Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Concerns Over Potential Israeli Ground Operation In Rafah; King Abdullah Is Calling For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza; Sources: CIA Director Heading To Cairo For Hostage Talks; Senate Passes Foreign Aid Package For Ukraine, Israel; Harry And Meghan Launch New Website, Sussex.com; Powerful Winter Storm Blasting U.S. Northeast; Police Fire Tear Gas To Disperse Thousands Of Protesters; NASA Hopes For First Lunar Landing Since '70s. Aired 8- 8:30a ET

Aired February 13, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

ZOE SCHIFFER, AUTHOR, "EXTREMELY HARDCORE": The company was very slow. It was very inefficient. It was hard to ship product and get things done. Elon Musk has come in. He's made the company extremely top down, extremely hierarchical, and it's also faster and more efficient.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Congrats on the book, "Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter." Zoe, appreciate it. We just want to let you know we did reach out to Elon Musk for comment, also, X, we did not hear back.

CNN This Morning continues now.

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London.

Just ahead, words of warning for Israel. International concerns mount over Israel's planned ground offensive in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. Then the U.S. Senate passes a long awaited multibillion dollar foreign aid package, including money for Israel and Ukraine. And police in India fire tear gas on protesters as they march towards the capital, New Delhi.

All eyes on Rafah as Israel prepares for a potential ground invasion into the southern Gaza City. More than 1 million Palestinians, about half of Gaza's entire population, are living in desperate conditions there, crammed into tiny slivers of land. The Israeli military has yet to present a plan for the evacuation of civilians, even as aid groups and international communities express their growing concern.

U.S. vice -- U.S. President rather, Joe Biden says he discussed a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas with Jordan's King Abdullah the White House on Monday. U.S., Egyptian, Qatari and Israeli negotiators are expected to discuss a possible deal in Cairo on Tuesday. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has more on the latest developments. He joins us from Tel Aviv. What can you tell us Jeremy about this ground offensive which feels pretty imminent?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Israeli military and its political leadership is still vowing that an offensive in Rafah is militarily necessary, saying that it is Hamas's last bastion and that effectively allowing Hamas to remain there would be to forsake a major goal of this war, which is to destroy Hamas and to remove it from power in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Prime Minister insisting that that cannot be achieved without going into Rafah. But there lies the question, what do you do with 1.4 million people crammed into a city of normally 300,000, when so much else of Gaza has been destroyed or partially damaged? And those questions so far are getting very few answers.

Peter Lerner, a spokesman for the Israeli military, telling us earlier today that that plan that the Israeli prime minister has asked the military to draw up for the evacuation of the civilian population from Rafah has yet to be presented to the government. He did insist that the military has a confidence in its ability to evacuate that population and to distinguish between civilians and Hamas fighters.

But already yesterday, we saw as the Israeli military carried out this operation to rescue two hostages from inside of that city of Rafah, they also carried out a series of strikes, heavy strikes on Rafah, killing more than 94 people. And it's very clear there that there were a number of civilian casualties among the dead and the injured.

Women and children visible in the damage. Hospitals overwhelmed. Giving us really just a glimpse into what could potentially come, the absolute death and destruction that could come should the Israeli military move into Rafah without a sufficient plan to evacuate the civilian population. And where they would go, of course, is then another question.

What kind of conditions would they find? How will humanitarian aid, which has struggled to reach the northern part of the Gaza Strip, reach them elsewhere beyond Rafah?

FOSTER: What's also becoming more visible is the frustration growing amongst Israel's allies about this strategy, most notably the U.S.

DIAMOND: Yes, that's right. President Biden yesterday speaking alongside the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, saying that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without what he called a credible plan to evacuate the civilian population to ensure the safety of the 1.4 million people who are currently sheltering there.

He talked about the people in Rafah being packed into that city, exposed and vulnerable and he said they need to be protected. Perhaps the strongest language that we've heard from the president himself directly on these concerns about Rafah.

President Biden also talking about the hostage negotiations that are ongoing. We understand that today, the head of the Mossad, the CIA director, as well as the prime minister of Qatar will be meeting with Egyptian officials in Cairo today to discuss the next phase of these hostage negotiations, a potential ceasefire in Gaza.

[08:05:10]

And it now appears that those ceasefire negotiations not only are the lives of 134 some hostages, resting on these negotiations, but also, of course, the future of this Israeli military operation in Rafah, the fate of those 1.4 million people in Rafah now all riding on these negotiations happening today and throughout the week.

FOSTER: OK, Jeremy, in Tel Aviv, thank you so much for that.

Negotiations over a potential deal to release hostages held in Gaza and the pause in the fighting are then resuming in Egypt. Two sources tell CNN that CIA Director Bill Burns is traveling to Cairo for those discussions. One of those sources adds he'll meet with Qatar's prime minister and the director of Israel's Mossad.

Nada Bashir joins us from Cairo with more details on that. I mean, there's been huge efforts behind this and people are getting more and more pessimistic, particularly when in the background, you have this potential military offensive, which presumably Israel wants to get on with whilst these negotiations are taking place.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. We've heard a huge amount of concern being expressed by Israel's international allies, as well as, of course, the United Nations around the potential for this possible ground encroachment in Rafah, not only to put civilian lives at risk, but also to scupper any ongoing negotiations on the diplomatic front forward prolonged truths and for the release of hostages.

And of course, at this stage, we have seen intense diplomatic efforts behind the scenes focused primarily on a prolonged truth, not a ceasefire, but a sustained pause in fighting that would allow for hostages to be released, but also to allow for further talks and discussions between the lines of Hamas, Israel and also, of course, other international partners for a full ceasefire eventually.

There have been questions around where exactly we stand when it comes to those discussions. We heard yesterday from U.S. President Joe Biden saying that the key elements for a prolonged truce looking at about at least six weeks long are on the table right now, but that there are some gaps which remain.

And, of course, we saw last week the proposal, a counter proposal put forward by Hamas that was, of course, dismissed by Israel and the Israeli Prime Minister, who described it, in his words, as delusional. We heard from the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, at the time, saying that there were some non-starters in that counter proposal. But since then, we have seen ongoing discussions.

Last week, we saw a senior delegation of Hamas officials arriving in Cairo for two days of talks. Today, of course, as Jeremy mentioned, we are expecting to see the CIA's Director, Bill Burns, meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials, as well as, of course, officials from Qatar and Israel's intelligence agency, according to sources familiar with the matter.

And we have seen a lot of focus on this regionally as well. We saw the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas at meeting with Qatar's Emir earlier this week. Last week, we saw regional foreign ministers meeting in Riyadh. There is a huge amount of pressure coming from the international community for some sort of sustained truce to be established.

As we've seen, the civilian death toll is continuing to climb day by day. And, of course, it is. growing extremely difficult to get humanitarian aid across the border, particularly, of course, in Egypt. There is concern around the security situation on the border.

Just in the last day, we have seen Egypt fortifying its military and security presence on its side of the Rafah border crossing as we continue to hear those warnings of a looming ground incursion by the Israeli military, raising fears not only over the civilian life there.

Of course, we have to know that more than 1 million people are now concentrated in this small border city, but of course, the ramifications this could have more regionally. The fear is, of course, if we do see a ground operation launched by the Israeli military, this could jeopardize those negotiations as they currently stand.

That has certainly been the warning message that we've heard from Hamas, who have said that they will not move forward with any negotiations if that ground operation is launched. Max?

FOSTER: Nada, thank you for joining us in Cairo.

Within the last two hours, the U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package. It includes assistance for Ukraine and Israel, along with other priorities. Despite that, the bill will likely not pass in the House of Representatives. Many Republicans oppose further aid to Ukraine.

And House Speaker Mike Johnson says the House likely won't even vote on it. Further complicating the issue is opposition voiced by former President Donald Trump, who's pushing for a loan rather than just sending money. Ukraine's president says he welcomes the Senate approval for the package.

Fred Pleitgen joins us now with the details. It's interesting, isn't it, Fred, that Trump isn't dismissing the idea of sending money outright, but of course, Ukraine is going to find it very hard to afford any sort of repayments on that level.

[08:10:04]

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're absolutely right. And I think we can also see, Max, from all this how closely the Ukrainians are watching what's going on in the U.S. Congress right now. So fast that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came out and thanked the leaders of the Senate because right now for them, this Ukraine aid is very much still alive.

And you alluded to the fact that in the House of Representatives, it's going to be very difficult to even get this is to some sort of vote and Speaker Johnson has already said that this is essentially dead in the water. But that's what's been said for a very long time and as of right now, as far as the Ukrainians are concerned, it is still alive.

But I did find it remarkable how quickly President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came out and praised the leaders of the Senate. I want to read you some of what he said in a tweet just minutes after it passed. He said, "For us in Ukraine, continued U.S. assistance helps to save human lives from Russian terror," as he puts it. "It means that life will continue in our cities and will triumph over war."

And I think some of the things that he's alluding to are realities on the battlefield for the Ukrainians on the ground. Of course, if he talks, for instance, about Ukrainian cities, he means, for instance, surface to air missile systems that need new missiles that are replenished from the United States.

Some of the very high end ones that work really well, like the NASM system or the Patriot systems, of course, vital for the Ukrainians. And then the other thing that he's talking about is, of course, ammunition, which has been a real crunch for the Ukrainians on the front line.

I've seen some of that myself. We're in certain areas on the front lines. The Russians are able to fire 10 rounds for every round that the Ukrainians are able to fire because they simply have to ration ammunition. For the Ukrainians, then, this is an important signal that the Senate stands behind Ukraine.

Of course, they do understand that it is still a very, very long way to go, and all of it is still very uncertain. And the other thing, Max, I think as well, is that the Europeans, no doubt, are watching this very closely.

I was able to speak yesterday to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and to the Prime Minister of Denmark about the issues in U.S. Congress, also some of the remarks that President Trump made. And the tenor from them was that they believe that U.S. aid right now is more uncertain than it was before, but they still say it is indispensable. And they believe and they hope that in the end, this aid for Ukraine will come through, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Fred, thank you for that insight.

Now, Thailand's controversial former Prime Minister will soon walk free from detention. The Minister of Justice tells CNN that Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted parole after serving half of his sentence. Last year, the 70-year-old was granted a royal pardon, reducing his eight-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power to just one. Thaksin was jailed last August after he returned to Thailand following more than 15 years in self-imposed exile.

Prince Harry, wife Meghan, are making another public relaunch, this time with a website. Sussex.com will replace the others that they had up until now. It showcases their charity work and media projects. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sit back, of course, as working members of the British royal family in 2020 have stayed very much in the public spotlight.

Since then, the question is whether or not they'll be allowed to keep using those titles, which are arguably being used to commercialize, which is something that they obviously agreed not to do when they left the royal family, but that's their website and it's getting a lot of clicks today.

Now, a powerful winter storm is blasting the northeast coast of the U.S. right now with some 30 million people in its path from Maryland to Massachusetts. The forecast is for heavy snow, powerful winds, also coastal flooding.

You're looking at live pictures now from New York, which is bracing for its heaviest snowfall in years. More than 1,000 flights have already been canceled today. Our poor Derek is out there. It is your job, though, Derek.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I mean, it is quite surreal to be out here as a meteorologist. I do love this stuff. And trust me, if I was anything like the hardy New Yorkers that are here in Central Park right now with me, they're out running in shorts. I mean, look at this. Somebody is riding a bike through snow, that couldn't be safe.

Look, this is a significant storm. It may not be the biggest snowstorm that New York has ever seen by a long stretch, but it's important because what you're witnessing and what we're seeing here is a transformation of this beautiful, beautiful city. The Big Apple right before our eyes, something that residents here haven't seen or experienced in over two years.

It's been 744 days, Max, since this city was under a winter storm warning. Of course, the National Weather Service, the weather authority in the United States issues those for some of the larger snow storms here. Here's one of the gentlemen right now running in shorts. Hardy people. I love it.

Look, there has been some impactful snow already. This is a very heavy, wet snow, and it's important to note this because there's more liquid than snow in these things.

[08:15:00]

Earlier this morning, we were able to drip out some of that water. And so about a 1 to 10 inch liquid to snow ratio. Of course, we're talking inches here in the United States, but some of the snowfall totals that we've had so far in Central Park, 3 centimeters, that doesn't sound like a lot. But look, it's coming down at a significant clip.

In fact, they're anticipating anywhere from 3 to 6 centimeters per hour with this heaviest snow band that's coming through as we speak. So as people try to get outdoors right during the height of rush hour, which is currently happening right now, they have rely on the over 700 salt trucks that have been deployed across the city. That was even done before that first snowflake fell.

Now, Max, they canceled the public schools here in New York City, but if you ask me, the kids got a little bit of a short end of the stick here because they all had to remove -- or go to remote learning instead of having a beautiful snow day to enjoy.

This will, of course, nonetheless impact travel conditions. There's already been over 1,000 flights canceled in and around the East Coast. So, yes, a significant nor'easter, but not the biggest. But certainly changing the landscape here. Max?

FOSTER: I'm wondering if all the people in shorts are looking at you saying, look at what he's wearing. Amazing scenes there in Central Park. Derek --

VAN DAM: Just for the occasion.

FOSTER: -- thank you very much.

Still to come, police in Northern India trying to prevent thousands of farmers from marching towards New Delhi. I will show you why the protesters are so angry and what they want from the government when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Police in northern India have fired tear gas. They're dispersing thousands of protesters. Farmers who are trying to march on New Delhi. Farmers are demanding higher prices for their crops after discussions with officials over a minimum rate actually collapse. The government says it's working on reforming the system to support those prices, but farmers accuse it of moving too slowly.

CNN's Vedika Sud joins us live from New Delhi. I think this was a bigger reaction than everyone was expecting, but really does show how angry they are.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Well, they have been angry and they've been angry, Max, for over three years now. Let me just take you back to 2020. If you remember at that point, the response by farmers from the Bread Basket of India, which is essentially northern India, was much bigger than what you're seeing on the streets today.

And remember, this is coming just ahead of India's general elections, where the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term as the leader off the nation, along with his political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party.

But what we've seen today is also something that we didn't see back then, three years ago. We've seen authorities try to stop these people, these farmers who are protesting, demanding an assured price for their crops 200 kilometers out of Delhi.

[08:20:08]

They were marching towards Delhi. They declared that on Monday night after talks with representatives from the Indian government fell through. It just didn't break the deadlock between the two parties, after which they decided that at 10:00 local time this morning, they will start using their tractors, their trucks, the vehicles and moving towards India's capital, New Delhi.

But over the last two days, Delhi has been shut down at its borders quite literally. From this morning, it's been sealed. You can see barbed wire fencing. You can see concrete slabs. You can see nails, metal nails that have been also put on the ground there to deflate the tires of the tractors that these farmers would attempt to bring in.

So every possible attempt has been made by the Indian government to make sure that these farmers like in 2020 back then when they were protesting for almost a year, they're not back in these border areas of Delhi camping and protesting against the government.

Now in 2021, just a year after they protested, the government did buckle under pressure, Max, and they repealed those three controversial farm laws. But this time, the crowd isn't as big as it was when it was in 2020, but the demands are more or less the same and the Indian government is saying for now, look, we need time with this. There are some we'd given to, but there's some of these discussions that need more time. Max?

FOSTER: It's an election year, of course. Do you see it blowing up as an election issue? Is that big enough a group to affect the sway of the vote?

SUD: Absolutely. I mean, they're the biggest voting block farmers in India because as you know, their primary source of income, 58 percent of India's 1.4 million residents actually depend on agriculture. So that's a huge percentage we're talking about, Max. But this time there is a difference. There are issues within this community itself.

Like I said, you haven't seen as big a response as you'd seen back in 2020 where they came out in tens of thousands against the Modi government. Now, look, this is an election year, and Narendra Modi would want to make sure that he does not alienate this huge voting bloc. But for now, they're ready to talk.

They're saying, OK, come to the table. This may take longer than anticipated. But the farmers are saying, you know what? We've heard this before. And you have formed a committee, but you're really dragging the findings of that committee. You haven't submitted the report yet. So here we are. We will keep protesting.

We will keep trying to make it a New Delhi and we will take our voice to the power capital of India, which is New Delhi for you to hear it. But for now, we know that they're going to try and get to Delhi, but all roads leading to Delhi from Haryana have been blocked for now. We talk about three border areas that get from Haryana to Delhi that have been sealed.

And there are thousands of security forces and security personnel blocking those roads for now. So you've seen what's happened today. You've seen the clashes that have taken place. And there were drones used this time interestingly, to go ahead and stop these people from moving forward. And you saw the tear gas actually being fired from those drones.

That's never happened before in these anti-farmer measures taken by security forces. So in the coming days, we're not sure how far these farmers will get. Will they get to the borders of Delhi? But yes, the Indian government is saying the channels for talks with the farmers is open. But the farmers for now, though divided a lot compared to 2020, are not happy with the solutions being put forth by the Indian government. Max?

FOSTER: OK. We'll keep watching that and the impact on the capital there. Vedika Sud in New Delhi, thank you.

I will be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:52]

FOSTER: Less than 24 hours from now, a private rocket will lift off from Texas heading for the Moon. The lunar lander, called Odysseus, will be carried aloft on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. If all goes to plan, Odysseus will be the first American spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon since the 1970s. The last private launch of an American lunar lander about a month ago, of course, failed after that fuel leak developed.

Now, it's officially Mardi Gras in most of the world right now. The final day of carnival celebrations and the day before the Christian fasting season of Lent as well. It wouldn't be Mardi Gras, of course, in New Orleans even without beads. New Orleans has become one of the most popular U.S. destinations for Mardi Gras. Beads are being thrown, if you're wondering.

Brazil's carnival parades are known for outlandish floats and dancers and intricate costumes moving to thundering live music. Tens of thousands of spectators are in Rio de Janeiro to see performances, many telling the country's history of social issues.

And Germany held its parades on Rose Monday, with people throwing candy from satirical floats inspired by current events as well.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. World Sport with Amanda is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)