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CNN International: Trump Says the U.S. Will Take Over the Gaza Strip, Suggests Relocating Palestinians; More Than 8,700 Arrests, Nearly 6,000 Deportations in Trump's First Weeks as Per DHS; USAID Workers Around the World to Be Put on Leave; CIA Offers to Buyout Its Entire Workforce; USPS Resumes Accepting Parcels From China and Hong Kong; Worst Mass Shooting in Swedish History, at Least 10 Dead, Many Injured; Thousands Flee Santorini Amid Hundreds of Aftershocks; 11 Tons of Kimchi Confiscated at Seoul Airport Last Year; Grammys, FireAid Concerts Expected to Raised Over $120 Million for L.A. Fire Relief; Princess of Wales Joins School Children on Field Trip. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired February 05, 2025 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
DR. PAUL OFFIT, MEMBER, FDA VACCINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE: -- obesity, like type two diabetes, great idea. There are a lot of people in this country that can do that. But with this man, you're getting the additional baggage of the fact that he is a virulent anti-vaccine activist who means it -- he means it. And you're going to see -- you're going to see how much he means that soon.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Dr. Paul Offit, thank you so much for coming in. A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts now.
AMARA WALKER, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Hi, everyone, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Amara Walker. This is "CNN Newsroom". Just ahead, U.S. President Donald Trump floats a stunning plan, an American takeover of Gaza. We're going to have full coverage of this shock announcement this hour with reaction coming in from around the globe. Plus, parcels on pause, the U.S. Postal Service stops taking packages from China and Hong Kong, what this means for businesses and consumers. And constant aftershocks, thousands evacuate the Greek island of Santorini amid near-constant tremors. We're going to speak to one resident this hour.
Reaction is pouring in after the U.S. President's bombshell announcement on the future of Gaza that breaks with decades of U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Trump's proposal is being largely met with shock, outrage, and condemnation around the world. Donald Trump laid out his vision at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, and his plan calls for "the U.S. to take over Gaza," relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries, and redevelop the enclave into what Mr. Trump describes as the Riviera of the Middle East.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Just to follow- up on what you were saying about the Gazans leaving Gaza, going to other countries, one, where exactly are you suggesting that they should go? And two, are you saying they should return after it's rebuilt? And if not, who do you envision living there?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I envision world people living there, the world's people. I think you'll make that into an international unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable, and I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world will be there, and they'll --
COLLINS: But not the Palestinians?
TRUMP: And they'll live there. Palestinians also, Palestinians will live there. Many people will live there, but they've tried the other and they've tried it for decades and decades and decades. It's not going to work. It didn't work. It will never work. And you have to learn from history. History has -- you just can't let it keep repeating itself. We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal, and I don't want to be cute. I don't want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be so --
COLLINS: But where do those people go in the meantime, Mr. President?
TRUMP: -- magnificent. But more importantly than that is the people that have been absolutely destroyed, that live there now, can live in peace in a much better situation because they're living in hell. And those people will now be able to live in peace. We'll make sure that it's done world class. It'll be wonderful for the people. Palestinians --
COLLINS: But they want to know where you want them to go in the meantime.
TRUMP: Palestinians mostly we're talking about, and I have a feeling that despite them saying no, I have a feeling that the king in Jordan and that the general president, but the general in Egypt will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done. And people can live in harmony and in peace. Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: The Palestinian Authority President says any such move would be a serious violation of international law. Tens of thousands of Palestinians who walked for hours to return to their bombed-out homes in Gaza after the ceasefire came into effect say, they won't leave. One man told CNN, this land is not ours, but our grandparents' and our ancestors' before us. How am I supposed to leave it? Earlier, my colleague, Sara Sidner, spoke to CNN White House Reporter Alayna Treene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: From what we saw, it was clear that the president was kind of moving toward this all day, even before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even arrived here at the White House yesterday afternoon. Now, as you said, Donald Trump, when he got up there on that podium -- behind that podium, next to the prime minister, he said essentially that in his view, he thinks the war in the Middle East should end with all of the men, women and children moving out of Gaza and allowing the United States to, as you played, own it and turn it into a Riviera of sorts. I want you to take a listen to more of how he framed this.
TRUMP: It would be my hope that we could do something really nice, really good, where they wouldn't want to return, why would they want to return? The place has been hell, it's been one of the meanest, one of the meanest, toughest places --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But, it's their home, sir. Why would they leave?
[08:05:00]
TRUMP: -- on earth. You take certain areas and you build really good- quality housing, like a beautiful town, like someplace where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guaranty that they're going to end up dying.
TREENE: Now, Sara, this is not just some offhanded comment. We know that the president has used similar rhetoric in the past when referring to Gaza and the Gaza Strip. However, he did go further with this, of course, yesterday than he has before. Not only is this in opposition to what U.S. presidents have said for decades now, but it also could threaten the very delicate deal that is still being worked out, and of course, the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The other question, of course, is where would the 2 million, roughly 2 million Gazans go if displaced? The president continues to say he thinks Egypt and Jordan should take some of these people in and accept them. But of course, these countries, we've heard them repeatedly reject that notion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Well, that was CNN's White House Reporter, Alayna Treene reporting. Now, as President Trump was upending decades of policy in one of the world's most volatile regions, the Israeli prime minister was smiling. Far-right Israeli officials who threaten Mr. Netanyahu's political survival were quick to praise the plan. And here's how the prime minister himself described it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: President Trump is taking it to a much higher level. He sees a different -- he sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so many attacks against us, so many trials, and so many tribulations. He has a different idea, and I think it's worth paying attention to this. We're talking about it. He's exploring it with his people, with his staff. I think it's something that could change history and it's worthwhile really pursuing this avenue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Well, the U.S. president's plan to forcibly displace more than 2 million Palestinians was quickly rejected by international powers, with critics saying it amounts to ethnic cleansing. And the Palestinian Authority President says it would be a serious violation of international law. CNN's Jeremy Diamond spoke to our Kate Bolduan earlier, and he has more on the reaction.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: There has been widespread criticism and condemnation of President Trump's suggestion that the Palestinians be forcibly displaced from the Gaza Strip. He is, of course, talking about moving more than 2 million Palestinians who live in Gaza forcibly outside of the Gaza Strip, and also suggesting that this would be a permanent move as the United States would seek to take over the Gaza Strip and turn it into some kind of real estate development.
The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has now sounded off saying, "We will not allow for the rights of our people, for which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve, to be infringed upon. These calls represent a serious violation of international law.
The countries that President Trump has said would take in these Palestinian refugees, Egypt and Jordan, they have rejected these calls with the Egyptian foreign ministry once again today, making clear that Egypt is opposed to this and wants to see Gaza rebuilt without relocating Palestinians outside of the Gaza Strip.
And it's important to note that beyond this forced displacement that President Trump is suggesting, what he also suggests effectively could close off the possibility of a Palestinian State, at least in terms of the Gaza Strip. And yesterday, President Trump was also talking about this notion of Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization, and suggesting that he doesn't believe that Saudi Arabia actually needs to see Palestinian Statehood.
But the Saudi foreign ministry is rejecting that saying in a statement, "Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that. The only people who are accepting President Trump's statements so far in the region are far-right Israeli politicians like Itamar Ben-Gvir, like the Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who are all praising this idea because for months now, they have been suggesting forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza. And now, they're hearing it from the president of the United States.
WALKER: CNN's Jeremy Diamond reporting there from Tel Aviv. For more reaction to Donald Trump's outlandish and frankly, dangerous comments, I want to bring in Aaron David Miller. He's a former Middle East Negotiator with the U.S. State Department. Aaron, good to have you. It's worth repeating Trump's plan because for a lot of people, it's just mind boggling. So let's be clear here. This is what Trump wants to do with Gaza. He wants to turn it into the Riviera of the Middle East, his words, by having the U.S. seize control of Gaza and then taking the entire population, more than 2 million Palestinians, and relocating them to other countries like Jordan and Egypt in the Middle East.
[08:10:00]
We saw the swift reaction, the rejections from Hamas, and from regional powers. You say, obviously, this is an extraordinary proposal. It's brazen. But you also noted, Aaron, that Trump appeared to be reading from a part of a prepared statement produced after his meeting with Netanyahu. Tell me more.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I noticed that, and I think it reflects the fact that, clearly, this has been -- well, the idea, whether it's on the back of a cocktail napkin or on a piece of paper, has been thought out, at least put down on paper, which means to me that he has previewed and/or discussed this with the prime minister.
I think, frankly, I understand the media's reaction, my reaction to the head-exploding proposal, but I think we really missed the story here. The story, I think, is the fact that the prime minister of Israel leaves the White House, left the White House like a cat who has swallowed a dozen canaries. I mean, whatever pressure he was expecting from Donald Trump on how to get from phase one to phase two, frankly, has disappeared. And what Trump has done, essentially, is to provide him with talking points.
I think the most constructive interpretation of what he has done, he has provided the prime minister with talking points, which allows him to combat his right wing at least through the first phase, because he could say to his right wing, look, what's happening guys, here's a guy, the president, my friend, who's prepared to get the Saudis to pay for this. He's going to deal with Hamas. He may even deploy American troops, and essentially, he's going to depopulate Gaza of Palestinians, which will open the door to renewed Israeli settlement.
So, I just think in 27 years of working for Republican/Democratic administrations, and frankly, there have been some strange proposals, this goes way above and beyond.
WALKER: Yeah. This definitely takes --
DAVID MILLER: Way above and beyond.
WALKER: -- the cake. Yeah, absolutely. So clearly, as you mentioned, Trump will not be a force and reigning in Netanyahu. Then what -- then this -- it begs the question about phase two and what this means for phase two. And just a reminder, the talks for the second phase were supposed to get underway on Monday, and it is supposed to lead to freeing the remaining hostages in Gaza and permanently ending the war. Where do things go from here then?
DAVID MILLER: I think phase two is living on borrowed time even before these -- I'm being kind here -- out-of-the-box remarks by the president. The reality is phase two requires heavy lifts by Hamas and the current Israeli government, in my judgment, that they cannot possibly take. Hamas, if you get through phase one, Hamas is going to retain 65, estimated 65 Israeli soldiers, both alive, half of whom the Israelis believe are dead. And it's basically being asked to turn all the hostages in exchange for a commitment from the government of Israel to end the war and to withdraw its forces from Gaza.
Hamas is not going to release hostages unless they have ironclad guarantees that the Israelis are prepared to end the war. Nobody, not the U.S., no power, no government is going to give -- is going to provide Hamas without guarantee. And Mr. Netanyahu is not going to withdraw from Gaza unless there is some security architecture, which is frankly nowhere near ready for prime time to replace Israelis.
WALKER: So --
DAVID MILLER: Even then, Amara, I think, this is really fraught.
WALKER: So, do you think Trump just ended phase two talks before they even began?
DAVID MILLER: Well, again, I think the problems, the structural problems of phase two predated even Trump's coming to office.
WALKER: Yeah.
DAVID MILLER: I mean, I think American negotiators all along believe that maybe, if you can get six, eight, 10 weeks of quiet, surging humanitarian assistance into Gaza, release of hostages, the public pressure is on Hamas and on the current Israeli government would build, so you could renew the ceasefire and keep it going. That's the hope, but frankly, I'm not sure it's, right now, a very realistic one.
WALKER: Staying with the shocking, really absurd nature of these comments from a U.S. president, I want to read a quote from Stephen Collinson with CNN, one of his pieces today. He talks about the consequences if Trump actually follows through. That's a whole another topic -- if he follows through with these declarations. And he says, if the leader of the world's most powerful democracy led such a forced relocation, he would mirror crimes of past tyrants and create an excuse for every autocrat to launch mass ethnic cleansing programs against vulnerable minorities. Do you agree?
DAVID MILLER: I think he sent a clear signal to both Putin and Xi that their territorial aspirations, whether it's retaining most of the Donbas or more of Ukraine, with respect to Xi, it's Taiwan, that basically, yeah, I mean, because I have the power, because I have the force, I'm going to declare, pronounce as he's done with Panama, as he's done with Greenland, and frankly, as he has tried to do with Canada, to basically have my way, have my way in the world.
[08:15:00]
And frankly, the U.S. does not adhere to international law. It ignores it when it's convenient and abides by it when it's not, or the other way around. I think this even goes beyond that. This combines the worst elements of 19th century colonialism, imperialism, and even given the fact that when Kaitlan Collins asked him, who would live in Gaza, he said, if I'm correct, the world's people. He wasn't even talking about returning, presumably returning Palestinians to this new paradise. So again, I think this is frankly wrong on almost every single count that I can imagine.
WALKER: Before we go, as we know, Netanyahu has been in a precarious political situation back at home. What does this mean for him and his viability?
DAVID MILLER: No, I think it clearly -- he's got -- he's got the budget. He's got a pass by the end of March. He's got an ultra orthodox conscription bill that could sink to government. I think this gives him leeway to say, I can manage Donald Trump. He's my friend. He's on our side, so stay in this government. We've got a good thing going here. That's the story here, I think. Yeah, Gaza, but in terms of practical realities on the ground, it's no daylight, at least for now. Who knows? Next week, I mean, Donald Trump may change his mind.
WALKER: Right.
DAVID MILLER: But at least for now, no daylight between the U.S. and Israel.
WALKER: Yeah. Which is in incredible to see because, in just recent days, it seemed that they had frosty relations, but no daylight between them being the headline. Aaron David Miller, thank you very much for your analysis.
DAVID MILLER: Thank you, Amara.
WALKER: Well, we're going to have more on President Trump's Gaza proposal later this hour. I'm going to speak to CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson about how countries in the region are reacting to all this. Stay with us.
Cheap Chinese goods are the lifeblood of companies like Temu and Shein. However, a U.S. new postal service rule may make them more expensive, even if they arrive. The details coming up. And we go to the farmlands of Nebraska, a state where Donald Trump is very popular, but there are concerns about his immigration crackdown. We'll have that story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: The Department of Homeland Security says, President Trump has delivered on his promise to begin mass deportations of, what it calls, violent criminals in the U.S. The Trump Administration published statistics Tuesday on the first two weeks of their immigration crackdown, and they say nearly 9,000 "Immigration violators" have been arrested and nearly 6,000 people have been deported.
[08:20:00]
There have been about 620 arrests per day under the Trump Administration, about double the rate from last year when Biden was president. Even in red states where President Trump is very popular, his immigration cracked down is not being met with universal support. CNN's John King went to Nebraska in the heart of the American Farm Belt where he heard a lot of concerns about the impact of Trump's immigrant policies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Nebraska Prairie, it's calm and quiet as the rolling farmlands wait out winter.
CROWD: This is what community looks like.
KING (voice-over): But even here, the new Trump agenda stirs passion and fear.
CROWD: Lower hate.
KING (voice-over): Immigrant workers are critical in a state where cattle outnumber people by more than three to one. Nebraska is second to Texas in U.S. beef production, sixth in pork, and its 'Cornhusker State' nickname celebrates its role as an agriculture giant.
JOHN HANSEN, PRESIDENT, NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION: If we have a hitch in the get along in Nebraska, it's a big enough processing state. It's going to be felt in the food chain.
KING (voice-over): By hitch in the get along, Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen means the Trump immigration cracked down that rounds up undocumented workers.
HANSEN: Do we need better enforcement? I think we do. There's a constructive way to do it and there's a lesser constructive way to do it. And so, it remains to be seen how we proceed.
KING (voice-over): This is a red state and its Republican governor is offering support if the Trump White House puts Nebraska on its immigration crackdown list. Fear is the word you hear most from immigrants, even those with legal status.
GIN, NEBRASKA RESIDENT: His first term was more of like, let's see if this can happen. This year is more, I'm going to do it.
They go to school --
KING (voice-over): Gin has a green card now and is working towards citizenship, but he has family and friends who are undocumented, and he asked that we not use his full name.
GIN: It's a scary time for my community, for people I care for, are basically are not lucky enough like I am.
KING (voice-over): Rumors of ICE activity spread fast, as did word that agents can now enter schools and churches.
GIN: It starts off people getting scared. Basically it starts off like, have you seen immigration? Have you seen this? And you see the fear in people's eyes, just the fact that they can't go out to the store, they can't go get groceries or even hospitals. It is just a hard time.
KING (voice-over): Immigrant advocates like Mary Choate say clients are worried now about sending their children to school or showing up for English classes and other services.
MARY CHOATE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE: We really want to keep immigrants and refugees involved in the community because they're so integral to our community, but it's been very difficult for them to be able to do that because they fear going outside of their homes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: [Foreign Language] Honduras, Central America.
KING (voice-over): Gee (ph) is seeking asylum. She was a journalist back home in Honduras, targeted by the government, she says after reports detailing corruption.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): If I go back to Honduras, they will kill me.
KING (voice-over): She entered the States a year ago, using a Biden Administration phone app that Trump eliminated on day one.
KING: Your lawyers tell you you're in the asylum process and you should be OK, but with Trump as president, are you worried?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Of course, for sure.
KING: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Because he tries to implement quite strict policies with immigrants in general. And I think even more with people who have just entered the country. At least with the program I entered with, there is some instability, so to speak. So of course, that increases anxiety and concern.
With Trump's arrival, I have felt very unstable. I have a lot of anxiety. I suffer from insomnia and I cannot stop thinking about the possibility of being deported. I cannot go back.
KING (voice-over): Nebraska State Senator Kathleen Kauth is pushing a new e-verify law that requires employers to certify their workers are legal. Simple and common sense, she says, but Kauth concedes the polarized national debate might make it harder to win over Democrats.
SEN. KATHLEEN KAUTH, (R-NE): I'm really more worried about Nebraska and focusing on what do we need in Nebraska to understand the problem? How do we make sure that we are keeping people who are not here legally from taking jobs from people who are here?
KING (voice-over): Kauth believes the state can handle any workforce disruption caused by stronger enforcement. And she is a state example of the Trump effect on the Republican Party. Any path to status or citizenship for those already here illegally must start with going home.
KAUTH: I kind of view it as a poison apple from the poison tree, whatever the legal definition is. If your first act is to break the law, you have become a criminal. And so therefore, everything after, even if it's well-intentioned, even if it's wonderful, please go back and go through the process because we do want you here, but we need you to do it the right way. And I don't think that that should ever change.
KING (voice-over): Go back is the driving theme of the new Republican immigration push and a big reason more immigrants think it's best to stay in the shadows.
[08:25:00]
John King, CNN, Lincoln, Nebraska.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Fascinating look there from John King. The U.S. Agency that spends tens of billions of dollars a year on projects that feed the hungry, clean the water, and provide lifesaving healthcare on all corners of the planet is being shut down. Just hours ago, staffers for the U.S. Agency for International Aid Development were told they are being placed on leave starting on Friday. The statement on the USAID website says, thank you for your service.
Nearly all USAID employees working overseas are being told they will be brought back to the U.S. in the next few weeks. The directive comes as the Trump Administration has begun dismantling the agency and froze almost all foreign aid. It should come as no surprise that Democrats think Trump's aid cutoff is a bad idea that will harm the reputation of the U.S. around the globe.
Just minutes ago, CNN spoke to a Democratic Senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee and he said, this move is being celebrated by America's rivals on the world stage.
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, (D-MD) SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: AID is a very important instrument of U.S. national and security policy. So when the president is talking about shutting down AID, this is another case, John, where our adversaries are cheering. China's cheering; Russia's cheering. In fact, one of Putin's cronies tweeted out right away, 'Good work, Elon,' because they would like to see the United States retreat.
These development programs are a tiny part of our budget, but if you ask anybody in the United States Military, they will say that those investments are a force multiplier. And so, this is another case where the president is serving the interests of our adversaries and they're doing it in legal (ph) manners.
WALKER: Meanwhile, the CIA is offering its entire workforce a buyout offer. It's part of Donald Trump's plan to shrink the federal government. Here's how it works. Federal employees can quit their jobs and receive roughly eight months of pay and benefits. The CIA says it will infuse the agency with renewed energy.
A source tells CNN some CIA jobs and areas of expertise are likely to be exempt so to not weaken the agency. CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst, Andrew McCabe is formerly the FBI's Deputy Director and he tells CNN's John Berman what he thinks the effect will be on the agency.
ANDREW MCCABE, . CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: To release those people, to encourage them or badger them into leaving the agency en mass would create a significant drain of not just capacity because of the numbers of folks that might go, but also deprive the agency and the country of the expertise and the unique perspective that these folks have because of the work that they've been doing. That is not a source that you can just tap in the private sector and bring people in. This is something that's built up over years and years of really hard work, and it would be very, very, damaging to the agency's ability to continue functioning at a high level.
WALKER: Still to come, Donald Trump wipes away decades of U.S. policy on the Middle East. We get more reaction to his stunning comments about taking over Gaza.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:31:30]
WALKER: And we have breaking news regarding the U.S. Post Office. Postal officials say they will resume accepting packages and inbound mail from China and Hong Kong. The Postal Service paused the service after a Trump executive order that ended a duty-free and inspection- free exemption. A statement says the USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery.
Marc Stewart joining us now with the view from Beijing. Mark, wow, quite a rapid change of policy again from USPS. What do we know?
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Amara. I think we were all caught a little bit off guard just around 30 minutes ago, the Postal Service released a statement, basically saying that it will begin accepting international packages from China and from Hong Kong. It went on to say that the Postal Service, along with Customs and Border Protection, are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery.
So what we have here, we have seen some changes in policy because of this trade dispute between the U.S. and China. A lot of people, a lot of Americans use these online retailers, Shein which is known for fashion, Temu which is kind of a lower end of Amazon. These are all Chinese e-retailers, Americans like them. And in the past, I did not have to pay a tax, a duty tax is the proper term, but that has changed under the new rules of this White House, a way to get back and forth between this dispute with China and the U.S. So basically, packages can come from China and Hong Kong into the U.S., but the tax that consumers will have to pay will remain a change from the past. And it's part of this ongoing trade tension, it's an issue that came up today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs daily press briefing. I asked a Chinese government official about what's happening. I want to just share with you that exchange very briefly. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Does China feel the United States will act in good faith moving forward?
LIN JIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: The United States has imposed a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods on the grounds of the fentanyl issue. China is strongly dissatisfied with this and firmly opposes it. The measures China has taken are necessary to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: And China says it has done its share to protect Americans from fentanyl, and it is truly an American issue. But China's making it very clear that it will defend itself. So now, a little bit of a change in American policy. Again, packages from Hong Kong and China can now come back into the United States, there was a suspension, but a tax that was not there in the past is now in place and American consumers will likely pay more for products coming from such popular sites as Shein and from Temu.
WALKER: And I mean, Marc, this is just an example, right? One of maybe many of how unpredictable things are becoming when it comes to trade between the U.S. and China.
[08:35:00]
STEWART: Absolutely. And I think the one thing that the world is waiting for is a much anticipated phone call between President Xi Jinping and President Trump. Earlier in the week, President Trump said a phone call would take place over a 24-hour period. That time has now passed. In fact, today at this government briefing, we were asking, well, when will this take place? And there's still no strong guidance. But this call is important in the sense that it will determine where this relationship goes, where this whole trade relationship goes.
Will President Trump call up China's Xi Jinping and say, well, we're going to put more tariffs in place because you threw tariffs at us. You are very correct. The roadmap ahead is very murky. It's very uncertain, and the uncertainty that is being felt in the U.S. is just as strong here in China, Amara.
WALKER: All right, Marc Stewart breaking it down for us. Thank you very much, as always. Let's return now to our top story and Donald Trump's remarkable comments that the U.S. should take ownership of Gaza, seize control of Gaza. The president made the claim while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Donald Trump proposed relocating the 2 million Palestinians that live there while also sending U.S. troops to the territory. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It would be my hope that we could do something really nice, really good, where they wouldn't want to return, why would they want to return? The place has been hell, it's been one of the meanest, one of the meanest, toughest places --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But, it's their home, sir. Why would they leave?
TRUMP: -- on earth. You take certain areas and you build really good- quality housing, like a beautiful town, like someplace where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guaranty that they're going to end up dying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: His comments have, of course, been met with skepticism including from members of his own party. Any such move would likely contradict international law and would be vehemently opposed by the Arab states. In fact, many of them are rejecting this proposal. Saudi Arabia has already condemned the plan, and I want to pick up on a point raised in the sound bite we just played. When a reporter asked the president, why would the Palestinians leave their home?
In recent weeks, we have seen quite the opposite, hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents returning home with hope, and in many cases, returning to rubble. But it's home nonetheless. This is their home. Let's not forget that.
For more, let's bring in Nic Robertson in London. Nic, you've been doing this a while. Did your jaw just drop to the floor when you heard this proposal that's been described as absurd, outlandish, and brazen?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. Or as one source said -- regional source said to me, when he woke up and saw it this morning, mad. Look, yeah, it's shocking. It's surprising. It's been trailed (ph). We've got a hint that this was coming. President Trump has been hinting about it for a while, for a week at least.
Let's unpack it a bit. I mean, we were just talking to Marc in Beijing there and about this sudden reversal from the Trump Administration over the post coming from China. A day ago or two days ago, I lose track already, we woke up in the morning and the 25 percent trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada by the end of the day, those have both been suspended by a month. We know that Donald Trump says stuff and uses it as a bluff, as part of a negotiating, a pressure point.
So the question has to come to your mind right now, and it came to mine. OK, is that what he's doing right now? Is this a pressure on the Palestinians to basically say you can have nothing, nothing -- not your homes, not nothing, you are gone, or sign up to question mark, because we don't know the details of what Israel is going to want in phase two and phase three of the negotiations that are going on right now. We know what they've talked about in the past, but is it included in all of that, that Hamas should be gone forever? We know that Israel says it can't tolerate any survival of Hamas. So, does as part of the unseen discussions behind the scenes, require for Hamas to leave Gaza altogether? How would that happen? All those questions, but is that the option on the table now being presented to the Palestinians? And if they go for option B that we don't really know about, then Trump backs down and the language changes? Is that where we're at? We just don't know is the reality.
WALKER: I'm sure it's also insulting to so many Palestinians when they hear President Trump speaking as if he knows what's better for them and that they're going back, he said, because they have no other alternative. Talk to me what happens from here in terms of regional partners, their reaction, but also phase two of the ceasefire talks?
ROBERTSON: Yeah. We know where Egypt stands on this. We know where Jordan stands on this. Both the leaders of those countries have said this is potentially an existential threat to the stability at least in their countries.
[08:40:00]
We've heard from the Israeli Foreign Minister today, Gideon Sa'ar saying that he is hearing even from European leaders who are unhappy with what they're hearing. We heard Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, speaking in parliament today, saying that the Palestinians have a right to go home. They have a right to rebuild their houses. We should be helping them.
There's a political reality that leaders like Starmer and other European leaders face, and that is there is a massive public support on the streets of their countries for the Palestinian cause. And this, what Trump is suggesting, flies in the face of that. You would very likely witness, if there were mile after mile columns of these 2.1 million, not 1.8 million by the way as President Trump says, 2.1 million Palestinians being forced out of Gaza, you would see hundreds, thousands of people likely on the streets of European cities protesting this.
This will be pressure on European leaders, pressure that they would try to apply back to the United States, pressure they would try to apply to Israel. It's not going to sit well in the region. It's not in the interests of the Gulf States who want to see stability and economic prosperity. It's not in the interests of let's say, Egypt that doesn't want Hamas, a lot of Palestinians coming into the country. They locked up the Muslim Brotherhood who won elections there a decade ago.
Hamas is an extension -- a violent extension of the Muslim Brotherhood. These are -- these are really destabilizing situations to put the countries in proximity to Israel, that is Egypt and Jordan, and the wider region in, and it really seems to be something we're only beginning to hear the pushback on.
WALKER: Nic Robertson, appreciate your analysis as always. Thank you so much, Nic. And still to come, flags are lowered to half staff in Sweden after the worst mass shooting in its history. The latest on the investigation, including the search for a motive, is straight ahead. Plus, locals and tourists queued up in Santorini to flee the popular Greek island by ferry. This comes amid hundreds of aftershocks. We're going to talk with a lifelong islander when we come back.
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WALKER: The investigation continues into what is being described as the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history. A gunman killed 10 people and wounded several others at a school for adults on Tuesday before police believe he killed himself. It happened in a town about 100 miles west of Stockholm. Investigators don't believe the shooting was terror related. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joining me now. Salma, what's the latest that we know and how are the Swedes reacting to this?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I want to start with some images that we've actually just received of the king and queen of Sweden arriving at the site of this horrific shooting just a short time ago, and laying flowers in honor of those 10 people who were killed, as you mentioned, and the many, many others who were terrorized and several who were wounded.
[08:45:00]
This is the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history. So, it absolutely has sent shock waves across the country. Now, how did it unfold? Well, at about 12:30 local time yesterday, police responded to reports of gunfire occurring on the campus of the school in Orebro, that's in central Sweden. Now, the campus of the school has multiple buildings. It provides adult education to those who need certain certificates or requirements to be able to obtain full-time jobs.
It also provides education to migrants and those who don't speak Swedish as their initial language. There's also schools in buildings to provide education to young kids. I'm painting an image here, of course, of a campus that has many people of multiple ages, of multiple backgrounds.
Now, fortunately, many people had left the campus shortly before this shooting. But of course, that shooter, that perpetrator, engaging in shooting fire, some people described being barricaded in the classroom for at least an hour with gunfire ringing outside. Now again, we know from police that 10 people have been killed. Several people have been wounded, some of them still in hospital being treated for very serious injuries.
And as you mentioned, the perpetrator, they're still investigating what his motives are. At this time, it's unclear, and they believe that he was acting as a lone shooter, so that there's no wider connection. So for now, the police feel confident that, again, this man was acting, this individual was acting alone, but very much there's an investigation underway. To answer the question why, as this country reels again from the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history.
WALKER: It's hard to believe that we're talking about a mass shooting in Sweden. CNN's Salam Abdelaziz in London, thank you. Still to come known as Greece's Instagram Island, Santorini is typically flooded with tourists. But now, you can see hundreds of aftershocks have sent many residents to the mainland. I'll speak to someone who's still on Santorini next.
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WALKER: The Greek island of Santorini, as you know, is usually filled with tourists. But right now, visitors and many residents are heading back to the mainland as hundreds of tremors rattle the picturesque island. Over the past three days, about 550 aftershocks have been recorded in the Aegean Sea, just offshore from Santorini.
The area was hit by a moderate earthquake over the weekend, and officials predict the unprecedented seismic activity could continue for many more days, if not weeks. And we're happy now to welcome George Prekas, a lifelong resident of Santorini. George, thank you so much for joining us today. First off, you're still on the island. Can you tell us why you decided not to flee just yet, I guess?
GEORGE PREKAS, SANTORINI RESIDENT: Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm George Prekas. I live in Manolas of Santorini, 20 miles away opposite to the center of the quakes, which is an island inhabited, called (inaudible) means snow (ph) water.
[08:50:00]
And I'm also (inaudible). I'm the leader of the Greek Scouts in Santorini. And (inaudible) Parents Council.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: That's the only things that we are inside. Earthquakes happened -- happen all the time.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: They used to -- it will happen. The different thing is that there are too many right now.
WALKER: Right. And because there are so many, George, I was just wondering, why you're not joining the thousands of people who are leaving the island? OK.
PREKAS: My home is here. My living is here. And even though the authorities don't tell me to leave, probably not leave us as many other residents. You see, probably you notice on the TV or channels that a lot of people had already left -- have already left. But usually these people, it's people that work here, (inaudible). Just the people that have small children, about one-third of the population have already left, but not all of us. We are lot of us here.
WALKER: Have you -- yeah. And George, have you -- excuse me for jumping in there, but have you been feeling any of the aftershocks? What has that been like? PREKAS: We are having quakes every 10 or quarter of an hour, small ones. We can feel about the 4.0 Richter Scale earthquakes and up, the biggest one was about 5.0 on the scale (inaudible) shaking, but that's it. We are prepared.
WALKER: And tell me how you are preparing, because officials there on the island are saying that they're concerned that they're not able to reassure people because they're not exactly, you know, sure how this is going to develop in terms of how big these -- the earthquakes there might get.
PREKAS: We have our car ready.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: Now, we have an earthquake as we speak right now. We have our car ready with some things that we need. As I told you, I'm a scout. We are already prepared because you are a scout, we know how to do it. We have already water in our car, some things that are very needed. We know where to go exactly because there is a plan of a municipality of (inaudible) that we form. We know exactly where to go.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: -- if something happened. We still sleep in our house, not in a car. Some people sleep in their car.
WALKER: Right.
PREKAS: It depends on how you feel.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: And how safe you feel.
WALKER: Yeah. I've been through major earthquakes and I've slept in cars before because I've been afraid of the aftershocks. But George, we wish you the best. Please stay safe. And thank you so much for joining us, George Prekas.
PREKAS: Santorini will be beautiful always.
WALKER: I don't think anyone debates how beautiful Santorini is and that it will remain beautiful.
PREKAS: (Inaudible) some things.
WALKER: Yeah.
PREKAS: It's a quake. I hope you --
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: George Prekas, thank you so much, sir. All the best to you.
All right, well, a word of warning. If you're traveling through South Korea's Incheon Airport, keep the kimchi out of your carry-on. Security officials there confiscated almost 11 tons of the popular side dish last year. It is made with salted and fermented vegetables, and it is a staple at Korean dinner tables, including mine. I cannot eat anything without kimchi, but it also violates the ban on liquid in carry-on bags. So airport officials say the food is either thrown away or donated. All right, not bad, donated to local welfare centers.
Well, the music industry has raised more than $120 million for wildfire relief efforts in the Los Angeles area. Almost $25 million came from Sunday's Grammy Awards ceremony and related events over the weekend, and proceeds from last Thursday's FireAid Concert headlined by artists like Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, are expected to exceed $100 million. The money will go to a number of charities in Southern California.
And some lucky school children were given the royal treatment and a field trip to, remember, Catherine, Princess of Wales, accompanied a group of four and five-year-olds to London's National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday. She and the children took part in a new interactive exhibition geared for young children. The exhibit is part of Catherine's 'Shaping Us' initiative for early childhood development and mental health. The gallery visit continues her gradual return to royal duties after finishing her treatment for cancer.
And may I add? She looks great as always. Thank you so much for being with me here on "CNN Newsroom."
[08:55:00]
I'm Amara Walker. "Connect the World" is next.
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