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Quest Means Business
Trump: Palestinians Have No Alternative But To Leave Gaza; China Hits US With Broad Set Of Economic Measures; Multiple People Killed In Central Sweden School Shooting; Touring Prison At Center Of El Salvador's Offer; Thousands Flee Santorini As Quakes Rattle Greek Island; Toddler Evacuated From Gaza For Urgent Medical Care. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired February 04, 2025 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: That is not certainly what would be expected here. So a lot more to factcheck, but we are here at the end of our hour.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes, and also he said those Chinese retaliatory tariffs are fine. We will dig into that on "The Lead" with Jake Tapper,
which starts right now.
[16:00:26]
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: And thanks for joining us here. I'm Erica Hill at the top of the hour, in for Richard Quest. And we do begin with breaking news
at this hour.
We are waiting any moment for Donald Trump to welcome the Israeli prime minister to the White House. It is, of course, the first foreign leader --
this will be the first foreign leader to visit Donald Trump since his return to Washington. You're looking at live pictures there of the White
House.
A source telling CNN, this will be an "epic meeting." The two are expected to appear in lockstep publicly. Privately, however, the source says, they
do face major differences over the future phases of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are set to hold a news conference as well in just over an hour.
Jim Sciutto, joining me now with a little bit more on that. So as we wait, of course, for the prime minister to arrive there as we wait for that
meeting to begin, we also just finished moments ago, hearing from President Trump as he signed yet another slew of executive orders, took questions in
the Oval Office.
And among the things that he was focused on, very clearly, he was talking again about Gaza, what should happen now in this next phase and what
happens to the Palestinians, who, of course, call Gaza home -- Jim.
JIM SCIUTTO CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We should not omit this moment because the US president has said, and I am going to
quote him directly, because it is important to hear these words, that he believes the Palestinian people should be moved out of Gaza. He said, "I'd
like to see Jordan and Egypt take some." He is speaking of the Palestinian people. "The Gaza thing hasn't worked, it has never worked."
When he was pressed on whether this would be a forced migration of the Palestinian people from Gaza, he said, "I think if they had an option of
moving, they would be thrilled. If they had an option of moving to an area either a large group or various smaller groups, and take care of close to
two million people, I would think they would be thrilled."
It is not the first time he has said that, Erica, and that's a US president. Whether he follows through on it is another question, but that's
a US president endorsing moving the people of Gaza who have lived in Gaza for generations out of the country.
We should also note that foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan have quite publicly refused to take the Palestinian people, in part because, of
course, the Palestinian people have expressed no interest in being moved out of the land that they live on.
But it is quite a public statement from the president, again, reiterating that position right before he meets the Israeli prime minister.
HILL: It really is, and to your point, not only Egypt and Jordan rejecting that idea in their own countries, but we should point out, too, the leaders
of other countries in the region -- Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar; the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League, also, all rejecting those calls by
Donald Trump.
He also talked about the fact that he didn't believe it would be habitable, frankly, for a number of years. It would take too long to rebuild, but he
wants people to buy into the rebuilding.
SCIUTTO: Yes. He does.
I mean, listen, he has said, and he is right, if you look at -- and CNN has aired drone footage of Gaza that shows just utter devastation. It is
evocative of pictures of Dresden in World War Two after Allied bombing there, but it has been leveled and so any discussion of peace going
forward, in fact this is part of the multiphase agreement between Israel and Hamas that at some point there will be rebuilding in Gaza.
The difference, of course, is that Trump is saying here, not only does it need rebuilding, but the Palestinian people would be happier living
elsewhere, which is not something that the Palestinian people of Gaza have said publicly by any means.
And to have the president endorse that idea and try to sell that idea, in effect, as necessary is quite a statement as we look at the live pictures
there of the White House.
HILL: Yes, it certainly is. And of course, we cannot ignore that timing as we do wait for Benjamin Netanyahu to arrive there.
He also was speaking about Iran earlier.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
HILL: Talking about restoring, in his words, "maximum pressure," a maximum pressure campaign on Iran. What exactly will change based on what we heard
from President Trump a short time ago?
SCIUTTO: It is interesting. He said definitively, they can't have a nuclear weapon, speaking about Iran, that he would not tolerate that. And he went
on to say, these are his words, "that many people at the top ranks in Iran don't want to have a nuclear weapon either." It seems that he might be
referencing an assessment, perhaps a US Intelligence assessment, that the Iranian leadership either has not made that decision yet, or that there is
disagreement at the top of the Iranian leadership.
He was asked if Iran or forces in Iran were to attempt -- make an attempt again on his life, of course, CNN has reported intelligence that there was
a plot to do that. He said his response would be, "total obliteration of Iran" if they were to make such an attempt.
He did go on to say, though, that he believes he might be able to make a deal with Iran, and this is something he has spoken about publicly before,
in effect, negotiating Iran off a nuclear weapon.
Of course, we should remember that that that was the -- those were the circumstances of the deal negotiated under President Obama, the JCPOA, as
it is known, which went in his first term, Donald Trump pulled the US out of that deal, saying that it was not favorable enough, in his view.
[16:06:54]
But he has at least spoken publicly about the possibility of negotiation as a path forward with Iran to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
HILL: It will be interesting to see what that negotiating path would look like.
Jim, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Thank you.
HILL: Of course, these two leaders set to meet at the White House just moments from now, have more to discuss than just the next phase of the
ceasefire for Gaza. The future of a potential Palestinian state is very much uncertain for some of the reasons, which, of course, Jim just raised,
that we heard from President Trump in the Oval Office.
You look at these pictures and it gives you just a small sense of the scope of the destruction. Much of Gaza has been destroyed. The West Bank has also
seen significant violence in recent days. All residents of the West Bank Jenin Refugee Camp have now left, according to the UN's Palestinian aid
agency. Five people were reported killed in Israeli strikes in the city over the weekend.
President Trump may also push, we are learning for further normalization ties between Israel and Arab neighbors, as he did with the Abraham Accords
in his first term.
The Israeli prime minister may view Trump's presidency, as well as a chance to take decisive military action against Iran. A lot to discuss here with
Khaled Elgindy, who is the author of "Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians from Balfour to Trump," and he joins me now.
Khaled, it is great to have you with us.
I want to pick up on really where we left off with Jim when we talk about these comments from President Trump looking at the future of Gaza, the
future for Palestinians in Gaza. He said in his words, "it has never worked." Basically putting out this call for a forced migration that
Palestinians should leave Gaza altogether.
As we know, not just Egypt and Jordan, but a number of leaders have said this does not make any sense. How is this going to impact these
negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire deal?
KHALED ELGINDY, AUTHOR, "BLIND SPOT": Yes. I mean, the ceasefire deal has its own set of challenges, including the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu
doesn't seem terribly committed to seeing through phase two of the cease fire.
He is still talking about total annihilation of Hamas and total victory, which has thus far proven totally elusive.
So it doesn't bode well, I think for the ceasefire talks, but it is also on its face absurd. It is illegal. It is immoral. You're talking about
uprooting an entire people from their homeland. It is not something that people should be casually discussing as a viable option.
It would deeply -- the only way Palestinians would go is if they were forced out and it would deeply destabilize the region for generations. And
its frankly shocking the president of the United States would demand that the two countries that have a Peace Treaties with Israel, Egypt and Jordan,
to be -- to put them in a position where they would be in a permanent state of instability is reckless. I mean, there isn't another word for that.
If you wanted to undermine those Peace Treaties between Egypt and Jordan, this is what you would do. In addition to undermining those very regimes.
HILL: Do you think that is part of the plan to undermine some of those agreements?
ELGINDY: I don't think so. I think President Trump is talking about the opposite of expanding the circle of normalization in the Arab World with
Israel. He is very enthusiastic about bringing Saudi Arabia and Israel into a normalization deal that he would like to broker.
So he really, I think, it sort of betrays a real deep, fundamental misreading of the region, as well as a total lack of regard for Palestinian
lives and well-being.
It is not something that I think any Arab state would accept. It is not something Palestinians would accept, and so it is totally incompatible with
his vision of normalizing of having Israel more accepted in the region, it would do exactly the opposite.
HILL: And to that point, and that's sort of why I asked you the question, but to that point, right, it goes against all of that. And yet, this is
what we are seeing a push for.
Where do you think that fundamental misunderstanding comes on the part of President Trump? Is it simply that he is not surrounding himself with
enough people who can sort of give him a better sense of the literal lay of the land?
[16:10:39]
ELGINDY: Yes, I mean, I don't know that competency is a major priority in terms of Trump's foreign policy appointments from what we've seen. And,
frankly, many of his appointments in general. He is much more interested in things like personal loyalty and, you know, paying -- you know, political
payback for major constituencies that helped elect him.
And one of those constituencies is Evangelical Christians who don't particularly care for Palestinian rights; who see Palestinians as being in
the way of some, you know, divinely ordained Biblical Israel and its mission in the world, and that's partly who Trump listens to.
But the specific plan for uprooting the Palestinian population of Gaza, this is an Israeli plan. This is an Israeli vision, and it is the
extremists in Netanyahu's Cabinet who have been clamoring for this for really since the Gaza War began.
And so, if he is listening to those voices, the extremist voices in Israel, then that I think is very telling.
HILL: It will be interesting too, to see not only what the conversation, of course, is for this meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but you have
King Abdullah of Jordan, who is also set to visit the White House next week. A far different message, one would imagine, perhaps we could discuss
that next week as well.
Khaled, appreciate it. Thank you.
ELGINDY: Sure. Thank you.
HILL: Donald Trump's 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods has Beijing now firing back with their own tariffs on certain US products. The impact,
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:15:01]
HILL: The US and China firing their opening salvos at a potential trade war. Donald Trump making good on his pledge to put a 10 percent tariff on
Chinese imports, prompting a swift response from Beijing implementing tariffs and measures of its own.
Mr. Trump says he plans to speak soon with China's President Xi Jinping, while also threatening to raise the stakes unless Beijing works with the US
on trade and other issues.
China's retaliatory tariffs target specific industries here, so let's take a look at what those are. As you can see there, taking a look specifically
at US energy, coal, liquid natural gas, crude oil as well and also looking at farming equipment and some cars. China also placing new export controls
on dozens of metal products and related technologies.
Beijing opened a monopoly investigation as well into Google, perhaps for good measure. The company, though of course only has a small footprint
there.
Marc Stewart joins me now from Beijing.
So, Marc, as we look at all of this, very interesting the targets that we are seeing.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and I think one thing which is noteworthy, Erica, are the products which are not on the list, including
pharmaceuticals, including high end chips.
I was talking with a colleague earlier about the fact that soy products are not on that list. Soy is important to China because of its all-important
pork industry for consumption and for byproducts.
So it is in many ways a symbolic move by China to let the world know, but also to let Chinese citizens know that it has some strength in that it is
fighting back.
You mentioned all of these different fuel sources. Yes, that is significant. But if you look at where China gets energy products, it comes
from many other parts of the world, Russia, the Middle East, at a much larger capacity than from the US. So again, another symbolic move in these
tariffs.
Something else that caught our attention, American pickup trucks. As someone who lives here in China, I can tell you that pickup trucks are not
a very popular item among Chinese consumers.
It is interesting, some of the businesses that have been targeted, including PVH, it is the parent company to Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
China has put it on a special list, which in the most simple of terms says this company is not following the business rules here in China and China,
if it wants to, can make life very difficult for this company, by not issuing work visas, by standing in the way of its investments, imports and
exports. That is something that has a little bit more teeth.
As far as though as far as what is next in this bigger back and forth between these two nations, as you mentioned, a phone call that we are
expecting to take place between Chinese President Xi Jinping President Trump.
It is just after 5:00 in the morning now, it is possible it is something that we could see in the next two hours, as it will be more reasonable
hours with this 13-hour time difference between China and Washington, DC.
Despite, though, a lot of this fiery language, a lot of this back and forth, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have had in most recent terms, a pretty
amicable relationship. They talked two weeks ago after the TikTok decision and the messaging that we are getting from Beijing, it seems to be very
positive.
Talking about win-win cooperation and beneficial relationships between these two nations. But again, trade is a very heavy issue.
Erica, when the two leaders last spoke, China talked about a fresh start, a new start. We will have to see just how well that is received and that may
be very clear in the hours ahead -- Erica.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. We will be watching for more news of that.
Marc, good to see you, as always. Thank you.
Well, when it comes to tariffs, studies show that those who can least afford to spend more generally feel those tariffs the most. The Peterson
Institute looked at the potential effects of tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. It estimates the bottom fifth of earners would lose nearly three
percent of their income. And as you see there, that is nearly twice as much as the top fifth.
The top one percent, they would hardly feel a thing. That's because households with less income tend to spend more of their money on essential
items.
Ernie Tedeschi is the Director of Economics at the Yale Budget Lab, and was also an economist in the Biden White House and joins us now.
Good to see you. Good to have you.
As we look at where things stand, this, as Marc laid out, interesting, some of the focus of the tariffs that we are seeing when it comes to China. Do
these moves change or achieve anything at this point for President Trump?
ERNIE TEDESCHI, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMICS, YALE BUDGET LAB: You know, I think, that as he said, these are largely symbolic retaliatory tariffs from China,
probably means that they are waiting to see if they can come to a deal because Canada and Mexico were able to remove the tariffs on them with
relatively few concessions on their part.
[16:20:10]
In fact, both countries were able to remove those tariffs by basically reiterating things that they had already promised.
You know, I think that the details will be if China and the United States don't come to a deal and if China has to come back with retaliatory tariffs
that hit even harder than these that they have already announced.
HILL: When we are looking at, as you note, much of what was announced by Mexico and Canada was really already out there. "The Wall Street Journal"
noting Trump blinks and went on to write that, this is not some genius power play as Trump media chorus is boasting.
So what is the impact, then, on Donald Trump's bargaining power, on the United States' bargaining power when we see how this is playing out,
specifically, when we look at Mexico and Canada?
Yes, it is a pause, but just given the concessions here, what does it do to the bargaining power?
TEDESCHI: It is unclear. I mean, I think so far it makes it seem like countries don't have to concede much, which is both good and bad. You know,
it means that we can avoid a lot of trade uncertainty and market disruption. If it means that we can get out of these trade wars without,
you know, substantial concessions on the part of other countries, but it also means that were not getting much in return for the market disruption
that there is.
You know, it is really not clear what President Trump has achieved with these negotiations so far. The China tariffs that went into effect today,
you know, are going to cost Americans, you know, the average American household, $225.00 a year. That's not nearly as big as the tariffs would
have been if the ones on Canada and Mexico had also gone into effect, but that's still substantial.
And as you said at the beginning of the segment, tariffs pinch families at the bottom and the middle class more than they pinch families at the top.
So they are not, you know, tariffs are not an equal tax.
HILL: I do also want to get your take on not just on tariffs, but what we are looking at and what we are hearing from the president in terms of his
plan, or I should say Elon Musk's plan in many cases, to really dismantle the federal government, a number of agencies.
If they are successful in both shutting down large swaths of the government and also forcing out a number of government employees, how concerned are
you about that impact on the economy in terms of people who will be without jobs?
TEDESCHI: There are large parts of the economy that are dependent on federal grants. You know, we often don't see the number of businesses that
survive on federal contracts until those contracts dry up.
So even pausing federal contracts, you know, to ostensibly do a review of efficiency can cause major disruptions in the American economy. Putting
aside the question of whether it is legal to do that or not, because, of course, federal grants have been authorized by Congress. Congress has given
its blessing for that money to go out in the first place.
So, you know, it raises all sorts of economic and legal questions to do that.
HILL: Yes, it certainly does.
A number of threads we will be following in the coming days, weeks, months. Really appreciate your insight. Thanks, Ernie.
TEDESCHI: Thanks for having me, Erica.
HILL: Turning now to what is being described as Sweden's worst mass shooting in history. It happened in an adult education school in the city
of Orebro, that's west of the capital, Stockholm.
Authorities say multiple people are dead, including the suspected gunman. Investigators are still trying to determine at this point a motive. Here is
Melissa Bell with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some new details are emerging after the dreadful shooting that took place just after midday in
the town of Orebro in Western Sweden, where a gunman went on the rampage, at what we understand was an adult learning center, but a campus, where
there are schools for children as well.
Police are saying that multiple people died in the attack and it was to a shocked nation in a country that so rarely sees school shootings or mass
killings, that the Swedish prime minister spoke.
ULF KRISTERSSON, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have today seen brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people. This is
the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.
BELL: Police say that the death toll could continue to rise, given that there are still several wounded people in hospital. They've also said that
they're trying to figure out what this man's motive may have been.
They say the perpetrator was a man and that they believed he was killed during that shootout itself. The question of why he acted the way he did
now, at the center of the investigations that are ongoing.
[16:25:02]
What police have said about him, though, is that he was not known to police services, nor do they think that there was a terror motive behind this
attack, the worst in Sweden's history.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Melissa Bell with the latest for us there.
I want to take you, just moments ago, President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting. Let's take a quick look.
They will, of course, be in their meeting. We are also expecting a press conference from the two leaders a little over an hour from now, probably
just about an hour from now. So we will be bringing that to you as well.
But again, this is the first, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of course, is the first foreign leader to visit Donald Trump since his return to the
White House. A consequential meeting, obviously, as now, this second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, those negotiations are underway.
We will be monitoring for more developments out of the White House and we will continue to bring you those as we learn more.
Stay with us. Much more to come after a quick break here. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Marco Rubio is describing El Salvador's offer to imprison US convicts and deportees as an "extraordinary act of friendship." The country's
president said on X that the US could in fact, outsource part of its prison system by paying a fee to El Salvador. El Salvador's mega prison, known as
the Terrorism Confinement Center, can hold up to 40,000 inmates.
Recently, my colleague, David Culver got an inside look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR US NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All right, we are going to go in here.
CULVER (voice over): Even as I am stepping through these doors --
(DAVID CULVER speaking in foreign language.)
CULVER (voice over): I don't fully grasp what we are about to walk into.
Suddenly, you're hit with the intense gaze of dozens locking on to you. These men, described as the worst of the worst, tattooed with reminders of
El Salvador's dark past. It is tense and uncomfortable.
But here, officials say, comfort isn't meant to exist.
[16:30:19]
There's no mattresses, there's no sheets. You've got a toilet over here for them to go to the bathroom. You've got this basin here that they use to
bathe themselves. And then you can see there there's a barrel of water that they can drink from.
(Voice-over): This is a rare look inside El Salvador's terrorism confinement center, known as CECOT.
And he says there's always somebody standing here in front of the cells. And then if you look up, there's another corridor with more security
personnel. 24/7 light.
(Voice-over): The prison sits like an isolated fortress nestled in mountainous terrain, about an hour and a half drive from the capital. Even
with government officials on board with us, we're stopped a mile out.
OK, he's going to inspect bags now, too. OK, we're clear to get back in.
(Voice-over): Only to hit another checkpoint. Approaching the main gate our cell signals vanished.
They want to do a full search on us before we enter.
(Voice-over): Once cleared, we tour the vast campus.
It's been equated to seven football stadiums. But it's almost multiple prisons within the prison. You can see off to the distance there's three
different rings as they describe. At the far end you have one that's nine meters high of concrete. And then above that three meters of electrified
fencing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 15,000 volts.
CULVER: 15,000 volts.
(Voice-over): More than a thousand security personnel, guards, police and military are stationed on site.
David Culver, CNN, El Salvador.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks again to David Culver for that reporting. Meantime, as we're also looking at what is happening when it comes to a lot of the
movement that we've seen in terms of immigration in the United States, sources are now telling CNN that a U.S. Military flight is, in fact, taking
migrants to Guantanamo Bay. That, of course, on the island of Cuba.
President Trump, you may recall, had ordered that the U.S. naval base there prepare for tens of thousands of migrants. Crews have been sent to the base
to build tents, we've learned. But there are questions about just how long the migrants can actually be held there in addition to the rights that they
have. Those questions still largely unanswered at this point.
My colleague Priscilla Alvarez joining me now from Washington.
So, so many questions about how this would work, of course, and how long it could work for when it comes to Guantanamo Bay. What more do we know about
these initial flights?
I don't think Priscilla can hear me. Unfortunately, we are -- we're having a few issues with communications at this point, unfortunately. So
unfortunately, we're not able to get to Priscilla right now. But a lot of questions there that we'll, of course, continue to look into.
Meantime, we have talked about how many people are fleeing in Greece because of the earthquakes that we've seen in Santorini, that hotspot, of
course, which has become known in some ways as Instagram Island. Well, thousands of residents are now fleeing. There are concerns that the seismic
activity there could, in fact, continue for quite some time.
Elinda Labropoulo reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELINDA LABROPOULO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tourists who came looking for respite now rushing to escape dreamlike Santorini as
the Greek island trembles with seismic activity.
Hundreds of earthquakes have struck the waters near the island since Friday. Some are hardly noticeable. Others have reached magnitudes of over
five, giving visitors and locals alike enough reason to flee.
TZANIS LIGNOS, SANTORINI RESIDENT (through translator): No one could sleep last night. Not my wife, my son only a bit. There was a lot of noise. It
was surely a 4.9 quake. And in the house it was really loud. We went running outside. That's why we cannot stay here any longer.
LABROPOULO: More than 6,000 residents have already left Santorini, while schools remain closed until at least Friday, and authorities warn residents
to avoid indoor gatherings. These measures as airlines offer extra flights out of the island and people flock to the ports. But as the island empties,
its tremors persist.
BENI OUKLALA, SEASONAL WORKER (through translator): We're going to leave because I'm afraid. There are constantly earthquakes. We have to leave for
the kids so the kids can calm down.
LABROPOULO: Santorini is no stranger to earthquakes, but near constant seismic phenomena like this are rare. Even so, as thousands rushed to the
mainland, others feel less inclined.
[16:35:03]
EFTICHIS DIAMANTOPOULOS, TOURIST BOAT CAPTAIN (through translator): I mean, we will stay here. Why should we leave? If something happens it happens.
Oh, well, we are locals. We were born here.
LABROPOULO: Scientists say the seismic activity could last for days, if not weeks, threatening landslides and the possibility of a larger quake. And so
an island whose geography and beauty is known to draw visitors in for now steers them away.
Elinda Labropoulo, CNN, Athens.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Well, doctors had given her just days to live. In fact, her little heart even stopped beating twice before she was able to be resuscitated. A
little girl, though, in Gaza, though, we can tell you has now been evacuated to Jordan for life-saving medical care.
It is a powerful story, but I do want to warn you, a number of these images are disturbing. Here's Jomana Karadsheh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rana's preparing her baby girl for the big day. Habiba is finally leaving Gaza for life-saving
treatment. This is what the wait has done to the 2-year-old. The black and shriveled skin you see is gangrene that has worsened dramatically in a
matter of days.
We followed Habiba's fight for her life for weeks. After our CNN report, Jordan heard her cries for help and decided to evacuate her for treatment
for a suspected rare genetic condition. But it took nearly two weeks, time Habiba doesn't have, to make it happen. The negotiations with Israel
described as difficult by Jordanian officials.
Israeli authorities did not respond to CNN's repeated requests for comment on the delay in Habiba's evacuation.
Over the past week, as her mother helplessly watched Habiba teeter between life and death in intensive care, Rana had to also go through a roller
coaster of emotions. As they prepared to leave for an evacuation that was later cancelled, Rana got crushing news. Israel would not let her leave
Gaza with Habiba, forcing this mother to make an impossible choice, to let go of Habiba, to save her life.
Dear Lord, if this is your will, I'll accept it, she prayed.
But it was just too much to accept. Rana has to stay strong. She's Habiba's everything. On Monday, they woke up to good news, Jordan had secured
approval for Rana to travel with Habiba, but this time, just as they got ready to go, they were told her son no longer had Israeli permission to
leave.
You're a big boy, I know how hard this is for you, Rana says. God will take care of you better than I ever will.
No one can make Habiba smile and forget her pain like her only brother, Soheib. He even brings out her cheeky side.
I'm going to go and leave you, Habiba says. But the thought of being left all alone is just terrifying for the 11-year-old.
I don't know what I'll do without them. Where do I go now, Soheib cries.
It's time to go, the ambulance is here. Soheib puts on a brave face for their goodbyes. But soon after they head out, another twist, Soheib is
cleared to join them. Jordan tried to spare Habiba this harsh long journey by land, but Israel wouldn't approve a Jordanian airlift.
Across the border in Jordan, there's no time to waste. The military medevac chopper King Abdullah ordered is here for Habiba, ready for when she
crosses into Jordan. With nightfall, the moment they've been waiting for, medics move fast to get the toddler. Habiba peeks out quietly from under
her blanket, too young to understand what this is all about.
As they head to the chopper, she wants mama. They need to get her fast to the hospital, but they do it gently.
It's a quick trip to the hospital. The medical team is here and ready. They're going to be monitoring Habiba every second of this trip.
(Voice-over): Habiba is stable, but she's just arrived from an exhausting journey out of intensive care. For a shattered Rana, it's too early to feel
relief. As we get ready to take off, the team comforts Habiba.
It's the first time this family is flying, their first time seeing the world outside of besieged Gaza. Habiba's story is one out of thousands of
children who have become another faceless statistic of this war, trapped in Gaza and deprived of life-saving medical treatment.
[16:40:05]
On Monday, Israeli authorities said they approved Habiba's evacuation as a, quote, "exceptional humanitarian gesture."
As soon as she arrives at the hospital, medical staff begin what doctors in Gaza couldn't do, a full clinical diagnosis over the next 24 hours. Doctors
here hope they'll be able to save Habiba's right leg and her arms, but they also fear it may be too late. Her journey out of Gaza may be over, but
another difficult battle now begins for little Habiba.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Amman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks again to Jomana for that story.
Well, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are currently meeting at the White House. The two leaders also expected to hold a joint news conference
in just about 30 minutes or so. My colleague Jake Tapper will bring you that live in the next hour.
That is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for today. Up next, "CONNECTING AFRICA."
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[16:45:34]
(CONNECTING AFRICA)
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