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Quest Means Business

IDF "In The Heart Of Gaza City"; Gaza's Future Governance; Election Day In Key US States; WeWork Files For Bankruptcy; US Homicide Probe After Jewish Protester Dies; US Supreme Court May Uphold Limited Gun Curbs In Law; King Charles II Delivered His First King's Speech; Israeli Father Learns Weeks Later That Daughter May Be Alive; Portuguese Prime Minister Steps Down Amid Inquiry; White House Reiterates Israel Should Not Reoccupy Gaza; Tourism Minister Says Egypt Is Working To Maintain Normalcy; WeWork On The Brink. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired November 07, 2023 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:27]

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Israel says it's fighting in the heart of Gaza City for the first time in a decade. And Prime Minister

Netanyahu insists Israel will have security responsibility for Gaza for a, quote, "indefinite period after the war." And US voters head to the polls

with abortion rights and marijuana on the ballot in one key state.

Live from New York, it's Tuesday, November 7th. I'm Julia Chatterley, in for Richard Quest. And this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.

Good evening. Tonight, Israel's military says it's fighting in the heart of Gaza City. The IDF says its soldiers are advancing towards the "center of

the enemy," quote, while acknowledging the complexity and difficulty of what's still to come.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveals more about Israel's post-war aims. He said this during an interview, Monday, with ABC News.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Before an indefinite period, we'll have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what

happens when we don't have it. When we don't have that security responsibility, what we have is the irruption of Hamas terror on a scale

that we couldn't imagine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: The White House has said Israel should not to reoccupy Gaza. National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, spoke earlier to CNN.

He says the Biden administration has not changed its view on that matter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Well, the president still believes that a reoccupation of Gaza by

Israeli forces is not good for Israel, not good for the Israeli people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Nic Robertson is in Sderot for us tonight. Nic, I want to talk about that. I mean, Prime Minister Netanyahu didn't call it any form of

occupation or reoccupation, but there's an inevitability about the security situation. The problem really, as I see, it is none of the Arab partners in

the region are going to want to be part of some of kind of peace coalition even in the near-term if the IDF think they can still go in and out of Gaza

still looking for Hamas in that period.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and I think it's an open question at the moment whether the IDF can actually deliver a

situation where they could control the security in Gaza. Will they be able to defeat Hamas as they say they want to or will then become a mission to

far because the prime minister is under huge amount of international political pressure and not least, from the United States, for a

humanitarian pause. And one of the interesting things, listening to the prime minister speaking on television this evening, he said, on the

diplomatic front, we are working 24 hours to keep the options open for the IDF to complete their mission.

So it's really indicating there that he is facing a lot of pressure on how long the IDF can keep fighting for. And one of the principal reasons is the

humanitarian situation for the people in Gaza, the high civilian death toll inside of Gaza. So can the IDF actually deliver a scenario whereby they can

take significant enough control to be there for in the security control and going forward in the future? And again, one of the indicators that points

to us is that eventuality is still some ways off.

Just this evening, we've seen four different salvos of rockets take out from here in the past couple of hours. Three salvos going towards the

center of Israel, another salvo going a little bit to the south of us here. It's indicative of the fact that Hamas is still able to fire its rockets

from northern Gaza, despite the fact the IDF is in there fighting in the heart of Gaza, as officials say, but it would be a retrograde step for

Israel to have to go back to being a security guarantor in Gaza.

This was a thing that they relinquished back in 2005, because it was problematic. And that's only the security implications. What about their

provisions of welfare and all the other things that they are essentially indicating would be in a vacuous state if Hamas was gone?

With many open questions there, that statement leaves. And the answers really aren't clear at the moment.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, to your point, ensuring security overall, perhaps the biggest question. Nic, in the shorter-term, the IDF are telling us now that

they are operating in the absolute heart of Gaza City. For all the concerns up to this stage, the humanitarian crisis, the loss of life, this was

expected to be, and I suppose, is expected to be perhaps the most dangerous now part of their mission not only for the people there in Gaza, of course,

but for the IDF soldiers themselves.

[15:05:13]

ROBERTSON: It is because it's Hamas' territory. But one of the things that we're hearing, and I spoke today with two Israeli journalists who've been

inside Gaza with the troops, and their perspectives were very interesting.

You know, one of them told me, look, the IDF is not taking huge casualties, in part, because Hamas isn't engaging them in a fight. They're still saying

underground and hoping that they can hold out, because they would be overwhelmed if they were above -- fighting above ground.

And another journalist who was witnessing the IDF preparing some of the munitions for the fighter jets that are protecting the troops on the

ground, they've got the new munitions from the United States, he said, and that they were using these less explosive, but more precision missiles to

sort of wonk a missile shield in -- a protective shield ahead of the IDF forces, ahead of the Israeli troops, so that they were protected on the

ground, but also these lower explosive munitions, not only designed to protect the troops but, therefore also, to protect the civilians as well.

So it's a really complex picture and we don't have an accurate assessment of is Hamas trying to avoid getting into big combat confrontation with the

IDF. We don't have a good assessment of, really, what the battle looks like on the ground there, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: No, but perhaps, to your point, waiting the situation out as the pressure for some kind of ceasefire or longer pause and continues to

build.

Nic Robertson, thank you for now.

And on that point, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza appears to be growing more dire by the day. Salma Abdelaziz looks at civilians that continue to

be caught in the crossfire. And once again, a warning, some of the images in this report are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Families are burying their dead in mass, with little time to mourn. "Gaza is not a

humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of humanity," the UN chief says.

A month of war has devastated the strip. Israeli airstrikes have hit homes, schools, refugee camps, and ambulances. And the IDF has claimed all their

legitimate Hamas targets. A siege has cut off food, fuel, water, and basic supplies, and there are no safe places. The UN says 70% of the strip's

population forced out of their homes and desperate for refuge.

The health care system is decimated. More than 60% of Gaza's hospitals and medical centers are out of service, according to the Palestinian authority.

And the death toll, the UN says, defies humanity.

Israeli attacks have killed over 10,000 Palestinians since October 7th, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, drawing from

sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

Based on the ministry's figures, at least one child is being killed every 10 minutes, CNN calculations suggest, Gaza "becoming a graveyard for

children," the UN chief says.

The bloody conflict is spurring anger and action in capitals from Berlin, to Ankara, to London, and beyond. The world is turning against Israel's war

in Gaza, the global outcry getting louder. But the US, so far, unable to stem the bloodshed.

After whirlwind Middle East tour, Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to secure any pause to the fighting. And Prime Minister Netanyahu remains

defiant. The IDF says it's dropping hundreds of bombs a day on Hamas targets as Israeli ground forces push deeper into the territory with a

stated aim of wiping out the group.

The UN describes Israel's assault as collective punishment. And the youngest are paying the highest price.

AHMED AYESH, SURVIVOR OF AIRSTRIKE: This is the bravery of the so-called Israel. They show their might and power against civilians, babies inside,

kids inside, and elderly.

ABDELAZIZ (voice over): Families battered and broken, after four weeks of war, say they can endure no more horror, and some are carrying their tribe.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Over the past month, more than 4,200 children have been killed in Gaza. That's according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

A spokesperson told Reuters that another 10,000 children have been injured since the beginning of the war. Remember, around half of Gaza's population

is under the age of 18.

James Elder, a senior adviser and spokesperson for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.

[15:10:03]

James, good to have you with us, tonight. You're one of the aid agencies at UNICEF that's been calling for humanitarian ceasefire, also one of the

organizations that signed that interagency statement on November 5th, among other sentences, saying enough is enough. What do you think and what runs

through your mind when you hear officials, not just Israeli, saying no ceasefire, now is not the time?

JAMES ELDER, SENIOR ADVISER AND SPOKESPERSON AT UNICEF: You know, what runs through my mind, again, whether it's people on a show like this or UNICEF

colleagues on (inaudible) is simply the cries of our children. It's really hard to understand when you talk of 4,200 children being killed,

reportedly, in three weeks. It's so hard to understand how those cries have not been heard.

How, we're talking, Julia, about parents who now will wake with grief every single day. And there's more that children trapped under rubble. It

frustrates us, it saddens us, of course, but we will keep using every office we possibly have, the hope that some sanity prevails, and we get

some protection to these children living in utter nightmare.

CHATTERLEY: I think you are also clear in worrying in that statement of what humanitarian law requires. Are you pretty clear in your mind, too,

that humanitarian law is falling to the wayside here, and that, in many ways, the international community by standing by is complicit?

ELDER: Well, humanitarian law, you're dead right, Julia, it's very clear. You know, disproportionate attacks, that's no schools and refuges, no

hospitals, no health centers, proportionality.

I mean, we've seen dozens, Julia, dozens of schools and health centers attacked. People are seeking refuge in them. They're already -- you've

already talked to doctors who have got children on the floor that they can't attend to and they're attending to them when they get there with a

torchlight rather than power, no anesthetic.

And we've seen at least 60% of all schools in the Gaza -- all schools -- have been, in some way, damaged. And, of course, they're not schools,

they're refuges, and they're attacked.

So, at some, point the legal experts will argue this. But if I talk to my colleagues on the ground and I hear stories of their children who are doing

-- four-year-olds doing self-harm because they're so traumatized or parents looking under rubble for children, then I think the language of

international law is very clear. And I think there have been enough experts around the world to speak to that.

UNICEF, of course, is a frontline actor. We remain neutral in trying to be wary whatever we can, but we're going beyond a point where we can argue on

language.

I think the images are so very, very clear. And the images are that we are seeing up to 100 children killed every single day. And that's

unprecedented. And that's not going to help anyone find a place of peace or safety going forward.

That -- Julia, that just has to stop. And we will, as UNICEF, keep using every corridor power and meanwhile, keep trying to get trucks through so

doctors have medicines and children have water.

CHATTERLEY: Can I ask you about those trucks? We still are trying to get a gauge of what's not there, what is able to get in, and still, what's

required. James, just in terms of a proportion, because I know you're constantly fighting to get more aid in. As a proportion of what was going

in before the war, just -- can you give me a sense of percentage what aid is getting in now?

ELDER: Okay, it's a very good question. I wouldn't have it without being utterly precise. All sorts of supplies, not just humanitarian, but all

sorts of supplies that will go into Gaza on a daily basis, commercial and others, was 500 trucks a day.

The ask from the UN secretary general from the start has been 100, so that would be 20%. We're a fraction of that. So I would say a single-digit

percentage is going in that needs to go in.

That includes, right now, Julia, no fuel. This is not fuel for vehicles. This is fuel so hospitals don't go dark. This is fuel so incubators with

babies don't stop, which will happen.

We have these very real risk right now of seeing a staggered to believe this much I say it, but it's a fact. We may see deaths exponentially rise

because we will see water outbreaks, 5% of water capacity to people in a place like this.

They're not getting medicines. They're not getting surgical equipment. So, it's hard as it is to imagine, if we don't get a ceasefire, if we don't get

the right amount of aid in, and it's a trickle -- everyone has said that.

If UNICEF and our partners aren't able to do that, we can see an exponential rise of 4,200 children already killed and all the trauma and

grief of their parents, this is the beginning. That is a terrifying thought. It's an utterly, of course, unacceptable thought in 2023 to have.

But at the moment .

CHATTERLEY: James .

ELDER: . it's, you know, our greatest fears just keep being realized.

CHATTERLEY: . James, do you think we're already seeing that? Because I think some part of what makes people numb to this is this concern that they

can't believe the numbers, that this is the Hamas-led government, so they don't necessarily trust the numbers. And the IDF, certainly, in the Israeli

government, have made that point.

[15:15:17]

But what you're saying actually is perhaps these numbers may seem very quickly, if not, already undercounting the numbers of lives lost. Do you

think that's already the case?

ELDER: Yes. Unfortunately, Julia, UNICEF, we are very, very precise with our numbers. We have the reputation. We have not just because we're on the

frontlines and we deliver, but we have evidence.

So if we go back six or seven years to the last major conflict, the same Ministry of Health, the same one in Gaza, noted around 2,200 children have

been killed. They do that real-time.

We go in with a delayed verification. It's much more thorough. It's called triangular verification. It takes much more time.

Our numbers were within a couple of percent of that. Almost identical. We don't have that concern based on past history and so forth.

So then you look at these numbers, 2,000, 3,000, 400. I have the unfortunate advantage here is that I've seen what shrapnel does to

children. I've seen it's meant to rip through steel.

I've seen a five-year-old girl in a place like Ukraine who is riddled with that and who's, you know, trying to hang on. I've seen those mothers leave

hospitals without their children. So I very much, both, A, have faith in those reported numbers, but B, I know the boys and girls and the moms and

dads behind them. And that's, I think for UNICEF, why we're so outraged that they keep spiking and that we can't get a humanitarian ceasefire.

CHATTERLEY: You're an important voice. James, thank you so much and for everything that you and your team there and beyond are doing. James Elder,

thank you.

We're back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. It's Election Day here in the United States. And one of the key issues for voters, abortion rights.

In a high, they're deciding to whether to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution after the US supreme court decision last year

overturning Roe versus Wade. The higher ballot measure is viewed as a bellwether of voter sentiment ahead of the presidential election next year.

Kyung Lah joins us now from Columbus, Ohio. Great to have you with us.

It's a glimpse of the national mood. I think it's also going to be closely watched by Democrats and the Republicans to see if abortion rights are

still as politically sensitive as they were in the midterms last year.

[15:20:08]

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR US NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. Bingo. I mean, it is going to tell a lot. According to analysts I've already spoken

to as far away from Arizona, Julia, what happens in Ohio? So what happens today is going to matter and have ripple effects across the entire country.

So what exactly is happening today?

It is election day. It's in-person voting. And here, at this one polling place in Columbus, Ohio, one snapshot of what we are seeing, not an

indication of what it looks like across the state.

But take a look at this. I mean, this is an off-year election, and we're seeing people line up, engaging in democracy, a wide variety of people

grabbing their ballots here, checking in at these tables. And then they're heading off to vote in a voting booth. This is democracy in action.

And the issue that has motivated a lot of people who we've spoken to, when you step aside and ask them why they're here, is issue one, the issue of

whether or not the abortion rights should be enshrined in the state constitution. I want you to listen to two voters we spoke with.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, OHIO VOTER: I think people feel very strongly about people's choice -- personal choices and their ability to make choices for

their own. And so, just really respecting each other and making sure that everyone has the ability to do that on their behalf is really important and

speaks really highly of us as a community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, OHIO VOTER: We're living in weird times. And I think, from personal experience, sometimes you don't feel heard. So you kind of

try to do your part.

I feel like we are all sort of, kind of, hoping that we can change things for the better. We do what we can, you know. This is one way to do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: So this is what it looks like inside one polling place, what it's looking like on the street, according to the activists who are fighting

door-to-door for issue one. They are still knocking on doors, the side that is supporting issue one and those who are against it. They say they are

going to be knocking on every last door until polls close here at 7:30. They believe that every vote is going to count here in this state, on this

election, Julia.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, just one of a few. Can't wait to see what happens. Kyung Lah there, thank you so much, for now.

Okay. Just ahead, we return to Israel, where it's been an agonizing month for the father of an eight-year-old girl who believed his daughter was

killed by Hamas, and since found out she might be a hostage. More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:18]

CHATTERLEY: Hello, I'm Julia Chatterley, and there's more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment when we'll explore what life in Gaza might look like

after the war is over as Israel suggests it could impose direct control.

And once the most valuable startup in the United States, WeWork, has filed for bankruptcy after a stunning fall from grace. But before that, too, the

headlines this hour.

Authorities in California are investigating the death of a Jewish man who was pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters clashed as a homicide. The

69-year-old reportedly fell and hit his head during an altercation. Police say they've released a man they had previously detained as a suspect.

The US Supreme Court appears inclined to uphold a federal law that bars people under restraining orders for domestic violence from possessing a

firearm. Last year, the high court ruled that firearm regulations must be consistent with the United States' "historical tradition," quote. Though

decision isn't expected until July, the majority of court indicated the law falls within those parameters.

Charles III has delivered his first king's speech to the British parliament. This marks the formal start of the parliamentary year. King

Charles said that Britain's government will hold other countries to their environmental commitments. He's expected to attend the COP28 Climate Summit

in the UAE, which starts in a few weeks' time.

We're returning now to Israel where people have been gathering in Tel Aviv for a candlelight vigil to honor the 1,400 victims of Hamas' brutal attack.

This past month has been particularly agonizing, too, for one father. Thomas Hand initially believed his young daughter, Emily, was killed in the

October 7th attacks. Now, he's found out that she may still be alive in Gaza, and he says the uncertainty is awful.

Ed Lavandera spoke with Thomas and joins us now from Tel Aviv. Ed, I think most of us will remember watching that interview where, through his

heartbreak, he expressed some form of relief that sadly she's been killed rather than having to contemplate the alternative, that she's a hostage of

Hamas. And now he has to focus on that, too.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Thomas Hand says that people have come up to him. They hug him, and they simply just say to him,

there are no words to describe what he is going through. But Thomas Hand found the words to talk to us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS HAND, HAMAS ATTACK SURVIVOR AND FATHER OF EMILY HAND: From the morning of the seventh, until now, is a nightmare, rollercoaster tragedy.

LAVANDERA (voice over): The anguish Thomas Hand is about to describe has left him trembling for weeks. It's a journey of death and a hope of

resurrection, he says, is impossible to imagine.

HAND: On the day, it was Russian roulette, whether you made it or not.

LAVANDERA (voice over): On October 7th, Hamas fighters stormed the Kibbutz Be'eri, killing roughly 130 people and ravaging the community of 1,100

residents. That morning, Thomas's eight-year-old daughter, Emily, was sleeping at a friend's house. Thomas could not reach her as Hamas fighters

took over the kibbutz.

Days after the attack, the Irish-born father spoke with CNN's Clarissa Ward about the moment he was told his daughter had been killed.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thomas waited two agonizing days before getting the news.

HAND: They just said, "We found Emily, and she's dead." And I went, "Yes!" I went yes and smiled because that is the best news of the possibilities

that I knew. She'd be in a dark room filled with -- Christ knows how many people -- and terrified every minute, hour, day and possible years to come.

So death was a blessing, an absolute blessing.

[15:30:29]

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Thomas says leaders of the Be'eri kibbutz community told him Emily's body was seen in the aftermath. But almost a month after

the massacre, Thomas was given news that almost made him collapse. He says the Israeli Army told him it's highly probable Emily is alive and a Hamas

hostage.

LAVANDERA: How were you told the news Emily might be alive?

HAND: That was official from the Army. With all the information that they have, the intelligence that they have, it's very likely that she's been

taken to Gaza.

LAVANDERA: Thomas says he's been told Emily's body is not with the remains of victims and that there was no blood found inside the home where she

slept the night before.

Thomas also says that cell phones belonging to the family Emily was staying with have been tracked inside Gaza.

When you spoke with Clarissa Ward a few weeks ago, you said death would be a blessing in this situation.

HAND: That's how I felt at the time. Yes.

LAVANDERA: How do you describe where you are now?

HAND: Extremely worried about her, obviously. What conditions she's been held in. She's, you know, more than likely in a -- in a tunnel somewhere

under Gaza.

Your imagination is horrible. And it's her birthday on the 17th of this month, she'll be nine. She won't even know what day is. She won't know what

day is. She won't know it's her birthday. There'll be no birthday cake, no party, no friends. You just be petrified in a tunnel under Gaza. That's her

birthday.

LAVANDERA: Thomas is now flooded with the hope and the despair of what his daughter might be enduring. He prays she can somehow hear these words to

her.

HAND: If Emily is watching, just to let her know that we love her. All of us were all waiting for her to come back safely.

LAVANDERA: The survivors of the Be'eri kibbutz are temporarily living in a hotel. In the lobby, there's a vigil to all the kidnapped hostages. Now

Emily's family says the young girl's photo will be placed next to the others.

You described as being a hostage as worse than death.

HAND: I believe so. The unknown is awful. The waiting is awful but that's what we've got to do now. Just pray and hope that she comes back in some

broken state but we can fix her. We'll fix her somehow.

LAVANDERA: Do you allow yourself now to think about holding Emily again?

HAND: In my head, I can see, you know, like a beach scene her running to me and me running to her. Just picking her up. Never letting her go.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And Julia, remarkably, Thomas says he doesn't fault anyone for the roller coaster of emotions that he's been on in the last month. He says

that the leadership of the kibbutz there, that originally told him that his daughter had been killed, were overwhelmed with the impact of everything

that was going on that day.

And now, he says he's just hopeful that he might have a chance to hold his daughter again.

CHATTERLEY: Unimaginable. Ed Lavandera, in Jerusalem for us there. Thank you for that.

We'll be back after this.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:36:47]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHATTERLEY: Welcome back.

Portugal's prime minister has resigned amid an investigation into government corruption. Antonio Costa, who's been prime minister since 2015,

said he was surprised by the criminal probe but will cooperate with authorities.

The probe centers around multiple ventures requiring government authorization, including concessions for lithium minds, a hydrogen plant

and a data center. Five people, so far, have been arrested, including Costa's chief of staff.

One of his ministers has been named, too, as a formal suspect. Joao Povoa Marinheiro joins us now from our sister network, CNN Portugal, in Lisbon.

Joao, great to have you with us.

Can you hear us?

OK, good. We've got you.

What more can you tell us about the --?

(CROSSTALK)

JOAO POVOA MARINHEIRO, CNN PORTUGAL ANCHOR: Yes, I can hear you fine. Hi, Julia, great to see. You

CHATTERLEY: -- how long will it take to conclude?

MARINHEIRO: This is a broad investigation that basically addresses suspicions of influence peddling and corruption, which are related to

contracts concerning the prospect of lithium and development of the hydrogen boss (ph) in Portugal.

We're talking about very big contracts. And basically what happened is that the prime minister's name and office has been inclined to this

investigation. So dozens of searches have been conducted throughout the country. They've affected very close names to the prime minister's office,

including his chief of staff and also a personal friend.

They've been arrested. What we don't know right now is the specific charges against Antonio Costa because the only information we have available is

this note from the attorneys, the attorney general's office, that basically suggests that the prime minister's name and his authority have been listed

on a wiretap and that he may have facilitated some access to some of the contracts we are talking about right now.

But the thing is, since this is a process that delivers a lot of political pressure and has led to the resignation of the prime minister, obviously

the socialist party, the prime minister's party, want quick answers.

And so they are asking for a swift investigation to clear out what's going on. We have to also have to take a note about the context right now. The

prime minister's government has been under a lot of pressure, especially the public services, for the management of the public services.

But for this to lead to his resignation, it's obviously related to something that is serious, although Antonio Costa wasn't that aware that

this investigation was being conducted. So we don't know the timing of the investigation. But since the political heat is really elevated right now,

probably things are going to be investigated really quickly.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, to your point, and you raise a great one, we don't even know whether the prime minister himself or the former prime minister will

even be charged in this.

[15:40:00]

CHATTERLEY: We will watch this space. Great to have you with us, Joao, thank you so much.

All right, let's move on. More than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza over the past month. That's according to the Palestinian health ministry in

the West Bank. The majority of them are children, women or the elderly.

The U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator says the death toll could defy humanity. Israel's prime minister continues to reject calls for a pause in

the fighting. Just have a listen to what he told ABC on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: Well, there will be no cease- fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza, without the release of our hostages. As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there, we've had them

before.

I suppose we'll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in or hostages, individual hostages, to leave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: Prime minister Netanyahu also hinted at his post war plans for Gaza, saying Israel will have responsibility for the enclave's security for

a quote, "indefinite period."

I want to bring in Brian Katulis, the vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

Brian, good to have you with us. I want to start there, the conversation about the what next had to be had. But it's also an incredibly difficult

conversation to have, mid war, within an uncertain outcome and no real sense of what we will be left in Gaza.

BRIAN KATULIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY, MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: Right, and it's clear from the Israeli prime minister's remarks yesterday, Israel

still doesn't have a clear idea or plan of what it wants to see and to achieve there.

If they're talking about an indefinite period of time, to many inside of Israel and around the region, this sounds a little like what Israel did in

southern Lebanon in the 1980s. Once you get into a war like this without having a clear end state in mind, it could end up being quite a quagmire

and quite costly.

So I think it's important, the advice that the United States and others are trying to give to Israel, to how it conducts its campaign will actually

shape what things will look like in the post conflict period. It's clear that there are threats that are still imminent for Israel. But not having a

plan, I think, is a dangerous scenario.

CHATTERLEY: A lot of the discussion and op-eds being written at the moment, talking about some kind of international peacekeeping force that includes

members of the Arab nations around them; the obvious ones, the Qataris, the Jordanians have obviously looked into this and are very vocal on what's

taking place at this moment.

But you have to argue too that surely they would be reluctant to be involved in any kind of peacekeeping operation, if Israel still considers

itself responsible for security and is trying to carry out sporadic operations at that time.

Also, if it ends up looking like some kind of substitute for a longer-term two-state solution, how do you avoid both of those things?

KATULIS: Well, you avoid it by having a plan. And I think this is where the United States comes in. No other outside power, not the European Union

powers, not China, not Russia has the network of relationships that the United States has.

That network was on full display when secretary of state Antony Blinken visited the region this past weekend. So to avoid that, I think you

actually need to see more leadership and crafting; what does this all look like?

In the long run, to me, a two state solution is the most likely thing. I'd add to the variables that you noted, the simple fact of the matter is that

the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, also told Secretary Blinken that we are not going to go in there on the back of the

tanks of the Israelis. Right?

So this is a delicate balancing act between America's stated objective of supporting Israel's right of self-defense and eliminating deaths from Hamas

versus what comes next in making sure that this campaign actually carves a pathway toward something that's sustainable.

What the prime minister of Israel seems to be talking about doesn't seem like a sustainable proposition.

CHATTERLEY: To your point about the Palestinian authorities, while I put a quote from what the U.S. secretary of state said, at some point, what would

make most sense is for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have government and ultimate security responsibility for Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority, as it stands, doesn't have the credibility, seems too weak to do any of that, at this stage, Brian.

KATULIS: Yes, and that's, in part, a consequence of U.S. and Israeli policy --

CHATTERLEY: Right.

KATULIS: -- that undermines the Palestinian Authority, as well.

CHATTERLEY: So what is the solution, Brian?

KATULIS: Look, I wrote an article today in a publication, "The Liberal Patriot," that talks about how the United States needs to build

partnerships across the region, not only with the Palestinian Authority but to work jointly with some of our Arab partners to carve out not only a plan

for immediate humanitarian aid, which is getting in there.

I don't know if you saw that Jordan airlifted some supplies into Gaza; the UAE has plans for a field hospital in southern Gaza.

[15:45:00]

KATULIS: That's a start of trying to address the greater humanitarian crisis. But in the long run, there needs to be much more of a concerted, a

long-term diplomatic effort that talks about a two-state solution with partners in the region.

And to tee that up, we do have partners in Saudi Arabia and other places that support that as a vision. It's still an open question mark with the

current Israeli government, which has ministers that reject the two-state solution.

So all of this short-term activity needs to be connected with a longer term plan, which, at its core, should be a two-state solution.

CHATTERLEY: Yes, it's almost like that is the starting place. Then you work back from there on how to get there. But you've got to have the Israeli

government devise (ph) it. Yes. Brian, good to chat with you, sir, thank you.

KATULIS: OK, thank you.

CHATTERLEY: WeWork has filed for bankruptcy. We'll look at the rise and fall of the once highflying startup and talk about what its collapse means

for coworking office space.

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CHATTERLEY: Welcome back.

Egypt's tourism minister is trying to convey a sense of normalcy in his country as the war rages in neighboring Gaza. Egypt's aiming to bring 30

million tourists a year by 2028. Now Richard Quest spoke with Ahmed Issa at the World Travel Market in London and he described how they are preparing

despite the regional conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AHMED ISSA, EGYPTIAN TOURISM MINISTER: The authorities over the past few weeks have been simple, to make sure that the product stays on the shelves

of the (INAUDIBLE) across the countries that export tourism to Egypt; that the air carriers continue to have inboard (ph) seats flying to Egypt.

More than 90 percent of tourists arriving in Cairo, Egypt, through air. And at the same time, we have to make sure that the wholesale (ph) of state

continues to stay committed to the moves that they have, preserved and paid advance payments for.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: Are you seeing -- I don't think you'll be seeing a downturn yet. But you might be seeing a weakness in the numbers, inquiries,

early bookings, reservations.

Are you seeing anything?

ISSA: Well, of course, we are. And but we've seen a great October, actually. The month of October, we've seen a number of arrivals, tourist

arrivals in Egypt, rise above 1.3 million tourists, which is an 8 percent growth over the same month last year.

We continue to see the same trends in November. We are seeing some delay, the reservation decisions over the past couple of weeks, which is normal.

[15:50:00]

ISSA: And this is why I've actually called the operatives across the network that we are committed to support to and committed to stay to resist

the (INAUDIBLE).

QUEST: What does that mean, committed to support?

How do you envisage you might have to support?

ISSA: So, number one, we have doubled the budget for the campaigns that -- the former campaigns. We've doubled the budget for familiarization groups

for (INAUDIBLE) networks.

We've continued to support the aviation and the air carriers. We've reduced the load factors in Sharm El Sheikh. We've added $500 per flight in Sharm

El Sheikh airports. So these are things that we are wiling to do more. We've committed to be sure that we continue to reduce the risk during the

coming weeks until the strikes end.

QUEST: And then be ready afterwards.

ISSA: Of course.

QUEST: That is the key.

ISSA: Yes, this is the key.

If you're not ready for the recovery, why are we here?

And I'm not talking about recovery in a number of drivers. I'm talking about the recovery in the number of bookings.

QUEST: Right.

What about the mood, the mood in the country?

It's also quite difficult to go on vacation or on holiday, when there is this within the country.

ISSA: Well, Egypt is quite far from what's happening in the region. The Sharm el-Sheikh resort continues to receive their vacationers from Europe.

Of course, (INAUDIBLE) Dar es Salaam, Mercer (ph) Island, Luxor and Aswan, Cairo, I think we are still seeing very significant numbers arrive.

QUEST: You've been there a couple years now. You now know where the photocopier is and where the coffee machine is. You sort of sorted out the

mess. But now it's time to actually do something next.

ISSA: Sure. So I've been talking to my colleagues, the minister of finance, for the past few months. And --

(CROSSTALK)

QUEST: Good luck with that.

(LAUGHTER)

ISSA: No, seriously, we've designed good incentive package, actually, to get the number of hotel rooms to where it needs to be. For us to get to 30

million tourists. And over the coming couple of weeks, he and I are going to announce good incentives package that is going to attract hotel

operators and hotel owners in Egypt to actually build the next 200,000 rooms.

QUEST: When are you opening (INAUDIBLE)?

ISSA: So --

QUEST: I agree, now is a very difficult time.

ISSA: Yes, we are focused on doing the final touches on lighting, on audio guides. We have just tested the ticketing and the security systems. So I

think we are advancing very quickly. And within the next couple months, I'll probably be able to get some tourists in, in terms of a soft opening,

to test the systems.

Official opening date is going to be in probably between February and May.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHATTERLEY: Now WeWork has gone from the most valuable U.S. startup to bankruptcy protection. The coworking company was once privately valued at

$47 billion. Its fortunes started to unravel, though, after a botched IPO back in 2019.

The paperwork revealed surprisingly large losses. It also exposed potential conflicts of interest by its cofounder and CEO, Adam Neumann. Newman's

tenure was defined by his unconventional leadership style, which sparked both aspiration and ire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM NEUMANN, COFOUNDER AND FORMER CEO, WEWORK: There is an energy that you feel. That energy is something that is hard to explain. It's something that

either you feel it or you don't. And it's an energy of people doing their own thing, while actually still being part of something greater than

themselves.

A lot of fans and companies have to define exactly what they are in today's world, to build a meaningful brand that is actually going to last for a

long time and make a difference and do a lot more than just make money -- not that making money is not very important also.

You have to be a little bit of everything.

If you're the happiest, most fulfilled employees, they will work harder, they will actually be fulfilled. And they'll come up with the next great

idea that's going to reinvent your company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHATTERLEY: And Clare Duffy joins us now.

None of that aged well, Clare. Before this bankruptcy protection, I think it was worth $45 million -- forget the billions. The importance of chapter

11 bankruptcy though is that you continue on as a growing concern -- reorganize your debt, renegotiate leases -- helpful for these guys.

The question for me, really, is what next?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: I think that is the big question, Julia. I have to say, I love listening to those Adam Neumann clips. He says there,

making money is also important.

As it turns out, that's always something that this company has struggled with. I think it's going to continue to struggle with here. As you said,

the bankruptcy filing is going to allow this company to continue to operate.

It wants to renegotiate its debt obligations, renegotiate leases. I think what we will see is WeWork closing a number of its locations, including

dozens of locations here in New York City alone.

But what this bankruptcy filing doesn't change is the fact that this is a market, this is an industry that is really facing a number of challenges

right now. You have a lot of competition. You have a glut of open office space, which has lowered rent payments.

You have a lot of workers who don't actually want to come back to the office full-time at all.

[15:55:00]

DUFFY: So I think, for WeWork, the question is, beyond just shuttering a number of its locations, renegotiating rent payments, what is it going to

do to become a sustainable business going forward?

CHATTERLEY: Yes, it needs to find a new core business, perhaps. Clare Duffy, for now, thank you for that.

We'll be back after this.

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CHATTERLEY: Welcome back.

Voters across the United States are going to the polls today deciding state level contests and ballot measures. Gubernatorial elections are taking

place in Kentucky and Mississippi. Ohio is deciding whether to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

And Virginia will find out whether Republicans will take the full control of the state legislature. Wolf Blitzer and Kaitlan Collins will start CNN's

special election coverage, "America's Choice 2023, from Washington at the top of the hour.

Stay with CNN for all of the results. And that is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS, I am Julia Chatterley. And the closing bell is ringing on Wall Street. Our

special coverage of the U.S. election starts right now.

END