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Gaza Ceasefire Talks Due To Take Place This Week; Israel Bracing For Potential Attacks By Iran & Hezbollah; Ukrainian Forces Push Deeper Into Russia's Kursk Region. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired August 12, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

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ANNA COREN, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello and welcome. I'm Anna Coren.

Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, the U.S. mobilizes a nuclear-powered submarine to the Middle East, as Israel prepares for a potential attack from Iran. A huge fire at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Ukraine and Russia blaming each other, all coming as Ukraine pushes deeper into Russian territory. And Paris celebrates in spectacular fashion, handing off the Olympic torch to Los Angeles, Hollywood- style.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Hong Kong, this is CNN Newsroom with Anna Coren.

COREN: We begin this hour with escalating tensions in the Middle East, as Israel braces for a possible attack from Iran and the Iranian- backed militant group, Hezbollah. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the region, with the public announcement seen as a message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies. Well, the U.S. is also accelerating the arrival of a carrier strike group. CNN Political and Foreign Policy Analyst Barak Ravid reports that according to a source, Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, told the U.S. Defense Secretary that Iranian military preparation suggests Iran is preparing for a large-scale attack. Well, two sources also told Ravid that Israeli intelligence suggests Iran could be planning an attack within days, though the situation is still fluid.

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Well, tensions were only heightened Sunday night after Israel says about 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces says some fell into open areas, and no injuries have been reported. Well, all this ahead of planned ceasefire talks that are due to take place later this week in an effort to end the war in Gaza. On Sunday, Palestinians were seen leaving Khan Younis, after evacuation orders from the Israeli army. They carried whatever belongings they could in search for safety.

Well, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following developments and has more now from Haifa, Israel. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, just days ahead of a potentially critical summit to try and finalize a hostage release and ceasefire deal, Hamas is now casting doubt on whether or not they will actually attend that latest round of talks. In a new statement, Hamas is saying that they want to see a deal based on previous rounds of talks, rather than engaging in another round of negotiation, saying, quote, "The movement demands the mediators to present a plan to implement what they presented to the movement and agreed upon on July 2, 2024, based on Biden's vision and the UN Security Council resolution, and to compel the occupation to do so instead of going for further negotiation rounds or new proposals."

Now, Hamas says that they have arrived at this latest position after the latest Israeli attack on a school in Gaza, this one coming on Saturday, killing at least 90 Palestinians, including women and children, according to local Palestinian officials. And even as this is happening, hours earlier, I was told by an Israeli source familiar with the talks that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader, actually does want a deal. That was the message that was conveyed by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators, two Israeli officials saying that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader, wants to get to a ceasefire agreement.

But, the question, as we're now learning, is exactly what deal, which version of that proposal that President Biden has been talking about for several months now, is Hamas actually willing to enter into, and the same question can be asked of Israeli officials and the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister's allies say that he does want to get to a deal. They've been telling that to other Israeli government officials, to journalists as well, but there still is considerable skepticism in the Israeli security establishment, which has been trying to push the Israeli Prime Minister towards a deal about whether or not he is actually committed to doing so.

And so, there is a lot of uncertainty about his commitment to reaching a deal. What is clear is that he will face enormous pressure this week from the United States to reach an agreement, but now, that very critical summit is in question, not only because Hamas is indicating it may not participate, but also we are watching these regional tensions as a potential Hezbollah attack or a potential attack from Iran appear to be looming on the horizon.

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If there is a ceasefire deal, though, it could certainly de-escalate the situation, but we simply may not even get to that point.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.

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COREN: Well, joining me now from Cairo is H.A. Hellyer, a Middle East Studies Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Senior Associate Fellow in International Studies At the Royal United Services Institute. Great to have you with us.

These local reports that Iran will attack in the coming days, what are you learning?

H.A. HELLYER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTL. PEACE, & SR. ASSOC. FELLOW IN INTEL. SECURITY STUDIES, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: I think that we're all on pretty much the same page here when it comes to those reports. Having said that, those reports have been coming out now for a couple of weeks. So, it's still an open question as to whether or not these reports are quote, unquote "genuine", or if they're part of Iran's strategy to rattle the Israeli establishment, because of course, if you're expecting an attack, then yes, you prepare for it, but it also means you put your community on high alert. It means that you get rattled, and that may indeed be part of it. But, frankly, we won't know, unfortunately, until it's too late.

COREN: Are you surprised that Iran and Hezbollah have not yet responded to those two assassination, high-profile assassinations last month, and what does the delay suggest?

HELLYER: So, Iran did make something quite clear at the UN only a few days ago, where they prioritized a ceasefire deal over pretty much anything else. And as your report said -- your reporter just pointed out, there is considerable enthusiasm for such a ceasefire deal from amongst the international community. I think even Iran wants that deal. The biggest sticking point, of course, which your reporter alluded to, is Netanyahu and his cabinet. And keep in mind that over the course of the past 10 months, there have been numerous reports now coming out to show that Netanyahu has sabotaged ceasefire deals quite a number of times. So, I think that that's probably a part of it.

I think there is probably the other consideration, well, one of the other considerations being, what sort of reprisal ought to take place? There is probably considerable discussion in that regard, and there is no rush, I suppose, from the Iranians' perspective to actually respond as much as there is to respond at a time of their choosing.

COREN: Are you expecting a combined attack by Iran and Hezbollah? Will they engage the Iranian other -- Iran's other proxies?

HELLYER: It's entirely possible. So, the Iranians have allies in the region, whether it's Hezbollah, whether it's the Houthis. There are others as well in Iraq. But, the question will be, who starts? Who does what, when? I think that it's quite likely that there will be attacks from more than one place, keeping in mind the reprisals will be about the killing of the Hezbollah leader in Lebanon, as well as the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. So, those are two completely different places and two different countries. So, it wouldn't surprise me if there were a combined attack of some sort.

But again, the focus on the ceasefire is what Iran brought up quite publicly, and I think they are serious about that. And I think that the key to de-escalating a very, very dangerous and precarious situation does lie in Gaza. And I think that at least in the European arena, there is great concern that the Israelis are not serious about a ceasefire that you have ministers like Ben Gvir and Smotrich really pouring fuel on fire in places like the West Bank, but also, of course, when it comes to just general policy in avoiding or sabotaging a ceasefire deal.

I mean the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said publicly yesterday that the European Union had to put sanctions on the agenda when it came to Israel, precisely because of statements like from Ben Gvir about cutting fuel and supplies to civilians that are in occupied territory with Israel, is the occupying power having responsibility for them. So, there is a lot of movement here towards the ceasefire, but unfortunately, not from the Israelis.

And my last point is that the report -- your reporter mentioned that there'll be a great deal of pressure this week from the United States. I'm afraid that for the past 10 months, that pressure has been rhetorical.

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It hasn't been public. It hasn't been something that's used the leverage that the United States does have in terms of supply of weapons, in terms of protection at the UN on a political level. If we want to see the ceasefire deal come through, then pressure, genuine pressure will have to be applied, and that will mean that President Biden will have to use the leverage that the United States has in order to push Israel to the table.

COREN: Finally, before you go, as we know, the U.S. has deployed the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the region, along with the Abraham Lincoln strike group. It's accelerating its deployment to the Middle East. Do you see this as just a deterrent?

HELLYER: Yes. I mean, I think that the United States has made it clear that they will defend Israel if it's attacked, but I don't know what that means in practice. I do think that the movement of these assets into the region is designed to send a message to Hezbollah, to Iran, that the United States is Israel's ally. It did so also in October, and has done so a number of times over the course of not just the past 10 months, but more historically than that. I don't think that it's a prelude to taking any action without some sort of initial reprisal from Hezbollah or from particularly Iran.

COREN: H.A. Hellyer, great to get your analysis from Cairo in Egypt. Thank you for joining us.

HELLYER: Thank you.

COREN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is blaming Russian forces of starting a fire at a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. He shared this video online, showing smoke coming out of one of the towers at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia plant, but Russia claims the fire erupted after a Ukrainian attack. Zelenskyy says Moscow is just using the nuclear plant to blackmail Ukraine and the rest of the world. He added that radiation levels in the area are normal. Well, meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are pushing deeper into Russia's

Kursk region after launching an incursion last week. The latest report by the Russian Defense Ministry indicates they've advanced up to 30 kilometers inside Russia. On Sunday, Zelenskyy said his military is doing what is necessary to end the war.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): Only from the beginning of this summer and only from the Kursk region, our Sumy region suffered almost 2,000 strikes, artillery, mortars, drones. We also monitor every missile strike, and each such strike deserves a fair response.

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COREN: CNN's Clare Sebastian has more.

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CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russia is clearly racing to try to stem the Ukrainian advance into its territory now, almost a week since it began. The Ministry of Defense putting out this video, purportedly of a strike on a Ukrainian military convoy, some five armored vehicles on Sunday. Well, CNN has geo-located this to about 14 kilometers from the border near where the Ministry of Defense claimed to have thwarted Ukrainian advances last week. And it's unclear at this point whether Russian efforts have slowed the advance. But, the question for Ukraine, as Russia amasses forces and evacuates tens of thousands of civilians, is how long they can hold on, and if holding on, even occupying pockets of Russian territory is part of the plan.

Videos like these have started to surface online of Ukrainian troops replacing Russian flags with Ukrainian ones. Now, after days of silence, only dropping hints about the operation, President Zelenskyy addressed it directly for the first time on Saturday.

ZELENSKYY (Interpreted): Today, I received several reports from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the frontlines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor's territory. I'm grateful to every unit of Defense Forces ensuring that. Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor.

SEBASTIAN: Well, that pressure not enough to prevent another bleak chapter in an increasingly deadly summer for Ukrainian civilians. Ukraine's Air Force Sunday saying that Russia fired four North Korean ballistic missiles, part of a combined overnight missile and drone attack that killed a father and his four-year-old son in a suburb of Kyiv. Ukraine now grappling with a new front inside Russia and an evolving enemy, likely intent on hitting back harder.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COREN: When we come back, we'll always have Paris, a recap of the thrilling last day of competition at the Summer Games, and one-of-a- kind closing ceremony.

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COREN: Stay with us.

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COREN: Spectacular fireworks illuminating the sky above the Stade de France, just outside the French capital. This was part of the Paris Games' action-packed closing ceremony. After a two and a half weeks of exciting and historic competition, Paris chose to go out with a bang.

Well, before the ceremony, there were still medals to be won on the final day of the games. 13 gold medals were awarded on Sunday. U.S. and China, who have been neck and neck the last few days, made history in Paris, finishing in a tie for the most gold with 40 each. Team USA finishes with the most medals overall, with 126.

Our Coy Wire has more now from Paris.

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COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: What an incredible ending to the Summer Olympics here in Paris, the U.S. women's basketball team going down to the wire with host nation France in the gold medal game. The Americans entered with an Olympic winning streak that dated back to 1996, but they win by maybe the tip of a toe, France hitting a buzzer beater as time expired, the crowd erupted, thinking the host nation had just shocked the world, sending its overtime, but Gabby Williams' foot was on the line. It was only a two-pointer. So, heart break for France, elation for the U.S., claiming an eight straight Olympic gold, and with that, Team USA dominates total medal count, but it ties China at 40 gold medals each, on the very last event of these Olympics. A tie for gold has never happened in the history of the Summer Games.

Now, at the closing ceremony, to show respect to all the athletes and their people from around the world, it was a celebration for the ages. Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, H.E.R. and others performing, marking the official hand over to the 2028 Los Angeles games, and the end of these incredible and unforgettable Summer Games here in Paris, the Olympics, once again showing that perhaps sport better than anything else can bring people together from all over the world, no matter their differences, to embrace and celebrate one another.

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COREN: Well, joining us now live from Paris is International Sports Broadcaster and Host of "The Sports Ambassador" podcast, Tracey Holmes. Tracey, great to see you. I think as one commentator said, this was the Olympics reset the world needed, Paris, and the athletes obviously put on a remarkable show. What were the highlights for you?

TRACEY HOLMES, HOST, "THE SPORTS AMBASSADOR" PODCAST, & PROFESSIONAL FELLOW IN SPORT, UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA: Well, there were so many, I mean, a couple that you already mentioned there in the intro with your reporter, and you can't go past that basketball match, the USA winning eight in a row, but also some incredible stars that the world celebrates, not just the country they come from, Simone Biles, for instance, after the challenges she had in Tokyo, to turn up three years later and absolutely dominate and owned the floor, is incredible.

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And then we went to the track and you had Noah Lyles and all the challenges that he has faced, and he chased a challenge more here. He won the 100 meters, turned up in the 200 meters, had been diagnosed with COVID a couple of days before, manages to hold on for a bronze medal, but collapses on the track and needs to be escorted off.

But, some of the other fantastic moments for France, particularly, the home nation. They had so much to celebrate. Leon Marchand at the pool was just an absolute standout, and has set himself up as potentially one of the best ever. He has got a long career ahead of him, but because of what he has done to galvanize people in this country, he even played a role in the closing ceremony with the extinguishing of the flame. And then you've got what Thomas Bach, the international president, called that of the new era.

And you had people like Arisa Trew, the 14-year-old Australian who won the park run in skateboard, and all the kind of enthusiasm and the joy. I remember speaking to her about the fact that she blew her first run and she had to recover to put two sensational runs back on the scoreboard to be able to move into middle contention. But, she did more than that. And I said, how did you block that tragedy of the first run, the mistakes? And she said, oh, look, I just forget where I am and go out there and have fun, like I'm there with all my friends. Only a 14-year-old could say that at the Olympic Games. But, it was full of moments.

COREN: I love it. Amazing. Yes, very proud of our Aussie athletes.

Tracey, what about disappointments or surprises, anything stand out to you?

HOLMES: Look, disappointments and surprises, there is always a few, but all that shows is that the rest of the world is catching up in so many ways. Sebastian Coe, who is the President of World Athletics, gave a press conference at the end of the athletics program, and he was saying, the number of countries now that win medals is so much wider than we'd ever experienced before. You talk about the USA and China dominating on the medal tally, and it's been that way for some time. And then, just underneath, you've got countries consistently. You've got Great Britain. You've got Germany. You've got France. You've got Australia and Japan. But, these are the countries that can invest a lot of money. So, they're always going to perform well. But, when you see surprise nations, people coming through from

Botswana and winning a gold medal on the track, or people that you really hear from, from countries that are very small. They don't have the same investment, but they too are lifting their game to challenge some of the big ones. That is fantastic to see. And that's when you realize the Olympics is actually for everybody in the world.

COREN: Tracey, obviously, the Olympics now heads to Los Angeles, and Tom Cruz was there in Hollywood fashion for their hand off in a spectacular way. LA knows how to put on a show. But, after Paris, I mean, has it a big act to follow?

HOLMES: It's got a very big act to follow. But, I think, Tony Estanguet, who was running the show here, he is a triple gold medal Olympian as well, he was saying that part of the reason why this has been so successful for Paris and France more generally is that they are really trying to engage the country in the lead up, but they remain true to themselves. They used the strengths of France and Paris and incorporated that into a show for the world.

Now, as you say, the USA knows better than anybody how to put on a good show. It's going to be very different in Los Angeles, of course. They've hosted the Olympics a couple of times before. They know how to do that. But, I guess what everybody is waiting for, and these are the question points always leading into a games is that, what happens politically in the country? What are the geo political tensions? All of these play out around it, and that's what feeds into, eventually, what will become the games that LA owns in 2028.

COREN: Yeah. Looking ahead to the next four years, I mean, what do you think we will get from LA 2028?

HOLMES: Well, first of all, you've got to get your election out of the way. And this is one of the things that proved to -- possibly it was going to interfere with Paris here, and Macron, the President, decided to call a snap election. He got that out of the way so that everybody could focus on this. The USA has an election. We've got various flash points around the world. But, always in the lead up to a games, there is such a focus. People are waiting for it. So, they dig. There is always negative stories. There is challenges. There'll be challenges about transport and technology and food and all of those things.

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And then the cauldron will be lit. The sport gets underway. The superstars of tomorrow emerge. And this is what LA is going to capitalize on, and we know that LA

will put on a good show, not to say that there won't be challenges along the way, but we've got full confidence.

COREN: That's right. The Olympics will head to the beach. Tracey Holmes, great to see you. Enjoy your rest of the time, the rest of your time in Paris. Take care.

HOLMES: Thanks, Anna. COREN: Well, tensions are rising in the Middle East, as Israel braces

for potential attacks by Iran and Hezbollah. Those details when we come back.

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COREN: Welcome back. Israel is bracing for potential attacks by both Iran and Hezbollah. The U.S. Secretary of Defense spoke with his Israeli counterpart on Sunday, then announced that the U.S. is deploying both a carrier strike group and guided missile submarine to the region. And with the launch of rockets targeting Israel from Lebanon in the past few hours, the risk of wider escalation is growing.

Well, joining me now live to assess that risk and its dangers, CNN Military Analyst, Colonel Cedric Leighton. Welcome. Colonel, great to see you.

Let's start with the latest barrage of rockets from Hezbollah. Do you believe that this is a precursor of what's to come?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST, & U.S. AIR FORCE: Yeah, and I think there is a distinct possibility that it is a precursor. Of course, there has been firing of rockets for quite some time now between Hezbollah and Israel. And of course, the Israeli response to that has been fairly robust ever since October 7th and even before that. But, this is a bit different. This seems like there is a concentrated push to actually fire rockets in a very discreet fashion to very discreet targets in northern Israel, and that seems to be an indicator that they're going in that direction.

COREN: Colonel, as we know, the region is braced for retaliatory attacks from Iran and Hezbollah over those two high-profile assassinations last month. Are you surprised that there has not been a response as yet, and what perhaps does that indicate?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think the Iranians were going to work with their proxies, including Hezbollah, to figure out exactly what they were going to do. They were going to plan some kind of an attack. They could have attacked right after the latest assassination of -- in Tehran of the Hamas political leader. But, they decided not to do that because I think they wanted to plan and synchronize their operations better.

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They know that while they were able to fire about 300 rockets and missiles and UAVs against Israel back in April, they also know that they weren't particularly effective. So, now they want to increase their effectiveness and a coordinated approach, required a great deal of more planning, and it required also a degree of coordination that took time.

COREN: Do you believe that this will be a coordinated attack by Iran and its proxies? LEIGHTON: Well, I was thinking it might be a coordinated attack

between -- including both Hezbollah and Iran, and possibly other proxies such as the militias in Iraq and Syria. But, it looks as if these actions might be sequential, as opposed to at the same time, and that could, in essence, really test the Israeli missile defense system. And if that happens, there could be some challenges for the Israelis when it comes to defending their territory.

COREN: Well, the U.S., as we know, has deployed both a carrier strike group and guided missile submarine to the region. Tell us, as a military man, what does this indicate?

LEIGHTON: So, when these types of deployments occur, they're designed to serve as a deterrent in -- at first, but they're also designed to be a show of force, and that show of force in this particular case indicates that the U.S. is prepared to help defend Israel. Israel has a very robust missile defense system, but it is not a fool proof missile defense system. Back in April, the U.S. was instrumental in actually shooting down a lot of the missiles and other aerial bodies, such as UAVs, that were fired against Israel. So, the United States is showing that they're supporting Israel, but they're also showing a military angle to this, which means that they are augmenting the Israeli defense system, should they need to.

COREN: You mentioned Israel's Iron Dome air defense system. How would it withstand a coordinated attack by Iran and its proxies?

LEIGHTON: Well, it certainly would be a challenge for the Iron Dome system. So, the Iron Dome system is based on about 20 different batteries. Those batteries would have 10 missiles in each of them. These are receptor missiles that would then be able to shoot down any incoming short-range missile, basically missiles that are about 70 kilometers in range. So, that would cover the Hezbollah threat. But, the Israelis have systems other than the Iron Dome that would be used for most of the missiles that would come from as far away as Iran. Those systems would be able to take out everything from medium range to long-range missiles, as well as ballistic intercontinental missiles, should the Iranians decide to fire any of those at Israel.

So, the systems are there. It's basically a layered air defense system. And between Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the Arrow 3 system, Israel would have a robust capability to defend itself. It will probably not be foolproof, but will certainly be very effective.

COREN: Colonel Cedric Leighton, always great to get your analysis. We thank you for your time.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Anna. Anytime.

COREN: Authorities in Brazil say it could be weeks before they have an initial report into the cause of Friday's deadly plane crash near Sao Paulo. They say all of the voice and data information has been pulled from the plane's black boxes. Meanwhile, authorities are working to identify the bodies of the 62 victims with the help of family members.

Journalist Stefano Pozzebon has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: The process of identifying the bodies of the victims of flight 2283 here in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is still ongoing as of Sunday night. This is the Institute of Forensic Medicine where all the bodies have been taken from the carcass of the plane. And here is where dozens of relatives and family members have arrived on Sunday to participate in this investigation. Only two bodies were possible to have been recognized through facial recognition due to the violence of the impact when the plane crashed to the ground. For all the other bodies, it's necessary to go through DNA identification and other techniques in order to correctly match their identity. And for some of these family members, today was also the opportunity to say goodbye.

FATIMA ALBUQUERQUE, VICTIM'S MOTHER (Interpreted): I had DNA collected for the identification of my daughter, and I don't know what state she would be in.

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My daughter was 1.7 meters tall, a strong and beautiful woman. You will see her photos on the internet. I saw my daughter burn live on television. A mother seeing the plane on fire with my daughter inside, guys, there is no greater sin, there can't be for a mother. So, I'm going to fight as long as I have life. As long as I have life, I'm going to fight because I know that she would be fighting if I had been killed because this wasn't an accident. Don't label it as an accident. Don't use that narrative.

POZZEBON: Just like that mother, the entire Brazil is still waiting for an answer to the question of what could have happened to cause that plane to fall from the sky and crash onto the ground. On Sunday, investigators from France, where the plane was manufactured in the first place, arrived in Brazil to participate in the investigation. They are analyzing and going through two black boxes that were successfully retrieved from the carcass of the plane to identify a probable motive.

For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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COREN: The pilot of a helicopter is dead after crashing into a seaside luxury hotel in northeast Australia. Stunned guests were evacuated after the chopper slammed into the seven-storey building's roof and caused a fire. Police say the pilot was the only one aboard the helicopter, and no other injuries have been reported. The helicopter's charter company says it is investigating unauthorized use of one of its aircraft, with officials.

Well, coming up, how drought could bring an end to Sicilian cheese that's been prized thousands of years (ph).

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COREN: A wildfire is tearing through a region just outside Athens, Greece. It's moving fast, like lightning, according to fire officials, and is spreading between residences. Hot, windy weather is fanning the flames and turning trees, houses and cars into Tinder. Firefighters will resume their operations in the morning. And a wildfire broke out in northeastern Spain on Sunday, spreading quickly, thanks to hot winds. Authorities ordered people in a nearby town to stay inside due to heavy smoke. Both Spain and Greece have suffered intense heat waves and dry weather this summer, making wildfires like these even more dangerous.

Extreme drought in Sicily is threatening the Italian island's goat farming industry, and without enough water, farmers could be forced to send their animals to slaughter.

CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau has this report.

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BARBIE LATZA NADAEU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Roaming under hot temperatures, these goats search for food in fields turned brown by the heat in central Sicily.

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Shortage of water and little food make it hard for these Girgentana goats to survive, and the prospects for their survival leave goat breeder Luca Cammarata in despair.

LUCA CAMMARATA, GOAT BREEDER (Interpreted): The grazing land is zero. As we can see, nothing has grown on the land this year. The animals take a walk, eat what they find, and then we try to supplement their diet with water and fodder.

NADAEU (voice-over): Earlier this year, Sicily enforced water restrictions when the region declared a state of emergency. Italy's Environmental Protection and Research Institute says, while other parts of the country are experiencing drought, only Sicily's is considered extreme.

CAMMARATA (Interpreted): The land is dry. The lakes we have placed in the pastures are completely dry. It is difficult to satisfy the animals with the drinking water we had, and we are forced to plug the problem with water tankers.

ALESSANDRO PANZARELLA, MEMBER, CARABINIERI FORESTRY DEPARTMENT (Interpreted): We arrive wherever there is an emergency. If the water doesn't arrive, so farmers are forced to take the animals to the slaughterhouse. They don't have water and can't quench their animals' thirst. So, it's a big problem.

NADAEU (voice-over): The cheese and dairy products made from these goats' milk has been prized for 1000s of years, but that may soon come to an end. Deprived of water, these animals may be sent to slaughter.

CAMMARATA (Interpreted): If we cannot at least satisfy the animals' demand for water, they run the risk of being sent to slaughter. There is no other way, no other solution. There is no market for live animals, nor can we give them to a fellow farmer in other regions because there is currently no market for live animals. They are destined to go to the slaughterhouse, and this would be a considerable loss of livestock and a loss of production models.

NADAEU (voice-over): Doing what needs to be done to save the goats will take time, drilling new wells, reactivating dormant desalination plants, importing water, but time, like water, is another thing that is running out for these goats.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

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COREN: Well, thanks for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. I'll be back in 15 minutes time with more news. But, World Sport is next, with all the action in France, as the games comes to an end.

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