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Hostage Families Meet with Israeli Leaders Amid Frustration; Former Israeli PM Claims Israeli-Built Bunkers Used by Hamas; Israeli Military Advances in Gaza; Families Concerned for Hostages; Negotiations for Hostage Release Nearing Deal, U.S. Officials Optimistic; Sam Altman Fired from OpenAI, Hired by Microsoft in Quick Turnaround; China Hosts Arab Leaders for Ceasefire Talks in Israeli- Hamas Conflict; Gaza Residents Face Dire Living Conditions Amid Bad Weather Threats; China Aims to Mediate in Israeli-Hamas Conflict with Regional Leaders; Over 12,700 Palestinians Killed in Gaza, 5,000 Children, Reports Say; US Defense Secretary Promises More Aid for Ukraine Amid Ongoing Conflict. U.S. Officials: Negotiators Closing in on Hostage Deal; Ukrainian Forces Win Foothold at Strategic Dnipro River. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired November 21, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome. I'm Pauline Newton here at CNN Newsroom. Families of the hostages being held in Gaza met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to share their frustrations and, of course, their fears for their loved ones. This, as U.S. officials say, a deal for their release could be near. I'll speak with the negotiator that secured some of Israel's toughest hostages. And Sam Altman joins Microsoft after being dramatically fired from OpenAI. Now hundreds of employees from OpenAI are threatening to quit.

Frustration and anger are boiling over as the families of hostages being held by Hamas demand more answers, of course, and action. As they meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Now family members are urging Israeli officials to do more to free the hostages. Taken more than 40 days ago during Hamas' attack on October 7th. Some also attended a committee meeting in the Israeli parliament there. One man vented his frustration over the lack of progress, shouting repeatedly at lawmakers to, quote, bring them home.

The meetings come as the Israeli military continues its fight against Hamas in Gaza. An IDF spokesperson says forces reached the heart of Gaza City, in their words, much earlier than Hamas. Hamas had expected and are advancing according to plan. Meantime, in an interview with CNN, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said bunkers underneath al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City were, in fact, built by Israel decades ago to help give more space to the facility, but were later used as a command post of Hamas, a claim the group and hospital officials deny.

Now as the war pushes on, some families of the hostages are expressing concern that the Israeli government is not going to be able to save them. They are more focused on defeating Hamas than bringing their loved ones home. CNN's Oren Liebermann has been following this and has our details now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gili Roman has waited 45 days for this moment. His sister Yarden has been a hostage in Gaza since October 7th, and this is the first chance for the families of the hostages to meet with the war cabinet.

GILL ROMAN, SISTER HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZE: I do expect them to be transparent as much as possible about what can be done. We all want to see everybody. We all want to see everybody back today.

LIEBERMANN: Frustration boiling over after 6 weeks and 2 days of questions.

SHAI WENKERT, SON HELD IN GAZA: It's something very hard, very embarrassing, that I have to stand here facing so many cameras and I have to go to a meeting in order to hear answers.

LIEBERMANN: But as the meeting was set to start, not all of the families were allowed in.

DANNY ELGARAT, BROTHER OF HOSTAGE ITZIK ELGARAT: In Gaza, there is enough room for the 240 who were kidnapped. And in the Defense Ministry, there isn't room for 130 families?

For weeks, some families have slept outside the Defense Ministry to remind the war cabinet inside that they will not leave and they will not let up. From Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, they marched to Jerusalem, picking up thousands of supporters along the 5-day march to the prime minister's office, a public pressure campaign to force a meeting with Israel's leadership. Adriana Adri's mother-in-law is a hostage in Gaza.

[00:05:09]

ADRIANNA ADRI, RELATIVE OF HOSTAGE HELD IN GAZE: We don't have time. We don't have one hour more. We don't know if she is alive.

LIEBERMANN: The Israeli military says at least two hostages were found dead in the enclave. Sixty-five-year-old grandmother Yudit Weiss and 19-year-old corporal Noah Marciano. Now some families have their own fight. Far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir is trying to push a death penalty for terrorists through the Knesset, which the families say endangers their loved ones in Hamas captivity. Chen Avigdori's wife and daughter were taken on October 7th.

HEN AVIGDORI, WIFE AND DAUGHTER HELD IN GAZA: Maybe instead of talking about the dead, talk about the living. Stop talking about killing Arabs. Talk about saving Jews. This is your job.

LIEBERMANN: The family members of the hostages held in Gaza met Versailles. Several hours with members of the war cabinet, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Defense Ministry. One of those members who spoke to CNN says he left early because he was extremely disappointed to find out that there was no new information. And even more disappointing, perhaps even aggravating, he says the government didn't indicate they were doing anything above and beyond to make sure that most important was the securing the release of the hostages. Although it was important to the war cabinet, he tells us, more important or equally as important was, is defeating Hamas and continuing the war. That is not what they want to hear. Oren Lieberman, CNN in Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now, meantime, of course, the intense negotiations are underway to try and free some of the hostages Hamas seized on October 7th. The top U.S. official says they are, quote, getting close to the end of negotiations. And a Hamas leader said in a statement that it is close to reaching a truce agreement with Israel. But a former Israeli ambassador to the United States says talks, such as these, aren't easy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL OREN, FORMER ISRALEI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: I don't know a decision that's as difficult as this one that can be made by any government ever. You have to take a hostage's life versus a soldier's life. In many cases, they're the same age. And you're going to get into questions about, okay, if 50 hostages get out, the families of the hostages that didn't get out are going to start increasing pressure on the Israeli government for a ceasefire. It's always going to be about the ceasefire because that's what Hamas needs in order to survive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, more than 2 dozen newborn babies are safe in Egypt after being evacuated from Gaza on Monday. CNN journalists saw the babies arrive at the Rafah border crossing where medical professionals were waiting for incubators. And there they were with those incubators. The World Health Organization says 28 out of the 33 premature and low birth weight babies are now receiving appropriate care.

Two others died over the weekend and 3 were reunited with their families in southern Gaza. Now, more than 12,700 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza since the start of this war. That's according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank. The ministry, which gets its data from sources inside Hamas-controlled territory, says more than 5,000 of those killed were children.

Now, Gaza residents are facing the threat of bad weather and illness, making the enclave barely livable as the U.N. aid agency operating in Gaza. CNN's Nada Bashir has more, but we want to warn you, her report contains some graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Darkness and destruction inside northern Gaza's Indonesian hospital. Twelve killed here overnight, including patients and a member of medical staff, when Israeli tank fire hit the hospital, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run strip. The Israeli military says they were responding to gunfire from inside, targeting their troops. But the civilian toll has been condemned by the U.N.'s World Health Organization chief, describing the attack as appalling.

For civilians in central Gaza, Monday morning brought with it more devastation. Local residents say this building was struck overnight, blaming Israel's ongoing aerial bombardment of the region. Locals here say more than a dozen were killed, now buried beneath the rubble. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment. They have also asked for comment on allegations of an overnight airstrike on the neighborhood. Amid the rubble, bodies are pulled out one by one, carefully wrapped in blankets.

UNKNOWN: The building collapsed on top of 30 people. Many were killed and there are still people buried under the rubble right now.

BASHIR: The Israeli military says it is targeting Hamas, but with each passing day, more civilians are killed. The Israeli military says it is targeting Hamas, but with each passing day, more civilians are killed. Among the victims on Monday, a young girl, carried away by a neighbor, killed alongside her father, a doctor at the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital.

[00:09:49]

This is not a war anymore. This is genocide, he says. This scene now all too familiar, even for the young. Many here are from northern Gaza, taking shelter in this embattled town, hoping to move southwards. The UN says hundreds of thousands have already fled northern Gaza. Many seen here over the weekend waving makeshift white flags, the injured claiming behind. It is a long and difficult journey. Many are exhausted and distraught.

UNKNOWN: We will die if we stay. One minute, we will die. Many rockets fall on our heads.

Mohammed says his daughter was injured following an airstrike on a school they were sheltering in in the northern city of Jabalia. Now they are hoping they will find some semblance of peace in the south. But even here, in the very place Israel is telling civilians to evacuate to, there is no escape. And as the war continues. As the weather begins to turn, the situation is growing more dire with each passing day. This family from Jabalia, now sheltering in the southern city of Khan Yonuis, making do with what little they have left.

RANDA HAMUD, DISPLACED JABALYA RESIDENT: Yesterday was very difficult. Our tents flew away, the rain came down on us, we were drenched. We just want an end to the war.\

BASHIR: But as the war threatens to intensify in southern Gaza and calls for a humanitarian ceasefire continue to go unheeded, there is little hope remaining for the people of Gaza. Nada Bashir, CNN, in Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: China's top diplomat is again calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as Beijing looks to play a role in resolving the Israeli-Hamas war. Leaders from Arab and Muslim majority countries arrived in Beijing on Monday to discuss de-escalating the conflict. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: China is stepping up its efforts to play more of a mediator role in the conflict in Gaza. The foreign minister, Wang Yi, welcomed counterparts from a number of different Arab and Muslim majority nations on Monday. Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, to name just a few. Now this delegation has made Beijing its first stop, and it says that it will go on a tour of world capitals to push for an end to the conflict in Gaza. Now China's top diplomat did say on Monday that the world would be at war. China's top diplomat said that the world must act urgently to prevent the tragedy from spreading.

WANG YI, CHINESE DIPLOMAT: We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab and Muslim countries, and have always firmly supported the Palestinian people's efforts to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.

HANCOCKS: Beijing and Washington have been at odds in their approach to the conflict. The U.S., a key Israeli ally, and China has criticized Israel's retaliation. For the October 7 attacks by Hamas, and in fact has failed to condemn Hamas, something which has angered Israeli officials. Now Beijing has been very vocal at the United Nations, also in the Security Council, calling for an immediate ceasefire in this conflict. Also, the Chinese foreign minister saying on Monday that Israel should stop its collective punishment on the people of Gaza. Paula Hancock's CNN Seoul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTOWN: Okay, still ahead. For us, turmoil in the tech sector. One company in the industry now has its third CEO in just three days. What it means for the future of artificial intelligence.

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NEWTON: Some major changes are underway in the business of artificial intelligence. Microsoft has hired Sam Altman to lead a new AI company. Just three days after he was fired from the company he co-founded, OpenAI. Now, sources tell CNN the board disagreed with his aggressive approach to developing AI. Microsoft, though, couldn't be happier, apparently, about that new hire. Its stock hit an all-time high on Monday, leading to a big rally on the Nasdaq. The Dow gained more than $2. It's up 200 points, or half a percent, and the S&P 500 up three- quarters of a percent. Now, Altman's firing is not going over well at OpenAI, as hundreds of employees there are threatening to quit. CNN's Brian Todd has our details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chaos at the top of the tech world. The company OpenAI, one of the top players in artificial intelligence, thrown into disarray. Monday, more than 500 OpenAI employees sent a letter to the company's board, threatening to quit over the board's abrupt firing of OpenAI's popular CEO, Sam Altman.

KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: They might have had disagreements, but this is not how to run one of the most important companies of the AI age, at least.

TODD: Since his ouster on Friday, Altman has been hired by Microsoft, which was OpenAI's biggest investor, to run Microsoft's artificial intelligence division, a shakeup that leaves OpenAI's future in doubt.

SWISHER: It was valued at $80 billion, and this is something the employees have now lost, you know, in that regard. It's the leading AI company.

TODD: A company that created ChatGPT, a program that can draft a letter, write a novel, or generate answers to questions by drawing on millions of previous examples. Why was Altman fired by OpenAI's board? Industry watchers say it was a split between his vision for the future of artificial intelligence and the board's.

JON SARLIN, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: Those divisions were raging within OpenAI. Some people saw this incredibly valuable product and wanted to push forward. Others were more cautious, saying that they had to, you know, be responsible for humanity.

TODD: And Altman sometimes seemed to straddle both camps. Analysts say inside OpenAI, some board members viewed him as too aggressive, wanting to market artificial intelligence and push it forward. But he also told Congress earlier this year about the dangers of AI.

SAM ALTMAN, THEN CEO, OPEN AI: I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong. We are quite concerned about the impact this can have on elections.

TODD: The potential for AI to create misinformation, or fake news reports, is a huge concern going into 2024. Other worries?

BRIAN FUNG, CNN TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: Potentially job loss and, you know, people being displaced from the economy. Over the long term, however, I think there are a lot of people in the AI industry in particular who are concerned about the rise of what's called artificial general intelligence. You know, these kind of doomsday scenarios where, you know, an AI takes over the world.

TODD: But analysts say that's balanced against the potentially positive things that AI can do, like helping to address climate change and climate change issues.

FUNG: What artificial intelligence does is find patterns. And, you know, a technology that's very good at finding patterns can help, you know, do things like diagnose diseases or develop vaccines.

TODD: Is the federal government ready to regulate artificial intelligence, and can it? Analyst Brian Fung says there is a strong desire among leaders of Congress to regulate AI, but he says they're not sure which rules to write for it yet, because they're still learning so much about it. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: I'm joined by Mike Isaac. He is a technology reporter for The New York Times. And, Mike, you've been a busy guy, along with everyone else who follows tech, and some of us who don't follow it that closely, because you could see how alarming this is when they first tell us that AI, generative AI, is actually perhaps even an existential threat. And then, apparently, you have a company that can't even run its own board or its own executive team. So go ahead, spell it out for us. Where are we after a few days of this circus?

[00:20:19]

MIKE ISAAC, THE NEW YORK TIMES TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: It's completely crazy. Definitely the craziest board drama that I've ever witnessed in tech at least. But it's kind of the biggest story in tech right now, or at least in the past few decades. A board fight essentially that pushed out the CEO, Sam Altman, of ostensibly the most powerful AI startup in Silicon Valley, thought to be valued at close to $80 to $90 billion at this point. Sam has spent the weekend basically fighting to get his way back into the company, but the board has essentially waffled and then said, we can't rehire you. You have been, what they said, is consistently dishonest with the board of directors.

So as a result, Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, who has a very expensive investment in open AI, ended up hiring away Sam Altman and his co-founder, Greg Brockman, who also left to build, essentially, a competing AI advanced research lab. Now it's still in this limbo of, will he go back? Will he stay with Microsoft? Why is Sam Altman so desired? It's very crazy.

NEWTON: So, and it's still in limbo. I keep hearing that word fluid, which we also heard from Satya Nadella, the head of Microsoft. I want you to listen to him a little earlier in an interview with CNBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SATYA NADELLA, MICROSOFT CEO: I think it's very, very clear that something has to change around the governance, and if that's sort of, you know, and we'll have a good dialogue with their board on that. Sam Altman once chose Microsoft, and he chose Microsoft again. Why do you think that is? It is because of the capability of our company to be able to innovate with open AI. And so that should speak volumes to why customers can have confidence that come what may, Microsoft will be there.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NEWTON: You know, Mike, that was almost more creepy because it's as if, okay, well, Microsoft is now big brother. And don't worry, we will take care of you. And I want to get your reaction to what he said, but also to the core issue that you highlighted is that this is about deception, something someone's still hasn't clarified in terms of what Mr. Altman did that would, you know, precipitate this kind of a move by a board.

ISAAC: That's, and I think you're exactly right. That sort of nebulous idea of you have been not fully candid with the board in your dealings has been kind of, you know, initially the question for everyone, what is that thing? I think the miscalculation by the board is not really putting, spelling out exactly what that is to essentially defend themselves. And, you know, over the weekend, we found a memo that essentially said it was not any 1 thing. It was a series of, you know, hiding communications over the years, which I think put them on their back foot in a big way.

With Satya, his message is super interesting. You can see him kind of, first of all, he's worried about partnerships that already exist between OpenAI or Microsoft and other smaller AI startups or companies out there falling apart. And there's definitely a lot of people who are nervous that OpenAI is not going to be around in a few weeks or even a few days. So, they might be pulling out of those partnerships. But I also think, you know, just to your point of Big Brother, he's saying we have a lot of money, we have a lot of room to hire all these new startup employees and Sam is going to be either with us or with you, but we need to make this situation work. And the subtext I think is he wants to clean house on their board of directors and place people who are friendly to Sam and to Microsoft there.

NEWTON: Yeah, and the plot thickens as we continue to follow this situation. And Mike, I appreciate you helping us out as we try to decipher what's going on here. Really appreciate it.

ISAAC: I'm right there with you. Thanks so much.

NEWTON: Okay, still to come for us, US officials say negotiators are nearing a deal to secure the release of some of the hostages Hamas is holding. What we know about the potential agreement so far. Plus, the US Defense Secretary is promising more aid for Ukraine during a high- stakes visit. But will it be enough as fighting grinds on in that region?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:19]

NEWTON: U.S officials say negotiators are closing in on a deal to release some of the hostages Hamas abducted on October 7th but they caution the details are still being worked out. And as CNN's Alex Marquardt reports sources tell us the deal in the works could leave quite a few hostages still in Hamas's hands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: There is a sense of optimism about the hostage negotiations that we haven't heard before. U.S officials indicating that they are closer to a deal than ever before. Now officials do continue to caution that things are extremely fluid. That they can change quickly and of course that the fighting in Gaza does continue. But the white house's John Kirby says that they believe the negotiations are quote close to the end. Take a Listen.

JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESPERSON: We believe we're closer than we've ever been to a deal than we've ever been so we're hopeful. But there's still work to be done and nothing is done until it's all done. We are laser focused on the American citizens that we know we're being held hostage and we want them out, all of them. Everybody should be out now but here we are in a negotiation. And we're getting closer to the end we believe of that negotiation. So again I'm going to be careful.

MARQUARDT: So, what would a deal look like? Well in the latest draft of an agreement sources tell CNN that Hamas would likely release 50 hostages, women and children and that would happen over a 4-to-5-day period during which time Israel would stop its military operations in Gaza. We understand Hamas has also demanded hundreds of trucks of humanitarian aid per day to go into the Gaza strip so there are questions over how that can be implemented and there are also questions of whether Israel would also release Palestinian prisoners at the same time and how many of them. So, the gaps are getting narrower and this release could come very soon but remember even if 50 hostages are released by Hamas in Gaza around 80 percent of them would still remain. Alex Marquardt CNN Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Joining me now from Jerusalem is Gershon Baskin. He's the Middle East Director with the International Communities Organization and he was instrumental in securing the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas in 2011. And I have to say as well, you are responsible for a lot of the dialogue that's gone on at high levels with Hamas and Israel. I know that it must be agony right now what the families are going through especially after the incredibly emotional day that they had yesterday. From all you've heard do you believe that they are close to a deal now?

GERSHON BASKIN, EX-HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Everything around us seems to tell us that - Yes this is what we're hearing both out of Qatar, out of Jerusalem, out of Washington. So it seems that the people in the know must know something that the rest of us don't know for sure. What we know is this has been a rollercoaster, particularly for all the families who keep hearing that they're close to a deal and then nothing happens.

[00:30:19]

We really have to hope that there is something genuine happening now. But still, as was said in the introduction, we're still talking about a small number of the hostages and leaving about 80 percent of them behind.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Which you, of course, would say is predictable, given the fact that the hostages are valuable for Hamas. But you also point to something else. I mean, let us in on what the logistics of this will look like, even if there is a deal, and how difficult it will be to keep that deal together.

BASKIN: The International Red Cross is going to be very, very busy. Because they will be the ones on the border, receiving the hostages, checking their identity, determining if they need immediate medical care. They'll be on standby with ambulances and, of course, in direct contact with the Egyptians and with the Israelis to make sure the people are received and transferred, first to Egypt and then to Israel.

If there's a prisoner released on the Israeli side, they will be checking the prisoners who will be boarding buses from Israeli prisons. And it's not clear where they'll be sent, either to the West Bank or to Gaza or abroad is even a possibility. And the International Red Cross will be there handling that, as well.

They're probably the only third party who's trusted and has experience doing this kind of work. It will be a slow process, particularly if Hamas is only willing to release about five or ten of them a day, drawing it out as long as possible to extend the ceasefire.

It seems that Hamas is hopeful that the longer the cease-fire is prolonged, the more international pressure there will be on Israel to stop the war entirely. That's very unlikely to happen. But it will be also very difficult to renew negotiations for more prisoner releases once the war recontinues.

NEWTON: You know, you pointed out before, obviously, that Israel will have to make compromises here, no matter what it does. Israel, the IDF have been telling us for weeks now that they believe hammering Hamas hard, the way they have been in Gaza, makes it more likely that hostages will be released.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that that's the way this is playing out?

BASKIN: Personally, I don't believe that. I think it has prolonged the talks and made it more difficult to negotiate a deal. This deal should have been done in the second or third week of the war.

And here we are in the sixth week of the war. But it's really difficult to argue with military commanders and security experts. I am not one of them. I do know Hamas, and I think that, also, what I heard from the Egyptian side, is that they were preparing a deal with a list of names, in fact, three weeks ago.

But then he got held back once the Israelis surrounded the city of Gaza and began to penetrate within the city. So I believe that it's not necessarily so.

But again, it's a gamble. We don't know. Maybe the Israeli security experts are right, and maybe I'm right. We have no way of knowing, and it's one of these what if things that has no conclusion to it.

NEWTON: Yes. And you really hit the nail on the head there in terms of what we're discussing all of this, and yet, those families live in agony every minute. I know. I speak to some of them, and I can't imagine, if they're watching us now, how they just want to scream at us and everyone saying, Just get our loved ones home.

And to that point, I want to ask you, what do you make of the internal political situation in Israel right now? I mean, it was incredibly contentious what happened at the Knesset and those families. Just with the emotion pouring out of them against those politicians. We don't have any insight of what went on with the war cabinet. But given the emotion, it must have been an incredibly difficult meeting.

BASKIN: For sure. Some of the families walked out before the end of the meeting when they heard from the minister of defense that the first priority remains the war priority, the goal dismantling Hamas.

Apparently, the prime minister, Netanyahu, afterwards assured the families that getting out the hostage was the primary goal and everything was being done to get them out. There are a lot of people who don't believe our prime minister. He has very little confidence amongst the public, particularly after October 7th.

That lack of confidence is growing every day in Israel as more and more people are calling for his resignation. The argument is not should he resign, but when he should resign. And the majority still think it should be at the end of the war and not during the war. But those voices are loud and clear that Netanyahu will have his day of reckoning sooner or later.

NEWTON: Yes. Again, incredibly frustrating for the families who have to deal with these politics. As I say, they just want to hug their loved ones.

Gershon Baskin, I really want to thank you. You've been one of the only people to give us this kind of insight as this terrible conflict continues. Appreciate it.

BASKIN: Thank you.

[00:35:00]

NEWTON: Now, to the war in Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin unveiled a new $100 million military aid package for Ukraine during the surprise trip to Kyiv.

Austin met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Monday, telling him the U.S. will stand by Ukraine, quote, "for the long haul."

The White House had learned earlier this month that funding is dwindling and this is one of the smallest aid packages yet. But Austin says he sees bipartisan support for Ukraine and both chambers of Congress.

Meantime, Ukrainian forces say they won a key foothold across the all- important Dnipro River.

CNN's Anna Coren reports now from Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meandering through the marshlands of Kherson region in Southern Ukraine is the mighty Dnipro River, now, the new frontline in Ukraine's war against Russia.

(SOUNDS OF ARTILLERY)

COREN (voice-over): In recent weeks, marines have managed to cross this expanse of water using inflatable boats, establishing a tenuous foothold on the left bank of the river.

"Hey, am I in Vietnam?" asked a soldier sarcastically, rushing past tall grasses, a reference to another bloody conflict that ended before most of these soldiers were even born.

According to Ukrainian armed forces, they've pushed back the Russians 3 to 8 kilometers, 2 to 5 miles, from the riverfront, making it difficult for the enemy to fire mortars at positions on the right bank.

However, Russian drones, artillery and aerial glided bombs are still landing, and constantly. In exclusive access with drone pilot Sirhe (ph), his night mission had just been aborted, because the Russians had identified his unit's position on the right bank.

Hunkered down in his pick-up, hiding under trees from Russians birds above, the 32-year-old former journalist tells me they're under constant bombardment.

COREN: What are you hearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Explosions. Now, there is an attack on the place where I am. There are kamikaze drones, I think, at Shahed. Rockets, most likely grass (ph), mortars and tanks. It's always like that here. Today, they're using guided aerial bombs. Do you hear it, too? That's another one. I think it was a rocket.

COREN (voice-over): The job of his aerial reconnaissance unit is to provide cover for marines crossing the river and to watch the enemy on the other side.

COREN: Do you feel safe where you are?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's dangerous here, where we live and where we work. Every time I enter the zone, I say goodbye to my wife. But I realized my life can be ended at any moment. You get used to it.

COREN (voice-over): The reason this left bank operation is so important for Ukraine is to open the road to Russian-occupied Crimea and to protect the nearby city of Kherson. A year ago, the Russians withdrew from Kherson using the Dnipro River

as a defendable natural barrier between the two sides. But in the last month, attacks on Kherson have intensified to the point where the region's military governor told me there were 700 incoming rounds in one day.

"This is revenge, and now it's felt more," he says, "because our soldiers are already on the left bank, and our civilians are feeling this revenge."

Three hundred thousand residents used to live in Kherson. Now, less than a quarter remain, including 56-year-old Inna (ph). She cares for her invalid mother and her four-year-old grandson.

"Twenty-four hours a day, it's scary. When it's quiet, it's even scarier than when there is shelling." She says she lived through eight months of Russian occupation and will endure this, as well.

"Our main task is to survive," she explains. "That was the priority during the occupation, and it's the same thing now. We have to survive."

A daily struggle for a population that's being constantly terrorized.

Anna Coren, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Still to come for us, pop star Shakira strikes a last-minute deal to avoid a tax evasion trial in Spain. Those details, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:41:33]

NEWTON: The undisputed queen of Latin music, Shakira, will avoid a highly-publicized tax evasion trial in Spain after striking a last- minute deal with authorities on Monday, right as the proceedings were set to begin.

Now, the court says she's agreed to pay millions in back taxes, plus a fine of nearly $8 million. The Spanish government had accused the popstar of failing to pay more than $50 million in income tax between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira denied that, claiming she wasn't living in Spain full-time during those years.

And it is that time of year again in Paris when the famed Champs- Elysees is decked out in holiday lights. Love that moment. Crowds cheered as the 400 trees lining the thoroughfare, lit up the first night of the season with the eliminated decorations on display until January 7th.

A dazzling spectacle is, of course, a yearly tradition with music, performances, and, we hope, good cheer that attracts tourists from all over the world.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I love it. It's really, really beautiful with the lights, the music, the atmosphere. I love it. I really didn't expect that. And it's wonderful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's right. I've never been in Paris before. And it's like a rare opportunity to see a beautiful city.

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NEWTON: OK, so the city says the lights are not only festive and beautiful, but environmentally -- environmentally friendly, consuming the same amount of energy as a small family flat.

That's good news, too.

Thanks for watching. I'm Paula Newton. WORLD SPORT is next. And I'll be back with more news at the top of the hour.

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