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Democrats Win Control in Virginia, Ohio Enshrines Abortion Rights; Netanyahu Warns Hezbollah, Israeli Airstrikes Persist in Gaza; Republican Victories in Mississippi and Kentucky, Israel Signals Long- Term Gaza Security; White House Cautions Israel Against Occupying Gaza; Egypt's Complicated Role in Middle East Conflict; Coral on Great Barrier Reef Begins to Regenerate; House Votes to Censure Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) Over Israel Comments; Supreme Court Hears Major Second Amendment Case; Families of Hamas Hostages Plead for Return. Aired 12- 1a ET
Aired November 08, 2023 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause. We're following two very big stories this hour. Israel's war with Hamas and election night in America. These are off-year state elections which are being closely watched at a national level for implications for next year.
In deeply conservative Mississippi, the Democratic challenger in the state's governor's race, Brandon Presley, has just called Republican incumbent Tate Reeves to concede. Presley is a second cousin of the king of rock and roll, that would be Elvis Presley. And in Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear has been re-elected, making him one of the few Democratic leaders in red or predominantly Republican states. We'll have much more on these and other votes across the United States in just a few minutes.
But we begin this hour in Gaza where Israeli ground forces are now said to be in the heart of the biggest city in the Palestinian territories. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF soldiers are now operating inside Gaza City, putting severe pressure on Hamas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Gaza City is encircled. We are operating inside it. We are increasing pressure on Hamas every hour, every day. We have killed thousands of terrorists above ground and below ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: At the same time, the Biden administration is again warning Israel about occupying Gaza. It comes hours after Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel will have the overall security responsibility in Gaza once the war ends. But Israel's Defense Minister says there's only 2 certainties right now about who will run Gaza once Hamas is wiped out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: I can tell you who will not govern. It will not be Hamas and it will not be Israel. Everything else is a possibility. And I want to say one more thing. At the end of this conflict, there will be no Hamas in Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And a senior advisor to the Israeli prime minister has denied that Israel has intention of occupying Gaza for the long term. Here's Mark Rehov talking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK REGEV, SENIOR ADVISER TO ISRAELI PM: We're not talking about any sort of ongoing occupation of the Gaza Strip. Once again, we want the Gazans to rule themselves and we think there'll be an international effort for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, let's go live now to London, Elliot Gotkine with the very latest. I guess the question here is what's your definition of occupying and long term? And I mean, Netanyahu was clear it could be indefinite. So, if they do go in, the question is, how long do they stay? What will be the reaction from the Palestinians?
ELLIOT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: John, these are all questions which we don't know the answers to. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think Netanyahu necessarily knows the answer to either, because what he said, of course, is that Israel would have overall security responsibility. We don't know what that means. Does that mean Israeli boots on the ground for this indefinite period? Does that mean perhaps peacekeepers, international peacekeepers, maybe including from friendly Arab states on the ground there in the Gaza Strip?
Well, Mark Regev was trying to kind of, I suppose, elaborate on was the way that this might work. And he was talking about something a little bit more, in his words, fluent and -- fluent, fluid and flexible, effectively allowing Israel to deal with threats as and when they emerge in the Gaza Strip.
But of course, this is all based on a number of assumptions. The first and most important, I suppose, is that as the Israeli Defense Minister was saying there, that Israel does succeed in destroying Hamas, both militarily so that it can never again threaten Israel with the kind of pogrom that it did on October the 7th, and also politically so that it no longer governs the Gaza Strip. And, of course, to ensure that Israel succeeds in getting those 240 or so hostages that Hamas is still holding inside the Gaza Strip.
And to that end, the CIA director, Bill Burns, was speaking with his counterparts in Israel to talk about how to perhaps try to rescue or free those hostages that are still being held by Hamas after more than a month. So that's 1 of a couple of the assumptions.
And, of course, the other 1 is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power to carry out whatever his plans, if we can call them plans, are. And as we've seen both from history, that seems very unlikely that Netanyahu will remain in power much beyond the end of this war when that comes about. And also, opinion polls in Israel say that most Israelis want to see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu go. So, to that end, it may not actually be his decision as to what happens the day after this war between Israel and Hamas ends. John.
VAUSE: Thank you. Elliot Gotkine there live for us in London. Well, amid the debate over Gaza's future right now, though, Israeli airstrikes continue unabated with devastating impact. Multiple explosions rocked central and southern part of the territory on Tuesday. At least 2 blasts reported in a camp for displaced people.
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A doctor in Gaza City says at least 10 people were killed in one of the explosions. Another series of video showed wounded Children being carried away at the site of a second blast. Details now from CNN Salma Abdelaziz. She's reporting in on the humanitarian crisis, which is getting worse and a warning. Her story contains graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Families are burying their dead in mass with little time to mourn. Gaza is not a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of humanity, the UN's chief says. A month of war has devastated the strip. Israeli airstrikes have hit homes, schools, refugee camps and ambulances, and the I. D. F. Has claimed all were legitimate Hamas targets. A siege has cut off food, fuel, water and basic supplies, and there are no safe places.
The UN says 70% of the strips population forced out of their homes and desperate for refuge. The health care system is decimated. More than 60% of Gaza's hospitals and medical centers are out of service, according to the Palestinian Authority. And the death toll, the UN says, defies humanity. Israeli attacks have killed over 10,000 Palestinians since October 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, drawing from sources in the Hamas-controlled enclave.
Based on the ministry's figures, at least 1 child is being killed every 10 minutes, CNN calculations suggest. Gaza becoming a graveyard for children, the UN chief says. The bloody conflict is spurring anger and action in capitals from Berlin to Ankara to London and beyond. The world is turning against Israel's war in Gaza, the global outcry getting louder. But the U.S. so far unable to stem the bloodshed. After a whirlwind Middle East tour, Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to secure any pause to the fighting. And Prime Minister Netanyahu remains defiant.
The IDF says it's dropping hundreds of bombs a day on Hamas targets, as Israeli ground forces push deeper into the territory with a stated aim of wiping out the group. The UN describes Israel's assault as collective punishment, and the youngest are paying the highest price.
AHMED AYESH, SURVIVOR OF AIRSTRIKE: This is the bravery of the so- called Israel. They show their might and power against civilians. Babies inside, kids inside, and the elderly.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Families battered and broken after 4 weeks of war say they can endure no more horror, and some are carrying their cries. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Results are still coming in from U.S. elections. The votes were at the state level, but might just have implications for next year's presidential race. In the traditional bellwether state of Ohio, which was won twice by former U.S. President Donald Trump, voters delivered a strong rebuke to Republicans determined to restrict abortion access. They've now enshrined abortion rights into the state constitution. Ohio also legalized recreational marijuana, becoming the 24th state to do so, along with Washington, D.C. In conservative Kentucky, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear is celebrating his re- election. He defeated a Republican challenger with close ties to Donald Trump.
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ANDY BESHEAR, KENTUCKY GOVERNOR: Tonight, Kentucky made a choice, a choice not to move to the right or to the left, but to move forward for every single family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Just moments ago, Mississippi Democrat Brandon Presley conceded to Republican Governor Tate Reeves. Presley, as you may assume, is a relative of Elvis, the second cousin, in fact. And the battle for the Virginia legislature is not over, but CNN projects Democrats will retain control of the state Senate. Well, for more on these off-year election results, Michael Genovese joins us. He's a political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. Good to see you, Mike. It's been a while.
MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: Good to be here.
VAUSE: Okay, so in Ohio, which overwhelmingly went for Trump in 2020, voters approved this ballot measure to enshrine the abortion right into the constitution. Along with what we're seeing in Kentucky, very conservative Kentucky, the Democrat governor winning a second term. He campaigned against an opponent who was supporting a sweeping ban on abortion. He took the fight to him. He didn't shy away from it. So, the issue of abortion rights motivated voters, not just in these elections, but last year's midterms. Any reason to believe it won't be a factor in 2024?
GENOVESE: That was a big test for, -- especially for Democrats who are hoping, in fact, counting on abortion having legs being a sustainable issue that will bring in voters into the polls and vote Democratic.
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And so, the fact that Ohio, basically a Trump state, would so strongly support not just the abortion rights, but also recreational marijuana, those are Democratic issues. And so, Ohio really did come through for the Democrats and surprised a lot of people by the margin of victory.
VAUSE: Yeah, before there was Florida, there was always, you know, as Ohio votes, so does the nation. So, it is an important state. With regards to the issue of abortion rights. It seems potent enough to help Democrats win, but not potent enough to actually swing an election result on its own. Why is that the case?
GENOVESE: You know, I think as soon as Roe was overturned, the Democrats mobilized, especially the women vote. And the key here is the suburban woman voter. That vote is going to determine the outcome in 2024 and determine a lot of state outcomes. And so that the Democrats could draw suburban women in is an incredibly important sign for them. That is the swing vote. And if the Democrats can control that in the key states that are going to be very contested and very tight, they have a really good chance. And the Democrats are counting on abortion being on the ballot.
VAUSE: Yeah, well, here's a little more now from Kentucky's governor elect, Democrat Andy Beshear. Here he is.
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BESHEAR: This was our victory. It was a victory that sends a loud, clear message, a message that candidates should run for something and not against someone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He didn't just run for something he ran away from the US president who made multiple attempts to try and be seen with him publicly by campaigning with him. He just refused any proposed by the White House to be seen with Joe Biden. During this campaign, I guess in a conservative state like Kentucky, that's a good move. But that's something which is happening nationwide with Joe Biden and Democrats. So why is that? And how worried should Joe Biden be if that continues?
GENOVESE: You're right, John, it's not a surprise that a conservative red state like Kentucky, a blue governor would try to run away from the incumbent president. Beyond that, and CNN's polling was very, very revealing from today, Joe Biden is in trouble, neck to neck and neck against Donald Trump. And so, at the very top of the ticket, the Democrats have a candidate who is not very popular, running against another candidate, presumably Donald Trump, who is just about as unpopular.
And so, the question is, what other issues will come into play? Abortion is the big one right now. But there are all kinds of questions, young voters, Hispanic voters, African American voters, are they going to sit on the fence? Will they not show up? They need to be part of the Biden coalition if he's going to win. And the biggest question though, and it was not answered fully today, but we got a very good indication and that is that suburban women are going to go Democratic.
VAUSE: You mentioned the poll numbers and they are interesting because right now Donald Trump facing 92 criminal felony charges, criminal charges, has a slightly better perception than Joe Biden. Polling shows that 61% say Biden is more part of the country's problems than the solution. 57% say the same thing about Trump. And, and to explain that away, it's just sort of bad or ineffective messaging from the Biden campaign, or the White House seems kind of just too easy and too simplistic. What else is happening here?
GENOVESE: You know, there's always a lag time between what's actually going on, on the ground and voter perceptions of what's going on. And so, voters today in America believe that the economy is in bad shape. And yet all the indicators are that it's in good shape. And so, here's what social science might contribute to that. Political scientists have long said that if you think about a presidential term, think of it as a U shape. You start high in popularity, you go down. And then once you get into campaign mode, again, it goes up again. Biden is counting on that. He's counting on that he's, number 1 coming out of the down period. And number 2, the economy is going to boost him as it gets closer to election time.
We're a year away. So, we have a lot of things that can happen. But I wouldn't count Joe Biden out. And with Donald Trump, there's so many things that can go wrong that he could collapse any moment.
VAUSE: If there's 1 early sign, which is a possibly good sign for the Democrats and Joe Biden, is that the Biden campaign is out fundraising the Trump campaign right now. And that's important because that's people putting investments into Joe Biden as their potential candidate as their next president, which takes a lot more effort than answering a poll, I guess. So, is that something which, which we should keep an eye on? How important is that when as we head closer to November next year?
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GENOVESE: Not only is Biden raising money, but he also doesn't have to spend money right now. And all the Republicans are going to have to spend money on the primary campaigns. Trump probably doesn't have to spend a ton of money because he's got a big lead. But if, for example, the field narrows, and maybe a Governor Haley becomes the alternative, he might be forced in several key states to spend money. And so going into the general election, Biden is going to have a full war chest. Trump may not. And so, Biden, especially if he doesn't have any real challengers in the Democratic primary, it looks that way right now, is going to go into the election, just overflowing with money. That's going to matter.
VAUSE: Money counts. Michael, thanks so much for being with us. Michael Genovese in Los Angeles. Good to see you, sir.
GENOVESE Thank you, John.
VAUSE: And we had this just in to CNN. CNN projects Democrats will flip the Virginia House of Delegates, giving them control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly, despite efforts of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin to flip control of the Senate in Republicans' favour.
Coming up here on CNN, a Lebanese family falls victims to the rising tensions at the Israeli-Lebanese border. And from residents on edge as the border becomes a flashpoint yet again.
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VAUSE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that if it's thinking of entering the war, it will be the biggest mistake of their lives. CNN's Ben Wedemann shows us from the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Residents near the border are caught between expecting the worst and carrying on with life as usual.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A family, a village is in mourning. Samira Ayoub and her three granddaughters, Ilyan, 10, Talin, 12, and Rimas, 14, were killed in an Israeli drone strike on their car Sunday afternoon near the border with Israel. Their uncle, Samir, was in the car in front of them.
SAMIR AYOUB, UNCLE OF STRIKE VICTIMS: Their mother was screaming, he recalls, I want my children, where are my children, as she watched her children burning inside the car.
WEDEMAN: The Israeli military told CNN the vehicle was a, quote, suspected transport for terrorists, adding they're looking into claims there were civilians in the vehicle. Clearly, there were only civilians in the vehicle. Every day, the border area is rocked by incoming and outgoing fire, enough to keep the area on edge, not enough yet to set off a full-blown war. The ancient city of Tyre lies just 20 kilometers or around 13 miles north of the frontier. Pulling in his nets, Dieb (ph) says now is not the time to take risks.
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DIEB : Us fishermen aren't going far out to sea, he tells me. We stay close to shore just in case something happens.
WEDEMAN: The normally bustling port, the heart of Tyre, is subdued. Usually this place is full of people, Mohamed, also a fisherman says. No one is going out; everyone is staying home. Ilyas'(ph) family has been making fishing boats for generations. He lived through all Lebanon's wars and doesn't want to see another one.
ILYAS: Everyone is scared, he says. Many people have gone elsewhere. Who wants to stay here and be bombed?
WEDEMAN: Until or unless that happens, the fishermen mend their nets, life must go on. Ben Wiedman, CNN, Tyre, South Lebanon.
(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: When we come back, much more on election night in America, with several key state governor's races now decided, and a big victory in Ohio for supporters of abortion rights. That's an issue which could be critical in next year's presidential race as well.
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VAUSE: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause with a recap now of results from election night in America with a number of key off year races. CNN projecting Democrats will take full control of the Virginia legislature, effectively ending Governor Glenn Youngkin's hopes for Republican majorities.
In deeply conservative Mississippi, the Democratic challenger in the state's governor's race, Brandon Presley, has conceded to Republican incumbent Tate Reeves. Presley is second cousin of the late rock star Elvis Presley. In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear has won re-election, one of the few Democratic leaders in a Republican-leaning state. He defeated Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, the state's attorney general, who had been endorsed by Donald Trump.
And in Ohio, a state which Trump carried in both 2016 and 2020, -- the presidential elections, voters have approved a measure that will enshrine the right to an abortion in the state's constitution. This continues a winning trend for abortion rights supporters across the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. CNN's Kyung Lah is in Ohio, has more now on what was an historic vote.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Abortion rights will be enshrined in Ohio's state constitution. That is the result here in Ohio. According to CNN projections, it is the first Republican state to take such a move. And this was a hard battle fought on both sides of what's known as issue 1, the effort to enshrine those rights in the state constitution.
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CNN called the results of this election, projecting the results I want you to take a listen to this room it is a watch party of those who supported issue 1. You can hear the cheering for yourself. Others -- I actually saw a woman burst into tears. It was jubilation as those results were read. Now the supporters of issue 1 say that they won by trying to keep this as nonpartisan an issue as possible urging voters that this was about keeping government out of their lives. The group that was against issue one said in a statement it is heartbroken but it will regroup and aim to 2024 in battleground states. And in regards to those battleground states, it's sending shockwaves through states like Arizona where abortion rights advocates there are also trying to get such a measure on that 2024 ballot. A Republican from Arizona, a consultant tells me tonight that his party should be quote scared. Kyung Lah, CNN, Columbus, Ohio.
VAUSE: More details now on Israel's war with Hamas Israel defense forces say they have attacked more than 14,000 Hamas targets in Gaza over the past month. The ready Prime Minister says Gaza City is now encircled and the IDF is advancing on Hamas every hour and every day according to Israel's Defense Minister. At the end of the war Hamas will cease to exist as a military organization or governing body in Gaza and Israel will retain what he calls complete freedom of action to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip. And that comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank city of Ramallah says more than 10,000 people have been killed since the war began on October 7th with women children and the elderly making up more than 70 percent of casualties.
Before he was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment Aaron David Miller devoted almost all of his 25-year long career at the US State Department to trying to negotiate peace in the Middle East he is with us this hour from Washington. Aaron it's good to see you it's been a while.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPT. MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Thanks for having me, John.
VAUSE: Welcome back. Now we'll get to the bigger picture here in a moment but it seems the war in Gaza has a long way to go. And at the moment everything appears to be going according to plan for Israel but, that can change, and it can change very quickly. So, is the Israeli Prime Minister maybe you know getting a bit ahead of himself here with this declaration that Israel will assume security responsibility for Gaza indefinitely.
MILLER: Well you know there are a lot of -- uncertainties but I really do think on this one that the Prime Minister is actually surrendering to what I think is going to be the reality. I think we have to get over this notion that there's going to be a day after. That is to say the conflict Israel's prosecution of its military campaign against Hamas has come is going to come to a discreet end. And then there'll be a period of stability and tranquillity where any number of interaction international actors in the region, Palestinian Authority will simply sort of sail in to create this transitional mechanism.
I don't think that's the way it's going to go. I suspect that the Israelis are going to be in Gaza in some capacity, in parts of Gaza for weeks, if not many months after they make a judgment that they prosecuted their war against Hamas to the fullest extent. And have either have either succeeded or, or not. And I don't think at that moment frankly given the death and destruction and the humanitarian catastrophe and the displacement of nearly half of the population of Gaza, that you are going to see a whole lot of people lining up to basically say I want to take responsibility for Gaza. Certainly the Arab states are going to find it very difficult to do that.
VAUSE: When the Prime Minister talks about assuming responsibility for security in Gaza, that sounds like Israeli forces will be based inside the territory on a semi-permanent basis which would be for the, the first time that's happened since May of 1994. That's when control of Gaza was actually handed to the Palestinian Authority after the Oslo Peace Accord was signed on the lawn of the White House and what we saw 6 months after that in 1994 was basically a few dozen Palestinian policemen loyal to Yasser Arafat arrived in the Gaza Strip. They were basically in charge of domestic security. Now the peace process was -- is now being dormant for years but if
Israel goes down this road essentially of reoccupation. It would seem they're actually rolling back that peace process undoing decades of negotiations, which is a whole different thing to leaving it lay dormant.
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So does this essentially signal the end of a two-state solution; it's never going to happen if Bibi goes down this road?
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: I'm not predicting, frankly, that this parade of horrors that we've witnessed over the course of the last month -- it's hard to believe that this war is now a month old -- somehow in a straight-line fashion, will lead to better days.
But I do believe that, if Joe Biden is right when he said several days ago that we cannot, and I quote, "go back to the status quo before October 6th," there certainly are possibilities.
But John, let's be clear. They -- those possibilities, if they're going to be realized, will have to undergo a tremendous change, both in Israeli politics and politics on the Palestinian side. You're going to have to have leaders who emerge with a commitment and a seriousness in the wake of all of this violence, to sort of turn another page and figure out a way to set Israelis and Palestinians on a better road.
VAUSE: Over the last few weeks, as world leaders have traveled to Tel Aviv to show their support for Israel and also meeting with Arab leaders in the region, leaders from the U.K., from France, from the United States have all talked about a two-state solution, like Joe Biden. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We cannot give up on peace. We cannot give up on a two-state solution. Israel and Palestinians equally deserve to live in safety, dignity, and peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Let me read you something I know you're very familiar with, the Declaration of Principles signed on the White House lawn, both sides agreeing to, "It is time to put an end to decades of confrontation and conflict, recognize their mutual legitimate and political rights, and strive to live in peaceful coexistence and mutual dignity and security and achieve a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace settlement and historic reconciliation through the agreed political process."
Those goals just seem so far away right now. In some ways, as hard as it is to imagine the Israelis and the Palestinians returning to good- faith negotiations, it seems even harder to imagine a peaceful future without it. If there was a military solution here, Israel would have found it years ago. MILLER: It's going to require the kind of leadership that Begin and
Sadat showed, and that Rabin and King Hussein showed, and even the leadership that Rabin and Arafat showed in the early days of Oslo. A mutual sort of recognition that each side has needs and requirements that need to be met.
That proximity problem, the fact that Palestinian and Israeli lives are inextricably linked together, sometimes in a horrific faction -- or during the Oslo years, in times of promise, guarantees that there will be no status quo in this conflict. Neither Israelis and Palestinians are going -- are going anywhere. There is no military solution to this conflict, which leaves an alternative pathway.
VAUSE: Aaron, as always, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate your time. Good to see you.
MILLER: It's always great to talk to you, even under these very difficult circumstances.
VAUSE: On Tuesday, scores of Palestinians fled from the South [SIC] of Gaza into the North [SIC] by foot, taking advantage of a corridor opened by the IDF. One of Gaza's premier highways was opened for four hours. People carried little to nothing. Some waved white flags or held government I.D.s as they moved, hoping for safe passage, and not to be killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I would like to go to the South. I don't know how that can happen. Some people are saying that they are checking I.D.s. We want a safe passage, because I have little children with me and an old woman who is disabled. We don't know what will happen to us.
We asked the government and the countries to create a safe passage for us to enter. I will try my luck now. I don't know if I will be alive or dead. Will they send me back or arrest me? Only God knows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They told me I should make the I.D. clear to be safe. I came from Al-Shati. We walked a lot. A lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Anyone wanting to leave Gaza has one option: the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. But Egypt does not want an influx of refugees and is limiting who can enter.
CNN's Melissa Bell has more details now on the diplomatic role being played by Egypt in this conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For a month now, Israel's war on Hamas has mostly focused on the North of Gaza, splitting the enclave in two and forcing civilians South, even on foot.
With 70 percent of Gazans now displaced, the pressure around the Rafah crossing is growing. So, too, are Egyptian fears over an influx of refugees.
NABIL FAHMY, FORMER EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The assumption was the South is safer, and now the South is also being bombed. And of course, from the South, they will be asked to go out -- since we're still looking for combatants, you need to move out, and move out means move into Egypt. I don't know a case in history where the Israelis have allowed Palestinians to go back.
[00:35:18]
BELL (voice-over): Egypt has, from the start of the conflict, played a key role, opening up its airports for international aid, setting up field hospitals for the most severely wounded Palestinians, and giving foreign passport holders a desperately-needed way home.
SUSAN BESEISO, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN EVACUEE FROM GAZA: It's like, you die or you leave. What do you choose between? Your childhood memories, your home, your land, or being alive?
BELL (voice-over): But the numbers and nature of those getting out of Gaza have been carefully controlled by Cairo.
TIMOTHY KALDAS, TAHRIR INSTITUTE FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY: The Egyptian authorities have had a lot of concerns about that border area for quite some time, but also have cooperated with a really painful blockade on the Gazan population for much of the last 17 years.
BELL (voice-over): A complicated history with Israel and Gaza have fueled Egyptian caution, but so, too, have domestic issues.
KALDAS: The standard of living in the country has collapsed. Poverty has risen. Labor force participation has declined substantially, and the result is that people are very frustrated. Inflation in Egypt reached about 40 percent. Inflation on food exceeded 60 percent.
BELL (voice-over): With elections next month, and as the conflict drags on, Egypt's president has taken no chances.
ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI, EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The expansion of the conflict is not in the interest of the region. The region will become a ticking time bomb that harms us all. This is why I'm saying, please, Egypt is a sovereign country and I hope we all respect its sovereignty and status. What I'm saying now is not to brag, but Egypt is a very strong country that shall not be touched.
BELL (voice-over): Egypt, striking a delicate balance between meeting the urgent humanitarian needs of Gazans without opening the door too far, even as it keeps a close eye on those voicing support for the Palestinian people back home in a country all too familiar with the power of the street.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Cairo. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And then there's this. Without a hint of irony, Moscow calling for humanitarian pauses in Israel's assault on Gaza.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying it's crucial the needs of the Palestinian population are met.
Keep in mind Russia has broken its own promises to hold humanitarian pauses in its war of choice with Ukraine. And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has publicly sided with Hamas in its war with Israel.
An update now on the Mississippi governor's race. CNN can officially protect Republican Governor Tate Reeves will be reelected, defeating Democrat challenger Brandon Presley, who called Reeves to concede the race just a short time ago.
The cousin of the King is out.
Still to come here on CNN, showing resilience in the face of climate change, parts of the Great Barrier Reef are now spawning coral, giving hope to scientists who want to protect it.
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VAUSE: The climate crisis is considered the greatest threat to the world's coral reefs, but parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are showing some resiliency, with coral now starting to regenerate. Welcome news to scientists, who are lobbying the Australian government to do more to protect the reef, one of the great wonders of the world.
CNN's Ivan Watson has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nighttime on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The sea explodes in an otherworldly spectacle.
This is coral spawning. One of the world's greatest natural wonders is made up of billions of living creatures that reproduce like this each year. And this season has scientists excited.
ABBI SCOTT, CAIRNS-PORT DOUGLAS REEF HUB COORDINATOR: We were out driving until about 11 p.m. last night, looking at the coral spawning, and we were lucky enough to see some of the species spawning. Not all of them, but we saw the soft corals, and they filled up the water with bundles of eggs and sperm, which was really spectacular.
WATSON (voice-over): The spectacular sight is a type of synchronized breeding. Coral polyps release millions of sperm and egg bundles into the water all at once. When two bundles from the same species collide, new life is born. It's a display of nature's resilience, repeated around this time of
year across the Great Barrier Reef's nearly 133,000 square miles. But while some parts of the reef remain healthy, other parts are bleaching and dying, killed by temperature rise due to global warming.
ROGER BEEDEN, CHIEF SCIENTIST, GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AUTHORITY: They're a little bit like goldilocks. They need the temperature and other conditions to be just right. And if they go outside of those boundaries, then we have this phenomenon called coral bleaching.
WATSON (voice-over): Scientists in Australia are studying ways to boost the chances for successful reproduction. Right now, it is nature that holds the key to the reef's survival.
BEEDEN: This process, the sexual reproduction, which is what's going on, is also one of the ways in which you get natural adaptations to changing conditions.
Now, one of the big challenges with climate change is it's happening so fast that it may mean genetic variability isn't able to keep up with it. But nonetheless, it's really important that the process is happening.
WATSON (voice-over): The coral spawning at Moore Reef near the city of Cairns gives hope that this wonder of the world might still be rescued.
The speed at which we transition to green energy and the degree to which our planet warms will determine how much of the Great Barrier Reef can be saved.
Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Now, we'll say goodbye to our international viewers. WORLD SPORT is next for them. For our viewers in North America, back in a moment.
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[00:45:55]
VAUSE: Welcome back. An update on election night in America and the results from a number of off-year state elections are being closely watched for implications at a national level.
In Mississippi, CNN can now project Republican governor Tate Reeves has won a second term in the deeply red state, defeating Democrat Brandon Presley, a cousin of Elvis, who conceded the race a short time ago.
In Kentucky, Democrat Governor Andy Beshear is also celebrating reelection, defeating Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who'd been endorsed by former president Donald Trump. And in Ohio, a state Trump took in both 2016 and 2020 presidential
races, a measure has passed which will enshrine the right to an abortion in the state's constitution.
This continues a winning trend for abortion rights advocates around the United States, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a resolution to censure Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for her comments criticizing the Israeli government and supporting Palestinians amid the Israeli-Hamas war.
Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American in Congress. Four Republicans voted against the measure, but 22 of Tlaib's fellow Democrats voted in support of the censure resolution.
Tlaib posted a video to social media featuring protesters chanting "From the river to the sea," which the Anti-Defamation League calls a antisemitic slogan.
Before the vote, Tlaib gave an impassioned speech on the House floor defending her remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): I'm the only Palestinian-American reserve serving in Congress, Mr. Chair, and my perspective is needed here now more than ever. I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: For more now, here's CNN's Manu Raju reporting in from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: On Tuesday night, a bipartisan House majority voted to censure Rashida Tlaib, the Palestinian-American Congresswoman, someone who is a sharp critic of Israel and especially its conduct in this war.
She had recently used a remark that has been widely condemned and used by Hamas as a battle -- rallying cry, calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, from a river -- from the river to the sea.
That phrase, she contended, was not -- meant as a more peaceful phrase, but that is not been how it's been interpreted here, especially in light of her recent criticism of Israel, and criticism that has come from even members of her own party.
In fact, a bipartisan majority voted to censure her. Twenty-two Democrats voted in favor of this resolution. It was 234 to 188. There were four Republicans who voted against it. Essentially, this is a public reprimand of Rashida Tlaib. Censures typically were rarely used in the past. They've become
increasingly used in recent years.
But in the aftermath of this vote, Democrats were sharply divided on this question.
When you're uttering phrases like from the river to the sea, you're not simply advocating for the creation of a Palestinian state. You're advocating for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. And that crosses a line that no member of Congress should ever cross. It's hate speech, and Congress has a right to condemn it.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): It is outrageous. I am embarrassed for those Democrats who voted to censure their own colleague, who voted against free speech. It is an embarrassment.
RAJU: Now, Tlaib took to the floor earlier in the day and said that she was speaking as a Palestinian-American. She was criticizing her critics for silencing her, at least attempting to silence her, said that she would not be silent in a very emotional speech on the House floor.
However, she did not apologize for any of her past remarks. And in talking to a number of Democrats and Republicans, they wanted to hear more contrition from some of her remarks, which is one reason why she was publicly reprimanded on Tuesday night.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: It appears the U.S. Supreme Court could rule in favor of federal law which bars people with certain domestic violence restraining orders from possessing a gun.
What's before the high court is considered the first serious Second Amendment case to come before the justices since last year's landmark ruling expanding gun rights nationwide.
CNN's Jen Sullivan has our support.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside the Supreme Court Tuesday, advocates for domestic violence victims demanding protection from abusers. One woman sharing her personal story with the crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But the only person the gun was used on was me.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Inside the high court, the justices hearing roughly 100 minutes of arguments on the Biden ministration's appeal of a ruling striking down a federal law that bans people with protective orders against them from owning a gun.
ELIZABETH PRELOGAR, 48TH SOLICITOR GENERAL OF THE U.S.: Guns and domestic abuse are a deadly combination.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): The challenge to the law was brought by Zackey Rahimi of Texas. He's currently in jail for other gun-related charges. But in 2020, a restraining order was issued against him following a violent altercation with his then-girlfriend. Because of that restraining order, he's banned from owning a gun.
JAMES WRIGHT, FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER IN AMARILLO, TEXAS: It is possible that it would be unconstitutional to deny people the right to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Lawyers arguing in support of the law said a woman is five times more likely to die from a domestic abuse situation if a gun is involved.
In 1994, Congress passed a measure to ensure domestic violence victims could be protected from their abusers under federal laws. Rahimi's lawyer says that violates his Second Amendment rights to bear arms.
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SENIOR SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Domestic violence was not even an issue two centuries ago.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): The future of the law now in the hands of the nine justices.
I'm Jen Sullivan reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Affordable housing is moving further out of the reach of many Americans, due to high mortgage rates and rising home prices. This is now the least affording housing market in almost 40 years, according to research from the Intercontinental Exchange.
The study says it now takes nearly 41 percent of the average monthly income to cover the principal and interest payments of a medium-priced home.
To put that in context of the past three decades, it only took less than 25 percent of the average monthly income to make the mortgage payments.
Britney Griner, the American basketball player who is detained in Russia for almost 300 days last year, says it will be emotional if she plays in the Summer Olympics in Paris next year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTNEY GRINER, WNBA PLAYER: It's just a different feeling, you know, when you're playing with USA at the Olympics, representing the whole country. Everybody's tuning in.
And then there was a lot of times a year ago, you know, a while ago where I didn't think that I would play ball. I didn't think I would ever wear this jersey again. From that moment, watching, listening to it, and watching the flag go
up, it's got to be a lot of emotions. I probably won't be able to hold that one back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The 33-year-old WNBA star was released from Russia in a prisoner exchange last year. She won gold at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
It's been one month and a day since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing and abducting hundreds of people and opening a flood gate of rage and pain across the country. That pain has not abated, especially for family members of Hamas hostages.
And CNN's Ed Lavandera shows us how they're keeping their loved ones in the spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israelis gathered at the Western Wall Tuesday night to mark the one-month passing of the October 7th attack, holding a mass prayer for the return of the hostages held in Gaza.
One mother was surrounded by the families of other hostages, as she pleaded for her son's returned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was kidnapped, marched by gunpoint onto a Hamas pick-up truck, and led into Gaza, and that was 32 days ago. The hostages have been underground in Gaza for 32 days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring them home now! Bring them home now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring them home now! Bring them home now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring them home now! Bring them home now!
LAVANDERA (voice-over): It's a sign of unity in a country still coming to terms with a terrorist attack that has once again plunged the Middle East into war.
ORLY BARKIMA, VOLUNTEER: I think the country's in trauma. I think that we still don't get it, you know? It's -- it's beyond grasping. It's something that is non-human.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Every night, a group of volunteers gathers in Tel Aviv and in cities around the country handing out yellow ribbons to show solidarity with the families of hostages.
BARKIMA: I want the families to feel if all the people are with them, they're not alone in their struggle. And we won't stop, and we won't take off the ribbons until they are back here in Israel.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): While the yellow ribbons are prominently waving in many places, there's an undercurrent of anger and political division simmering across the country, much of it directed at senior Israeli government officials.
A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet was shouted away from a hospital a few weeks ago as she tried to visit attack victims.
To cope with the tension and the anger in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks, Scialom Zarrugh turned his anger into a volunteer mission out of his Tel Aviv restaurant, with a group called Naton Diten (ph), which means giving to help others.
For weeks, they've cooked and packaged meals for Israeli soldiers and the victims of the attacks who've been displaced from their homes.
LAVANDERA: As you do all of this work, do you think about the day that there will be peace? Is peace even possible?
SCIALOM ZARRUGH, RESTAURANT OWNER: We're differently looking forward for that. We pray every morning, afternoon, evening for the peace to come for us, and all Jews around the world.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. I'll be back with a lot more election night news in America, as well as Israel's war with Hamas, after a very short break. You're watching CNN.
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