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Connect the World

CNN International: Key Party in Netanyahu's Government Threatens to Quit if Israel Doesn't Return to War after Ceasefire; The Complicated Challenge of Rebuilding Gaza; Firefighters Push to Contain L.A. Fire as Weather Improves; Qatari Spokesperson on Trump's Influence on Ceasefire Deal; Father of Hostage Speaks to CNN about Son's Expected Release. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired January 16, 2025 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: The scene in Khan Younis, Gaza right now, after a deadly 24 hours of Israeli strikes since the ceasefire

agreement was announced. Israel now delaying a cabinet vote on the deal. It is 04:00 p.m. there in Gaza, it is 05:00 p.m. here in Doha, where that

ceasefire and hostage deal was negotiated and announced late last night.

I'm Becky Anderson, you're watching "Connect the World". Well, hope in Israel and celebrations in Gaza. Well, this was the scene in Khan Yunis

after that announcement of the ceasefire agreement late on Wednesday evening. And in Israel, an emotional gathering of hostage families with the

sense that their 15-month long nightmare was nearing an end.

But all this tempered by the reality that getting this agreement implemented won't be easy, and that was very clear earlier on today. Just

earlier today, Israel's government delayed a cabinet vote on the deal. The prime minister's office claims Hamas has reneged on part of it by trying to

get a last-minute concession.

Hamas, for its part, says it is committed to the ceasefire agreement that was announced by mediators here in Doha, assuming that it does get

approved, and it needs to be approved by the government in Israel, provisions of the ceasefire would take effect on Sunday.

Phase one of the deal calls for a six week pause in fighting and the release of 33 hostages held by Hamas, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners

held by Israel would also be freed. Negotiations to permanently end the war would begin in the middle of that six-week time frame.

Well, Israel meantime continuing its attacks on Gaza. Palestinian officials report 77 people killed in Israeli strikes after that deal was announced,

and that is less than 24 hours ago. The total of 81 killed on Wednesday, the highest death toll in Gaza in 11 days. Bianna Golodryga, a co-anchor of

"One World" here on CNN, connecting us from Tel Aviv this hour.

Bianna, we have heard that the Cabinet meeting is delayed in Israel, and that means approval of this deal is delayed at this point. What's behind --

what's going on there in Israel?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: So, Becky, what we're hearing again is so many on both sides of this equation are on pins and

needles, as I've been told, Sunday cannot come soon enough, in terms of the ceasefire and hostage deal going into place and seeing these hostages come

home and the fighting stop.

This delay, it appears, as you noted, Israeli Prime Minister pointing the blame at Hamas, saying they're reneging on some parts of the negotiation.

Hamas then countering that by saying that's just not true. What I'm told from one expert, both sides sadly stand to benefit from pushing this out a

little bit further.

Given how painful it is and difficult it is for both of them to agree to the terms of this imperfect deal, yet nonetheless, the closest we've come

to such an arrangement that would see a pause in the fighting, the aid going into Gaza and the hostages coming home.

I spoke with a cousin of one of those hostages today who would be in the first phase of that deal, the 33 that would be brought home over the course

of six weeks in one of her cousins. Her cousin is one of the five IDF soldiers who are currently positioned to be released in phase one.

Another setback for the Netanyahu government now, which is facing a lot of headwinds, as we've been reporting, is Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

saying that his coalition would not stay in the government if, after phase one of this deal, the IDF Israel did not resume fighting in Gaza.

And of course, that is not the deal that was agreed to in terms of the phasing out of this ceasefire. So, these are just some of the setbacks as

we've been reporting over the last few hours. Nonetheless, everyone I've spoken to at this point still believes that this deal will go. through,

Becky.

[09:05:00]

ANDERSON: The problem is that Netanyahu's critics will say that in Israel and around the world, it is not in his political interest to put this to

the government if he believes that, that will effectively mean that his coalition collapses. He doesn't get approval by his two right wing

ministers.

His government collapses, and he is vulnerable in politics there, in Israel. Is there any credibility to that? I mean, what's the sense there?

GOLOGDRYGA: He has a bit more cushion in the sense, Becky, that he has new members joining the coalition, most recently, the foreign minister, Gideon

Saar, bringing his party in, buying him a little bit of a shelter, one could describe and cushion in terms of whether or not the far-right

elements, specifically the coalition, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir follow through on their threats to leave the government.

And we heard from other opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid, Former Prime Minister, also saying that they will step in if this is what will get

them across the finish line, ultimately to a deal. But Becky, as we've been reporting, the situation as it stands now, it appears, extends far beyond

just Benjamin Netanyahu's political livelihood here in the months to come.

It appears the Trump effect is also having an impact from everything that's been reporting here in Israeli media, there does seem to have been a

difference in the threat that came from the incoming Trump Administration, obviously to Hamas in stating that all hell will break loose.

We all are hearing that behind closed doors, his incoming envoy as well, made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu in their meeting last Saturday that

the president-elect would like to see a deal now, and whatever that takes needs to be done to make happen.

ANDERSON: Yeah, and sources I'm speaking to saying exactly that in no uncertain terms. He was told by Steve Witkoff that Trump wants a deal, and

he wants it now. Of course, if that deal goes through, the implementation of the agreement will happen the night before inauguration, January the

19th Sunday.

Time, though getting a little short for that window of opportunity at this point. Thank you. Deputy U.S. National Security Adviser, Jon Finer talked

to my colleague Kate Bolduan a short time ago and responded to Israel's delay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON FINER, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: We fully expect the deal to be implemented as described by the president and by the

mediators Egypt and Qatar yesterday and on the timeline that was described. What we're doing now is working through details of implementation.

That is always the case in deals that are complicated, that are going to play out over a period of weeks as this deal will and when there is

literally zero trust between the two parties to the agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, the director of a hospital complex in Gaza City says that the hours ahead of the ceasefire taking effect are going to be violent, and

they're going to be painful for the people of Gaza. Paula Hancocks joins me from Abu Dhabi. Paula, we mentioned the high death toll over the past 20,

24 hours or so a bit earlier on, what more can you tell us at this point?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Becky, at least 81 have been killed in the past 24 hours. And according to our count, that's the highest

we've seen in at least 11 days. So, we are seeing an uptick in these Israeli air strikes, which we are asking the Israeli Defense Force about.

But it is the case that we often see this increase in intensity of bombardment just in the hours and the days before a ceasefire comes into

place. This isn't the first time this has happened. Now we have a report coming up, which I want to warn viewers some parts of it they may find

disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): Celebrations 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, his father says the war is over. Wake up

Halla (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.

[09:10:00]

MAHMOUD BASAL, GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE SPOKESPERSON: -- Gaza --

HANCOCKS (voice-over): 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 F-16 jets struck us, bringing the house down on top of us.

Around 15 people were killed. We are waiting for the truce, hoping those who are missing and displaced will return. 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): Now the Israeli military says it does all it can and has been to mitigate the loss of civilian life. We have also heard from the

spokesperson of Gaza's civil defense, and he has said that if the bombardment stays as it has been over the past 24 hours until the truce

takes hold, then there could be hundreds more killed before there's a ceasefire, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed. Well, once and when a ceasefire starts, it will be a complicated and costly challenge to

rebuild Gaza. Israel's attacks have left the enclave in ruins and created a devastating humanitarian crisis since the war started.

More than 46,000 people have been killed there, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, but the true number is likely much higher,

according to a recent U.K. study. In addition, large swathes of the enclave are decimated crucial infrastructure like hospitals and schools have been

destroyed, and about 1.9 million people have been displaced.

Well, I want to bring in Sigrid Kaag now to discuss the immediate plans for Gaza and its future. She's the U.N.'s Senior Humanitarian and

Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, and she joins us now from Amman Jordan, and I really appreciate your time. Sigrid. I know you're incredibly

busy.

Your first response to the detail, if you will, of the deal, particularly the surge in humanitarian aid at this point.

SIGRID KAAG, U.N. SENIOR HUMANITARIAN, RECONSTRUCTION COORDINATOR FOR GAZA: Well, relief at the deal. Obviously, I just heard also from your own

broadcast that we're still waiting for confirmation by the Israeli government its final decisions. But immensely for the hostages, their

families and the Palestinian civilians.

The details, obviously, what's known to us is 600 trucks a day in different types of goods, which is to my mind, only a start, if you compare it

against what people need, the long period of deprivation and utterly inhumane conditions in which they're expected and have had to survive if

they manage to do so.

So, we're doing all we can to be ready to have the supplies, to have the staff doing this with a lot of member states, but also counting on the

NGOs, not just a U.N. task, and of course, the private sector, to be able to resume, to make sure we can supply and consistently do so.

ANDERSON: Yeah.

KAAG: The big unknown for us are the security conditions on the ground, equally so the governance against which we are operating, but this is phase

one, and hopefully it starts on Sunday.

ANDERSON: For months, and you've been talking to me about this, you've said that you've been unable to ensure that aid missions can proceed safely,

even when you've had the opportunity to get aid in, and that, you say, is rendered operations pretty much unfeasible.

KAAG: Yeah.

ANDERSON: So, let's talk about what you need on the ground in terms of security, in terms you're not going to get governance in the first instance

at this point. So how do you ensure that you get the security on the ground to make these aid missions work.

[09:15:00]

And indeed, let's talk about the criminality, the looting on the one hand, but the endemic criminality, which I know you have said, has impeded any

work you might be able to get done.

KAAG: Yeah, I think there are three questions there, Becky. The first one is, of course, with the withdrawal in the first phase also of Israeli

forces, and the expectation that people are to move freely, so will humanitarian agencies, NGOs or U.N. however, the security side is the big

unknown for us, particularly because of criminality, criminal gangs, but I would also say just despair by people.

Their expectations are justifiably sky high. No one can deliver on in day one what people truly need. So, I fear that in the first days after the

formal announcement and start of a ceasefire, security conditions on the ground, as well as our ability to deliver in as free a manner as possible.

They might be impacted, but this doesn't stop us, and it certainly doesn't deter us, but we're doing this, eyes wide open. We're hoping that some of

the pressures of the negotiators Egypt, in this case, in particular, with its own contacts, but also our relations with the different communities,

will help us.

Ultimately, all civilians know this is assistance for them, but to predict that it will be different and all will be fine, no. But if the fighting

stops, this, of course, is already one big factor that is otherwise rendering everybody unsafe.

ANDERSON: You've talked about the mediators, and very specifically, the Egyptians, you hope, being able to help with some of the -- getting this

operationalized. What about the Israelis? What do you need from Israel? What sort of commitments? What sort of promises do you need from Israel at

this point to ensure that you can get this effective and efficient movement of what is it fuel, medicines, food, everything that the gardens need at

this point?

KAAG: Yeah, I would say it's less of a promise. It is purely effective co- operation put in place, and that means fast processing. These are approvals for staff, the checking of the different types of goods, anything that has

been either a bureaucratic impediment or sheer pace to allow everything to go smoothly and with the same mindset that the goal is assistance in

achieve the 600 trucks a day from a wide variety of suppliers and sources as well as organizations.

ANDERSON: Right.

KAAG: To do this in sort of a concerted effort. Equally so, we need all crossings to be open, and we need to extend the hours that actually God has

given us to be able to reach people and distribute.

ANDERSON: Right. You --

KAAG: This is an effective, I would say, work in progress.

ANDERSON: You are one of the few U.N. officials to meet Senior Israeli Officials, including the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since you

started this job, and you've described your discussions as constructive at time. You say, we put asks on the table, some are met.

We also obtain commitments. Are you confident at this stage? And look, given that we're not even confident that the Israeli government is going to

be asked to approve this deal? I mean, do you want to caveat some of this with a sense of caution at this point? What are your expectations?

KAAG: Well, I would say my hope, but that's free of charge. My hope is we really have the deal on Sunday. I think I rightly heard Jon Finer describe

the agreements made. So, I think collectively the international community, we have a legitimate expectation that the deal kick starts on Sunday.

And for the rest in politics, and particularly domestic politics, I've lived through that myself in seven years. There's always the unknown, but

this is a moment of leadership. This is a moment of leadership, commitment and driving an agenda that is really important to everybody.

It's important to the hostages, their families. It's equally important to all the civilians that have suffered endlessly and needlessly. Now is the

time.

ANDERSON: Sigrid, this is a first phase that we are hoping will be implemented on Sunday, if it's approved by the Israeli government. That

first phase is 42 days. During that period of time, there will be negotiations about a second phase, which is intended to stop this war.

A third phase would be the process of rebuilding Gaza, getting it governed in a different way, and giving Palestinians an opportunity to believe that

is a future for them and their kids.

[09:20:00]

Stepping back, how do organizations like the U.N. start the process of rebuilding Gaza? How much do you assess it will cost? How long will it take

and who will need to be involved?

KAAG: Well, I would say the easy part is the planning that's been done to some extent, by the EU, World Bank, U.N. in different iterations. The

Palestinian authority also has its plans. And there are many other initiatives we know what needs to be done, sector by sector.

I think the difficulty if you just zone out of the governance issues, the politics of it, the difficulty actually, within the Gaza Strip, with the

population that is still caught between the confines of the strip, with nowhere to go and almost everything destroyed, those will be difficult

choices of prioritization planning, and it demands a lot of technology, and I would almost say creativity.

The bigger issue, of course, is governance. Our position, and that of most member states, is that the PA needs to be returned -- needs to be returning

as soon as possible, to take the ownership and provide for that leadership. Investors can then follow suit. But if there's any absence of clarity in

terms of the direction of travel around governance and commensurate security and governance tied to the negotiations for two state solution.

I fear that many an investor, public and private, will say, hang on a minute. Not now. We need clarity, because many of the places that many

donor countries have paid for in the past have truly been flattened, and you can't ask this of your average taxpayer. But ultimately, historically

speaking, there's now also a moment in time to really secure, a safe and secure Israel, as well as a viable independent Palestinian state.

And Gaza is an intrinsic and integral part of that. But we cannot second guess. But from the U.N. and most member states, is very clear, it needs to

be the PA. They have the legitimate authority, they have the capabilities, they've done the studies, actually. So, let's get that ball rolling.

ANDERSON: That's a reformed PA, to your mind?

KAAG: That is, it can be reformed, rejuvenated. There are many hours. At the end of the day, reform is an important part of it, but ultimately, they

are the party in the West Bank. They are a partner to many. They are the recognized and legitimate authority. I think it's a matter of reform,

indeed is important.

That's also a work in progress. Many a government will continue to have to engage in reforms. All the pressures on the Palestinian authority. In this

regard, I think we have to acknowledge that and recognize that at the same time, it is the Palestinian authority. And I think that's important to keep

underscoring.

ANDERSON: Sigrid, I know this is tough work. You've been on the job now for what, 18 months or so. There's an awful lot to do. I know how committed you

are to doing it.

KAAG: No, 13.

ANDERSON: -- just hope -- we can get through the first phase of this. There's not an awful lot of confidence that we're going to get through that

first phase. But look, let's hope we do, and it's good to have you on and thank you. And we're going to have a lot more from Doha later in our two-

hour show. We also have my colleague Erica Hill standing by with more news from the United States, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Becky. I'm Erica Hill joining you here from New York, where we're following key developments in

the U.S. this hour. First on the West Coast, a brief but much needed break from those fierce winds in Southern California, what firefighters hope to

achieve before the return of those high winds early next week.

That is straight ahead. Plus, the process of getting Donald Trump's team in place continues today. More confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill, we've

got a closer look at which of those could get the most heated, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:25:00]

HILL: Fire crews in Southern California are hoping to contain more of the wildfires as better weather moves in today, and that better weather means

lighter winds, more humid air. Most of the red flag warnings in place yesterday have now expired. They're not expected to return until next week.

And when we look at those two wildfires, the two largest the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fires. They're still far short of being fully

contained as the cooler temperatures settle in. But this is still an important development, of course, for firefighters. CNN's Stephanie Elam is

live this hour in Pacific Palisades, where the sun is just coming up there. So, give us a sense, Steph, of where things stand in terms of trying to get

a handle on these blazes.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erica, I know it's confusing, because you look, you're like, there's no active flame. What is happening.

But what firefighters are trying to do is make sure that there is no chance of any fire coming back.

And what can happen sometimes is that the fire will go down into the root system of a tree, a bush, something that is growing out there, and then,

with the winds picking up, they can pick up some embers and then start the fire a new. So that is what they're doing. And we've seen firefighters out

here all night long.

They're roaming around. Yesterday, I talked to a couple. They said they had put down a couple of hot spots. But there's also big concern about the air

quality here. The county coming out with restrictions, actually, saying that they don't want people cleaning up their own burnt down remains of

their homes, because it could contain toxic ash.

Also, the EPA coming in with a budget of $109, 500 workers coming in to go through, get out all those batteries from electric vehicles, which could be

unstable. They could be like munitions, they're saying. They also want to get out all the toxic ash, anything that was burning those chemicals.

Think about what people may have in their garages, all of that in the air, and all of that needing to be cleared out of the top layer of the soil as

well. So, they're working on that. At the same time the damage assessment here, at least in the Palisades fire, is about a third done at this point,

so they're still working through that.

Officials know people want to get back home. They want to get back to their property, even if they don't have a home here anymore, but they're saying

this cleanup process is going to take time making it stable. So, they don't have a time frame on when they're going to be able to come home.

But it could be three to six months, they're saying before all of this debris from all over this property, this neighborhood, and same thing with

the Altadena fire, the Eaton fire, before they're able to get that all cleaned out, three to six months. It's just a long road ahead for these

residents here.

HILL: It really is. And then there's the cleanup, and then, of course, there's the rebuilding to infrastructure that needs to be replaced before

that can happen. It is a long road ahead. Stephanie, appreciate it. Thank you. Next hour, confirmation hearings will get underway on Capitol Hill for

five of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet pick.

Senators holding hearings for four of those nominees. Additionally, there will be testimony about Pam Bondi Trump's choice for attorney general. This

is day two, of course, although Bondi herself is not slated to speak. Today's most contentious hearing that's likely to be the one featuring EPA

nominee Lee Zeldin.

Democrats are expected to press him on efforts to undo climate change rules put in place by the Biden Administration. We'll be following all of that

for you. In addition, CNN was in the room on Wednesday as news of the agreement was announced to the world, but Qatari officials told Becky,

that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON: Israel says it has delayed a cabinet vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. Israel's Prime Minister is accusing Hamas of attempting

to extort last minute concessions. Hamas says it is committed to the agreement that was announced late on Wednesday.

Well, here is a reminder of what is in that deal, a 42-day ceasefire during which 33 hostages would be released. The IDF would remain in the what's

known as Philadelphia corridor and maintain a buffer zone along Gaza's border with Israel and Northern Gaza, residents would be able to return

home.

Meantime, the bloodshed continues. Health Authorities in Gaza say Israeli bombings have killed at least 81 Palestinians in the past 24 hours. Well, I

was at that press conference in Doha late on Wednesday local time, where we got that long awaited news of an agreement.

Afterwards, I spoke with the Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al- Ansari told me both the Biden and Trump teams helped push this deal over the line. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: Well Becky, as you heard the Prime Minister state in his press conference, both

administrations were working in tandem here in Doha, Steve Witkoff and Brett McGurk together in the room pushing this across the line.

We highly, of course, appreciate the help from both administrations. And we also appreciate the fact that both administrations were working

collectively, coordinating together to get the deal through. I think, you know, the past couple of days have been very instrumental. Yesterday, the

meetings went down until 04:00 a.m. and started very early this morning.

And the American presence, the U.S. presence in these meetings, was very instrumental. So, we appreciate it, and we know that there was a lot of

political will behind the push that delivered the deal today.

ANDERSON: Donald Trump is treating this as a win. Effectively, that's what he said in his social channels. Is it?

AL-ANSARI: I think all of us should be claiming this as a win. And I think, you know, stopping this war in, rather stopping the bloodshed, the daily

pictures and videos of children and women killed in the streets, stopping that is a win for the whole world. It's a win for peace and security.

And I think anybody can who wants to claim that should be able to, especially those who have helped bring this across the world.

[09:35:00]

ANDERSON: Phase one starts on the 19th, the deal will be implemented on Sunday, that's a day before Donald Trump's inauguration, and will go on for

42 days, during which time 33 hostages will be released. Palestinian prisoners will be exchanged. The Israeli military will withdraw in a sort

of staggered fashion.

Palestinians get to go home to wherever they are from, including the northern part of this strip, and crucially, humanitarian aid will be surged

into the strip. Just how much confidence do you have in the first instance that the mechanisms are in place to ensure that that first 48 two days goes

to plan, sir?

AL-ANSARI: Well, Becky, we have learned to be very cautious in our expectations. But what I can tell you is that we have spent more than 400

days of negotiations between both sides. Everything has been hashed out. Everything has been discussed in a very clear manner.

And we do believe that we have the checks in place, we have the processes in place, and we have the commitment from both sides in place that will

ensure that the agreement is implemented. But of course, through our operations room in Egypt that will have all of us together, collectively,

the U.S., Qatar and the United States.

We will work to ensure that there are no, you know, delays in the implementation that might make it difficult for the process to continue.

ANDERSON: What can you do if there are delays or if indeed, somebody breaks a ceasefire?

AL-ANSARI: Now, it's a case-by-case basis, but I can tell you that we are all working together, and we have the mechanisms in place to make sure

that, that goes positively.

ANDERSON: Can you confirm on which day the negotiations for a second phase will begin? I've seen reports that the negotiations for a second phase will

begin on day 16. Is that correct?

AL-ANSARI: I mean, I don't want to get into the details of the agreement. You probably have seen lots of these documents flying around, but I can

tell you that it will take some time for the negotiations to begin. We want to ensure that we have the processes in place and the commitment to start

the negotiations, and we will be pushing for that to happen.

ANDERSON: How many Americans will be released in the first phase?

AL-ANSARI: I'm sorry, I don't have any information right now, but I hope to see all of them with their families very soon.

ANDERSON: So, you have confidence that this deal can get beyond phase one, correct?

AL-ANSARI: I mean, we remain hopeful, we remain confident, we remain very - - we believe in the process itself, but obviously it's dependent on both sides of it.

ANDERSON: Joe Biden said tonight that this deal is exactly the same as the one that he proposed back in May. Now I remember you and I've been working

almost in tandem on this. We've seen each other a lot over the last 15 months or so. Is Joe Biden correct when he says that this deal is exactly

the same deal as he proposed back in May of 2023 and if he is correct, why has it taken so long?

AL-ANSARI: Well, I would leave the answer to the second part of your question to the parties who were negotiating with us all through these

months. But I can tell you that the document was progressing. The spirit of the document is very similar to that, that was in May, actually very

similar that it was in May.

But obviously the devils and the details, and this was what we were working on for the past 400 days. It's finding the right mix in the details.

ANDERSON: Can I ask you, Steve Witkoff said that he thought a deal could have been cut some 10 days ago, and he's really disappointed that it

wasn't? He said this a couple of days ago. He said he was confident some days ago that a deal could have been cut. What was holding things up in the

last 10 days?

AL-ANSARI: I don't want to get into the details of what was holding this up, but I can tell you that, you know, a lot of push was done positively

during the past days, and this is why we have a deal now.

ANDERSON: Last four days have been crucial, correct?

AL-ANSARI: I would say that, yes, the last couple of days have been quite crucial in getting the deal across.

ANDERSON: You look quite tired, so I will let you go. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.

AL-ANSARI: Thank you --

ANDERSON: Always a pleasure. Thank you. Congratulations again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We were speaking very late last night. Two Americans are included in the initial hostage release. We have now learned part of the first phase

of the Gaza ceasefire deal. They are Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen. Sagui's father has been talking to CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN DEKEL CHEN, FATHER OF SAGUI DEKEL-CHEN: I've held the same image in in my mind since October 8th of 2023 which is a Sagui walking into a

room somewhere or down a hallway, and I hope on his own two feet and his now three little girls will run and leap into his arms and he can reunite

with his wife after this hell that he has been through.

And you know, the suffering that his family has gone through. I hope this is the final chapter in the living hell that we've been -- that we've

experienced for the last 15 months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:40:00]

ANDERSON: I spoke to Jonathan just a couple of days after October the seventh. I have to say, we can only imagine what he has been going through

over these last what 400 nearly 70 days. We've also been hearing from the parents of two other Americans being held captive in Gaza. Adi Alexander

tells us it's unclear when his son Edan would be freed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADI ALEXANDER, FATHER OF EDAN ALEXANDER: My understanding it could happen between now and 42 days from now. And we really encourage the parties that

still in Doha, do not wait 16 days to start to negotiate for the second phase. Do it tomorrow morning. Don't waste the time. It's been too long, 15

long months, and we have to keep pushing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Well, that's it for this hour "Connect the World". "World Sport" picks up after this short break. I'll be back with more from Doha in 15

minutes time. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END