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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: Trump and World Leaders Sign Gaza Ceasefire Deal; Israel Releases About 2,000 Palestinian Prisoners; All Living Hostages Returned to Israel; Palestinian Prisoners Released in Gaza; Trump to Host Zelenskyy at WH on Friday; Trump Softens Tone After Latest China Tariff Flare-Up; WH Releases Signed "Trump Peace Agreement"; Aid Groups Look to Boost Deliveries to Gaza. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired October 13, 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]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Paula Newton in New York. Jim Sciutto is
off. You are watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, U.S. President Donald Trump signs a Gaza ceasefire deal and says it marks the historic dawn of a new Middle East. Tearful
reunions meantime in Israel after the release of the last living hostages held by Hamas. Emotional scenes in Gaza too, where 1,700 Palestinians were
freed from Israeli custody. And four caskets, the remains of deceased hostages arrive at the Israeli Forensic Institute.
But first, emotional scenes in Israel as freed hostages finally reunite with their families.
Hamas handed over all 20 living hostages under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. Israel says Hamas also turned over the bodies of four of the 28
deceased hostages. Now, in exchange, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees that were held without charge. They
returned to their loved ones in the West Bank and Gaza.
Meantime, President Donald Trump hailed what he calls the dawn of a new Middle East in his address to the Israeli Parliament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You've won. I mean, you've won. Now, it's time to
translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It's
about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Later in Egypt, the president co-chaired an international summit signing the Gaza ceasefire deal with the plan's other mediators, Egypt,
Qatar, and Turkey.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The first time the Middle East crisis has brought people together as opposed to driving them apart and to declare that our future will not be
ruled by the fights of the generations past, which is foolish. So, together, let us continue in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill that
has finally brought us to this incredible historic breakthrough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Clarissa Ward starts our coverage in Tel Aviv with the details of today's hostage release.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two years of anguish and agony finally giving way to joy. For the mother of 23-
year-old Bar Kupershtein, taken at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th, this was the hug she had dreamed of. Bar's paralyzed father is helped out
of his wheelchair so he can finally hold his son amid wails of raw emotion. For hostage Segev Kalfon, even the sight of his family was all too much.
Scenes of tearful reunions between the final 20 living Israeli hostages and their families punctuated this historic day. You're home, you're home, the
mother of 24-year-old Guy Gilboa-Dalal cries in disbelief.
In Hostages Square, the beating heart of the movement to bring them home, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered from the early hours singing
habayita or coming home.
The crowds cheered as the first images of the hostages emerged before their release. Surreal scenes of them calling their loved ones as Hamas militants
stood in the background.
After reuniting with their immediate families at Re'im military base, they were flown to hospitals looking down at the crowds gathered to welcome them
home.
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WARD: You can hear the crowd cheering as they see those hostages traveling via helicopter to Ichilov Hospital. This is a moment that these people have
been waiting for for 737 days.
WARD (voice-over): In Gaza, they have known the pain of waiting too. Applause erupted as some 1,700 Palestinian detainees emerged from crammed
buses outside the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Held without charge by Israel throughout the war, they waved to the crowds tearful.
Some returned to the worst possible news. This man learned that his wife and daughters were killed in an Israeli airstrike. My wife and my children,
my family is gone, he says, clutching a birthday gift for his two-year-old daughter.
For many in Gaza, joy still feels like a distant dream. The scale of loss and destruction leaves little room for it. And as Israel turns the page on
a very dark chapter, Gaza is opening a new and uncertain one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: For more on this, former Pentagon Middle East advisor Jasmine El- Gamal joins us now. I'm grateful to have you on the program as we still try and parse the last 24 hours here.
You know, some have commented that pressure from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey on Hamas, not just President Trump's intervention here, but that pressure on
Hamas is really what got this over the finish line. If that's true, why do you believe it took two years to get here?
JASMINE EL-GAMAL, FORMER PENTAGON MIDDLE EAST ADVISER, HOST, THE VIEW FROM HERE PODCAST AND MIDDLE EAST ANALYST: Thank you so much for having me,
Paula. I mean, over the last two years, there have been various reports, including from the mediators themselves, actually, that it was primarily
Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition members, ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who had been reluctant to sign a deal precisely because the
stipulations were that Israel had to commit to a permanent end to the war.
And up until now, Prime Minister Netanyahu had not really been able to make that commitment. There has been a lot of criticism of the Biden
administration because of then-President Biden's unwillingness to put the amount of pressure that we've seen President Trump now put on Prime
Minister Netanyahu to get him to finally commit to ending the war.
And one thing that happened recently that really forced Prime Minister Netanyahu's hand is when he ordered a strike on Hamas negotiators in Qatar.
And that was really seen by many as an overreach by the Israeli prime minister that finally got Donald Trump to the point where he said, you know
what, enough is enough. I'm done with this. He picked up the phone and said, we have to end this now.
NEWTON: Yes, I guess my point is there was a lot of pressure to be brought to bear on Hamas as well. And when you saw all that suffering from the
people of Gaza, why more pressure wasn't also brought to Hamas?
EL-GAMAL: There -- absolutely. Yes, you're right. And there needed to be pressure placed on Hamas. And it was placed on Hamas and they agreed to a
ceasefire deal back in January. If you remember this year, as soon as President Trump came to power, that deal was signed. It was a deal that had
been worked on by the previous administration and then was brought over the finish line when the Trump administration came in. And that deal basically
stipulated that about two weeks into phase one that negotiations had to take place regarding phase two, which would mean a permanent end to the
war. And that's when Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli side reneged on those negotiations and said that they didn't want to enter into phase
two.
So, I think the pressure on Hamas has been there. And it was really that pressure from the U.S. president, who was really the only person on the
planet that could really make the decision and put the necessary amount of pressure to end the war. And we finally saw him do it in the last week.
NEWTON: Yes. And I should say, I've heard that from so many governments, government officials, a lot of the allies that were there in the room in
Sharm el-Sheikh today that have said the exact same thing, that it was up to the president of the United States who really had to get this over the
finish line.
I want to ask you, Jasmine, politically, what do you believe is next for the people of Gaza? This just seems so complicated. So, you know, do you
put in that technocratic government? And if you put that in, does that need to be backed up by a stabilization force?
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Because you and I both know the threats to the people of Gaza remain in place, and they remain in place, not just the exterior threat, but threats
from within, sadly, as well.
EL-GAMAL: Thank you for making that point. I mean, that's such a good point, Paula. There are so many challenges. And let me just run through a
couple of them. I mean, on one hand, if you looked at the way President Trump was talking about this peace deal, this ceasefire agreement that he
hopes will lead to a permanent peace deal, he was really making the point that he will not tolerate a return to conflict and a reneging by either
party on their commitments.
Now, if you hear what the prime minister of Israel is saying and the defense minister, they're saying that this is -- it does not mean an end to
hostilities, that there are threats against them, that they will continue to keep an eye on those threats. So, the first major challenge is going to
make sure that neither party reneges on its commitments and backslides into conflict, and that this first phase of the ceasefire actually continues to
full-scale peace. The good news is that the pressure is on. The pressure is on Hamas from the Arabs and the Turks, and the pressure is on the Israelis
from President Trump.
Now, the other challenge, of course, is going to be not just governance in Gaza, but once that technocratic government is in place, it's rebuilding.
As Clarissa mentioned, Gaza is completely destroyed. And all the resources, all the assistance, the help, not just physical and medical, but
psychosocial support as well that people in Gaza are going to need to put roofs over their heads, to start to pull their members, their family
members from the rubble to identify people that have died. There is so much trauma and so much rebuilding that has to be done, that it's going to be
really important to get those resources, both in terms of reconstruction and that stabilization force that you're talking about.
And lastly, I do want to note what you said about the internal threats, where many people are worried about retribution by Hamas against people
that it describes as traitors or rivals. And so, we're really going to have to be keeping an eye on that as well. So, lots of different moving pieces
and many challenges ahead.
NEWTON: Yes. As you said, it will take everyone pulling together, not just the president of the United States, but all those allies in the region as
well. Jasmine El-Gamal, I want to thank you for being with us. Appreciate it.
EL-GAMAL: Thanks so much.
NEWTON: Now, the U.S. president is heading back to Washington on Air Force One at this hour. He is set to arrive early Tuesday. Kristen Holmes is at
the White House for us. You know, again, just listening to what, you know, we just heard about Gaza. I mean, let's be clear. President Trump knows
this. He's heard this from so many different people.
I have to ask you, what do you believe -- you know, how much does he invest in this now? Because it has to be said, there are other world problems, not
to mention Ukraine just being one, but also so many domestic issues. The government is still on a shutdown. So, how much do you think he will take
ownership of this and really harness that momentum going forward in the months to come?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I think it's going to depend on what we actually see here in terms of phase two
negotiations. Right now, he is going to be all in on this. You saw how he reacted. You saw the joy that he and the administration feel after working
towards this since, really, he was reelected in November, and definitely since he was sworn in in January. They are riding high off of this phase
one deal.
So, in terms of what they're going to be doing now, you can imagine that President Trump, his team, they're going to continue putting the pressure
on this. Also keep in mind that someone like his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, I mean, his view of this is that it's not done yet. Someone like Steve
Witkoff, for example, had always said that returning the hostages was his number one goal, but Jared Kushner, he believes that there is more to be
obtained.
And of course, as we know, there is a 20-point peace plan that they are still hoping to get these sides on board with or at least most of those 20
points. There are some that are going to be relatively sticky, if not complete red lines for each side. For example, the plan left the door open
for Palestinian statehood. That seems like it's going to be very difficult. Also, for the disarmament of Hamas, another thing that's going to be
incredibly difficult to get done. But you're going to see Trump all in on that.
Now, when you talk about momentum, it's not just about this. I think you're going to also see the administration trying to use this as a bouncing-off
point for some of those other international crises, particularly if we talk about it, the Iran nuclear deal, as well as the Russia war in Ukraine. Of
course, it should be noted that President Zelenskyy, now we've learned, is going to be in Washington meeting with the president on Friday.
[18:15:00]
SOARES: Yes, no doubt he wants to build on some momentum as well, given the fact that, you know -- and you said it before, Kristen, right, that the
White House is emboldened by this, or if they want to roll, President Zelensky wants to be a part of it.
I do want to circle back on the issue of Iran. I mean, the president really said some intriguing things, basically indicating that, look, we'll go back
to the table, we'll negotiate, hopefully they'll be part of this one, and also kind of allowing for the fact that the president has huge ambitions in
the Middle East, a much larger deal other than the one that involves the Palestinians and Israel.
HOLMES: Yes, that's right. I mean, we've heard from the administration, from various White House officials for months about this Iran nuclear deal.
I think something to keep in mind here is that I will tell you that the second that Israel struck Iran, I was told by a senior administration
official, we are going to get at the end of all of this a hostage deal or a ceasefire deal, as well as a Iran nuclear deal.
Now, obviously, a lot of time has passed since that happened, and there have been a lot of different variables that I think this White House
probably did not account for. However, if you look at the map, I mean, talking to these administration officials and also U.S. officials across
the world, they do believe that they are in an advantage point when it comes to Iran that they've never really been at, at least not in modern
history, having Iran been so weakened and having the power and the backing of so many of these Arab leaders, Arab leaders who will likely put pressure
on Iran, which is part of why you saw this kind of show of force that President Trump did in Egypt.
That was partially to show a show of force and that they were going to come together for all aspects of the region, not just for phase one of this
peace deal, but also looking at phase two and potentially an Iran nuclear deal. So, that's certainly going to be the goal. We know the goal is to
expand the Abraham Accords. And you're going to have people within the administration who are going to be working particularly on the Iran nuclear
deal as something that they want to get done during Donald Trump's tenure in office.
NEWTON: As I said, an incredibly ambitious cycle, just in terms of what we discussed in the last few minutes.
HOLMES: Right.
NEWTON: A lot on the plate of the White House right now, as the president returns home in the next few hours. Kristen Holmes for us at the White
House, appreciate it.
Still ahead for us, President Trump turns down the heat after threatening China with massive new tariffs. We'll hear from a leading trade expert on
what comes next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
NEWTON: And welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks bounced back from Friday's sharp losses. Tech roared back with the NASDAQ
up more than 2 percent. Stocks tumbled Friday after President Trump threatened additional 100 percent tariffs on China in the ongoing rare
earth export dispute. Mr. Trump downplayed the tensions over the weekend, saying that it will, quote, "all be fine."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meantime, says trade talks between the two sides continued over the weekend and that a meeting between
President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will still likely take place this month.
Checking some of today's other business headlines, OpenAI has announced a new partnership with the chipmaker Broadcom. The two will work together to
make the first chips custom designed for OpenAI and its infrastructure needs. OpenAI has recently signed major deals with Oracle and two other
chip makers, NVIDIA and AMD. Those deals are raising questions about the financial interconnections within the A.I. industry.
JPMorgan Chase says it's investing up to $10 billion in U.S. companies considered critical to national security. Now, it's part of the company's
$1.5 trillion initiative to support U.S. security and resilience. The bank will be spending the money on sectors like critical minerals,
pharmaceuticals, robotics and energy. CEO Jamie Dimon has said the U.S. remains far too reliant on outside sources for many crucial materials.
The CEO of auto parts maker First Brands, Patrick James, is stepping down after a massive accounting scandal that's raising financial contagion fears
on Wall Street. The company filed for Chapter 11 last month after its lenders began investigating financial irregularities at the firm. The
company's collapse is stoking fears of broader stress in the credit markets. The U.S. Justice Department has also reportedly opened up an
investigation.
And we do want to go to our top business story, that ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China. President Trump's threats to hike total tariffs
on China to an eye-watering, wait for it, 130 percent rattled investors last week. And even though he is softening his tone now, the two sides do
have a long list of trade issues that need to be resolved.
Topping the list for the U.S., China's restrictions of rare earth mineral exports and its ongoing boycott of U.S. soybeans, which has hit American
farmers hard. China blames the U.S. for continuing to block the sale of key technologies like advanced chips and software, and Washington's
restrictions on Chinese firms trying to sell to the U.S. Beijing has also announced that it will be imposing port fees for U.S. ships docking in
China after a similar move in the U.S. for Chinese ships that goes into effect on Tuesday.
Wendy Cutler joins me now. She is the vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. She is also a former acting deputy U.S. trade
representative. It sounds like a trade war to me, Wendy. I don't know what you think. This is sounding quite ominous. You say that the Trump
administration, in fact, is coming to terms with a more assertive China. So, I ask you, what do you see as being the fallout from all of this?
WENDY CUTLER, VICE PRESIDENT, ASIA SOCIETY POLICY INSTITUTE AND FORMER ACTING DEPUTY U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Well, look, China is a very
different China than the China Trump dealt with in -- during his first term. They learned a lot during that time period, including they developed
a new tool kit to take actions against the United States beyond tariffs. They've reduced their dependence on the United States. And today's trade
numbers coming out of Beijing underscore that they are exporting a lot less to the U.S. but more to the rest of the world.
So, they feel emboldened. They feel confident. And, you know, for now, they don't seem that they're going to be backing down, although they also are
sending some conciliatory messages about getting back to the table. So, we're in a pattern of escalation and now hopefully towards de-escalation,
paving the way for President Trump to meet with Xi Jinping just a couple of weeks from now in Korea.
NEWTON: Yes, truly high stakes, though. And to be clear, what we're witnessing is two economic superpowers, I'm going to stress, weaponizing
key strategic industries. And we talked about it, right, where earth minerals, chips. So, what's the answer here for the United States? I mean,
do you engage? Do you get a deal or do you try to eventually get much more serious about, I hate to use that buzzword, but decoupling, right, to
really do what China is doing? China wants to be less dependent on the global economy. Should the United States do the same when it comes to
China?
CUTLER: Look, both sides are already de-risking their economies in strategic sectors, and that is going to continue. I guess the question is,
is can we find some way to kind of coexist with China as we still are strategic rivals?
[18:25:00]
And that's the open question, and that's why we keep getting into these moments of high tensions. But again, at the end of the day, both sides seem
to want to avert, you know, a serious showdown, which would hurt the U.S. economy, the Chinese economy, as well as the global economy.
NEWTON: And that is the whole thing. Both economies have a lot to lose in this kind of a trade dispute. But long-term, many predict that, you know,
this will only get worse, even if there is a momentary truce. And it really, Wendy, does encompass what we're seeing globally, because we even
have allies now with the United States, with Donald Trump beginning this trade war, really trying to look more internally about how to really have a
robust economy that doesn't depend so much on trade.
I wonder, as a trade expert for so many years, do you believe this will actually compromise global growth going forward?
CUTLER: Look, I don't think we can decouple our economy from the Chinese economy. Both economies are very intertwined. But I think what we need to
do is keep in mind those -- our vulnerabilities vis-a-vis China and work with our allies and partners and develop alternative sources of supply so
China does not have kind of the chokehold on us and the rest of the world that it does now with respect to critical minerals and magnets.
NEWTON: Do you see the White House being able to follow through on that on a timely way?
CUTLER: Look, I think the White House is right now thinking short-term, just trying to have how to salvage this meeting with Xi Jinping. The
president is scheduled to go to China early next year. China will be hosting APEC. The U.S. will be hosting the G20.
So, I think for 2026, there will be a lot of engagement between the U.S. and China, which I think will help to avert an all-out trade war. But we
need to be ready for lots of bumps and ups and downs.
NEWTON: Terrific, Wendy. Great. Thank you so much. Wendy Cutler, for us. Appreciate the conversation.
CUTLER: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, after two years of pain and separation from their loved ones, tears of joy, the final 20 hostages still alive, freed from Hamas captivity
and running into the embrace of their families.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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NEWTON: And welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Paula Newton. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
The 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza were returned to Israel after two years of war. A short while ago, Hamas handed over four coffins with the
remains of deceased hostages. 250 Palestinian prisoners and nearly 2,000 detainees from Gaza, who were held in Israel without charge, have also been
released.
The source says President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. This comes after the two
leaders discussed Ukraine getting long-range Tomahawk missiles in two calls over the weekend. On Sunday, Mr. Trump said he was considering telling
Russian President Vladimir Putin he will greenlight Tomahawk shipments to Kyiv if the war in Ukraine doesn't end.
High winds and heavy rain have been battering the U.S. East Coast. The Nor'easter brought coastal flooding along the Jersey Shore and heavy rain
in South Carolina. At least three deaths from the storm have been reported. The rain is forecast to move offshore, thankfully, on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Middle Eastern and European leaders to keep working together to ensure that Israel and that Hamas troop in Gaza
actually survives. In Egypt Monday, an exuberant Trump led a summit of world leaders to address Gaza's future and sign the ceasefire deal. The
leaders gathered just after the final 20 living hostages that were held by Hamas were freed. Tears were flowing as they returned to their loved ones
at last. More now from Jeremy Diamond in Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two years of pent-up anguish unleashed in an instant. One after another, 20 newly freed
hostages and their families hug, cry, kiss, scream and pray.
Reveling in their new, almost unbelievable reality. Their nightmare is finally over. These moments were never guaranteed. When Bar Kupershtein was
kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival, his father was still paralyzed. He vowed he would embrace his son again on his own two feet.
For Einav Zangauker who became an icon in the hostage families protest movement, this is the culmination of a relentless fight.
Israel's national nightmare is also now finally over. After 738 days, every single living hostage is now free. The open wounds that has been October
7th can now finally begin to heal.
For the hostages, the journey to freedom began in Red Cross vehicles flanked by masked Hamas militants. An Israeli convoy completed the trip to
a military base near Gaza, where hundreds of Israelis lined the route.
DIAMOND: This liftoff is a moment more than two years in the making. Some of the last living Israeli hostages getting their own taste of freedom.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Newfound freedom filled with moments that seemed frighteningly out of reach just weeks ago. Like two former hostages
embracing for the first time in years. It was an emotional day in Gaza too, when more than 1,700 Palestinians detained without charge were finally
freed. Tears of joy and questions answered after months in the dark about their loved one's fate.
Thank God for this blessing, this woman says, reuniting with her husband. It's my birthday today, he says, tearing up. It's an indescribable feeling
being here next to my wife. The Israelis may have destroyed Gaza, but they can't destroy us.
In the occupied West Bank, dozens of Palestinian prisoners serving long- term sentences also received a hero's welcome. They are among 250 high- security prisoners released as part of the deal, most of them tied to deadly attacks on Israelis.
For the Miran family and most Israelis, a price well worth paying. To make families whole again and give two little girls their father back after two
long years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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NEWTON: Our thanks to Jeremy Diamond for that report. Now, aid deliveries into Gaza are picking back up after the ceasefire agreement. Local
officials say 173 aid trucks entered the enclave on Sunday, but many trucks are getting swarmed. The need is just so dire.
Now, access is also hindered by the massive task of removing rubble and creating paths where large trucks can safely travel. But UNICEF reports its
trucks are getting in, carrying emergency hygiene kits, tarps, winter clothes, high-protein supplements, and supplies to help restart water
systems.
Joining us now from New York is UNICEF's emergency communications specialist, Joe English, and he joins us now. I have to say that the --
there you are. Sorry, Joe, we didn't see you right at the beginning there. Can you hear me?
JOE ENGLISH, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST, UNICEF: Yes, I can. Paula, how are you doing?
NEWTON: Fantastic. Better after the reports we're getting, obviously, from the Middle East. I'm sure you would say the same. You know, the U.N. has
pointed out that this ceasefire must hold, absolutely must hold, because Gaza, as we've been showing, is on the brink.
And I do need to point to that recent U.S. study. It said nearly one in six children are so malnourished they showed signs of acute wasting. I mean,
those problems are not solved with one shipment of aid. So what is the U.N. and UNICEF doing in order to surge that aid at this hour?
ENGLISH: Yes, everything we can. As you say, you know, the -- we are so grateful and thankful that we have a ceasefire. And the bombs and the
bullets, you know, that's not a threat for children now. But disease, famine, hunger still remain very real threats.
Just yesterday, we saw a 12-year-old girl who passed away due to the effects of malnutrition. And so, we need to be reaching children absolutely
all over the Strip. Now, that means for organizations like UNICEF, we're getting in this high-profile peanut paste, these supplements, these
nutrition supplies. But we also need to address the lack of safe drinking water. We need to make sure kids are getting their vaccines, because all of
these factors into play.
You know, and if kids are sick, then they're more likely to be malnourished. If they're malnourished, they're more likely to be sick. So,
we need to reach every child in the Gaza Strip. And we have a plan. UNICEF, the U.N., over the next 60 days, we will be doing all we can to help
children, families rebuild their lives.
NEWTON: And in terms of actually scaling this up, what are the hurdles here? And are there any easy wins when it comes to, let's say, water, food
or medicine?
ENGLISH: So, look, the good news is that we do this work all around the world. We do it in the aftermath of hurricanes, of earthquakes, of
conflicts, in conflict. And so, we know what we're doing. And now, thankfully, we're going to be able to do our job. We're going to be allowed
to do our job.
You know, but as you say, one of my colleagues was in Gaza City today, and she described the city as a skeleton city. There is almost nothing left.
So, we are rebuilding from scratch. In the immediacy, that means getting children the basics of survival. So, it's that nutrition, it's food, it's
safe drinking water, it's shelter. We've got to get in winter supplies. We're trying to reach every child in Gaza with blankets, and we're trying
to reach every baby in Gaza with warm winter clothes, so that when the temperatures drop, they're not at risk from hypothermia.
But then, it's giving children and families a bit of hope for the future. That means getting kids back into school. It means giving them psychosocial
support to deal with the traumatic and distressing experiences they've had. One boy who our team spoke to, you know, we asked what he was hoping to do
now that the ceasefire was in place, and he said he wanted to go home to Beit Lahiya, because that's where he left his childhood.
And so, that's what children want. They want to be able to go back and do the things that kids do all around the world, play, have fun, you know,
spend time with their parents, just that quiet miracle of a normal, quiet life.
NEWTON: It is so devastating, isn't it, that these children remember those lives and so desperately want to get back to them. I want to ask you about
two specific obstacles. Firstly, do you believe that the aid that you're trying to surge to get into Gaza will now be allowed to flow in? I mean, do
you have any obstacles? There's obviously security at the border crossing.
ENGLISH: Yes, there is. You know, we need to get aid in through absolutely every route. And that means through Egypt, through the West Bank, through
Jordan, all of the entrances into the Gaza Strip open and unfettered access. It means that we need to be able to get in supplies that have
previously been restricted, you know, dual use supplies, fuel generators, you know, the heavy work of rebuilding is not going to be done solely with
tarpaulins and tents.
And so, look, the indications are good. We are doing everything we can. We're continuing to push with the authorities, with all those, with the
ability to let us do our work. We're hopeful. We have to be hopeful.
NEWTON: Absolutely. You have to be hopeful for the children who continually say that all they want to do is get back to their lives as
children. Joe English, we'll continue to check in with UNICEF. Really appreciate your time.
ENGLISH: Thanks so much, Paula.
[18:40:00]
NEWTON: Now, President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. That's according to a source. The president
said over the weekend he's considering shipments of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which would give Kyiv the ability to reach deep inside
Russia. Matthew Chance reports now from Moscow.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tomahawk cruise missile, even the threat of sending these U.S. weapons to
Ukraine, with a range of over 1,500 miles, may be enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table. At least that's what President Trump seems to think.
TRUMP: We had a very good conversation --
CHANCE (voice-over): Telling reporters en route to the Middle East, he may tell the Kremlin to end the Ukraine war or face these formidable weapons
easily capable of reaching Moscow.
TRUMP: I might say, look, if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks. I may say that. The Tomahawk is an incredible
weapon, a very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. They don't need that. Yes, I may tell them that if the war is not settled,
that we may very well -- we may not, but we may do it.
CHANCE (voice-over): That uncertain threat hasn't come out of nowhere. For months now, Russia has been stepping up its own missile and drone attacks
across Ukraine, stretching air defenses, fueling Ukrainian calls for a powerful long-range weapon to strike back, potentially deep inside Russia.
We see and hear that Russia is afraid that the Americans may give us Tomahawks, the Ukrainian president declared at the weekend. It's a signal
that exactly such pressure may work for peace, he added.
But in public, the Kremlin has been defiant, insisting the deployment of Tomahawks would have little impact on the battlefield, but seriously
ratchet up tensions between Moscow and Washington.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Using Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel is
impossible. This would mark a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States.
CHANCE (voice-over): And the missiles can potentially deliver a nuclear payload, leading to warnings yet again of a catastrophic scenario. It's
impossible to tell whether a Tomahawk carries a nuclear or conventional warhead while it's in flight. The hawkish former Russian president, Dmitry
Medvedev, posted, how is Russia supposed to respond, he asked.
CHANCE: Well, with President Trump now basking in the glory of his diplomatic success in the Middle East, he's clearly not given up on ending
the war in Ukraine. But the hope that just one more powerful U.S. weapon, in this case, the Tomahawk missile, could be the key to ending that
conflict may prove a little misplaced.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: The Nobel Economics Prize goes to three men who've spent their lives researching economic growth. I got a chance to speak to one of them.
That's next.
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[18:45:00]
NEWTON: The prize for economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel went this year to three economists for their research on growth. Joel Mokyr
received half of the prize studying the prerequisites for sustained growth. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt shared the other half for their work on
the theory of creative destruction. It shows how new products build off older ones, stimulating growth as they enter the market. For example,
railway phased out the steam engine with efficient diesel and electric engines. I had a chance to speak with Philippe Agnon earlier today and
asked for his view about the next frontier, A.I.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPPE AGHION, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS, COLLEGE DE FRANCE: So, A.I. has a big power -- has a growth potential. Artificial intelligence has a huge
growth potential because it automates tasks in the production of goods and services, in the production of ideas. It becomes easier to find new ideas
with A.I.
So -- but the thing is that, you know, ill-designed competition policy can stifle growth you see from the A.I. revolution, can limit the growth
potential of A.I. So, it's very important to have institutional change, that competition policy should adapt to avoid that a few actors in A.I.
monopolize the market and stifle completely new entry and new innovators. So, we need the A.I. revolution together with good competition policy, to
harness the growth potential of A.I.
Similarly, for the employment potential, you need to make sure that, you know, A.I. will not destroy too many jobs or that people can move from one
job to another. Education is important and flex security, the labor market policy that Denmark, for example, implements. The combination of those two
will be crucial to maximize the positive impact that A.I. can have on new jobs.
Because A.I. will create lots of new jobs. When you -- A.I., you become much more competitive and productive and there is a big demand for your
product. That's the source of creation of jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: He is passionate, isn't he? And we thank him for joining us on the day he was notified about the Nobel. OK. Cheers, relief, and long-awaited
embraces, emotional reunions on both sides of the Gaza conflict. That's next.
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[18:50:00]
NEWTON: Returning now to our top story, an historic day in the Middle East with Hamas releasing all 20 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Israel
freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in its prisons. For Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, it was a day of both joy and sadness. Nada Bashir
has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gathered in the hundreds, waiting in anticipation to witness the release of hundreds of Palestinian
prisoners from Israeli detention.
BASHIR: Well, as you can see behind me, the buses are now arriving here in Ramallah, carrying the Palestinian prisoners who have been released today
from detention as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza.
BASHIR (voice-over): As part of the deal, 250 men serving long-term or even life sentences were released, many of them to the occupied West Bank
or East Jerusalem. But more than 150 of them deported to Egypt, forced into exile. All had been serving long-term or life sentences in Israeli jails,
often convicted of serious offences, some of them members of Hamas and other militant groups. Some told us they were beaten and abused by Israeli
forces in prison. Ahmed Alwad (ph), who was convicted of murder and given three life sentences, told us inmates were beaten and humiliated on a daily
basis without reason.
A member of the Palestinian Red Crescent we spoke to said some of those released had fresh fractures and were being treated in hospital. Israel's
prison service told us, quote, "to the best of our knowledge, no such incidents occurred."
In Israel, the exchange is seen as a heavy but acceptable price to pay for the freedom of Israeli hostages. These prisoners, some say, have blood on
their hands. But in the West Bank, these men are regarded by many as political prisoners, part of the Palestinian resistance movement.
Their return is something Palestinians have long hoped for, none more so than those reunited with their loved ones after decades behind bars, such
as Samer Al-Halabiya (ph), who was convicted of attempted murder. This came as a surprise, and I'm still in shock, Samer (ph) says. I can't believe it,
honestly. I can't believe I'm with my mother.
While reunions here were emotional, celebrations were short-lived and muted. Israeli authorities warning Palestinians not to engage in any
celebrations, dropping flyers by drone early Monday, warning onlookers, we are watching you everywhere, printed in Arabic.
But in Gaza, celebrations were widespread. As the delicate ceasefire continues to hold, some 1,700 Palestinians detained without charge over the
course of the war will return to the Strip, bussed across the border, returning to near total destruction, some unaware of the fate of their
loved ones. While the exchange may mark a significant step towards peace, optimism for Palestinians is coupled with great trepidation over what may
come next for Gaza and for the West Bank.
Nada Bashir, CNN in Ramallah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And before we leave you, the last time the world saw Evyatar David, he was a hostage. Filmed by Hamas, you see him there being forced to
dig his own grave. Today, after more than two years in captivity, he was reunited with his family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Cannot imagine the relief for that family, and it was one of so many emotional reunions in Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: You don't even need to know Hebrew to understand what was going on there. So, joyous, such a relief.
[18:55:00]
Now, in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians, too, celebrating with tearful embraces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: After two years of such desperate news from the Middle East, we certainly hope this opens a new chapter there.
I want to thank you for your company. I'm Paula Newton in New York. You have been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN.
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