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Connect the World

Renewed Fighting In Gaza After Hamas-Israel Truce Ended; Interview With UNHCR Filippo Grandi About Gaza And Climate Change; UAE Announces $30 Billion Green Investment Fund; What's Next For U.S. Diplomacy As Fighting Resumes In Gaza?; People In Gaza Forced To Flee Homes, Struggle To Survive; Working To Find Global Solutions For Cat Overpopulation; Expulsion Vote Today For U.S. Representative George Santos. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired December 01, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:31]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to another special edition of CONNECT THE WORLD, live from the COP 28 conference here

in Dubai, where the two biggest stories today are converging, the expiration of the truce in Gaza leading to renewed air strikes and fighting

and the ever worsening climate crisis befalling our world.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog meeting with Qatar's Emir here in Dubai earlier emphasizing the, quote, "humanitarian duty to release Israeli

hostages." Qatar of course has played a key role in the negotiations about exchanging hostages for Palestinian detainees.

Well, the leader of the UAE, Mohamed bin Zayed, also present for these discussions. And America's top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken

landed in Dubai today, fresh off his trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank. He's affirming Washington's commitment to mitigating the climate

crisis.

And King Abdullah of Jordan, the country's population is 50 percent Palestinian or of Palestinian descent, making a compelling statement

earlier today emphasizing the interconnectedness of climate change and humanitarian challenges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: My friends, this year's conference of the parties must recognize even more than ever that we cannot talk about climate change

in isolation from the humanitarian tragedies unfolding around us. As we speak the Palestinian people are facing an immediate threat to their lives

and well-being. In Gaza, over 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Tens of thousands have been injured or killed in a region

already on the frontlines of climate change.

The massive destruction of war makes the environmental threats of water scarcity and food insecurity even more severe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's start in Gaza, where more than 100 people have been killed in the first several hours after the truce between Israel and Hamas

expired. That is according to the Hamas-run Military of Health in Gaza. After a weeklong pause and the release of scores of hostages and prisoners,

Israel's military operation is back on. And we are now learning that three additional hostages have died in Hamas captivity. That's according to a

group for the families of the hostages and their kibbutz.

Well, negotiators are scrambling to try to restore the pause in fighting and allow more hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released. That is

according to Qatar, which has been mediating the talks. In the last hour I spoke with the director general of the International Committee of the Red

Cross. And I started by asking him what he knew about these negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERT MARDINI, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS: Well, for now we hope that the negotiations will continue and we will

generate more releases of hostages and Palestinian detainees being reunited with their families. But so far we understand that there is a pause in this

operation, unfortunately.

ANDERSON: Can you just explain how the ICRC has been involved?

MARDINI: Well, the ICRC does not negotiate. It's parties to the conflict who negotiate those agreements of releases. And the ICRC plays its role as

a neutral intermediary. It facilitates the transfer of hostages in Gaza to the authorities in Egypt and to Israel and ultimately to their families.

And ICRC teams also in Israel and the West Bank facilitate the transfer of Palestinian detainees, and they are reunited to their families.

ANDERSON: From your perspective, what needs to happen to get the truce back on?

MARDINI: This is for parties to the conflict to decide. Of course today it's -- the nightmare is back for civilians in this conflict. Gazans, of

course, but also Israelis on the other side of the frontline. And after seven days of respite that made a huge difference in terms of humanitarian

support to the people who need this support most, this is now being challenged by the resumption of fighting.

[10:05:04]

ANDERSON: Your teams accepted the hostages directly from Hamas. What state where they in as they came out of Gaza?

MARDINI: Well, they were -- and of course every hostage is an individual and has an individual story and has different conditions. So you cannot

generalize, frankly, but our colleagues could feel still a great deal of anxiety, of fear, but also of relief to be in an ICRC car and they're very

close to be reunited with their families. So there were those mixed feelings that could be felt by our teams.

We had also, in all operations, a doctor to check on their health awaiting the transfer to be completed.

ANDERSON: How were your staff coping on the ground?

MARDINI: It's extremely tough. I think our staff and the Palestine Red Crescent Society volunteers are bearing witness and facing the very same

challenges civilians are facing. They are all in the line of fire, they are all caught frankly between a rock and a hard place in many evacuation

operations of severely injured people from hospitals, be it Al Shifa or Al Quds. Our teams came under fire and it shows the terrible and the very

difficult conditions of delivering impartial humanitarian services in this context.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, for more, let's get you Oren Liebermann who is in Tel Aviv. Ben Wedeman is in Jerusalem.

Let's start with you with the very latest, Oren.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as we were standing here just a moment ago, we saw 10 or so Iron Dome interceptions in central Israel, just

south of where we are standing in Tel Aviv here. It was difficult to get an exact location. But we haven't seen interceptions in this area since before

the truce. Probably not in a couple of weeks at this point. And certainly not in the volumes we have just seen.

As we stood here over my left shoulder here, we saw Iron Dome Interceptor after Iron Dome interceptor launching one after another, and then of

course, a few seconds later the actual interception of the missiles and then the explosions you hear as it takes down a rocket. That is simply a

grave reminder of the resumption in fighting we have seen since 7:00 this morning.

None of the rockets this long range of course. Most of the rockets targeted the Gaza periphery until this point. But we are now in a resumption of

fighting and both Israel and Hamas have promised they're ready if the fighting starts again, which very much has. Israel has carried out

punishing strikes across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and southern Gaza which is where they told Palestinians in northern Gaza to evacuate to

during the weeks of this war.

They also carried out strikes in Rafah against what they say was terrorist infrastructure in the area. They did or rather I should day Secretary of

State Antony Blinken did demand of Israel concrete steps to avoid civilian casualties if and when the war resumes again. Israel did drop leaflets that

had a QR code on them that if you clicked on it would lead to a picture of Gaza broken down in a very tiny parcel.

So it seems to be an attempt by the IDF to be able to say we are targeting these parcels, get out, evacuate along established evacuation routes for

your own safety. Of course it requires internet connectivity to be able to look at these maps to know where to go. And that, in and of itself, has

been a question multiple times over the past several weeks here.

So we'll have to see if this is effective at all in reducing the number of civilian casualties which has been a grave concern of course of the

international community but also of the United States. Meanwhile, the U.S. also calling on continued humanitarian aid going into Gaza.

But according to an eyewitness we have on the ground in Rafah, there are trucks there that have been inspected by the IDF but have not yet been gone

in. So we'll see if that situation changes, as the fighting has very much picked up, resumed both in its intensity and its scope and scale.

ANDERSON: Yes. It's worrying. Ben Wedeman, what's your perspective?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we've seen is almost from the moment when the truce ended at 7:00 a.m. local time, the

fighting began again. And what we have seen is some fairly intense bombardment in many parts of the Gaza Strip. So far the Ministry of Health

in Gaza says at least 100 people have been killed.

Now as Oren was mentioning, the Israelis, in addition to that leaflet he is referring to, they also dropped a leaflet in the Khan Younis area, telling

the people around there, the communities around Khan Younis, to move south to the Rafah. But of course Rafah, as we've seen, is incredibly jammed with

people who have, following the orders of the Israelis, gone from the north to the south.

And they've ended up in U.N. schools and other shelters that are wildly overcrowded, where the sanitation situation is extremely difficult.

[10:10:06]

I saw one person mentioning that there are about 600 people to every toilet. Now, also, hospital staffers saying that even though during the

seven days of truce that hundreds of trucks with aid, food, medicine, and whatnot were able to get inside of Gaza, that simply the level of demand

given how many people are now crammed into the south, it was perhaps 1 percent of what they actually needed.

And as Oren also mentioned that no more trucks are getting into Gaza since the cease-fire, rather the truce ended this morning. So the humanitarian

situation already catastrophic in the south of the Gaza Strip.

ANDERSON: OK, Ben, let me stop you for a moment, let me stop you for a moment. Let's listen to Secretary of State Antony Blinken who is speaking

here in Dubai. Apologies, Ben.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Almost hour by hour, but meanwhile we have also been very clear that we support Israel and its efforts to make

sure that October 7th never happens again. We have also been very clear about the imperative of doing that in a way that puts a premium on

protecting civilians, and making sure that humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it.

So that's what we're focused on and we're doing both at the same time. At the same time, in the conversations that we had today, it is important for

us to be talking about and thinking about every aspect of this challenge, not only today but also what happens the day after the conflict in Gaza is

over.

How are we thinking about what happens in Gaza, how is it governed, where does the security come from, how do we begin to rebuild, and critically,

how we get on a path to a just and lasting peace. And for us, of course, that has to result in a state for the Palestinians. So all of that is on

the agenda in our conversations.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The Gaza Health ministry today is talking about more than 100 Gazans who have been killed. And you know there seems to be some

confusion. You mentioned the Israeli effort to articulate safe areas. But there seems to be confusion in Gaza about where exactly those are.

How would you assess the Israeli holding to the commitments they made to you yesterday to do a better job protecting civilians? And the second

question, there's a "New York Times" report yesterday about an Israeli intelligence assessment that was floating around that appeared to more or

less have the entire Hamas attack planned.

Are you aware of that? Is the U.S. government aware of that report? And how has that affected the way you're using Israeli intelligence and assessments

in your analysis?

BLINKEN: So, first, on the civilian protection and the humanitarian assistance piece of this, as I said, that is absolutely imperative and we

saw Israel take steps immediately today to start to get information to people about where safe areas are, how they can get out of harm's way. And

we're just talking about right now, today, and I haven't had a chance to see exactly what happened today, I have seen that information start to get

out.

I saw the plans that Israel has in a multiplicity of ways to do everything possible to protect civilians including making sure that they have the

information they need and that there are ways to accommodate them. And this is going to be very important going forward and it's something we're going

to be looking at very closely.

In terms of the report in "The Times," look, there is going to be plenty of opportunity for a full accounting of what happened on October 7th,

including looking back to see what happened, who knew what, when. And Israel has been very clear about that. Right now the focus is on making

sure that they can do everything possible to ensure that it doesn't happen again. To make sure that civilians are protected. To make sure that

humanitarian assistance gets in.

And as I said, to also look at what happens once this conflict is over, what happens in Gaza, what happens more broadly getting us on a path to

lasting peace and security. So we're focused on all of that. I think there will be a time and I know this will happen, there will be accountability

looking at what led up to October 7th.

Thanks. Thanks, everyone.

[10:15:03]

ANDERSON: Right. That is Anthony Blinken literally on the tarmac leaving this meeting where I am, which is the Conference of the Parties 28, COP 28,

where the discussions are ostensibly around climate change, climate crisis and how to provide solutions going forward. But of course, many of the

conversations here have been dominated by what is going on in Gaza at present.

A UNICEF spokesperson in Gaza calling the hostilities there a war on children. James Elder spoke about the horrors being inflicted on children

in a video message recorded inside one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: The cease-fire is over. We can already hear the bombing. And I'm at a hospital. There was a hit about 50 meters

from here. This is the biggest still functioning hospital in Gaza. It's at 200 percent capacity. Yes, this is a hospital. The health system here is

overwhelmed. This hospital simply cannot take more children with the wounds of war.

There are children everywhere,. These children are sleeping, there was a bomb literally 50 meters from here. I cannot overstate how the capacity has

been reduced of hospitals in our seven weeks. We cannot see more children with the wounds of war, with the burns, with a shrapnel littering their

body with a broken bones. Inaction by those with influence is allowing the killing of children. This is a war on children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, joins me now live.

And Filippo, you just heard the UNICEF spokesperson there describing what he is seeing on the ground and appealing for a pause. Your thoughts?

FILIPPO GRANDI, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: It's devastating. And of course the pause that we have seen in the last few days

was not peace. Far from it. But it allowed the liberation of hostages, liberation of Palestinian prisoners, more aid into Gaza. It was not peace

but you cannot start discussing peace if you don't have these humanitarian foundations.

So it was a little ray of hope and now we're back to this senseless string of deaths. You mentioned 100 people already killed since the resumption of

activities. So, you know, UNHCR, my organization, is not involved in the occupied Palestinian territory, UNRWA is the main humanitarian agency

there. But of course as a humanitarian I can only be anguished by what we observe.

ANDERSON: And you were of course the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees for some time. You know Gaza well. You know what sort

of infrastructure and effort that UNRWA has there, and you will be well aware of how decapitated that has been. And I don't know how else to

describe it. I mean, so many U.N. agency staff killed in this war. More than in any other conflict ever. Any single conflict.

I mean, what sort of pressure does that put on the agency that you used to run? And given that they are responsible for so many, hundreds of thousands

of Palestinian refugees in the enclave?

GRANDI: Unbelievable pressure, and first and foremost, as you said, the loss of colleagues. I think the latest figure I saw was yesterday, was 111.

UNRWA colleagues probably it's going to go up further because, you know, UNRWA is in the community, works in the schools, runs schools and

hospitals. And let's not forget, UNRWA has also been an agency severely under-resourced, underfunded in the last few years.

This is all part of what I feel as a former head of UNRWA as, you know, the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians has been not only neglected

but almost ridiculed in the past few years. And yet now we see that without that avenue there's no light at the end of the tunnel. We have -- everybody

has to have the courage to go back to that extremely difficult negotiating table. And supporting UNRWA is part of that of course.

ANDERSON: Well, of course the truce -- the temporary truce has fallen apart. This was very specifically not a cease-fire. And the Israelis have

been absolutely categoric about, you know, a temporary truce falling apart, will mean that the fighting will begin, and we are seeing that on the

ground today.

[10:20:05]

The health authorities in Gaza reporting more than 100 dead. You've also previously condemned the forcible displacement of Palestinians from the

north of Gaza to the south. And today Israel dropping leaflets on them, telling them to move even further south. You know the story on the ground.

How much further can they go? Where do they go?

GRANDI: We have said it many times before when the conflict was smaller than now. Gaza is a place that, when you have a war in the Gaza Strip, you

have nowhere to go. There is very little safety when there is such a scale of military offensive. So this is one more reason.

Let's not also forget two-thirds of the population of Gaza is -- you know, comes from a refugee situation, a very old refugee situation, from very old

refugee situation. So displacement is in the history of that population. And it is very important that this ends very quickly.

ANDERSON: I mean, there are 1.8 million people displaced. I mean, you say let's not forget, but there are generations of displaced living in Gaza.

But over the past 50 or more days, 1.8 million have been displaced. What is the path going forward?

GRANDI: The path is that there is no other way but for this to end. At least for humanitarian cease-fire to resume so that people can be assisted

because it's not just a matter of displacement and no space, it's that aid cannot go to these people. We've seen the images now for weeks, right?

ANDERSON: And that aid has of course stopped again in the past 24 hours.

GRANDI: And that aid has stopped again. Inevitably, it was part of this arrangement. Like I said, there was a glimmer of hope and now it seems to

have been switched off. Let's hope that this can resume again.

ANDERSON: For the first time, we're hearing the U.S. change its tone, saying that Israel still has a right to defend itself. But that it needs to

do so within the laws of war. Do you think we will see a change? I mean, you know, we are also hearing, and certainly the State Department is

denying, that Antony Blinken while he was in Israel has said, look, Israel, you've got weeks not months to finish this.

Are we seeing any sense from the wider community, and obviously the U.S. is front and center in this, about increased pressure now to find a solution

to this, or at least get this stopped?

GRANDI: Well, I think it was that pressure that led to the arrangement whereby hostages were released and the pause started. So it is possible to

do it. If there is political will, it is extremely complicated I think, but the images that we are going unfortunately, tragically to see again

hopefully will create again pressure for this to go back to a path of I wouldn't say peace, but dialogue, and any way of trying to avoid some of

the suffering that civilians are going through.

ANDERSON: And lest we forget there are -- you know, there was more than a million civilians in the crosshairs at this point.

You're the refugee chief. We are here at the annual climate conference. King Abdullah today has already said you cannot ignore what is going on in

Gaza at present. As people gather here to discuss solutions for the climate crisis going forward. Climate crisis of course is driving the displacement

of millions of people around the world and making life more precarious for those who have already been displaced. What is your message here?

GRANDI: Well, of course, King Abdullah is completely right because there is a very complicated relationship between displacement and conflict, and

climate. Climate sometimes creates conditions that generate conflict, the generates displacement. Displacement has an impact on nature, makes things

worse. So it's a very vicious circle that needs to be broken. Like in places and not only in Gaza, in many other places, look at Sudan, look at

Somalia, in places which are very fragile from the climate point of view.

And where there is conflict, you cannot break those terrible cycles like drought, floods, displacement. If you cannot access populations in need,

vulnerable populations, and conflict prevents that from happening.

[10:25:00]

So you see how perverse these intersections are. This is why everything is important. In a way, what King Abdullah said symbolizes the big challenges

that humanity is facing. Conflict and climate change. And so many interrelations. And the fact that here in Dubai, these are the two themes,

is significant. Let's hope that it will lead towards better collective engagement on all these matters.

ANDERSON: Wise words from King Abdullah earlier today here in Dubai.

It is always a pleasure. The work that your agency does is absolutely invaluable on the ground. And having, you know, been reporting on this

specific conflict for the last 50 days, but providing room on the show to ensure that we talk about conflict and conflict and climate so often

reminds me, you know, the responsibility we all have to try and affect some change. It's always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

GRANDI: Thank you, very much.

ANDERSON: Coming up, cash, controversy and the climate crisis. It is all going on here at the COP 28 summit. Just ahead, what some smaller nations

are saying to the big polluters.

This is CONNECT THE WORLD.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, you could call this a big money day here at the COP 28 climate summit. I'm talking very big money. As the world's climate chaos

accelerates, the United Arab Emirates where we are here is launching a $30 billion green investment fund. It means more help to developing nations as

they make the green transition. It comes as several world leaders warn that the summit to make no mistake, the time is running out to slash fossil

fuels.

Well, the head of the U.N. is among those sounding the alarm. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels. We must accelerate a just equitable

transition to renewables. The science is clear. The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning our fossil fuels. Not reduce,

not abate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that's the U.N. secretary general speaking here at the conference.

CNN's David McKenzie is with me now.

And you've been talking to people here today on what is sort of, you know, the second day, the first day of sort of senior leadership attendance.

Second day for many. It's back end of the day now. What have you learned?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what I've learned is that there was this cheerful stroll up the avenue that we

were all watching this morning, with all these leaders and royals, a very relaxed atmosphere. Not soon became very serious with that speech from the

U.N. secretary general saying that the transition away from fossil fuels is inevitable but that it needs to be quicker and that it needs to have

concrete goals.

[10:30:03]

I think that set the tone for the leaders' session of this COP of how important it is to get those concrete numbers down and get them down in the

next few weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED ADOW, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, POWER SHIFT AFRICA: That is such a small amount but it's also a signal that we acknowledge the climate harms

they've caused. And they're now open to help and provide the reparations that would help the rest of the world, particularly the most vulnerable,

dealing with the inevitable and vast part of climate change.

MCKENZIE: The U.S. has often said that this is not reparations. That this is a partnership. Why do you think they don't want to use that word?

ADOW: If somebody hits your car and admits to the error, and doesn't provide you the resources to make the amends, and chooses to call it

anything else apart from compensation, that's on them. The bottom line is the rest of the ritual that have emitted the bulk of climate change, that

have caused -- emitted the bulk of the emissions and of course climate change, and now for the first time admitting liability and providing the

institution that will help them make amends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well, that was the head of Power Shift Africa, Mohamed Adow. What is interesting there, Becky, is that he is saying that that $17.5 million

that the U.S. contributed to the loss and damage fund, in his words, is shameful. But he said it's critically important because there is a shift in

thinking. The U.S. and some other rich nations have for a long time not wanted to actually put their backing of this fund.

I actually caught up with South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa as well. He said he feels that the beginning of this COP set a positive tone on

trust and other issues. He said the contributions from the UAE, the EU, and others is important. But he said that much more needs to be done and more

dollars need to be promised, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's really fascinating, isn't it, as we move through in the next few days. And of course, you know, the negotiators here, you got 200

countries here, who ultimately need to, you know, agree on the wording of a communique at the end of all of this, which charts a course, an agreed

course, for the world as it takes on the challenge of the climate crisis. And that's always tough. Let's see how they get on.

It's always good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.

This year of course will be the first global stop take to see how countries are living up to the 2015 Paris Agreement. It's worth taking a step back

and reminding ourselves what was pledged back in 2015. It is the largest ever or was the largest ever international court to combat climate change.

The legally binding treaty was signed by nearly every country in the world. It calls for countries to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius and

to target -- or to aim for a target below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

The agreement also aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. It requires countries to submit an updated

climate action plan every five years. Stay tuned, more to come.

Still ahead, only five U.S. House members have ever been removed from office by their peers. But could Representative George Santos become number

six? Details ahead in today's historic vote in Washington, D.C.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:36:40]

ANDERSON: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson.

Well, Israeli combat operations ongoing again in Gaza after the expiration of its truce with Hamas. The Israel Defense Force, the IDF, saying it

carried out strikes against more than 200 Hamas targets on Friday. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza saying more than 100 people have been

killed and many others injured in the attacks with areas of southern Gaza reportedly coming under intense bombardment.

Well, Qatar's Foreign Ministry says negotiations continue in the hopes of getting the truce back on track. But today's developments are clearly a

setback for the Biden administration and Middle East governments that have been working to get a more permanent truce in place.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv on Thursday before the truce ended that it is imperative that Israel pay more attention to the

safety of Palestinian civilians in Gaza going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: Before Israel resumes major military operations it must put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimize further

casualties of innocent Palestinians. That means taking more effective steps to protect the lives of civilians, including by clearly and precisely

designating areas in places in southern and central Gaza where they can be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the Biden administration indicating there it does not want the next stage of the war in Gaza to be a repeat of the first seven weeks.

Amid the catastrophic suffering of the people of Gaza and the breakdown of the Israel-Hamas truce, we asked the question, where does U.S. diplomacy go

from here?

Aaron David Miller joining me now. He's a former U.S. State Department Middle East negotiator and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for

International Peace.

We're seeing a very frank tone from the Biden administration. Contrast it with comments that were more an advisory in tone perhaps in the initial

stage of the war. And you have noted this significant shift in rhetoric. Why now to your mind, and I wonder whether it is worth asking whether this

is too little too late.

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: First of all, Becky, thanks for having me. Look, the Biden administration

having tethered itself to Israel's war aims understandably, the eradication of Hamas's military capacity above ground, below ground, as well as killing

its senior leadership, I think the Biden administration now is in a bind in the face of exponential increase in Palestinian civilian deaths,

humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

It's looking for some way to deescalate. But I'm afraid it's created or it's in a no way out sort of situation. The secretary talked about

minimizing Palestinian deaths. He didn't talk about ending them. And you've seen the map that the Israelis have produced, well, which designates scores

of areas in which Palestinians can go but that really requires a degree of advance warning and communication to move one kilometer, two kilometers, to

quote an Israeli official who is trying to explain what it is they intend to do.

[10:40:01]

I just think the administration now is trapped. I think there will be a resumption of humanitarian pauses. There are still hostages to release. And

Hamas is playing this cruel game, and I think the Israelis -- in the fact they can work on a mutually acceptable arrangement may return to the

negotiating table.

But make no mistake, we're not into a situation with respect to the ground campaign that is going to last weeks. This is months. And I don't know

whether the Biden administration is prepared to accept that or not. I mean, I just -- I don't know.

ANDERSON: Well, it's interesting, isn't it? The State Department today denying reports in the Israeli press that have suggested that Antony

Blinken, when he was in Israel yesterday, had explicitly told the Israelis that this cannot last months and any, you know, further hostilities, that

it's going to be weeks. I mean, we already know that the defense minister said it would be two more months at least, were this pause to break down.

And so we are potentially looking at a really significant uptick now on the ground.

Antony Blinken, on the tarmac just earlier here in Dubai, was asked, you know, about what happens next and the U.S. position and it's clearly very

difficult for Anthony Blinken to talk about what happens today. He also, by the way, wants to talk about the day after at this point.

And now he's been not back around this region in sort of trying to get some momentum on conversations about what happens in a post-conflict Gaza. Until

it happens -- until he can, you know, try and, you know, help organize a cease-fire. What is your sense of what the Americans -- the American

administration wants to see next?

MILLER: I mean, I am guessing here, maybe not guessing. Clearly the elements of a post-conflict Gaza would involve a return of Palestinian

governance. How to legitimize that presents, if it's the Palestinian Authority, no shape, revitalized or not to resume responsibility for Gaza.

And it cannot ride in on the back of an Israeli Merkava tank. But Palestinian governance in Gaza, an enormous amount of resources from the

Gulf Arabs for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction.

But the missing piece here is the transition. The missing piece is, who or what is going to provide security, legitimate security presence in the

event that the Israelis do finish their military campaign? You know, Becky, as well as I, that the Israelis have no intent of departing Gaza. They may

set up buffer zones in the north. There will be some Israeli presence. So an international (INAUDIBLE).

ANDERSON: OK. David, it's good to have you ob. Your analysis and insight is so important. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

We have got to take a short break right after this point. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, an historic expulsion vote is expected today for U.S. Republican Congressman George Santos.

[10:45:03]

Now he could be only the sixth person ever to be expelled from the House of Representatives, the lower chamber in the United States. This comes after

the House Ethics Committee concluded that Santos stole money from his campaign and told a series of lies to voters and donors. Well, U.S.

lawmakers debated last night whether or not he should be removed.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joins us live from Washington, D.C. I'm actually being told we are struggling to get Sunlen, so I'm going to get her back for you

just as soon as I can.

Well, Russian attacks on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka have increased in recent days with more shelling and airstrikes hitting the

community, according to local officials. The town has withstood 11 attacks including six airstrikes over the past day. That's according to the

national police in the Donetsk region.

Let's take a break.

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ANDERSON: Right. Well, you're joining me back here in Dubai at the COP 28 climate event here.

Away from here the Biden administration indicating there that it does not want the next stage of the war in Gaza to be a repeat of the first seven

weeks. Along with a devastatingly high civilian death toll, the U.N. says Israel's military offensive has displaced 1.8 million people in Gaza and

damaged or destroyed more than 60 percent of all housing units there. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights saying today that the situation in

Gaza is beyond the crisis point.

Ben Wedeman reports.

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WEDEMAN: There isn't much left to retrieve from the moonscape that was Zahra City in central Gaza. Just some scraps of wood pulled from the ruins.

The odds and ends that were once people's lives.

We've come to get what we can, says Amja Deshanti (PH). The kids' things, our clothing, whatever we can get from under the rubble. Here, found this,

my daughter's toy. No one can live here anymore. The destruction total.

Life in Gaza has been reduced to the basics of pre-industrial existence where people have become hewers of wood where they can find it. And drawers

of water even if that water is barely potable.

Besame Latar (PH) goes out early every day to collect the firewood his wife uses to prepare meals. The United Nations estimates around 80 percent of

Gaza's population has been displaced. More than a million jammed into schools converted into shelters.

People here are living on top of one another, says Besim (PH). The place is full of filth. All these kids are going to get sick.

The World Health Organization reports that without adequate hygiene, health care and food, disease is spreading. Besim's wife, Hetam (PH), tears up the

daily bread old and stale to be made into a thin soup with lentils.

[10:50:09]

We used to feed this to the sheep, now we give it to the children, she says.

There's no more room at this school in Maghazi, central Gaza. (INAUDIBLE) extended family, of more than 20, sleep in the back of a truck protected

from the elements by a plastic tarp. She fled from Northern Gaza with only what she could carry, desperate now to find enough food to feed her

children.

When my son tells me, I'm hungry, what can I say, she asks. We try but we can't find anything. Our life is hard.

Hard perhaps is an understatement. Welcome to the apocalypse now.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Jerusalem.

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ANDERSON: I'm Becky Anderson here in Dubai for you.

Well, Abu Dhabi's sweltering summer months can be unbearable at times for many people, but for its furry inhabitants, the heat can be -- can cause

more breeding. One veterinarian is trying to bring animal welfare onto the global climate agenda.

Charlie Fong explains.

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CHARLIE FONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Cats, they're everywhere in Abu Dhabi. Every alley, every building, every street corner. But with global

temperatures skyrocketing and summers here reaching 50 degrees Celsius, it could spell a catastrophe for our furry friends.

SUSAN AYLOTT, ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATE: We see a lot of cats that don't make it through the summer unfortunately. The average age of a community cat

here is maybe one or two years of age.

FONG: Dr. Susan Aylott is the director of a veterinary clinic and an animal welfare advocate. With COP 28 on the horizon she hopes to draw more

attention to the plight of our planet's cohabited.

One major way heat affects cats is its contribution to population growth. When things are literally heated outside, these furry felines go into heat

and breed more frequently.

AYLOTT: And if you have a male and female cats, without any intervention, the statistics show that you can have 11,600,000 cats after nine years. We

all like cats but that is not animal welfare. So this is why it's important to intervene with TNR program.

FONG: TNR stands for trap, neuter and return. Dr. Susan's clinic runs such a program where they set up feeding stations in designated locations and

gauge how many cats use the facility. They are then trapped and taken to the clinic to be sterilized and vaccinated, and then released back to their

original location. Apart from controlling the population, Dr. Susan is also looking at sustainable feeding solutions.

AYLOTT: We are currently feeding the cats with insect food, which is a much better, healthy diet specific food again but it's in also keeping with the

sustainability for our planet.

Animal welfare does need to change and it is on the global agenda now. Everyone should learn to understand that we are on this planet together. We

all have a right to live in harmony on this planet and we need to respect and show empathy and compassion for other living things.

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ANDERSON: As we reported earlier, an historic expulsion vote expected today for U.S. Republican Congressman George Santos. He could be only the sixth

person ever to be expelled from the House of Representatives. And this comes after the House Ethics Committee concluded Santos stole money from

his campaign and told a series of lies to U.S. voters and donors. Lawmakers debated last night whether or not he should be removed.

Let's bring in CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joining us live from Washington, D.C.

What are the details?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, this vote just started on the floor of the House of Representatives. And going into this

vote it is still unclear how it is going to turn out, which is something very rare for Congress. It is going to be very close, whether George Santos

will be expelled or not, going into the chamber. Just a few minutes ago he was pressed by reporters, how are you feeling, what are you thinking about

this effort?

And he said no final words. He walked into that chamber just a few minutes ago, notably not knowing what his fate would be whether he will remain a

U.S. congressman or not. He is now sitting in the back of the House chamber alone watching this vote tally go up. And you see the tally there on the

screen.

It is a very high bar to have a member of Congress expelled. They need two- thirds majority of the present members there that likely will boil down to about 77 Republicans voting with, if all Democrats vote to expel George

Santos today. So we will watch as this unfolds on the floor.

[10:55:00]

Now a notable part of this story just came a few minutes before they started this vote. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, he divulged that he

is planning to vote against this resolution, meaning he is voting in support of George Santos remaining in Congress. And what that has done is

it swayed a few Republicans who previously had been on the fence to come out and say they too will vote that way.

So what we thought last night was that the momentum was shifting against George Santos this morning. And just in the last hour we see the momentum

shifting back to him. So I can't emphasize enough, Becky, how razor close this vote will be and the fate of whether he will remain a congressman or

not will be decided likely in the next five minutes.

ANDERSON: OK. Understood. Thank you.

Well, that's it for CONNECT WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson in Dubai for you this evening. Thank you for joining us. Stay with CNN. "STATE OF THE RACE" with

Kasie Hunt is up next.

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