Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Announces Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Gaza Plan; Outgoing French Prime Minister Says President Macron Could Name New Premier by Friday; Republican Stopgap Bill Fails Sixth Senate Vote; Staffing Issues and Delays Plague U.S. Air Travel. Hostages Expected to Be Released in Coming Days; Jackie Kennedy Cocktail Glass, Photos Displayed at Posh Cambodian Hotel. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 09, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:48]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

We begin with celebrations and a sense of relief in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump announces Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of his Gaza ceasefire plan. Palestinians in the enclave cheered the breakthrough, which they hope will mean an end to the two-year war. President Trump says a part of the deal, Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed upon line and Hamas will release all remaining hostages likely by Monday.

In Israel the news was met with excitement among the families of those still held captive in Gaza. Former hostages also celebrating the news

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIYA COHEN, FORMER HOSTAGE (through translator): We are happy inside. Truly the. Joy is deep, but we need to be realistic. Until they're getting on the Red Cross vehicle and really meeting IDF soldiers, until that moment, we must continue to pray and open the gates of heaven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: And these are live pictures coming to us right now from Tel Aviv, Hostage Square, where you can see people that are waking up in Israel celebrating the news.

Well, Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Israeli prime minister held an emotional conversation with President Trump following the announcement of a deal. Still, it's unclear what this all means for other key issues, including whether Hamas will disarm and the future governance of Gaza.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following all the developments from Tel Aviv and filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: In a watershed moment for this region, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the first phase of President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all of the hostages.

Now, there are four key components to the first phase of this agreement. An immediate cease fire that would, of course, take effect, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of the Gaza Strip, redeploying to pre-agreed lines of control inside of Gaza in what is an initial withdrawal of Israeli forces, followed by the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas and the release of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

Alongside all of that, we are also expecting to see a surge of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. I'm also told by an Israeli source familiar with the deal that hostages could be released from Gaza as soon as Saturday or Sunday. That is the expectation, but a lot of that will depend on the exact timing of an Israeli Cabinet vote to approve this deal and actually allow it to go forward.

The Israeli prime minister is convening his Cabinet on Thursday, and this could be a lengthy session. We've seen in the past, sometimes ministers want to give speeches and it can go on for hours at a time. But once that goes forward, we will begin to see within a couple of days the implementation of this actual agreement.

Now, neither Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement nor President Trump's explicitly mentioned an end of the war in Gaza. But other parties are. Hamas is saying that this agreement does stipulate an end of the war in Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip. And, critically, Qatar, one of the key mediators of this agreement, a statement from the spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry says that this agreement, quote, "will lead to ending the war in Gaza."

And, of course, for the people of Gaza who have endured unspeakable horrors for two years now, this is just an enormous moment and an enormous sigh of relief that is being felt there. Over the course of the last two years, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Many more bodies of whom are believed to still be underneath the rubble in the Gaza Strip.

We've seen, of course, tens of thousands of children who have been orphaned as a result of this war.

[00:05:07]

More than 90 percent of residential buildings have been destroyed, just an unspeakable toll. And then, of course, for the families of Israeli hostages who have spent two years of agony, two years fighting for their loved ones to come back, we are already beginning to see the reactions pouring in from those families, ecstatic by this news and eager to be able to embrace their loved ones in the coming days.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, for more, I want to welcome H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies.

Great to have you with us. So President Trump called this historic, unprecedented. In your view, how significant is this first phase deal in the broader history of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations? And is this a turning point in this two-year war?

H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: Thank you very much for having me. I think it's significant, but because the bar, frankly, is really low. It's a respite from war which I think the Palestinians of Gaza desperately, urgently need. Especially after the two years of devastation that has been wrought upon the occupied territory. It's, of course, relief for the families of those who have been held in captivity in Gaza by Hamas and other groups who will now be returned to their Israeli families.

It's a relief for the Palestinians whose families -- whose prisoners and detainees are going to be returned to their families as well. But that's a really low bar. What we should be talking about is the beginning of a process that sees the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, reconstruction of Gaza. The realization of self-determination for the Palestinians of the occupied territories in Gaza, in east Jerusalem and in the West Bank. And I think we're a long way off before we can really talk about that.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly in the coming days, the central part of this agreement involves a hostage and prisoner exchange welcomed on both sides. It could happen as early as this Sunday or Monday. What do you see as the potential risks or complications?

HELLYER: I don't think there's much in terms of risk just over the next few days. I think that all sides that have any interest in what's going on in Gaza at present want that exchange to take place. And I think that the Israelis and Palestinian forces will do what's necessary in order to make sure that that happens.

The real sticking points are going to come up after that. How the (INAUDIBLE) withdrawal will take place, how much of it is going to take place, how quickly, what sort of milestones need to be met in order for those further withdrawals to continue? How much pressure is going to be applied by the American administration on the Israelis to move forward beyond that point? How much attention is going to continue to be given by the Trump administration to this ongoing crisis? I think those are the real sticking points that we have to think about.

KINKADE: Yes. And certainly looking, you know, down the line, the U.S. backed peace framework lays out a pretty ambitious vision for Gaza's future. And a key part of that, of course, is the exclusion of Hamas from future governance. Is that viable? And who would fill that power vacuum? HELLYER: It's entirely viable for Hamas to be excluded from

governance. And I don't think that's the real issue here. The real issue is who would govern Gaza and the natural candidate in that regard is the Palestinian Authority. They are the recognized representative of the Palestinian people. The Israelis have made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of allowing the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, and instead the current proposal of the Trump plan indicates some sort of peculiar international entity that would be partially led by Tony Blair, former British prime minister.

This is not Palestinian self-rule. This is a very peculiar arrangement that I don't think Palestinians writ large will accept. I don't think that regional powers are particularly interested in, and I think, frankly, is a recipe for further strife. So I do think that there will continue to be discussions and negotiations involving, neighboring and regional Arab states. In addition to Turkey and Qatar further away.

But I am not sure how much we can expect continual pressure to come from Washington vis a vis Tel Aviv to ensure that such discussions are engaged in in a fruitful manner.

[00:10:05]

KINKADE: So just how involved do you think Qatar and Turkey and even Egypt will be going forward in enforcing this ceasefire deal?

HELLYER: They can't force it. Force in this regard is really the domain of the United States. It's the United States that has the leverage and power to ensure that the Israelis hold to the deal and move forward with any withdrawals. It won't be Egypt. It won't be Qatar, it won't be Turkey. They can apply diplomatic pressure, but they've been trying to apply diplomatic pressure for the past two years. And you've seen a genocidal war take place despite that.

Pressure in this regard, true leverage is fundamentally going to have to be American. It could be European in the context of Germany because of the amount of arms that Germany provides the state of Israel. But fundamentally, this is American pressure that would have to be applied or even just minimally, the withdrawal of even partial American support.

That's the real question here. Are they going to use the leverage that they have in order to ensure that we see a more sustainable future, not just for Gaza, but for the entire region?

KINKADE: Hopefully this is indeed a success.

H.A. Hellyer, great to get your analysis as always. Thanks so much.

HELLYER: Thank you so much, Lynda.

KINKADE: We want to turn to France now where the president could name a new prime minister within the coming days. That's according to the outgoing prime minister, who has been holding last-ditch talks with opposition parties in the hopes of salvaging the government and passing a budget. Sebastien Lecornu says the majority of parliament does not want snap elections.

CNN's Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a glimmer of hope in an otherwise fairly bleak week politically. On Monday, Sebastien Lecornu, the prime minister appointed less than a month ago, had resigned only hours after appointing his Cabinet because of the fractious nature of his Cabinet. He was then asked by the French president to stay on and to try again, to focus the minds of the leaders on the traditional moderate right and traditional moderate left that he had hoped to bring into his government in order to see whether it might not be possible.

Still, to find some kind of compromise, he'd been given until Wednesday night. By Wednesday morning he had this to say about his negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIEN LECORNU, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): That is a will to have a budget for France by the 31st of December of this year. And this will create a movement and convergence that distances the prospect of dissolution of parliament.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: The suggestion then that what the negotiations have yielded so far is that the urgent need to get the budget for 2026 not just approved, but to agree on the important budget cuts necessary to avoid the looming debt crisis here in France might be enough to bring together that government in order that it might focus on that issue. Then the question of the dissolution, maybe not in the immediate future, but perhaps afterwards could remain a possibility.

We should hear more, either by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning from Sebastien Lecornu himself or from President Macron, who's found himself in a very difficult position of having a dwindling number of options ahead of him, none of them terribly palatable.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Lawmakers in Washington are starting to lose their cool amid the government shutdown now in its second week. From heated shouting matches to waning loyalty to party platforms, the pressure to make a deal to reopen the government is building. The Republican backed bill to temporarily fund the government has failed a sixth vote in the Senate, with Democrats refusing to give up their fight for changes to healthcare policy. But some lawmakers are making it very clear neither party wants to concede in the standoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): We're not going to budge on our insistence that we have to open government back up.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I'm sorry, I'm aggravated.

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD): They've now decided that they're going to hold it hostage because they think they can. You simply can't reward that type of misbehavior.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): House Republicans are on vacation right now. That's extraordinary.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): So Democrats have three words for this. No (EXPLETIVE DELETED) way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, others are calling for a pause to the partisan politics and to take a real look at the issues. House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene says she doesn't agree completely with the Democrats' plan, but is also criticizing her own party for refusing to make any kind of deal.

Here's what she told our Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): It is hurting so many people, Manu. Seriously so many people across the board, no matter how many -- how they vote. I'm literally calling it out and saying, let's take off our Democrat jerseys, let's take off our Republican jerseys, and we should do something responsible for the American people and fix this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:15:11]

KINKADE: U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tells CNN more than half of air travel delays on Wednesday were caused by staffing shortages, far more than usual. He's been critical of the increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick amid the government shutdown.

CNN's Pete Muntean looks at the issues U.S. airports are facing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: The good news is that on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration says it's not too concerned about staffing issues. It's not alerted any possibilities of staffing issues. There was a concern about air traffic controller staffing at a facility near Newark Liberty International Airport, but that has now dropped off. The list of concern pales in comparison to the problems on Tuesday, where we saw air traffic control facility after facility end up on the list of short staffing, including Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Boston, places we typically don't see on that list.

And then the problems were so dire at two major airports that the FAA actually had to slow flights into those airports at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where about a quarter of all flights were delayed on Tuesday and at Nashville International Airport, where the approach control facility controlling close range flights at low altitude arriving and departing from the airport, that had to close for about five hours on Tuesday night.

The most dramatic version of this, though, was on Monday at Burbank Hollywood International Airport, where that facility, that tower there went to ATC zero. It completely shut down for a time. NATCA union president Nick Daniels says this is not part of some coordinated sick out effort in the government shutdown that controllers are already pushed to the limit and things are pretty dire because of the low staffing levels already.

There is a nationwide shortage of controllers. And so he says it only takes a handful of controllers to call out sick in certain areas to create a real cascading problem, an outsized impact. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says travel and flying is safe right now, and the FAA will slow flights if they have to if sick calls increase.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Vietnam is reeling from a second storm that's led to bad flooding, and forecasters have sobering news about the wet weather that's ahead. We'll have that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:21:57]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

Parts of Southern Romania are under an extreme danger warning after heavy rains caused severe flooding. Officials say water levels hit record levels over 24 hours. Large volumes caused some vehicles to become submerged. Others had to be abandoned. Firefighters have been on rescue duty.

And parts of Northern Vietnam are also under water as the country deals with the aftermath of Typhoon Matmo. Local media say at least four people were killed in this area alone, while hundreds of families fled their homes. The typhoon struck earlier this week, bringing a month's worth of rain to the capital Hanoi in 24 hours. It was the second storm to cause flooding in Vietnam in the past week, and forecasters say up to three more big storms are expected by the end of the year. Some residents say they didn't have much time to react.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NGO VAN DUY, RESIDENT (through translator): The water rose rapidly. I only managed to grab some electronic devices but chose to leave everything else because the water was higher than my head.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KINKADE: Heavy rain and flooding is on the way for some of the driest areas of the U.S. as Tropical Storm Priscilla is expected to dissipate and merge with another storm system in the coming days. Priscilla weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm in the past 24 hours and remains offshore of Mexico's Pacific Coast. But as it moves southwest and combines with another system, rainfall is expected to increase starting Thursday, which could produce flash flooding.

Priscilla sent high waves and storm surges crashing into Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, triggering beach closures. Hotels and businesses were flooded as water spilled into the streets.

Well, there's much more to come on CNN NEWSROOM, including reaction to the U.S. president's announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a ceasefire plan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:28:32]

KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a ceasefire deal. He says the agreement will see Israel withdraw troops in Gaza to a specified line, and allow the swift release of hostages in the coming days. Hamas says it has provided lists of Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of that deal.

The outgoing French prime minister says his replacement could be revealed by Friday. Sebastien Lecornu, who has been holding 11th hour talks with opposition parties, says the likelihood of a snap election is decreasing. The majority of lawmakers don't want parliament dissolved. He also believes it's possible to get a budget passed by the end of the year.

Former FBI director James Comey's trial is set for January 5th. He's pleaded not guilty to two charges, lying to Congress and obstruction of congressional proceedings. Comey says the charges are nothing more than political retribution from Trump.

More now on our top story this hour. President Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have signed on to the first phase of his Gaza peace plan. There are several thorny issues yet to be resolved, including a future government for Gaza and the removal of Hamas. But Mr. Trump told FOX News that the first priority is to bring all the remaining hostages home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT (via phone): Hostages are going to be released. It's probably -- our time would be probably Monday.

[00:30:08]

A lot of things are happening right now. As we speak, so much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they'll all be coming back on Monday. So, it looks like that's the thing. And that will include the bodies of the dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Israel's prime minister will convene his government in the coming hours to ratify the agreement. And President Trump says he may travel to the Middle East in the coming days.

CNN global affairs analyst Brett McGurk pointed out that the current agreement, built on work done -- was built on work done by the previous administration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Momentous day. There's not much good news in the world. This is great news. I am trying to hold it together, honestly. I worked on this issue a very long time.

We put together that three-phase deal in January. This is basically what was to be the second phase of that. This does end the war, but does so in a way, and important to your conversation with -- with Jeremy just now. And it's my understanding this really is the end of the war.

All hostages are being released. Israeli forces are still in the Gaza Strip, and there's now a consensus that Hamas's days in Gaza are over.

So, let me tell you what I hope to see on Saturday or Sunday.

First of all, the incredible images of the hostages coming home. But also, unlike what happened in January in that first phase of that deal, when Hamas came out of the tunnels in full military kit and said, "We're here to stay," those images, I suspect, we will not see.

Because there's now an agreement on a transition in Gaza that's going to take time. It's going to be hard. But with an interim security force, a number of international participants.

But bottom line, right now, hostages are coming out. This is the end of the Gaza war. It's a momentous day. It's great news, and credit to everybody who had a role in this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: That was the view there from Brett McGurk. And as we take a break, this is the view from one man in Khan Younis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Thank God for the ceasefire and the end of the bloodshed and the killing. I am not the only one happy. All of the Gaza Strip is happy. All Arab people are happy. All of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of the bloodshed. Thank you and all the love to those who stood with us. (END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:37:03]

KINKADE: Welcome back.

World travelers looking to wet your whistle, we have some new recommendations. A British group has released its list of the world's top 50 bars.

Bar Leone in Hong Kong comes in at No. 1. The Italian spot is run by a Rome native who says he wanted the bar to feel like his grandmother's living room. It's the first ever Asian bar to top the list.

Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City comes in at No. 2, followed by Sips and Paradiso in Barcelona. Tayer and Elementary in London rounds out the top five. And London is the only city with two bars in the top ten.

Former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy was renowned for her style and poise. Four years after her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated, she visited Cambodia and stayed at a hotel where a cocktail was created in her honor.

The hotel still treasures that visit she made decades ago. Here's CNN's travel producer Lilit Marcus.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LILIT MARCUS, CNN TRAVEL PRODUCER (voice-over): I'm at the Raffles le Royal Hotel here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

MARCUS: In 1967, Jackie Kennedy came here, saying --

MARCUS (voice-over): -- she wanted to fulfill her lifelong dream of seeing Angkor Wat. Well, she did visit Angkor Wat, which is in the North of Cambodia, but she also came here to Phnom Penh, which is the capital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The royal Cambodian palace, where Mrs. John F. Kennedy comes to fulfill a childhood dream.

MARCUS (voice-over): At the time, this hotel was the most glamorous address in town. The hotel was so honored to have her coming that they named a cocktail at their famous Elephant Bar in her honor.

MARCUS: This is the Femme Fatale.

MARCUS (voice-over): It has sparkling wine or champagne, which they know was one of Jackie's favorites. And this beautiful flower that was intended to match her lipstick.

Thirty years later, when the hotel was being renovated, team members found what they swore was the glass that Jackie Kennedy drank out of when she was here. They also say that it had a little bit of lipstick on it. It's now kept in a glass vitrine behind the bar, but any tourist can come in and ask to see it. There's also a Jackie Kennedy suite that was named in her honor.

Some things have changed at the hotel --

MARCUS: -- and at the bar, but some things haven't.

MARCUS (voice-over): It's still called the Elephant Bar. It's still decorated with lots of beautiful paintings and sculptures of elephants. And the Femme Fatale is still on the menu.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: What a great assignment.

Well, Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports, is now the -- football's first billionaire. Bloomberg's billionaires list puts the Portuguese striker's net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.

The index cites his huge salary, his sponsorships, and his endorsements.

The 40-year-old moved from Manchester United to the Saudi side, Al- Nassr, in 2023 after reportedly signing a contract north of $400 million, making him the highest paid player in history.

[00:40:04]

Well, artist Boss [SIC] Ross is known for his soft-spoken creativity on public television. Trees, clouds and birds became famous with his beautiful art.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB ROSS, PAINTER: See? Painting's fun. It should always make you happy. Want to load a little more color on the brush. And maybe let's do this one right now here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Now, his paintings are being auctioned to help support public TV stations after the Trump administration's federal funding cuts.

The president of Bob Ross Inc. says this auction shows Ross's legacy continues to support the very medium that made his art accessible to everyone.

A total of 30 paintings will be sold at various auctions.

Beloved country music legend Dolly Parton is reassuring fans that she's not going anywhere just yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY SINGER: And I'm not ready to die yet. I don't think God is through with me, and I ain't done working. So, I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, many people were alarmed after one of Parton's sisters asked for prayers for the singer's health this week. But she says she didn't mean to scare anyone, just that Dolly has been under the weather. And it was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister.

In her video, Dolly Parton said she's had some health problems after the death of her husband earlier this year. She says it was nothing major, but she had to postpone her December concerts in Las Vegas to be closer to home and address those health issues.

That does it for this edition of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with much more news at the top of the hour. Right now, WORLD SPORT is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:46:37]

(WORLD SPORT)

[00:57:45]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)