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Isa Soares Tonight

Harris and Trump Battle on Mics at Debate; Gaza Humanitarian Aid Suspended; Gaza Ceasefire Talks Moves to Doha on Wednesday; Rohingya Still Threatened by Violence; Polaris Dawn Mission Pushed to Wednesday; Trump Agrees to September 10 Debate with Harris; Study on Increase Plastics in Human Brains. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired August 27, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

PAULA NEWTON, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: And a very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I am Paula Newton in for Isa Soares. Tonight, a hostage

rescued from the tunnels inside Gaza is now in stable condition and being assessed by medics in Israel. What we're learning about the complex

military operation that led to his rescue.

Then, Russian air and drone strikes pummeled targets right across Ukraine for a second day. Now, Ukraine's President is promising to retaliate. Plus,

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg is accusing the Biden White House of forcing his company to censor its COVID-19 content during the pandemic, those details

just ahead.

Now, after spending nearly 11 months in the hands of Hamas, an Israeli hostage is now back home in the arms of his loved ones. We begin with a

rare moment of joy in the midst of a war which still has no end in sight. Israel's military released this video showing Qaid Farhan Alkadi just

moments after he was rescued from a tunnel in Gaza.

Israel says commandos carried out a complex operation, but wouldn't give details -- and Israeli military official though does tell CNN Alkadi was

alone without Hamas captors when he was found. Now, Alkadi was transferred to a hospital in southern Israel where doctors say he is now in good

condition.

Now, he spoke on the phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a short time ago. Mr. Netanyahu's office says he told Alkadi, quote, "I want you to

know that we do not forget anyone just as we did not forget you." Alkadi's family literally ran -- you can see them there, ran to greet him after they

got the news.

They had been so desperately praying for. His brother was all smiles as he spoke to reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: We want to go straight to our Nic Robertson who's just outside Be're Sheva in Israel. And Nic, you just spoke to his family. Let us know

what they said and obviously, the incredible sense of joy they must be feeling.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I mean, what you're seeing behind me is just the beginnings of a sort of a visible

expression of that joy, if you will, the whole family, the tribe, if you like, this Bedouin, big Bedouin family is gathering here in the desert

tonight, they hope they will have their brother back here with them to celebrate tomorrow.

They plan a huge celebration here. Anyone is invited, they say. But we are learning some details and we're also learning those harrowing months for

Alkadi and for his family. One of his brothers spoke to us here and said that when he was rescued, he believed he was 40 meters deep in a tunnel,

that when his captors, Hamas thought they heard something like Israeli troops coming down the tunnels, they fled.

And then when he -- then he told his brothers, this is what his brother is telling us, that when he heard the Hebrew voices of the IDF troops coming

towards him, he then spoke out to them in Hebrew, communicating, telling them where he was. So, that really fits in with that picture that we've

learned from sources within the IDF, who say that there were no Hamas captors around him.

And the family say that they are so grateful that no soldiers were injured as he was recovered. And that he is, you know, for his physical well-being,

at least, he's in good hands. They feel in the hospital, they have a sense that, you know, his physical recovery is going to be good.

But I think they're also very worried like everyone that his mental recovery is going to be slow. He was injured in those early days after

October 7th, shot in the leg. His family say that, that was treated by Hamas, but without anesthetics and just really in a horrible way, they say

stitching up his leg.

[14:05:00]

But their emotions now as you describe, this real feeling that their families complete again, that there's something back in their lives, that

this is incredible that they can't actually believe it's really happening. But I asked his brother as well about Alkadi himself and what he is

feeling.

And he said, look, you know, this is a long process and it's -- you know, hard to know everything. But he said my brother thought that he was dead,

that he was never going to make it back. So, this is absolutely incredible, but he thinks that cloud that his brother has been suffering under in the

tunnels for all this time is going to take a long time to lift.

The details that are coming from the IDF, as you say there's not a lot of detail they're giving about this rescue operation. But it clearly was an

operation that was successful for the IDF as well. No soldiers were injured, very quickly it appears, moving him out of the tunnel, getting him

on a helicopter, getting into the hospital where his family went rushing to meet him.

And as you said, the photograph of him with his brother, you know, he looks quite emaciated, but he's managing a grin, his brothers beaming ear-to-ear,

and I think that, that tells you everything at the moment. But expect this place here in the desert tomorrow, if Alkadi is released from hospital as

they hope, this will be an absolute festival of celebration here.

NEWTON: We wish them all the joy that, that celebration will bring. It's well-deserved, and yet, Alkadi himself and the families of the hostages

made a point very clear, right? As soon as word of this rescue spread, that so many remain, and that the best chance of gaining their freedom is a

ceasefire.

ROBERTSON: Very clear on that, very clear saying that there are still others left behind, and this of course, is the weight that hangs on all the

hostages who have either been rescued or released, that they know what the others are going through, and they can't rest until that -- until that is

over.

And so many other hostage families like this family want to see -- want to see a deal done and bring out all those -- all those hostages who have been

suffering for so long. This is -- for this family here, it's something they could never have anticipated and expected. And of course, the reality is,

it's going to take a long time to settle in.

But that hope that all this can end, ceasefire talks underway. The hope that all this can end soon is an aspiration they all share.

NEWTON: And Nic, I'm glad that you are there with the family. You know, what is so interesting to so many is the fact that Alkadi Bedouin, right?

An Arab minority, clearly, this minority has been at the crossroads literally and figuratively of this conflict for so long. I mean, what sense

of, you know, community are you hearing from them, because they were also the targets of the terror attack on October 7th?

ROBERTSON: Yes, that's absolutely -- they have absolutely nothing but ill- feeling towards Hamas and the way that the -- Alkadi was treated. You know, asked his brother what are -- what are the children who are running around

here right now? What are they going to remember about this? What do they make of this? What do you tell them about the situation here and all of

this?

And he -- you know, he said in essence, you know, what can we tell them? This is -- this is a complicated situation. But he said, you know, we

believe in God, we believe whatever God decides is, you know, ordained and we accept what God decides. But there's no doubt that the Bedouin

communities here really feel that they are living in essence as second- class citizens.

And you know, that feeling that they have within the state of Israel is not an -- it's not an easy one. But on days like this, you heard Alkadi have a

telephone conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu praising him, thanking him, you know, addressing him in a very sort of colloquial way, you know,

in a friendly way.

So, you know, I think it also represents how much they feel part of a community. But it's -- and this is what is probably -- was trying to

explain. These things, the situation they're in and what they experience versus other Israeli citizens cannot really be put into one or two

sentences.

It's a lifetime's experience and they hope for -- and they'd say that whoever you are, they believe equality, they believe in sharing, and that's

what they aspire to.

NEWTON: Yes, Nic Robertson, we're grateful that you're there as we continue to learn more incredible details of this rescue, and again, the

celebrations and the joy going on there. Nic Robertson for us, appreciate it.

[14:10:00]

Now, from those celebrations in Israel, unfortunately grim scenes in Gaza. Civil Defense officials say at least 11 people were killed today in Israeli

strikes on two refugee camps. A witness in Khan Younis says one house that was hit was full of women and children, all of those displaced for

civilians -- for Palestinian civilians who managed to survive the bombs, humanitarian crisis.

As you can see from some of those pictures we're showing you, it just keeps getting worse. The U.N. was forced to suspend aid deliveries yesterday over

safety concerns after Israel issued new evacuation orders. Now, that could complicate the planned launch of a campaign to finally vaccinate Gaza's

children against polio.

We will have much more on that story ahead in the show. To Ukraine now where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is vowing to retaliate after

yet another massive Russian bombardment. Now, for the second straight night, Russia pummeled Ukraine with drones and missiles killing at least

five people and setting off air raid sirens right across the country.

It comes one day after what Ukrainian officials are calling the largest air assault by Russia since the start of this war. That would be saying

something. Monday's onslaught killed at least seven people. Here, you can see the multiple Ukrainian regions that were attacked.

Now, President Zelenskyy meanwhile is pushing for allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine using western weapons for lawn -- long-range

strikes inside the Russian territory. And that is the key point there. CNN's Ivana Kottasova asked him about the possibility of negotiations, he

said Ukraine will not give up any territory and emphasize the need to continue to use those western weapons where they need to. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): We destroyed already -- we have already destroyed some missiles and drones using F-16s.

And I will not share how many. But we did it, thanks to the partners that gave F-16s to us. Again, it's not enough. A very small number of F-16s. We

need to do wider training missions. We have proposals to the United States. It depends on their permission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Ivana Kottasova does join us now, she is standing by for us in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is really good to have you on the ground there.

Unfortunately, what we anticipate is another anxiety-filled night ahead for Ukrainians. You know, fill us in on what impact the latest attacks have had

on the country, and the President -- we just heard him there, right, again, pleading with the West. What is he asking for this time specifically?

IVANA KOTTASOVA, CNN REPORTER: President Zelenskyy told us today that he believes Ukraine cannot defend itself effectively unless it can strike

inside Russia against targets inside Russia. So, he really made this plea again with U.S. President Joe Biden and other western allies to lift this

restriction on the use of western weapons inside Russia.

This restriction of course, is in place because Ukraine's western allies are worried that if western weapons are used inside Russia, this could be

seen as further escalation. Zelenskyy told us it has been very difficult couple of days for Ukraine. And this morning, Ukrainians woke up to yet

another wave of Russian attacks. Five people were killed across the country.

And this of course, comes after that huge attack yesterday, Russia launched its biggest aerial assault against Ukraine ever. The main targets of these

assaults appear to be Ukrainian energy infrastructure. And while the government is not telling us about the precise impact of these strikes, it

is clear that millions of people across Ukraine are without power.

Here in Kyiv, the impact is clearly visible. It's now nightfall and entire residential neighborhoods are plunged into darkness. Paula?

NEWTON: Ivana, and obviously a curfew will be imposed as well as you said in anticipation of what could be another night of airstrikes. I do want to

ask you about your recent visit to Pokrovsk. You were witnessing Ukrainians who were being urged to evacuate. What did you learn in your time there?

Because this is a highly strategic cub right now.

KOTTASOVA: There's a real sense of dread in Pokrovsk as the Russian forces are making advances towards the city. We were in the city center for two

days and we could clearly hear the fighting getting closer and closer each time. The authorities there are urging people to evacuate as soon as they

can before it becomes impossible and too dangerous to try to flee.

Ukrainians are clearly on the back-foot in the area. They are outmanned, they're outgunned and they're struggling to defend against this Russian

advance. And yes, Pokrovsk is very strategically important city.

[14:15:00]

It could open up the way to the rest of the Donetsk region for Russia. And we know that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that his

goal for this war is to occupy the entirety of the Donetsk region. Paula?

NEWTON: Yes, an incredibly crucial hub right now for both sides, Ukraine and Russia. Ivana, please, you and your team stay safe there as we await

another night in Ukraine. Appreciate it. Now, President Zelenskyy says he intends to present a victory plan. His words, a victory plan over Russia to

U.S. President Joe Biden.

This is expected to happen next month during Zelenskyy's visit to the U.S. And I want to bring in our former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley

Clark who joins us now from Little Rock, Arkansas. Good to have you here as we just really try and take the measure of what is going on in this

conflict right now.

I want to start where Ivana left off. Right now, you say if Russia were to break through in Pokrovsk, this would be very dangerous, why? And why

militarily is this so connected to what we just heard President Zelenskyy asked for, right, a freer hand in using those western weapons?

WESLEY CLARK, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: So, President Zelenskyy in Ukraine are establishing the fact that, that Ukraine can

conduct successful offensive operations to throw Russia off balance, to gain bargaining chips, to raise morale and maybe regain territory if given

the right equipment.

And so, that's established with the Kursk incursion. But if Pokrovsk falls, then this opens the door to a wider Russian penetration in Donbas. And it

makes it much more difficult for Ukraine to coordinate laterally across the front that it's defending in Donbas. So, it would be seen as a significant

setback for Ukraine.

So, the military operation hangs in the balance, nothing strategic is going to come -- militarily, is going to come out of the 400, 500 square miles

that Ukraine has seized in Kursk. They'll interrupt some -- maybe a railroads, some highways, they'll capture some Russian forces, but it

hasn't deflected from a Russian attack on Pokrovsk, and it doesn't threaten the Russian homeland at any strategic way.

And so, therefore, it's a demonstration of force. It's a plea for assistance from the West. And what President Zelenskyy is asking for is the

ability to use the long-range systems, the U.S. ATACMs and the British and French Storm Shadow missiles to go after more strategic targets deeper

inside Russia.

It will serve a military purpose to drive back the ability of the Russians to use these glide bombs. It will also serve a very important political

strategic purpose to show the Russian people that they are vulnerable to put pressure on Putin to call off this aggression against Ukraine.

NEWTON: If I hear you correctly, when we talk about Kursk, though you say it has no strategic value, do you believe this was a wrong move then on the

part of Ukraine?

CLARK: No, what it has, it has operational value, it has political value. It's -- when I say strategic, I mean, it doesn't have the ability to reach

a strategic military objective. It can't cut off all of the logistics flow to the Russian forces in Donbas. It hasn't been large enough yet to require

the Russians to call off their own offensive in Pokrovsk.

So, that's what I mean. Is it operationally significant? Absolutely. Because it shows Ukrainian innovation. It shows the ability to conduct

offensive operations. It's a bold maneuver. It's a very effective maneuver, but it's not of itself going to change the outcome of the war unless

Washington changes its view on helping Ukraine.

NEWTON: And that is the key here. We again talk about Ukraine, first, wanting the military aid. Now, what it has, it wants to be able to use to

strike deeper into Russia. So, I ask you, Ukraine, it has been rumored may soon have some kind of a long-range hybrid missile-like drone that could

strike deep into Russia.

If that weapon becomes a game-changer, do you believe it will allow Ukraine to have a strategic advantage there without asking the West permission. I

mean, you can reach deeper into Russia, the critical strategic hubs that it is utilizing.

CLARK: Well, so much depends on the quantities and characteristics of the weapon itself. But it also has to be accompanied by western support for the

rest of Ukraine's actions.

[14:20:00]

So, we need more Patriot batteries. We need more IRIS-T air defense in there. We need to replenish the Bradley fighting vehicles. We need more 155

ammunition. Some of those defenders of Pokrovsk are still rationing their ammunition despite the fact that we provided them some ammunition. A lot of

it is being diverted into Kursk, apparently, OK, that's the decision of where the priority is right now.

But they shouldn't have to make that decision. We should be able to provide them more. So, even when Ukraine has the ability to strike deep into

Russia, the United States and western allies have to really cough up the support. And I have to say that that's been very -- it's been good, but it

hasn't been great.

The equipment often arrives late. It arrives inoperative or with inoperative features to it. And so, this makes it more difficult to

assimilate and it comes in drips and drabs rather than in unit packages.

NEWTON: Yes, you have in fact on this here many times, have asked the West to take a bolder approach. We will see if President Zelenskyy gets any of

his demands. General, thanks so much, really appreciate it. Still to come for us, a stunning admission from the CEO of social media giant Meta. We'll

tell you what Mark Zuckerberg said to a U.S. House Committee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admits his company was pressured by the Biden White House to censor COVID-19 content. Now, Zuckerberg says in a

letter to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee that ultimately it was Meta's decision to take down the content. But it did so, Zuckerberg alleges under

pressure from the Biden administration, and he says he regrets that action.

The White House said it was only trying to encourage responsible information about the pandemic. Sunlen Serfaty is following all of this

from Washington. I mean, a bit of a mic drop here if you ask me. I mean, obviously, the minute you hear things about censorship, it's cause for

concern. But is Meta -- I think from that statement, they're admitting to self-censorship there, or are they alleging that the Biden administration

did do something very improper?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, certainly a significant letter, as you say, a mic drop here from Mark Zuckerberg. And

in this letter to answer your question, Zuckerberg says that he doesn't believe the White House was the one ultimately responsible for this.

He says, look, we make the decisions for our company, and our company alone, but he does acknowledge that there was extreme pressure coming from

the Biden White House, and that he expresses regret.

[14:25:00]

He says he should have done more. His company should have been more outspoken at a time where they pressured them about this content over the

COVID-19 pandemic, and believes that he needs to change the ways going forward. Now, in some parts of the letter, he says that they've -- the

White House repeatedly pressure our teams for months to censor certain information about COVID-19 under -- including humor and satire.

And that he expressed a lot of frustration. He says the Biden White House did with their teams that they did not agree at the time. Now, look no

further to the Republicans on Capitol Hill reaction to this admission, they immediately celebrated in essence as a victory of their own, said this is a

big win for free speech.

Of course, you have covered over the years how House Republicans have really drilled down on social media companies, Meta and Facebook -- former

Facebook, now Meta. You know, how they moderate their content, and certainly this is significant for them to hear from Mark Zuckerberg whose

voice speaks for his company, but has so much sway in the tech world.

Saying -- using the word censorship here, and admitting that they were -- they succumbed in essence to repeated pressure from the Biden White House.

NEWTON: Yes, and that's the point, right? It has been such controversy for whichever platform is claiming censorship one way or the other. Sunlen,

thanks for keeping up on that story for us --

SERFATY: Thank you --

NEWTON: Appreciate it. Now, former House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are joining the Trump transition team. In recent days,

Gabbard, a former Representative from Hawaii, and Kennedy, have both endorsed Trump against rival Kamala Harris. Now, the first debate between

the two candidates is also coming under scrutiny.

A source says the Trump team would like for the microphones to be muted throughout the debate, except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.

That was the case during the first debate, you remember with President Joe Biden. But the Harris team would like the microphones live now for the

entire time for both candidates.

Joining us now is CNN's Stephen Collinson. Stephen, good to see you. Now, you say that the Harris campaign hopes to give Trump the chance to, in your

words, sabotage himself, and the best way to do that is with this open mic format. But I really want to cut to the chase here. What is this argument

about?

Because at the end of the day, I'd be willing to bet that most voters just want to know if this debate is going to happen, is -- it could, it really

kibosh the whole thing.

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, in this crazy election cycle, I think anything is possible. It wouldn't surprise me if

the debate was off and then it was on again at some point. But I do think both candidates really do need this debate. So, I think the wrangles will

all get fixed in the end.

Trump needs to find a way to slow Kamala Harris' momentum coming out of the convention. The debate is the last best chance to do that. And Harris

really needs to prove herself again in a more spontaneous forum other than the scripted speeches and rallies she's been doing to rebut some of the

Trump campaign's criticisms that she's not ready for prime time or to be present. So, when both candidates have an interest in something happening,

it usually takes place.

NEWTON: Yes, it is interesting there, we should note as well that we still do not have any information on whether or not Vice President Harris will be

doing a sit-down interview by the end of the month as she had promised. Now, I want to go to the reason that you say that the Harris campaign wants

that open mic.

And for context on that, I want you to go do -- we'll go to a byte from her debate with Vice President Pence. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said because the President wanted people to

remain calm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let's go --

HARRIS: So, I -- no, but Susan, this is important --

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Susan, I --

HARRIS: Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking.

PENCE: I have waited --

HARRIS: I am speaking. And $400,000 a year --

PENCE: He said he isn't going to repeal the Trump tax cuts.

HARRIS: Mr. Vice President, I am speaking.

PENCE: Well --

HARRIS: I am speaking, if you don't mind letting me finish, we can then have a conversation, OK?

PENCE: Please.

HARRIS: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: I mean, Stephen, Harris can't just manufacturer that type of moments, so, you believe that, that open mic or at least the Harris

campaign believes that open mic is really more conducive to having that viral moment again.

COLLINSON: Yes, and I'm sure that the Harris campaign, as she practices her debate prep this week and next week, is trying to come up with

responses to how Donald Trump might behave. But I think there is a gain for Harris if Trump acts as he normally does. If he's insulting, if he's

offensive to her, if he appears to be sexist.

All of that can play to her advantage. The campaign has openly said that it wants Americans to see the real Donald Trump, and they believe that the

real Donald Trump is vicious and volcanic and angry. And they want that comparison to play out on the debate stage before the election.

NEWTON: All right, fingers crossed for all voters that there will be a debate no matter how many times the mic is on or off. Stephen Collinson for

us, thanks so much.

COLLINSON: Thanks.

NEWTON: Still to come, humanitarian efforts come to a complete stop in Central Gaza. The latest on that, and of course, those all-important

ceasefire talks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Humanitarian aid deliveries at this hour are at a standstill in Gaza, and of course, it couldn't come at a worse time. Deliveries have been

put on hold over safety concerns after Israel issued new evacuation orders for Deir al Balah in Central Gaza.

Now, a senior United Nations official describes the situation as, quote, unprecedented. It comes as the U.N. was in fact prepared to launch a mass

polio vaccination campaign in Gaza to curb a potential outbreak.

Meantime, U.S. officials say ceasefire talks are moving to Doha after being in Cairo for the last few days. CNN's Nada Bashir is in Cairo and was

following all of those talks. Before we get to the aid situation, I mean, given the fact that you've been there for some days now, what are your

takeaways in terms of progress? And I know these things are very difficult to read.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It has been difficult to read, and we have been getting different messages from those, of course, directly involved

and the mediators involved. the U.S. assessment at this current point in time is that we are seeing some forward progress in comparison to recent

weeks as we've seen these ceasefire negotiations repeatedly stalled.

[14:35:00]

But of course, we did hear that statement from Hamas officials reiterating on position that they have also held for weeks now, reiterating that they

still need to see commitments from the Israeli side for a potential and eventual transition to a permanent ceasefire in the second phase. There are

still questions and concerns around the terms surrounding the presence of Israeli forces in any sort of post war structure, particularly on the

Philadelphi Corridor. We know that Israel has proposed a reduced presence of Israeli troops on that buffer zone between Egypt and Southern Gaza.

Hamas reiterating a statement on Sunday that they still want to see a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

But, of course, it remains to be seen whether or not these public statements translate to what is actually going on behind the scenes. One

senior U.S. official telling CNN, following those talks over the weekend, that Hamas may be more flexible on these specific sticking points when it

comes to that first initial phase of the ceasefire, which calls for a six- week pause in fighting. But again, it remains to be seen what the long-term response will be from Hamas.

We know that, at this stage, working level discussions are continuing. Those are expected to continue over the coming days. And of course, we will

wait to see whether we see any further direct negotiations being held between Hamas and Israel.

NEWTON: And in the meantime, so many lives hang in the balance. I mean, Nada, can you explain to us what are the main stumbling blocks to aid in

Gaza right now, beyond the obvious? You know, we've had these continuing military incursions on the part of Israel, but also, we have heard about

the lack of supply and distribution routes in Gaza.

Is it a combination, or is it really the military activity now that is harming the distribution of aid?

BASHIR: Well, Paula, the military activities of the Israeli forces in Gaza is making the logistical side of things on the ground in the Gaza Strip for

humanitarian organizations extremely challenging, particularly when it comes to questions around distribution. We have seen repeated evacuation

orders now from the Israeli military, ordering civilians to move into so- called humanitarian zones. This has particularly affected in recent days civilians sheltering in parts of Central Gaza, who -- many of whom have had

to face evacuation orders time and time again.

And the reality is these humanitarian zones that they are being told to evacuate to are not guaranteed to be safe. We've seen humanitarian zones in

the past becoming targets for Israeli forces who have said that they are targeting Hamas. But of course, these areas are densely populated with

Palestinian civilians.

And of course, what we've also seen, according to our own assessment, is the shrinking of these humanitarian zones. They are getting smaller and

smaller. So, logistically, it is proving extremely difficult for humanitarian organizations, not only to carry out a safe and effective

distribution process of vital humanitarian aid, but also to ensure the safety and security of their own teams operating on the ground.

We've heard repeatedly now from humanitarian organizations who have been forced to pause or completely halt their operations simply because it is

not safe enough for their teams on the ground. There is that continued coordination with the Israeli military, but again, it's appears that the

situation facing civilians on the ground is only growing more desperate.

NEWTON: Yes, and all of that, Nada, as we continue to show pictures of Gazans living among the ruins there. There's barely a building or a home

left standing. Nada Bashir for us in Cairo, thank you.

Now, seven years ago, the world was shocked by the horrific massacres and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Thousands in the largely

Muslim ethnic minority were killed, and many more were forced to flee over the border into Bangladesh.

Now, since then, the country's military junta ended Myanmar's nascent democracy by force. And now, the nation is gripped by civil war. But what

has not changed is the persecution of the Rohingya who are still threatened by violence, this time at the hands of a rebel group. Hundreds of Rohingya

have reportedly been slaughtered in recent weeks as history seems to be repeating itself.

Correspondent Anna Coren met with traumatized survivors at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar across the border in Bangladesh. But we do want to warn you

the report contains graphic video and descriptions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From a hut made of bamboo and tarpaulins, sits a woman in sufferable pain. Across her lap lays her four-

year-old daughter. As she pulls at her mother's headscarf, 22-year-old Hamida (ph) recounts the trauma she says she endured only weeks ago.

I have no idea how many soldiers entered my home, but they beat me, held me down, and raped me. I kept screaming and my husband ran in. They tied him

up and made him watch as more soldiers raped me. Then one of them slit his throat with a big sharp knife.

Yet, the horror was just beginning. As hundreds of her fellow Rohingya in Rakhine State, Western Myanmar, were massacred.

[14:40:00]

Oh, my father, oh, my brother, why are there so many dead bodies, cries the man filming.

Myanmar's military junta and the rebel Arakan army have been waging a bloody battle in Rakhine State as part of the country's ongoing civil war.

And while the Rohingya, a Muslim minority denied citizenship in a Buddhist majority country have been caught in the crossfire, what's been unfolding

bears all the hallmarks of an even darker time.

Back in 2017, the Rohingya were targeted in what U.N. experts labelled genocide. More than 10,000 were killed, while over 700,000 fled into

neighboring Bangladesh. The military carried out those atrocities, but this time, survivors say the ethnic Arakan army is to blame for the targeted

attacks against civilians, a claim its leadership denies.

MUJIBUR RAHMAN, ROHINGYA MASSACRE SURVIVOR (through translator): The Arakan army were killing everyone they could find. They slaughtered my

wife, children, and my elderly mother. I heard their screams before they were beheaded. I have no one left.

COREN (voice-over): As thousands of Rohingya fled the township of Maungdaw to the Naf River, the border to Bangladesh, eyewitnesses say the 5th of

August was one of the deadliest attacks.

ABDUL BASHAR, ROHINGYA MASSACRE SURVIVOR (through translator): When we reached the border fence, we saw a large bomb fall on a group of people,

killing many, including my son, sister, and her baby. There were so many bombs falling, so many dead bodies, it felt like the end of the world.

COREN (voice-over): Witnesses say more than 200 people were killed on the riverbank that day. This woman in total shock sits among the dead.

The U.N. human rights chief has condemned the attacks, claiming that despite the world saying never again, he fears we are witnessing a repeat

of the atrocities seven years ago. The only way for these people to get to Bangladesh is to beg or pay a broker hundreds of dollars for safe passage.

But crossing the three-kilometer stretch of water on a fishing boat isn't without risk. Multiple drownings have occurred in recent weeks. While

Bangladesh's border security tries to prevent more Rohingya from coming in.

With reports a boat is arriving, we head to the shore. A full moon lighting up the water. The Coast Guard appears. The location is scrapped. But the

sounds of what the Rohingya are continuing to flee can be heard in those pre-dawn hours.

COREN: For the past few weeks, boat after boat filled with Rohingya have made the dangerous journey across the Naf River. It's a risk they're

willing to take to escape the atrocities in Myanmar. But here in Bangladesh, if they're caught, they'll be sent back to where they fled

from, confirming their status as the world's most unwanted people.

COREN (voice-over): If successful in evading authorities, this is where they end up, Cox's Bazar, the site of the world's largest refugee camp,

home to around 1 million Rohingya. It has become a sanctuary for a persecuted people, but these huts in the mud are not permanent homes.

Bangladesh's new interim chief, Muhammad Yunus, has promised to continue supporting the Rohingya in his country, but has appealed for the fighting

to end so they can return to their homeland with safety and dignity.

For these four children, there is no going back. Their parents were killed in front of them. And if it wasn't for their grandmother, who grabbed the

six-month-old baby from his dead mother's arms guiding them to safety, she says they all would have died.

Oh, God, she cries. Sadness will not go from our lives.

Anna Coren, CNN, Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[14:45:00]

NEWTON: SpaceX has pushed the launch of its Polaris Dawn mission to Wednesday after finding a helium leak in ground equipment. Now, the five-

day Polaris Dawn Mission will attempt the first ever commercial space walk. The crew of four civilians are heading to the highest altitude of any crude

space mission since the Apollo program ended more than 50 years ago.

CNN Space and Defense Correspondent Kristin Fisher has been following this, oh, so closely now. I mean, what can we expect in terms of the timing of

this launch? I'm going to assume these air normal safety concerns and these kinds of safety precautions are taken in order to delay it.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Sure. I mean, scrubs are super common in space flight, but this wasn't even an issue with the

rocket or the Dragon spacecraft itself, it was an issue on the ground side of things that occurred during fueling. And so, that's something that

SpaceX and engineers on the ground are working to fix. And there's a good chance that they will. The rocket is back on the launch pad in the vertical

condition -- vertical position. And we are counting down to the opening of the launch window at 3:38. a.m. So, a very early launch.

But, Paula, if all goes according to plan, I mean, you saw in some of those animations, just how cool this mission could be if all goes well. We're

talking about, you know, the very first time that non-government astronauts non-NASA astronauts have ever dared to venture out and into the vacuum of

space. That's never been done before. They're also going to be testing out these brand-new spacesuits designed by SpaceX. Never been flown in space

before.

And then on top of that, they're going to be going into a part of space that no people have been to since the end of the Apollo program back in

1972. So, they're going to be going through a part of space called the Radiation Belt. And it's important because if astronauts ever want to get

to Mars, they're going to have to go through that. So, they're testing how this place of very intense radiation, what sort of impact that's going to

have on both the human body and on the spacecraft itself. The avionics, that's what really can run into some issues when you're a spacecraft

traveling through something like the Radiation Belt, Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, Kristin, you always do such a good job of letting us know why these are so important. It's not just a joy mission or a joy walk, if you

call it. Literally, a lot of exploration work being done there. Appreciate it, and I know we will see you bright and early if that is -- indeed going

to take off. Appreciate it.

FISHER: Thanks.

NEWTON: Still to come for us, we're used to plastic bottles, plastic containers, plastic bags, I'm ashamed to say, but what about plastic in

your brain? We'll have the details on the new research on the increasing amount of plastic being found in human brains.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:50:00]

NEWTON: So, some news just in to CNN. Donald Trump has in fact agreed to a September 10th debate on ABC with Kamala Harris. Now, the Republican

presidential candidate made the announcement on his Truth Social platform just a short time ago.

Trump had been at odds with his Democratic rival on microphone rules, right, which led to speculation that the debate wouldn't go forward. It was

a speculation that the former president actually amped up himself. Now, Trump says the rules will be the same as the CNN debate. For those of you

keeping track, what that means is that the microphones will be muted when the actual candidate is not -- the other candidate is not speaking. So,

that means there'll be fewer interruptions.

Again, I know hard to keep track of. Thankfully, we're doing it for you. So, we will continue to keep track of that. Right now, again, though,

September 10th debate still on.

All right. Plastic might once have been deemed fantastic, but how about it being in your brain? Now, according to new research done on cadavers, an

average of 0.5 percent of the human brain tissue is now plastic. Scientists found as much as 30 times more plastic in the brain versus other organs

like the kidneys and the liver. Research showing there's been about a 50 percent increase, that's a lot, in fact, on the number of tiny shards of

plastic found this year compared to 2016. That wasn't that long ago.

CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard has been followed -- been following this fascinating and yet very disturbing story. OK. Plastic in our brains.

The headline speaks for itself. But what's happening here? And is it harmful?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: I know. It's wild to think about, but what's happening here is actually microplastics are in some of the

foods and beverages that we consume. And once you ingest microplastics, they can take up residents in our cells, particularly our fat cells, and

then travel to our organs, and the brain is about 60 percent fat. So, you can imagine that's how microplastics may make their way to our brains.

And in this new study, this is early research, it's a preprint paper. But what researchers did, they analyzed tissue from autopsies performed in 2016

and autopsies performed earlier this year in 2024. They looked at brain tissue, liver tissue, kidney tissue. The brain tissue contained seven to 30

times more plastic than the tissue from those other organs. And the samples from 2016 had more plastic than the samples collected from 2024. So, that

shows our exposure to microplastics has likely increased over time.

Now, what this means for our health, that's where more research is needed. We know that possibly if microplastics are taking up residence in our

cells, that could potentially disrupt cellular processes.

[14:55:00]

There was one previous study that was really interesting, it found that people who had microplastics in their artery tissues appeared to be at an

increased risk of heart attack or stroke. But again, these questions still need to be answered. Microplastics, they're so tiny, they're less than the

width of a human hair, but they potentially could have associations with our health.

NEWTON: And so, the big question, what can we do to try and protect ourselves?

HOWARD: Well, definitely think about don't heat food in plastic containers because that's how plastic may seep into our food. Try to avoid using

plastic water bottles, use paper or cloth bags instead of plastic bags. And in general, at home, try to keep your home environment clean, dust and

vacuum as often as possible.

NEWTON: Yes, apparently, Jacqueline, between you and me, we didn't need research to just listen to my 82-year-old mother, who basically would have

this list in the kitchen, right?

HOWARD: I know, exactly.

NEWTON: Just have this list in the kitchen, ad nauseum, telling us what to do and not do plastic. Jacqueline Howard, though, fascinating study. Thanks

so much for bringing it to us.

And I want to thank you for watching tonight. Stay with CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next.

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[15:00:00]

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