Palestinians, Israel Agree on Cease-fire; U.S. Approves Syria Spy Flights; Release of Inspector General's Report on V.A. Hospitals; Israelis Agreed to Send Delegation Back to Cairo; U.S. Ready to Strengthen Moderate Rebel Forces; Spy Flights over Syria
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza say they've reached a deal with Israel. A new cease-fire is now underway. If it holds, it puts an end to more than seven weeks of fighting. Also, right now, President Obama approves U.S. reconnaissance flights over Syria. Are air strikes over ISIS targets in Syria the next step? And might the U.S. actually end up working with Bashar Al Assad's government in Damascus? And right now, we're only minutes away from the release of the inspector general's report on V.A. hospitals across the United States. Did excessive wait times lead to the deaths of some of America's veterans? Hello, I'm whole Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. We've got some breaking news right now. We're following breaking news about a breakthrough in the fighting between Israel and militants in Gaza. Within the last hour, Palestinian and Egyptian officials announced a news fire -- a new cease-fire has been reached. And Israel, only a few moments later, said it has accepted the truce. Our Correspondent Reza Sayah is joining us from Cairo right now where the negotiations led by the Egyptian government have been taking place. So, Reza, walk us through the details. What do we know about this cease-fire?</s>REZA SAYAH, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I think what's important to stress is this does not address the core demands, the core issues that have been the source of this</s>BLITZER: And the Israelis have agreed to send their delegation back to Cairo to resume these indirect negotiations with the Palestinian delegation which includes, of course, representatives from Hamas Islamic Jihad, some of the other militant groups as well. The -- there's been some confusion, Reza, about what time the cease-fire goes into effect. Some suggest it's already in effect right now. Others, midnight Gaza-Israel time which would be 5:00 p.m. here on east coast of the United States. Is the cease-fire now technically in effect?</s>SAYAH: It is. And we're going to clear that up for you. State media here in Egypt falsely reported that the cease-fire would begin midnight local time which is in several hours. But the Egyptian senior official that we've been talking to, and Palestinian officials, have told us that the cease-fire is already underway. It started at 7:00 p.m. local time which is about an hour ago -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Yes, all right. Reza Sayah, we'll watch it closely. We'll stay, obviously, in very, very close touch with you. We'll see how these negotiations take place. Let's hope it stays quiet now between Gaza and Israel. In just a few minutes, we'll get some more on the implications of the cease-fire. Our Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour will join us live. Stay with us for that. Let's get to some other news right now. The latest on the fight against ISIS. The U.S. taking fresh aim at the militant group. This time, though, in Syria, officials telling CNN President Obama has given the go ahead for reconnaissance flights over Syria. Flights meant to gather intelligence on ISIS militant positions there. This comes a day after the Syrian regime said it was open to help from the United States and other countries in its own battle against the ISIS forces. Barbara Starr is joining us from the Pentagon right now. Barbara, I want to play a quick comment from the president. Just a few moments ago, in his speech before the American legion about U.S. interests in Iraq and Syria. Listen to this.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, we're strengthening our partners. More military assistance to government and Kurdish forces in Iraq and moderate opposition in Syria.</s>BLITZER: All Right. So, he's basically lumping in the moderate opposition forces in Syria to the Kurdish forces, to the Iraqi military forces. What are you hearing about what the United States will do to strengthen what he calls these moderate opposition forces in Syria in their own battle against ISIS as well as against the Bashar Al Assad regime?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you'll recall, several weeks ago, the U.S. said that it would begin supporting, once again, these moderate rebels, trying to provide perhaps some weapons, perhaps some training. But this has been problematic for years now, you know, trying to figure out who the so- called moderate rebels really are and what can be done for them. Right now, I think it's fair to say ISIS is on the front burner for the Obama administration at this hour. The president has authorized reconnaissance flights over ISIS targets, try and get a better understanding of exactly where they are, where their troop formations, their training camps are, to prepare to go in with air strikes if he makes the decision to go down that road. They need much better intelligence. They need real-time intelligence. All we've seen so far are ISIS strikes, as you see, across the border in Iraq. Those air strikes, officials tell us, have had some effect. They've stopped the ISIS momentum, in parts of Iraq, and that's what they're hoping to replicate in Syria. If the president makes the decision, go after ISIS in that northern area of Syria, up against the Iraqi border, and try and stop ISIS from its momentum in that area -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: So, we know the president has approved these reconnaissance flights over Syria. Have they actually started yet?</s>STARR: Interesting question. The Pentagon is getting very closed mouth about all that. We do not know, at this hour, if there has been the first reconnaissance flight into Syrian airspace. Let's be very clear about that. But the U.S. has continued to fly drones near the border on the Iraqi side. That's something that has been going on as part of the reconnaissance program over Iraq for some time. And officials tell us they do have the capability to see somewhat into Syria, you know, making that decision to actually go into Syrian airspace a very big deal because it would be a violation of the sovereignty of the -- of Syria. Will the U.S. coordinate with Bashar Al Assad? Don't count on it. Many U.S. officials, many U.S. military officials, telling us they have no intention telling Assad anything about what they may be up to -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, Barbara, thanks very much. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. And she raises an important question about cooperation with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al Assad. He has offered, by the way, to partner with the United States in his own fight against ISIS. ISIS representing a major threat to his regime. Let's go to Nick Paton Walsh. He's joining us now from London. So, what's the likelihood, as remote as it might sound, that there could be this alliance, if you will, a partnership between the U.S., the Bashar Al Assad regime, and their common battle against ISIS?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think nothing really in public, Wolf. I mean, you've got to bear in mind, a year ago, they were in the middle of accusing the Assad regime of using chemical weapons and killing 1,200 people on the outskirts of Damascus and contemplating whether or not they would launch airstrikes against Assad. Many argue, too, that the 10s of thousands of civilians killed by often indiscriminate bombing in northern Syria is actually the crucible in which the radicalism of ISIS was formed. That people were so infuriated by the absence of western intervention and the brutality of this Assad regime that, in fact, they found ISIS a better potential better alternative. Hard to imagine but what many argue in these circumstances. So, to suddenly turn around, even given the threat ISIS poses and have Washington and Damascus reach an open entrant (ph) agreement seems highly unlikely. Perhaps, tacitly, they may allow each other wriggle room, operating space. But I think it's going to be very difficult, in the words of former General David Petraeus, for them to, in fact, to become the Assad regime or even the Iraqi government, Shia government air force, and carry out missions to assist their fight on the ground. Often against Sunni rebels which, I should point out, ISIS most certainly are as well -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Nick, you heard the president say in his speech, at the American Legion a little while ago, that the U.S. is ready to strengthen the moderate rebel forces, opposition forces in Syria. But I know, from my own conversations with U.S. military and intelligence officials, they're very worried if they were to supply sophisticated weapons, whether tanks or armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft missiles, for example, to these moderate rebel forces, these opposition forces, in Syria, those weapons could wind up in the hands of ISIS. How serious is that fear?</s>WALSH: Well, certainly, you have to bear in mind what Syrian moderate rebel groupings. They have been decimated in the past few months. This is the fourth or fifth time the White House has said they will assist those groups. And that it's constantly been stymied by infighting between the groups and now, most particular, the fact that they are being heavily hit by ISIS advancing towards them on the outskirts of Aleppo. Now, of course, they have to be in a much better position to be able to take complicated weaponry like</s>BLITZER: And we know the U.S. military has been badly burned by the loss of a lot -- huge amounts of sophisticated weaponry the U.S. left behind in Iraq for the Iraqi military, which the Iraqi military simply abandoned as they ran away from the incoming ISIS forces in Iraq. And that has left a very, very bitter taste in the U.S. military's mouth. And, as a result, they're very worried about what could happen in Syria if they were to leave stockpiles of weaponry for the moderate opposition forces in Syria. Nick Paton Walsh reporting for us. Thanks very much. Up next, we'll have much more on the president's decision on Syrian flyovers. Our own Christiane Amanpour standing by to weigh in on that decision as well as the cease-fire now announced in Gaza. And the sound of gunfire caught on tape. Newly released audio said to be from the shooting of Ferguson, Missouri. An audio expert tells us what he hears.