...

Two more hostages have been released from Hamas custody after Qatari and Egyptian mediation. Israeli citizens Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz have arrived for medical care in Tel Aviv, Israel. Yocheved’s daughter Sharone Lifschitz joins AC360 from Heathrow Airport where she was about to jump on a flight to Israel when she heard the good news. Plus, the United Nations says twenty more trucks pas...

Two American hostages were released by Hamas and are now in the care of Israel Defense Forces. Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Raanan, were kidnapped during the initial attack against Israel two weeks ago while visiting family. Amir Tibon met the Raanans while they were at a celebration for the kibbutz’s anniversary. He knew Judith’s mother very well, calling her a “neighbo...

President Biden delivered a primetime speech from the Oval Office to make the case to Americans for U.S. support in the wars in Israel and Ukraine. The president said he will send an “urgent budget request” to Congress to "fund America's national security needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine." Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling tells Anderson Cooper that he believes thi...

The National Security Council says the U.S. government assesses that Israel “was not responsible” for the blast at the Gaza hospital that killed hundreds. Israel claims the bombing was caused by a Islamic Jihad rocket while Palestinian officials have blamed Israel. A NSC spokesperson said the assessment was based on available reporting, including “intelligence, missile activity, and open source vi...

Hundreds of people are believed to be dead following a blast at a Gaza hospital. Palestinian and Israeli officials are at odds over who is to blame for the devastation. Jordan canceled a planned summit between President Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward has been talking to doctors at that hospital. She tells An...

Hamas released a video of Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. In the first video Hamas has released of any of the hostages, Schem says she’s suffered an arm injury and was brought to Gaza. Israeli authorities have said that they believe 199 people are being held in Gaza, while Hamas has claimed it’s holding up to 250 hostages. Mia’s mom, Keren Scharf...

The Israel Defense Forces said troops have carried out local raids over the past day in Gaza as they search for hostages and collect evidence in hopes of finding the people taken by Hamas. Israel’s military warned 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza to evacuate their homes ahead of an expected Israeli military incursion. CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward tells Anderson Coo...

Israel has hammered Gaza with airstrikes and is withholding essential supplies, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water in response Hamas’ brutal terror attacks that killed more than 1,200 people. In Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry says at least 1,537 people have died. Yousef Hammah lives in Gaza and works for the Norwegian Refugee Council. He gives Anderson Cooper an update on the sit...

Israel has formed an emergency government and war cabinet after Hamas’ surprise attacks that have killed at least 1,200 people and injured thousands more. An IDF spokesperson said Wednesday that 300,000 reservists were “close to the Gaza strip.” On Saturday, Hamas fighters killed Anat Moshe Shoshany’s grandfather and kidnapped her 72-year old grandmother. The only proof of life her family has seen...

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he has “released all restraints” on troops in their fight against Hamas. Israel has been hammering Gaza with airstrikes after at least 1,200 people in Israel were killed in Hamas attacks. The White House says 14 U.S. citizens have died and “20 or more Americans” are still missing. Rafael Zimerman hid in a bomb shelter with 40 to 50 people near the deadly...

Israel has launched new airstrikes in Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to go on the offense against Hamas with a force “like never before.” More than 900 people have died in Israel and 600 in Gaza. Hamas said they’d kill civilian hostages and would broadcast it if Israel targets people in Gaza with no warning. Avital Alajem was taken by Hamas fighters, forced to walk to Gaza with...

Former President Donald Trump said in a recent interview that undocumented immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country," using language that is often employed by White supremacists and drawing rebuke. Conservative attorney and Washington Post Contributing Columnist George Conway joins AC360 to talk about the comments coming from the standard bearer of the Republican Party and the 2024 GOP...

ABC News reports that former President Trump allegedly discussed potentially sensitive information about U.S. nuclear submarines after he left the White House with a member at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Sources told ABC that the member is Anthony Pratt, an Australian billionaire who reportedly went to share the information with "more than a dozen foreign officials, several of his own employees and a h...

House Majority Leader Steve Scalice and Republican Rep. Jim Jordan have said they’ll run for speaker of the House after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was voted out and announced he won’t run again. There have been calls from some Republicans to expel GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz from the conference after he led the effort to oust the former House speaker. Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson is a McCarthy supporter and vot...

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A government shutdown will begin Sunday if lawmakers on Capitol Hill don’t reach a deal. Sources tell CNN that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told his Republican conference there aren’t many options left to avoid a shutdown. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal tells Anderson Cooper if she thinks there’s a realistic scenario where Republicans team up with Democrats in the next 24 hours to keep the govern...

According to a new court filing, former President Trump’s lawyers say he won’t try and move the criminal charges brought against him by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to federal court. Trump’s lawyers had said he “may” try to get the case moved into the federal system, as part of a bid to invoke immunity protections for federal officers. Former U.S. Assistant Attorney Elie Honig joins...