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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
Palestinian Head To Northern Gaza; Trump Plans To Meet World Leaders Next Week In Egypt; Macron Reappoints Lecornu As PM; U.S. Sending 200 Troops To Israel; Trump's 100 Percent Tariff On China; Thousands Of Palestinian Head North; Russia Attacks Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure; 19 Dead Or Missing In Tennessee Blast. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 10, 2025 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington and you're watching
"The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, U.S. troops arrive in Israel to help monitor the Gaza ceasefire as thousands of Palestinians return to their homes or what's left
of them in northern Gaza. Before and after, 19 people dead or missing after a massive blast. You can see there the before and after at a military
explosives factory in Tennessee. President Trump says he is now hitting China with a 100 percent tariff, reigniting the global trade war. That
conversation, plenty more coming up.
First though to the Middle East, the first U.S. troops have started arriving in Israel as part of a plan to monitor the Gaza peace deal, that
according to U.S. official. Up to 200 U.S. service members are expected to help oversee the ceasefire plan and crucially to coordinate aid deliveries.
The first phase of that agreement between Israel and Hamas is now in effect. The Israeli military says its forces have pulled back from some
parts of Gaza as promised.
And take a look at this, thousands of Palestinians are now walking north, back towards their homes in Gaza City. All this along a coastal road. Hamas
is expected to release the last remaining Israeli hostages by noon Monday local time. That's the end of the 72-hour deadline. In exchange, Israel set
to free nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Israeli police are preparing for President Trump to visit Israel on Monday. Two members of the Trump administration say the president is also planning
to hold a summit in Egypt with leaders from Europe and the Arab world. Jeremy Diamond has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is no joy in this homecoming, only mounds of rubble to step over and sift through.
Israeli troops have withdrawn. A ceasefire is in place, but at 70 years old, Majdi Al Hur (ph) has returned to find his Gaza City neighborhood in
ruins.
I want to sleep on the rubble, but I do not even have a blanket or a cover to sleep on, Al Hur (ph) says. I can't change my clothes. This is the only
set I have. I want to take a shower, but I can't. I want to go to the toilet, but I can't. Where should I go?
He is far from alone. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have begun to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Trekking along the same coastal
road, many took to flee advancing Israeli troops just weeks earlier.
Here, the mood is still upbeat, despite it all. I feel immense joy.
My heart is full of love, though also tired and weary, this man says.
Now, we will go to see our homes and we hope to find them still standing, Adel Abu Salama (ph) says, because almost everything around them is
destroyed and the children were killed. God willing, we will find other people safe and well.
This is the rude awakening that awaits many at the end of their long journey. The Tell al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City is one skeletal block
after the next. Khalil (ph) is still taking stock of the destruction after returning home to find everything destroyed.
What are we supposed to cry for? What are we supposed to look for? LoOK. these are our cars. These are our homes. These are our lives.
As one chapter closes, another only just beginning.
Jeremy Diamonds, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: So, much rebuilding to do there, including of lives. Well, four days after he abruptly quit, Sebastien Lecornu is back on the job as
France's prime minister. President Emmanuel Macron just reappointed him in something of a shock move, despite accepting Lecornu's resignation just on
Monday.
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Lecornu now must form a new government or try to, but the political division that spurred him to quit earlier certainly hasn't gone away. CNN's
Melissa Bell has more from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: France has a new prime minister. It is Sebastien Lecornu, the very man who resigned on
Monday morning after he'd appointed his government Sunday night. There had been a sort of rebellion within those ministers he'd named. By Monday
morning, he was resigning. The French president then urging him to stay on. He did so and it was negotiations on Friday where Emmanuel Macron gathered
together the leaders of all the main French political parties apart from the far-left and the far-right at the Elysee that seemed to have led to
some kind of consensus being reached.
It appears, and of course the urgency here is to get through the budget for 2026, that they seem to have agreed on the idea of a number of compromises.
For instance, changes to the pension reform to please the left, the idea that this government, once Sebastien Lecornu names it, will not be using
the controversial measure that had allowed previous governments under Emmanuel Macron to force through legislation in Parliament.
Will those compromises be enough? We'll find out next week. The urgency for Sebastien Lecornu when he, on Monday morning, tries to push this budget
through will be to get consensus on that, the need for a smaller budget for 2026.
Already, though, there are some voices from the leadership of some of France's political parties urging for his government to be toppled once
again. We'll see whether he manages that daunting task. But Sebastien Lecornu becomes the sixth prime minister to be nominated since the start of
President Macron's second term and for the second time, most unusually in French politics, but an indication of just how unstable this period has
been.
Initially, he was considered a very close ally of President Macron. That was one of the reasons a lot of people were put up by the idea of his
nomination the first time. Will the compromises work that the government is working on that President Macron has promised these parties? We'll find out
next week whether Parliament accepts and whether he's able to put together that government again with the very daunting task of pushing through a
budget for 2026 and in the next few days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: We'll return to Gaza now and take a moment to look at the devastating impact of more than two years of war in just breathtaking
before and after images. On the left, you can see Gaza City back in June 2022, a dense, urban area filled with buildings, that is, people's homes
and businesses and schools. On the right, today's satellite image reveals a very different scene. Many of those buildings simply erased.
Taking a closer look now, you can see the devastation from Israeli bombardment in greater detail. Entire neighborhoods, again, people's homes
and businesses and schools reduced to dust. And in one more new satellite image from southern Gaza, you can see long lines of people now waiting for
food and humanitarian aid, just a measure of the devastation and the need there.
Joining me now is Alex Plitsas, senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council. Alex, good to have you. As we look at this agreement here, it's a
tremendous step. You're going to have Israeli hostages going home. You're going to have many Palestinian prisoners released. And you're going to
have, crucially, people allowed to go back to their homes or at least what's left of them in Gaza. What is the likelihood that this phase one at
least holds?
ALEX PLITSAS, SENIOR NONRESIDENT FELLOW: So, I think, you know, the way you framed it is correct in terms of the phasing, because phase one is the most
important part to get the Israelis to a position where they're willing to at least cease fire, which we've gotten to after the government agreed to
this yesterday.
So, I think Hamas, at this point, is incentivized because they believe they have the support of the United States and President Trump in ensuring that
the conflict doesn't continue again, which is really what they were worried about in the first place, because the hostages were the only leverage that
they had after the atrocious acts committed on 10/7 to try to get the Israeli military to back off what they knew was going to be an overwhelming
response. So, they believe that they have that now.
But the second phase, which is where they're going to need to disarm as a group, is still in contention and hasn't been worked out at this point. So,
Israel is not going to allow or stand by to have an armed group like Hamas on its borders again after what happened on 10/7. The group has been
adamant to date, both with Republican and Democratic administrations, the Biden and Trump administration, about wanting to keep weapons and be part
of post-war security, which has been a non-starter.
So, we will get through. I believe we'll get through this first phase. I believe the hostages will be released. It'll be up to Hamas to determine
whether or not there will be a phase two and a permanent ceasefire.
SCIUTTO: There is this remarkable development of having U.S. forces, in Israel at least, not clear that they're going to be inside Gaza proper, but
to oversee this. And I imagine that's deliberate by President Trump to show his influence, in quite tangible form, on the ground there.
[10:10:00]
Do you see the pieces coming together for a security arrangement for Gaza? Because you have other Arab nations that are pledging to put forces there
as well.
PLITSAS: No, it's a great question. So, the U.S. is expected to commit 200 forces, with some having arrived already today. They're not going to be
stationed in Gaza. They won't be there. They'll be part of an international contingent. I believe it'll also include the Turkish forces, which is quite
remarkable, given some of the statements from Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli officials about the relationship with Turkey and others. But
all the parties seem to have come together to monitor this portion of the agreement and to ensure that it is executed in accordance with the
agreement.
But to your point, I don't think that those forces will necessarily be used for a post-war security agreement, but there are some nation states who
have said they'll contribute either police forces or military forces to do so.
The risk that we run, I think, in the long-term here is that the post-war governing institution, whatever that looks like, it was obviously proposed
that it would be Prime Minister Blair and some -- you know, former Prime Minister Blair from the U.K. and some combination of an international
contingent, which was kind of rejected by Hamas. They wanted a technocratic Palestinian-led government.
If that governing structure is rejected or the security force is rejected and Hamas decides to take up arms in response to that, that is the
definition of an insurgency. And we fought a very closely one in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, that's the long-term fear here.
SCIUTTO: OK. Alex, hold that thought because President Trump is taking questions on this issue right now. Let's have a listen. We'll come back.
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It is a beautiful thing. You know, it's a term that you and I have been hearing since we were very young, right? And
now, we have a chance of really having that. And as you know, most of the countries have passed all these resolutions. Every country is there. Iran
came in.
I was very happy to see that. I was very honored that Iran came in. They said they support it. Russia came in. President Putin, he supports it
fully, very fully. So, I was happy to see -- even countries that weren't necessarily involved in the process, they all support it.
I don't know of anybody that doesn't. And I've never seen happier people than many of these places, not just Israel. Many of these places, they're
all dancing in the streets. I've never seen anything like it. Go ahead, please, in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. What guarantees did you give Hamas to persuade them that Israel will restart the bombing campaign once the
hostages have been exchanged?
TRUMP: What did I do with respect to them? Well, you know, I spoke a little bit tough. And that's what would happen. I mean, you have to speak tough.
It's a -- that's a tough world. That's a tough, as they say, neighborhood. And they're tough people. They're very tough people. And they're smart
people. They're good negotiators. You know, they have a lot of things going. They put that to good use, they're going to be very, very
successful.
But they knew the retribution would be tremendous. Unsustainable. It would have been unsustainable. It would have been complete obliteration. And they
didn't want that. And nobody wants it at this point. They want to get on with, you know, rebuilding the entire Middle East. It's not only Gaza. It's
going to be the entire Middle East. They're going to be able to live in peace.
Now, we have some little hotspots, but they're very small. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're very small. They'll be very easy to put
out. Those fires are going to be put out very quickly. Yes, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President. Talking about the Middle East still. Going to the phases that come after this first phase, is there
a consensus on the additional points in your plan, or are the details still being fine-tuned?
TRUMP: I think there is consensus on most of it. And some of the details, like anything else, will be worked out because you'll find out that when
you're sitting in a beautiful room in Egypt, you know, it's easy to work something out. But then sometimes it doesn't work from a practical
standpoint. So, certain little things. But for the most part, there's consensus. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you intend to hash that out when you're in Egypt?
TRUMP: I might. Yes, I mean, I'll be there because I'll be going to -- I think we'll -- I'll go to Cairo. I think that's where we're going, as
opposed to the place of the signing. And we have a lot of leaders from all over the world coming, too. You know, they've been invited. And then I'm
coming back. I believe it's Tuesday night for Charlie Kirk, a friend of mine, a friend of all of ours, a friend of a lot of the people right here.
And we're giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor you get outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor. One's
military, one's civilian. But it's the greatest honor.
And Erik, his beautiful wife, is going to be here. And a lot of people are going to be here. So, you know, it's not easy for me to get back. It's a
very quick trip. But I'll be making two major stops, and then I'll be on the plane trying to get back in time for Charlie. I think I'm going to have
a great celebration at the White House, in the East Room of the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President.
TRUMP: Yes, go ahead.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Russell Vought said the reductions in force have begun related to this shutdown. How many layoffs have you authorized for this
first round? And from which agencies?
TRUMP: And it will be Democrat-oriented, because we figure, you know, they started this thing, so they should be Democrat-oriented. It'll be a lot.
And we'll announce the numbers over the next couple of days. But it'll be a lot of people, all because of the Democrats. I mean, they want to give $1.5
trillion to people that came into the country illegally.
SCIUTTO: OK. We've been listening to President Trump there at the White House, answering questions on a number of issues. But, of course, the first
topic, this ceasefire and hostage release deal.
I'm going to bring back Alex Plitsas, who was with us earlier. And, Alex, you heard the president there claim that basically this deal is bringing
peace to the whole region, right? And I don't want to diminish at all the importance of this first phase, the release of hostages, the ending for now
of the war in Gaza. But he's claiming hope there for something much larger to come out of this.
Fact is, many of the more difficult issues have not been settled yet. Ongoing governance of Gaza, disarmament of Hamas, and so on. Are at least
the ingredients there, in your view, for that bigger vision?
PLITSAS: I think the ingredients are there in general terms. You know, credit is due to getting this agreement across the line, especially getting
the hostages released and getting Hamas to agree to do so, given the fact that they've had diametrically opposed end states between the Israeli and
Hamas leaders over the last two years.
But to the point you just made, there are still some significant issues that have to be overcome. There haven't been elections in Gaza or the West
Bank since 2006. There have been a request at the time for elections in East Jerusalem, which was denied. There really is no viable opposition
government in waiting in the Gaza Strip. So, there is no true partner for peace. There's no partner for long-term governance or security that would
be acceptable. So, it still puts Palestinian statehood out of reach, regardless of whether or not there's domestic political support in Israel,
which there is not at the moment.
And so, if you're not going to get a state based on the 67 borders, Hamas is not going to be part of that government. You've got a number of fighters
who have been recruited since the war started because homes were destroyed and family members were killed in the war. Getting those folks to give up
their weapons and completely demilitarize the group without an end state of a Palestinian State, which is what they were seeking, and they chose to use
terrorism as the means of achieving that, is the long pole in the tent.
And whether or not the Israelis will actually be restrained if they choose not to do that, I think is probably far-fetched. I think you definitely see
the Israelis take action if Hamas does not live up to that. So, how do you get them to give up those weapons without giving them the end state that
they're seeking is the long pole. And right now, I have not seen a clear path to get there.
SCIUTTO: Did the Arab states lower their price for an agreement, at least for now? Because there is no commitment at this point for a Palestinian
State. That language is quite mushy. Let's be frank. And that had long been the demand. I mean, should we expect Arab leaders to say, OK, now we got to
talk seriously about a path to a Palestinian State, or are they walking away from that?
PLITSAS: No, I think the desire is still there, to your point, for a Palestinian State. Their request is based on the 67 borders. There's a lot
of international support for that. There is virtually no support for that inside of Israel, and the United States has not been pushing for that for a
few reasons.
Again, there's no viable opposition government, and I'm not sure which one of the regional monarchies or strongmen or autocrats is going to be paying
for a democratic movement inside of, you know, Palestinian territories in the hopes of having a peaceful state to coexist alongside of Israel. And
that capacity building is going to take quite some time.
I mean, the Times of Israel report came out a couple of days ago that 83 percent of the buildings inside Gaza have been destroyed. You're looking at
probably a decade plus reconstruction effort. And then you have, you know, nation and state building, for folks that are listening, if you're not
familiar, there's the physical reconstruction of the infrastructure and buildings that were destroyed. But then there's the governance and capacity
building that has to be rebuilt as well, and free of Hamas. And that's the problem. They've been entrenched in every government institution because
they've been running Gaza by themselves.
So, at some point, you're going to have to accept some low level of former Hamas members that were running, you know, parts of government without
being involved in the militant side. Where's that break? Who takes over afterwards? None of that is clear.
So, people can ask for what they want, but the ingredients to get to that part of Palestinian State, politically, physically, and I think emotionally
inside of Israel, for that matter, are simply not there.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, listen, there's some similarities to that in post- Iraq invasion, right? The question of the Saddam Hussein government, and they all left, and the issues that that led, although it's not quite --
certainly not quite the same as a terrorist organization, but some commonalities. Alex Plitsas, thanks so much. Good to have you on.
PLITSAS: Thanks for having me.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: Still ahead, President Trump reignites his trade war with China, announcing new 100 percent tariffs on imports from China. His upcoming
meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, that's now on question two. The very latest is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks fell sharply after President Trump threatened massive new tariff hikes on China.
Trade sensitive A.I. and ship related stocks were hit the hardest with the NASDAQ tumbling more than three and a half percent. It was the worst day on
Wall Street since the trade related chaos back in April on Liberation Day.
Trump's warnings came after Beijing's latest move to restrict rare earth exports to the U.S. After the closing bell, Trump says he will now impose
100 percent tariffs on China beginning November 1st or sooner in direct retaliation. That is on top of the 30 percent tariffs the U.S. is charging
imports from China now. He says the U.S. will impose export controls as well on, quote, "any or all critical software sent to China."
Checking some of today's other business headlines, the ongoing U.S. government shutdown is leading to worsening delays at U.S. airports.
Aviation officials say air traffic control staffing shortages are on the rise across the country, leading to reduced operations. Airports in New
Jersey and New Mexico are the latest to experience delays. Officials say some controllers are refusing to work because of the shutdown. They insist
airline safety, however, will not be compromised.
A new report says U.S. consumer sentiment fell again in October to its seventh lowest level on record. Americans say they are not concerned yet
about the economic effects of the shutdown, but they say they remain worried over the higher cost of living and the softening of the U.S. jobs
market. Sentiment is now slightly below levels back in the spring when president began the global trade war.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the White House has finalized plans now to provide $20 billion in emergency financial assistance to
Argentina. Bessent also says the U.S. will take any measures necessary to provide stability to the Argentine markets. Argentine President Javier
Milei is a key Trump ally who is facing critical elections later this month.
[18:25:00]
A group of Democratic senators who opposed the assistance introduced the No Argentina Bailout Act today. They say the U.S. should not be aiding foreign
governments when the U.S. government itself is shut down.
More now on President Trump's 100 percent terror threat against China. Beijing's newly announced rare earth export controls are just the latest in
a series of moves by Beijing which are angering the U.S. president. Beijing announced today it will start charging fees to U.S. ships that dock at
Chinese ports in retaliation for similar fees. U.S. will begin charging Chinese vessels next week.
China also announced it is opening an antitrust probe of the U.S. chip giant Qualcomm. It continues the boycott of U.S. soybeans, a move that
Trump has promised to raise with President Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea this month. Trump, however, is now suggesting he won't sit down with
the Chinese president, although it has not been officially canceled.
Joining me now, Jeff Moon, founder of China Moon Strategies, also former assistant U.S. trade rep for China Affairs. I wonder how you read this,
because China ratcheted up the pressure on rare earths again. That's a sensitive spot. It knows it for U.S. companies, including defense
contractors. Is China showing it believes it can bully the U.S. president?
JEFF MOON, FOUNDER, CHINA MOON STRATEGIES: Oh, I think it is to a certain extent. And you have to go back to the beginning of this trade war. In
April, Trump threatened 145 percent tariffs. He backed off after -- or later, and then in a meeting in Geneva. And the Chinese talk about a London
consensus where they would, in a business-like way, continue to negotiate.
In the meantime, the Chinese feel that the U.S. has been imposing increasing restrictions. For example, the entity list, which imposes
technology restrictions, the U.S. extended not just to listies, but to subsidiaries. And there are other measures, including just yesterday the
House -- or the Senate passed what's called the Fight China Act, which would impose other export control restrictions.
So, the Chinese probably feel like they are responding in this way and saying to the president that if you want to negotiate in sort of a
business-like way, we can do that, or we can do that in a different way that is much more aggressive. And so, we need to see exactly what they want
to do.
But I think their intentions, and the intentions on both sides, actually, both sides want a summit. Both sides want a trade deal. Both sides need
things from each other, whether it be rare earths and chips. And so, I think they want to find a resolution.
SCIUTTO: Who has the greater leverage now, the U.S. or China?
MOON: Well, that's an interesting issue. One way to look at this is if you look at what the U.S. side needs and what the Chinese are threatening, rare
earths. Rare earths are an immediate need for the United States. If you don't have rare earths, you don't have a lot of products, including
military products.
On the other hand, with the Chinese, the Chinese want technology. They want the top chips that the United States has. That is a prospective need for
the Chinese to be able to develop artificial intelligence. So, when you look at the key things that both sides need, you could argue that the
Chinese have the upper hand. But when we start getting to the level of tariffs that Trump is talking about, this is basically what popularly we
could call a Mexican standoff, where nobody wins and everybody loses.
SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean, that's the question here. I mean, to your point, we've been here before just a few months ago, and Trump backed off and
China backed off as well. And they released something of a truce. But what this is exposing, is it not, that that was just a truce? It's not the end
of this trade war. And they still have to, if they can, come to a more comprehensive agreement.
MOON: Yes, I think what's happening here is that there has been friction as they've been talking with each other. Trump feels that the Chinese are
getting too aggressive. Frankly, China is the only country that can get this aggressive with Trump and actually not suffer, you know, catastrophic
consequences.
But Trump -- this is classic Trump, and the way he's reacted, you know, you punch me, I'm going to punch you back twice as hard without thinking about
the consequences beforehand. I assume he recalls that 145 percent tariffs and a complete embargo on all goods between the U.S. and China is not
sustainable. So, he needs to find a way to resolve this and resolve it quickly, I think.
SCIUTTO: Yes, yes.
MOON: One other thing, and that is that nothing that has been announced has actually gone into effect. Everything is reversible instantly. And the
tariff that Trump is threatening could be declared unconstitutional this fall.
SCIUTTO: So, many variables, and that's one reason why you talk to businesses of all stripes, and they keep complaining they don't know what
the fields -- playing field is going to look like in a few weeks, months, or even a few days. Jeff Moon, founder of China Moon Strategies, thanks so
much.
MOON: Thank you.
[18:30:00
SCIUTTO: More than a dozen people are dead or missing after a huge blast at an explosives facility in Tennessee. We're going to have the details for
you after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
The U.S. government has begun firing federal workers as the shutdown continues. The White House says the process is underway. It's not clear how
many workers have already been fired. The Trump administration initially promised to roll out mass layoffs before appearing to shift its strategy
and hold off. To be clear, the shutdown does not require firings, just furloughing workers.
Nineteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast in an explosives company in Tennessee. The incident occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems
on Friday morning. Emergency services are now working at the scene to determine the extent of the damage.
A ceasefire is now in effect across Gaza. Palestinians are heading back north towards Gaza City and what remains of their homes and neighborhoods
after the Israeli military pulled back in some areas of Gaza. This in line with the Israel-Hamas deal brokered by the U.S. Hamas is now on the clock
to release all the remaining hostages alive and dead within 72 hours. President Donald Trump is expected to visit Israel on Monday.
Joining me now, Katy Crosby, senior director for U.S. policy and advocacy at Mercy Corps. Good to have you.
KATY CROSBY, SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR U.S. POLICY AND ADVOCACY, MERCY CORPS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: The need in Gaza just has gotten worse and worse over recent weeks and months. Now, you have said life-saving assistance for more than 160,000
people is ready for delivery as soon as the borders open. Can you describe the level of need and how quickly you and other groups are going to be able
to get to those people in need?
[18:35:00]
CROSBY: Well, truly the level of need is at some points just indescribable, but we will -- we'll do our best. Certainly, since the de facto blockade
was put in after the collapse of the last ceasefire earlier this year, we have seen almost no aid going into Gaza. And that has meant lack of clean
water, lack of nutritious foods, medical supplies, baby formula, the -- really the building blocks of life.
And at the same time, we have seen continued displacement, injuries and deaths over that time, which has just made people even less able to cope
with the realities on the ground.
SCIUTTO: And, you know, part of the issue, and we showed these satellite photos earlier in the program, is just entire neighborhoods have been
leveled. People don't have a place to live, right? I mean, that's going to take much longer to meet that need.
CROSBY: Absolutely. There's an immediate need and a long-term need. More than 90 percent of all homes in Gaza have been either damaged or completely
destroyed.
SCIUTTO: 90 percent, yes.
CROSBY: And so, while we certainly need to have the basic tent supplies, temporary shelters in place now, there is going to be a very long road to
sustained recovery, which is what we hope is what will be possible moving forward if this deal holds.
SCIUTTO: You've called for prioritizing things like rebuilding hospitals and schools. I imagine that's key, right? You start there and then work
your way out?
CROSBY: Absolutely. What we need to start with is the essential services that allow people to start becoming self-sustaining again, rebuild their
lives. That means reopening markets, allowing commercial goods to come in, have actual food on the shelves of grocery stores so that people have an
incentive to stay and rebuild their lives and make a future for their families.
SCIUTTO: I spoke to the CEO of Mercy Corps back in July. She was sharing and lamenting just how many aid workers had been killed. Do you expect to
see now with the end of the fighting, at least for now, the end of the bombardment for now, to see an influx of aid workers as well?
CROSBY: That is certainly our hope and our plan. We are still waiting for the details and for the permissions to allow for that aid to be surged in.
But as you said, this has been one of the deadliest places in the world for aid workers, with more than 500 being killed since the start of this latest
conflict.
SCIUTTO: No question. Well, Katy Crosby, we appreciate the work you're doing and we know you have a heck of a lot of work to do now.
CROSBY: Thank you. Appreciate it.
SCIUTTO: Thank you. Coming up on "The Brief", another massive Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia, in particular, continuing to target energy
infrastructure, now plunging the capital Kyiv into darkness as it braces for cold winter temperatures. We'll have more coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: Kyiv is reeling after yet one more massive strike, this one targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
says Moscow launched more than 450 drones, more than 30 missiles. Russia's been targeting Ukraine's energy facilities ahead of the upcoming winter, a
tactic used in previous years to effectively freeze the Ukrainian people.
Friday's attack has left parts of the capital Kyiv without power. A strike in Zaporizhzhia, the location of a key nuclear power plant, killed a seven-
year-old boy. These are daily headlines in Ukraine.
Joining me now, U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, member of the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence as well. Congressman, good to have you.
REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Glad to be back. Thank you.
SCIUTTO: So, Russia clearly ratcheting up the pressure on Ukraine with these strikes targeting energy infrastructure that's designed to hit the
Ukrainian people, right, to freeze them out, put them in the dark, but also, with these drone attacks on Europe. Why now, in your view?
QUIGLEY: Look, this is the Putin playbook. Obviously, the attacks on the energy infrastructure because he knows winter is coming. It's part of the
larger war of attrition. And, you know, he's testing NATO. He's just seeing what their reaction is. You know, some people might have called these
accidents, but at best, they're reckless behavior because he knows there's not going to be a reaction.
I thought it was interesting, the Polish foreign minister, I think over a month ago, Sikorski, said that Putin laughs at Trump's efforts at peace in
Ukraine. He needs to match his words with action. You know, and there I agree. It can't be another post on Truth Social with yet another deadline.
We've got to pass the sanctions bill, which is bipartisan. We have to seize their assets. And I think if the president started talking about another
supplemental, that's something Putin would have to pay attention to.
SCIUTTO: How about Europe's reaction so far to these drone incursions? Because they've been over multiple countries. Plus, you had the incursion
over Estonia's airspace. That was with armed MiG fighter jets. Has NATO responded with enough resolve?
QUIGLEY: You know, absolutely not. But I think they're probably asking themselves, how exactly should we do this? Coupled with the fact that they
know that they're not certain that President Trump will back them if this gets ugly. He occasionally says what he said recently, he would support
Finland if something happened. But President Putin sees this gray area where he can do these incursions, test them, test their ability to respond
to this. And absolutely nothing happens to him.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Great gray zone or hybrid war. Call it what you like, shadow war. I wonder if there's another dimension to these attacks. And that is
that Ukraine's expanding attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, that they're working, right? That they're putting economic pressure on Russia
and Putin himself.
QUIGLEY: Putin understands that he's running about 40 percent of his economy feeding into this war, and that can't go on forever. And these
attacks into Russia are starting to have some effect. The more that U.S. can do, the more with European aid they can do to help on those attacks,
the more pressure it puts on Putin. I think Putin probably feels like he still has another year or two with his economy strained at this level. But
we've seen in the past that the Soviet economy back then surprised a lot of people.
Now, is the exact time for the U.S. and NATO to respond strongly. Because, again, Putin can't do this forever. He appreciates the fact that as he
pushes this now, it makes the chances for a forced peace, you know, an appeased peace, more likely.
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SCIUTTO: Do you sense at all that the tide in this war is turning at all in Ukraine's favor? Given its success in attacking Russia's energy
infrastructure, seeming to have slowed down Russian progress, which was already quite slow on the eastern front, or is it too early to say?
QUIGLEY: It's way too early to say. I'm very concerned. I mean, there's a six-to-one manpower advantage by the Russians. And this makes it very
difficult for the Russians to do what they want to do. It makes it all the more difficult. The Ukrainians, as tough as they are and as miraculous as
their efforts have been so far, there's limits to how long they can hold out on those front lines.
SCIUTTO: Yes.
QUIGLEY: I suspect without modern warfare, this would not have lasted this long. But it makes it much more difficult for the Russians to have rapid
advancements. I think the Russians see themselves as having very slow but steady progress along the battlefield. And that's what concerns me.
SCIUTTO: I wonder, as you look forward now, President Trump has raised the possibility of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. It hasn't happened
yet. Would that be a game-changer in this war?
QUIGLEY: I don't know if it's a game-changer, but I sure think it would be an eye-opener. And I think, again, things along those lines. I don't think
it takes a great deal. But, again, pass that sanctions bill. Put in those Tomahawk missiles. Seize the assets. Talk about what other kind of aid we
can get. You know, I'm hearing that the Ukrainian prime minister is going to be talking with Trump again soon. Just that kind of speculation. That's
the kind of news we need to hear to push back on Putin's war of words.
SCIUTTO: Before we go, you and I have talked about these bipartisan sanctions bill for ages, and it just doesn't go anywhere, right? I mean, do
you see any new progress for this happening, or does -- ultimately, do Republicans need President Trump to say, go ahead?
QUIGLEY: Look, the fact of the matter is it's a good bill, but it has waivers. It has the ability for Trump to say, nah, I don't really want to
do it. And he hasn't really done anything along these lines yet. So, that doesn't breed a lot of confidence. You know, there are discharge petitions
that very brave, courageous Republicans have and have been willing to sign and to lead. So, I encourage them to continue that effort when and if we
get back to Congress after this shutdown.
SCIUTTO: Congressman Mike Quigley, good to have you back. Thanks so much.
QUIGLEY: Thank you very much. Take care.
SCIUTTO: We're turning now to another developing story. Officials continue to search for victims after that massive blast at a Tennessee explosives
facility. They say at least 19 people were either killed or missing. The blast tore through a company called Accurate Energetic Systems.
Here's what the facility looked like before and after, before on the left, after on the right, that massive explosion, which rattled nearby homes and
set off some smaller blasts as well. Isabel Rosales is now near the scene of this accident.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim. Yes, I am outside of Accurate Energetic Systems, one of the gates leading into this massive 1,300-acre
facility -- it's a campus really made up of multiple buildings. And what I've seen today was a visibly emotional sheriff here of Humphreys County,
Chris Davis, who spoke about the heartbreak that this is having on the community, how shocking this has come. And that staggering number, 19
people either dead or missing.
And I think those images that you mentioned there at the beginning, Jim, are so stark to take in, the before and after of what essentially looks to
be a mound of dirt there at the end where buildings once stood. Now, debris scattered all over the place. The sheriff said that the debris went as far
out as half a square mile. And certainly, that blast happened early in the morning, 7:45 a.m. local time. It woke neighbors up. You mentioned it
rattled their homes so loudly miles away that they thought a car, a neighbor described a car seeming -- thinking that a car hit their home or
another one saying that it sounded like a lightning bolt right, you know, next to their ear.
Here's what else the sheriff had to say about this incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF CHRIS DAVIS, HUMPHREYS COUNTY, TENNESSEE: We do have 19 souls that we're looking for. Can I describe the building? There's nothing to
describe. It's gone. It's -- again, it's the most devastating scene I've seen in my career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ROSALES: And in terms of survivors, we know that there are three people who had minor injuries because of the explosion. We're not sure. It's unclear
how close they were to these buildings when that explosion went down. Two of them have been released. One is still receiving treatment.
And as far as the cause, the sheriff warned that you're going to need some patience. They're going to be out here for days investigating this. That
cause is still unknown. And authorities, of course, telling people to avoid this area because they need these first responders, investigators to do
this very, very important work. Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yes. And news today that there was another deadly blast plant back in 2014. Isabel Rosales, thanks so much for joining.
Coming up, the NBA is back in China after a six-year absence. CNN was courtside for the game. We'll have a look after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Well, the NBA is back in China for the first time in six years. The league was essentially banned in 2019 after the manager of one team
voiced his support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Now, though, the relationship between the NBA and China is seemingly back on good terms.
CNN's Ivan Watson is in Macau with a story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The NBA is back in China for the first time in six years. And as you can see, fans can take
photos next to this statue of Steph Curry, play all sorts of different kinds of games here at this enormous casino in Macau where the NBA has
basically pulled out all the stops with games and stars coming out here.
And there's a tremendous amount of enthusiasm because the NBA is incredibly popular in China. The association boasts that it has more than 420 million
social media followers in this country. And people are thronging here to attend two sold out preseason games between the Phoenix Suns and the
Brooklyn Nets.
I talked to a dad who spent thousands of dollars on tickets and he says people in China are crazy about basketball.
So, this is a big deal, the NBA coming back to China.
ARKERS WONG, PHOENIZ SUNS FAN: Yes.
WATSON: Huge.
WONG: Huge. We hope that the NBA can come every year so that we don't have any jet lag.
WATSON: The NBA was effectively kicked out of China in 2019 because of a tweet. At the time, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl
Morey, he posted in support of protesters in Hong Kong during what had been a year of a political unrest there. The Chinese government didn't like it
and the NBA was no longer welcomed here.
So, that's part of why this is such a big deal. For the first time in six years, NBA teams coming to play again in China. And there are hundreds of
millions of Chinese fans, hundreds of millions of Chinese basketball players.
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So, if the NBA and China are to continue this potentially very lucrative relationship, there are a lot of potential political and cultural
minefields that they will have to navigate.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Macau.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Fireworks lit up the night sky Friday as Taiwan celebrated its 114th National Day. More than 30,000 fireworks set off. This is the biggest
National Day fireworks show in a decade. In Taipei, Air Force jets streaked across the sky, trailing red, white and blue plumes. The celebrations
included performance by some 100 drummers, some very young, as you can see there. Gun twirling precision military drills. Quite a spectacle.
Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do have a good weekend and stay with CNN.
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