A CNN journalist reporting on the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Israel got choked up on camera as scenes played showing the bodies of young women and children.
(Video Credit: CNN)
CNN correspondent Nic Robertson seemed to struggle during the entire segment with his voice breaking at one point as he discussed the brutal Hamas terrorist attacks that occurred on Saturday against Israel.
During live coverage from Sderot, Israel which was anchored by host Abby Phillip, Robertson choked up and paused while reporting on the valiant efforts by Israeli security forces to rescue hostages from Hamas. Those hostages are reportedly being submitted to ISIS-like torture, rape, and murder.
There are 30 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, according to another terrorist group in Gaza called Islamic Jihad. But Robertson pointed out that it’s unknown if that number is accurate.
Hamas is claiming to have more than 100 people in captivity. U.S. citizens are also believed to be among those taken hostage.
“We don’t know if they’re fabricating that number,” he stated, referring to Hamas. “The number is understood to be large-ish. Hamas wants everybody to believe that, because, the bigger number of hostages they have, the bigger the amount of leverage they have over the Israeli government.”
Near #Gaza – exploding above our heads – #Israel’s Iron Dome missiles intercept Hamas rockets pic.twitter.com/64Xe0NOFDW
— Nic Robertson (@NicRobertsonCNN) October 8, 2023
After he spoke of the number of hostages in play, which Israel believes to be in the dozens, Robertson got noticeably emotional while relaying comments given by a major in the Israeli Defense Forces who serves as an IDF spokesperson.
“I asked him, ‘How are you going these hostages back?’” Robertson recounted.
He then had to pause to gather himself before resuming his reporting.
“I’m sorry, Abby. He told me that they were going to do everything in their power to get them back,” Robertson stated. “No one would be left behind, he said. But I think I picked up from him the extreme difficulty that is presented here. Because Hamas won’t give them up. And where they’re scattered, where they’re being held, underground tunnels, bunkers scattered across Gaza, it is an almost impossible task.”
Israeli military spokesperson Major Spielman told Robertson, “We know Hamas here took the men, women, and children, dragged them literally from where you and I are standing right now, not that long ago, to the Gaza Strip from right here.”
“These families in these homes, right next to us — some of them are missing,” Spielman asserted. “What we’re doing right now is trying to eliminate the Hamas infrastructure as effectively as possible and guard that gate. The same openings that they came through, more and more terrorists are still trying to infiltrate.”
We will “do anything” to get the #hostages back, “we will not leave any person behind” #Israeli Military spokesman Major Spielman pledges pic.twitter.com/Zrz3sMbcGg
— Nic Robertson (@NicRobertsonCNN) October 8, 2023
“This is the most devastating attack in the history of the state of Israel, over the last 75 years since the state was created. We have hundreds of civilians that were killed. We have men, women, and children and grandmothers sitting in Gaza in some basement,” Spielman added.
Robertson then asked him how the hostages would be rescued from Gaza.
“What I can tell you is that we’re not going to stop until we exhaust every means possible of doing so,” Spielman replied. “We will not leave any person behind, and we will do anything to make that happen. That’s what’s changed, Nic, over the last 24 hours.”
The horrific atrocities that Hamas is committing are almost unimaginable. It is little wonder that even an experienced and hardened reporter would find himself choked up over what is occurring in Israel currently.
#Hamas “brutality and lack of compassion unparalleled” Doctor treating #Israeli victims of attack at music festival – harrowing words – listen: pic.twitter.com/m6xxUGgZSO
— Nic Robertson (@NicRobertsonCNN) October 9, 2023
At least 1,100 Israelis are dead according to FaithWire.
Robertson’s coverage on Sunday also shared what happened when Hamas attacked an Israeli music festival, leaving at least 260 dead.
“Couldn’t run fast enough. They had no weapons to fight back. They were no threat to those gunmen. They could have run past them, and nothing was going to happen to the gunmen,” Robertson reported. “So this was extreme brutality that was executed upon these people. And the numbers keep growing because the discoveries keep happening. And it’s the shock of the numbers that I think is just stunning Israel right now.”