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CNN International: Qatar: Truce In Gaza To Begin At 7 A.M. Local Time Friday; IDF: Israel Sustains Gaza Strikes Ahead Of Expected Truce: Qatar: Aid Will Begin Flowing Into Gaza After "A Period Of Calm" Once Truce Begins. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired November 23, 2023 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: And a very good day to you. I am Richard Quest in New York with the latest breaking news from CNN. The much anticipated truce between Israel and Hamas is now set to being on Friday at 7 a.m. Israel Standard Time. That's also the same time in Gaza, which computes to midnight Eastern Time in the United States. The first hostages, 13 women and children, will be released tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock Israel Standard Time. That's 9 a.m. in Eastern Time. The announcement was made by Qatar's Foreign Ministry a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: We are hopeful. I don't know if I should say confident, but we are very hopeful. And as I said, the commitment we have seen from both sides leads us to be very positive, to deal with this very positively. We are seeing a good level of commitment over the agreement itself, the details hashed out with you. It's the first glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel of this crisis. And this is why we needed to succeed and we are hoping and working towards it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, putting this into context for you, the truth is 13 hours away, 13 and just slightly less than, and now Israel is continuing its air campaign in Gaza. The IDF says it's more than 300 Hamas targets have been hit over the past day, including military command centers and weapons storage facilities. We can't verify those claims. The other issue, of course, with the truce is the aid that is going to go in. At least 200 trucks, lorries will be admitted per day. And a large convoy of those -- of that aid is now on standby. It's at the Rafah, Egypt-Gaza border crossing. As the truce begins, then they will move in.
CNN's Oren Liebermann is in Tel Aviv. Lots to get through. We'll take it at a fair clip, Oren. The first thing, this -- the continuation of military activity, I'm being deliberately precise here, that can continue for another 13 hours. And by all accounts, Israel and Hamas are going to go the bejeebers (ph) until the last possible minutes. OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And Richard, that's frankly what happens here before a cessation of hostilities, and that's not just this round of fighting. We've seen it before in previous rounds. Even the shorter ones, there is fighting up until the last moment, and that's very much what we're seeing. The IDF even said, we are continuing until we receive an order to stop. And it's the countries who have now told us when that order is expected.
QUEST: So, once it started, once the truce is underway, what do we know what Israel can and cannot do? Obviously, overt military activity is out of the window. But, what about searches? What about -- I mean, there is a range of things that will be classed.
LIEBERMANN: Well, they'll basically take up defensive positions. They're also not allowed to fly drones over Gaza, and that has a dual purpose. First, let Hamas move the hostages around and get them to the Red Cross. But, it also won't be interpreted in any way as offensive activity on the part of Israel. So, they're -- all the troops there, and there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of Israeli troops in Gaza, will basically take up defensive positions and wait, not just for the four-day pause, but Qatar trying to extend that to the release of more than 50 Israeli hostages and the release of more than 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
QUEST: Now, down south, there is this very sizable convoy. Admittedly, it's needed, and it's probably not enough. That I imagine starts to roll into Gaza the moment the truce takes effect, or thereabouts. But, what monitoring is in place for things like the fuel?
LIEBERMANN: That's an excellent question. The countries wouldn't talk about that. Fuel is one of the big Israeli concerns because of its dual uses. It can power hospitals. It can power sewage treatment plants. It's also used by Hamas. So, it's unclear on our end what sort of protections are in place or inspections are in place, I should say, but very likely, Israel would have demanded some level of ability to oversee some of that. And you're also right in pointing out that Gaza needs far more than what's waiting on the other side of that border. Even the country said it is a fraction of the humanitarian aid needed.
QUEST: Right. So, let's just go through the TikTok, as we would say, and you can see on the screen there exactly -- you will in a second again. So, the truce takes effect, and then there are several hours, I assume, to make sure that it -- the logistics, a, that it's working, and b, the logistics of getting the hostages into the custody of the Red Cross and then out of Gaza.
LIEBERMANN: Absolutely. So, there will be quite a few hours between the cessation of fighting at seven o'clock tomorrow morning local time, and then 4 p.m. when the hostages are expected begin to come out. During that time, that's the opportunity where Hamas will move the hostages around, transfer them to the Red Cross, and then the Red Cross has to get them out. If they're close to the Rafah border crossing, they might come through Egypt. If they're close to Israel, they might come out that way. And there'll be given over to the IDF, who will then rush the hostages to the hospitals.
[11:05:00]
For those younger than 12-years-old, the families will meet them as soon as possible when they cross into Israel. For those hostages who come out who are older than 12-years-old, the families will meet them at the hospitals. Also important to note that the Israeli Prime Minister's Office put out a statement saying that they've notified the 13 families of the hostages that will come out, and they've also notified the other families of the hostages as well.
QUEST: Oren Liebermann in Tel Aviv, long hours ahead. I'm grateful to you, sir.
Becky Anderson is with me in Doha. Becky, listening to the Foreign Minister, I mean, a Herculean task that they've done extraordinarily well. And now, I guess it's all about putting it into process, into execution, actually doing it.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. And he said -- I mean, I spoke to the lead negotiator yesterday, and then listening to Majed Al-Ansari today, it is absolutely clear that this has been intense. It has been complicated. It hasn't necessarily gone to schedule. But, as the spokesperson for MoFA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out, this is a war zone. This is a conflict zone. Don't expect that everything is going to go according to plan. And they have experience of that in the past 45 days.
I mean, I thought it was really interesting when Mohamed Al-Khulaifi, who is the lead negotiator, who I spoke to yesterday, told me that this is a really experienced mediation team. It's mediated the release of the Iranian hostage -- the American hostages in Iran recently, Afghanistan, Sudan. He said, of all the mediation they've done, this has been really very hard, because there is no trust at all between the two parties. So, they got it to this point. And I think they should be congratulated for that.
And I thought Majed Al-Ansari was very transparent about what he could tell us today, and frankly, what he couldn't. And some of that was the operational detail, which is clearly extremely important that they don't put into the public domain, because things could go wrong. And what they care about at prison are the hostages, which is a main pillar of this humanitarian pause, and indeed --
QUEST: Right.
ANDERSON: -- ensuring that they can get that humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, is that you and Oren have just been discussing. Richard, let me --
QUEST: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- to the point that you just expressed, this is difficult. These negotiations have been hard. And it's -- there could be at any time some slippage here. I did ask Majed Al-Ansari at that press conference, what route the hostages would take once they were released? How would they get out of Gaza and into Israel? Let's have a listen to what he told me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. What is the process and route by which the hostages will be transferred out of Gaza into Israel?
AL-ANSARI: I'm sorry, Becky. I can't disclose information for security reasons. And as I -- we've always said, our main objective here is the safety of the hostages. So, we can't disclose all the information regarding the routes they will be going through, but we will be focusing on making sure that they get there safely through, making sure that through our operation zone that will work with both the Red Cross and the parties of the conflict, that all information is in real time, and everybody is getting the information the right way, so we can move them safely from one place.
ANDERSON: And a follow-up question, if I can. Are you mediating a separate track with Hamas for the release of non-Israelis, specifically Americans? And are there Americans on the list?
AL-ANSARI: The criteria on which to prioritize the hostages was purely humanitarian, as you know, and our focus was on getting the women and children out of harm's way as soon as possible, which is basically what we are doing within this agreement. And we will be going through, hopefully, that the momentum carried by this deal would help us get everybody out in time, and at the same time, of course, lessen the hardship of the people in Gaza through the humanitarian pause that is taking place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It's not clear, for example, he didn't answer that question directly, although he made a really good attempt to answer as many questions as directly as possible. So, for example, on the Americans, and we know there are a lot of foreign nationals caught up in all of this, Americans, some of which are dual citizens, Thais, Germans, UK citizens, but specifically on the Americans. We do know that there is a three-year-old little girl who we understand is likely held by Hamas at the moment. There is -- you could surmise from that that these are not just Israelis, as far as Qatar are concerned, included on the list.
[11:10:00]
He called this a humanitarian effort and not just an Israeli effort, as it were, to get these hostages released. So, I think you can surmise that the hope is that there are some foreign --
QUEST: Right.
ANDERSON: -- nationals on that list. There are women and children included in this, very specifically. And we do know that there are at least three, if not four, women and children on that list who are Americans, Richard.
QUEST: Now, Becky, there was an intriguing part in the press conference where the spokesman said they're going to look to extend it. And I guess this idea is, and I don't know the modalities by which it would happen, for every 10 hostages, you get an extra day's truce. But, what do we know about how that's going to work beyond the four days that we've know about so far?
ANDERSON: Let's -- Yes. That's really a good question, Richard. So, here is the deal. As we understand it, there are -- there is -- there was a list of 50 hostages there or thereabouts, it could be slightly more than that, because let's say round 50 being held. On the first day, already we know that the Israelis now have the names of 13, and you've got to assume that the foreign countries that are involved in this as well will know, that there are -- the names of 13 being released on the first day. Let's assume -- then every day, there is a list provided by Hamas of subsequent hostages to be released. And I was told that there will be at least 10.
So, let's assume that there are 13 every day. That will take us to 52 over the four-day period. So, that would be the -- all of those who have been identified today, the understanding is that Hamas has access to at least 70 to 80. That would that would suggest that there are another say 30 who have the opportunity to be released or Hamas has the opportunity to release for an extra day every 10. So, if there are 30, that would be giving Hamas an opportunity to get an extra day's truce --
QUESTL Right.
ANDERSON: -- for every 10 who are released. So, it's a four-day truce. That is what's agreed on. And there is around 50 who they will release it. If these all goes to plan, there are around 50 hostages who will be released. And we're simply -- reciprocally, there'll be three times released by the Israelis from Palestinian -- Palestinians from Israeli prison. But, there is that opportunity for let's assume three more days if Hamas can get around and identify and gather the other 30 that they may or may not be holding at present themselves.
QUEST: I'm grateful that you've gone into that level of detail, because I think it's important that we emphasize that, to use that phrase, the devils in the detail here. It's fine to have overarching architectures and principles. But, this actually has to work in practice.
ANDERSON: You're absolutely right. And let's be quite clear about this again. Majed Al-Ansari made it --
QUEST: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- very clear that this is a war zone. So, this deal is a done deal now, at least in principle. It's agreed to. We have a time for the pause to start. We have an approximate time for the release of the first 13 hostages, and for this increase -- incredibly important increase in humanitarian aid, including fuel to get into Gaza, if it all goes to plan. So, let's see what happens --
QUEST: Right.
ANDERSON: -- Friday, and then let's take it from there effectively. QUEST: Many more hours of work for you, Becky. I'm grateful. Thank you, joining us from Doha.
The IDF says they've arrested the director of Gaza's largest hospital, the Al-Shifa that we've been covering in great detail. They want to question him because they claim the hospital served as a Hamas command and control center. Hamas has always denied that claim. Here is the IDF.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. PETER LERNER, IDF SPOKESPERSON: I expect that the situation is that he is being questioned in order to clarify exactly what he did or didn't know. There may be -- he may not have had a choice. He may have been intimidated by Hamas. He may have known. The reality proves that he wasn't actually on top of things or he was hiding something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: No. We have not spoken to hospital officials. The director is reportedly part of a World Health Organization convoy taking people from hospital to safety. He was arrested at the checkpoint in central Gaza. Palestinian officials are blaming the UN for this, and have now suspended cooperation with the WHO.
[11:15:00]
So, the hostage release will be underway in the next 15, 18 hours. And unimaginable grief and worry and the agonizing wait. We speak to those families of hostages, some of them who know that their loved ones are returning. Others are waiting for more information.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: So, Qatar says the truce between Israel and Hamas is to begin at 7 a.m. That is Israel's Standard Time. So, work that out from where you are. Don't worry. We've done it for you already, just over 12 hours from now, 12:45 actually to be precise. Then 13 Israeli hostages will be released several hours later. The 13 women and children are the first set of at least 50 hostages expected to be released. Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel concurrently in exchange. Qatar is the country that mediated the deal. We don't really know why other than logistics, I suspect. The truce was supposed to start today. But, as -- I mean -- as Becky was explaining, it's all extremely complex stuff, the logistics, the Red Cross that have to be involved, everybody.
So, the IDF says they are continuing to strike targets in Gaza ahead of the -- when they stop fighting. They've arrested as well the Director of the Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital.
Military Analyst, Colonel Cedric Leighton, is with me. I suspect we could spend a lot of time not terribly fruitfully wondering why it was a day late, as they say, but it doesn't really matter as long as it does take place. What I am interested in hearing from, what's the goal of the -- of Israel, and I guess Hamas, in this last hour -- in this last 12 hours 40 minutes?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST, & U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): So, I think the basic goal, Richard, is to, in essence, prolong the time in which they need to go through the process to get the hostages out. So, in other words, what I'm saying is, for Hamas, this is a time where they can work with the other hostage takers because we know that in addition to Hamas groups like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, they have also some of the hostages and there are other groups as well, potentially even criminal gangs that have some of them. So, Hamas, at least after this first group of hostages, is going to have to work with these other groups in order to actually have hostages to release.
Now, on the Israeli side of things, the Israelis are interested in taking as much territory as they possibly can to gain as much tactical advantage as they possibly can. The volume of airstrikes is --
QUEST: Right.
LEIGHTON: -- getting close to the level of air strikes that they had just after the first week or so of fighting, since October 7.
[11:20:00]
So, this is something where the Israelis are -- have their interests in this particular case, and Hamas has theirs. So, it's going to really depend on them moving as far ahead as possible in their respective --
QUEST: OK.
LEIGHTON: -- areas.
QUEST: Now, the -- everything I've heard from the IDF in the last 24, 48 hours, and indeed from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who says that the truce will not affect the prosecution, if you will, of the twin goals of hostage release and elimination of Hamas. But, realistically, as a military man, how easy is it to basically tell the troops go into a defensive posture, even though you're in an enemy territory, so to speak?
LEIGHTON: Yes. It's really difficult. And those goals are, in essence, quite divergent from each other. So, if you're a military force that is advancing at a fairly good clip, is all of a sudden told to pause operations or to move back even to a more defensive position, that takes away its momentum. So, there is a danger, and that is why many members of the Israeli government, I had some questions about this deal, and some of them are opposed as a result of that. But, the basic issue that they have is one of being able to have that forward momentum --
QUEST: Right.
LEIGHTON: -- continue after a pause like this. And if they can do that, then they will potentially be on track to achieve their goals, although that will be a bit later than they had originally planned. QUEST: So, related to that, this idea also that Hamas can extend the length of the truce by another three days, by releasing more hostages, now, one can see that is certainly to the advantage of that, and will be most welcome. But, does that give Hamas an opportunity to stymie Israel longer into this defensive position, assuming they wanted to choose that time as a regrouping mechanism?
LEIGHTON: Yes. I think it's fairly certain that Hamas wants to use this time to regroup their forces. So, yes. It's definitely to Hamas's advantage to draw this out as long as they possibly can up to a point. At some point, hostages become more of a burden than a tool or a bargaining chip, and the Hamas leadership will have to decide what that moment in time is. And for them, the most vulnerable, the most difficult to maintain hostages --
QUEST: Right.
LEIGHTON: -- are the ones that they want to release. And that is the kind of thing that they will be doing right now. But, yes, it's in their interest to keep this going --
QUEST: Right.
LEIGHTON: -- because it allows them to regroup. It allows them to move forward into different areas, and potentially set up ambushes and things like that to counter the IDF, as it moves into other positions throughout northern and central Gaza.
QUEST: Col. Leighton, great info, as always. Thank you, sir.
Now, just imagine you are somebody who is being held hostage and woman, child, and you're now waiting to find out whether or not they will be, not only in the first 13, by now you will of course know because the forces of the IDF has told you. But, you don't know whether it's going to happen over the next four days.
CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward has been speaking to those families exactly in that situation. The excruciating wait to find out if your loved one is coming home now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as the first batch of hostages is poised to be released, they are not backing down. Look in their eyes, this protester says, tell them that every day you are doing everything that it takes. For 47 days, friends, family members and supporters of the estimated 240 hostages in Gaza have demanded the Israeli government prioritize bringing them home. Here, they gather in support of Hadas Kalderon, whose children 12-year-old Erez and 16-year-old Sahar were taken on October 7, along with her ex-husband.
WARD: Tell me what you're going through now. Are you hopeful? Are you anxious? Are you in denial?
HADAS KALDERON, MOTHER OF HOSTAGES: I smile. I laugh. And then I cry and then I --
WARD: Do you know anything? Have you heard anything?
KALDERON: Nobody knows anything. Nobody. Nobody. No inflammation. I have to cry. We have to cry.
WARD (voice-over): Kalderon is not the only parent desperately waiting and hoping for news that has yet to come. Nine-year-old Emily Hand's father Thomas was initially told his daughter was killed on October 7, only to then get the news that she may be alive and held in Gaza.
[11:25:00]
I want to jump through the roof with hope, Hand told us today about the possible prospect of Emily's release. But, I also have to keep a level head emotionally. It's a challenge Kalderon is all too familiar with.
KALDERON: Every day is tough. Every day and all day is tough. I don't want to think. I don't want to feel because it's too painful. You know, when they start to ask me like, interview like you, show me the picture of your child. Tell me what last thing he told you. Like it break my heart because the last thing he told me was mum, be quiet. I love you. He was worried for me.
WARD: When you think of, God willing, your babies come home and are part of this release, do you worry about how they will be changed by what they experienced?
KALDERON: They are changed. They won't to be the same. They got -- they've been kidnapped brutally away from the beds, from the house. It was the safe place. They kidnaped the infant in this day.
WARD (voice-over): At the central hostage square in Tel Aviv, prayers for those who will come home over the next few days, and the promise to keep pushing for those who will not. Clarissa Ward, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Now, in a moment, we need to delve further and more detailed into the extra on the new aid that's going to be going into Gaza, those hundreds of trucks that are waiting at the Egyptian border. We'll be talking to Eleni Giokos who is in Cairo about how that part of the truce is going to work.
Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprising statement about his country's war on Ukraine. His reason, he now calls it a "tragedy", in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: This is CNN Newsroom. I am Richard Quest in New York. A busy day. A truce between Israel and Hamas is now set to begin a little over 12 hours from now after some initial delays. Qatar's foreign ministry, which has played a crucial role in negotiations, report that 13 civilian hostages will be released nine hours after the truce takes effect.
[11:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL-ANSARI: The four days, so obviously any resumption of hostilities of any kind would be -- which I think it's very important that lines of communication remain open so that any possible breach, however it is defined, is communicated immediately to both sides, and there is a way to walk back from it and make sure that we continue with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Qatar says the humanitarian aid is to begin as soon as the truce has begun. A large company of aid trucks is lined up at the Rafah Border Crossing in Egypt.
Standing by, Ben Wedeman is in Beirut. We've -- so, this is all taking effect in the next 12 hours or so. And at the same time, I imagine there is huge attention not only on the trucks that are going to be going in there, but also anything that might be happening on the northern border with Lebanon, where you are, and any advantage, because I assume military activity against the Hezbollah is most certainly not covered by this truce with Hamas.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, it's not. Of course, Hamas -- Hezbollah is not a party to this agreement. However, an official with Hezbollah told Al Jazeera Arabic that they will respect the truce. We shall see if that's the case. And we've heard from the Israelis that if -- they don't really pay much attention to what Hezbollah says. They pay attention to what Hezbollah does. So, if there is quiet on one side, there could be quiet on the other. But, there wasn't any quiet here today. What we've seen on the border between Lebanon and Israel is perhaps one of the noisiest days yet.
Now, it really was sparked last night when five Hezbollah fighters in a house about seven and a half kilometers from the border inside Lebanon was hit by Israeli aircraft, killing five Hezbollah fighters, one of them the son of the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. And what we've seen in the -- throughout the day, the hours today is a pretty intense back and forth between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. At one point, Hezbollah fired 48 Katyusha rockets at an Israeli Military base. Israel has been hitting back, it says, at Hezbollah infrastructure and launch sites.
So, it's been very intense --
QUEST: Right.
WEDEMAN: -- and deep, but it's also been a day of diplomacy, if you can call it that. The Iranian Foreign Minister was in Beirut yesterday. And today, he met with Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah. Now, when he was here, the Iranian Foreign Minister told Al-Majadin station that if the truce does not hold in Gaza, however, he said that the scope of the war could spread. Richard.
QUEST: Ben Wedeman in Beirut, you'll be watching events over the next few hours. I'm grateful.
Eleni Giokos in Cairo. So, the aid is on the border and the aid is ready to go, I assume, as soon as the truce is solid, if you will, stable, then they'll move in. But, how much logistics has to go into place?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of logistics, like in every single instance that we see aid going through into Gaza, Richard. What we've seen over the last 24 hours is more activity that we've seen in many days, convoys of trucks carrying a lot of aid. From what we heard from the Qataris during their press conference a short while ago, they were saying that they're -- during part of the deal and during the negotiations that it was allowed for 200 trucks to enter a day over the time and the period of the truce. But, they also made a point in mentioning that this is just a fraction of what is required in Gaza right now.
We've heard it from the international aid agencies that it's a dire catastrophic situation that is playing out. And we also heard from Martin Griffiths from the UN yesterday, who also categorically said --
QUEST: Right.
GIOKOS: -- that while there was negotiations with the Egyptians as well as the Israelis in terms of how much aid goes into Gaza, he said that at the end of the day, it's Israel who makes the decision on how much trucks of food and fuel and water get to go into Gaza. So, this truce, very welcome, not only for the release of hostages, but also for alleviating the humanitarian disaster that's playing out in Gaza right now.
QUEST: Just looking at the pictures, the sheer amount of stuff, I create -- I hear what you said that it's not enough. But, where does it all come from?
GIOKOS: That's the question. I mean, we've been -- I know that United Nations has been involved, the World Health Organization. They've been various organizations that have been feeding through into Gaza. We've spoken to the Egyptians today to try and get more information of just how much is at the border and where it's actually coming from.
[11:35:00]
The point is that we used to see about 455 trucks per day entering Gaza before the attack on October 7. So, one would assume that in terms of the logistical process and the warehouses that that was already in existence in Egypt that's now being deployed into Gaza. But, that's not the only thing that happens. Right? Once it goes to the Rafah border, there is the checkpoint and then that aid is moved on to other trucks and there is another checkpoint and then it's deployed and handed over to the international aid agencies.
QUEST: Eleni Giokos in Cairo, they'll be watching events in the hours ahead. Thank you.
To Ukraine now, where one person has died and another has been injured after Russian strikes on Kherson. A local official says Russia has launched 65 attacks using mortars, artillery rockets, the whole panoply of drones and aircraft. The strikes hit residential areas, a school and a medical facility. President Putin is calling his country's war on Ukraine a "tragedy". He is in Minsk for a security summit with the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Clare Sebastian reports.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was the first time since Russia launched its war in Ukraine, that President Vladimir Putin has addressed a G-20 summit. And it comes as the conflict in Gaza has significantly reduced international scrutiny of Russia's actions in Ukraine, something Putin attempted to capitalize on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Several colleagues in their presentations have talked about how shocked they are by seeing Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine. Yes, of course, military action is always a tragedy for specific people, specific families and the country as a whole. And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy. By the way, Russia never refused to hold peace talks with Ukraine. And what about the bloody coup in Ukraine in 2014, followed by the war of the Kyiv regime against its people in Donbas? Isn't this shocking? Isn't the extermination of the civilian population in Palestine and the Gaza Strip shocking today?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: Well, that kind of whataboutism is common from Putin. The comment that "We should think about how to stop this tragedy", though, is more unusual. But, it's not clear that Putin is overtly calling for peace talks here. Ukraine ruled out peace talks with Putin last year after Russia held a ceremony illegally annexing four occupied regions in Ukraine, nearly a fifth of the country. And Putin has repeatedly used that to accuse Ukraine of getting in the way of peace. This seems like more of that rhetoric.
But, it's also clear that this is a moment when Putin may feel emboldened. Ukraine has not liberated any significant amount of territory in a year. Russia still has more manpower and industrial capacity, despite the efforts of Ukraine's allies. And it will, of course, be keenly aware of the paralysis in the U.S. Congress over funding and some signs of fatigue among Ukraine's European allies. Well, Ukraine, for its part, is unwavering on its stance on peace talks. In a recent social media post, the Foreign Minister calling Putin a "habitual liar", saying "No one can seriously use the word Russia and negotiations in the same phrase." Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
QUEST: As we continue, the man known or called the Dutch Donald Trump, is Geert Wilders. What's interesting is his party is the largest in the Netherlands Parliament. And yet, the question of whether he becomes the next Prime Minister? That is more interesting in a sense, in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [11:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: There is new political uncertainty in Europe tonight after the party of the far-right politician Geert Wilders scored a massive victory in the Netherlands. Wilders has spoken out against Islam and immigrants and indeed the European Union. He has been on the political stage for many years. Now, though, he is poised to become or could be, well, become the country's next Prime Minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEERT WILDERS, LEADER, NETHERLANDS' PARTY FOR FREEDOM: The Dutchman has hope. The hope is that people get their country back, that we make sure that the Netherlands is for the Dutch again, that we will limit the asylum tsunami in immigration, that people will have more money in their wallets again, instead of spending millions to nonsense, that the Netherlands will be more secure again, that healthcare will be an order again,
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Not as be clear. He may have got the largest number of individual seats, but he will have to form a coalition if he is ever going to get into government and become the Prime Minister. Anna Stewart is following up in London. Anna, the problem, of course, is no other party says at the moment that they will get into coalition with him.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: That is what they've maintained now for some time that they would never get into a government, but then they never really thought that Geert Wilders' party would ever win. And the polls, I have to say, really didn't suggest that till perhaps early this week. And even then, it looked like it was going to be really tight. It wasn't a shock victory. There perhaps is a little bit of softening from one of the top four parties, the Centrist Party, the NSC. I think there might be a bit more softening from perhaps the Conservative Party, which had the Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte as well. But, Richard, this could take months. The last Dutch election took nine months for a coalition to get together. So, even if one is possible, it is going to be some time.
QUEST: And the status quo maintains the existing government stays in a caretaker capacity.
STEWART: Exactly. And meanwhile, a lot of negotiation, of course, because some of those very inflammatory stances that Geert Wilders has taken over the years, whether it's a referendum on the European Union, or wanting to ban mosques, he has very much toned down his language around these policies. But, I'm sure any coalition would want to see a hard rejection of some of those stances before entering into a government together.
QUEST: All right. Anna Stewart, I'm grateful. I'm joined now by Barbara Moens, the Chief EU Correspondent at POLITICO. I am just looking at the number. So, he is going to get roughly 37 seats. It is 150 odd seats in the lower house. So, it's not like he has 50 percent plus one, and the others can, if they can get together, form governments against him.
BARBARA MOENS, CHIEF EU CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Yes, exactly. And that is exactly the game that will be playing in the coming weeks or probably months, as was just said. There is a very fragmentation in the political landscape in the Netherlands. And it will be very hard to find that majority in the Dutch Parliament, whether it is with Wilders as Prime Minister or whether it is with an anti-Wilders coalition.
QUEST: But, you can't -- I suppose, whoever -- the number of the millions of votes that he got, and the near quarter of all seats in parliament, 24 percent to 25 percent of all seats in Parliament, if the will of the electorate is not to be frustrated, he surely has to have a say in some form of government. Otherwise, it's a nonsense.
MOENS: That is exactly the debate that is going on now. Obviously, the first initiative will be with him as the winner of the election. That is the expectation. That is also what the other parties are saying. Their fear is, exactly as you said, that if they would form an anti- Wilders coalition, even if that is mathematically possible, that that would have a backlash the next time that the Netherlands goes to vote. And even then you can also expect that they will take into account the results of the election, so that even if Wilders and his party would not be in a future Dutch government that this would be a government that takes into account the wishes of these voters to make sure that with the next election you do not get even more of a win for Wilders.
[11:45:00]
QUEST: OK. Now, let's put this into the wider European context. Let's take Poland for example, where the more right-wing party failed, in a sense, although the President has to give the Prime Minister the first bids of forming a government, even though realistically Donald Tusk is there. But, you've got in Hungary more of a right wing. We've got French elections coming up. Can we divine any trend in all of this? It's not immediately clear. We can.
MOENS: Exactly. And that is a little bit the challenge, I think, and it is also very much the sentiment in Brussels. There is obviously this fear from a lot of centrist parties that heading towards several national elections, but especially the European elections that are happening in June 2024 to vote for a new European Parliament, which will then lead to a new European Executive. So, there is this fear that some of these more right wing or even far right national votes will translate into the European elections.
But, we actually see a very divided lens. We also just had Spain, Spanish elections, that in the end now has led to a new -- to a continuation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is a socialist. We, like you said, just had the Polish election. That will lead to again center politician. But then, we have, for example, here in Belgium, where the far right has been leading the polls for a very long time, and they are also expected to win the next Belgian elections, which will happen in June next year as well.
QUEST: All right. I always find it's best to do the smell test with these. If you put the smell test, does it seem likely that Wilders can put together a coalition, or is it just sort of exciting journalists like you and me as we start to work out the ramifications if he does? But, realistically, does it seem likely he can do it?
MOENS: I think that the difference in votes is so big that they will do everything they can to at least create the image that they have tried to get Wilders into government, because otherwise there will be a backlash. So, yes, it is definitely realistic. You see also with his potential coalition partners, that they're not closing the door completely, which has been the case in the past and which happens in other countries. So, there is actually a chance that at a certain point Wilders will show up at the European Council table next to Michel and the others, but it will not happen anytime soon.
QUEST: All right. The one other country quickly, I just want to get your thoughts on, you mentioned Spain. Pedro Sanchez managed to get back in. But, he did it with a bit of sleight of hand. Let's face it. I mean, doing that deal with the Catalans, which basically gave indemnity, it had a bit of a whiff of power attorney price.
MOENS: It is a very controversial deal, as you said. It's very sensitive in Spain. And it is also very sensitive here in Brussels. And it will have an effect, I think, on the relations between the socialists and the center right here within the Spanish politics, definitely, but also within in Brussels, which will have an impact on the power balance with the next European elections in 2024. So, yes, Sanchez has secured his spot, but in a way that might cost him in the long run.
QUEST: Good to have your perspective. I'm so grateful. Thank you.
MOENS: Thank you.
QUEST: Now, hundreds of German police have carried out coordinated raids across the country. They're investigating an alleged plot by far right group. The prosecutor's office in Munich said officers seized computers, smartphones and data sticks in 20 homes. They say the Reich Citizens group planned to spread conspiracy theories and destabilize the government through social media.
And North Korea says it's launched its first ever spy satellite into orbit this week. The country's state media says the satellite will now undergo adjustments before its first official mission begins at the beginning of next month. South Korea says the satellite has indeed entered orbit. One South Korean MP says the move was made possible, thanks to help from Russia. CNN's NS Will Ripley reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As if the world doesn't have enough to worry about, rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea claims big progress in its satellite program. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un appearing triumphant in state media, posing for propaganda cameras with a team of North Korean scientists and engineers, celebrating an apparently successful third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit. Two failed launches earlier this year. Pyongyang promises more satellite launches in the near future, satellites crucial to improving the accuracy of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile program, a program banned by the United Nations Security Council, possibly perfected with the help of Russian rocket scientists acting on orders from President Vladimir Putin.
[11:50:00]
Kim and Putin's September summit at this Russian space launch complex signaling Moscow's growing support for Pyongyang's space program, a partnership believed to be providing Putin with badly needed North Korean weapons arming Russian soldiers on the battlefields of Ukraine. Putin told state media reporters at the time, Russia would help North Korea launch its own satellites and rockets, saying that's exactly why we came here.
Japanese authorities issued an emergency warning what they believe to be a satellite carrying ballistic missile soaring over Okinawa.
FUMIO KISHIDA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Today, North Korea conducted a launch using ballistic missile technology.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The Japanese Prime Minister condemning the launch. Swift reactions from South Korea, Seoul, suspending military pacts with the North.
HEO TAE-KEUN, DEPUTY MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE POLICY, SOUTH KOREA (through translator): The North Korean regime is entirely responsible for this situation.
RIPLEY (voice-over): A troubling sign even for locals who live every day under threat from the nuclear-armed north.
BAE RA-MI, SOUTH KOREAN RESIDENT (through translator): The successful launch of North Korea's spy satellite means that their technology has improved that much.
RIPLEY (voice-over): We're at North Korea's brand new satellite control center. In 2015, I met with senior officials at North Korea's Satellite Control Center. They insisted their purpose was peaceful space exploration, even expressing outrage at ongoing speculation. They were secretly operating a ballistic missile development program.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Our peaceful launch was not a threat yesterday, a threat to you today, and it won't be a threat tomorrow.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Tomorrow has arrived and this may be just the beginning.
RIPLEY: And tensions are already flaring up on the Korean Peninsula. The South Korean Military says less than 24 hours after this satellite launch, a ballistic missile was launched from the North Korean capital area, but they believe that missile failed just minutes after taking off. Now, in the meantime, the big question, the unanswered question is whether this satellite is actually able to conduct reconnaissance. We know that it's in orbit. But, can it actually surveil U.S. Military installations in places like Guam or Hawaii or Japan? That remains the unknown question. Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.
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QUEST: As you and I continue, a deadly car crash and the explosion at the border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, not terrorism. But, what one the Earth did happen?
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QUEST: New York City's Mayor has been formally accused of sexual assault, according to court documents filed on Wednesday. The plaintiff says Mayor Eric Adams assaulted her in 1993 when they both worked for the city. New York City and the Police Department's Transit Bureau among other defendants listed, the plaintiff is seeking at least $5 million. In an email to us, City Hall spokesperson says "Mayor Adams does not know who this person is."
The FBI says a deadly car explosion at the U.S. border crossing with Canada was not an act of terrorism. Now, look at the pictures. The fire was burning after yesterday's explosion. It was intense. The events that took place were dramatic. In the security camera, watch it. You'll see their car goes through and it takes air and then basically explodes after it hits the post.
[11:55:00]
It hit a car that had a guardrail, launched into the air, when it flipped down, it hit the ground. Two people in the car were killed.
Athena Jones is live in Buffalo, New York. Athena, the one thing I -- also -- I mean, I saw some -- it was a Bentley, I believe, or a relatively new Bentley, this particular car. So, some people are saying, what did happen?
ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Richard. Well, that is the question. I am actually in Niagara Falls. I am at the U.S.- Canada border.
QUEST: Right.
JONES: This is the border crossing where this incident took place, behind us, yesterday. And it was really quite a sight to see. If you already played the video, you can see that it looks like something out of a movie. Listen to what an eyewitness had to say about it, as well as New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and an FBI agent, a special agent in Charge for this area. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I first thought it was an airplane. It looked like slow motion. And I said, my God, it's a car, and it's a vehicle and it's flying through the air.
KATHY HOCHUL, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack.
MATTHEW MIRAGLIA, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: I feel at this point that this might be just something that occurred. There is no larger picture here to look at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So, no larger picture. Just in a matter of hours, the FBI along with its other law enforcement partners was able to open and close this investigation, finding no links to terror and no explosives in this car. But, as I -- as you mentioned, we learned that this car was a 2022 Bentley, is what authorities believe. And this man and his wife, they were planning to go to a concert by the rock group KISS in Canada. When that concert was canceled, they decided to come to a casino and were headed back across the border from the U.S. side, up the road across the street, launched, hit a curb, hit that barrier and launched into the air, landing behind that gray structure there against the Customs and Border Patrol booth, causing that -- them some injuries as well.
But, really just a tragic incident. No nexus to terrorism. But, of course, the incident was taken very, very seriously because we're at a time of heightened fears about terrorism. Richard.
QUEST: Athena, thank you. I'm grateful. Athena Jones, who is on the border, sad tale of two people going, hoping for a nice evening out or a few days out and ending in tragedy. Thank you. Thank you so much.
And that's our report for this hour. I'm Richard Quest. I'll be back after this short break.
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