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Hamas-Run Health Ministry: 17,000 Plus Palestinians Killed; Major Donor Calls for UPenn President to Resign; IDF: About 450 Hamas Targets Struck in the Past Day; Investigations: Israeli Tank Shells Struck and Killed Reuters Journalist in October; New Shipment of U.S. Aid for Gaza Flies to Egypt Today; Jon Rahm Leaves PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Aired 9-9:45a ET

Aired December 08, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: It is 6 pm here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos, and this is "Connect the World". Today Russia launched a

barrage of cruise missiles on Kyiv and Eastern Ukraine after a nearly three month pause. Now these are live pictures of Gaza, where the IDF ground

offensive continues in the next hour, the United Arab Emirates where I'm based.

We'll ask the U.N. Security Council to vote on a humanitarian ceasefire draft resolution. And some American University Heads find themselves in hot

water with donors after congressional testimony on anti-Semitism. We will explain.

Welcome to the show. And Israel's military says it struck 450 targets over the past day in Gaza, in what is the heaviest day of bombardment since the

temporary pause in fighting ended a week ago. The IDF claiming it's killed "Numerous terrorists and precision strikes in Khan Yunis". The military

release video showing what it says are Hamas rocket launchers near a humanitarian zone as it targets Hamas infrastructure. Civilians caught in

the middle of this war.

Well, this video shows people running from gunfire at the Jabalya Refugee Camp in Northern Gaza. The Hamas controlled Health Ministry reports the

Palestinian death toll now tops 17,000. Alex Marquardt has been reporting from Israel all week. And he's connecting us this hour from Tel Aviv, Alex,

good to see you.

We have been seeing an increase in fighting significant increase since the truce ended. And basically the news reports that we're getting is that the

IDF is going in aggressively trying to target what it says are Hamas strongholds.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah Eleni, that pause in the fighting ended exactly week ago last Friday. And the fighting

started up again, very quickly and very intensely. In the past week we've already heard the Israeli military say that they have seen their fiercest

day of fighting yet since this conflict began.

And this morning, the Israeli military said that some 450 strikes were carried out in Gaza in the previous 24 hours, not just strikes from the

sky, but also from ships out at sea and from the ground as well. And so the fighting really does continue quite intensely, not just in the north, you

show those scenes from around Jabalya Refugee Camp where the IDF continues to operate.

They say, trying to continue to clear out Hamas elements. But so much of the focus has gone towards the southern part of the Gaza Strip,

particularly around Khan Yunis, the second biggest city in all of Gaza, where so many people had fled to from the north, where now the hospitals

are overwhelmed.

The W.H.O. said that they are at more than double capacity. So many people in Gaza -- in Khan Yunis have been told to flee even farther south, told to

evacuate by Israel because of that focus on that city because they believe that there are some Hamas leaders there. And that has resulted in this

humanitarian catastrophe all over the Gaza Strip.

But particularly acute in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where so many people have fled near the border with Egypt, we now have 85 percent of

Gaza that has been displaced. And as you noted, the death toll continues to grow significantly, Eleni. The latest numbers from the Hamas run Ministry

of Health 17,177. So it has gone past 17,000. The majority around 70 percent according to the Ministry are women and children, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah, and this is an important point. Over 17,000 people that is the death toll, according to the Hamas run Ministry of Health that have

been killed thus far. And it is interesting to note that people had been told to initially move south and now Khan Yunis being a big target where we

know that people receive notifications to move further south.

In terms of the way that the IDF is handling this because there's been big -- you know, criticism in terms of people having nowhere to go, the

humanitarian angle here as well. And then the IDF is saying that they have to commit to their strategy to their military strategy.

[09:05:00]

And there's a lot of work that needs to be done on the ground in tandem with the realities that people in Gaza are facing.

MARQUARDT: Yeah, so the IDF from the very beginning has been telling Gaza residents to evacuate from the areas that they intend to operate and

essentially saying stay at your own risk. So for example, if you know when you saw those scenes around Jabalya and you know our own producer had

family members who were killed nine of them in a house in the Northern Gaza Strip and essentially the Israeli response to that was well they were told

to move south.

And so what Israel is saying is they essentially are absolving themselves of that responsibility of civilians are killed once they tell people to

move out of those areas. But Eleni, the way that they're doing it doesn't necessarily mean that the message is getting across. They're posting on

social media. They're dropping leaflets with QR codes that then take you to a website with a very complicated map.

And as we've reported extensively throughout this conflict there has been - - there have been repeated blackouts whether localized or all across Gaza where people haven't been able to get online. They can't use their phones

to get onto the Internet. And then even if they were able to, they'd see this incredibly complicated map.

The other day, Israel dropped a leaflet in Southern Gaza around Khan Yunis that had a Surah, a verse from the Quran that referred to Noah's warning

about a flood coming. And it was -- it was rather cryptic, but it appeared to be sort of a rather ominous warning telling the people in Khan Yunis to

get out because the fighting is about to intensify, and that's exactly what we've seen Eleni.

GIOKOS: And the question is where to go in Gaza right now? Alex Marquardt, great to have you on. Thank you. Well, while the situation in Gaza

deteriorates the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote later today on a resolution calling for humanitarian ceasefire, the UAE submitted the draft

resolution.

This comes as images posted on social media show a mass detention of men in Gaza by the Israeli military. You see a large group here stripped to their

underwear, kneeling and sitting while blindfolded. The exact dates and circumstances of the detentions are not clear.

The Israel Defense Forces has not responded to CNN's request for comment on these images that we're seeing right now. For more on these developing

stories, let's bring in CNN's Ben Wedeman in Jerusalem for us. Ben, obviously many questions on how the IDF will be screening these men where

they were arrested, how they were arrested, what more do we know about what we're seeing these images and any information that we know about these men?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand that the Israelis in the areas they control have been rounding up all the

men, not necessarily going through list of people that they suspect might be members of Hamas, just rounding up all the men, stripping them down to

their underwear blindfolding them, and tucking them away. We don't know where.

I've seen that similar thing happened before in 2002 while covering Israel's reinvasion of the West Bank. I saw on a variety of occasions,

where all the men and teenagers as well were simply rounded up and questioned and taken in -- further interrogation. And this is probably

what's going on now. And it's unfortunately this is how it actually works when the Israelis come into an area where they believe there might be some

Hamas fighters.

However, it's worth pointing out that people have seen those pictures online and said that guy is a shopkeeper. That guy's a journalist. He has

nothing to do with Hamas, but it seems that they're just rounding up everybody. And then perhaps we understand will start to let people go. But

conditions don't look very good, Eleni.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Isra (ph) was born the day the truce went into effect seemingly so long ago. She lives with her parents and brother in a

makeshift shelter in Deir al-Balah. It lacks the basics of life for the cold for the winter, says her mother also named Isra. This young family is

part of the 1.9 million people, 85 percent of Gaza's population that has been displaced. Displaced, but still in danger.

Smoke rises over Rafah where so many fled to. Wednesday afternoon this house in the Rafah's Refugee Camp was bombed. Inevitably in such a crowded

place, children were among the dead. There's no safe place in Gaza, says Iyadhil Habbi (ph) anyplace can be hit.

[09:10:00]

The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 20 people were killed in the strike, including 17 members from the same extended family. He told them

the south was safe. They came here, the safe place and they were all killed, says Bashamir Habbi (ph). Death now stocks every corner of this

land.

In Khan Yunis, the focus of Israel's current defensive the hospital is overwhelmed with the injury and yet more calm. The World Health

Organization's Gaza envoy says they're doing what they can.

RICHARD PEEPERKORN, W.H.O. GAZA ENVOY: But the health infrastructure is on his knees it's almost collapsing. That is what the reality is. It's almost

collapsing.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Collapse, chaos, destruction and death such is Gaza's loss.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WEDEMAN (on camera): And what we're hearing from the Palestinian Health Ministry this morning is that in addition to death, destruction, injury and

loss, they're also facing a serious health crisis. They're reporting a massive increase in the cases of gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory

diseases, meningitis, skin diseases and others.

Keep in mind Eleni that no -- all of these hundreds of thousands of people who are crammed into the south of Gaza. Most of them have no access to

toilets, to showers, to any means of washing themselves. Garbage is not being collected. So it's sort of what you're getting is now the beginnings

of a perfect storm for spread of disease on top of everything else, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Ben Wedeman, thank you so much for that story. If you'd like more information on how to help with humanitarian relief efforts for Gaza, as

well as Israel, please go to cnn.com/impact you'll find a list of vetted organizations providing assistance that is at cnn.com/impact.

A new barrage of Russian missiles was ready to rein down on Ukraine after nearly three month pause, but officials say the missiles that were heading

for Kyiv have been intercepted and destroyed. Some homes in the capital city were damaged by the falling debris.

But Ukraine's eastern region didn't get off so likely. The Interior Ministry says one person was killed and four others wounded after Russian

missiles strikes on Kharkiv. On top of all of this a U.S. lifeline of arms and ammunition could be in danger of collapsing.

Well, coming up backlash is growing for Elite U.S. University Presidents after a controversial House hearing. Now a major donor could pull millions

in donations. And brand new criminal charges have been filed against the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, the latest on Hunter Biden's new

indictments and how they could affect the U.S. Presidential Race. That's coming up next.

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GIOKOS: A major donor is calling for the University of Pennsylvania's President to resign. Liz Magill faces scathing criticism over her comments

at a U.S. House hearing earlier this week. Magill along with the Presidents of two other Elite Universities Harvard and MIT did not exactly and

explicitly say that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the code of conduct.

Now one Penn donor is threatening to take back a $100 million donation from the Wharton Board of Advisors from Penn's Business School is calling for a

change in leadership. Here to talk about the backlash, we've got CNN's Athena Jones, she joins us now from Philadelphia. Athena, great to see you.

Frankly, watching back some of that hearing it was really difficult to watch because it was a very clear question. We know there are a lot of

nuances and the context is important. But this is going to have long term ramifications for the leadership of these universities.

ATHENA JONES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Eleni, it certainly could. And here at the University of Pennsylvania may be the University

President who's receiving the most pushback right now when it comes to calls for her to resign.

As you mentioned, the Wharton Board of Advisors, which is made up of a who's who of business leaders in a letter that they sent directly to

President Liz Magill, saying on Wednesday, this was the day after that what they call disastrous testimony on Capitol Hill.

They said in part in the letter, in light of your testimony yesterday before Congress, we demand the university clarify its position regarding

any call for harm to any group of people immediately, change any policies that allow such conduct with immediate effect and discipline any offenders

expeditiously.

This Board of Advisors also said that they remain deeply concerned about what they're calling a dangerous and toxic culture on campus that they say

the university leadership has allowed to persist. You also mentioned this $100 million worth of stock that CEO Ross Stevens, he's a Penn Alum and the

CEO of Stonebridge Holdings.

He has threatened to resend $100 million worth of stock that Penn currently holds. If President Magill stays on board, and finally that the House of

Representatives -- in the House is now investigating the University of Pennsylvania as well as Harvard and MIT after the three Presidents'

testimony on Tuesday.

I should tell you, Eleni, we've been here talking to at least two dozen students so far. Students and people affiliated with the university in the

last half hour or so, and several expressed concern about how the President has been performing.

A couple said that they see that there could be a financial impact here with donors pulling back with this potential Astok (ph) retention, and they

believe that that's going to force her to step down. We also talked to people who are on the pro-Palestine side who said that they felt

unsupported by this President and felt that that she went -- didn't have their back as well. So she's really getting fired from all sides here and

we'll have to see if she retains her position, much longer Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah. All right Athena Jones, thank you so much. Well, the long running criminal probe into President Biden's son Hunter. A major political

flashpoint in the United States has taken a dramatic turn. A new federal indictment charges Hunter Biden with nine criminal counts related to tax

fraud. He was already facing federal firearm charges.

The news comes as Republicans push for an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. And they say he profited from Hunter's business dealings,

a claim the White House strongly denies. We've got Katelyn Polantz with us to give us more on this developing story Katelyn, great to have you. Look,

big questions coming through in terms of how these charges against Hunter Biden could impact his father politically. How are we viewing this and

possible scenarios?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, the very least these are very serious charges against the President's son, Hunter

Biden. He previously had this plea deal that had been signed with the Justice Department. And when he went before a judge, it fell apart. And

then a Special Counsel was appointed to continue to look into Hunter Biden.

They went to the federal court in California and ended up bringing these charges related to essentially him not paying his taxes and also accusing

him of lying to the IRS for failing to pay $1.4 million in several years 2016 to 2019. The Justice Department says he had the money. He had $7

million of income and other means before him. And he essentially was spending this money on anything but his taxes.

[09:20:00]

He was spending it on personal expenses. These most serious charges here are related to 2018, a very rough year for Hunter Biden, where he did have

a drug problem he was in -- he has admitted to that. He's written about it in his memoir. But those years that's the year 2018 where the IRS says he

was lying the most.

And he was doing business and he had businesses even abroad with Romanian Businessman. He was on the Board of Burisma in Ukraine. He had a business

interest in China. And those business interests were giving him quite a lot of ability to lie about how much money he had and what his taxes were.

He was calling things business deductions when in -- when in fact, he was spending that money on exotic dancers, escorts, Lamborghini rental, really

significant things $27,000 in online porn on one business credit line. And so all of that put together is what the charges are. Hunter Biden now is

going to be lined up in an election year fighting these charges.

So they're going to be revisited over and over and over again, in federal court as he has some trial. We don't have a trial day yet, nor do we have

even his initial pleading. We do expect him to say he's not guilty and want to go to trial. But that will be progressing as Joe Biden his father runs

for re-election.

And so there are a lot of people in the political spheres in the United States who are trying to draw lines between the improprieties of Hunter

Biden, these allegations he faces. And the business of his father, including trying to draw a line between the money that Hunter Biden had and

did not pay to the IRS and his father.

Now, nothing in this indictment implicates Joe Biden. He's not mentioned in the indictment. But it is something that we already know. Republicans on

Capitol Hill are trying to say, this should be looked into further because there could be an issue here that could fuel our need to impeach Joe Biden

or at least try and bring him down politically in some way.

GIOKOS: Because you say something really important, right? They're trying to draw a line. So Republicans are trying to find that, that connection

between what Hunter Biden has done at least financially with Joe Biden to be able to do that they need to have some kind of proof to support those

allegations. You know, how viable would that be? Because we're talking about again, evidence that could be tested in a court of law one would

assume.

POLANTZ: Yeah. This is clearly going to be something that the Special Counsel would have to put on trial. And they also very clearly in this

indictment, it's 56 pages long. They lay out much of their handiwork, the work that they did to trace the facts here, including the amount of money

that Hunter Biden was bringing in from foreign entities that he was doing business with.

That's the area in particular, that House Republicans have wanted to try to tie Joe Biden to. They haven't had evidence that Joe Biden was getting any

bribes or payments or anything like that, from these foreign entities, even if it at different points. He may have had money in one of his accounts or

something like that, but it isn't. It isn't a clear line at this point in time.

And as much as Republicans have tried to have spine some sort of fact, they haven't been able to produce that level of evidence to fuel an impeachment

inquiry of the sitting President just because his son has these allegations he's facing. Of course Eleni, this works on the other side as well. So

Hunter Biden's defense team has been out there and saying he's a political victim.

The reason that he's facing these charges is because he's the President's son. And the statement we received last night from his lawyers was that if

Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges would not have been brought. That's what they are saying. And they are clearly going

to be trying to argue that in court as well.

Now, of course, though, in the United States, people do get charged with tax crimes like this. People go to prison for it if they are found guilty.

This isn't something that is totally out of the ordinary to be charged with these types of offenses.

GIOKOS: Katelyn Polantz, its brilliant analysis, thank you so much. Well, shelves are bay in Gaza and people are going to extreme measures to stretch

their suppliers. Hear about what's being done today to try and get relief flowing to civilians. Plus Israel responding to allegations that used

controversial white phosphorus munitions in an attack on Lebanon a live report coming up.

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[09:25:00]

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi, and you're watching "Connect the World". Let's get the latest on our top story. The Israeli

military said today it had struck some 450 targets in Gaza in 24 hours. That is the highest number reported since the truce between Israel and

Hamas ended last week.

Meantime, air raid sirens have been going off in Tel Aviv today, about 30 minutes from now. The U.N. Security Council is set to meet to consider

calling for humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The Secretary General is pleading with the Council to take action to try to stop what he calls the

appalling human suffering from the war.

The Israeli military in the meantime is responding to an allegation in Lebanese media that Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of a Southern

Lebanese town with white phosphorus. The toxic substance is restricted under international humanitarian law and the Israeli military says it only

uses legal weapons and ammunitions.

The video obtained by CNN shows columns of white smoke rising into the sky, though we are unable to confirm whether phosphorus was indeed used. Now

this comes as the IDF confirmed it carried out airstrikes on Syria and Lebanon Thursday in response to incoming missile fire. CNN has also learned

that investigations by two news organizations and two human rights groups found that Israeli tank shells killed a Reuter's videographer back in

October.

For more now on this, I want to bring in CNN's Ivan Watson in Beirut. Ivan, great to have you on. What more do we know about the allegations of white

phosphorus being used?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first let's talk about that investigation into the killing of the journalist in October 13th

Eleni. The investigation was carried out by Reuters because this was Issam Abdallah who was a Cameraman with Reuters, who was killed as well as --

press who had a wounded Journalist and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

And they came to the conclusion they found parts of a 120 millimeter tank shell of Israeli origin around the area where these journalists had been

filming.

[09:30:00]

They say it was fired from a little bit less than one and a half kilometers away from across the border from Israel by an Israeli tank crew. They say

the journalists all were clearly marked with signs on their armor saying press and on their vehicles as well. Let's take a listen to an excerpt of

what the Photographer from AFP who was gravely wounded in that strike what she has to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA ASSI, AFP PHOTOGRAPHER: There are seven journalists from different agencies, Reuters, Al Jazeera and we were an exposed area all of

us wearing our helmets, our vests, just doing our job covering the clashes. And we were maintaining safe distance from the front line. So basically, we

were really safe. We felt safe. There was no Hamas around us, not Hezbollah and others.

There was no -- we were just a group of journalists doing our job. And we were attacked by Israel twice, not once which resulted in my leg being

amputated. And now I have to stay in the hospital for a really long time until I recover again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now Ms. Assi is employer (Inaudible) press. They've gone further, they've said, "The strikes were deliberate and targeted against these

journalists". A Spokesperson for the Israeli government has responded to the report saying that, "We do not target civilians that the operation is

targeting Hamas".

Meanwhile, a Spokesperson for the Israeli military at the time of this strike said that the death of the Reuters Journalist was a tragic thing,

but did not claim responsibility for the incident saying it was under review.

These first months of this war, the Organization Committee to Protect Journalists say it has been the deadliest since they have started

collecting statistics for journalists slain, more than 30 years ago with at least 64 journalists killed. The vast majority of them is Palestinian, but

also including Israeli journalists, and of course, Lebanese journalists, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah, it's really tragic, 64, just thinking about that number of colleagues that have been killed in this conflict. Ivan, really difficult

to wrap your head around. I do want to ask you about this white phosphorus allegation. The IDF response to this can't be characterized as a right out

denial. What more do we understand on the story?

WATSON: Sure, there have been multiple accusations from here in Lebanon, that in this cross border artillery duel between Hezbollah militants in the

South of Lebanon, and the Israeli military in the north, which continues day after day, day and night. Accusations that Israel has used white

phosphorus rounds that have set fire to things like olive groves.

And we've seen images just this week of purportedly this kind of munition used. While the Israeli military has responded saying that none of the

shells that has been firing have included this phosphorus chemical that it only uses, "Legal weapons and ammunition" and that the rounds that have

been fired are being used to create smoke screens and not for targeting or causing fires.

It does raise a question what would be the point of creating a smoke stream deep into Lebanese territory? But that's a question for another day.

Meanwhile, the accusations and the conflict continue. Yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while visiting Israeli troops in

the North of Israel.

He basically made -- issued a threat saying that if Hezbollah wanted to open out an all-out war with Israel, that it would result in Southern

Lebanon and in Beirut looking like Khan Yunis and Gaza City, drawing a direct parallel between the damage that the Israeli military has done to

those densely population centers and what would then happen here in Lebanon.

We've heard in a sermon from the Deputy Chairman of Hezbollah's Executive Council, him basically justifying attacks carried out by Hezbollah and by

allied groups in Yemen and Iraq on U.S. and Israeli interests, saying that it is a moral duty for these pro-Iranian groups to support Palestinians in

Gaza, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Ivan Watson, brilliant work. Thank you so much. Well, in a CNN exclusive we've learned that today the United States is delivering its

third plane load of humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. It comes as desperation reaches a crescendo in the enclave. Empty shelves are now the

norm.

People have resorted to digging through the rubble of wrecked buildings for food. And are being forced to severely ration their calories, even in

Rafah, the only area that is seen any deliveries in recent days.

[09:35:00]

Supplies are limited and lines for food are long. And that is where this new aid delivery from the U.S. is headed first through Egypt's to Rafah,

and of course into Gaza. I want to bring in Larry Madowo, who's in Cairo for us, Larry, really good to see you.

Look here's the reality, even the Palestinians that I met, that had just evacuated into Egypt. They were telling me they were just looking for

scraps of bread when they were waiting to be evacuated into Egypt. The situation is so dire and it's getting worse by the day.

This USAID very important, but there's a direct correlation between how well negotiations are going in terms of talking about a truce or a stop and

fighting for a bit versus what we see in terms of how much aid gets to go into Gaza.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So we're hearing that the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with his Qatari Counterpart

Mohammed Al Thani to discuss efforts to release the rest of the hostages. The Israelis believe they are still 137 hostages were remaining in Hamas

custody and they want those released.

We know that the terms of the deal previously was that for every extra day that Hamas could release 10 hostages, again an extra day in a positive

fighting. So that's one aspect. In fact, this statement from the U.S. State Department says Secretary Blinken expressed appreciation for Qatar's

critical efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and the recent humanitarian pause in Gaza.

This is important because if they can agree to release more hostages into the humanitarian pause. Because what we've been hearing over the past few

days, Eleni is desperate dire warnings from the UN, the World Health Organization, from Save the Children, from UNICEF from every aid

organization operating in the Gaza Strip, that the situation is completely on its knees.

Its risks falling out of hand. The U.N. Relief Agency in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA now saying that it's barely operating, it's on the verge of collapse.

And if it collapses, then there's no more humanitarian supplies going into Gaza or being distributed. That is how serious it is.

So this 57,000 pounds of aid coming from the U.S. coming through Al-Arish Airport here in the North of Egypt and then into Gaza, are going to be

critical. But in a situation where there's no more food, there's no more water, there's no more cooking gas, there's no more fuel, it's a drop in

the ocean still, because so many people are displaced.

We're hearing stories of parents having to decide if they eat or the kids eat to the given the kids food and deciding not to eat or families only

having one meal a day. And then there is this man, for instance, who says 23 family members were killed. He himself is ailing, and is nothing to eat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOSSAM HASANAT, DISPLACED FROM GAZA CITY: Concerning the lack of food, I don't know what they're waiting for. They're waiting for us to gradually

die. Should we die from hunger? As a sick person, I need food. OK, fine. I lost my family, no problem. But what about the children we have here? What

about the injured children and the injured seniors who can't find the slightest bit of food to sustain themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: The only way to get aid into the Gaza Strip right now is to the Rafah crossing, it was never meant to be a good consignment exodus,

supposed to be for pedestrians, but that's the only way to get in right now. But if the people are to be saved these 1.8 million or so displaced

are to be saved. There has to be a dramatic increase in the amount of aid coming into the strip, Eleni.

GIOKOS: Yeah and the situation is so absolutely desperate right now, Larry, thank you so much for bringing us that update. I want to now get you up to

speed on other stories that are on our radar. Azerbaijan and Armenia say they've agreed to a prisoner swap and they're working towards a peace deal.

That's according to a joint statement on normalizing relations.

The neighboring nations had been engaged in a decade's long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in the Caucasus Mountain. Well, more than 1000

business leaders, politicians and activists are sending a united call to the COP28 President. In an open letter they urged leaders at the Dubai

Climate Summit to commit to the phase out of all fossil fuels.

And they say that's necessary if we're going to have a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre industrial levels. And

still to come when they say the grass is greener on the other side, they really mean it in the golf world. Just asked Jon Rahm, he knows exactly

what I'm talking about. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:40:00]

GIOKOS: They say that if you don't succeed, you should try again. Well, it seems to have worked for Saudi backed series, LIV Golf. Jon Rahm, a Former

World Number One and one of the loudest voices of opposition just switched. And the big question is why? World Sport Anchor Amanda Davies is definitely

smiling and she knows the answer and she's going to fill us in. Hi Amanda.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Why do you think Eleni, this golfer is not returning until LIV Golf with their big bank accounts come calling?

Yeah, as you rightly say when they burst onto the scene in 2022, Jon Rahm, a Former World Number One, current world number three, two-time major

champion said I don't need that money. It's not going to change my life.

Well, now he says actually, he's thinking about his family. He's thinking about their future. But here's jumping shift from the PGA Tour leaves a

whole lot, more questions still to be answered. And we're hoping to address a few of them in just a couple of minutes in World Sports.

GIOKOS: Well, as I say always follow the money. Amanda, we'll see you after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:45:00]

(WORLD SPORT)

END