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One World with Zain Asher
Democratic National Convention Begins Today; Blinken Meets Netanyahu To Talk About Ceasefire Deal; Iran Weighs Possible Retaliation Against Israel; Hamas: Netanyahu "Obstructing" A Potential Agreement; Biden To Highlight His 50-Year Legacy As He Passes Torch; Inside Ukraine's Surprise Kursk Incursion; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired August 19, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: And live from Tel Aviv, I'm Jim Sciutto. This is ONE WORLD.
We are tracking two major stories today here in Tel Aviv. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin
Netanyahu. And what he has said may be the last opportunity to bring the hostages home and get a ceasefire deal.
GOLODRYGA: Plus, back in the States, the Democrats are ramping up for their national convention in Chicago.
President Biden will deliver the opening speech tonight. We will take you live to the DNC.
And that's where we begin our coverage with the opening day of the Democratic National Convention in just a matter of hours. The United Center
in Chicago will be full of delegates ready to celebrate Kamala Harris' run for the White House.
For four days, speaker after speaker will make the case that she is the right person to lead America into the future.
Democrats come into the convention riding high, buoyed by a series of polls over the weekend that showed Harris opening a small but significant lead on
Donald Trump.
Harris' boss, President Joe Biden, headlines the first night and later in the week, we'll also hear from former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill
Clinton.
And finally, Harris takes a center stage when she gives her acceptance speech Thursday night.
Let's go to Chicago. And that's where CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is right now.
Kevin, a month ago, this was not where President Biden expected he would find himself. He was assumed to be the Thursday night key speaker. Instead,
he will be speaking tonight, obviously, having bowed out in support of his vice president at the top of the ticket.
And tonight really will be a celebration and a night of respect, for not only his decision, but his accomplishments in this administration as well.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, very much so. And I would expect a very warm welcome for President Biden when he comes out here
tonight.
He has been working on his speech over the weekend up at Camp David with two of his senior most advisors working to really revise this address. And
I don't think the weight of this moment is lost in President Biden.
You know, he came to his first democratic convention in 1972. He was, at that point, a longshot candidate to become the youngest member of the U.S.
Senate.
Tonight, as the other end of that political arc, he is mounting the stage as the sitting incumbent president, the oldest in history handing off the
baton to his chosen successor, Kamala Harris.
This is not the speech he would have liked to give. It's not the speech he once hoped to give. And he is still processing, in some ways, the process
that went -- you know, he went through to be removed from the top of the democratic ticket.
But when you talk to advisors, they really do believe that President Biden tonight wants to make the case for Kamala Harris as the natural successor
to his legacy and the best person to carry on the accomplishments of his term in office. And you will hear that from him tonight.
What he also wants to do is frame the stakes of this election. And, of course, he has been saying for a long time that Donald Trump poses a threat
to democracy. He has framed his entire sort of later day political bid as, you know, regaining the soul of America that hasn't always been popular
among Democrats, but you can expect that to be a theme of his address tonight.
Kamala Harris will be in the arena for President Biden speech. That was an important thing to the vice president. I'm told, afterwards, the Bidens
will head out of town. They're going to (INAUDIBLE) California on vacation, essentially handing over the keys of the convention to Kamala Harris.
And when you look at what the organizers have planned for this week, I think you can detect two really key objectives. One, to reintroduce Kamala
Harris to the American public as the democratic nominee.
You know, a lot of Americans are just tuning in. They may have some questions about who Kamala Harris is, what exactly happened to Joe Biden.
And then she will have plenty of help on that front.
Two former presidents will be speaking, two former First Ladies, plenty of high wattage democratic stars to make the case for Harris.
The other objective is to really pose what could happen if Trump were to regain the White House? And to that end, we will hear of two people
involved in the January 6th congressional investigation, as well as a police officer who is injured in the Capitol riots.
So a lot for the Democrats to get through at this convention. Certainly Harris is entering on a swell of momentum.
[12:05:08]
But when you talk to Harris advisors, they acknowledge it's still a very close race and that the real work will begin once this convention ends.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. She says she still considers herself the underdog in this race.
CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak, thank you so much.
For our more analysis of what we're going to hear from Democrats this week, we now welcome in CNN politics senior reporter, Stephen Collinson. And,
Stephen, it is good to see you again.
So no doubt there is a lot of enthusiasm and momentum going into this convention. And it's not just based on how the polls have really bounced
ahead for Kamala Harris. And she's been at the top of the ticket now and really closing in that margin that Donald Trump seemed to have in leading
weeks ago.
But there, as we've known a vibe, over the past three weeks has grown with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement amongst Democrats.
Given that, as we heard from Kevin, there's still a lot that people don't know about Kamala Harris. Maybe that's surprising. Maybe that's not, given
that she's already been the vice president for three and a half years.
So, what does she need to accomplish this week?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER: Yes. Harris hasn't been the most high-profile vice president.
In recent decades, we've had people like Dick Cheney and Joe Biden himself who played much more prominent roles when they were the number two to
presidents.
And I think there really is a need, as Kevin was saying, for the vice president to explain to people what she's all about, what she would do in
office, what her instincts.
It's interesting. I've been talking to some democratic strategists recently. And they argue, and this is based in their own internal polling,
that the vice president isn't seen by many voters as complicit in some of the downsides that Democrats see -- another voter see from the Biden
administration.
She's not necessarily blamed for the high prices and inflation that have occurred under Biden's watch and with which the Trump campaign is trying to
saddle her.
So she has a little bit of running room, but she is going to be, if she's elected, the head of state, the commander in chief, we know very little,
incidentally, about what her instincts are on some of the major international questions like Ukraine and China, other than the fact that
she's followed the Biden administration line.
So there is a lot that is unknown about how Kamala Harris would be as president. And I think some of that she has to accomplish -- some of what
she has to accomplish this week is to flesh that out a little.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and to beef up her foreign policy credentials, she has traveled, I think, to 20 plus countries over her time as vice president
meeting with foreign leaders, nowhere near, of course, the level in depth of knowledge and experience that President Biden brought to the table and
still brings to the table with regards to foreign policy.
Again, we mentioned the enthusiasm and the increased unity within the party surrounding this ticket. That's not to say that there aren't concerns about
what we could see this week, specifically outside of the convention, maybe even inside. And that's regarding staying with the foreign policy theme,
specifically the war in Gaza.
How concerned are Democrats about really walking that narrow line of supporting free protests, the right to protest, but also making sure that
that doesn't really outweigh or take away attention from what we're seeing at the convention itself?
COLLINSON: Well, Democrats certainly understand that many of their voters on the progressive side and among Arab-Americans, in particular, obviously,
deeply troubled what they've -- by what they've seen going on in Gaza.
So it's not something the party can ignore. Harris officials have actually been making several attempts to connect with the Arab-American community in
the critical swing state of Michigan, for example, to try and mitigate some of the anger that there is towards the Biden administration for support of
Israel.
At the same time, they clearly do not want primetime scenes of protest, because that would play directly into the Trump administration's contention
that the Harris White House would not be able to enforce law and order in the United States, and it is a creature of radical left-wing forces.
So you're right. It's a balancing act. Every single outside campaign we've seen from the president and the vice-person, almost this year, has been
interrupted at some point by pro-Palestinian protesters.
So it wouldn't be a surprise to see it happen. But I think most of the action probably will be confined to the outside. But there are, just
walking around the city of Chicago, sizable protests that pop up almost from nowhere.
[12:10:06]
And you have these squadrons of police officers in bicycles that appear to try and cordon them off. So, you know, it is a real concern.
GOLODRYGA: And we'll be watching it closely. You'll be covering it for us, of course. CNN politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson, thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, the U.S. Secretary of State says this could be the best, but perhaps the final opportunity for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, as
he pushes forward with negotiations with both sides.
Anthony Blinken held a roughly three-hour meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem earlier today.
We should note though that Israel and Hamas are blaming each other for delays and new obstacles in reaching a truce in what is now a 10-month-old
war.
This as Hamas claims responsibility this last night for an explosion in Tel Aviv. This video, widely circulated on Israeli media and geo-located by
CNN, appears to show the moment of Sunday's blast.
Israeli police are calling this a terror attack. Hamas called it a martyrdom attack, which is how they describe suicide attacks.
CNN diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins us now from Tel Aviv.
Let's be frank, a suicide attack in Tel Aviv in the midst of highly sensitive negotiations is not a good development. I mean, the luck with
this one was that only the bomber was killed, someone was injured.
How much of a challenge will it be now for negotiators to overcome that? Do you see that as a significant roadblock here?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I see it as a significant warning, perhaps less than a roadblock, but it is certainly something that Prime
Minister Netanyahu, when he sends his negotiators, as he appears to have given commitment in his -- in his long meeting with Secretary Blinken
today, constructive as how one -- as how one source described it.
As they go back into those negotiations, they will be fully aware that Hamas is apparently starting a new wave of this type of terrorist attack on
the streets of Tel Aviv, where there haven't been such suicide bombs in almost two decades.
So that has to have a negative effect. But that's Secretary of State Antony Blinken's message here. You have to work through that. And he feels that he
got some positivity in those in the long discussion with the prime minister that there's a commitment, not just to send the negotiators back, but
actually move the process forward.
And even a bit of discussion about the day after in Gaza, which is something Prime Minister Netanyahu hasn't been willing to get into.
But again, to your point, this offers reason for -- reason for flexibility in the eyes of the mediators like the United States and the eyes of some of
the right-wing cabinet members of Prime Minister Netanyahu. This offers a reason for why they should double down.
SCIUTTO: It's a good framing because to some degree, these are reminders of what it's certainly a reminder of what Hamas could do or could try to do
here. You have the fire on the northern border, which is a reminder that Hezbollah could greatly expand the war and the attacks from the north.
And, of course, Iran with its rhetoric could, of course, launch another round of missiles here. But Israel too is carrying out -- continues to
carry out military operations in Gaza, often with civilian casualties.
So what is the -- what are the negotiating obstacles right to bring them to agreement now? What are the real sticking points standing in the way?
ROBERTSON: Well, the things Hamas is talking about beyond the point that they say this bridging proposal by the United States really just amplifies
and puts forward Prime Minister Netanyahu's position.
They're saying their key things. The border, along -- between Gaza and Egypt, it's the so-called Philadelphi Corridor, the IDF's in control of it.
They've found massive tunnels underneath of it that Hamas used for smuggling weapons into Gaza.
The IDF and Prime Minister Netanyahu say they want to keep control of it. And Hamas said, no, that's a red line. The same for the actual border
crossing point, the Rafah crossing, that's a red line for Hamas because Israel wants to maintain control of it.
Israel wants to be able to search displaced people when they return for the south to the north to make sure they don't bring weapons back. That's a red
line for Hamas.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
ROBERTSON: When do you move from a sort of a partial ceasefire to a complete cessation? Israel doesn't want that. It wants the right to be able
to prosecute its campaign against Hamas going forward.
They're very deep points and Hamas' skepticism and their negativity ahead of these talks kind of tell you a lot.
Look, we're at the --
SCIUTTO: Yes.
ROBERTSON: -- beginning of this particular phase, but it sounds a lot like every other phase.
SCIUTTO: So many red lines, so little overlap, right, in their positions. And that's, of course, I mean, the nature of these negotiations through
many years.
ROBERTSON: Yes.
SCIUTTO: In this part of the world.
Nic Robertson, thanks so much.
Well, of course, Bianna, continue to follow events here closely. Secretary Blinken going from here on to Cairo as he continues his shuttle diplomacy
in the region.
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GOLODRYGA: Yes. And what's so fascinating, Jim, and I don't think we can neglect the point that when you hear Nick saying things like the Israel is
rejecting or questioning some dimensions of this deal, when you reference Israel, it's really the prime minister at this point because we are seeing
a schism now between the defense establishment in this government and the prime minister himself really trying to placate the far-right elements of
his government and coalition where you have the defense minister and others saying, this is the time for the deal right now.
It's fascinating to watch play out.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Meantime --
SCIUTTO: And, listen --
GOLODRYGA: Oh, yes.
SCIUTTO: -- when you think about it, right, we talk about the splits between the parties involved Israel, Hamas, but you have, as you say,
divisions on the Israeli side about the approach and how serious they are.
You even have some criticism from the defense establishment of the prime minister himself, but you also have divisions within Hamas. There have been
some, over time, and perhaps between even Hezbollah and Iran about their responses. So those create yet more variables for how this could play out.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. Hamas continuing to move the goalpost as well. And you mentioned Iran. Iran is watching the ceasefire talks closely as it weighs a
retaliatory attack against Israel over last month's killing of a Hamas political leader in Tehran.
Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Tehran.
And, Fred, the United States really seems to be connecting, not only the ceasefire hostage deal, but also any sort of --
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- retaliation we may see yet from Iran and perhaps even Hezbollah in response to the assassination of two terrorist leaders, one in
Lebanon and one in Iran.
PLEITGEN: Yes. First of all, you're absolutely right. The U.S. does seem to be doing that. The Iranians, however, Bianna, they came out today and they
said that to them they are -- that they say still coming retaliation and the ceasefire talks to the Iranians are two very separate issues.
Nevertheless, the ceasefire talks, a major topic here in Tehran. Obviously, the Iranians watching all this very closely just to give you an idea of how
important the Palestinian issue is to the Iranians.
I'm standing here on Enqelab Square, which is one of the main squares in Tehran. And you can see there next to the big Iranian flag, you actually
have a flag of the Palestinians. And then you also have that Palestinian flag in those lights that are coming up there, together with the Iranian
flag as well.
So here in Tehran, this issue is ever present. Also the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh ever present as well. There's a lot of posters depicting
Ismail Haniyeh.
The Iranians are essentially saying two things about these ceasefire negotiations. On the one hand, they are saying they want a ceasefire. They
say they want these talks to succeed.
But on the other hand, they're also saying that they're not very confident that these talks will succeed. And one of the reasons is actually something
that you already managed as well -- or that you already mentioned as well.
The Iranians are saying that they don't trust the Israelis in all this, specifically, they don't believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is serious about those talks.
They also have a lot of issues, of course, with the United States. They say they don't believe that the United States is an objective mediator.
But on the whole, I've heard Iranian politicians inside the parliament also tell me, they hope that a ceasefire will happen.
The spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry came out today, and once again said that to the Iranians, the topic of the ceasefire and the topic of
their retaliation are completely separate.
Iranians are saying that the retaliation will still happen. They believe they need to retaliate because it is a deterrent against possible further
attacks coming from Israel.
However, the Iranians have also said that they don't want to further aggravate the situation here in the Middle East and certainly don't want a
wider conflict that, of course, could also involve the United States, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: And reminding viewers that the U.S. reinforcements are still in the region to prevent or to thwart any sort of massive response as we're
now, I believe, in week three of Israelis, anticipating some sort of retaliation.
Fred, before we let you go, our intelligence sources tell me that today is your birthday.
So thank you, my friend, for spending some of your birthday time with us.
PLEITGEN: Thank you very much.
GOLODRYGA: Happy birthday. Enjoy it.
PLEITGEN: Thank you very much. Thank you. I got a cake to eat.
GOLODRYGA: Great. I hope it's tasty.
All right. Jim, back to you.
SCIUTTO: Well, time is running out. That is the message from the top U.S. diplomat, brought to Israel's Prime Minister. We're going to look at
whether the warning from Secretary Blinken might help push a ceasefire and hostage deal across the finish line.
GOLODRYGA: And the eyes of the world will be on Chicago tonight. And what may be the last major political speech of Joe Biden's 50-year career. Stay
with us.
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[12:20:31]
GOLODRYGA: Well, just one month ago, he was set to deliver the primetime closing speech at the Democratic National Convention. But since then, an
extraordinary series of events unfolded upending the entire U.S. presidential election.
And now, Joe Biden will address the DNC on its opening night in an unprecedented changing of the guard and what amounts to his own political
swan song.
The president will pass the torch to Kamala Harris, and in doing so, will effectively end a 50-plus year career in politics. Though he doesn't leave
office until January. The first day of the DNC, meanwhile, is designed to highlight President Biden's accomplishments.
But it's a bittersweet moment for a man who had, until very recently, plan to end the week as his party's nominee.
Jeff Nussbaum is a Democratic strategist and used to be a senior speechwriter for President Biden. He joins us now live from the convention
in Chicago.
Jeff, it's good to see you.
So reports suggest that the president was still working on his speech as of last night. What do you think will hear from him tonight?
JEFF NUSSBAUM, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, certainly already, that's not particularly out of character. I used to joke that nothing is final until
after it's been delivered.
But I think we're really probably going to see two Joe Biden recurring themes. And I was thinking when was the last time that he's actually had to
say goodbye to something or deliver a valid victory? And that was in 2009 when he left the Senate after 36 years of service to become vice president.
And he talked about how much America can change when devoted public servants give their lives to service. And so that's one reflection.
And then the other touchstone I was thinking about was his inauguration speech, where this is kind of a capstone to that. And he talked in that
speech about how much there was to repair, build, and gain.
And I think you'll hear from the president all that he has done to repair and all that he has done to build, and then a pivot to what there is to
gain and the work that continues.
GOLODRYGA: From those who know him, it is reported that he is disappointed, but not depressed at the chain of events that led to this current dynamic
and that he did ultimately come to terms with what the polling data had signified and showed over the last few weeks, especially following that
terrible debate performance.
I'd like to read for you a passage from "POLITICO" about what we can expect tonight in the environment surrounding the president at the DNC.
[12:25:02]
The deafening roars Biden receives at the United Center Monday night will communicate just as much relief as reverence from a party grateful he's
stepping away, further signaling that Biden's exit from the race is the only reason Democrats are confident that they have a shot to win in
November.
Jeff, do you agree with that assessment? And what do you make of the fact that Kamala Harris seems to really be soaring and more receptive for voters
in terms of the policies that the Biden-Harris campaign had really struggled to really make traction with, for so many months prior to today?
NUSSBAUM: Well, I won't speak to the assessment. And, by the way, you hear the second gentleman practicing behind me here. So I got a little
distraction.
But I think really whether the race would have come around for President Biden, I think that what this does is it allows Democrats to have that
really perfect combination of pride in the accomplishments and the president who achieved them and excitement about what's to come.
And so I'll leave the punditry to the pundits. I will say for my part it was an honor to serve President Biden. He's a wonderfully decent human
being.
And one thing I think that goes unremarked upon is that as people look at his accomplishments outside of the crucible of politics, you know, in that
he's not running anymore, he becomes more popular, and that popularity redounds to the benefit of Vice President Harris as well. So it's not an
either or but these things continue to work in concert a little bit.
GOLODRYGA: And you're right, he does speak to the decency of the country, the positive optimism that he always ends a speech with by saying that, you
know, we're America and there's nothing we can't do when we're all together as a nation.
He did run in 2020 as a bridge candidate. Ultimately, things got a bit ugly the last few weeks now before he ultimately decided to step down.
But how important is it for him and for the party this week and even the Harris campaign to really highlight that he has held up that line during
his campaign?
He is the bridge candidate now passing his legacy and the future of the country and in their vision for it to the next generation and that being
the vice president that he handpicked.
NUSSBAUM: Yes. I think regardless of the timing or how the announcement took place, President Biden made a lot of promises when he was running for
office to restore the soul of the nation, rebuild the middleclass. And, yes, to be a bridge to the next generation.
And so regardless of how it happened, I think there's something immensely powerful about the fact that the president of the United States will be
able to stand up at this convention and, say of all the promises I've made, I've kept all of them.
It's incredibly rare, incredibly powerful. And I think as people see it through that context, they'll be increasingly proud and frankly supportive
of President Biden.
GOLODRYGA: We will be watching tonight as he speaks. It's scheduled for I believe 10:50 P.M. Eastern time. So very, very late in the evening, but
obviously that crowd will be very enthusiastic when they hear from him and will be covering here on CNN live as well.
Jeff Nussbaum, good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.
NUSSBAUM: Pleasure to be with you.
GOLODRYGA: And again, tune in for live coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, starting at 5:00 P.M. Chicago time, 6:00 P.M.
Eastern Time, and 11:00 P.M. in London. It's all right here on CNN.
And still to come for us, a rare super blue moon lights up the sky in Australia. We'll take a closer look at this phenomenon later this hour.
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[12:30:28]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Jim Sciutto.
GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.
SCIUTTO: The top U.S. diplomat is here in the Middle East as he stresses the time, in his view, is running out for a ceasefire hostage deal.
Antony Blinken met with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier on Monday. Blinken, trying to make progress on a deal despite
skepticism and name-calling from both Israeli and Hamas leaders.
He told reporters the push for a deal has reached a decisive point. And this, in his view, is probably the last best opportunity to bring the
Israeli hostages home and bring a ceasefire in Gaza.
I want to speak now to H.A. Hellyer. He's a Middle East studies scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, for Peace -- for International Peace.
Thanks so much for joining this evening.
H.A. HELLYER, MIDDLE EAST STUDIES SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR PEACE FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Thank you for the invitation.
SCIUTTO: First, let me ask you your view of where these talks stand. The conversation between Netanyahu and Blinken was described as constructive.
But as far as Hamas is concerned, last night it released a statement accusing Israel of introducing new obstacles to these talks. And, of
course, you have Hamas now claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv just overnight.
Are these talks anywhere near coming to an agreement?
HELLYER: So thank you again for the invitation.
This frankly feels a lot like Groundhog Day. The Biden administration insists that it wants to ceasefire a deal.
Earlier today, there were protesters outside of Blinken's hotel urging him to push Netanyahu to actually agree to a deal. Netanyahu then changes the
goalposts and sabotages the deal. This happened multiple times over the last nine months.
D.C. then refuses to use leverage to force Israel to keep to the established parameters. And then D.C. then talks about Hamas not accepting.
And we're going to repeat.
Let's be clear, the deal that was on the table was the one that Biden put out in May, which he insists was actually an Israeli deal.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
HELLYER: Hamas agreed to negotiate on the basis of that. And what we've been discussing in the past years was supposed to be that deal.
In the meantime, Israel assassinated the lead negotiator on the other side, struck civilian targets, killing dozens of people in the occupied
territories, insisted it wouldn't leave the Philadelphi Corridor with Egypt, which is in contradiction to the Camp David Accords, where the Egypt
And so on.
So the focus have changed. Blinken now has to go to Egypt to try to get Egypt to get Hamas to agree to these changes. I don't think Egypt will
agree to that because again, it's against the Camp David Accords themselves.
[12:35:09]
SCIUTTO: Right.
HELLYER: And I don't think Hamas will either. So, unfortunately, yet again, I think we're back at the same point where these negotiations will fail.
SCIUTTO: Well, I know that the criticism that you're leveling here is one, by the way, that we've heard from inside Israel.
Benny Gantz has questioned whether Netanyahu wants to reach an agreement. But you mentioned Israel's continued attacks, both in Gaza and these
assassinations, but you also have Hamas claiming responsibility for a suicide attack here in Tel Aviv.
You had an Israeli soldier killed on the northern border today from Hezbollah fired, and you have Iran promising a strong response to the
killing of Haniyeh in Tehran.
I just wonder, when you add all that up, who actually wants a deal? Who of these players is serious about coming to an agreement?
HELLYER: Well, let's be clear. Neither Hezbollah nor Iran are party to the ceasefire negotiations. This is about Israel and Hamas.
And you mentioned criticism inside of Israel. It's actually inside of Israel where we've seen document -- documents around how, over the past
nine months, Netanyahu has systematically sabotaged negotiations multiple times. The Haaretz has documented this tremendously well, I think, over the
past seven to eight months.
And what we've seen, again and again, is that we get to this point where the Biden administration talks about we're very close to a deal, and then
it gets sabotaged.
And unfortunately, there's one more element to it. The sabotage comes from Netanyahu, but Netanyahu does that because he knows that, irrespective of
any red lines, the Biden administration puts out, even if he crosses those red lines, as he's done before with Rafah and going to the Rafah and so on.
The Biden administration will not use the leverage that it has on Israel to hold Israel to account and move these negotiations forward.
There's been a lot of talk about pressure on Israel by the United States. I think it's quite laughable because it's always been rhetorical. It's never
been about protection of Israel as the United Nations Security Council. It's never been about the provision of offensive weapons. It's never been
about financial assistance. It's always been about talk. It's always been about rhetoric.
And I think Netanyahu knows that. And Netanyahu is far more concerned with domestic pressure, particularly within his own cabinet from the far-right
than he is with engaging with his closest ally, the United States of America.
SCIUTTO: I understand that criticism. And to your point, some of that criticism has been leveled from inside Israel.
But let's get to Hamas' seriousness as well, because many have questioned whether Hamas wants to make an agreement, whether Sinwar, its newly
anointed leader, calculates that continuing the war is actually in his and Hamas' interest.
And you have Hamas today claiming responsibility for a terror attack that only killed the bomber. But you can imagine far worse consequences had that
bomber made it to a crowded location.
So, does Hamas want to make an agreement?
HELLYER: So you'd have to talk to Hamas to ask them about that. But all of the reports that we have from the mediators in the midst of these
negotiations point to really to one that Hamas is interested in moving forward towards the deal because, of course, the price on Gaza in the
absence of one is horrific due to the tens of thousands of civilians that have been killed in Gaza by the IDF over the past nine months.
So I think that that's very clear in terms of the reports that we have. But also reports from Israeli negotiators themselves that they go to these
negotiations handicapped by Netanyahu personally.
And, again, these reports have come out multiple times, including by people who link the CNN in "Axios" and also Haaretz.
So I think that where we're at right now is that the Israeli -- the Israeli side in these negotiations has constantly sabotaged this. And I think we
need to see pressure being applied by the United States in order to push forward.
When it comes to Hamas, there's a lot of pressure that's being applied and it's actually real pressure. It's actually things that make a difference to
them.
When it comes to Israel, it's not the same at all. And on the contrary, when it comes to the Israelis, there's been a complete empowerment of the
Israeli position multiple times.
And you've seen it just over this past week. There was a deal on the table that was put forward by President Biden. It has now been unilaterally
changed with, you know, the adding of this new clause about the maintaining of control of the Philadelphi Corridor and something that's completely
against Camp David. OK. And then other new demands as well.
So I think we need to put, quote-unquote, blame where it's most applicable here.
[12:40:04]
SCIUTTO: H.A. Hellyer joining us from Cairo. Thanks so much for taking the time.
HELLYER: I appreciate it. Thank you.
SCIUTTO: And Bianna is back with us now. And, Bianna, such a familiar framing, right, of negotiations that have been stopped and started from
months now in this latest iteration of this conflict, but one that, well, could have been borrowed from many other years in the past several years of
this relationship as well.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And no doubt there's a lot of blame to go around when it comes to actually blaming who started this fight, this war, it was Hamas
that triggered October 7th in the terror attacks there that took over 200 civilians hostage that still holds 115.
So you talk about the objectivity here and it's right to focus on the internal debates within Israel within this government about whether or not
Netanyahu does want to sabotage this deal.
It's clear also that it's not a unilateral decision on his part. Even if he signs off on it, you need Hamas on the other end to sign off as well.
SCIUTTO: Right.
GOLODRYGA: They could easily end all of this by just releasing the hostages. And it's not very often that you get to speak with the Hamas
official.
And, Jim, you've covered this region for decades now. You just arrived again. This is your second time since October 7th. And you had the
opportunity to speak with said Hamas official and spokesperson over the weekend to ask some of the hard and not so difficult questions, let's just
be honest. And his comments really made news worldwide.
SCIUTTO: Listen, I started with the --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSAMA HAMDAN, SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL: We are talking about 16,000 children who are being killed by the Israelis, and you are asking if the resistance
is responsible.
SCIUTTO: I'm very aware of the -- I'm very aware of the civilian toll in Gaza.
HAMDAN: You are not listening and you are not allowing me to answer. You don't want to listen to the facts. You just want to listen to yourself.
It's OK. That's enough. It's fine.
SCIUTTO: No. I'm going to quote you now -- I'm going to quote you now a Palestinian from Gaza.
HAMDAN: You want to hear to yourself. You just want to listen to yourself and to the Israelis. If you are aware and worried about the action with the
Israelis, don't talk to Hamas. Thank you very much. The Israelis have killed us.
SCIUTTO: In fact, we've invited you on the air to ask you questions. No.
HAMDAN: (INAUDIBLE) position for the killings of the Palestinians. You are supporting the killings of the Palestinians. I'm sorry to hear that from
the CNN. Thank you very much. I have to finish that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Listen, that was one part of a frustrating interview. I started with a very basic question. Ten months into this war, does Hamas regret in
any way the October 7th attacks in which it killed hundreds of Israeli civilians and what has followed has involved, has brought about the deaths
from Israeli military action of tens of thousands of Gaza civilians.
But as we should note, Hamas fighters live amongst the people of Gaza. They live in tunnels. They place their forces in schools and under schools and
under apartment blocks and so on.
I asked if he accepted any responsibility as well for that and would not answer, Bianna, that basic question.
And what I was trying to get to there were some comments from residents of Gaza who placed the blame as well on Hamas and said that they want this to
stop and that they find the fighting as drawing more suffering on them as opposed to any resistance against the Israeli occupation.
But it was not a question he was willing to even address or answer.
GOLODRYGA: Perhaps gives you a sense of what these negotiations are like and how tense they really are, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: These are really important questions that you ask. We don't hear from these officials quite often and it was really eye-opening to hear how
quickly he responded and then ended that conversation. Because as you note far too many innocent lives have been lost over the past ten months.
Jim, we'll continue you're really important reporting for us throughout this week. Thank you so much.
SCIUTTO: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: And still to come for us, Inside Kyiv's surprise incursion. CNN gains access to one of the Russian border towns recently captured by
Ukrainian troops.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:03]
GOLODRYGA: Ukrainian troops are gaining a stronger foothold inside of Russian territory, nearly two weeks after their surprise cross-border
incursion.
And advancing forces are blowing up strategically significant bridges in the Kursk Region.
CNN was among the first news organizations to go into the part of Russia now controlled by Ukraine. Just unbelievable to say those words.
We were accompanied by Ukraine's military, which reviewed the video you're about to see for operational security reasons. But the military did not
hear the sound and had no editorial control.
Here's CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): This was never in Putin's plan. But still, into Russia we cross with Ukrainian forces moving forward, through the border post they destroyed in
their surprise assault 10 days ago.
PATON WALSH: As we get closer towards Sudzha, we can see more smoke on the horizon, but still, it's bizarrely calm on this road.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Pause a moment in these open fields and remember, this is the Cold War superpower, unguarded, open, and never expecting when
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war of choice two years ago, to be invaded back.
A Russian dead soldier still in the road. Ukraine only claimed here a day ago.
PATON WALSH: Well not even the statue of Lenin is unscathed here. This Ukrainian assault, so persistent, and Russia, despite its sense of history,
it's sort of past as being so impregnable, completely unable to push the Ukrainians out here.
A sound of small arms fire we can still hear, so clearly, there is a bid for the Russians to push back, but it simply isn't working, and the
humiliation for Putin endures.
(GUNSHOTS)
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Days ago, locals had honored their war dead, but none since the Nazis led Russia to face occupation.
(GUNSHOTS)
PATON WALSH: You can see the damage that's been done to the street here from the intense fight that raged.
Still clearly active fighting happening here.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): A sign in the basement here, they're peaceful people, no soldiers. Ina (ph), 68, says 60 civilians are there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The Ukrainians brought a lot of boxes. There is food.
PATON WALSH: Just like we've seen in multiple Ukrainian towns over the last two years here, the locals trying to find some shelter from the war around
them.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Danislav (ph) shows his gray.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This isn't living. It's existing. It's not life.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): In the dark, hunted like so many Ukrainians now the infirmed isolated, begging for calm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I don't know how it will end. At least a truce, so we can live peacefully. We don't need anything. I have a
crutch. I can't walk. It's very hard.
[12:50:18]
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Day, night, light, dark, news or blackout or blur into one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): No news. We don't know what's happening around us.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Yefimov (ph) is over 90 and wants to leave to Ukraine, but there is no route out, he says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You're the first to come here.
PATON WALSH: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): My daughter, niece and grandkids are there. I'm Russian but they are married to Ukrainians.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Again, ordinary streets that never guessed of their destruction or newfound fame days ago.
(GUNSHOTS)
Vacant in the storm around them.
Normal life here vanished in a hurry, leaving store floors as barracks.
And Nina (ph), 74, out looking for a pharmacy for her medication.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): If I wanted to leave, I would have. Why leave? I've lived here 50 years.
My daughter and mother are buried here. What about Ukraine? I live on my own land. I don't know whose land this is. I don't know anything anymore.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): It is a war that keeps turning the world order on its head where wreckage that lined Ukraine's fields now haunts Russia's.
Ukrainians learn to paint over their road signs to confuse the invaders, but still here, the signs asked God to protect and save Russia. That was
Putin's job. It is not clear when he's coming back.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Sudzha, Ukrainian-held Russia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Rescuers off the coast of Sicily have about one more hour of sunlight to search for survivors from a sunken yacht.
Authorities say the vessel may have been hit by a water spout that formed in a storm. One person was killed and six others remain missing.
A source cell CNN that British tech tycoon, Mike Lynch, is among those missing. Records show his wife's company owns the 54-foot yacht. A source
cell CNN that she was rescued.
[12:55:08]
Well, the DNC will have some A-list names hosting the event this week. A different celebrity will host each night of the convention. Actors Tony
Goldwyn and Kerry Washington who played the fictional president and his fixer on the hit show, "Scandal" will each host a night.
As will Mindy Kaling, star of "The Office," and co-host of "The View" Ana Navarro, even though she is a Republican.
Also, check out this rare super blue moon captured on video in Australia. This is the first one of the year. And it looks like it was partially
obscured by clouds as it appeared over Sydney's beautiful Opera House earlier today.
A super moon occurs when the moon's orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the moon is full. And the blue moon is an extra full moon in
a month.
Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. Thanks so much for watching. I'm Bianna Golodryga. "AMANPOUR" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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