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Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Begins After Months of Fighting; A Trade War Could Sharply Increase Consumer Costs; Airports Packed As Holiday Rush Kicks Off; Imran Khan's Party Calls Off Protests "For the Time Being". Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired November 27, 2024 - 04:00   ET

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

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JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: Peace is possible. The fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end. If Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal, Israel retains the right to self-defense, consistent with international law.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten-hour travel day, but only for the holidays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had more success going to the airport than driving on Thanksgiving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holiday travel is a pain -- pain in the ass.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was intended to be a periwinkle from the very start. The fact that some people think it's not a periwinkle and it could be a poop emoji, well, that's up to you to make your decision.

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ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN Newsroom with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane.

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and a very warm welcome to our viewers. Joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Christina Macfarlane. It's Wednesday, November 27th. It's 9 am here in London, 11 am in Lebanon, where a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect a few hours ago.

But already the Israeli military is saying soldiers opened fire in Lebanon at several vehicles to prevent them from reaching a restricted area, causing them to withdraw. The IDF did not say where the incident took place.

This was the scene in central Lebanon a short time ago, highways packed as displaced residents make their way south, despite warnings from both countries that it's not safe to return just yet. Some residents near Beirut waved Hezbollah flags in celebration of the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese capital's southern suburbs are known to be a key area of support for Hezbollah.

The ceasefire is based on a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution, and the U.S. and France will help to enforce the deal.

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BIDEN: Let me be clear. If Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, then Israel retains the right to self-defense consistent with international law, just like any country when facing a terrorist group pledged to that country's destruction.

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MACFARLANE: U.S. President Joe Biden also says the White House will build on the agreement in Lebanon to make a renewed push to ceasefire in Gaza.

More now from CNN's Arlette Saenz in Massachusetts.

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ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden hailed this ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, hoping that it will bring calm to at least one front of the conflict in the Middle East. The President said that the deal, which was set to go into effect on Wednesday morning, would lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities. This comes after the U.S. was engaged in negotiations for months to try to reach this agreement, with Amos Hochstein, a senior White House official, speaking with Israeli counterparts and also Lebanese counterparts who were mediating on behalf of Hezbollah.

President Biden said he spoke with the Prime Ministers of Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday, and here is how he characterized his vision for this agreement.

BIDEN: Let's be clear, Israel did not launch this war. The Lebanese people did not seek that war either, nor did the United States. But lasting security for the people of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved only on the battlefield. And that's why I directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a ceasefire, to bring a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a close.

SAENZ: President Biden said the U.S. will also engage in a new push with Israel, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt to try to secure a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza. A senior administration official said that they believe that this ceasefire in Lebanon could potentially be a game changer in those talks relating to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. They are hoping that this might push Hamas to change some of their demands in the negotiations.

Of course, President Biden has made clear he wants to try to find an end to that conflict in Gaza to get hostages back home to their families and more humanitarian aid before he leaves office.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, traveling with the President in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

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MACFARLANE: Well, let's go live now to Abu Dhabi and CNN's Paula Hancocks. And Paula, since the ceasefire went into effect at 4 a.m. local time this morning, we have just been mentioning there that there have been reports of Israeli gunfire in the hours since. What more are you learning about the circumstances around that and whether this truce is holding?

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christina, it certainly appears to be holding at this point. There is this incident, though, that we've been told about from the Israeli military saying that they fired towards vehicles which were driving towards a restricted area. And they said that those vehicles then turned around and went the other way.

We're also hearing from the Israeli Defense Minister that potentially referring to the same incident, saying in light of Hezbollah militants entering Kila, which is an area just along the border with Israel, that the IDF has been told to act forcefully and without compromise if need be, saying that if they see Hezbollah fighters moving towards a restricted area, they should try and detain them, and if not possible, they can fire upon them.

So that part is similar to what we have heard consistently from Israel, saying that if they saw or they believed that the ceasefire proposal was being violated in any way by Hezbollah, then they reserved the right to respond.

Now, this is one individual incident at this point. We will wait to see whether there is any further response to it. But for the most part, what we are seeing is a ceasefire holding, and it is a 60-day ceasefire, which all those involved hope will then form the basis of a more permanent truce between the two sides.

Now, we are seeing in southern Lebanon, or coming towards southern Lebanon, many cars, according to state media, and we're seeing the images, forming traffic and moving with entire families back to their homes in southern Lebanon.

It's something that the Lebanese officials are saying, delay your return to these areas. The Israeli military has said that people should not move back to southern Lebanon until they are given the all- clear.

And the reason for this is the IDF is not expected to leave southern Lebanon immediately under this deal. They have to leave southern Lebanon and leave Lebanese territory completely within the 60-day ceasefire.

And we've heard from one senior Biden administration official that they do not want to leave too soon in case there forms some kind of vacuum. They want to make sure that the Lebanese military, who is tasked with patrolling this area, along with UNIFIL and the UN peacekeepers, are making sure that Hezbollah does not reform and rearm. They want to make sure that they are in place and they have been strengthened before they fully withdraw.

Now, we're also not seeing much of a movement in northern Israel at this point. We know that tens of thousands of residents were displaced there after October 8th of last year when the Hezbollah rockets started flying.

And there isn't a blanket approval in Israel of this ceasefire. It did pass the security cabinet with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, 10 to 1. But there was some criticism from the more far- right elements of his coalition.

We've also heard from some mayors in towns in northern Israel that they believe it was too soon, that they are concerned that the threat from Hezbollah has not been completely eradicated. So there is certainly optimism that this ceasefire has been put in place, but it is cautious optimism on both sides of the border at this point, hoping that it can hold.

Christina?

MACFARLANE: All right, Paula Hancocks there with the latest on this ceasefire, just a couple of hours old now. Paula, thank you.

Now, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced more picks for top spots in his new administration. A notable choice is Jamieson Greer, set to serve as U.S. Trade Representative. He served as Chief of Staff to the Trade Representative in Trump's first term, when the president signed on to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement and implemented high tariffs on China. And those could return when Trump is back in the White House.

This week, he rattled key trading partners with a threat of punishing new tariffs, not just against China, but also against America's neighbors, Canada and Mexico. His claim that taxes on imported goods would be retaliation for illegal immigration, crime and drugs entering the U.S. Mexico's president is warning that one tariff will lead to another, risking a trade war and putting shared companies at risk.

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CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): President Trump, threats and tariffs are not the way to address the migration phenomenon or drug use in the United States.

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MACFARLANE: Claudia Sheinbaum called for cooperation and shared understanding instead in a letter to Trump. And the Canadian Prime Minister, also taking a diplomatic approach, Justin Trudeau said he and Trump recently spoke about some of the challenges they can tackle together.

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JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: The reality is we're going to continue to work constructively with the incoming administration to protect Canadian jobs, to protect Canadian growth, to take the responsible approach that isn't steeped in partisanship, that pulls together the Team Canada approach that stands up for Canadians instead of throwing our arms up and saying all is broken like the leader of the opposition.

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MACFARLANE: Well, the big fear, of course, is that a back-and-forth tariff hikes will lead to an all-out trade war and consumers will pay the price.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich explains which goods could soon become much more expensive.

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VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trade war is brewing.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We're going to tariff the hell out of them.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): The casualty? The American consumer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to see higher prices.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): On his first day in office, President-elect Trump says he's putting a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada. China will get hit with an additional 10% tax on top of existing tariffs. The reason, Trump says, incentive for these countries to stop the flow of migrants and illegal drugs coming into the U.S.

GENE SEROKA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PORT OF LOS ANGELES: I suspect we'll encounter some new headwinds that our industry will have to navigate.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Mexico, Canada and China are the United States' key trading partners. The U.S. imports the majority of cars and car parts from Mexico, so the price of your car could go up. Shares of the big three U.S. automakers all finished lower, with GM down nearly 9%.

America's top import from Canada is oil. The tariffs could send gas prices up 25 to 75 cents in some regions. And the U.S. imports a lot of electronics from China, in addition to sneakers, toys, sports equipment and furniture. For example, China makes a sneaker. A U.S. company buys it, pays the import tariff and then makes a choice. Eat the cost or pass it to you.

Before the higher tariffs announced Monday night, Americans could expect to spend $2,600 more each year under Trump's original tariff proposal. Inflation is expected to rise by 1%. U.S. retailers like Steve Madden are already moving production out of China to beat the tariffs and keep prices low for U.S. consumers. Small businesses don't have that same option.

RYAN ZAGATA, PRESIDENT, BROOKLYN BICYCLE COMPANY: There isn't really an easy solution beyond passing that cost on to consumers. Small businesses are very much uniquely challenged. I don't have the option of calling up Jamie Dimon at JP Morgan to do a bond offering to build a factory.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And then there are retaliatory tariffs, which could also impact U.S. businesses who export to other countries. Mexico's President hinted at that very notion Tuesday.

SHEINBAUM (through translator): One tariff will be followed by another in response and so on until we put common businesses at risk.

YURKEVICH (on camera): There are people that support President-elect Trump's tariffs, but mostly in his inner circle. Elon Musk says that tariffs are highly effective. Billionaire Bill Ackman says that tariffs can be used as a weapon to help achieve foreign policy, political and economic outcomes.

And then there is Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who says that he supports targeted tariffs, but thinks that excessive tariffs or blanket tariffs could actually hurt the economy.

Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.

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MACFARLANE: Now, with Thanksgiving just a day away in the U.S., this is set to be the busiest year for holiday travel ever. CNN's Pete Muntean has more on the travel rush.

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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 five million passengers since the start of this week.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten-hour travel day, but only for the holidays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've had more success going to the airport than driving on Thanksgiving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the travel is a pain -- 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.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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.

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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, FAA CHIEF: 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 BUTTIGIEG, 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 (on camera): 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% 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.

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MACFARLANE: Well, Pete mentioned there that airlines are keeping an eye on the snowy weather conditions in Denver, and it's for good reason. Here's what it looked like on Tuesday on Interstate 70. And Mother Nature appears to be serving up more unappetizing conditions for the holiday.

Meteorologist Elisa Raffa has the forecast.

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ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we got rid of one travel headache for the Thanksgiving holiday week, but the other one is already starting to brew. For Wednesday, your travel delays continue to work their way east. We'll find some possible hiccups over parts of the Central Plains getting into the Tennessee Valley as our next potent storm continues to develop.

We got rid of one from Tuesday. Again, here comes the next one where we could have some rain and snow impacting the Rockies, parts of the Midwest. And then by Thursday, this thing really flourishes and explodes with some rain and snow up in the northeast.

Could have a couple of inches of snow for parts of interior New England. And then that rain stretches from New York down to D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, even down towards New Orleans. Much of the southeast will have a pretty soggy Thanksgiving.

Then after that, it gets cold. High pressure comes in and temperatures will start to nosedive by Black Friday. So your travel forecast again will have some hiccups across the Rockies with some of that snow as that storm develops across parts of the Midwest.

By Thursday, it really shifts to some of those big cities along the east coast from New York, D.C., Atlanta, down to New Orleans with rain and snow impacting travel. We could find some hiccups at airports on Thursday. If you're doing any last-minute traveling by Thursday morning, things will be wet along that I-95 corridor.

And then by Friday, you'll find some snow really impacting parts of the New England area where we'll have a couple of inches of snow possible in Maine. So it's a soggy go for your turkey day. Rain for that Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We'll find the showers stretching down the east coast, and it gets really chilly behind this front. Some of the coldest temperatures of the year so far. That cold air coupled in with the rain will leave temperatures stuck in the 40s during that parade in New York City on Thanksgiving Day.

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MACFARLANE: Still to come, Donald Trump promised big changes to U.S. immigration on the campaign trail. But can he actually make it happen? We'll tell you the blueprint he's looking to for answers.

Plus, an attempt to de-escalate tensions in Pakistan following the latest clashes between security forces and supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

And later, a new tourist attraction in China that has sure to make most daredevils bucket lists and many others avoid at all costs.

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MACFARLANE: The party of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan says it is 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 late night operations targeting thousands of Khan 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. 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?

[04:25:07]

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 roads are clearing of protesters.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MACFARLANE: Germany is investigating whether a deadly plane crash on Monday was the result of sabotage. A cargo plane flying from Leipzig to Lithuania crashed just before landing killing one crew member. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the government can't be sure but, quote, "many bad forms of hybrid warfare are being seen in Germany." Lithuania officials are pushing back.

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ARTURAS URBELIS, PROSECUTOR (through translator): The plane did not fall from the sky. It did not fall directly down. It's obvious that such a situation indicates that maybe some technical problems or interference were in the aircraft. Maybe some neglect. As we investigate the circumstances we might determine evidence of other criminal actions. And if we do only then can we discuss investigation on other counts of the criminal code.

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MACFARLANE: The plane's black boxes have been recovered from the wreckage. But while a government spokesperson says they can't rule out terrorism they also can't definitively say the case qualifies for it.

Well, coming up, after years of brutal fighting Ukrainian soldiers are adapting to an incredibly difficult circumstance on the eastern front lines. A report from Pokrovsk, a city under fire, ahead.

Plus, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Vatican City to meet the Pope. We'll have more on what's on the table for discussion after a quick break.

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