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Quest Means Business
Tens Of Thousands Flee Northern Gaza; Barghouti: Countries Must Call For A Ceasefire In Gaza; CNN Speaks To Peace Activist Who Lost Parents On Oct. 7 Attacks; Palestinian Islamic Jihad Says It Is Prepared To Release Two Hostages On Humanitarian Grounds; Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin Not Seeking Reelection; Actors' Union Reaches Tentative Agreement With Studios; SAG-AFTRA "Thrilled" To Reach Deal With Studios; Spanish Prime Minister Moves Closer To Another Term; Palestinian Islamic Jihad Prepared To Release Two Hostages; Call To Earth: Bird Conservation. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired November 09, 2023 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:32]
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Israel says 80,000 Gazans used an evacuation corridor on Thursday to flee the assault on northern Gaza.
The father of Liverpool player Luis Diaz is freed 12 days after he was kidnapped in Colombia. And the season of strikes finally ends in US. Actors
reached a tentative deal with Hollywood Studios.
Live from London, it's Thursday November 9th. I'm Isa Soares, in for Richard Quest. And, of course, I, too, mean business.
Good evening everyone. Tonight, Israel says it has captured a Hamas military stronghold in northern Gaza. The IDF said it took control of the
outpost after 10 hours of fighting. It said Israeli troops eliminated terrorists, captured weapons, and uncovered more tunnels shafts.
Israeli officials said, in the last 30 minutes or so, there's 80,000 civilians -- 80,000 civilians in Gaza fled the fighting in the north during
today's six-hour evacuation window. Prime Netanyahu insisted once more that there will be no ceasefire until Hamas frees its hostages -- 240 hostages,
of course.
A US official says the heads of the CIA and the Mossad discussed hostage issues today with Qatari leaders in Doha. A lot for us to get through. Our
Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for the very latest.
Jeremy, good to see you. So we've had, what, 50,000 crossing from the north to the south yesterday; 80,000 today. This, as we hear, are potentially
more pauses from the US side. Put it all into context for us here, Jeremy.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. I mean, it is all -- you know, we really do have to bring it all together because
the number of civilians who are fleeing is not disconnected from the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, which is worsening by the hour.
And also, of course, the ongoing military operation in the area, it is very much all connected.
But today, the White House's National Security Council, announcing that Israel has agreed to carry out these humanitarian pauses in fighting in the
areas of northern Gaza for four hours per day going forward. Now, in many ways, this is what we have already been seeing over the course of the last
five days.
Israel, every single day for the last five days, has allowed at least a four-hour, sometimes five or six hours, for civilians from northern Gaza to
be able to flee to the south safely using a pre-designated evacuation group, which the Israelis are calling an "evacuation corridor." The
Israelis though are not calling this a humanitarian pause or a ceasefire, insisting tonight in the words of the Israeli defense force spokesman that
there will be no ceasefire, once again, until the hostages are released from Gaza.
But this seems to be more than anything an issue of semantics. The White House very much wants to show that it is attending to the humanitarian
concerns and the pressure that it is facing to rein in Israel following the numbers of civilian casualties and following the really downward spiraling
humanitarian situation in Gaza. They want to show that they are acting on that and delivering here.
The Israelis, for their part, don't want to indicate to the public that there is any kind of ceasefire or serious pause in fighting. But by and
large, these are the same thing that they are talking about -- a safe way for civilians to flee south without military activities being conducted in
that area.
What is also significant here is that these humanitarian pauses are intended to try and give a little bit more space to those negotiations that
we are .
SOARES: Yes.
DIAMOND: .watching unfold in Doha, Qatar. We are watching as those negotiations appear to be progressing.
But again, we have watched over the last several weeks as these negotiations have been very complex. They have been very fraught. There
have been moments where we thought a deal might be in hand, and those talks have fallen apart once again.
SOARES: Jeremy Diamond with the very latest there for us in Tel Aviv. Thanks very much, Jeremy.
Well, most hospitals in Gaza have stopped functioning. That is according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, which draws its figures from
the Hamas-controlled territory. That warning comes amid a growing displacement of civilians in the enclave. Israel said Thursday that a six-
hour evacuation window was in place for people to leave northern Gaza.
Our Salma Abdelaziz has more on the conditions faced by those who remain. Have a look at this.
[15:05:02]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): If you are among those still in northern Gaza, this is what life looks like now -- the
heart of a battle zone.
(AHMED MOHAMMED speaking in foreign language.)
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): "May God protect us," this man said. Those who do not have the means to leave, we will have to stay where we are. It's as if
they've sentenced us to death."
The Israeli military continues to call on all residents of northern Gaza to move south. "It is the forced exodus of an entire population," Palestinians
say.
But some are unable or unwilling to heed the warning. Thousands of them are taking shelter at Gaza City hospitals, among them patients that can't be
moved, families too afraid to travel through bombs and bullets, and medical staff, loyal to a duty of care.
Dr. Mohammad Abu Namoos says he has sent his family away, but he will stay behind.
(DR. MOHAMMAD ABU NAMOOS speaking in foreign language.)
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): "What can be done? There is no other way out of this. There is no safety," he says. "That's why it's best if I get my
family out so I can focus on treating patients."
On Wednesday alone, as many as 50,000 people made the perilous journey south via the time-limited corridors set up by the Israeli military.
(DANIEL HAGARI speaking in foreign language.)
REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON (through translator): They're moving because they understand that Hamas has lost
control in the north, and that the south is safer, a safer area where they receive medicine, water, and food. They understand it's an improvement.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): But the south is not safe, and hardly an improvement. Israeli airstrikes level homes here, too.
And the conditions for the estimated 1.5 million now cramped in this corner of the enclave are described as inhumane. Thousands of the displaced are
living on the street.
(UMM ALAA AL-HAJIN speaking in foreign language.)
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): "There is no aid, no water. The toilets are closed," she says, "and no bakeries. We get a single loaf of bread every
three or four days after waiting in long lines for half a day."
And UN shelters are overcrowded. "At one site, at least 600 people must share a single toilet," the UN says. And as for humanitarian assistance, it
is so far a drop in the ocean of need.
VOLKER TURK, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: This is the gateway to a hellish nightmare. And then I see in front of me the lifeline that would
bring relief and humanitarian aid systems which, until now, has not been enough, woefully inadequate.
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): The conditions are so dire that this family says they decided to leave a UN shelter and moved back into the ruins of their
bombed-out home.
(RAMZI KULLAB speaking in foreign language.)
ABDELAZIZ (voice over): "We're still afraid, of course for our children, but it's the lesser of two evils," this father says. "At least it's better
than being surrounded by disease, hunger, and fear. At least here, our children are at home."
With three out of every four Gazans internally displaced, the UN estimates home is what so many dream up here that many fear that sense of normalcy
will never return.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, about an hour ago, I spoke to Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, the president of the Palestinian National and Initiative. His political party
opposes Hamas, while supporting the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state. Dr. Barghouti says Israel's evacuation efforts in Gaza are not
enough. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AND INITIATIVE: The main aim of Israel is really to ethnically cleanse the
people from the north of Gaza and the city of Gaza. But if they move south, they will also be bombarded in the south.
Forty-nine percent of Palestinians killed -- mostly civilians -- were killed in the south. So I don't see any hope of what's happening unless
there is a total and complete ceasefire. And I say that any government in the world that does not support immediate ceasefire becomes a participant
and supportive of this continuous war crimes that are happening in Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Dr. Barghouti speaking to me earlier.
Well, pro-Palestinian protesters scaled the Scottish Parliament Building on Thursday. They hung signs and banners from its roof. Demonstrations like
this have broken out worldwide, as you know, since the war began. Some have been organized by Jewish groups.
Maoz Inon is an Israeli peace activist. His parents -- you're looking at photos of them there -- were killed by Hamas during the October the 7th
attacks.
In a recent op-ed, this is what he wrote, "Revenge is not going to bring my parents back to life. It is not going to bring back other Israelis and
Palestinians killed either. It is going to do the opposite. It is going to cause more casualties. It is going to bring more death. We must break the
cycle."
Maoz Inon joins me now. Maoz, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us this evening. Just explain to our viewers who just heard there
your -- part of your op-ed why someone, how, why someone whose parents has faced these horrific acts of terrorism, whose parents were killed by Hamas
is now becoming a peace activist?
[15:10:22]
MAOZ INON, ISRAELI PEACE ACTIVIST: Thank you. And -- first, thanks for having me and inviting me. Tonight, it's nighttime in Israel. It's very
important to me to speak to you and your audience, so I thank you a lot.
It's not something you can explain. It's something that I can cry. I can just cry my cry for peace, my cry for a ceasefire, my cry to stop the war.
The cycle of blood, cycle of revenge is going on for more than a century. And one day, and I hope it will be sooner than later, we must put a stop
for this cycle.
And I'm using -- I'm now doing a lot of reading, and I'm hearing many people from, like, today and from the past. And Menachem Begin, our former
Prime Minister, who signed a peace agreement with Egypt, in Egypt where hundred times, thousand times stronger enemy than the Hamas. And when
President Sadat visited Jerusalem in the Knesset, the parliament house of Israel, Menachem Begin said that we can prevent war. We can prevent and
stop the war, but we cannot prevent the peace. Peace will definitely happen.
And we forgot those words, and we forgot those lessons. And we just must stop and not looking it's Israelis versus Palestinian, Palestinian versus
Israelis. It's humanity against aid, humanity against blood, humanity against war.
And this is my cry. I'm crying and, unfortunately, I've been right. I've been crying for more -- nearly five weeks. And I said also that I'm not
crying just for my parents, my dead parents, I'm crying for those who had lose their life.
And so many innocent people are losing their life. And this situation is just getting worse. And more people now are calling for revenge.
SOARES: Yes.
INON: Revenge against whom? Revenge for what?
SOARES: Maoz, I mean, you said to end cycle of blood, cycle of revenge, cycle of violence, as you just said. The IDF, as it goes deeper into Gaza,
has said time and time again that it's going after Hamas. It's trying to break the backup Hamas. Your vision .
INON: Hamas .
SOARES: .do you disagree with their approach here?
INON: I totally disagree. Hamas is an ideal. Hamas is a dream of terrorists of killing innocent people. And you cannot kill in a dream with bombs. You
can kill in a dream and ideal with hope, with a better future.
And we keep killing Hamas for so many times, but in the same time, Benjamin Netanyahu make Hamas stronger with supporting him with money, supporting
him with protection. And Benjamin Netanyahu betrayed its people, betrayed my parents because he allowed Hamas to get so strong. And Hamas was doing
exactly what is expected for (inaudible) the whole stabilization, to kill innocent people.
But the state of Israel betrayed its citizens and what is expected from a state to protect its citizens. And Netanyahu just totally faked with the
leaders and the generals of the IDF. And now they are trying to reach or get a victory image or a photo op that will never come.
Israel lost the battle. I lost my parents.
SOARES: You lost your parents .
INON: I lost many friends .
SOARES: . Israel has lost the battle, and there are 240 hostages as well that are still .
INON: Right.
SOARES: .right, that's still being held by Hamas, 10,000 deaths in Gaza plus, and 1,400 in Israel. You know, do you still believe, after all of
this, all this death, all these deaths that we see -- that we are seeing, do you still believe peace is achievable here, Maoz?
INON: Of course, peace. And again, it's not that it's achievable, it will be achieved. It's just a matter of time, how many innocent people will die?
Peace will definitely happen. I am totally convinced in it.
[15:15:06]
And I just finished a Zoom meeting with more than 80 Israelis and Palestinians who are proponents of peace, that they decided to move from
the way of violence and fighting to create a mutual peace based on equality, based on justice. Those voices are getting stronger and stronger,
and -- but we are just unheard or not getting the platform to speak.
SOARES: Yes.
INON: But through this crisis, the opportunity of peace will rise. I'm sure about it.
SOARES: And we're all hoping for that peace, Maoz. I want to finally ask you, just to talk a bit about your parents. What where they like?
Leave us with -- there, we are looking at their images right now. I thought there was a photo there of them by an olive tree. Look at -- a cherry,
there you go. Very funny photo of your father. What were they like?
INON: They were -- my -- they were loving parents. They raised my three sisters, my young brother and myself in a kibbutz, and then in the
community of Netiv HaAsara.
They were in the prime of their lives, even though my father was 78 and my mom is 77 -- 76. My father was agronomist, a farmer. He traveled from north
to south. He loved the land, the wheat, and other farmers.
And my father was a very optimistic person. One year, there will be a drought and the field will die. The second year, there will be a flood and
the field will die. The third, there'll be insects. And the fourth, the prices worldwide would collapse.
But with the end of each season, they will -- who used to tell us, next year, I'm going to seed again. Next year is going to be a better one. And
this is exactly the lesson I received from him. And I totally believe that next year is going to be a better one, just for us to keep on seeding the
seeds of peace .
SOARES: Yes.
INON: .the seeds of hope, and never give up.
SOARES: Maoz, thank you very much for speaking to us during this difficult time. I'm pretty sure your parents will be incredibly proud of your
empathy, as well as your wisdom on this. Thank you very much, Maoz.
INON: Thank you very much, Isa. Thank you very much.
SOARES: We have some breaking news to bring to you coming out of Gaza. The armed wing of the Islamic Jihad said it is prepared to release two hostages
on humanitarian grounds in Gaza. The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said Thursday, it is prepared to release two Israeli hostages
on humanitarian grounds.
Now, in terms of the details we are getting, one is a 77-year-old woman, the other is a 13-year-old boy, both were shown in the video released by
Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Now, CNN is not going to give you more details in terms of these two hostages. No, we're not going to show the video, following request by the
families of the hostages at this time.
Now, Israelis -- Israel's Army Spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, did reference this video if you saw earlier in his daily evening news, saying "We have
not missed, and we will not miss any chance to return hostages."
We'll stay on top of this. We'll try and get more from our teams on the ground, but we're hearing this hour Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it's
prepared to release two hostages on humanitarian grounds. If you remember, four hostages have been released so far since October the 7th. We'll bring
much more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:21:41]
SOARES: And we have developing news this hour in Washington in a huge blow for congressional Democrats. US Senator Joe Manchin says he will not seek
reelection next year. Instead, he says, he will be fighting to unite the middle. Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN, US SENATE DEMOCRAT: After months of deliberation and long conversation with my family, I believe in my heart of hearts that I
have accomplished what I set out to do for West Virginia. I've made one of the toughest decisions of my life and decided that I will not be running
for reelection to United States Senate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Capitol Hill Reporter, Melanie Zanona, is here with more. So, Melanie, just break it down for us. What does this mean? He says he will
not seek reelection, "I will fight to unite the middle."
MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Well, this is a huge blow for Democrats and their hopes of keeping the Senate. Democrats have been
waiting on pins and needles to see what Joe Manchin was going to do, and that's because West Virginia is going to be one of the toughest seats that
they have to defend on their map next year.
West Virginia is a deeply red conservative state. It went for former President Donald Trump by double-digits. And without an incumbent, it is
much easier for Republicans to flip the seat.
And even Joe Manchin was going to likely have a tough time seeking reelection because Jim Justice, the popular Republican governor, is running
on the GOP side. Jim justice also endorsed by former President Donald Trump. And in a very telling statement, the head of the Senate GOP campaign
arm put out a statement and said, "We like our odds in West Virginia."
Now, there is a question about what Manchin is going to do next. He said, as you noticed in his video statement, that he is going to travel the
country and see if they can find common ground between the two parties. Joe Manchin, of course, has been a very prominent centrist voice in the
Democratic Party.
But it's unclear exactly what he meant by that statement, but he has been toying with the idea of running on a third-party ticket. That is something
that he has not ruled out. So we'll see what he decides to do. But in the short-term, no doubt, this is a huge setback for Democrats and the request
to hold on to power.
SOARES: Melanie Zanona for us there on Capitol Hill. Thanks, Melanie.
Meanwhile, moviemaking could soon return to Hollywood as the actors strike finally comes to an end. There were celebrations and sighs of relief, as
you can imagine, when SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, announced a tentative agreement on Wednesday.
Here's how Busy Phillips reacted to news that the hundred 118-day strike was over. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BUSY PHILLIPS excitedly makes a video of her reaction to the news.)
BUSY PHILLIPS, ACTRESS: Ah, oh my God, oh my God. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I, like, literally -- I can't believe -- I can't believe
I'm not -- I -- I'm just alone for this. I'm so happy, I'm so happy! My God. I'm so .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: I think it's fair to say, Camila Bernal, in Los Angeles, she was ecstatic about that. But look, the -- 118 days, Camila, this was a grueling
strike, right? So what do we know about this deal?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, everyone is feeling that way, whether you're a prominent actor or whether you're just starting
out your career in acting. That's the kind of reaction you're getting from so many people here in Hollywood.
We do not have the exact details of the deal just yet because they are going to be made public tomorrow to the board. After they're given to the
board, then the members will get to see what's exactly in the deal.
[15:25:09]
But in the meantime, the leadership here has been saying that this is historic, that this is extraordinary. And what they're describing is wins
in a number of different things. One, there's the economics of it, right, having higher pay, especially minimum pay, having better benefits, and also
bonuses when it comes to streaming.
And then on the other side, you have the artificial intelligence issue. That was such a big deal for a lot of these actors because there's so many
unknowns, and they wanted those protections.
This was actually a sticking point. Up until the very end, they were negotiating about these protections when it came to artificial
intelligence. So everyone eager to see exactly what's in the deal.
The president of the union, Fran Drescher, explaining what she sees for the future, but also the accomplishments that she was able to accomplish with
the team of negotiators. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRAN DRESCHER, PRESIDENT OF SAG-AFTRA: I'm already thinking about the things that I want to get in the next contract that we didn't get in this
contract, but we broke so much ground. There is so much language in this contract that covers so much new ground that has never been in any other
contract before. And that was the point of this negotiation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERNAL: And a lot of the actors and members of the union that I've spoken to have told me that they're ready to go back to work. They say that this
last couple of months where they've been truly struggling without work have been worth it because what they want is that deal that they were asking for
from the very beginning.
And so a lot of them looking forward to production starting up again. It's been very difficult here in Hollywood over the last several months because
of the writer's strike as well. So it's really been a shutdown of the industry. So everybody hoping that things return to normal.
A lot of the people that I spoke to have told me that they believe things will pick up again. They will return to normal probably in January. But
there is now this optimism about what shows and productions are going to start off next year and optimism about the movies next summer which were,
of course, a huge concern for a lot of the actors and for the studios and the streaming.
So, of course, everyone here in Hollywood is looking forward to the actors ratifying this agreement, but they are celebrating that it's finally coming
to an end.
SOARES: Very good news indeed. Camila Bernal, thank you very much there.
Well, the terms of the deal, as Camila was saying, have not been fully disclosed, but the actors' union is, quote, "thrilled." While some of the
important staff in the new deal is money, the union was also negotiating around other key issues like protection from artificial -- AI technology.
I want to bring in Shaan Sharma, actor on "The Chosen" and SAG-AFTRA board member who joins me now.
Shaan, great to have you on the show. First of all, what did you make of the deal? Did it go far enough? You are as ecstatic as others?
SHAAN SHARMA, ACTOR OF "THE CHOSEN" AND SAG-AFTRA BOARD MEMBER: Well, there certainly is a lot of reason to -- for people to celebrate. But as far as
how I feel about the deal, that will really come down to how the members respond to what it is that we've accomplished because, ultimately, the
power is in their hands. And tomorrow we'll have a national board discussion where we'll go over all of the details, and then we'll be able
to release the details to the membership and the public.
And then I am really interested in a robust discussion about all of what we have in the deal. And that's what we'll guide my actions moving forward.
SOARES: That sounds, to me, the robust discussion and that you're not screaming from a rooftop. It sounds to me that you're not 100% thrilled
about it? So what's missing?
SHARMA: Well, I -- of course, I can't disclose any details about that. And again, you know, I completely respect the union's excitement about bringing
an end to this hardship because it has had such a toll on the California economy, on our entire entertainment labor community, and other supportive
industries. And so I think everybody wants to get back to work.
The balance we have to draw is making sure that what we're agreeing to for the next two and a half to three years, until we have the next negotiation,
can protect us and satisfy our needs in that time period.
SOARES: And you're part of the board member of SAG-AFTRA. Do you believe that other members will vote to this? Do you think this will pass, Shaan?
SHARMA: I think we -- historically, there isn't a contract that has not been ratified especially.
SOARES: Right.
SHARMA: .when the national board, you know, recommends a contract to the membership. But I certainly want to hold space for those who want to look
at the details and make sure that they're satisfied with it. And if anybody has any reservations about it, they should absolutely feel welcome to make
that known and to discuss those concerns.
And also, their voting against this contract is not an act of disloyalty. We actually need our members to be that backstop because, in my case, I'm
so close to the details that I'm -- it's hard for me to see whether .
SOARES: Yes.
SHARMA: .what it is that we've accomplished is going to satisfy the commitments that we made when we started out.
[15:30:10]
We actually did publish publicly a chart of what we were asking for. And hundreds of productions have been working under an interim agreement with
the wish list of everything that we were negotiating for. So we're all going to have to take all of that into consideration and make sure we're
comfortable with what we've gotten.
SOARES: And that's your response as part of being on the board.
What about as an actor, how are you feeling, how excited are you about shows being back, how soon they can come back, going back to work?
SHARMA: Oh, I can't be anything but grateful that our members will be able to start auditioning for work, going back to work if they're lucky to be on
a production. This affected our community a little differently than other communities, especially within the entertainment labor community.
A lot of, crew and writers and directors, they have jobs potentially to go back to but a lot of our members are going back to auditioning for work but
they don't have guaranteed jobs awaiting them.
So I think we're all really grateful that our members will be able to get out there and pursue more types of work.
SOARES: John Sharma (ph), we really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us, thank you, John (ph).
SHARMA: Thank you.
SOARES: Footballer Luis Diaz has reason to celebrate off the pitch. His father's been released by Colombian rebels after nearly two weeks in
captivity. We will take you to Bogota, next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:35:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES (voice-over): Hello, I'm Isa Soares, there is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in a moment, when we'll be in Colombia, where the father of soccer
star, Luis Diaz, has just been released by his captors.
And the Vatican is loosening its rules for gay and transgender people. We'll tell you exactly what's changing.
Before that, the headlines this hour.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES (voice-over): French president, Emmanuel Macron, says his country will boost humanitarian aid to Gaza, by more than $85 million. The
announcement comes as France hosted an international humanitarian conference for Gaza in Paris.
Macron called on all countries present to increase their aid donations as well.
Spain's acting prime minister is edging closer to securing another term in office. Pedro Sanchez's party won the support of Catalan separatists on
Thursday, doing so by offering a controversial amnesty for those who were prosecuted for their roles in the failed push for regional independence if
you remember six years ago.
It's being seeing thousands take to the streets since then as you can remember.
An Australian woman has officially broken a world surfing record. In January Laura Nevah (ph) faced a 43.6 foot wave in Hawaii, setting the
record for largest wave ever paddled into by a woman. As of Wednesday, her feat was certified by the Guinness World Records and the World Surf League
(ph). Congratulations to her.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES: And returning to our breaking news, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad says it's preparing to release two Israeli hostages on humanitarian
grounds. One, a 77 year old woman, the other a 13 year old boy. We don't know yet when or how the release might take place. Nic Robertson is in
Sderot with the latest.
Nic, what more can you tell us?
This is Palestinian Islamic Jihad holding on to hostages, what more can you tell us?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It will be, if they do release these two the first time, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have
released hostages. The four that have previously been released, a mother and daughter and two elderly ladies about a week later were released by
Hamas.
CNN's not releasing the names of these two, the 77 year old woman and a 13 year old boy, or releasing the video that has been released by Palestinian
Islamic Jihad. That is in deference to the wishes of their families.
The spokesperson for the IDF says that they have never missed an opportunity and will not miss an opportunity to have people released if
that is possible. That statement doesn't lead us too far but it indicates that something is in the works here.
The IDF and Israeli government have been resisting a drip by drip release by Hamas, by Palestinian Islamic Jihad of hostages that they hold. It's not
clear how many are held by Hamas and how many are held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The commander of the military wing, the Al Quds brigade, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Abdul Hamzah, said that one of them was
being released for humanitarian reasons and the other is being released for medical reasons.
These are really all the details that we have at the moment about their condition, about how any release may take place, about what are the terms
of the release. Just not clear at the moment but it's an indication that perhaps a thaw in the release of some hostages is approaching. But really
not clear at all.
SOARES: Put more context on this. You and I were talking in the last hour and we've heard from the White House, from Israel about more pauses. We've
also know that Israel U.S. intelligence head had met with Qatari officials regarding hostages. Talk to the timing of all these announcements that we
see today.
ROBERTSON: Yes, we had senior Hamas politicians that have been immediate and met with the head of Egypt's intelligence services as well. He wouldn't
be expected, the head of the Egyptian intelligence service, to be there in Doha as well, certainly speaking to his counterparts there and be a point
of reference when it comes to hostage negotiations.
So it does seem and feel as if things are in the air. I think if you go back a few days, contacts we've been talking to here were saying, look.
[15:40:00]
Very little happened on the hostage front but they're always looking to later this week that things might circle back and the situation may change.
But if we go back to when for example the first two hostages were released, mother and daughter, it was really significant at that time. It was before
the incursion but it was significant at that time that the aerial bombardment, artillery bombardments on Gaza ceased for almost a couple of
days. It was very quiet.
That isn't the case right now, that Israel has given these humanitarian corridors and has agreed to some sort of tactical pauses, not what Hamas or
Palestinian Islamic Jihad want but it's a partial recognition of the difficult plight of the civilians in Gaza.
There's another explosion going on there; the war continues. But I think the mood music, the tempo of where conversations behind the scenes have
been, perhaps we're getting to a moment that things can move along.
SOARES: Important context, Nic, thank you very much, Nic Robertson with the very latest.
Let's take you to Colombia where the father of footballer Luis Diaz has been freed in Colombia. You can see him here in a brown jacket accompanied
by U.N. officials after his release by a guerrilla group.
He was kidnapped in northern Colombia nearly two weeks ago. His son, who plays for Liverpool FC, has been pleading for his father's release after
scoring. On Sunday he revealed a T-shirt under his jersey that said, "Freedom for Papa."
Liverpool FC posted this message on X, welcoming the safe return of Diaz Sr. and thanking everyone who helped achieve it. Stefano Pozzebon has been
across the story for us, he joins us from Colombia.
Stefano, what more do we know about this release?
How did it come about?
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we know that Luis Diaz Sr. -- as usual here in Colombia, father and son share the surname, so I'm going
to refer to the father as Luis Diaz sr., was handed over to a mixed commission by the Catholic Church, from the Catholic Church and the United
Nations by the ELN, one of the oldest and most active guerrilla groups still active here in Colombia.
He was received by the bishop of Sriracha (ph), which is the Catholic dioceses where the hometown of Luis Diaz is located, Barrancas. And a few
hours ago and just a couple of hours ago he was allowed to return to his family. We'll show you some of the images of him finally reunited with the
family.
It was welcome news here, Isa, not just for the family of Luis Diaz but for the entire nation, all of Colombia. It's hard to think of a more popular
figure right now in the country that the most representative and most popular football player that plays for such a renowned club as Liverpool.
However, this is perhaps a red herring. It shows how brazen the auction of the ELN, this guerrilla group, has been in kidnapping the father of one of
Colombia's most well-known figures.
And it shows how hard it is for the Colombian government and for everyone in this country to really try and start a conversation about pacification.
We had a historic peace deal seven years ago between the Colombian government and the left wing. The ELN was not involved. They weren't part
of the deal. And they remain active.
And just this month in relation with the kidnapping of Luis Diaz Sr., they realized and said it was a mistake to kidnap such a renowned and popular
figure. But they defended their tactic of ransom kidnapping to defend their struggle and it shows you how distant Colombia is from the real peace
across the country.
SOARES: That is important context, relief, of course but political pressure on Gustavo Petro. Stefano Pozzebon, great to see you, Stefano.
Coming, up the race to save a bird on the brink of extinction with only five of the species believed to be left in the wild. That is next.
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SOARES: Experts believe our planet is in the middle of a sixth mass extinction event. Thousands of species are disappearing every year. Today
on Call to Earth, we head to Hawaii, where the race is on to save a native forest bird from a formidable foe that has devastated the population.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): High up on a plateau in the middle of the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, a team of researchers carefully transport
some extremely precious cargo.
They spent three days in this remote and rain-soaked expanse of jungle looking for something very specific and very small. The egg of one of the
world's most critically-endangered species, a Hawaiian honeycreeper known as the akikiki, found nowhere else on earth but here.
JUSTIN HITE, FIELD SUPERVISOR, KAUA'I FOREST BIRD RECOVERY PROJECT: We are going to be just trying to collect them and bring them in to a captive
flock. Just because the assumption is that all of these birds are about to go extinct.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to the Hawaiian Department of Land and Natural Resources, there are only five of the species left in the wild.
HANNAH BAILEY, WILDLIFE CARE MANAGER, KEAUHOU BIRD CONSERVATION CENTER: The current state of akikiki is pretty bad right now. We do have about 50
akikiki in human care at our two centers in Hawaii. And we do know that this past breeding season, there were no surviving chicks in the wild.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hannah Bailey manages the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on the island of Hawaii. The center serves as a Noah's ark of sorts
for the akikiki.
BAILEY: Our mission is to provide safe haven populations of the species that are in peril so that when the environment is ripe for them to survive
long term, we will be able to re-release them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hannah says the current state of all of Hawaii's forest birds is dire, due in part to the usual culprits like habitat loss
but a newer and more deadly menace has emerged.
BAILEY: The biggest threat right now to Hawaii's endangered birds is mosquitoes because they carry avian malaria, which the birds have no
resistance to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to the American Bird Conservatory, climate change has enabled nominative mosquitoes to find their way to Kauai's
highest elevations, the akikiki's last refuge in the wild.
BAILEY: This is a portable brooder box that we can also use to incubate eggs. And it helps us transfer eggs from one location to another that have
been incubated safely so that they will continue to grow and develop.
We need to have landscape level solutions to the mosquito problems. And in doing this the state and many other partners have worked with people that
have studied malaria around the world.
And so they are researching different solutions in malaria control --
[15:50:00]
BAILEY: -- specifically ones that impact the mosquitoes without impacting the remainder of the environment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the meantime, keeping the birds in centers like this one where enclosures are designed to mimic their natural habitat but
protected from mosquitoes.
And where human interaction is strictly limited to discourage imprinting, a process where animals lose their natural behavior, these may very well be
an entire species' last chance at survival.
BAILEY: So KBCC, along with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working really hard especially this last spring in saving the remaining
akikiki in the wild.
Our next step for this population is continuing to grow the population so that they have strong genetic diversity and a strong population to go back
to their native habitat.
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SOARES: And let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the #calltoearth. We'll take a short break and be back after this.
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SOARES: The Vatican says in some cases transgender people and children of same-sex couples may be baptized. This was published on Wednesday. While
it's a step toward inclusivity, the change comes with stipulations. Barbie Nadeau is in Rome with the very latest.
Barbie, on paper it looks pretty good but there are plenty of exceptions. Talk us through this.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there are a lot of exceptions to this. The way this was announced, it was uploaded this document on the
Vatican website late Wednesday night with no fanfare, no announcement, no context.
So people are trying to figure out exactly what it means. But in looking at the document, one of the most important aspects is that it says it's up to
pastoral prudence.
Which means that priests all over the world -- because this isn't just in Europe, United States or Italy, it's also in places like Uganda, where
priests would have to be making these decisions.
It's going to be up to the priest on an individual basis. We took a closer look to try to dissect exactly what this means.
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NADEAU (voice-over): The Vatican has announced a crucial change in rules for LGBTQ Catholics. Transgender people and babies born to same-sex couples
can now be baptized in the Catholic Church in some cases, as long as they continue their religious education and do not cause, quote, "scandal or
disorientation to others."
[15:55:00]
NADEAU (voice-over): The change is a 180 degree turn from previous rulings, in which the Vatican often seemed to slam the door to the LGBTQ
community.
Pope Francis spoke positively on LGBTQ issues in the past, saying the church is open to everyone, including members of the gay community. He also
said criminalizing homosexuality is an injustice.
POPE FRANCIS, PONTIFF, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): This is not right. Persons with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God
loves them, God accompanies them. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.
NADEAU (voice-over): The new rules are welcomed by Catholics in the LGBTQ community but they offer conservatives in the church another point of
contention.
Before the new baptism decision was announced, conservatives led by U.S. cardinal Raymond Burke, warned that too many changes can lead to confusion.
The new rule still mean homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of the church. But they do offer an opportunity for inclusion in an ancient institution
that often seems slow to change.
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NADEAU: When you look at just the complicated aspect of trying to make something like this new ruling and try to enforce it and open up the church
as it is, what's really important to look at, in 2015 the same pope was presented with the same list of questions he responded to.
In that instance, almost 10 years ago, he said no to every one of them but right now he has a change. A lot of people looking for this archaic
institution to modernize are going to take that as a good sign.
SOARES: We shall see how much pastoral prudence is out there, Barbie Nadeau, good to see you, thank you very much.
And there are just moments left to trade on Wall Street. We'll have the final numbers but of course, as well as the closing bell after this.
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SOARES: And comments today by the Fed chair helped send the markets lower. If we look at the big board, the Dow is down more than 0.5 percent, 232
points. Jerome Powell said in a speech, that the Fed is not confident if has done enough to lower inflation.
If we have a look at the Dow components, meanwhile, Disney shares, you can see right there on the screen, up almost 7 percent. It peaked on earnings
last night and now has a labor agreement.
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