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Iran Mourns Slain Hamas Political Chief Ismail Haniyeh; Middle East On Edge After Hamas Leader's Assassination; Hostage Families: Assassination "Doesn't Help" Talks; Trump Lashes Out At Convention For Black Journalist. Large Crowds Attend Memorial Service for Hamas Leader; Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Leads Prayers; Israel Has Yet to Claim Responsibility for Haniyeh Killing; Middle East on Edge After Hamas Leader's Assassination; U.S. Calls on Maduro to Come Clean on Disputed Election; Maduro Files Appeal With Supreme Court to Certify Election; N. Korea Won Silver, S. Korea Won Bronze in Mixed Doubles Table Tennis; Bad Weather Affected Opening Ceremony Performance Say Dancers. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 01, 2024 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[02:00:31]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and everyone streaming us on CNN Max, I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, fears of a wider war in the Middle East grow as Iran vows revenge on Israel after the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran. The future of ceasefire talks now in jeopardy.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris addresses Donald Trump's attack on her identity as a black woman, and almost a thousand arrested and allegedly 20 killed in protest after President Maduro of Venezuela proclaimed himself the winner of a contentious election.

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ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM WITH ROSEMARY CHURCH.

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CHURCH: Thanks for joining us.

Memorial service is underway in Tehran for slain Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, whose assassination in the Iranian capital early Wednesday, sparking fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.

A Hamas spokesperson says Haniyeh was hit with a direct rocket strike in the room where he was staying. Both Hamas and Iran blame Israel, which has not claimed responsibility, but there is already talk of retaliation with the New York Times citing Iranian sources, who say Iran's Supreme Leader has ordered a direct strike on Israel. Huge crowds marched in the West Bank, Istanbul, Tunis, and other cities to protest Haniyeh's killing, and many now fear the assassination will derail the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release efforts.

Haniyeh was a key player in those talks led by Qatar and Egypt.

Qatar's prime minister asked the question, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mention Haniyeh on Wednesday, but he claimed Israel delivered a crushing blow to its enemies, and said he won't give in to calls to end the war in Gaza.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following developments for us in London. She joins us now live. Good morning to you, Salma. So, what is the latest on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, and the possible consequences in terms of Iranian retaliation and the impact on ceasefire and hostage release negotiations?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Very much all eyes on Tehran, Rosemary, because it is now up to Iran to respond, to retaliate, to as it has said, push back on the assassination of Ismael Haniyeh.

Of course, it blames Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack, but you are looking at the consequences of it this morning in Tehran.

Let's play those pictures, again, those live images of the procession that is taking place for Ismael Haniyeh. You can see thousands of people in those crowds. The coffin was being carried through the streets of Tehran just a short time ago. The supreme leader himself will be overseeing this procession and the prayers.

There is a message in these images that you are seeing, and that is that this is bigger than just Ismael Haniyeh. This is bigger than just the assassination by, as Iran accuses it, Israel.

This is about Iran's sovereignty being violated. Iran's supreme leader has accused Israel of killing a guest in their home. That was the quote from the supreme leader who has vowed to push back.

This is more than just an attack on Iranian soil, this is embarrassing because it puts questions over its own security -- Iran's own security, its own ability to fortify within its country, its guests, as Iran's supreme leader has said.

But what are the options to strike back here, Rosemary? Iran could attack Israel directly. That only leads potentially to more escalation, more tit for tat attacks, Iran could potentially activate its tentacles around the region, push its proxy militias in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, to attack that would only expand the conflict further.

There are no good options here, and efforts to mediate, to bring down the temperature, to cool heads. Well, those are simply almost nonexistent right now, because you do have the chief negotiator who was just killed.

So, you're in a catch 22 here, and all eyes will be on this funeral procession that goes not just from Iran, but onto Qatar tomorrow, Friday, where you will see Ismael Haniyeh buried at a huge Friday prayer, I would imagine in Doha.

[02:05:08]

More images there of unity, of anger, of response, but how can someone bring down the temperature, and what happens next is absolutely striking fear in the hearts of many in the Middle East today.

CHURCH: And understandably so. So, Salma. What has been the international response to the killing of Haniyeh, and of course, the fallout?

ABDELAZIZ: Look, the response is varied and wide. You have capitals around the Middle East angered, enraged that during mediation efforts, while many mediators were saying that a deal was just moments away that they were really close on the precipice of a ceasefire agreement. To see the mediator, Ismail Haniyeh killed in this attack that has absolutely outraged many Middle Eastern capitals.

You read that statement, I believe, from Qatar, saying, how can you negotiate if the negotiator is killed? So, true frustration, true concern, I think, also around capitals around the world. How do you bring down the temperature? How do you cool this warning that this could only escalate further, could only draw more countries in more violence, more bloodshed.

But you also have a prime minister, Netanyahu, who is clearly putting that all to one side, focused on his vow to destroy, decimate Hamas, who seems to have sent a message here. And that's the message many are reading in the Middle East, that peace efforts are not important, are not a priority at this time, and that Israel will continue to fight a multi front war.

But also, there is a question there, how thin can Israel stretch itself -- stretch itself throughout this conflict?

CHURCH: Yes, so many questions. Salma Abdelaziz, joining us live from London. Many thanks.

And joining me now from Jerusalem, Gershon Baskin is a former hostage negotiator now the Middle East director of the international community's organization. Appreciate you joining us.

GERSHON BASKIN, FORMER HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Thank you.

CHURCH: So, Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, and key Hamas negotiator for ceasefire and hostage release talks, assassinated. So, how will his killing affect those negotiations going forward?

BASKIN: Well, his killing won't help the negotiations in any way, obviously, but it's important to recognize that the negotiations hit a brick wall even before the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. Prime Minister Netanyahu put new conditions and red lines on the table when he sent the head of the Mossad to Rome early this week for a meeting with the Qatari prime minister, the head of intelligence for Egypt, and the CIA director. Those talks were not going anywhere, because there was no agreement between Israel and Hamas on even beginning the ceasefire that would lead to the beginning of the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza. So, this has taken a turn for the worst.

Haniyeh is not a single decision maker in Hamas. They have a consultive process. And the final word on these negotiations is in Gaza, underground, in bunkers.

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, who instigated the attack against Israel on October 7th of last year.

CHURCH: So, do you think that Benjamin Netanyahu even wants a ceasefire and hostage released deal, or does he want to continue the war for his own political purposes? What do his actions tell you?

BASKIN: Well, I think it's clear that he, like every other Israeli, wants the Israeli hostages to be brought home. There are 115 Israeli hostages still in Gaza. We don't know how many of them are alive. Probably, the majority of them are no longer alive.

But Netanyahu is not willing to make a deal with Hamas on Hamas' terms. Netanyahu, I believe, is waiting for the opportunity to find and kill the Hamas leadership in Gaza. The Yahya Sinwar and the other leaders of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam military wing of Hamas in order to claim his victory picture.

Netanyahu is repeated over and over again the ultimate total victory over Hamas, something that no one really believes is possible. But Netanyahu wants to have the physical evidence that he has taken down Hamas, and that would be the killing of the Hamas leaders in Gaza.

CHURCH: And as you say, we don't know what has happened to the hostages. But we are worried, the whole world is concerned about what will happen now, after the assassination of Haniyeh. And also, the Hezbollah military commander in Beirut, putting a deal out of reach for the foreseeable future, and perhaps, putting the lives of those remaining hostages in jeopardy. What will likely happen to them now?

BASKIN: Not only the lives of the hostages in jeopardy, but you have to understand that Israel is on high alert right now. International airlines that fly into Israel are canceling their flights.

[02:10:04]

The same thing is happening in Beirut. The region is very, very tense. We're all waiting for a coordinated Hezbollah, Hamas, Iranian attack against Israel. And this is, of course, could easily lead to a much bigger escalation throughout this conflict.

We are today, marking 300 days since October 7th. The hostage families are living in total despair. You can't imagine what it's like to be a mother of a girl soldier or the children of elderly people who are being held in Gaza all this time. And let's not forget about the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed in Gaza, tens of thousands of new orphans there, and 2 million homeless people in Gaza.

This conflict really needs to be put to an end. And I think it's up to the international community to make it clear to Israel and Hamas and Iran that the international community cannot tolerate this war going on any longer. It really needs to come to a close.

CHURCH: And that is the problem, because according to The New York Times, Iran's supreme leader, you touched on this, is now ordering a direct strike on Israel in the wake of the assassination of Haniyeh on Iranian soil.

At the same time, Iran is demanding an urgent meeting with the U.N. Security Council, accusing Israel of violating international law. How likely is it that this is heading to all-out war in the Middle East?

BASKIN: It very well could happen, and it's something that we really need to avoid. Hopefully, some of the leaders in the region will understand that it's really in no one's interest to make this a full- scale war. There will be an Iranian, Hezbollah, Hamas retaliation against Israel, depending upon the damage of that response, Israel will determine what its next steps are.

But we really need to think about how we deescalate, not how we escalate this war, and how we get the negotiations back on track.

My suggestion to the negotiators, to Hamas, to Egypt, and Qatar, is that they put a deal on the table. They know what the Israeli points of view are. They know what the Hamas points of view are. They know what the red lines of each side are. They should frame the agreement, put it on the table, and tell Israel and Hamas, take it or leave it.

And if Israel and Hamas leave it, the mediators should announce that they are leaving, that they will not negotiate any longer. How many more months can this game go on of the tit and tat and back and forth? It's time to end the conflict. The mediators can play a role now also in making this happen.

CHURCH: We shall watch very closely to see what happens next. Gershon Baskin in Jerusalem, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

BASKIN: Thank you.

CHURCH: Al Jazeera is condemning what it calls the targeted assassination of two of its journalists in Gaza. The network says the reporter and photographer were killed when an Israeli air strike hit their car in a Gaza refugee camp.

Both men were 27 years old.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 111 journalists and media workers have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza since October. The suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been in U.S. custody for more than 20 years. But putting him on trial became a major legal challenge, partly, because he was tortured in secret CIA prisons.

Oren Liebermann has details from the Pentagon.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This is a major announcement from the defense department that the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and two of his co- defendants in planning and carrying out that attack, have reached a plea deal with the United States.

Now, in announcing this pretrial agreement, the defense department doesn't say the details of what's in the agreement itself. But Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, more commonly known as KSM, and his two co-defendants have agreed to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and will serve a life sentence instead of a death penalty that the U.S. had been pursuing for years.

And this is a case that stretches out over more than two decades. KSM was captured in Pakistan in 2003, along with several codefendants, and then held in CIA black sites, and then, in Guantanamo Bay for years.

He was arraigned and charged back in 2008 with a number of charges, including conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, and much more.

But from that point on, the case itself began to drag out. First, in a debate over whether it should be a military trial or in U.S. civilian courts, and then, questions about torture that Mohammed faced as he was held at those CIA secret prisons in the early 2000s, and whether evidence obtained during that time would be admissible in court.

[02:15:11]

All of that delayed the trial that was finally set to begin in 2021 before it was delayed once again, with the resignation of two judges, and then the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. And that brings us to where we are now. For two years now, the U.S. has been pursuing the possibility of a plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his two co- defendants. That announcement coming now.

The plea deal itself allows the U.S. to avoid what would have been a very long and complicated death penalty trial, and it makes sure that KSM will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

One open question is, where will he serve out that term, along with his co-defendants? It has been a major point of the Biden administration to try to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. They have repatriated over the past several years a number of the detainees held there, but there are still dozens left, and that process seems to be a long way out.

So, at least for now, it seems a possibility that KSM will remain at that facility, but long term, that's certainly one question, we'll look to have answered.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, at the Pentagon.

CHURCH: Coming up, Donald Trump attacks his opponent's identity as a black woman, at a conference for Black Journalists.

We will hear one moderator's reaction to a slate of misinformation from the former president.

Plus, Russia launches its largest attack of the year on Kyiv. But according to Ukraine, not a single drone reached its target.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everybody.

Donald Trump's latest attempt to win over black voters invoked racial and false attacks against his Democratic opponent. Speaking to a panel of interviewers at the National Association of Black journalist convention, Trump claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris, "Was only promoting Indian heritage", and "happened to turn black" in a number of years ago.

Harris attended an historically black university and has always championed her identity. The first black and Asian American vice president called Trump's comments, "The same old show: the divisiveness and disrespect."

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KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And let me just say, the American people deserve better. The American people deserve better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It's not the first time the former president has made similar attacks against his political opponent. Sara Sidner walks us through his highly combative interview.

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SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Donald Trump's appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention turning contentious right from the beginning.

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, if I came onto a stage like this and I got treated so rudely as this woman treated me --

(CROSSTALK)

RACHEL SCOTT, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, ABC NEWS: Oh, my goodness.

[02:20:01]

TRUMP: And I'm fine with it, because she -- it does it. She was very rude, sir. Very rude.

SIDNER (voice over): As the former president attempts to broaden his appeal with black voters, speaking to a room full of black journalists in Chicago, Trump, invoking Kamala Harris's race falsely questioning the vice president's black heritage.

TRUMP: I didn't know she was black, until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn black. And now she wants to be known as black. So, I don't know, is she Indian or is she black?

(CROSSTALK)

SCOTT: She is always identified as a black woman and she went to a historically black college.

TRUMP: But you know what? I respect either one. I respect either one, but she obviously doesn't, because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden, she made a turn, and she went -- she became a black person.

SCOTT: Just --

SIDNER (voice over): With running mate, J.D. Vance, drawing scrutiny for past comments he made about childless women. Trump was asked about his decision to pick the Ohio senator and whether he would be ready to serve on day one.

TRUMP: But you're not voting that way. You're voting for the president. You're voting for me. If you like me, I'm going to win. If you don't like me, I'm not going to win.

SIDNER (voice over): On policy, Trump focusing his attacks on inflation and the Biden administration's handling of the economy, a top concern for all voters.

TRUMP: What do I do? That, and I drill, baby drill. I bring energy way down. I bring interest rates down. I bring inflation way down. So, people can buy bacon again, so people can buy a ham sandwich again, so that people can go to a restaurant and afford it, because right now people can't buy food.

SIDNER (voice over): The former president was also asked about his pledge to pardon rioters involved with the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

TRUMP: If they are innocent, I would pardon them.

SCOTT: They have been convicted.

TRUMP: And, by the way, the Supreme Court just under -- well, they were convicted by a very -- a very tough system.

SIDNER (voice over): And in a case that has touched the black community deeply, an Illinois mother shot and killed in her own home earlier this month by a sheriff's deputy after calling 911 for help, Trump saying he was unfamiliar with the specifics of the case. TRUMP: I don't know the exact case, but I saw something, and it didn't look -- it didn't look good to me. It didn't look good to me.

SCOTT: So, why should he receive immunity?

TRUMP: Well, he might not. I mean, it depends. It depends on what happens. I'm talking about people that are much different cases than that. We need people to protect ourselves.

SIDNER: Sara Sidner, CNN, Chicago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Earlier, I spoke with Tharon Johnson, a Democratic strategist based here in Atlanta. And I asked him about the chances that Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win support from a key demographic, black male voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THARON JOHNSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Black voters are the cornerstone of the Democratic Party, particularly black women have been consistently strong supporters of Democrats all across the country, but particularly in the south.

And Kamala Harris, being a woman of color, particularly a black woman, is going to receive an overwhelming amount of support from black voters. Now, right when Donald Trump wanted you to believe that this was a genuine effort by his campaign Republicans to try to court black men, what you saw today at the NABJ showed you his true colors.

He is not focused on garnering enough support. He went there and disrespected a black woman, and that is the worst thing you can do if you want black men to support you.

So, what the campaign for Harris for president has got to continue to do is to talk about her record, talk about her commitments, and talk about the results that the Biden-Harris administration has delivered, particularly to black men, where, as we hear, Rosemary, we're dealing with a country where unemployment in this country is at an all-time low, particularly for black voters and especially black men.

Black men in this country are creating more small businesses at a faster rate than ever had. And then, black men are direct recipients historically black college universities, because of the money that Biden and the Harris administration has delivered.

So, ultimately, it all comes down to the economy. And I think the economy for black men in this country is moving in the right direction, and we're going to have a very robust discussion about that very soon.

CHURCH: So, what is Trump saying to black men that has some of them convinced they want to vote for him, and do you think they may reconsider that, given what they heard him say about to Harris, insulting Kamala Harris, attacking her black identity, could that change their minds?

JOHNSON: I think it will. And I think that, you know, this, I think, strategic attack by Donald Trump to really distract black voters, just distract the American people, and particularly those moderate independent voters that are essentially important in this race, who are all looking at a -- how Kamala Harris is going to conduct herself.

What we see is a two tales of different candidates. When Kamala Harris goes and talks to sororities and goes to talk to black churches and black leaders, she is respectful. She answers a tough question.

Donald Trump today did the opposite. He disrespected these black journalists. He cut the time short. From the onset, he was very combative.

But it all comes down to the economy, and I know there is a black man talking to you later, Rosemary.

[02:25:03]

We want to make sure that we do everything we can to protect and provide for our families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And we will bring you the rest of my conversation with Tharon Johnson next hour.

British prosecutors are charging the 17-year-old suspect in a deadly knife attack with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. He is set to appear in court on Thursday.

The deaths of three young girls on Monday sparked days of sometimes violent protests from far-right groups, even though Police say the suspect was born in Britain and the attack was not terror-related.

On Tuesday, protesters clashed with police in the town of Southport, after interrupting a vigil for the victims of the attack, a local resident says protesters are making this about themselves and forgetting those who died.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an organized, like, if you like, gang of people, who have come down just purely to cause hate and just anger, and the entire community that actually live in Southport are so angry and frustrated, because it's kind of like, you know, it's not about this, it's about what happened to these kids, which is devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More than 100 people have been arrested across the country amid clashes with police. More than 50 officers have been injured.

Ukraine's air defenses didn't miss a single target during one of Russia's largest drone attacks since the war began. Ukraine says it shot down all 89 Russian drones launched at Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

13 homes were still damaged by falling debris, which caused, at least one fire.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, used the Ukrainian success to make the case for more Western air defenses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): And it is also crucial to increase Ukraine's skies defense capabilities. We are doing everything for that. And now, if such a significant result can be achieved in the defense against the shade drones, it is an obvious proof that we can be stronger, both in the defense against missiles and in the defense against Russian military aircraft.

Everything depends on the weapons in the hands of our warriors. We need reliable air defense systems. We need sufficient range of our weapons. Russian terror must lose every time the occupier tries to destroy life in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Ukraine says the falling drones didn't cause any casualties or damage to critical infrastructure in Kyiv, but at least two people were killed and eight others wounded in separate strikes in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Well, just ahead a huge memorial for a top leader of Hamas, a day after his shocking assassination.

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[02:30:30]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": We've been following the memorial service for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, one day after his assassination. Iran's supreme leader led the prayers at Tehran University. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says its Iran's duty to avenge Haniyeh's death since he was killed on Iranian soil. He is expected to be buried in Doha, Qatar on Friday.

The targeted strike on Haniyeh has caused widespread outrage with mass protests across the region. A Hamas spokesperson says Haniyeh was hit directly by a rocket in the room where he was staying in Tehran. Hamas vowed Israel would pay the price, calling it a heinous crime. Israel has not directly claimed responsibility for the strike, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Since the beginning of the war, I have made clear that we are in a fight against Iran's axis of evil. This is a war of existence against a stranglehold of terrorist armies and missiles that Iran wants to tighten around our necks. In the last few days, we have dealt crushing blows to each of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: More now from CNN's Chief U.S. Security Analyst, Jim Sciutto.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY ANALYST (voice-over): The stunning assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is a bold strike at the very top of Hamas leadership, but it is also a test of the relationship between Israel and the U.S., already strained by the ongoing war in Gaza.

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: Something we were not aware of or involved in.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Close observers of the region seeing Israeli leader who now feels unencumbered by a U.S. president.

NETANYAHU (through translator): We are prepared for any scenario. And we'll stand united and determined against any threat.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Who is viewed in the region as a lame duck, following his withdrawal from the presidential race. In the near term, the strike very likely disrupts the tenuous negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. President Biden has made completing the deal a central feature of his final months in office.

More broadly, in ordering assassination strikes abroad, the Israeli leader is showing his willingness to risk broadening the war. A senior U.S. official told me the Biden Administration views such a risk as limited. The assessment is that none of the players -- Israel, Iran, or its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas -- truly want a regional war.

On Wednesday, White House Senior Advisor John Kirby downplayed escalation fears.

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR: We don't believe that an escalation is inevitable and there's no signs that an escalation is eminent. This is something that we've been concerned about since the October 7th. It is not like brushing off concerns at all, we are watching this very, very closely.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): However, the recent history of the region shows that neither side ever fully understands the other's red lines, as each side retaliates against the other in increasingly aggressive ways, the danger of escalation grows. To that point, today, a senior Iranian official tweeted undoubtedly, the Israeli occupying regime will pay a heavy price. Enter one final variable to the calculus, Benjamin Netanyahu himself, even some Israelis question whether he wants to extend the fighting to delay any political reckoning for the October 7th attacks at home.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen 's 35-year-old son was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th. He says Hamas and the Israeli leader don't truly want peace and the stalling only helps Netanyahu's political future.

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, SON HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: I could find no legitimate reason other than to satisfy his domestic political partners to delaying any kind of progress, real progress.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): In the weeks just after the October 7th attack, a former senior Israeli intelligence official told me that Hamas leaders would never be safe again anywhere in the world. And it appears that that is coming to be true. If there is a potential silver lining here, there is some thinking that by taking out leaders of terrorist groups abroad, that Netanyahu might be able to claim some sort of partial victory against Hamas and therefore, be able to return to the negotiating table. But right now, the tensions in the region extremely high.

Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:35:00]

CHURCH: The White House is calling on Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro to come clean on the disputed presidential election. The U.S. and other nations are calling for Venezuela's electoral body to release the full tallies of Sunday's vote. But, Mr. Maduro is vowing to fight as he asked the country's supreme court to certify his victory.

Stefano Pozzebon has the latest now from Caracas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: On Wednesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asked the supreme court to investigate over the publication of the voting tallies from the machine that were used in the presidential election of July 28. This was one of the urgency expressed by the international community to try clarify what really happened in that election. Maduro was proclaimed a winner with 51 percent of the vote by the government-aligned electoral authorities, while the opposition say that it had collected about 80 percent of voting data and according to their own calculation, they had won with 71 percent.

By going to the supreme court, Maduro adds a new player in the dispute but, once again, the supreme court here in Venezuela is also being accused in the past of being stacked with government sympathizers. He then went on a press conference with international media, attacking his old (ph) traditional foes, including the United States, Colombia narco trafficking, the European Union, and any other country that demanded to see the tallies.

Here's what Maduro said about those countries that were interested in entering the Venezuelan dispute.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If North American imperialism and fascist criminal forces, my pulse will not tremble to call the people to a new revolution with other characteristics. The people know it. They know it. I was not born on the day of the cowards.

POZZEBON: But behind the fiery rhetoric, there has been real repression here in the streets of Caracas. On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said that they have received credible reports that up to 20 people have been killed in the protests that erupted after the proclamation of Maduro as the winner of the election early on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan attorney general said that his office has arrested more than 1,000 people in the last three days in the same context of protest, protests that the opposition has said will continue over the next few days.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Caracas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, performers in the Olympic opening ceremony got the chance of a lifetime to show off their skills, but it literally rained on their parade. Now, they're speaking out about it. We'll have that on the other side of the break, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The Paris Olympics have given us a remarkable rare show of harmony between athletes from two countries that are bitter enemies.

[02:40:00]

Table tennis players from North and South Korea posed for selfies after their mixed doubles matches on Tuesday. North Korea took silver and South Korea won bronze in that event. Reacting to the photos, one South Korean commentator called it the true spirit of the Olympics. The Koreas have occasionally formed unified sports teams in the past for international events, including the 2018 Winter Games. This display of unity in Paris comes after an awkward moment during Friday's opening ceremony, when South Korea's athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korean.

Well, Olympic organizers have apologized for that error. Some of the performers from that rainy opening ceremony are now speaking out about the conditions they endured. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne met with the dancers from the famed Moulin Rouge to discuss the perfect storm of events that affected their performance of the iconic can-can dance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SASKYA VANDOORNE, CNN SENIOR FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): This is how you make an entrance.

(APPLAUSE)

VANDOORNE (voice-over): Some 80 dancers from the Moulin Rouge put on a show at the opening ceremony. They say it was the moments of a lifetime. ROMANE BELLINGER, MOULIN ROUGE DANCER: It was an amazing experience. (inaudible) lead was one of my dream to do (inaudible) because I really love (inaudible) value and everything.

VANDOORNE (voice-over): The weather conditions were less than ideal, there was a lot of rain.

BELLINGER: The stage was really slippery. And (inaudible) like the raining happened like ten seconds before the music starts. So yeah, it was really last minute.

DAVID TANDY, MOULIN ROUGE DANCER: There was no chance to organize our Plan B, so we were --

VANDOORNE: You couldn't change routine?

TANDY: Well, no, we were 80 dancers -- about 18 meters along. As you can imagine, with ten seconds to go, it is impossible to quickly change (inaudible) either commit or not. and to relay that message along wasn't going to be possible. So, for those that could, we did our best.

BELLINGER: Yeah.

VANDOORNE: The synchronousity (ph) or --

TANDY: Oh, definitely, yeah, yeah.

VANDOORNE: Definitely.

BELLINGER: But we tried to do the best and never give up, like the Olympic Games.

VANDOORNE: And it was spectacular. Can you teach me a little move potentially?

BELLINGER: Of course.

VANDOORNE: Oh, what can I -- yeah.

BELLINGER: So, we have an easy one.

VANDOORNE: OK. Easy one.

BELLINGER: You can just put the leg like that.

VANDOORNE: Yes.

BELLINGER: In front of the back leg.

VANDOORNE: Yes.

BELLINGER: You have your skirt like this.

VANDOORNE: Yes.

BELLINGER: And you get your hip like this with a little scream.

VANDOORNE: OK.

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CHURCH: She's enjoying that assignment. Thank you so much for being with us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. And I'll be back in about 15 minutes with more "CNN Newsroom". Do stick around.

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