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One World with Zain Asher

CNN Monitors The Border Between Gaza And Egypt; Three Palestinian Students Shot And Injured In Vermont; Elon Musk Visits Israel; Israel Agrees To Extend The Truce By An Additional Two Days. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired November 27, 2023 - 12:00   ET

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

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BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Two more days. Qatar says an agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: "One World" starts right now. A pause that will save lives. What we are learning about that agreement to continue

this truce.

GOLODRYGA: Also, we're closely monitoring the border between Gaza and Egypt. An agreement has been reached to release more Israeli hostages

today, at any moment.

ASHER: And later, through all of the darkness, some light -- resilience in communities around the world. All right, thank you so much for being with

us on this Monday morning. Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga. This is "One World". We are following fast developing -- developments out of the Middle East right now. An

agreement has been reached to extend a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas by two days. This -- according to Qatar.

ASHER: And we are also learning that the release of the fourth group of Israeli hostages appears to be back on track. There were a few hiccups that

we reported earlier this morning but sources are telling CNN that the ongoing issues are close to being sorted out, they're close to being

resolved, including because there was some concern over whether or not children would be freed without their mothers.

That appears to have been resolved. Just in terms of what we know so far and where we are in the release of the hostages that started on Friday, so

far, a total of 58 hostages have been released -- 40 of them are Israeli, 17 of them Thai citizens, one Filipino -- all of them released from

captivity since Friday.

GOLODRYGA: Over the past three days, we have witnessed tearful and heart- wrenching reunions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: A fourth exchange of Palestinian prisoners and detainees is also expected to take place today. Israel has released 117 of them, thus far.

ASHER: Meantime, many Palestinians who fled northern Gaza to escape the Israeli bombardment are now actually returning back to their homes to find

that nothing is left. There's nothing but piles of rubble and debris where their homes once stood.

GOLODRYGA: Let's get back to our top story this hour and that is the on- going extension of this truce -- another two days. CNN's Alex Marquardt joins us now from Washington, D.C., with the latest.

So, Alex, this had been hopeful that the first four days, if they went according to plan, that we could see another extension that appears to be

what we are hearing from the Qataris. What would that entail? Because thus far, we've only seen one American released. Could we see more in the next

day or two?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. There really was that hope that this would happen and now it has. But the reason

it wasn't so solid was because it's been really touch and go for the last few days. There have been moments where it looks like the deal might fall

through.

Earlier today, it looked like today's release might not happen. We're told that that is back on track. And so, we expect the release of at least 10

probably more hostages in the coming hours.

But I think this is not only really notable, but it's really interesting that they're saying that this is a two-day extension. This was announced by

the Qataris, as you say, by the foreign ministry. It was also confirmed by Hamas.

What Hamas said is that the terms of the deal in these two days is just an extension of what we've seen over the past four. And so, that's essentially

that they will agree to release at least 10 hostages per day. And for that, they will be given another day of pause.

And at least 30 Palestinian prisoners would be released. And, remember, the ratio is three Palestinian prisoners and Israeli prisons released for every

hostage in Hamas captivity. And so, what this tells us is that Hamas is confident that they can deliver at least 20 more Israeli hostages who are

women and children.

If you remember the earlier terms of this agreement, they said that, over four days, they would release 50 hostages. Now, we've gotten to the end of

that four days. They will have likely by the end of today released 50 women and children. What they're saying is that they have 20 more who are

essentially ready to go. So, then the question becomes what happens on day six? Do they extend it even further?

[12:05:00]

The thing is that they have 20 more who are essentially ready to go. So, then the question becomes what happens on day six? Do they extend it even

further? Are there more women and children who they can release?

And there's a major question, guys, about the condition of these hostages. The ones who have been released so far are the ones who are certainly

alive, for starters, but also in relatively good health, from what we understand.

There are concerns here in the United States about the American hostages, because there were two American women who were supposed to be released in

these first four days. It remains to be seen whether they'll be released today. Indications are perhaps not. And so, that's why you can imagine the

U.S. would be pushing for this extension.

And I've just learned that President Biden actually spoke with the Qatari Prime Minister just a short time ago as this news was coming out. You can

certainly imagine that he would be asking Qatar to pressure Hamas to release those Americans.

ASHER: And Alex, just in terms of, you know, to your point, how much longer this sort of game of chess with extending the truce every couple of days

can actually continue for? There are reports that Israel has said they will not release or not continue a truce for longer than five days.

Just walk us through what you're hearing in terms of your sources. Have you heard a sort of limit imposed by the Israelis in terms of the number of

days they're actually ultimately willing to extend this truce by?

MARQUARDT: I think the outer limit would be about an additional five days, though that's not certain. But the onus really is on Hamas here to come up

with more hostages, to release more hostages. And the belief was that because of the intense fighting, the extraordinary bombardment by Israel,

it was really hard for Hamas to get a sense of where all these hostages are, what condition they're in.

And so what Hamas is believed to have been doing over the past four days is going around, getting a sense of where these hostages are being held

whether it's different factions within Hamas, whether it's other militant groups like Islamic Jihad, whether it's gangs, and essentially getting a

sense of who they have, who they are, what health condition they're in.

There is a real fear that a number of them could be dead. And Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser, said yesterday that he is expected

-- the U.S. is expecting to get an update on the conditions, not just of the American hostages, but all the others by the end of today.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah because according to the Prime Minister's office, the initial agreement would have allowed the Red Cross to have access to some

of the hostages that remained in Gaza. That doesn't seem to be the case. So, the first time the Red Cross sees them is just hours before we do, once

they're already there in Egypt. Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

ASHER: All right. Let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman, joining us live now from Jerusalem. So, Ben, obviously the extension in this truce -- clearly

welcome news for a lot of Israeli families who have been desperate just in terms of wanting to hear word and wanting to be reunited with their loved

ones.

But it's also positive news for the families of Palestinian prisoners have been held in the West Bank and also many, many people in Gaza waiting to

receive more aid. Walk us through it.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, of course. The extension of two days means for the people of Gaza, 80 percent of whom have

been displaced, according to the U.N. It means that they have two more days where they don't have to worry about being killed in Israeli bombardment.

They have two more days to try to scrounge up some food, some cooking gas, perhaps some potable water, given that, for instance, according to the

U.N., the amount of mineral water that has entered Gaza, is only about four percent, enough for four percent of the population. So, it's good news for

them, but there is also that looming fear that when the truce finally ends, whenever that is, it's going to be back to bombing again.

Now, on the West Bank, obviously, it's going to be widely welcomed that we're going to have more batches of Palestinians, Hamas, Palestinians

released. Hamas put out a statement on its telegram channel saying that it agreed to the extension of this truce upon along the same lines as what has

already been agreed upon.

Now, until now we've seen 117 Palestinian detainees and prisoners released, for instance last night. All of them were boys, 18 years and younger. The

youngest one was a mere 14 years old. But keep in mind that every night Israeli forces break into his Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, in the

West Bank, and round more people up. Since the 7th of October, they have rounded up more than 3000 people, since this truce went into effect.

[12:10:00]

At a minimum, they've rounded up at least 110, and we're expecting to get an updated number which might be dramatically higher. So, it's a mixed bag,

to say the least. But for Hamas, this is a political bonanza.

We are seeing that increasingly, people on the West Bank have seen that Hamas can actually accomplish something, can actually get the Israelis to

release many of these women and boys out, release them from Israeli prisons.

At the same time, the Palestinian Authority is viewed as increasingly incapable, incompetent, and unable to convince the Israelis to give them

anything. So, for Hamas, we see their popularity rising. Last night, I was speaking with a senior diplomat who said if there were elections in the

West Bank tomorrow, Hamas would win. Zain.

GOLODRYGA: Which is quite shocking to hear for at least Israelis and even American officials who were hoping that once this war ends, it would be the

Palestinian Authority --

ASHER: Right.

GOLODRYGA: -- that would return to power governing over both the West Bank and Gaza. Ben, if I could ask you one question. During this truce period --

this four-day period, have many Gazans been able to return back to their homes and if so, what have they found?

WEDEMAN: Well, very few have been because the Israelis have stopped them from going to the north of the Gaza Strip, where the majority of the

Palestinian -- people of Gaza live. One million seven hundred thousand Gazans have had to flee from their homes. Many of them are now in the

south. A million are inside U.N. schools in the southern part of Gaza.

In the north, where there still are people, we see they're collecting the dead. Many people would like to go back to their houses but their homes --

many of them have been either utterly destroyed, severely damaged, or there's simply no way to live. There's no running water. There's no

electricity. Food is hard to come by. Fuel is very hard to come by.

So, even if, for instance, miraculously, Bianna, the war were to end tomorrow, it's widely-believed that much of Northern Gaza, particularly the

urban areas that are in Gaza -- in around Gaza City, are simply uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: All right, Ben Wedeman reporting for us from Jerusalem, thank you.

ASHER: And just as we were just talking about, the extension of the truce by an additional two days -- certainly very welcome news for a lot of

Israelis. But it is important to point out there are so many tough and complicated issues to really consider here, especially for the families of

Israeli hostages.

First, not all the all the Israelis who were taken hostage are actually being held by Hamas. That is a key aspect of all of this. CNN is learning

that about 40 of them, kidnapped on October 7th, are being held by other militant groups, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Israeli Prime

Minister's Office says that 198 hostages are currently being held in Gaza.

GOLODRYGA: And another issue to consider -- the hostages are perhaps only Hamas' only leverage right now. So, is it willing to give up the only card

that it continues to use? Also, could a longer truce complicate Israel's declared mission to completely destroy Hamas?

We may have the perfect person to answer at least some of these questions. Scott Walker joins us now from Kent, England. He is a hostage negotiator.

He's a former U.N. counterterrorism adviser. He's also the author of the bestselling book "Order Out of Chaos", a kidnapped negotiator's guide to

influence and persuasion.

Scott, thank you so much for joining us. So, first, I want to get your reaction to the news that this truce has been extended for another two

days, arguably that means at least 20 more Israeli hostages will be able to come home. What does that tell you about the status of negotiation between

these two sides?

SCOTT WALKER, HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: From a negotiation perspective, this is a positive step forward because it gives us an extra couple of days to get

ideally at least 20 more hostages out.

And also it just demonstrates that the network of communication, the channels of communication are open and that they're working and that trust

is there in place with the Qataris, Egyptians, Hamas and the Israelis. Although we're not out of the woods yet, so to speak. There's still a

couple of days to go, which is why we still need to exercise caution and take this step by step.

GOLODRYGA: Israel's obviously stated that its goal is to completely destroy, eradicate Hamas. So, of course, they are going to want to continue

fighting after this truce ends.

[12:15:00]

So, from that perspective, how much longer does it make sense to continue extending the truce for? I mean, obviously, there have been major positive

developments after this truce ends.

So from that perspective, how much longer does it make sense to continue extending the truce for? I mean, obviously, there have been major positive

developments in terms of getting out more hostages which is great news for the Israelis.

But from a psychological -- from a sort of war perspective, does it make sense to continue extending the truce by another week or another two weeks

or is there really a limit here for the Israelis?

WALKER: As it stands, both sides get to gain from the truce being extended at least for a few more days. And as you mentioned there, the Israelis,

their stated aim is we're going to eradicate the Hamas leadership. And it won't be able to do that purely by negotiated means.

And so, they'll want to extend it as much as they can to get the majority of the hostages back. But inevitably, it will come to a point where they're

likely to resume their offensive, that's for sure.

GOLODRYGA: How much of a hindrance is it for the United States, obviously, wanting to focus on not just getting the hostages back to Israel, but

especially those dual nationals that hold American and Israeli citizenship? Thus far, only one has been released.

The U.S. is hoping that more will be in the next day or so. But given that there's no direct communication between the United States and Hamas,

unlike, let's say, we know that Thai negotiators have been able to speak directly to Hamas officials.

And there's been reports that Vladimir Putin even persuaded Hamas officials to release a Russian-Israeli national. How much of a setback is that for

the United States and its hopes for seeing more Americans released here?

WALKER: Well we've seen that the U.S. is heavily invested in bringing about the safe recovery and release of all the hostages, particularly to American

citizens. And it won't be lost on the Qataris, for example, who are leading the key mediators here, that the U.S., just like other nations around the

world, want to get their citizens back.

But then again, we need to have an understanding of do Hamas know where all the hostages are? Do they know where all of the American hostages are, for

example? The chances are they probably don't. And as you mentioned in your report there, it's not just Hamas that are holding hostages, it's Islamic

Jihad and other criminal organizations, as well.

ASHER: And also, this is important, there are individuals holding some of these hostages. So Hamas has said, look, we have most of the hostages,

except for about 40. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has said, well, we have 30. So, where are the remaining 10? Just in terms of what's being reported, 10

of them at least are being held by individuals.

How on Earth do the Qataris begin to negotiate with Hamas when, you know, as you point out, Hamas doesn't even know where some of these hostages are

and they're not even being held by other terrorist groups but instead, ordinary people.

WALKER: And don't forget the Islamic Jihad and some of these other organizations, they're the opposition to Hamas as well. It's not as if

they're all one harmonious group here, don't forget. And so it makes the negotiations even more challenging and difficult.

Yet in a way, it can also make them simpler because those lines of communication, those negotiations can be far more streamlined if you're

negotiating with individuals or small groups that aren't a terrorist group.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, but Israel continues to put the onus squarely on Hamas, saying they're responsible for what happens in Gaza, despite the fact that

we know Islamic Jihad may be holding some of these hostages and, as you just said, individual families in Gaza, as well. Scott Walker, thank you.

We appreciate your time.

ASHER: Thank you, Scott. All right, I want to bring everyone up to speed on a tragic shooting that actually took place in Vermont over the weekend.

Three Palestinian students who were attending university in the U.S. were shot and injured. They were just taking a walk. In fact, they were in

Vermont for the Thanksgiving holiday. They were on their way to a Thanksgiving dinner when they were shot.

GOLODRYGA: That's a horrible story. In the last few hours, the suspect, Jason Eaton, has appeared in court virtually and pleaded not guilty to

three counts of attempted murder. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont says that it is investigating whether the shooting was

a hate crime.

ASHER: All right, still to come here on "One World". After weeks of criticism for endorsing -- endorsing, rather, anti-Semitic content online,

Elon Musk is in Israel as the -- as the --visiting the Israeli government and talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu there, just ahead.

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GOLODRYGA: X, formerly known as Twitter owner Elon Musk, is in Israel today for a first-hand look at the harrowing aftermath of the October 7th

attacks. The billionaire has been heavily criticized by users and advertisers in recent weeks for endorsing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories

on his social media platform.

ASHER: Musk met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Together, they visited the ruins of a kibbutz attacked by Hamas. He also is set to

meet Isaac Herzog. The Israeli President is expected to stress the need to combat anti-Semitism online. Richard Quest joins us live now from Abu

Dhabi.

So, Richard, anti-Semitic hate content has skyrocketed on X -- on social media actually in general since the October 7th attacks. Elon Musk himself

has liked -- has liked anti-Semitic content. If he doesn't agree with it, why is he liking it? Why is he promoting it? And what changes is he going

to implement after this visit to Israel?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Well, he's never actually come out and said the reasoning behind that liking, where he liked a tweet that had

anti-Semitic overtones within it and conspiracy theories within it. He's never really gone much further than that.

Today, he says, actions speak louder than words. And I'm guessing that would not only refer to Hamas' actions of the massacre at the Khafar Azhar

kibbutz where he visited, but arguably his actions in visiting it today along with the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu.

He said while he was at the kibbutz or thereafter that he found the whole place jarring and troubling in everything that had been seen. And then he

went on to say he'd seen a video and that what particularly distressed him was to see people -- Hamas killers, revelling in the joy of killing was

absolute evil. "That's evil," he said.

GOLODRYGA: Richard, what do you make of this trip just in general? And what do you think Elon Musk, I mean, I'm not going to ask you to get inside his

head, but what do you think brought this about? Because he doesn't seem to be someone who could give in to pressure. Do you think this is a trip that

he himself has wanted to take?

QUEST: I do, I do. And look, first of all, there's the Starlink satellite communications system that he wants to put into Gaza to help aid agencies

and NGOs. Israel has said, you're not doing that without our permission, so you can forget that for a start.

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Now, it seems they have reached some sort of agreement. There are reports of that. But to your point, Bianna, I think what's going on here is, Elon

Musk speaks his mind. He's a libertarian, he believes in free speech, so he says, and what he saw on that tweet, he probably never even considered the

conspiracy or anti-Semitic overtones, and then of course it's all blown up in his face as a result.

Now, that's just pure supposition on my part. I'm giving him the benefits of the doubt, because so far as I can best see, there's no other evidence

that he's a rabid anti-Semite in anything else that he's done or in the actions that he's taken.

So giving him the benefit of the doubt, if you will, for what he's done, rather than an aberrant tweet that he might have accepted or liked, you've

got to say, all right, you've been there, you've seen it, you've commented, you've got your Starlink, what are you going to do with it? And I think

he's right when he says actions speak louder than words.

Where I think he is naive is that in this febrile environment at the moment, this highly charged political environment, this highly charged war

environment, he needed to be doubly, triply, quadruply careful of everything he said and did.

GOLODRYGA: All right, Richard Quest, in Abu Dhabi for us. Thank you.

ASHER: Thank you, Richard.

GOLODRYGA: Well, more hostages will be set free, and Gaza will get another 48 hours of calm. Qatar and Hamas have an agreement and say they have been

reached to extend the truce by two days now. And just moments ago, the White House said eight to nine Americans are still being held.

ASHER: And word of the agreement came as Israel and Hamas struggled to agree upon today's scheduled exchange of hostages for prisoners, but a

dispute over whether or not Israeli mothers would be released alongside children. That was a key issue today. That seems to have been resolved. All

of this, though, really shows how fragile and difficult some of these negotiations have been. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIYAD-AL-MALIKI, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Everyone is working -- the Qataris, the Egyptians, the United States, the

European Union, Spain. We are all working to extend that truce by one day, two days, three days. We don't know, but the most important thing is to

continue extending the truce, because extending the truce means stopping the killing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN's Larry Madowo joins us live now from Cairo. Larry, this truce extension is certainly welcome news for multiple reasons, obviously, yes,

for the Israeli families, but also, crucially, for the people of Gaza who have been desperate. Many of them have been living off of one meal a day.

That's if they're lucky, by the way. Many of them so desperate for food and fuel at this critical time.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain. This will be welcome news for many in Gaza who have run out of food, of water, of cooking gas, a

lot of essentials. And that's not mentioning the 1.7 million people that the U.N. says have been displaced in the 50-plus days of this conflict.

There are so many people who, during these four days of the pause and fighting, have been finally being able to go back to the markets to buy

some essentials, to see family, hoping for restocking of the food items, because they don't know how long this is going to last. The relief is --

but also the anticipation that this can be a longer period. Listen to this one resident, this woman who lives in southern Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SABREEN AL-NAJAR, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): I'm waiting in line to get flour for my children. We are calling on the Arab countries for

help. We come in the early morning at 5 A.M. before the sun goes up to get flour and food. We are asking the Arab countries to support us so we can go

back to our homes because here there's no flour, no aid supplies, no food or water.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MADOWO: The U.N. and Gaza has said that they would need 200 trucks of humanitarian aid coming in daily for two months to meet the need of the

people of Gaza. And it's not just in northern Gaza, but all across the Strip. So, here's the thing. The existing deal had the ceiling of how many

trucks can come into Gaza through the Rafah crossing in Egypt, 200.

Yesterday, the Israeli say 200 trucks made it. And the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that at least 50 trucks were sent up to northern Gaza,

on top of another 150 that had made it in the first two days of the truce. So, if there's -- when the Israelis confirm that this truce is actually

going ahead and extending for two days, we'll be looking at the details.

Is there an effort to expand the number of humanitarian aid trucks that can come in to bring in that much needed food, fuel, baby formula, cooking gas,

all the other essentials that have been short supply during this extraordinary 50 days or so?

We just don't know for sure, but that's something that the Egyptians, the Qataris, the U.N. have all been pushing for, to expand the amount of aid

coming in, because part of the problem here is, if there's a long list -- there's a long line of trucks waiting on the Rafah border crossing, some of

them up to two weeks, then it's pointless for them to be there that long.

[12:30:00]

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, so far, the deal consists of 200 trucks being able to get into Gaza a day. Larry Madowo, thank you. Well, coming up for us, moments

of joy amid days of darkness.

ASHER: We're seeing some really -- oh, look at that. Such emotional scenes taking place as some of the hostages are reunited with their family, with

their friends. Once again, details ahead.

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ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World", I'm Zain Asher. And I'm Bianna Golodryga. It has been a roller coaster of emotions for the families

of hostages, while many are still waiting for word about their loved ones. For others there have been really tearful, joyful reunions here.

This is Emily Hand, right? She's nine years old, reunited with her father. There she is on the floor there with her sister. We've just learned that

she is now getting discharged from the hospital. But this is such a tear- jerker --

GOLODRYGA: Yeah.

ASHER: -- really, seeing Emily Hand with her family once again.

GOLODRYGA: Of course, we've covered her story for so long now since this war began. Her family at first thought that she had been killed in the

October 7th terror attack, but then found out that she had been taken by Hamas. Her father spoke about how she's been getting on.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THOMAS HAND, REUNITED WITH DAUGHTER: She's lost a lot of weight from her face and body but generally doing better than we expected.

[12:35:00]

HAND: We'd like to thank everyone that has helped and supported us throughout this whole 50 days. You've been great. We can't do it without

you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: An 85-year-old Yafa Adar was one of the group of Israeli hostages released by Hamas on Friday. Her granddaughter said that Yafa took strength

from really thinking about her family all the time while she was being held in captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADVA ADAR, GRANDAUGHTER OF FREED HOSTAGE YAFA ADAR: I can say that she's tough and I can say that she -- she said that she was thinking about the

family a lot and that it helped her survive and that she could hear the voices of the great grandchildren calling her and that it gives her a lot

of power.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Getting power from the voices of your grandchildren. Well, just in the past three days, 58 hostages, 40 of them Israeli, have been freed.

ASHER: All right, time now for The Exchange. Joining us live now is someone who has been through, really, what could only be described as a

rollercoaster of emotions, right? Watching a lot of the hostages being released. Moshe Lavi's brother-in-law, Omri Miran, was taken by Hamas on

October 7th.

Moshe, thank you so much for being with us. I mean, obviously, we have been talking so much about just how joyful the past few days have been for the

family members of those who were taken by Hamas and who have been reunited with them. We just saw Thomas Hand being reunited with his daughter, Emily.

But of course we do have to speak about what it means for the family members who are sort of sitting on the sidelines, who are watching this,

not knowing when they will see their loved ones again, like yourself.

I mean, this is a lottery, right? Just in terms of Hamas putting out this list each day as to who gets to go home and who doesn't, it's a really

painful lottery. I would just love to know from you what has the past few days been like for you?

I mean, what is the hardest moment each day? Is it getting that list or seeing that list and realizing your loved one isn't on it? What is the

hardest moment just in terms of watching these reunions taking place, wishing and praying that your brother-in-law is eventually one of them?

MOSHE LAVI, BROTHER-IN-LAW HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: Yeah, before I speak of the artist moment, I will say that these videos, the photos, communicating

with family members -- families of hostage that have been in contact with me over the past seven weeks brought joy to my heart and joy to our family

to see those were united with their families. Although we must remember that many of them still have family members held hostage in the Gaza Strip

or had families who were murdered on October 7th.

But with the joy, of course, there was a lot of agony that Omri is not part of those who were released by Hamas. And we know Hamas and their

accomplices in Gaza continue to play a psychological warfare game with us, the families of hostages with the citizens of Israel and of course those

foreign national families or foreign nationals who are held captive. But we will not let that psychological warfare to get to us. We are focused on

continuing advocating for the release with all the relevant stakeholders.

GOLODRYGA: Moshe, it is good to see you again. Thank you for joining us. As you know, it is bittersweet. We have seen several dozen hostages now come

home to their loved ones, but not included is your brother-in-law. Though you did get some reassuring news over the weekend that he is alive. Can you

talk about what that must have felt like for you and obviously your sister and your two nieces to hear that though their father isn't home now, he is

still alive?

LAVI: Yeah, let me first qualify it. It was a life for a specific time stamp over the past few days. And it's important to keep emphasizing that

every second counts in this dreadful situation we found ourselves in what was the specific time.

ASHER: What was the time stamp, Moshe? What was specific time stamp?

LAVI: It was as of a few days ago over the weekend, they received a proof of life. But -- and we felt really relieved to hear that. But we also know

that it's true to that specific time and that we have to keep working hard in order to ensure we and the many other hostages who are still held in

Gaza are not forgotten. For my sister, it will give more hope, more strength to continue and advocate for Omri.

ASHER: You know, this -- this process hasn't been particularly generous, I think, to the family members of male Israeli hostages.

[12:40:00]

I mean, it's really been difficult if you are a loved one of a male Israeli hostage right now. I just can't imagine because, you know, obviously, you

know the priority is, of course, women and children at this point in time. There was, I believe, only one -- there has been so far only one Russian-

Israeli male -- young male hostage who has been freed. I mean it's not a particularly high number, just one, but the fact that has happened, how

much hope does that give you?

LAVI: I think it's imperative to continue and work to release those who are most vulnerable as soon as possible -- children, women, elderly,

irrespective of gender. But it is -- it is aching to see that Omri and many other men who are held captive are not on the list and we have to keep

showing their humanity.

They're not merely male, their fathers, their sons, their grandparents, grandfathers, their brothers, they're meaningful to so many people, so many

loved ones, and they should not be only categorized by their gender.

But we keep being hopeful. We know that this is just the beginning of possibly additional humanitarian pauses that will allow for more hostages

to be released or for any other path that the Israeli government will choose to take in order to ensure the release perhaps non-negotiation path.

GOLODRYGA: Yeah, as you know, that this truce has been extended for another two days. Hopefully that means that at least 20 more Israelis will be home

with their loved ones very soon. Moshe, before you go, I can't help but notice that there's a painting behind you. And you and I, I've had the

honor of getting to know you over these past few weeks. And over our communications, you had mentioned a painting that you had drawn yourself.

Can you tell us a little bit about it?

LAVI: Yeah, over this weekend, I felt the need to express my sadness of the situation. I usually write, but I felt compelled to paint. And for me,

this painting represents an autumn that was covered with snow, ice and freeze, covering our hearts, freezing our hearts unexpectedly. But from

that freeze, I also drew a very small ray of sunshine on the top.

And I hope that ray of sunshine will continue to grow, melt the freeze, thaw the snow and the ice, and make sure that -- and that will happen only

when everyone will return home, and we could perhaps see the day after this war happen, a day that hopefully we could live in peace and compromise with

our neighbors, but that day will not be possible with Hamas on the other side of the border, and with Omri staying in their captivity.

ASHER: That is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your painting with us and for also expressing, you know, what it means and what you're going

through emotionally. I hope that that painting gives you comfort. I know it's hard because you're here in New York and you're not at home with your

family, which makes it that much more painful.

But I hope that you have found comfort in just how much solidarity there has been in New York. People, you know, standing with Israelis, standing

with the Jewish community, just given everything that the Israelis have gone through over the past seven or eight weeks. Moshe, thank you so much.

We are praying for you and we hope and pray that you receive good news very soon.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you, Moshe.

LAVI: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, I will be back at the top of the hour on Amanpour. We'll be speaking with another loved one, relieved to hear that their family

member has been released.

ASHER: "One World" continues after the show break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:46:49]

ASHER: The United Nations Climate Change Conference will open its doors on Thursday and one of the main topics will be how technology can help lower

carbon emissions. One company thinks the solution lies in extremely hot batteries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Batteries -- they come in all shapes and sizes, from the AAA you use in your remote control to the lithium ion in cars. And now

there's this.

JUSTIN BRIGGS, CO-FOUNDER AND COO, ANTORA ENERGY: Our thermal battery technology -- this is basically a product that allows us to convert

renewable energy like electricity from wind and solar power into reliable energy for industrial users.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Antora Energy is the company building these huge batteries.

BRIGGS: So, this is part of Antora's manufacturing facility.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): The units store energy with heat reaching temperatures of 1500 degrees Celsius.

BRIGGS: That's basically what's happening inside your toaster. You run electricity through a coil and it heats up. We're just doing that at a

larger scale and at higher temperatures. And you're able to do that in such a way that you can actually deliver that stored energy either as heat

directly or as electricity to an industrial customer on demand.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): As the company scales up opening a new manufacturing facility, the hope is that their technology can help solve a critical

global problem -- industrial air pollution.

BRIGGS: There's a mismatch there between the intermittency of wind and solar, which go on and off with weather, and the needs of a factory, which

is on demand 24-7. So, our thermal battery technology absorbs that intermittent electricity from wind and solar. And delivers around the clock

with zero emissions.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): According to the International Energy Agency, the energy used in the industrial sector is responsible for about 25 percent of

CO2 emissions. Technology and innovation that can help reduce greenhouse gases will take center stage at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates.

JAMIL WAYNE, CO-FOUNDER, RIFFLE VENTURES: COP was not created for the tech and innovation community, right? And so on one hand, I think the tech and

innovation crowd is a little bit of a newcomer to COP. Technology is going to have to play an enormous role alongside behavior change, policy, et

cetera.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): And that's what Antora Energy hopes to bring to the table.

BRIGGS: We will be at COP this year, and historically, heavy industry has been thought of as hard to decarbonize, and we really want to show the

world there's a way we can do that with technologies and products that exist today that's cost effective to beat fossil fuels.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): As COP28 embraces cutting edge technology, the hope is to transform the gray and smoky industrial skies into vibrant green

horizons, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:33]

ASHER: The headlines may be filled with news of war and also suffering in both Eastern Europe and the Middle East as well, but people around the

world are looking for signs of hope as they prepare for the holiday season. Here's our Michael Holmes with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gift from one city to another. Every year for the past 76 years, the people

of Oslo fell a tree from a nearby forest to send to London where it will shine bright for the holiday season in Trafalgar Square. A token of

gratitude for Britain's support of Norway during World War II. A beacon of hope for some and a break from some of the bleakness in the world.

ANNE LINDBOE MAYOR OF OSLO, NORWAY: But it's also become to mean so much more and we are living in these really, really dark times and I think the

Christmas tree, it symbolizes peace. It symbolizes standing together, friendship between cities.

HOLMES (VOICE-OVER): That spirit of love and light in full swing in many cities, from the celebrations on the Champs-Elysees to a holiday selfie

with a sparkling backdrop in Madrid. Or strolls through a Christmas market where the warmth of the season is doled out by the cupful.

ISABELLE SERVANT, TOURIST (through translator): It's the magic of Christmas the lights, the mulled wine, the cinnamon, the pretzels. You get away from

the every day.

HOLMES (voice-over): But there are some places where loss overshadows joy. In Israel, despite the on-going Israel Hamas war, there is hope more

Israeli families could be reunited with loved ones kidnapped by Hamas before Hanukkah begins in a week and a half.

Christian leaders in Jerusalem have advised churches in the region to refrain from overly festive activities for Christmas. The city of Bethlehem

in the occupied West Bank, which is usually illuminated each year to mark the birth of Jesus, says it is dismantling its Christmas decorations this

year in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Ukraine faces its second Christmas while at war with Russia. This year, it's officially moved the holiday to December 25th when many Christian

denominations celebrate it instead of following the Russian Orthodox calendar which observes it on January 7th.

[12:55:00]

Last year, there were some reservations about putting up a tree in Keeves City Center but a 12-meter high artificial tree was lit up in the colors of

Ukraine's flag. The light's powered by a generator because of repeated Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure. Kyiv's mayor called

it a tree of invincibility, a light that won't go out even in the darkness of war. Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right, that does it for this hour of "One World". I'm Zain Asher. Be sure to continue watching CNN for more live news coverage of the

release of those Israeli hostages which is set to start any moment now. We also, of course, got word that Israel has agreed to extend the truce by an

additional two days. More news after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END