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Isa Soares Tonight

Ukraine's Zelenskyy Calls Putin's Bluff As Putin Refuses to Attend Peace Talks in Turkey; Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombardment; U.S. Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Birthright Citizenship. 100 Plus Killed in Latest Israeli Strikes in Gaza; U.N. Not to Take Part in U.S.-Backed Aid Effort in Gaza; Israel Vows to Intensify Amid Aid Blockade; Combs' Defense Cross- Examines Cassie Ventur; Valeria Marquez Killed During Live Steam. Aired 2- 3p ET

Aired May 15, 2025 - 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, Ukraine's Zelenskyy calls Mr. Putin's

bluff as the Russian President is a no show for talks in Turkey. I discuss where this leaves potential negotiations with a Ukrainian MP.

Then President Trump says the U.S. could make Gaza into a, quote, "freedom zone" as Israel intensifies its strikes on the enclave. I speak with a

doctor operating inside Gaza this hour. And the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on birthright citizenship that could have big, huge implications.

We explain next.

We begin this hour though with a diplomatic game of hide and seek. Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegates could still take place in Turkey

just without their Presidents at the table. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara after days

of speculation, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the highly-anticipated talks in Istanbul. So, now Mr.

Zelenskyy is sending a delegation there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): Number one point on the agenda is a ceasefire. And I still believe Russia is not being

serious about these meetings. It does not want to end the war. But we hope they demonstrate something during the meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, another major player not in Turkey is U.S. President Donald Trump. You see him there right now, he's in his final leg of his Middle

East tour. Mr. Trump says he's not disappointed that the Russian President will not show up today. This is what he said earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK? And obviously, he wasn't even going --

he was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn't going if I wasn't there. And I don't believe anything is going to happen whether you

like it or not, until he and I get together. But we're going to have to get it solved because so many people are dying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Like we said, a game of hide and seek. Our chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is tracking these developments for us this

evening from Istanbul. And Clarissa, we have been seeing a slanging match between both sides. Criticism from the Ukrainian side of the makeup, in

particular of this Russian delegation. Given this, what are the expectations, really, that this meeting will yield any results?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it depends what perspective you're coming from, Isa. If you are one of those

who dared to dream that we might see a meeting between President Zelenskyy and President Putin take place, then surely you are not feeling very

optimistic at this moment because these talks will go ahead, but in a somewhat diminished capacity.

The Russian delegation is being described as a technical delegation, which is basically a nice euphemism for not terribly high-ranking delegation.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did announce today that the Ukrainian delegation includes some very high level members of his cabinet.

For example, the Defense Minister, also the Ukrainian Foreign Minister is here in town as well. And he said the fact that President Putin has not

sent high level delegates was essentially a display of disrespect, not just for Ukraine, in his words, but also for Russia and for the U.S. At the same

time, it is still significant that the two sides will sit down at a table and engage in direct talks.

These are the first direct talks that they will be engaging in since back in the Spring of 2022, shortly after the invasion, those talks took place

in Turkey, also in Belarus, and essentially fell apart as the full scale of the horrors and atrocities that took place in places like Bucha came to

light.

So, it's still significant that the talks are taking place. But there is a chasm, an abyss between the two sides. You heard President Zelenskyy there

once again calling for a ceasefire, 30 days without preconditions.

[14:05:00]

That is very different language to what we have been hearing from the Russians. The expectation is that Russia will be issuing maximalist

demands. Those are not likely to go down well. And so, everyone here just waiting and watching to see what materializes, in what format and what the

next steps may be coming out of it, Isa.

SOARES: And I know you'll stay across it for us. Clarissa Ward there in Turkey, thanks very much. Clarissa in Istanbul. Let's continue this

discussion, though, with CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, who is live for us in Kyiv, Ukraine. And Nick and I have been speaking pretty much all week,

Nick, looking ahead to this.

And you write for cnn.com, I want to bring this up for our viewers. "Trump also faces a tough call. He can no longer kick the can down the road of

whether Moscow faces consequences." But so far, Nick, we've seen no sign really of Donald Trump kind of drawing a line in the sand. He criticizes

sometimes Putin, but his actions don't reflect that. How do you see this panning out? I mean, what can we -- can Ukraine reasonably expect now?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, I mean, that comment about Trump needs to make a difficult decision was in fact written

before --

SOARES: Yes --

WALSH: The Ukrainians consented to sending their Defense Minister to this meeting, which may indeed start tomorrow. That's how fast things are

constantly changing. And I think also was before too, we heard President Trump saying nothing will happen until he meets Vladimir Putin. Look, that

one comment alone from President Trump, I have to meet Putin for there to be any progress.

That takes a wind, frankly, out of what's happening in Istanbul. All of the initiatives from the Europeans just as recently as Saturday, demanding that

unconditional ceasefire or saying sanctions will come otherwise. And it recasts this into essentially just about when those two men, the Kremlin

and the White House head, will indeed get together.

Until we have that moment, Trump himself has laid out for Putin the fact that no one really needs to feel there has to be substantial progress in

all of this. And I think that's the key finding we really have from today. This is going exactly as the Russians had laid out in their timetable.

Their proposal, their frankly, the scheduler of this particular peace process.

Now, this meeting is happening at the level they suggested it might at the time. They suggested it might. They've completely ignored the European

demands for a ceasefire, which was originally an American-Ukrainian proposal, and have yet to see any real consequence from that. And I would

suggest the comments we've heard from President Trump about nothing will happen until I meet Vladimir Putin, probably puts a significant delay too,

on when we indeed may see sanctions raised by Europe.

And of course, the United States, too, if they're going to be effective as this process continues to play out. I agree with Clarissa's point that this

is likely to be a series of maximalist demands from the Russians. We are likely to see them coming out with a load of things that the Ukrainians

probably can't immediately agree to, creating an extra level in the process.

Remember, this is like the third or fourth, the sort of second or third variation, cast-list location for talks around this particular conflict.

So, it's not moving quickly. And obviously, so the question is, why? Why does Russia just not agree to a ceasefire --

SOARES: Yes --

WALSH: And then accused the Ukrainians of breaking it or manipulate that process? Well, there's a lot of suggestion that as the ground hardens here,

and we go into Summer, we're seeing a significant Russian build. I've seen images of it captured by a Ukrainian drone unit.

And that may be a suggestion that really Moscow is playing for time because it needs Summer, and has the resources to push harder on the front line, or

perhaps, they're simply waiting for President Trump to lose patience. He already suggested just two weeks ago that he might be about to, quote,

"move on".

That was echoed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who again today echoed President Trump playing down the possibility of real progress from this

Istanbul talks. So, I think what we've learned from this week is that Trump, I think is balking at the idea of tough consequences for Putin,

essentially brushing aside much of Europe and indeed, initially U.S. overtures for peace here.

Putin doesn't seem worried really about those sanctions, and appears to have gambled quite accurately that Trump wasn't going to go hard -- quite

accurately, that Trump wasn't going to go hard if he essentially tried to run his own peace process here under their own initiatives. That's what

we're seeing now, and I think there must be many European allies wondering, indeed, what it was that Trump said to them on Saturday last.

He seemed to give them the assurances that he would be behind them if the ceasefire was ignored, and bring sanctions too. At this point, we're just

seeing the process roll on.

SOARES: And we'll continue, I imagine, for the next several days and weeks. Nick, appreciate it, thank you very much. Let's stay on this story.

My next guest says the world is playing with Vladimir Putin's rules.

[14:10:00]

Ukrainian parliament member Kira Rudik joins me now. Kira, good to see you, she's live for us from Kyiv. I mean, any surprise, first of all, that Putin

is a no show. Just your reaction to this.

KIRA RUDIK, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENTT MEMBER: Hello, Isa, and thank you so much for having me. Well, we are not surprised because we honestly did not

anticipate that Putin would come. Our main goal right now is to prove once again to President Trump that Ukraine is not the problem here, and to give

him no way of getting out of his promise, that is to achieve peace through strength.

Look, everything that was needed from Ukrainian side, we have completed, whether we liked it or not. The minerals deal for you, for the U.S.

support, we have voted and ratified in Ukrainian parliament, though it didn't contain any security guarantees. The ceasefire that we have agreed

to, an unconditional ceasefire, again, whether we like it or not, President Zelenskyy has done it.

When President Trump said that President Zelenskyy needs to go, and he supported Putin, Putin's offer for the meeting in Istanbul, President

Zelenskyy has come there, and he is there right now with the delegation. We are the good guys here, we are not the aggressor. So, the question is that

the ball is right now in President Trump's court.

We have done everything, Putin has done nothing. So, it is time to put pressure on Russia. The talks are obviously not enough. And right now,

there is like zero ways of trying to put it on Ukraine.

SOARES: And this was the moment really to put pressure, of course, on Russia, because as you well know, Kira, and you and I have discussed this,

President Trump often says something that shows the world that he's being tough on Putin. But that's just talk. There have been no red lines right?

There's been a lot of carrots and no stick. So, what do you think realistically will come out of this?

RUDIK: Russia is just trying to drag on, and because they are getting ready indeed for the Summer offensive, and they just need the world not to

put any sanctions on them, and for them to continue operating, and they would try to go into negotiations and negotiations, ramping up their

demands, perhaps, maybe talking to President Trump's team separately. But they need to win time because they feel that they have an upper hand.

SOARES: What then, do you think? I mean, we've been hearing from our White House team for several weeks now, Kira, that -- and we've seen the change

in tone that this administration, that President Trump is getting somewhat frustrated by President Putin. Is this something that you are hearing from

your side because that frustration is not translating with those red lines?

RUDIK: There are talks, and there are actions --

SOARES: Yes --

RUDIK: As Ukraine, we have seen actions put towards us. And when President Trump has stopped military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, and

he was able to do it very quickly. Right now, it is time to put pressure on Russia. And honestly, I had hopes when the European leaders have gathered

here in Kyiv, that they have everything agreed with President Trump, and that they will go ahead as team.

So, they said there would be ceasefire, there would be talks. And if there is no ceasefire, there would be sanctions. Right now, we are here, there

are no talks, no ceasefire and no sanctions. And like it just looks very frustrating for Ukraine, and I think for all the democracies in the world

because they see that authoritarian regimes are getting an upper hand just because they can.

It's time for President Trump to go ahead with his promise of peace through strength to arm Ukraine and to impose sanctions on Russia, because they do

not understand any other language than the language of power, the language of strength.

SOARES: And frustration, Kira, I imagine also for some of the European allies, right? The coalition of the willing, who just last weekend promised

to stand up and to put sanctions and put sanctions on Russia. Do you think that they can -- you know, first of all, what would you like to see from

the European countries? And do you think they are waiting to see how Trump will react here? How dependent are they on Trump?

RUDIK: It was obvious that they wanted to go ahead as this Trans-Atlantic union, right? Because they had a talk with President Trump --

SOARES: Yes --

RUDIK: Here in Kyiv on the phone. And then they made this announcement, and it was pretty bold announcement with Sir Keir Starmer saying, no ifs,

no buts, there's a ceasefire starting Monday or there will be sanctions. And then we see the tweet from President Trump, who supports an idea of the

meeting in Istanbul that right now, he says, was useless because he was not there.

[14:15:00]

You know, when he says that he needs to talk to Putin, otherwise nothing would happen, he was already talking to Putin when he talked on the phone.

And since that time, so many people in Ukraine were killed because nothing happened. It's time to move from talks and promises to actions.

And honestly, to make sure that the sanctions, if and when they will be imposed, will not be a half measure that we have seen our European allies

tend to go with, but they will be real sanctions that will actually stop all Russian shadow fleet from trading. And that will hit Russian banks real

hard, and that it will go ahead with Russian assets, $300 billion, and confiscate them once and for all. These are the things that will hit Russia

hard, not the promises of going hard on them.

SOARES: Kira, always great to get your honest opinion, so important. Thanks very much, Kira, good to see you. Now, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to

Turkey is overshadowing the last leg of U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East tour in Abu Dhabi as we've been showing you here on the show.

Mr. Trump holding bilateral talks with UAE leaders just a short while ago, during which he invited President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed to the White

House. Earlier, Mr. Trump said Iran had sort of agreed to terms on a nuclear agreement with the U.S., but warned of, quote, a violent step if

the deal is not reached.

Before leaving Qatar, the President held a campaign-style rally at the largest U.S. base in the Middle East, there, he told troops, his priority

is to end wars, but he won't hesitate to, quote, "wield American power if it's" -- if he's -- if it's "required". Our Stephen Collinson joins me now

with more. And Stephen, you have been closely following President Trump's Middle East tour. How successful has it been, in your view, not just on the

economic transaction aspect of it, but also diplomatically too?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, if you ask the White House, they will say that it's a huge success. But then again, they

say everything is a famous victory for Trump. So, you have to, I think work through exactly what the goals were, and how Trump has changed the region

potentially and U.S. foreign policy.

I think on that score, the decision to waive sanctions on Syria, that the President took the meeting with the Syrian President, a historic one, the

first between a U.S. and Syrian leader in 25 years. I think that is the thing that will most leave the region potentially changed when he comes

home to the United States.

Clearly, that was something that the Saudis and the Qataris wanted. And I think also during this trip, we've seen some daylight emerge between Trump

and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not just on the Gaza issue, we saw the freeing of the last American hostage this week in a deal

that was not -- did not go through the Israelis.

But also on Yemen and also on this issue of the Iran talks, which the Israelis are skeptical of. And the Israelis had also said that they weren't

in favor of yet of lifting sanctions on Syria. So, I think Trump has left a lot of things simmering in the region. The question as always with him is

whether he and his administration have the application and the discipline to work these issues, to try and get real outcomes, or whether it was all

about the photo-ops in the Middle East.

SOARES: And we heard as well -- staying in the region, we heard the President today float, Stephen, the idea of the U.S. taking over Gaza,

creating what he quotes, "a freedom zone". I mean, first of all, what exactly does that even mean? Because recently, as we -- you and I have

discussed, you know, he also floated the idea of Gaza becoming the Riviera of the Middle East. Do we know what that means?

COLLINSON: No, and I think this is the problem with Trump. You have to try and work out what is real and what isn't. Is that something that's just

floated to the top of Trump's head? And he -- and he talks about it in public in a way that another President wouldn't? Or is it something that's

being talked about behind the scenes?

It just seems completely unrealistic. And I think that points to one of the issues here is, it's not just the Israelis who don't really have a vision

for what would happen if the war ends. They don't really want it to end right now. But the United States, which in the past has been this convening

power, doesn't have a real vision either of what Gaza might look like after the war.

And some of the things Trump says seem in complete contradiction with his other goals, which is improving the relationship with the Saudis and the

Qataris and trying to get them to forge closer links with the Israelis, and the expansion of the Accords, the Abraham Accords that he negotiated in his

first term. So, you know, a lot of what Trump says is a muddle, it's difficult trying to work out what he really wants, how constant he will be

on his statements.

[14:20:00]

But I think that's what we have with Trump, and that's the way he likes to lead, the unpredictability is part of the point.

SOARES: Yes, it is indeed something that we have seen throughout. Stephen, as always, appreciate it --

COLLINSON: Right --

SOARES: And we're going to stay in Gaza, because still to come after the break, their homes have been turned to rubble, their belongings destroyed

and left in pieces. But now, it's hunger and starvation that are quickly becoming the greatest threat to millions in Gaza. We'll have updates on the

urgent situation on the ground there.

Plus, a case at the U.S. Supreme Court over one of President Trump's executive orders that involves birthright citizenship. We'll explain that

after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, the U.S. Supreme Court has heard arguments today on American citizenship and the involvement of lower courts to define it. President

Donald Trump issued an executive order to end what's known as birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. constitution guarantees that

most people born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens, regardless of the citizenship of their parents.

But the Trump administration argues that shouldn't be the case. However, this case does not focus on the constitutionality of the Trump order, deals

with whether lower courts can block it. Joining us now to break it down is CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid. And Paula, I'm so glad

you're with us because, you know, the legal jumbo confuses many of us.

Just talk us through, first of all, what we're hearing today and whether we've heard any indications of how the justices are leaning here.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, it's possible, based on what we heard today, that the Trump administration may have

convinced at least five justices that these so-called nationwide injunctions, that is the power of one judge anywhere in the U.S. to block a

policy that, that should be eliminated or stopped completely.

Now, this is not just something that has plagued President Trump. Every modern President has had his policies at one time or another blocked by one

of these nationwide injunctions. But because President Trump makes such prolific use of executive orders, he has issued a record more than 200 in

the past few months, he gets blocked more than anyone else.

He's already been blocked 39 times in his second administration. So, this has become a pet-peeve issue for the President and his allies in Congress.

And the way this came up before the justices is based on a lower court judge who blocked Trump's executive order.

[14:25:00]

His day-one executive order ending birthright citizenship. That is the idea that if you are born here, even if your parents aren't U.S. citizens, that

you are a U.S. citizen. Now across the board, most legal experts say that's probably not a constitutional order. So, it's interesting what the justices

have to decide here.

How do you square the skepticism that they appear to have about whether one judge should be able to really override the prerogative of the executive or

the legislative branch with this policy that would likely have been blocked even by the Supreme Court. Because what the challengers in this case argue

is when it comes to something like who is and who is not a citizen, yes, you should have one policy.

One judge should be able to decide for the entire country what we're going to do, because if not, you'll have chaos. You'll have one district where

you can get a birth certificate, one where you cannot. The liberal justices were clearly sympathetic to that. But again, this is not just a Trump

issue. The past five administrations have all said that nationwide injunctions are a problem, and something that needs to be addressed.

And next month, we'll find out what exactly the justices are going to do here. But whatever they do will have enormous consequences for President

Trump and future Presidents to be able to quickly and efficiently implement their agenda.

SOARES: So, we shall know more in the next month or so. Paula Reid, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed for laying it all out for us. I

do want to stay in the United States because a judge in the U.S. state of Wisconsin has pleaded not guilty to helping a man evade immigration agents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: You can see there, demonstrators gathered outside the federal courthouse in Milwaukee today, some of them holding signs saying

"Department of Justice overreach and protect the rule of law", as you can see there. Federal prosecutors say Judge Hannah Dugan helped an illegal

immigrant leave her courthouse as agents tried to detain him.

Her arrest has dramatically escalated the clash between the White House and the judiciary in the Trump administration, sweeping immigration crackdown.

If Dugan is convicted, she could be sentenced to up to six years in prison. And still to come on the show tonight, the threat of starvation is now in a

brutal, pretty much brutal reality in Gaza.

We'll take a look at the human cost as Israel continues to block all humanitarian aid. And then he was within Gaza's European hospital compound

when it came under attack. Now, British surgeon Tom Potokar speaks to CNN. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:00]

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Just days after Israel's prime minister said his military is destroying more and more homes in Gaza, so

Palestinians have nowhere to return. We are seeing new mass casualties across the entire Strip. Gaza's civil defense says more than 100 people

were killed today.

And we do want to warn you the next video we're about to show you is very disturbing. Tiny body bags, shrouding some of the children killed in

today's strikes. Israel is threatening to expand the war and move Gaza's entire population south, saying it won't stop until Hamas is defeated.

Human Rights Watch is warning, quote, "Hearing Israeli officials flaunt plans to squeeze Gaza's 2 million people into an even tinier area while

making the rest of the land uninhabitable should be treated like a five- alarm fire, in London, Brussels, Paris, and Washington. Israel's blockade has transcended military tactics to become a tool of extermination. Those

words from Human Rights Watch.

But the U.S. and Israel see it differently. Today, President Donald Trump said there's practically no building left standing in Gaza. So, quote,

"it's not like you're trying to save something." He's pushing his plan meanwhile for U.S. takeover.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Make it a freedom zone. Let the United States get involved and

make it just a freedom zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: And as you heard from our correspondent in the last 10 minutes, no one knows what a freedom zone actually means. Well, U.S.-backed foundation

now says it will begin delivering a to Gaza within two weeks. It's been more than two months since Israel imposed a total blockade.

The foundation is part of a controversial new U.S.-Israeli initiative that would initially open just four distribution sites compared to the hundreds

of sites traditionally run by aid organizations. The foundation is urging Israel to authorize aid through existing mechanisms until the new

initiative is up and running. Israel has not yet publicly responded, but CNN has learned it, has agreed to allow in some aid, quote, "in the coming

days." A short time ago, the U.N. confirmed it will not take part in this new operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARHAN HAQ, DEPUTY U.N. SPOKESPERSON: We participate in aid operations if they are in accordance with our basic principles. As we've stated

repeatedly, this particular distribution plan does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence

and we will not be participating in this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: And so, as the world watches and waits to see what kind of aid Gaza will receive and when, the threat of famine grows. We've shared so

many statistics on the show with you on this hunger crisis. But as Jeremy Diamond now reports, this story is really about the people, the men, the

women, the children, resorting to desperate measures to stay alive every day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Amid the crush of bodies clamoring for food, children are being put to an unthinkable

test, who will manage to fill their family pot and who will have to wait another day to eat? This is how Gaza's children are being forced to live as

Israel continues to block the entry of food. A total siege that is now in its 11th week.

A boy burnt by the small prize of lentil soup he has managed to win. A girl scooping what remains with her bare hands.

[14:35:00]

But before it all, a search for food for them and their families with no guarantee of success.

I wake up every day, then we go find a kitchen. If we don't find food, then we go to another kitchen and another kitchen. Mohamed (ph) explains. If we

don't find anything, we go all day without food.

Nearly all of Gaza's population now experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, with 56 percent at the emergency or catastrophic

level, meaning very high rates of acute malnutrition and large gaps in food consumption. Unless aid gets in, more than three quarters of the population

are projected to fall to those emergency levels.

TOM FLETCHER, U.N. UNDER-SECRETARY GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: Every single one of the 2.1 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face the risk

of famine. One in five face starvation.

DIAMOND (voice-over): As this manmade crisis worsens Israel and the United States approving a new tightly controlled mechanism to get aid into some

parts of Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it plans to launch its operations within two weeks. Until then, it called on Israel to allow aid

in through existing mechanisms. Israel has yet to publicly agree.

A person involved in the planning said Israel has agreed to allow some aid into Gaza in the coming days, but Israel has yet to say so publicly. The

U.N. says it won't participate, saying the new plan will make things worse, facilitating forced displacement and putting civilians at risk.

In Gaza, people are running out of time as charity kitchens like this one run out of food.

14 pots were not enough, the manager of this kitchen says. Those who didn't get food will not eat anything today and will come back tomorrow and might

not get anything again.

Cases of acute malnutrition are spiking and people are being pushed to the brink like Reda Ahmed (ph), who fainted yesterday from a lack of food. I

swear I can't walk anymore. There is nothing to eat, she says.

As for the children who stand waiting for a chance to be fed, too many are now learning what it means to go hungry.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Our thanks to Jeremy for that report. Well, our next guest is in Gaza tonight. Dr. Tom Potokar was in the European Hospital compound Khan

Younis when it was hit by Israeli airstrikes that we told you about earlier this week. And he joins me now on the phone because the connection, as you

can imagine, is problematic.

Doctor, I appreciate you being with us. Can I start right there? You were at the European hospital early in the week. It was struck, I think it was

on Tuesday. Can you just tell us, first of all, what you saw, just set the scene, describe the devastation?

DR. TOM POTOKAR, DOCTOR WORKING IN GAZA: So, yes. I was working in the hospital. We just finished the operation. In fact, slightly delayed. Was

walking back from the main hospital entrance across the entrance to the residence where we're staying. And up the stairs into the residence and

then, approximately 10, 15 minutes later, there was a series of enormous explosions that threw me off the bed.

One after the other, and very, very loud and very rapid succession, which is out of the norm because normally it's one or two explosions at a time.

But these were just very rapid. One after the other. Accurate. Thick black smoke filled the air. I rushed downstairs because we had colleagues

(INAUDIBLE).

Just in the inside the main compounds. So, inside the main gate, there were two huge craters. There were some wounded people lying around. And then

within the hospital, obviously, you know, panic, huge amounts of screaming, you know, people running, trying to get away.

And then, within the hospital itself, damage to the walls, damage to the ceiling, tiles on the floor, significant cracks all along the walls. And

then further down, other another huge crater with a bus, which had sort of collapsed into the crater and several other (INAUDIBLE) all within the

compound of the hospital and very, very close to the actual walls. Some of them literally, you know, a couple of meters from the wall of the hospital.

SOARES: And, Doctor, I mean, it sounds absolutely terrifying. As you're talking, we are looking at some of your video that you sent to my team. Can

you speak, doctor, to the injuries then from this blast?

[14:40:00]

DR. POTOKAR: In fact, the -- most of the injured, there was one or two that came into the casualty department, the emergency medicine department,

the vast majority were taken out to surrounding hospitals because people were clearly absolutely petrified that this was going to continue and that

the hospital itself was at risk, because clearly it was. So, we didn't want to -- you know, to bring patients in to potentially, you know, sustain even

more injuries.

So, the patients were very rapidly transferred to other hospitals. 28 confirmed killed and then wounded a little specific, but somewhere, I think

in the region of 60 to 70 injured as well.

SOARES: And what we have been seeing, what we showed our viewers on Tuesday, and we said what happened? And what we continue to see is Israel,

Doctor, ramping up its attacks on Gaza. I mean, with horrific consequences, no doubt. Almost 70 killed, I believe, overnight in Southern Gaza. We

understand also, Doctor, that the Israeli military is ordering that evacuation of Gaza City.

I know this because you and I have spoken before. You have been in and out Gaza before, I think it was -- I can't remember, was it last year, the year

before? I can't remember, but give me a sense of what it's like right now in Gaza.

DR. POTOKAR: I mean, it is an absolutely desperate situation. There are, you know, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people living in

tents, just plastic tents, sheeting all cramped together in the al-Mawasi, the so-called safe zone, although there's been numerous attacks and strikes

in this area as well.

There is -- I've been in this time for 10 days or so, there's been bombed every single day. You hear heavy machine gun fire. After the release of the

hostage earlier in the week, within 20 minutes it started again. And you certainly sense that it's building up. And I think people are extremely

fearful about what's going to happen. We've heard what is being said is going to happen.

And I think to add on top of already a catastrophic situation and 19 months of intense suffering that these people on top of -- from the conflict and

then the blockade, the idea that this is now going to get even worse is just unfathomable, frankly.

SOARES: Yes, absolutely (INAUDIBLE) that we are still here, a manmade crisis of course. And as we've been reporting -- as before we came to you,

Doctor, we played a report by Jeremy Diamond. This spoke of course to the impact of this blockade. And we've heard from the U.N. that one in five

people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation.

Can you speak to what you have seen? And I've spoken to other NGOs and other doctors on my show this week from Gaza. Can you speak to the impact

of this blockade? Are you seeing signs of malnourishment or undernourishment? Speak to that.

DR. POTOKAR: I am sorry. You broke up a bit there, but I think I got the gist of it about malnourishment. I mean, certainly, the patients -- all the

patients in the hospital are absolutely undernourished, that all malnourished. There's very, very little food around. And just driving

through Khan Younis, for example, norm, normally outside of the conflict you would see -- and even just before the blockage, you would see food on

the market, different types, there's (INAUDIBLE) protein at all. Very -- almost zero fruit.

You know, there's dried bread, a bit of pasta and rice, those sort of things. But very, very little. People are absolutely worn out and, you

know, just constantly hungry, particularly the children, of course. A lot of my colleagues that I've known for many years are not unrecognizable, but

has certainly changed because they've lost so much weight.

And the other impact of this, of course, not just the psychological stress of it as well and the pain and hunger, which is a severe pain, is -- it has

a significant impact. If you are wounded or if you are unwell because your immune system is compromised, you are much more prone to infection. Your

wounds won't heal. So, it's a sort of vicious cycle.

And people are -- yes, to hear people say that there's enough food here. And that people aren't starving, well, I'm afraid they have not been here.

They have not been here.

SOARES: Yes. And the impact this has, of course, on children's development is so critical. Doctor, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to

us. Thank you very much.

We are going to continue on the story as we have done every single day this week. We'll have much more after this short break. Do stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:00]

SOARES: The defense for Sean Diddy Combs is cross-examining Cassie Ventura. She's Combs' former girlfriend who has been testifying in the sex

trafficking case. Ventura was questioned about her text to Combs requesting more drugs. Her interruptions with celebrities and their 11-year

relationship. Combs is accused of racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution charges. He has

pleaded not guilty. Here's CNN's Kara Scannell with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For about two hours. Combs's lawyer has gone through a number of text messages, many of them at the beginning of

the relationship and there she's using them to show that there was a lot of love and a lot of affection and effusiveness that was back and forth

between them. Some e-mails also deal directly with these freak offs, which Ventura has testified she felt she had to do because she felt threatened by

Combs, either he would physically assault her or harm her.

Some of these text messages that the jury has seen today shows Ventura saying that she's going to go to the store and pick up supplies, set up the

room, and take her vitamins, LOL, of oblique reference to the drugs that they were taking, which the defense would want to argue that this is her

willingly participating in these freak offs.

Now, Ventura says she did it eventually at the beginning, but then she eventually grew to not want to continue to do them. And she had testified

on direct examination that she had engaged in these freak offs with 19 different male escorts.

Now, also in the cross-examination today, the defense trying to get at the concept that this was a racketeering conspiracy. And so, they were asking

her, you know, were members of his staff, knowledgeable of the freak offs, did they know? Was it the security guards, did they know? The personal

assistance, did they know? And Ventura said that she never told them.

Obviously, the prosecutors pushing the theory that they were involved and that they -- their involvement was evident by them supplying some of the

supplies that were needed, the baby oil, the lubricants, and setting up some of these hotel rooms, paying for the damages that occurred after the

freak offs.

But his team trying to chip away here at some of what Ventura is saying, making it to be more of a complicated relationship than what the

prosecution has alleged is a sex trafficking crime. And that is because Combs' defense is that there was domestic violence in this relationship.

He's not running away from it, but he says it wasn't sex trafficking. And they say that a lot of those fights came because of infidelity between both

of them, on both sides, and that was what was fueling that. But they said that that's not what he's charged with. That's not the crime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:50:00]

SOARES: And our thanks to Kara Scannell for that. And we have much more news after this short break. Do stay right here. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. There's yet another victim of a violent attack in Mexico. Valeria Marquez was talking to her followers on TikTok

from her beauty salon in the central part of the country when someone showed up at her door with a small parcel. The 23-year-old influencer

returned to her viewers and unwrap the package. Moments later, she was shot dead as the live stream continued. Marquez's death and many others are

being investigated as Femicide, where women and girls are killed for gender-based reasons.

I want to bring in CNN's Gabriela Frias who's been covering the market story. She joins me now from Mexico City. Gabby, good to see you. This is

absolutely horrific. What more are you learning from authorities has occurred here? What are they telling you?

GABRIELA FRIAS, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Isa, as well. Very little at the moment, but what do we have -- we do have a lot of

information in regards to that live stream. As you said, Valeria Marquez had thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. She shared beauty and

lifestyle tips, as well as pictures of hair.

That tragic afternoon, Valeria had been live streaming for a while, interacting with her followers. And these details are important. At some

point, Valeria is seen talking to a person in her salon, a female voice, who tells her that someone with an expensive gift had come looking for her,

that they would come back in an hour to give it to her directly. Valeria then asks for more details. Did the person look like a deliver boy or a

bodyguard? Then she looks at the camera and says, and I'm quoting, "I am going to be kidnapped. Maybe someone is coming to kill me."

Despite being tense, Valeria continued that live stream during which Valeria received a beverage from Starbucks at the -- and the stuffed piglet

that you referenced. In her final moments, Valeria looks into the distance and says, OK, they are here. You can hear someone entering her salon asking

Valeria, and she replies yes. She then mutes the livestream microphone, and what comes next is the gruesome image of her violent death, Isa.

[14:55:00]

The footage, as you say, ended with another person picked up her phone. Their face is momentarily shown to viewers, but her killing has sent

shockwaves in Mexico, a country with a staggering level of violence against women. Government figures show that in 2024, there were 847 reported cases

of femicide, reported is the important keyword here. And 162 femicides in the first three months of this year. Human rights groups highlight that

too. Few investigations lead to prosecution, Isa.

SOARES: That is absolutely staggering. You're saying 847 reported cases of Femicide nationwide. What is this -- the new president, what is she saying

to this? How is this being addressed if it's such -- clearly, it is a story that is reverberating right across the country?

FRIAS: Well, it's a case-by-case situation. She normally reacts in the media every morning, she has her encounter with the media. She always says

that she would ask for local investigators, and if there's help, then the federal authorities will come and help. But that's pretty much what they're

saying so far.

SOARES: I know you'll stay across it for us. Thank you very much, Gabby. Appreciate it.

That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know with Max Foster" is up next. I shall see you tomorrow. Have a good evening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END