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Israel, Hamas Both Announce Last-Minute Truce Extension; Henry Kissinger Famed, Revered And Reviled U.S. Diplomat Dies At 100; U.N. Climate Conference To Kick Off In Dubai; Ukraine Facing Brutal Winter Amid Threat of New Attacks; Taylor Swift Named Spotify's Most-streamed Global Artist; Sequel of The Mockumentary Spinal Tap to Start Filming in February; Israel, Hamas Both Announced Last-minute Truce Extension; Suspect in Shooting of Three Palestinian Students in Burlington Pleads Not Guilty.Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 30, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:01]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world as we continue our breaking news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. I'm Rosemary Church.

It is 9:00 a.m. in Gaza where Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their temporary truce for another day. The news came just minutes before the six day pause in fighting was set to expire. Israel says it agreed to extend the deal in light of mediator's efforts to continue the process of releasing hostages.

And we've now learned that Israel has received a list of people to be released in the day ahead. A total of 16 hostages were set free by Hamas on Wednesday, including 10 Israelis under the terms of the truce, one with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. Four Thai nationals and two Russian Israeli women were released under separate deals.

Israel released 30 Palestinian women and children from its prisons as part of its agreement with Hamas. Many of them were in administrative detention and never charged.

Well, CNN's Scott McLean is following developments. He joins us now live from Istanbul. Good to see you, Scott.

So, two hours ago, we got word the temporary truce would be extended by one day. What more are you learning about this?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Rosemary yesterday at this time when we spoke, it seemed like all of the signs were indicating that this truce would be extended with relatively little resistance.

In fact, Qatar had -- who's mediating all of this had said that it was very optimistic that the truce would be extended for at least another day. But of course, nothing has come easy in all of this.

And the hours before this began, both sides were saber rattling, Israeli politicians were making clear that the war would restart if a deal was not agreed. You also had Hamas telling its fighters to be combat ready, unless it got official word that there was an agreement by the deadline.

And of course, we know that it came right up to the wire. It was only minutes before that deadline, that we got word that a truce had been agreed, or an extension of this truce had been agreed.

Now, the deal should have the same terms that we have seen for the last six days. So, broadly speaking, it involves humanitarian aid going in, 10 hostages, women and children coming out, 30 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.

But those are not precisely the terms that Hamas was offering to extend this, they had offered seven Israeli women and children and three bodies of women and children that had been killed in the fighting.

That was not good enough for Israel, we understand from diplomatic sources close to the discussions that Hamas then came back offering those same seven Israeli women and children and three elderly people, presumably men.

And in all of this, it appears that Hamas was the first one to blink. Last hour or two hours ago, just after this deal was announced, a senior adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Regev was on CNN and he made abundantly clear that his country will not play games, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK REGEV, SENIOR ADVISER TO THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Every day we've agreed to an extension for the release of 10 hostages, living hostages. That's been the Israeli position. That is the Israeli position. Hamas knows exactly what it needs to do if they do want to see the humanitarian aid extended.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So, sources had previously indicated that there were perhaps only enough women and children to extend this truce for another two days. Beyond that, we will be talking about civilian men, or about Israeli soldiers, some of whom we know are female. It's not clear how many are female, though.

And so, yes, Hamas has turned over this list of 10 people to be released today, women and children. But what happens 24 hours from now is not clear, because it seems like Hamas is coming up empty handed perhaps in the women and children that it is willing to hand over.

And if this war does continue, Israel has made abundantly clear, it has telegraphed its intentions to go into southern Gaza. This is despite the fact that Israel has previously said that it intends to make safe zones. Because right now in Gaza, if the fighting were to resume, there would be few, if any of those and this is despite the fact that the Israelis have been getting pressure from the Americans to not continue with the same kind of heavy bombardment that we saw in northern Gaza in the first few weeks of this war, but to take a more cautious, careful approach, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, Scott McLean joining us live from Istanbul. Many thanks for that report.

[02:05:02]

Joining me now from Tel Aviv, Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner. Thank you so much for talking with us.

LT. COL. PETER LERNER, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: Good morning, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, the truce was extended today for one more day, minutes before it was due to expire. Is this how things are going to be now going down to the wire every day?

LERNER: Rosemary, every day for the last 54, 55 days now, the IDF has been engaged in two core missions. One of them is to dismantle and destroy Hamas. But the other one which has been the main motive for the last almost a week now is to bring home the hostages are one of them.

So, indeed, this morning, we extended and announced the extension of the operational pause in order to bring more hostages home, the images that are coming out every night where Israel is sitting around the tables or sitting, watching glued to televisions, every single night is a very, very strong image. And people are in expectation and anticipation to see who is coming home, what is their state, and how can we embrace them back into our communities.

So, it is a very core component of this war effort to bring home to rescue the hostages, they need to be brought home.

CHURCH: And Lieutenant Colonel, is the idea of poised to resume military operations the moment the truce ends? Will we see planes in the air and hear artillery fire as soon as it lapses?

LERNER: We have and we are and we continue to assess the situation as it develops. Of course, as a military, hope is not an option. And therefore, we are conducting our operational planning. Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the chief of the IDF staff, indeed, approved the operational plans yesterday throughout the day. We are as a military need to be prepared for that development.

And while I would not commit to a specific time or date, of course, we need to be prepared for that. From our perspective, we are holding our lines, defensive in essence, maintaining our protection of our forces on the ground for the last week. And indeed, we need to be ready to mobilize as soon as the government instructs us to do so.

On one hand, but also to respond to threats that do develop. You know, we have announced over the last couple of days, several events on the ground, including explosive devices that Hamas detonated against our forces on the ground. So, it is fragile, the situation is fragile and the military needs to be prepared.

CHURCH: And yesterday, the IDF said it was assessing the Hamas claim that the Bibas family, baby Kfir, brother Ariel and their mother Shiri had been killed. What is your assessment? Can you say if they are alive or dead at this juncture?

LERNER: So, the Bibas family has come very -- I would say very symbolic to this war to the brutality -- the horrific brutality of Hamas abducting these beautiful ginger babies into Gaza.

I can say that on the seventh of October, we saw that they were alive. We all saw the footage of them being abducted. I can't confirm at this stage what their situation is. But indeed we're hoping.

And once we have some sort of clarification we'll make that. I think what is most important today is that we continue to embrace the family. The people's family, which are going through this tormenting reality injured by Hamas. Hamas are responsible for the wellbeing of the family. And we will continue to operate in order to bring back the hostages, every last one of them.

CHURCH: Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner in Tel Aviv, many thanks for joining us.

LERNER: Good day.

CHURCH: And joining us now from the Netherlands, Colin Clarke is the author of After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future of the Terrorist Diaspora. He's also Director of Policy and Research at The Soufan Group. Appreciate you being with us.

COLIN CLARKE, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND RESEARCH, THE SOUFAN GROUP: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, just over two hours ago, the world was holding its collective breath as that deadline approached for the temporary truce to end. But then we got word it was being extended by a day but Israel is making it very clear, it wants 10 living hostages in exchange for that pause in fighting. Hamas apparently struggling to do that at one point. What is your reaction to where things stand right now?

CLARKE: Well, another day, which is good news, right? This has been a fairly short sighted conflict. And so, I think, you know, any tactical benefit should be celebrated.

But I think, you know, I'm concerned that the truce is fragile, that Hamas may be struggling to obtain hostages that are held by other militant and criminal groups, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, criminal elements from Gaza that were part of the October 7th attack.

[02:10:02]

So, I'm holding out hope, but I also know that the Israelis are poised to begin the conflict again.

CHURCH: And Israel has told CNN that Hamas is still holding 140 hostages, and they want 10 living hostages on the upcoming seventh day of the truce, as we mentioned.

So, why was Hamas initially offering instead to release seven hostages and the bodies of three others who they say were killed in an Israeli airstrike?

CLARKE: Well, it's hard to know exactly what's going on behind the scenes in terms of Hamas's inner decision making, there's probably a lot of bargaining and hedging that's going on.

The other part is there's different categories or classifications of hostages. And the closer we get down to military age males, to IDF soldiers, those are what we would consider more high value bargaining chips. And so, we're going to see a different price exacted for the exchange of those hostages, if we even get to that point.

CHANCE: Yes, I want to ask you about that, because we know that male and female IDF soldiers, as well as young and old civilian men remain as hostages. So, what will likely happen to them? Will their release require a new and broader agreement? Do you think?

CLARKE: It very well may. And it may also require the exchange of other what the Palestinians, or what members of Hamas would consider high value targets on the other side, individuals held in Israeli jails.

So, we know that there's intense shuttle diplomacy happening behind the scenes with the United States, the Egyptians, the Qataris, and others. These are really important details, because they will determine whether or not this truce is able to extend or full devolve back into fighting. And my fear is that if we do devolve back into fighting, reaching another truce is going to be extremely difficult.

CHURCH: And Israel has told CNN that it has three aims to destroy Hamas, get back all the hostages and ensure October 7th is never repeated. But how achievable are any or all of these goals for Israel do you think?

CLARKE: You know, you have to -- you have to wonder at a certain point, whether these goals are working at cross purposes. And I think, you know, the whole notion of eradicating Hamas and destroying Hamas was really, I think, a strategic communications failure for Israel.

Because to begin with, they're not going to be able to destroy Hamas, they may severely weaken the group, they may eliminate much of its leadership, but they're not going to totally eliminate a terrorist group, it's almost impossible to do.

And so, setting that as a goal means that all Hamas needs to do in order to claim victory is survive. And so they'll likely be focused on that. And this is a group that's obviously quite skilled in asymmetric warfare, insurgency.

And so, we're -- you know, if this truce breaks down, or expires, or lapses, we're going to be heading back into some pretty intense fighting. CHURCH: Yes. And what has been achieved on either side in the midst of all of this, do you think? I mean, what was Hamas's end game here? And in the end, we ended up straight where we were in the very beginning, don't we?

CLARKE: I think Hamas's endgame is something that's going to be endlessly debated. You know, if you -- if you look at Hamas's endgame, I think you also have to consider what Iran is goal was here. And whether that was scuttling Israeli Saudi normalization talks, or a whole other range of diplomatic initiatives that were taking place in the region that were excluding the Iranians. That's kind of the strategic level goals.

You know, for the Israelis, I think they've attempted to destroy as much as Hamas as military infrastructure as possible. But again, to completely eradicate a terrorist group is next to impossible. And the lengths the Israelis would have to continue to go to to do that, risks them losing international opinion, which they're on their way to doing right now with just massive civilian casualties and collateral damage.

CHURCH: Colin P. Clarke, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your analysis on this issue. We appreciate it.

CLARKE: Thank you.

CHURCH: One of the most influential and polarizing foreign policy leaders of our time has died. Henry Kissinger, the longtime U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser under President Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, was 100 years old.

CNN's Richard Roth recounts Kissinger's breakthrough successes and his controversial policies that brought him both widespread praise and deep scorn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD NIXON, 37TH U.S. PRESIDENT: I know all of you will want to hear from the new Secretary of State.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Henry Kissinger never really needed an introduction, on the world stage, again. Kissinger, the most famous statesman, of the last half of the 20th Century, celebrated and controversial.

[02:15:02]

HENRY KISSINGER, FORMER UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm not going to make any comment.

ROTH (voice-over): As Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State, the diplomat wielded enormous power and influence, so trusted that it was Kissinger, who went to China, on a secret mission, to explore a historic opening of U.S. relations, with Communist China.

KISSINGER: Whoever went would be alone in Beijing with no communication. And therefore, if he didn't know Nixon's mind, he might do foolish things.

ROTH (voice-over): Initially, there were fears the U.S.- China Ping- Pong exchange match would affect the high stakes political gambit.

KISSINGER: Every once in a while something happens in diplomacy, which transcends the drafting of cables.

ROTH (voice-over): Vietnam, casualties mounted, as the Vietnamese gained territory. Nixon and an undiplomatic Kissinger thought more bombing of the North would help.

KISSINGER: I would then recommend that we start bombing the bejeezus out of them within 48 hours.

ROTH (voice-over): Kissinger approved secret bombings of North Vietnamese units, in Cambodia, without congressional approval. He would say, sometimes, statesmen have to choose among evils, moral compromises, in messy conflicts.

Kissinger and his Vietnamese counterpart, Le Duc Tho, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for their role, in negotiating a ceasefire.

KISSINGER: I have to say, I have never dealt with a group of people, as treacherous as the North Vietnamese leadership.

ROTH (voice-over): Kissinger insisted trouble on the home-front hurt chances to succeed in Vietnam.

KISSINGER: We lost the war, because we were divided, and also because we were too uncertain about what we wanted.

ROTH (voice-over): Kissinger's support, for a coup, in Chile, and pro- U.S. military strongmen, in other parts of the world, drew criticism.

(PROTESTERS SHOUTING "ARREST HENRY KISSINGER FOR WAR CRIMES")

ROTH (voice-over): Kissinger's legacy would be contested, decades later, when he testified, in Congress, at the age of 91.

Kissinger grew up in Germany, with war clouds swirling. His family fled when he was 15.

KISSINGER: About half of the people I went to school with, and about 13 members of my own family died, in concentration camps.

ROTH (voice-over): A Jewish Secretary of State who would later listen to his President, criticize, American Jewish leaders.

NIXON: It's about goddamn time that the Jew in America realizes he's an American first and a Jew second. KISSINGER: Well, I couldn't agree more.

I only heard anti-Semitic comments when some Jewish group would attack him for something he had done.

ROTH (voice-over): In the Middle East, Kissinger performed what came to be known as shuttle diplomacy, to separate Israeli and Arab forces, setting the stage for future peace accords.

When Nixon resigned, as President, Kissinger stayed on as Gerald Ford's Secretary of State. His opinion still widely sought after, by governments and businesses, after leaving public office.

KISSINGER: You want to leave your country better off than you found it. And there's nothing in private life you can do that's as interesting and as fulfilling.

ROTH (voice-over): There was one job Kissinger said he never got to do in his life, a sports announcer.

KISSINGER: Derek who?

ROTH (voice-over): However, the globe-trotting diplomat did star in some of history's biggest games.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:21:31]

CHURCH: -- is set to begin in just a few hours. Controversy has surrounded this year's summit in the UAE. Leaked documents appeared to suggest the conference's president intended to offer visiting officials oil and gas projects. But Sultan Al Jaber says that's not true.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SULTAN AL JABER, PRESIDENT-DESIGNATE, COP28: These allegations are false. Not true. Incorrect and not accurate. And it's an attempt to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's David McKenzie is in Dubai. He joins us now. So David, what more are you learning about all the controversy surrounding this year's summit?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly was going to be a controversial decision to have the UAE host the summit from the very beginning because it is a major oil producer. And one of the key ways to of course mitigate the climate crisis is to transition away from fossil fuels.

Activists were deeply unhappy about the choice and the choice of the president of COP, but he has hit back at those allegations, saying they are false and inaccurate and saying that they need to focus on helping push for solutions of this climate crisis.

I spoke to one human rights activist who spoke about what needs to happen, and why they are unhappy with the status quo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANN HARRISON, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISOR: We need a full

fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out to be agreed at this COP. But here we are in a state that, you know, is a massive oil producer. And we have the president of the COP that's been appointed as the chief executive of the state owned oil company. That's a clear conflict of interest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well, the meeting is of course going ahead. And there are very important issues on the table. Because already, the world is facing the climate crisis. This is set to be the hottest year on record.

And we've seen these climate emergencies pushed by the climate change we are causing happening all year and for several years, Rosemary. Here's a little cheat sheet I think of what we should expect from these meetings. There's going to be a lot of talk about cutting emissions because currently the U.N. says that the world is wildly off track in reducing emissions, the use of coal, the use of fossil fuels to try and get to a livable era of rising temperatures.

Also, it's very important they say that there is a concrete action plan in phasing out fossil fuels, something you heard from that Amnesty International official and they are very significant behind the scenes negotiations already going on that point.

Finally, there was a commitment at the last meeting in Egypt for a loss and damage fund for those countries that had the least to do with climate change, but had been affected by it the most, there needs to be concrete action as well. Numbers need to be put on the table for how these poorer countries will be financed by the richer ones to deal with the impact of the climate crisis.

These are just three issues. There are many others and there will be ongoing negotiations as leaders stream into these meetings which will officially begin in the next hour or so, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, thanks to David McKenzie joining us live from Dubai and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:28:54]

CHURCH: U.N. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says his country's support for Ukraine is unwavering. Blinken mesh with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday at a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Kuleba told reporters Ukraine is key to defending all of Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: It will not be an exaggeration to say that defending Europe without Ukraine is a futile task. You cannot do it simply for one simple reason. Because we currently have the strongest and the most battle hardened army in Europe.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I heard a strong enduring commitment on the part of alliance members to Ukraine at making sure that it had what it needs to defend itself, to retake territory seized from it by Russia, but also to build itself up so that it can stand strongly on its own feet, militarily, economically, and democratically.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Those promises of support coming as Ukraine braces for its second wartime winter.

[02:30:00]

This week, we saw a powerful winter storm lash southern Ukraine, leaving at least ten people dead, and temperatures are expected to be freezing for a few more days, a reminder of the months of bitter cold that still lie ahead, and fears are growing that Ukraine's power grid will once again be in Russia's crosshairs this winter.

It's the same tactic Russia used a year ago, unleashing relentless attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, forcing thousands to enter the bitter cold without power and without heat. And for those living near the frontlines, it war-torn town and villages and homes with blown-out windows and damaged roofs that give little protection from the cold, the coming winter could be even harsher.

So let's get more on what the impending winter will mean for people in Ukraine. Ada Wordsworth is the Co-Director of KHARPP, a grassroots organization that repairs homes and supports communities in eastern Ukraine. And she joins us now from Tbilisi in Georgia. Thank you so much for talking with us.

ADA WORDSWORTH, CO-DIRECTOR OF KHARPP: Thank you so much for having me on.

CHURCH: So, your group protects people from the cold by helping to rebuild and repair homes and village in eastern Ukraine. And of course, with the onset of winter, your work becomes all the more critical, of course. What are some of the main challenges involved in fixing these homes in a war zone and in the midst of frigid temperatures?

WORDSWORTH: I think the main challenge is always just the extent of the demand we receive, hundreds of across the day, which we just can't meet. We do as much as we can. The temperatures definitely do make things hard, a lot of these villages are very, very remote. You need a four-by-four vehicle to get to them, to actually take the materials to them. Especially when the snow gets -- when it starts becoming very deep snow, when it becomes very icy.

Last year, our problems consistently were with the energy strikes which meant the factories weren't able to produce materials. So far this year, we haven't had those problems and we are just hoping it remains that way for as long as possible. CHURCH: Right. And of course, you have only just recently returned from the region. What are some of the stories you can share with us about the people still living in these towns and villages? And what they have to deal with every single day?

WORDSWORTH: I think for the people who have stayed, you know, a lot of people have returned to the villages. But for people who have stayed there and have been there the entire time, they are living not only in homes which can't be considered proper houses. They don't have protection, they don't have windows, they don't have roofs.

But they are also living with such extreme trauma that the things that they've had to go through, people having to bury their loved ones in their gardens. People whose -- old women whose grandchildren died on the shelling who are still living in the same houses. The extent that people have suffered in these communities is just impossible to put into words.

And fixing their house isn't going to make any of that better but it -- from our perspective, what we are trying to do is ensure that people who survived shelling, survived occupation aren't now going to die from the cold. And that is the least we can do. Because beyond that, to deal with the trauma that people gone through, that requires so much more and that's going to years of work.

CHURCH: And why did you decide you needed to do this?

WORDSWORTH: Originally, our charity was -- we set up the charity, myself and my Co-Director, at the very start of the war to support refugees in Poland. And as the refugee crisis kind of calmed down and became easier, we started taking humanitarian aid to Kharkiv. And we actually met an elderly woman in Kharkiv last -- in the Kharkiv region, in a village outside Kharkiv. Last September, when we are handing out aid, (inaudible) thanks for the aid but it's not going to do me much good if I die of cold in the winter because I have no windows.

And we thought that she probably made quite a good point. And so said that we would bring her windows instead. And from then, it just sort of -- kind of blew up that we started -- she told her neighbors, and her neighbors told their friends and families in other villages. And we just started getting more and more requests, and quite quickly, pivoted to only doing home repairs because we realized that it was what people seem to need the most. It was an area which wasn't covered. You have big organizations who were doing food packages for these areas. But no one was doing home repairs.

CHURCH: Yeah. Incredible work, and of course, your group also ensures that any reconstruction materials used to fix these homes are sourced locally. Why is that so important to you?

[02:35:00]

WORDSWORTH: The way that we see reconstruction is beyond just the rebuilding of the houses. It's repairing of the whole community, and so many of the problems in these communities now come from poverty. And so, trying to kind of help stimulate these economies to enable the local village shop to reopen, to help people stop dependent on humanitarian air, which will at some point will stop, is going to be at the core of what we do. So yeah, buying all products as locally as possible, we are able to get pretty much everything within the Kharkiv region which is amazing.

And also employing local people in each village to do the rebuilding. And so, part of that is, as I said to get money into the economy, but it's also to make sure let these communities are at the center of their own rebuilding process. So that it isn't just something of international organizations coming in and dictating how people in Ukraine should live. These people know -- most of these people built their homes themselves to begin with. And so, they know how to repair them. They just need to be given the tools to do so, and that is where we come in.

CHURCH: We salute the work you are doing. Ada Wordsworth in Tbilisi, Georgia, many thanks for talking with us, appreciate it.

WORDSWORTH: Thank you.

CHURCH: Time for a short break. When we come back, this is "Spinal Tap" the sequel. A look at the mega stars set to make guest appearances. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:40]

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone, well, add another accolade to Taylor Swift's monster year. She's been named Spotify's Global Artist of 2023. With more than 26 billion streams since January 1st, Swift takes the number one spot from Bad Bunny, who had been on top for the past three years. He is now second on the list, followed by The Weeknd, Drake and Peso Pluma. As for the most streamed song, Miley Cyrus gets the nod for her record-breaking hit, "Flowers." Spotify users can now see their personal yearly metrics on their mobile and desktop platforms.

And fans of the mockumentary, this is Spinal Tap, are getting ready to turn up the volume to 11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Spinal Tap.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's just a fine line between stupid and clever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: A sequel to the 1984 cult-classic begins shooting in February. That's according to Rob Reiner who directed and starred in the original film. Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer are all set to return. And Reiner says be on the lookout for some special guest appearances including Elton John and Paul McCartney. I'm Rosemary Church. For our international viewers, "World Sport" is next. And for our viewers here in North America, I'll be back with the latest from the Middle East after a short break. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:25]

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers in North America. I'm Rosemary Church. New details on our top story this hour, the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas is now in its seven-day, after it was extended minutes before it was set to expire. Israel says it has now received a new list of women and children hostages that are to be freed today. U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is visiting Israel to discuss the conflict in the region. He met with Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, and will be meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli War Cabinet.

On Wednesday, ten Israeli hostages were released and taken to different hospitals in Israel. In addition, to Israeli, Russian and four Thai citizens were released outside the framework of the agreement.

Well, devastating news for the family of the youngest hostage held in Gaza, Hamas claims ten-month-old Kfir Bibas, his four-year-old brother Ariel and their mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel says it is assessing the claim. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The searing image of Shiri Bibas captive and clutching her two small children etched into the collective memory of October 7th. Now, Hamas cleaning that Shiri and her two children 10-month-old Kfir and four- year-old Ariel are dead.

Hamas claims they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, though they haven't provided any evidence. Israeli military says it is assessing the accuracy of Hamas' claim. In a statement, the Bibas family said they've learned of Hamas' latest claims and are waiting for the information to be confirmed, and hopefully refuted by the military.

MAURICE SHNAIDER, GREAT UNCLE OF KFIR AND ARIEL BIBAS: We don't even know if that family is even alive. That is the most painful thing here, that you wake up in the morning, I wake up, and that is when my nightmare starts.

DIAMOND (voice-over): The boy's great uncle speaking with CNN one hour before Hamas released its statement. Soon after, the family learned once again that their relatives were not on the latest list of hostages set for release.

YOSI SHNAIDER, FAMILY MEMBER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES: It's like the Schindler's list, waiting to see who is going to be -- who's going to survive, and who is not. DIAMOND (voice-over): Day after day, the Bibas family has waited in agony for that list, all while advocating relentlessly for their release.

OFRI BIBAS LEVY, FAMILY MEMBER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGES: Hamas took them and Hamas is required to bring them back right now. They are responsible for their health and their freedom is directly in Hamas' hand.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Days earlier, the Israeli military claiming the Bibas family were no longer in Hamas captivity, held instead by another militant group in Gaza.

Neither Hamas nor the Israeli military providing any update on Jordan, the boy's father, also believed to have been kidnapped on October 7th.

If they are alive, the Bibas family are among the 145 hostages believed to be held in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. 97 have been freed in the last week.

Among them, 12 newly freed Israeli hostages and four Thai nationals welcome home by this crowd in southern Israel, after more than 50 days in captivity. Amid the cheers, 73-year-old Irena Tati now smiling and waving.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Ofakim, Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: One member of Israel's Knesset says watching the war in Gaza is twice as painful for the Palestinian citizens of Israel. Mansour Abbas is the Chairman of an Israeli Palestinian Party in Israel's legislature and he spoke with CNN Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, who asked him, "Why is it extra painful for people like him to watch what is happening in Gaza?"

MANSOUR ABBAS, ARAB-ISRAELI KNESSET MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN OF ISRAELI PALESTINIAN RA'AM PARTY: We are both citizens of Israel, we are part of this country, and we are also part of the Palestinian people. And our strife is to connect those two identities and to feel the pain of both sides, and to feel the connection from both our civic identity and our people (ph) identity. We try to connect and understand both the pains as well as the ambitions, the work of the Israeli people, their pain, their suffering, as well their hopes and dreams, and simultaneously we feel both the hopes and dreams of our Palestinian people as well as their pain as well.

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The current Israeli government of Prime Minister Netanyahu, they say their goal is to destroy Hamas in Gaza. And they say that will bring peace. But what if any role should Israel be playing, let's say they do defeat Hamas in Gaza. What role should Israel play in the future of Gaza, if any?

ABBAS: If we talk about the day after the war, first thing that needs to be done in order to see real change is to strengthen the Palestinian authority. And doing so needs to come through recognition, a recognition through the U.N. Security Council that would immediately recognized the State of Palestine, and this state needs to work on removing all militant groups and taking down the arms of any militant group existing, and to work with international community to strengthen the values of peace within the Palestinian community, reconstruction of Gaza, and to start working towards a diplomatic approach for peace with the Israeli side.

So, both sides need to work simultaneously, and the Israeli side needs to bring a diplomatic approach to end this conflict. On the Palestinian side, it needs to take down all militant groups and work as one state as well. And if both sides work together, we can see real change.

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CHURCH: We have new details now on the shooting of three Palestinian college students in Vermont. The mother of one of the students, Hisham Awartani, is now in

the U.S. and has been reunited with her son in the hospital. Elizabeth Price says it was painful seeing her son "incapacitated." We are also learning how the attack unfolded last Saturday. One of the victims told CNN he saw a man standing on a porch, who came "down the steps, pulled out a pistol and shot at them."

Kinnan Abdalhamid says after he was shot, he managed to knock on a neighbor's door who then called 911. Abdalhamid was released from the hospital earlier this week while his two friends, Awartani and Tahseen Ali Ahmed, remain hospitalized as their injuries are more severe. Abdalhamid says he is convinced the attack was motivated by hate.

Well, the suspect in that attack, 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton has been arrested and charged with three counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty. CNN's Polo Sandoval has details.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New details tonight about the man who Burlington Police say stepped off the porch of his apartment building Saturday night and shot three Palestinian students walking by. Jason James Eaton pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted second-degree murder, while Burlington investigators have revealed evidence they say links the 48-year-old Burlington man to the shooting. The motive remains elusive says the Mayor of Burlington.

MAYOR MIRO WEINBERGER, (D) BURLINGTON, VERMONT: Nothing that I've heard at this point is that kind of critical piece of information. I think we are all looking for that would really explain how he could've done this.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Police say the three Palestinian students were walking down the streets being Arabic and English, two of them were wearing traditional scarves associated with Palestinian identity, when Eaton approached and opened fire according to authorities. Hisham Awartani's mother Elizabeth Price says her son recalled one of his friends screaming with pain from the chest wound. Once the shooter fled, Awartani was able to dial 911. Eaton had recently purchased a 380 caliber pistol which was recovered when authorities searched his residence. And police say they match the gun to casings recovered at the scene of the shooting.

Investigators are turning to his online history in order to build a profile of the suspected gunman. Eaton's work experience spans from finances to farming. He most recently worked at CUSO Financial Services. In a statement to CNN, the company said Eaton worked there for less than a year and was terminated in early November. He was even an Assistant Scoutmaster with the boy scouts. That organization says, upon learning of his arrest, he was banned from registering in scouting in any capacity. He also appeared to experience financial trouble, according to his former landlords.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, JASON EATON'S LANDLORD: Towards the end, he got a little bit weird because he really couldn't hold a job down.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Debbie Goldstein (ph) and her husband rented a room to Eaton over their Syracuse Antique Shop.

UNIDENTIFIED, JASON EATON'S LANDLORD: He went out and he bought this thing for the back of the door, so the mail would get caught in this bag, and then about four little baskets for each of the tenants, put their names on them, so all the mail can to get (inaudible) into the baskets. Like, does that sound like this Jason?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, JASON EATON'S LANDLORD: I don't think anybody should be supported or forgiven for what he did.

UNIDENTIFIED, JASON EATON'S LANDLORD: Yeah. (inaudible) To me it was a hate crime.

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CHURCH: Well, some truly remarking images from the Natural History Museum in London. These photos from wildlife photographers around the world are on display there. They are a reminder of the beauty within the natural world. Particularly impressive is an image of a polar bear taking a nap on an iceberg. That is perfect. And you can choose your favorite photo for the "Wildlife Photographer of The Year" award, voting closes in January.

And thanks so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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