40,000 were liberated. he and his wife have been married for 75 years. for most of those year, he didn't talk about the war. but several years ago he was an honored guest at the united states holocaust memorial museum in washington and walked through a train box car exhibit. >> this was a very nice looking box car. but when i got at that box car to walk through it, that is when i broke down. >> reporter: hilbert is since on a mission to teach and inspire. he speaks to schools and organizations. >> let's give a warm welcome. >> reporter: and late last week, it was to hundreds of students at atlanta's st. pius x catholic school. >> close to 32,000 prisoners in those barracks when we were there that sunday morning. >> reporter: but he's never considered his speeches more important than he does today because of what happened in israel on october 7. in all the years you've been back from the war, and it has been almost 80 years, have you ever seen anti-semitic osm in t country as bad as it is today? >> no. i've had some incidents growing up, jacksonville, florida, and then in business, but nothing, nothing like it is happening now. >> reporter: his son jerry says he's never seen his 99-year-old father struggling with his emotions like he is now. >> he wants to talk about it and go a little deeper, but he can't. it is too painful to think that all this could happen over again. >> if it doesn't slow down, if it doesn't change -- >> the anti-semitism. >> right. then who is next? >> reporter: before we left hilbert, we thanked him for his heroism. >> never considered myself a hero because to me, the hero, the true heros are those that didn't make it back. those are the true heros. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, atlanta. our thanks to gary tuchman for that report. >> this is cnn breaking news. >> hi, everyone. thanks for joining me. i'm jessica dean in for fredricka whitfield. and we begin with breaking news. israel defense forces just wrapping up a press conference a short time ago after releasing what they say is important new video from al-shifa hospital which has become a flash point of the war in gaza. the video shows what the idf says is a tunnel shaft on the hospital grounds. israel has long said that hamas uses the hospital to cover up what it says is an extensive terror network underground, something hamas and hospital officials have denied. oren lieberman entered gaza with the israeli defense forces last night to see the tunnel shaft for himself and what lies beneath there. and cnn reported from gaza under idf escort at all times as a condition for journalists, had to submit the footage for review. and cnn did retain editorial control over the final report. oren, we want to lay that out for everyone so they understand what they are seeing. walk us through what you saw there on the ground in gaza. >> reporter: of course. and all of that simply part of embedding with the israeli military. we spent about six hours in gaza. we crossed the border fence at 9:00 in the evening. so the entire time it was dark. gaza is and has been without power. and we came out crossing the border fence the other way at about 3:00 in the morning. the goal was to get to al-shifa hospital complex, and there on the ground we spent about 40 minutes to look at what they had discovered, only a day or two earlier. that is the opening of a tunnel shaft and to see its significance with this ongoing debate about was that namazi using the hospital for its own purposes with terror infrastructure below ground. no question hamas has had tunnels throughout gaza for years. that has been well established. but the question, is it under the hospital. here is what we saw. we go in under cover of darkness as we cross the border fence, lights out across the gaza strip. escorted by a tank, we switch into an armored personnel carrier for the final stretch. even through a night vision screen, you could see the magnitude of the destruction on the streets of gaza city. we off load at the al-shifa hospital and pickaway through what is left of it. we had to keep our lights off or risk exposing our position. cnn reported from gaza under israel defense forces escort at all times. as a condition to join, media outlets must submit footage filmed to military sensors for review. and now we wait inside a structure to make sure the area is secure before moving the short distance to the exposed tunnel shaft. and here is the entrance. you can see a ladder access to it. as i step over here, difficult to see how far down it goes, but it looks like there is almost a central shaft for a staircase and then the shaft disappears then down into the darkness. >> reporter: we move around the opening for a better look at the shaft itself. what is clear, it is meant to go deep underground. which direction does the tunnel go? >> we assume the tunnel goes out and it has another corridor to this way. >> reporter: towards the hospital. >> towards the hospital. meaning it connects the hospital to outside, which implies with the way that hamas is working, hamas is going out somewhere, shooting their forces and then back inside to a safe place. >> reporter: we weren't allowed to enter the shaft, but they sent special gear down to see where it leads. as the camera moves forward into a tunnel that makes a sharp left turn and at the end of another path, a metal door they say they have not yet opened because they fear it is booby-trapped. the idf spokesman says that some of the israeli hostages taken on october 7 were also brought to the hospital. he says one body was discovered 50 meters from the compound. >> we have evidence that they were holding hostages in ra rantisi, but also that they were bringing them to shifa. >> reporter: not proof of a hamas command center or headquarters under the hospital, but israel continues trying to build its case that hamas uses the sanctuary of the hospital for cover. hamas and hospital officials deny. the idf's ability to continue its operation in gaza and credibility of israel are at stake here as the number killed surpasses 12,000. the idf says one of its missions is to destroy hamas, but with international criticism mounting, israel has to show the terror organization is using civilians and infrastructure as cover to justify an ongoing war. in a statement, the idf says the tunnel shaft itself is about 10 meters, so 33 feet. and then once underground the length of the tunnel more horizontally is 50 5 meters. and they promise more evidence. >> and before we let you go, the idf also showing this video that reportedly shows hostages from the october 7 attack in israel taken to al-shifa hospital. what more are officials saying about that particular footage? >> reporter: so there are three hostages that they give more information about. the first we just saw, a 19-year-old whose body was brought to israel several days ago. they say an independent pathological investigation found she was still alive when she was taken in. her captor then killed in fighting and she was injured there. according to the idf, she was taken to shifa hospital where she was murdered there. theidf had said that she was murdered by hamas, but this is more detail. still unclear who conducted the independent pathological investigation. and they also put out information about two other hostages kidnapped october 7. a nepally citizen and a thai citizen. quite a number come to work on the farms at different times throughout the year. they were kidnapped the idf says and they have video of them in al-shifa hospital. and they point to that as more proof that hamas uses the hospital to conduct its terror activities. >> all right, oren lieberman for us in tel aviv tonight, thanks so much for that reporting. and i want to talk about all of this with retired brigadier general. thanks so much for being here. we welcome you to the show. we just saw this new video that the idf shows that tunnel at the al-shifa medical complex. as you are watching this and learning about it, what is your biggest takeaway? >> jessica, thank you. my biggest takeaway is virtually that entire part of gaza is laced with tunnels. and i have no doubt that there are tunnels under the hospital and adjacent buildings as we said throughout. whether it was a command center or not, they will have to short that out. that is still in debate. i think that we have to go back to the beginning where hamas has proven that it will use any type of cover and concealment and use the population for its protection cover and also for its operations as they scurry through those tunnels. i think what we've just seen borne down there, they have just gone like maybe 100, 200 yards. and there are, you know, just dozens and dozens and dozens of miles of these tunnels that as the idf now starts to begin its push down towards the south and rafah, these are cleared. and where are the hostages? and they may very well still be in those tunnels northern gaza. >> and it is interesting, you see in that video what they say is that metal door that they are afraid go into. they don't want to go in to it yet because they think it is booby-trapped. kind of underscores what could be down in these tunnels. >> jessica, you are absolutely right. you can expect explosives to be -- hamas is turning it into a devil's garden gown tdown there has time too dig explosives in the walls and shafts. small units go in and the whole thing is blown down on them. so this is hard. it takes long. what is significant is while the idf has seized most of the top ground, it is still a nasty, nasty environment down there are clearly hamas is still operating. and idf has been careful. god bless they reported, what, 53 dead which is a lot, but to really push in there, it is going to take ground forces and infantry. they have tried do it with air power. and missiles. and the nasty job of clearing the tunnels and getting around the corner and worrying about the explosives. and then losses will go up significantly. and naturally. and logically the idf wants to be as economical as possible. but time is not on their side. and they know it. their whole global media court is out there watching them. and much of the global street. so they have to get this done. now, when you are in a hurry, bad things happen when you are in a hurry. and so this requires patience. but they have got to move at the same time with alacrity and in the middle of this, where are the hostages. and that is still in play. >> and i want to ask you about the hostages. because these babies, these children, these women, these elderly people, sick people, are still being held hostage. the idf releasing video also today that shows what it says are some of the hostages being taken into al-shifa hospital. why is that important in terms of this video that they are putting out there, and, also, what do you make of us hearing from representatives from the nsa saying that they are closer than they have been yet in hopefully getting some of these hostages out? >> first of all, god knows what those negotiations involve. it is a pretty cold blooded discussion. the fact that hamas is clearly using them as a bargaining tool to get their way to stall, protect themselves. and israelis are on to it. but you have in israel and worldwide a major push, get our hostages out at any cost. as i try to explain, the harder and faster that you push, the more ugliness occurs when you are fighting in a teami oiging civilian population area where a humanitarian disaster is occurring. so israelis are damned if they do and damned if they don't. they are negotiating hard and hamas i think knows that they have got that card. and qatar is trying to be the honest broker. but there are just so many pieces. and finally, if you get -- if we get a chunk of the hostages out, that still means that -- say 100 come out, still 100 still there as a bargaining chip. and, you know, this dance of death continues. so it is the perfect storm. i can't think of a more diabolical scenario that has occurred in recent military social history where you have an absolutely snarled situation of bad choices. hamas won't give up the hostages without -- and it is taking time and the longer it takes time it get in the tunnels. and you have this humanitarian crisis in gaza and states aligning the area are increincreas increasingly impatient like egypt and jordan. and with all of this going on, what is happening up in the nor northern. so far from the end. >> just so many layers as you've laid out. general peter zwack, thanks for your expertise. just moments ago president biden arrived in norfolk, virginia where he will meet with members of the military and their families ahead of the thanksgiving holiday. natasha bertrand is joining us now. and is the president -- or his administration -- saying anything about the video we were just talking about that has been released by the idf today? >> reporter: they haven't reacted yet to that specific video or specific images from the idf, but we did ask national security council for comment and they pointed back to what the administration said previously about israeli claims that hamas is operating command and control centers within al-shifa hospital and underneath it. and essentially the u.s. agrees with the israelis, they have said that intelligence suggests that the terror group is using al-shifa hospital as command and control and storage facility for weapons. and john finer did speak to this as well this morning and he said that based on the intelligence information that the u.s. has, they still believe that hamas is using al -shifa as command and control. and so they have not yet commented on this new image of the video that we've seen. of course there have been a number of contintunnels and the this donetunnel that they found further evidence that they were using it as a command center. the idf says that it will be releasing more information about that, but for now, u.s. standing baez really in terms of the intelligence suggesting that hamas has been using hospitals including al-shifa as command nodes. >> all right, natasha, thank you. just ahead, donald trump taking his campaign near the southern border as he escalates his anti-immigrant rhetoric. we have some sad news to report to you. formers first lady rosalynn carter has passed away at the age of 96. the carter center confirming her death just a few 3ew moments ag. here is wolf blitzer with a look back at her life. >> reporter: soft spoken small town girl, rosalynn carter became one of america's most charming first ladies. born in plains georgia in 1927, she was valedictorian of her high school class. and met and matterrried jimmy c t ter when he was in the u.s. navy. >> i love, respect and cherish my wife. >> reporter: when mr. carter's father died in 1953, they moved back to explains to manage the family's peanut farm. >> i didn't want to go home. i was having a good time. i think i had thought i had outgrown plains. gotten a little too big for my britches. only pouted for about a year after we got home. >> reporter: they had four children, three boys, jack, chip and jeff and later daughter amy. in 1962, jimmy carter entered politics and rosalynn hit the campaign trail. >> campaigning was fun. up to a certain point. i got to travel and see the whole country. most fun are the people you meet. >> reporter: and she supported her husband's successful bids to be georgia and then later president. mrs. carter was actively involved in her husband's presidency, attending camp david meetings and cabinet briefings. she was a strong advocate for equal treatment of mentally ill. >> if they had coverage, then the overall health care costs would come down. >> reporter: when the carters left the white house in 1981, she headed a new challenge, habitat for humanity. >> whole xhunky communities com together. >> reporter: and then they established the carter center promoting human rights, resolving conflicts and eradicating diseases. mrs. carter continued to focus on reducing the stigma of mental illness. >> i'm really, really proud and very impressed. >> reporter: another focus, care giving, an issue close to her heart as she told a congressional committee. >> it has been part of my life since i was 12 and my father was diagnosed with leukemia. we lived in a very small town and all the neighbors rallied around. but i still vividly remember going to my secret hiding place, the outdoor, to cry. that is where i could be alone. >> reporter: in 1999, rosalynn and jimmy carter were honored with the presidential medal ever freedom, the nation's highest honor for civilian. >> we've visited now more than 150 nations in the world. >> reporter: and she was often irritated that her husband was praised more for his achievements after his presidency than those of his administration. but she accepted that that was politics. >> doesn't matter what you do. you will be criticized for it. and so do what you want to do. >> reporter: and they were remarkably close first couple. jimmy carter used to say rosalynn was much more than his wife. >> always rosalynn to whom i turn for the primary advice and we make the decision together. she's the matriarch when our 11 grandchildren or four children have a problem, they call rosalynn first. >> reporter: and she remained by his side occasionally joining with other first families. and later, supporting each other in their twilight, she with dementia and mr. carter in hospice. and in the 39th president, rosalynn carter got more than just a husband. >> my life with jimmy carter has been more adventuresome than i dreamed it would be. >> rosalynn carter dead at the age of 96. and joining me now is jake tapper, chief washington correspondent. of course host of "the lead." jake, i'm watching that owebit piece. and you think of her close relationship with her husband, the former president, you also think about all the work that she did on behalf mental health advocacy. and really the role that she played as first lady. and really formalizing that role. what are your thoughts as we get this sad news? >> i think first of all that as you know, her advocacy for mental health was really decades ahead of its time. she started that work after her husband was elected governor of georgia in 1970. that is when she really started doing it, started -- she was appointed the governor's commission to approve services for the mentally handicapped and she did a statewide tour of mental health facilities across the state of georgia. and she described her efforts as her biggest accomplishment there as first lady of georgia. and she kept up that same campaign when she was first lady of the united states from '77 to 80 today. and you think about all the efforts that are right now being made for mental health and to bring mental health parity with other forms of health care. you think did how long it has taken for that to happen. and how much of a stigma still exists. and she was doing this campaign back in the '70s. she testified before congress on this issue in 1980, she was only the second first lady in history to testify before congress, first one was eleanor roosevelt. as really remarkable how ahead of the curve she was. and this really -- you know, this remains stigmatized in 2023. and she was doing this and it was kind of risky for her to be doing this. so i think that that in terms of her public service is really something to be lauded. and then of course there is the love that she and her husband had for each other, which was, you know, really remarkable love story. >> no doubt. and she was a woman, a first ad stigmatized thing, men ttal health, which people still fight to see a doctor. and it is remarkable how ahead of the curve she was in that. and another thing that is kind of -- that i always think about when something like this happens is it really is closing a chapter of ame