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One World with Zain Asher
Israel Delays Cabinet Vote On Ceasefire-Hostage Deal; Israel Cabinet To Vote On Ceasefire And Hostage Deal On Friday; Fire Crews Push To Contain L.A. Fires As Weather Improves; Lighter Winds And Humid Air Moves Into Southern California; Gaza Deal Includes Releasing Hostages, Palestinian Prisoners; U.S. Could Implement Ban ON Popular App In Coming Days; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired January 16, 2025 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:41]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Live from New York, I'm Paula Newton and this is ONE WORLD.
Now, while we wait to see whether or not the Israeli cabinet will approve the ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, moments ago, we heard
from the U.S. Secretary of State urging all sides to make hard choices.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: So on the ceasefire, yes, I am confident and I fully expect that implementation will begin,
as we said, on Sunday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: But that peace has at least one more hurdle to overcome. This man, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now in his office, says
Hamas has reneged on parts of the peace deal, so his cabinet won't approve it until it's sure that Hamas will honor all parts of that deal.
For its part, Hamas says it's committed to the deal. Hamas plans to release three female Israeli civilians on Sunday when the deal is set to
go into effect. That's according to two U.S. officials. We want to bring in CNN's Kevin Liptak now.
You know, in terms of timing here, Kevin, given everything that's gone on, definitely the Secretary of State, a seat that he's used to, the hot
seat. I want to deal first with what he said about his ceasefire. He showed confidence in it, saying that it will continue.
What did he say specifically about what he knows of this hour?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And it was interesting. He was coming out amid all of these questions about whether
this ceasefire that the administration had already announced would hold. And he said that he had been on the phone with the Biden
administration's envoy in the Middle East, Brett McGurk.
And he suggested that this was to be expected, that after negotiations that were this challenging and that there were this fraught, it was
inevitable that there would be what he called loose ends in the final stages. And he did say that he thought that those loose ends would be
tied up by Sunday, which is the day that they announced that this deal would be implemented. So he was very, very confident that this would
sort of come to fruition in the way that it had been expected.
You know, in addition to Brett McGurk, who is still in Doha talking with the parties to try and bridge some of these gaps, you also have the
incoming administration's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is also there in Doha and is also talking to all of these sides to try and
ensure that this deal comes to pass.
And it just goes to show that both the incoming administration and the outgoing administration place a very high value in having this deal in
place by the time Trump is inaugurated at noon on Monday. That was part of the negotiations over the last several weeks and it continues to be a
part even as this deal sort of seems to be coming together.
Now Blinken didn't say specifically why he was confident that these loose ends would be tied up, but I think, you know, in watching that
press conference, it's very clear that from the Biden administration perspective, this is something that just has to go into place.
And you saw in that briefing room those very, very chaotic moments when protesters inside the State Department, which is unusual, interrupted
Blinken, accusing him of genocide, saying that he should be in The Hague.
And I think that gives you a sense of the backdrop for which this hostage deal was announced. This has been an incredibly difficult issue
for the Biden administration. It hurt the president in the election. It cost him some political points.
By extension, his vice president, Kamala Harris, and it just goes to show that it remains a very, very contentious issue for the Biden
administration, even after the ceasefire was announced and even as they prepare to leave office.
NEWTON: Yes. Kevin, it goes without saying that the Secretary of State is used to those interruptions. We are looking at video right now,
Kevin, of the person who was definitely interrupting several times at press conferences, being escorted away.
It was quite an interruption though. I mean, look, I've only been to the State Department a few times. Security usually means that only reporters
are allowed into the room. I can't imagine in terms of legacy that this is the way Secretary Blinken wanted to see this press conference go.
LIPTAK: No, I don't think so. Because the press conference, as you saw from his opening statements, was very much intended as a kind of a
capstone on four years of foreign policy.
His attempt to frame what the Biden administration has done and what the Biden State Department has done to make the world a better place.
The State Department Press Credentialing System, I think, will have allowed these people into the room somehow. And I, you know, in
Washington, there are all kinds of press outlets from all over the country and all over the world who can gain access to these press
conferences. And certainly, the Biden administration has heralded its press openness in allowing these people into the room to ask questions.
But obviously, these people weren't following the decorum of how these press conferences ordinarily go.
[12:05:24]
It was interesting, the first question that Blinken got from the reporter from the "AP," Matt Lee. He's been covering the State
Department for a long time. He hearkened back to Condoleezza Rice's final press conference as secretary of state, you know, and the Bush
administration. And he noted, I'm sure he was there for it. He said that all of the questions at that press conference were about Gaza and about
Israel.
Now, all of these years later, the same situation is in place. Every question that Blinken got was about Gaza. And it just goes to show how
pervasive this issue will be. Blinken talked about the imperative to try and improve relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. That had been a
major priority for the Biden administration before October 7th.
He actually noted that he would schedule to take a trip to Saudi Arabia and Israel on October 10th to try and bring this agreement across the
finish line. But he made the point that this will now be an issue for the Trump administration to try and resolve.
And the questions about Gaza and the questions about Israel and the Middle East conflict will be questions that the incoming Secretary of
State, or at least the likely one, Marco Rubio, should he be confirmed, will have to answer once he's in office.
NEWTON: Yes. And, Kevin, you and I remember the -- you shock that register in the Bush administration, right, when Hamas was in fact voted
in. And, again, it is not just Gaza and the Middle East conflict, but Hamas itself that's at the center of all this.
Kevin, really appreciate the update there as we parse that last press conference from Secretary Blinken. Appreciate it.
And we do go to Israel now where there is relief, but given everything we've just discussed, obviously, caution. Many families are anticipating
reunions with loved ones. Seized 15 months ago now.
Bianna Golodryga spoke with Ashley Waxman Bakshi. She is a cousin of hostage Agam Berger, an IDF soldier who was kidnapped October 7th.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: When it comes to the hostages coming home in phase one, as you noted, it would be the
women, it would be children, it would be men over the age of 50 and those who are critically wounded.
And among those women are five IDF spotters, are soldiers. Reminder that everyone in Israel is required to serve in the military. These five IDF
spotters, all young, the ages of 19 to 21. I spoke with the cousin of one of them. Agam Berger's cousin. She is 20 years old.
I spoke with her cousin about what this moment may feel like for them when they are finally reunited and why there's a bittersweet sense in
the country right now.
ASHLEY WAXMAN BAKSHI, COUSIN OF HOSTAGE AGAM BERGER: She's a beautiful young girl who's been 15 months in the hands of people that we know
committed the worst atrocities against women in one day.
We know what they did on October 7th. We also know from released hostages who came home what they did to hostages in captivity. That's
the biggest fear. The physical aspect of it, and I don't need to go into detail. I think everyone who's watching understands what that fear
means.
But more importantly, the mental and emotional aspect of what kind of trauma something like that can do to a young girl who's 20 years old who
has her whole life ahead of hers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And that was Bianna Golodryga, the host of ONE WORLD in Tel Aviv for us.
And we have some news just in to CNN. The Israeli cabinet, in fact, is set to meet to vote on this agreement on Friday. That's according to an
Israeli official.
Now, some far-right members of the government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, vehemently oppose the ceasefire deal. And
Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has publicly said that he wants to topple the coalition government over this very
agreement. They worry that peace will be permanent in Gaza, pardon me, and the Israeli military would no longer be able to attack Hamas. We
want to get a check of the reaction in Israel.
And we're now joined by Zvika Klein. He's the editor-in-chief of "The Jerusalem Post." And I really thank you for joining us at this critical
moment as we continue --
ZVIKA KLEIN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE JERUSALEM POST: Hi, Paula.
NEWTON: -- to parse the news. Hello to you. We'll continue to parse the news by the hour.
Can you try and bring us right up to date? So we understand now that the cabinet will be meeting on Friday. How do you judge this ceasefire deal
right now? Is it in trouble?
KLEIN: So yes. So as you mentioned the -- just, you know, about 15 minutes ago, the government announced that all the issues that were
between, you know, Israel and Hamas have been solved and this will actually go to the government for a vote.
[12:10:13]
You know, the Israeli representatives in Doha have to come back and speak to the cabinet and explain exactly all the details. So that's why
the meeting will only take place tomorrow.
But as you mentioned, politically, this is a very complicated situation where two of the far-right parties in the government are against it, you
know, because most of their constituents are against this type of a deal.
NEWTON: When you say constituents though, and we're leaning on you to just try and gauge the feeling among many Israelis right now, obviously,
so many just sheer emotional exhaustion.
But how are they viewing the Netanyahu government right now, understanding, of course, that it is a very divided electorate?
KLEIN: Right. So, I mean, they -- most of these people who vote for Smotrich and Ben-Gvir who you mentioned, have served in the IDF reserves
in the past year and a few months. And they've seen Gaza upfront.
And we heard also yesterday the representative of Hamas saying that this is just a pause because they want to eliminate the Jewish state. They
have no plan to stop and they don't want Israel to exist here.
So they see this, though they support this government, the people who vote for Smotrich and for Ben-Gvir. They see this deal as a very big
problem because there are many elements in these Israel security that will be problematic after it's implemented.
NEWTON: So if I hear you correctly, even if this phase one goes through, do you believe that a phase two, so after six weeks, that this kind of a
ceasefire could be in trouble?
KLEIN: There's so much -- unfortunately, there's so many things that could go wrong. And as opposed to the previous release of hostages in
November 2023, we saw there, it was day after day, we saw a release. Here, only a number of hostages every week for six weeks, as you
mentioned.
So there's so many things that could go wrong. If a -- if a fringe part of Hamas decides to shoot a rocket at Israel, that's -- that cause --
that can cause the end of the ceasefire. If Israel has to respond to something, that could also cause the end of the ceasefire. And that's
even before we get to the political situation.
I just, you know, just saw a tweet now by another minister from Likud, which is Netanyahu's party, saying if Israel will withdraw from the
Philadelphi Corridor, basically the border between Gaza and Egypt, he will quit from the government. So you can't take these threats lightly.
NEWTON: You can't take it lightly and it also said it threatens the collapse of the entire government. And, obviously, Benjamin Netanyahu,
his political survival must be what's front of mind right now.
I want to ask you though going forward as we get into the next weeks, assuming that this ceasefire deal does hold at least for a few weeks.
Do you believe the Trump administration will have more influence with the Netanyahu government, with his cabinet going forward in the next few
weeks? Because the Biden administration certainly had a very combative relationship.
KLEIN: One hundred percent. So I think, you know, at the end of the day, they see more eye to eye when it comes to the Middle East, when it comes
to the Palestinians and to extreme Islam.
That said, the deal that we see at the moment and the deal that was suggested in May 2024 is almost the same thing now. So, you know, and we
have the representatives of Biden and of Trump in a very, you know, impressive way working together on this. So there hasn't really been a
difference between both of the deals that have been suggested up until now.
There are many in Israel that hope that Trump will be, you know, more supportive of Israel and more critical towards Hamas. We haven't totally
seen that yet. And there are those that saying out loud within right- wing, you know, parties, that maybe we were wrong, and maybe Trump won't be as tough as we thought he would be.
NEWTON: Won't be as tough. And I wonder how the issues regarding the West Bank kind of creep into all of this. Obviously, front of mind is
the release of the hostages at this point in time.
But going forward, what are the interests of a good portion of the Netanyahu cabinet in really having more of a free hand with what they
want to do in the West Bank especially when it comes to continuing to build those settlements?
[12:15:01]
So there were definitely reports that Netanyahu were to convince Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, to support the hostage release in order
for there being, you know, more building in Judea and Samaria, as you said, the West Bank.
The assumption also is that Mike Huckabee becoming the ambassador to Israel. He won't even say -- use the word West Bank. He called it Judea
and Samaria the way it was called in the bible.
So, you know, most of the Trump administration, at the moment, is very pro settlements in the West Bank. And I think that will -- it will
definitely be more, you know, more flexible toward Israel when it comes to that.
NEWTON: Zvika, we've gone through the gamut there in terms of Israeli politics, but can you speak to us about the emotion with the families of
the hostages at this hour?
I honestly, month after month, week after week, I cannot imagine how they put up with all of this political gamesmanship that they continue
to live through.
KLEIN: I mean, it's a roller coaster for them. And it's a roller coaster for every single Israeli, you know, who cares. And it's something that,
you know, we can't even imagine or can't understand how this could be.
NEWTON: Zvika, we will leave it there for now.
KLEIN: And, you know, these people --
NEWTON: Go ahead.
KLEIN: No. I'm just saying, it's a -- it's a roller coaster of emotions. These people have been going through hell. And, unfortunately, also many
politicians are speaking in a very negative way and just taking, you know, opportunity and trying to sabotage or to speak to them in a very
negative way.
And I really hope that Israelis focus on what's important, and that's staying united. It's just something that happened after October 7th.
Most of us were united, and we were, you know, positive in trying to fight together as a nation. That's something that we haven't been seeing
lately. And people are very upset and invested in this situation.
NEWTON: Absolutely. And most of all, of course, the families of those hostages.
Zvika Klein, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.
KLEIN: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, firefighters are getting a brief relief from harsh conditions in Southern California as they race to take advantage of
calmer winds for now, before dangerous gusts return apparently sometime next week.
The latest from Pacific Palisades after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:16]
NEWTON: The process of getting Donald Trump's team in place is continuing today with more confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill.
Now senators are holding hearings for four of Trump's cabinet picks. Democrats are pressing Trump's EPA nominee, that would be Lee Zeldin,
that's the environmental protection, about climate change.
Zeldin said, he doesn't think that climate change is a hoax. He said, he agrees with Donald Trump that environmental policies need to be measured
against what they cost businesses and consumers.
Now, lighter winds, cooler temperatures and humid air. Firefighters in California are getting that much needed brief break from Mother Nature
today as they fight to bring wildfires under control there.
Most of the red flag warnings that were enforced yesterday have expired in the L.A. area, at least for now.
Now, next week though, those strong Santa Ana winds are expected to return as the two largest wildfires, the Pacific Palisades and Eaton
Fires are still far from being fully contained.
Joining us now from Pacific Palisades and CNN, Stephanie Elam, who's been on the ground for us for days. I mean, Stephanie, bring us right up
to date here, in terms of the weather, but also the progress being made and hopefully from the air as well as trying to contain these fires.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's a huge part of that. Now that we have this wind event behind us, Paula, we are seeing that they
are planning to go back to the northern edges of the Eaton Fire, which is on the eastern side of Los Angeles, to attack it there. Same thing
here with the Palisades Fire. We just had a fire truck come through here from Portland, Oregon. And they're just going through, making sure that
there's no fires, making sure that some of these bins that are bent over and knocked over like this, that there's nothing on fire in there.
Because one of the huge concerns here, in Los Angeles County, is the air quality. That's why I'm wearing the mask. They're telling us all to keep
wearing them right now because the particles from all of this toxic ash, and just think about all the things that are burning inside of a house,
the plastic, the electric batteries from electric vehicles, all of that. I'm sorry, the batteries in the electric vehicles, all of that is of
concern because it could become unstable.
But then you look at this house, how it's melted down. You see how destructive this entire area is.
And then you look over here at this house, and it looks like nothing even really happened here. The bushes in front are a little singed, but
there are lessons to be learned in here. And they're trying to make it easy for people to rebuild, but the news that people here aren't going
to want to hear is that they're saying it's going to be at least another week before residents will be able to come back into these
neighborhoods.
And that is because of the fact that they're trying to deal with all of this debris. The Environmental Protection Agency is now coming in here
with $100 million budget to clean up some of this debris here.
And at the same time on the Eaton Fire, they are almost done going lot by lot to make sure that there aren't any survivors. I'm sorry, any
victims that they haven't found out about yet, but they're saying there's some places where there might be some.
And so because of that, that's going to take longer because they want to make sure that they find the remains of these people. So slowing down
some of the progress there. They're almost done going through these areas, but still there's all of the power that they have to worry about.
Making sure that it's safe for people to come back to.
And while we are in a drought here again in Los Angeles County, the other concern that they have are landslides. And so they're saying if we
do get rain, which right now it's been a very dry January, very different meaning here, and it looks like February is off to a -- will
be off to a dry start as things look right now, they're saying that that could cause a problem.
There are rains because then you can have -- back in those hillsides, mud coming down. And if mud comes down, obviously that'll add insult to
injury right now. So they just want to be safe here before they allow people back into these areas.
NEWTON: Yes. It's unfortunate, Stephanie. We've seen it in so many different places around the world that when you recover from a fire like
this, you do have to worry about those landslides if you get too much rain all at once.
Stephanie, deceptive, right? Bright blue skies, you have to wear your mask. We're glad you're wearing it and we'll continue to check in with
you. Appreciate it.
Now joining us for more on what firefighters can expect in the coming days is CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam, who's been covering this as
closely as anyone.
OK. So the big question, rain, is there any? We've already heard about the winds possibly picking up next week.
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And the quick answer to that is no rain in this forecast, unfortunately.
However, conditions are going to improve at least through the course of the weekend before kind of retrogressing next week. And I'll explain why
in just one moment. Let's talk about them now. What's happening? The more immediacy.
The red flag warnings that were in place yesterday have now been lifted or expired across much of the greater Downtown Los Angeles area. The
encompassing the city, but notice just to the north still within L.A. County and parts of Ventura County. This is really the mountainous
regions of both of these adjacent counties. That's where the red flag warnings exist and they will continue through about 3:00 P.M. this
afternoon.
[12:25:12]
Because there are still gusty conditions in small isolated pockets, but for the most part, things have relaxed, things have died down. And in
fact, what we're noticing is a change in the wind direction instead of that northeasterly wind that has pummeled this area for the past two
weeks or so is now more of an onshore component.
So what that will do is it will take the moisture from the Pacific Ocean and help bring that in. There's a term called the marine layer that we
often see set up into Southern California. It really hugs the coastline. People know about it because it often brings in fog or overcast
conditions.
As that marine layer drifts in, it increases the atmospheric relative humidity. So this is what firefighters need to see as the numbers start
to tick up here in the relative humidity category because that helps the containment efforts.
Certainly it doesn't bring rain falling from the sky. But what it does is it helps, not only with the wind but the increase in moisture as
well, so it won't be bone dry.
We still have our elevated fire risk through the course of the day today. But as we look into the future, Stephanie was talking about it
just a moment ago, no significant rainfall, below average.
As we look over the next 8 to 14 days, and this is a seven-day extended rainfall accumulation map. And there is nothing to talk about of note
across southern California. Maybe some rain to the north.
And what we're noticing in this long-term picture is another Arctic blast. This is some of the coldest air we've seen in a year, but this
weather pattern is very similar to what we've experienced in the previous Santa Ana wind setup.
So high pressure, cold air across the plains and into the four corners and Great Basin region. Remember, air travels from high to low. So if we
get this exact same setup early next week, we could start to see the wind. It's kind of funnel over the mountain ranges across Southern
California.
Set up that additional Santa Ana wind event and with no rain in this forecast. This could set up another dangerous next week scenario. So
something we're keeping a close eye on, Paula.
And I'm sure you are. I'm going to cling to that good news, no rain, but at least that humidity through the weekend which should make --
VAN DAM: Exactly.
NEWTON: -- fighting efforts a lot better.
Derek Van Dam for us. Really appreciate it.
Coming up, Israel is keeping up its deadly strikes on Gaza even after the ceasefire was announced. Report on that and more analysis. Details
ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:30:08]
NEWTON: And welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Paula Newton in New York.
More now on our top story. The Israeli cabinet will convene Friday for a crucial vote to confirm a complex Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. This
according to one Israeli official.
Now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office accused Hamas of, quote, attempting to extort last minute concessions and delayed the vote. Hamas
says it's committed to the agreement which calls for an initial six-week ceasefire and the release of 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of
Palestinian prisoners.
The U.S. Secretary of State said moments ago that he's confident the deal will indeed go into effect Sunday.
Earlier CNN spoke to the father of an American hostage who is on the list to be released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE, SAGUI DEKEL-CHEN: I've held this same image 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 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)
NEWTON: I want to bring in CNN senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt for some perspective on all of this.
Alex, really grateful to have you here. You've been following this really since day one in terms of any kind of negotiations and grateful
again that the families keep us grounded in what's at stake here.
NEWTON: You know, I'm less interested in about who takes credit for this, the Trump administration or the Biden administration, but how much
leverage you believe the Trump administration will have going forward. We have seen the splits in cabinet, how to really get that Israeli
cabinet, over the line, not just for phase one, but for phase two.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: I agree with you, Paula. It's obviously not about who gets credit. It's about the
people and both Palestinians and Israelis being able to have some semblance of a normal life sometime soon, hopefully.
But I think you could -- you could argue without doubt that the election of Donald Trump really did change things here.
I mean, the Biden administration is reminding us that this was their framework. And it's true that they did the vast majority of the work in
both coming up with the plan and getting us to this phase.
But remember, this framework was presented last May, at the end of last May, so it's been eight months. And the Biden administration has not
been able to get it across the finish line until the very last moments.
Now, a lot has happened in those eight months to put pressure on both Hamas and on Israel, who've seen incredible events in Syria, Iran, and
in Lebanon.
But without question, the election of Donald Trump did change things. And we've heard that acknowledgement from Secretary Blinken and others
within the Biden administration.
So certainly there was more pressure from the Trump folks who made it clear to the parties that they wanted this done by the time that Trump
comes into office.
So if this deal goes into effect on Sunday, as we expect it to, and there's still quite a bit of confidence here in Washington and among
American officials that this will happen starting Sunday.
I was told earlier today that the first group of hostages to come out is expected to be three women. The Biden team will have to hand everything
off to the Trump team and then it will be on the Trump administration to navigate, not just this first phase but try to get to a second phase.
But, Paula, I think when you zoom out, bigger picture, one reason to have hope that this will actually end up ending this war, and there is
still some debate about whether this war ends, is that the Trump administration has put so much emphasis on the Abraham Accords and
expanding those Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia.
[12:35:00]
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said they will not agree to normalize relations with Israel until there's an end to this war in Gaza. So
that's a major incentive for Israel to end this war. It's a major incentive for others in the region to put pressure on Hamas and the
Palestinians to come up with some kind of agreement for governing, not just Gaza but the West Bank as well.
So there are a lot of moving parts that need to be sorted out. There's a lot of reason for pessimism. But there's also -- there are some reasons
for this -- for us to be hopeful as well that there could be an end to this war in the coming weeks and months, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. In terms of a long-term agreement though, Alex, you know, you put succinctly, right, whether or not they are going to be able to
have an end to the fighting. What's key there is whether or not the Israeli military retreats in a way that they -- that Hamas deems notable
from Gaza.
Is that not the most complicated thing about phase two at this point?
MARQUARDT: I think it is. The withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and the end to the war. Hamas is ready to end this war if Israel pulls out of
Gaza and also agrees to end the war. The Israelis have said, we're not ready to do that. We still have security considerations.
For the longest time, Paula, as you and I have been talking about this over the past few months, Hamas stuck to their guns saying, we're not
going to agree to any ceasefire, any truce unless Israel agrees to end the war.
Hamas eventually backed off that deal. And so that's why the two sides were able to agree to this phase one. I'm not saying the phase one is
easy. It's very complicated. There are a lot of moving parts. We now have six weeks ahead of us where a lot needs to happen, not just the
hostages coming out, but Palestinian prisoners being released. Aid going in, et cetera.
But in the next few days, in the next two weeks, negotiations are going to have to start for that second phase. And it is far from a done deal.
It is far from a certainty that Israel will agree to pull its troops out and agree to end this war.
And certainly Israel is worried about the status of Hamas. And we heard Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the other day that Hamas has
actually been able to replenish its ranks. It has lost thousands and thousands of fighters, but they have been able to recruit new fighters.
So the question will also be how to marginalize Hamas, make sure that they are not involved in any kind of governmental structure in Gaza
going forward
But I think you're absolutely right, Paula. I don't want to diminish the difficulty of what it -- of what it took to get here to this first
pause. But we have to emphasize, this is a temporary truce. This is just six weeks at best. And there is a real chance that the fighting starts
up again if the two sides are not able to come to some kind of agreement for the next phase to end this war once and for all, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. And we have certainly seen where one agreement doesn't necessarily lead to another, as has been so evident in the last few
months.
Alex, really appreciate your reporting on this right now and for the last several months. And we'll hear from you again. Appreciate it.
Now, the past day has been violent and deadly. A good reminder for all of us the people in Gaza continue to suffer.
Now according to a Palestinian official, there have been several airstrikes in the last 24 hours. They report dozens in Gaza have been
killed by those airstrikes after the ceasefire deal was announced.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is following this story for us, but we do want to warn you, some of the images in her piece are difficult to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (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, this father says, the war is over. Wake up Hallah (ph), but the war is ending too late for his sister.
This intimate moment filmed just hours after leaders stood on stage announcing the deal. Also, too late for many caught up in a barrage of
Israeli airstrikes.
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're waiting for the truce, hoping those who are missing and displaced will return.
[12:40:00]
Rescuers pull bodies and survivors from under the rubble of a home with their bare hands in one Gaza city neighborhood.
The Director of the Al-Ahli Hospital accuses Israel of a, quote, desperate attempt to cause as much harm as possible, warning the hours
before the ceasefire take hold are, quote, expected to be violent and painful for the people of Gaza.
It would not be the first time we see an increase in violence in the hours and days before a ceasefire.
For the residents of Gaza, joy is mixed with fear. But Sunday's truce is still a long way away.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Time now for The Exchange. Joining me is Palestinian-American journalist and author, Laila El-Haddad. She joins me from Clarksville,
Maryland. And we're thankful to have you on now as we continue to really parse the news out of Israel and Gaza.
I want to learn from you. I know you're in close touch with them, your family and friends on the ground in Gaza. How difficult has it been for
them to deal with the fact that the ceasefire still may not be a done deal?
LAILA EL-HADDAD, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Yes. I mean, I was just speaking with my eldest cousin yesterday. And I think
it's accurate to say that all of them, I think not just them, but all of Palestinians in general, whether in Gaza or abroad, are collectively
holding their breath.
My cousin said initially yesterday that he, you know, I think had more questions than there were answers that he was -- he was not -- today, he
said to me he's optimistic, but he said, you know, I think Palestinians, if anything, have learned to always, you know, prepare themselves for
the worst, but expect the best.
And he said, you know, even if there were a ceasefire, even assuming that the different phases were rolled out and there was no hitches, how
do we get back home? He himself is in the center of Gaza, whereas the rest of my cousins are in the north.
Because he said we're not allowed to take cars. We have to walk 10 hours. And what homes are we going back to when 90 percent of Gaza's
buildings and infrastructure and so forth has been destroyed?
How is this going to be enforced? I think certainly this is a moment, even if illusory to celebrate, even if short-lived, and they certainly
deserve that after everything they've been through after starvation and after genocide and after dispossession of everything they know and
ecocide and scholasticide and so on.
But I think they're all wary and nervous. And, you know, as we've heard from the news, it's not even clear that the Israeli cabinet is going to
approve this.
NEWTON: And if they do in the coming days, obviously, the caution is warranted on behalf of anyone in Gaza at this moment. I am wondering
though as the Biden administration hands off to the Trump administration.
I mean what's the feeling among Palestinians, especially those in Gaza, about whether or not the Trump administration will have more influence
over the Israeli government in terms of actually putting an end to this war.
Because we understand it's in two phases, right? We've got six weeks in the first phase, but for Gazans to really get back to rebuilding and get
back to their homes and getting back to the essentials that they need, they need this to last a long time.
EL-HADDAD: I think Trump is somewhat of a wildcard, in the sense that, yes, he's been president before, but he can be fairly unpredictable.
I know certainly that friends and family I've spoken with did not appreciate his threat of, you know, unleashing hell, as though hell has
not already been unleashed on Gaza.
On the other hand, they do see him as somewhat of a strong man that may have the ability to, you know, he's a dealmaker, right, to influence or
impact Netanyahu and his coalition where Blinken and President Biden did not or did not even attempt, as it were.
And I think that has more to do, of course, with the fact that Trump simply doesn't want to come to the White House with this still going on.
He has bigger interests, right? Normalization, the Abraham Accords. And those are certainly some of the bones that he's set to have thrown to
Netanyahu.
So, truthfully, I don't -- I also think, you know, on the flip side, Netanyahu doesn't feel that he can get away with his mother (TECHNICAL
DIFFICULTY) West Bank and elsewhere under a Trump administration.
But I think as far as Palestinians are concerned, you know, we and my family and so on don't feel like it could possibly get any worse. So if
anything, Trump is just, you know, as I said, not only a wildcard, but something new that they're willing to sort of give it a go and see, OK,
what is he bringing to the table previous administration was not or did not and was not able to or were not willing to rather.
[12:45:11]
NEWTON: Yeah, noted, Laila, you know, the inference that it couldn't possibly get any worse. You know, outgoing Secretary of State Blinken,
you know, said the other day that Hamas recruited almost as many new militants as it lost.
Where does this leave people in Gaza? Do you fear that a cycle of violence is inevitable for months and years to come given that? I mean,
I am also asking you how people in Gaza feel towards Hamas at this hour.
EL-HADDAD: Well, I think we need to backtrack a little to understand the context of all this, because even if a ceasefire were to take effect
immediately, and even if, you know, things went off without a hitch, all of the different phases.
The last thing we want, you know, as a global community, not just as Palestinians, is for Gaza to be, you know, thrust into irrelevancy.
Because the reason we got to this in the first place is because Palestinians in Gaza were already enduring horrific conditions and
unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
And I said prior, of course, to the last 15 months. They've been suffering under a punitive punishing blockade of now 18 years since the
Israeli disengagement of 2005, which this moment sort of reminds me of in the sense that I was there in Gaza at the time. I remember I was
living there. I was reporting.
And there was this sort of, you know, temporary moment of elation that Palestinians were suddenly felt freedom for the first time in their
lives within Gaza and could move freely within Gaza.
But the reality quickly dawned on everyone that Gaza was sort of somewhat of a hamster. We all in the sense that the, you know, the
internal obstacles might have been removed, but all of Palestinians were still on large ghetto, right?
And so that I think my fear is that we will return --
NEWTON: Right.
EL-HADDAD: -- to that situation where every aspect of Palestinian lives is still under Israeli control. And that Israel will -- and the far
right of Israel will still have an interest in continuing the dispossession, the Nakba of the Palestinians and maximizing their
control over the land in the north of Gaza.
NEWTON: Laila, I do apologize. We do have to leave it there, but of course we will continue to have you back.
EL-HADDAD: OK.
NEWTON: Appreciate it. And we'll be right back with more news in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Countdown is on for TikTok. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns it, has just three days before the popular app is banned in the
United States. That is, unless TikTok's U.S. operations are sold or the Supreme Court overturns the ban. CNN's Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[12:50:13]
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): TikTok's massive American clientele, more than 170 million strong, sweating it out ahead of a
possible TikTok ban in the U.S.
KATIE WOLF, TIKTOK USER IN U.S.: I'm like shaking. I'm so mad. I'm so anxious.
TODD (voice-over): A controversial law banning TikTok in the U.S. because of national security concerns could take effect Sunday, unless
the Supreme Court blocks the ban, which could come at any time.
Analysts have said, it's unlikely that the justices will step in to save TikTok.
The Reuters news agency and an online publication called "The Information" report TikTok is planning to shut down its U.S. operations
on Sunday and go dark for American users if the Supreme Court doesn't step in before then.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Users would not be able to post, they would not be able to watch this form of entertainment and
communication would just disappear in the United States.
TODD (voice-over): But there could be other options. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. Bloomberg and the "Wall Street Journal" report
Chinese officials are considering a scenario where billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X and Tesla, would acquire the U.S. operations of TikTok.
TODD: Why would the Chinese want to do that?
SARA FISCHER, MEDIA CORRESPONDENT, AXIOS: Because they would have an in with Trump. Elon Musk has become such an ally to Donald Trump. There's
no question that China wants to develop that relationship further.
TODD (voice-over): TikTok has batted down the speculation about Musk and CNN could not independently confirm the Bloomberg and "Wall Street
Journal" reporting.
But analysts say if Musk acquired TikTok's U.S. operations.
STELTER: He would become, in effect, the head of a Hollywood studio. You know, TikTok is one of the biggest entertainment platforms in the world.
It feels like Musk already owns everything else, right? From X to SpaceX to Tesla.
TODD (voice-over): Another option is the TikTok might elect not to sell or shut down once the band takes effect and simply do nothing.
Then starting Sunday, experts say, app store operators like Google and Apple would not be allowed to offer the TikTok app for downloading.
If you already have TikTok on your phone --
CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH WRITER: : If you already have the app on your phone, it's not just going to disappear, but you'll no longer be able to
update it, which means that eventually it would become buggy. It might have security vulnerabilities, and eventually, it would become unusable.
TODD (voice-over): Down the line, could TikTok restart in the U.S. if a ban is reversed?
FISCHER: You would have to repeal a law in order to have it so that TikTok could return. But even if that were to be the case, Donald Trump
would have to come in and really pull his might to get that to happen and I just don't foresee that happening.
TODD: Analysts say TikTok users could go to platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube if TikTok shuts down in the U.S. because they offer
similar short form video feeds.
Brian Stelter says some users have already migrated to other Chinese- owned apps similar to TikTok, which he says raised just as many national security concerns as TikTok did.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:55:35]
NEWTON: OK. So talk about a change of scenery. You are looking at live pictures now from the International Space Station. Two NASA astronauts
are taking part in a spacewalk. For Suni Williams, it's her first spacewalk since she was stranded on the International Space Station more
than seven months ago now.
Now Williams and fellow astronaut Nick Hague are doing maintenance work on the station. I guess there are some French benefits to being stranded
in space.
That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Paula Newton. After a quick break, I will be back with "AMANPOUR."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
