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Big Mistake If Israel Occupy Gaza Strip Says President Biden; Rafah Border Will Be Open, Blinken Promises; Iran President Says Escalation Of War Inevitable; U.S. Will Not Send Troops To Fight; Israel Preparing To Attack Gaza; Israel: Preparing For Combined, Coordinated Attack; China's Top Diplomat: Israel Has Gone Beyond "Self-Defense"; Rallies Supporting Palestinians Held Around The World. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired October 16, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:33]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world as we continue our breaking news coverage of Israel at war. I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, U.S. President Joe Biden is warning that Israel should not try to occupy Gaza as an Israeli ground invasion now seems all but inevitable. Mr. Biden added that he believes Israel has to respond to the Hamas attacks that killed 1,400 people, those comments as tens of thousands of Palestinians flee south after the Israeli military urged civilians to leave northern Gaza.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 2,600 people have been killed and is appealing for humanitarian aid as conditions deteriorate in Gaza. Aid deliveries have been piling up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. The only viable way in or out of Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised that it quote, "will be open" but the U.S. embassy in Israel warns the situation at the crossing will remain fluid and unpredictable.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is following developments. She joins us now live from London. Good to see you again Clare. So, what is the latest on this Hamas-Israel war from both side of the border and what are you hearing about the possibility of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt opening up this hour. Apparently, the IDF hasn't confirmed that rumor but we are hearing that possibility.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there are rumors Rosemary. We don't have anything concrete on this as of yet. A spokesperson for the Hamas controlled government media office in Gaza saying that they have not received any contacts or confirmations from the Egyptian authorities regarding the intention to open the Rafah crossing today so we watch and wait to see what happens there, but of course, the onus is heavily on that border crossing as the humanitarian situation inside Gaza spirals. We're hearing about the health system potentially running out of fuel

in the next few days. We're hearing of a lack of shelter in the south where Israel has told hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate to as it plans to step up its bombardment and potentially a ground offensive in the north of Gaza. The phrase from the head of UNRWA, which is the U.N. agency, which is most active in Gaza is that Gaza is being strangled.

So, there is growing outrage and alarm from the international community on the situation in that region. In terms of the Rafah crossing itself, we did hear from Secretary Blinken, who is in the region today. Rafah will be open, was his comment in Egypt, on Sunday, but as I say, we don't have anything concrete on that as of yet. The U.S. is under intense pressure to do something here, given that up to 600 Palestinian-Americans are trapped within Gaza.

Intense focus on this not only because of people trying to get out, but of course aid trying to get in. It is currently trapped on the Egyptian side of the border, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Thanks to Clare Sebastian bringing us that live report from London. Appreciate it.

Well, for the first time since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, the president of the Palestinian Authority has condemned the militants' actions. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reports that Mahmoud Abbas said the actions and policies of Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people. He also called for a rejection of violence and the release of prisoners on both sides of the conflict. WAFA says his comments came during a phone call with the president of Venezuela.

Well, joining me now is Hassan Al-Hassan, research fellow for Middle East Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and he's with us from Manama in Bahrain. Thank you so much for joining us.

HASAN ALHASAN, RESEARCH FELLOW FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, in the wake of Hamas' brutal and horrifying attacks last Saturday, Israel's goal is to wipe out the militant group and destroy its terrorist infrastructure with these ongoing large-scale airstrikes and then a likely ground incursion.

But what are the risks and costs involved for innocent civilians and of course, for hostages being held underground, given Hamas knows that tunnel system a lot better than any of the IDF troops?

[02:05:00]

ALHASAN: Yes, it is in fact very difficult to imagine how Israel could achieve its objective of total annihilation of Hamas without killing many more thousands of Palestinians. And that's partly because of the fact that the Gaza Strip has been placed under blockade for about 16 years now. And so, it has become one of the most densely populated places in the world. Neighborhoods and buildings are tightly packed together. The health infrastructure is already woefully inadequate. So, people

in Gaza have a lower life expectancy by about 10 years than most people have in Israel. And so, we've got about half a million Palestinians taking shelter in schools run by the U.N., but even these are inadequate, and the U.N. has warned that they are at risk of running out of water. Hospitals in Gaza are also severely at risk of being overrun.

And so, things have been made worse by the fact that Israel has also laid siege by cutting off electricity, water, fuel and food. And so, this means that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is already extremely precarious. And asking 1.1 million people to move south in a place that is about the size of Seattle or Detroit is not entirely feasible.

And the fact is that Israel's strategy is not only morally and legally questionable, but it's, I think, a fundamentally bad strategy in the sense that by inflicting large amounts of civilian casualties in order to defeat Hamas is ultimately self-defeating. Because by killing Palestinian civilians at scale, Israel is simply providing Hamas with its next generation of fighters by pushing people to the brink of desperation. It's essentially nurturing this narrative and intergenerational memory of oppression. I think it's a self-defeating strategy.

CHURCH: Right. And your sense is that it's not a goal that's achievable anyway, that Hamas can't be eradicated. Is that what you're saying too?

ALHASAN: Well, it can, but not by military means.

CHURCH: So how?

ALHASAN: The best way to eradicate Hamas is to -- of course, is to deprive it of its cause. And that is by pursuing seriously, a path towards peace, ending the illegal occupation, and providing Palestinians with hope. The idea of restoring deterrence hasn't worked for Israel. The ongoing conflict is the biggest illustration of that, and trying to go back to it is essentially going back to the same flawed conceptual security model that has so far failed to protect Israelis. The best way to defeat Hamas and to restore deterrence is through hope, not through fear.

CHURCH: But I mean -- I mean, honestly, how can that be done, though? Because clearly, I mean, Israel is responding to what was a murderous attack on its soil, killing babies, women, children. So, I mean, you understand what's fueling this. That doesn't necessarily -- you can't accept what's happening in Gaza as well. But I mean, you can see how abhorrent that attack was and why a nation would feel that they would want to retaliate. How that is done is the question that we're trying to tackle. So, tell me, what is the path forward with that?

ALHASAN: So, we have to remember that this is not the first war between Israel and Hamas, and every single time Israel has responded through disproportionate use of force, resulting in many, many thousands of Palestinian casualties. And how has that turned out? Not very well. And so, in the total absence of a viable political path, this has to be a change in Israel's orientation towards the Israeli- Palestinian issue, towards the Palestinian issue.

And this means that there needs to be a reckoning within Israel that the overwhelming disproportionate use of force has failed to protect Israel so far. And without a viable pathway to a negotiated peaceful settlement, that means that the Palestinians don't have to live under total siege, that they can afford to get their rights under international law. Without that, there will simply be no hope and future generations of Palestinians who will remember how Israel has responded to them, I think will simply be pushed to the brink of radicalization again, and we will see further cycles of violence.

[02:10:00]

So, I think without a real political solution, without a clear pathway, it will be very difficult to see how we can permanently break this cycle of violence.

CHURCH: Yes, and sadly there is no clear political pathway right now. It has to be said though, Hamas apparently spent two years preparing for last week's attacks on Israel. What was their likely goal and what were they expecting to achieve given the leadership would have known that Israel would retaliate with a force not ever witnessed before to wipe Hamas off the map? So why did they do this? What was the end game?

ALHASAN: So, I think the primary end game was to destroy Israel's invincibility narrative. The idea that even the most powerful military power in the region can be defeated and humiliated and hurt. So, I think this was Hamas's first sort of psychological aim, which was really to dent the idea that Israel was invincible.

I think the other goal is precisely the trap that Israel is walking into, which is to provoke an Israeli overreaction. And by provoking an Israeli overreaction, Hamas, I think, is hoping to dent any international support that Israel might be able to garner. And therefore, essentially, weaken Israel's support within its western partners and allies.

CHURCH: All right, Hasan Alhasan, thank you so much for joining us and appreciate your perspective on this issue.

And still to come, the U.S. is eager to bring home hostages held by Hamas. How Washington is trying to help Israel make that happen. We're back in just a moment.

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[02:15:44]

CHURCH: Iran's president is warning that the war between Israel and Hamas could spread to other parts of the Middle East if the crisis in Gaza is not resolved soon. In a call with France's Emmanuel Macron Sunday, Iran's president called for an immediate end to the bombardment of residential areas in Gaza and demanded that efforts be made to lift the blockade on the territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent the weekend holding talks with leaders across the Middle East in hopes of preventing the conflict from spreading. He's warning Iran and other regional players not to take advantage of the crisis, noting that the U.S. is sending a second carrier strike group to the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We back that up not only with the words that we're saying but with what we're actually doing including the deployment of these aircraft carrier battle groups. Again, not to provoke anyone, but to send a very clear message of the deterrence that no one should do anything that widens this conflict in any way or that furthers aggression against Israel from any other direction. So, we've been clear about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN has also learned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited U.S. President Joe Biden to visit Israel and that both countries are discussing the possibility of a visit soon.

Israel's military has confirmed Hamas's fighters are holding at least 155 hostages. Hamas kidnapped men, women and children during the surprise attacks last weekend. Israeli President Isaac Herzog says efforts to get them back are difficult because he says Hamas does not obey rules of international humanitarian law. It's also not clear where they're being held and under what conditions. The people taken are of various nationalities. The U.S. says it's working to try to secure the release of its own citizens, but without military force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, NSC COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: There's no plans or intentions to put U.S. troops on the ground to fight in this fight between Israel and Hamas.

SHANNON BREAM, FOX NEWS HOST: But to retrieve Americans.

KIRBY: We are actively trying to find out exactly where they are. I mean, Shannon, we don't even know how many exactly. We saw a small handful we know, but there could be more than we know. What I won't do is rule anything in or out when it comes to getting our hostages home. We're working on this literally by the hour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And while the U.S. is beefing up its military presence in the region, it has no plans on sending troops to fight in Israel. Our CNN's Hadas Gold reports.

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: As of right now, the United States is giving absolutely no indication that it plans to send in U.S. military boots on the ground in any way to Israel to try and assist either in the operations in Gaza or in part of any sort of hostage rescue operations.

But what it's doing right now is a show, a force, a show of unity with these carrier strike groups sitting in the waters off the coast. A very clear message to other groups in the region, not even just Hamas, but Hezbollah, groups in Syria as well as a deterrent to try to keep them from getting involved.

Now, we do know that the Americans already have on the ground a federal team who can help in hostage situations. They are assisting the Israelis and there is reporting that a Marine Expeditionary Unit is headed potentially towards Israel. Now, this is a unit of more than 2,000 Marines and sailors who not only can help in major evacuations, but they also had training in hostage rescue scenarios.

Now, no indication that that is where they're headed or that's why they are headed or why they would potentially be headed towards the region, but it gives you an idea of potentially the support that the Israelis may be receiving from the U.S. military. Now, the Israeli military and the U.S. military work very, very closely together. They are constantly training with one another.

And Israeli military officials often call the American military their brothers in arms. And they actually just had their largest ever joint exercise in the last few months.

[02:20:00]

And during that exercise, they made it explicitly clear that such an exercise was a very clear message to Iran, saying that if you get involved in a way of attacking Israel, be careful because the Americans are there to support them. But John Kirby has already said that they have no plans and no intentions right now of sending U.S. troops on the ground into Israel.

And Chuck Schumer in an interview with Erin Burnett earlier also said that the Israelis have not asked for troops on the ground. What they want right now is support in the forms of things like of munitions, ammunition, and also just the support of having those terror strike groups off the coast to try and deter any other actors from getting involved.

But even if a hostage rescue operation is attempted, it will be incredibly complex, it will be very, very difficult, and the Israelis will likely be seeking at least some sort of support from the Americans in terms of logistics and intelligence. Hadas Gold, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: CNN's Fareed Zakaria gives us some perspective on how the politics of the Middle East have evolved in recent years.

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FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA GPS: I would say, you know, the kind of fundamental fact, if I could take a moment to put the historical context is, the United States was the kind of power broker in the Middle East. And the United States, ever since the Iraq war has been stepping back, right? That was part of the whole idea of pivoting to Asia, getting somewhat less involved in the Middle East.

Well, guess what? When the United States steps back, what happens is you create a power vacuum and all kinds of people try to enter that power vacuum. And the biggest shift became a contest between Saudi Arabia and Iran as a how it would fill in that power vacuum and the way the Saudis tried to do it in cooperation with the Israelis who also were trying to move in as well as by the way the Turks and the Russians a little bit, but the Saudis tried to ensure that their concerns and interests are taken care by forging this new alliance between the moderate Gulf Arabs and Israel.

That scared the, you know, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, all these actors that thought they're being marginalized now. And most importantly, the Palestinians, particularly Hamas, felt they were being marginalized because what Bibi Netanyahu was trying to do was essentially ignore the Palestinian issue, make peace with the Arabs. And as a result of that, Hamas and perhaps some of Hamas' sponsors, but certainly Hamas decided we're going to burn the house down. And this is their way of trying to burn the house down.

And so, part of what's going on here is that you have had a kind of power vacuum which all kinds of people have been jockeying for influence and Hamas is watching all this and they're playing the card they have, which is the most brutal sadistic card, but that's -- it's there for it to get attention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And that was CNN's Fareed Zakaria. He is urging Israel to learn from what he called the mistakes and overreactions of the United States after the 9/11 terror attacks.

And still to come this hour, as Israeli troops prepare for an expected ground attack on Hamas, we take a look at the last time the IDF moved into Gaza and what lessons they may take from it this time.

And China takes on diplomacy in the Middle East with top diplomats delivering some increasingly strong words for Israel. We'll take you to Beijing for the latest after a short break. Stay with us.

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[02:26:54]

CHURCH: Israel and Hezbollah fighters have been exchanging fire, raising fears of a second front in the ongoing conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border.

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The IDF says its fighter jets struck Hezbollah's military infrastructure Sunday and they were responding to fire coming from Lebanon. Meantime, as fighting intensifies in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of civilians are fleeing south. The U.S. Embassy in Israel said just a short time ago that the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza may open at short notice for quote, "a limited time." The crossing has been closed since the fighting began.

Well, meantime, Israeli troops are continuing to gather near Gaza. The last time the IDF went into the enclave to target Hamas leaders was back in 2014. Nic Robertson looks back at the operation then and what Israel is planning now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Close to Gaza, preparations underway for a much-anticipated ground offensive. Troops from different units training together. There is an urgency here. They have to be ready fast.

(On camera): Right now, this is a rehearsal. If and when there is an incursion, these troops could be at the front of it. Tanks, or for this practice model ones right now, followed by infantry and combat engineers. A combined force spearheading an incursion.

(Voice-over): If they do, Major Ofek will be near the front.

MAJOR OFEK, IDF TROOP COMMANDER (through translation): We expect to go to war. We expect to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas, kill its government and kill every last terrorist. That's what we plan to do and that's how it will be.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The last time the IDF went into Gaza targeting Hamas' leaders was 2014. Ariel Bernstein was 21 in the Special Forces, one of the first to cross the border.

ARIEL BERNSTEIN, FORMER IDF SOLDIER: You're just afraid that there is something waiting for you at every corner.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): But his experiences then have left him questioning the tactics today. Back then, he says, the IDF warned civilians to leave and Hamas told them to stay, just as is happening now. But some had stayed. His orders, he says, assume the civilians had left.

BERNSTEIN: Whoever you see is basically engaged in fighting or is involved in fighting and therefore we call it engaging with fire, with any home you enter, with any kind of shape of a person that you see from afar.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): In many ways, Israel's actions are playing out just as they have in the past. 2021 gun positions freshly dug back in use. And in Gaza, the civilian death toll, according to Palestinian health officials, already higher than in 2014.

[02:30:07]

Unlike then, Israel is already facing huge international pressure to avoid more civilian casualties.

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: What we are doing is saying privately what we have said publicly, which is that all military operations should be conducted consistent with the law of war, that civilians should be protected.

ROBERTSON: The problem, the IDF says it faces, just like in 2014, Hamas will be hiding amongst civilians.

MAJOR DORON SPIELMAN, IDF SPOKESPERSON: The whole situations we're talking about with Gazan civilians forcibly embedded is another element of Hamas. Hamas has to be fully defeated.

ROBERTSON: So, the responsibility is on them and not you?

DORON: The responsibility is on Hamas for their own civilians. Our responsibility is to eliminate Hamas's capabilities completely.

ROBERTSON: Major Ofek pausing during training in a mockup Palestinian town says they don't hurt innocents, only terrorists. But admits if they are sent to Gaza, avoiding civilian deaths won't be easy.

Do you think that it's possible to fight Hamas without civilians getting injured?

MAJOR OFEK, IDF TROOP COMMANDER (through translator): We are concerned with overthrowing the Hamas regime, and killing the terrorists in Gaza. If it would be difficult, it would be difficult, not easy.

ROBERTSON: Outside of the camp gates, as Israel's military ponders their next move, troops are saying their fond farewells.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Southern Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Joining me now is Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office.

Thank you so much for talking with us.

RAVINA SHAMDASANI, U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE SPOKESPERSON: Thanks for having me, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So the attacks in Israel were brutal. They were abhorrent. But now, as Israel retaliates, we are seeing a humanitarian crisis spiral out of control in Gaza. The U.N. describing it as a hellhole on the brink of collapse. Israel has cut off water, food and electricity, although we are hearing these conflicting reports about whether the water is back on.

What are you able to tell us about this deteriorating situation in Gaza right now?

SHAMDASANI: As you rightly point out, the attacks by Hamas into Israel were abhorrent. They were a clear violation of international law. The taking of hostages, and the summary execution of civilians, the firing of indiscriminate rockets into Israel, this could amount to war crimes.

Now Israel's reaction has also been deeply, deeply worrying. We have seen essentially a collective punishment of the people of Gaza, and civilians are once again bearing the brunt of the violence as well as the dire humanitarian situation. We have seen hospitals that have been forced to evacuate, doctors insisting that they will stay with patients who are in the ICU ward, in the neonatal units where you have the impossible choice of whether to abandon your patients or to stay with them and risk death.

The access to water, access to food, the forced evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people into southern Gaza has created a very, very difficult humanitarian situation in southern Gaza as well. We have colleagues on the ground who are trying to work in a really different circumstances, warning that electricity has been cut. Food is running out. Water is running out. And there's an urgent need for a humanitarian pause.

CHURCH: And, of course, let's talk about that effort to establish a humanitarian corridor. What's causing the delay here? Why is their problem in getting that humanitarian aid? It is sitting there at the border, at the Rafah, near the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian side. Why can't it get in?

SHAMDASANI: There have been very mammoth diplomatic efforts to try to make this happen. The secretary general is constantly liaising with all the parties that are involved, and many other member states are also exercising what leverage they can. We need the security to -- for the aid deliveries to be able to happen. As you see, there is a significant amount of aid actually waiting at the border to be let in.

And this is why we are appealing for humanitarian pause, appealing for a humanitarian corridor for this aid to reach the people who are approaching a situation that is untenable. I mean, we are looking at potentially thousands of deaths if this aid doesn't get through.

CHURCH: Yeah, and at the same time, we've got desperate Palestinians, that fled northern Gaza, they are waiting at the Rafah border obviously on the Gaza side and hope of seeking safe haven in Egypt, their country's president, El-Sisi, hasn't opened the border yet.

[02:35:01]

There's rumors that may have been, it could happen today, a natural fact.

But, I mean, he has condemned Israel's airstrikes on Gaza. He is called the cutting off of water, food, and electricity a collective punishment.

So, isn't he part of the problem? Why won't he open the border? And why have other Arab nations not condemned his actions? It's hard to grasp.

SHAMDASANI: Like you, we are following the situation very closely. As I said, the secretary general is appealing privately and publicly to states, including states in the region to do what they can to alleviate this humanitarian catastrophe. We are hoping for a humanitarian corridor. We have -- I have also seen

reports that you referred to, that there might be some hope on the horizon. It's important to stress that all people have the right to seek asylum if they are fleeing persecution, and if they are fleeing violence. This is a right that is enshrined in international law.

What is really crucial though is that, number one, there is a pause in hostilities for humanitarian pause, for aid to be able to get through. Number two, all parties respect international humanitarian -- which are the laws of, war and they are not optional. They are compulsory in the circumstance. And that Hamas releases the hostages immediately.

CHURCH: Yeah, let's hope all of that gets done. Of course, in the meantime, if Israel gives the go ahead for this ground incursion into Gaza, what will likely happen to those Palestinians who weren't able to evacuate northern Gaza? And those people you refer to in the hospitals with patients that can't be moved?

SHAMDASANI: People are absolutely terrified, even the people who tried to flee. We have reports that the bombardments continued as they were trying evacuate. Israel needs to be reminded every day, every moment of every day, that international humanitarian law is not optional. It is compulsory.

These are the bare minimum laws that have to be respected in times of war. And it's important that clear signals are sent from the Israeli leadership to their troops, to their people, that, yes, we are in the midst of a very difficult situation, but we are going to carry out our operations with full respect for international law. Because otherwise, all you see is a repeat of the cycle, the cycle of violence, hatred, and vengeance which is brought us where we are today. And this is not to the benefit of neither Israeli civilians nor Palestinians.

CHURCH: It is a dire situation and we're hoping for some sort of solution as we watch this unfold.

Ravina Shamdasani, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it.

SHAMDASANI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, China is weighing in on the war between Israel and Hamas. The country's top diplomat says, Israel now has gone beyond self-defense with this action since the Hamas attack.

CNN's Beijing bureau chief, Steven Jiang, joins us now from the Chinese capital,

Good to see you, Steven.

So, what more can you tell us about China's response to Israel's airstrikes in Gaza, and what it plans to do?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, Rosemary, that line you just mentioned from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has gotten quite a bit of attention because some perceive it be Beijing's hardened stance towards Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens.

Now, sometimes in these official statements, what is not being said it's equally, important if not more so than what's being said. The one where we have not heard Chinese officials say is Hamas. They have not named Hamas in any of their condemnations and pronouncements since the heinous attack the group launched against Israeli civilians on October 7th, and that's also reflected in their state media coverage since they were very much focused on the Palestinian suffering after the Israeli counterattacks. Not so much and barely missing the Israeli casualties during the initial stage of the latest conflict.

Now, that is perhaps because like most Arab nations, China has actually long viewed Hamas as a resistance organization, not a terrorist group. That, of course, has not gone unnoticed but Israel and its allies, especially, including the United States.

But despite Beijing's claim of neutrality, and their insistence that China has no self interest in this conflict other than being on the side of justice, and peace, if you read their statements after Wang Yi's multiple phone calls with regional powers over the weekend, they are very much focused on the Palestinian cause. That's something, of course, they have supported for decades, their messaging for a long time, but domestically and internationally, is they are a staunch supporter of the Palestinian statehood, and while Israel is being portrayed as a puppet state of the United States, despite much closer economic ties between the two countries.

So, that is why some analysts say, at the end of the, day their calculation may be scoring points with the wider, broad sort of China's overall interest better on the international stage and also a reflection of China's lack of expertise and experience in dealing with this region despite some recent inroads especially after that deal they brokered between the Iranians and Saudis.

So at the end of the day, they tend to fall back on to their default positions despite the disappointment and anger from Israel -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Steven Jiang joining us live from Beijing.

Still to come, people across the world are showing their support for the civilian victims of the Israel-Hamas war. We will show you some of the rallies worldwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:43:52]

CHURCH: The United Nations says no one was hurt after a rocket hit its peacekeepers headquarters in southern Lebanon. The U.N. says it's still trying to determine who launched the rocket, adding that the rocket hit during an intense exchange of fire on Lebanon's border with Israel Sunday. The IDF says its fighter jets hit Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon Sunday, an uptick and exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel is raising fears the conflict could spread. CNN's senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is in southern

Lebanon with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was another day of cross border strike and counterstrike between Hezbollah and Israel with the violence edging beyond isolated incidents and starting to veer toward the scenario so many here fear -- another full on war between Hezbollah and Israel, one worse perhaps in the more than month-long battle they fought in 2006.

Throughout the day, Hezbollah fighters targeted Israeli military positions on the border, firing guided missiles, and communication observation and surveillance equipment, and also hitting some Israeli towns, killing one Israeli civilian and wounding several others.

[02:45:09]

Israel fired artillery and launched air strikes on what it called Hezbollah military infrastructure.

As a result of the fighting, Israel declared a four-kilometer deep closed military zone along the border to keep civilians away.

In the afternoon, a volley of rockets was fired into Israel most intercepted by the Iron Dome, but it wasn't Hezbollah but rather the military wing of Hamas that claimed responsibility.

At roughly the same time, a rocket hit the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force, just north of the border, slamming in to the helipad there, no one was injured. The U.N. is trying to determine where the rocket was fired from.

All of this doesn't amount to war yet, but it's getting dangerously close.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Southern Lebanon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: A U.S. Senate delegation in Israel was forced to take shelter in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted a picture on social media of himself, staffers and Senator Mitt Romney in a bomb shelter.

Schumer led the bipartisan delegation of senators in Israel, and spoke to CNN's Erin Burnett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER, U.S. SENATE: We came with a simple message to the Israeli people: we have your back, we feel your pain, we ached and America will stick with you in this most difficult time. We had three missions: one, to let Israel know we're for them. Two, to find out what Israel's needs are, and we had intensive discussion of the military, diplomatic, intelligence, and humanitarian needs the Israel had. But third, we wanted to show that this was bipartisan. So, I went with two Democrats and two Republicans.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Senator Cassidy, Senator Romney, yourself, and Senator Kelly, right, all?

SCHUMER: And Senator Rosen.

BURNETT: And Senator Rosen.

SCHUMER: And in this time of such partisanship, this is one area where the Congress is united. And I believe we're going to pass very soon, we're going to put together a very strong package. We will pass it soon. We're not going to wait for the House. We are hopeful that if we pass a strong package with big bipartisan majorities, it will put pressure on the House to act one way or another, however the heck, they figure it out.

BURNETT: So Secretary Blinken is coming tomorrow, coming back.

SCHUMER: Yes.

BURNETT: So no one had known this is happening. Obviously, he's coming from other places in the Middle East. Just met with the Saudi crown prince. What is his goal? Do you know? Is he trying to have Netanyahu delay this or?

SCHUMER: No, I think his goal is to try and keep the tripartite negotiations that were going between Saudi Arabia, Israel and America on track. Many suspect that Hamas and even Iran did this dastardly, horrible terrorist action to make sure that didn't happen, and he feels very strongly, as most of us, that we should keep on track.

And the viciousness of Hamas, I mean, in one instance cutting the throats of little children, having their parents watch, Hamas is trying to say we are trying to intimidate you from doing the things you want to do, including this tripartite pact, and I think what Secretary Blinken is saying and Israel is saying, we are saying, they're not going to intimidate us. We're going to move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Around the world, people are taking to the streets to show support for both the Israelis and Palestinians. The pro-Palestinian rallies were most prevalent Sunday.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PROTESTER: Palestine will be free!

PROTESTERS: Palestine will be free!

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Sydney, thousands turned out to express solidarity with Palestinians and oppose Israel's military action in Gaza. The police out in full force as well, with organizers warning that antisemitic behavior that had been seen at previous protests would not be welcome.

No signs of that chaos here, but the crowd's message to the Palestinian people was loud and clear.

LIQAA, DEMONSTRATOR: What's a protest going to do except trying to win us some support? We have no legitimized, legalized, any possible power to do anything to protect them. Shame on the government who do and don't do anything.

BELL: Pro-Palestinian rallies have been held in cities around the world.

In France and Germany, where they have been banned, demonstrators gathered regardless.

Some of the largest rallies for Palestinians were held in the Arab world. Thousands attended a rally in Turkey, where crowds vented anger at both Israel and the United States.

Similar scenes of solidarity in Pakistan.

SALMA REHEEL QAZI, DEMONSTRATOR: We are saying from our rallies and all over the Pakistan, that Palestinians are not alone.

BELL: And in Tunisia, anger that more is not being done to protect Palestinians.

[02:50:02]

SAHER ELMASRI, GAZAN LIVING IN TUNIS (through translator): I am as a Palestinian, I am as a son of Gaza, my people facing extermination, and Gaza is being devastated. Where is the international community? Where are the Arabs? Where is the Arab conscience?

BELL: In Tokyo, a smaller crowd with a similar plea.

AWEED SADEED, DEMONSTRATOR: I am here to show that we are united now with Muslims. They are very tired of war. And everyone is very tired of conflicts. And everyone wants justice.

BELL: Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come here on CNN. Poland supposition party looks set to win the country's hard fought election, ending eight years of populist rule. We'll have details for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: When House Republicans gather behind closed doors in Washington Monday evening, they will be in their 13th day of operating without a leader. Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan is expected to force a floor vote on Tuesday, as he tries to become next week of the House. Jordan was nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy who became the first in U.S. history to be ousted by his own party.

[02:55:01]

During Friday's nomination vote, Jordan is staying well short of the support he will need to win the speaker's gavel, but he appeared optimistic. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): I think will get -- I think we'll get 217 votes.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Will you only keep running if you get 217 votes?

JORDAN: I think we'll get -- I think we'll -- watch your step, watch your step -- I think we'll get 217 votes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: One senior House member who opposes a Jordan speakership tells CNN, he thinks there are roughly 40 votes against him and at least 20 members who are willing to go to the floor on Tuesday to block Jordan's path if he tries to compel a roll call vote.

Well, exit polls show Poland's populist ruling party is set to lose its parliamentary majority after Sunday's hard fought election. The opposition block led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk appears on course to gain control if it strikes deals with smaller parties. The results of this election are expected to have major ramifications for Poland, the balance of power in the European Union and the future of the war in Ukraine.

Well, center right candidate Daniel Noboa is on track to become Ecuador's next president, following an election driven by concerns over rising violence in the Latin American nation. Noboa, the son of a banana tycoon, received 52 percent of the vote. His main rival, Luisa Gonzalez, got almost 48 percent. More than 10 million people voted in Sunday's election, it comes after the assassination of another presidential candidate in August.

And I want to thank you for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break. Do stay with us.