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European Union Members Tackle Ukraine's Inclusion to the Bloc; Israeli PM Vows to Continue Hamas' Fighting until the End; House Republicans Voted to Formalize Impeachment Inquiry vs. U.S. President Joe Biden; Russian President Lays Out Plans for His Re-Election bid; Australian Serial Killer Clears Her Name After 20 Years; Turkish Referee Releases from Hospital after a Punch from a Club President draws Condemnation from Turkish Football Fans. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 14, 2023 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, the European Council is set to discuss Ukraine's bid for E.U. membership as the Ukrainian President seeks more aid and support for his country's war with Russia.
Israel's Prime Minister vows to continue the fight against Hamas until the end, despite a deadly attack on soldiers in Gaza.
And the family of an American man detained in Venezuela is asking for help to pressure the U.S. government to bring him home safely.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Well right now, E.U. leaders are arriving in Brussels for a high-stakes summit focused on Ukraine. There are growing calls to ramp up funding for Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion and to advance Ukraine's bid to become part of the European Union. But Hungary's Prime Minister is threatening to veto both of these initiatives. Viktor Orban is the closest E.U. ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and all decisions about future accession to the E.U. must be unanimous. So European leaders are about to engage in a lot of wrangling.
Now this comes shortly after the U.S. failed to replenish tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did get a pledge of nearly $800 million in financial and humanitarian assistance from Norway on Wednesday.
And CNN's Bianca Nobilo is following all of this. She joins us live from Brussels. Good Morning to you, Bianca. So, what is expected to come out of this European Council summit, particularly when it comes to the possibility of E.U. membership for Ukraine?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well good to talk to you Rosemary. This is a historic summit and the stakes are exceptionally high. You laid the groundwork therefore for why that is and that's because Ukraine has been struggling in its counteroffensive. Putin seems to be positioning himself from a greater stance of strength at the moment. He's even doing his annual Q&A this year which many are interpreting as a sign of renewed confidence in terms of his invasion of Ukraine.
So what happens here really matters and currently there is all to play for. We don't know how it's going to turn out and that's because the member states will be discussing renewed funding to Ukraine first and foremost and then this key question of whether or not Ukraine can begin formal accession talks to become the 28th member of the European Union.
Right now the leaders of the 27 member states are arriving in the building behind me. It is literally happening at this moment because we were having trouble with our live positions just before I went live with you because of snipers and security. So everybody's arriving now. There have been discussions last night and this morning between key players such as the German Chancellor, the Prime Minister of Hungary, the French President and key figures within the European Union to try and break this deadlock because as you say, all agreements have to be unanimous. Orban is Putin's closest European Union ally.
We know last night that a large amount of E.U. funding for Hungary around 10 billion euros was unfrozen. Now that had been frozen because of concerns to do with Hungary's rule of law. So there are some within the European Union, the Parliament especially, that are criticizing this saying it looks like bribery because the European Union need Hungary to be on side when it comes to getting more funding for Ukraine, possibly agreeing on Ukraine formally starting accession talks. So it's a bit of horse trading going on there, unfreezing these funds.
So the other question is, Rosemary, whether or not President Zelenskyy will come to this summit, whether he'll make an appearance. We know that he hasn't been shy in doing that. He's just been to the United States. He's been in Norway. He's come to the United Kingdom when he really needs funding or the next step of support.
But there's chatter this morning in Brussels that won't be happening because it might be seen as antagonistic to Orban and actually make these discussions even more difficult. So huge amounts at stake here, Rosemary, and we'll keep you posted on developments as we get them.
CHURCH: All right, we know you'll keep a very close eye on all this. I Appreciate it. Bianca Nobilo, joining us live from Brussels.
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Israel's defense minister says the military is pushing on with the fight against Hamas in northern Gaza. One day after nine Israeli soldiers were killed in a battle there, Yoav Galant says forces are hitting Gaza with great force and have a duty to complete the mission, dismantle Hamas and bring the hostages home. He said while the war comes with prices, he expressed confidence Israel would win the battle.
Meantime, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Israeli forces on Wednesday and spoke of the great pain felt in Israel after the loss of the nine soldiers. Tuesday's casualties are among the largest loss of life in a single incident for Israeli forces since the ground offensive began. But Mr. Netanyahu made clear the fight will go on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I want you to pass this along to the last of the soldiers. We are continuing until the end, until victory, until Hamas is annihilated. Let there be no doubt about this. This is important. It's a message I want to convey to each and every soldier over there. I say this in the face of great pain, but also in the face of international pressures. Nothing will stop us. We will go to the end, to the victory, no less than that. I thank you. We do it because of you, through you, with God's help and with your help. Thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: His comments come as mourners gathered in Israel to pay their final respects to an Israeli colonel killed in battle on Tuesday.
In Washington, the families of American hostages are praising the Biden administration after meeting with the president. CNN's MJ Lee has details from the White House.
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MJ LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, President Biden meeting in person here at the White House with some of the family members of those American hostages that are still being held captive in Gaza.
About a dozen of those family members, we are told, were here at the White House. Several others tuned in virtually. When these family members came out to speak to reporters afterwards, they said that they were grateful for the White House's continued close engagement with these families and they said that the Biden White House understands that each of their loved ones isn't just a name or a face, but that they are somebody's son, somebody's mother, somebody's grandmother. Here's what one of those family members said.
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, FATHER OF HOSTAGE SAGUL DEKEL-CHEN: It was a terrific, terrific meeting and conversation. I think we all came away feeling that as families of hostages, of American-Israeli hostages, which are eight out of a total of 138 hostages, we felt that and we felt before and we were only reinforced in seeing and believing that we could have no better friend in Washington or in the White House than President Biden himself and his administration.
LEE: And when I have spoken with some of these family members in recent days, they said understandably that they are starting to grow increasingly desperate for any news about their loved ones and any movement to get more hostages out.
You'll recall during the seven-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war, each day of that truce, a small number of hostages was successfully getting out, but that truce, of course, ultimately fell apart. The war has resumed and no hostages have gotten out since then. And so these family members are all pressing both the Israeli government as well as the Biden administration to basically get creative, to do really anything, take any action to try to get additional hostages out.
But the tough reality right now, according to CNN's reporting, is that there is no movement at the moment. There isn't even a formal negotiation to try to get Hamas back to the negotiating table as it relates to these hostages. Our reporting is that in recent days, Hamas has actually been entirely unresponsive to various overtures that have been made to once again discuss some kind of deal, some kind of negotiation to get more of these hostages out.
So that certainly is not good news for these families. But they did say after this meeting at the White House and seeing the president in person, that those meetings, that meeting, helped to refuel their hope that the White House is, in fact, trying to do everything that they can to get more of these hostages out of Gaza.
MJ Lee, CNN, the White House.
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CHURCH: Elliott Gotkine is following developments and joins me live from London. Good morning to you, Elliott. So what is the latest on Hamas not responding to getting hostage negotiations going again and also Israel canceling the trip of Mossad's chief to restart those talks?
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ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: That's right, Rosemary. None of those two issues bode well or over well for a resumption of this week-long truce that ended on December the 1st and saw some 80 Israeli hostages being released in addition to 25 foreign hostages and then about 240 Palestinian prisoners who were being held in Israeli jails being freed as well.
So from a senior U.S. official we are being told as MJ was just saying that Hamas is pretty much deaf to new overtures to return to the negotiating table to try to resurrect that truce or get a different deal, maybe even an improved deal, which would see not just the remaining women and children that are still being held captive by Hamas, who were kidnapped by the militant group on October the 7th, but also perhaps to include the men that it holds hostage as well.
But no movement there. And of course, we also have to remember that it was difficult enough to get that first truce in place. Israel and many in the U.S. administration believe that the intensification, the ratcheting up of that military pressure on Hamas is what will get them back to the negotiating table. But at the same time that makes the prospect of negotiations trickier, because don't forget the U.S. and Israel are going via the Qataris.
The Qataris speak to the Hamas political leadership in Doha. They then have to speak with the military leadership of Hamas inside the Gaza Strip, who of course are trying to remain undetected by the Israelis, who are at the same time trying to kill them. And as for the Mossad chief, this is the head of Israel's Foreign Intelligence Service.
This was a report that came out on Channel 13. We subsequently had confirmed at CNN by someone familiar with the hostage negotiations, telling us that David Barnea, the head of the Mossad, was due to go to Doha to try to give renewed impetus to get those truce negotiations back on track, but that trip was canceled by the Israeli government.
That has caused outrage among the families of those who have loved ones still being held captive inside the Gaza Strip. So while they feel that President Biden could not be, there could not be a better person in the White House to back their cause. they don't feel the same about the Israeli government. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right, Elliott Gotkine, joining us live from London. Many thanks.
A U.S. official says Israeli forces are testing a new strategy to try to degrade the Hamas tunnel network in Gaza by flooding them with seawater. It's being done on a limited basis for now to see if the operation could be scaled up. But it also comes with risks, as CNN's Nic Robertson reports.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): The tunnels themselves are big, big enough for fighters and their weapons, seen here in this Hamas propaganda video, which was also posted by the Israel Defense Force.
They are reinforced with concrete too. Two years ago, Hamas claimed to have built 500 kilometers, more than 300 miles of them. The tunnels are spread all over Gaza. This map over two years old.
The IDF says they've discovered 800 tunnel shafts so far and have destroyed 500 of them.
The entrances are often well hidden.
As I was shown by the IDF near a Gaza hospital, really well hidden, which means the tunnels can be really hard to find.
ROBERTSON: The idea of flooding the tunnels using the abundant seawater that's along the many miles of Gaza's Mediterranean shore is apparently a creative idea, not just to destroy Hamas and quite literally flush them out, but also to reach the parts of tunnels that might never be discovered from above ground. Now, it's not without its risks.
There could be hostages in those tunnels. There are very few details about how precisely the water is getting into the tunnels, how much water, how fast it's going in, or what you do if you suddenly discover you're flooding hostages, other than the IDF say they have begun carefully testing it and that this method is being trialed on a limited, limited basis.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Some of the tunnels are thought to be five floors deep. Some of the hostages who were freed have described them. This elderly hostage helped by her daughter.
YOCHEVED LIFSHITZ, FORMER HOSTAGE (through translator): We began walking inside the tunnels with a wet ground. It was moist all the time.
UNKNOWN: There are a huge, huge network of tunnels underneath. It looks like a spider web.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The IDF says it will proceed cautiously to make sure they are not flooding tunnels where the hostages are being held.
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ROBERTSON: It's significant that more than six weeks into the ground campaign, the full scale of the tunnel problem is only now really becoming apparent. Even controlling the streets above is not enough to locate all the tunnels. So flooding seems to be the new best option to really probe the extent of the invisible subterranean network, both destroying Hamas, hiding that and denying it their use.
Of course, a key. The caveat in success here is if you can't find the tunnel and it's not connected to a system you're already flooding, how effective can you be about flooding it and knowing that you're hitting, destroying the whole of the tunnel network?
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The dire humanitarian crisis is deepening in Gaza as Israel's war against Hamas intensifies. New video shows what overwhelmed hospitals are now facing and we want to warn you viewers may find the images disturbing.
The video was shot at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza on Wednesday and shows those injured being treated on the floor amid chaotic scenes. Many casualties were brought in on Wednesday after a reported strike. The Hamas-controlled health ministry said Wednesday the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 18,600, and it's not just the expanding war but also the weather that's bringing more misery to Gaza's displaced population. Heavy rain has flooded makeshift tents and some have had to dig trenches to try to keep the water out.
Well up to 45 percent of air-to-ground munitions Israel has used in Gaza are the so-called dumb bombs. That is according to the latest U.S. intelligence assessment described exclusively to CNN by three sources who saw it. The unguided or dumb bombs are less accurate and more likely to cause civilian casualties. The assessment comes amid rare U.S. public criticism of Israel.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said Israel is conducting indiscriminate bombings in Gaza, while the White House still supports Israel's claim that it's trying to protect civilians. CNN's senior White House correspondent, MJ Lee, pressed officials to explain that contradiction.
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LEE: Why insist that the intent is there to minimize civilian casualties when the president himself said yesterday that Israel is bombing indiscriminately?
JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Sometimes in war, and again I'm not speaking for the Israelis, sometimes in war your best plans, your best execution of those plans doesn't always go the way you want it to go. Doesn't always go the way you expect it to go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: For more, we are joined by Adam Day, the head of the Geneva Office of the United Nations University Center for Policy Research. He's speaking with us from Geneva. Appreciate you joining us.
ADAM DAY, UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH: Thanks, Rosemary. Good to be here.
CHURCH: So nearly half of the Israeli munitions dropped on Gaza are these unguided dumb bombs. That is according to U.S. intelligence. This of course undercuts calls from President Joe Biden for Israel to do all it can to avoid civilian casualties. And now the president is accusing Israel of indiscriminate bombings in Gaza, despite continuing to support Israel's claim that it's trying to protect civilians. It's very confusing. So how significant is this moment in the U.S.-Israel relationship, and could it signal a possible turning point, do you think?
DAY: I think it's a huge moment for U.S.-Israeli relations, and I think the main issue for Biden right now is an enormous loss of international support for how Israel's conducting this campaign.
And if you just look at the General Assembly resolution this week, which passed by 153 votes in favor, it really shows there's a far greater support for a ceasefire than for continuing this operation as it is now. And it's interesting to think that more countries voted to demand a ceasefire in Gaza than voted last year to condemn Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
And so I think the U.S. veto of the ceasefire resolution in the Security Council, its opposition to the G.A. resolution, has made it increasingly isolated internationally, and that's putting a lot of pressure on Biden. It's clearly a worry for him. His comments about indiscriminate bombing are really a signal to Israel, I think, that U.S. support is not necessarily totally unconditional or open-ended when it comes to this particular operation. CHURCH: Let's look at that because President Biden also warned Israel
on Tuesday that it's losing the support of the international community as the death toll rises in Gaza. But I mean, the same could be said of the U.S. as it continues to support Israel's war, as you point out, after the U.S. failed to support a U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for that ceasefire.
[03:20:03]
So how likely is it that the U.S. will feel the pressure to change its vote on this going forward given what we're hearing now from the U.S. President and others, they seem a little shaky in that support?
DAY: Yes, I think right now it's unlikely that the U.S. will change a vote on a ceasefire resolution in the Security Council as it's currently written. I do think that there's a proposal by the United Arab Emirates inside the Security Council for a ceasefire that might include some monitoring capacities. That's an interesting one. And I think that if Biden did want to send a signal of his disapproval of the way that the current campaign is going, not vetoing that proposal would be an interesting move.
If I had to guess, I'd say it would be unlikely. But I think the key thing that Biden needs to do is get out of this zero-sum politics of just a ceasefire on its own. There needs to be a package that includes some sort of transition that reassures Israel on security, but also reassures the region and the Palestinians that there is a plan for the day after. Because right now, my sense is -- is that a ceasefire on its own is a non-starter for Netanyahu and that's really what's putting a lot of pressure on Biden, why he's sending people to the region, including Jake Sullivan this week, to talk about what some of that package might look like.
CHURCH: Yeah. And serious talks there saying these will be. Of course, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu appears undeterred in his war, doesn't he? Forging ahead. But what needs to happen in Gaza once this war is over? Because Mr. Netanyahu and President Biden don't appear to agree on the same path forward. Certainly Israel isn't ready to embrace a two-state solution here. So what is the way forward?
DAY: It's a really tough starting point. And I think my starting point is that there are no good options and we shouldn't be naive about that. But I think if your starting point is that a ceasefire on its own is unlikely to reassure Israel. My argument in the piece I wrote with Emma Bapton in the "New York Times" has been it needs to be a ceasefire plus some other initiative. And then you have to go through the options that Biden and Netanyahu and the Palestinians have.
And option one that the Netanyahu has said, which is staying on in Gaza indefinitely, is certainly a non-starter for the E.U. and for the U.S. The U.S. has floated the idea of the Palestinian Authority taking over. I expect that will be a key line from Jake Sullivan's trip to Jerusalem today. But Netanyahu has said that he will not allow the Palestinian Authority back into Gaza. So in the short term, it doesn't seem like there's a PA option. in the long term that may be what is needed. CHURCH: Adam Day, joining us from Geneva, many thanks, I appreciate
it.
DAY: Thanks Rosemary, it's great to be here.
CHURCH: House Republicans unite behind their impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. Coming up, why they have formally authorized the probe despite no evidence of wrongdoing.
Plus a big legal victory for an Australian woman who was wrongfully convicted and spent 20 years behind bars. Back with that and more in just a moment.
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[03:25:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. U.S. President Joe Biden is calling the newly formalized impeachment inquiry into him a quote, "baseless political stunt." Every House Republican voted for the probe on Wednesday, despite no evidence that the president has committed an impeachable offense. CNN Chief Congressional correspondent Manu Raju has more on where things stand.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The House voted along straight party lines, 221 to 212 to open up a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. There actually had been an impeachment inquiry on the books, really since September, since Kevin McCarthy, then the Speaker of the House, announced that it would move ahead. There doesn't actually need to be a formal vote, but Republicans contended that there needed to be a vote to give them more power if they had to go to court to get records, if they thought they had to fight people who were defying their subpoenas, that this vote could help them push back on any of those claims that this was an illegitimate inquiry.
But the reality is that they wanted to try to show that the conference was united behind the idea that an impeachment investigation needed to happen. But that's not to say that members are united about charging the president with high crimes or misdemeanors. In fact, many of them who I spoke with simply said that they have not seen enough evidence or proof that shows that Joe Biden acted corruptly in any way to benefit his son Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings. Several of them said, let's wait to see what evidence ultimately is gathered before we make the decision about charging him with the high crime or misdemeanors.
Even some top Republicans indicated it is still possible that Joe Biden could get exonerated in the months ahead.
REP. RICHARD HUDSON (R-NC): Well, the vote today was a search for facts, and we're going to follow the facts wherever they lead. And if they exonerate the president, then we'll make that known to the American people.
RAJU: Could you guys really exonerate the president after all of this?
HUDSON: Well, we're following the facts. And, you know, A lot of these allegations are very serious and you guys should spend some time looking into them. And if we're wrong, report that.
RAJU: And Speaker Mike Johnson faces a real challenge in the weeks and months ahead because of the fact that there are a number of Republicans who are pushing to get Joe Biden impeached. Yet there are several in those swing districts who say that they want to see much more information before they're willing to vote for impeachment.
This drumbeat is going to get louder on the right to push for impeachment while Jermy Johnson in that razor-thin majority cannot afford to lose more than three Republican votes in order to move forward with impeachment. So it remains to be seen where Republicans go as they are now moving ahead in this impeachment inquiry after this party line vote.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The federal district court judge overseeing Donald Trump's election subversion case has paused all procedural deadlines while matters play out in the Court of Appeals. Judge Tanya Chutkin says she no longer has jurisdiction over some aspects of the criminal case. Whether or not Trump is actually immune from prosecution is being considered by the Court of Appeals right now. The special counsel overseeing the case has also requested the U.S. Supreme Court weigh in on the matter. It could end up affecting when the case goes to trial, which is set for March of next year.
For about 30 minutes from now, Russia's President is set to hold an end-of-year news conference, his first since the invasion of Ukraine. We will look at the contentious issues likely to be discussed. That's ahead.
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CHURCH: In about half an hour, the Russian president is scheduled to hold an end-of-year news conference for the first time since his country invaded Ukraine. Vladimir Putin will likely be asked about his recent announcement that he is seeking a fifth presidential term with elections in March. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian leader might enter the new year in high spirits after the U.S. failed to replenish its military aid to Ukraine.
And CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us live from London. Good morning to you, Clare. So what more can we expect to hear from President Putin at this event?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, this is his first sort of direct line, as he calls it, his first televised phone-in with citizens, as you say, since the start of the war in Ukraine. He skipped last year, and I think it's worth making that comparison to see how things have changed, right? Last year, Ukraine had just managed three successful counter offensives, the most recent one being the retake of Kherson, which was the biggest city Russia had managed to seize.
In the war, Russia had launched a mobilization which had led to an exodus of thousands of people abroad. So Putin's grip on power, his standing in the country was a little more shaky. This year, Ukraine's allies are hesitating. Its counteroffensive stalled and then fizzled out.
And so Putin does have the wind in his sails to some extent. He's also just announced he's going to run for a fifth term in office, which, you know, I think calling it an election might be optimistic given that there's no real opposition, but certainly his power seems pretty secure. And I think we might be able to see some of that in this event today.
It is a combination of both his end-of-year speech and this televised phone-in. So we may get some sense of it being sort of a proper kickoff for his election campaign. It's going to be quite long. Usually they last some hours. There'll be lots of different questions, some pretty local issues according to state media about asphalting roads in one region all the way to sort of military payments for servicemen in hospitals.
He is not just taking questions obviously from the citizens but it will be a press conference as well. He has invited some foreign journalists and I think that in itself projects the kind of confidence that we see from him at this point. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us live from London with that report.
Well, there is some indication that U.S. lawmakers may be making progress on a deal for more aid to Ukraine. Republicans had refused to consider that aid unless it was tied to a broader package, including U.S. immigration reform and border security. Well, now a senior Republican says an agreement in principle could be announced this week based on an offer from the White House. But some Democrats are slamming that plan. They say they're worried the White House is giving up too much to get more aid for both Ukraine and Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): I am concerned about it and I think it's an indication of the delicate position we're in on this compromise. I want to see what they proposed and study closely.
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): You know, we've seen now what the White House has sent over. I think to the extent that I've heard some Democrats express concern, I think that's progress. This is something to build on. And I, for one, think that we should stick around until we get it solved. I don't believe that we should leave next week. I think we need to stay here and negotiate it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Democrats say the White House plan would be a return to failed Trump-era policies such as expelling migrants at the southern border, expanding detention and placing limits on asylum.
The Ukrainian president is thanking Norway for providing additional support without delays, which as we mentioned are happening in the U.S.
[03:35:00]
During a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Nordic leaders in Oslo, the Norwegian prime minister pledged another $800 million in financial and humanitarian assistance and offered to provide Ukraine with air defense systems worth more than $30 million.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department says Tuesday's vote at the United Nations General Assembly makes it clear that the world wants the war between Israel and Hamas to end. An overwhelming majority of countries voted to support a ceasefire. But ultimately, the U.S. vetoed the resolution with the same spokesperson saying Washington doesn't think stopping Israel's offensive serves any long- term security interests.
Leaders from Canada, New Zealand and Australia, three of the United States' closest allies, issued a joint statement also calling for a ceasefire. But a spokesperson for the Israeli government says Hamas is using a carefully crafted image to draw sympathy from the international community.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EYLON LEVY, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON: We know that some nations are perhaps losing nerve. They're losing nerve because Hamas is working very hard to manufacture a humanitarian crisis. In Gaza, it continues to operate in civilian dress, out of civilian areas, deliberately trying to put civilians in harm's way, because it knows that those images will generate sympathy and sympathy will generate diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop defending ourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Still ahead, a U.S. citizen arrested in Venezuela. His family says he's being wrongfully detained and they're urging the Biden administration to help bring him home safely. I will have my interview with them, coming up.
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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. A woman once dubbed Australia's worst serial killer has finally cleared her name. Kathleen Folbigg spent 20 years in prison after being convicted of killing her four young children over a 10-year span.
But on Thursday she received a formal pardon after an independent inquiry found reasonable doubt about her conviction. New scientific evidence showed the deaths may have been caused by genetic factors. But Folbigg, who's been out of prison since June, says the initial lack of science was not the only problem in her case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHLEEN FOLBIGG, EXONERATED OF KILLING HER FOUR CHILDREN: I am grateful that updated science and genetics has given me answers as to how my children died. However, even in 1999, we had legal answers to prove my innocence. They were ignored and dismissed. The system preferred to blame me rather than accept that sometimes children can and do die suddenly, unexpectedly and heartbreakingly. I think the system and society needs to think before they blame a parent of hurting their children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:40:01]
CHURCH: Folbigg's attorneys and others are now pushing for the creation of independent review commissions in all Australian states.
A California family is urging the White House to help bring home their loved one, who they say is being illegally detained in Venezuela. 38- year-old Savoi Wright is a U.S. citizen. His family says Venezuelan authorities arrested him on October 24. They say he has been held for ransom and they're worried about his health and well-being. A family attorney now says Wright is facing terrorism charges and is accused of conspiring with Venezuelan opposition members. His family is calling on the Biden administration to designate him as wrongfully detained.
Well joining me now from Oakland, California is Erin Stewart, Savoi Wright's mother, and Moizee Stewart, Savoi Wright's sister. Thank you so much for joining us at this very difficult time. You both, of course, asking for help to bring Savoi home safely. He is a U.S. citizen and you say he has no political ties, but now we hear he's facing these terrorism charges, accused of conspiring with Venezuelan opposition members. Does that make any sense to you, Moizee? I'll start with you.
MOIZEE STEWART, SISTER OF SAVOI WRIGHT: First of all, just thank you so much for having us. We really appreciate having this opportunity to speak with you and answer your question. Absolutely not. Savoi, as my mom has mentioned in the past, is a gentle giant. He is a nomad. He travels and works remotely, as we all have as a family. And it is unfortunate that he has found himself in this circumstance.
You know, he was literally kidnapped. He has been held for a ransom, as you mentioned, which we paid. And now we're just really wanting him home. We're doing everything that we can. We've been pleading with the State Department, you know, really wanting to make sure that we get him home as soon as possible, you know, and we're just bumping into so many bureaucratic roadblocks, really, you know, and trying to do that. You know, they're requesting that we have him sign a privacy release form, which I understand, but we can't even, we can't gain access to him, his attorney can't gain access to him.
You know, so it's like it's just it's one thing after another where we're doing everything in our power, trying to urge, you know, our government to designate him wrongfully detained, which is so blatantly obvious. We're doing everything that we absolutely can.
CHURCH: And Erin, you say that your son's kidnappers demanded large sums of money and that you paid all the ransom demands. So why do you think they're still holding him? And what do you know about how he's being treated right now and where he might be?
ERIN STEWART, MOTHER OF SAVOI WRIGHT: Well, you know, I thank you again, Rosemary. We appreciate you so much.
We did pay the ransom and we continued to be extorted as he was passed from government facility to another government facility. And during that process, he was actually set to be deported. And then the military intelligence, who is where he is now, DGCIM, came in, intervened, and took him. And because he is American, we're assuming, they have now made him a political prisoner, along with the other American hostages.
We know that where he is, it is a place that is notorious for very inhumane treatment. We know that Savoi did pass out from the abuse and the neglect and was taken to a medical facility. We do know that horrible things go on there. Savoi was placed in forced disappearance for four weeks with them not even acknowledging that they had them and with no communication to the family.
And He was placed in solitary confinement. His human rights are being violated on a daily basis. His attorney has been denied access to him. And so it is a horrible situation and we are urgent not only for Savoi but for all of the Americans that are there, that are, you know, that we want them home. We want all of our families and our loved ones home.
CHURCH: Yeah, understandably. And Moizee, you mentioned problems with the American government. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department is telling CNN that they are aware that Savoi was arrested in Venezuela, but they say for privacy, safety and operational reasons they don't always make wrongful detention determinations public and they don't comment or discuss these cases.
[03:45:01]
What does that mean to you? You did mention a private -- privacy agreement that they wanted you to sign. But what help have you been receiving if any from the U.S. government on the treatment and hopefully safe return of your brother?
M. STEWART: Yeah, I feel like there's definitely an opportunity for more accountability, a lot more just proactive steps really. You know, it took a lot to even get a full acknowledgement, let alone a serious conversation about what's going on. I think we all can agree now, we know that Savoi has been detained.
You know, that's not a question. We have confirmed, heard from him himself, you know, that he is there. And we, like I said, we've just been encountering so many just levels of resistance really, you know, with being able to move forward with this process which it's so clear cut, you know, someone is kidnapped, we are extorted, he's held against his will, all of his human rights have been violated continuously, they're currently being violated and we're just told that there's not much that can be done, you know, and that you have to sign this form but it's like how do we even get this form to him and at the very least as his family?
We should be given that information. We are Savoi's advocates here on the ground in the United States. So we have to speak up for him. He doesn't have that right now and that's what we're doing. And still we're just, we're met with bureaucracy at every turn. So we're really pleading again with the U.S. government, the State Department to do everything that they can. You know, I do see that there is more of an effort being made to communicate with us. That's a step in the right direction, but really this is an urgent matter. You know, every day, every minute counts, and we need more action. We need him designated wrongfully detained. Not tomorrow, not next month, but now.
E. STEWART: And we're calling on Antony Blinken to review his case. It is very clear cut that Savoi is, should be designated wrongfully detained. And the other gentleman?
M. STEWART: Yes, Assistant Secretary of State of the Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols did actually include Savoi along with other three Americans that have been designated wrongfully detained, he included Savoi with that, you know, in a press conference recently, and we appreciate him acknowledging that because even he is able to see what is so blatantly obvious. Savoi should be designated wrongfully detained.
CHURCH: Erin Stewart and Moizee Stewart, let's hope your brother is brought home and your son is brought home safely and very soon. We thank you so much for talking with us and sharing, it's a living nightmare for you both.
E. STEWART: Thank you. And can we mention Savoi's GoFundMe, Bring Savoi Home? That would be very helpful if people would be willing to contribute to that. Thank you so much. We appreciate you.
M. STEWART: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Thank you so much. Thanks for talking with us. We appreciate you too.
The Turkish football referee who was punched by a club president after a game earlier this week has been released from hospital. The chief doctor of the hospital says the referee has some swelling in his eye but overall he's fine and in good spirits. Turkey's Football League is set to resume matches on Tuesday.
CNN's Scott McLean has more on the incident and its fallout on Turkish football.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A moment of rage from a top-tier club boss becomes a moment of shame for Turkish football. After his Ankara Gujju club concedes a goal late in the match on Monday, Faruk Koca storms onto the pitch and punches the referee in the face. Two others kick him while he's down. Shortly after, the referee emerges from the scrum with a very noticeable black eye. The ref is escorted off the field under police protection. The club president, though, needs none as he waves to the crowd.
On Tuesday, Koca was arrested in Ankara charged with injuring a public official. He told Turkish state news agency Anadolu his violent outburst was because of the ref's decisions during the match. A day later, he stepped down.
The incident has attracted nationwide condemnation. Even the Turkish president called the ref in his hospital bed. His doctor explained the prognosis.
There was a small crack, he said. But what makes us happy is that there was no brain damage.
The Turkish Football Federation has suspended all professional matches until next week. But in Istanbul, some fans are more shocked by that decision than the violence itself. Several pointed us to this incident in 2015, when shots were fired at the Fenerbahce team bus after a match, injuring the driver.
UNKNOWN: Ball Club Fenerbahce's car was literally shot by firearms and the league wasn't suspended. Now it's suspended just because one referee is attacked. I don't support it. I think it's very wrong.
[03:50:00]
MCLEAN (voice-over): The Referee Association called it a black mark on Turkish football and the culmination of an increasing level of abuse directed their way. We hope that this incident, to which the entire public should react and condemn, will become a turning point, it said in a statement.
While fans in Turkey widely condemn the violence, some also insist there is another serious problem.
MCLEAN: You think the problem is the referees are not very good?
MCLEAN (voice-over): They are not trained very well, he says. And it's not just Turkey soul-searching. The incident has sparked a wider debate across Europe about respect for referees.
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SR. SPORTS ANALYST: This is a criminal act within a sporting occasion. But I don't think any country in European football is blameless in terms of the lack of respect for the people who officiate our games.
MCLEAN (voice-over): Scott McLean, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And in the NBA, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has done it again. He has just been suspended indefinitely following an altercation during Tuesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns. During the third quarter, Green was being guarded by Phoenix Suns center Yousef Nerkic. He spun around wildly and his arm struck Nurkic in the face, knocking the Suns player to the ground. Green apologized and says it was an accident, but he was thrown out of the game, his third ejection this season and his second suspension. The NBA says it considered Green's quote, "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts."
Still to come, critics of the COP28 climate agreement say it's planned to move away from fossil fuels is not enough to stop a climate catastrophe. We will break down the deal, just ahead.
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CHURCH: Six people stranded off the coast of the Dominican Republic are safe thanks to the crew of a nearby cruise ship. Carnival Cruise Line's Vista received an emergency alert early Wednesday morning about a small cargo vessel that had capsized. The company says the ship immediately changed course and eventually saw six men on a small life raft. The men were rescued and brought on board. The ship was then advised to continue on its original course by the U.S. Coast Guard, which later rescued six other crew members.
Groups representing oil and gas producing nations are calling for new investments into fossil fuel projects. It comes right after the end of COP28, the climate summit, where delegates made the unprecedented call for countries to move away from the use of coal, oil and gas. CNN's Bill Weir breaks down reactions to the announcement at the summit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Of the 198 nations that gathered in Dubai. Any one of them could have derailed this global conference on climate change.
SULTAN AL-JABER, COP28 PRESIDENT: I must say that you did it.
WEIR (voice-over): So for some, there was a sense of relief when Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber gaveled in a groundbreaking agreement to transition away from fossil fuels.
AL-JABER: I see a request from Samoa. Samoa, you have the floor.
WEIR (voice-over): But the small island nations most vulnerable to climate change saw no reason to cheer.
[03:54:57]
ANNE RASMUSSEN, AOSIS LEAD NEGOTIATOR, SAMOA: We didn't want to interrupt the standing ovation when we came into the room, but we are a little confused about what happened. It seems that you just gaveled the decisions and the small island developing states were not in the room. We have come to the conclusion that the course correction that is needed has not been secured. We have made an incremental advancement over business as usual when what we really needed is an exponential step change in our actions and support.
WEIR (voice-over): The influence of petro-states is still evident in the half-measures and loopholes included in the final agreement, Al Gore tweeted about the watered-down language. And as OPEC congratulated the Sultan and called for oil field expansion, climate envoy John Kerry tried a more hopeful tone.
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE: The message coming out of this COP is we are moving away from fossil fuels, we're not turning back that is the future. And the United States is going to continue to lead the charge on this on the home front through investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law.
WEIR (voice-over): Those laws have uncorked billions in clean energy investment and the price of renewables has dropped so dramatically Texas leads the nation in wind power. But the U.S. is still producing and exporting oil and gas at record rates.
WEIR: John Kerry, I was trying to frame this as somewhat of a win. It's historic. They're finally using the F word at a COP in a meaningful way. But he has to come back to a White House that has approved massive liquefied natural gas infrastructure and drilling, you know, in Alaska and other places. How will those words work going forward into holding countries to account?
MICHAEL E. MANN, AUTHOR, "OUR FRAGILE MOMENT": Unfortunately, the reality is that it was a disappointing agreement because there was no agreement reached to phase out fossil fuels. There's much weaker tea language of transitioning away from fossil fuels. And the analogy I use, it's like your doctor telling you have diabetes and you promising him or her that you will transition away from eating donuts.
WEIR: Professor Mann is among the many climate scientists eager to remind us that to meet the goals of the Paris Accord that carbon pollution needs to decrease by over 40 percent by 2030. Right now, the current trajectory is only 10 percent.
Bill Weir, CNN New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" continues next, with Max Foster.
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