Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Pope To Talk Artificial Intelligence With World Leaders; Biden Signs 10-Year Security Pact With Ukraine; Hamas Official Talks War In Gaza, Hostages, Ceasefire. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired June 14, 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]

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of democracy there is here in the United States. Indeed, a constitutional republic is a form of democracy. But, look, that is not what is happening here. What's happening here is that because Trump has been described, has been criticized as a threat to democracy, these folks are being convinced that America isn't a democracy in the first place. And if it's not a democracy in the first place, then Trump is no threat. That's what we're seeing being pushed. Back to you.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": -- about to become the first Catholic pontiff to address the G7. He has artificial intelligence on his agenda. Israeli troops take a page from the history books, using an ancient catapult to thwart Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. And there are a lot of flags and there is a lot of excitement, as Scottish fans travel to Germany for the start of Euro 2024. We will be live in Munich.

At this hour, world leaders are having a discussion with Pope Francis, not about religion or politics, but about artificial intelligence. The Pope is expected to urge world leaders to create AI regulations. U.S. President Joe Biden will be among those at the working session. And this comes a day after Biden signed a security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The deal is seen as a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Mr. Biden is trying to keep language about reproductive rights in the G7 leaders' communique.

CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson joins us live from Monopoli, Italy. All right. Good to see you. Good morning. And what concerns will the Pope express to leaders?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, that AI can be a force for good in the world to help the disadvantaged. But, he also will warn that it's something that can be used as a sort of a technological dictatorship, if you will, in the wrong hands, that you can have weapons that are running on AI. This is a technology that is complex. It can be good. It can be bad.

But, really for these leaders to hear the Pope's concerns, and remembering, just last year, the Pope was sort of caught in his own AI fake when there was a photograph of him in this huge white puffer jacket. Of course, the Pope didn't ever wear a white puffer jacket, and the photo was a fake. And it's events like that that kind of drew the Pope's attention to the pervasiveness of what AI is capable of, and the importance of trying to put guardrails around its use.

So, the G7 leaders are -- very good opportunity for him to connect that message to the world's most powerful democracies who have a lot of influence with the AI technology companies.

WHITFIELD: And then, Nic, what kind of follow-up discussions or details can we expect today in that security pact between the U.S. and Ukraine?

ROBERTSON: Yeah. I think we can expect that President Zelenskyy, as prepares for his peace summit over the weekend in Switzerland, will be able to take that to his people, the Ukrainians, as a sort of a point of support, a point of moral courage, if you will, and I think that fortifies him as he goes into that peace summit over the weekend. President Biden, yesterday, was very clear in what he was laying out. There were multiple bilateral and multilateral agreements, the provision of the $60 billion -- $50 billion loan for Ukraine, that bilateral security assistance, 10 years long-term training, interoperability with NATO, all the things that President Zelenskyy wants to try to bring Ukraine closer in towards membership of NATO, closer in towards membership of the European Union.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nic Robertson live for us in Italy this afternoon, your time, thank you so much.

All right. Let's take a closer look at the artificial intelligence discussion being led by Pope Francis. The Pope was, as Nic mentioned, famously the victim of a AI hoax when a photo was created of him wearing a stylish puffer jacket. The 84-year-old Pope wants to make the point that AI must serve humanity and not turn it into a monster. Pope Francis believes AI offers exciting new opportunities but also some grave risks.

CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joining us now from London with more on this. So, besides that hoax with the puffer jacket, why is artificial intelligence so important to the Pope?

[08:05:00]

Why does he feel a need to try and lead discussions about it?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the Pope's basic message on artificial intelligence is that machines cannot replace human beings, and it is something he has become concerned about. Of course, the Pope has a moral authority on the world stage. He has got soft power influence and he is using that to try and create a more ethical development of AI. Now, the Vatican have created a special document called the "Rome Call for AI Ethics", a series of principles around AI and its development, and they've been getting different tech companies to sign up to it. The CEO of Cisco Technologies signed up to it, so have officials from Microsoft and IBM. So, there have been -- there has been some take up from the Vatican's

call for a more ethical AI. And I think what Francis is basically saying is, as Nic pointed out, it is a tool. It's a tool that can be used for good or it can be used for bad. One of the things Francis has been concerned about with AI is the use of automated weapons systems in war. That's something he is very, very concerned about, the possibility that machines can take decisions over killing human beings. And that is where he says, no, we have to have human beings at the heart of this very important technological development, which he is not opposed to, per se, but believes there must be ethics and human beings at the center of it.

WHITFIELD: And then, Christopher, I wonder if I could ask you two things here, kind of combined. I mean, we're looking at the replay of the video of him getting off the helicopter, and I can't help but notice kind of his condition. He is walking very carefully, bracing himself as he is making his way down those steps and then is handed a cane, and all that while we're also talking about AI and the fact that he is trained as a scientist and perhaps that played a part in his interest too. But, I'm wondering, can you address those two things for me?

LAMB: Well, Pope is 87-years-old and he has got mobility issues, but he has never been someone to stand still. He has been extremely active throughout his entire pontificate, though. So, despite the mobility issues that he has, he wants to keep going as much as possible. And that's why he has had this very intense day, started the day at the Vatican with a meeting of comedians, and now is down at the G7 summit.

As you mentioned, he trained as a chemist, as a scientist. He has an understanding of chemistry. And I think that's important because sometimes people see the church and science or faith and science as somehow opposed, whereas Francis is someone who very much sees the benefits of good understanding of science for religious faith. So, he is not someone who sees the two things as opposed. I think that's why he has got this interest in AI. He got an understanding of science, and he wants to bring the voice of faith, the voice of the church to what is a very technological and scientific discussion.

WHITFIELD: OK. And now, we're looking at the pictures of him meeting with the comedians, which is such a cute moment to see from Chris Rock to Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, I mean, Gaffigan. That was -- it was fun and must have -- and there were all smiles. So, they enjoyed it too. All right. Christopher Lamb, thank you so much. Cute.

All right. Now to rare insight directly from a senior Hamas official about the war in Gaza, the hostages now being held for more than eight months and the prospects for a ceasefire. CNN Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman has this story. And a warning, his report contains some graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since the seventh of October last year, when Hamas militants streamed into Israel, killing hundreds and grabbing hostages, the war in Gaza has been an unrelenting nightmare of death and destruction. Talks to end the war are once again bogged down as every day the death toll mounts. In Beirut, we spoke to senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan, one of the few privy to details of the ceasefire negotiations, but not privy, he claims, to the condition of the 120 hostages still in Gaza.

WEDEMAN: How many of those 120 are still alive?

OSAMA HAMDAN, HAMAS POLITBURO MEMBER: I don't have any idea about that. No one has an idea about this.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): The Wall Street Journal recently reported that messages from Gaza Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to mediators and other Hamas officials included one in which he allegedly said the deaths of civilians in Gaza is a necessary sacrifice. Hamdan insists the messages are fake.

[08:10:00]

WEDEMAN: After eight months of this war, more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, probably more, more than 80,000 injured. Was it a necessary sacrifice for the people of Gaza?

HAMDAN: You seem that you can't start from the beginning. Let's start from page number one. Why to talk about the page of the seventh of October? What about the Israeli occupation?

WEDEMAN: No. I am talking what came after the seventh of October?

HAMDAN: Well, the seventh of October, it was a reaction against the occupation. What comes after that? It shows the real face of Israel. It shows how Israeli is occupying the Palestinian lands, demolishing the situation of the Palestinians, killing the civilians. It's not the first time they are killing the civilians.

WEDEMAN: But, I mean, Hamas is an organization. Does it regret what it did on the seventh of October, given what happened afterwards?

HAMDAN: We are living with this for the last 75 years as Palestinians.

WEDEMAN: Now, CNN spoke to one of the doctors who treated the four Israelis who were freed on Saturday, and he said that they suffered mental and physical abuse. What do you say to that?

HAMDAN: Well, he is an Israeli. He has to say what the Israeli authorities are asking him to say. If you compare the images of both before and after releasing, you will find that they were better than before. I believe if they have mental problem, this is because of what Israel have done in Gaza.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): But, in addition to what has been said about the four recent hostages freed, there have been also claims about the dire conditions others faced while in captivity. The fate of the remaining hostages hangs in the balance. At the G7 summit in Italy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is hoping that Hamas would agree to the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal. ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The response we got was

unfortunately not the yes that we were looking for, a yes that virtually the entire world has given.

WEDEMAN: OK. Mr. Hamdan, simple question, why hasn't Hamas yet agreed officially to the U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire?

HAMDAN: We said it's a positive step, but we need to see the facts on the ground. We need to know what exactly the President means by saying a ceasefire, a withdrawal.

WEDEMAN: What is left? What do you need?

HAMDAN: We need an Israeli -- a clear position from Israel to accept the ceasefire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza and let the Palestinians to determine their future by themselves.

WEDEMAN: Are you optimistic at this point in time that you will reach some sort of agreement?

HAMDAN: Well, I think if the United States administration acted in a positive way, seeing the situation, not only in the eyes of Israel, we can reach soon an agreement.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): And in the absence of an agreement, this war goes on with no end in sight.

WEDEMAN: And as far as the basic position we're hearing from Osama Hamdan is that Hamas is worried that the Israelis essentially want this initial period of a ceasefire, 42 days has been laid out in which there would be a ceasefire in Gaza and some Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for the release of some Palestinian prisoners and detainees. But, Hamas is worried that's all Israel wants, that after that 42 period is over, the war is back on. Fredricka.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Ben Wedeman with very revealing interview, thank you so much.

All right. Still to come, Happy Birthday to Donald Trump. We will tell you about the gift Republican lawmakers gave him on his return to Washington. And a truly revealing look inside the world of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters. Why they say America is not a democracy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The U.S. Supreme Court could issue new rulings today with just weeks ago before their summer recess. There are several major cases yet to be decided, among them, Donald Trump's broad claim of presidential immunity, also, whether the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol constitutes obstruction of Congress and what the government can do about free speech on the internet, a case that stems from efforts to control misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID- 19.

And today is Donald Trump's birthday. The presidential candidate is turning 78. He is now three years younger than his rival, President Joe Biden. Trump got early birthday wishes from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday. And here you see the GOP senators presenting him with a cake with candles representing the numbers 45 and 47, a nod to his past and what they hope in his future presidency. He will celebrate his birthday tonight by attending a party in Florida.

CNN's Alayna Treene is tracking the Trump campaign today. Good morning to you, Alayna. So, Trump talks about Joe Biden's age all the time. So, turning a year older is actually somewhat problematic for Trump. Isn't it? He doesn't seem to like it.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: That's right. And look, I mean, turning 78 in an election where so much of the focus has been on both of these candidates' age, it's not necessarily a good thing. Now, Donald Trump kind of alluded to that during a rally in Las Vegas last weekend, and I was there on the ground. I can tell you the crowd spontaneously broke out at one point, singing happy birthday to him, and he tried to play it off and said that he kind of wished it didn't exist. Take a listen to how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is a certain point at which you don't want to hear Happy Birthday. You just want to pretend the day doesn't exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Fred, I do just want to add as well that the significance of him turning 78 is unmistakable. As you noted, Donald Trump has often pushed Joe Biden's age to the forefront of his discussions around his opponent. He often mocks his physical fitness, his mental fitness. But also, I think the day today is a reminder of just how close in age these two are. Now, if Donald Trump were to win the election, come the fall, he would be older when he took office than Joe Biden was when he took office in 2020. And also, I think it also just shows that these two men are of the same generation. Our colleague, Steve Contorno, up with a piece on this today, noted that if the two men back in the day could have gone to high school together. So, I mean, I think it's just another way to mark the comparison between the two.

Now, a lot of Democrats have also tried to use Donald Trump's age to attack him, just as Donald Trump's campaign has viciously gone after Joe Biden's age as well. They tried to claim that we've seen him stumble, that he is declining. His mental acuity isn't what it used to be. Now, we've kind of seen and I can tell you from my conversations with people on the ground that those criticisms don't stick as well when it comes to Donald Trump. But, again, I think the fact that it is his birthday, normally a cause for celebration, it's also something that, of course, thrust an issue that they don't necessarily want out there in to voters' minds.

WHITFIELD: All right. Interesting. All right. So, he doesn't want to talk about his birthday, but he does seem to want to talk about Taylor Swift a lot. What in the world is going on? Why is he so obsessed?

TREENE: Right. I mean, this is something we've seen done Donald Trump be fixated on.

[08:20:00]

And I know from my conversations with people close to the former President, he also remarks on Taylor Swift often behind closed doors as well. Now, in the meeting with House Republicans yesterday near Capitol Hill, Donald Trump, at one point, according to our sources in the room, criticized her support of Joe Biden. He said, quote, "Why would she support this dope?" So, I'm just bringing it up kind of off the cuff in these remarks. It wasn't obviously something that I think he had planned to talk about or was on the agenda for the day. And I can -- I mean, look, I think -- I've covered Donald Trump for a very long time.

This is something he fixates on because, one, Taylor Swift is a huge celebrity. She is obviously having a moment right now. She has tons of sway with her fans, specifically, younger fans, and that's something that gets under Donald Trump's skin. And it's something that he is criticized in the past as well. Now, Taylor Swift has not endorsed President Joe Biden this cycle. She has endorsed him in the past. And we were told that the Biden campaign was trying to work with her on another endorsement for this cycle.

But, at the end of the day, I think this really is something that grates on Trump. We know that he often complaints as well about how a lot of Hollywood celebrities and elites are more liberal. It's something that he often criticizes. And I think it also just speaks to Donald Trump's feeling of wanting everyone to love him. He wants everyone, particularly the people that you see, the names in the media, the names on these magazines, people in the news, he wants them to be supporters of his. And so, when they're not, it really does weigh on him heavily. Fred.

WHITFIELD: I think he needs to play that Taylor Swift "Calm Down" song one more time and just listen to it. I think she is referencing him, kind of a lot. All right. Alayna Treene in Washington, thank you so much.

TREENE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. U.S. President Joe Biden builds his reelection campaign as a fight to preserve American democracy, but that's not resonating at all with Trump's MAGA base. Shockingly, many of them tell our Donie O'Sullivan that America is not and never was a democracy. Here is his report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What happens if Trump loses?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see him losing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think he lost the last election, to be honest.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you think he is going to win?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Without a doubt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No doubt.

O'SULLIVAN: What if he doesn't this time? What happens to the country?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're done. Biden talks about democracy, saving democracy. They're the ones that are killing democracy.

O'SULLIVAN: Obviously, there is a lot of criticisms of Trump that he is bad for democracy, that he is bad for American democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I say something? We are a republic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're are a republic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not a democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've are a represented Republican. We're not a democracy.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): One thing we've been hearing at Trump rallies like this over the past few months is that America isn't really a democracy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America is not a democracy. It's a republic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, it's not a democracy. OK? Democracy is actually not as good as you think it is.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But, for centuries, America has celebrated its democracy.

RONALD REAGAN, 40TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Democracy is worth dying for.

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD U.S. PRESIDENT: Democracy remains the definition of political legitimacy.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But, some Republicans and pro-Trump media are pushing the idea that America is not a democracy.

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: United States of America is not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic. REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): United States of America is not a democracy.

You don't want to be in a democracy.

PETE HEGSETH, FOX NEWS HOST: We are not a democracy. We are a republic.

O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy?

ANNE APPLEBAUM, AUTHOR, "AUTOCRACY, INC.": America is a democracy. It was founded as a democracy.

O'SULLIVAN: I've heard a lot of conspiracy theories. I hear a lot of things out on the road. But, to hear Americans, people who would describe themselves as patriots, say that America is not a democracy, that stopped me in my tracks.

APPLEBAUM: You are hearing people say America is not a democracy because there are people around Trump who want them to be saying that, who've been planting that narrative.

O'SULLIVAN: Is America a democracy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't -- I think we are --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. We're a republic.

O'SULLIVAN: What's the difference?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like democracy (CROSSTALK). It is government controlled. I don't see freedom and democracy. I see freedom and the republic.

APPLEBAUM: Honestly, the word democracy and the word republic have often been used interchangeably. There isn't a meaningful difference between them.

O'SULLIVAN: So much of the warnings and criticism about Trump, is that he is a threat to democracy, that he is anti-democratic?

APPLEBAUM: Absolutely. If they can convince people that we don't have a democracy, then it's OK that Trump is attacking democracy because it doesn't really matter.

O'SULLIVAN: So, why -- like, why has democracy become a bad word?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's being used in a way to change the flavor of our country, which is a republic.

[08:25:00]

APPLEBAUM: These words were used in different ways in the 18th century, and it's true the founders didn't want direct democracy by which they meant people gathering on the town square. They wanted representative democracy. But, I think the reason why this conversation about language has risen now is because there is a part of the Republican Party that would like to rule as a minority and they need an excuse for why that's OK. And so, they have begun to say, we're not a democracy. We're a republic. And it's not 100 percent clear what that means. But, I think they mean, we want Donald Trump to be able to do whatever he wants.

O'SULLIVAN: Some people I have been speaking to at Trump events recently --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

O'SULLIVAN: -- have been saying America is not a democracy. It's a republic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've always been in a democracy, first of all. I mean, we have -- we used to have freedom of speech, freedom of religion. We used to have that too. Now, they're picking on the Christians and the Jewish people. I mean, how much more can we take?

O'SULLIVAN: Are you concerned if Trump loses --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

O'SULLIVAN: -- that there'll be another January 6?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I think there will be a civil war. That's what I think will happen.

O'SULLIVAN: And look, of course, there is a legitimate discussion and debate to have about what form of democracy there is here in the United States. Indeed, a constitutional republic is a form of democracy. But, look, that is not what is happening here. What's happening here is that because Trump has been described, has been criticized as a threat to democracy, these folks are being convinced that America isn't a democracy in the first place, and if it's not a democracy in the first place, then Trump is no threat. That's what we're seeing being pushed. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Donie O'Sullivan, thank you so much.

Still to come, we all remember this image, it's one Pope Francis hasn't forgotten either. He is addressing G7 leaders right now on the threat of artificial intelligence. Later, the Pope will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden. Plus, demolition has begun on the building where one of the worst high school shootings in U.S. history took place. We're live in Parkland, Florida, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. It's the second and final day of the G7 summit taking place in Italy's southern Apulia region, and the focus is on migration, economic competition with China, and the spread of artificial intelligence. Pope Francis is making history as the first Pope to attend the summit. He was greeted earlier by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He is set to give a highly anticipated address to world leaders on the regulation of AI. The summit will wrap up in the coming hours, but some divisions appear to be emerging over the wording of the final declaration, particularly on the issue of abortion.

CNN Global Affairs Analyst Kim Dozier is joining me right now live from Washington. Good to see you this morning, Kim. So, is it particularly striking that the Pope wants to make artificial intelligence front and center, especially on his position on it?

KIM DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: It's striking when you consider that the normal reputation of the papacy is behind the times stuck in yesteryear that the Pope sees that AI could be a problem when it's uncontrolled, whether it's from stealing your identity to creating deep fakes that look just like you. It's fascinating that he has brought this up as one of the things that really needs to be heated, perhaps it's because he sees that years and years have gone by with everyone talking about the threat of AI, but no one coming to a conclusion on how to put some sort of governors on it or rein it in.

It also just helps, in terms of the Catholic Church writ large, to make this kind of reach across the aisle to the G7 and bring the Catholic Church into the mainstream, which, of course, is enabled by the fact that it's being held in Italy.

WHITFIELD: And then, for Ukraine, I mean, it was a rather good day, right, at this summit. Attendees promised tens of billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv, and President Zelenskyy signed a security pact with President Biden. And then today, G7 leaders are committed to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. Will that be enough? Will that help in a great way?

DOZIER: Well, one of the problems is that many of the people around that table face elections. That mean they might not be here at the G7 next year, President Biden chief among them. But, in terms of putting on a brave face, they had to celebrate the fact that they reached this achievement of the 10-year agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces and to act, as President Zelenskyy put it, as a bridge between Ukraine's current embattled position and ultimate NATO membership. So, also for President Biden looking ahead to an election, this is a signal to the American public that defending Ukraine is another form of defending democracy against autocracy, and that if you're voting for him, that's what you're voting for. And supporting Ukraine is still largely pretty popular in the United States.

WHITFIELD: And then, there seems to be some division on the wording in the final communique over abortion. Tell us more about that.

DOZIER: Well, of course, you've got members of the G7, like the conservative leader of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who just comes in on the strength of EU parliamentary elections earlier this week, that fact and endorsed her standing, and Italy wants these things to be -- is not so comfortable with some of the language that's being considered. But, of course, the U.S. and the Biden administration, in particular, knows that the upcoming election, the right to abortion is one of the key issues that voters will vote on and they want to guarantee it in the United States and worldwide.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kim Dozier, we'll leave it there for now. Great to see you. Thanks so much.

All right. More now on the Israel-Hamas war. A new report from the Norwegian Refugee Council says nearly one million Palestinians, half of the Gaza population, have been displaced by ramped up Israeli military operations in southern Gaza. This as a U.S.-backed ceasefire appears to be in limbo, despite intense lobbying from American officials. U.S. President Joe Biden is calling on Hamas to step up and accept the deal on the table. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the base of the unit that carried out the rescue of the four hostages in Gaza over the weekend.

[08:35:00]

CNN's Paula Hancocks is live for us in Tel Aviv. Paula, tell us more about that U.S.-backed proposal on the table. Israel says it's not sending a delegation to ceasefire talks. What's the latest?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, at this point, Israel believes it's simply too early to go back to these negotiations as they're waiting to see what Hamas does. And what we're really hearing from the Biden administration is that they are putting the blame firmly on the shoulders of Hamas for this feeling of limbo when it comes to this hostage deal. Now, they did come back, Hamas, with a definitive answer, an official response on Tuesday, where they had amendments to suggest, saying it was in the interest of the Palestinian people.

But, from the Biden administration's point of view, they say that, for example, Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying it makes him question whether Hamas is now negotiating in good faith, saying that some of the things that had been agreed on, all of a sudden Hamas is now questioning and trying to have amendments on those as well. Now, the U.S. President, who himself put his name on his face to this proposal, was asked about it at the G7 in Italy. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Biden, did you all have a chance to discuss a possible ceasefire?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you confident it's going to be done soon, sir?

BIDEN: No. I'm not -- I haven't lost hope, but it's going to be tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HANCOCKS: So, the U.S. Egypt, Qatar, are still continuing to try and push a deal forward. But, at this point, it really does feel as though it's a step backwards. We've heard U.S. officials characterize it as the Hamas moving the goalposts. From Hamas' point of view, what they have said is that they believe that they have shown necessary positivity. They say what they're asking for is in the best interests of the Palestinian people. And some of what they're asking for is, for example, they want a specific timeline of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They want Israel to sign up to a definitive timeline of that. That's something that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been very reticent to do. He is favoring vagueness in these -- the three-stage proposal.

What is supposed to happen is the first stage, it's a six-week ceasefire, and -- with negotiations that should evolve into a more permanent cessation of hostilities. But, Hamas wants that deadline to be worked out now. They also want a guarantee that all the Israeli military will pull out of the Gaza Strip. Now, what we've heard from the proposal is the first phase would be pulling out of populated areas. So, there are still significant gaps between the two sides at this point. Secretary Blinken saying that there are discrepancies. There are gaps that could well be bridged, but he can't guarantee that they will be. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paula Hancocks, thank you so much.

All right. It is a historic new chapter in South Africa. For the first time ever, the country will have a coalition government. South Africa's public broadcaster says the African National Congress has agreed to form a government of national unity with three other parties, including its largest rival. You're looking at live pictures right now of the newly elected parliament. The ANC, the party of late Nelson Mandela, lost its majority in May's national election.

CNN's Larry Madowo is joining me live now from Nairobi with more on all this. So, Larry, how soon might this coalition come together? Larry Madowo in Nairobi, Kenya, are you able to hear me? This is Fredricka. Just wondering how soon this coalition will come together? All right. We're having some audio problems. Sorry about that, everybody. We will try it again another time.

All right. Still to come, already one of the world's richest men, Elon Musk, could be getting one of the biggest bonuses in U.S. corporate history. The story, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. As promised, we're going to try it again. South Africa has a new coalition government. Our Larry Madowo is joining us now from Nairobi, Kenya, with more on what's next. Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, South Africa's parliament is right now electing a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. After this is done, this is procedurally required, they will re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa as the President of the country. This is just hours after they agreed to form a coalition government. They're calling it a government of national unity. It is the ANC, South Africa's ruling party, it's been ruling since the fall of apartheid 30 years ago, forming a coalition for the first time with the center-right Democratic Alliance party, and a tiny party called in Inkatha Freedom Party got only four percent of the vote in last month's election.

This was necessary after the ANC fell below the 50 percent majority required for the first time in 30 years of South Africa's democracy. And it's a historic moment that the Democratic Alliance leader pointed to when he made it his address, announcing that this government of national unity has come together at the absolute last minute. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN STEENHUISEN, DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE LEADER: My fellow citizens, today, the 14th of June 2024, will go down in the annals of history as the start of a new chapter for our beloved country. It is my privilege to report to you that after two weeks of sterile negotiations that only concluded after today's sitting of Parliament had already started, the DA has reached agreement on the statement of intent for the formation of a Government of National Unity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The Democratic Alliance is criticized by some in South Africa, especially the black majority, for representing the white minority in the country. One of the other parties that was not part of this coalition, Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters, calls it a party representing the white monopoly capital. But, this is a coalition that will make the business community friendly. It leaves out numbers three and four from the election, Julius Malema's EFF as well as former President Jacob Zuma's MK party that were not invited or did not join in this coalition.

So, President Ramaphosa remains President, but he has to then form a government that includes members of the Democratic Alliance who have been in the opposition traditionally, coming into government for the first time, not just nationally, but also in the provinces of Gauteng, that's where Johannesburg is located, as well as in other parts of the country. So, a historic moment for them. But, they say, this is just the beginning. South Africa has the highest crime rate in the world, one of the highest, they say, one of the world's highest unemployment rates, and they say they are coming into government to save the country from the path of decline, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Larry Madowo, thank you so much, from Nairobi.

All right. It is a milestone moment for families and victims of a Florida high school massacre. Live pictures right now, the demolition of this building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For six years, the building stood as a nightmare, frozen in time in Parkland, Florida. A constant reminder of the lives lost when a gunman killed 17 students and staff in February 2018. The shooter now serving life in prison.

CNN's Carlos Suarez is joining us now from Parkland, Florida. Carlos, no doubt this is a huge moment for the community, lots of mixed emotions.

[08:45:00]

What's happening?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Fred. Good morning. An incredibly difficult day for the folks that live in the Parkland community as well as the family members of the victims. The demolition work got underway about 20 minutes or so with the construction equipment that you're taking a look at behind me here beginning its work on the third floor of the 1200 building where this shooting, this massacre happened.

Now, two white tents have been set up for the family members of the victims to watch this process get underway. Some of the family members, Fred, have wanted for a very long time for this building to take -- be taken down, and others have said that they wanted it preserved as it has been since the shooting back in 2018. The 1200 building has not been touched since that day. It was preserved as a crime scene for the trial of the shooter. And in the past year, the families of some of the victims, they've coordinated tours of this very building with bipartisan members of Congress, including the Secretary of Education, who was out here, and even Vice President Kamala Harris, all of it really in an effort to try and pass school safety measures at the state and federal level.

Now, after the shooting in 2018, Florida did pass some gun laws, including red flag laws, which allow a judge to temporarily take weapons away from someone that poses a threat to others and themselves, and they also raised the age to purchase some types of weapons from 18 to 21. Now, the process itself out here, this demolition, we're told by the Broward County School District is going to take several weeks. It's unclear exactly if they're going to build a permanent memorial to honor the 17 students and faculty members that were killed. And of course, this is not the first site of school shooting that has been taken down. Sandy Hook Elementary was torn down, and Robb Elementary in Uvalde is in the process right now. There are plans underway to demolish it.

Some of the family members that we have talked to her told us that they would like to see a permanent memorial be built on the side of the 1200 building to remember their loved ones. The school district here in Broward County awaited for the school year to end, considering the sensitivity of the fact that this building really -- it's kind of in the middle of the campus, and so they didn't want to do this during the school year. Again, the demolition is just getting underway. We're told that it is going to take several weeks with the work today really focusing on the third floor of the building. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. Painstaking process in many ways. Carlos Suarez, thank you so much. All right. Staying in Florida, more rain is expected to drench the

already saturated southern part of the state. Millions across the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area remain under flood watches until this evening. Many cities have had catastrophic flooding after heavy rainfall over the past two days. The soggy weather also dampening travel plans. Airports in South Florida canceled more than 400 flights on Thursday, as tarmacs and runways were flooded.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Hundreds of thousands of European football fans are heading to Germany. Today marks the start of Euro 2024. The month- long tournament kicks off with Scotland facing the host, Germany. But, experts say France and England are the favourites among the 24 European nations that have qualified.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in the thick of it all, getting ready for the first match. He joins us live from Munich, Germany. It's a festive time. I can see it already.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yep. It's absolutely amazing, Fredricka. First of all, I don't think anybody here thinks that England are actually the favorite. You have the Scottish fans here descending. So, this is the thing about the Scottish fans. They are really great guys and they've really integrated into European culture by drinking German beer from Bavaria. These are the colors of Bavaria. And these guys are obviously having a great time. The Scottish guys have been absolutely amazing. Who is going to win today? (Inaudible). There we go. There were go. The Germans (inaudible) to say. You could also by the way tell it is Germany against Scotland. They're wearing kilts. These guys are wearing later hoes. And so, that's how you know the home team is here as well.

What we did earlier today, Fredricka, is I actually spoke to the director of the tournament. He said this is absolutely important for European unity and for good vibes here on the continent. Here is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIPP LAHM, FMR. CAPTAIN, GERMAN NATIONAL TEAM, & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, EURO 2024: We want to show our diversity, also our -- that we are tolerant and open for everyone. Everyone can come to us, celebrate with us in a safe way.

PLEITGEN: Yeah. I think it is obviously always important for a tournament like this to go peacefully and for that to be ensured by the authorities. How do you view the way that things -- the security concept now that things are going?

LAHM: We want a peaceful tournament, and I'm very optimistic. We talked with the police and everything, not only in Germany, also around with all the qualified nations, with state police, we talked about and we -- I'm sure that we will have a peaceful tournament, a tournament of joy and happiness.

PLEITGEN: We did have a poll here in Germany where, not the majority, but quite a few people said they wanted more white players in the German national team. But, the German national team, it's important for them to be diverse, isn't it?

LAHM: It's very important. And when I look back in 2010, the national team was very was -- with migration background players, and that's good. They are very talented. And in a team, it's normal that you have one goal, and for a young boy, it's normal that you play with other players from other country. That's normal in a football team.

PLEITGEN: What do you think the chances are for the German team?

LAHM: I think they have -- now they have a clear system, how they want to play. They have to play us. They have experienced player. They have player with very big talent like Wirtz and Musiala. Now, it is so important that they create a team spirit, and you have -- as a fan, you have to feel it and then I think the German team, they have a big chance to -- also to the final.

PLEITGEN: At the end of all this, I think it's a month-long, the tournament, right --

LAHM: Yeah.

PLEITGEN: -- what would it take for you to say this was a really successful tournament for Germany, for Europe, and for football, because it's also an advertisement for football as well? Isn't it?

LAHM: The most important thing is a safe and secure tournament. That's very important, the most important thing. And then I hope that we feel a new or a better cohesion not only in Germany, also in Europe, more -- feeling not a -- I -- and -- that's -- I think that's very important.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: So, there you have Philipp Lahm, the director of the tournament. Here you have some more Scotland fans as well. The Germans, Fredricka, probably the favorites. The Scots say they're going to put up a fight, though. Most importantly, though, here in the center of Munich, everyone is friends.

WHITFIELD: Oh, but we see it's also a competition of enthusiasm. Hands down. Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much, at a very festive Munich, Germany.

All right. We want to stay in Europe right now. But, let's head to southern Italy, where you're about to see some live pictures, the pontiff there arriving at the G7 summit, and he'll be greeting all of the leaders there. He has got an interesting focus. Of course, he is there to bring some unity there at the G7 in the Apulia region of Italy. There you could see him kind of thrusting his fist there at the table. And he is hoping to help lead a discussion about artificial intelligence. [08:55:00]

He is hoping to help encourage these G7 leaders to come together with some kind of cohesive global regulation on artificial intelligence. There are other things that they'll be talking about as well, women's reproductive rights as well as the inflation, the global economy, but most will be tuned in especially to what he has to say about artificial intelligence and how it can be used, he believes, as a tool to unify human beings. He is hoping it doesn't become a so-called monster, a threat to humanity. So, we'll continue to watch throughout the day there in the Apulia region of Italy at the G7 summit. Hope you'll stay with us throughout the day.

Thank you so much for now for joining me here in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Connect the World with Becky Anderson is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, "CONNECT THE WORLD": I want to get you to southern Italy where Pope Francis is greeting world leaders at the G summit -- G7 summit ahead of his much anticipated speech on artificial intelligence. Let's listen in.

POPE FRANCIS, SOVEREIGN OF VATICAN CITY STATE (Interpreted): -- greet the Honorable Giorgia Meloni. I greet the Secretary of the European Union, and I greet presidents, kings.