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Word Of Potential Deal To Free Hostages Comes As Families Of Hostages Turn Up The Pressure On Israeli Government; Moldova President Marks Maidan Revolution Of 2014 And Orange Revolution Of 2004 With A Special Ceremony; Media Matters Report Says X Has Been Placing Ads Next To Pro-Nazi Anti-Semitic Content On The Platform. Aired 12-1p ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:23]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Cautious optimism. Could there be a hostage deal today? "One World" starts right now. Israeli officials are

meeting now in Jerusalem. We're learning about what could be in a possible deal. Then I'll speak with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. He's been

praised for his bravery on October 7th before being taken captive by terrorists. How his family is fighting for his release.

Later, from anti-Semitic tweets to amplifying conspiracy theories. Elon Musk is facing backlash -- how the billionaire is fighting back. Hello

everyone, live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. This is "One World". Senior Israeli government ministers are meeting right now

to discuss a potential deal to free dozens of hostages being held by Hamas.

Sources tell CNN a deal is very close and could be announced before the day is done. The plan would require Hamas to release 50 Israeli women and

children. In exchange, Israel would agree to a four or five-day ceasefire. Israel would also release scores of Palestinian prisoners it is currently

holding. The first hostages would be released on Thursday. The source close to the talk says Hamas has indicated that the 50 hostages in question are

alive.

Just moments ago, we heard from U.S. President Joe Biden on this, and he seems very hopeful that a deal could be close.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're now very close, very close, right. We could bring me some of these hostages home very soon. But I don't want to

get into the details of things because nothing is done until it's done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Word of a potential deal to free hostages comes as families of the hostages are turning up the pressure on the Israeli government. Some

relatives expressed anger and frustration during a meeting Monday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet.

We are covering this developing story from multiple angles. CNN's Becky Anderson is in Qatar for us where the negotiations have been playing out

for weeks. But let's start with CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who is in Israel for us. Jeremy, so talk about what is happening right now. Who, specifically,

in the Israeli government is meeting and going over this potential deal.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a three-step process before Israel's full cabinet actually looks at this deal and approves it.

In the last hour, we know that Israel's wartime cabinet, which includes figures like Benny Gantz, the former defense minister who was brought into

this emergency government to oversee the war, they have been meeting first to discuss this potential hostage deal.

And now, at this hour, we expect that the full security cabinet will meet, and then it will be followed by the full cabinet next hour. And that is

when we could see, potentially, the Israeli governments' green lighting this deal, which, as you just mentioned, could see the release initially of

50 women and children being held hostage by Hamas over four to five days in exchange for a pause in the fighting and the release of three Palestinian

prisoners for every one Israeli civilian hostage.

But what is also clear is that there will be at least some opposition to this deal in the Israeli government. At least two far-right ministers in

the current government by the Israeli Prime Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister and Bezalel Smotrich, the Finance Minister, they

have both suggested that they are opposed to the current deal because of the release of Palestinian prisoners saying that it could put Israel's

security at risk going forward.

Now, regardless of this, what is very clear is that this pause in fighting is not being described as a ceasefire, neither by the Israeli government

nor by Hamas officials, and that is very much because both sides appear intense on continuing the fighting after this pause, after the release of

hostages, after more humanitarian aid makes its way into Gaza.

And what we are also on standby for is a potential uptick in the fighting before that temporary pause actually goes into action. If you look at the

history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before ceasefires, before pauses in the fighting, what you typically do see is an increase in

military activity, oftentimes from both sides, in the hours before a ceasefire goes into place.

Already today, we have been watching as battles have been raging in northern Gaza at the moment, all is calm but we will certainly be

monitoring in the hours to come whether that changes. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it is important to highlight that we are hearing that among these hostages that they are all alive because of course we've

reported that Israel has found and located the bodies of two hostages that they found inside Gaza who had been killed.

[12:05:00]

Jeremy Diamond near the Gaza border in Sderot, Israel, you have been covering all of this for us. Do keep us posted if you hear of any

developments within the hour.

But now, let's go to Becky Anderson who is in Doha, Qatar -- that is where these hostage negotiations have been going on for weeks and you've been

right there front and center throughout all of it, Becky. As we've heard, this is the closest, thus far, that we have come to an actual deal coming

to fruition. Talk about these latest deals that you've heard from, the details specifically, and when we could possibly start to see this

transpire.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, in what would be the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since this conflict began, since that massacre of Israelis on

October the 7th and the subsequent death of 13,000 Gazans -- 75 percent of course, of whom are women and children and the elderly, this would be a

huge breakthrough if later this evening, Doha time, there is an announcement on this truce in the Gaza Strip.

Jeremy was absolutely right to point out that the wording on any announcement is likely to be a truce, an agreement on a truce -- a four to

five-day truce in the Gaza Strip. What would that allow for? That would allow for the pillar of which, that would allow for the release of some 50

hostages, mostly in the first instance, women and children likely to be mostly children in the first instance, Israelis and some dual nationals, as

I understand it.

It would also allow for the entry through the Rafah border crossing of some 300 trucks a day of aid. So, this is a truce allowing for the release of 50

hostages, the incoming aid, which is so vitally needed. And that would be allowed for by a secession or a truce, a pause in the Israeli fighting on

the ground, the Israeli activities on the ground, and for periods of time in the air. When we say periods of time in the air, we are talking about

Israeli drones that are being flown primarily for surveillance, would be taken out for about six-hour periods.

Why is that one of the demands from Hamas? As we understand it from multiple sources, that will allow Hamas to effectively get round to try and

identify where other hostages that they are not holding at present are being held by other groups and possibly other families in Gaza. And that's

really important because to come back to what we ultimately know, there are 240 or so hostages being held in Gaza.

Civilian hostages, and this is what this deal is about, and soldiers. And Hamas is identifying, making that distinction between civilian hostages and

soldiers. Israel wants to know where those hostages are effectively, or at least their identities, their I.D.s, and whether or not they are alive.

And this truce period, as the mediators have explained, it will allow for Hamas to get round to understand more about where these hostages are or who

they are. That is how complicated and difficult this has all been in the midst of what has been a very, very hostile conflict.

So, bottom line, as things stand, you can expect in, you know, the near coming hours that diplomatic sources have told me there will be, they hope

for, they hope for an announcement on a deal to at least allow in principle a significant number of civilian hostages to be released from Gaza in

exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. Bianna.

ANDERSON: All right, Becky Anderson in Qatar for us. Thank you. Well, with news of possible release deal, the anxious, agonizing wait goes on for the

families of the hostages. Among them are Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin. Their 23-year-old son, Hersch, was taken from a bunker at the Supernova

Music Festival by Hamas gunmen and driven away with serious injuries.

Moments before, he was pictured here, inside the shelter, with his friend, Anur Shapira. When the attackers began throwing in grenades, Rachel said

they tried to throw them back and that's Anur's body, which was recovered later with a grenade in his hand. Rachel and Jon appeared on the cover of

"Time" magazine to bring attention to the plight of their son and the other hostages, and Rachel spoke at a rally in Washington, D.C., last week.

[12:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL GOLDBERG, SON HERSCH KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Why is the world accepting that 240 human beings from almost 30 countries have been stolen and buried

alive?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The world should not accept that. And Jon and Rachel, join me now from Rome, where they will be meeting with Pope Francis, along with

other family members of those hostages. Thank you both for joining us today. I do want to ask you about your meeting with the Pope in a moment.

But first, Rachel, if I could just get you to respond to the news, the rapidly developing news that we're hearing out of Israel about a possible

hostage deal that would include the release of up to 50 women and children.

GOLDBERG: Well, if it happens, I will be thrilled for those families. I think what those children have been experiencing for the last 46 days is

trauma that I don't know how long it will take for them to process and get through. And I would be absolutely thrilled for those children and the

women who they're talking about to be released.

But I also am cautious because we've been talking for 46 days about different releases. And until I actually see those children, walking into

safe hands, I'm not going to count those chickens before they hatch.

GOLODRYGA: It says a lot about your character and your family that you have room in your heart to be thrilled for family members that it's not lost on

anyone. This list does not include men, not even people who were seriously wounded.

And Jon, I'm wondering if you've been in touch with anyone from the Israeli government on the potential for a future imminent release of those who have

been gravely injured including, possibly men?

JON POLIN, SON HERSCH KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: I have not. So, I have been in a couple of group sessions with government leaders and families of hostages

at which very little information was given for security reasons. But I know nothing more than what you guys are reporting about this potential deal.

GOLODRYGA: Rachel, let me ask you about your upcoming meeting with the Pope. How did this come about and what are you planning to say to him?

GOLDBERG: So, we were contacted that the Pope was open to meeting some representatives of hostage families, and we are beyond grateful and feel

tremendously blessed to be able to have -- I think we have an hour -- the families -- these 12 families with him. And we're going to each get to

discuss with him our loved one and our situation.

And the fact that he's such a holy person and who sees all people as children of God and is respected and revered the world over. And there are

1.3 billion Catholics in the world. I mean, we just feel, I feel so honored, blessed, and grateful that I will get to meet him. No one knows

Hersch, the way you do, the way your family does.

But from the descriptions that we have read, from the stories that you have told about him, no doubt the Pope will also be one of those who just

marvels in the incredible spirit in your son and the future, the wonderful future that is ahead of him we all pray and hope for.

Jon, I am wondering if we can get reaction from you on what we saw yesterday -- quite an emotional meeting with family members, hostages and

members of the war cabinet. It got a bit heated and it got a bit emotional. And I'm wondering how you felt about that.

POLIN: It did. So, before I go there, I just will say that among other things where the Pope might be able to connect to Hersh, is their shared

rabid fanhood for soccer. I know that they would enjoy discussing and watching soccer together.

Regarding the meeting yesterday, things got heated, a couple of things. First of all, the meeting started late. There was a mix up with some lists

of attendees and it took a while to straighten that out. So, of course, there was frustration. In the meeting itself -- look, you've got 240

hostages worth of families, whatever that number is, who are stressed.

[12:15:00]

We've all been stressed for 46 days. So, I don't think any of the families mean harm, certainly not to each other. But I think some of that stress

comes out a little bit when the whole group gets together and when it gets together with government leaders.

The families have been kept in the dark when it comes to any information. We don't know what's happened to our loved ones since they were last seen

by anybody on October 7th. And people are looking for answers, looking for information.

There is an understanding that we don't want to compromise anybody in the situation, certainly not our loved ones. So, we have some respect for

getting no information if it exists. But I think that causes people some stress and that was part of what came out last night is people want

information.

GOLODRYGA: I can't even say it's understandable when you describe the stress, because no one can understand the pain that you and all those other

family members have been going through, except this group of survivors there, just desperately wanting to get answers about their loved ones and

your son, Hersch.

Rachel, I know you don't like being asked the question, how are you doing? And I know that's a well-intentioned question, so I'm not going to ask you

that. But I am going to ask you what the both of you are doing to make sure your two daughters are doing as well as they possibly can, given the

circumstances?

GOLDBERG: Well, we try to keep them, both of them, in a routine. And also, their friends are very good to them and that their friends aren't treating

them differently, which is really important. It's a unique and scary situation.

So, naturally, people initially are not comfortable with us, which makes sense. But thankfully, their friends, immediately, right away when this

happened, continued coming over, small groups, and it's really helped them a lot.

And also having Hersh's friends come over and spend time with the girls has helped them a lot because they like being with his friends because his

friends know him.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah.

GOLDBERG: You know, then they kind of tell funny stories about him and it just makes it more comfortable. And when we have to cry, we cry. And when

we are feeling okay, and we can try to act like, let's have a normal dinner. With the four of us and just, you know, Hersh isn't here tonight

for dinner -- we do that.

So, we just try to carry on, but we are extremely busy and they also realize, this is a life and death situation, and they are respectful of the

process that Jon and I are on in order to save Hersch. And they're also very aware that we would do the exact same thing for them as any parent

would do for any of their children.

GOLODRYGA: Well, we are praying that your son Hersch comes home very soon. And it takes a lot of strength to be talking to as many media outlets as

you are just to continue to let the world know that you won't stop fighting. Please do and extend our condolences to the parents of Aner --

Shira and Moshe. He died a true hero. Thank you so much for joining us.

GOLDBERG: Absolutely. Thank you for having us.

POLIN: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you. Well, on the ground in Gaza, the IDF says that its forces have encircled the northern city of Jabalya. They add airstrikes

from fighter jets and drones kill dozens of militants and destroy tunnels.

Meantime, Gaza's Indonesian hospital has been transformed from a medical center to a quote mass grave. That is according to a spokesperson for the

Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health. And more than 12,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of the

war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank. CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now. And Nada, we are hearing there's been heavy

shelling in northern Gaza. Can you tell us more about that?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, certainly, Bianna. We are hearing about an intensification of both shelling and airstrikes across northern Gaza. As

you mentioned, the Israel Defense Force spokespeople saying that they have now completely encircled the northern city of Jabalia, where we have seen

for some days now repeated airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp.

The IDF saying that they are targeting Hamas positions in the region. As we heard today, one IDF spokesperson saying at least three Hamas tunnel shafts

were targeted according to the IDF. But of course, this is an area that is heavily populated by civilians.

The IDF is saying it has now completely encircled this area. We have seen video now emerging from Reuters released earlier today showing men, women,

children fleeing the area, moving to nearby hospitals.

[12:20:00]

Clearly, this is having a civilian impact as it so often does. And of course, as we heard earlier today, the IDF has confirmed that their ground

troops are, in their words, receiving support from the Air Force, from fighter jets who are continuing their aerial campaign across northern Gaza.

And as we know, the situation facing civilians, but also the hospitals across northern Gaza is deteriorating rapidly.

The IDF has once again doubled down on its call for civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate, to move southwards, as we know and have been reporting

for some time now. It is very, very difficult for many of these civilians to move southwards, particularly those in hospitals and requiring urgent

medical care.

And you mentioned the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza. We have now for days seen medical staff inside the hospital working by torchlight without

electricity, without the necessary medical supplies to provide adequate care. And that is certainly a situation which is not only continuing but

also getting worse.

We've heard from doctors on the ground reporting, not only that they have faced nearby shelling and bombardment, that tanks have been in the vicinity

of the hospital, but also now that the situation facing not only the care they can provide, but their patients is deteriorating.

And as we know, while there are still hundreds of thousands of civilians attempting to flee southwards, the situation there is also only getting

worse. Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Nada Bashir. It's so important to get as much reporting as we can out of Gaza, as that is becoming increasingly more difficult. Thank you

so much for keeping us up to speed with that. We appreciate it. Well, coming up as Ukraine pauses to remember two revolutions, we'll take a look

at new developments in Russia's war on Kyiv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: In Ukraine, it is a day of dignity and freedom in the country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, along with the President of Moldova are

marking the Maidan revolution of 2014 and the Orange Revolution of 2004 with a special ceremony.

During a speech marking the holiday, President Zelenskyy says joining the European Union is no longer a romantic dream, but it is a reality for which

progress cannot be stopped. Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine, one person was killed in an overnight Russian attack. But as Anna Coren reports, Ukrainian

forces say they've won a key foothold across the Dnipro River.

[12:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meandering through the marshlands of Kherson region in southern Ukraine is the mighty Dnipro River

-- now, the new frontline in Ukraine's war against Russia.

In recent weeks, marines have managed to cross this expanse of water using inflatable boats, establishing a tenuous foothold on the left bank of the

river. "Hey, am I in Vietnam?", asked this soldier sarcastically, brushing past tall grasses. A reference to another bloody conflict that ended before

most of these soldiers were even born.

According to Ukrainian armed forces, they've pushed back the Russians three to eight kilometers, two to five miles from the riverfront, making it

difficult for the enemy to fire mortars at positions on the right bank. However, Russian drones, artillery and aerial-guided bombs are still

landing and constantly.

In exclusive access with drone pilot, Serhiy, his night mission had just been aborted because the Russians had identified his unit's position on the

right bank. Hunkered down in his pick-up, hiding under trees from Russian birds above, the 32-year-old former journalist tells me they're under

constant bombardment.

COREN: What are you hearing?

SERHIY OSTAPENKO, SOLDIER OF DRONE UNIT "SONS OF THUNDER" (through translator): Explosions. Now, there is an attack on the place where I am.

There are kamikaze drones, I think it's Shahed's, rockets, most likely Gratz's, mortars and tanks. It's always like that here. Today, they are

using guided aerial bombs. Do you hear it too? That's another one. I think it was a rocket.

COREN (voice-over): The job of his aerial reconnaissance unit is to provide cover for marines crossing the river and to watch the enemy on the other

side.

COREN: Do you feel safe where you are?

OSTAPENKO (through translator): No. It's dangerous here, where we live and where we work. Every time I enter this zone, I say goodbye to my life. But

I realize that my life can be ended at any moment. You get used to it, but it's unpleasant.

COREN (voice-over): The reason this left-bank operation is so important for Ukraine is to open the road to Russian-occupied Crimea and to protect the

nearby city of Kherson. A year ago, the Russians withdrew from Kherson using the Dnipro River as a defendable natural barrier between the two

sides.

But in the last month, attacks on Kherson have intensified to the point where the region's military governor told me there were 700 incoming rounds

in one day. This is revenge, and now it's felt more, he says, because our soldiers are already on the left bank and our civilians are feeling this

revenge.

Three hundred thousand used to live in Kherson. Now, less than a quarter remain, including 56-year-old Inna. She cares for her invalid mother and

her four-year-old grandson. Twenty-four hours a day, it's scary. When it's quiet, it's even scarier than when there is shelling.

She says she lived through eight months of Russian occupation and will endure this, as well. Our main task is to survive, she explains. That was

the priority during the occupation and it's the same thing now. We have to survive. A daily struggle for a population that's being constantly

terrorized. Anna Coren, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Anna Coren for that sobering report. Well, coming up, a cautious sense of hope builds for the families of hostages taken by

Hamas. The very latest on a potential deal for their release.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:32:26]

GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga. As we have been reporting, the Israeli Prime Minister says progress is being made on

the potential release of hostages being held in Gaza. This, after sources said Qatar, which has been mediating, hopes to announce the release of

civilian hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting. We understand that announcement could come as soon as today.

On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister and members of his war cabinet met relatives of some of the hostages who have been speaking out about their

frustration over the government's handling of the crisis.

Alex Marquardt has the reaction from Washington, D.C. So, Alex, as we had just reported, this is something that the Prime Minister says could be

imminent. And we just, in the last hour, heard from President Biden seconding that.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Bianna, it does appear that the ball is currently in Israel's court. They're going to

have several rounds of voting, the war cabinet, as it's known, the security cabinet, and then the broader government will vote on whether to approve

this deal.

The other parties who are involved, notably Hamas, we understand have agreed to the major terms in this deal. And what we expect to follow in the

coming hours and days would be an initial release of 50 hostages from Hamas custody. These would be all civilians, women and children who over the

course of a four or five day pause in the military fighting would be released. So, you can see that this might happen on a rolling basis with

say 10 to a dozen released per day.

We also understand from multiple sources that there's a possibility that if that goes well, if that goes according to plan that that pause could be

extended and more of these hostages who were being held by Hamas could then be released.

Now, part of this deal also, one of the demands, Bianna, that Hamas had was that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody would be released at the same

time, a ratio, in fact, of three to one. So, if 50 of these Hamas hostages are released, then 150 Palestinian women and children would also be

released at the same time from Israeli prisons and of course, if Hamas releases more hostages, then Israel would then release more prisoners.

Bianna, finally, there is also the major question of aid going into Gaza. This has been a big demand by Hamas that hundreds of trucks on the scale

of, say, 300 to 400 trucks of aid be allowed to go into Gaza every single day beyond this pause in the fighting.

We understand that there is some -- there are complications around the implementation of that, notably the screening, because Israel wants to have

oversight of everything that is going into the Gaza Strip.

[12:35:00]

So, there is a sense, Bianna, there's a lot of confidence here in Washington, a lot of optimism that this deal has been agreed to, that these

hostages, at least these first 50, will be released, but major questions about what would happen beyond that four or five days when the guns will,

in theory, fall silent, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, they also appear to have agreed on the amount of time that the Israelis would limit drone surveillance over Gaza as well. That had

been a sticking point in one of the demands from Hamas. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

Well, let's get more on this from Journalist Barak Ravid. He covers politics and foreign policy for Axios. Barak, great to have you on. So,

I've just been following your reporting, as we noted in this hour. The defense ministry there, the war ministry, is going over and discussing this

potential deal.

And from your reporting, it appears the IDF, the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the War Cabinet have agreed to it. It then goes to the Knesset as a whole,

where it does appear that they will get majority support. So, once that happens, what happens then? When can we start seeing things actually

implemented?

BARAK RAVID, POLITICAL AND FOREIGN POLICY REPORTER, "AXIOS": Yes, Bianna, so I think the full government is convening, I think, as we speak, or

they're just about to, and they're going to approve this deal. It's very clear, even though two far-right parties that are part of Netanyahu's

coalition already announced that they will vote against it.

Those are six ministers out of more than 30 ministers, so it's not going to jeopardize the deal, but that's still an interesting point, that there are

six ministers who are going to vote against it. But when the deal is approved, there's still a process of 24 hours where Israel will make public

the names of the Palestinian prisoners that are going to be released from prison so that these Israeli civilians could appeal to court against their

release.

Only after this 24-hour period the whole process can start to be implemented. The Palestinian prisoners would be released. Some of them will

be released in the West Bank. Some of them will be released to other countries abroad, it's of their own choosing, and some of them might go to

Gaza. And in Gaza, we'll start to see the release of the Israeli hostages and the pause in the fight.

GOLODRYGA: So, this would be a three-for-one deal, as Alex noted, three Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli hostage. You note in your

reporting that these are women and children in Israeli prisons and that they are -- none of the Palestinians who had killed Israelis will be part

of this group. Do we have any indication of Hamas releasing a list of names of the hostages that it is prepared to turn over?

RAVID: So, what Israeli officials say is that this first release, that the 50 women and children, that they will be released over the four days of the

pause. So, you know, 12, more or less 12 people every day. And Israel will get the list of the people who will be released the night before. So, we

still don't know who's going to be released.

Israel doesn't have clarity -- full clarity about who are the hostages in Gaza. It's 240 people. The Israelis don't know each and every one of them.

So, I think in the next 24 hours Israel will get a lot of information, not have until now.

GOLODRYGA: How difficult were the negotiations over the drone surveillance that Hamas was demanding stop Israel, it appears, agreed to a six-hour

curtailment of surveillance?

RAVID: Yeah, so first, Hamas at the beginning wanted that any day that there's, that as long as there's a pause in the fighting, Israel will not

operate drones for aerial surveillance in Gaza. During the negotiations, Israel rejected that demand, and at the end the compromise was six hours

per day.

But you know, Bianna, and this Israeli official said it quite clearly, that is sort of a symbolic thing. Israeli intelligence services have different

ways of spying on what's going on in Gaza. You know, I think, they can deal with the situation without six hours of drones and still know what's going

on there.

GOLODRYGA: One can assume that if this goes according to plan and there are the four or five days of a pause, that there will be additional pressure on

Israel for an extended pause or a ceasefire. Israel has said that it is not going to be implementing a ceasefire, but what are the plans following

those four or five-day pauses because your reporting suggests that there are continuing this war after that?

RAVID: Yeah, definitely. First, the Israelis say if Hamas wants to release more hostages after those 50 hostages and after those four days of pause,

we're open to it.

[12:40:00]

Meaning if Hamas comes on day five and says we have another 10 hostages, Israel is ready to give another day of pause. If Hamas says we are willing

to release 20, it will give them two days, 30 three days. So, I think the pause, if Hamas really wants it, we can see it moving from four days to

almost 10 days. So, I think this is still unclear how long it will be.

But what we hear from Israeli officials all the time in the last several days is that once this pause is over, it's game on, meaning it's not game

over. They're going to continue the operation. The IDF already approved the plans for the operation in Khan Yunis and in Rafah in southern Gaza, which

will be a much more limited operation than the one we saw in northern Gaza. But this is not going to end the war.

GOLODRYGA: Final question. What role, if any, is Islamic Jihad having in these negotiations? We focus so much on the three-way discussions among the

Qataris, Hamas, and the Israelis. But what role does Islamic Jihad have and given that we know that they have at least some of these hostages as well.

RAVID: Exactly. And they're holding something between, I don't know, 40 to 50 hostages. And, you know, the Qataris are not talking to the Islamic

Jihad. They only talk to Hamas. And the person who is sort of like in charge of the Islamic Jihad file is the head of the Egyptian intelligence,

Abbas Kamel, because the Egyptians have a good channel of communication with the Islamic Jihad. And they are trying to get the Jihad, to make clear

to the Islamic Jihad that if there's a deal, they'll have to pitch in, too, and release the hostages that they're holding, at least some of them.

GOLODRYGA: Well, let's hope for the sake of these families, Barak, that this finally will be the deal we've been hoping for. Thank you so much for

your incredible reporting.

RAVID: Thank you so much, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: We appreciate it. And we'll be right back with more.

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GOLODRYGA: Japan is working to secure the release of a cargo ship and 25 crew members hijacked in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. This video

shot by Yemen's Houthi rebels shows the moment they stormed the ship Sunday after getting off a helicopter lowered onto the ship.

[12:45:00]

While the ship is leased by a Japanese company, Israeli media outlets report that an Israeli businessman is part owner of the British company

that owns the vessel. Houthi officials say the hijacking is in retaliation for Israel's war on Hamas.

North Korea claims that it just launched a military spy satellite into orbit. This would mark Pyongyang's third attempt to put a satellite into

space following two failed launches earlier this year. The U.S. has condemned these launches, calling them a brazen violation of multiple U.N.

Security Council resolutions, adding that they raise tensions in the region and beyond.

Well, taking a look now at Nigeria, which has the highest number of financial technology start-ups in Africa, receiving more than 40 percent of

Fintech funding on the continent over recent years. This month, "Africa Insider" meets Okra. It's a Nigerian company that designs and develops

software that lets users connect bank accounts and financial data directly to third-party applications. The goal is to go beyond open banking to open

finance.

(AFRICA INSIDER)

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[12:50:57]

GOLODRYGA: Elon Musk is suing watchdog group Media Matters over its role in getting major companies to pause their ad spending on X. This is just the

latest controversy surrounding the owner of the social media platform that used to be called Twitter.

A report for Media Matters says X has been placing ads next to pro-Nazi anti-Semitic content on the platform, a claim that X strongly denies. But

this controversy doesn't end there. Musk is now being criticized for commenting on an X post that tried to link the head of Media Matters with

the debunk Pizzagate conspiracy of several years ago.

Our Senior Media Reporter Oliver Darcy says there are some important questions for Elon Musk as he faces a deepening crisis over his behavior.

Oliver joins me now. Oliver, I have to say, it's just exhausting listening and listing all of these new shocking announcements and the behavior that

we have seen overall from Elon Musk. But let's start with this lawsuit. I know you spent some time speaking with a First Amendment attorney about its

merits. What did he say to you?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Yeah, Bianna, and that summary you gave is just a morsel of the crazy behavior, the unhinged behavior of Elon

Musk. This lawsuit he filed against Media Matters it's really baffled legal experts because he doesn't appear to have much legal standing, and that's

because Elon Musk has effectively confirmed the accuracy of the report that Media Matters issued in the actual lawsuit he filed against the group

himself.

And I'll read to you what Ted Boutrous, a First Amendment attorney, told me last night when he looked at the lawsuit, he said it is riddled with legal

flaws. And in some ways, this is key, it's a dream come true for the people at Media Matters because it could allow them to use the litigation

discovery process to force X to divulge all sorts of embarrassing, damaging, private information that it would much rather keep secret. And

so, legal experts are wondering exactly what Elon Musk is intending to do here given the great potential for this lawsuit to backfire.

GOLODRYGA: And given that this comes just days after he was really ridiculed for reposting an anti-Semitic post and commenting on it, just

amplifying it, we saw some major advertisers pause their business with X. We've seen silence from others. I don't know that many we've seen just

completely end their relationship with X. What do you make of that?

DARCY: Yeah, a lot of attention has been paid to companies like Apple and Disney that did decide to pause advertising, to suspend advertising on X,

given Elon Musk's endorsements of an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory and his general behavior in other places.

But I think it's very notable that other major companies like the NFL, Wendy's, State Farm, "The Washington Post", there are several major

companies that have been completely silent as Elon Musk has promoted conspiracy theories like Pizzagate, as he's endorsed anti-Semitic

conspiracy theories, as he's leveled relentless attacks and smears against the free press.

Companies like the NFL -- they're trying to avoid weighing in on this controversy. I'm not sure how long they'll be able to. And really, frankly,

given the values that these companies purport to stand for. You know, you have a company like "The Washington Post", which is supposed to speak

truths of power, whose own reporters have done journalism showing the hate speech that's drenching this platform, X.

You know, you wonder when they really should speak up, when they owe it to their employees and their subscribers and fans to speak up in the face of

such hatred.

GOLODRYGA: And it comes as X has a relatively new CEO. I believe she was just appointed over the summer. You have in your latest piece a list of

questions that you say should be asked in terms of what the future of the company and Elon Musk is in regard to his behavior on X. What do we know

about her future at X?

[12:55:00]

DARCY: That's a good question. You know, she -- Linda Yaccarino, she was the former head of ad sales over at NBC Universal and she's widely

respected inside the advertising community. I mean, she has decades-long relationships with these advertisers.

And so, our reporting indicates that some of these advertisers, a groundswell in the terms, in the words of one advertiser, they've

approached her and basically said, you should resign.

You should just leave X now and try to save what's left of your reputation, because if you stay there longer, you're going to get caught up in Elon

Musk's, you know, you're going to be collateral damage essentially for Elon Musk, who has no care in the world, it seems about the damage caused by

promoting some of these conspiracy theories and engaging with some of these hateful accounts.

And so, they've urged her to quit. At the moment, she's indicating that she's not going to leave, that she's going to stay. But it will be

interesting to see how long she does ultimately remain in that post.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, she finds herself time after time in really difficult positions having to answer for his behavior. Oliver Darcy, thank you so

much. I advise all of you to follow his reporting on CNN.com on this and other topics. Thank you so much.

And thank you for watching this hour of "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga. CNN continues in a moment with the latest on the potential hostage deal.

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