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Isa Soares Tonight
White House Says Israel Will Begin A Daily 4-Hour Pauses Of Its Military Operation In Gaza; More Bloodshed In The West Bank Is Prompting Real Fears Of A New Front In The Conflict; Colombian Footballer Luis Diaz's Kidnapped Father Freed; U.S. Forces Targeted In Iraq And Syria Four More Times Since Wednesday; Thousands More Gaza Residents Flee Via Evacuation Corridor; Interview With European Gaza Hospital Director; U.K. Home Secretary Facing Backlash For Claims That Police Are Favoring Pro- Palestinian Protesters; Going Green: Repurposing Ag Waste; Footballer Luis Diaz's Father Freed By Kidnappers. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 09, 2023 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the White House says Israel will begin
daily four-hour pauses of its military operations in Gaza. We'll ask what that really means. Also ahead, more bloodshed in the West Bank is prompting
real fears of a new front in the conflict.
I'll speak to a Palestinian politician about what could happen next. Plus, footballer Luis Diaz's father who was kidnapped in Colombia has been freed.
We have more on that remarkable story from Bogota this hour. But first this evening, the White House downplaying concerns that the Israeli prime
minister is not listening to the U.S., even though Benjamin Netanyahu who insisted again hours ago, there won't be a ceasefire without the release of
hostages held by Hamas.
Washington is now touting what it calls a step in the right direction. It says Israel will begin carrying out four-hour pauses in military operations
daily in parts of northern Gaza. And here's what Israel's chief military spokesperson said in the last hour. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL HAGARI, SPOKESPERSON, IDF (through translator): There's no ceasefire, there's no ceasefire. We have no ceasefire. We are fighting
Hamas. We have pauses, tactical pauses that are limited in time, humanitarian, to enable the citizens between 10:00 and 2:00 to move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, this all comes after the IDF opened an evacuation corridor for civilians to move south for a sixth-straight day. But humanitarian
groups have been -- have long warned, of course, that the mass movement poses real problems regarding international law, with more than 2 millions
civilians facing shortages of food, fuel, drinking water, as well as medicine.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces say they've captured a Hamas-stronghold in northern Gaza, as the pitched battle in Gaza city rages on. And the U.N.
Human Rights chief says both Hamas as well as Israel have committed war crimes over the last month, also calling for a ceasefire. And then there's
violence in the West Bank spiking today, adding to fears of a wider conflict, we'll get to that in just a moment.
First though, let's get the very latest from our Nic Robertson, who is in the Israeli city, Sderot, close to Gaza's northern border. And Nic, I
wonder if you can add some clarity here on what we've heard from the White House. Are these four-hour pauses similar to the pauses that we have been
seeing already? Or are these little pauses that Netanyahu was talking about earlier this week?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think they're all very much the same thing. It was interesting that President
Biden said that his request for these pauses had been going a little slower than he had hoped. Indeed, he said as well that he was thinking in terms of
three-day pauses, even more than three-day pauses.
So, these tactical pauses, these humanitarian pauses, they're very small, they're localized. And this is what the IDF is saying here? As you said
there, the humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to move from north to south, and allow some medical convoys to get from the south to the north,
to the hospitals in the north, they've had this window through the day, it's been -- it started off as a couple of hours, and now, it's grown into
what is expected tomorrow to be a six-hour window.
But it is defined as being on that main thoroughfare, from the south to the north of Gaza. And it is for that purpose of civilians to flee, and some
medical aid to move north. And that's what the IDF is saying, that it will have these pauses, not ceasefires, not where everyone --
SOARES: Yes --
ROBERTSON: Puts down their guns and goes and rests. These pauses for these specific reasons, potentially you could have a pause as well they say, if
it was around a hostage release, for example. But that doesn't seem to be on the immediate horizon as far as we know. So, yes, this is what the White
House has been pressuring for, but it seems best Israel has given the White House a minimum that it's allowing --
[14:05:00]
The IDF to continue with those military operations.
SOARES: And on that, I mean, Nic, so these pauses, will there be no military activity, and is this a one-sided pause? I mean, has Hamas agreed
to this?
ROBERTSON: We don't have the details. We're not clear on how it was quite achieved, if it was just a unilateral position of the IDF saying this. We
know that some of the reports from some of the journalists who have gone in with the IDF, where they have been close to the area where those civilians
have been moving through.
The IDF have also been detaining some young men, handcuffing them, appears for questioning. So precisely, what is the IDF saying it's not doing, and
is going to do, isn't clear. The intent here is, look, Israel was under huge pressure, the prime minister under huge pressure to allow some kind of
relief for the civilian populations. It was very clear they didn't know how to get to safety.
And this seems to be addressing that concern. But as we heard from the prime minister, I think it was just yesterday saying that they're working
on the diplomatic front to keep -- to allow the IDF to keep doing their work on the ground. I think these humanitarian pauses are in essence the
diplomatic offering from Israel, if you will, to diplomats, and this is it, an action on the ground.
SOARES: Nic Robertson for us with the very latest. I appreciate it, thank you, Nic. Meantime, hostilities are increasing, as we mentioned to you in
the West Bank. The larger of two Palestinian territories east of Gaza between Israel as you can see there and Jordan. The Palestinian Ministry of
Health now saying 14 Palestinians were killed in the city of Jenin on Thursday following an Israeli incursion and clashes with Palestinian
militants.
It's not clear whether the deceased were civilians or militants. The Israel Defense Forces said the incursion was aimed at thwarting terrorist
infrastructure. Palestinian officials say more than 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or Jewish settlers in the West Bank since
October the 7th. And concerns are growing that developments in Gaza could add fuel to the fire there. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, COMMISSIONER GENERAL, UNRWA: I'm deeply concerned about the potential spillover of the conflict beyond Gaza. In the West
Bank, military incursions by the Israeli forces and settler violence have caused record-high death toll among Palestinians. The West Bank is boiling,
and if we wouldn't have Gaza today, all our attention would be on the West Bank.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: CNN's Nada Bashir has been reporting from the West Bank and she joins us now from Jerusalem. And Nada, you heard there, Philippe Lazzarini
from the U.N. saying the West Bank is boiling. Is that the sense that you have gotten? What have you seen? Talk to the violence and the escalating
violence we have seen in the West Bank?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, look, as you know, Isa, there has been continued violence for some time now in the occupied West Bank long before
October 7th. But what we have seen since October 7th is that violence, those tensions escalating, and that is certainly still the case today. We
have seen a number of Israeli raids being carried out in the occupied West Bank.
The IDF says this is part of a wider counterterrorism operation targeting armed Palestinian goods. But as we have seen time and time again, it is
also Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank that are being caught up in this and targeted as well. And it's not just of course, violence at
the hands of the Israeli forces, but also at the hands of Israeli settlers.
There are a number, hundreds of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, considered by many in the international community to be illegal, and
yet, they continue to expand, often with the backing of Israeli authorities. And when we've been speaking to people on the ground in the
occupied West Bank, it is very clear that violence, those tensions are beginning to boil over.
And there is real concern that Israel's actions in Gaza are only emboldening those perpetrating these acts of violence. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
BASHIR (voice-over): Yet, another Israeli incursion into the occupied West Bank, yet, more violence. Palestinians here in Al Am'ari Refugee Camp
taking cover from incoming tear gas fired by Israeli forces.
(EXPLOSION)
IDF raids have become a daily occurrence here. Israel's military says it is targeting armed Palestinian groups as part of its counterterrorism
operation. But the number of casualties amongst Palestinians is growing with each passing day with more than 170 killed in the last four weeks
alone, according to the Palestine Ministry of Health.
In downtown Ramallah, daily life continues, but the impact of Israel's often violent security tactics are felt by all.
[14:10:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The occupation has always been an issue, it affects us economically and it affects our daily lives too. Each
and every day, Palestinians are killed or injured here. There are Israeli raids every day, too, and people are still being forcibly evicted from
their homes.
BASHIR: The signpost of Israel's decades-long occupation are evident here. From the concrete separation walls to checkpoints and watched hours, and a
dual legal and political system which, according to U.N. rights experts, privileges Israelis and illegal settlements over more than 3 million strong
Palestinian population. In other words, U.N. and other human rights experts say a system of apartheid.
Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian journalist and analyst living in the occupied West Bank tells me Israel's repressive tactics were intensifying
long before the beginning of the war in Gaza.
MARIAM BARGHOUTI, PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST & ANALYST: I think it's wrong to try and see, as restrictions getting worse. They have reached the climax of
repression and the climax of violence. It's not just getting worse, we're reaching points of no return. And Palestinians have warned against this in
2021, and these warnings were not taken seriously.
In the West Bank, there is no capability to fight back. Israel has access and control over movement, entry of resources, and the narrative.
BASHIR: But just as violence in the occupied West Bank intensifies, so do Israel's airstrikes on Gaza. The Israeli government has made clear its
intention to rid Gaza of Hamas in its entirety, signaling that Israel will seek to establish overall security responsibility over Gaza for an
indefinite period of time, with indications that a system similar to that in the West Bank could be on the table. But such proposals have been
characterized by the Biden administration as a mistake.
ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: We must also work on the affirmative elements, to get to a sustained peace. These must include
the Palestinian people's voices and aspirations at the center of post- crisis governance in Gaza. It must include Palestinian-led governance, and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.
BASHIR: But even under the Palestinian Authority's leadership in the occupied territories, Israel's security presence is pervasive. Palestinian
homes frequently raided, torched and bulldozed. Palestinian families in a constant cycle of mourning, and hopes for a viable Palestinian state,
slowly eroded.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR: Look, Isa, we have seen a huge surge in the number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7th. Just today, amid
Israeli raids, at least 14 Palestinians were killed, and we've been speaking to rights groups and activists on the ground, and there is a real
fear this is only going to continue to escalate as Israel's war in Gaza continues.
SOARES: Appreciate your reporting, Nada and team, thank you very much. Nada Bashir there with the very latest. Well, Palestinian Authority Prime
Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh is accusing Israel of waging war, not only against Hamas, but against all Palestinian people. Speaking at an
international aid conference hosted by France, Shtayyeh called on the international community to protect Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and
Jerusalem. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH, PRIME MINISTER, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (through translator): The path of pain for the Palestinian people did not start on
October 7th. Their path of pain is 75 years old. And the refugee camps and the diaspora, and then the West Bank and Jerusalem, and under siege in war
in the Gaza Strip. What Israel is doing is not waging against Hamas, but against the whole Palestinian people. .
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And these calls for protection come as many Palestinians fear what comes next for Gaza. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti is president of the Palestinian
National Initiative and a member of the Palestinian Parliament. He joins me now from Ramallah in the West Bank. Dr. Barghouti, really appreciate you
taking the time to speak to us.
I was wondering if I can start off with the breaking news that we've had in the last hour and a half or so, coming from the White House, that Israel
is going to begin to implement four-hour pauses in northern Gaza, tactical pauses as we've heard it, to allow citizens to flee and to allow
humanitarian assistance in. Your reaction, sir.
MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL INITIATIVE: I don't think we need pauses only, we need ceasefire. These pauses only mean that
they're telling people you will not be killed now, but four hours from now. And the main aim of Israel is really to ethnically cleanse the people from
the north of Gaza and the city of Gaza.
[14:15:00]
But if they move south, they will also be bombarded in the south, 49 percent of Palestinians killed, mostly civilians, were killed in the
south. So, I don't see any hope of what's happening, unless there is a total and complete ceasefire. And I say that any government in the world
that does not support immediate ceasefire, becomes a participant and supportive of this continuous war crimes that are happening in Gaza.
Ethnic cleansing, displacement and genocide that is taking place against the Palestinian people, including of course, the act of collective
punishment.
SOARES: How do you read then, the U.S'. response, because the U.S. is not calling for a ceasefire, the U.S. is calling for a pause. What are --
BARGHOUTI: That's not enough.
SOARES: Are they part of this, too?
BARGHOUTI: I think the United -- yes, the United States is supporting Israel, completely. And is not taking even a neutral stand. And in this
case, unfortunately, the United States continues to support what Israelis want. And what we don't want to see is the continuation of the ethnic
cleansing of the north of Gaza, as well as the city of Gaza. You said that --
SOARES: And you've heard their argument Mr. Barghouti -- you've heard their arguments from the United States and from the Israelis, that a
ceasefire would only strengthen Hamas, and give them time to regroup. What do you say to that?
BARGHOUTI: I think Israel is not attacking Hamas only, they are attacking all Palestinians. Hamas is not governing the West Bank. So what is the
excuse for killing 18 Palestinians today in the West Bank? Fourteen in one refugee camp in Jenin and four others in different parts of the West Bank.
They attacked Hebron, they attacked Bethlehem, they attacked Ramallah, they attacked Jenin, they attack everywhere.
Every Israeli soldier and every Israeli policeman, and every Israeli legal settler now feels that he has a license to kill Palestinians. This morning,
the Israeli settlers attacked another Palestinian community in the north, and evicted it completely. So, there are actually -- they already evicted
35 communities in the West Bank. What they're doing is also an act of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
SOARES: And I wonder if you heard the report from our Nada Bashir just before you came on, where she was making the point that Israel's action in
Gaza perhaps has emboldened the violence by settlers. You heard from UNRWA also, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, who said the West Bank is
boiling. Talk to -- talk to what you have been seeing.
BARGHOUTI: Actually, I want to say that before the war started in Gaza, we had already a lot of attacks from the Israeli side. Before the war started
in Gaza, 12 Palestinian communities were evicted by settlers, and 248 Palestinians were killed. And Israeli settlers were attacking not only
Palestinian civilians, they were attacking the religious Muslim places, the religious Christian places.
There was a campaign going on, and maybe this was one of the factors that precipitated the attack in Gaza. But today, we are witnessing a campaign on
Palestinians everywhere, even Palestinians who live in Israel.
SOARES: Let me ask you --
BARGHOUTI: Today, they arrested many --
SOARES: Let me ask apologize for interrupting --
BARGHOUTI: Yesterday, they arrested many of the leaders -- please, sorry - -
SOARES: The IDF -- the IDF has said, Mr. Barghouti, that it has arrested nine, what they call wanted persons, and in their leaflets that was put out
in the West Bank, that CNN was able to see, it read -- I'm going to read it out. "Camp residents, the IDF's activities inside the camp were a result of
the terrorist operations that you support."
That's, Mr. Barghouti, what the leaflet said -- so, let me ask you this, how much support is there for Hamas in the West Bank?
BARGHOUTI: I think the only way to find out is to have democratic elections. We were supposed to have democratic elections in 2021, and
according to polls then, neither Hamas nor Shtayyed have that in a majority. We would have had a pluralistic democratic system and no party
would be ruling on the basis of one party, neither in Gaza or West Bank.
But it was Israel that prevented these elections from taking place, and the United States was not supporting the right of the Palestinians to have
democratic free elections. Had we had elections, we would not be in this situation. The main question here is, Israel is occupying us in the West
Bank, and now they are expanding their occupation into Gaza Strip.
Will that bring peace? Will that bring security to anybody? What Israel is doing is just repeating what Einstein described as insanity -- repeating
the same thing and expecting different results. And --
SOARES: Let's --
BARGHOUTI: This is bad for both Palestinians and Israelis.
SOARES: Let's talk -- you probably have heard a lot, Mr. Barghouti in the last few days about what -- you know, about the future of Gaza? What post-
war Gaza would look like.
[14:20:00]
You probably heard also what Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, I would like to play it, so our viewers can hear it again. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: I think Israel will -- for an indefinite period, we'll have the overall security responsibility because
we've seen what happens when we don't have it. When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a
scale that we couldn't imagine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: How do you interpret those words and what could that mean in reality, Mr. Barghouti?
BARGHOUTI: It's very clear. I understand exactly what Netanyahu means, because he's been advocating that for years. Netanyahu wants to re-occupy
Gaza, have the total security and military control indefinitely, which means full military occupation of Gaza. But he doesn't want to take care of
the responsibilities of civilian needs as an occupying power.
According to international law he has to, but he doesn't want to do that. So, he's looking for somebody, some other structure to work as a subset for
Israel, maybe some U.N. agency, maybe as he wants -- he's talking about the Palestinian Authority which refuses that, or some other agent. But what he
wants is reoccupation of Gaza.
What he wants is ethnic cleansing, and please mark my words, he wants the ethnic cleansing of the north of Gaza and center of Gaza to annex it to
Israel to claiming that --
SOARES: The White House --
BARGHOUTI: It is a security zone --
SOARES: The White House --
BARGHOUTI: Yes, please --
SOARES: Though, Dr. Barghouti, seems to have a very different vision for Gaza. Have a listen to what Secretary Blinken actually said this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLINKEN: We must also work on the affirmative elements to get to a sustained peace. These must include the Palestinian people's voices and
aspirations at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza. It must include Palestinian-led governance, and Gaza unified with the West Bank
under the Palestinian Authority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And the "New York Times", Dr. Barghouti, I'm not sure if you saw, has added some more on this. He said -- that said, "even if the Israeli
troops eradicate Hamas, the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority as the group successor in Gaza is far from assured.
Hamas militants ousted it from power in the enclave in 2007, and in the years since, the authority has languished in the West Bank, dogged by
charge of corruption, weakness, and a lack of accountability." So can or should, Dr. Barghouti, the Palestinian Authority be running Gaza after the
war?
BARGHOUTI: What we need is free democratic elections, so that we, the Palestinians can rule ourselves.
SOARES: Is that a no?
BARGHOUTI: And what to be -- to be -- no, is -- to be able -- the Palestinian Authority will not work as a subservient for Netanyahu, that's
for sure. But you asked the question --
SOARES: What worked then --
BARGHOUTI: I'm not hitting --
SOARES: What worked --
BARGHOUTI: I am not --
SOARES: No, I understand, what would work you think for Netanyahu?
BARGHOUTI: I don't know what Netanyahu -- wants reoccupation, but I'm telling you what we want as Palestinians.
SOARES: Yes --
BARGHOUTI: The people who we can -- the Palestinian Authority and continues to humiliate and insult the Palestinian Authority are the Israeli
army. They are invading every city that is supposed to be under the Palestinian Authority. I'm not defending the Palestinian Authority, I am an
opposition to them. But I'm telling you, Israel does not want any strong Palestinian structure. They want us divided, they're using --
SOARES: I understand what you're telling me that -- what you're telling me the Israeli may not want. What I'm asking is, what would work from -- if
the Palestinian Authority would not work, what would work, Dr. Barghouti?
BARGHOUTI: What would work is immediate eviction of all Israeli illegal settlements, and they are illegal, even by American standards. Evicting
them from occupying territories in the West Bank, allowing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to have a state of their own, and allowing us to
have democratic free elections so that we can elect our leadership as people do in other countries.
That's the only way out of the situation. But meanwhile, we cannot achieve that if Israel, instead of ending occupation, they are expanding the
occupation. Instead of ending apartheid, they are --
SOARES: Yes --
BARGHOUTI: Consolidating the system of apartheid against the Palestinian people.
SOARES: Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Thank you sir.
BARGHOUTI: Thank you.
SOARES: And tomorrow, I will be speaking with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the show, that interview will be at 7:00 p.m.
London time. And do stay tuned next hour for my conversation with an Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon after losing both his parents during
Hamas' attack, brutal attack on October the 7th. Maoz is now calling on Israel and Hamas to break the cycle of violence. That's coming up in just
under 60 minutes.
And still to come tonight, the U.S. and Israel are meeting Qatari officials in Doha, trying to negotiate hostage releases. We'll have a live report
after this.
[14:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: A U.S. official confirms that the intelligence chiefs from Israel and the U.S. met with Qatari officials in Doha on Thursday for hostage
negotiations. Qatar has been acting as you remember, as mediator in the discussions over the release of hostages still held by Hamas, 240 hostages.
Remember that.
Joining us now from Washington D.C. is CNN's Katie Bo Lillis. And Katie, we all know, of course, how delicate and how fragile these talks are. So how
significant do we believe these talks to be right now?
KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: I think it's pretty difficult to tell from the outside right now. Obviously, we've seen before talks over potential
deal to trade hostages for some kind of pause in the fighting. We've been told that, you know, such a deal was in the works before, only to have it
kind of fall apart. I think the --
SOARES: Yes --
LILLIS: Big question here is going to be how the Israeli political leadership responds to this sort of proposal, as we understand it now. Of
course, we understand that what's kind of broadly being discussed here is the possibility of a three-day pause in fighting, in exchange for the
release of 10 to 20 prisoners held by --hostages held by Hamas.
You know, that's -- the question I think is going to be whether or not that number is going to be sufficient for Israeli political leadership who have
up until now been very clear in signaling that they are not going to embrace a pause in the fighting for, you know, twos and threes, as small
numbers of hostages being left out.
They want to put a significant number of hostages to be released. I think one of the really interesting pieces here is that our understanding from
our sources is that, one of the things also under discussion here is a -- is the possibility of Hamas producing some kind of a list of the hostages
that it is still holding. This is, I think particularly significant for both Israeli officials, but also for intelligence officials both here in
the United States and in Israel, kind of trying to track the hostage question.
Because we don't really have a great sense, the United States doesn't really have a great sense where all of these individuals are being held. We
know they're not all being held in the same place. The U.S. and Israel, I think also both are keenly aware that it's possible that not all of these
hostages are actually being held by Hamas, but may -- some of them maybe being held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PIJ, another militant group in
Gaza. And so, I think there is an almost a fact-finding mission that is -- that is sort of possible here.
SOARES: Katie, I know you'll stay across it, thanks very much. Well, U.S. officials say American and coalition forces have been targeted at least,
four more times since the U.S. struck a weapon storage facility in eastern Syria on Wednesday. That brings the total to nearly 50 separate attacks in
Iraq and Syria since October 17th, just over three weeks ago. None of the four most recent attacks resulted in more than minor injuries.
And still to come on the show tonight, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza persists, as the White House hails what it calls a step in the right
direction.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone.
Israeli figures show 80,000 residents of Gaza traveled through an evacuation corridor on Thursday. It is a rise compared to the previous
days, when the IDF figures said 50,000 people left northern Gaza.
This, as the U.S. says Israel will begin implementing four hour pauses of military operation in areas of northern Gaza every day. The pauses are to
allow for humanitarian assistance, to get aid into the territory and allow civilians to find safety.
The U.S. says Israel will announce the timing of the pauses three hours in advance. A senior Israeli official says the pauses will start very soon and
will be in a specific area every day.
Even with those measures, though, concerns remain over the fate of Gaza's internally displaced, numbering well over 1 million people. Our Salma
Abdelaziz has the very latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you are among those still in northern Gaza, this is what life looks like now, the heart of a
battle zone.
"May God protect us," this man says. "Those who do not have the means to leave, we will have to stay where we are. It's as if they've sentenced us
to death."
The Israeli military continues to call on all residents of northern Gaza to move south.
[14:35:00]
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): It is the forced exodus of an entire population, Palestinians say. But some are unable or unwilling to heed the warning.
Thousands of them are taking shelter at Gaza City hospitals. Among them, patients that can't be moved, families too afraid to travel through bombs
and bullets and medical staff, loyal to a duty of care.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Namus (ph) says he has sent his family away but he will stay behind.
"What can be done? There's no other way out of this, there is no safety," he says. "That's why it's best that I get my family out, so I can focus on
treating patients."
On Wednesday, alone, as many as 50,000 people made the perilous journey south, via the time-limited corridors set up by the Israeli military.
REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON (through translator): They're moving because they understand that Hamas has lost
control in the north and that the south is safer, a safer area where they receive medicine, water and food. They understand it's an improvement.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): But the south is not safer and hardly an improvement. Israeli airstrikes level homes here, too.
"Many of those living in this building came from northern Gaza, assuming the south was safe. But our homes were attacked," a survivor says. "Every
day we move to a new location because we don't know where to go."
And the conditions for the estimated 1.5 million, now cramped in this corner of the enclave, are described as inhumane. Thousands of the
displaced are living on the street.
"There is no aid, no water; the toilets are closed," she says, "and no bakeries. We get a single loaf of bread every three or four days, after
waiting in long lines for half a day."
And U.N. shelters are overcrowded. At one site at least 600 people must share a single toilet, the U.N. says.
And as for humanitarian assistance, it is so far a drop in the ocean of need. And fuel has yet to be allowed into the enclave. At the Egyptian
gates of the Rafah crossing, a plea for more help.
TURK: This is the gateway to a hellish nightmare. And then I see in front of me the lifeline that would bring relief and humanitarian assistance,
which until now has not been enough. Woefully inadequate.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): The conditions are so dire that this family says they decided to leave a U.N. shelter and move back into the ruins of their
bombed out home.
"We're still afraid, of course, for our children but it's the lesser of two evils," this father says. "At least it's better than being surrounded by
disease, hunger and fear. At least here, our children are home."
With three out of every four Gazans internally displaced, the U.N. estimates home is what so many dream of here but many fear that sense of
normalcy will never return -- Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: As you saw, there, in Salma's reporting, conditions across Gaza are dire. The U.N.'s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says
the amount of aid getting into the territory is just a fraction of what people there actually need.
The office says the drinking water brought into Gaza served just 4 percent of its residents. Shelters are also becoming increasingly overcrowded. And
to give you an example, in UNRWA shelters, there are 700 people per single shower unit.
Let's speak to someone on the front line of the crisis in Gaza, Dr. Yousef Al-Akkad is the director of the European Gaza Hospital and joins us from
Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Doctor Yousef, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. We have been showing our viewers there the thousands of people fleeing the north of
Gaza, many walking with the bags, whatever they can carry; others on mules. Talk to what people are facing now, because there are more people in the
south.
What impact is this having?
YOUSEF AL-AKKAD, DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN GAZA HOSPITAL: Thank you very much for the invitation. Unfortunately, the health system in Gaza is just
collapsing. This simple medical services, even, we can't provide in our hospital, out here at European Gaza Hospital and the other hospital because
too many injured flee to the hospital.
And unfortunately we can't provide the services because of too many reasons. First of all, that now we don't have enough fuel to run our
hospital, which is running for the last 33 days only generator, which it needs a lot of fuel because the electricity was cut off from the beginning
of this conflict.
So those people who are traveling or moving from the north to the south, they make -- they have system and other problem (ph) because we cannot
accommodate anymore patients and seriously injured.
[14:40:00]
AL-AKKAD: Because as you see, on the media, most of the injured person, when they reach the hospital, they are seriously injured. They are
suffering from body trauma. Most of them need a lot of intervention, surgical intervention, related to (INAUDIBLE) including the neurosurgeon
(ph), (INAUDIBLE) et cetera.
SOARES: And doctors in Gaza, Dr. Yousef, have been telling us, they've been running out of pretty much all medical supplies. You are the director
of the European Gaza hospital.
What is it like inside your hospital?
I know it's overcrowded but talk to what you need in terms of surgery.
Do you have dressings, anesthetics, analgesic drugs?
AL-AKKAD: Yes, I mean, even before this conflict, we are suffering from delay and inefficiency of almost all of the medical supplies (INAUDIBLE)
especially the anesthesia desk (ph).
But unfortunately after this conflict, the most important risky thing which we are (INAUDIBLE) OK (ph) the lack of fuel. That's why, if the fuel is not
entering into Gaza as soon as possible, all the system, all the health systems and my hospital, will be collapse totally and will not be able to
provide even the basic medical services.
And all the patients will still be ICU, they will die just in front of our eyes. So we badly need this support. First of all, regarding to the fuel
and then to the medical supplies and medicine, especially the external fixator (ph) for the automatic (ph) patient and the internal fixator for
the spinal cord, because we do have many patients who's lying on the bed.
And we can't provide them this basic surgery to save their lives.
SOARES: Without the necessary medication, Doctor, how do you perform any sort of basic surgeries?
How do you perform C-sections?
How do you do this?
AL-AKKAD: Yes, we are -- now we are providing the services at the minimal (INAUDIBLE). I mean European is a hospital, it was formed by the
(INAUDIBLE) unit (INAUDIBLE). And we always said that the patient first and always say that the best medical services should be provided to every
single patient.
Now we are performing the minimal medical services to those injured, many of them will need amputation, I mean, many limbs were amputated and hardly
we can just stop beginning to save their lives and leaving them just waiting for their fate.
And we are calling that we need to refer those patients abroad to be able to have the surgery which they need. Otherwise, most of them either will
die or they will end with handicap.
SOARES: And we have seen several patients in the last few weeks leave the Strip and taken into Egypt for medical attention. From what I understand,
Doctor, you selected some of those that made that journey.
How hard was it for you to decide who ought to go?
AL-AKKAD: Yes, you see the -- those people, who are just -- were taken to leave Gaza, in they are -- it's something around 100, a little bit more
than 100. But we had 1,000 of injured (INAUDIBLE) which they need, really, to go for the services.
But we are unable to send them, because there is the Israeli forces are not allowing them to leave the Rafah gate.
SOARES: Can you very briefly tell us some of the patients that you think ought to go, urgently, right now, that you have in your care, that you
cannot help right now?
AL-AKKAD: Yes, we do have in our hospital, those people, who are now paralyzed, because of serious injury in the spinal cord, and many people
who (INAUDIBLE) and they need (INAUDIBLE) surgery for them to be able to continue their lives.
And just they are waiting. They're waiting the permission from the Israeli (INAUDIBLE) Forces to be able to go from Gaza Strip to Egypt for fear that
(ph) surgery and medical services.
SOARES: Dr. Yousef, we really appreciate you taking time to speak to us there from Khan Younis. I imagine how incredibly busy you must be. Thank
you very much, sir.
AL-AKKAD: You're welcome, thank you.
SOARES: Here in the U.K., British home secretary Suella Braverman is facing major backlash over inflammatory comments she made ahead of
organized pro-Palestinian marches in London this weekend. In an op-ed for "The Times" newspaper --
[14:45:00]
SOARES: -- Braverman accused British police are favoring pro Palestinian protesters and allowing them to break the law. The home secretary also
likened the pro Palestinian demonstrators to hate marchers -- her words there.
And she accused them of using highly offensive chants, posters and stickers; again, those were her words. The largely peaceful marches in
support of Palestinians in Gaza have drawn, as you see, thousands of people across the U.K. since Israel invaded last month.
On Thursday, prime minister Rishi Sunak's office said the op-ed is being investigated and that the office had not given prior consent for
Braverman's article. But Mr. Sunak's spokesperson said he continues to have full confidence in Braverman.
Still to come on the show tonight, the father of footballer Luis Diaz is now free after being held by kidnappers. We have a live report from Bogota
-- next.
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SOARES: This week on our "Going Green" series, we are highlighting innovative solutions to preserving water. Today we visit the Mississippi
Delta, a big agricultural region in the United States, where one sustainable manufacturer is turning crop residue into a water purifying
medium. Our Bianca Nobilo has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Agriculture production is responsible for about 22 percent of global greenhouse gas
emissions. But the cycle doesn't end there. What's left over, the agriculture waste or ag waste, like shells and husks, also comes with a
cost to the environment.
BRYAN EAGLE, CEO (voice-over): Historically what people would do with that ag waste is they'd burn it in the field. It creates a lot of carbon
dioxide, or they rot, giving off methane. Finding ways to not burn or let that stuff rot is very important to addressing climate change.
NOBILO (voice-over): Brian Eagle saw an opportunity to reuse this waste, by converting it into biocarbon or biochar, which is a charcoal-like
substance that he calls a Swiss army knife for its versatility.
Brian says biochar can be a greener, lower cost solution to purifying water. And, they partnered with Clear Genius, a water filter company, to
develop a more sustainable product.
EAGLE (voice-over): Now we have a cartridge, where you can keep the plastic and just replace the filtration medium.
Even more important than this saving some plastic is that we're going to be replacing the ion exchange resin beads (ph) --
[14:50:00]
EAGLE (voice-over): -- with the metal removing capability of a riso (ph) biochar. And with enough shell biochar, we'll be able to remove the
organics.
Finding ways to take waste products and turn them back into usable products in other industries is key to our future as a planet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And for more stories from the series, you can visit cnn.com/goinggreen.
We're going to take a break, back after this.
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SOARES: And some big U.S. political news just coming in to CNN. U.S. Senate Democrat Joe Manchin says he will not run for reelection next year,
a big blow to his party and potentially the White House.
The centrist Manchin had been a rare Democratic senator from the staunchly conservative state of West Virginia.
In a post on social media, he said, quote, "I will not seek reelection, I will fight to unite the middle."
Manchin has been openly flirting with a third party presidential campaign. We'll bring you more on this, as it develops.
In an update for you on the story that we have been following on the show, the father of football star Luis Diaz is now free after kidnappers released
him a short time ago, in Colombia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES (voice-over): This is video, showing Luis Manuel Diaz with representatives on the United Nations and the Catholic Church. He was
kidnapped, if you remember, two weeks ago by a Colombian guerrilla group at a gas station in the family's hometown. The younger Diaz, who played for
Liverpool FC, had been pleading for his father's release.
On Sunday, he scored a goal, in Liverpool's match and showed off his T- shirt with the message, "Freedom for papa." I want to bring in journalist Stefano Pozzebon from Bogota, Colombia, with the very latest.
Stefano, can you bring us up to date on how this came about?
How was his release and critically, how is he doing?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are hearing that Luis Diaz, the father, Luis Mane Diaz, as very often happens here in Latin America,
both a father and son share the same name.
Luis Diaz, the father, has just arrived a couple of hours ago in the family home, in Barrancas. He was in good health conditions. We are going to be
able to soon send you some videos of him, hugging his family and taking part in a reception --
[14:55:00]
POZZEBON: -- that was organized for him. This brings an end to 13 days of deep apprehension, not just for the family of Luis Diaz but for the entire
country. He was first detained by the ELN, kidnapped by the ELN, which is one of the Colombia's oldest and largest military left-wing guerrilla
groups back in October 28th.
And after 13 days and thanks to the mediation of the Catholic Church and the United Nations, he was allowed to walk free and handed over to these
authorities in an area on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, an area where Colombian authorities don't go, don't exercise control.
I think it's interesting, here, Isa, to point out that this positive news story is perhaps a red herring, because while we have seen a successful
return for him to the family, 79 people have been kidnapped in Colombia this year. And it's a sign of a deteriorating security situation here in
the country.
SOARES: We don't have more time but perhaps tomorrow we can talk about not only the relief but the politics of this and what this means for Gustavo
Pedro. Thank you very much, Stefano, we appreciate it.
That does it for us, thank you very much for your company. I'll be back with "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" in about four minutes. See you on the other
side.
END
