Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Approval of Plan Brings Gaza Ceasefire into Effect; Ceasefire Agreement Sparks Cautious Celebrations in Gaza; Senate Republicans Fail to Advance Short-Term Funding Bill; Report: Taiwan Became Top Buyer of Russian Oil Products; France Hosts Talks on Implementation of Gaza Plan; Georgia Institute of Technology Building is Self- Sustaining. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired October 10, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:03]

BEN HUNTE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN NEWSROOM with me, Ben Hunte, in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you here.

Coming up on the show, the latest from Jerusalem, where Israel's government has approved a ceasefire plan for its war in Gaza. We'll hear from Palestinians still in the enclave as they hope and express their reservations about a lasting peace.

And we'll visit a living building that's proving how construction can live in harmony with the environment.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Ben Hunte.

HUNTE: Right now, it is 7 a.m. in Gaza, where Israeli sources say a ceasefire is in effect after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas, after Israel's government approved the U.S.-brokered plan just a few hours ago.

The plan includes the release of all hostages held in Gaza. It's not clear if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially given the ceasefire order to the country's military.

The agreement is a fragile one, with uncertainty around a number of key issues. Senior U.S. officials acknowledge that the plan could still fall apart amid mutual mistrust between Hamas and Israel.

Palestinian health officials say Israeli forces killed at least 30 people in Gaza since the deal was announced on Wednesday, before it went into effect.

U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy, Steve Witkoff, praised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for his handling of the ceasefire negotiations. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY: Prime Minister Netanyahu made some very, very difficult calls, and lesser people would not have made those calls. And here we are today, because Hamas had to -- they had to do this deal. The pressure was on them.

JARED KUSHNER, SON-IN-LAW OF DONALD TRUMP: Prime Minister Netanyahu, who really did an incredible job with this and did a great job with the negotiations. You held your lines firm. And I think that, between you and President Trump, you had a lot of alignment on what the end state should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The chief negotiator for Hamas says the group has received guarantees from the U.S. and international mediators, confirming the war has ended.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHALIL AL-HAYYA, HAMAS CHIEF NEGOTIATOR (through translator): We have received guarantees from the mediating brothers and from the American administration, all confirming that the war has ended permanently.

And we will continue to work with the national and Islamic forces to complete the remaining steps and work to achieve the interests of our Palestinian people. Self-determination and fulfillment of their rights until the establishment of an independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: If the ceasefire holds and Israel withdraws to the agreed-upon line in Gaza, living hostages could be released on Monday. That's according to Mr. Trump.

However, that timeline is uncertain, and the release could happen sooner.

The remains of deceased hostages are also set to be returned, but Hamas may not be able to find them all.

Meanwhile, Hamas says hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons.

Let's go live now to Jerusalem and Yaakov Katz, a senior columnist for "The Jerusalem Post." He's also a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute and the author of the book, "While Israel Slept" about the October 7th attack.

Yaakov, thanks so much for being with me. How are you doing?

YAAKOV KATZ, SENIOR COLUMNIST, "THE JERUSALEM POST": Thank you, Ben. Good to be with you this morning.

HUNTE: It is good to see you. This ceasefire deal marks what's described as the first phase of President Trump's 20-point peace plan. Can you just talk us through how you believe that this agreement actually came together? And how much of the credit really belongs to Washington?

KATZ: Well, I think Donald Trump deserves a lot of the credit. It wouldn't have happened had Donald Trump not pushed hard for this deal and got -- and used all the leverage and the power of his office to get people to essentially agree to this; and to use that leverage of his office on the Qataris and on the Turks and on the Israelis, and, of course, on the Egyptians and everybody, to get them to agree and put their pressure on Hamas. So, there's no question that a lot of the credit belongs to Donald Trump.

But I think that also Israel, in agreeing to a deal that, to some extent, is very tenuous and very fragile. We don't know exactly what this means about the disarmament of Hamas. Will it, in the end, disappear? Will it remain somehow inside Gaza? We have to wait to see what all these clauses look like.

[00:05:07]

But there's no question that definitely, Trump deserves a lot of credit here.

HUNTE: I've seen you write that this moment proves America is still a superpower with unmatched leverage over Israel, and Qatar, and Egypt, and Turkey. How is that leverage being felt on the ground right now in Jerusalem? What are people saying?

KATZ: Well, I mean, I think you saw a perfect example, Ben, late last night at the cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Netanyahu convened with his ministers.

He brings into the meeting of his cabinet Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the president's son in law and the president's special envoy for Middle East issues. You know, they're sitting next to him at that table of the government and of the cabinet as they're about to vote on whether to accept this deal or not, to accept it.

So, I mean, if there's any indication of just how involved and how integral the United States is for Israel's security and for the future of what happens in the Middle East, there was the perfect example of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner sitting right next to the prime minister, him flanked on both sides by senior American officials.

Look, at the end of the day, there's no replacing America and the role that it plays here in the Middle East. And I think that, if there's anything that all of these different countries share, whether it's Turkey; whether it's Egypt; whether it's Israel; whether it's the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, it's that they want to see an America engaged. They want to see an America involved.

And the fact that Donald Trump is really using his personal political capital to try to achieve some of these objectives is something that is very important for the different players in this region.

HUNTE: For many Israelis, this deal is mainly about one thing above everything else: the return of hostages held for so long. How is that potential moment being received this morning? KAATZ: I mean, you know, to some extent, Ben, you had yesterday

morning on Thursday, as the news came in in the middle of the night, bottles of champagne popping open at what became known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where the families and, of course, their supporters have been gathering for the last two years to call on the government to do everything it can to release those hostages.

You know, we're in the middle here in Israel of a holiday that's known as Sukkot. And it's known throughout Jewish tradition as the holiday of joy, the holiday of celebration.

And the thought that the hostages might be coming back in the middle of this holiday is something that just adds to that measure of celebration and joy that every Israeli wants to feel during this holiday. It has been difficult because of the hostages not being here.

So, it's a very tense moment. Everyone is obviously aware that a lot can go wrong still. And Hamas is a cynical, barbaric, murderous terrorist organization, and they could be playing all of us. But hopefully, this will happen. And when it happens, there will not be a dry eye in this country.

HUNTE: Mm-hmm. Now I don't want to be a dark cloud over a very positive time, but what happens if this ceasefire still doesn't happen or if it doesn't hold?

KATZ: Well, I mean, that's really the big question. I mean, if something does go wrong or goes sideways, and the hostages suddenly aren't found, or Hamas doesn't release all the hostages, or something happens on the ground. I mean, we just received news early this morning of an Israeli soldier who was killed late yesterday by sniper fire. And of course, there were also Palestinians and Israeli strikes that continued.

So, I mean, it just goes to show, right? Some successful attack by Hamas against Israeli troops who are now in defensive positions in Gaza or vice versa. Everything could blow up.

What happens in the next phases of this, Ben? Right? So, we now know at least that the 20 living hostages come back and at least some of the bodies that Hamas can find and identify are coming back. But what about the bodies that remain? What about the issues of Hamas's disarmament? What about one of the other points in the 20-point plan by Trump is the establishment of new technocratic government in Gaza that does not include Hamas?

We need a lot of patience, and we need to have real ability to stand (ph) and have patience but tolerance, because there's going to be problems that are going to come up. All sides will be required to make a lot of compromises, but hopefully, everyone understands that this is what is in everyone's interest.

HUNTE: Yes.

KATZ: It's in the interest of Israel to end the war, bring the hostages home, bring the soldiers home, heal as a nation after two years of war, and give the Palestinians in Gaza the opportunity to rebuild, reconstruct, to heal, also, after two years of war, that this terrorist group that has now been hopefully removed and decimated, brought upon the civilian population there.

HUNTE: Yes, indeed. Yaakov Katz for now in Jerusalem. Thank you. Let's see what happens next.

KATZ: Thank you.

HUNTE: Well, even before the ceasefire agreement was finalized by Israel, crowds started gathering at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate the end of the war and a pending release of hostages.

[00:10:04]

Families and loved ones say they've experienced a flood of emotions in the past 24 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROTEM COOPER, SON OF HOSTAGE AMIRAM COOPER: The initial feeling, obviously, is some sense of accomplishment, a victory. That's what we're fighting for, right? We wanted -- that's what we -- that's why we're in the streets. That's why we went to the Knesset. That's why we traveled to the U.S. That's why we talked to world leaders. That's why there is the Hostage Family Forum.

That's why everything that we did in the last two years, to really bring about that moment where all the hostages are going to be released, right, through an agreement, not through a military operation. So, that's the first sense.

But then, of course, every time you talk about it, in my case, you remember what's happened with your loved one. And there is a lot of anger over there. And you know that we're going to have some burials coming. That can't be happy. So, there's a mixed set of feelings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: The U.N. says it's planning to send hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza every single day in the first two months of the ceasefire. One hundred and seventy thousand metric tons of food, medicine, and other supplies are ready to go, and they will give some much-needed relief to Palestinians in the enclave.

The ceasefire is giving Palestinians hope after two years of war. But CNN's Paula Hancocks spoke to some Gaza residents who still have reservations about this deal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One woman's prayers of thanks that the war is ending as phase one of the Gaza ceasefire plan is agreed. (GUNFIRE)

HANCOCKS (voice-over): What sounds like celebratory gunfire is heard in the distance.

As the sun rises, Gazan residents assess their new reality.

"I feel joy," this man says. "Two years of torment and repression, displacement, lack of food and water. I'm happy the war will end. The bleeding we see every day will end. The nightmares we see."

This 70-year-old woman says, "It's true. I'm happy in the moment. But now we feel the pain of our memories. I lost my daughters, my brother's daughters and their children. Most of our family died, and our homes were destroyed."

This man voices concern. He says, "We have seen ceasefires before that lasted two months, and then the war returned. It's true. I am extremely happy, but my joy is tinged with caution and fear."

Despite the hope of the promised surge in humanitarian aid, the harsh reality of Gaza has not changed.

Two years ago, 12-year-old Mohammed Abu Amra (ph) was in school. He's now 14, and this is his life in Gaza: sifting through rotting waste to find anything that he can sell to help his family survive.

"We collect wood and plastic for fires," he says. "There's nothing else to light a fire with. Two years ago, before the war, I didn't even know what a garbage dump was."

There are 11 people to feed in his family. He says two of his brothers were killed by a drone strike after being displaced from Gaza City.

This is al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, an area the Israeli military has forced hundreds of thousands of Gazans to move to over the course of this war. This is the area Israel calls a, quote, "humanitarian zone."

Hopes that peace will last this time are palpable across Gaza, but also tainted by previous disappointments. A peace that some in Gaza have never even known.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: We have this just coming into CNN: a 7.4 magnitude earthquake has hit the Southeastern coast of Philippines. It struck off the Eastern side of Mindanao, 123 kilometers, or 79 miles from the island's capital. That's according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Local officials are warning the quake could cause dangerous tsunami waves, and they're advising people in coastal areas to evacuate.

There were no immediate reports of damage. This webcam shows some of the shaking from the tremor. The Philippines

sits along the ring of fire, a huge arc of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean that experiences powerful quakes.

The U.S. Justice Department has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud and false statement charges in Virginia.

James's charges stem from a mortgage that she took out in Virginia in 2023. Prosecutors say she falsely claimed on paperwork that the Virginia home would be her primary residence, securing her favorable loan terms.

James says the president is weaponizing the legal system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: These charges are baseless, and the president's own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost.

[00:15:04]

I'm a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today, I'm not fearful. I'm fearless. And as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, James is the second person to be indicted as the president pressures the Justice Department to go after his political enemies. The first was former FBI Director James Comey, who is being prosecuted for lying to Congress. He has pleaded not guilty.

The U.S. federal government shutdown is now in its 10th day. Republicans in the Senate failed once again to pass a stopgap funding bill on Thursday, and with the shutdown expected to extend into next week, military service members could soon miss their first paycheck.

We get more now from CNN's Arlette Saenz in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pressure is growing on lawmakers to act as this government shutdown is extending into day nine.

SAENZ (voice-over): The Senate failed to advance two short-term funding bills with votes on Thursday as both parties are essentially waiting for the other side to cave on their positions.

But there are some small signs of fractures within the Republican coalition. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has long been a loyalist of President Donald Trump, has recently started to speak out against the Republican position on health care.

She has said that there does need to be an extension of those expiring Obamacare subsidies that have been central to Democrats' demands in this shutdown fight.

And Marjorie Taylor Greene went as far as placing the blame on GOP leadership in the House and Senate for how this shutdown has played out. Take a listen.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I'm actually putting the blame on the speaker and Leader Thune in the Senate. This -- this should not be happening. And I don't think -- look, as a member of Congress, we already have a low enough job approval rating. This shutdown is just going to drive everybody's approval rating that much lower.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you're putting the blame on the leadership of your party?

GREENE: Absolutely. We control the House. We control the Senate. We have the White House. I -- I've been vocal saying, you know, you can use the nuclear option in the Senate.

SAENZ (voice-over): There is also mounting pressure on trying to address pay for members of the military. They will miss their next paycheck on October 15th if the government remains shut down.

There is a group of lawmakers in both the House and the Senate who do want to see a standalone measure on military pay brought up for a vote. But so far, House Speaker Mike Johnson has told his members that he does not plan on bringing up a standalone bill, as they are hoping to continue --

SAENZ: -- keeping the pressure on Democrats in this shutdown fight.

Arlette Saenz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: OK, an unlikely source is helping fund Russia's war machine. How Taiwan became a top buyer of Russian oil products, despite joining sanctions against Moscow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:22:40]

HUNTE: Welcome back. The left bank of Ukraine's capital is without power after a massive Russian attack, and utility workers are scrambling to contain that damage.

Ukrainian authorities say at least eight people were injured.

Russia has been striking Ukraine's energy infrastructure almost daily since last month, which follows its game plan from previous years, when it targeted sources of heat ahead of winter.

Taiwan is facing criticism for its dealings with Russia. The self- governing island has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and joined sanctions against Moscow.

But according to a new report, Taiwan's purchases are also funneling a lot of money into Russia's war economy.

CNN's Will Ripley explains all about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Taiwan prides itself on standing with Ukraine.

RIPLEY: But it's quietly become the world's top buyer of a Russian oil product --

RIPLEY (voice-over): -- pumping billions into Vladimir Putin's war machine.

RIPLEY: That product is naphtha.

RIPLEY (voice-over): It's basically an ingredient that goes into plastics, electronics, and crucially, the raw materials used to produce microchips.

Taiwan makes around 90 percent of the world's most advanced chips, the ones that power things like iPhones, A.I. data centers, weapons systems.

RIPLEY: And right now, most of Taiwan's supply of naphtha comes from Russia.

So, there's this new analysis by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. And it shows that Taiwan's naphtha imports from Russia have jumped nearly six-fold since the invasion of Ukraine: $1.3 billion in the first half of 2025 alone. Nearly all of it lands in one place: a private petrochemical complex on Taiwan's Western coast.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Formosa Petrochemical, the plant's owner, rejected some of the report's findings, emphasizing that it plays by the rules.

RIPLEY: Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs tells CNN state-owned companies stopped sourcing crude oil from Russia in 2023.

RIPLEY (voice-over): However, naphtha is still not sanctioned here in Taiwan, so private companies are technically allowed to buy it.

The Ministry said it will continue to review and assess the latest international sanctions.

And here's Taiwan's Catch-22. If Russia's naphtha supply gets cut, either by sanctions or war or politics, Taiwan's chemical pipeline tightens, chip making slows, and the global tech economy takes a hit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:25:03]

HUNTE: As world leaders celebrate the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, officials from the Middle East and Europe gather to discuss what the day after looks like for Gaza. See you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HUNTE: Back to our breaking news in the Middle East, where Israeli officials say their government has approved a U.S.-brokered plan to end the war in Gaza.

Key European and Arab foreign ministers met in Paris on Thursday to discuss how exactly the ceasefire will be implemented, and how countries plan to help Palestinians once the fighting stops.

[00:30:10]

CNN's Melissa Bell reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was a meeting here in Paris designed to look at the day after in Gaza.

BELL (voice-over): The French president bringing together not just the Qatari prime minister, but the foreign ministers of several Arab neighbors of Israel, the Arab Quint, as they're known: Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt.

All of those countries that France and their European allies worked with in the run-up to the U.N. General Assembly and the recognition of the Palestinian statehood.

All of those involved, it is hoped, also now in the future of Gaza: the idea to look at contributions to do with security, to do with the rebuilding of Gaza and to look at its future governance.

This is what the French foreign minister had to say at the end of the day's meetings.

JEAN-NOEL BARROT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): A ceasefire is not yet a durable peace. This is the first step in a long path towards a political solution that will guarantee the security of Israel, recognizing the legitimate right of Palestinians to a state.

BELL (voice-over): The importance of those Palestinian voices and the importance of the Palestinians within the future governance of Gaza. That has been at the heart of a lot of the conversations here today. At heart also, of why this meeting was held to continue to weigh in on the future conversations about Gaza and how it will be run.

We heard from the French president earlier, after his meeting with the Qatari prime minister, speaking of the importance of ensuring that a reformed Palestinian Authority can play that essential part in the future governance of Gaza in order that a Palestinian state can exist.

Emmanuel Macron also speaking very critically of the settlements --

BELL: -- in the West Bank as a threat to that Palestinian statehood.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Ahead of its time. We're going to go inside a university building here in Atlanta that gives more than it takes. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:36:50]

HUNTE: Welcome back. The Georgia Institute of Technology here in Atlanta has been working on a pioneering project for several years that experts say could be the blueprint for tomorrow's cities. A building on the university's campus powers itself, recycles water, and supports local ecosystems.

CNN's Derek van Dam takes us inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): Imagine the future of American cities, where buildings give back to the environment more than it takes.

Tucked within the urban landscape of Atlanta's Georgia Tech campus is proof of how construction can live in harmony with its surroundings.

SEAN AURORA, DIRECTOR, KENDEDA BUILDING: It's a living building.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Sean Aurora is the director of the Kendeda Building and is advocating for its unique design to act as a catalyst for change in the building industry.

AURORA: Over the course of a year, the building produces 100 percent of its electricity needs, plus another 100 percent. So, it's 200 percent net positive energy, and the excess electricity goes to our sister buildings on campus.

And you see, the sun just came out. More free electricity.

VAN DAM (voice-over): From its zero-carbon construction to its rooftop solar array, this building goes far beyond sustainability. It's left no stone unturned.

VAN DAM: The Kendeda Building on Georgia Tech's campus is updating the three R's that you might be familiar with from your childhood -- "reduce, reuse, recycle" -- to "regenerative, resilient, restorative."

VAN DAM (voice-over): Features like its rooftop garden combines these three new "R's" with an esthetic appeal that anyone can enjoy.

AURORA: I don't know where else you see corn growing.

VAN DAM: You've got corn here?

AURORA: We have corn. Beautiful tomatoes. I mean, come check this out.

VAN DAM: Amazing. All on this rooftop garden.

VAN DAM (voice-over): The building's water collection system is not connected to the city's sewer, providing resilience against Atlanta's aging wastewater infrastructure.

AURORA: When you take a shower in the building, wash your hands, it goes here. It's a pollinator garden. Native Georgia bees having lunch.

VAN DAM (voice-over): Sean says that we're not far off as a society to make these features a reality in every building.

AURORA: Is the price of electricity going to go up? Yes. Is the price of water going to go up? Yes. Sewage? Yes. If you're going to own a building for 100 years, why wouldn't you make the building resilient?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The Nobel Peace Prize is set to be announced in just a few hours, and many are wondering if it could go to U.S. President Donald Trump.

An Israeli farmer plowed his field with the message "Nobel for Trump" after Israel and Hamas agreed to a plan to end the fighting in Gaza. That's interesting.

It's not clear whether that deal was reached in time for this year's awards, though. Here is what some U.S. senators are saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Does Trump deserve the Nobel Prize?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Well, I think he deserved it for Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Congo and Rwanda.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): I think there'll be plenty of time to decide what prizes, recognitions, honors should go to world leaders who have participated, some publicly, others behind the scenes.

[00:40:04]

RAJU: There are people on the right calling for him to get the Nobel Peace Prize. What do you say to that?

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Mixed opinions there.

Well, stay with CNN for the announcement of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. That is coming up in a little over four hours from now. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. That's all I've got for you. Thanks for

joining me and the team this hour. I'll be back with you in 15 minutes. WORLD SPORT is next. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:26]

(WORLD SPORT)