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Protests Spread as Mideast Conflict Intensifies; Biden Announces $100M in Aid for Gaza; Jim Jordan Loses Second Vote; About 300 Protesters Arrested at U.S. Capitol; Putin and Xi's Views on the Middle East War; Tel Aviv Residents Honoring Hamas Victims; Football star Mohamed Salah urges humanitarian aid for Gaza. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired October 19, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNNI ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNNI ANCHOR: And I'm Max Foster joining you live from London.

U.S. President Joe Biden planning to deliver a primetime address in the hours ahead following his return from high stakes visit to Israel. Two officials say he plans to make the case for the U.S. to keep funding wars in Ukraine and in Israel. Mr. Biden held a phone call with Egypt's president. He's now agreed to open the Rafah Crossing into Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid. The U.S. president says up to 20 trucks are expected to cross the border possibly on Friday.

NOBILO: Meanwhile, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson says that there has been a significant escalation by Hezbollah in its skirmishes with Israel in recent days.

Earlier the IDF said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Australia and Canada have now joined a growing list of countries warning citizens against traveling to Lebanon amid clashes and protests. But the protests aren't just happening in Lebanon. All across the region, people are venting their anger.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more details in this report, which includes some graphic and disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): From the West Bank to Baghdad, Beirut, Tunis, Tehran, Istanbul, Amman, and other cities across the region, thousands took to the streets saying enough is enough.

Images out of Gaza's Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital were just too much to bear. A place of healing, a place to shelter from the indiscriminate violence was no sanctuary for those trapped in this hell on earth. Palestinian officials say it was an Israeli strike to blame for this catastrophic loss of life. Israel strongly denied the accusation and said the blast was caused by failed rockets fired by the Palestinian militant group Islamic jihad.

Israel's statements rang hollow for those who've been watching bombs rain down on Gaza and its civilian casualties rising day after day. Israel's friends and foes across the region swiftly blamed it and condemned what they say was a massacre, a war crime.

Jordan, one of America's closest allies in the region, a country home to millions of Palestinians, cancelled a summit of Arab leaders with the U.S. president it was hosting on Wednesday.

As thousands poured into the streets and security forces used tear gas to push back the protesters who tried to reach the Israeli embassy in Amman. Their rage also directed at the U.S.

[04:35:00]

Protesters waved their shoes in the air for President Joe Biden, they said, as they chanted, Americans get out. Jordan's crown prince, al Hussein, posting this Instagram story, "Israel is responsible for this massacre. The Western world can no longer claim morality if they continue these double standards," he wrote.

For days, Jordan's king, Abdullah, has been warning the situation in the region may soon get out of control.

KING ABDULLAH II, JORDAN: The whole region is at the brink of falling into the abyss that this new cycle of death and destruction is pushing us towards. The threat of this war expanding is real. The cost this will bring on all of us is too much to bear.

KARADSHEH (voiceover): And that threat is getting more real by the day, as Iran and its proxies who span Iraq, Syria and Lebanon signaling they will not sit back if the bloodshed persists.

Every painful scene out of Gaza is making it harder to contain the anger, pushing the Middle East closer and closer to the brink.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, as Jomana reported, countries around the region were quick to condemn the Gaza hospital blasts, many blaming Israel. Joining me now from Dubai is Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for "The Economist." He's also the author of "How Long Will Israel Survive? The Threat from Within." And we'll perhaps talk about the conceit of that book, you know, while we're talking.

Let me just get your assessment, though, of what you are seeing on the ground and your assessment of Joe Biden's trip to Israel yesterday.

GREGG CARLSTROM, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: I think the trip yesterday juxtaposed with what we were seeing on the ground. I think it shows you the disconnect that exists in this region between American policy on the one hand and what is happening in Gaza. There's some really remarkable split screen images on Tuesday night that were looping on TV across the Arab world, where on one side of the screen you had scenes of the devastation after this explosion and then, on the other side of the screen, you had the president in his motorcade heading to Andrews Air Force Base, preparing to take off on a show of solidarity to Israel, which then turned out to be only a trip to Israel because his planned summit in Jordan was canceled.

And so, really, the perception here in the region was that the president was taking sides here, that he was entirely siding with Israel and ignoring the Palestinian suffering in Gaza.

ANDERSON: Let me just play for you and our viewers part of what Joe Biden said on the flight home to reporters. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Justice must be done, but I caution this while you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: OK. He said this both in Tel Aviv, my apologies, and on the flight home. No call -- specific call for restraint there. No use of the word, but as close to as we've heard from the U.S. president. What does -- what could he do next at this point? We know there are, you know, big calls behind the scenes for a ceasefire, for example. We didn't hear any words of ceasefire or de-escalation from the American president, but we know, Gregg, behind the scenes that there is a real push for at least a temporary ceasefire at this point. Is that a role that the U.S. president can help, sort of, you know, perpetuate at the moment or get out there?

CARLSTROM: Right. And there was never going to be a public call for a ceasefire on this trip, because I think the politics in Israel, the mood is such in Israel right now that there would be no public support for that. No one would be willing to hear it.

And so, in public, President Biden was just trying to show solidarity with Israel. Behind closed doors, the message was a bit tougher. The message he delivered to Prime Minister Netanyahu, to other Israeli officials, one part of it was about the need for humanitarian access into Gaza. We've seen a bit of progress on that with the reports as the president was leaving that Israel had consented to allow aid to travel in via Egypt, not via Israel, but it will stop blocking aid that goes in via Egypt. So, there's been a bit of progress on that.

The other question that Biden was asking Israeli officials was, what is the plan for the day after? As you start this war, as you go in for what seems like a long ground offensive in Gaza, what are you planning to do afterwards? Who's going to control Gaza? How long are you going to stay? Is there going to be a full reoccupation of the territory? And he didn't get answer on that.

[04:40:00] And my colleagues and I have been speaking to Israeli officials over the past two weeks, and they haven't given us answers either because they don't have an answer yet. They don't know what the long-term strategy is here in Gaza.

And so, I think that clip that you played, those public remarks about America's own post 9/11 mistakes, Biden obviously trying to signal to the Israeli leadership, it's very easy to get into a war, it's very hard to find a way to get out.

ANDERSON: Yes, interesting. It reflects what perhaps is going on behind the scenes, as you are clearly gathering. You know, that what happens next is obviously, you know, hugely important as we await to see what the next phase of this war will look like as far as the Israelis are concerned and the price, of course, that will be paid.

Meantime, in the very, very short-term, this aid movement through the Rafah Border Crossing is clearly important. And when asked, the U.S. President said "he'd got the job done." He'd got Israel and Egypt to agree to opening that border to allow in some 20 trucks worth of aid, which is nothing like, you know, what is needed, but it's a good first step.

We've spoken to the U.N. agency on the ground in the south, close to the Rafah Border today, who say that they are still hearing and feeling shelling from the Israelis. Just how important is it at the moment that the Israelis ensure safe passage of that humanitarian aid?

CARLSTROM: It's critically important. This is the first aid that would be reaching Gaza in almost two weeks. It has been under a complete siege. Supplies of everything from food, to water, to fuel, medicine have been running out. But as you say, it's only a start in talking to U.N. officials. They say Gaza needs about 100 trucks a day worth of aid at this point. What's been agreed is only 20. So, it's a small fraction of the demand in Gaza.

And then, there are also questions about even if this aid manages to get in, if there's no more bombardment at the Rafah Crossing and it can cross in, how it will get to people in need. The Israelis last Friday told the population of Northern Gaza to evacuate and flee to the south, and we've heard that about 600,000 people have done that. But that means another half a million people might still be in Northern Gaza, either because they can't leave or they don't want to leave. This aid is going to come into the south, and then some of it, somehow, has to get to the north, where hundreds of thousands of people still are.

So, the amount is inadequate, and then there's a huge logistical challenge around trying to get this food, water, medicine to where it's needed inside of Gaza.

ANDERSON: Briefly, as you look at what is going on in the West Bank, to the north of where I am, to Northern Israel, the border with Lebanon, and beyond, how do you assess -- how difficult are things becoming and how concerned, do you think, people should genuinely be about an escalation in this conflict? CARLSTROM: The northern border, it's been escalating, but everything that has happened there so far is still within what people call the rules of engagement between Israel and Hezbollah. And on the Lebanese side, it's been calibrated to try and avoid a full-scale war. So, I think whether that border turns into a second front, we have to wait and see what happens after Israel begins its ground invasion, which is what Iran and Hezbollah have described as their red line.

I think the West Bank is actually a bigger short-term concern. Tensions there were already at a boil because of the policies of the far-right government in Israel over the past year. there have been dozens of Palestinians killed in the past two weeks, but this has also been, in general, the deadliest year on record in the occupied West Bank. And I think there's a real concern there that the Palestinian Authority, which was already losing its grip on parts of the territory, may suffer a very serious blow to its ability to keep governing.

ANDERSON: Gregg, always good to have you. Thank you very much, indeed, for joining us.

We're going to take a very short break. Back after this.

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[04:45:00]

FOSTER: Well, as the Biden administration grapples with wars in Ukraine and Gaza and a potential government shutdown next month, the U.S. House of Representatives is still in limbo, unable to do any work until they elect a new speaker.

NOBILO: On Wednesday, Conservative Republican Congressman Jim Jordan lost a second round of voting as more Republicans voted against him.

FOSTER: Jewish protesters held a large rally at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. They're asking members of Congress to demand an immediate ceasefire so humanitarian assistance can enter the enclave.

NOBILO: Sources say about 300 protesters were arrested. The sit ins come after similar demonstrations outside the White House on Monday.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are meeting in Beijing, and have their own distinctly non-Western view of the Israel Hamas war.

FOSTER: Coming up, we'll look at how their opinions about the conflict are tied to their larger goal of forging a global non-Western alliance.

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[04:50:00]

NOBILO: China and Russia are forging their own mutual view of the war in the Middle East with a distinctly anti-American slant. FOSTER: Vladimir Putin is in Beijing this week for Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Summit, and the two authoritarian leaders are using the Israel Hamas war as a way to chastise the United States and its Western allies, as they look to create their own new world order.

CNN's Will Ripley is in the Chinese capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Russian President Vladimir Putin, an accused war criminal in the West, a guest of honor in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping feasting with a fellow strongman, triumphantly toasting their vision of a new world order. A world prioritizing Palestinians over western-backed Israel, pitting the Putin Xi world against the U.S.-led free world.

Russia and China refusing to strongly condemn the Hamas attack. Putin placing blame on the U.S. for the conflict, not Hamas gunmen, who also took Russian lives. Both Beijing and Moscow criticizing Israel's actions, condemning Tuesday's deadly hospital blast, the Palestinians say hundreds died.

Russia calling it an act of dehumanization, urging Israel to prove its innocence. China says Israel played a part in provoking Palestinian rage. Decades of diplomacy without a two-state solution.

WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER: Israel has the right to establish a state. Palestine has the right to establish a state as well.

RIPLEY (voiceover): China's heavily censored social media overflowing with pro-Palestinian posts, and plenty of anger aimed at Israel and the U.S. One user writes, the only way to get peace in the Middle East is for the Jews to move to America and build a nation there.

President Xi welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June, part of Beijing's bid for a bigger role in Mideast diplomacy, and its desire to reshape the U.S.-led world order. Building on the historic deal it brokered this year, restoring ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia. China says it's sending a special envoy to the Middle East to help with a political settlement.

China and Russia now calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, positioning themselves as possible peacemakers. Both ignoring the irony of Putin's own brutal war, spilling blood on the battlefields of Ukraine.

RIPLEY: Far from the front lines, the leaders and representatives of some 140 nations are expected here in the Chinese capital. Leaders of key western allies noticeably absent.

[04:55:00]

RIPLEY (voiceover): A perfectly timed distraction from Putin's problems at home. Parading himself before flocks of friendly state media outlets, Putin's heaping praise on China's powerful leader and Russia's loyal patron, Xi Jinping. VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): He makes long-term plans for the future. It's what differentiates the true world leaders from what we call temps. Temps only show off on the world stage for about five minutes before becoming lost to world history.

RIPLEY (voiceover): Putin and Xi, possibly leaders for life, predicting a global power shift, the decline of democracy, the rise of strongman rule.

Will Ripley, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Israelis are continuing to mourn those killed during that brutal Hamas terror attack nearly two weeks ago.

NOBILO: Many gathered in Tel Aviv Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil honoring the 1,400 victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMAR SELLA, ISRAEL RESIDENT (through translator): There's a terrible feeling in the air. It was a terrible tragedy that happened. So, this is a little thing we can do. It's about showing respect, helping and contributing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Liverpool football star, Mo Salah, took to social media to put out an emotional plea for action as he called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza immediately. Here's part of that post.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED SALAH, EGYPTIAN FOOTBALL PLAYER: All lives are sacred and must be protected. The massacres need to stop. Families are being torn apart. What's clear now is that humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed immediately. The people there are in terrible conditions. The scenes at the hospital last night were horrifying. The people of Gaza need food, water and medical supplies urgently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, Salah, who also plays for the men's Egyptian national team, went on to say there has been too much violence and brutality and the recent escalation has been "unbearable to witness."

If you'd like to help relief efforts for Gaza and Israel, head to cnn.com/impact.

NOBILO: You'll find a list of vetted organizations responding on the ground. Again, that is cnn.com/impact.

FOSTER: Thanks for joining us here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: And I'm Bianca Nobilo. "Early Start" is up next right here on CNN.

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