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IDF: "Limited Ground Operation" Begins In Southern Lebanon; Hezbollah Rockets Target Israel After Incursion Into Lebanon; Biden Sharply Tells Israel To Stop Raids Inside Lebanon; IDF Says Limited Ground Operation Has Begun in Southern Lebanon, About One Million People Displaced by Fighting in Lebanon; Shigeru Ishiba Sworn in as New Prime Minister of Japan; Pete Rose, MLB's All-time Hit Leader, Has Died; NBA Star Dikembe Mutombo Has Died From Brain Cancer. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 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]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Becky Anderson in Tel Aviv in Israel. It is 9:00 a.m. here and in Lebanon, you're looking at live pictures out of Beirut where a thick haze is hanging over the city after overnight Israeli airstrikes. And we are now learning more about what Israel says is a limited ground operation too in Lebanon. The Israeli military says it's conducted "targeted raids at the Israeli-Lebanese border."

Israel says its troops include paratroopers, commanders and members of the Armed Corps. And they emphasize there will be "no long-term occupation of southern Lebanon." The Lebanese state media says the attacks on southern Lebanon caused severe damage and Hezbollah says it has targeted parts of northern Israel during the early morning hours following the Israeli military incursion.

The U.S. says Israel informed it of a number of operations, including the ground incursion, and a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN that the mission can be a risk that the White House will keep discussing that with the Israelis. Let's get you to Paula Hancocks who is live in Abu Dhabi. Paula this operation announced - -ground operation at least announced around 2:00 a.m. local time. What further detail do we have at this point?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this grand operation started just after the security Cabinet approved the new phase of the fighting with Hezbollah. It's clear what that new phase is and we're hearing from the Israeli military that they have been training for this for months along the border with Northern Israel, also saying that they have significant gained skills and operational experience from recent months in Gaza.

So, they're describing it as a targeted and limited ground operation. We know from the military that they have said they will be targeting particular villages along the border itself, those villages they believe where Hezbollah operatives are based, where they believe that there are infrastructure, weapons caches that have to be destroyed in order to be -- to be able to put 10s of 1000s of Israeli residents back to their homes in northern Israel.

So, they have said, Israeli officials telling CNN there will be no long-term occupation, they are targeting immediate threats from Hezbollah. Of course, it does look very different from the Lebanese side of the border. We've seen from Lebanese state-run media, NNA, they have called the strike so far, causing severe damage, saying that there have been airstrikes from the Israeli military, also artillery shelling and heavy machine gun fire, claiming that it has damaged shops, also fields and crops of private civilians in the area.

This -- much of this in a Nabataean government, which is just north of the -- of the border itself. Now, when it comes to the international response at this point, we have heard from the United States. In fact, we heard from U.S. President Joe Biden just hours before this ground operation started and he said that he was calling for a ceasefire. Now clearly that has not been heeded at this point, just highlighting, once again, that the daylight between the U.S. and Israeli administrations as we see it.

But we did see a tweet from the defense secretary in the United States Lloyd Austin, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, "We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese-Hezbollah cannot conduct October 7th style attacks on Israel's northern communities. Reaffirmed that a diplomatic resolution is required to ensure that civilians can return safely to their homes on both sides of the border."

Now he posted that just after speaking to the Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. So, the U.S. effectively giving its tacit approval to what is happening at this point.

[02:05:04]

But there are concerns in Lebanon and further afield, of course, in the region, as to what this limited operation could entail. The last time that Israel and its military said it was going to carry out a limited offensive was when it carried out the offensive in Rafah in the southern part of Gaza, amidst international opposition and what was left of that city, much of it unrecognizable, but certainly not limited in most people's understanding of the term.

So, there are concerns as to exactly how far Israel may feel it can go. It was not the Israeli official that our team on the ground spoke to, understandably, would not be pushed on how far they may go into Lebanon or how long this operation may last. Becky?

ANDERSON: Paula Hancocks is in Abu Dhabi. Thank you.

Gideon Levy is columnist with Haaretz newspaper and joins us from Tel Aviv. It's good to have you, sir. Let's start with your initial assessment, if you will, of what we are learning at this point on the ground operation.

GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ NEWSPAPER: First of all, welcome to Tel Aviv, Becky. And now to your question, I think that everything is so expected. This scenario repeats itself in every war that Israel is launching. First, nobody is interested in full-scale war. Then comes the bombardments from the air, all kind of operations. Then it will be very, very limited ground operation, limited in time, limited in territory.

And few weeks later, how we might be in the outskirts of Lebanon of Beirut. And then -- and then comes the main question, how do we get out from there? Because entering Lebanon is the easy side, the easy step. Look what happens in Gaza. Israel is deeply stuck in Gaza without having any idea how to get out from there and what to do with Gaza. Same is expecting us now in Lebanon, we will start a ground operation. It will get complicated.

I'm sorry, I'm so pessimistic but experience taught us that that's the way things are going, especially with the mud of Lebanon.

ANDERSON: The White House supports Israel's right to defend itself, it says from Iranian-backed terror groups. It is also warning that mission creep is a real risk and says it still supports a ceasefire. Effectively the message from the White House, Gideon, you can say both things at once. Here's Spokesperson Matthew Miller.

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MATTHEW MILLER, UNITED SYAYES DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: At the same time, there are a couple other things that are true as well, which is that, number one, military pressure can, at times, enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences and we're in conversations with Israel about all these factors now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: They are in conversation with Israel about all these factors now. Does the White House have any leverage over Benjamin Netanyahu at this point? I mean, is this a prime minister of Israel who is listening?

LEVY: He is listening carefully and ignoring carefully and rightly so, because someone has to listen to the White House. But it's very nice to listen to the White House but in the same time, we should watch what the White House is doing. This is much more important. So, the White House was warning Israel not to get into Rafah and Israel ignored it, and nothing happened. The White House wants Israel to stop the war and in the same time it supplies it with endless and unconditioned weapons and ammunitions.

The bombs that killed Nasrallah were all American bombs, all those 80 bombs, and all the other bombs which killed so many innocent people also in Gaza were all American bombs. The supply didn't stop for a moment. So, Netanyahu can listen carefully but he can totally ignore the American advisers because they are all low.

ANDERSON: The Prime Minister insists, ultimately, that this is just taking advantage of the momentum from the assassinations of Hezbollah leaders, not just over the past couple of weeks and the assassination of the chief Hassan Nasrallah. Many of his commanders but for months now, Israel has -- had some strategic success in killing those that it sees as a threat.

[02:10:01]

And there is an argument here, supported by many in Israel, that this momentum is important. After all, Hezbollah poses a serious security threat to the north of Israel and the -- some 60,000 people who are displaced. Some 9000 launches by Hezbollah since October the 8th. What was the alternative at this point to your mind?

LEVY: The alternative from the beginning was to go for a ceasefire in Gaza, which Nasrallah promised that it will be a guarantee for him to stop shooting at Israel, to get an agreement with Hamas and then with Hezbollah. Hopefully it would have been achieved. We didn't challenge Hezbollah, that they will go to the Litani River surrender behind the Litani River. All those things were not even challenged.

And in any case, Israel as Israel shows the military option as the first one. And you know, it always starts in a very impressive way and the last military successes are impressive, but you don't know what comes next. And I'm afraid that even the Israeli decision makers don't know what comes next though.

ANDERSON: What we are seeing very briefly is the end of a policy of containment, it seems. And that is applauded not everywhere in the Arab world, but by many in the Arab world who see Hamas and Hezbollah as a serious threat to the wider region and a threat to any new architecture for a Middle East going forward. Do you concede that that is an argument in region?

LEVY: It is definitely an argument that I can totally justify, but I'm not sure that those military goals are achievable. You will not crush Hamas and you will not crush Hezbollah. You might really hit them very strongly. They might have to recover a few years, but they will stay there, and they will continue with their policy. The thing is to try to solve it really once and for all, like of everyone is wishing.

But once and for all is never a military solution. Once and for all is always a diplomatic solution. Look at our relations with Jordan and with Egypt. This is once for and for all, because we have a peace treaties with them. And we even don't challenge it, don't try it. We believe -- still believe, that living on the sword is the only option. And I have my doubts about.

ANDERSON: Gideon Levy, it's always good to talk to you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us this morning. We are some hours now into what is the announced ground offensive in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces.

In the United States, the death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to at least 128 as the recovery begins and search and rescue efforts continue. North Carolina has reported the most deaths, with 56 but there's no official count of exactly at how many have been killed there.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With devastation this widespread a view from the air brings into focus the full scope of the destruction brought by Hurricane Helene. Heavy trees and downed power lines are blocking major roadways, hampering the delivery of badly needed supplies. An overturned semi-truck laying upside down in the river and numerous landslides, all spotted from above.

CNN flew by helicopter with a nonprofit serving inaccessible towns badly in need of aid. On the ground in Black Mountain outside of Asheville, city manager Josh Harold says it could take years to get over this devastation.

JOSH HAROLD, BLACK MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA CITY MANAGER: It's catastrophic. Black Mountain may never look the same again. It's just total destruction.

ROSALES (voice-over): But just getting by for now, the focus for so many, it's hours of waiting for gas at the few pumps that are still running.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here's your first car.

ROSALES (voice-over): In Asheville, lines of cars waiting for basic supplies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just rough. It's hard to see in the city like this.

ROSALES (voice-over): Some families tell CNN, they've run out of drinking water and without electricity their food is rotting.

Gary O'Dell is sharing everything he's got. His home with his daughter, who lost it all to the catastrophic floods and even life- saving oxygen tanks with his neighbor.

[02:15:00]

GARY O'DELL, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: My next-door neighbor ran out of oxygen. He's worth shaping than I am. That's my problem. I've got lung cancer now too and he don't, you know, you don't realize. You know, oxygen is very important.

ROSALES (voice-over): Nonprofits teaming up to serve 2000 residents in the first four hours.

ROSALES: How are you guys doing?

ROSALES (voice-over): This is one of the first semi-trucks full of desperately needed supplies to arrive in Asheville. MICHELLE COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASHEVILLE DREAM CENTER: This is the most devastating thing I've ever seen her whole city. I think, the loss of life, the fact that if you don't have cash, you can't get anything. We've gone to stores, waters out, ice is out. People slept overnight at gas stations like -- I feel like we've never seen this before.

ROSALES (voice-over): And three days into this disaster, North Carolinians praying that more help is on the way.

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ROSALES: Historic Biltmore Village would have been entering their busiest season right now, in October. This would have been a busy gas station. Instead, they're dealing with all of this mud, thick mud, and horrible debris left all over the place from Helene. This right here, the steel thing. It reads -- it reads, steel tank for oil burner, fuels and other combustible liquids. It's dangerous stuff just thrown about all over the place.

But really the need is what's sticking out, the need of so many people for basic everyday goods, food, water, fuel, medicine, baby formula. Neighbors are helping one another just to survive, day by day. Meanwhile, people stuck up in the mountaintops. They need even more help. They're getting -- receiving those items that they so desperately need -- helicopter, but this is going to be a long road of recovery, and we are not out of the woods yet.

Isabel Rosales in Asheville, North Carolina, CNN.

ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. President Joe Biden is set to visit North Carolina on Wednesday. He is also planning trips to Georgia and the state of Florida, but doesn't want to divert extra resources from where they are needed. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both made appearances on Monday to address the devastation caused by Helene.

Harris cut short her campaigning on the west coast to fly back to Washington for a briefing on the federal response to the storm. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was in South Georgia where he helped to distribute aid in some of the hard-hit areas. His visit, though turned political, as he falsely claimed, the Biden administration isn't answering calls from state leaders asking for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's having a hard time getting the president on the phone. I guess they're not -- they're not being responsive. The federal government is not being responsive. The Vice President, she's out someplace, campaigning, looking for money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, President Biden quickly responded to those remarks. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's lying, and the governor told him he was lying. The governor told him he was lying. I've spoken to the governor spending time with him, and he told me he's lying. I don't know why he does this, and the reason I get so angry about I don't care about what he says about me, but I care what he -- what he communicates to people that are in need, implies that we're not doing anything possible. We are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the U.S. Vice Presidential nominees will hold their first and so far, only scheduled debate on Tuesday night. Their face off comes just five weeks before the election, and it could be the final debate of the campaign season. Democratic nominee Tim Walz has told people that he is nervous about doing debates, but he says he hopes voters will know that he and his running mate, Kamala Harris are "just doing our best for folks."

Republican nominee J.D. Vance and his wife arrived in New York on Monday where the debate will be held. As for his strategy, the senator from Ohio said he'll use the debate to "prosecute the case against Kamala Harris."

Well, CNN will have special coverage of that vice presidential debate. Jake Tapper and Erin Burnett will get things started Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. New York time. That is 7:00 a.m. Wednesday in Hong Kong, if that is where you are watching.

Well, workers at 14 U.S. ports have made good on their word to go out on strike at midnight.

The American economy isn't the only one that could face fallout. Just ahead, how trade across the globe may also be affected.

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[02:24:09]

ANDERSON: Well, an update on our breaking news out of the Middle East. Hezbollah says it has successfully fired on a group of IDF soldiers in the northern Israeli town of Metula with artillery and rockets. Now this is after the Israeli military launched a ground operation inside Lebanon, which Lebanese state media says has caused "severe damage." The IDF says paratroopers and commandos are among the forces involved in the incursion.

And we are hearing they've been training for this mission in northern Israel over the past few weeks. The White House says it supports Israel's call and -- supports Israel and calls for a limited and targeted operation against Hezbollah. Israel says it has no plans for a long-term occupation.

[02:25:01]

Well, nearly 50,000 dock workers at several key U.S. ports have gone on strike. Members of the Longshoreman's Union are walking picket lines to demand higher wages. This after workers rejected an offer by the alliance representing ports. CNN's Brian Todd explains.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORESPONDENT (voice-over): Longshoreman's at the Port of Baltimore holding their ground and possibly losing money doing it.

ALONZO KEY, LONGSHOREMAN, PORT OF BALTIMORE: Once we exhaust our savings, I mean, we don't know what the next move is going to be.

TODD (voice-over): A potentially damaging port strike in the U.S. has just begun. Thousands of port workers in Baltimore and at about three dozen other facilities along the east coast and Gulf Coast have walked off the job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The stakes are very high. The potential for disruption is significant.

TODD (voice-over): This strike, the first at those ports in almost 50 years, could disrupt the flow of almost half the goods that come into the U.S. That could lead to shortages, then higher prices.

TODD: What's going to be in short supply?

MATTHEW SHAY, CEO AND PRESIDENT, NATIONAL RETAIL FOUNDATION: Perishables. Obviously, we can't -- we can't bring those in in advance. So, anything that's in the produce categories that comes in, bananas been talked about a lot, cherries and other fruits that come in from South America and other places. That will be impacted right away with any stoppage.

TODD (voice-over): European beer, wine, liquor could be affected as we head into the holidays. Furniture, household goods, clothing, cars and auto parts could also be in shorter supply and then get more expensive. But officials and retail analysts say we should not rush to stores and stockpile goods like many did during the COVID pandemic.

SHAY: We don't want to panic. Retailers and their partners in the shipping business and other importers have done everything they can to mitigate any disruption, so they've tried to bring things in. They've got inventory already here on the East Coast and near the population centers. They've got inventory rerouted to the West Coast. It will come over by rail.

TODD (voice-over): The workers from the International Longshoremen Association feel like they've fallen way behind other sectors in wages.

HARRY KATZ, SHEINKMAN PROFESSOR OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, CORNELL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL AND LABOR RELATIONS: The workers are asking for more wages, and also are concerned about the introduction of new technology, which may replace some of them.

TODD (voice-over): The industry led by the United States Maritime Alliance says it's offered a fair wage increase and accuses the port Workers Union of negotiating in bad faith. President Biden has the power to force workers to stay on the job, but has said he won't use it.

PROTESTERS: (INAUDIBLE) got to go.

TODD (voice-over): This stoppage comes on the heels of successful strikes by the United Auto Workers Union and UPS employees. Workers at Boeing have been on strike for more than two weeks.

KATZ: It's a mixed picture. Overall, workers are doing and unions are doing better because the economy is better but they're not always winning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: What sectors won't be damaged by a port strike. Passenger ships won't be affected. And oil tankers and other ships carrying liquefied natural gas usually go to other facilities that won't be affected by a strike.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

ANDERSON: Well, still ahead this hour. Children in Lebanon paying the price of war. We're going to have a report from Beirut where many, many displaced people are now sleeping on the streets. Stay with us.

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[02:30:00]

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KENDALL ALAIMO, ARTIST AND TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR (voice-over): The red seeds to me symbolize the survivor's voice and having a seat at the table, and really the anti-trafficking movement overall.

ALAIMO: My name is Kendall Alaimo. I'm an artist, activist and survivor of child trafficking. As a child, I wasn't allowed to use my own name when I was trafficked and I wasn't allowed to go back to school and become the person I wanted to be. The university alliance on human trafficking was birthed obviously out of my really long journey to get back to school, and my thought why don't we send chairs? Because we need seats in universities to be liberated.

CLAIRE ASHLEY, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: I am so impressed by Kendall. I knew she was going through something when I was her teacher over a decade ago, but I didn't know exactly what. The students have been super invested in this project because it allows them to see that their own experiences are legitimate.

ALAIMO: For them to take on this dialog and create 20 more seats in the worlds honors my life, the lives we've lost, and the lives that are waiting for this freedom. So, it is a really big gift in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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ANNOUNCER: The wait is over. Tim Walz and J.D. Vance in their first and only face-to-face debate, and CNN has it covered with the best political team in the business. A CNN Special Event, the "Vice Presidential Debate" tonight on CNN.

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Well, it is just after 9:30 in the morning here in Israel and in Lebanon. We are just 200 kilometers or so from the Israel-Lebanon border where Israel says its ground operation in southern Lebanon is underway with paratroopers, commandos an armed corps troops taking part. But the military insisted it is limited and aimed specifically at Hezbollah targets that threaten the people of northern Israel.

Lebanese state media says the attacks on southern Lebanon caused "Severe damage." And Hezbollah says it has targeted parts of northern Israel with artillery and rockets in the early morning hours. This fighting is creating a growing refugee crisis. The Lebanese government says about 20 percent of the population people or a million people have been displaced. And that is a worrying sign, not least for U.S. officials, have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW MILLER, UNITED STATES STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Of course, we are worried about the humanitarian impact. We are worried about how that can be destabilizing as we've seen before during refugee crises and we are engaged with partners in the region. We will continue to be engaged to try to let -- to find the best way to deliver humanitarian assistance to those people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

B. ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Jomana Karadsheh met with terrified civilians, living on the streets of Beirut, searching for food, water, and shelter. This is her report.

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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War has arrived to Beirut and this is what it has done to so many of its children. Exhausted and homeless, they now sleep on the streets and parks like this one. Most here fled the densely populated southern suburbs where Israel has rained down bombs on Hezbollah targets. But like every war, it is the innocent who pay the heaviest price.

Abiya's (ph) home was hit in one of the strikes. She grabbed her little girl and ran, and they've been out here since.

I've never fled my home before, not even in the 2006 war, the single mother says. But now, I have a child. The children are terrified. Far from the air strikes, eight-year-old Betul (ph) tells us she is very scared. The roof was falling on us, she says.

[02:35:00]

Every time my mom would tell me they are not going to strike, they would. I wish the war would stop.

Betul (ph) plays with new friends she has made, children trying to escape the new reality they are too young to understand. But beneath their playful giggles, trauma, and fear so deep. 10-year-old Fathima (ph) can't hold back her tears.

The whole country is being destroyed, she says. Born in Syria, she fled war as a baby. Beirut is the only home she has ever known.

My dad was killed in Syria, she says. I only have my mom. I'm scared my mother and siblings will also get killed.

Syrians, Lebanese and migrant workers, all found themselves with nowhere to turn, but this park. Schools now house the displaced, there are too many in search of shelter and this all happened so fast. A million people the government estimates have been displaced in a matter of days.

We found many Lebanese families like this one, camped out on the side of the road for five days, they say. There was no room for them at government shelters. Their disabled young girl sleeps in the car. The rest have mattresses outside. No toilets or showers here. They've heard their home is still standing, the women tell us, but their neighborhood is devastated.

Our area has been emptied out, Hamad (ph) says. There is no one left.

In the heart of the capital, in Martyrs' Square, the remnants of crises passed were a poster that reads, 'Beirut never dies'. And here, many more with no roofs over their heads. For how long? No one really knows. But they fear this may only just be the start of a long war.

Anthosi (ph) fled barefoot. It was real horror, she says. Airstrikes were all around us. People were collapsing and fainting. She only grabbed her medication and these tissue packs, her livelihood. She sells them for about $0.50. Anthosi (ph) escaped Syria, her home there is gone. Wherever we go, she says, death follows us. It is all just too much.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

B. ANDERSON: Right. Well, that is the story in Beirut. As we continue to cover the breaking news from Lebanon, we also remember what is going on in Gaza. And joining me now is Scott Anderson, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, and the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator there. And Scott, before we talk about the situation on the ground, you must be keeping bang up to date with what is going on in Lebanon. Your assessment at this point, as a humanitarian, across what is going on in Gaza, your concerns about what you are seeing coming out of Lebanon at this point. SCOTT ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF UNRWA AFFAIRS IN GAZA: Yeah, good morning. Thanks for having me on this morning. So in Gaza, as we are coming up now on to a year since the horrible events of October 7th, we see winter right around the corner. It is already starting to rain and we are very concerned about what this means for the 1.7 million people that are displaced into south of Gaza, as well as nearly half million people in the north of Gaza.

We don't have enough tents, we don't have enough tarpaulin. We've been (inaudible) in August, a million people did not receive food aid from the United Nations. In September, that number went up to 1.4 million. Very concerned about the second winter, what that means. I think people's resilience will be lower just because of the conditions they have been living in for the last year and we are very concerned that there could be a spread of disease. I think as everyone knows, polio has been confirmed in Gaza, as has Hepatitis A and other diseases. S it is a very dire situation.

And then we see what has happened in Lebanon and our concern is that will distract attention from what is happening here in Gaza, the terrible events that have happened there. And I heard that there is well over 20 percent of the population displaced. I know the United Nations in working to respond there. But for me, I'm concerned and focused on what is happening here in Gaza.

B. ANDERSON: Yeah. And we hear from many in Gaza who CNN's producers on the ground have spoken to who, whilst supporting what they will describe as their friends in Lebanon, they also worry about the attention, the focus moving from Gaza, of course, to Lebanon. I do want our viewers just to get the very latest from one of the U.N. agencies working on the ground in Lebanon, before you and I continue to talk about Gaza.

[02:40:00]

In a statement on Monday, OCHA (ph) urged the international community "To urgently promote de-escalation and ensure that all parties respect international humanitarian law, while prioritizing immediate humanitarian assistance to the affected people." We reported yesterday, $100 million in aid from the UAE. And this comes as the United Nations Agency for Humanitarian Emergencies warns of the devastating impact on civilians of what is this recent escalation in Gaza.

And you talk about the worry that the focus will shift from Gaza to Lebanon and that clearly is a very big fear for you. At the same time, there seems to be no evidence of a ceasefire any time soon. So to your mind, you've described the winter as approaching. What needs to happen next?

S. ANDERSON: I mean, the most important thing that needs to happen is, we need some law and order in Rafah that would allow the United Nations and other members of the international humanitarian community to bring aid in at scale. We have 100,000 metric tons of food waiting either in Egypt, Israel, or Jordan to enter Gaza. We have hundreds of millions of dollars of tents and tarpaulin on the way that people need to protect themselves from the weather in winter.

And we need to complete a second round of the polio vaccination to make sure the community is immunized against this horrible disease. So first and foremost, we need security. Second, we need to bring things in at scale. And then third, we need to make sure people get what they need, so they have their basic necessities met and they can survive the upcoming winter.

B. ANDERSON: I know that one of the main concerns for agencies is about the further spread of criminality inside of Gaza, and you've alluded to that, manifesting itself as the looting of convoys which is a real concern, the impact of course is that, that aid does not get to the people who need it most. Scott Anderson in Gaza, thank you.

Well, Japan has a new prime minister. He was sworn in just a short time ago. A former defense minister and longtime member of parliament, he was voted to leave the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's decision to step down. He will have a lot on his plate in day one, unveiling a new cabinet and getting his party ready for snap elections later this month. CNN's Hanako Montgomery, joining me now live from Tokyo. Hanako?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. As you described, Japanese parliament has just elected Shigeru Ishiba as the new prime minister of Japan. Now, this was a very hotly contested and tight race. We actually saw nine candidates, but really three frontrunners, including Ishiba. Now as you described, Ishiba is known as a former defense minister. He is also now tried to run for the LDP president position five times now. He is also known in Japan for his work in rural revitalization, which is of course a very big issue for Japan as it faces a demographic crisis.

So because of his past work, he is quite well liked by the general public. But within his own party, he is actually not that popular. And that is because within his own party, lawmakers have seen him as someone who is a harsh critic and also someone who has once betrayed the LDP when it briefly lost power and he left. Now again, Ishiba, however, was elected by the LDP to be the new party president and also the new prime minister, as we saw just moments ago. And that is largely because his party believes and also registered LDP voters believe that he is the best person to lead the party at the general elections, which will be held later this month.

Now, as you described Becky, Ishiba has a lot of issues on his plate that he inherited from the former Japanese Prime Minister now, Fumio Kishida. First is the very lackluster economy in Japan. The yen has been weakening and also we are seeing a cost of living crisis within the country. And the second is political scandals that Fumio Kishida was unable to properly address. That is actually why Kishida stepped down and we had these elections in the first place, because Kishida's approval rating within the general public plummeted so much.

So now, Ishiba is tasked with regaining the public's trust and showing the public that the LDP is indeed the best party to unite the country and introduce policies that would be beneficial for all citizens. Becky? B. ANDERSON: Good to have you, Hanako.

[02:45:00]

Hanako Montgomery is in Tokyo. You are watching "CNN Newsroom." I'm Becky Anderson in Tel Aviv in Israel. More breaking news is just ahead. And Major League Baseball bids farewell to its all-time hits leader, the life and troubled times of Pete Rose.

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B. ANDERSON: We are keeping a close eye on the situation in southern Lebanon, just 200 kilometers or so from where we are here in Tel Aviv in Israel on the Mediterranean Coast, where the Israeli military has launched a ground operation involving paratroopers and commandos.

[02:50:00]

Israel says, this mission in southern Lebanon will be "Targeted and limited, and will focus on Hezbollah threats to nearby Israeli settlements" while explosions and artillery fire rang out overnight. And Lebanese state media says, it caused severe damage. Hezbollah retaliating, targeting a gathering of soldiers in northern Israel twice during the early morning hours. Israeli officials did not indicate how deep troops would venture into Lebanon or how long the operation might last. But did say, there will be "No long-term occupation of Lebanon."

Well, the White House says it supports Israel's right to defend itself, but says the move does risk 'mission creep' and they say they are keeping in close touch with Israeli officials. And I'm just getting word from the IDF. We are hearing that urgent warnings are being issued to residents of southern Lebanon. "A fierce battle is taking place in southern Lebanon during which Hezbollah elements were exploiting the civilian environment and the population as human shields to launch attacks. For your personal safety, we ask you to move your vehicles from the northern region to the southern Litani River region."

Those -- the warnings in Arabic from the IDF to residents of southern Lebanon this morning.

Well, baseball's all-time hit leader Pete Rose has died at the age of 83. His achievements on the Diamond would have earned in a plaque in the Hall of Fame, but his behavior off the field got him a lifetime ban from the sport instead. My colleague, Andy Scholes, takes a look back at his life.

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ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR (voice-over): On the field, Pete Rose did everything all out. His famous headfirst slides excited fans, earning him the nickname "Charlie Hustle".

PETE ROSE, AMERICAN BASEBALL PLAYER: I played the way you are supposed to play; that is all I did. I played the game the way you are supposed to play the game.

SCHOLES (voice-over): During his 24 seasons in the majors, Rose collected three batting titles, was a 17-time all-star at five different positions. Won the Most Valuable Player award and three World Series rings. But his most memorable achievement came in 1985 when he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hits record. It is a record that still stands today. Rose retired in 1986, but remained manager of the Reds for three years. But in 1989, his (inaudible) career took a dramatic and shocking turn, one that tarnished his baseball reputation forever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The odds finally caught up with Pete Rose and judgment day arrived this morning. After six months of denials by him, delving by baseball and delays through the courts, Pete Rose was banished from the game for life.

ROSE: My whole life has been baseball, helping baseball, and I know I messed up in baseball. But I got suspended from baseball, not for betting on baseball. I got suspended on baseball for hanging around undesirables, undesirables are bookmakers. Because in Cincinnati, when you wake up, you can't go make a bet unless you make an illegal bet. That was my problem.

SCHOLES (voice-over): Rose received a permanent ban from baseball after it was determined that he not only gambled on games while he played for and manage the Reds, but did he bet on his own team.

ROSE: I am not going to sit here and whine about the mistakes I made because I'm the one that was wrong. I'm the one who is paying the price. The most truthful thing I could ever say is I'm sorry I've been on baseball.

SCHOLES (voice-over): In 1990, Rose also served five months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns.

ROSE: In this country, if you are penalized to do something and you do your sentence, go on with your life.

SCHOLES (voice-over): Though Rose's play on the field would have put him in the Baseball Hall of Fame decades ago, his off-field issues prevented that from happening. And having the game he loved taken from him was something Rose struggled with for the remainder of his life.

ROSE: I can't answer why I've never been given a second chance. I don't know. But if I'm ever given a second chance, I won't need a third. I'll be the happiest guy in the world. And I believe baseball is a better sport if I'm in it. I believe that.

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B. ANDERSON: One of the greatest defensive players in the NBA history has died. The league says Dikembe Mutombo succumbed to brain cancer on Monday at the age of 58. He led the league and blocked shots for five consecutive seasons. The eight time all-star was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. These seven-foot, two-inch center was known for his deep booming voice and his signature finger wag. Mutombo was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and devoted his time to humanitarian work in his home country.

[02:55:00]

And former U.S. President Barack Obama posted on social media, Dikembe Mutombo was an incredible basketball player, but he also inspired a generation of young people across Africa and his work as the NBA's first global ambassador changed the way that athletes think about their impact off the court.

Well, thank you for joining us. I am Becky Anderson. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" alongside my colleague, Max Foster, after this short break. Do stay with us.

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