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Israeli Defense Minister: Plans To "Flood Gaza With Aid"; Biden Hosts Japanese PM At White House For Official Visit; CNN Rides Along On 33-Hour B-52 Bomber Intl. Mission; Grief and War Darken Eid Al-Fitr Holiday in Gaza; Irish Nationalist Becomes Northern Ireland's First Minister; Using A.I. to Save Underwater Forests; Ongoing Drought Forces Officials to Ration Water in Colombia. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired April 11, 2024 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead here on CNN Newsroom. Under pressure from the U.S., Israel allows hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We may be divided by distance but generations after generation we've been brought together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: With an eye on China, the U.S. and Japan announced the most significant upgrade in the history of their military alliance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be seen by allies and adversaries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And a very public display of military might by the U.S. It's hard not to notice the B-52 Bomber flying overhead but why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: Israeli airstrike has targeted and killed three sons of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, raising concerns about ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and release of Israeli hostages. The IDF says the three sons were operatives in the armed wing of Hamas guilty of terrorist activities. CNN though cannot confirm that. Hamas say several of Haniyeh's grandchildren were also killed when their vehicle was struck in a northern Gaza refugee camp. They were returning from social visits marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.
Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar released a statement saying such killings will only make Hamas steadfast in its principles. Adding that Hamas will not surrender, will not compromise, no matter how great the sacrifice. And after months of life threatening shortages of humanitarian assistance, Israel's defense minister says there are now plans to, quote, flood Gaza with aid. He made it clear that decision to ramp up humanitarian assistance was due to pressure from Washington.
Meantime, the Israeli agency which handles the inspection and delivery of that aid, essentially what's goes in, what's comes out, has blamed the U.N. for failing to distribute the assistance once it gets inside Gaza, saying hundreds of trucks are waiting to be picked up by the U.N. agencies. He goes on to say to the U.N., do your job, focus on distribution and stop blaming Israel for your colossal failures. U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office has accused Israeli authorities of restricting access to many parts of the Palestinian territory.
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JENS LAERKE, SPOKESPERSON, U.N. OFFICE FOR COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: And when you put up statistics with numbers of draconian saying, look at all these hundreds of trucks going in, and you put it against, look how few trucks have actually moved around with a disc -- with distribution? Well, it's kind of an old goal, isn't it? Because half of the convoys that we were trying to send to the north with food were denied by the very same Israeli authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Live now to Samah Hadid with a Norwegian Refugee Council joining us from Beirut. Thank you for being with us.
Thank you.
VAUSE: So in just days, the number of trucks carrying aid to Gaza, it has surged. That's undeniable. I want you to listen to a spokesperson for the Israeli government agency responsible for essentially what goes in and what comes out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over the past few days, we have seen a record amount of humanitarian aid making its way into the Gaza Strip. As we've said before, there is no limit to the amount of humanitarian aid, Israel is willing to facilitate, because the international organization send it, we will facilitate it. Because we understand that our war is not with the people of Gaza. Our war is with Hamas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: OK, just to clarify, a post October 7th record before October 7th, around 500 aid trucks a day into Gaza. And that's where around a million Palestinians face food insecurity. Now more than double that number is in need. So just that alone would indicate that this is not enough assistance being allowed into Gaza, and much more is still needed. We'll get to the distribution problems in a moment. But just on that, what does Israel need to do to meet that demand of how many people actually need food right now?
SAMAH HADID, HEAD OF ADVOCACY, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL MIDDLE EAST: Well, given the levels of catastrophic hunger across all of Gaza, and famine that is looming in Gaza, especially in the north, Israel needs to lift all restrictions that it's imposing on aid. And we've seen the Israeli government imposed deliberate restrictions for months now. It also needs to lift the siege on Gaza. Israel has the power to restore electricity, water and basic services right now, if it chooses to do so but it hasn't. And is under obligations to provide and facilitate aid as the occupying power but it's failed to do so.
So we can't just rely on just the number of trucks now that are going into Gaza it's about the volume of aid inside those trucks, the volume of aid being distributed across Gaza that we also need to consider.
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VAUSE: Yes, so getting the trucks across the border, it's just the beginning distributing supplies in a hot war is difficult, it's dangerous. The U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza said last month that in areas requiring coordination with the IDF, only 26 percent of requested humanitarian food missions were facilitated by Israeli authorities. The remaining convoys were denied by Israeli authorities 40 percent, postponed 20 percent, impeded 11 percent or withdrawn due to prevailing restrictions, security concerns or operational constraints.
On top of that, Israeli forces have also opened fire and killed Palestinians lining up for food and other supplies. So let's just take a look at this tweet from the Israel to -- from Israel to the United Nations, do your job, focus on distribution, stop blaming Israel for your colossal failures. It does seem Israel actually deserves a lot of the blame for what has been a colossal failure.
HADID: Well, Israel has deliberately denied aid for months now. It stopped the civilian population and is using starvation as a weapon of war, which is prohibited under international law and impose this brutal siege on the civilian population in Gaza. It is in no position to criticize the aid response and the aid community on the amount of aid being distributed inside Gaza. As aid agencies, we've been working around the clock in very difficult conditions to deliver aid because the conditions on the ground, the catastrophic and the civilian population is in desperate need of life saving assistance, and we've been trying our best to do so.
But our aid workers cannot deliver aid safely. And civilians cannot access aid safely, because of the ongoing bombardment and the Israeli airstrikes and shelling, in order for us to scale up aid to the levels that are needed right now, in Gaza. We need a ceasefire, because the ongoing insecurity, the ongoing Israeli attacks on aid workers has been horrific. There's been no accountability for these killings, and these attacks. And we need to see a drastic, urgent change on the ground. And a ceasefire is the only way to deliver that.
VAUSE: There is a lot of blame here for Israel, a lot of responsibility for Israel to get this aid into Gaza. But what about Hamas? How much is Hamas to blame for this critical shortage of food and other supplies?
HADID: Well, we haven't seen reports of Hamas deliberately denying aid or imposing restrictions. But we're calling on all parties to the conflict to allow in aid to not restrict aid in any way. The situation in Gaza is just becoming worse by the day and famine is around the corner that civilians have suffered for far too long in Gaza, and they are desperate for a solution, desperate to get their lives back and have a day of just peace, and where they can actually access food and water without the fear of being bombed or restrictions in place, the suffering must end and that's why we're calling on the international community to increase its leverage, not only to increase aid, but also to end this war because it's the carnage has gone on for too long.
VAUSE: Some of the images that we've seen from Gaza, it looks like a lunar landscape. There's just utter devastation everywhere, the infrastructure is smashed, how much more difficult does that make actually distributing supplies to those who need it the most?
HADID: The civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been completely destroyed, hospitals are barely functioning. Fuel is also still an issue. So it's made aid distribution even more difficult in some of the sites that we've been working in, the mount of displaced populations is just growing. And the sites are overcrowded. And so it's just impossible these days to deliver aid to the scale that's required and the civilian population is just suffering, because of this.
VAUSE: Samah Hadid in Beirut with the Norwegian Refugee Council, thank you so much for getting up and being with us. We really appreciate it.
HADID: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, the relationship between the U.S. and two key allies was laid bare Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister on his first official visit to the White House was welcomed with a pump filled ceremony, President Biden describing relations between the U.S. and Japan as a cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity. And a few hours ago, Fumio Kishida, was the guest of honor at a state dinner. He cracked a "Star Trek" joke. President Biden praised the alliance between both countries saying it is stronger than it has ever been. Throughout bilateral deals on defense in the economy and trade were also announced as well as plans by NASA to take a Japanese astronaut to the moon.
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But also very public, the worsening relations between the U.S. and Israel over the war in Gaza. During a news conference, President Biden shed details about a recent telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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BIDEN: I have been very blunt and straightforward with the prime minister. Bibi and I had a long discussion. He agreed to do several things that related to number one, getting more aid, both food and medicine into Gaza and reducing significantly the attempts, the civilian casualties in any action taken in the region. So we'll see what he does in terms of meeting the commitments he made.
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VAUSE: Mr. Biden and Mr. Kishida held talks in the Oval Office, both leaders announcing and historic upgraded military ties aimed at countering the growing influence of China. Let's go to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout live in Hong Kong. She joins us with more on this. So when we talk practical sort of measures here, when they talk about upgrading that alliance. So what changes, what does it mean and what does it -- how does China see all of this?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's an upgrade across the board from defense, military, security to science technology, space and AI, the U.S. and Japan are hailing this historic upgrade in their relationship that sends a clear message to China. And we are awaiting any response from China to this upgrade in that alliance. Now, President -- U.S. President Joe Biden, he welcomed and hosted the Japanese Prime Minister for the state visit. He rolled out the red carpet to show Japan's importance to America. And they announced a number of moves again to enhance military cooperation, economic, high tech, you know, this was the fifth official state visit of the Biden White House and the fourth dedicated to a key ally in the Indo Pacific region.
And Japan has been at the very center of what Biden has been building, alliance building in this region. Now on Wednesday, the two leaders they announced steps to further deepen the alliances. Let's show you the roadmap of how exactly they plan to do so. New steps were announced on trade and economic ties on diplomacy including person to person relations, on climate change in combating that phenomenon, space exploration and critical technologies including AI, and of course, defense. We have to underscore defense and security. In fact, 70 agreements on defense cooperation were made between the U.S. and Japan, including moves to upgrade their military command structures to boost coordination.
Now on the back of recent military maneuvers in the South China Sea, the East China Sea by China, the United States and its Asian allies, including Japan see China as a growing threat in the region. I want you to listen to what the Japanese Prime Minister had to say.
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FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator):We reaffirm the importance of realizing a free and open Indo Pacific based on the rules of law and concur to maintain close collaboration through various opportunities, including the Japan, U.S., Philippine Summit, which is planned for Thursday.
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LU STOUT: On Thursday in the U.S., Biden will be hosting his first ever leader summit between these three nations, the U.S., Japan and the Philippines. Back to you, John. VAUSE: So Kristie very quickly, the U.S. allies deepens, Japan is sending some cherry blossom, cherry blossom diplomacy. What are the details there?
LU STOUT: It's a thing, cherry blossom diplomacy. In fact, Japan announced that it is gifting 250 cherry trees to the United States on our America's 250th birthday, which is happening two years from now. And they're going to be planted at the title basin area. It turns out 150 cherry trees there had to be chopped down to make way for higher sea walls. And, you know, in regards to those beautiful cherry trees that you see, not only in Japan and elsewhere, but also the United States. Japan first gifted the trees to the U.S. over 100 years ago in the early 20th century.
In fact, a senior Biden administration official called the original gift, one of the most important diplomatic gifts in U.S. history, second only to the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France. John?
VAUSE: I thought you're going to say pandas. Thank goodness you didn't.
LU STOUT: That's number three on the list, John.
VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Good to see you.
We'll take a short break. When we come back, the message to allies and adversaries about 33-hour long flight by an aging B-52 Bomber come along for a ride.
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Also, what does Ukraine's president have to say about a reported land for peace deal floated by Donald Trump?
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VAUSE: The director of the FBI again warning about what he calls a defining threat to the United States and speech Tuesday, Christopher Wray outlined how ill equipped the U.S. is to deal with cyberattacks from China.
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CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: To put it simply, the CCP is throwing its whole government at undermining the security and economy of the rule of law world. China's hacking program is larger than that of every other major nation combined. In fact, if you took every single one of the FBI's cyber agents and intelligence analysts and focus them exclusively on China, forget Russia, forget ransomware, forget North Korea forget all the other stuff, China's hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50 to one.
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VAUSE: Earlier this year, Director Wray warned the U.S. has not focused enough on the risk of cyberattacks. He says Chinese hackers are actively targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. Beijing denies that.
Well, there is cybersecurity which no one can actually really see, then there's the big military hardware, the stuff that U.S. is good at. CNN's Oren Liebermann gain exclusive access to a long range U.S. Air Force mission, meant to send a clear message to friend and foe alike but that mission comes with some challenges.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mylar 110933330 (ph).
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the shroud of predawn darkness, flight Mylar 11 roars out of Louisiana is Barksdale Air Force Base. It's the start of one of the longest military missions in the world, a nonstop 33-hour flight by this B-52 strategic bomber group to the other side of the world, flying near Russia, China, North Korea and back.
LIEBERMANN: As you can see, it's dark outside. The cockpit has red light once again for the night vision here.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): CNN is the first news crew ever allowed on one of these extensive B-52 missions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only are we one of the most visible and flexible legs of the nuclear triad, we can have a B-52 where you need it, when you need it, within 48 hours.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): These flights are intentionally high profile. Two years into the war in Ukraine, as Russia challenges the U.S. and NATO, the Kremlin is meant to know about our bomber flight. So is China with Beijing pressuring Taiwan, and Chinese coast guard vessels harassing ships of the Philippines, a U.S. ally.
MAJ. GEN. JASON ARMAGOST, COMMANDER, EIGHTH AIR FORCE: Both the national leadership of Russia and the national leadership of China, what do they react to? We see that they publicly comment about our bomber task force missions, particularly when it involves others in very joint and public ways.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tanker1, contact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bomber1, contact.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Five hours into the flight, we had our first for aerial refueling is off Alaska's coast, taking on as much gas as we can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep track of your own fuel state. I'd like for you guys to be with us all the way to Yankee Zulu Papa.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): After an hour of formation flying during this refuel, we arch out over the Pacific and towards Japan. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's important that we communicate to our partners that we mean what we say, when we say that we're committed to our alliances. That's an example of what the B-52 does. We show up when we're asked.
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LIEBERMANN (voice-over): This 63-year-old Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, decades older than its crew shows its age but it remains the Air Force's primary bomber, taking part in every U.S. war since Vietnam with planned upgrades to its antiquated systems, it will see nearly a century of service. This year, the U.S. began producing its next generation B-21 Bomber. China is close behind promising their H-20 strategic stealth bomber will be unveiled soon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty seconds to the turn. Zero five zero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Onboard Mylar 11, we passed by Russia's East Coast, closer meeting up with U.S. and allied fighter jets. Our flight is unarmed. Their mission is not to attack but to prevent attack, to deter. But this is a bomber of course. If we were carrying nuclear weapons, the Air Force would monitor the flight and the joint nuclear operations center back in Louisiana. Seen here on news camera for the first time. It's a 24/7 operation tracking all ballistic missile silos and airborne nuclear weapons.
On the ground, crews trained to turn the aircraft into an offensive platform, munitions teams or muns, as they're known on base, assemble weapons. Outside loading teams marry bombs to bomber. The B-52 can carry up to 70,000 pounds of bombs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready to fly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready to fly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, your jet.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): It is a marathon of marathons to put the B-52 and its crew virtually anywhere in the world.
LIEBERMANN: At this point, we've passed the halfway point of the flight. We've been in the air more than 15 hours. It's the middle of the day here in Japan where we're overflying at the moment, en route to the mission area where we'll meet up with fighters from several other countries here, and carry out an exercise.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Here on the edge of the East China Sea, fighter jets from Japan and South Korea take up formation off our wings. Hours earlier during our flight, North Korea testified a mid- range ballistic missile, a reminder of the threats in the Pacific.
LIEBERMANN: You want to be seen by both allies and adversaries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to be seen by allies and adversaries. LIEBERMANN: It is still a head turner --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.
LIEBERMANN: -- when you take it around the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): But it's China that the U.S. is watching most closely. In October a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a B-52 flying over the South China Sea at night, coming within 10 feet of the bomber. By number of ships, China has the world's largest Navy, soon have the world's largest Air Force according to the commander of U.S. Indo Pacific Command. Beijing is rapidly modernizing its military including its strategic forces and they're not part of any non- proliferation treaty obscuring their nuclear assets.
After 19 hours of flying and 14 more to go, a warning light signals trouble with one of the planes main engines. The crew runs through the checklists.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Throttles, number five.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Confirmed five.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Confirmed.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): They make the decision to shut down the engine. There is no panic, just a management of risk. Nearing the 30- hour mark of the flight, we see our second sunrise over Washington State's Mount Rainier.
LIEBERMANN: And although the crew is tired, they all know there's still a critical task ahead and that is getting the B-52 back on the ground. And that is one of the most difficult parts of the mission.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): On final approach, the B-52, which has been in the air nearly 15 hours longer than the longest commercial flight in the world has one final surprise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One gear not down?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Affirm. Right main gear is not down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and emergency extend it.
LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Flight Mylar 11 touches down at 3:00 in the afternoon after 33 hours in the air, a mission that showed the abilities and the age of a jet that remains critical to the Air Force.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Despite how many years the B-52 has been running. She is a tough girl.
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LIEBERMANN (on camera): Officers we spoke with in Air Force Global Strike Command say countries like Japan are requesting more B-52 flights. They want to see the bomber in their skies. It is not just a measure of assurance between the U.S. and its allies, it's also a messaged adversaries like China, who are very much aware of those B-52 missions, especially the long range ones. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a meeting on Wednesday in which they said there will be increased defense security cooperation, more integration on things like command and control between the militaries and making sure these militaries can continue to move together. Biden said it is the most significant upgrade to the alliance since it began.
Oren Liebermann, CNN in the Pentagon.
VAUSE: For 175 days, billions of dollars in military support has been stalled by Republicans in the U.S. Congress. That continues for much longer, U.S. General in charge of European Command fears Ukraine will lose the war against Russia. General Chris Cavoli what it says right now Russia is firing five times as many artillery shells as Ukraine and ongoing ammunition shortages mean that could soon become 10 to one in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Forces is convinced Kyiv can win partly because of its own special ops team. General Bryan Fenton testified before U.S. Senators Wednesday.
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GEN. BRYAN FENTON, COMMANDER, U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND: But we've had the chance to visit with this Ukrainian special operators in European locations, again outside of Ukraine, watching them train, watching them get better, watching them teach us especially lessons learned. And I got to tell you at each every point, they're incredible, committed, existentially focused teammates and they absolutely can win.
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VAUSE: According to reporting by "The Washington Post," Donald Trump has been saying privately if he's reelected, he may press Ukraine to give up territory to Moscow in return for peace. The Trump campaign was quoted as saying the story is based on uninformed sources. CNN's Fred Pleitgen, ask the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his take on the proposal put forward by Trump.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As Russia unleashes barrages of powerful missiles in Ukraine cities, killing and wounding dozens in the past days, and Kyiv of both outmanned and outgunned, suffer setbacks on the battlefield, I asked Ukraine's president about Donald Trump's reported plan if he's elected to end the fighting by forcing Ukraine to give up territory and hand it to Vladimir Putin.
PLEITGEN: Would you ever be willing to give up Ukrainian territory for peace?
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I did not hear directly from Trump, his ideas in detail. I did not have the opportunity to talk to him about this topic and his idea of how to end the war have an opportunity. If there is such an opportunity, I would be happy to hear and I will listen ideas. And we will talk about this topic.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Trump campaign today also denied the former president has agreed to visit Ukraine after reports surfaced he was planning a visit. Zelenskyy says Ukraine will lose the war if Republicans don't approve U.S. military aid fast. Kyiv's army running short on everything from artillery ammo to air defense missiles.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): I understand that it is not easy, and everyone thinks about themselves. Our partners are helping. I am grateful to them, to help as much as they can. But as much as they can, is not enough if we really want to defeat Putin, if no one wants Putin to drag the world into World War III.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Speaking to me, Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the U.S. and its allies not to be intimidated by Putin if Ukraine gets the weapons and ammo, he says, Kyiv will win.
ZELENSKYY (through translator): It is a war and we have a serious enemy against us. But let's be realistic, not pessimistic, let's be realistic. Today, the situation is stabilized if there are concrete weapons, concrete political steps from our partners, we will break Putin's backbone.
Fred Pleitgencnn, CNN, Delphi, Greece.
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VAUSE: Coming up here on CNN, Eid al-Fitr is meant to be a time of celebration and joy. In Gaza, Palestinians mocked the holiday in bombed out buildings and at the grace of their loved ones.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday with prayers, feasts, and joyful family gatherings. Not in Gaza. The holiday was marked with grief, death, and loss.
Here's CNN's Nic Robertson.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Eid's joys are scarcer in Gaza this year. Celebration Eid amidst ruins. Sarah (ph) crying as she recounts finding her beloved Eid clothes in
the rubble of her home then realizing she won't get to wear them. Her family's festivities forgone this year.
"Thank God, we are alive for Eid", her father explains. "But we're exhausted and devastated. We should be in our home comfortable eating, celebrating."
In the ravaged enclave millions are clinging to what is unbreakable. Tradition.
"We insisted on praying inside Rafah's (INAUDIBLE) mosque so all the world knows that we are holding onto our mosques, to our land, to our country," Mustafa Al-Khalil from Gaza City says.
Eid spirit also being kept alive in makeshift kitchens ingredients of everyone's Eid memories donated by charities outside of Gaza, lovingly crafted into date, sesame and caraway (ph) cookies.
"We're trying to make our kids happy, reminding them of the smell of Eid Atlan Salah (ph) says, who didn't get the traditional new clothes. There is no joy for Eid, no balloons, no sweets.
What is in abundance this year Eid's custom of commemorating the dead. Silence plus tears of sorrow surrounding fresh-dug soil in other years less tragic than today.
Um Ahmed (ph) came with her children. "My kids lost their father," she says. "When I told them I was going to visit his grave, they told me, mom, we want to come visit Baba (ph).
This little one, who's banging on the stone saying, I want to see Baba. He said he's going to celebrate Eid with me.
There is no going back. A generation here growing up with a new memories of Eid, of suffering and loss a long time before the joy is shared by about 1.9 billion other Muslims around the world become universal in Gaza again.
Nic Robertson, CNN -- Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Irelands new prime minister, Simon Harris made his position on Gaza clear in his first speech as taoiseach.
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SIMON HARRIS, IRISH PRIME MINISTER: In Gaza, we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe and we are seeing innocent children, women and men being starved and slaughtered. We have not been silent on the unforgivable terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, nor can we be silent on the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli government. And as a country, we will play our part in helping bring about ceasefire and a lasting peace VAUSE: Ireland knows a few things about ending a generations-long,
bloody, and bitter conflict. 26 years ago, the Good Friday Agreement with Northern Ireland brought an end to decades of conflict. It required communities to make extraordinary sacrifices for the sake of peace. The agreement also established a new government with power equally shared between pro Britain unionists and Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland.
And now for the first time in modern history, the Nationalist Party, Sinn Fein, holds the top job in Northern Ireland with Michelle O'Neill as first minister.
And CNN's Christiane Amanpour spoke with O'Neill and has her take down on a number of issues including the war in Gaza.
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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Let me ask you, because you do have a thing or two more than that to be an example for the rest of the world.
[01:34:49]
AMANPOUR: What would you say, marking 26 years since the Good Friday Agreement and all the pain that that, you know, caused to get there, to the leaders of Israel and Palestine right now?
MICHELLE O'NEILL, NORTHERN IRELAND'S FIRST MINISTER: Look, as you have reflected, we have 26 years of a successful peace process. That only came about by dialog, negotiation, by sitting at a table, by all voices being around that table. And actually having the conversations about how you can end conflict and move forward.
I and many like me are so grateful for the gift of peace that we have been given by our Good Friday Accord. And we have much to celebrate. We're a society that has been completely transformed over the course of our peace process.
And we have much, much more to do of course, but nobody could fault at all the transformation of the island of Ireland actually, throughout the periods since 1990s to where we are today.
And I think unfortunately we too know the cost of conflict, but we equally know the value of peace and I think what we watch every day in terms of the things and some of the programs, some of the footage you've just shown is horrific.
Six months on, this slaughter continues. Six months on, we need to see an immediate ceasefire. We need to see dialogue. We need to see humanitarian aid medically and we need to see a political solution.
Because what's happened at day on daily the bombardment, the genocide, in terms of the people of Palestine on Gaza is just horrendous.
So if we have to offer anything, I think it is the value of dialogue, the value of being able to find that solution that we, all -- that everybody can sign off to.
And you know, ultimately for me what I want to see in terms of policy in the Middle East, what I want to see is a political solution that allows the long tail of oppression to end, protect (INAUDIBLE). This latest horrific chapter of what's happened in Palestine.
AMANPOUR: Can I ask you because it always comes up there, but it was also true where you are and at is that it is essentially the armed factions who also have to buy in. People who may be from the outside are called terrorists, or whether it happens in Northern Ireland Hello. Your family had all sorts of I believe nationalists and IRA connections and ties.
Your deputy also had those kinds of connections in the other side, you know, the fighters that it was jail that was all of this. Talk to people about what it takes for even that wing, even those groups, not just the political leaders, to buy in and to be brought into a peace process.
O'NEILL: Well, I think that we all recognize is that the success of any peace process means that everybody's voice has to be at the table. I mean, that's the only way you're going to find a solution. You have to understand the perspectives that people have. You have to understand that in order for there to be a solution that everybody has to buy into that.
I think, you know, I'm lucky I consider myself the Good Friday Agreement generation, as is Emma Little-Pengelly, who's the deputy first minister and the joint office with me. I think we both can consider ourselves lucky in that we are born into a society, are born at a time whenever we've been gifted, the Good Friday Agreement and our job knows political leaders of today and 26 years on after that process in November, I think this is a really crucial point.
It's a process, it wasn't something that happens on one day and we have an accord and that's great. You have to keep working at it. And we even to here, have to keep working at it. I'm very, very glad that we are where we are today. I'm very glad that we are that Good Friday Agreement generation. No task with political leadership in today's world (ph), which is a very changing place, the place we call home in 1998.
And that agreement was (INAUDIBLE) drunk and where we are today is a very, very different picture. And I'm glad for that. But we have to keep working on it, and I'm dialogue is crucial, I think.
AMANPOUR: And I do remember having covered it even right after it was signed, that very summer there was another terrible terrorist attack, which threatened to derail it. But everybody got together, or in Northern Ireland, all the parties to make sure that didn't happen.
To that point. I would like to play a sound bite from your deputy, as I say, a unionist, a politician, Emma Little-Pengelly, who's your deputy first minister.
EMMA LITTLE-PENGELLY, NORTHERN IRELAND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER: There are moments in each of our of our lives but see a (INAUDIBLE). The past with all our heart can
never be forgotten. A nor will it be allowed to be rewritten.
But while we are shaped by the past, we are not defined by it. The experience of my childhood. Give me the drive and desire to make a different future, not just for myself, but to do all that I could and can to ensure a better future for all of us.
AMANPOUR: So you're both of the same generation, and obviously you're the younger generation. Let's face it.
[01:39:47]
AMANPOUR: And there appears to be, you know, an increasing desire and moderation by Northern Ireland young people who maybe want more than just the binary two parties that is mandated, I know by the Good Friday Agreement.
Talk to me about how people and their politics may be changing on both sides.
O'NEILL: Well, I think when you listen to what (INAUDIBLE) reflected there so I think, you know, that's Emma's lived experience. And I have a very different lived experience so I think all those things help to shape the people that we are today.
Emma equally has a different outlook in terms of the Constitutional position on the island.
To me Emma is a British (INAUDIBLE); the union is tradition.
I'm more than an Irish republican identity, and I want to unite the island of the people that live on it. while at the same time, our peace process says that our (INAUDIBLE) is minute when we come together and we walk together for the greater good of the people on a day-to-day basis.
And I'm committed to that, I believe that both of us want to do our very, very best for the people that we collectively serve.
But at the same time, we can do that and pursue are equally legitimate particular aspirations. As I said, we both have very different views, but were in a space where we have to be comfortable enough in our own skin on who we are.
And I respect that Emma is different to me and she can respect that I am different to her. But at the same time, let's pursue or goals in a indict with dialogue, lets pursue our goals with the political arguments, let's convince people about the precious gift of the Good Friday agreement. You know, that we were all better and these legitimate aspirations were respected at the heart of that. And the only time the constitution position was changed in the Island of Ireland is whenever the people vote for that.
So I think that there's change happening all around us and I do think that we're very (INAUDIBLE) the north of Ireland, Northern Ireland, whatever you're most comfortable to call us, but we're certainly changing. We've already diverse society it's something to be celebrated.
And I think there's change happening right across the island that it's quite exciting in terms of where we're headed, where we will be in the next 5, 10, 15 years.
My own position (INAUDIBLE) post of first minister. The first Nationalist ever to take up the post of first minister is something that was unimaginable to my parents and to my grandparents and the generations before them. And that speaks volumes in terms of the change.
But for me personally and my role as first minister. It's what I intend to do with that that's important to me. And for me, that's about even as an Irish Republican, that I can be true to who I am, but I can serve everybody equally and I am absolutely determined to do that to build a brighter, better future. One of hope and opportunity, one that's looking towards this new dawn with a vision for the future, which ultimately always has to be a bit something better.
AMANPOUR: It's so interesting hearing you speak and of course we all know that Stormont, the seat of government, was suspended for two years. And now, as we as we referenced, the longtime leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson has resigned because of accusations of historic sexual offenses.
I just want to know whether you think that will call any -- cause internal eruption that you think it might threaten the stability of your government right now?
O'NEILL: So I won't comment in terms of the charges that have been made because that's for the judiciary to deal with. The criminal justice system to deal with.
What I will say is that the public look on the left towards the political leaders to provide pragmatic leadership, to lead from the front in terms of trying to politics work.
I have spoken to all the other parties because we're a for-party government remember, and I've spoken to all the other leaders to talk about why we need to have that leadership that we need to provide that leadership that we need to have continuity. So I'm quite confident that we can continue in (INAUDIBLE), that we can continue the good work that we have since we've had our government restored just ten weeks ago.
We have much more much work to do. And I'm determined to get down to do that. And I hope that there aren't any interruptions. I mean, obviously there's a lot of moving parts happening around us. There are a lot of elections on the horizon, but we will chart our way through our job and the executive.
My job as first minister, Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy first minister, and all the other parties of the executive is to get on with doing the business of serving the public, delivering good public services, and doing our best.
AMANPOUR: Now, Michelle O'Neill, you are a trailblazer and I just want to ask you because you sound so inclusive and your deputy minister also. It's not unnoticed. You are both women in many parts of the world, peace movement are you know, envisioned and run, even in your own North of Ireland, the original peace movement was two women who won the Nobel Prize.
Just reflect on that on the fact that as women you are in charge of something really dramatic and inclusive.
O'NEILL: Well, inflation (ph)is where we need to be. I mean we're in this new era of change where you know, last year we spent a lot of time reflecting back on the Good Friday Agreement and what has been achieved and what else has been achieved and over all those years since.
[01:44:53]
O'NEILL: But for me, it's about, you know, I'm very proud that there are two women. I'm very proud of that in my own party, Mary Lou McDonald's the president and myself as the vice president.
I'm very glad that in the executive, we have myself and Emma Little- Pengelly. Our two junior ministers are also female. In the North of Ireland, actually women are leading the way because our attorney general is a female, nor chief justice is a female, the head of our civil services is a female.
And I just think I don't know, I hope that that will demonstrate overtime how we can make change because I got into politics to make change, I am determined to lead that change. I think that everybody else is there to do our job also.
AMANPOUR: it's really a great pleasure to talk to you. Congratulations. And Michelle O'Neill, thanks for being on our program.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you, Christiane.
Coming up, we head to Tasmania where researchers are working with advanced A.I. technology to help save Australia's underwater forest.
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VAUSE: Australia's southern ocean was once teeming with the giant kelp, that's the brown seaweed critical to a healthy ocean. Now it's almost all but disappeared.
Today on "Call to Earth", we head to the island of Tasmania where researchers are using advanced A.I.-powered technology to regrow and restore these underwater forests.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sunlight streaks through the kelp canopy on Australia's Great Southern Reef, an over 8,000-kilometer-long temperate ecosystem that wraps around the country's southern coastline.
It's a quiet and private world. Far from its famous cousin to the north, the Great Barrier Reef.
SCOTT BENNETT, MARINE ECONOLOGIST: Just have immense diversity that we just don't find anywhere. 70 percent to 80 percent of spaces that we find (INAUDIBLE) right here are unique to the Great Southern Reef. They're not found anywhere else.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The giant kelp anchors this environment, building a nourishing and underwater forest. And it's all but disappeared in Tasmanian waters, an issue that has scientists concerned.
BENNETT: In Tasmania, we've lost around 95 percent of our giant kelp forest over the last five decades, feeling squarely because of climate change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the capital city of Hobart, marine ecologist Scott Bennett sets out to the mouth of the (INAUDIBLE) Derwent River searching for a healthy canopy and a chance for the species to survive.
BENNETT: We've had that strong selection pressure from marine heatwaves and warming over the past five decades. So there's 5 percent that remain have been through a lot already. And it's our hope that the resilience in that remaining 5 percent that hold the key.
[01:49:49]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Back on shore, scientists are taking a closer look at the hardy survivors, hoping to unlock their secrets.
ANUSUYA WILLIS, DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ALGAE CULTURE COLLECTION: So we're trying to understand through genomics what it is about those individuals that allows them to withstand these warmer temperatures. And then we will take those individuals and in the lab where we'll break (INAUDIBLE) that carried that trait of thermal tolerance.
At Australia's State Science Agency, The CSIRO, Anusuya Willis and her team have identified the genetic markers that may make them more resilient to climate change. Through selective breeding, the scientists are able to maximize the effectiveness of that trait in the Kelp that will eventually be introduced back into the ocean.
But the sheer size of the Great Southern Reef makes it difficult to determine exactly where this strengthened kelp is most needed.
LEAH KAPLAN, APAC SUSTAINABILITY BUSINESS LEAD, GOOGLE CLOUD: We don't have a baseline and you cannot protect what you can't measure. So we can't get in place conservation programs until we have that baseline. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Google Australia is now working alongside the CSIRO, the Nature Conservancy, the University of Tasmania, and the Great Southern Reef Foundation tooling up the scientists with new tech.
KAPLAN: for this project, we are analyzing 7,000 square kilometers of satellite imagery, which just would have been incredibly difficult to Do with traditional computers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Google's geospatial technology is creating the first ever map of Australia's giant kelp forest. Researchers will then use the company's A.I. tools to analyze the kelp that has survived.
BENNETT: There is no natural regeneration anymore unless there's human intervention into the restoration. It will be lost.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Augmenting that human intervention with A.I. gives these scientists a better chance of saving the giant kelp and with it, the Great Southern Reef.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Let us know what you're doing to answer the call with #CalltoEarth.
Stay with us. Back in a moment.
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VAUSE: Tornadoes and severe storms ripped across the southeastern U.S. on Wednesday. In Slidell, Louisiana a twister injured at least ten people according to police. The storm knocked down trees, damaged homes. More details on just the extent of the damage will come Thursday after surveys are completed.
Tornado watches across the south have now-expired, but heavy rain, flash flooding, and high wind remain a threat.
Water restrictions and rationing will take effect in a few hours in the Colombian capital, of Bogota. Reservoirs are at critically low levels after a long drought made worse by El Nino.
More details now from Stefano Pozzebon reporting in from a dried-up lake not far from Bogota.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN JOURNALIST: We are in the reservoir of San Rafael. It's one of a few that provide freshwater to the city of Bogota. But as you can see, this reservoir is mostly dry. In fact, less than a year ago, the ground I'm standing on was covered in water.
And right now, I don't even need to wear rain boots for walking here because of how dry the ground is.
The situation is so troublesome, the Colombian authorities have called for water rationing measures in the city of Bogota, which is about ten kilometers that way, starting today.
[01:54:47]
POZZEBON: Now, Bogota's mayor has urged his fellow citizens to save as much water as possible, at least until the rains come back.
In fact, much of the supply of water to the city comes from surface water, like this one, which are highly dependent on precipitation.
This year however, rain has been scarce in part because of El Nino, a climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean, which is hundreds of miles from here.
El Nino can have different effects at different latitudes but in Colombia, it largely means less water. And the Colombian government has issued a natural disaster decree as early as in January to mobilize resources to prevent the effects of El Nino.
SUSANA MUHAMAD, COLOMBIA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER (through translator): We must have a deep thought about the type of development we want. We can't keep handling emergencies. It's not sustainable to break through the water cycle, ignoring the time nature needs to recover and then expect the water to keep flowing as if anything is happening.
POZZEBON: Colombian authorities as well as scientists say that its incredibly hard to predict how long this drought would last.
But what is most worrying is if droughts like these become a yearly thing, and this becomes the new normal.
For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Before we go an Italian (INAUDIBLE) maker may have just hurt the feelings and offended Catholics worldwide with a TV ad featuring nuns eating potato chips in the place of communion wafers.
Catholics believe communion bread is the body of Christ. Catholic groups are outraged, or some of them. one called the add blasphemy. Another says Christ has been reduced to a potato chip. Italy's advertising authority has ordered the ad taken off the air and given the chip company seven days to appeal.
That's not funny.
Thank you for watching. I'm John Vause.
CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend and colleague Rosemary Church, after a short break.
I hope to see you right back here tomorrow.
[01:57:02]
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