Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Israeli Official: Hostage Deal will Not Stop Rafah Prep; Israeli Attacks on Palestinians in West Bank Increasing; Pro- Palestinian Protests Shake U.S. College Campuses; Interview: U.S. Commerce Secretary on U.S. Ties with Kenya; Some U.S. Troops Being Withdrawn from African Nations; Biden, Netanyahu Discuss Hostage Deal in Call; Pope Francis Visits Venice Amid Health Scares; Record Low Sea Ice Threatens Emperor Penguin Populations. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired April 29, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome everyone. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:33]

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, high-stakes diplomacy. Joe Biden speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just hours before the U.S. secretary of state is set to land in the Middle East yet again, with warnings about an assault on Rafah.

The U.S. set to withdraw troops from Chad and Niger. We'll look at the impact on counterterrorism as African countries form closer ties with Russia and China.

And Emperor Penguins at risk. How the world's largest penguin species is severely threatened by climate change.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta this is CNN NEWSROOM, with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: High-level talks between the U.S. and Israel could be a major factor in determining whether the Israeli military indeed follows through with a planned offensive in Rafah in Southern Gaza, as well as whether any potential hostage and ceasefire deal can be reached.

A phone call on Sunday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been described as constructive, focusing primarily on freeing more hostages held by Hamas. But aid to Gaza and the situation in Rafah also priority issues.

The U.S. wants to see a concrete plan from Israel on how civilians in Rafah could possibly be protected in the event of a ground operation. An Israeli official telling CNN, the IDF will continue to prepare for that operation, even if there is a hostage deal.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel and Jordan after his trip to Saudi Arabia, where he's due to arrive on Monday. Blinken expected to discuss aid to Gaza, as well as how to achieve a, quote, "lasting peace" and a pathway to a Palestinian state.

The Saudi foreign minister weighed in on that on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE FAISAL BIN FARHAN AL SAUD, SAUDI MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: It's in everybody's interest in the region -- our interest, the interests of the Palestinians, the interests of the Israelis, the interests of the global community of nations -- that we find a pathway to resolve this issue once and for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Journalist Elliott Gotkine with more on the latest talks and how Netanyahu's decision on Rafah could affect his government's stability.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Even before Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden's conversation on Sunday --

GOTKINE (voice-over): -- there was reaction and anticipation of their conversation from the hard-right ministers in his governing coalition, namely national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, effectively saying that, if Netanyahu agrees to shelf the operation to go into Rafah, the planned operation, that they would effectively leave the governing coalition. They would leave the government.

Now, Israel hasn't said that it would cancel the operation. Quite the contrary. What we're hearing from officials is that, even if there is a temporary ceasefire which sees a number of Israeli hostages who were abducted on October the seventh, freed from captivity the that the Rafah operation would still go ahead. It would simply be postponed.

Now, as Biden and Netanyahu are having their conversation --

GOTKINE: -- hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, are ongoing. There hasn't been a breakthrough, but neither have these talks broken down. Israel and the United States saying that the stumbling block, the main stumbling block remains Hamas's insistence that, for there to be a deal to free a number of hostages, that Israel has to agree to a complete cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of all of its forces from the Gaza Strip, something Netanyahu has in the past described as a delusional demand.

Now at the same time over the weekend --

GOTKINE (voice-over): -- Hamas released yet another hostage video, this time of Israeli American hostage Keith Siegel and also Israeli hostage Omri Miran.

Now both men, this is the first time that they've been seen, so it's the first proof of life there's been since they were abducted as part of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks of October the 7th. GOTKINE: At the same time, they're clearly designed to galvanize the

Israeli public to put pressure on the Israeli government to come to the table and to do the deal that Hamas is demanding.

And at the same time, it's designed to put pressure on the United States, because two of the three hostages that appeared in Hamas hostage videos over the past couple of weeks have been American citizens.

Now the other development over the weekend --

GOTKINE (voice-over): -- is that World Central Kitchen, seven of whose aid workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes earlier this month, it says it will resume its aid deliveries, its operations in the Gaza Strip on Monday --

[00:05:11]

GOTKINE: -- because of the continued dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Amid the war in Gaza, Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has escalated in the occupied West Bank. And a Human Rights Watch report says the Israeli military has either taken part in or not protected Palestinians from these attacks, resulting in entire communities being displaced.

The report accuses Israeli settlers of assaulting, even torturing Palestinians, along with stealing their belongings and livestock and threatening to kill them if they refuse to leave permanently.

The U.N. has recorded more than 700 settler attacks and at least 17 Palestinians killed and 400 wounded between October 7 and April 3rd, with soldiers in uniform present at nearly half of the attacks.

Omar Shakir is the Israel and Palestine director of Human Rights Watch. He joins me now from Amman in Jordan.

It's good to see you, sir.

As we just outlined, the U.N. recording more than 700 settler attacks in the occupied West Bank between October 7 and April 3. People killed, injured; homes, cars, orchards damaged; villagers forced to flee. What -- what has been the broad impact of these attacks on Palestinians?

OMAR SHAKIR, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE DIRECTOR, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: It's hard to describe how stark the situation has become in the West Bank with all the focus on Gaza.

When it comes to settler violence, you have entire parts of the map in which entire Palestinian communities have been uprooted, where areas existed that no longer exist today. At least seven communities entirely uprooted and people from 20 communities.

This is the highest level of settler violence since at least 2006. We're talking about multiple incidents per day.

And let's be clear: this is not an example of a few bad apples. As you noted in your introduction, in many cases, Israeli forces have been present. In some cases, they have participated in these attacks.

These settlers have been armed by the Israeli government. The U.S. State Departments is almost certainly this includes U.S. arms.

They are held systematically not accountable for their actions. They have been egged on by Israeli officials. The Israeli government has taken thousands of settlers and formed them as reservists and regional defense forces.

HOLMES: Wow.

SHAKIR: I can go on and on. But the point is the responsibility belongs with the Israeli government.

HOLMES: Yes. Yes. And in many cases, there are settlers in military uniforms, too, even if they're not in the IDF. They're certainly dressing to look like it.

What do you think the broad strategy of the settlers is, particularly, as you say, with the world's attention on Gaza? How emboldened are they under this particular government?

SHAKIR: I mean, this particular government has directly told them -- many senior officials telling them, go ahead, commit violence. We'll ensure you're not held to account.

Look, these -- these are not happening in random locations. You open a map of the West Bank, and you realize that they're taking place in strategic areas, that the Israeli government has long sought to expand settlements, to grow their presence, to force out Palestinian communities.

Palestinians have been under occupation more than half a century, but coercive policies, home demolitions, denying them access to water, electricity have not done what these months of settler violence have done, which is to force them out of their home. When you take away a family's means of livelihood, their livestock; when you threaten them; when you threaten their children; when you destroy their schools and homes, you leave them with no choice but to leave.

And they're doing it in key areas in the South Hebron Hills, in the central Jordan Valley in the West Bank, all areas that the Israeli government has long sought to depopulate Palestinians for settlements.

HOLMES: And -- and is there any recourse for Palestinians? Does Israel's government, the military, the police who are meant to be enforcing the law, do they do anything when these attacks happen or land is stolen, or property damaged or people killed? Is anyone held accountable? SHAKIR: Almost never. I mean, when it comes to settler violence, an Israeli human rights group has tracked thousands of complaints issued over the years against Israeli settlers, and the vast majority result in no indictments.

This is not simply a case of, you know, slow movement by the authorities. It's a structural problem.

The army is there to protect the settlers, and they're the ones who are most presence (ph). It's the police that have some sort of mandate to protect Palestinians, but they're almost never on hand.

HOLMES: Right.

[00:10:04]

SHAKIR: And in almost all cases, there is no actual accountability.

There's nothing more terrifying for a Palestinian to know that they could be attacked, they could be forced from their homes. They could be killed, and those that carry it out will face no consequence.

HOLMES: We're almost out of time, but I wanted to ask you this, because Antony Blinken is going back to the region. He still talks about a two-state solution.

But you know, realities. Netanyahu has explicitly said that's not happening on his watch. We've seen settlement growth, land occupied, and the positions taken by his government.

I mean, is a viable contiguous Palestinian state even possible, given what Israel has for years liked to call facts on the ground?

SHAKIR: Look, I mean, Isfat (ph), we're talking about 10 percent of Israel's population living in the occupied, you know, West Bank. We're talking about settlements that have continued to grow and expand, Palestinians forced off their land for decades.

But I think there's been so much focus on a potential solution that we forget the problem that necessitates a solution. Human rights abuse, structural oppression, apartheid. These are not symptoms; these are root causes. They need to be addressed.

Settlers should be sanctioned. Senior Israeli government officials need to be sanctioned. There needs to be an end to trade with settlements. There needs to be accountability at the International Criminal Court and other serious form for these abuses.

These are the kinds of recourses that are needed to get us to any solution, all of which is very far away. We need to recognize the reality for what it is and take actions to ensure non-complicity.

U.S. arms should not be going to fuel abuses. And to ensure accountability for those who perpetrate serious crimes. Victims have faced a wall of impunity for decades. That must end.

HOLMES: Omar Shakir there in Amman. Thank you so much.

SHAKIR: Thank you.

HOLMES: Well, in the United States, college campuses continue to be shaken by unrest, with pro-Palestinian anti-war protests cropping up at more and more universities from coast to coast.

At the University of California, Los Angeles, a physical altercation broke out between rival protest groups after a security barrier was breached.

CNN's Camila Bernal with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Throughout the day here at UCLA, we did see a lot of violence. We saw from both sides, people pushing people, shoving things, getting violet physically and verbally as these two sides essentially collided.

The university had a lot of trouble keeping the two sides separate. At the end of the day, what we were seeing is this line of security officers, who essentially put their bikes to divide the two sides of the group that was here supporting the Jewish students on campus, and the group that was here supporting the Palestinian side. And the students who are in the encampment here at UCLA.

We saw a lot of clashes throughout the day. The division that these security guards put in place has helped. But tensions are high. Passions are extremely high. I've talked to people of both sides of this issue, and here's what they've told me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are for peace. I can tell you that right now. We have come here to demand for the release of our hostages. We are coming here to show them that we're not afraid. The only people that are calling for aggression are the people hiding behind those masks, because they are too afraid to show their face.

Do you see anyone here with a mask on this side of the protest? No, because we stand with what we believe in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They love to play this mask trope so highly, but it's because they terrorize us all the time, and they censor us. Students are constantly getting doxed on things like Canary Mission; and their identity is -- is being threatened.

Every single time anyone tries to be pro-Palestinian, there's always a threat of violence, with surveillance and censorship from the Western media, from the Western government. And as well from Zionists, as well.

So they need to protect themselves, because they're consistently getting attached. If we're getting attacked, what else could we do but to cover our identities, instead of getting doxed or veiled (ph) and censored? But primarily, it is for safety reasons. We're sick of getting surveilled when we just want to talk about genocide. We're sick of getting surveilled when we want to talk about the truth of Zionism in Israel.

So if they're going to attack us, we're not going to back down, but we're going to take precautions.

BERNAL: And we have not heard of anyone being arrested today. The police did not get involved for much of the day, but we are seeing campus police officers moving some of those protesters and sort of creating that barrier to keep this space clear from those protesters.

Again, the university policy is that they were not going to get involved unless they felt that the safety of the students was in danger. So we have not seen too much involvement in terms of stopping the protesters. But they are here, and they have been throughout the day.

Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:15:03]

HOLMES: Russia's defense ministry says it's making gains in Eastern Ukraine, taking over a village in the Donetsk region. That's where Ukrainian troops are facing the fiercest battles, according to the country's army chief.

He says the situation on the front line has escalated but pointed out it's changing every day.

Ukraine's army chief also describing the situation in the South as tense.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes incoming foreign aid will turn things around on the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are cooperating with our partners at all levels to achieve the level of efficiency and assistance that is needed, not only to maintain our positions, but also to disrupt Russia's war plan.

We are still waiting for the supplies that have been promised to Ukraine. We expect the exact volume and scope of supplies that could change the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine's interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Zelenskyy went on to say his country is working with the U.S. to firm up support for the next ten years.

Meanwhile, another journalist has been arrested in Russia on charges of, quote, "extremism." Sergey Karelin is accused of making videos for the late Alexei Navalny's YouTube channel, which investigates corruption in the Kremlin.

He's worked for several news outlets, including the Associated Press.

Konstantin Gabov was also arrested over the weekend on the same charges. The court said he's a producer for Reuters news agency and will be detained for at least two months.

Protesters in Georgia are denouncing the government's efforts to force through a controversial Russian-style foreign agents law. Thousands of people marching through Tbilisi on Sunday against the bill they say will be used to crush dissent and civil society.

If the bill passes, organizations that receive more than 20 percent of funding from abroad will be required to register as foreign agents or face huge fines.

The European Union says the bill could halt Georgia's integration into the bloc. Protesters say their future is in the West.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEVAN JOBAVA, PROTESTOR (through translator): I want to show the position of my family. No Russia in our path, and future is in Europe. Because we need the European justice and the European order, where the system serves the people and not the other way around. This system doesn't serve people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The bill faces two more readings in Parliament, the next on Tuesday.

Still to come here on the program, great power competition in Africa as U.S. troops leave bases in Chad and Niger. We'll look at what it means for Washington's rivalry with Russia and China.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: The Biden administration is scrambling to beef up ties with Africa amid the planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from some African countries.

[00:20:04]

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo traveled to Kenya last week with a message that Washington wants to ramp up trade and investment in the region.

CNN's Larry Madowo sat down with the secretary for this exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINA RAIMONDO, U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY: We want to invest. We want to be the partner of choice. We're not going to force you to choose us. We think we're the best. We think we offer opportunities consistent with your values and freedom and democracy. And so we want to be the partner that you choose to work with.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Secretary, why is the U.S. the best over, say, China or Russia that are also making big moves into the continent? Why is the U.S. the best for African countries?

RAIMONDO: Because like you, we are a democracy. You know, like you, we believe in freedom. We believe in an open Internet. We believe in the market entrepreneurialism that you have here. There aren't strings attached. It's -- it's an opportunity to partner together.

And also, I mean, the U.S. has the best tech companies in the world, deepest capital markets, best protection of I.P. So that's why we think we're the partner of choice.

MADOWO: The suggestion here is that there are strings attached to these partnerships with Russia or China, even though they say they don't have colonial baggage. And we won't lecture you about human rights. We're just trying to be good partners for you, better than, say, Europe or the U.S.

RAIMONDO: You know, I just met with President Ruto; had a fantastic meeting. And I said to him, we're not here to lecture. We're here to partner. We're here to learn from you. We're here to invest in your people and in your country.

MADOWO: Kenya's considering banning TikTok here, which is an issue in the West. The U.S. Congress has passed legislation to ban TikTok. I wonder what you think of that.

RAIMONDO: We're doing it for national security concerns, plain and simple. We trade with China. We'll continue to trade with China. That's a good thing.

TikTok collects information on every American: where they are at every time, what they watch. And that information all goes back to the PRC. So it's a national security risk. That's why we did it; it's why the Congress did it. And I think it'll make Americans safer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Well, not all African countries believe partnerships with the U.S., or the West more broadly, is the best option. Officials in Washington are set to withdraw some troops from Chad, temporarily at least, as the two evaluate their security relationship.

That comes after a similar announcement that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from neighboring Niger, that after a junta government seized power last year.

Cameron Hudson is a senior fellow at the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He joins me now.

It's good to see you, sir.

Niger is just the latest of several African countries wanting the U.S. and also Western European nations like France out militarily. It's a growing list. Why this trend?

CAMERON HUDSON, SENIOR FELLOW, AFRICA PROGRAM, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Well, I think it's a couple of reasons.

One, it's quite popular among African publics in these countries right now to demonstrate some sovereignty from traditional military and security partners. So we're seeing these moves met largely with public approval, especially from military regimes, which are really struggling to gain popular support, right? They're not democratically elected.

And so they really rely on these kinds of shows of strength to -- to shore up their domestic support at home.

HOLMES: Yes.

HUDSON: But I think also you're just seeing these new entrants, whether its Russia or China, or Saudi Arabia, or Turkey. There's a host of countries that have now identified these -- these African states as strategic to their world outlook.

And they're coming to Africa in drove, and really, I think, sending a message to Washington and Paris that they're not the only game in town anymore.

HOLMES: Yes. We -- we're seeing that in Niger. It's a pattern, really. Mali, Burkina Faso, as well. The Wagner mercenary group entering both of those countries shortly after the French pulled out.

What -- what will be the security impacts in a counterterrorism sense for the U.S. when Russia and China are moving in?

HUDSON: Well, I think for starters, you're seeing Washington lose the drone-base that it's been operating in Niger for the past several months.

Those drone operations have continued, and they've been continuing to supply the United States alone with intelligence over not just Niger, but a dozen different African countries all across the region.

So Washington becomes blind to the movement of jihadist forces, arms flow, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking all across the region.

But we're also seeing that, without the kind of strong partnership from Washington in particular, where we have seen, for example, in Niger gains against terrorist insurgencies in the country, that there's likely to be real setbacks.

[00:25:06]

And we're seeing that in places like Mali. We've seen it in other countries where the Wagner Group has come in, promising to make gains on the terrorist front. But really, I think, they -- they're managing a dual kind of interest in these countries. Yes, appearing to help to shore up African governments, but also pursuing their own economic interests in these countries.

HOLMES: Yes, yes, I mean, some cases the terrorism itself has gotten worse.

I mean, so when it goes back to the core issue, is Washington itself -- and you don't want to generalize here -- but, you know, seen as a bad actor, you know, self-interest above all, backing strongmen or dictators when it suits, or toppling those, or helping to topple those they don't like?

How -- how has the U.S. hurt itself with its policies and actions on the continent?

HUDSON: Well, I think there's a real lack of self-awareness from Washington. For a long time, I think U.S. officials have believed that, because they were not at the Congress of Berlin over 100 years ago, carving up the African continent, that they didn't have any colonial states on the continent, that they were somehow immune from the kind of criticism that we hear from a lot of governments these days, pushing back against the kind of colonialist rule of Western powers.

But I think what Washington ignores is their control over institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, their imposition of demands around democracy and human rights. All of these things are -- are -- are viewed, I think, by many, certainly these junta governments across a large part of the Sahel, as -- as a kind of a neo-colonialism.

And so I would argue that what we're seeing now is a resurgence of a kind of neo-independence or neo-sovereignty movement among these countries right now.

HOLMES: Yes, that's fascinating. I mean, many see the region -- you know, certainly the Sahel parts of Western Africa, as an epicenter of global terrorism in many ways.

Is Washington going to be increasingly blind to the plans of jihadi groups? You know, what are the risks the violence in the region spreads beyond the region? And -- and the West isn't ready for it?

HUDSON: Well, Washington is already making plans to try to re- establish drone bases and intelligence collection in neighboring African states.

So we know that they have sent emissaries to Benin, to Ghana, to Cote D'Ivoire, all along the sort of lateral coast of -- of West Africa. So they are looking for fallback options right now so that they don't -- you know, they don't miss what's happening around the continent.

But it's -- but it's also clear that this is a major setback for Washington, that not having these bases, where they have made these investments -- investments is both a practical setback, but I think symbolically, as well. By seeing Washington sent packing from these countries. And certainly when you see Russia moving in, in some cases the same week that you see Washington negotiating an exit, the symbolism there is, I think, quite telling and quite rich for African countries.

HOLMES: Yes. Great analysis. Good to see you. Cameron Hudson, thanks so much.

HUDSON: Thank you.

HOLMES: Australians demanding an end of violence against women. Thousands across the country rallying for a second straight day on Sunday, calling for tougher laws on gender-based violence.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who's been a vocal advocate on the matter, showed his support at a demonstration in Canberra.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: I know. I know. And that's why I'm here. That's why I'm here. I know that we all must do better.

But I know this, as well. And I've got to be honest. It's not just government's problem. It's a problem of our entire society. And this is a national crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Gender-based violence has re-emerged as a major issue in Australia in recent weeks after several high-profile murder cases, including the mall stabbing in Sydney, in which five women were among the dead.

Iraq's interior ministry has promised to investigate the killing of a populist social media star. Police say that Ghufran Sawadi, better known as Umm Fahad, was killed outside her home in Baghdad on Friday night. Surveillance video shows the gunman on a motorcycle, shooting Sawadi at point-blank range.

She was popular on TikTok, where she shared videos of herself dancing to pop music. She was sentenced last year to six months in prison for what Iraq's judiciary called violating publicly -- public decency and morals.

It says she had published films and videos containing obscene and indecent language.

Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, we'll dive deeper into U.S. President Joe Biden's phone call with Israel's prime minister and look at other U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.

[00:30:08]

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just arrived in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. He's set to meet with officials there to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release deal and will travel to Israel and Jordan, as well, in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the U.S. president and Israeli prime minister spoke by phone for nearly an hour on Sunday. A source says they primarily talked about that potential hostage deal, but other sensitive topics were discussed, as well.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden on Sunday spoke with Israeli Prime Minister --

ALVAREZ (voice-over): -- Benjamin Netanyahu in a call that was primarily focused on a hostage deal. That according to a source familiar.

Now, this call lasted just under an hour and was described by the source as, quote, "constructive."

Of course, U.S. officials have been working around the clock to try to reach an agreement that would allow for a temporary ceasefire of about six weeks, and also the release of hostages held by Hamas, and for more humanitarian aid to get surged into Gaza.

Senior U.S. officials have been traveling to the region over the last several months to try to advance these talks. And Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the Middle East on Sunday, where he, too, will be involved in these conversations, as well as conversations about getting more aid into Gaza.

ALVAREZ: Now the president and the Israeli prime minister also touched on other issues, including, for example --

ALVAREZ (voice-over): -- Iran's airstrikes against Israel and Israel's airstrikes against Iran, the first time they've discussed that since that occurred earlier this month.

And about Rafah. That's an area where Israel has said that they would potentially launch an operation. It's also where there are over a million Palestinians displaced.

And according to a White House readout, it said, quote, "The leaders discussed Rafah, and the president reiterated his clear position." That position from the U.S. being that an operation at this point would be untenable. Of course, those conversations are ongoing.

ALVAREZ: Now, what happens after this call and the results of it are still unclear, but what we will be monitoring in the weeks to come.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, the White House. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: A new CNN poll finds high levels of disapproval for President Biden's handling of the conflict in Gaza. Seventy-one percent of respondents say they don't like the way he's handled the war between Israel and Hamas.

That number is a remarkable 81 percent among those aged 18 to 34, a group that Mr. Biden will need in November.

The survey also asked registered voters their preferences in a head- to-head match-up between Mr. Biden and the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, and found Trump leading by a margin of 6 percent.

[00:35:11]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a trip to Beijing on Sunday. Chinese state media reporting that during the meeting, Li said that Tesla's development in his country could be seen as a successful example of cooperation between the U.S. and China.

Musk reportedly said that Tesla's Shanghai factory is the company's best performing.

Tesla's full self-driving software has been out for years, but it's still not available in China.

In the coming hours, Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, is expected to announce whether he will remain in office. On Sunday, thousands of his supporters rallied in Madrid, urging him to stay on the job.

He shocked the country last week when he said he was considering resigning from the premiership. That came after a Spanish court began a business corruption investigation into his wife's private dealings.

Mr. Sanchez denies the allegations against his wife, saying it's part of a sustained campaign against him by political opponents.

Now, despite recent health concerns, Pope Francis traveled to Venice for his first trip outside of Rome this year. Crowds eager to see the 87-year-old pontiff as he made one of his increasingly rare visits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES (voice-over): Crowds gather in Venice for a sight they haven't seen in seven months: Pope Francis making his first trip out of Rome since September, after canceling other appearances in recent months for health reasons.

But on Sunday, presiding over a mass to a crowd of more than 10,000 in St. Mark's Square, the 87-year-old pontiff seemed in high spirits, though he did admit being the leader of roughly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide is a demanding job. POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): I take you with me in prayer, and you, too, do not forget to pray for me, because this work is not easy.

HOLMES (voice-over): It was a packed day for the pope, visiting a women's prison where the Vatican was holding its exhibit for an international art show; taking a water taxi to speak with young people.

Riding in a mini pope mobile or wheelchair throughout the lagoon city.

Venice recently imposed a five-euro entry fee for day-trippers to cut down on tourism traffic. But for many locals, this was a thrilling visit.

LARA VOLPE, ENERGY CONSULTANT (through translator): It's a bit difficult to explain the emotion one feels in front of this person. I mean, the idea that all the world's people go to Rome and the Vatican to see him. And for us, who have him here close to home, it's an honor.

HOLMES (voice-over): During mass, the pope addressed some of the challenges that Venice faces: from overtourism to climate change. But he also admired its enchanting beauty. A city that is aging, but ageless, resilient in the wake of many modern-day problems, something this pope knows a little something about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Still to come on the program, the world's largest penguin species under threat. Why scientists say climate change is putting Emperor Penguins in a perilous position.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:40:30]

HOLMES: The Emperor Penguins of Antarctica are in peril. Low levels of sea ice, driven in part by climate change, are threatening their breeding grounds and calling -- causing colonies to die off.

CNN's Lynda Kinkade with more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR (voice-over): Waddling and gliding through the Antarctic, some of these penguins have seen better days.

The world's largest penguin species, Emperor Penguins, are severely threatened by climate change. Scientists from the British Antarctic survey say tens of thousands of Emperor Penguin chicks may have died as the species battle to survive record low sea ice in 2023.

PETER FRETWELL, BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY: We know that they breed on sea ice. We know that sea ice is one of the first things affected as temperatures warm, ocean temperature and air temperatures. And we're starting to see these losses in Antarctica now.

Our models are quite dire.

KINKADE (voice-over): Dire because these penguins also lay their eggs and raise their chicks on sea ice. But with the ice melting away, the chicks may fall into the sea before they get their waterproof feathers, leaving them to freeze to death or drown.

Despite the recent losses, 2023 wasn't as bad as 2022 for the Emperor Penguins. Scientists say it's because some colonies adapted to the worsening conditions by moving South to find better ice, or to more stable ice shelves or icebergs.

FRETWELL: It was reassuring, and it wasn't quite as bad as we'd feared with the worst ever sea ice, but it was still bad.

KINKADE (voice-over): While this is a good sign, Fretwell says work still needs to be done to save the Emperor Penguin. And we should do it before it's too late.

FRETWELL: It could be worse. Well, that really depends on us. How much carbon and methane we put in the atmosphere? Can we change the trajectory of global warming that we're on at the moment?

If we jump, we still have time to save the Emperor Penguin. But if we don't, then Emperor Penguins are going to be one of the first major animals that will be lost, purely by -- by the warming planet.

KINKADE (voice-over): Fretwell and his fellow scientists predict that 99 percent of the Emperor Penguin population could be gone by the end of the century, a tragic loss for a majestic bird.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. I'll be back in 15 minutes with more news. WORLD SPORT coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:30]

(WORLD SPORT)