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CNN International: Israeli Cabinet Meeting Over Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Delayed; Donald Trump Outlines Tariff Plan; Trump's Incoming Border Czar To Visit Texas. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired November 26, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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RAHEL SOLOMON, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Good morning or good evening, depending on where you're watching. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York.

Ahead on CNN Newsroom, the Israeli cabinet is set to vote on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah just hours after the IDF bombarded southern Beirut with at least 10 simultaneous strikes. We are live in Jerusalem with the latest. Plus, big changes promised, Donald Trump's day one plans for tariffs on some of America's closest trading partners. And thousands take to the streets of Islamabad in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Later today, we are expecting Israel's security cabinet to meet and decide whether to sign off on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, hitting pause on the violence that has caused suffering on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. A short time ago, we learned that the scheduled cabinet meeting has been delayed for a few hours. The proposal being considered includes a 60-day pause in fighting. Diplomats hope that that could be the basis for a lasting ceasefire. A source tells CNN that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on board with the U.S.- backed plan in principle. Lebanon's Foreign Minister says that a pause in hostilities would be welcome news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDALLAH BOU HABIB, LEBANON'S FOREIGN MINISTER: We wanted to stop it because the country was paralyzed. Although it is in few parts of the country, the fighting was, but the country as a whole is paralyzed, and we wanted to finish this and to have a ceasefire. Hopefully, tonight, by tonight, we'll have this ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Now, in the 11th hour before the expected agreement, plumes of smoke from large explosions blanket parts of the Beirut skyline. Within the last few hours, Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs, at one point, unleashing at least 20 bombs in a two-minute span. An Israeli military spokesperson described it as a widespread attack on Hezbollah targets. More than 3,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began its major offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah in September. More than one million people have been displaced.

Let's go to our Nic Robertson, who joins us now for the very latest from Jerusalem. Nic, talk to us about the pressures increasing on Netanyahu in this final phase, although we know that there are still some, at least one in the far right who say that making a deal would be a mistake. What do we expect to see in the next 24 hours or so?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Look, Rahel, I think it's absolutely no understatement at all to say that everyone in the region is watching Netanyahu and this upcoming security cabinet meeting and the outcome of the meeting. The reason that we understand that it has slipped a little bit and the security cabinet meeting, we are absolutely expecting to go ahead, the reason it has slipped is in part, we knew earlier in the day that the Prime Minister was going to be meeting with some of his partners in the government, and then he has met with his own Likud party to make sure that he has got all their support, and they're all on board with that.

Now, there are 11 members of the security cabinet, and it's a simple majority. So, six carries the vote. We understand from the Prime Minister's office that he has the full support of the Likud party members who are going into that cabinet session, and there are six of them. So, they're already indicating right there with those numbers. The vote is going to carry in favor of moving forward with this ceasefire. And there will be others within that cabinet session who will also vote with the Prime Minister on that.

The holdouts, as we understand, are just a couple, the hard nationalist right-wing members of the cabinet like Itamar Ben-Gvir, the National Securities Minister, and also the Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich. They have been saying, and Ben-Gvir was saying, quite specifically, that he believes that this is the time to keep up the fight, keep the pressure going on Hezbollah, because they are weak. Crush them. His message to the Prime Minister is, continue, continue, continue. But, even without those two cabinet members, the vote can go ahead.

But, as you were mentioning, the IDF keeping up quite a heavy, perhaps the heaviest sequential barrage of fire we've seen on Hezbollah targets. They talked about hitting 30 targets in the morning. In the afternoon, an IDF spokesman talked about hitting 20 targets in the space of 120 seconds, in the space of two minutes. That is a lot, and that could see -- be seen in the number of plumes of smoke rising up in Beirut.

[11:05:00]

And I think giving stress in Beirut tonight is the fact that some areas have been announced by the IDF, warning civilians to get away from those particular areas in the center of Beirut, in places that haven't been struck before. So, not in this conflict, not going back to 2006. So, the scrutiny and the focus on this upcoming cabinet meeting and the tensions about what is still going on, one the ground, this is a very, very hot moment, but I think the expectation is that an off-ramp is opening up tonight with a ceasefire. SOLOMON: Well, Nic, speaking of scrutiny, I mean, how much specificity has been released in terms of this deal? There are certainly some residents who believe that the full details of the deal should be released for transparency sake.

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. I was speaking to residents who live along the northern border and they feel that this is a sell-out. They feel that this deal is going to look very much like the deal in 2006, the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and they say that that wasn't enforced toughly enough, and therefore Hezbollah was able to get to the border. Put them in danger. And they feel that this is a repetition.

What we know is a 60-day ceasefire. Hezbollah is expected to move back north inside Lebanon, away from the border, 30 miles, 45 kilometers north of a river called the Litani River, which, by the way, the IDF said they reached in some areas. In some places, it is very close to the border. And the IDF, for their part, would pull back, back into Israel. So, they would -- the forces would pull apart, and into that vacuum would go the UN and the Lebanese army. And we heard from the Lebanese Foreign Minister today specifying some of the details about how many troops would be going in. This is what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HABIB: I think I -- and this is -- as the Israelis withdraw, we will fill in their place, around 5,000 troops. This would be added to around 5,000 that exist in the south. And in cooperation with UNIFIL, the only -- after 60 days, the only authority in south Lebanon -- in south of the Litani, not south Lebanon, in south of the Litani, it would be the authority of the Lebanese government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Yeah. And what we heard as well today from the Israeli Defense Minister was that the UN troops coming in must be more robust than they were before. He was meeting with a UN representative in the region, and he said that they must be able to act with greater force.

And I think the other piece of the picture here that we don't have full visibility on, but we got an insight from one of the leading opposition figures in Israel, Benny Gantz, saying the Israel -- the IDF cannot be tied down in militarily responding to Hezbollah breaches of the ceasefire by having to raise a concern with an intermediary body, get permission from that intermediary body to strike Hezbollah. So, there seems to be an addendum that will perhaps give the IDF some right of response. That's all unclear at the moment, though.

SOLOMON: OK. A hugely important, significant day. Nic Robertson, keep us posted. Nic, thank you.

From Amman, Jordan now, I want to welcome Nabih Bulos, who is the Middle East Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times. Nabih, great to have you today. There have been moments like this before. But, from your vantage point, is this the closest that we've gotten to a deal? I mean, just based on what our Nic Robertson said there, it seems like the numbers may be on their side, that they have reached an agreement.

NABIH BULOS, MIDDLE EAST BUREAU CHIEF, LOS ANGELES TIMES: Well, yes, but I think the key point is, as your correspondent mentioned, are these hidden addendums or these various, I suppose, arrangements that are perhaps not public. I mean, this is really the key point right now, because obviously, at the same time, after Israel votes on this or after the Israeli cabinet votes on this, we have to also see what the Lebanese parliament or government and indeed Hezbollah are going to do as well. In fact, my understanding is that tomorrow, the Lebanese government is convening to actually discuss the ceasefire agreement, if indeed there is some kind of approval from the Israeli cabinet.

And the fact of the matter is that, I mean, as it stands right now, there are, I would say, conflicting views as to what actually this means. I mean, the Lebanese government is insisting on the idea of 1701, this UN treaty -- I mean, this UN resolution that happened in 2006 which held a truce for about 18 years. But, that truce actually has -- actually managed to, I suppose -- I mean, it kept things in the status quo ante for quite some time, but it did not solve the root causes of the issue. And at the same time, it would be hard to imagine that Lebanese leaders would be, I think, willing to accept the notion of Israel acting whenever it wanted to, I mean, across the country to attack Hezbollah sites.

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So, that would be an issue. And these are, I must say, issues that have still not been clarified.

SOLOMON: Yeah. And it's an interesting point, because I think there are lots of ways you can sort of view the prospect of a ceasefire deal, I think certainly for the tens of thousands, the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced from their home on both sides of the border. I wonder, practically speaking, if a deal is reached, what would it mean for them? Is it an oversimplification to suggest that they may be able to return to their homes? I mean, how do you see it?

BULOS: Well, yes, I would say there is some oversimplification there. I mean, for one thing, it's important to note that a lot of the areas have been absolutely obliterated and destroyed. I mean, you are talking about entire villages along the border strip that have simply been, I think, razed to the ground. And so, obviously it would take some time for people to return there.

And then the other question is -- I mean, it's important to note that these are areas where Hezbollah holds sway and is actually quite popular. And so, therefore there are people who are residents there, who are also perhaps affiliated with Hezbollah. And so, what happens then? I mean, can these people return? Can they build their houses? Right? What does it mean if they are still affiliated with the group, right? These are various questions that have not been solved or hammered out.

Now, it's worth noting that the idea here now is to have a 60-day truce and to use that time to actually hammer those details out. But, the problem is that -- I mean, there are just simply, I think, vital issues on how much there can be no consensus between the two sides, and I would be curious to see how they can achieve it.

SOLOMON: Yeah. And what about just the implications? I mean, obviously nothing in this region happens in a vacuum. But, if a deal is reached, what about the implications for the region, but also the implications in Gaza?

BULOS: Well, also it's important to note that there has been a constant raising of the temperature, if you will, across the last 14 months. And so -- I mean, at least putting out the fire, I mean, if only temporarily in Lebanon, I mean, that would be some gain, right, and would also perhaps lead to a momentum that would then cause a ceasefire in Gaza as well. And it would perhaps be a sort of pulling back from the brink. But, with that being said, I mean, all this is, I think, very still unstable, right? We still do not have any kind of overall solution that can handle the root causes of these conflicts. I mean, that remains out of reach. And the fact of the matter is that even though we are now talking about a ceasefire, what's really needed is peace, constant peace.

SOLOMON: Yeah, and I think so many people would agree with you.

Lastly, politics being what it is, I mean, there are always winners and losers. Who walks away from this deal politically stronger?

BULOS: Well, perhaps Trump, I would suppose, because the fact of the matter is, this is supposed to be some kind of a gift for Trump. But, in terms of, I think, the Lebanese parties, it would be hard to imagine anyone coming out stronger with this. Now, there is, of course, talk that this will perhaps lead to a sidelining of Hezbollah, or at least a, I mean, a renegotiation of the social contract that Hezbollah has with Lebanon. And that could be so. But, I think we're a long way off there.

And in terms of, I suppose, I mean, Israeli cabinet, especially Netanyahu, this can be some sort of win for him, because at the same time, it's worth noting that he has managed to hurt Hezbollah grievously, and had managed to get his way. So, that is a win for him as well.

SOLOMON: Yeah. You have to wonder sort of how much of that was an impact in terms of Hezbollah coming into this weaker because of recent events in the last few months, in terms of ultimately perhaps reaching the deal.

We'll leave it here. But, Nabih Bulos, so great to have your insights and perspective today. Thank you.

BULOS: Thank you.

SOLOMON: OK. And still ahead for us, Donald Trump outlining his plan to place tariffs on imports. We'll take a look at what it could mean for the economy. Plus, Trump's pick to be his border czar is in Texas today. We'll take a look and look at his meeting with Governor Greg Abbott, when we come right back.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. President-elect Donald Trump is outlining how he wants to use trade tariffs. On the campaign trail, Trump spoke a lot about slapping high tariffs on Chinese imports, but now he is making clear that neighbors and allies of the U.S., well, they won't be spared. He is proposing 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico as soon as he takes office. Chinese imports will face an additional 10 percent tariff, which Trump describes as punishment for China exporting fentanyl to the U.S. The Chinese Embassy responding that no one will win a trade war.

Economists, meantime, say that tariffs could wreak havoc on U.S. firms, supply chains, especially in industries that rely on imports from America's closest trading partners.

Let's bring in CNN's Anna Stewart to break down for us. Anna, how these tariffs would work?

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, essentially, a tariff is just a tax that a country imposes on imports, usually as a percentage of a product, and that is paid for by the importer of that good, as a result, so that companies can retain some sort of profit margin. They often have to pass that cost on to the consumer, which means, of course, measures like this can really be inflationary. Goods can get more expensive, particularly if you rely on imported goods.

Now, here we have 10 percent on China. This would be in addition to existing tariffs that there already are on certain Chinese products. 25 percent on all products from Mexico and Canada. This is huge. These tariffs would cover 40 percent of U.S. trade. Let that sink in.

However, I think the timing of this announcement is really interesting. Of course, he is the President-elect. He is not yet President. The campaign is over. In many ways, you've got to wonder whether this is a negotiating tactic, and whether these tariffs that are being proposed here actually maybe less about the economy and trade and boosting inward investment in U.S. manufacturing. Maybe this is more a diplomatic tool or a diplomatic weapon, perhaps.

Have a look at what Donald Trump said on Truth Social when he made this announcement. The big focus here really was U.S. borders and drugs. He said the tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular, fentanyl, and all illegal aliens stop the invasion of our country. So, I would suggest that while tariffs are so often used by Donald Trump as an economic tool, perhaps it's being used here as more of a diplomatic one.

SOLOMON: And what's the reaction been like to this diplomatic or not?

STEWART: It's been a fun day for reaction. Obviously, ever since it was announced yesterday, there has been a lot of reaction, particularly in currency markets. We had the Mexican peso down two percent against the U.S. dollar. At one point, the Canadian dollar down more than a percent. You can see quite a bit of recovery now, though.

In terms of the diplomatic response, well, you already mentioned Beijing saying that a trade war essentially helps no one. Mexico's President has said that Trump's tariffs will worsen inflation, kill jobs, and she has also said this, to one tariff will come another and so on until we put our common businesses at risk, i.e.., as what often happens with tariffs, if you do impose them, countries will impose tariffs back, and before you know it, you are in a tariff war. We've been there before, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. Tip-for-tat usually doesn't end well, but I guess it depends on who you're asking.

Anna Stewart, thank you.

All right. Let's continue this conversation, and joining us now to look at the impact that tariffs may have on business and the economy is Edward Alden. He is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Ted, great to have you. I sort of read some of your background, and I know you have a lot of experience in this area. So, I'm really excited to hear your thoughts. There is obviously always a possibility that perhaps this doesn't come to pass. But, assuming it does, from your perspective, who stands to be hurt the most from these tariffs economically?

EDWARD ALDEN, SENIOR FELLOW, THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: Well, I think clearly the Canadian and Mexican economies would hurt the most. Each sends about three quarters of its exports to the United States. The smaller tariff on China, much less effect, I think, on the Chinese. Here in the United States, American consumers, I think some products, I mean, if there're tariffs on autos, autos are still largely produced in North America. We don't import all that much from Europe or Asia. So, if you see tariffs across the auto supply chain, that's going to drive car prices up for sure.

[11:20:00]

Were there would to be a tariff on oil, I consider that unlikely, but were there to be a tariff on oil imports from Canada and Mexico, that would drive gas prices up. I think winter fruits and vegetables, all the nice things we get from Mexico during the winter, you can look for prices to go up there, anything in the manufactured sector, because steel, aluminum, minerals are important from these countries. So, a bunch of different products would see their prices go up, and American consumers would pay more.

SOLOMON: And what about who stands to benefit the most, beyond just oil investors?

ALDEN: Well, I mean, potentially, it really depends on the nature of the tariffs and their duration. I mean, what we've seen so far with the U.S. tariffs on China is relocation of production. There has been a big shift of production in Asia, particularly to Southeast Asia. Could imagine if the tariffs stay in place, that some of that will continue. Part of the problem is that the strategy for a lot of companies has been to move their Chinese investment into the North American space, and Mexico has been the most attractive location there because of its lower production costs. If you have a 25 percent tariff on imports, that throws that strategy into some doubt.

So, it -- again, a lot of it will depend on the nature and duration. This could be, as Anna suggested, bargaining strategy, so companies aren't necessarily going to make big shifts. Short term, you're going to see exports or -- excuse me, you're going to see imports in the United States increase dramatically, because companies are going to try to hedge and beef up their supply in advance of the potential for these tariffs.

SOLOMON: Yeah. That's sort of my next question. I mean, do you think that companies wait until January 20th to see was this a bargaining chip or not, or do they start anticipating how this might impact their bottom lines?

ALDEN: I mean, I think in terms of supply, in terms of trying to ramp up imports, have some excess surplus, that's going to be an immediate move. In terms of changing investment patterns, I think that will wait. I think companies will want to see whether these tariffs are likely to be in place for some time before they make bigger decisions about moving production.

SOLOMON: I wanted to ask your sort of insight on something that the Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent said in a radio interview. This was over the weekend with Larry Kudlow. He said that tariffs can't be inflationary, because if the price of one thing goes up, unless you give people more money, then they have less money to spend on the other thing. So, there is no inflation, and paraphrasing here, but essentially the point is that higher prices on one category could mean less demand than another. Do you see that, Ted, as a likely scenario enough so that it actually keeps a lid on inflation?

ALDEN: I mean, I hate to see that coming from a potential Treasury Secretary. I think that's nonsense. I think all the economic research shows pretty clearly that tariffs feed directly into consumer prices. It might change consumption patterns a bit. But, of course, a lot of the things we're talking about here are not particularly optional, food, oil, automobiles. So, no, I think there is no question it'll be inflationary if we see 25 percent tariffs that stay in place for some time. The companies can eat a little bit of it. I mean, some of it, you'll see profit margins hit. But, by and large, no, this is going to pass through to consumers. So, that's just not correct.

SOLOMON: And practically speaking, how quickly does that pass-through happen?

ALDEN: Usually three to six months somewhere in there, though, companies may anticipate it. I mean, Stanley Tools, Black & Decker, they've been talking about passing tariffs through to consumers much more quickly. So, companies might pre-empt this and say we know this hit is going to come. So, we will raise prices in advance to prepare for that possibility. So, different companies will handle it really differently, but the impact will be fairly quick.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I think any consumer listening to this does not want to hear we will raise prices, certainly at this point.

ALDEN: No.

SOLOMON: But, Edward Alden, great to have your insights and perspective. Thank you.

ALDEN: Good to be with you. Thanks.

SOLOMON: And Donald Trump also laying the groundwork for his immigration policy. At the center of the debate has been illegal immigration and the response of authorities in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott has frequently been at odds with the Biden administration over its approach to enforcement on the southern border. But, later today, incoming border czar, Tom Homan, will join Abbott and other state officials in Texas. They will serve meals to National Guard soldiers and public safety troops. Trump has promised to deport migrants who entered the country illegally. Both Trump and Homan have said that the priority will be on those who have committed crimes in the U.S.

Joining us now from Washington is CNN's Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, let's start with this meeting. I mean, what more do we know about Tom Homan's visit with Governor Abbott today?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is this visit that indicates how different it will be when Donald Trump is in the White House compared to what it has been over the last few years, where there was an ongoing feud between the federal government and state authorities there in Texas. Now, this is a visit that was anticipated, of course, as you were playing footage there, you saw President-elect Donald Trump during his visit to Texas earlier this year, alongside Abbott.

[11:25:00]

Of course, he has praised the Texas governor for what he has done along the Texas-Mexico border, and this is an extension of that. The incoming border czar, Tom Homan, essentially doing much of the same by praising what Texas has done. And what sources tell me is that Trump's team wants this type of state cooperation. They want to use what Texas has done as a road map under the incoming administration. So, it will also give us a preview of that, something that Tom Homan spoke to a little earlier today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM HOMAN, PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP'S INCOMING BORDER CZAR: We're not waiting till January 20th. We're already planning what we're going to do to lock down the state of Texas. Congress sees a change in asylum laws, but I'm not counting that to happen. So, President Trump has got to come in with executive orders like he did the first time. President Trump was a game changer with Remain in Mexico.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ALVAREZ: Now, sources tell me that Trump's team has been working on preparing those executive orders, as you heard there from Tom Homan. But, certainly, this relationship with Texas under the incoming administration would mark a significant difference and a pivot from what it has been with this Biden White House, where they were often frustrated by what Texas was doing, oftentimes making the argument that they were disrupting federal operations. Now, I should note that the federal government and state officials often work closely along the border, but this one is a step further with many of the things that the Texas governor did along the Texas-Mexico border that ultimately led to lawsuits by the Justice Department.

So, certainly, the incoming Trump administration signaling that it's going to look different in the months to come, and also considering other personnel, including pulling from Abbott's team, Texas border czar Michael Banks under consideration to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection. So, just the visit today alone and who they're considering bringing into the incoming administration is certainly telling as to what the relationship will be between Texas and the White House in only a few short months. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. It's an interesting point, Priscilla, as you outlined the differences between Governor Abbott and the Biden administration. You outlined some of his policies or Abbott's policies. Do we know how much inspiration, if at all, the Trump administration is taking from some of those more controversial policies?

ALVAREZ: Plenty. Sources tell me that, for example, they want to see states use their resources along the U.S.-Mexico border. Of course, that can only be done in a limited fashion, because it is the federal authorities who are responsible for immigration enforcement. But, all the same, the idea is that states can send resources to assist agents, and then also free up federal personnel and federal agents to do some of that interior enforcement to execute on President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. So, they are certainly putting the puzzle pieces together, and that does include states, and it includes moves like those of Texas.

Now, Texas had launched its operation Lone Star in 2021 in partisan affront to the Biden administration, and it included steps like buoys in the Rio Grande, blocking off certain parts of the border to federal agents, and also bussing migrants to Democratic-led cities. Now, a lot of those were public overture -- sorry, political overtures, but all the same, certainly Trump's team (ph) is even looking at it to see what they can pull from and how they can make this blueprint for Trump's immigration plans come January.

SOLOMON: Yeah, perhaps a sign of what may be to come.

Priscilla Alvarez live there at the White House. Priscilla, thank you.

U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith is dropping the two federal prosecutions that he was bringing against Donald Trump. That means that the January 6 election subversion case and the classified documents case are both over, at least for now. Smith noted the long- standing policy at the Justice Department that a sitting President cannot be prosecuted, and he adds that the Constitution requires that the charges be dismissed before Trump is inaugurated. The President- elect celebrating, calling the prosecution as a, quote, "political hijacking and a low point in the history of our country."

And still to come for us, a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah appears within reach, as the Israeli cabinet prepares for a key vote. That's straight ahead. Plus, clashes escalate between Pakistani police and protesters marching in support of Imran Khan. We'll bring you the latest when we come back.

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SOLOMON: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. And we are awaiting news out of Israel, where the security cabinet is expected to vote later on a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, and we are now told that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the media in about an hour and a half. All indications are that the cabinet will approve the plan, which calls for a 60-day pause in hostilities, possibly setting the stage for a lasting truce.

Now, ahead of that, Israel has been pounding what it says are Hezbollah targets. There have been a flurry of airstrikes in and around Beirut in the past few hours. The U.S. State Department spokesperson said that the Biden administration is pushing hard for a deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW MILLER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: I think you've also heard the Secretary say that oftentimes the very last stages of an agreement are the most difficult, because the hardest issues are left to the end. We are pushing as hard as we can to get a diplomatic resolution that would allow at least tens of thousands of people in Lebanon and Israel to return home. But, ultimately, that's up to the parties, not to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: All right. Let's bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann, who is tracking all of the developments from the Pentagon. Oren, obviously, we just heard from Matt Miller there. But, what else is the Biden administration saying about this?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're hearing more optimism, although it's very cautious optimism than we've heard in quite some time. And we and I have tracked the agreements and the efforts to get to an agreement, not only when it comes to Lebanon, but also when it comes to Gaza, and certainly the noises we're hearing from the State Department, from the National Security Council, are very much positive. But, that doesn't mean it's over yet, and that doesn't mean the negotiations have concluded. It isn't the details that negotiation efforts have fallen apart before.

Now, it seems we're past the details. The agreement is, at least in principle, finalized at this point. And it comes down to, as we just heard from Matthew Miller at the State Department, the parties themselves agreeing to the ceasefire. Now, Netanyahu's -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own Likud party has signaled they will support it. But, he is not the only party in his government, and he is not the most hard line party within his own government, and that's where the U.S. is expressing some of that caution on wait (ph). This still needs to get finalized and approved. So, that's where this stands right now.

Netanyahu is scheduled to speak later on this evening. It would be surprising, certainly, if he spoke without an agreement to announce or without at least the explanation to an agreement, but still, there have been politicians, including in the opposition, calling on him to put out the details of the agreement. There has been some criticism of the agreement. So, until it's finalized, it's not yet done. But, this is probably as close as we've ever been to that moment where the finalization of an agreement is very much within sight. Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, Oren, to that point, we've been here before, not quite as close, but there have been obstacles in previous ceasefire negotiation. So, what would you say the U.S. is now watching for in these what appears to be last few hours?

LIEBERMANN: Now it looks like it's effectively just the ink on paper, signatures on the agreement saying that this has been finalized. Netanyahu needs to get this through his own security cabinet, potentially his own wider cabinet, and this is one of the things certainly the U.S. will be watching for, making sure he can get it through, because it is at this point very much on him. He has his own domestic politics to worry about. We have seen that so many times since the beginning of the war. We're already seeing some criticism of the agreement from the mayors of towns and cities on Israel's northern border, those who have been most affected by the fighting.

[11:35:00]

That will certainly weigh on him and will weigh on the other members of his own cabinet. So, that's something the U.S. will watch very closely. We have seen some of the key U.S. negotiators in the region. Brett McGurk is in the region. Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, who is now here at the Pentagon, he was just in the region, meeting with the UAE and Israel. So, the key players are there. Amos Hochstein has been in the region. So, all the effort is there. And now, as I said, it is ink on paper, and that's what the administration needs to see.

SOLOMON: Yeah. It's not final until it's final. Oren Liebermann at the Pentagon, thank you.

And as Oren alluded to there, this isn't the first time that Israel and Hezbollah have tried to achieve stability along the Lebanese border. As we've heard, the deal would, in part, be based on a nearly 20-yearold United Nations resolution. And CNN's Salma Abdelaziz takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved, in principle, an emerging ceasefire deal. That's according to sources familiar with the matter. The U.S.-backed proposal calls for a 60-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon. But, did you know, there is already a peace agreement between Israel and Hezbollah? It's called Resolution 1701, and it dates back to 2006, originally resolving the then war between Israel and Hezbollah. Now, diplomats say that reviving this nearly two-decade-old deal could end the fighting in Lebanon today.

So, what are the key principles of 1701? First, that all armed groups in Lebanon must disarm. Second, no foreign forces are allowed into Lebanon without the government of Lebanon's consent. And finally, a buffer zone was established that would be manned by up to 15,000 UN peacekeepers to ensure the peace.

Fast forward, and you have a Hezbollah that is the dominant political and paramilitary force in Lebanon. As for foreign forces, they are indeed on the ground. Israel invaded Lebanon on October 1st. And finally, those UN peacekeepers, the many thousands on the ground, they are caught in the crossfire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right. And our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz there. And here are some of the international headlines we're following today.

In Germany, politicians have raised the possibility that a plane crash in Lithuania may have been the result of hybrid warfare or sabotage. The cargo plane had taken off from Leipzig before crashing close to the airport in the capital Vilnius. Investigation is underway, and flight recorders from the plane have been recorded. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the media that he is waiting for the investigators' findings, but warned that Germany was seeing what he called many bad forms of hybrid warfare.

Three bodies have been recovered off of Egypt's Red Sea coast. A tourist boat capsized on Monday after it was struck by high waves, sinking in just under seven minutes. 31 tourists and 13 crew members were on board. 13 people are still missing. The Red Sea is a major magnet for visitors to Egypt. However, the area had been closed to maritime traffic on Sunday after waves of three to four meters or up to 13 feet were recorded.

Thousands of protesters broke through barricades around Islamabad earlier today. They're calling for the release of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is urging his supporters to fight to the end. Police fired tear gas, who dispersed the crowds, and blocked roads to try to prevent them from pushing through. Khan's supporters say that he is being held on politically motivated charges.

CNN's Mike Valerio reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, earlier today, protesters actually entered the city limits of Islamabad, and notably, our CNN team on the ground reported seeing soldiers guarding Pakistan's parliament as well as the country's Supreme Court building. So, how we got here exactly? We have the former Prime Minister Imran Khan who, a couple of days ago, issued a clarion call to his supporters from jail, he has incarcerated right now, and he said, Hey, I need you, supporters, to march on parliament and call for my release. And that is exactly what is happening, or what the protesters want to happen. That's their objective.

So, the first demand that protesters, followers of Imran Khan are asking for, they want the release of the former Prime Minister and the release of people whom they deem, quote, unquote, "political prisoners". The second demand that these protesters have, they want the repeal of a constitutional amendment, Pakistan's 26th Constitutional Amendment, which makes it a little easier for the government to pick superior court judges, and pick those judges for cases that involve political matters. The third demand that protesters have, who we're seeing in these images, they are calling for a return of their, quote, "stolen mandate".

[11:40:00]

There were elections nationwide in February, and protesters, the followers of the former Prime Minister saying, essentially, our party did extremely well in these elections, and we won seats that have been denied. So, they are calling for seats that they think are rightfully theirs to be awarded to them. So, the government, Prime Minister Sharif, he rejects those claims, and he is calling for more talks with people who adhere to the party of the former Prime Minister.

But, what we have seen are swaths of Islamabad that are without cell phone service, from time to time, without internet service as well, giant blockades, giant barricades of major thoroughfares in and out of Islamabad that have been put up to try to prevent protesters from coming into the city. So, the main question, how many protesters will amass inside the center of the city? Will they perhaps make it to parliament? And how long can this go on with a city that has more than a million people?

Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: All right. And still to come for us, Russia acknowledges Ukraine is using U.S.-made longer-range missiles. We will go live to Moscow. And as the war with Russia reaches a new intensity, Ukraine's Foreign Minister joins the G7 ministerial meeting in Italy. All the latest straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back. Russia has expelled a British diplomat for alleged espionage. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador, seen here arriving at the Ministry earlier. It marks the latest blow to worsening diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Meantime, Ukraine recently carried out two more strikes on Russia, targeting Kursk, using U.S.-made longer-range missiles. That's according to Russia's Ministry of Defense. Two U.S. officials say that Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with U.S.-made missiles that Ukraine fired across the border for the first time last week. Now, for context, that attack came just two days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light to use the American weapons against targets inside Russia.

For more now, let's get to our Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen, who is in Moscow. Fred, what more can you tell us and share with us about Russia acknowledging what's been hit by the Ukrainians --

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah.

SOLOMON: -- using these longer-range missiles?

PLEITGEN: It's a quite interesting step by the Russians, because for the first time now, the Russians are acknowledging that military targets have been hit by the Ukrainians using these ATACMS missiles, and that actually damage was done, and something that we hadn't heard from the Russians before. You were just talking about that hit that the Ukrainians said they conducted last week. That was on a weapons depot in the Bryansk region. The Russians there essentially said, look, we shot most of those missiles down, and one of them landed in a military area. But, they said that the damage there was minimal.

So, now what they're saying here is that ATACMS missiles managed to hit a radar system that's part of an anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile system, a very advanced one called the S400. The Russians are saying that the Ukrainians fired several ATACMS to try and hit that radar, that the Russians managed to take most of those down, but that two of the missiles, as the Russians put it, managed to hit their targets, and that there were casualties in that area.

[11:45:00]

The Russians did not say how many. Of course, the S400 being a very important surface-to-air missile system for the Russians, means that it would become a little bit easier the Ukrainians hope for their own Air Force to operate in that region of Russia, which, of course, partially is still held by the Ukrainians.

The second target that the Russians are acknowledging as well now that the Ukrainians appear to have hit is an airfield in that greater region, in the Kursk region. There was some video that came out over the past couple of days, seeming to indicate that ATACMS had been used there. But, now the Russians acknowledging that one missile at least hit that air base, and we've just seen it on our screens. The Russians now also showing some of the missile debris that they claimed prove that these were indeed ATACMS missiles that were fired there. Of course, all of this is happening in that big, wider context of the

Russians saying that the U.S. giving the go-ahead to use those missiles, changes the nature of the conflict into one that was between Russia and Ukraine only, into one that is now between Russia and the West, and of course, also between Russia and the United States, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Yeah. I mean, Fred, to that point. I mean, speaking of Russia's escalating threats against the West, against the U.S., what's happening there?

PLEITGEN: Yeah. I mean, that's something that's going on and really something that we've seen over the course of this entire weekend, and really going into today as well. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, he was in a call with journalists today, and there were several questions to that nature, and what he has been doing over the past days, and certainly did today as well, he has been blaming the Biden administration, saying that in its waning days, in its final days, the Biden administration is trying to escalate the conflict, which then will make it more difficult for the Trump administration, that, of course, has said they want to end the war in Ukraine. Donald Trump said that when he was on the campaign trail, to follow through on that promise.

So, the Russians are right now saying that an escalation is happening. There is a big threat that all of this could turn into a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia. And of course, one of the other things that the Russians have done over the past days is launch a gigantic missile for the first time against the target in Ukraine, against the city of Dnipro in Ukraine. That really is something a lot of Russians are talking about as well, saying this is something that the West really needs to watch out for, Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Fred Pleitgen live for us here in Moscow. Fred, appreciate you. Thank you.

Well, the G7 foreign ministers have expressed their steadfast support for Ukraine and called for a diplomatic settlement between Israel and Hezbollah. The summit wraps up in Italy today. Ukraine's Foreign Minister and Poland's Foreign Minister are holding a joint news conference this hour. It's the last G7 meeting for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, before Donald Trump takes office. Blinken will head to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis before flying back to the U.S.

Let's get to because Jennifer Hansler, who is following developments at the U.S. State Department. Jennifer, I mean, obviously this meeting coming at a major time, both in the Middle East, also Ukraine. How will those developments impact this G7 meeting, do you think?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Rahel, these developments absolutely just overshadowed any other agenda item at the G7 foreign ministerial today, and that's reflected in this joint statement that was just released on behalf of the G7 foreign ministers as well as the EU top representative for Foreign Affairs. This just came out within the past hour, and in that statement, 15 pages long, they expressed their steadfast support for Ukraine, for the ongoing war, i.e., Russia is perpetrating against Kyiv. They said they would continue that support, that backing for Kyiv, no matter what they have reinforced this idea that they are going to be there, no matter what happens in the broader stage.

And then on the Middle East, where we are seeing these developments in Lebanon, the potential for a ceasefire to be voted on today. Those foreign ministers came out with a very strong statement. I want to read to you. It said, "We support the ongoing negotiation for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Now is the time to conclude a diplomatic settlement, and we welcome efforts deployed in that regard."

So, of course, that Security Council resolution was passed in 2006. It was meant to bring an end to the war between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah. We have seen those conflicts ratchet up over the past months there, and we are going to wait and see what comes out of Israel's cabinet meeting later today on that front. This was, of course, the top topic of conversation yesterday in those ministerial meetings that were focused on the Middle East. In the morning, the G7 foreign ministers met themselves to discuss the situation, and later in the day, they were joined by foreign ministers from the Arab countries, Rahel.

SOLOMON: And Jennifer, obviously, this is Blinken's last G7 meeting. Do we know what his goal was heading into this summit, and if the administration, if the department, feels like it was accomplished for the administration?

HANSLER: Well, it's a great question, Rahel, because, of course, the other element in the room was the fact that the Biden administration has less than two months left in office.

[11:50:00]

So, Secretary Blinken went there, trying to show that the U.S. is still invested. They are still trying to push forward these goals on Ukraine, surging support to Kyiv in those final months, as well as to try to push forward this resolution on Lebanon, on Gaza. However, there are questions in the region and the broader world about how things could change when Trump takes office. The President-elect has signaled there could be major changes in foreign policy, particularly when it comes to Ukraine. Now, Secretary Blinken, without addressing the incoming President, said that there is support across the board when it comes to supporting Kyiv. Take a listen to what he said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: All countries are standing together along with other partners to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. We're standing together to deal with some of the challenges posed by China. We're standing together in looking to bring a sustainable, lasting peace in the Middle East. We're standing together in looking to what we can do to address the needs and the interests of the global majority countries. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HANSLER: Now, in terms of whether they actually achieved what they wanted to, we will hear from Secretary Blinken in the coming hour, and we'll see what he has to say about how the meetings went, from the U.S. perspective. Rahel.

SOLOMON: OK. Keep us posted. Jennifer Hansler live for us there at the State Department. Thank you.

Well, it is, of course, a holiday week, and across America, people are getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday, but the cost of that turkey dinner may be breaking the budget for some. We'll find out how one family is coping with high prices.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back. The cost of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner has gone down this year, but grocery prices are still high, making it hard for some families to afford that big holiday meal.

CNN's Meena Duerson sat down with one mom who knows this all too well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TORI PASCHALE, MOM: We're going to do spaghetti for Thanksgiving. It's a lot easier. You try to keep up with the tradition of Thanksgiving, but the way groceries are, unless you're doing a potluck, if you put it just on one person, it breaks the bank.

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last year, Tori Paschale hosted seven people for a big Thanksgiving feast, but this holiday, burned out by high grocery prices, and with a baby due any day now, she'll just be cooking for her husband and kids.

PASCHALE: Instead of spending close to $500, I figured I'm going to keep it simple.

DUERSON: You spent almost $500 last year?

PASCHALE: Yes, it was egregious. It hurt, to say the least, and then to turn around knowing that rent was due the next week. Are you canceling Thanksgiving this year?

DUERSON (voice-over): A few weeks ago, Paschale posted a TikTok, venting about the cost and stress of Thanksgiving these days, and was shocked to see it resonate.

PASCHALE: Me doing beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, yam, lam, Ram, ham, hog, I'm not doing it. I ain't got the funds. My comment section was just like, sister, you're telling the truth. You feel like you're taking the holidays away from your kids or your family. But, when you see you have thousands of other people agreeing, you're just like, OK. So, it's not me. DUERSON (voice-over): While a traditional Thanksgiving dinner should actually be cheaper to make this year than it was last year, because the prices of some foods have come down, it's still on track to cost 19 percent more than before the pandemic, and inflation data shows Americans are paying 22 percent more for groceries than they were in January 2021.

[11:55:00]

PASCHALE: I know for a fact, this is probably $50 more than what it was pandemic or pre-pandemic. How did we get to this point of I'm really trying to figure out if I can afford to get a sack of potatoes and some chicken? It feels like the goal post keeps moving.

DUERSON: What are you hoping for out of this Thanksgiving?

PASCHALE: I'm just happy that we get to experience it, even if it's not, the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole type of situation. You enjoying it? Is it OK? I just want my family to know that I love them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLOMON: And our thanks to Meena Duerson for that reporting.

And we appreciate you being with us today. Thank you for spending some time with me. I'm Rahel Solomon live in New York. Stick with CNN. One World is coming up next.

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