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Ringing in the New Year Around the World; Authorities Prepare for New Year's Eve in Times Square; Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Says He Will Not Resign; U.S. Sinks Houthi Boats That Were Attacking Container Ship. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 31, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

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[16:00:45]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Happy New Year's Eve to all our viewers and thank you for joining us on this final night of 2023. I'm Paula Reid in Washington. And we're counting down to the start of the New Year here in the United States, with just hours to go until the ball drops in New York City's Times Square.

Many parts of Eastern Europe and Asia have already kicked off the New Year with dazzling fireworks displays.

Let's take a look at some of those celebrations and let's start with Abu Dhabi, ringing in the New Year just an hour ago.

(FIREWORKS DISPLAY)

REID: Absolutely incredible, 5,000 drones were used to spell out that festival sign in the air. Abu Dhabi setting the bar quite high for 2024.

Now, let's take a look at Sydney, Australia.

(FIREWORKS DISPLAY)

REID: I mean, that is absolutely incredible, that show over the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Now, for something a little different, let's head to Tokyo, where they're starting the New Year with a beautiful lantern release.

(TOKYO'S LANTERN RELEASE)

REID: In Japan, lanterns are a symbol of good luck and happiness, the perfect way to welcome good things in the New Year.

Now, here's Hong Kong with a very energetic start to 2024.

(FIREWORKS DISPLAY) [16:05:58]

REID: What an amazing show from Hong Kong.

Now, let's head right to Times Square, where CNN's Richard Quest is watching all of the action. Richard, it looks like you have a crowd behind you. What's going on down there in Times Square?

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: Paula, I just love hearing and seeing those pictures from around the world marking the date change into the New Year. And in many ways with true New York arrogance, I will say they're just a prelude for what's going to happen in Times Square in about eight hours from now.

Now, bear in mind the people I'm going to introduce you to have been here for at least eight, nine hours. They have got many more hours to go. You think they would be tired, exhausted, you think they would be weary. Are you tired?

CROWD: No!

QUEST: Where are you from?

CROWD: New Hampshire.

QUEST: You haven't come that far.

Where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: China.

QUEST: Oh, you come from China. That's a long way.

Yes, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From North Dakota.

QUEST: North Dakota.

Right now, they did tell you, didn't they, that once you get into the square, you can't leave?

CROWD: Yes.

QUEST: And you're all prepared?

CROWD: Yes.

QUEST: They know what I mean by that. Because once you're in the square, you ain't getting out until after midnight, or if you do leave, you can't come back, which has all sorts of implications. It's too early to be talking about that.

What's going to happen at midnight? Over there is the ball. It's not lit up. It's at the top. At 6:00, the ball will go up to the top. It will flash, and then we wait. And then at midnight, it comes down. Paula, it's an interesting question, why do they shove a ball all the way to the top of a pole, only to bring it all the way back down again? It's one of those traditions and there's no -- I have been doing this a long time in Times Square, and there's nowhere better.

REID: Right? You have folks there from North Dakota, New Hampshire, they're ready for the cold, but they have another eight hours.

I know you have been doing this for a really long time. Let's talk about some of your favorite moments over the years from Times Square.

QUEST: Yes, really long time indeed. And we have been doing this for I think this is my -- please, carry on. Hello, welcome onboard. There's a seat over there. I think this is my 23rd year in Times Square of doing it. And each time I say never again. Never again.

But there is something extraordinary about this place at New Year's Eve. You get to sing -- imagine all the people and then you have -- and we all kick and sing "New York, New York". These people don't believe -- you don't believe me, do you?

CROWD: We believe you.

QUEST: Stunned into silence. Either that or they're asleep. Paula, it's brilliant.

REID: Richard, we have a favorite moment from your coverage in Times Square back in 2021. This is you dressed as Lady Liberty. I mean, look at you. You were glowing.

Do you have any costumes planned for tonight?

QUEST: Do I have any costumes planned for tonight? The answer is a yes and no. You'll only see the full blueness of the costume later when you'll see it all later. And then of course, there will be the tuxedo.

Let's turn to our -- oh, look who we have here. Happy New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.

QUEST: How many years have you been doing this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been here four times.

QUEST: Four times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not four times in a row, four times. Isn't it the most exciting thing ever?

QUEST: It is, I think so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best when Frank Sinatra plays and the confetti falls.

QUEST: All right. The crowd, they think you're dead. [16:10:01]

You're not dead. Prove you're not dead.

(CHEERS)

QUEST: All right. All right, all right. Go back to sleep. They can go back sleep. They have a few more hours to wait.

It is quite amazing. We are in Times Square, Anderson and Andy will be here later with the New Year's Eve special. You'll get to see me doing extraordinary things.

REID: I can't wait for that. The multiple costume changes, I can't wait. Those folks have eight hours. How are they going to pass the time? You have to stay where you are. Are you responsible for entertaining them until midnight?

QUEST: There's a variety of people who will entertain them. The way they do it, and to be fair, the organization, the police do it brilliantly. I mean, they pen the streets. So you have one street, then a pen for the next street, then for the next one.

They fill up from times square upwards towards Central Park. If you come up here, you'll see. I'm getting into practice. You see they do thin out a bit once you get here. There is room for people, good lord. What are you all doing? They can thin out.

And by the time we get to midnight, this lot will all be standing, or comatose, one or the other. But they seem to be enjoying themselves. People always say to me, is this a hard gig? I always say absolutely not. This is one of the easiest of the year.

Think about it, Paula. You have got thousands of people, up to a million people. They're all penned in. They have been here since 10:00 this morning. There's no alcohol that we can see of, and they can't go to the toilet. This does not get easier than that.

REID: No, it's quite the party, Richard. Thank you so much. We'll be checking back in with you.

And don't miss Anderson --

QUEST: Thank you very much.

REID: And don't miss Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen tonight, back to ring in the New Year from Times Square. It all starts at 8:00 tonight here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

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REID: Earlier today, after yet another Houthi attack on container ships in the Red Sea, American Navy helicopters came under fire and shot back, sinking three Houthi boats can killing those on board. This is the first time since the October 7th attacks on Israel that the U.S. has killed members of the Iranian-backed Houthi group who have been targeting vessels in the major shipping lanes to show support for Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.

Despite the consistent provocations, the White House says it is not seeking a wider conflict and being careful not to further inflame tensions in the Middle East.

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JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We don't seek a conflict wider in the region. We certainly aren't looking for a conflict with the Houthis. We've got significant national security interests in the region just on our own, the United States, and we're going to put the kind of forces we need in the region to protect those interests and we're going to act in self defense going forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: CNN's Kevin Liptak is live in St. Croix where the president is traveling.

All right. Kevin, you have been following the developments in the story. How serious is this incident today?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, it is an escalation because this is the first time that the U.S. has actually killed a member of the Houthi rebel group since October 7th. Now, the U.S. military says that this was in self defense, and the way they describe it is that this commercial vessel that was transiting the Red Sea was trying to be boarded by these Houthi rebels who were in small boats.

They called for help from the military, the military sent two helicopters. The Houthis fired on these U.S. helicopters. The U.S. helicopters shot these boats, sank them, and killed all of those aboard.

So this is the first time that the U.S. actually targeted the Houthis in this act of self-defense. But it is an escalation and a continuation of what we have been seeing in the Red Sea for the last several weeks, which is the Houthi rebels trying to target commercial trade in that region, commercial ships, merchant ships. That's a major concern for the White House because this is such a critical shipping route.

And in fact, the owner of the ship, Maersk, had just started re-going through the Red Sea, as this was happening. Now they have said that they will suspend transits in that sea for the next 48 hours.

But certainly, the Houthis are not the only Iranian proxies that the U.S. is concerned about. You have seen the U.S. carry out air strikes in Syria and Iraq against these proxy groups who have targeted U.S. troops. They have not taken strikes in Yemen against the Houthis because I think the White House is very seriously concerned about escalating this crisis even further, so this is certainly an issue that President Biden will still be dealing with as we enter the New Year.

Now, we do know that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be traveling to Israel and the Middle East next week, certainly at the top of his agenda are these continued discussions with the Israelis about shifting to a lower intensity phase of their conflict in Gaza. The U.S. would like to see that happen soon. So this is certainly a very large issue that remains on President Biden's plate heading into the New Year, Paula.

REID: Kevin Liptak, thank you.

And amid the escalating attacks on cargo ships and the U.S. military in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis, some lawmakers are calling on the White House to respond more forcefully.

Here's Republican congressman and House Intelligence Committee chair, Mike Turner of Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): This administration has been very timid in responding to escalations by Iran. The president absolutely has to look at what actions need to be taken in Yemen to be able to prevent the Houthis to continue to put commercial and military vessels at risk.

[16:20:00]

The fact that the president is not doing that is giving Iran a total pass and ability to operate without consequences in the area.

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REID: The White House says that it is being careful not to encourage war to spread in the already inflamed Middle East.

And joining me is Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia of California.

Congressman, thank you for joining us.

I want to ask you first to respond to what you just heard there. I mean, is the White House giving Iran a free pass?

REP. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): No, I mean, look, I think -- I think President Biden has it just right. This is a very delicate situation, and certainly it's a lot of seriousness that needs to be taken on the approach here.

You have a very important trade route. You have commercial vessels, quite large commercial vessels as well, moving goods in and out of the area and out of the route. And you have to insure that trade is happening in a way that protects the area and that is getting people goods they need.

So the U.S. is seeking the absolute right approach, carefully engaging, obviously, what happened earlier was self-defense. This idea that the president or the White House does not take Iran seriously is completely false. I mean, Iran is clearly a danger to the region. Clearly, their abuses of civil rights and human rights of their own people can disturb everyone.

The president has been very forceful against the entire government, the authoritarian government that Iran is really pressing on, and really I think hurting, not just their own people, but the entire region.

So we have to take what's happening with the Houthis and their attacks on commercial vessels very seriously. And so, I really support the president and the president's approach.

REID: Is there a point where the U.S. should consider pre-emptive strikes on these militant groups? I mean, they're targeting vital shipping lanes and now military vessels?

GARCIA: Well, firstly, the United States is working with international partners. We're not the only ones out there that are dealing with what's happening now.

I think that the approach right now is correct. We have a very volatile region right now. There's a lot happening in the Middle East. Obviously, the conflict that's happening in Gaza and Israel is incredibly serious. And this idea that we're going to preemptively start attacking and inflaming a very delicate conflict is wrong.

I think the White House's approach is correct. We have to take each instant carefully, assess them, but also insure this important trade route remains open.

You have seen Maersk, one of the largest commercial shipping routes in the world pull out now for a few days. We can't see that continue. That trading route has got to stay open.

REID: So, I want to turn to Israel and Ukraine right now. Our allies, they're waiting for Congress to provide critical military aid. Let's listen to what Senator Lindsey Graham told ABC about balancing foreign and domestic priorities when it comes to aid packages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): It will be a package. I want to help Israel. They're under siege, and I'm not objecting to Secretary Blinken sending them weapons as an emergency declaration. I think it makes sense.

Ukraine, I want to help desperately, but we have to help ourselves. I cannot come back to South Carolina and talk about giving aid to Ukraine and Israel if the border is still broken. It is not broken, it is in chaos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: So what concessions are you willing to make to get a deal done here?

GARCIA: I think we first have to have the same set of facts. The truth is we have been trying to get a funding package for Ukraine, for our allies, humanitarian aid in Gaza, now for months. And the truth is that Republicans have blocked that because they have tried to insert very extreme border and immigration policy at the last minute.

We've been pushing for actual immigration reform and border policy now for years. And the truth is that there hasn't been a real immigration package in over 30 years that has gone through the Congress. So we're happy to have a conversation about what actually works on the border, funding, additional support for border patrol, technology, but immigration reform is important.

Instead of talking about draconian measures or demonizing immigrants or trying to rewrite our asylum laws in a matter of weeks we should get the funding needed to our allies, get Ukraine the support they need and delink these two conversations. We're absolutely ready to have a real conversation on immigration reform, but Republicans want to ram through an entire rewriting essentially of all of our immigration laws and link that to aid to Ukraine. They're holding hostage aid to Ukraine, and that's not right.

REID: But you would agree that immigration and the border will likely be one of the top issues going into the 2024 election. People see what's happening and the senator there described it as chaos. That is what most voters see right now. You agree this is going to be a major issue?

GARCIA: Look, I think most Democrats are going to tell you that our immigration system needs major reform and is broken. We have said that, President Biden has said that.

[16:25:01]

On President Biden's first day in office, he actually proposed a massive immigration overhaul that Republicans won't bring up and continue to reject.

So we understand immigration should be a big issue in 2024. And we had there their -- solutions are there around guest workers programs, foreign aid, technology at the border, strengthening the asylum system, making sure there's actually a process that folks can get through, but instead, I think people like Lindsey Graham, folks like Donald Trump, want to demonize immigrants over and over again and actually propose no real solutions. We're willing and ready to have that conversation, but for some reason, they're unwilling to delink the two and want to link extreme border policies to funding our allies in Ukraine.

REID: I had another Democratic lawmakers on and we talked about this, and the answer I also got is Republicans make it impossible to do something on the border. A new Monmouth poll finds among the top policy issues, immigration is where Biden gets his lowest scores. I mean, could this inability to do something about immigration and the border no matter who is at fault in your mind, could this cost him a second term?

GARCIA: Look, we're going to -- President Biden is going to win a second term. We're going to be running against a 91-count indicted essential criminal for president. So I think we're very confident that campaign is going to do what it needs to do.

But I agree, immigration and the border, immigration is the reason why I ran for Congress. I'm an immigrant myself. I came to the U.S. as a young child. I became a citizen in my early 20s. Our immigration system is broken. This is also a country that was largely built on the innovation and the hard work of immigrants, who built this country.

And so, this idea that somehow we're doing to demonize immigrants today is not right, it's wrong. We want and need real immigration reform. We should have this debate openly in this country, but this idea of somehow linking it to the conflict in Ukraine is incorrect. Quite frankly, it's shameful.

Immigration deserves its own robust debate in this country. We're ready to have that. There are real solutions, by the way, which are bipartisan. I talked to numerous Republicans, particularly some of those that are a little bit more moderate, that actually agree that immigration reform can get done, but we have to come together to do it.

REID: Congressman Garcia, thank you for joining us.

GARCIA: Thank you.

REID: And it's one of only a few days out of the year that seems to bring people together. More of our spectacular displays from around the world as people ring in the New Year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:30:00]

REID: Welcome back. We are less than eight hours away from turning the page on 2023 here in the U.S., but many parts of the world have already ushered in 2024 with dazzling celebrations.

Let's take a look starting with CNN's Will Ripley in Bangkok, Thailand.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Happy New Year from Bangkok. And I'll tell you what, I can't imagine a cooler, more incredible, awesome place to be to ringing the New Year than where we were standing on this rooftop along the Chao Phraya River here in old town Bangkok. We were surrounded by temples, first of all, and there were fireworks displays happening in every single direction.

But the most spectacular one was the one that was so close, I felt that -- I swore I could feel the heat coming off of it right above our heads along the Chao Phraya River across from the temple of dawn. A very auspicious place, they say, to ring in the New Year because it's a symbol of new beginnings. And that is what a lot of people were here celebrating, a new marriage for a couple from New York that had to delay their honeymoon because of COVID, people from all over the world.

I walked down the sidewalk and I heard five or six different languages spoken over the course of just a few minutes. Truly an international, inclusive and really amazing, enriching experience to be here in Bangkok to ring in 2024.

Will Ripley, CNN, Bangkok.

REID: Will Ripley, thank you. Now to CNN Correspondent Marc Stewart in Seoul, South Korea. Happy New Year, Mark.

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, Happy New Year. Annyeonghaseyo, hello, from a very chilly Seoul, South Korea, a city that thrives on innovation and technology, and we saw that very much tonight from my spot here in the city center.

Just after midnight, a giant globe lit up, lighting the entire crowd. And we saw a red heart in the center. You could say it's a symbol of love, peace and prosperity for the New Year to come. And then on the other side of the river at the Lotte Tower, the fifth tallest building in the world, a dazzling light display, and for the more traditional, the ringing of bells, a way to usher in the New Year.

And I should point out it is already 2024 here in South Korea. And for many families, it will be a day spent together honoring elders as well as having a bowl of warm soup with rice cakes.

Paula, I hope the New Year for you brings health, happiness and lots of prosperity. Back to you.

REID: Warm soup sounds lovely. Marc Stewart, thank you.

And back in the U.S., our CNN Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the new year's forecast. All right, Elisa, what can we expect as people welcome 2024?

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's actually pretty quiet out there, which is really nice and refreshing for all of those people that are in Times Square. You're looking at some pretty dry, quiet conditions, chillier than it was last year. You can see all of those people out there, of course, bundled, looking at temperatures in the upper 30s around midnight when that ball drops, but not like last year.

[16:35:05]

Last year at midnight in Times Square, we actually hit a record, one of the warmest ball drops on record, so, not quite as warm this year.

But there it is, that ball drop. You could see the gray with some of those clouds, those clouds coming in from this little system that's bringing some snow to the Great Lakes and Chicago. It tries to move east as we go through the night here, bringing some snow showers to Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia as well.

It's not impressive, though. There's not much showing up on radar, and when you look at the rain and snow totals, you're looking at a dusting of snow, maybe up to four inches of snow in the Appalachian Mountains there, but other than that, it's pretty unimpressive, which is what's leaving us with a pretty quiet New Year's here.

This area of high pressure kind of takes over, keeps us quiet through the evening. So, here's a snapshot at midnight. There are some of those rain and snow showers. You might have a flake or two flying with a confetti in New York.

There are those chilly temperatures, 25 at Minneapolis at midnight, so most of us in the upper Midwest there below freezing.

Here's a look at that ball drop forecast, temperatures around 40 degrees by midnight, mostly cloudy skies, a little bit of a wind.

You're going to find those wind chills in the middle and upper 30s, so definitely chillier than last year. Look at the top five warmest ball drops here on record. The last two years may top five. Third warm is 54 degrees, as we ring in 2023, the fifth warmest as we rang in 2022, all those temperatures in the middle and upper 50s. The coldest, all those temperatures are in the single digits. 2018 is the second coldest on record, at nine degrees. We got kind of close to that record that was set back in 1918, only one degree at the ball drop.

As we look towards New Year's Day, things are going to stay pretty quiet. Temperatures seasonal for the most part, a little bit chilly in spots, a high of only 50 degrees, and Atlanta is about five degrees below average. But, overall, a quiet start to the New Year when not much rain or snow coming down with the confetti. Paula?

REID: Elisa Raffa, thank you.

And as millions are expected to gather in New York Times Square, as you would expect, law enforcement authorities are on high alert, making sure people celebrating there are safe.

So, we have lots to discuss with CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem. All right, Juliette, thanks for joining us.

On a night like tonight, what is law enforcement looking for tonight?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, they're, I mean, they're looking at general threats. And we know from the New York Police Department, there's no specific credible threats against this New Year's Eve. But, look, the threat environment is higher because of global conflict, because of conflicts here, domestic conflicts here. We are a society that is heavily armed. People party tonight, all sorts of -- it's like a pool of things that could go bad. And so that's what law enforcement is looking for in terms of protecting the public.

The other thing that they're doing is if anything should happen, you begin to get, say, crowd control loss or crowd surges, or even a minor disruption that then causes a lot of havoc, that they're prepared to be able to communicate and guide the public to safety should something happen.

REID: And, of course, there are concerns about protests over the Israel-Hamas War. How much does that impact the security preparation on a night like this?

KAYYEM: So, this -- you know, and the NYPD was pretty honest about this. Look, there are going to be protests. They have already been announced publicly, mostly pro-Palestinian protests is what we're seeing online.

Look, the First Amendment exists on New Year's Eve. People are allowed to protest. But given the nature of the population in terms of the number of people, where they're congregating, past concerns about New Year's Eve, the NYPD can put time, place and manner restrictions on how those protests occur.

So, you're free to rally and protest. That's your right. But if it is disruptive to, say, crowd control or the ability of the crowd to move safely or the ability of law enforcement to protect the crowd, there can be restrictions, including up to arrest, although no one wants it to get to that. If the protests can remain peaceful and not restrict movement, then the NYPD should allow them to go on.

REID: And at this point, are you aware of any active threats against specific targets here in the U.S.?

KAYYEM: No, we've seen none. I mean, at least the briefings that have been coming out of both local police and, of course, DHS, nothing. But, look, I mean, the last couple months is every couple weeks, the FBI director comes out and says that there is a heightened threat environment. We also have -- given the war between Israel and Hamas, there is also domestic violence, which we know exists in terms of radicalization and something that the FBI has been focused on.

[16:40:05]

Those are of concern. And I am not minimizing them, and they are things that law enforcement looks at.

But also another concern is people just really dumb tonight. I'll just be honest with you. They just kind of go crazy and don't act in ways that are safe. That then elevates law enforcement reaction, can get crowds to respond. So, you're also just looking at people partying too hard. I sound old and like a mother, but just sort of regulate your excesses tonight, as we say.

REID: Well, let's talk a little bit about what you call the dumb behavior. We have lots of people in a crowded area. I mean, what really is the biggest obstacle of providing security on a night like this? Is it just sort of protecting people from themselves?

KAYYEM: Yes, in some ways it is. And I think the biggest challenge on a night like tonight, and our fancy correspondents are in much fancier places than us, but even in New York, the challenge is, of course, situation awareness. Does law enforcement and emergency responders know what's going on in real time to be able to protect the crowd?

There is so much activity now, so many lights, so much fun and so many crowds that sometimes it can be hard to know what's actually happening. And that's, I think, the sort of biggest fear when it comes to the ability of law enforcement to react.

So, that's why we talk about things like see something, say something, be cognizant of your environment, be cognizant of your ability to move around and other issues like that if you're in big crowds tonight, or you can stay home, like many of us, and wake up tomorrow at a reasonable hour. It works for me. It's worked for me a long time.

REID: Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for joining us and Happy New Year.

KAYYEM: Happy New Year to you and everyone watching.

REID: And much more ahead of our countdown to New Year's. Coming up, Paris getting ready to ring in 2024. We'll bring that to you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:45:00]

REID: Well, despite growing pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not resign from office. Answering questions during his Saturday evening news conference, Netanyahu says Israel's war against Hamas will continue for many months.

The Prime Minister faces intense criticism for failing to anticipate the October 7th attacks. Now, new polls show his favorability is dwindling as the conflict drags on and hostages remain in Gaza.

Elliott Gotkine has more on what may be ahead in the New Year.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Israel doesn't really do New Years. Sunday and Monday are normal working days here in the country. But even if it did, understandably, it wouldn't be in the mood for celebrating. 2023 was the worst year in modern day Israel's history since it was founded in 1948.

This, of course, owing to those Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October the 7th that killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 200. There are still more than 100 people being held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas and other groups.

But as 2023 comes to a close, there is cautious optimism that we could be inching towards talks that could see another truce coming into effect, and some or all of those hostages being freed in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. This, of course, would be done via Qatari mediation.

If a truce were to come into effect, it would also bring welcome and very much needed relief to the Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, where, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 20,000 people have been killed. Those figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

At the same time, there is a humanitarian disaster unfolding there. There is hunger. There is disease. There is overcrowding. And a truce would not only allow humanitarian aid to go into the Gaza Strip, but would also provide relief from the fighting that has caused so much death and destruction.

Of course, just because things are bad doesn't mean that they can't get any worse. But as we move into 2024, there is at least perhaps some hope that things will get better in the coming year.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Tel Aviv.

REID: Elliott, thank you.

Now to Russia and Vladimir Putin's year-end address. Earlier this New Year's Eve, Putin stood alone before the Kremlin calling for unity in what can only be called a subdued speech.

Putin made no direct mention of Russia's war with Ukraine nor the number of Russian dead in the two-year conflict, nor did he mention the attack on the Russian city of Belgorod that occurred just hours before his address.

This year's speech was in sharp contrast to last year when he stood behind grim-looking soldiers to make a stern call for sacrifice in what he cast as a fight for survival.

Now, I want to discuss this with CNN Contributor Jill Dougherty who once served as this network's Moscow bureau chief.

[16:50:05]

Thank you so much for joining us, Jill.

I want to start by asking you, what do you think accounts for Putin's change in tone this year?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I think it's a war, and I think also it's the upcoming, don't forget, presidential election in Russia in March of this coming year. And I think both of those are playing a role in this.

I mean, essentially, you're right. Last year, he had the soldiers behind him. This year, he has a gigantic war behind him, which, alternately, he's trying to tell people isn't really affecting life that much. And on the other hand, he is urging them to be united.

And I think that's the message. I looked at every minute of his relatively short speech. And, you know, here are the headlines, firm, unshakable. What unites us is the fate of the fatherland. We are united in battle. And never back down.

So, I think what he's saying is he's trying to look like a winner to his people, even though you have enormous casualties right now and on the Ukrainian side. And then also, he's trying to say that the country is united in a way that it never has.

And he really needs that because even in Russia at this point, it is hard to convince everybody to support this war. There are some people who oppose it. And so his mission is to look like the winner and really say, you know, we are united in this battle.

REID: And is that why we heard no mention of the hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers estimated to have been killed or wounded, nor any mention of the Ukrainian attacks in Russia? Of course, we know the latest was more than 20 people killed on Saturday in Belgorod. Does he have a sort of a fear of bringing this up?

DOUGHERTY: He cannot bring it up. Number one, those facts, how many people died, how many people were injured are secret. The government will not reveal them. And you know that just recently, a couple of weeks ago, U.S. intelligence said there are about more than 300,000 Russian forces that have been either killed or injured in these two years. It's an enormous number. So, Putin obviously doesn't want to talk about that.

And the other problem is that they have to get more troops into the meat grinder. And so what they're doing is trying to avoid an all-out mobilization. Remember, the last time they had even a partial mobilization, people fled the country. There were a lot of people who tried to avoid the draft.

So, right now, that's his dilemma. He needs to get more troops. Where he's going to get them, Paula, is from the poorer areas of Russia, not from the big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, where people might, might protest. But he's going to get them from areas that need money and these men are going to fight because they're being paid.

REID: Interestingly, Journalist Nathan Hodge, the former Moscow bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, he called this year's address a quote, master class in spin. Do you agree?

DOUGHERTY: Oh, no question. I think Nathan knows that country very well. And that really is what it is. Putin, half of this battle is military. There's no question. But a lot of it is the minds of people, convincing Russians that even though they are losing these enormous numbers of people, even though a lot of people, I do believe, think that this war that Putin started is a mistake.

Putin's mission, his job, is to convince people now that sacrifice, sacrifice, kind of like World War II sacrifice that the Russians had, that's the primary purpose of Russians. And it's the primary purpose, I think he would argue, of mothers that they sacrifice their children for this war. It's a pretty brutal message, but I think that's what he's trying to do.

REID: Well, clearly, as you know, he wants the world to think that he's winning. Is it a foregone conclusion that he will eventually win in Ukraine? DOUGHERTY: You know, winning is kind of a strange word because what exactly does it mean. It's territory, it's men, it's economy, et cetera. But I think what he's going to try to do, and taking that word from Nathan, is spin it, that he won this. Regardless of how it goes, he needs domestically to spin it as a win. Otherwise, he has some domestic problems.

REID: Jill, thank you so much and Happy New Year.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you.

REID: And we are just moments away from midnight in Athens, Greece.

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You're looking at live pictures, and we'll bring that to you after this break.

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REID: You are in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Paula Reid in Washington. And Happy New Year's to all our viewers. We are counting down to the start of the New Year. This is a live look at Times Square, where just hours from now, millions will witness the ball drop. Revelers are already bundled up in the cold, ready to ring in 2024.

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We have a live team of reporters mingling with the crowd and giving us an inside look at all the fun.