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Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Takes Effect; Canadian, Mexican Leaders React to Trump's Tariff Hike; U.S. Secretary of State Meets Pope Francis for the Second Time; U.S. Thanksgiving Travel Rush Begins. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired November 27, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers, joining us from all around the world, I'm Max Foster in London.
Just ahead, a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel is now in effect. The question is, will it hold?
Donald Trump's terrorists may be targeted at Canada and Mexico, but how would they impact Americans?
And Ukrainian troops, outgunned and outnumbered, are trying to stop Russian advances in the south using drones.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from London, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Max Foster.
FOSTER: We begin in Lebanon, where a new Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement went into effect just a few hours ago. And this morning, the roads and highways are packed as displaced residents begin making their way home.
Despite Israel and Lebanon warning residents of southern Lebanon not to return just yet, situation is still fragile. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing Israel will respond if Hezbollah breaches the truce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The duration of it will depend on what happens in Lebanon. We keep a whole freedom for military freedom, and if Hezbollah will rearm itself, we will attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: A 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution is the basis of this ceasefire deal. Under the terms, Israel will gradually withdraw its forces over 60 days, whilst Lebanon's army takes control of its border area with Israel to ensure Hezbollah doesn't rebuild infrastructure there.
The U.S. and France will help enforce the deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses, and their very lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: And live now to Abu Dhabi, CNN's Paula Hancocks. What are you looking for today, Paula?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, there is optimism about this ceasefire, but it is cautious optimism really on all sides. It's a 60-day ceasefire, which many hope will form the basis of this more permanent truce.
But, of course, there are concerns that it may not hold. But at this point, we see both sides, both Hezbollah and Israel, have signed up to this ceasefire deal.
As you say, there were many in southern Lebanon that were heading back towards their homes with families effectively to see what's left standing. But they have been warned by the Israeli military not to come back yet until they're told it is safe to do so.
And the reason for that is because the Israeli military is not pulling out immediately. We understand that within this ceasefire deal, they will pull out within the 60 days. They have to have left southern Lebanon completely by that point.
But we've heard from a senior U.S. Biden administration official that they won't be pulling out immediately because they don't want to create a vacuum. They want to make sure that the Lebanese military, which is supposed to be monitoring and patrolling the area of southern Lebanon, is in place before they pull out.
Now we also know that Hezbollah has to move further north. They have to move north of the Litani River. This is, as you say, based on the Resolution 1701, which effectively ended the 2006 war.
And there are, as I say, cautious hopes that this will hold. Now we heard from the Israeli side, the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the reason he decided there had to be a ceasefire was threefold.
For a start, he said that he wanted to focus on the Iranian threat. He said also he wants to be able to replenish the military, whether it comes to troops or equipment, and also it leaves Hamas isolated in Gaza.
Now we heard from the Lebanese side, the Prime Minister welcoming this ceasefire. It has been devastating for civilians as well on both sides of the border. But we've seen about 1.3 million displaced in Lebanon itself. We've also been seeing many families heading east to the Bekaa Valley, which has been targeted by Israeli airstrikes. They also are trying to head home.
In Israel itself, though, it hasn't been a blanket welcoming of this ceasefire. It was within the security cabinet. It was voted in 10 to 1.
[03:05:06]
But the far-right elements of the coalition do not support this ceasefire in Israel.
We've also heard from some mayors of some of the more northern Israel towns saying that they don't support it either. They think it is too soon. They worry that there is still going to be a threat from Hezbollah. And so it's not a blanket coverage of optimism in Israel.
So there are concerns that even though this is a 60-day ceasefire, there is optimism that the fighting has for now stopped. There's concern about what if one side tries to violate the proposal.
Now we've heard from the Israeli side that if they believe Hezbollah is violating this proposal, they will act forcefully. We understand there is a mechanism in place with the U.S. and France as well to try and prevent any violation of a ceasefire and hopefully prevent any military action from Israel. Max?
FOSTER: In terms of movements, I was speaking to an Israeli analyst in the last hour saying Israelis aren't yet moving into the north of the country. Not quite confident enough to do that yet. But we do see the Lebanese moving to the south. What are your concerns about that?
HANCOCKS: Well when it comes to southern Lebanon to start with, the IDF is still in place. The Israeli military, as far as we know, has not made a significant move to evacuate southern Lebanon at this point.
And they have said publicly, they have told families, do not come home, do not come back to the areas of southern Lebanon until we have moved away, there is still military in place here.
And the reason for that is they want to make sure that the Lebanese military, which is supposed to patrol, can be in place and there won't be any gap or any vacuum that could be taken up by others.
When it comes to northern Israel, there is concern that there is still a threat on the border. You have some 80,000 residents of northern Israel that have been evacuated from that area now for well over a year. They've been in other parts of Israel.
So it could potentially take a little longer to gain the confidence on the Israeli side that this really has come to an end. Bear in mind, this is a 60-day ceasefire. It is a significant move, it is a significant step, but it isn't at this point a permanent ceasefire. That is what it is hoped to turn into, Max. FOSTER: And this was the French and the Americans who were the negotiators here, so some success on that side.
HANCOCKS: Absolutely. It was very much a U.S.-France brokered agreement. They have been talking and negotiating for months behind the scenes and sometimes more publicly.
We've heard from Biden administration officials saying how incredibly frustrating this process was. It is a difficult process, we understand, from both sides, but they were able to reach this ceasefire at this point.
And that is going forward as well. It's significant to say that the U.S. and France, this isn't the end of their role. There is going to be a monitoring mechanism, a multinational committee, if you like, and it will be chaired by the United States. France will be heavily involved as well.
So if there does appear to be a violation of the ceasefire terms, they are supposed to be the first port of call. They are supposed to be reported to, the diplomats and the military of those two countries, and they are supposed to help the Lebanese military negate whatever violation is perceived to have happened.
All of this put together to try and prevent either side from feeling they have to take things into their own hands and creating a military problem again.
FOSTER: OK, Paula in Abu Dhabi, thank you so much for that.
Donald Trump is thought to be spending this Thanksgiving Eve at Mar-a- Lago after rattling key trading partners with the threat of punishing new tariffs, unless they comply with his demands to crack down on migration and drugs flowing into the U.S.
The leaders of neighboring Mexico and Canada have now spoken out after Trump's warning shot, and that was calling for greater dialogue. The tariffs, if enacted, could throw America's supply chains into turmoil. It could drive up costs of consumer goods and trigger a mutually destructive trade war.
CNN's Steve Contorno picks up the story from West Palm Beach, Florida.
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STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SR. REPORTER: The United States' North American neighbors woke up on Tuesday to a threat from President-elect Donald Trump to institute 25 percent tariffs on goods coming from Canada and Mexico.
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Responding to the threat, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement that these, quote, "threats and tariffs are not the way to address the migration phenomenon or drug use in the United States. These major challenges require cooperation and mutual understanding." She also suggested that Trump's tariffs would institute retaliatory
tariffs from Mexico in response.
Meanwhile, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had this to say.
JUSTIN TREDAEU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: We have exactly the same position. We have an absolutely outstanding trade deal right now between our three countries.
The USMCA, CUSMA, new NAFTA, whatever you want to call it, has been incredibly successful for the Canadian economy, for the U.S. economy, and for the Mexican economy.
This is something that we would like to see continue. That is my first choice. There have been real and genuine concerns raised about Chinese investment into Mexico that I brought up directly with the Mexican President and a number of people have noted that I know the three countries are going to have to lean in and work on.
We're leaving all doors open because my job is and always is, always will be, to stand up for Canadian workers, to stand up for the Canadian economy, to stand up for Canadian interests. That's what guided us through President Trump's first term. That's what will guide us through the second term.
CONTORNO: The U.S.' trading partners are not the only ones responding to the early salvos in Donald Trump's planned trade wars.
Corporate America is as well. On Tuesday, Matt Priest, the President and CEO of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, said in a statement that tariffs would, quote, "directly increase costs for retailers and consumers, leading to higher prices on everyday essentials. Families deserve relief, not policies that make it harder to afford gifts, winter essentials, and footwear for the new year."
Trump has said that the 25 percent tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico would last until the flow of migrants and drugs coming across the U.S. borders has ended.
Steve Contorno, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
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FOSTER: Ron Brownstein is CNN's senior political analyst and a senior editor at "The Atlantic." He joins us from Los Angeles. Thank you so much for joining us, Ron.
I think a lot, what a lot of people are confused by here is that Donald Trump promised to bring prices down during the election, and this by definition will increase prices, which he'll be aware of, won't he? What do you think he's thinking?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST AND SR. EDITOR, "THE ATLANTIC": Well, look, I mean, this was the tension all the way throughout, because not only do economists almost universally, with the exception, as the report noted, of people in his actual inner circle, believe that tariffs will be passed on to U.S. consumers and result in higher prices.
But the mass deportation program that is the other pillar, really, of his domestic agenda is widely considered to be inflationary by reducing the labor force in key areas like construction and agriculture.
So, you know, this was a challenge for the Harris campaign all the way throughout. I mean, you had analyses from Moody's and J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms consistently concluding that if Trump actually moved down the roads that he proposed, that prices would be more likely to go up than down in his presidency.
And yet for most voters, you know, the immediate comparison, you know, that their frame of reference was that prices were more affordable when Trump was president than when Biden was president. It was hard to get them to look forward, not back.
I think Trump, you know, believes that perhaps that he can bluster and move these other countries in this direction without actually imposing these tariffs. But he is obviously taking an enormous risk, both with the domestic economy and with U.S. international relations.
FOSTER: See, that would make more sense, wouldn't it? Looking back, you know, you can't always compare what he says and what he actually does. This could just be a negotiating tactic to get Mexico and Canada to secure those borders. And they just need to show that they've done some of that, don't they, for this to be seen as a win for Trump and him backing down on the tariffs.
BROWNSTEIN: Well, you know, look, I mean, the tariff proposals in this campaign were more sweeping and more explicit than previously, 10 percent across the board tariffs on all imports, up to 60 percent on China.
You know, the three countries that he targeted here, as you know, Mexico, Canada and China are the three largest U.S. trading partners. We import over $1.3 Trillion, I believe, is the figure in 2023 of goods from these countries.
[03:15:04]
So if in fact he does go forward with these tariffs, you are talking about a major impact on American consumers on a lot of different fronts, auto industry in particular.
But, you know, agricultural products, apparel, toys, people would feel this in a lot of different ways. And one other point about this that's worth noting, this is not the only threat he has made toward Mexico.
It's not only an economic threat, you know, explicitly and repeatedly during the campaign, he said he would pursue unilateral U.S. military action inside Mexico against the cartels with or without approval from the Mexican government.
And he also said he would use the U.S. Navy to, you know, to blockade Mexico, to prevent the importation there of the precursors for fentanyl. So there are a lot of different threats that he is, you know, kind of brandishing here already. And it can lead to, I think, a very turbulent period. Might work out for him. Might just be a lot of choppy water ahead.
FOSTER: Can we use, you know, NAFTA as an example here, something that Donald Trump wanted to get rid of, did get rid of, but it was replaced by something not dissimilar, if I can say that. But it did allow Donald Trump to be able to say, I did this.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Right. So that's the question, like, you know, where will he declare victory? As I said, the threats on many fronts against Mexico and, you know, both military and economic were more explicit and repeated in this campaign.
The threats against other trading partners on tariffs were more explicit and far reaching. I think, you know, Wall Street, by and large, is, you know, anticipating that this is kind of bluster and negotiating tactic and discounting the possibility.
I think it's, you know, premature to assume that Donald Trump does not mean what he says. I mean, you know, the history in the U.S., the research by academics is that presidential candidates try to do what they say when they get elected. They don't always succeed in doing it. They get stopped sometimes by Congress, sometimes by the courts.
But I think it is kind of overly sanguine to assume that everything that Trump is kind of, you know, all the saber rattling is only that and that none of this can come to pass.
You know, the Mexican president, you know, portrayed it, I thought, in a very accurate way that, you know, much as in a military conflict, an economic confrontation of this sort can get out of hand and both sides can get pulled to a place they don't really want to go.
FOSTER: Ron, as ever, thank you so much for your analysis.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
FOSTER: Coming up after years of brutal fighting, Ukrainian soldiers are adapting to incredibly difficult circumstances on the eastern front lines. A report from Pokrovsk, a city under fire, just ahead.
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FOSTER: For the first time, Moscow is admitting the efficacy of Ukraine's attacks with U.S.-made missiles. On Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry acknowledged that two of Ukraine's recent strikes using ATACMs missiles hit their marks in the Kursk region.
One strike damaged a radar system and caused casualties, and a second damaged infrastructure in an airfield and wounded two servicemen. Last week, Ukrainian forces used the U.S.-provided longer-range missiles for the first time to target military infrastructure inside Russian territory. For Ukraine, the fighting grinds on as the war approaches the three-
year mark. The outlook seems bleak for one unit in Pokrovsk that's so low on infantry, it's resorting to drones instead.
Nick Paton Walsh has more and a warning. Some of the video in this report is graphic.
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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're running out of time, space and people. Night is killing time for drones.
PATON WALSH: They've switched on the anti-drone device because of the threat around here.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): This Ukrainian drone unit of just two, hunting but also hunted.
PATON WALSH: I think I hear a drone. Inside, inside. Is it a Russian drone, is it one of theirs? I don't know, but they have to carry on.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Dogs are not friends. Their heat signals can give their launch spot away to Russia's thermal cameras.
They close in on the target, a house. Jamming hits the signal, but they fire anyway. Russia advancing too fast here, south of Pokrovsk in the east, to miss any chances.
The skyline speaks of how Pokrovsk is in Russia's crosshairs. Ukraine is short of manpower, but it is so bad here, they say they must rely on drones, not infantry, to slow a brazen Russian daylight assault like this one.
UNKNOWN (translated): The situation is very critical. We lack infantry to fight and hold out for some time while the attack drones do their job. That's why we often see the enemy uncomfortably penetrating vulnerable areas.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Watch how the first Russian tank here is relentless. A Trump presidency and possible peace talks loom. Do they even have time for that here?
UNKNOWN (translated): I cannot say how much time we have. If there is any time at all. Because now they are pushing their troops to the front as much as possible. And then at one point they will go for an assault. They can go very far in one moment.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Talk here is abnormally negative, with weeks of costly and chaotic retreat on film.
Like these Ukrainians hit when they're mistakenly told this building didn't have any Russians in it.
This house has an encircled Ukrainian drone unit without any infantry to help fight advancing Russians. So they send a drone to fly just 30 meters across the street.
UNKNOWN (translated): I have no men. I'm (expletive) alone. I'm (expletive) tired. I love my job, whatever trash is happening but we need other young people to love this job too. Our country is awake, but people in it are (expletive) not. Guys are dying here. This is trash.
Freezing this war is a double-edge sword. Do we give up the land for my friends died for or to continue taking it back and lose more friends?
If these two old men (Trump and Putin) start measuring (expletive), Ukraine will be the middle of it all.
PATON WALSH (voice-over): Russian troops savage in the assault.
This footage shows a local in Orange who's shown Russians where Ukrainians were hiding. They are led out and shot while face down.
Part of a pattern of surrendering Ukrainians executed, say prosecutors investigating this incident a fortnight ago.
Pokrovsk, key site, bombed, but so far spared Russia's trademark devastation.
It is possible, some say, Moscow is moving so fast it thinks it will spend the winter here.
Nick Paton-Walsh, CNN, outside Pokrovsk, Ukraine.
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FOSTER: Salma, watching that with me. I mean, it's incredibly hard to watch, isn't it? But it's reality.
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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's incredibly difficult to watch. And I think that soldier, laced with profanities as it was, lays out the issue better than anyone can, which is Ukraine is caught in the middle here. That is the headline.
If Trump and President Putin begin to compete with each other, and I'm using the non-profanity version of what he said, Ukraine is caught in the middle. I am out of men. I am alone. I do not have the resources I need to fight.
And so in that report from Nick Paton Walsh, you're really getting the read of what's happening on the ground. Yes, President Biden recently approved the use of these ATACMs, these U.S.-made long range missiles to fire inside Russia.
But that has made no difference on the ground as of yet. Ukraine is on the back foot. It is losing soldiers quickly. It is losing resources quickly. And it is ceding land to Russian forces who are absolutely right now have the momentum with them. And President Putin has responded to the use of these ATACMs by
lowering the threshold of the nuclear doctrine, by using an experimental new ballistic missile on a city in Ukraine earlier, and by continuing to push with quite a level of ferocity, both in Kursk and in the Donetsk region, in that area that Nick Paton Walsh saw those soldiers, of course, struggling, unable to find men. So sending drones instead of actual soldiers to do the fighting.
There's also reports that the North Korean factories, you'll remember that Russia is sourcing weapons from North Korea, that some of these factories are actually expanding, meaning making more weapons.
This is significant because we've seen this surge of ballistic missiles being fired at Ukraine. And about a third of those missiles actually come from North Korea. So, again, another indication that President Putin is not just getting more men via North Korea, you'll remember more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers on the ground, but also more weapons. He has an arsenal that's growing while Ukraine is looking at a President Trump that they fear will close the door on the resources they need.
FOSTER: Is there any talk that President Trump might, there are two options, presumably, which are to either empower Ukraine more so they can push back or to negotiate? You know, we don't know that President Trump might not come in and say, OK, let's try one last push for Ukraine before we negotiate.
ABDELAZIZ: Absolutely. That could absolutely happen. And we do understand from reports that he's already involved in speaking to individuals who are in the decision making of this. But fundamentally, I think all European leaders are looking at the table and asking the question, nearly three years into this conflict, billions of dollars poured in.
What have we gained? What has Ukraine won? How have these battle lines changed? And the answer is very little. And the answer is that Ukraine is not winning on the ground right now and does not look capable of pushing back on a Russia that seems stronger than ever, perhaps, on those front lines.
FOSTER: Salma, thank you.
Now, the party of Pakistan's imprisoned former prime minister, Imran Khan, says it's calling off protests demanding his release for the time being. The announcement comes as Pakistan's security forces have been cracking down on protesters who breached the capital, Islamabad, launching a late-night operation targeting thousands of Khan's supporters.
CNN's Mike Valerio has the latest.
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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these latest developments are certainly a huge turn of events from the end of Tuesday night when Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, wrote on X that he wanted his supporters to continue fighting until their demands were met.
And ultimately, none, at least at this point, of their demands have been met. What exactly did they want? Three central things. Protesters, supporters of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, wanted him out of jail. He's facing more than 150 criminal cases.
They also wanted a constitutional amendment for Pakistan's constitution repealed. And they finally wanted seats that they believe they won fair and square in parliament in elections in February to be given to them. And from their point of view, those seats have been denied to their political party.
So one of the main questions going forward is what will both of these sides do, the side of Imran Khan, his wife, Bushra Bibi, certainly a galvanizing force in Imran Khan's absence of leading protesters to go on these convoys from the outskirts of town into the center of Islamabad.
And conversely, we will be acutely watching what will the government, led by Prime Minister Sharif, be doing as well. At the end of Tuesday, we were able to report no substantial measures of progress between Prime Minister Sharif's government and Imran Khan's political party and the protesters.
Will there be talks that will be held in the next few days to avoid this situation from playing out? At least in the time being, our team on the ground is reporting that Internet service is being restored to different quarters of Islamabad. It has been cut off to varying degrees over the past few days and days, and roads are clearing of protesters
[03:30:00]
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
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MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Now, still ahead, we'll take you inside one of just two hospitals left functioning in northern Gaza and show you the hour-by-hour struggle that medical staff there are facing.
Plus, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Vatican to meet the Pope. We'll have more on what's on the table for discussion after a quick break.
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FOSTER: More on our top story this hour. Right now, the 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is in effect, and displaced residents are already heading home to southern Lebanon, despite Israel and Lebanon's army both urging them to delay their return.
The deal to end the year-long conflict calls for Israeli ground forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory. It also requires Lebanese government forces to regain control of an area currently controlled by Hezbollah. The U.S. and France will work with both sides to ensure the agreement is enforced, and the French President praised the deal.
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EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): This agreement should not make us forget the war which continues to wage in Gaza, where France will continue its efforts for a cessation of hostilities, the freeing of the hostages and the large-scale arrival of humanitarian aid, and of course, a just and lasting political solution through two states. This agreement should also open the route towards a ceasefire which has been needed for too long in the face of the incomparable suffering of the people of Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: In northern Gaza, only two hospitals remain open, and Israel's ferocious military offensive, and they are barely functioning right now. One of the last remaining doctors has been documenting what he calls an utterly catastrophic situation.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh walks us through his eyewitness account. We want to warn our viewers, some of the footage in her report is graphic and it's disturbing.
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JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the story of a hospital brought to its knees, and the man trying to save it.
UNKNOWN (translated): We are facing a new challenge and a catastrophic situation that will worsen in the coming hours.
UNKNOWN (translated): This is a distress call that must be heard.
UNKNOWN (translated): No one has slept since yesterday. The operating room ran all night.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Some of the desperate cries for help from Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. He's one of the last doctors in northern Gaza.
[03:35:02]
For weeks, he's been documenting the horror inside Kamal Adwan. He wants us to share his account with the world.
Outside his hospital, a renewed major Israeli offensive that began in early October on what's left of northern Gaza, to destroy a resurgent Hamas, the military says.
It ordered civilians out for their safety. But Israel's been accused of besieging the civilian population. Human Rights Watch says this could amount to ethnic cleansing, something the military denies.
DR. HASAM ABU SAFIYA, LAST SURVIVING DOCTOR AT KAMAL ADWAN HOSPITAL (translated): There is a real genocide occurring against the people of northern Gaza. There are injured people on the streets and we cannot reach them.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Inside Dr. Abu Sofia's hospital, they struggle to cope with the constant influx of casualties. A Palestinian journalist captured these scenes of panic in mid-October.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): A short time ago, they fired at the hospital entrance. They fired artillery shells. It is clear that the healthcare system is being directly targeted.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): And on October 24th, Israeli forces closed in on Kamal Adwan compound.
In the next few days, this place of healing would itself become a war zone.
UNKNOWN (translated): There is no medicine. Where should we go?
UNKNOWN (translated): Instead of receiving aid, we've received tanks.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): It's the third time in a year that Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician, finds himself and his hospital surrounded and under attack.
They're running dangerously low on supplies, fuel and food. The Israeli military says it allows aid in, but the U.N. says it's nowhere near enough. This, one of the few convoys that have reached Kamal Adwan.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): I have 195 injured patients. All of whom are on the ground floor.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): The IDF ordered civilians who'd been sheltering here to evacuate. They hold up white flags and whatever they can carry.
Dozens were detained, including more than 40 medical personnel. Some seen in these photos posted to social media.
Dr. Abu Safiya, here with his hands up in the air, says he was interrogated for hours.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): A special forces unit was here a short time ago. They assaulted me, they had dogs with them, they made me go into some of the wards with a drone to check if they were any armed individuals, which is nonsense.
I don't have a surgeon, they took the surgeons and the orthopedic specialists. I don't know what to do with all these cases, most of them amputations and burns.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Still, Abu Safiya refused to abandon his patients.
What followed appeared to be a brief flurry. That's when families began to find the bodies of loved ones in and around the hospital compound. Dr. Abu Safiya was attending to the injured, and he was called outside.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): We were accustomed to receiving martyrs and the wounded, but to receive your own son is catastrophic.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): His 21-year-old son, Ibrahim, was killed in an Israeli strike at the hospital gates.
He tries to lead the funeral prayers, but it's just too much.
In the hospital's makeshift graveyard, he buried his boy. Ibrahim is still close to him, in a place that's testament to this one man's struggle.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): I still feel his presence in every corner. His voice, his scent, and his character remain with us.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): In a statement to CNN, the IDF did not address Ibrahim's death, but said its operations in the area were quote, "based on precise intelligence," and "that dozens of terrorists were found hiding inside the hospital, some of them even posing as medical staff."
It says this is a medic in custody, and that he's admitted that Hamas is operating inside Kamal Adwan. CNN cannot verify these allegations.
The IDF has also released these images of weapons it says it found inside the hospital. Dr. Abu Safiya says they belong to its security guards. The Israeli military has long rationalized targeting Gaza's health facilities by accusing Hamas of using them for, quote, "terror activities."
[03:40:05]
UNKNOWN (translated): Bring the children down. Bring the children down from upstairs. Quickly.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Days after the IDF said its operations at Kamal Adwan concluded, its attacks did not.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): The hospital was directly hit. The upper floors, the courtyard, the water tanks and the electric grid were stuck.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): The everyday for these medics, now working under fire.
It's hard to believe this once was one of Gaza's top health care facilities. There's no doubt about the kind of firepower unleashed here.
The storage room left charred. The walls of the neonatal ICU pockmarked with bullet holes. Ambulances crushed.
Kamal Adwan, like most of Gaza's hospitals, now barely functioning.
ABU SAFIYA (translated): Imagine, people are rescuing the injured using horse and donkey carts. It's a horrific scene.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): This is a fight for survival. And giving up is not an option for Dr. Abu Safiya. Strikes on the hospital left him and others injured this week. Paying the price for staying. Abandoned and alone in this nightmare on repeat.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The Israeli military told CNN that it's unaware of the strike that injured the doctor. The IDF also said it adheres to international law, only goes after military targets, and that it takes all necessary measures to avoid harming civilians.
We'll be right back.
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FOSTER: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Italy, where he's expected to meet with the Pope today. He met with foreign ministers of G7 countries earlier this week, amid the escalating conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. These international concerns will likely be up for discussion during Blinken's meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City.
CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb is with me now. A chance to consolidate what's been achieved with the Biden administration, and perhaps look forward as well.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right. I mean, broadly speaking, the Biden administration and Pope Francis have worked together on key issues, migration, and of course on global conflicts. There have been some significant differences between the Pope and the Biden administration, but broadly speaking, it's been a good relationship, and Pope and President Biden, second Catholic U.S. president, have got on very well, have a warm relationship.
[03:44:57]
This meeting will be a chance to look back on what's been achieved, but also to say goodbye, and perhaps look forward to, for the Vatican, a more uncertain period under a second Trump administration.
FOSTER: What do we know about their existing relationship, Trump and the Pope, that we can read into the next phase of U.S. politics?
LAMB: Well, last time around, there were some significant tensions, big disagreements over migration. For example, Pope Francis has made protection and welcome of migrants a key theme of his pontificate, and I expect that will also be another tension this time around, and on things like climate change.
I mean, Pope Francis and Trump are really poles apart when it comes to how they view the world. There may be, though, some possibility of an alliance over war in Ukraine. Of course, the Pope is calling for that conflict to be ended, and Trump has pledged to end it as well.
So there may be some areas where there can be agreement, but I imagine there will also be some big issues of disagreement as well.
FOSTER: I think that idea of resolving conflicts is something hugely pertinent right now, and it would probably come up, wouldn't it, with the Pope, if Trump was discussing it? Do we ever hear about those discussions from the Vatican side? Do they ever give us any insight?
LAMB: Yes, they do, particularly when a president like President Trump, if he came to the Vatican to meet with the Pope, we would hear about what was discussed in broad terms.
Of course, those meetings between the Pope and world leaders are kind of under a kind of code of secrecy because the Pope wants leaders to speak freely, but we would hear about what was discussed, and the Vatican will try to work with whichever world leader wants to engage with them. So I think there can be some room for discussion and dialogue there.
FOSTER: OK, thank you so much, Christopher.
Reporter pool in the White House briefing room may look very different in Donald Trump's second term as president. His son, Donald Trump Jr., previewed possible changes coming in his podcast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP JR., HOST, "TRIGGERED" PODCAST: So we're going to break some news here because I literally had this conversation. I was flying back. I was on the plane, I guess with my father, either. I think it was coming back from the SpaceX launch with Elon last week, and I was sitting there, and we were talking about the podcast world and some of our friends and Rogan and guys like you.
But we had the conversation about opening up the press room to a lot of these independent journalists. We've had that conversation, like, that's a great idea, Don. I was like, I think we should do this. And so that may be in the works. Let's see, that's going to blow up some heads, so we'll see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, the move would be a shift away from mainstream media being front and center and might actually be welcomed by many, according to Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
CNN's Donie O'Sullivan spoke with the progressive influencer about the recent election and which candidates were best at reaching out to young voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Hasan Piker.
HASAN PIKER, TWITCH STREAMER: This is my dog, Kaya. I thought you legitimately were going to work out.
O'SULLIVAN: I can do some weights.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): He's a social media superstar with almost 3 million followers on the video streaming platform Twitch.
O'SULLIVAN: So this is that whole masculinity thing people are talking about, huh?
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): And he's part of a growing group of streamers and podcasters reaching young men online, a space Trump tapped into to reach young male voters.
PIKER: If you punch in, then you won't be able to see that he's not doing any weights.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But Hasan is not a Trump supporter. He's a progressive, a fan of Bernie and AOC. The Democratic Party even invited him to the DNC in August.
O'SULLIVAN: One thing we've been hearing for weeks now is that the left needs a Joe Rogan.
PIKER: Yeah. I don't think that the Democratic Party can podcast itself out of this issue. Joe Rogan, he endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2020. Maybe they should do an autopsy on why he left the party.
O'SULLIVAN: I've heard you say when it comes to stuff that guys like, you seek that stuff out online, whether it's watching a streamer, whether it's watching guys talk about working out and fitness, you say that the right-wing just dominates that space.
PIKER: Yeah.
O'SULLIVAN: Why?
PIKER: Well, I think that's why I started on Twitch, right? I know for a fact that the video game space is like people who consume this culture, people who are part of this culture are not all right-wing.
I wanted to showcase to people that like, no, you can be a progressive person, you can be a leftist and like have fun at the same time.
O'SULLIVAN: How many people are watching your live stream on election night?
PIKER: The total unique number was 7.5 million.
O'SULLIVAN: There's a general sense that when it comes to the world of podcasts, alternative media, I don't even know what you want to call it, that Trump did a much better job with that than Democrats and Harris.
PIKER: Absolutely. I think that's true. When I saw the Aiden Roscoe lab, I thought this is not, this doesn't have emotion. It was awkward. It was weird. [03:50:00]
But then I saw Trump on Theo Von and he started talking about cocaine. And I was like, oh, this, this humanizes him.
DONALD TRUMP, THEN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So you're way up with cocaine more than anything else you can think of.
THEO VON, HOST, "THIS PAST WEEKEND": Cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie. You know what I'm saying?
O'SULLIVAN: Harris did consider going on Joe Rogan.
PIKER: Yeah.
O'SULLIVAN: But she didn't. What is this that the Democrat Party has to do differently?
PIKER: Well, I think that they need to change their policies.
O'SULLIVAN: It's a policy thing.
PIKER: Yes, it's 100 percent a policy thing. Where's the boring answer? Although it would be very self-serving for me to say, I'm the left's Joe Rogan. The Democratic Party should give me millions of dollars. That's not going to solve this problem.
What will solve this problem is if the Democratic Party actually adopts real left-wing economic populist messaging instead of purposefully avoiding that stuff because they're terrified of upsetting their corporate donors.
I think Trump speaks to male insecurities better. And I think Trump speaks to the anger that people have. Whereas the other side of the political spectrum does not speak to that anger at all.
O'SULLIVAN: There's been a lot of controversy around you.
PIKER; Yes.
O'SULLIVAN: The way you talk about Israel is viewed by some as anti- Semitic.
PIKER: Yeah.
O'SULLIVAN: Are you anti-Semitic?
PIKER: Of course not. The real problem here is that I'm an anti- Zionist. The real problem here is that I'm extremely critical of Israel and all of the information that's readily available, especially on social media for so many people that don't necessarily rely on mainstream media any longer to get their information.
And that's why you see this generational gap. If you're over the age of 35, you're still operating on the old boundaries. You're like, no, Israel's the most moral democracy in the Middle East, maybe in the world, right?
And I think that the major generational divide that is, I think, in a very damaging way, feeding into the mistrust overall that people have with mainstream news in general is coming from that.
O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Donie O'Sullivan, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: For much of the U.S., this Thanksgiving will be a cold one. And some will see some pretty wet weather as well. When we come back, the conditions travelers can expect for the holiday weekend.
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FOSTER: It will be a cold Thanksgiving holiday for many across the U.S. with some areas in store for pretty soggy conditions. Parts of the western U.S. are now getting heavy snow, which should wind down a bit later today.
That storm system will then start moving to the Midwest, though. For Thanksgiving Day, much of the east coast could see some wet weather with light snow in store for parts of the northeast and possible delays both on the roads and in the air for travelers.
Thanksgiving, always one of the busiest travel times of the year, of course, in the U.S. That means airports are jam-packed and airlines are raking in big bucks as well, not just on the tickets but also billions in so-called junk fees, which has caught the attention of Congress now.
CNN's Pete Muntean has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Thanksgiving travel rush is already off to a blistering start from roads to transit hubs to airports, where the Transportation Security Administration has already screened more than 5 million passengers since the start of this week.
[03:55:02]
UNKNOWN: 10-hour travel day, but only for the holidays.
UNKNOWN: We've had more success going to the airport than driving on Thanksgiving.
UNKNOWN: Holiday travel is a pain in the ass.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): By the end of Tuesday, another 2.8 million people are expected to pass through airports nationwide, with 2.9 million expected on Wednesday, the busiest day for air travel leading up to the holiday.
DAVID PEKOSKE, ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: There are going to be days where we are just at full capacity.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): In all, AAA predicts 80 million people will travel 50 miles or more over seven days, a forecast extended from five days for the first time.
AIXA DIAZ, AAA SPOKESPERSON: What we have noticed is that a lot of people, because they have that remote hybrid flexibility now, leave at different times. So Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon are going to be very congested on the roads.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): The early start may not stay easy for long.
Airlines are watching snow in the forecast for some major airports like Denver, as the Federal Aviation Administration is warning of potential flight delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
United Airlines says in a new memo that FAA issues at its Newark hub have impacted 343,000 passengers this month. FAA Chief Mike Whitaker.
MIKE WHITAKER, ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: If we are short on staff, we will slow traffic as needed to keep the system safe.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even still, the federal government is monitoring how airlines perform with new refund rules in place for the first Thanksgiving rush ever.
Airlines now owe you automatic cash back if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed by more than three hours.
PETE BUTIGIEG, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Any airline that failed to proactively offer refunds to passengers could be in violation of federal law.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): The new pressure comes as a just released Senate report shows airlines made $12 billion over five years by charging for so-called junk fees like seat selection and carry-on bags.
It's insult to injury on what's to be another travel rush for the record books.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): The airlines are relying more and more on these junk fees as a source of revenue, and they are obscuring them. Very often, you as a passenger won't know how much you're being charged until after you buy the ticket.
MUNTEAN: Airlines insist that separating out fees has made tickets themselves cost less, though AAA says the average price for airfare has gone up about 3 percent compared to a year ago.
The good news is for those 70 million people hitting the road, the cost of driving has gone down. The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now $3.07.
Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Good luck to all the travelers. Thanks for joining us here on CNN. I'm Max Foster. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Chrissy.
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