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Israeli Defense Forces: 450 Targets Hit, Hamas Compound Captured; More Than 10,000 Palestinians Killed In Israeli Retaliation, According To Hamas-Controlled Gaza Health Ministry; Trump Testifying In New York Civil Fraud Trial; Heads Of 18 United Nations And Non-United Nations Organizations Call For Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire; Blinken Stresses United States Leadership In Israel-Gaza Conflict; Jordan's Queen Rania Speaks To CNN About The Conflict; Trump Testifying In New York Civil Fraud Trial. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 06, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN. More people get their news from CNN than any other news source.
[10:00:33]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Hello, I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. And we'll have more news about Donald Trump's court appearance throughout
the day. But now, we will continue our coverage of the Israeli-Hamas war.
Israeli incursion into Gaza continues to take a staggering toll nearly one month after Hamas attacked Israel, according to Hamas supplied figures from
the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The number of Palestinians killed in four weeks of retaliation against Hamas has now passed 10,000. That includes more than 4,000 children. This
is smoke near a camp for Palestinians taking shelter.
The Israeli military says it struck 450 targets just in the past day and captured a Hamas compound. Israel says its forces have encircled Gaza City
and are now closing in. The IDF released these images of ground fighting.
Wrapping up a series of meetings with leaders in the region a few hours ago, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. is working
aggressively on getting more aid into Gaza.
All right. A lot to unpack here. We have a team on the ground standing by. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has been reporting from southern Israel. And Nada
Bashir of our share is in Jerusalem for us. Great to have you both on the show during this time.
Jeremy, I'd like to start off with you. And of course, we've just heard the news over the past day that it is from terms of what we are seeing, the IDF
has encircled Gaza City. They say that they've basically split Gaza into two, the north and the south.
The question now becomes, when is the idea of going to enter Gaza City now that they've encircled the area?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right.
And the IDF says that they are already operating in parts of Gaza City. But I think it is very clear that they are not operating in the center of Gaza
City, in the most densely populated areas where there are reports that Hamas has effectively reinforced their defensive lines and where they are
waiting for the possible entry of Israeli troops.
What we have watched over the last 24 hours is a continued intensity of that aerial bombardment and artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip. We have
watched as Israeli forces have carried out strikes on 450 targets in just the last 24 hours last night. And throughout the day today, we have been
listening and watching to those strikes.
You can see, perhaps, behind me some of the smoke that is still emerging from Gaza -- from inside the Gaza Strip. But as you said, this is a
question now of whether Israel's political and military leadership is actually going to be willing to send a significant number of Israeli forces
into the stronghold that is Gaza City, in order to try and achieve the objective that they have set out, which is to eliminate Hamas and
effectively remove it as the sovereign in Gaza.
At the same time, is really forced to say that they are working to establish a corridor for civilians to evacuate from the north to the south.
There are enormous questions about that effort though.
We know that in the past, Israeli military has told civilians to leave to the south, but that many of those evacuation routes have still been
targets. Parts of southern Gaza have still been targets. And we have watched over the last several weeks, as the toll of civilian casualties has
continued to mount as Israel rather than sending its forces into those most densely populated areas is instead targeting many of those areas from the
air, killing Hamas fighters, they say, but also very clearly from the images on the ground, killing civilians as well.
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, Jeremy, I mean, look at -- you had a first-hand look, in terms of what people are experiencing in Gaza in many ways. Over the
weekend, you were able to enter Gaza with the IDF. Now, I have to say there is a condition to enter Gaza and the IDF escorts outlets had to submit all
materials and footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication, even so it was important for you to get in.
CNN agree to those terms in order to provide a limited window, a limited insight into this. What did you learn? What can you tell us?
DIAMOND: It was certainly a limited view, but an important view into how the Israeli military is operating inside of Gaza. The ways in which they
have tried to establish military outposts inside the Gaza Strip.
The position that we were at was just south of Gaza City.
[10:05:01]
And it was what the commanders on the ground told me was one of several military posts, essentially along the line -- a six-kilometer line,
stretching from the Mediterranean Sea, all the way to Israel's border with Gaza.
And this is that line that Israeli military officials say that they have established to cut off the northern part of the Gaza Strip from the
southern part, and where they are also encircling Gaza City. We could see Gaza City from the position where we were. And all around us, there was
very much active fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli military.
But one thing was clear, even if they have above ground control of that line to split off northern from Southern Gaza, the commanders on the ground
were very readily acknowledged to me that they know they have not entirely cut off Hamas north from south, and that is because of that network of
underground tunnels that still exists going not only north south, but also exists all around key Hamas stronghold areas in Gaza City.
And that represents, perhaps, the greatest challenge and military threat to those Israeli forces on the ground.
Already, we have watched in the -- in recent days and weeks, as Israeli forces on the ground have been ambushed by Hamas fighters popping out of
those tunnels. In just that one area where I was with those Israeli troops, they said that they had discovered at least three tunnels used by Hamas
fighters, and they are discovering more and more every day.
GIOKOS: Jeremy Diamond, great to have you on the ground there. Thank you so much.
All right, we've got Nada Bashir standing by for us as well. Nada, thanks for joining us.
Look, we've just heard the death toll from the Hamas-led ministry of health out of Gaza. 10,000 people not -- have died. This number is absolutely
staggering. If you dig deeper into those numbers and the sheer toll on women, and especially children.
I mean, hearing as we heard from Jeremy that even though people were evacuated towards the south, the south is still experiencing airstrikes,
and it is becoming a lot more intense.
Take us through what we know.
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. It is certainly a staggering figure among them.
According to Palestinian health officials on the ground in Gaza, more than 4,000 children. This is in just over four weeks time since the beginning of
Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. More than 25,000 people are said to have also been injured in these airstrikes.
And as we have seen over the last couple of weeks, the healthcare situation inside Gaza is deteriorating rapidly. We are seeing hospitals now -- the
vicinity of hospitals coming under attack by these airstrikes.
We've seen ambulances, medical teams coming under attack. And, of course, the shortages in medicine -- in medication and supplies that are crucially
needed by these hospitals, as well as of course the blackouts and power cuts that these hospitals are now facing are really pushing Gaza's
healthcare sector to the brink.
And there is of course, that much needed aid that isn't getting through in enough quantity to the Gaza Strip. That is a huge concern as we continue to
see this death toll mounting.
Now, we have heard today from the heads of 18 human rights organizations, both U.N. and non-U.N. human rights organizations, they have issued an
urgent plea -- an urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide that urgent relief that is so desperately needed in Gaza, not least
to provide some respite, given the increase in deaths all that we are seeing.
They have issued a strongly worded statement. I'll just read you a quick line: from that entire population is deceased and under attack denied
access to essentials for survival bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals, and places of worship. This is unacceptable.
That is the heads of more than -- of 18 human rights organizations including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Health Organization,
and Save the Children. We've heard those appeals from world leaders as well, in particular, from regional leaders. And we are seeing, of course,
these huge communications blackouts as well, which are causing serious concern as we have heard from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which
is a crucial player on the ground in Gaza in terms of providing that emergency response to those impacted by the airstrikes.
Teams in Ramallah in the West Bank, on this side of things have lost contacts with their teams on the ground. They've been struggling to
coordinate today after the blackout. We have seen attempts by journalists on the ground to try and get vital information and video footage out. They
have been facing issues too.
And, of course, as you heard from Jeremy, we've heard those evacuation orders from the IDF repeatedly, calling on civilians to evacuate from
Northern Gaza southwest.
They are said to be safe zones for them, not only just the evacuation routes, but also southern Gaza is said to be a safe area. But as we have
seen, parts of central and southern Gaza are repeatedly facing Israeli airstrikes. And we are seeing civilian areas being targeted from refugee
camps to schools, to places of worship. And that is the concern here that nowhere is safe for civilians in Gaza, not least, of course, because they
are still under an Israeli blockade. Eleni?
[10:10:03]
GIOKOS: Yes. Nada Bashir, thank you so much for that.
Well, former U.S. President Donald Trump is in a New York courthouse right now, testifying in the civil fraud trial against him, his adult sons, and
the Trump Organization.
It is the first time Trump has testified in public in any of the multiple legal cases he currently faces. Prosecutors say he exaggerated his wealth
for his own financial benefits and that of his business.
The judge has already found Trump liable for persistent and repeated fraud. On that note, I want to bring in CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. Joey,
great to have you with us. Thanks so much for making it today.
Look, we've just seen Donald Trump arriving at the courthouse. He spoke briefly, he basically calls it a witch hunts. But I want you to play out
for me what we're expecting today in Court, and importantly, what we're expecting to hear from his attorneys?
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. So, this is a big deal. Good to be with you.
It's a big deal, because you have a former president of the United States, who's giving testimony. We know he's facing four other trials. Those are
criminal in nature. Right? And they have to do with his liberty. That is whether or not there will be jail time associated.
This is a civil case, the distinction being this pertains to his business. And the essence of this case is whether or not his business engaged in
fraud by overvaluing properties, and by engaging in practices that were contrary to New York state law.
What's on the line is the loss of his business's licenses and his ability to really have his empire in New York at all. So that's significant.
I think what I'm expecting is I'd like to know, really, things pertaining to his knowledge, pertaining to his control, and just pertaining to overall
what he knew and what he directed, right?
Because when you have a case that's being brought that speaks to this fraud, what knowledge did the president have of this? Right? He'll
obviously indicate that he was running the free world, and therefore, there could be limitations on that knowledge.
What control did he have in terms of what was happening in his business?
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: And was he directing anything? And so, that's what I'm looking for.
Finally, the other piece of this is, as you mentioned
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: -- this issue about the witch hunt. Look, that may play well in front of a jury. But let's remember that this is a bench trial. That means
that a judge has to make this assessment. Judges are really focusing in on facts, not narratives with regard to I'm being treated unfairly.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: This is an unfair and unjust prosecution.
The judges want to hone in on what specifically he did, when he did it, and who he direct it? And that's what I'm looking to see how he spins it when
he is in that courtroom giving testimony under oath.
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, on that note, let's take a listen to what New York Attorney General Letitia James had to say. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LETITIA JAMES, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW YORK: Before he takes the stand, I am certain that he will engage in name calling, and taunts, and race
baiting, and call this a witch hunt. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts, and the numbers. And numbers, my friends,
don't lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Numbers don't lie, right? And he's going to be confronted with tangible documents with information. And it'll be interesting to see how he
answers questions. Right? And that's going to be quite important and telling in terms of where he stands and his ability to feel those
questions.
JACKSON: I think so. I mean, that's the essence of it. Right? And I think the judge will have him on a short leash. And, you know, he's had some
issues with the judge before, you might recall. The judges held him accountable and fined him twice. Right?
Even before, fining him because he didn't obey the court directives and the gag order. There was another issue where his team didn't provide discovery.
Discovery is information that legal team needs to provide so that items can be scrutinized and evaluated before trial.
I bring that up because it goes to whether or not the judge even believes in the credibility of the person who's testifying. And that's important,
because it ends with what we talked about, and that's the numbers.
Is it a fact that you valued properties where the units were not, yes -- yet constructed? Yes, or no? Obviously, if you're indicating that there are
more units that are live and operable that are the case, that's a problem. It inflates the values.
Where you presenting documents that have the square footage that was far lower. Right? Or, in the case of him presenting the documents, the square
footage representing they will high much further.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: Right? And much more in terms of square footage than was really the case.
Were apartments rent stabilized and controlled Meaning, you can get less for them and you noted that they were fair market value.
[10:15:00]
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: All of those, a facts, all those a numerical, all of those are hard to defeat by saying, hey I'm Trump, I'm worth a lot, I'm worth
billions, it's subjective values, we didn't lie.
And so, all of those things, when you look at it factually, are determinations that this judge will make who ultimately has to make the
conclusions as to whether or not Trump engaged in falsifying records.
(CROSSTALK)
GIOKOS: Yes.
JACKSON: And whether or not he should face a penalty of not having his business operate in the state of New York.
GIOKOS: All right. The square footage issue will be an interesting one. We're waiting to hear on that. Joey Jackson, great to have you on. Thank
you so much. I'm sure we'll be speaking to you across this as the story develops. Great to have you on.
All right. We're going to a very short break. More news right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Right. CNN has learned that nine Palestinians with severe injuries from Israeli airstrikes crossed from Gaza into Egypt, Monday. That's
according to an Egyptian border official by CNN's tally. This brings the number of Palestinians who have been allowed to enter into Egypt for
treatments to 93.
On Monday, officials also announced the crossing had opened for foreign nationals and Egyptian citizens, but only those whose names were on a list
that was released last week.
The heads of 18 international humanitarian groups have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. They called the attacks of
October 7th, horrific and the killing of civilians in Gaza an outrage.
One of the agencies that signed was CARE International.
I want to bring in now, Hiba Tibi, CARE's country's director in the West Bank as well as Gaza. And she joins us now via Skype from Ramallah.
Great to have you with us during this very tough time. Look, I want to read a little bit of what we know from this. This joint statement. We need an
immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It has been 30 days. Enough is enough.
Could you take us through how all the organizations came together to get this petition going?
HIBA TIBI, CARE COUNTRY DIRECTOR, WEST BANK AND GAZA: Thank you so much for this question. As you know that such statements or quotes don't come on a
very random manner. They come in acute certain circumstances, including in in humanitarian cases, during conflict, like the one that we have now.
Unfortunately, what we are seeing in Gaza is something that we have never seen before. There were previous escalations, but now we are seeing people
who are not only that -- the source of losing people's life is not only the bombing and the shelling, but also the lack of water, the accessing and
consumption of contaminated water, in ability to access medical services, or even losing their houses, being evacuated with overcrowded shelters.
[10:20:04]
So, it's also in addition to the conflict related actions like bombing, and shelling, hunger, thirst, and even diseases that are coming due to lack of
hygiene practices and water.
And this is something that is -- got repeatedly, coming from Gaza from even our colleagues who themselves, find themselves in these shelters, where,
for instance, today, my colleague told me that they are consuming the swimming pool water and drinking it, not even for hygiene purposes, because
they cannot access any water anymore.
GIOKOS: Yes. It's absolutely horrific. hearing some of these firsthand accounts. We've been speaking to doctors, we've been speaking to agency
workers on the ground, and the situation is dire.
I want you to sort of explain to me the difference between what you're calling for which is an immediate ceasefire, versus a lot of the calls for
some kind of pause.
And why it is important to differentiate between the two and what you aim in terms of what you're calling to stop the fighting right now. And what
you hope will happen after that?
TIBI: This is an amazing question. And thank you so much for asking it.
What we aspire for is that instant and constant ceasefire, where this war is stop, where we are able, first of all, to, of course, for all parties to
respect international humanitarian law, but also not only allowing for humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza, but also to enter Gaza constantly,
and with a safe environment for the actors to jointly -- because this is a massive one. jointly, collaboratively, all these actors who signed the call
to work together to address what is happening on the ground.
And unfortunately, what is happening now is life-saving actions where we are only going to fulfill the mandate, first of all, to help people
survive. At facilitating the access to food, facilitating access even to bread.
We have been hearing all of these stories. Even me calling my colleagues, my colleagues were telling that their granddaughter -- one of my
colleagues, she was asking for bread. And it's not there. That has been said this is what we want, this is what we want in a constant manner.
Having humanitarian pauses will not allow us to give the size of health expected to the service of need on the ground. This is the difference
basically, between pauses and the long-term ceasefire.
GIOKOS: Yes.
TIBI: The ceasefire, completely.
GIOKOS: You know, and unfortunately, this is the point where politics and legalities of this kind of come into play. Benjamin Netanyahu says only if
all hostages are released, would we consider a pause.
International organizations and groups and calls whether it's in the General Assembly or by the Security Council passing resolutions, the
international pressure is absolutely happening.
The immediate requests and priorities right now is to get something as simple as water and food to the people that need it most. What mechanism
can the 18 organizations that have signed up to this immediate call for a ceasefire activate to get people to listen, whether it's Hamas releasing
hostages, whether it's Israel stopping to, you know, bomb into Gaza, so we can find a way forward?
TIBI: So, unfortunately, nothing. These calls, while they show the massive need, and the collaborative work of 18 big organizations together, they are
not forced, they cannot force the actors to do the work.
However, these are very important, and we hope that they will be hear. Numbers and media lenses are showing what is happening on the ground, with
all the massive needs that would immediately link to the number of people. The law -- the lives that we are losing in the -- in the current -- in the
current conflict, in the current war.
And what we aspire to do is that we hope -- we don't have political power as humanitarian organizations, but we have the capacity to intervene and to
help and support, at least, to serve, to help and -- the survival of people in the most needed moment, with all the different sectors: either medical,
health, food security.
Even later on the future, it will help in the longer-term requirements like education, job break -- job and livelihoods access for the people, and more
established shelters and housing.
So, this is what we aspire, aspire to have with our call. Even if it's -- if we don't have a political mandate, what we have is the humanitarian
mandate.
GIOKOS: Yes.
TIBI: And we just want to go inside and tell the people survive.
GIOKOS: All right. Hiba Tibi, thank you very much for joining us today. Important message coming through from 18 groups calling for an immediate
ceasefire. Great to have you on.
[10:25:00]
GIOKOS: And still to come, the U.S. secretary of state wraps up a whirlwind diplomatic tour through the Middle East. We have the details from his final
stop in Turkey.
And Queen Rania tell CNN, being pro-Palestinian is not the same as being anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas. Becky Anderson's full interview with Jordans
queen is coming up next. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: America's top diplomat has stressed the need for U.S. leadership and American engagement in the Israel-Gaza conflict. On Monday, U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the war is taking a terrible toll on civilians in Gaza. He also told reporters that progress on the
Israeli hostages taken by Hamas is critical.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: I can say that this is an intense focus for us. And we also believe and we're seeing that other
countries can play an important role in helping to get hostages back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, Secretary Blinken made the comments after meeting with his Turkish counterpart for more than two hours. After which, he said they all
focused on significantly expanding humanitarian assistance into Gaza. His whirlwind diplomatic tour of the Middle East also included an unannounced
visit to the West Bank and to Iraq, where he met with country's Prime Minister who called for a ceasefire.
As Secretary Blinken flies to Japan, tensions are flaring at Israel's northern border. Both Israel and Lebanon, announcing civilian casualties as
a result of strikes on Sunday.
CNN's senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman is it Tyre, Lebanon for us. And we also got our chief U.S. Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto
in Tel Aviv. Welcome to both of you.
Jim, I'd like to start off with you. We've just heard Antony Blinken 's tour of the region, whether it's being here, you know, in Israel. We also
know you went to Jordan. And frankly, having these important diplomatic discussions at this very crucial time, could you give me a sense of what
the potential outcomes of these talks will be, and any impact it will have in terms of swaying the U.S. or Israel to take a specific approach?
[10:30:09]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF UNITED STATES SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Elena, you're absolutely right. These are important diplomatic encounters in
meetings at a time of war. The trouble is, it's not clear that they're speaking the same diplomatic language. Because when you hear from Blinken,
following the meetings, he will talk about the need for humanitarian assistance. It is clear that all sides, certainly, Arab leaders in the U.S.
agrees on the immediate necessity for that.
But when it comes to a ceasefire, you hear very different things. For instance, the readout from the Turkish side of Blinken meeting with his
Turkish counterpart was the Turkey is demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza by Israel. Very similar, we heard from the Palestinian leader Mahmoud
Abbas, when Blinken went to the West Bank.
When you hear from Blinken, as he leaves those meetings, he talks about a humanitarian pause. But it's not clear that even that lower bar is being
met by Israeli officials.
So, you have the Arab world demanding an immediate ceasefire. They view military action in Gaza, as punishing civilians there. The U.S. position
somewhere in between discussing the need for a pause. But it's not clear that the U.S. is getting Israel on to something along those lines anywhere
in the near term, in part, because Israel is demanding, at least, in its public comments for the release of all hostages before it considers such a
stop to military action.
So, the distance between those sides, at least based on the public comments coming out of those meetings remains vast. It's not clear when they're
going to bridge that gap. But the success that has been achieved so far is really about getting at least more humanitarian aid into Gaza. We've seen
more trucks go in. We've seen the border crossing at Rafah along the Egyptian border open up again.
But in terms of that ceasefire, or something acceptable to Palestinian leaders, Turkish leaders, Jordanian leaders, just doesn't seem that they
are there yet.
All right. Jim Sciutto, thank you so much for that update.
We've got Ben Wedeman standing by for us as well.
Ben, great to see you. Look, yesterday, both Lebanon and Israel announcing that they had civilian casualties on both sides of the border. Strikes
continue. You know, Hezbollah being involved here. We heard from Hezbollah leader Nasrallah on Friday.
This, in general sense that there is no appetite for real escalation here, but take us through what the actions we are seeing on the ground, and what
they're pointing towards.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Eleni, there doesn't seem to be an attitude -- appetite for a broad conflict. But certainly,
what we're seeing is a continuation, and it's sometimes it looks like an intensification of the cross-border exchanges.
Now, yesterday, one Israeli civilian was killed as a result of incoming fire. And four Palestinians were killed driving a vehicle. It was a
grandmother and her three grandchildren, ages 10, 12, and 14, who were killed, according to the Lebanese authorities, by -- in an Israeli drone
strike.
The Israeli said that, you know, militants use vehicles to move around the area, it's hard to imagine how there were any militants in that vehicle, in
which four civilians were killed.
Today, we've heard from, for instance, the military wing of Hamas, they say that they fired 16 rockets into Israel, aimed at the town of Nahariya,
which is the first large Israeli town on the other side of the border. And also, according to a statement they put out, south of Haifa.
Now, those represent certainly the deepest strikes yet into Israel. But it's not at all clear if those rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome
system. Hezbollah also has come out and said that they have been targeting Israeli military positions once again, focusing on surveillance,
communications, and observation equipment on the Israeli side.
And, in fact, just a little while ago, we did hear several large explosions coming from the south of us in the direction of the border area. And our
cameraman Alessandro Gentile saw several outgoing rockets as well.
So, it comes and goes, but it hasn't yet sort of reached the point of a major escalation, yet, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Ben Wedeman, always great to see you. Thank you.
Well, over the weekend, we saw consistent calls for a ceasefire from demonstrating -- demonstrations in cities around the world. Israel has
flatly rejected those calls.
When Arab leaders met with Antony Blinken and Amman on Saturday, the U.S. secretary of state reaffirmed his country's stance that a ceasefire will
only be only enable Hamas to commit more attacks like the one that we saw on October 7th.
[10:35:11]
Becky Anderson spoke with Jordan's Queen Rania, and asked her about her position on this. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUEEN RANIA AL ABDULLAH, QUEEN CONSORT OF JORDAN: There has to be a collective called for a ceasefire. And I know that some who are against the
ceasefire, argue that it is -- it will help Hamas.
However, I feel that, that argument they are inherently dismissing the death, in fact, even endorsing and justifying the death of thousands of
civilians. And that is just morally irreprehensible.
It is also short sighted and not entirely rational. Because, as I've said before, you know, if you manage to eliminate all of Hamas, what next? The
root cause of this conflict is an illegal occupation. It is routine human rights abuses, illegal settlements, this regard to U.N. resolutions and
international law.
If we do not address these root causes, then, you can kill the combatant, but you cannot kill the cause.
So, on the rubble of these destroyed buildings will emerge another group more determined and more motivated to do what Hamas did. So, I think Israel
needs to once and for all realize that if it wants its security, the shortest route is through peace.
You know? Not the strongest military or the most capable intelligence services, or the Iron Dome or the separation wall will safeguard Israel's
security as much as peace would. And I think that is the track that we need to pursue now.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan over the weekend. He says that Israel has every right
to self-defense, to defend itself within the rules of war, in order to ensure that what happened on October the 7th never happens again.
AL ABDULLAH: If we want to make sure that we never have to be in the situation, again, we have to ask ourselves how we got there. There has to
be -- if violence stood between Palestinians and a better future, then, they themselves will fight against this violence.
I just want to give you one simple fact. After the Oslo Accords in 1993, in 1996, a poll was taken, and it showed that 80 percent of Palestinians
supported the accords, and support for violence resistance dropped to 20 percent. So, if Palestinians had a political horizon, they themselves would
be against any form of violence. But they need to be given that prospects.
ANDERSON: How concerned are you about the civilian death toll and worsening humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza? And what genuine steps if
any, do you see Israel taking to reduce casualties?
AL ABDULLAH: Yes. Can I begin to describe the scale and the scope of the catastrophic humanitarian situation that we are seeing? It is absolutely
unprecedented. And it's been unbearable to watch to the avalanche of human suffering that we're seeing.
Almost 10,000 deaths, almost half of them are children. And if you just put that in perspective, over the last four weeks in Gaza, eight times more
children were killed than the 20 months of the Ukraine war.
UNICEF has called Gaza, the grave yard for children. And, you know, these are not just numbers, each one of these children was somebody's everything.
Now, there's an acronym in Gaza, WCNSF, Wounded Child with No Surviving Family. That's an acronym that should never exist, but it does exist in
Gaza.
You know, I think the world is just screaming, when -- how many more people have to die before our global conscience awakes? Or is it forever dormant
when it comes to the Palestinians?
ANDERSON: The Israelis insists that they are doing their best to protect citizens. Yet, they say Hamas uses citizens as human shields. And cites
what it says are numerous examples of the terror group using human shields in this current conflict. What do you make of that?
AL ABDULLAH: Well look, after over 10,000 people killed, 70 percent of whom are women and children. For the Israelis to claim that they are trying to
protect citizens is not -- honestly, it's an insult to one's intelligence.
When 1.1 million people are asked to leave their homes or risk death, that is not a protection of civilians, that is forced displacement. And U.N.
agencies and other agencies have said that there is no safe place in Gaza.
And even the areas that they have asked people to seek refuge, and those so-called safe zones, they have been attacked as well.
[10:40:06]
And never mind that evacuation orders are sent on online or on television, knowing that there is no electricity in Gaza for the -- since the beginning
of this war.
These evacuation orders, I do not believe are for the benefit of the Gaza civilians. They are not the target audience. The rest of the world is. It
is Israel's attempt to try to legitimize their actions.
And when it comes to human shields, I think we need to defer to international law. Of course, the use of human shields is criminal. But
even if one side use it, puts a civilian in harm's way, that civilian still entitled to full protection under international humanitarian law.
That is the global standard, and no nation is exempt. So, before firing any bullet before dropping any bomb, it is the responsibility of the nation to
weigh the risk to civilian life.
And if that risk is disproportionate to the -- to the military target, then it is deemed unlawful. And frankly, I find it really outrageous when
Israeli officials audaciously dismiss Palestinian casualties as human shields.
In a place like Jabalia, which is one of the most crowded corners of Gaza, Gaza being one of the most densely populated spots on Earth, civilian death
is not incidental -- it is not accidental, it is a foregone in conclusion, and that makes it a war crime.
ANDERSON: Queen Rania, we are seeing a significant rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S., particularly on college campuses. We've also seen a significant
rise in Islamophobia and attacks on Muslim students.
As hate and fear grows, how worried are you, and what can or should be done to bring that temperature down right now?
AL ABDULLAH: I want to absolutely and wholeheartedly condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. That it's -- that it's never OK. It's never justified to
attack somebody based on their political beliefs.
But I also want to remind everyone that Israel does not represent all the Jewish people around the world. Israel is a state and it alone is
responsible for its own crimes.
Jewish people around the world, many of them are appalled by what they are seeing. And, you know, like you said, Islamophobia is the other side of the
same disease. And we Muslims, we have to be the first to condemn anti- Semitism. We have had a long history of peaceful coexistence.
So, this is not about religion. It is about politics.
And what we've seen in recent years, is the charge of anti-Semitism being weaponized in order to silence any criticism of Israel. So, defenders or
supporters of Israel who cannot defend Israel's actions or conduct, they revert to -- they revert to shutting the conversation down by equating
criticism Israel with anti-Semitism.
Let me be very, very clear, being pro-Palestinian is not being anti- Semitic. Being pro-Palestinian does not mean you're pro Hamas or pro terrorism. I think Israel deserves more from its allies than just
unequivocal support. I think it deserves some uncomfortable truths. Because if you are a real friend, you support your friend when they are right. But
you also tell them when they've crossed the line.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Queen Rania of Jordan there, speaking to our Becky Anderson.
We'll be back right after the short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:49]
GIOKOS: This week, we'll be showcasing environmental activists from all over the world who are going green to preserve our planet's most precious
resource water. In Cape Town, South Africa, we meet a team of marine scientists who are implementing artificial intelligence to protect aquatic
life and the ocean they live in.
Bianca Nobilo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The ocean of the coast of Cape Town's South Africa is home to a captivating underwater world
known as the Great African Seaforest. It's one of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet.
A desire to study and play a part in conserving this rich ecosystem is what drew marine scientists Mike Barron and Dylan Irion to Cape Town. They co-
founded Cape Research and Diver Development or Cape RADD, an organization dedicated to marine research that engages both biologists and citizen
scientists.
MIKE BARRON, MARINE BIOLOGIST, CO-FOUNDER CAPE RADD: we wanted to create something which allowed people accessibility and engagement in marine
conservation and science without having to be a scientist.
NOBILO: South Africa is a global hotspot for the elusive shyshark.
BARRON: They get their name shysharks because when they are afraid or under attack, perhaps, by a predator, they kill themselves up in a tight little
donut like ball and they hide their heads under their tails. So, it almost looks like they're kind of a bit shy and reframing.
NOBILO: There is very little information on these small-fin creatures. So, Dylan and Mike launched Fin Spotter, a high-tech shock monitoring database
to help study and protect them.
DYLAN IRION: MARINE BIOLOGIST, CO-FOUNDER CAPE RADD: What we do with Finn Spotter is several things. We can train machine learning models, or A.I. to
identify what species are in an image and where they are. And then, we can take that a step further and find whether we've seen the shark before or
not.
BARRON: A third of the sharks and rays found in Southern Africa are on the IUCN endangered list. So, if we were to lose these sharks, then it could
cause massive ecological knock-on effects. Basically, every piece of data that's collected is telling a part of the story, and that can help us
conserve the planet better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: For more stories about protecting our planets, you can visit cnn.com/goinggreen.
Let's get you up to speed on other stories that are on our radar right now.
In Ukraine, eight people were injured as Russian strikes damaged Odesa City center port infrastructure Museum, according to Ukrainian military
officials were damaged.
Over the past several months, Russia has been targeting this area in order to disrupt Ukraine's ability to export grain through the Black Sea.
The Vatican spokesman says Pope Francis skipped reading speech earlier today due to a cold. He says the pontiff still wanted to greet European
rabbis individually. So, he simply handed them copies of his prepared address. The rest of Pope Francis's schedule is expected to go unchanged.
English Premier League player Luis Diaz is pleading for kidnappers in Colombia to release his father. He revealed a shirt reading freedom for
dad, after scoring of goal for Liverpool on Sunday. He made the appeal hours later on X. Diaz's mother also was kidnapped but later rescued. A
police and military search for his father is ongoing.
We will have more news after the short break. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:55]
GIOKOS: Welcome back.
Now, former US President Donald Trump is in the New York courthouse testifying under oath in the civil fraud trial against him, his adult sons,
and the Trump Organization. Trump answered questions about his responsibility in preparing a 2014 statement of financial condition.
At one point, the judge told him to answer the questions put to him and not make speeches. He said to Trump, you can attack me you can do whatever you
want. But the answer -- but you've got to answer the question.
Our Kristen Holmes is standing by in New York to give us an update.
Kristen, great to see you. Quite a bit happening. We knew that Trump wasn't going to be your average witness. But tell me what we've heard from inside
the courtroom.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Right now, what we are hearing is essentially a clashing between the judge and former President
Donald Trump. They are going back and forth. As you said, the judge noting, you can attack me, but you can't -- you still must answer the questions.
We also know that the judge went after Trump's lawyer saying can you control your client? Because Donald Trump continues to avoid answering
questions in a yes or no fashion, but instead, make lengthy remarks, sometimes off topic.
Now, this is not surprising given what we know about Donald Trump. One thing to keep in mind is that he does actually believe that he is a victim
here, that has really been his mindset since day one that people are out to get him. So, of course, he's going to continue saying that.
But also, Donald Trump is somebody who's going to continue to focus on the fact that this is going to impact his career and his campaign. And so, he
is campaigning off of this, and actually taking that campaign onto the stage. Saying that this is election interference. That people are trying to
get him because he is running for president.
Those are things that we know are part of his messaging in his campaign for president. Now, whether or not something is going to happen here in terms
of the judge shutting this down, it does seem as though things are escalating just in terms of a back and forth. But it will be interesting to
see how this continues forward, particularly, as Donald Trump sticks to his playbook of essentially answering the questions that he wants to talk
about. Answering them with the answers that he wants people to hear as he takes control of the public narrative.
GIOKOS: Yes. Kristen Holmes, thank you so much for breaking that down for us.
We're saying on the story. And I want to bring in Daniel Dale to take a close -- closer look at what Trump said. Daniel is fallowing proceedings
from Washington for us.
Great to have you on. And just, you know, something that one of our correspondents mentioned, is that it is peculiar for an attorney general
before a civil trial taking place to make comments. And we heard those comments, and he say -- he's probably going to mention it's a witch hunts,
and we know he's going to try and evade questions.
Tell me what you think of the A.G. speaking before the trial. And also, importantly, some of the stuff that we've seen coming up from the courtroom
right now.
DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: Well, it is unusual for the Attorney General to speak in these circumstances. But I think she knows that this whole thing
is unusual. And she knows that Mr. Trump, himself, would be speaking. And so, we have this situation where if you're in her position, if you allow
him to make these unfettered remarks, you know, do not respond to them, then, effectively, he controls the narrative, on television, and other
media for however long it is until someone responds to them. So, I think that is likely the calculation.
In terms of what we heard from Mr. Trump, more of the same claims that the attorney general is racist. And I'll note that he -- I don't think has ever
specified how exactly she is racist, claiming that the court is rigged against him, and he aligned his case as to why people can come to their own
conclusions about how accurate it is.
And I'll note that he made a number of inaccurate statements in a post on so-called Truth Social, his social media platform before arriving at Court.
Claiming that President Biden had brought and instigated this case. Zero evidence whatsoever for that. He said it was for the purpose of election
interference.
And I'll note that this case, again, was brought by Attorney General James as a result of an investigation that she launched in 2019. So, before
President Biden even became president and she filed the lawsuit that led to this trial in September 2022, two months before Trump announced that he was
even running for president again.
[10:55:09]
So, if she was trying to interfere with the election, hurt her chances, well, he wasn't even a candidate at the time that she filed the lawsuit.
GIOKOS: Yes. Yes, really fascinating. I mean, we always knew that President Trump was never going to be sort of your run of the mill witness. But if he
is confronted with documents' tangible numbers, that is going to be absolutely important in terms of how they come back.
I'm just trying to find out do we have more time for this answer, Vicki (PH)? Speaking to my producer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
GIOKOS: All right. Daniel Dale, we have to leave it there. I've been told to wrap up. I have to listen to orders. Great to have you on the show. Much
appreciated.
All right. Thank you so much for watching. Stay with CNN. "STATE OF THE RACE" with Kasie Hunt is up next.
I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
