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Rafah Crossing Closes After 20 Aid Trucks Enter Gaza; Palestinian PM Unwilling To Condemn October 7 Attacks; More Protests In Middle East Against Israel Hitting Gaza; Humanitarian Aid Starts Entering Gaza From Egypt; Leaders Talk Peace At Summit In Cairo; Attorney Kenneth Chesebro Pleads Guilty, Agrees To Testify In Georgia's 2020 Election Meddling Case. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired October 21, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:00:32]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares, and I'm coming to you live from London. It's 9:00 a.m. here in London, 11:00 a.m. in Gaza. In the last hour, the Rafah border crossing into Egypt opened for the first time in weeks and then closed, in fact, just minutes later. These were live -- a live pictures you're seeing that now. We've been told just enough, actually enough time for 20 trucks to make that crossing much needed, of course, humanitarian aid to cross from Egypt into Gaza, 20 trucks being told.

We've been hearing from officials, of course, is that before this conflict, something like 500 or so trucks were making that journey daily. So Hamas has been telling CNN that the trucks were loaded with medicines, medical supplies, and a limited quantity of canned food.

Let's get more perspective on all of this. Our Katie Polglase is monitoring all for us. So, Katie, just talk to this because, I mean, there was so much desperation, so much waiting for this to happen. The crossing now opened, but it was very short opening, right? How long was that open for?

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER: I mean, really a matter of minutes, Isa. We're monitoring here in London, but we also have someone on the ground, on the Egyptian side. And really, the minute that those 20 trucks got through, the crossing shuts again. And that is really a reminder of how tense this situation is. The agreement was 20-20 got through, and that was it.

And of course, we know and we've been seeing from international NGOs that they need more than that, 20 trucks is not enough. But it is still something and it is some relief. We understand that Hamas are saying that on this aid, it includes medical supplies, medicine, also a limited quantity of canned food.

But really, the situation is so dire inside Gaza that there is going to need to be quite considerably more. And then there is the question of people getting out. We're not hearing reports yet of any foreign nationals being able to leave, but they are certainly very desperate to do so. There's been a lot of people waiting around the border, not just foreign nationals, but Gazans as well.

The situation is so dangerous, it's so risky, really, that many are trying to leave. But at least some positive news this morning that we are now seeing in these pictures here that some aid is finally getting through.

SOARES: And do we know, Katie, whether how long will take then to distribute it? Will it need to be checked on the other side, on the Gaza side?

POLGLASE: This has definitely been something of a concern and arguably what has caused some of the delay. The Israeli side has been concerned that there would be weaponry on these trucks, that this aid would not go to the civilians that desperately need it, but go to Hamas. And so I am sure there will be checks made.

But clearly the U.N. is involved in this distribution. You're seeing here from these pictures that these are trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent. There are a lot of international NGOs involved in this aid work. They take their jobs very seriously. This aid is very important for them. And so, of course, hopefully this aid will be going to the civilians as well.

And clearly, as we're seeing from the reporting this morning, we had an incredible piece from Jomana this morning about the children in Gaza and the suffering they have had. This kind of aid is desperately needed.

SOARES: Yes, and of course, we'll look at that piece from Jomana in just a moment. Like the dire, the spiraling situation, humanitarian situation on the ground. But, you know, as we looked at these pictures, this just for our viewers joining us. This happened earlier. The border is now crossing. While this has happened this morning, Katie, understand that Egypt El-Sisi has also held a peace summit. Just talk us through what we expect to come out of this, given that the big players, Iran, the United States, are not at the table.

POLGLASE: Absolutely, Isa. There is some effort here from the Egyptian side to deescalate the situation. They're trying to get people round the table, key players. But as you mentioned, some are very notably absent. There are some players, including the United States, that are not going to be there.

But there are some that are effectively backers of Hamas, supporters of them in this that are going to be present. We're going to be seeing various countries there, including various countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Cyprus, Qatar, Turkey, Greece. Now, not all of them are taking a side in this conflict, but the fact that so many countries are turning up indicates how many stakeholders are concerned about this escalation, concerned about the spread of violence across the region.

And we've seen as well, with the escalation on the border with Lebanon, how risky it is, how much risk there is possibly of this conflict already spilling over into other areas.

SOARES: Yes, and that's one of the big concerns for many of the countries taking place and taking part in this peace summit, trying to deescalate and trying to focus on the humanitarian needs inside the Strip. Let's talk about the two hostages, Judith and her daughter, Natalie, that were released. What do we know, Katie, about how this came about and what Hamas got, if anything, in return here?

[04:05:21]

POLGLASE: It's an extraordinary situation, Isa. And again, some welcome news after some dire news we've been reporting for days and days, and extraordinary, really, that it's happened at all. And let's not forget, there are still 200 other hostages that are still there. As we understand it, from diplomatic sources that had an understanding of these negotiations. There was not any exchange.

Hamas didn't receive anything back, which is very interesting. But I think another big part of this is the mediators. Qatar, again, they're present at the peace summit turning up in Cairo today. They mediated this situation. They were recognized by the United States as having played a key role in the release of these two.

And so, again, it's showing how important these different international actors are to getting these kinds of processes, negotiations, very delicate negotiations through and with all of these hostage negotiations. We're not always going to see what exactly is happening behind closed doors. But clearly, for these two, this was a very welcome release. And in fact, we heard from the father of Natalie about his news and how welcome it was for him. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URI RAANAN, DAUGHTER, EX-WIFE FREED BY HAMAS: I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, for two weeks. I haven't been sleeping for two weeks. Tonight I'm going to sleep good. I spoke with my daughter earlier today. She sounds very good. She looks very good. She was very happy, and she's waiting to come home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLGLASE: Now. Of course, as I said, there are many other hostages that are still there, and this news may give them some hope, but the pain, of course, is very much still present. We don't have much information on their condition, and as the situation in Gaza is very dire for the civilians there, that will, of course, be affecting the hostages as well. It's a very difficult, tense situation on the ground. But clearly, from the U.S. perspective and from the Israeli perspective, the priority now is to get the rest of those hostages out. Isa?

SOARES: Indeed, a slither of hope, I think it was what the Red Cross called it. Thanks very much, Katie Polglase there with the very latest. While more than one, 4,100 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. That is, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. That is, after the Hamas terror attacks in Israel that killed at least 1,400 people. The war against Hamas is entering its third week, and it seems children often suffer the most. We have to warn you, the next story by Jomana contains some images that viewers may find very disturbing. Here's her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Why, why have you gone, my son, he wails. You wanted to be a pilot. You're only sleeping, he says, kissing his boy's lifeless body.

Every day of this war has brought pain, pain no parent wants to ever live through. Every 15 minutes in Gaza, a child is killed, aid groups say. More than 1,500 children killed so far in a war that's only just beginning, a war they didn't choose, one for which they are paying the heaviest price.

Those who live, haunted by what they've survived. The lucky ones still have parents to hold their hands.

Ten-year-old Abdi Rahman (ph) still doesn't know the strike that left him injured took away his mom, dad and three sisters. His aunt, the only one left to try and comfort him. He wakes up, he cries, they give him painkillers and he goes back to sleep, she says.

I'm worried about him, the shock when he wakes up and finds out that his mother and father are gone, his aunt says. He's the youngest. He was so attached to his parents. He used to play football with his dad. He would go with him everywhere.

Families here say they all heeded the Israeli military's warning and moved south, thinking it would be safe. But it wasn't.

Malik's (ph) injured in the hips and legs. She lost her mother and siblings in an airstrike.

A girl in the third grade, what did she do? Her aunt asks. Did she shoot Israelis? She didn't. We're peaceful people in our home, she says. We didn't launch any rockets or shoot. We didn't do anything.

Nine-year-old Mahmoud (ph) was out playing when his family home was hit. He's in hospital with head and leg injuries.

We were playing in the garden and, suddenly, a missile landed on us, he says. Trees fell on me. My mother, my father, my brother and grandfather are injured. My uncle brought me unconscious to the hospital.

[04:10:05]

Most of the injured in Gaza, doctors say, are children and women. With no power, no water and medical supplies running out, the health care they need is on the verge of collapse. Around half of Gaza's population are children. Most have only ever known life under a blockade and war. Now, in this kill box, no place safe from Israel's relentless bombardment.

Desperate for any promise of safety, many have flooded Al-Shifa Hospital grounds. The constant buzz of military drones overhead has become part of existence in Gaza. Some find a little escape from this living nightmare no child should ever endure.

Loujain (ph) and Julia (ph) say their neighborhood was flattened by airstrikes.

We've been living in so much fear, panic and anxiety, she says. Whenever I hear airstrikes, I don't know what to do. I hug my mom.

Seven-year-old Julia (ph) says she holds her mom, too, and hides. They're now living under the stairs.

I get upset when I see injured here in the hospital, Julia (ph) says. When I grow up, I want to become a doctor so I can treat them, so they can get better.

It's a war on Hamas, they say, but it is the youngest who bear the brunt. Ensnared in violence they can't control, trapped in this race against death.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: It is always the children who suffer the most. While the IDF says it is preparing for the next stages of the war against Hamas. You are looking at tanks that have been lined up near the border with Gaza there, where the prospect of a ground incursion is looming. In the news conference, the IDF spokesperson said the current priority is the return of all hostages in Gaza itself. In Gaza itself, the al-Quds Hospital says, Israel has demanded the immediate evacuation of the building ahead of a possible strike. Earlier, my colleague Lynda Kinkade spoke with the IDF about that. This was his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. COL. PETER LERNER, IDF SPOKESPERSON: There are ongoing conversations, calls throughout organizations and bodies and indeed to the hospital over the last week that we've been telling people to evacuate, to go south precisely because we are broadening the scope of our strikes. And we don't need, you pointed out that there are 13,000, I think, in your report, people holding up in the hospital.

But if there is coincidental strike that takes place near the hospital, for instance, and there is coincidental debris that falls out of that, there are 13,000 people. Nothing to do with the hospital, just people holding up there that should be elsewhere, because we're encouraging people to get out of harm's way.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: But where can they go? Where is safe in Gaza right now? Where could they go?

LERNER: The hospital -- it's -- there is -- now is there is a question of what is safe and what is safer. Where do you jeopardize yourself and where do you keep safe? How do you take care of your family? Or how do you maintain the threat to your family? And when we're telling people to go south, they should not stay in the north and say, OK, this is a hospital, because we've seen that when we do a strike adjacent to a place that is protected, there can be collateral damage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:13:30]

SOARES: And still to come right here on CNN, we hear from the prime minister of the Palestinian authority, who sat down with our Becky Anderson, what he fears could become an existential threat to Palestinians. You want to hear that conversation, that is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister has told CNN that blind support for Israel has become a license for killing. Mohammad Shtayyeh says, Israel's mood for revenge after the October 7th terror attacks could result in the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians. He told Becky Anderson that he's particularly fearful as Israel prepares to launch a potential ground invasion of Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRIME MINISTER: The condemnation should be of killing every civilian, every human being that does not deserve to die, we should condemn that. More than 1,600 children has been slaughtered in Gaza, more than 700 women. The general mood in Israel today, is a mood of revenge, and I think this appetite for killing should be stopped, under any circumstances, not one single human being would like to see innocent people killed.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: You aren't willing to say that you condemn the attacks, though on October 7th, why?

SHTAYYEH: Well, because you see, the Palestinian story does not start on October 7th. Palestinian catastrophe has been there for 75 years. And we have been crying loud and we have been shouting loud and clear, we need the solution.

And what has happened yesterday is yesterday. The mood of revenge and the preparation for a ground operation which is going to cost 10,000 Palestinian lives, this is where the focus should be. And that is what we should stop.

ANDERSON: Were you shocked, surprised by the ferocity of the attack on October 7th?

SHTAYYE: Everybody were, everybody was shocked. This is something that has been unprecedented by all means. The Israeli government policy has to be held responsible for all what has happened. The Israeli strategy was to keep Gaza isolated, that people in Gaza were very angry, were distressed -- or depressed. The people of Gaza were unemployed and under the poverty line. We have to make to provide meaningful life to the people. That was not there. Gaza was a Jew -- a zone that was shrinking every single day. The situation was shocking to everybody, but the magnitude of destruction that we have seen today in Gaza is something that is a criminal act.

ANDERSON: Israel's defense minister has said his troops will soon see the inside of Gaza. And I quote him on that. As Israel's military ready -- readies itself for the next stage. Just how concerned are you?

[04:20:05]

SHTAYYE: Very concerned. If the Israeli army goes into Gaza with a ground operation, then our anticipation is that thousands -- additional thousand, maybe 10,000, 15,000 Palestinians will be killed. So, we are more than concerned.

ANDERSON: Why did President Abbas walk out on what was it scheduled to be a summit in Jordan with the U.S. president?

SHTAYYE: What happened at Al-Ahli Hospital was a horrific scene. We asked one simple question. Is the United States ready to say to the Israelis stop the incursion, stop the attacks? We were not assured on that. And therefore, any meeting became meaningless.

We, the Jordanians or the Egyptians, and by the way, and the Americans, they didn't fully understand that President Abbas had to work -- to walk away. And they also bid condolences on the loss of lives in the Al-Ahli Hospital.

ANDERSON: The U.S. has been absolutely clear that Israel has a right to defend itself and that it will support Israel in its efforts to destroy Hamas, whatever it takes. Your thoughts on that?

SHTAYYE: The support of Israel blindly is a license for killing. And I hope that the United States does not go into that direction. Israel is not under existential threat. The White House, the President should call for the parties to sit down and work together on a peaceful solution. Encouraging Israel to destroy the people of Gaza, that is not going to bring a solution. Look at the pictures. Look at the pictures.

Who has been killed in Gaza? Children, women, old men, churches, mosques. This is not a war on Hamas. This is a war on the Palestinian people wherever they are in Gaza, in the West Bank, and Jerusalem.

ANDERSON: Prime Minister, what is the role of the United States in securing a fair and just future for the Palestinian people?

SHTAYYE: If they have the will, they can do it. But very unfortunately, I'm very frank with you to say that I don't think that the current American administration has the political will to end the conflict. They are managing it. Without them, without them, there is no solution. With them only, there is no solution. So, what you need is a collective international effort.

Those who have landed in Tel Aviv to show support for Israel, unfortunately, have been given the greenest of the green light for Israel to continue its attack on Gaza. International support should be for peace. International support should not be for aggression.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Palestinian Prime Minister there speaking to our Becky Anderson. While staying across the region, protests have been intensifying against Israel's bombardment of Gaza and in support for Palestinians caught in the crossfire. CNN's Nada Bashir has more from Amman in Jordan. We want to caution you, some of the video may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In downtown Amman, worshippers gather for Friday prayers. But it's not just the call to prayer that has drawn these crowds today, but a call to action and solidarity with the Palestinian people. This protest is a pledge, they chant, that the people of Jordan will not leave Gaza alone. Thousands of men, women and children, entire families draped in the traditional Palestinian scarf, a symbol for many of Palestinian resistance.

(on camera): Well, you can hear how loud the crowds are here. For yet another day in Amman, thousands of people have taken to the streets protesting against Israel's continued aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip protesting in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We are doing this for our families who are dying in Gaza because we are unable to do anything. So, the least we can do is stand here in solidarity with them, to support them so that they know that we are with them with our hearts and everything.

BASHIR (voice-over): There is palpable outrage here in Jordan over Israel's ongoing bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, and deep- seated anger directed towards both Israel and Israel's Western allies. Many here even calling on the Jordanian government to close down the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Amman.

For days now, protests have taken place not only across Jordan, but also across the wider region. In Cairo, where the state has long clamped down on mass demonstrations, hundreds gathered in Tahrir Square. Hours earlier, at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was forced to cut his visit short after protests erupted there.

[04:25:31]

Gaza has faced relentless Israeli airstrikes for almost two weeks now. And protests across the Arab world and the wider region are at a boiling point, Iraq, Tunisia, Yemen and Turkey and even further afield. And with Gaza on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, this protest movement is only growing stronger. Nada Bashir, CNN in Amman, Jordan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: What you see there is really how this is playing out across the Middle East. When we come back, I'll discuss the risks of escalation with an expert on the region. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Isa Soares, coming to you from London with the time is 9:30 in the morning.

If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with the very latest. The first humanitarian aid trucks have crossed into Gaza from Egypt. A convoy of 20 trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent you can see there enter the Palestinian enclave just in the last hour. The crossing then closed immediately after.

[04:30:15]

And as you see there, volunteers on the Egyptian side celebrated the moment. Chanted -- chanting, we open the road, a very different scene from the frustration, of course, on display earlier in the week.

And really it's anger, anguish and total exasperation. The scene at the Rafah crossing just days earlier as people agonizingly waited for it to reopen. And again, the crossing briefly reopened today to allow 20 trucks of aid in from the Egyptian Red Crescent. It is a trickle, but more is expected from the U.N. on Monday. And the crossing is the lifeline, the only viable way, of course, for critically needed medicine and other supplies to get into Gaza.

Clarissa Ward was on the Egyptian side before this morning's news broke and saw firsthand how a waiting game can become a matter of life or death for so many.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For days, they have been waiting. More than 200 trucks full of aid desperately needed in Gaza, but stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres hoped to be here for a much-needed diplomatic win. Instead, he found himself in the midst of a protest, his remarks drowned out by the crowd.

(on camera): People are chanting over and over again, with our blood, with our souls. We will defend Palestine. There is a huge amount of anger, a huge amount of emotion. Much of it directed at the West.

CROWD: We need justice. We need justice. We need justice.

WARD (voice-over): And much also at Western media where people here have favored Israeli voices over Palestinians.

RAHMA ZEIN, PROTESTER: Where is your humanity? WARD (voice-over): A protester starts shouting at me. We invite her to do an interview with us.

ZEIN: When a thousand plus Palestinian babies die, you don't feel the same. You don't feel the same, as when I tell you one of your own has died. But these are our own. And it is unfair and Egypt will stand with Palestine. All Western channels are talking for Israel and the United Nations are standing for Israel, all these international institutions are standing for Israel. Who's there for the Palestinians and don't call it a war. The jargon is even more infuriating. They are not on equal footing. It is not a war.

WARD (voice-over): For many, it is deeply personal. A Palestinian man holds up his ID.

MAHDI ABU ABAID, PALESTINIAN CITIZEN: I can't contact my family there.

WARD (on camera): Your family is on the other side?

ABU ABAID: Yeah, I have seven sisters and my father, my mother, grandmother and uncles, all of my family is there. I can't contact with them. I don't know if --

WARD: Are they OK?

ABU ABAID: I don't know if they are OK or not.

WARD (voice-over): As Egyptian soldiers stand by, the demonstrators get more animated. Protests are normally illegal here. But today, the Egyptian president called on people to take to the streets.

(on camera): So this is rapidly becoming a very chaotic scene now. They're trying to get the secretary general out of here.

(voice-over): We're ordered back on to the buses and escorted out through the crowd back to El Arish airport, where piles of aid sit by the runway, so close to where they need to be, but held back the U.N. says, by complications over how to monitor the trucks that enter Gaza and how to establish a continuous humanitarian corridor.

(on camera): When you saw the anger of those protesters, most of it leveled at Israel and the U.S., but also at the international community for failing to stop this situation, what is your response?

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think what is important to say is that we are doing everything we can, engaging with all the parties, to make sure that sooner rather than later, we are able to have not only a first convoy, but continued aid to the population.

WARD: But no time line?

GUTERRES: I think it should be as quickly as possible, and with as many as possible trucks to cross into the first few days.

WARD (voice-over): But that is little comfort to the people of Gaza, for whom every day, every hour is vital. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And that was Clarissa Ward reporting from the Rafah crossing on Friday. And as we've just reported, the top of the hour and reporting the last hour, the border reopened briefly this morning to let about 20 trucks loaded with aid cross into Gaza.

Well, Egypt is set to host leaders at a peace summit in the capital city of Cairo today, more than a dozen are expected to attend, including officials from the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Qatar, who reportedly just help, of course negotiate the release of those two American hostages being held by Hamas. The meeting comes as more protesters are out in full force in the Middle East against Israel's attacks on Gaza.

[04:35:21]

Joining us now to put this all into perspective for us is Dalia Dassa Kaye, a senior fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations. Dalia, great to get your time and perspective on this story. Let me first get your thoughts on the diplomatic efforts underway, Egypt's LCC holding this peace summit, as we just outlined, neither U.S. or Iran are partaking in this. So realistically, what can we expect here?

DALIA DASSA KAYE, SR. FELLOW, UCLA BURKLE CENTER FOR INTL. RELATIONS: Well, I doubt we're going to see very immediate concrete results, but it's clear the Egyptians and others in the region feel a need to show some kind of diplomatic horizon in the midst of the anger, your clip, I think very well displayed. This conflict is touching every corner of the region, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is horrific, despite the welcome news this morning.

So I think the goals will be to respond to some of that anger that we see in the region and the protests that are emerging, all of these governments are feeling quite vulnerable. They can't put the Palestinian issue to the side any longer. It has to be in the forefront. And I think the diplomatic efforts are also trying to feel a little bit of a void, that the region is feeling that this issue hasn't been addressed and the need to contain this conflict to Israel and Gaza and not have it spread further.

SOARES: Yes, national security, obviously a concern, humanitarian crisis. But that point, that last point you made, Dalia, I think it's really important because what we have seen are protests right across this region, right, from Egypt, to Jordan, Iraq to Yemen. Talk to the anger, Dalia, and the outrage being felt right now and the fears critically, that this could escalate into a wider regional conflict here.

KAYE: Yes, well, there's really two issues. One is the domestic scenes in many of these countries, we have a region still ruled by authoritarian leaders, there's so much anger, and there's a lot of concern that this anger could translate into pressure, again, against their own government. These are some of the biggest protests we've seen since the Arab uprisings in 2011. And there is a feeling that these governments it's not just the Palestinian issue, but have really failed in governance. So that's something I think, to keep an eye on. And then the other is that, you know, the governments of Egypt and Jordan in particular are worried about this conflict, spilling over into their countries in terms of refugees, they do not want to see what they would view as a forced displacement of the Palestinians. This is evoking concerns of that date back to 1948.

And then finally, I think the concern that this could turn into a, you know, move into a northern front, there's a lot of escalation on the northern border of Israel, in southern Lebanon. Israel has evacuated a major city. We have drone attacks against American bases in the region. There was just a U.S. interception of missiles from the Houthi militia forces in the Red Sea.

So while nobody seems to want this to escalate, the U.S., Iran and certainly not the regional neighborhood, there's a lot of boring developments over this past week.

SOARES: Yes. Indeed, the Jordanian Foreign Minister spoke to our Becky Anderson. I want you to listen to what they had to say. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYMAN SAFADI, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The growing perception on the street, as they see this unequivocal ironclad support for Israel in this war. It is a growing perception that this is a Western-Arab Muslim war, that's a place we don't want to get to. That's a place with that we should all work to prevent getting into and that's why the guns must go silent, common sense must come back, rationalism must come back and we figured out a way out of this darkness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: What do you make of those comments how that he's framed it?

KAYE: Well, I think they're quite understandable. I think the foreign minister is reflecting of you in the region, that the U.S. has unequivocally excited with Israel has not pursued a balanced approach. Or of course, the way the Biden administration and others are presenting this is that you need this strong embrace of Israel at this kind of quite dramatic moment, the most catastrophic attack on Israel in its history.

And the idea here is that this can help restrain Israel, both in terms of whether and how it would proceed with the ground invasion in Gaza and hopefully bring about some of the humanitarian relief we saw this morning. But as the, you know, suffering continues in Gaza. And we've just had, you know, continued bombings that are putting civilians in harm's way there was just one Palestinian church this morning or yesterday.

And so I think as the civilian toll continues to rise, it is going -- this anger is likely to continue to boil. And this is very, very dangerous for governments in the region but also for U.S. and Western interests globally. This is a really big concern.

[04:40:11]

SOARES: Everyone also keeping a close eye on Iran. Of course support of Hamas, an Iranian diplomat, Dalia, here in London, has claimed that Iran does not seek to escalate the war into a wider conflict in the Middle East. But I'm quoting here. It is not in a position to control militant groups such as Hezbollah. What do you make of that?

KAYE: Well, you know, the Iranians are sending mixed messages. We know very well that Iran does provide military and political support and training to groups like Hamas and of course, even more lethal militia forces like Hezbollah in the region. But it is also at the same time, trying to distance itself, saying, you know, we can't be, you know, responsible for everything that happens.

So it is sending these mixed messages. We have reports that there are back channels with the Americans to avoid a direct American and Iranian confrontation. But at the same time, as I mentioned, we have drone attacks on U.S. bases that could put Americans in harm's way. So, you know, even if the intention is not to escalate, the, you know, kind of unleashing, these groups can lead to events on the ground that could force a conflict even that may not be wanted.

SOARES: Dalia, really appreciate your perspective on this and analysis. Thank you very much.

KAYE: Thank you.

SOARES: Following the fallout of this conflict, a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia appears to have stalled. The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister to tell CNN that any such agreement needs to feature the Palestinian cause. We heard from Mohammad Shtayyeh earlier this hour on his fears around the current crisis in Gaza. Now he shares with Becky Anderson his hopes for the Saudi-Israeli deal and what it could represent for the Palestinian people.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Do you see normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel as providing an opportunity for a political horizon and a political solution for the Palestinians? Is that the best option at this point?

SHTAYYEH: The Saudis have made it very clear. The link between their relation, their future relation with Israel and the Palestine cause, it's there, fully interwoven together. And that is where we feel very assured on that. It's not priceless. It's with price. Now maybe this issue will be deferred for a certain period of time to come. But the issue the Saudis has they have brought back the question of Palestine to the table.

ANDERSON: Do you think that normalization could be the best bet for a political solution for Palestinians going forward, ironically, as some of our viewers might see it? SHTAYYEH: If it's based on the Arab peace initiative, if it's based on peace for land formula. Otherwise, because Netanyahu's total failure, that Netanyahu thought that it's peace for peace, peace for peace does not work because you have no problem with United Arab Emirates except for the Palestine cause. You have no problem with Bahrain except for the Palestine cause.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Palestinian prime minister there speaking to our Becky Anderson.

[04:43:29]

Still ahead, more about the two American hostages who are heading home and the Biden administration's role in brokering their release. Do stay right here with CNN.

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SOARES: Well, amidst the rapidly developing situation in the Middle East, the Biden administration has at least one achievement to boast about in the wake of President visit to Israel, that is the handover of those two American hostages. CNN's Kayla Tausche has more on that from the White House for you.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden speaking by phone with the two hostages freed by Hamas, Judith and Natalie Raanan. He said that he was overjoyed at their release and told reporters that the call went well.

In a statement, he said that he pledged the full support of the U.S. government and said, our fellow citizens have endured a terrible ideal these past 14 days and I am overjoyed that they will soon be reunited with their family, who has been racked with fear. These individuals and their family will have the full support of the United States government as they recover and heal. And we should all respect their privacy in this moment.

It's a rare triumph for the administration after two weeks of violence and tensions in the Middle East. And while there is relief that these two hostages have been freed, there are still 10 American hostages who remain, according to the administration. And Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the work to free them will continue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We share in the relief that their families, friends and loved ones are feeling. But there are still 10 additional Americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict. We know that some of them are being held hostage by Hamas along with an estimated 200 other hostages held in Gaza. They include men, women, young boys, young girls, elderly people from many nations. Every single one of them should be released.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TAUSCHE: Secretary Blinken thanked the Qatari government for its help in brokering this deal to free the hostages. In Qatar, several members of Hamas leadership are based there, which is why the country is a critical intermediary. The administration has not been willing to share any more details about its involvement or its conversations to free the other hostages, saying that that work continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:48:58]

SOARES: That was CNN senior White House correspondent Kayla Tausche reporting. We're going to take a short break. We'll be back after this.

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SOARES: Well, former U.S. President Donald Trump was given a $5,000 fine Friday for violating a gag order in his New York fraud trial. Trump's campaign website was found to have a picture of a social media post attacking the judge's clerk. The judge warned Trump that he could go to jail for violating the order.

Meantime, attorney Kenneth Chesebro admitted helped the Trump campaign with its 2020 fake electors plot in Georgia. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy and agreed to testify in future cases. Our Nick Valencia has more from Atlanta, Georgia.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was a stunning development out of Fulton County. As part of this plea deal, Ken Chesebro has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit false documents. That's a felony count. But he's also going to have to pay a $5,000 fine, do 100 hours of community service.

But perhaps most importantly, as he's agreed to testify, in any future proceedings or trial for the remaining codefendants in this case, and that includes former President Donald Trump. After Ken Chesebro took this deal, I spoke to his attorney Scott Grubman outside the courthouse and I asked him what he would say to those critics who believe that Chesebro has turned his back on the former president and are calling him a snitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT GRUBMAN, ATTORNEY FOR KENNETH CHESEBRO: He didn't snitch against anyone. He went in there. He accepted responsibility for what I would do as one of the minor kind of tagged on charges in the indictment. And that was that. I mean, I could absolutely tell you that again, if he's called, he'll go testify and answer their questions. But I would disagree. I don't think Mr. Chesebro snitched against anyone. I think he simply decided it was time for him to put this behind him and go on with his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: This was a significant win, a huge win really for the Fulton County District Attorney's Office because not only did they secure Sidney Powell on Thursday as a state witness against the former president, but now they also have Ken Chesebro. Two key witnesses as the Fulton County District Attorney's Office can narrow its case against former President Donald Trump.

[04:55:02]

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

SOARES: Well, meantime, U.S. House Republicans have no clear path forward after Jim Jordan failed to get enough Republican votes to win the House speakership on his third floor vote. Jordan also lost a secret ballot caucus held behind closed doors. Several Republicans jumped into the race after the party rejected Jordan, but it's unclear if any can get the 217 votes needed to win.

The speaker vacuum was triggered, if you remember, by a block of hardline conservatives. And without a speaker, well, the House is effectively frozen. It is an increasingly perilous situation amid conflicts that we've been telling you abroad. The government funding deadline is next month.

And speaking of conflicts, we have much more, of course, in the next hour and the war taking place in Israel. Thanks very much for your company. I'm Isa Soares in London. We're right back with our top story. That is the Rafah border crossing opening briefly in the last two hours or so to allow 20 trucks of aid to get into Gaza.

It is, of course, the first aid to go into Gaza since the conflict got underway just two weeks ago. And since Israel put the territory under a complete and total siege, 20 trucks making it through, of course, it's just a trickle. We'll have much more from the region after this very short break. You are watching CNN.

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