Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Beryl Roars toward Jamaica as Cat 5; Biden Denounces SCOTUS Ruling on Trump Immunity; Kenyans Call for Ruto Resignation; Palestinians Detail Torture in Israeli Jails; Indian Cricket Champs Stranded in Barbados. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 02, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Welcome to our second hour of the show. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is 6:00 in the

evening.

And this hour, we're tracking an incredibly powerful storm as Hurricane Beryl powers across the Caribbean. At least one death was reported in St.

Vincent and the Grenadines, where hundreds of homes and buildings have been damaged.

Anger on the streets of Nairobi again, as police and protesters have been tensely facing off. CNN's team on the ground reports large amounts of tear

gas with at least one bloodied man being rushed to hospital.

Israel's military issuing more evacuation orders from southern Gaza, forcing residents, most of whom were already displaced, to seek shelter

elsewhere. But as we've been reporting for months now, there is nowhere safe for these people to go.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Well, we begin this hour with the strongest storm ever to form in the Atlantic at this time of the year. Beryl is barreling through the

Caribbean as a category 5 hurricane. It is deadly.

And Jamaica bracing to fill the worst of it on Wednesday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center calls it, and I quote them here, "potentially

catastrophic."

Now the storm made landfall across the Windward Islands on Monday, knocking out power and destroying homes, especially in St. Vincent and the

Grenadines. At least one person has been reported killed there. CNN's Patrick Oppmann shows us what Beryl left behind and how residents prepared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With wind speeds of 150 miles per hour, Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in the Windward Islands. The

storm closed schools, businesses and airports across the islands of Grenada, Barbados and St. Lucia.

As Beryl rapidly intensified, officials urged residents to seek shelter immediately.

RALPH GONSALVES, PRIME MINISTER, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: You have to be off the road. You must be off the road. There are instructions to the

police to enforce this. You have to take care of yourself. You have to look out for your neighbors and your friends and your families.

OPPMANN (voice-over): The hurricane knocked out power in about 95 percent of Grenada. In Barbados, over 400 people were evacuated and housed in

hurricane shelters.

The nation's chief shelter warden said some people only had hours to prepare. And lines formed at gas stations and grocery stores.

I think that I am about prepared but I'm just getting a few more canned items. In terms of the house preparation and things like that, I have my

water, bottled water and collected water. I have my extra food stuff, my batteries, my battery lights (ph) and so on. So I'm well prepared.

OPPMANN (voice-over): The National Hurricane Center warned life- threatening storm surge would raise water levels six to nine feet above normal tide levels, leading to potentially catastrophic damage in low-lying

islands.

Abnormally warm waters fueled Beryl's alarming strength. Record temperatures driven by climate change. Hurricane season began June 1st but

already there is no shortage of pain and destruction caused by a history- making storm -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

[10:05:00]

ANDERSON: Last hour. I spoke to the United Nations' climate chief, Simon Stiell, on how these storms are intensifying as a result of what is, of

course, man-made climate change and what richer nations need to do to support vulnerable countries.

Mr. Stiell is from Grenada, one of the island nations hit hard by this storm. His family still lives there. He told me he has not been able to

contact them yet. This is how he described the devastation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON STIELL, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, GRENADA: The islands have been devastated.

So we're talking about the Windward Islands from Grenada up to -- up to St. Lucia. But the eye of Hurricane Beryl struck my particular island, which is

Carriacou, which is just 20 miles north of Grenada, a 13-square mile island, population of 10,000 people.

The eye, the most intense part of the hurricane, struck yesterday morning local time. The island has been flattened. The reports that are coming out

show a very, very distressing signal.

I spoke literally just half an hour ago to some family members and this currently what they've just experienced is traumatic to say the least.

There may well be losses of life. There's been loss of life confirmed in Grenada and up in St. Vincent.

ANDERSON: Look, I mean, this is a region that is not unfamiliar with significant storms. But this is historic, as I say, given that this is so

early in the season.

How is climate change exacerbating what we are seeing, Simon?

Just explain.

[10:00:00]

STIELL: Well, with hurricanes in particular, we're seeing increased temperature year after year, global temperatures rising off the scales.

That, in ocean states, causes the oceans to themselves warm and the evaporation intensifies both the strength of storms that are generated but

also the frequency of storms.

Again, year in, year out. We hear broken records of the number of named storms. This year, the Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to again hit

unprecedented levels, the most active yet. But it is a direct consequence of global heating that is fueling these tense hurricanes.

ANDERSON: Do you believe that richer nations will start providing what is this much needed cash for loss and damage, for adaptation, this climate

finance that you and I have been talking about now, it seems for months and months and months?

We are seeing this damage wrought in the Caribbean. And you've talked about, it's not what happens today and that's frightening enough. But it's

what happens tomorrow and the day after, how people recover from this.

Are we seeing enough action?

You just wrapped up the Bonn climate discussions.

Are you confident that countries are on board at this point?

STIELL: Well, if we look at where we are, where the negotiations are, where climate action is, we are nowhere near where we need to be, whether

that's on finance, whether that is on providing the technical solutions to address the climate crisis. We're nowhere near where we need to be.

So you're asking me, am I hopeful?

We have a process that clearly sets out what all nations -- but in particular the richest nations, the developed nations -- need to deliver

on. And that concentration in terms of where action and expectation lies is within the G20. The G20 constitutes 80 percent of global emissions and 85

percent of the global GDP.

So that wealth is there but also the sources of global heating rest there. And we have a process that outlines who is responsible for what, when and

how.

The challenge that we have is led by governments, is actually following those very clear responsibilities and prescriptions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That's Simon Stiell, who is from the island of Carriacou in Grenada and an update on the death toll.

There are now at least three people dead from Hurricane Beryl after there were an additional two reported deaths in Grenada in the last few minutes,

according to the country's prime minister, who said, the possibility that it may be -- there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality.

Parts of the U.S. meantime bracing for potentially record-breaking heat. Around 60 million people are under heat alerts in the South and West this

week. It could impact Independence Day celebrations on July the 4th. Of course, traditionally a big day for barbecues.

The National Weather Service is urging people to limit their time outside during the hottest parts of the day.

U.S. President Joe Biden is due to speak next hour about what is this extreme weather. And we will bring you those details then. Of course, what

he says follows his scathing response on Monday to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, which ruled that U.S. presidents have immunity for official acts.

He said the ruling sets a dangerous precedent and would, and I quote him here, "embolden Donald Trump to do whatever he wants if he returns to the

White House."

President Biden quoted some of Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent on the court's ruling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She said, "In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for

our democracy, I dissent."

[10:15:00]

End of quote. So should the American people dissent. I dissent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Joe Biden there. CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. She joins us once again. this hour.

A pretty direct and what you might describe as dramatic response from the president or, perhaps, you know, it's perfectly understandable, his tone

there, Arlette.

But his defiance also in the face of what is this image of a president refusing to be pushed off the greatest political stage after what was a

disastrous debate performance.

What's the atmosphere at the White House at this point?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, President Biden is clearly trying to turn the attention back to one of the central arguments from his

campaign, warning that Donald Trump is a direct threat to democracy.

All of this as the campaign continues to grapple with the fallout after his halting debate performance last Thursday night. Now this speech marks the

first time Biden was speaking at the White House since that debate and since returning from Camp David, where he spent a few days with his family,

which is encouraging him to stay in this race.

The speech lasted just under five minutes. The president read from a teleprompter and took no questions. But he did try to use this moment to

warn of the stakes of this election, saying that the Supreme Court's ruling would simply embolden president -- former president Trump to do whatever he

pleases, whenever he wants.

And he was trying to encourage voters to use this as a rallying moment to dissent when they cast their votes in November. But even as the president

was speaking out there publicly, behind the scenes, Biden's campaign is fielding calls from anxious Democrats and donors, who are concerned about

what the path forward will be for Biden.

Especially if he remains at the top of the Democratic ticket. They held a phone call, top campaign officials last night, with about 500 donors, where

they talked about the president, defended his health and said that his candidacy remains on track.

But you are starting to hear from some Democrats signaling some openness to replacing Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. One of those was

congressmen Mike Quigley of Illinois, who, earlier today, said that ultimately it's a decision that's up to Biden himself.

But he also needs to take into account the impact it could have, not just - - not just on his own candidacy but on other Democrats as well.

So still many questions about the path forward for President Biden at a time of high anxiety within the Democratic Party.

ANDERSON: Yes, and Quigley there referring to those who are known as down ticket, those whose will be up for election or reelection again in

November.

And we talk about Congress men and women. There is a real concern amongst Democrats as to just what sort of impact Joe Biden will have on their

campaigns and their success going forward.

I want you to have a listen to what journalist Carl Bernstein had to say last night. Stand by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: These are people, several of them, who were very close to President Biden.

They are adamant that what we saw the other night, the Joe Biden we saw, is not a one,-off that there have been 15, 20 occasions in the last 1.5 years

when the president has appeared somewhat as he did in that horror show that we witnessed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: So Carl Bernstein talking about this kind of, you know, the noise around Biden at the moment.

What are those in Biden's inner circle -- and this is important because ultimately there is an inner circle who he listens to and ultimately takes

advice from, as we understand it.

What are they telling him and advising him about the next steps?

SAENZ: Well, you're right, Becky, there is this inner circle as Biden's advisers, many who have worked with him for decades. And so far, what we

have heard repeatedly from the campaign is that there are no plans for the president to step down.

He intends to debate Trump in September, that they will see this through until the November election.

But as we were talking about a little while ago, a lot of people are waiting to see what the polling will show relating to Biden's reelection

bid but also what the polling shows relating to those House and Senate races, where Democrats are locked in competitive contests.

Now ultimately, this decision about moving forward will be one that's up to Biden but also his family. First lady, Jill Biden, of course, is perhaps

his closest confidante and she doesn't like to call herself an advisor but she does counsel him.

And so this will be a highly personal decision for that family as they are considering the next steps forward. And so far, they have indicated that

they are encouraging him to run and they want him to see this race through to November.

[10:20:00]

ANDERSON: Good to have you, Arlette. Thank you very much, indeed.

Arlette is at the White House in Washington, D.C., where the time is 19 minutes past 10 in the morning.

Still to come, protesters and police clash again on Kenya's streets as activists there call on the president to step down. We are live in Nairobi

up next.

Plus packing up and heading out again. We will have the very latest for you from Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going through a

routine that has become all too familiar.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Protesters in Nairobi are being met with tear gas as people across Kenya take to the streets once again. Today, activists are calling

for government and police accountability as well as the president's resignation.

This is off the back of last week's deadly protests over a controversial and since withdrawn finance bill. Kenya's national commission on human

rights says at least 39 protesters have died since last month. CNN's Larry Madowo has been following today's demonstrations on the ground for us as

well as those deadly protests last week.

He witnessed many of those himself. You'll have seen him on this show a number of times in amongst what have been some really, really frightening

moments. He joins us now, again, live.

Larry, what's going on today?

What's the atmosphere where you are?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's calmed down significantly, Becky, police have managed to clear most of the city. And the protesters have been

beaten back. They've probably gone home or gone away to regroup.

There's still a big security presence here. They are holding fort, just making sure that nobody gathers. That seems to have been the brief today,

to make sure that nobody gathers here.

But you can see the signs of protesters here. It says there, "Ruto must go." because that's the chant of the gear (ph) over these past few days,

over the past two weeks. These began as protests against a controversial finance bill that would have raised tax, raised taxes on lots of basic

commodities.

But they have now become protests against president William Ruto himself and his government, which is an extraordinary moment, because President

Ruto is very well-respected internationally.

The White House laid out the red carpet for him a few weeks ago. He's seen at the G7 and lots of other international forums. But at home, there's

quite dissatisfaction that has now spilled into the open, especially with the young population.

These forces were led by the youth; many of them are organizing on social media, on TikTok and X. And they are the ones who are telling President

William Ruto they're unhappy with how he's running government with corruption.

[10:25:00]

With the high cost of living and especially with the extravagant lifestyles of his ministers and he's got to do better. That's why the chants that

become on social media and here on the streets, "Ruto must go," Becky.

ANDERSON: And he had said last week that he would reach out to the youngsters. We've gotten rid of the billies there. We need a conversation

as a nation about how we manage the affairs of the country together, manage the budget together.

Yet to be seen how he intends to engage with that young generation and whether he's actually listening. More to come on this one. It's good to

have you, Larry. Thank you very much indeed.

Israeli airstrikes again targeting Khan Younis in southern Gaza, overnight killing eight people. Israelis ordering people in parts of the city and

elsewhere to leave the region. But, and forgive me, I know this sounds repetitive but it is true that there is no safe place to go.

The U.N. says this is sparking a massive movement of about 250,000 people, quarter of 1 million people. This as Israel's prime minister again

suggested that the current phase of the war is winding down.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is with us from Jerusalem.

And I want to talk with you about what it is that we believe the prime minister's plan is at this point for Gaza. Let's just start with what is

going on on the ground and this mass displacement of people once again, Jeremy.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

I mean, just to try and imagine in your mind a quarter of 1 million people being forced to leave their homes or the temporary shelters in which they

are living within a matter of hours.

It is an incredible undertaking and it is one that always leaves some people behind, most often of the most vulnerable of that population. And

indeed that is what has occurred time and again in Gaza and is occurring once again now in eastern Khan Yunis.

Yesterday, the Israeli military ordering the evacuation of parts of eastern Khan Yunis as well as eastern Rafah. The United Nations estimating that

250,000 people would be impacted by this.

But beyond people who are living either in homes or in tents in that area around those hospitals, there is also the displacement of about 600

patients at the European Hospital, which lies right between Khan Younis and Rafah.

Most of those 600 patients we're told were transferred to other hospitals deeper inside of Khan Younis. That's because that hospital did fall within

that evacuation zone outlined by the Israeli military yesterday.

But today, the Israeli military is saying that this evacuation order did not apply to the patients of that hospital, that there was at least no

intention to have it evacuated. But of course, the doctors there know all too well, the risks of remaining in an evacuation zone.

And clearly that does not appear to have been communicated to them yesterday when they began to evacuate that hospital. Now as far as what is

coming next, we know that overnight, following these evacuation orders, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes in eastern Khan Younis.

Where the Israeli military says, earlier in the day, about 20 rockets were fired from that is -- from that area toward Israeli towns and cities.

What's not clear is whether or not this evacuation order was simply in anticipation of those strikes or if it is perhaps signaling a new ground

operation in that area.

This is often the case when we see these evacuation orders. We do often tend to see a major ground operation take place shortly thereafter. We have

not yet seen signs of that.

But it all comes as we believe that this phase, this current phase of Israeli military operations, one that involves significant numbers of

ground troops and operating within major Palestinian cities in Gaza, that phase is coming to an end.

At least that's what the Israeli prime minister himself has been signaling. But if there is another significant operation in Khan Younis, of course,

then Rafah, which we once thought would be the last kind of ground operation before that next phase indeed will not be the last to come here.

So a lot of remaining means to be seen on the ground.

But ultimately there's no question that the displacement of a quarter of 1 million people heading, many of them to the quote-unquote "safer" area of

al-Mawasi, where there simply are not enough resources for the number of people who've been displaced there is going to simply add to the suffering

of people in Gaza.

And obviously an indication that the fighting is continuing for the time being.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, Jeremy. Thank you very much, indeed.

Also coming up this hour on Gaza, freed Palestinian detainees describe to CNN their dire conditions in prison.

[10:30:00]

Their release is criticized across the Israeli political spectrum.

And the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken, of course. The U.S. president now enjoys absolute immunity when engaged in official acts.

So what could this dramatic decision mean for Donald Trump's criminal cases and recent conviction?

That is up next.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: Welcome back. Just after 6:30 in the evening here in Abu Dhabi.

I'm Becky Anderson. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD.

Donald Trump hailing Monday's Supreme Court decision as a big win for the Constitution and for democracy, he says. The court's ruling, that

presidents have at least some immunity against prosecution, appears to throw a wrench into nearly every criminal case against Trump.

In fact, within hours of the justices issuing their opinion, Trump's legal team filed a letter asking permission to challenge his conviction in the

New York hush money trial.

So what exactly does the Supreme Court's decision mean for each of these criminal cases against Trump?

Well, you may recall three of those cases. The classified documents case, the federal election interference case and the Georgia case are all

indefinitely delayed. And this ruling won't help speed things up because it pushes a lot of big, complicated decisions back down to the lower courts.

My next guest writes this on the Supreme Court's ruling, quote, "If Trump loses the election, the immunity opinion may help him less than he hopes.

But the opinion is shockingly devoid of any discussion of text or history or of any pragmatic consideration other than concern for the majority's

wooden, ahistorical view of separation of powers."

Peter Shane joins us now. He's author of "Democracy's Chief Executive: Interpreting the Constitution and Defining the Future of the Presidency."

[10:35:00]

As well as a distinguished scholar in residence and adjunct professor at New York University's School of Law.

Couldn't be a better guest to have on today in the wake of what was this dramatic decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Explain further what you meant

in that tweet, sir, if you will.

PETER SHANE, NYU COLLEGE OF LAW: Certainly and it's a privilege to be with you.

As far as the immediate situation for Donald Trump, immediately opinion was not a complete victory for him or for the government. It will make it

impossible, I think, for any of the cases that are now pending to be tried before the election. I think that is his primary short-term objective.

The Supreme Court's new analysis of presidential immunity with regard to criminal prosecution rules out his being prosecuted for anything he did,

you know, allegedly corruptly with regard to the Department of Justice and its officials.

Because the court classifies those as not merely official acts but acts within what it calls its -- his exclusive, preclusive authority. But the

other parts of the (INAUDIBLE) indictment are still potentially up for grabs.

They are subject only to what the court called a presumptive or presumption of immunity, which could be overcome if prosecution would not threaten the

separation of powers or indeed if the interests of the other branches of government were stronger than the interests of the executive.

And I think that is certainly true for that prosecution involving trying to manipulate the vice president. That's true for the prosecution involving

the phony elector slates. It's a little unclear how it would play out for January 6th and his speeches on that day.

What is scarier about the opinion, it's not what it would mean in the short term.

What is scarier is what happens if Trump should be reelected because then he would have been told that, pretty much anything he does, that is

tolerably (ph) within, again, this area of Article II power the court describes as being exclusive and preclusive, would be immune to

prosecution.

And that means if, for example, he would be --

(CROSSTALK)

SHANE: -- free, corruptly, to manipulate the Department of Justice to go after his political enemies.

ANDERSON: You wrote, quote, "Headlines should be 'Court Rejects Trump Argument for Absolute Presidential Immunity from Prosecution,'" which gives

a sense there that you believe that the reaction to yesterday's ruling, the fears of the power of the executive, are somewhat overblown.

Am I reading that correctly?

SHANE: I think they're not quite as dire, assuming -- which is a big assumption that Trump does not win on Election Day. And there is time for

the legal process the Supreme Court has called out to play out completely.

But the implications I think are every bit as dire as the dissenting justices said, if he wins and he (INAUDIBLE) this as a template going

forward.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Well, this is not (INAUDIBLE) at this point. There's a very -- there's a very big likelihood that he is going to win, isn't there?

There's a big likelihood at this point.

Well, let's say there's a likelihood. Certainly the polling --

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: dismal performance of Joe Biden, correct. Yes, exactly.

Look, executive power has seen big expansion in the last 30 years under both parties. Let's be quite clear about something. It's something you've

written extensively about.

What do you think this means about the state of American democracy?

And is there any coming back from this?

We hear -- you know, there's a lot of talk at the moment that the U.S. president is now a king. And I didn't just say a lot of talk; President

Biden put it like that last night.

What does he mean by that?

Just explain to our viewers who may not be as sort of imbued in U.S. history as you will be, sir.

SHANE: Well, you're absolutely correct. If presidential authority has expanded over the last, well, over the last 80 years. And this court, the

Supreme Court, is the most protective of the executive branch of any court since World War II.

So presidents are really operating in a realm where their only accountability is to the voters in general or to Congress.

[10:40:03]

But Trump has already found out during his first presidency that you can get a pretty long way just stonewalling Congress. And Congress itself is so

polarized that meaningful oversight of the executive has been significantly weakened.

There's very little that the Supreme Court has done with regard to the expansion of executive power, that Congress couldn't respond to if it had

the will and the capacity to address those issues.

But if the members of Congress of either party are more intent on protecting the presidents of their party and their own reelection prospects

rather than the prerogatives of the legislative branch, then presidents can operate pretty much without accountability.

ANDERSON: OK.

SHANE: And that's bad.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you, sir. Your insight and analysis so important to us on what is a momentous day as we consider the fallout.

Thank you.

We are back after a quick break. Stay with us.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: "Daily and severe," those are the words being used by Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya to describe the torture he says he suffered during a

months-long detainment by Israeli soldiers.

Now the director of Al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza, was detained in November during an Israeli raid at the facility. He was one

of 50 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons on Monday in a move that sparked a political outcry in Israel.

Well, those released say they were abused and subjected to near daily torture with very little to eat. CNN's Nada Bashir has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A long hoped for reunion after months in detention, removed from Israel's devastating

military onslaught on Gaza, forced instead they say to face unspeakable horrors in Israeli detention.

We were being tortured in ways I cannot describe, Faraj (ph) says. Only god knows what we have been through. I swear to you, it was the kind of torture

nobody can speak of.

Overwhelmed, it is almost too painful for him to recount.

They play with your emotions he says. They would show us photos of our relative's bodies, pictures of our families and children and say, look at

your children. We killed them. They would show us pictures of our wives, our sisters and tell us that they had taken them and done this and that to

them.

[10:45:00]

For Faraj's (ph) daughter, her father's safe return is all that she has been praying for. I am very happy, she says. Never in my life have I been

without him, not once in seven years.

Inside, the relatives of those released on Monday frantically call loved ones to share the news. They told him they had killed us all. He still

can't believe we are all alive, this woman says.

On Monday, Israel's Prison Service said that it was not aware of these claims, adding that all prisoners are detained according to the law and

that all basic rights required are fully applied by professionally trained prison guards.

The Israeli security officials have previously told CNN that they have been made aware of torture tactics being used against Palestinians within

Israel's prison system and are investigating.

Some 50 Palestinian detainees were released by Israeli authorities on Monday. Why they were originally detained we may never know.

CNN's inquiries to Israeli authorities went unanswered. Among them, the director of Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, released more than seven

months after Israeli forces first raided the hospital and detained him.

We were beaten and tortured almost every day. My little finger was broken and I was repeatedly struck across the head causing me to bleed several

times, Dr. Abu Salmiya says.

The torture taking place in Israeli's prisons is near daily. The decision to release Palestinian detainees has sparked fierce backlash among some

Israeli officials. Top ministers were reportedly out of the loop and everyone from the opposition leader to the far-right security minister

called it dysfunction and national security malpractice.

But the Israel Security Agency or Shin Bet says it was forced to really some detainees due to a shortage in prison space. Whatever the reason,

Monday's reunions were a moment of relief for many families in Gaza.

Mahmood Ali Baida (ph) says he was detained for more than eight months. Look at my legs, he says. They wouldn't give us anything to treat our

rashes. Many has spoken of the little food and water they received while in detention. Others say they were denied medication, including insulin for

diabetes.

For a 1.5 months, I was blindfolded, handcuffed and forced to kneel, Wa-al Mansur (ph) says, highlighting the deep scars left on his wrists. A

permanent reminder oh that he and so many others have been forced to endure -- Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Now, in response to reporters' inquiries, the Israeli security agency Shin Bet said about those overcrowding allegations the following.

"Without a choice, without an immediate solution to the prison shortage, arrests will continue to be canceled and detainees will continue to be

released."

Well, the mother of rescued Israeli hostage, Noa Argamani, has died following a battle with cancer. Liora Argamani passed away according to the

Tel Aviv hospital where she was receiving treatment.

Noa was in captivity for eight months before she and three other hostages were rescued on June the 8th in an Israeli operation that Gaza authorities

said killed more than 200 Palestinians.

Well, in a video message released last week, Noa said her biggest concern during her captivity was for her parents. And back in October last year, I

interviewed Noa's father in their home in Beer Sheva, just a day after Noa was taken hostage. Here's what he told me as a message at the time to

whoever was holding his daughter back then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YAKOV ARGAMANI, NOA'S FATHER (through translator): You have casualties just like we do. This is an opportunity to connect between the two nations,

to reach an honest peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: We'll be back after a quick break. Stay with us.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ANDERSON: India's T20 World Cup winning cricket team expects to be able to fly home from Barbados in the coming hours. They have been stranded due to

Hurricane Beryl.

In fact, former Indian cricketer Robin Singh was there to attend the match and posted this video to social media. The powerful storm, of course,

churning through the Caribbean as we've been reporting.

India were in Barbados; they became the newest T20 World Cup winners after defeating South Africa on Saturday in Bridgetown, the capital of the

island. It's Indias first T20 winning in 13 years. BBC sports reporter Henry Moeran is in Barbados as part of the BBC commentary team for the

final. He joins us on the line live from Christchurch, Barbados.

And just describe what you have been through in this past 36 hours or so, Henry.

HENRY MOERAN, BBC SPORT: It's been a dramatic 36-48 hours, is as much as anything it's the anticipation of what was to come from the storm.

We knew that it was going to be bad; in the end it wasn't quite as bad as it might have been in this part of the Caribbean. Certainly the

preparations and the drama of the storm 24 hours ago was something that those of us that come from slightly more clement climates, ones that

weren't used to.

But I think there's a real sense of relief if nothing else here in Barbados, that though bad, it could have been an awful lot worse.

ANDERSON: How did people prepare?

I mean, there was this incredible match, an incredible final. I'm sure much of the island will be cricket fans content to be watching that.

But how were they preparing for this?

MOERAN: Well, I think a lot of people were preparing in the sense that they knew that, once they got into Barbados, this storm was coming at the

latter part of the weekend.

The game itself was on Saturday. And so it was really trying to solve travel provisions. And that has been the big issue for people over the last

48 hours because flights yesterday were canceled. Grantley Adams International Airport closed.

And suddenly you've got a huge backlog and people trying to get off the island that was absolutely packed full of supporters. Here to (INAUDIBLE)

to watch the cricket match. And so trying to find a way of getting off the island almost before the incident and the event that happened was the key

preparation for those arriving.

For those here, living here, it was a fairly well rehearsed routine. I think people are used to big storms. The big concern is how early in the

year the storm has come.

ANDERSON: Yes. And this is -- this is an historic storm for that reason, of course. It's the most ferocious storm that the islands in that part of

the world have had as early as this in a storm season.

Of course, let's talk about those who got stranded there because, as much as we talk about the players, you know, what an absolutely wonderful

tournament this has been and a tremendous final and a win for India, which has been celebrated not just in India but around the world where there are

huge berries (ph) of Indians.

Including here in the UAE but to get that broadcast, of course, means that there's so many people behind the scenes, those who -- the engineers, those

involved in the broadcasts.

If you can still hear me, Henry, when are you expecting to get out?

MOERAN: Yes, telecommunications have been (INAUDIBLE) the last four hours.

We get to leave actually on Friday, when we were always going to have a few days' break but there've been a lot people really (INAUDIBLE) and one, that

journalist I spoke to yesterday, was told by his airline, due to fly out Miami, though his flight was canceled on Monday.

The only virginity (ph) to get out of the country the following Monday. That was the next space flight that was going to be available.

[10:55:00]

There is absolutely nothing available to win here and Europe in terms of spare seats. So people having to settle down, find a way of mapping the

holidays. What you might just see behind me, people grabbing the pictures and getting ready to try presume that (INAUDIBLE).

ANDERSON: Yes, well, absolutely. I'm sure that people of Barbados, despite what they are going through, will be keen to have people there and enjoying

the last bit of sun that they will get perhaps before they get home to their respective countries.

It's good to have you. I'm glad you're safe. What a wonderful tournament. Good on you, mate. Thanks for joining us today.

Well, the last two rounds of 16 matches are on tap today at Euro 2024 in Germany. Romania and the Netherlands kick off a little more than an hour

from now, followed by Austria and Turkiye.

In Monday's action, Portugal, they got through but they struggled through a scoreless draw with Slovenia before winning on penalties. And I have to

say, their goalie was the great hero in that match. Their goalies stopped all three of Slovenia's attempts.

That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. Stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next for you.

[11:00:00]

END