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Hamas Maintains Demands Despite Organization's Devastation; U.S. Says Deadline for Deal with China Could be Delayed; Texas Dems Flee State to Prevent GOP Redistricting Plan. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired August 04, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York. And here's what's coming your way in a few moments.

[00:00:40]

Hamas says that it is prepared to allow the Red Cross access to Israeli hostages. But there are conditions. What the militant group is asking in return from the Israeli government.

The Trump administration says that tariffs imposed on a wide range of countries last week, they're likely to stay in place this week. The U.S. still doesn't have any trade deals with some of the world's top U.S. economy -- I should say some of the top economies around the world.

And then there's this. A massive turnout as Pope Leo leads more than 1 million young Catholic faithful in a historic mass.

ANNOUNCER: Live from New York, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVA: We want to begin with developments in the Middle East, where the Israeli prime minister is now asking the International Red Cross to bring food and medicine to the hostages that are being held in Gaza right now.

Now, a warning: the images that you are about to see, they are disturbing.

Benjamin Netanyahu's request, it follows outrage in Israel over the release of Hamas, as well as Palestinian Islamic Jihad's propaganda videos showing two emaciated Israeli captives. You see one of them here.

The anger spilling over onto the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, where large crowds of protesters, they called for a deal to free the remaining hostages.

Families of those held, they are warning against an explosion of the war, as one Israeli official says that the prime minister is pushing to free the hostages through military defeat of Hamas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Dear

citizens of Israel, like you, I was deeply shocked yesterday. I saw the horrifying videos of our dear sons, Rom and Evyatar.

I called the families, embraced them on behalf of myself and my wife and on your behalf, too.

You see them wasting away in a dungeon. But the Hamas monster surrounding them have thick, fleshy arms. They have everything they need to eat. They are starving them the way the Nazis starved the jews.

And when I see this, I understand exactly what Hamas wants. It doesn't want to deal. It wants to break us through these horrifying videos, through the false propaganda it spreads around the world.

But we will not break. I am filled with even stronger determination to free our kidnaped sons, to eliminate Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to the state of Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Hamas says that it is prepared to, quote, "deal positively" with any request by the Red Cross to deliver aid to Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

But that's only if certain conditions are met. Primarily, that humanitarian corridors are opened, allowing food and medicine in, amid this deepening hunger crisis in the enclave.

On Sunday, Israel's military said that six countries, including Jordan, France, and Belgium, that they all air-dropped about 136 aid packages into Gaza.

But health workers, they have said that these efforts, they're simply not enough to reverse this crisis. And the United Nations warning that airdrops are ineffective and dangerous.

The U.N. has released new videos showing thousands of Palestinians seeking aid in Northern Gaza. In fact, one woman expressed the frustration that's being felt by so many right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The U.N. used to distribute aid, and I could get it easily. Now we get nothing.

I risked my life going to Zikim, and I see death with my own eyes. And this is now the fifth time I return with an empty bag.

I just want to return to my children with something. I'm seeing death. The ones benefiting now are traitors and thieves. Widows, women, and the elderly are left out, and no one is looking out for us.

I'm a widow. I've lost a lot of weight, and my health is deteriorating. No one feels us except God. I want my dignity. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And despite earlier reports, Hamas says that it will not consider disarming until a sovereign Palestinian state is established.

And it's also calling for what it described as a full restoration of what it says are Palestinian national rights, and that, according to the group, includes making Jerusalem the capital of that Palestinian state.

But after months of being persuaded, really just pursued, I should say, as well as being pounded and severely weakened by Israels military, there are still questions about its current operational state. Also, if Hamas has the ability to make its demands a reality.

[00:05:00]

And we are now joined by Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib. He's a senior fellow and also the head of the Re-align for Palestine at the Atlantic Council.

Ahmed, it's good to have you with us. Thank you so much for joining us.

AHMED FOUAD ALKHATIB, SENIOR FELLOW/HEAD, RE-ALIGN FOR PALESTINE, ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Thanks for having me.

SANDOVAL: Now, it is a critical time, I think, right now, to hear from folks such as yourself. Just tell us a little bit about how this war is deeply personal for you before we get into -- into the details of what's happening on the ground right now.

ALKHATIB: I grew up in Gaza until the age of 15 before I came to the U.S., so -- and I was also involved ten years ago with a major international effort and project to try to build an internationally- run, Israeli-approved airfield in the Gaza Strip.

So, this is a personal issue as much as it is a political and humanitarian one for me.

SANDOVAL: And from your perspective, what you know, as you keep in regular touch, also, with people in Gaza, what have you heard about the current state of Hamas? Are they still the threat to aid that Israeli government claims that it is?

ALKHATIB: Well, unfortunately, while there are -- there -- there are kernels of truth to the fact that Hamas does siphon off plenty of aid, I think some of those claims have been either grossly exaggerated or such that the depiction is that all aid is stolen by Hamas when there's a nuanced, complicated picture.

You have merchants of death. You have hungry people. You have looters. You have clans. You have humanitarian NGOs that use private arms for -- for hire.

Hamas has indeed been weakened, but -- and rendered to small, disparate cells. But when we're talking about Hamas, there's Hamas's governance apparatus that existed. And then there's Hamas, the militant entity.

And some have -- some from the governance entity have rebranded and sort of maintained some control, even as those in the tunnels, those who are fighting the Israeli military have been degraded.

So, Hamas, unfortunately, does maintain a presence on the ground, enough to complicate aid efforts to prevent people from speaking out, to prevent the introduction of alternatives.

And that's what's contributing, in part, to the hunger crisis and the distribution and delivery issues. And not to mention the role of the Israeli government and policies in complicating said efforts.

SANDOVAL: From what you have heard, do Palestinians in general, do they -- do they hold Hamas partly responsible for this crisis, that -- the malnutrition crisis that continues to worsen, you think?

ALKHATAB: Absolutely; 100 percent. And this is what's so frustrating, is the disconnect between the voice of Palestinians in Gaza and the narrative of the Palestinian people in Gaza, with whom I'm in touch with dozens on a daily basis, hundreds and hundreds on a weekly basis, versus those who are allies of the Palestinian people.

The pro-Palestine community and the diaspora, or those who are in humanitarian NGOs, the journalists, the folks who mean well. But I think they're -- they're not registering the fact that the people of Gaza, just as they are upset and angry and furious and livid at the Israeli military campaign, they are equally, if not at times more upset, at Hamas for serving them on a platter to the most far-right extremist government in Israel's history.

They are furious at Hamas's negotiators, who have failed for almost two years now to bring about the end of the war that Hamas itself started on October 7th.

They are furious with the fact that Hamas contributed to the theft -- majorly to the theft of aid and to the compromising of the humanitarian community, such that Israel was able to go out and make those claims, restrict the flow of aid through U.N. mechanisms, and then bring in players who are inadequate and in, quite frankly, incompetent, like the GHF, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which have been dangerous, have been inadequate, and inefficient.

And so, this is the problem, is that people in Gaza hold Hamas accountable for the totality of their suffering. They expect the Israeli government to be ferocious, to be unjust, to -- to conduct itself in a brutal fashion.

But they would have hoped that by now, Hamas, the supposed "resistance group," quote unquote; the supposed guardian of the Palestinian people; the one that claims to represent the Palestinian people, which it really clearly does not, would have actually cared enough to make -- to sacrifice some, to compromise some in order to end the suffering. SANDOVAL: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, thank you so much for -- for lending

us some of your time. Let's stay in touch and certainly follow the development of this crisis as it continues to worsen. Appreciate you.

[00:10:02]

ALKHATIB: Thank you very much for having me. Thank you.

SANDOVAL: America's top trade official says the global tariff rates, they are here to stay. And this is just days before President Trump's new trade plan takes effect.

He said that he doesn't see those rates being negotiated down before Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: I don't Think they will be in the coming days. I think a lot of these -- well, I know a lot of these are set rates, pursuant to deals. Some of these deals are announced; some are not. Others depend on the level of the trade deficit or surplus we may have with the country. So -- so these -- these tariff rates are -- are pretty much set.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Of course, things could change at any moment. But for now, the White House says that a 10 percent tariff will apply to most countries. Others will face at least a 15 percent rate if the U.S. has a trade deficit with them.

And President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, they are expected to talk in the next few days. That's according to Canada's trade minister, who also says that he believes that they can reach a deal to at least try to lower those tariffs.

The U.S. has already slapped a higher 35 percent levy on Canadian goods, at least those that are not covered by a preexisting trade agreement.

Prime Minister Carney seemed optimistic about the negotiation while speaking to reporters over the weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Canada is strong. We can give ourselves far more than anyone can take away. We're building this great country.

I just met with the premier, building B.C., building Canada, building in a Canadian way, building sustainably building together, building positively.

And that's what we're going to do. And yes, we will -- we'll come to something with the Americans, something constructive with the Americans. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And then there's China. The U.S., it is signaling that the deadline for a trade deal with that country could be delayed.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and trade representative Jamieson Greer, who we just heard from, failed to reach an agreement with their Chinese counterparts in Stockholm last week.

But Greer says that their conversations, they've been very positive and that the deadline may be pushed back from August 12.

Let's take a look, meanwhile, at U.S. stocks ahead of what's likely going to be a busy, busy week. You can see there some gains right now across the board as Wall Street trying to pretty much regroup after those job numbers that came out last week, as well as the rollout of the latest Trump tariffs.

When you look overseas, though, some mixed trade possibly happening in Asia. As of this hour, just a few hours there. You see there mixed trade happening right now as investors trying to really assess what's going to be the further impact of President Trump's ongoing trade war.

Let's get some more analysis, some more reporting, I should say, from CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, is joining us live from Hong Kong. Kristie, it is great to see you.

Obviously, that clock, it is ticking to August the 12th.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SANDOVAL: That tariff deadline with China, Kristie. So, from what you're getting there, is there any indication that that truce, that that truce may be extended again?

STOUT: Yes. Polo, this is the indication that we're getting at this very moment. The U.S.-China trade truce could be extended beyond the August 12th deadline. This, according to the U.S. trade representative, Jamieson Greer.

After reaching preliminary deals, the U.S. and China, back in May, back in June, these two countries have until Tuesday next week -- that is just over one week -- in order to secure an extension or a trade deal.

Because if they don't, tariffs on both countries are going to snap back up to ultra-high levels, which would be equivalent to a trade blockade. A lot at stake here.

Now, it was in an interview with CBS -- It was aired on Sunday -- when the question was posed to the U.S. trade representative. Is there going to be an extension of this trade truce beyond August the 12th?

And he said this: quote, "That's something that we're working toward." Now, he also added, Jamieson Greer, that recent discussions between the U.S. and China have been going into a positive direction, and that there has been a focus on rare earths, minerals and magnets. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREER: We talked about -- and I won't go into detail, because they're, you know, confidential conversations between two -- two governments, but they've really focused on rare earth magnets and minerals.

China has put a global control on the world. And so, for the United States, we're focused on making sure that the flow of magnets from -- from China to the United States and the -- and the adjacent supply chain can flow as freely as it did before the control. And I'd say we're about halfway there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now, last week, trade talks between the U.S. and China ended in Stockholm without a deal.

There is a full slate of sticking points that is getting in the way of an agreement between these two economic heavyweights. For example, let's bring it up for you.

Top of mind is, of course, rare earths and China's ongoing curbs of rare earths, which is a key ingredient in both the defense sectors and technology sectors.

Also on the list, China's purchase of sanctioned oil from Russia and Iran. Fentanyl, and particular, the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China. And the fate and future of TikTok.

Now, by Friday last week, August the 1st, that was when the Trump administration slapped tariffs on scores of countries around the world. And you know, those tariffs, we heard from Greer, he said that they will likely stay in place and not be negotiated further.

[00:15:09]

But China and the U.S., this is a different beast. This is a very complex and complicated trade relationship. Analysts say this is a relationship that can turn on a dime. This underway, the trade truce, very fragile. The clock is ticking -- Polo.

SANDOVAL: CNN's Kristie Lu Stout with that live report from Hong Kong.

We still have much more ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, including the bodies of all five workers trapped inside a Chilean copper mine. Well, they have now been found. The latest on the mine collapse right after the break.

Plus, a Russian missile strike destroys dozens of homes in a Ukrainian city as officials blame Moscow for directly targeting civilian infrastructure.

Stay with us.

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SANDOVAL: It was quite the weekend in Rome, where they just wrapped up the Vatican's Jubilee of Youth, which is a huge multinational festival of faith, music, and religious services for Catholic youth.

This all celebrated and encouraged by the first American pope, Chicago-born LEO XIV.

As flags were flying, of course, there would also be some deep-dish pizza that was on the menu, as hundreds of thousands of young people from around the globe came together, mingling, and also connected with their peers.

A high point in the weekend came on Sunday with a mass by Pope Leo. This is how one of the pilgrims summed up the experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAEHUN LEE, SOUTH KOREAN PILGRIM: Korea isn't a country with the main religion of Christianity, so I wanted to meet a lot of people from around the world who believes in the same religion as me. The religion brings people together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And what a turnout. The Vatican estimating that more than a million young people turned out for the Sunday mass. It's the largest event of Leo's papacy since he was elected back in May.

Well, Ukrainian officials say that Russia has targeted civilian infrastructure with a missile strike on the Southern city of Mykolaiv.

At least seven people were injured there. The governor of the region says that about two dozen homes, 12 apartment buildings and also a post office sustained damage.

Ukraine's air force says that Russia launched 76 drones and seven missiles overnight Saturday, striking eight locations across the country.

Well, meanwhile, Russia says that Ukraine targeted an oil depot in Sochi with -- with attacks via drone, which caused two oil tanks to actually catch fire there. More than 120 firefighters on scene, according to local officials. And the fires were eventually put out.

Sochi as a resort city in Southern Russia. And, as you'll recall, hosted the Winter Olympics back in 2014.

The region is also home to one of the largest oil refineries in Southern Russia, which Ukraine has targeted with drones in the past.

Elsewhere, all five workers trapped after a copper mine in Chile partially collapsed have been found dead. Nine others were injured during the incident. According to authorities, the collapse happened after an earthquake struck the region. National officials there saying that they recorded a 4.3-magnitude earthquake in the area on Thursday.

Chile's president has declared three days of national mourning, and the Chilean prosecutor's office is now launching an investigation into the deadly collapse.

Well, still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, Texas Republicans, they are trying to withdraw their -- redraw, I should say, trying to redraw their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Why state Democrats decided to leave the state.

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SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. Let's take a look at today's top stories.

Israel's prime minister is now asking the International Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to the hostages that are still being held captive in Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu's request follows outrage in Israel over the release of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad's propaganda videos showing Israeli captives.

Hamas says that it is prepared to, quote, "deal positively" with any Red Cross request, but that's only if humanitarian corridors are opened up in Gaza.

President Trump says that he will be naming a new commissioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the next few days. He fired the previous bureau head just last week, claiming, without evidence, that she had rigged the latest monthly job data for, as he put it, political purposes.

Economists and lawmakers are now worried that the White House could try to manipulate future labor data.

And all five workers trapped after a copper mine in Chile partially collapsed, have been found dead. Nine others were injured.

According to authorities there, the collapse happened after an earthquake struck the region on Thursday. The Chilean prosecutor's office now launching an investigation into the incident.

Well, House Democrats in the Texas state legislator -- legislature, they are currently pushing back against the Republican-led effort to redraw the state's congressional map.

Some have now literally left the state, traveling to places like Illinois, Boston, even here in New York, denying the House the minimum number of members that are needed to actually advance a redistricting -- redistricting plan. Critics argue that the plan could possibly eliminate five Democratic

U.S. House seats ahead of next year's midterms.

Republicans say that it is necessary, because the current maps are unconstitutional. But Democratic leaders nationwide say that they will be fighting back with their own redistricting efforts in other states.

Let's get a little bit more analysis right now. Joining us live from Los Angeles is Matt Barreto. He's the director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project.

Matt, thank you so much for staying up late with us.

MATT BARRETO, DIRECTOR, UCLA VOTING RIGHTS PROJECT: Sure thing.

[00:30:01]

SANDOVAL: So -- so I tried to encapsulate this story in just a couple of sentences, but this is where you come in. Add a little bit more context; add more nuance.

How would you explain what's happening right now in Texas to somebody who lives outside the U.S.? Why is this so significant? Why is it so unusual?

BARRETO: Well, its unprecedented. Each state is supposed to do this. They're supposed to redraw their congressional boundaries every ten years after the new population comes out from the U.S. Census.

Texas did that in 2021. They did that four years ago. There's no reason for them to jump in and redo this again.

They're only doing it at the direction of President Trump for partisan reasons, to try to create more Republican districts. Because they're worried that maybe the mood of the country has shifted, and they might lose control of the U.S. House.

So, it's unprecedented. We haven't seen such a large state like Texas, for no reason, redraw their entire congressional delegation in the middle of a decade. And it's really, really problematic for our U.S. democracy.

SANDOVAL: I do wonder, too, when you look at the -- I'm glad you mentioned, too, what this could mean for our democracy. But I also wonder what this could mean for the Democratic Party across the board at the federal level.

Do you see Democratic voters in Texas and perhaps across the United States, supporting this kind of approach? Could we see state lawmakers on the Democratic side in other parts of the country sort of follow Texas's lead?

BARRETO: Well, I think the first question is going to be, is this legal? Is Texas allowed to do this?

If the courts decide that you can redraw in the middle of the decade for whatever reason you want, then yes, all states should do this. It shouldn't be the case that just Texas and maybe Florida decides, hey, let's game the system in our states, but everyone else has to play by the rules. That's not fair.

So, if this, in fact, becomes the new standard, then yes, I think you will see -- and you should see -- other states say, We're going to play by the same rules as Texas. We're not going to have one arm tied behind our back.

And you might see that here in California. You might see that in Illinois, New York, other states that have large Democratic constituencies.

SANDOVAL: Looking ahead at the midterms here, Matt, how do you see this potentially impacting those elections. And then looking far ahead, looking at 2028?

BARRETO: Well, let's start with the midterms. I think that the president of the United States and the governor of Texas are reading the room right. That is that the Republicans are in bad shape.

Most public opinion polls have the majority Republican Party down, underwater, not popular. And so, voters are looking for change. They're not happy with the tariffs. They're not happy with inflation. They're not going to be happy with those Medicaid cuts.

And so, I think you're seeing them very nervous and very worried.

This could actually add to their troubles, because it looks like they're changing the rules of the game while we're all playing the game. And I don't think that's going to sit well with American voters.

So, this could actually spell more trouble. Even if they squeeze out 1 or 2 more seats, it could turn the mood further against the Republican Party, something they -- they need to be very careful about right now.

SANDOVAL: So -- so, clearly the Republicans have that to worry about.

Let's revisit the Democrats again. Is there, Matt -- do you think that, for Democratic voters -- many of whom clearly have been concerned with that long list that you've mentioned of kitchen-table issues from Medicaid to tariffs, economy -- do you see them perhaps satisfied with the Democratic Party taking this sort of position, taking this sort of tactic? Could many Democratic voters say, this is what our party needs to advance? Not only the midterms, but in -- in '28?

BARRETO: Well, I think the Democrats, if you see that Texas does their redistricting, I think Democrats are right to say, Hey, we should be able to do it, too. If one party can do it, if one state can do it, then anyone can.

But the Democrats do need a message. I think this is their time to stand up. I think this is their time to look not just at what Texas is doing, but President Trump and the national Congress, and come up with a message about how they're fighting for the American people. The door is open right now for the Democratic Party. There's no

question. They need to go ahead and just get right through there with a strong message for voters, telling voters that they're fighting for them.

SANDOVAL: Yes, it certainly is significant. And as you remind us, it is so important right now to follow this story as it continues to evolve, because Texas could be the first of many.

Matt Barreto, thank you so much for -- for offering your insight and your expertise. Really appreciate you.

BARRETO: My pleasure.

SANDOVAL: All right. We'll be right back. Much more CNN NEWSROOM after this.

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[00:39:09]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I want to show you some pictures now of a volcano in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, which actually erupted for the first time in -- get this -- 600 years.

A tourist group was -- actually filmed the eruption while they were returning from a trip to see another volcano.

Russian state media saying that the volcano's eruption could be connected to that massive earthquake that rocked the region just last week.

Officials there on that peninsula reporting an ash plume rising into the air as high as about 3.7 miles, or roughly six kilometers. Some amazing pictures from above.

Well, those constant rains, they have caused rivers to overflow, causing widespread flooding in India. People could be seen wading through flooded streets there after heavy rainfall in at least two states.

Nearly half of the country's farmland depends on June to September monsoon rains for crop growth. But excessive rain often causes floods, especially due to poor drainage systems.

Remember: India, one of the biggest exporters of cotton around the world.

Thank you for joining us for CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Polo Sandoval live in New York. We'll leave you now with WORLD SPORT.

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