Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Netanyahu Accepts Trump's Gaza Plan, Hamas Yet To Respond; Lawmakers Unwilling To Budge As Shutdown Looms; Trump To Speak At Defense Secretary's Military Meeting; Russia Signs Draft Order For 135,000 New Conscripts. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired September 30, 2025 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:36]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome to our viewers, joining us from the United States and all around the world. Thank you so much for being with us.

I'm Brian Abel. Rahel Solomon is off. It's Tuesday, September 30th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington, D.C., where a potential government shutdown could happen at midnight.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Becky Anderson. It is 1:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi, where we are waiting to hear how Hamas will respond to the Gaza peace plan proposed by President Trump.

Well, President Trump says he's close to a peace agreement that will end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages. The Israeli prime minister says he has agreed to the 20-point plan, which includes a permanent ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages, living and dead.

Israel's gradual withdrawal from Gaza, as well as a roadmap for Gaza without Hamas in power. Benjamin Netanyahu warned of dire consequences if Hamas rejects the plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: If Hamas rejects your plan, Mr. President, or if they supposedly accept it, and then then basically do everything to counter it then Israel will finish the job by itself. This can be done the easy way, or it can be done the hard way, but it will be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Meantime, Qatar says Israel apologized for its recent attack on Doha during a phone call with President Trump. Qatar's prime minister says his country is still willing to, quote, "continue engaging in efforts to reach an end to the war in Gaza."

Let's bring in CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Oren Liebermann.

And, Oren, walk us through this initiative, this proposed plan, and Hamas's likely calculus as it weighs its response now.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Becky, this is clearly as intended from the Trump administration as a comprehensive end of the war. The release of all hostages within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the proposal.

We'll come back to that point in a second, as well as the release of a number of -- more than a thousand, frankly, Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. That is just the beginning here. It also calls for a comprehensive end to the war. The decommissioning of Hamas's weaponry, the destruction of their infrastructure, an international security force that will come in and take over security of Gaza, as well as a gradual Israeli withdrawal. There are also a number of other points in this 20-point plan, but a lot of this is unclear, including the timeline for all of this to play out. In fact, the only real timeline that's there is that Hamas will release all of the hostages 48 remaining, 20 believed to be alive within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting.

But even that clock hasn't started yet. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he accepts the proposal while he was standing alongside President Donald Trump at the White House. But that's not a formal acceptance. And having spoken to sources familiar with the process here, there is time for final negotiations and for finalizing the proposal itself. Israel had a chance to weigh in over the course of the past few days. Before that Monday press conference, and now Hamas has a chance to weigh in as well with their feedback, the changes they would like to see.

So, there is still a process to play out here. And were not just waiting for a Hamas response. We're waiting for their feedback, and then were waiting to see what Israel formally accepts here.

In terms of Hamas's calculus here, there are some red lines of theirs that are clearly crossed. This requires the decommissioning of their weaponry. Thats something they said they wouldn't be willing to do. Although the term itself, decommissioning, has perhaps enough wiggle room to somehow get this across the line. And that's where the U.S., Israel and others are relying on Qatari pressure there.

It does include recognition of aspirations for Palestinian statehood and at least from what's -- the text of the proposal? We're seeing a process, a discussion that could lead to, frankly, a two-state solution. And that is something you know, a Palestinian state is something Hamas has called for.

It clearly violates the red lines of Netanyahu and some of his far- right allies. So, there are -- there are conditions in the proposal we're seeing here that violate each side's red lines.

[05:05:03]

And perhaps that was Trump's intent in putting this on the table.

ANDERSON: So, I guess that -- that begs the question, where does this go next? In Israel, where you are as Netanyahu will need to square Trump's proposal with cabinet members and with the kind of broader Israeli politics correct.

LIEBERMANN: So, one thing is clear, and that's that Israels public clearly wants this to happen. The hostage families want to see this happen. They called for it to be signed and approved as quickly as possible. The only part that needs a formal cabinet approval, at least from what we're seeing in this current proposal, is the release of Palestinian prisoners. That needs a cabinet vote.

But that vote is not currently scheduled at this time. So even that will take time for the process to play out as we wait to see how Hamas reacts here. Netanyahu hopped on the phone or had a discussion last night with his far-right allies, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

He told them, according to a source familiar with the call, that he is skeptical that Hamas will accept the agreement. So, it seems he is effectively waiting to see if they reject it. And then first he has a government, and second, he can just proceed with his war plans as we see them playing out in Gaza on a daily basis.

So this is -- this is still difficult on the Israeli side of this. And it will be interesting to see how Netanyahu plays this and when that vote comes on acceptance here as we wait, frankly, to see a finalized agreement.

ANDERSON: What I think is important is the support for what our colleague Stephen Collinson describes in his great analysis this morning as a -- the most substantive, thoughtful and broadly supported effort by the Trump administration to date to find a solution, an end to this conflict. And he writes that any hope for ending agonizing human misery should be easily grasped. And I just wonder from your perspective, just how important is it that we have seen this broad support, not just, by the U.S. for this, but by the Europeans and very specifically by the eight Arab and Muslim nations?

LIEBERMANN: It's incredibly important. It put pressure -- it puts pressure on both Israel and Hamas to accept the agreement. It also puts pressure to try to move this along as quickly as possible, to get to a ceasefire. One of the key questions here is how much influence does or do Qatar in Egypt, really have to put pressure on Hamas?

And fundamentally, there's a difference between putting pressure on the political level, some of whose leadership sits outside of Gaza and getting them -- getting Hamas's political leadership to then put pressure on the military leadership, which sits inside of Gaza.

So, all of that will be a critical role here. It is a good sign, we can call it, I think, to see the support this has gotten internationally. But there is still a process that needs to play out here. A lot of the important boxes have been checked, but not all of them. And that's where we have seen optimism fade and fall apart very quickly as you try to get it over the last bits of the finish line here.

ANDERSON: Yeah. Good to have you, Oren. Important insight. Thank you, Sir.

Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem and more from us here in region a little later this hour.

Brian, for the time being. Back to you in D.C.

ABEL: All right, Becky, we'll see you back shortly.

There is less than 24 hours until the U.S. government is expected to shut down. In the coming hours, lawmakers here in Washington will make a final effort to strike a deal to avoid that.

Republican lawmakers have been pushing Democrats to pass a stopgap bill to temporarily fund the government while they work out their differences. But top Democrats say the issues they want addressed are too important to ignore. Both sides are blaming each other for the lack of progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we've done this before.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We are not going to support a partizan Republican spending bill.

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The consequences are on them. And I think it's absolutely tragic.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: This is purely and simply hostage taking on the -- on behalf of the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Federal workers are bracing for the potential impacts of a shutdown. Some are considered essential and have to continue working. Others will be furloughed, but many won't get paid until the impasse ends. Active duty and reserve military members also will not be paid.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman says it's too high a price for what his party wants to accomplish.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): Right now. It's like you're running the risk of plunging our nation into chaos.

[05:10:01]

Millions and millions of lives will be upended. And now, that's the kinds of message -- what kind of message does that send to our country and to our allies and to our enemies?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Amy Kiley has more on what's at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FETTERMAN: Millions and millions of lives will be upended.

AMY KILEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The federal government could shut down tonight, and Americans could feel the impact. That's unless Congress reaches an agreement by midnight.

VANCE: I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing.

KILEY (voice-over): Sticking points remain. Democrats want to undo recent Medicaid cuts and preserve certain Obamacare subsidies. They also want to make it harder for the president to cut funds Congress has approved.

JEFFRIES: This relates to the well-being and the health of the American people.

KILEY (voice-over): In a shutdown, non-essential federal employees face furloughs. For Americans, that might affect customer service, paperwork, national parks, food inspections, and more.

The White House is even threatening to fire some workers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The federal workforce is already shrinking rapidly, down by 97,000 jobs.

KILEY (voice-over): Social Security payments will continue, but the timing could be confusing. Today, an unrelated executive order is ending, paper government checks. Meanwhile, a shutdown could cause travel delays.

CHRIS SUNUNU (R), FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE GOVERNOR: Planes will take off, but it's going to be a massive strain on the system.

KILEY (voice-over): Some experts worry a government closure could hurt the economy. It also could delay the release of economic reports crucial to investors and the Federal Reserve.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will be a momentous week for the U.S. economy and the financial markets.

KILEY (voice-over): I'm Amy Kiley, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Still to come, Vladimir Putin insists Russia will win the war in Ukraine. And to make sure that happens, he's starting a massive new conscription effort.

Plus, investigators are learning more about the man who carried out a deadly attack on a church in Michigan where hundreds of worshipers were attending Sunday services.

And the coming week is a big one for Taylor Swift, and her fans will get plenty of opportunities to see their idol.

Those stories and more are ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:16:38]

ABEL: President Trump is expected to speak today at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's meeting with military leaders. The commander in chief says the gathering is meant to talk about how well the U.S. military is doing, and about being in great shape.

Sources tell CNN, Hegseth will stress the importance of the warrior ethos and discuss standards for readiness, fitness and grooming. Hegseth has helped lead the charge to rid the military of so-called woke ideology and reinvent the Defense Department as the Department of War.

Meanwhile, Russia's president insists his country is fighting what he calls a just cause in Ukraine and is winning the war. Vladimir Putin says Russia will accomplish all its goals in Eastern Ukraine, though he acknowledges much remains to be done.

This comes as Russia's defense minister has signed a new conscription order, drafting 135,000 more people into the army from October 1st to December 31st.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is joining me now from London.

And, Clare, drafting additional troops for the theater of war by Putin seems to signal that he's not bowing to pressure from the U.S. and others.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think the comments that we got from Putin and the way that Russia marks this day, September 30th, which this year is the third anniversary of its illegal annexation of those four regions within Ukraine -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson is a way of consolidating. Their power is certainly a clear signal that he does not want to step back from the pursuit of his goals, as he puts it in Ukraine, the calling up of troops. This is a biannual event happens every spring and every autumn in Russia, regardless of the war.

But obviously in the context of the war, it is something that we watch closely. Despite Russia's assurances, every time that these conscripts are not being sent to participate in what they call. Of course, the special military operation.

But I think these comments from Putin are also can be read in the context of what we're seeing right now in Ukraine, because I think, you know, some month and a half after that summit in Alaska where Putin very much had the wind in his sails, he was handed all of these political and optical winds from the Trump administration. Now, I think Russia may be watching with some unease the impact of its dogged pursuit of those goals in Ukraine at the expense of everything else, because now we see after we saw the comments from Trump last week that Ukraine perhaps could win back all of the land it lost in Ukraine.

Now we see the U.S. openly saying that it's considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and lifting any restrictions on their use on Russian soil.

And just for context, Tomahawk missiles are extremely long-range missiles. They can carry a very heavy payload. Their range is about five times that of the U.S. ATACMS missiles that the Biden administration deliberated so long over supplying to Ukraine. So, this would be a major turnaround.

It hasn't happened yet, but the Kremlin said it's studying this. It's analyzing this. And especially the issue of whether or not the missiles would be controlled by the U.S. So that is something we're watching very closely.

Keith Kellogg, Trump's Russia Ukraine envoy, expected to speak in a couple of hours at the Warsaw security forum. So, I think that will be very closely watched, both in Ukraine and Russia, for clues as to whether this could happen. Brian.

ABEL: Wow, so many potential developments. Clare Sebastian for us in London -- Clare, thank you.

More world leaders are welcoming the U.S. peace proposal for Gaza. But with no word yet from Hamas, how likely is a final deal?

[05:20:04]

Becky Anderson takes a closer look at all of those developments ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, hello and welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson, coming to you live from Abu Dhabi, where we are following the latest on what is our top story this hour. The U.S. proposed peace plan to end the war in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he believes the ceasefire is now closer than ever after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the 20-point plan proposed. The question now is, at least in principle, will Hamas accept it?

[05:25:03]

Netanyahu has warned that if Hamas rejects the plan, then Israel will, quote, finish the job by itself.

Will the peace plan is being welcomed by European leaders and foreign ministers from eight Arab Muslim nations -- Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad at least calls Trump's plan a, quote, recipe for regional explosion.

Well, meantime, Qatar says Israel apologized for its recent attack on Doha during a phone call with President Trump. Qatar's prime minister says his country is still willing to quote, continue engaging in efforts to reach an end to the war in Gaza.

Well, joining me now from Doha in Qatar is Gregg Carlstrom. He's author and Middle East correspondent with "The Economist".

Good to have you, Gregg, and good to have you from there this morning.

Qatar will be trying to get Hamas on board for this. They've certainly offered, to mediate once again. Your sense of how Hamas will respond to this initiative proposed plan, likely with amendments of its own, of course.

GREGG CARLSTROM, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: I'm sure they will have some changes to make. I think it will take several days before there's a response from Hamas. They will have to talk not only with the leaders of the group, the political leaders who are based here in Doha, but also with the military leadership of the group in Gaza.

And I think there are going to be a few items in this deal that are very hard for Hamas to stomach. I think having to release all of the 48 Israeli hostages from Gaza in the first 72 hours of this agreement, if it takes effect, they're going to be very worried that doing that will basically give up their remaining leverage over Israel, and then they will have no guarantee that Israel wont at some point break the deal and resume the war.

And then I think beyond that, in the longer term, there are some provisions in here about trying to disarm Hamas. For example, I don't think the group will actually agree to relinquish its weapons in Gaza. And even if it does so on paper, I don't think in practice, it will want to hand over its weapons to Israel.

And so, at that point, you get into these bigger, long-term questions about, well, who is actually going to implement these sorts of provisions?

ANDERSON: Yeah, we are lacking in a in a time frame at this point. And security guarantees, the Israeli cabinet will have to approve parts of this deal. Of course, it's not just for Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to this. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Donald Trump at the White House. Netanyahu appears to have given himself some space on Israels withdrawal from Gaza. His stance on the Palestinian authority and on a Palestinian horizon two state solution.

Can he sell this at home, not least to those on the right wing of his coalition?

CARLSTROM: I think he's going to struggle to sell it to his own cabinet. There have been some reports out of Israel this morning, in fact, that the security cabinet may not vote on the entire ceasefire proposal. They might vote on just the narrow question of doing a hostage deal in which Israel would have to release Palestinian prisoners to get its hostages out of Gaza. But the broader terms of the ceasefire might not even come to a vote in the cabinet.

You have far right ministers who for two years now have insisted on continuing the war. They want Israel to retain control of Gaza. Some of them want to rebuild the Israeli settlements that were dismantled in 2005. So, a deal that's going to require a withdrawal, even though it's not a complete withdrawal, this deal envisions Israel keeping a sort of buffer zone around the edges of Gaza.

But even that is going to be unacceptable for some of Netanyahu's coalition partners. I think if they built the coalition, if they threaten to leave as a result of this, Netanyahu might temporarily get some support from opposition parties who have been pushing for months now for this kind of deal. So, I think he will have the votes to get this through the Knesset, if that's what's needed. But I think if the deal is agreed by both sides, we're much closer to an early election in Israel.

ANDERSON: Yeah. You argued on x that Trump is acting like this is a done deal. And that, quote, the Nobel committee should start polishing his peace prize. But the 20-point plan is a beginning, not an end.

I just wonder from your perspective how much sustained American pressure we are likely to see? I mean, do you see the Trump administration keeping everyone's feet to the fire to work through the complexities and details of this initiative?

CARLSTROM: I mean, you never know what the Trump administration is going to do. I will say I've been surprised and pleasantly surprised by the pressure that he has brought to bear on the Israelis in recent days. I mean, strong-arming Netanyahu yesterday into apologizing.