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Israel PM Netanyahu: "This Is A Time For War"; IDF: Female Soldier Kidnapped By Hamas Has Been Released; Hamas Releases Video Showing Three Female Hostages; Netanyahu: Israel Will Not "Surrender To Barbarism"; Palestinian Civilians Caught In The Crossfire In Gaza; US Targets Hamas Funding With Sanctions; Border Clashes; Israel's Ground Operation Moves Deeper Into Gaza; Clashes Between Israeli Defense Forces And Hezbollah Escalate; Clashes Between Israel Defense Force And Hezbollah Escalate; Anti-Israel Mob Storms Airport In Southern Russia; Police, Military Search For Father Of Footballer Luis Diaz; Police Military Search For Father Of Footballer Luis Diaz; FIFA Secretary General: Unwanted Kiss "Derailed" Joy Of World Cup; United Auto Workers To Send General Motors Deal To Members For Approval. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired October 30, 2023 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:35]
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Benjamin Netanyahu tells the world Israel will not agree to a ceasefire and save the children once more.
Children have died in Gaza in just one month than were killed all year through global conflict in 2022.
Welcome to CNN's ongoing coverage of Israel at war. I'm Julia Chatterley, in New York and good evening.
Tonight, "This is a time for war," Israel's Prime Minister rejecting calls for a ceasefire as IDF troops appeared to push deeper into Gaza.
Israel's military says it's killed four senior Hamas operatives and dozens of Hamas fighters. This video captures the moment an Israeli tank
apparently opened fire on a passenger vehicle.
The IDF says Hamas uses civilian equipment for military purposes. The IDF also says it rescued an Israeli soldier from Hamas captivity during its
ground operations.
Ori Megidish was captured during the October 7th terror attacks. You can see her here with her family. She is said to be in good health.
Meanwhile, Hamas has also released a video showing three women identified as Israeli hostages. We won't be showing you that footage, but Prime
Minister Netanyahu condemned its release as, quote, "psychological warfare." During a primetime speech, he also dismissed international calls
for a ceasefire, saying Israel will never give into barbarism.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: I want to make clear Israel's position regarding a ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree
to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with
Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7th. Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to
surrender to barbarism. That will not happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Nada Bashir is in London for us and joins us now. Nada, what, of many things stood out to me in that speech, was his effort to
distinguish amidst a barrage of derision, concern about their operations in Gaza, the difference between what the IDF is doing in Gaza, and what Hamas
did in Israel on October the 7th, the inference being that Israel here has the moral high ground. It's a increasingly difficult balance to find.
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, well, look, Julia, as you mentioned there, he was pretty clear, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterating there that Israel
will reject any calls for a ceasefire. But also, in that address, Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected and denounced allegations that Israel is
engaging in collective punishment of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
But that is certainly the message, the warnings that we have been hearing from not only UN member states who voted in favor of that humanitarian
pause, but also, of course, from aid groups, rights groups, medics on the ground who have been speaking to CNN, who have been releasing statements
about what they are witnessing and experiencing on the ground.
Now, as you heard there, Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that they will not surrender to barbarism, in his words. He has rejected the notion that they
are engaging in collective punishment, but they will not agree to a ceasefire.
But as we have seen now over the last three weeks is that, well, the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, say they are targeting Hamas positions, the
civilian death toll -- the mounting death toll that we have seen, more than 8,000 people killed, including thousands of children, the devastation of
civilian areas, including residential buildings, including schools, hospitals, so-called safe evacuations, these are all things that have
really raised alarm bells, raised the warning signs of what we are seeing unfolding in Gaza. And at least, of course, also we must mention the siege,
the ongoing siege. We are seeing limited amounts of humanitarian aid getting into the Gaza Strip.
Now, as we heard from Netanyahu just a little earlier, he did say that the IDF and Israel, as a whole, is warning civilians to evacuate areas that are
set to come under attack by Israeli airstrikes. He, again, rejected that idea of collective punishment, saying that the IDF has warned civilians to
move southwards.
But we have been speaking to people inside Gaza through the limited communication means that they do have at this current point in time, as
well as doctors working in some of the biggest hospitals inside the Gaza Strip. They have told us that these so-called safe areas are still coming
under attack. The southern parts of Gaza are still experiencing a barrage of airstrikes each and every day.
[15:05:08]
For many of them, they completely reject this notion that there are any safe places inside Gaza. So this idea that the IDF is not targeting
civilians, this idea that civilians are being spared in this war has been flat out rejected by many across the board. That is certainly the message
we've been hearing when we've been communicating with people on the ground in Gaza.
In fact, we're in Jerusalem right now. We have been speaking to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society based in Ramallah in the occupied West
Bank. They said they have been struggling to keep in touch with their medics, their colleagues inside the Gaza Strip during frequent
communications blackouts. They say that they' are struggling, that they, too, their colleagues on the ground in Gaza has faced fire, have faced
airstrikes, that ambulances, medical facilities have been impacted in these airstrikes.
And as we know, as we've heard, those repeated warnings, the humanitarian situation is only getting worse by the hour -- Julia.
CHATTERLEY: And, Nada, I want to just take the latest as well with the release or perhaps, we should use the term "rescue." I know the details at
this moment is scarce of Private Ori Megidish as well that was taken on October the 7th.
The IDF mentioned some form of ground operation, kind of suggest they have intelligence of some sort in order to be able to secure her release.
BASHIR: Well, the IDF has been pushing ahead in its currently limited ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip. The focus, of course, for the IDF,
for Israel, has been partly the release of those held captive by Hamas inside Gaza, including IDF soldiers.
We do have limited details at this current point in time on the release. I can just give you a few updates.
They said that, overnight, the soldier was -- the soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorist organization on October 7th was released during those
ground operations. That's according to the IDF statement. The soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family now.
That is the latest update from the IDF.
CHATTERLEY: Nada Bashir there in Jerusalem, thank you so much for that.
Now, as Nada mentioned, the doctors on Gaza say they are overwhelmed. The head of surgery at the Al Shifa Hospital recorded this video and sent it to
CNN. He says staff there cannot cope with the number of patients they're treating.
Our Salma Abdelaziz looks at the civilians caught in the crossfire. And a warning, as usual, the images in this report are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is what the so-called second stage of war looks like. Panic and suffocation inside
northern Gaza's Al Quds Hospital, terrified families and patients with nowhere to run. Air strikes nearby after the IDF told people here to flee
south.
NEBAL FARSAKH, SPOKESPERSON OF PALESTINIAN RED CRESCENT: We have over 400 patients who are inside the hospital. Many of them are in the intensive
care units. Evacuating them means killing them.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): The evacuation order called "Impossible" by the World Health Organization and the UN both stressed hospitals and civilians
must be protected, including some 12,000 displaced people sheltering inside Al Quds Hospital.
"Tell us we are safe and we will leave the hospital," he says. "There is no safe place. Not in the south, not in the whole of Gaza."
Near constant airstrikes now pound the enclave, while Israeli troops expand their ground operations, the IDF insists it is eradicating Hamas. But on
the ground, in this densely populated territory, utter devastation is the consequence.
There are two million people, half of them children, trapped here under bombardment and under siege.
"This is revenge, a cowardly, racist campaign," he says. We, in this area, we are one family. We are kind people. Instead of waking up to the sound of
the call to prayer, we woke up to an airstrike."
The anguish and horror inside Gaza, sparking mass demonstrations from New York City, to London, to Rome, and calls for a ceasefire are growing
louder.
UN members overwhelmingly voted for an immediate and sustained truce last week. "But even, as Palestinian families buried their youngest, more than
3,000 children killed in three weeks," Save the Children said, citing Gaza's Hamas-controlled health authorities, amplifying the global outcry.
Prime Minister Netanyahu vows this is only the beginning.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Shaina Low is a communication adviser at the Norwegian Refugee Council. And she joins us now from Jerusalem.
Thank you so much for your time this evening. I just want to pick up on the numbers that Save the Children have suggested, that more lives have been
lost -- children's lives in the past month than we've seen annually over the past two years in global conflict. They are staggering numbers, even
without some form of verification.
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I know you have, I believe, 54 colleagues right now that are doing their best to help in Gaza. Many of them have children of their own. How are they
managing to take care of their own families and try and provide and protect others?
SHAINA LOW, COMMUNICATION ADVISER OF THE NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: Well, first of all, they're doing the best that they can to protect their
children, to shield them from what's happening. But unfortunately, not all of our colleagues have been able to protect their children.
We have one colleague, Amal (ph), whose son was killed in an airstrike in Rafah just two weeks ago. They have fled from the north to the south,
seeking shelter.
Amal's son was only seven years old when he was killed. He's an innocent child. This is just one story of the over 3,000 children who have been
killed over the last three weeks -- a little over three weeks.
And these children have absolutely nothing to do with what is happening around them. They have no say in the matter. And the reality is that their
parents as -- try as they might just cannot protect them. They can't protect them physically, and they can't protect them from the trauma that
they're experiencing from hearing airstrikes every day and every night.
In terms of what our staff has been able to do on the ground in Gaza over - - since October 7th, it's been extremely limited because they have had to focus on taking care of themselves, taking care of their families, and
making sure that their basic needs are accounted for. It's very, very difficult for them to find basic necessities. Even for us to be counting --
doing a daily headcount with our staff can take hours because of the connectivity issues.
We have, however, been able to provide cash grants to some of Gaza's most vulnerable families, which we're able to do remotely, and then the families
are able to use their phones in order to get that cash and buy goods while they're still available on the local market.
We know that the window of opportunity for cash assistance to be effective is rapidly shrinking as -- not only are we struggling to get aid in, but
absolutely nothing that is going to markets, nothing that's being sold has made its way into Gaza since before October 7th.
CHATTERLEY: There's a lot in that answer. Very quickly, on the communications, which we know were deeply disrupted over the weekend,
Friday night into Saturday, though to some degree have been restored. As you point out, actually it's not just for general communication, it was
also for those digitally that you're providing cash to. Have you managed to get those facilities up and running again?
LOW: We are still proceeding with our cash assistance. I do not believe that we've had a transfer made since before the communications blackout,
but we are continuing to provide cash assistance, and will continue to provide cash assistance so long as we can, and so long as it makes a
difference to the most vulnerable families in Gaza.
I do know that communications with northern Gaza continue to be very difficult. I have staff who are having a difficult time getting in touch
with their families. It still is unclear what might be causing the challenges, but that remains to be an issue for people who have either been
forced to or chosen to stay up in northern Gaza.
CHATTERLEY: Shaina, I mean, we have NGOs now that are saying that the situation in northern Gaza is so dangerous that they're having to make
incredibly tough decisions about even getting supplies to their colleagues now in the north and providing further services. Are you making any kind of
decisions about that? Did you say you actually have people that remain there and are still working there?
LOW: Well, we do have some staff up in northern Gaza and in Gaza City. Most of our staff have fled to the south.
But I have a colleague whose brother-in-law and sister left last week from Khan Younis. Living conditions they were in were very difficult, so they
returned home to Jabalia.
My colleague told me that his sister called him all night, freaking out, terrified because of the ongoing bombardments and airstrikes and the
constant trail of sirens. So he ended up helping to bring her back last week, but his brother-in-law remains in the north. And it's been very
difficult to reach him. And simply, it's unsafe for us to be doing any operations there.
That's why we desperately need a ceasefire, because without a ceasefire, humanitarians cannot do their jobs anywhere in Gaza. It's one thing to get
aid in, which is still desperately, desperately needed, but it's another thing to be able to distribute that aid safely.
[15:15:12]
The UN -- UNWRA has already reported 60 of their colleagues have been killed since October 7th. And it's dangerous for humanitarians to be going
out and doing their work. And we need the international community to continue to push and demand for a ceasefire so that humanitarians, such as
my colleagues at the Norwegian Refugee Council and those of our partners, can reach communities and need without fear of being injured in the
hostilities or count.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I know. And aid agencies, you're all echoing each other, I think, in these warnings and we have to hear them.
What we've heard from the UN in the World Food Programme in the last few days, too, is that their warehouse facilities that are storing many of
these supplies are now being targeted by people desperate because, of course, they're unsure of when and if they'll be able to get more
provisions for their families, of course, and the people around them. How concerned are you about some of the breakdown in civil society, simply
because people are so desperate and fearful?
LOW: With the situation with these UN warehouses, I think it shows two things. One is that the UN, all last week, was saying that they had stocks
in Gaza that they were ready to distribute, but it was simply unsafe for them to access them. So I think it's important to note that we need access
and we need safe access.
What we are seeing as people get more and more desperate that they're searching for any supplies that they can manage to take care of their
families and ensure that their basic needs are accounted for. There are shortages of food, clean water, medicine.
It's understandable that people are desperate and searching for whatever they can, and that's why we need more aid to come in, so that we can help
to maintain civil order and keep people safe.
CHATTERLEY: Shaina, I can't -- not mention again what you said in your first answer about your colleague, Amal, that lost his seven-year-old son.
May I ask what his name is and how is he doing? Perhaps a stupid question in this situation, but I wanted to ask.
LOW: Yes, his name was Khalid (ph). He was a very sweet, gentle little boy who I had the pleasure of meeting during my visits to Gaza. My
understanding is that Amal is injured. She is struggling.
He wasn't the only member of her family killed in that airstrike. She lost multiple members of her family, including a parent, including siblings,
including her siblings' children.
It's unimaginable what our colleagues are going through. She's just one. She's the only one who's lost a child. But many of our colleagues at NRC
have lost family members. And they don't -- most of them do not even have the time to mourn because they're so busy having to worry about taking care
of themselves, taking care of the surviving members of their family, and worrying about who is killed next because that's the reality.
Multiple members of our staff have lost multiple members of their families, and it's just an impossible situation.
Every day, we sit in Jerusalem and our colleagues sit around the globe, waiting to hear that our final headcount has been completed, and that all
of our colleagues are accounted for because with this amount of violence, with this amount of indiscriminate bombardment, we just don't know if our
colleagues will be there the next day.
CHATTERLEY: Shaina Low, thank you so much for your time and thank you for the work you and your colleagues are doing. And our thoughts and prayers
with Amal tonight, too. Thank you.
Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:21:00]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. A Turkish investment fund has denied giving financial support to Hamas after three of its shareholders were sanctioned
by the US Treasury. That, according to Reuters.
It comes as the United States cracks down on financing to known terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Sanctions have been placed on
companies across Sudan, Turkey, Qatar, and Algeria. The deputy treasury secretary was also in London last week where he pushed for international
coordination to go after funding for Hamas.
Adam Smith is a former adviser to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, and he joins us now from Washington.
Adam, great to have you with us tonight. Can we make this simple for our audience please? Because I went through both press releases from the US
Treasury. And the first thing that comes to mind is the sheer level of diversification, charities, the private sector. And I think when most
people think about funding for Hamas, they think Iran, but it's far more complicated than that.
ADAM SMITH, FORMER ADVISER TO THE US OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL: It is, and thanks so much for having me. I mean, Iran is certainly the
principal funder, tens of millions of dollars a year, without any question.
However, Hamas, in fact, the other proxy groups that Iran funds have managed to diversify, as you say, into charities, into corporate
enterprises like the ones in Turkey, as well as having a rather significant tax base that they have because they run Gaza. And so they charge taxes to
the people of Gaza. They charge taxes for parties they're importing things into Gaza. And so there are quite a few funding streams that Hamas can take
advantage of.
CHATTERLEY: How important are the charities, Adam? Because I see do see those kind of mentioned. And I think certainly when I speak to people here
in the United States that are looking for ways to provide support to Gaza, they're very reticent, because they're fearful that at least some of this
money is either directly or indirectly funding Hamas. How significant is that?
SMITH: Yes. I mean, historically, those concerns have been justified, depending on the charity, of course. This is not the first time the US
government has focused on charities and their funding or potential funding to terrorist groups.
And so, by all means, I mean, sanctions on charities can give rise to significant restrictions in fund flows to Hamas and other organizations.
But it really depends on, of course, the size of the charity and its effectiveness. Because at the end of the day what the US is trying to avoid
is to over-sanction and to harm the innocent parties in Gaza and elsewhere, while trying to really restrict the funds to Hamas.
So I think it's a reasonable concern to at least do due diligence and make sure the parties are providing charitable funds to are really providing
charity to the parties that really need it.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and what we've seen is previously sanctioned charities, in particular, do remain operational even despite the sanctions. I guess,
that's my next question because I do want to ask you about Iran.
But just very quickly, how capable is Hamas if once we see a private sector entity, for example, even if they can't tackle a government get sanctioned,
then anyone then that deals with them get sanctioned? How efficient are Hamas and other terrorist groups have going around them, setting up another
company, for example, and redirecting the cash elsewhere?
SMITH: They've certainly become very efficient overtime. The Iranians have, of course, also become very efficient overtime. And so, reestablishing a
new company, a new charity, a new front company, what have you, is not that not challenging.
So what the sanction is trying to do is not play whack-a-mole and get every single entity that could potentially emerge, but rather to put a line on
the sand and basically say that we're going to deter other actors, not necessarily ones that are directly involved with Hamas, but those that are
one or two steps removed, and say that if you engage with this entity or with Hamas, you should've known it was Hamas, you could find yourself on
the sanctions list as well or be fined by the US government.
And so, that's really the purpose because you're right, it's not difficult to sort of reestablish new networks for financial flows if that's what you
have in mind to do.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. So let's go to the core of this and talk about the primary funder here, which is Iran. And if I just, on a very basic level, look at
their oil output over the past four years, it's more than doubled between 2019 and 2023.
[15:25:09]
And we're talking tens of billions of dollars of increase here in financial wealth. Why not have a similar situation like we have with Russia now with
the oil caps and at the same kind of policy on Iran and simply cut their oil off? I mean, admittedly, it would require adjustments from the likes of
buyers like China and perhaps output producers like the Saudis say that we don't create some kind of oil price spike, but we know as we do now with
Russia that this is possible.
SMITH: It is possible. There is a pretty important distinction though between Russia and Iran. For Russia where there is an oil price cap
restricting the price at which Russian oil can be sold or there could be potential sanctions, there's a multilateral network involved involving the
EU, the broader G7, Japan, UK, Canada, Australia.
The problem with Iran is that that is much more often -- much more regularly been a unilateral approach the US has taken. In other words,
there's not the same sort of network of multilateral support that the US necessarily has dealing with Iran that they had with Russia.
That being said, it's certainly a possibility. And I think that perhaps in light of some of the atrocities that have been recorded and that will
probably continue to be recorded from Hamas, that could be a buy-in.
But as we even saw just the last Friday with respect to the diversion and diversity within the EU itself regarding whether or not they're even going
to vote for general assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire, that diversity suggests the EU itself doesn't have a common position with
respect to Hamas and perhaps even Iran. So the likelihood of getting everyone on board, I think, is much more limited. And so I think that's
going to be the challenge of being creative in this context.
CHATTERLEY: And we know they're certainly vulnerable as well to energy price adjustments as well based on the challenges that we've seen with
Russia as well.
To your point there in the two sort of packs I opened up were from the Department of the US Treasury, how willing do you think the United States
is to unilaterally on this and adjust these sanctions even further because while they are implicitly important in the financial sector and the US
dollar, in particular, to your broader point about the efficiency and the efficacy of sanctions and beyond, it requires international coordination to
be really potent.
SMITH: It does, and there was a reason why the deputy secretary was in London and other officials in the US government are fanning out because
they're trying to get the multilateral support.
But the US has, in the past, and I'm confident will continue in the future, if it needs to, engage unilaterally and really just leverage the fact that
people want the US dollar. People are afraid of losing access to US banks to, again, not necessarily stymie Hamas directly, but put a line in the
sand around Hamas. It's in anybody who touches Hamas could potentially face the same fate.
And so that's going to be the strategies and network effect that try to sort of get folks to be nervous enough about engaging with Hamas that they
don't even potentially do so. And, of course, they want to get multilateral support, but in the absence of that, the US will certainly go unilateral.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and if you touch a company that's 50% owned or above by one of these companies, then you're also implicated in the sanctions and
could face challenges, too. So we'll see.
SMITH: That's right.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Adam, great to have. Thank you. Adam Smith there.
SMITH: Thank you.
CHATTERLEY: Okay. When we come back, Lebanon's Prime Minister warning of regional chaos as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates. The
details, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:31:19]
CHATTERLEY: Hello, I'm Julia Chatterley.
Coming up, we'll have the latest on the military operation in Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says this is the time for war. And
Lebanon's prime minister warns the conflict could plunge the Middle East into chaos.
But first some other headlines from around the world. A trial.
A trial is underway in the U.S. State of Colorado that could prevent former President Trump from appearing on the presidential ballot there. The case
considered a long shot was bought by six Colorado voters that arguing that Trump must be disqualified from standing for election because of his role
in the January 6th insurrection.
A Hong Kong court has dropped charges against a U.S. politician who turned himself after bringing a gun into the city's airport. Washington State
Senator Jeff Wilson call the incident an honest mistake.
And the death of beloved actor Matthew Perry is still under investigation. The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office says it's completed an autopsy
and is now waiting toxicology reports.
The Los Angeles Times says the actor was found unresponsive in his hot tub on Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza. An IDF spokesperson said, activity there will only intensify. In
recent days, the IDF says its hit hundreds of Hamas targets and killed four of its senior operatives.
A CNN analysis suggests Israeli soldiers have advanced more than two miles now into Gaza.
Israeli aircraft have dropped new leaflets over North and Central Gaza too. They describe those areas as a battlefield and tell people there to
evacuate to the south.
Jeremy Diamond joins us now from Ashkelon. Jeremy, telling people to evacuate to the south. But we're still hearing reports of people in the
South that are finding it so dangerous there, and the supply so short that they're actually going back to the north. The situation that deeply
challenging despite the gains that the IDF are discussing and talking about including the rescue, it seems of one private.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's right. It is a very, very challenging situation. And there is no question that civilians
in Gaza are finding themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only with the death toll continuing to mount, but also having trouble
getting access to basic necessities, leading the United Nations to warn that there is a breakdown in civil order there. And clearly, more aid is
needed inside of Gaza.
Now, the U.S. is bringing additional pressure to bear on the Israelis to allow more trucks with humanitarian aid to make it into Gaza. The Israelis
have apparently committed to reducing the amount of time it takes them to check some of these trucks. And we could get to a place where 100 trucks
per day start to go in. That it's still well short of the 400-plus trucks that -- a day that typically went into Gaza before this war started.
But as far as the Israeli ground defensive is concerned, you heard the Israeli prime minister tonight saying that there is a time for peace and a
time for war. And saying that this is a time for war. Vowing not to agree to a ceasefire, effectively, asking whether the United States would have
agreed to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after 9/11.
And those are the terms within which Israel now finds itself and the Israeli public certainly feels that, that is the situation that it finds
itself in existential war, as the Israeli prime minister and his war Cabinet have described it.
Now, as you mentioned, we just learned that an IDF operation for the first time has resulted in freeing one of the hostages being held captive.
[15:35:06]
In this case, an IDF soldier, a private. She was released as a result of that IDF ground operation, which was conducted overnight.
And we now have pictures of her being reunited with her family. And the Israeli prime minister made clear that this ground offensive gives them the
possibility, at least, of trying to release additional captives in the same manner. And if not, that it at least, allows Israel to ramp up the leverage
on Hamas as it continues these negotiations that have been mediated and led by the Qatari government with the assistance of the United States.
Netanyahu has made very clear that he believes this ground defensive results in additional pressure on Hamas, and he believes that, that is the
way to get those hostages released. Julia?
CHATTERLEY: And Jeremy, that is an important point to make, I think. Because that is part of the pressure that we see not only the humanitarian
crisis in Gaza, of course, but the fear that the step up and the escalation in the violence, puts the hostages lives at greater risk, not just from the
violence, but, of course, as part of these negotiations, too.
So, it was an important win. But he did reiterate that he continues to believe that this pressure will only help facilitate the prospect of some
kind of deal to the release of the hostages despite, I think, greater skepticism, perhaps, including from the hostage families.
DIAMOND: Yes, no question about it. I mean, there are some hostages who -- hostage families, who believe that the ground defensive should take a
backseat to those negotiations. And that is why Netanyahu as well as his war Cabinet are making the case that the ground defensive actually serves
the goals of releasing the hostages. And it was very interesting in listening to the Israeli prime minister over the weekend, as he delivered a
speech and took questions from the press, the extent to which he really tried to link these two issues. Making clear that the ground defensive is
not coming at the expense of the hostage negotiations that both of these goals in terms of the demolishing and eradicating Hamas from power in Gaza,
and freeing the hostages, that these are not mutually exclusive, and that these are both top -- very high on the list of priorities.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, absolutely. And I think Private Ori Megidish, and her release today, an important victory for the IDF, in that vein. Jeremy
Diamond, thank you now.
The clashes between the IDF and Lebanon's Hezbollah have escalated, sparking fears of a full blown second front.
Hezbollah claimed Monday to have downed an Israeli drone with a surface-to- air missile. And now, good morning from Lebanon's caretaker -- prime minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAJIB MIKATI, PRIME MINISTER OF LEBANON (through translator): And the old day, I see that there is a real race between a ceasefire in Gaza and
escalation, because escalation is not only affecting Lebanon. And I fear that escalation will spread to the whole region, plunging the Middle East
into chaos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Ben Wedeman is in Lebanon for us. To you, Ben, and important comments that he made there, not just against, I think, the risks of
broader escalation here. But as you would expect, perhaps, pointing to the power vacuum within Lebanon and their depleted ability to respond to this,
even if they could.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Prime Minister Mikati is currently on a round of Middle East and capitals. He is in Doha
today, speaking with the leaders there. They obviously have some sway with Iran, with Hamas, and others.
But fundamentally, the government of Lebanon doesn't have a lot of sway with Hezbollah, which is, in a sense, a rule unto itself. It's the group
that has the most serious military presence in southern Lebanon. And we have seen since the 8th of October, and not the 7th, that they have been
engaged in daily skirmishes with Israeli forces. Them, in addition to other groups that operate in South Lebanon.
What we've seen since the beginning of the Israeli incursion into Gaza on Friday evening, is that there has been an incremental increase in the
amount of cross border fire.
It does seem that Hezbollah and others are firing further into Israel and Israel is striking further into Lebanon. So, there are growing concerns of
a possible broadening of this war.
However, there are also indications that perhaps Hezbollah is not anxious to get into a war at a time when this country, Lebanon, is in its deepest
economic crisis ever. Today, for instance, a senior member of the Executive Council of Hezbollah said that even though Hezbollah is fully prepared and
ready to confront all possibilities, we also take into account the national interests and the interests of the people. And most people in Lebanon
realize this country, simply cannot afford a destructive war with Israel.
[15:40:01]
Now, later this week, on Friday, we are going to hear for the first time, since this war began from the secretary general of Hezbollah Hassan
Nasrallah. We don't know what he is going to say, but this speech will certainly give a very good indication where Hezbollah sees it going.
Now, the worry is that if the Israeli incursion into Gaza continues, intensifies, the death toll continues to soar among civilians in Gaza. If
there is no humanitarian pause, if there's not a greater influx of supplies, the situation will deteriorate, and perhaps, Hezbollah will
decide to escalate.
And if that's the case, there will be a counter escalation on the Israeli side. And things could get quite out of hand. Julia?
CHATTERLEY: Yes, and the Lebanese people will suffer. Ben Wedeman, thank you.
And the Kremlin is accusing Ukraine of playing a key role in provoking a riot in Russia's Dagestan region. Moscow says 60 people were arrested when
an anti-Israeli mob stormed the airport in the city of Makhachkala.
The unrest began shortly after a flight from Israel landed, as Fred Pleitgen reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The moment and angry mob charged onto the tarmac towards the plane from Tel
Aviv, looking for Israeli.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu Akbar!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu Akbar!
PLEITGEN: Some of the passengers surrounded forced to prove they aren't Jews.
I'm Uzbek, but I don't know Uzbek language, this man assures.
Do you want to fool us? Take his passport a man answers.
Rumors had swirled in the Muslim majority, Dagestan region of Russia that this jet was carrying refugees from Israel, setting off the rampage.
There are no more passengers here, honestly, a ground staff member says, as the crowd surrounds the aircraft.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu Akbar!
PLEITGEN: Everyone, immediately go back onto the plane. The crew of a different aircraft orders its passengers as the protesters charged those
disembarking.
Hundreds also broke into the terminal building, some carrying Palestinian flags, leading to a total shutdown of the airport.
The melee continued outside as well. Rioters searching vehicles also looking for Jews.
I have a sick kid here. We only have sick kids. Let us go, the man in this bus says.
And this woman screams, we were traveling to bring our kids to get medical treatment. Let us go what do you want from us?
Russian security forces use choppers to bring in reinforcements firing into the air to try and push the protesters back.
Authorities say more than 20 were injured and more than 60 detained. The crowd throwing rocks at riot police even after they were driven out of the
airport.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his security staff. But the Kremlin blames "external interference" for inciting the crowd.
Well, it's not clear whether any Israelis were harmed, condemnation from Israel's president in an interview with German publication, Bild.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like a pogrom. Thank God it was prevented at the end by the authorities. But it looked like pogrom and it was live and
everybody was worried about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Allahu Akbar!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHATTERLEY: Now, the mother of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz was rescued after being kidnapped in Colombia. But Luis' father though, still missing.
We'll have an update on the massive operation to find him when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:45:58]
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back.
A major search is underway in Colombia after the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz was kidnapped over the weekend. His mother was also
taken, but was later rescued.
Colombia's national police say over 100 officers are now involved in the search. Don Riddell joins us now from Atlanta.
Don, this is an awful harrowing situation for the player. What more do we know about what happened and these rescue efforts now?
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, Julia. Right. It's just a dreadful situation for, particularly, the family.
Colombia's national media say that Diaz's parents were kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in the town of Barrancas. The director
general of Columbia's national police force says they're offering a reward of more than $48,000 for information leading to the rescue of the as Diaz's
father.
And, as you say, a considerable search team has been activated. 130 police officers are out there looking for him. His mother has been rescued.
You can only imagine the anguish that Luis Diaz must be feeling. Liverpool say that he's returned to Columbia, and he will be away from the team
indefinitely. Diaz's teammate, Diogo Jota honored Diaz by lifting up his number seven Jersey, after scoring against Nottingham Forest in the Premier
League on Sunday.
And the Reds' manager Jurgen Klopp, said that the team dedicated their 3-0 win to him, adding that for all of them, it was really difficult for the
team just to even think about playing this match.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JURGEN KLOPP, MANAGER, LIVERPOOL: How can you make a football game really important on a day like this? It's really difficult. I never struggled with
that in my life. It was always my safe place, my -- sometimes my hiding point as a player or as a coach. You are allowed during these 90-odd
minutes, to focus just on that. And it was impossible. Absolutely impossible to do that.
So, it was clear we have -- we have to give the game an extra sense. And it was fighting for Lucho. And then, the boys pulled out the shirt, and I was
not 100 percent prepared for that. To be honest, it was really touching, but wonderful as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: You know, just last year, CNN actually spoke with Diaz's father, who's also called Luis about his humble beginnings, the region surrounding
Barrancas is one of the poorest in Colombia.
It is unclear when the Diaz will rejoin the team. Of course, Julia, the only focus, in the meantime, is finding his dad and getting him home
safely. Back to you.
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Of course, it is. That's a priority. Our thoughts with him and his family.
Don Riddell, thank you for that.
Now, FIFA is banning Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football association from all football-related activities for the next
three years. Rubiales has been suspended after forcing a kiss on Spanish star, Jenni Hermoso, following her team's win in the Women's World Cup in
August.
The incident kicked off a long running scandal in the nation in that sport, which is continued up through today's decision.
Darren Lewis spoke to FIFA's outgoing Secretary General Fatma Samoura about the saga.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARREN LEWIS, CNN WORLD SPORT CONTRIBUTOR: You've been very vocal in your support for Jenni Hermoso.
FATMA SAMOURA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF FIFA: Of course.
LEWIS: And --
(CROSSTALK)
SAMOURA: And I was very pained.
LEWIS: We get -- well, just talks -- talk to us about that.
(CROSSTALK)
SAMOURA: That victory turned into something that nobody wanted to see happening.
LEWIS: What did you think when you saw those image?
SAMOURA: Oh, well, I guess OK, all these efforts that I've been doing for the past two years, traveling massively in this country, has been ruined by
one-half a second gesture.
And I just found it unfortunate that the girls, after having won this most converted trophy on global women's football cannot enjoy it to the best and
that has to be really derailed from the joy.
And yes, that was for me. Something that really mock me and it's unfortunate is happening during my last Women's World Cup.
[15:50:06]
LEWIS: How proud were you that women all around the world stood up to support the Spanish national team in what is the moment.
(CROSSTALK)
SAMOURA: Well, I think that that's the right thing to do. To me, it did not take one second to realize that, oh, that was very inappropriate. And the
way that the world reacted, well, the majority of the people who like sport and also who respect the dignity of woman was the right thing to do.
And it just reminds me what happened after George Floyd was killed, that the whole world reacted in a manner that we have also never experienced
before, because racism has no place in society. Being also, gender bias is definitely not something we can accept in football. And that was also one of the battles I pick up when I joined FIFA
for the first time. Because I know that football can unite the world. And we have been running this campaign for years. And to have it ruined at the
last minute after this celebration of the biggest World Cup was just something that was unfortunate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Coming up, the United Auto Workers unions' historic strike against the big three automakers almost over. The union seems to be on the
verge of securing record pay increases from General Motors. The details, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: The United Auto Workers historic strike against the big three could soon be over. After nearly seven weeks on the picket line, The UAW
has reached a tentative labor agreement with General Motors, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
The deal at G.M. will see wage increases similar to the ones that Ford and Stellantis already agreed to.
And those deals' starting wages will increase by 67 percent. The UAW president, Shawn Fain will now have to get the tentative deal approved by
the rank-and-file.
Vanessa Yurkevich is with me. Vanessa, one has the feeling that will go down pretty well with the rank-and-file. These are pretty astonishing
improvements for the workers.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. And the UAW and the automakers are calling these deals historic and record breaking.
But this deal between G.M. and the union, according to a source, they have reached that tentative agreement. We are waiting for official comment
though from G.M. and the Union on this. We don't know the details of the deal quite yet. But we very much expect that it's going to pattern what we
saw at Ford and Stellantis over the weekend.
In those deals, the union -- the union members are going to be receiving 25 percent in wage increases over the next 4-1/2 years, as well as a return to
cost-of-living adjustments, which is something they gave up in 2009.
And in this contract, we expect that they are going to have the right to strike over any plant closures. Something we're going to be looking at
closely at G.M. though, is we know in the past couple of weeks, the union announced that G.M. was going to include all electric battery vehicle
plants in this new contract. That would be additional jobs that would be protected under this new contract.
Now, Ford and Stellantis how have officially reached those deals. We know that members will be voting in the next couple of weeks on those.
[15:55:05]
In terms of General Motors, as of right now, 18,000 members still remain on the picket lines. What we've seen with Ford and Stellantis is that as soon
as the union makes the announcement about this deal, officially, those members will come off the picket lines and head back into these plants.
But, as you know, Julia, you know, there was 145,000 numbers that could have gone on strike about 50,000 were sent on strike by the Union. But that
has had an economic impact nonetheless.
About $9.3 billion in economic losses in the first five weeks of this strike, going into the sixth and seventh week, those totals are expected to
reach well over $10 billion.
And Julia, of course, good news that all of these deals seem to be coming together, but it's the rank-and-file members that ultimately have the final
say. Do they like it enough to vote, yes? That's what we're going to wait a couple of weeks to see. Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yes, I'll give you one guess. Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you so much for that. One word historic.
YURKEVICH: Yes.
CHATTERLEY: Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. And returning to our top story, once again, Hamas has released a video showing three women identified as Israeli hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned it's released is "psychological warfare".
During a primetime speech, he also dismissed international calls for a ceasefire, saying Israel would never give in to barbarism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER: I want to make clear Israel's position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the United States would not agree to a
ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas
after the horrific attacks of October 7th.
Calls for a ceasefire or calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorists, to surrender to barbarism, that will not happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Meanwhile, Israel continues to expand its operations as CNN analysis suggests its soldiers have advanced now more than two miles into
Gaza. Hamas group spokesperson said, Israel's attempts to enter Gaza have been unsuccessful, "except" in some limited areas.
The IDF says its rescued an Israeli soldier from captivity during its ground operations.
[16:00:03]
Private Ori Megidish was kidnapped during the October 7th terrorist attacks. And there she is with her family.
END
