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Connect the World

CNN Speaks to Iranian Foreign Minister; Israel Pushing Deeper into Southern Gaza; Humanitarian Crisis Worsens in Gaza as War Intensifies; Key Israel-Gaza Crossing Remains Closed as Aid Trucks Wait; Hamas-Run Health Ministry says Gaza Death since October 7 is Now More Than 18,000; Musk Reporters X Account of Conspiracy Theorists Alex Jones. Aired 9-10a ET

Aired December 11, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: Well, it's 5 p.m. here in Doha. I'm Becky Anderson. This is "Connect the World". The Iranian FM told

me his solution for the Palestinian question and it involves a referendum under the United Nations. I'll have more details on that in a few minutes.

Israeli forces push further south as the humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to the U.S.

this week and meet U.S. President Joe Biden. We begin with the growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza. That is the story tonight. And it is a

growing humanitarian disaster. This is the situation in the Southern city of Rafah right now.

Everywhere you look tents serving as minimal shelter for people who fled their homes looking for safety. A key crossing on the Israel Gaza border

did not open to aid trucks today despite hopes that it wouldn't with much of the besieged enclave going hungry. Right now according to the United

Nations and fierce battles ongoing between Israeli forces and Hamas concerns for civilians are soaring. Here's the U.S. Secretary of State

Antony Blinken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We think there needs to be a premium put on protecting civilians and making sure that humanitarian

assistance can get to everyone who needs it. And as I said, I think the intent is there. But the results are not always manifesting themselves.

It's imperative that civilians be protected. And here the critical thing is to make sure that the military operations are designed around civilian

protection.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that's the U.S. perspective. Much of Gaza is simply decimated at this point as the Israeli military takes aim at Hamas

militants and infrastructure. Drone footage from Gaza City shows Israeli tanks in the streets and an Israeli flag planted symbolically in the city's

Palestine Square. Well, Jeremy Diamond is in Sderot in Southern Israel.

And there will be those watching this show who says it is all very well to hear from Antony Blinken about what should happen next and how Israeli

should ensure that they protect civilians. They vetoed a ceasefire resolution at the U.N. on Friday. And we now know are expressing new

munitions for the Israeli army in this conflict against Hamas, which is, as we can see, clearly impacting so many thousands of lives.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Becky, I mean, the United States is bringing more pressure to bear publicly and privately.

But it does appear that there are limits to how much pressure they are willing to bring to bear and also the extent to which that pressure is

being heated by the Israelis. We have heard in recent days, from Israeli officials talking about their efforts to ramp up protections for civilians

in Gaza.

Whether it is those evacuation orders dropping leaflets, getting more humanitarian aid trucks checked in Israel in order to get them into Gaza.

But they are also making clear that they are operating on their own timeline as it relates to the offensive. We heard yesterday from the

Israeli National Security Adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi saying that the United States hasn't given them a firm date by which they have to end their

military campaign.

And also saying that he believes this current offensive in Gaza is likely not even going to be measured in weeks, and perhaps not even in months,

meaning that this could be a long term play in Gaza. We are watching as the Israeli offensive is continuing not only in Southern Gaza, which has been

the thrust of military operations over the last week.

But also behind me in Northern Gaza, you can see the smoke from explosions that we just heard there just minutes ago, clearly still very heavy

fighting going on in all parts of the Gaza Strip. Today we had expected that that Kerem Shalom crossing would perhaps open to allow for Israeli

officials to conduct security checks on additional aid trucks going into Gaza.

That move would double the capacity of security checks for those trucks. But that Kerem Shalom crossing did not open today. COGAT, which is the

Israeli agency responsible for humanitarian aid going into Gaza, said that the aid is waiting at the entrance of the Rafah crossing in Egypt, blaming

the United Nations effectively for the delay.

International Humanitarian official on the other hand said that it was because Egypt was keeping the Rafah crossing clear for some VIP visits

going into Gaza today.

[09:05:00]

But there is a hope that perhaps in the coming days that crossing will open to allow for those additional security inspections. What we do know is that

that aid is much needed, where civilians are being told to evacuate in Rafah. For example, not only are there still Israeli bombardments in that

area, but also when civilians get there, they are finding overcrowded and under resourced shelters, hospitals that are overflowing.

Only 14 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially open at the moment. And U.N. officials and other humanitarian groups are describing simply an

increasingly desperate and severe humanitarian situation in Gaza.

ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond is on the ground and stood up on the Israeli side of the border. Well, here in the capital of Qatar in the Gulf, I've been

leading the panel discussions, what is a two day forum here. The Doha forum in Qatar, where Gaza is the main topic is particularly among Arab leaders

and indeed, those other thousands who are gathered here.

For his part, the Emir of Qatar is telling us the besieged territories witnessing, in his words, an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. Canada's

Prime Minister is on the stage with me here, as you can see, also offering a downbeat assessment of any willingness by Israel and Hamas to agree to

another truce at this point.

Qatar as you'll likely recall, was at the harder mediation talks that produced last month's humanitarian pause in fighting. Well, a few hours

ago, I spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister, it's the first extensive conversation with an Iranian leader since the Israeli Hamas war broke out

on October the seventh, here's what he had to say about ending the conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: For the Palestinian question, we have come up, and we have put forth a very important solution.

And the solution lies in holding a referendum participated by all the Palestinians, the original ones, including the Jews, the Christians and the

Muslims. It is our solution.

The self-determination should be done by the original Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, they should take part in a referendum and after 75

years, they can decide their own future. They can participate in a referendum by the United Nations, they can express their opinion and they

can vote. And then based on the results of this referendum and the conflict will be over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that is the perspective of the Iranian Foreign Minister; you can hear more of my interview with him in the next hour of "Connect the

World". I want to bring in Husam Zomlot. He's the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK is here with me in Doha. You were on a panel with me earlier on

today.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, as you heard they're weighing in. And what Iran says the day after the conflict effectively needs to look like

Washington very keen to engage partners around this region in that very discussion. What does post conflict Gaza look like? How will it be

governed? Who will run it? And how will it be rebuilt, and then what happens going forward?

The Americans have said they want to see a Palestinian two state solution as part of that conversation. There's a real reticence here to go beyond

what is happening on the ground at present, and that is the horrendous loss of life that we're seeing on the ground and the destruction of Gaza. The

calls for a ceasefire, of course U.S. blocked with a veto, a resolution in the UN last Friday.

And then you hear Antony Blinken saying, we demand that civilian lives must be protected. When you hear those comments from the U.S. Secretary of

State, what does that say to you?

HUSAM ZOMLOT, PALESTINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UK: It says to me that here 17,000 innocent people killed late, too late. Here quarter of a million

houses demolished too late. He is really needs to focus on two things now. And I mean, Mr. Blinken, I mean, the U.S. international community to stop

this carnage immediately. Because every minute and I mean, every minute counts in shaping the future.

We can no longer discuss the day after because we don't know what next morning will look like. The plan, the Israeli plan is very clear; it is to

turn Gaza unlivable. And they're doing the same in the West Bank at a slower pace, but it's the same blueprint if you may design. And therefore

this is a time for action.

I think the international community needs to regain respect for its own rules and order because it has been undermined. It has been tested to the

max. This is a time when accountability needs to be on the table.

[09:10:00]

So this is never again, because if we end this tragedy and wait for the next tragedy, we have failed humanity for generations to come. And we need

to not think about the day after only; we need to think about the day before. Because the world has not just failed, the Palestinian people after

the seventh of October, the world has failed the Palestinian people before the seventh of October.

And you know very well, Becky, that almost the Palestinian issue was non- existent in Washington and in London and key international quarters. The Netanyahu agenda for quarter of a century has been the dominant one, which

is primarily killing off any opportunity of a two state solution; he's public about it today. We need to regain that momentum and need to take

action rather than words.

ANDERSON: What you did say when we spoke alongside a number of other key speakers on the panel today was that, when we get to that conversation

around this region and beyond about what happens next? You said very specifically, this needs to not just be about what happens in a post

conflict, Gaza. But this needs to be a conversation with Palestinians about a Palestinian future. And it needs to include the West Bank, as you rightly

pointed out.

ZOMLOT: Yes.

ANDERSON: Just explain the conceit of your argument here.

ZOMLOT: The argument is this did not begin on the seventh of October. The argument is this is not a conflict between Hamas and Israel, or Gaza and

Israel. This is oppression by Israel that has lasted for 75 years. This is not a war because war happens between two countries, two armies. You can

never define actions by an occupier against occupied by using the term war that doesn't exist.

You use repression, oppression, and you use terms like resistance or terms like struggle for the Palestinian people, terms like self-defense. And you

know, all these words that have been used have really misplaced the Palestinian issue and have contributed to where we are today. The

Palestinian people have been struggling for 100 years, Becky.

This is a people struggle. This is not political factions, Fatah, Hamas PFLP name it have been born out of the womb of the Palestinian people over

hundreds of years, Hamas is a newcomer to this whole thing. It's a people struggle. And that struggle is very clear. I just heard we need the

referendum, referendum for what we're very clear, this is a liberation struggle.

We are seeking to liberate --. We want to have a right of self- determination that has international consensus. And we want to establish our state once that occupation ends in the West Bank and Gaza with

Jerusalem as its capital that should be sovereign real state, not a Mickey Mouse state. Security is the product of that not the entry to that.

And Israel cannot have security on its own. We have the structures for that, which is the State of Palestine recognized by the majority of the

world. We have the government of the State of Palestine, which is the --

ANDERSON: Which is the PLS, not the PAs many people might suggest.

ZOMLOT: The PA is a structure that was created by the PLO. The PLO is the mother, the PLO is the umbrella.

ANDERSON: And you want to get back to that, as in principle?

ZOMLOT: No, we have never gotten anywhere, the PLO remained. The PA was established by the PLO Central Council to undertake the PLO's

responsibilities under Oslo; you know, provision of services and what have you --

ANDERSON: But that never happened? Oslo was never -

ZOMLOT: And you know, what happened? You know what, we started with?

ANDERSON: Remind audience?

ZOMLOT: Yeah, we started the Oslo process for a process of bankrolling occupation. And then we got 500 percent increase in the illegal colonial

settlement. And we got Netanyahu soon after. Netanyahu was elected 25 years ago.

ANDERSON: Ambassador, let me put this to you. When Benjamin Netanyahu says, you know, when I call Palestine, who picks up the phone? The point being,

there has been for a long time an argument that says we haven't got anybody to speak to. Anybody who's going to make any difference for the Palestinian

people, to which you say what? Who the stakeholders on the Palestinian side?

ZOMLOT: You can discuss any things about the Palestinian issue, except one thing, the legitimacy and representation; we have been very well

represented. The legitimacy of the Palestinian institutions is national, regional and international. And we have the President of the Palestinian

people. He is the President of the PLO; he's dominated by Fatah, the biggest party in the Palestinian national.

ANDERSON: He isn't been elected for a very long time. He's the main President that hasn't been in election.

ZOMLOT: He was elected, he was elected and we need to convene elections. We were supposed to do so last year. You know the story -- blocked us in --

[09:15:00]

ANDERSON: Do you like to see an election?

ZOMLOT: Yes, of course, of course. But he is there not only as the Elected President of the PA, he is there as the Elected President of the Palestine

Liberation Organization of the State of Palestine, he is dominated by his movement. We were supposed to convene the Fatah Congress this month, this

very month to renew the legitimacy of the Fatah leadership and to renew the nomination for the PLO.

So we have our structures, we have our legitimacy. And by the way, President Abbas is known as his -- his vision is always a negotiated two

state solution. So Netanyahu is lying. Netanyahu needs to tell us who should we call, -- Smotrich. Netanyahu who was just few days ago, sat with

his colleagues in the Likud Party, and said, keep me after the war, because I'm the only one who can kill any prospect of a Palestinian state.

We have no partner of Israel, and I hope the last situation would create a political momentum in Israel to elect a -- that would take the Israeli

society, the Israeli future in a different direction.

ANDERSON: Well, let's see, I mean, there's certainly going to -- there is momentum for change amongst the Israeli population who are though at

present, united it seems on what they see as a task at hand. Just to remind our viewers you're from Gaza, your family in Gaza, I know you've lost

family on both sides, both your mom's and your dad. So I do just want to say again, I've said this before, but I'm so sorry. And obviously everybody

hopes that this carnage will end soon. Thank you, sir. Thank you for joining.

COP28 is set to wrap up tomorrow. But a new draft of the conference is called agreement is removing the call to phase out fossil fuels. The U.N.

Secretary General is calling on negotiators to "Go into overdrive to finish the global stock take as it's known". He says there are still large gaps

between countries and a key part of a potential COP28 climate agreement.

Joining us now from New York is CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir. Just remind us Bill, before we move on very briefly, elevator pitches

it as it were, what's the global stock take, remind us why it's so significant?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the meeting where the world comes together to see just how close they are to meeting the

ambitions of the Paris Climate Accord. So how much carbon is in the budget, how much has been burned, if pledges have been met, and the world is

woefully short of this. Record amounts of emissions almost 39 billion metric tons of emissions will be burned this year, higher than any point in

history after some 30 years of these climate negotiations.

And then this one really is sort of a tug of war between two philosophical ideas of what to do going forward over 100 countries Becky, calling for the

phase out of fossil fuels. But that now seems to have been watered down. Saudi Arabia did not even want to mention the word fossil fuels in the

final draft resolution.

And so what they've settled on, we're getting where it is the latest draft says reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels in a just

orderly and equitable manner, so as to achieve net zero by before around 2050. It's much squishier language, much to the dismay of people who say

this has to be the year that humanity announces the end of fossil fuels.

But of course, it's being hosted in Dubai and by the Head of the Abu Dhabi national oil company. And there was a draft resolution actually an internal

memo that went out among OPEC nations last week, where the Head of OPEC was calling on those members to resist calls for a phase out of fossil fuels,

at least right now it looks like they got their wish.

ANDERSON: In his defense, I mean, the COP28 President has been calling for more robust language. And there has been some really meaningful action at

this climate event. Some real detail on a fund to compensate those who lose the most and whose economies and people are damaged the most by climate

change. The loss and damage fund a huge multi-billion dollar fund to help drive climate related investments.

Climate finance through business and philanthropy pledges have been good to see the slew of innovation and technology Bill. And we've talked about this

a lot, which has been showcased during the Climate Expo by people like Breakthrough Energy or Bill Gates's VC (ph), which should really help drive

solutions amongst those who need these solutions the most.

Of course, the contentious point on this communique is what ultimately makes the headlines and it's in the curse of the language, of course, on

fossil fuels. But just your sense of, you know, outside of that communique, the kind of wider story here the tripling of renewables that pledge, the

pledges to reduce methane, hugely important. What have you seen that you're taking away?

[09:20:00]

WEIR: I talked to two CEOs, Becky of startups of heat battery companies. These are people trying to decarbonize heavy industry, the factories that

make everything from baby food to steel that are running 24/7 and that emit huge amounts of carbon.

And both men told me they were incredibly encouraged by the discussions that happening between investors between other innovators. And that the

progress is happening, regardless of the language, regardless of the resistance from fossil fuel interest. They think that so much of the new

technology that's coming along the fact that solar and wind is cheaper than anyone could have ever imagined a decade ago.

And now, new companies like theirs are figuring out ways to store that energy for intermittency problems right now. They both say it's just a

matter of time is going to happen, the transition. It's just a matter of how fast. So you're right. We focus on the top lines, the final communique

as the world decides the fate together.

But so much has been done among states among different interest groups on a smaller level around the world that has really accelerated change. It's

good to focus on that. That's where the positive comes out of these.

ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely. No, I fundamentally agree with you. And you know I mean the train has left the station as far as sort of renewables are

concerned. And even when you talk to people around this region where I am, you know, they know that the transition is on. It's just how long it takes

and how to ensure one, that there is still you know, energy securities, we make that transition.

And obviously, you're not going to hear around this region, people applauding the rapid demise of the fossil fuel industry. Because for many

countries, this is how they, they make their money. But there are serious pockets of optimism and serious transitions away from the sheer reliance on

those fossil fuels which are happening.

And I think those should be noted and applauded alongside as you say some of the other stuff that we've been discussing that broke through at COP

this year. It's good to have you sir.

WEIR: You bet.

ANDERSON: Thank you, more news after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: As we mentioned earlier, a key crossing on the Israel Gaza border did not open to aid trucks today, despite hopes that it would. I want to

bring in Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward she is live at the Egypt Gaza border. What are you seeing and hearing there, Clarissa?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Becky, we're here at the Rafah border crossing with a delegation of Member States of the

United Nations Security Council. There are 15 representatives from the -- from 12 of the current members and three incumbent members.

This is an event, a day of events that have has been hosted by the United Arab Emirates really trying after that veto of the humanitarian ceasefire

resolution that was put forward on Friday to ignite some urgency into the international community's dealings with the humanitarian emergency going on

inside, inside Gaza.

[09:25:00]

And if you turn that's obviously the border crossing right behind me. But if we swing around this way, a little bit, you can probably see a lot of

media and a lot of security. And a lot of diplomats who have all made the trip Becky, many of them have come from New York City to meet here to be

here. They have been listening to testimony from aid workers.

They heard from the Head of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that operates inside Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini was actually on his

way back into Gaza, essentially sketching out why this is such a desperate situation, saying that it really essentially Becky, the entire humanitarian

apparatus, the work that humanitarian workers are doing in there is on the brink of collapse now.

He talked about more than 100,000 Gazans massing at this border. And we've heard from the UAE Ambassador to the U.N. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh about

the importance of getting another resolution going. That will try to improve the amount of aid getting in. That will also potentially turn over

the Rafah border crossing from the Egyptian Red Crescent to the U.N. to try to help facilitate more density and intensity of movement getting that aid

inside.

One very notable exception who was not here today, Becky, the U.S., they have said that they are already actively engaged in diplomacy in the region

in aid efforts in the region. And you have the sense that for many of these Ambassadors that who spent most of their time on the ground in New York,

acting, you know, meetings and intensive diplomacy.

But to actually be here on the ground to hear the first-hand account of aid workers to visit a hospital and see some of the injured, that it has maybe

injected some sense of urgency and emotion into this whole situation, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, because and that's why getting diplomats on the ground is important because they can or should be able to make things happen. Of

course, that resolution veto by the U.S. last week is the fifth or sixth that at least as they'd hoped to get through only one has gone through and

that was some weeks ago. That was a children's resolution.

It called for multiple and urgent humanitarian truces to get aid through. Because at the end of the day Clarissa, we don't need to see the diplomat

say that what we should be seeing is the aid getting through that order, and possibly opening up the border on the Israel Gaza side to get more

humanitarian aid in that way. What prospect of more aid more quickly at this point?

WARD: There is a very real prospect Kerem Shalom, which is inside Israel that border crossing was expected to open up today as a sort of inspection

hub to speed up the process by which trucks would be moving into Gaza. It didn't happen today. For a number of reasons, it is expected to happen

tomorrow.

And there are efforts with this new resolution that's been drafted that's being passed around the Member States to try to get the U.N. to take over

Rafah. But let's be very clear. And this was something that was interesting. The media were asked to leave the room during the briefing

that was given by some of those aid workers. But we did hear accounts from some people who were in the room.

And the aid workers who are inside Gaza spoke very frankly. They said there are no us bringing all this humanitarian aid in, if it is too dangerous and

impossible to actually distribute it. What we need, according to these aid workers is some kind of a pause at the very least. Some kind of a truce,

even if it's temporary, to ensure the flow before the entire system collapses, Becky.

ANDERSON: Understood. Clarissa, it's really good to have you there. Good perspective and a good effort on the part of the UAE and those permanent

representatives from the United Nations and elsewhere. I mean, seeing on the ground, I'm sure will make a difference getting something through. I

mean, getting the mechanisms to work to get these pauses, at least through are so important at this point. Thank you.

[09:30:00]

Well, this week Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making his third visit to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine. And he'll meet with U.S.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday and attend a meeting of U.S. Senators. This visit, coming as U.S. a deemed crucial to Ukraine's war effort is stalled

in the U.S. Congress. Lauren Fox connects U.S. this hour from Washington, Lauren.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, we expect that over the course of the next 24 hours Zelenskyy is going to have a series of high

stakes meetings on Capitol Hill perhaps the most important among them his one-on-one meeting with the newly minted Speaker, Mike Johnson.

If you remember back in September, when Zelenskyy came to Capitol Hill, Kevin McCarthy was still the Speaker of the House. In fact, there was sort

of that awkward moment where despite the fact that in the Senate, you had both Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer walking Zelenskyy into a meeting in

the House of Representatives, McCarthy was nowhere to be seen as scorings Zelenskyy instead, that fell to the Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

This time however, a new Speaker a new opportunity to make his case. And it's going to be a very important one to make because there is no room

right now, for any more delay according to the White House and yet, on the House and in the Senate, there still is not a path forward to passing this

Ukraine aid.

In fact, lawmakers expected depart Washington at the end of this week Becky without any deal in sight because Republicans are insisting that changes to

U.S. border policy be included in any package to continue funding the war effort in Ukraine. Does that change with Zelenskyy's visit?

I think it's very unlikely but obviously a really important high stakes meeting tomorrow as he meets with the new Speaker Mike Johnson Becky.

ANDERSON: Understood. Thank you. And you're watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson, more after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching a special edition of "Connect the World". I'm Becky Anderson tonight in Doha in Qatar for you. Let's get the

latest on what is our top story? We've just learned that the death toll in Gaza since October 7th has now reached 18,000. That's according to the

Hamas-run Health Ministry there.

Meanwhile, the Israeli offensive pushing forward in Southern Gaza intense shelling was reported in Khan Yunis Gaza's second largest city.

[09:35:00]

Israel says it struck hundreds of Hamas targets across the territory over the weekend, including a communication site adjacent to a mosque. Well, all

of this sending people farther south to Rafah near the border with Egypt's.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I talked with some of the region's key players over this weekend here at a forum in Doha. Qatar, in particular

played a big role in mediating that humanitarian pause last month. I asked the Qatari Prime Minister, if there are any more talks underway, or planned

in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN BIN JASSIM AL THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER: We are not going to give up. We know that there are lots

of complications. And let me just say that what happened in the fallout of this pause actually, we feel deeply disappointed that the parties didn't

get a chance for further efforts to be taken place.

Now, for the way forward, we are going to continue. We are committed to have all the hostages being released, but also we are committed to stop

this war and to stop the bombardment of their essence.

ANDERSON: Do you have any confidence that we are looking at further releases? Are the two parties now sort of not prepared to fulfill their

obligations as laid out? Will you change those obligations and what is holding up the process?

THANI: Right now, maybe the openings are narrower than where we were before the last pause. Yet there are still openings. We are still continuing our

talks. We are still continuing our efforts. We are hoping to go back to the agreement that we have brokered a couple of weeks ago, and continue in

releasing the rest of the hostages who are still alive.

But the continuation of the bombardment actually is just narrowing this window for us. It's exposing not only the lives of the Palestinians who

have been lost throughout this war but also the hostages themselves they are at risk. So I believe that the only way forward for this to end is

through a negotiation table. It will never -- no one I go back. I mean historically, with all wars all conflicts, none of them being achieved its

result in the battlefield.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, as the Qatari PM speaking to me earlier. Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones back on the social media platform formerly known as

Twitter. And Elon Musk reactivated Jones's ex account on Sunday, Musk acknowledges that reinstating the right wing extremists could be "Bad for X

financially", but he argues principles matter more than money and I quote him there.

Reactions are coming in after Musk's decision, as you can imagine. Joining us now from New York is CNN's Donie O'Sullivan Donie?

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Becky, yeah. I mean look, I think what we've seen here over the past 12 months with Elon Musk is this kind of

very public journey down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, conspiracy theories and extremism, essentially.

And look last night after they brought Jones back onto the platform they took part in a live audio stream, which had Andrew Taste, Former General

Michael Flynn, who was part of the Trump Administration, Jones and Musk and others and really just kind of this eclectic mix of characters who are

known peddlers of conspiracy theories.

Now look, what's going to happen here in terms of will publishers will brands that are advertising with X pull off the platform, will this be the

straw that breaks the camel's back as such, that remains to be seen. But I mean, I think look -- I think for a lot of advertisers who haven't already

pulled off the platform, I don't necessarily think this is going to be the thing that does it for them.

But really, I think that the broader point here and the most important thing to remember, but all of this is especially as we go into an election

year here in the U.S. next year in 2024 you know, the platforming of these known conspiracy theorists on top of you know the mess that is already X is

quite concerning.

ANDERSON: Donie O'Sullivan it was good to have you on mate thank you.

O'SULLIVAN: Thanks Becky.

ANDERSON: More news after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: Well, they crashed the party Gerona are now top of the table in Spain, after defeating La Liga giant Barcelona for the first time ever.

Well, I mean that ever in the league. Amanda Davies joins me now. It's always good to see the pretenders isn't it? Those who don't normally get

the sort of glory right up there?

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, not just beating Barcelona but sitting top of the table. And when we say the first time in history this is

a Club Gerona founded in 1930. Two seasons ago they were in the second division. But they've had this incredible rise through the ranks backed

through a group you know very well Becky, the Abu Dhabi Investment Group, they're owned by the City Football Group, the same people who of course own

and run Manchester City.

And the success is certainly being felt. The big question now is are they going to be able to keep it going and break that dominance of Atletico

Bossa (ph) and Real Madrid and perhaps get their hands on La Liga crown come the end of the season? That's what we're talking about in just a

couple of minutes.

ANDERSON: Man City not having as good as seasons they were expected to have. Although I know they've got a winner and you'll be talking about

that. But it's good to see that a CFC Football Club have got something to celebrate this weekend. All right good stuff. Thank you very much World

Sport coming up after this.

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[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

[10:00:00]

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