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CNN International: Israel Begins Ground Operation in Southern Lebanon, Aims to Neutralize Hezbollah in Areas Near Border; at Least 130 Dead in Hurricane Helene's Aftermath; VP Nominees Walz and Vance to Face Off at Debate Tonight; Dock Workers at Ports on East and Gulf Coasts on Strike; International Longshoremen's Association Rejects Offer to Raise Wages by 50 percent Over Six Years; Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired October 01, 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]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Well, hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world. I'm Becky Anderson in Tel Aviv in Israel. This hour, I'll bring you the very latest on Israel's incursion into Lebanon.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": I'm Max Foster in London. Just Ahead. I'll take a closer look at the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and then look ahead at tonight's U.S. Vice Presidential debate. We will with breaking news.

ANDERSON: Well, there is a new and dangerous phase after almost a year of war. Israel has launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon targeting the militant group, Hezbollah. Well, these are the sounds of explosions and flashes of light filling the sky as the operation began overnight. Lebanese state media says airstrikes caused severe damage.

Israel says paratroopers, commandos, and members of the armed corps are involved in the incursion, which marks the fourth time that Israeli soldiers have entered Lebanese soil over nearly 50 years. Well, Israel is calling for the residents of two dozen villages there to evacuate approximately 30 miles or nearly 50 kilometers into Lebanon. Israel describes the raids as "Limited, targeted and localized."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL HAGARI, IDF SPOKESPERSON: Israel Defense Forces is conducting limited and targeted raids along Israel's northern border against the threat Hezbollah poses to civilians in northern Israel. This localized ground raids will target Hezbollah strongholds that threaten Israeli towns, kibbutzim and communities along our border. Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases already for an attack on Israel. Hezbollah had prepared to use those villages as staging grounds for an October 7th style invasion into Israeli homes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON: Well, CNN reporting team standing by, Nic Robertson is in northern Israel along Lebanese border, and Jomana Karadsheh is in Beirut. Nic, let's start with you. Conflicting reports about what is actually happening in the south of Lebanon, Hezbollah denying that troops have actually entered. What do we know at this point about Israeli operations there? How many troops are we talking about? How long are they expected to be on the ground? And how far do they go, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, limited, localized and targeted -- you heard it there from the IDF. That's how they continue to frame it. If you ask them as they happen (ph), how many troops, they won't give specifics. How long? They make it sound like it is just brief periods. When they use the term raid, raid tends to indicate that something that goes in, comes out, doesn't spend time on the ground there. How far are they going? Well, some of the objectives they say are tens of meters buildings -- tens of meters across the border. Some of them are hundred meters -- some of them are hundred meters.

Localize, that is a word I want to pick up on here right now, and I'm going to ask Max, our cameraman here, just to zoom in a little on the background behind me. What you are looking at there, that sort of white line along the wall there, along the border there, that is the border. So, this area that we are in right at within a mile or so of the northern border, at this moment, is quiet. I think we heard one artillery round in the last 15 minutes or so, sort of somewhere in the distance.

This area to me is not an area of active conflict or active raids. However, from what we understand from the military, that is going on in other areas. So this is what I mean when I -- when we look on the ground here and try to understand what the military says, what the IDF means when they say localized, it is not everywhere. We know villages like the one just behind me here have been targeted and hit multiple times, or a couple of Lebanese villages just across the border where I've been in this village here before, the IDF had told me these are places that Hezbollah uses as bases to fire at the local population.

[08:05:15]

So in anticipation of what the IDF are explaining the aim of their raids are, you would anticipate that somewhere here, there would be similar types of raids. But at the moment, in this area, noticeably quiet. But this warning to the civilians across the border to move north and if they travel south, then they're under threat really tells you that the IDF is trying to create a massive cordon sanitaire along the border, which gives the notion that they may want to go deeper.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: -- army is speaking now. Let's listen in.

HAGARI (through translator): -- of gathering and activities in the Carmel, Wadi Ara, Menashe, Shomron, Sharon, Dan, Shfela, Jerusalem, and the Shfelat Yehuda (ph). It means that in those areas, you can do activities, educational activities and work, as long as you can get to a protective area on time. This is the thing to remember.

You can gather in closed structures up until 30 people and outside up until 60 people. It is on the Home Front Command website. We take all measures in order to keep you safe. Please keep the instructions and the guidelines, this is lifesaving. We are in a war and there may be more rockets towards the center. Also, because of our activity in Lebanon, I ask the public to be responsible and vigilant. We will update on any change on the official platforms of Home Front Command. And I will update you immediately on any change.

In the last 24 hours, the IDF went on to a ground operation, a planned one, against Hezbollah's terror destinations, targets. This is to complete several days of activity on operation after the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah. During dozens of years, Hezbollah built terror infrastructures across the border, from which he was planning to infiltrate Israel and make his own 7th of October. They called it the "Occupation of the Galilee." They put infrastructure underground, under the villages, with weaponry.

And now, we can tell that after many years of intelligence gathering, we put out dozens of operations inside of the Lebanon in aim of neutralizing Hezbollah in the villages and territories next to the border. I will show now evidence, some of which were taken -- where filmed during activities of the IDF soldiers. Special units crossed dozens of time into the heart of battle of Hezbollah station and they destroyed fundamental infrastructures.

They infiltrated villages and territories, opened underground hatches and dozens of sites across the border. They discovered and destroyed the weaponry to the ground, including Iran-made weaponry. The IDF fighters eliminated more than 700 targets in sites. I will show three examples out of those. The first is in Meiss Ej Jabal, a Lebanese village next to the Israeli border, not far from Qiryat Shemona. In the beginning of the war, we attacked several hundred terror targets and most of the village population fled to the north as the infrastructure in the village suffered great damage.

[08:10:00]

You can see this house which was used by Hezbollah fighter to have weaponry under -- undercover weaponry underground. This infrastructure was supposed to be a point ahead of terror activity by Hezbollah. They uncovered a basement with lots of weaponry. There was an uplifted stage in order to hide the entry to the underground hatch. There is a 150-meter tunnel. They mapped it with special equipment and we destroyed the house from the ground and from the air.

Another example is village of Kila, next to -- not far from Metula. In the beginning of the war, we attacked hundreds of infrastructures of Hezbollah. Also in this case, most residents fled to the north. In another operation in that village, followed an exact intelligence, we found an infrastructure used by Hezbollah and they operated in the house, and you can see in the children's room, under the bed, they found an underground hatch. They went down the hatch and exposed a tunnel 100-meter long. The unit found weaponry inside and they exposed a slick (ph) with weapons destined to be used by Hezbollah in an attack on Israel and a raid on Israel. The house, the tunnel and the weaponry were all destroyed from the ground and from the air.

The last example for activity against Hezbollah's weaponry is between Aita al-Shaab and the border of Israel. During the beginning of the war, hundreds of Hezbollah targets were attacked, missile launchers and weaponry. You can see the huge damage in the village due to the fact that Hezbollah use it for terror. We identified and underground fighting of Hezbollah, including tunnels below and above the ground. This network of tunnels connect to an underground tunnel which includes a weaponry command room and organization room where Hezbollah fighters can also stay.

This is bodycams of the IDF -- our forces raided those tunnels, scanned it and explored the opening of the tunnel which goes down towards the Lebanese village. This tunnel does not cross to the territory of Israel. Our fighters went down the tunnel where they found in the rooms, weaponries and armory. At the end of this operation, the whole compound Hezbollah constructed during the years was neutralized by the ground and the air -- from the ground and the air. This is only a small part of dozens of operations we took, in which we destroyed dozens of infrastructures and weaponry of Hezbollah, which waited until the day they will raid Israel.

And we have proof, this map was found in one of the compounds. This is a map Hezbollah gave to its fighters when raiding in Israel as part of the 'Occupation of Galilee'.

[08:15:00]

This marks Israeli settlements and attack and targets that they attack. This map was destined to use thousands of fighters once they would give the order to raid Israel, just like Hamas did on the 7th of October. The activities during the war brought this great damage to them in order for them not to do it. Hezbollah decided not to join the war next to Hamas does, and the IDF warned that there will be great consequences. And despite of that, Hezbollah keeps its aggressiveness and endangers Lebanon in further escalation. We are proving and alerting for years Hezbollah is undoing the United -- the Security Council 1701 forbidding them to have fighters along the border and UNIFIL failed to enforce it.

No country will be in peace with the presence of a murderous organization. And Israel will be determined and will show it to the world, dozens of international journalists see these equipments, including many evidence we brought from Hezbollah compound to Israel. We'll show it to the world. From the first day of the world (ph), we operate in Gaza in order to deconstruct the military arm of Hamas, while we also act and we will continue to act in all efforts to bring back our hostages.

This is a major goal and an urgent mission next to the operate -- fighting in Gaza. We have acted during all these months in the north and we will act tonight as well, on a proper plan in order to bring peace into the border. We brought this elimination of Nasrallah and other seniors. They planned murder and kidnapping of Israeli citizens. I'd like to refer to the north residents. The IDF acts all the time from the ground, the sea and the air. We activate progressive technological equipment and we are fighting the infrastructure of Hezbollah in order to neutralize and destroy them.

We planned -- we prepared for it for months. We have a proper plan and we will do it now, as we speak. All of what we've done for the past year and what we keep doing across the border, along the border, it is part of one target, destroying and neutralizing terror infrastructure that threats -- that is threatening the north. We are determined to have a different -- to change the security operators (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Why are you intensifying the restrictions?

HAGARI (through translator): We've seen rockets of Hezbollah into the central of Israel. This is part of our activity against Hezbollah, which causes Hezbollah to do everything to shoot towards Israel. Today, they also shoot the central of Israel and we actually eliminated, but this is not an absolute defense. We take measures and we change the instructions. And I really ask the residents to follow those guidelines in the center, in Jerusalem and in other regions.

These instructions focus on the fact that you need to be near a defense, a protected area. You can do -- you can gather up to 30 people in a closed compound and 60 in an open compound.

[08:20:00]

I will be here and -- to update on any further changes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): How long does it -- will the Lebanese -- operation in Lebanon are supposed to continue?

HAGARI (through translator): There are many villages and infrastructures. We took care and handled dozens of operations. I exposed it now and we will continue to expose it. These operations prepared us, we gathered intelligence for it. We are now expanding it and we are creating an expanded operation to destroy these infrastructures. I will not disclose this to the enemy, how long it will take.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Is there preparation for rockets from Iran?

HAGARI (through translator): We already had rockets from Yemen, Iran, and in the last few hours, from Lebanon. We have guidelines in place how the public should protect itself. The responsible way the public listen to these guidelines means that we narrow those threats. We are doing -- eliminating these threats all the time. We intercept it. We look south, north, east in peak alert.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): (Inaudible).

HAGARI (through translator): We --

ANDERSON: We've been listening to Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesman, insisting that the operation that is now ongoing in southern Lebanon is the result of weeks of intelligence gathering through raids on Lebanese villages. Nic, you've been listening in this live briefing with us. From your vantage point there, on Israel's northern border, what do you make of what we just heard?

ROBERTSON: Yeah, look, while we've been listening to Daniel Hagari, we also just got a briefing from one of the local security officials here. And he said, look, you can see that border wall, assume they can see you. He said that vehicles have been passing up and down this road and the village just around the corner from us have been taking direct fire from houses, literally just across the border. They were once upon a time civilian houses, but they're co-opted and Hezbollah moves in and maybe moves the family out, maybe not.

This is just sort of descriptions we've been getting over the past few months and they fire from there. And this, when Daniel Hagari -- Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief IDF spokesman, describes what they're targeting, this matches up what people on the ground here tell us. And I've been in this village before. There are houses here that have been very clearly hit by exactly the type of shoulder-launch rockets that are being described to us. So, the scenarios match up.

What Hagari is talking about is a more complex issue, saying that Hezbollah plan to follow the Hamas October 7th playbook, which is have a concerted effort, massed forces, massed weapons to infiltrate across the board. That's what people here tell us they're worried about as well. So, in this part of the border, right now, I can tell you it is it is pretty quiet. But can also tell you the security officials here are extremely on edge and they truly believed that there could be something incoming across that border in a seconds time. That's how much they're on edge, Becky.

ANDERSON: We get to Beirut. Nic, thank you. Jomana is in Beirut and you were also listening into the IDF spokesman there, Daniel Hagari insisting this is an operation to restore the security of Israelis on the northern part of the Israeli border, of course. And while outlining some of what he says the IDF has discovered through operations on the ground, he also spoke to the marine and operations on and off Lebanon. Airstrikes, of course, in the south and the east continue and strikes on Beirut, where you are. Just describe the impact and the further detail that we have at this point.

[08:25:00]

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Becky. I'm sorry, I'm just having a hard time hearing you because of the connection here and it is quite windy today. But you know, Becky, we are hearing from the Israeli military saying that they have launched what they are describing as this limited ground operation, these targeted raids as they describe it. Now, we've been getting information here from security sources, a source with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, UNIFIL, as well as two senior Lebanese security sources, and what they say -- they are saying that Israel has not yet launched a full-scale invasion.

They're describing what has been taking place as sporadic raids across the border and that no Israeli troops remain on Lebanese soil. But what we also do know has been taking place is intense shelling, artillery shelling as well as air airstrikes around that border region. That's according to residents there and the Lebanese state news agency. We've heard from residents in some of these southern towns describing a really terrifying situation that they have been living through. People in their homes, unable to evacuate, they say they've even called the Lebanese army to get them out. But the army said it can't do that.

We've reached out to the Lebanese military and have yet to hear from them, but we do know that it moved its troops. The Lebanese army yesterday, from the observation post along the border back to military barracks in villages and towns further north. And you know, as you were hearing from Nic there, Hezbollah is still continuing to launch attacks. They say these barrages of rockets targeting Israeli military targets and you know, in the last couple of hours, Becky, we've heard from the Israeli military, ordering the evacuation of 27 villages in the south, telling people they need to get out immediately and they need to move to the north of the Awali River.

For some of these villages, that's about 30 miles south -- north into Lebanon. So this is really only going to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation here. As you know, up to a million people already displaced just in the past ten days or so. I can tell you the mood here right now, fear, anxiety, apprehension that is just so palpable. You hear the Israelis talking about a limited ground offensive.

No one here really believes that. They say they feel that this -- that history might be repeating itself here, of course, because back in 1982, Israel also launched what it described as a limited ground incursion into Lebanon. That turned into a full-scale invasion and an occupation of southern Lebanon for many, many years. So, a lot of fear here of what might be coming next, Becky.

ANDERSON: Yeah, and very much understandable. Jomana Karadsheh is in Beirut. You heard earlier from Nic Robertson, who is on the border with Lebanon in the north of Israel. Thank you to both.

Still to come, more from right here in the Middle East as Israel ramps up airstrikes and launches what it calls a limited ground offensive in Lebanon. I'll be back soon with a live report and further analysis. Just ahead.

First up, my colleague, Max Foster will bring us very latest from the United States where thousands of survivors are struggling in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:10]

FOSTER: Massive search and rescue efforts are underway in the south eastern part of the U.S. in the wake of Hurricane Helene. At least 130 people died and hundreds are still unaccounted for. Nearly 2 million people remain without power as crucial supplies like gas and food are hard to come by, especially in the hard-hit area of Asheville, North Carolina, where its described as post-apocalyptic.

CNN's Isabel Rosales reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With devastation this widespread, a view from the air brings into focus the full scope of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene. Heavy trees and downed power lines are blocking major roadways, hampering the delivery of badly-needed supplies. An overturned semi-truck laying upside down in the river and numerous landslides, all spotted from above.

CNN flew by helicopter with a non-profit serving inaccessible towns badly in need of aid. On the ground in Black Mountain, outside of Asheville, City Manager Josh Harrold says it could take years to get over this devastation.

JOSH HARROLD, BLACK MOUNTAIN CITY MANAGER: It is catastrophic. Black Mountain may never look the same again. It is just total destruction.

ROSALES (voice-over): But just getting by for now, the focus for so many. It is hours of waiting for gas at the few pumps that are still running.

MICHELLE COLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASHEVILLE DREAM CENTER: Here's your first car.

ROSALES (voice-over): In Asheville, lines of cars waiting for basic supplies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is just rough. It is hard see in the city like this.

ROSALES (voice-over): Some families tell CNN they've run out of drinking water and without electricity, their food is rotting.

Gary O'Dell is sharing everything he has got. He is home with his daughter who lost it all to the catastrophic floods, and even life- saving oxygen tanks with his neighbor.

GARY O'DELL, SHARING OXYGEN TANKS WITH NEIGHBOR: My next-door neighbor ran out of oxygen. He is in worse shape than I am. That's my problem. I've got lung cancer now too. And you don't -- you know, you don't realize, oxygen is very important.

ROSALES (voice-over): Non-profits teaming up to serve 2,000 residents in the first four hours.

COLEMAN: How are you guys doing?

ROSALES (voice-over): This is one of the first semi-trucks full desperately needed supplies to arrive in Asheville.

COLEMAN: This is the most devastating thing I've ever seen (inaudible) city. I think that the loss of life, the fact that we don't have cash, you can't get anything. We've gone to stores, water is out, ice is out. People slept overnight at gas stations like, I feel like we've never seen this before.

ROSALES (voice-over): And three days into this disaster, North Carolinians praying that more help is on the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: That was CNN's Isabel Rosales reporting for us there. For more information about how you can help Hurricane Helene victims, do go to CNN.com/impact.

Now, they've been publicly criticizing each other for months now. But in just a matter of hours, the U.S. vice presidential candidates will square off in-person where they meet on the debate stage for the first and likely, last time. The matchup between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance is taking place in New York. It is hosted by CBS News. They'll showcase two nominees trying to gain the edge in a razor-thin race.

Meanwhile, the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, appeared to be setting the tone ahead of tonight's debate with his familiar name-calling strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's going up against a moron, a total moron. How she picked him is unbelievable and I think it is a big factor. There is something wrong with that guy, he is sick. He went into the Michigan game the other day, he got booed out. I wanted to the Alabama games, the 120,000 people went crazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN will have special coverage of the vice presidential debate starting tonight at 7 p.m. in New York. That is midnight here in London.

Just ahead, my colleague, Becky will be back to speak to an expert about Lebanon, a nation already on the brink even before Israeli troops entered the country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:25]

ANDERSON: Well, more now on our top story. Israeli officials are saying there will be no long-term Israeli occupation of Lebanon. But they are not saying how long their forces will be in the country. Fierce fighting is reported in southern Lebanon after Israel launched, what it calls, a limited ground operation there against Hezbollah, with troops entering Lebanon for the first time since 2006.

Let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks, joining us live from Abu Dhabi, who is monitoring what is going on, on the ground. Paula, what is Israel's stated goal here?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, the basic goal that Israel has said is that they want to be able to return tens of thousands of Israeli residents to northern Israel. And in order to do that, they say they have to take out the threat of Hezbollah just along the border and in southern Lebanon. Now, we've heard from the Israeli military just in the past hour, detailing what they have done so far since this ground incursion began, this limited ground incursion they say. And what we heard from the IDF was that they have hit dozens of targets at this point -- they have had dozens of targeted operations that they have identified and also destroyed a number of underground access points.

They say they've also been able to find a number of weapons caches. They say they were in many cases hidden in civilian infrastructure, in villages along the border, and they were able to destroy that as well. So, they say that this is ongoing at this point, an Israeli security official telling CNN that it is localized raids, very limited in scope and area of operation. What we are hearing from Hezbollah, however, is that they believe that Israel forces haven't actually entered Lebanon at this point.

We have had a statement from Hezbollah saying that there have not been clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. We have though seen Hezbollah launch a number of rockets. We have seen that there have been, for example, two injured in central Israel from a rocket that hit a bus driver and also a car driver along a highway. So certainly, there have been back-and-forth across the border as we also see that Hezbollah early this morning, as the news broke, that there were Israel troops crossing into Lebanon, that they were also striking against the troops in northern Israel they say. Becky?

[08:40:00]

ANDERSON: Good to have you. Thank you, Paula. Well, the war risks further destabilizing Lebanon, a country already on the brink without a president and suffering from a deep economic crisis. My next guest posted, "Lebanon's fate and the region's outlook will be determined in the battlefield in south Lebanon, as we speak.

Dr. Sami Atallah is a Political Economist and Director of 'The Policy Initiative' think tank in Beirut. And he joins me now live. Can you just explain further what you meant by that post?

SAMI ATALLAH, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, 'THE POLICY INITIATIVE': Sure. Hi, Becky. Indeed, we are actually entering in a very dangerous phase of the war. Israel is euphoric about its tactical wins, though it has not defeated Hamas. It has destroyed Gaza, killed many thousands of civilians in Gaza. Now, they're entering Lebanon thinking that they can do the same. Now, this is the situation. Israel is not interested in peace or in liberating the south as the Israeli spokesperson was saying.

In fact, Israel's main goal is actually to impose its hegemony in the Levant, and the only force standing in the way is Hezbollah (ph). Now, so this is what I mean, is that their ability to enter Lebanon and destroy Hezbollah is not to liberate anything, but to control the region. Hence, it all depends on what the battlefield tells us, and the performance of Hezbollah forces and their ability to withstand the Israeli aggression. So, I doubt there is going to be a limited incursion unless the Israelis think it is going to be a picnic or they are going to run away or run out of Lebanon.

This is going to be a major battlefield. We are going to see to what extent Hezbollah's organizational structure, command and control is ready for the war. And I think we get to see that in the coming days or weeks.

ANDERSON: Well, that is a view shared by many that I speak to in this region, with many frustrated by Israel's refusal not to pursue a diplomatic and political solution here, a ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and France last week in the U.N. for a ceasefire with Lebanon, which might have opened the sort of wider aperture for the pursuit of a ceasefire in Gaza. The Palestinian issue sits Hezbollah, certainly would say, at the heart of what is going on here.

But the stated goal of the Israelis is to secure the northern part of Israel where some 65,000, of course, are displaced by the threats from Hezbollah. And those threats, of course, are very real. I want to talk to you very specifically about the risk at this point for a Lebanon that is already, as many will say, on the brink, that is further destabilized by what is going on. Now, there are a million displaced as we understand it, that is some 20 percent of the population. What are the risks for the Lebanese, for Lebanon at present? And what is the risk of a destabilized Lebanon for the wider region at this point?

ATALLAH: Sure. First of all, Becky, talking about ceasefire, neither the U.S. nor Western powers seem to be really serious about ceasefire. It is a diversion for Israel to do what it wants do. In fact, what we've seen is that they continuously support Israel, continuously arming Israel, continuously providing it with resources and money. Clearly, they are actually encouraging Israel to commit genocide and to kill civilians. It is on deterred. So if they're serious about it, they need to draw the line and say, come to the table and let's actually negotiate a peace. That gives first and foremost, the Palestinians the right to exist and the state.

Let's not forget where we are and why we are here. Why is this (inaudible) here. It is because going all the way to Palestine. Now back to your question, regarding the civil strives, yes, there is a very strong danger in relation to more than one million displacement in Lebanon. Lebanon's economy is in tatters and in fact, we don't know what is going to be next. Again, the battlefield becomes important because if Hezbollah is weakened seriously in the battlefield, that has various serious ramifications domestically in terms of what is next for Hezbollah and how other parties actually responds to that.

[08:45:00]

So, it is very important and urgent for all political parties in Lebanon to really be responsible here and be united at this stage of the war, and (inaudible) whatever is outcome in a very diplomatic and serious way to ensure that no such strives (ph) takes place in Lebanon.

ANDERSON: And you're talking about the potential for a civil war if the society doesn't come together. Of course, at this point, it is a caretaker government which is focused it seems solely at this point on what is a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, if not disaster. And there are fears of a full-fledged war in the region where there to be direct confrontation between Israel and Iran at this point. Now, we do not know whether Iran will react and if it does, how, to the assassinations of the Iran-backed Hezbollah Group, including its Chief Hassan Nasrallah. What do you think the risks of a direct confrontation between the two are for the region?

ATALLAH: Sure. Look, interestingly, if we look, the behavior of the key parties. And I'm talking about the Iranians and the Israelis in the last 12 months. In fact, it's Israeli that is actually trying to provoke Iran for the war. It has done so, so many times, asking for it and counting on the U.S. to help it. So really, see how much of a danger Israel is not only to Lebanon and to the Palestinians, but to the stability of the region, because Bibi Netanyahu wants a war because that serves him, serves him politically and electorally, and it serves the state of Israel's hegemony in the region.

So, we are really -- we have to focus on what the Israeli government is going to do. Now, as for the Iranians, we have seen that they've been very restrained relatively. I don't think they have -- obviously, they haven't reacted to Haniyeh's assassination. The big question is, how will they respond to the battlefield today and if Hezbollah is weakened seriously, will they interfere or not, that is really the big question. But so far, they have not -- in fact, if anything, they've kept more a low threshold in terms of interfering directly or even causing a war.

So, I think in order to make sure that no war breaks out, again, international community, the West and the U.S. need to stop Israel because, frankly, Netanyahu is undeterred. He has the green light to do whatever he wants and no one is stopping him. (Inaudible) responsible the U.S. and the West for all the wars and the crisis we are facing.

ANDERSON: You've been listening to the perspective of Dr. Sami Atallah in Beirut. Dr. Sami, thank you for your time. I'll be back from Tel Aviv at the top of the hour. After the break, my colleague, Max Foster will have more of the day's other top stories for you. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:20]

FOSTER: The workers at American ports from New England to Texas are on strike. Members of the International Longshoremen's Association are striking at (ph) 14 major ports in the U.S. East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico too. Last-minute efforts to reach an agreement with ship operators and port authorities came to nothing. The employers have offered a contract that would raise wages by 50 percent over the next six years; the Union says that's unacceptable. It is the first strike at the East Coast ports since 1977. Vanessa Yurkevich is in Elizabeth, New Jersey and we should clarify exactly how much impact this would have to the U.S. economy and economies in other countries. VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It is going to have a significant impact. Out here today, we have hundreds of union members who have been out since the very early morning. Behind me, you can kind of just see the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is idle right now because you don't have this dockworkers working to load and offload imports and exports that come into this area. And as you mentioned, this is going to have a huge economic impact.

One estimate puts a one-week strike at over $2 billion. And just into this port alone, imports consists of alcohol, cherries, fruits, furniture, and exports auto parts and other items that our foreign counterparts by. But that's all at a halt right now because the union, the ILA and USMX failed to reach a deal yesterday. On the table was an offer from USMX of 50 percent in wage increases over six years, but the union saying that is not good enough. Also of note, retailers saw this coming and a lot of them brought in a lot of their holiday products early because they didn't want a strike to interrupt shipping.

So for holiday shoppers out there, you can rest easy that there will be things on the shelves around the holiday shopping season. Now, the administration, the Biden Administration is really the only power to stop a strike. President Biden could enact something called the Hartley Act and Taft-Hartley Act, and that would essentially end a strike. However, President Biden is saying he is not planning to get involved despite major business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called on him to do so.

I briefly spoke with the president of the ILA union moments ago and he told me that in order to get back to the negotiating table with the shipping alliance, all of his demands need to be met, Max. But as you know, this is a negotiation. It doesn't look like the shippers are going to meet the union exactly where they want to be. But the shippers are saying they want to get back to the table, just not under those circumstances. Max?

FOSTER: Vanessa, thank you. We'll be right back.

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FOSTER: A reminder of our breaking news this hour, Israel has launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, targeting the militant group Hezbollah. Israel describes the raids which began overnight as "Limited, targeted and localized." The IDF used maps and video to make its point that Hezbollah was using houses and tunnels in southern Lebanon to store weapons.

[08:55:00]

The Israeli military says Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages into military bases ready to attack Israel. Israel is calling for the residents of two dozen villages to evacuate approximately 30 miles or at least 50 kilometers into Lebanon.

And finally this hour, Jimmy Carter is making history yet again. He is turning 100-years-old today, becoming the first American president to reach that milestone. The 39th president's hometown, Plains, Georgia will celebrate his birthday with a military flyover. This is not the only record that Jimmy Carter holds. He is the only U.S. president to win a Nobel Peace Prize after leaving office, and also has the most Grammy Award wins of any president. He has been receiving hospice care at his home in Plains since February 2023.

Thanks for joining me and Becky here on "CNN Newsroom." I'm Max Foster. Do stay with CNN because Becky will be back with the latest live from Tel Aviv.

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