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Pressure Grows on Israel Over Imminent Ground Offensive on Rafah; NATO Responds to Trump's Comments on Encouraging Russian Attacks; Israel's Prime Minister Hails Hostage Rescue Operation as Perfect; Concerns Raised for Civilians Amid Israeli Airstrikes in Rafah; Aftermath of Israeli Airstrikes Reveals Tragic Loss of Civilian Lives; Russian Recruitment of Nepalese Mercenaries Raises Concerns. Two Hostages Rescued from Rafah Reunite with Families; Young People Could Decide Indonesia Elections. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired February 13, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause, ahead here on CNN.

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UNKNOWN: The world must not allow this to happen.

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VAUSE (off-camera): Pressure grows on Israel over its imminent ground offensive on Rafah, with fears for the safety of more than a million already displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

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UNKNOWN: Cannot be a la carte military alliance.

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VAUSE (off-camera): NATO strikes back after Donald Trump says he would encourage Russia to attack alliance members who haven't, in his words, erroneous words, paid up. And a CNN exclusive, how Russia is recruiting thousands of men from Nepal. Cannon fodder on the front lines of the war with Ukraine.

VAUSE: Israel's prime minister has described the rescue of two hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza not only as a perfect operation, but one of the most successful in Israeli history. Part of the rescue involved hours of intense airstrikes around Rafah, killing dozens of civilians, including children. And that has now increased pressure on Israel to stall its imminent ground offensive on Rafah, with the United States, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and others, raising concerns for the safety of more than a million people taking refuge in Gaza's southernmost city.

But for Israelis, on Monday, there were celebrations, as the two hostages were reunited with family, after being apart for 128 years. These images were recorded by the IDF, just after Israel's counter- terrorism force stormed the building where the two men were being held. They were later flown to a medical center in Israel, and despite their ordeal, both are said to be in relatively good health. This is only the second successful hostage by the Israeli military, bringing high praise from Benjamin Netanyahu.

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BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: A perfect operation, a perfect execution. And I want to tell you how proud I am of you. I'm proud of you, of the Shin Bet, the IDF. You work together like an oiled machine.

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VAUSE (off-camera): Sources tell CNN, though, the U.S. President is becoming increasingly frustrated with the Israeli Prime Minister, who he says is ignoring his advice, especially when it comes to the high number of civilian casualties. President Biden, though, has not criticized Netanyahu publicly, but he was blunt about his concerns over Israel's ground offensive in Raqqa, issuing this warning during a joint appearance with the King of Jordan at the White House.

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JOESEPH BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: The major military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan, a credible plan for ensuring the safety and support of more than one million people sheltering there. Many people there have been displaced, displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north, and now they're packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected.

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VAUSE: For many around the world, the high death toll in Rafah overnight Monday was a preview, a bit small but still terrifying, of what could happen during Israel's looming ground offensive. CNN's Nadia Bashir takes a closer look at the aftermath of what the Israeli Prime Minister says was a perfect operation. First a warning, some of the images in her piece are graphic and hard to watch.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Yet another distraught Palestinian mother, her hands and face bloodied, her injured daughter limp, carried out of the car. Around them, more casualties arrive, badly wounded. Some of the youngest in a state of shock. The horror that they have faced will be hard to move past. We were at home when the airstrikes began, this young girl says. I told my mother that I wanted to use the bathroom, then suddenly all the walls of the bathroom and all the water containers above us collapsed on me. This was the scene overnight. A terrifying series of airstrikes by the

Israeli military on a city where some 1.5 million people are now concentrated. The target, said to be Hamas, part of an operation to secure the release of two Israeli hostages. But as dawn breaks on the southern border city, it's clear that the aftermath is yet again one of sheer tragedy. Bullet holes ripped through the thin plastic of this tent. Inside, the bodies of displaced civilians, killed while they were sleeping.

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We were asleep and then suddenly we heard the sound of missiles falling around us, Heysa (ph) says. We could hear the gunfire, the destruction. According to the Palestine Red Crescent, at least 100 people were killed overnight. But that figure is expected to rise, with many still believed to be buried beneath the rubble. At least a dozen residential buildings are said to have been targeted, according to local officials.

We're civilians. We're not part of the resistance. We haven't taken up arms, this man says. Look around here. Everybody here worked on the land. We're civilians, not fighters. Eyewitnesses tell CNN that Israeli helicopters fired machine guns around the border area. A foreboding warning of what could lie ahead for this city, with Israel now threatening to launch a ground offensive on Rafah. We were first displaced to Khan Yunis, where we had many difficult nights, Nasser says. Then we came to the Egyptian border, to Rafah. We can't be displaced anymore. The Israeli military has been directed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prepare for a mass evacuation of civilians from Rafah drawing criticism from many inter the international community.

The UN human rights chief warned on Monday that any ground operations could lead to further quote atrocity crimes by Israel. With nowhere safe, the civilians defleeting (ph). Nada Bashir, CNN, Cairo.

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VAUSE: Professor Adil Haque is an expert on law and ethics of armed conflict. He is joining us this hour from New York. Professor, thank you for being with us.

ADIL HAQUE, LAW PROFESSOR AT RUTGERS UNIVERISTY: Thank you for having me.

VAUSE: So, after the comments from the Israeli Prime Minister, CNN and many others went with this headline here. Netanyahu on Gaza hostage rescue mission, one of the most successful in Israel's history. The Prime Minister also described the operation as perfect, at least twice in his remarks. The number of Palestinians, though, who died is around 100, according to the Palestine Red Crescent and Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza, with no breakdown of how many were civilians and how many were combatants.

The Israeli military said back in December the ratio of civilians killed for every Hamas fighter is around two to one. So that would mean around 65 civilians were killed. Netanyahu claims the ratio is one to one, which would still be around 50. So, when it comes to the rules of war, when it comes to the ethics of war, is that an acceptable outcome from a rescue operation? Is it the perfect operation?

HAQUE: No, I'm afraid it is not. Of course, taking hostages is a war crime, and it is wonderful that these two hostages are free and back with their families. But no, it is not legal or proportionate to kill, foreseeably kill, dozens of civilians in order to save two hostages. Under international humanitarian law, every civilian enjoys equal protection. Whether they are Israeli or Palestinian, their lives count the same.

VAUSE: Well, as far as any large-scale Israeli military incursion into Rafah, the message from the United States, the UK, and many other nations is at least a minimum, as a minimum, to Israel. To think carefully, listen to this.

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UNKNOWN: We do not support any military campaign in Rafah going forward, as long as they cannot properly account for the 1.1 million people, by some estimates, who are in Rafah today.

UNKNOWN: It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people. There's nowhere for them to go.

UNKNOWN: We don't believe that it's advisable to go in in a major way in Rafah without a proper, executable, effective, and credible plan.

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VAUSE: So, right now, there's a lot of responsibility in Israel. But what about on Hamas? If they were not hiding among the civilian population, then none of this would be happening. At least, that's the Israeli argument.

HAQUE: Yes, so certainly, Hamas is violating international humanitarian law itself in a variety of ways. Hamas should unconditionally release the remaining hostages, irrespective of any further negotiation. And they should also limit the extent to which they are intermingled in the civilian population, even though, Gaza is a densely populated place. So, there's no way to completely separate Hamas from civilians. So, there are a variety of ways in which Hamas is violating international law, is putting civilians in harm's way.

But none of that relieves Israel of its obligations not to kill civilians unnecessarily or disproportionately. And given how many people are now in Rafah and how many of them are in desperate need of food, medicine, shelter, and other essential services, it's inconceivable how a major ground operation could take place without massive loss of civilian life. And Israel would be responsible for that, as well as Hamas. They would both share responsibility for that catastrophic outcome.

[00:10:19] VAUSE: Very quickly, I want you to listen to a spokesperson for the Israeli government on plans to minimize civilian harm in Rafah and in Gaza. Listen to this.

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UNKNOWN: We urge UN agencies to cooperate with Israel's efforts to protect civilians from Hamas and evacuate them from a war zone where terrorists are trying to use them as human shields. Don't say it can't be done. Work with us to find a way.

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VAUSE: The way the Israelis see it, all they hear constantly are demands for a ceasefire. But what are the obligations here, either legal or ethical, on other countries to work with Israel to try and minimize the civilian casualties like they're doing right now, if nothing else, to try and hold the Israelis to their word?

HAQUE: So, the international community has no obligation. To help either party to the conflict, they do have an obligation to do what they can to help civilians. And humanitarian agencies, UN bodies have been saying for months, we can provide shelter, food, water, medicine for civilians, but we need time and we need those supplies to be delivered. And with the pace and intensity of the bombing campaign, many of the places where that support for civilians could have been established, has been damaged or destroyed. So there just isn't that much space left in Gaza for that kind of major humanitarian operation to take place. The only place left where such aid could be delivered is Rafah.

VAUSE: Professor Adil Haq, thank you so much for your time, sir. We appreciate it.

HAQUE: Thanks very much.

VAUSE: Donald Trump's outrageous and ill-informed weekend remarks about NATO have done what he almost certainly had expected. They continue to spark anger, and make headlines. The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the latest senior official to speak out, saying US credibility is at stake. We have a responsibility to uphold those alliances. During campaign rally on Saturday, Trump encouraged Russia to attack NATO members if they don't meet defense spending guidelines. While some will dismiss his words as red meat for his rabid base, for others, it was a threat heard loudly, especially in European capitals, as well as Moscow.

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JOSEP BORREL, EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: NATO cannot be a 'la cart (ph) military alliance.

Of course, we want all countries like us to spend 2%, but I think what was said was not a sensible approach.

KAJSA OLLONGREN, DUTCH DEFENSE MINISTER: Frankly, I think this is exactly what Putin loves to hear.

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VAUSE: For more now on the political fallout at home, here's CNN's Kristen Holmes.

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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fresh fallout to Donald Trump's claims he told allies he would encourage Russia to attack if they didn't spend more on defense.

NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIATE: That's somebody who's going to get us in a war, and that kind of rhetoric was unhinged.

HOLMES (voice-over): The comments by the former president came during a weekend campaign stop in South Carolina, sparking new fears about his commitment to defending NATO allies from Russian aggression.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The presidents of a big country stood up and said, well, sir, if we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said, you didn't pay? You're a delinquent? He said, yes, let's say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay.

HOLMES (voice-over): President Joe Biden condemning Trump's comments as, quote, appalling and dangerous. Trump's former U.N. ambassador and current Republican rival Nikki Haley also calling out his remarks.

HALEY: Why would you go and put our allies and our military in harm's way by saying something so careless? It's what happens when he gets off the teleprompter for two minutes. He becomes unhinged, he becomes undisciplined, and he goes and he starts to say these wacky things. That's what scares everybody about him.

HOLMES (voice-over): The former president has long insisted European countries should spend more on their defense.

TRUMP: This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States.

HOLMES (voice-over): While his latest comments set off alarms overseas, political allies of the former president brushed off concerns about Trump's approach to NATO in a potential second term.

MARK RUBIO, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: I'm zero concern because he's been president before. I know exactly what he has done and will do with the NATO alliance. But it has to be an alliance. It's not America's defense with a bunch of small junior parties.

UNKNOWN: I'm 100% behind him and have been. He started this years ago when he even went over there to their face and said, listen, American taxpayers can't afford to keep paying your bills. HOLMES: After two days of pushback, not just from President Joe Biden,

but from world leaders across the globe, Donald Trump is now defending his behavior towards NATO. In a Truth Social post saying that he, while in office, made NATO strong, made people pay their bills. Again, that is not the problem. The problem of what Donald Trump said, and the concern that he raised was when he said that he would allow Russia to attack or invade any country, even encourage Russia to do so if these countries had not paid their bills. Kristen Holmes, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

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VAUSE: Ivo Daalder served as the U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2009 until 2013. He is currently president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Mr. Ambassador, thank you for being with us.

IVO DAALDER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATOR: Yeah, my pleasure.

VAUSE: So, the fallout across Europe continued on Monday from Donald Trump's threat. As uninformed and inaccurate as it may have been, perhaps the most upbeat reaction came from the prime minister of Estonia. Listen to this.

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KAJA KALLAS, ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER: I think what the presidential candidate in America says is also something to maybe wake up some of the allies who haven't done that much.

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VAUSE: Well, the French foreign minister was taking Trump's remarks quite literally.

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STEPHANE SEJOURNE, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Every minute counts to prepare Europeans to absorb the shock of a scenario that was described perfectly by Donald Trump. And so we will work together during this period to analyze the context of what is to come and in particular, the context of the American elections.

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VAUSE: So, if Trump does win in November, how seriously should NATO members take his threat? And what happens when European allies feel they can no longer depend on the United States?

DAALDER: I think they should take the idea that a Donald Trump-led United States will not be a reliable ally very, very seriously. You can interpret what he said in a whole variety of different ways, but it comes down to the same essential point. Donald Trump doesn't like NATO. He has never liked NATO. He doesn't believe it is an alliance that serves American interests. His view of international politics is like everything else. It's a transaction. It's a question of what we get out of it or, in fact, what he gets out of it rather than what we can accomplish together. So, I don't think this is just a question about who spends how much.

I think it's fundamentally about a question about how do we work together. And Europeans and allies around the world are going to see the election of Donald Trump as the end of the time when they can rely on the United States, when they can believe in the United States, and when the United States is credible. That's a good news for America's enemies. It's not good. It's not good news for America's friends.

VAUSE: Well, the former president either doesn't understand or just refuses to understand how NATO actually works, especially that recommended minimum spending on defense of 2% of GDP. At the moment, 11 NATO countries are above that threshold. 19 are below. Notably, defense spending among the Europeans increased. It has been increasing since 2014 with a surge after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Please explain why the former president is wrong when he talks about delinquent payments or that certain NATO members owe billions of dollars to the United States.

DAALDER: Yes, so the United States doesn't get paid by foreign governments to do anything, let alone to defend them. The United States has its own defense budget, just like Estonia and France and the Netherlands and Germany in the United Kingdom have their own defense budgets. And they provide for their own defense by doing so. Now, NATO agreed in 2014, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, that within 10 years, those countries who did not spend 2% on GDP should aim to do so. And it agreed a couple of years ago, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that the 2% guideline would be a minimum. Now, more and more countries are starting to meet that guideline, including Germany this year is expecting to spend 2% of its GDP on defense. And that is a good thing.

VAUSE: And one of the real strengths of this NATO defensive alliance is Article 5, an attack on one considered to be an attack on all. With that in mind, here's the foreign minister from Poland.

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RADOSLAW SIKORSKI, POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Article 5 of the Washington Treaty was used for the first time after a terrorist attack on the United States, after September 11th. And at that time, Poland sent army brigades to Afghanistan for decades. And we didn't send the bills for that to Washington.

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VAUSE: Not just the first time, the only time Article 5 has been invoked. NATO has also prevented World War III, despite Putin's best efforts. So in pure dollar terms, let's talk money, something Donald Trump actually understands. How much has the U.S. benefited from not having to fight World War III? How much has the U.S. economy benefited from 75 years of relative peace?

DAALDER: Well, I don't know if I can put it in exact dollar terms, but let's look at the alternative. Remember what happened when the United States was not present in Europe, when it wasn't part of an alliance system, when it didn't have deployed troops in Europe. That's what led to World War. One and World War II. It was the absence of the United States. It was the internal fissures within Europe that were causing wars that led the United States twice to deploy massive amounts of manpower and material across the Atlantic to help end and ultimately complete a war.

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Now, since 1945, indeed since 1949, when NATO was founded, the idea was that the best way, the cheapest way to deal with the possibility of wars to not have one. And that's what NATO has accomplished at an incredible pace. And as a result, Europe was not only able to rebuild itself from the devastation of World War II, but has emerged as the most prosperous part of the world aside from the United States. So, the U.S. is prosperous because Europe is prosperous. I'd argue the U.S. is secure because Europe is secure. And indeed, the U.S. is free because Europe is free. That's the lesson. I don't know if you can translate that into dollar terms, but it's true. Worth quite a bit of money and a lot for your national interest to be in that kind of position.

VAUSE: Seventy-five years of relative peace would have to be priceless in many ways. And Ambassador, thank you so much for being with us. And we appreciate your explanations as well as your insights. Thank you.

DAALDER: My pleasure.

VAUSE: Still ahead on CNN, promises of high wages and Russian passports, how Moscow has lured thousands of mercenaries from Nepal to the front lines of Ukraine.

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VAUSE: Well, the national call up in Russia remains deeply unpopular. It seems Russian military recruiters are having much success. Thousands of commoners may (ph), in Nepal. And as many as 15,000 Nepalese men have signed up to fight in the war in Ukraine. And sources tell CNN, Moscow announced a lucrative package last year, luring fighters to the front lines with just two weeks of training on a promise of far higher wages than they could earn at home. Nepal claims only about 200 citizens are fighting for the Russian army, with at least 13 killed so far. CNN's Matthew Chance has this exclusive report.

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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It should be a world apart from the battlefields of Ukraine. But this Himalayan state has become an unlikely casualty of Russia's brutal war. Nepalis like Ramchandra, who escaped the Russian army with his life, now praying for his comrades still fighting on the front line.

He took a bullet in shrapnel in Ukraine, he told me, and saw many Nepalis killed. Some complained they were sent forward while Russian troops held back, he tells me. But the main problem was the language barrier. Sometimes you couldn't even understand where you're supposed to be going, he says, which way to point your gun. But that chaos hasn't stopped Nepalis signing up. Many posting upbeat videos on social media. Many of them military training in Russia, where they're meant to be prepared for the hardships of the Ukraine war.

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In reality, several former Nepali recruits tell CNN they were sent into battle after barely two weeks to fight for the Kremlin, armed with a rifle and a contract for a few thousand dollars a month, a fortune in Nepal, where unemployment is high.

CHANCE: Well, the vast majority of Nepalis fighting for Russia and Ukraine are doing it for the money, and they come from these down-at- hill, impoverished areas across the country. We've actually come to one of them now on the outskirts of Kathmandu to meet a woman who, in the past few weeks, in the past few days, has learned that her husband has been killed fighting in that distant war.

Hello. Hi. Namaste. Namaste. He was with a unit of Nepalis battling Ukrainians, she tells me, when he was gunned down. It was my husband's friend, his Nepali commander in Ukraine, who called me in the middle of the night and told me he'd been killed, she tells me, still shocked at the news. There's been no notification from the Russians, she adds. Nothing. It's a growing frustration with Russia's treatment of Nepalis, as cannon fodder in the Ukraine war shared with these protesters near the Russian embassy in Kathmandu. Hello, sir. Hi. And the Nepali foreign minister, who told me he's pressed Moscow to curb recruitment to no avail.

N.P. SAUD, NEPALI FOREIGN MINISTER: They have told me that they will sort it out the concern of Nepal.

CHANCE: So they've told you they will sort it out?

SAUD: Yeah.

CHANCE: But they haven't done anything yet?

SAUD: Yet, they didn't have. We don't have any information of doing anything.

CHANCE (voice-over): There's not much information either on how many Nepalis are even fighting for Russia, about 200, according to Nepali officials. But multiple sources, including campaigners, lawmakers and returning fighters, tell CNN as many as 15,000 Nepalis could be fighting in Ukraine.

CHANCE: Well, we've asked the Russians how many Nepalis they've recruited and how many have been killed in what the Kremlin calls its special military operation. So far, there's been no response. But there are concerns here in Nepal that casualty figures may be high. CNN has learned that hundreds of Nepalis who joined the Russian military are out of contact and it's uncertain if they're dead or alive.

CHANCE (voice-over): Januka, a young Nepali mother, is assuming the worst. Her husband hasn't called for more than two months now. The children ask me when their dad is coming home, she sobs. Even if he doesn't love us anymore, we just want to see his face. But another Nepali recruit to Russia's war may never be seen again. Matthew Chance, CNN, Kathmandu, in Nepal.

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VAUSE: When we come back here on CNN, new details on how Israeli special forces are on foot in the back streets of Rafah in a daring overnight rescue mission to save the lives of two hostages being held by Hamas. Details in a moment.

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:31:06]

Jordan's King Abdullah was at the White House Monday, pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza. That won't happen anytime soon. But U.S. President Joe Biden says they did discuss a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, which would include a six-week-long pause in fighting.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The key element of the deals around the table, there are gaps that remain. But I've encouraged Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal. The United States will do everything possible to make it happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Meantime, the two hostages rescued by Israeli Special Forces in Rafah early Monday have been reunited with family.

The IDF says the complex operation was based upon highly sensitive and valuable intelligence. Details now from CNN's Nic Robertson.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Words, barely needed.

Joy, relief, love, overflowing and long-denied embraces. Just freed, Fernando Marman and Louis Har, alive, but aged more than 128 days, held hostage by Hamas.

GEFFEN SIGAL ILAN, NIECE OF RELEASED HOSTAGE: The first moment of the hug, I wasn't believing I'm hugging them. I was so happy. We were crying. It was a very emotional moment.

ROBERTSON: And physically, how are they both? How would you describe them?

IDAN BEGERANO, SON-IN-LAW OF RELEASED HOSTAGE: I can say very thin, walking at least. So I can say that they are walking and -- but I believe that they're still on high adrenaline. And we will see how physically good or bad they are or how mentally good they are, only when the days will come.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): The overnight military operation to free them, a lightning covert raid. The two men held on the second floor of an apartment building in the center of Rafah, extracted under fire.

DANIEL HAGARI, SPOKESPERSON, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: When we reached the hostages, Fernando and Louis, there were asleep. We covered them with own bodies. Fires were starting to occur inside the flat.

ROBERTSON: Gunshots.

HAGARI: Gunshots everywhere inside the flat and gunshots from the surrounding buildings.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Palestinian officials say around 100, including women and children, were killed in Rafah in the early hours Monday morning. Some in nearby strikes that the Israeli military say were to provide cover during the hostage rescue.

This at a time when Rafah's 1.4 million densely packed civilians fear a coming IDF ground assault. And Israel is under huge international pressure to keep the civilians safe.

HAGARI: We've been preparing for this seconds, minutes. All the targets that Hamas has in this area: headquarters, arms, infrastructures.

ROBERTSON: So you were hitting Hamas?

HAGARI: Military targets of Hamas.

ROBERTSON: But civilians were killed.

HAGARI: Tragically, as I said, Hamas embeds itself with the civilians. We did what we need to do to rescue hostages and we'll keep on doing that anywhere we have the conditions to do that.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): For these very relieved families, there is closure. Fernando and Louis, the last of five family members taken hostage October 7 to be released.

They're concerned now for the others left behind.

BEGERANO: I don't believe that we can take out all the 134 hostages only by military actions at one stage or another. You need to strike deals. It doesn't matter if it's our pressure or the other side pressure. ROBERTSON (voice-over): How long before the other hostages are freed

is a matter of intense political debate here. Negotiations about their possible release notch up a gear Tuesday when CIA chief Bill Burns meets with Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari officials in Cairo.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Tel Aviv, Israel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Investigators have uncovered antisemitic statements to the -- linked to the woman who opened fire in on Sunday in a Houston mega- church.

They also say the word "Palestine" was written on the AR-15 she used.

Officials say the 36-year-old woman has a history of mental illness and legal trouble. She was killed by two off-duty officers soon after entering the Joel Osteen church and opening fire.

She'd also brought her 7-year-old son with her. He was also shot and remains in critical condition. Police have searched her home for a possible motive.

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CHRISTOPHER HASSIG, HOUSTON POLICE HOMICIDE COMMANDER: I mentioned antisemitic writing. We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband's family, and some of those individuals are of -- are Jewish. So we believe that that is might -- might possibly be where all of this stems from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Still no word on why the woman chose the world-famous Lakewood mega church to carry out the attack.

When we come back, Indonesia's presidential candidates are fighting for the youth vote. Take a look at who stands the greatest chance of winning Wednesday's election when we return.

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VAUSE: A new report from the U.N. warns hundreds of migratory species are facing extinction because of our actions.

Whale sharks, turtles, elephants, wildcats, bats, predatory birds, insects, anything that migrates all at risk because of the loss of habitat and over clearance or their natural habitats and the environment.

Fishing nets, poachers, warming waters, pollution also taking a severe toll. Well, 200 million people are expected to vote in Indonesia's general

election Wednesday. What's been dubbed the world's biggest election day will decide the next president. The race is between a former -- former army general and two former governors.

CNN's Anna Coren explains why young people could cast the deciding votes.

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ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Military hardman, or cuddly grandfather. Seventy-two-year-old Prabowo Subianto is shaking the stigma of alleged human rights abuses in an effort to win Indonesia's general election at his third time of trying.

ANDREAS HARSONO, SENIOR INDONESIA RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Of course, it is a concern for human rights defenders like me. But at the end of the day, it depends on the voters.

CORON (voice-over): Prabowo is accused of the kidnap and disappearance of democracy activists in the 1990s, as well as abuses against ethnic minorities in East Timor and West Parqua (ph), all while he served as a Special Forces commander under former dictator Suharto.

Prabowo denies those accusations.

[00:40:06]

Few would deny the effectiveness of his cartoon rebrand.

HARSONO: Sophisticated image making with P.R. companies, influencers, and of course, political muscle. And the most important is the backing of President Jokowi. He -- he keeps on moving. He is not the front runner.

COREN (voice-over): Prabowo IS hoping to score 50 percent of the vote on Wednesday when Indonesians go to the polls. that would avoid a runoff and make him Indonesia's next president, after losing to the country's outgoing leader, Joko Widodo, known as Jakowi, at the past two elections.

This time may well be different, thanks in part to a slick social media campaign targeting Indonesia's youth vote.

FAUZAN HABIB, SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNER FOR PRABOWO SUBIANTO: The gamoy (ph) dance is quite viral, because it was introduced and even done by Mr. Prabowo himself. And it turns out the public loves it, as it seems nowadays, people prefer a happy campaign model, which includes dancing.

COREN (voice-over): Over half of the country's huge electorate of 200 million registered voters are either millennials or Gen Z. But that means Prabowo isn't the only candidate focused on youth.

His rivals in the three-horse race, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, have also made big plays at younger voters. NURUL HIDAYAH, ANIES BASWEDAN SUPPORTER: It's so fun. It doesn't feel

like a presidential election. I'm also a K-pop fan. So events like this are great for me.

COREN (voice-over): Anies, a former governor of Jakarta, has leaned into the K-pop craze, while Ganjar has the most TikTok followers of all three.

Perhaps more importantly, Prabowo is being seen by many Indonesian voters as the continuity candidate.

Jokowi's eldest son, 36, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is running for vice president on Prabowo's ticket.

This presidential election has often seen style put over substance. Whoever does win must immediately begin to tackle the issues voters care about, from cost of living to the environment.

Anna Coren, CNN.

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VAUSE: I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after a very short break. See you back here in less than 18 minutes.

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