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CNN International: Dozens of Casualties Reported after Ceasefire Deal Announced; Israel Delays Cabinet Vote on Ceasefire- Hostage Deal; Trump: Epic Ceasefire Deal Could Have Only Happened as Result of "Our Historic Victory"; Israel: Hamas Trying to "Extort Last Must Concessions"; Fire Crews Push to Contain L.A. Fires as Weather Improves; Trump Mulls Plan to Delay App's U.S. Shutdown. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired January 16, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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

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MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: -- the Gaza ceasefire deal, accusing Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes drive the death toll in Gaza even higher. Donald Trump taking credit for the two sides reaching agreement, even as President Joe Biden delivers his farewell message to America. And later, the clock is ticking louder TikTok could be banned in the U.S. in a matter of days. What to do if you're a TikToker?

Israel says it's delayed a cabinet vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. Israel's Prime Minister accuses Hamas of attempting to quote extort last minute concessions. For its part, Hamas says it is committed to the agreement announced on Wednesday after more than 15 months of war, this deal could bring about an end to the deadly conflict in three phases. U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer says the ceasefire hostage deal needs to be honored.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON FINER, U.S. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: So, it's going to be challenging to implement this deal, but we fully expect it to be implemented. As you know, and as the president described in his remarks, the deal plays out across three phases. The second phase involves a permanent ceasefire and the release of all the hostages.

The third phase involves the release of the remains of hostages who have been deceased during the course this conflict, or on October 7th. It's all spelled out on paper, and so we are doing everything we can to set the incoming team up as well as possible to actually implement this deal, since the bulk of this time period will now play out in a new administration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, here's what's in the deal, a 42-day ceasefire, during which 33 hostages would be released. The IDF would remain in the Philadelphi Corridor and maintain a buffer zone along Gaza's border with Israel and Northern Gaza residents would be able to return home.

But for now, the violence continues. At least 81 Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombings in Gaza just in the past 24 hours, most of them after the ceasefire was announced. That's according to the Gaza civil defense and health officials.

Let's bring up Paula Hancocks joining us from Abu Dhabi. We always did say it hasn't happened until we see it happen, and this delay will be very depressing for very many people.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Max. And it's very different to the scenes of celebration that we saw on the streets of Gaza just last night. There are concerns on the grounds that a lot could change in the next 72 hours or so before this truce comes into excuse me, 48 hours before this truce comes into being.

Now we heard from the Gaza Civil Defense that the death toll was, as you say, 81 in the past 24 hours. According to our tally, that's the highest it's been in some 11 days, and we are seeing a significant amount of air strikes by the Israeli military. Now we heard from the Gaza Civil Defense as well, saying that any time there is talk of a truce or a ceasefire, they do see this increase in activity when it comes to the air strikes itself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Celebration erupted in Gaza as word spread that a ceasefire had been agreed and that the guns would fall silent. They are not silent yet. Dozens have been killed in Israeli strikes since the announcement was made. Wake up this father says the war is over. Wake up Haller (ph) but the war is ending too late for his daughter.

This intimate moment filmed just hours after leaders stood on stage announcing the deal, and it's too late for many caught up in a barrage of Israeli air strikes. This is truly a tragedy the spokesperson of the Gaza Civil Defense says. The Israeli occupation does not want this blood waterfall to stop as bombing is continuing until this moment.

When asked about an increase in airstrikes, the IDF says it is continuing to dismantle Hamas military capabilities. Bodies are offloaded at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, as well as the wounded children are once again among the victims a recurring theme of this bloody war.

We were sitting in our homes this man says, when F16 jets struck us, bringing the house down on top of us. Around 15 people were killed. We're waiting for the truce, hoping those who are missing and displaced will return.

[08:05:00]

Rescuers pull bodies and survivors from under the rubble of a home with their bare hands in one Gaza city neighborhood. The Director of the Al-Ahli Hospital accuses Israel of a, quote, desperate attempt to cause as much harm as possible, warning the hours before the ceasefire take hold are, quote, expected to be violent and painful for the people of Gaza.

It would not be the first time we see an increase in violence in the hours and days before a ceasefire for the residents of Gaza, joy is mixed with fear. But Sunday's truce is still a long way away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (on camera): And it's not just that the residents of Gaza want the bombs to stop falling, want the guns to fall silent. They also need humanitarian aid, and that is a key part of this ceasefire. Within that first phase, we understand that there could be anything between 500 to 600 humanitarian aid trucks every single day going into Gaza.

That is certainly the plan they want to be able to get the aid to areas that simply haven't had it for months. There are many in Northern Gaza, for example, that have had very little over recent months, as the Israeli military has been focusing on that area, saying that that is where they believed Hamas was regrouping. So that is another key element for the residents.

Now they do -- they say want to go home. They want to be allowed to go back to where their homes were. Even many of them knowing that they're likely not standing, that there is likely just rubble in its place, but there is a sense of hope, but also a sense of fear among those that have spoken to us in Gaza about what will happen over the next couple of days until Sunday, and also what they will find when they go home, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Paula, thank you so much for that. Let's go to Tel Aviv now get the view from Israel from Jeremy Diamond. What do you understand Jeremy to be the hold up here?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office is making claims about Hamas making last minute demands at the negotiating table, claiming that Hamas is trying to extract some final Israeli concessions after the deal was agreed to and officially announced by Qatar, Egypt and the United States of America last night.

We should note, though, that none of the mediators so far have come forward with similar claims. Hamas, for its part, claims that it is fully committed to the implementation of this ceasefire agreement, and so we have to look at what else is happening right now, what else is in the background here and perhaps even in the foreground.

And that is to say that it is the Israeli Prime Minister is also currently dealing with a quite acute political crisis within his own governing coalition. And that's because Bezalel Smotrich the far-right finance minister who holds the keys to the Israeli Prime Minister staying in charge, staying in power, staying in charge of this current governing coalition.

He is vehemently opposed to this ceasefire agreement, and he is demanding assurances, I should say, from the Israeli Prime Minister that Israel will go back to war in Gaza after phase one of this agreement is complete, meaning after the 42-day ceasefire is over 33 Israeli hostages released during that period of time.

He doesn't want to see what is supposed to come next, which is negotiations in order to try and reach an end of the war in Gaza, phase two and three, which would include the release of all of the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, as well as some kind of a final political settlement to this current war.

And so, it's not clear at this point whether the Israeli Prime Minister has offered those assurances, whether Smotrich needs those in writing at this point, and so that may also be part of the reason why this security cabinet vote, this full cabinet vote, both of those have been delayed at this point.

The prime minister's office, again, says that those votes have been delayed because of what's happening in Doha with Hamas. But there are others here in Israel who believe that the real reason is because the Israeli Prime Minister isn't sure if he can maintain his governing coalition and move forward with the ceasefire agreement at the same time.

FOSTER: It does suggest, doesn't it Jeremy, there are some waivers here because it doesn't need unanimity does it that vote? Or am I wrong?

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DIAMOND: It does not need unanimity. It needs a simple majority vote. The problem is that Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, both of them, if they together, decide to leave the governing coalition, they have, I believe, 13 seats in Israel's Knesset.

The Israeli Prime Minister only has an eight-seat majority in the Knesset with his current governing coalition. So, both of them have the power to pull the rug out from under that governing coalition. Now, the Israeli Prime Minister has already been offered a lifeline by the Leader of the Opposition, Yair Lapid, who said he would come into the government in order to save this ceasefire deal and keep the Israeli prime minister in power for the time being.

But the Israeli Prime Minister clearly doesn't want to do that, because if he did, he would be handing Yair Lapid the keys to declaring new elections at a time and place of his choosing. And so, the Israeli Prime Minister is clearly fighting to save his governing coalition.

The question is, if he can't, what will he do then? Because if he reneges on this ceasefire agreement, which has been formally announced by the United States in particular, hailed by not only President Biden, but perhaps most importantly, by incoming President, Donald Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister, is going to have a lot to answer for from his American partner.

And I think we all know how Donald Trump would likely react to such a decision by the Israeli Prime Minister, without even speaking of the Israeli public here, which has been -- you know feeling a sense of relief over the course of the last 24 hours that this deal finally crossed the finish line. If the Israeli Prime Minister, then reneges on that and backtracks, I think he's going to have a lot to answer for -

FOSTER: Absolutely. Jeremy -

DIAMOND: -- Washington -

FOSTER: -- yeah, Jeremy, thank you so much for that. Let's dig into that bit further, with Aaron David Miller, Former State Department Negotiator, joining us now with some perspective on this. If he's forced into reneging Benjamin Netanyahu, how do you think Donald Trump will respond?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Right now, I don't think that's prime minister's major problem. The reality is on trial for bribery front and breach of trust in a Jerusalem District Court four years and running now.

The Prime Minister has to maintain power, which means his core and key constituency is keeping this right-wing government together. If he doesn't, he faces the prospect of a possible conviction or a plea deal that will drive him out of politics and end his political career.

So, the question, I think, right now, is whether or not Benjamin Netanyahu can find a legitimate reason justification for not moving ahead on this deal. I think Hamas will be reluctant to provide him with one, and it's quite transparent if he's trying to create out of whole cloth an issue.

Presumably, the issue in discussion now is over the degree to which Israelis will control the vetting process for the release of high- profile Palestinian prisoners. But be that as it may, if the Israeli government cannot approve the deal, and Smotrich and Ben-Gvir leave that leaves Mr. Netanyahu with the minority government.

Yes, he'll have Lapid support, but he's also now vulnerable in a way that, frankly, is much more severe than whatever consequences Donald Trump wants to impose. So, where we are in this process right now, I think, is, frankly, nowhere.

And it's actually stunning to me that the prime minister, the magician, the master politician, seems to have miscalculated with respect to at least keeping one of the two either religious Zionism Smotrich's party in office. I mean, it's part of this coalition.

FOSTER: I'm just trying to work out what's going to happen from here, because everyone's come out, they've confirmed the deals in place, and it's falling apart because of internal government politics. If he -- if he goes ahead with this, Netanyahu, can he -- is it -- are his days numbered effectively, because he wouldn't be able to get anything through Parliament?

MILLER: Well, the reality is, a minority government means that he'll who remain prime minister. The question is, at that point, you'd have six weeks to implement the first phase of the deal. And if Mr. Netanyahu, and I suspect this was his plan, was to try to convince at least Smotrich, that this was only a one phase deal, that at the end of it, Hamas would provide some justification for resuming the war. That is how I think he sold this to Smotrich.

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So, at the end of six weeks, if Netanyahu decided that he couldn't order -- his mainstay party decided that they weren't prepared to withdraw and end the war in exchange for the return of all of the remaining hostages, IDF soldiers living and dead. I suppose you'd end up with the prospects of new elections.

So right now, I think, and again, my assumption, was that this -- that the so-called magician, the man with 9 or 10 or 12 political lives, having surmounted so many challenges, would find a way out of this one. But if he can, even if there's a minority government, I think the deal as constituted is not going to go forward, because you can end up with a delay of what three months while new -- while the Israelis go to the polls again.

It's really a fraud situation, and it's a terrible tragedy for the hostages their families and for the people of Gaza, who desperately need a ceasefire and surging of humanitarian assistance.

FOSTER: It's also embarrassing for Donald Trump, who firmly threw his support behind this deal. Do you think there's a chance that next week, he may finally use that leverage the U.S. has and say -- you know we're going to cut off military support?

MILLER: I doubt it. I mean, I'm not sure. I mean that -- that's not going to get him what he wants. What he wants is this issue to go away. What he wants is the war in Gaza to end, to have some sort of soft landing, so that he could pursue what he really wants to do in the Middle East, which is get an Israeli Saudi normalization agreement that would hand him a Nobel Peace Prize.

And I think his frustrations with Netanyahu and Israeli politics are well known from Trump 1.0 when he was increasingly amused and frustrated by the fact that the Israelis had four or five elections in as many years. You once quit -- can anyone form a government in this country?

So, at the moment, Donald Trump's leverage over Israeli politics here, I think, is probably very small if - if -- well, we'll see. I mean, maybe, maybe he'll -- Netanyahu will convince Smotrich to stay in the government. Maybe he'll have to agree in a minority government.

But under pressure, it is interesting that both Donald Trump and the Israeli opposition -- you know could arguably, somehow work together, indirectly, to create a situation where you end up with new elections, and Benjamin Netanyahu is blamed, not just because he's blocked a National -- Committee of National Commission of Inquiry, say -- commissioner of inquiry on who was responsible for October 7th. But his own internal politics and efforts to accommodate an acquiesceter to the right wing cost more hostages their lives. FOSTER: OK. Aaron David Miller, thank you very much. As depressing as it all is, but great to have your analysis and what's going on behind the scenes here. From Earth, we're going to take you up into space, live pictures, in fact, from the International Space Station, where a space-walk has just begun or going to plan so far, and NASA Astronaut, Sydney Williams, Nick Hague, they just made their way out of that hatch.

They're going to be working on the station's telescopes and other external equipment. The spacewalk expected to last for more than six hours, so it was a big event, but they are truly prepared and will be following it throughout the program.

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FOSTER: Pope Francis has taken a tumble and is home. It was earlier today. According to the Vatican, it said the 88-year-old pontiff suffered a confusion to his right forearm. No bones were broken, though it was his second fall. In recent weeks, though, with more Christopher Lambs here. Well, he fell over, and that's the concern here, isn't it? Describe what you know about the accident?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Well, he fell this morning in his home, the castle Santa Marta, and we've seen this morning that his right arm is in a sling. He's been continuing with his meetings in the Vatican, greeting people with his left arm. So, it is a concern that this fall has happened, because it's the second one in recent weeks.

As you mentioned in December, the pope failed during the night and badly bruised his chin hitting it on the bedside table. Francis is, of course, 88 years old. He said in his recently published autobiography that he's in good health, but the truth is, he is old, and we are seeing some of the effects, I think of old age with these recent falls.

FOSTER: Yeah. OK. Thank you so much, Christopher for that update. Incoming, U.S. President Donald Trump taking credit for the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, saying on social media the epic ceasefire agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November with due so much without even being in the White House.

In his farewell address, the U.S. President currently saying the deal was exact framework his administration had pitched back in May. Listen to Joe Biden's response to a reporter's question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who got credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Is that a joke. No, thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in CNN's Alex Marquardt here, Alex, thank you for joining us. We were hearing earlier from Jeremy and our guests as well how it seems as though internal politics is really throwing this whole deal out at the moment. Wondering how the current and next president are going to react to this?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think in that moment, Max, you really do see that the Biden Administration really does believe that it is their work that that got us here, and of course, the Trump Administration feels like they got it across the finish line the incoming Trump Administration.

I think both things are true. It remains to be seen what percentage of credit goes to whom. I mean, this is a framework that the Biden Administration put forward at the end of last May, so eight months ago. And in the past eight months, they have not been able to get this done.

There's been a lot that has happened in the past eight months, whether it's in Syria and Lebanon, in Iran, that has certainly put pressure on Hamas. But Max, without question, the election of Donald Trump did change things, and it put a deadline on this. Certainly, it added more pressure on Israel.

It could have added more pressure on the mediators, Egypt and Qatar, because all three of those governments want to have a good relationship with the incoming Trump Administration. But, Max, this was truly a unique and historic collaboration between the outgoing Biden Administration and the incoming Trump Administration.

Not long after the election, Trump's soon to be Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff, started working closely with Biden's point man for the Middle East, Brett McGurk.

[08:25:00]

They were both out in the Middle East, in Israel, in Doha, for the past few days, they've been together in Doha, taking meetings together. Steve Witkoff was in that press conference with the Qatari Prime Minister yesterday when the deal was announced. So, this was a truly close coordination.

We heard from a senior White House official not long after this deal was announced, who called this historically almost unprecedented, a highly constructive, very fruitful partnership. So, this was a remarkable collaboration. But, Max, if and when this goes into effect, and it's expected to happen on Sunday, and there are details that are still being finalized.

That will happen on the last day of the Biden Administration, last full day. Much of this will have to be enforced by the Trump Administration. And so, they will be overseeing all of these extraordinarily complex details, all the different elements, over the course of the 42 days of phase one. And during that phase one, which is already complicated enough, they have to start negotiating phase two, which has very fundamental questions that are very tough, of whether the IDF is allowed to stay in Gaza in the long term and when this war ends. So certainly, a lot of this, no matter who is taking credit now, will have to be overseen by the Trump Administration, Max.

FOSTER: A lot of suggestion that's actually going to be the tough bit, isn't it, because there may have been deals done behind the scenes with right wing politicians in Jerusalem. That you get to the end of the first phase and you don't go any further. That's the compromise here.

How do you think, having reported on Trump all these years, he'll react to that? And do you think there's any chance that he would cut off those military supplies, which is his ultimate leverage, isn't it?

MARQUARDT: In short to that question, no, but I think you're absolutely right. I don't want to say that phase one is easy. It certainly is not, because it has taken us so long to get to this point, and there are a lot of different things that have to happen over the next six weeks for phase one to be successful.

But I think you're right that phase two really is the big question. Throughout the course of these negotiations, which you and I have talked about for over a year now, Hamas has largely stuck to its guns that it would not enter into a ceasefire agreement unless Israel agreed to end the war, and Israel has never agreed to end the war.

Eventually, Hamas backed down from that, and so that's why you're seeing these negotiations that will start we believe in the next two weeks about what this second phase is going to look like. So, I think you have a very, very basic question of whether Israel agrees to pull its troops out of Gaza, and whether it will agree to end the war.

And then, of course, major questions about Hamas' role inside Gaza, whether it will take part in the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, what role it could have in a future Palestinian government? Of course, the U.S. and Israel don't want it to have any role at all.

I think one of the big things that we that we have to consider here is the real prize for President Trump is the expansion of the Abraham accords and normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and that will not happen. Saudi Arabia will not agree to that unless there is an end to the war. And so, if Trump wants that badly enough, we could see that -- that we could see the end of the war, but it is far, far from a done deal, Max.

FOSTER: Alex, really appreciate that. Thank you. Now with only days left in office, President Joe Biden took a moment on Wednesday night say goodbye to the American people. He delivered a 19-minute speech from the Oval Office that featured a stark warning that America could be turning into an oligarchy where a few rich individuals hold all the power. But his message was also hopeful, as he ends more than five decades of public service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It will take time to feel the full impact of all we done together, but the seeds are planted, and they will grow and they will bloom for decades to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz joins us with more on the president's speech. I mean, it was a very powerful speech, wasn't it? We didn't have any of those stumbles we've become used to from President Biden. It felt like it came from the heart, and he was genuinely concerned about how power will move forward in this next presidency.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max. What was really striking about this speech is that President Biden used it to not only talk about his accomplishments and the way he hopes to be remembered, but also to address some of the very real fears he has for the country as a second Trump presidency looms.

In this final Oval Office address, Biden warns that instead that he believes that there is a dangerous concentration of power among the ultra-wealthy. He never mentioned Trump or any of his supporters, like Elon Musk by name, but it was very clear who President Biden was speaking about. Here is how he framed one of those warnings in that speech last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire Democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.

[08:30:00]

I'm equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well. Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: On top of that, the president made a thinly veiled reference to the tech moguls who have surrounded Trump as he is preparing to enter the White House, comparing them to robber barons of the 19th century. He also warned of the tech industrial complex in the U.S., saying that, that could pose a danger to the country going forward.

He really lamented the fact that disinformation has spread at times, unchecked in recent years, and he also said that artificial intelligence could pose one of the most significant threats to the country going forward. It's an interesting tone that the president struck, as he has really staked so much of his political career talking about the possibilities of America. Now, as for his own personal legacy, he did run through some of those accomplishments, but he argued, as you heard a little bit earlier, that the impact of these accomplishments will take years, potentially decades to come. That is something that Biden advisors have long argued that his investments in infrastructure, semiconductor chip manufacturing in the U.S.

And also, climate initiatives may not be felt in the immediate term, but that history will look kindlier on President Biden in the long term, as a lot of these projects start to get online. But even as you hear that optimism from the president and his team about the way he will be remembered.

Many are still taking stock of what the past four years have been like. And there are some who are acknowledging, while there were a lot of policy wins in the first two years, that in the final half of the president's term, he struggled to connect with the American people at times.

One Biden advisers saying we lost the narrative. Another former senior administration official saying it became all about Ukraine in the Middle East when there were concerns about inflation and immigration heading into the election. But for President Biden's part, he is now wrapping up this five-decade career in politics with the message the American people to stay engaged and to stand guard.

FOSTER: OK, thank you so much. Arlette at the White House. Still to come, celebrations in Gaza following the announcement of that planned ceasefire after 15 months of war, while Israelis await the return of dozens of hostages. We'll speak to the family member of one hostage just ahead.

And the deal is expected to open the way to desperately needed aid for the people of Gaza. We'll talk to a spokesperson, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:35:00]

FOSTER: The Israeli cabinet is delaying a crucial vote to confirm a complex Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal reached after 15 months of war. Israel's Prime Minister accuses Hamas of, as he puts it, attempting to extort last minute concessions. Hamas says it's committed to the agreement announced on Wednesday.

The deal brokered in Qatar calls for an initial six-week ceasefire. Hamas is expected to free 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, Israel is keeping up its deadly strikes on Gaza. At least 81 people were killed just in the past 24 hours.

Most of them after the ceasefire was announced, and that's according to Gaza officials. That's the highest daily death toll in more than a week. In Israel, there's relief tinge with caution. Many families are anticipating reunions with loved ones now. And CNN, we're actually going to speak to David Mencer, who is the government's spokesperson. We just heard is speaking now.

DAVID MENCER, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: In the Philadelphia corridor, so important, so in -- so crucial to stop weapons smuggling to Hamas. To be clear, the government of Israel wants to finalize an agreement. We want to bring our people home, and we hope that the details will indeed be finalized.

Now, if this agreement to release our hostages is finalized, it will demonstrate Israel's strength, Israel's humanity and Israel's unwavering commitment to its citizens. It comes at a time when Hamas is at its weakest, and Israel has achieved significant strategic victories against those who threaten our nation and this region.

Hamas has been decimated. Their leadership has been eliminated. Their rockets arsenal has been destroyed. Their tunnel network has been compromised. Their operational capabilities have been shattered. They are no longer the force they once were. And Iran, the driving force behind Hamas have been dealt a severe blow, indeed, many severe blows.

Let me list them for you. Its nuclear ambitions have been set back. Its ballistic missile production has been disrupted. Its proxies, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias, have been deterred or neutralized. The Iranian axis of terror is collapsing. Now, Hamas is not just Israel's enemy, it's also the enemy of the Gazan people.

They have used ordinary Gazans as human shields, deliberately maximizing civilian casualties to fuel their own propaganda. They steal humanitarian aid and they sell it back to Gazans at extortionate prices. They starve and exploit their own people. Their evil knows no bounds. But Israel is not just fighting Hamas.

We are liberating Gaza from Hamas' tyranny. Every strike against Hamas is a step forward towards freedom for Gazans from this brutal regime. Now we're asked often why this agreement has come to a head now. I'll tell you. This moment has been chosen because of our -- of Israel's military and diplomatic strength.

Hamas is on the ropes, and international pressure, including President Trump's decisive stance, together with the Biden Administration, have created the conditions for this agreement, if that does indeed come to pass. This is Israel acting from a position of power.

We do this because every Israeli life matters, every Palestinian life matters while Hamas dehumanizes and exploits their own people. Israel saves lives both Israeli and Gaza. We show the world the stark difference between good and evil. Now, this hostage deal, if it isn't this hostage agreement, if it is finally agreed, is not a concession, it's a demonstration of Israel's strength and moral clarity.

Hamas days are numbered, and Gaza will be free from their terror. Israel will continue to protect its people, defend its values and work towards a future of safety and peace for this region.

[08:40:00]

So that's the end of our briefing today. I will now take your questions, please put them in the chat together with your news outlet, and we've got time for just two or three questions. OK, first question --

FOSTER: Let's bring in Juliette Touma. She's the Director of Communications at UNRWA, the U.N. Agency for Palestinian refugees. She joins us from Amman in Jordan. Thank you for joining us. I mean, still quite confident words about this deal coming from the Israeli spokesperson we were just hearing there.

But the meeting we're expecting to have started already, which will formally approve this deal, and it's being delayed, and it's clearly some internal politics going on there? How concerned are you that this isn't actually going to happen? I understand you can't get involved in the politics, but we were expecting it to be cleared up by now.

JULIETTE TOUMA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AT UNRWA: Yes, absolutely. I mean, we've not lost hope and fingers crossed that these -- deal will start to be implemented. In fact, this Sunday, by schedule, it's much, much needed, and people in Gaza and the families of the hostages in Israel have been waiting for this moment for months on end.

FOSTER: The Hamas spokesperson yesterday warning people not to go home yet to Northern Gaza, for example, even though they will be allowed to once a ceasefire starts. I mean, just describe what it's like for those people. They don't know what they're going to go back to do they famine is rife. Just describe what a typical life is for those people from Northern Gaza, but currently living out in the streets.

TOUMA: Yeah, I mean, people's hearts have been riddled with anxiety and fear and lack of safety, because the past 15 months have been anything but safe for the people of Gaza. So, they need respite, and they need for the guns to finally go silent, and for a standard flow of not only humanitarian supplies, which is very much needed, but also commercial supplies for the market. These are people who have lost everything and need everything, including very basic supplies.

FOSTER: In terms of UNRWA's position, obviously there's, you know, you coordinate most of the aid going through this enclave. I know many groups are involved, but you're the central agency, and yet Israel won't recognize you now. How do you understand this gush of aid we're expecting to go in after the ceasefire will work?

TOUMA: A lot of bulls are in the air, and there is lots of factors. But yes, UNRWA is the largest humanitarian organization, our teams, as we speak, continue to be on the ground in Gaza, we stay, we deliver. We have a huge reach among the population. I can't see a way for this increase in flow of supplies. I can't see a way for it to be implemented without UNRWA.

FOSTER: So what plans are in place? I mean, clearly, you've been having discussions for some time with the other organizations there. You need to get in as soon as you're -- well, I know you're operating there, but you need to sort of ramp up the aid getting into the enclave as quickly as possible. What plans are in place?

TOUMA: That is correct. The plan is for this deal to come into effect as soon as possible, for safety to finally land in Gaza and for a standard flow of humanitarian supplies, including through UNRWA. We have teams on the ground, thousands of them, in fact, the largest United Nations agency who are there, who will receive these supplies and give it to people in need.

FOSTER: OK, Touma, you're working hard as ever, but it's about to get a lot more intense, and we appreciate your time. Thank you for joining us.

TOUMA: Thanks for having me.

FOSTER: More than a week on fire, crews are still battling blazes across Southern California, but they have some hope today, the respite is actually on the way, the latest from Pacific Palisades just ahead. And can Donald Trump save TikTok from shutting down. The U.S. ban is threatening the video sharing app and time certainly running out.

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FOSTER: Firefighters in California are expecting a little relief from Mother Nature today as they fight to bring wildfires under control, lighter winds, that is, and some humid air too. Most of the red flag warnings are -- that were in force yesterday have actually gone away, at least for now, as cooler temperatures set in, but high winds are expected to return again next week.

And the two biggest wildfires, the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, are still far from being fully contained. Joining us now from Pacific Palisades is CNN's Stephanie Elam, so at least it means a bit of a break even if it's about to get worse again.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is exactly true, Max, and we are happy to have these calmer winds now, even though we know they could come back next week, but we're just out here in the darkness because it's still very early here, and I can tell you, fire trucks are still out roaming through making sure that there aren't any hot spots.

Because that's the reason why we haven't seen this fire completely contained, is that controlling those hot spots, which could be burning down into the root systems of trees, shrubs, bushes, and then if the wind comes and picks them up, and then they can start up another fire.

So that's what they're concerned about. They're also concerned about the air quality. In fact, L.A. County yesterday saying that people should still wear their masks here because the air quality index can't pick up the ash that's in the air. And I'm going to step out of the shot so you can see just how bad this is.

This is the concern here. They've now made it so that they've banned being able to for residents to clean up their own destruction at their house, simply because they want to make sure that the Environmental Protection Agency is allowed to come in here and clean it up as need be, to get rid of all the toxic ash, all the chemicals, all the plastics that burn those batteries that power electric vehicles, which could be unstable.

It could be like munitions. So, all of that, they're looking to come through here and clean that up, clean up the top layer of the soil as well. And then as far as damage control, and that inspections of these areas are 30 percent completed here at this fire. But this is also one of those things that we have to learn from.

And one of the ways they're going to do that is, look at this house next door, Max. Unbelievable! It almost looks like it isn't in the fire zone. I've driven around so much of the space, there's so many blocks after block that's destroyed, but this house is practically perfect.

So obviously, these are going to be lessons for how people rebuild. Unfortunately, though, they're not going to be able to get back in here in the near future, because they're doing all of this mitigation to make sure that it's safe for people to come back, because of all the toxins and all of this burn rubble that they have to clear out of here first before people can get back in.

FOSTER: OK, Steph, take care there. Thank you very much indeed for bringing us that insight into an area that, as -- Steph was saying, people still can't get into. But also, Steph illustrating there how there have been some remarkable stories of hope as well. You had that house there still standing and check this out. Dot a bright blue there, swiftly being dubbed the miracle van.

You can see why. This is a Malibu neighborhood gutted by the L.A. wildfires, but the Volkswagen van escaped almost intact.

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The owners were actually out surfing at the time. They were pretty surprised to see this picture.

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MEGAN KRYSTIE WEINRAUB, OWNER OF VOLKSWAGEN VAN: I just can't believe that this is actually like my bus is the only thing that survived on the street that I walk by with my dog like every single day, it's -- I'm speechless to see all the houses burnt, and I can't believe that Azula (ph), the bus, that's what we named it, survived like it's -- I'm just in shock,

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Iconic image there, and Megan says her friends always refer to the van as the Magic Bus, not a bad name for it. I think everyone will agree, the VW survive with minimal damage, nothing that a lick of paint and a change of headlights can't put right. Still to come, are you a TikTok refugee or about to become one? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'll explain after the break.

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FOSTER: The clock is ticking for TikTok, ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns it has just three days before the popular app is banned in the U.S. That is unless TikTok's U.S. operations are sold or the Supreme Court overturns the ban. Recent reports say the app was shut down entirely for U.S. users come Sunday.

Many American TikTokers have been looking for alternatives, and they've rallied to the hashtag TikTok refugees. CNN has learned that Donald Trump is looking to possible stop gap measures to keep TikTok from shutting down. CNN's Clare Duffy is here with more details.

They are the two options, aren't they? And Sunday is make or break. The Supreme Court widely expected to allow the ban to continue, but there is this other option that it could be sold.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yeah, Max. I think the bottom line is that we're just three days away from this ban, and there is still so much uncertainty about what is going to happen. We still haven't heard a decision from the Supreme Court. We're now hearing that Trump may try to do something to extend Americans access to the ban give a little bit more time while he works out a potential deal to sell the app to an American owner.

But for users, there's a lot of uncertainty about what's going to happen, and so that means folks are seeking out alternative platforms. You've seen a number of TikTok clones rising the ranks on the Apple and Google App Stores this week, and I want to just talk to you about a few of the big ones.

The most popular this week is this app called red note. It's a Chinese short form video app. And what's really fascinating is you're seeing a lot of the Chinese users welcome in, American TikTok users offering Mandarin lessons, that sort of thing.

We're also seeing a lot of the American users posting to the platform expressing frustration with the U.S. government and essentially saying, if you're going to take away TikTok, we're just going to find another Chinese app to go ahead and join. So that's been really interesting to see.

Another big one is Lemon8, and that is a platform from TikTok owner, ByteDance. It is much more like Pinterest than TikTok, but it's an app that ByteDance started pushing in 2023 when talks of a potential ban started bubbling up. That is gaining a lot of traction this week, but experts told me that both of those Chinese based platforms could still be subject to the same law that is looking to ban TikTok.

And so those may not be around forever. There are a number of American alternatives too. I mean, of course you think of the big one, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, but another one that's gaining popularity this week is called clapper. It is really just a TikTok clone, but the executives there told us that they gained just 400,000 users just yesterday alone, and 1.4 million users over the past week.

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So, it's interesting to see a number of these sort of third-party alternative platforms really gaining traction, but I don't think we know yet which one is really going to be the TikTok replacement, if any.

FOSTER: Yeah, indeed, it might survive somehow, but it's complicated to see how that will work. Clare, thank you so much for joining us. That decision will be on Sunday, so we'll be pulling that closely. We're going back to space, though, in the meantime. Sonny Williams and Nick Hague have their tools out.

You can see them there working away. They're doing upgrades on the exterior of the space station. This is an hours' long walk, big risks, but they put a huge amount of preparation into it, and we're not hearing any issues with it so far, but we'll keep you updated on that. We wish them well in their work, high above us. Thanks for joining us here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster. "Connect the World" with Becky, up next.

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