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Trump Preparing to Move on Agenda After Taking Oath; Federal Reserve Lowers Interest Rates for Second Straight Time; Control of U.S. House of Representatives Still Up for Grabs; Biden Addresses Election Defeat, Vows Orderly Transition; Israeli Football Fans Attacked After Anti-Arab Chants; How Trump's Policies Affect Europe; Large Percent of Women and Children Killed in Gaza; Anonymous Texts Referencing Slavery, Rape Alarm. Mountain Fires Rages in Southern California. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 08, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:12]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back. This is the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD. Wherever you are watching in the world, you are
of course as ever more than welcome.
I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 7:00 in the evening.
Dutch Police have launched a major investigation into multiple incidents of violence on Thursday night. Israeli football fans were attacked in what
authorities described as antisemitic attacks after video showed some fans chanting anti-Arab slurs and praising Israeli military attacks in Gaza.
And in Gaza, the United Nations has found that nearly 70 percent of Palestinians killed there were women and children in what it describes as
systematic violation of international law.
We'll speak to one of the organization's highest level officials, who has just returned from the besieged strip.
And about 14,000 people in Southern California are currently under evacuation order as wildfires rage in the area. The fast-moving Mountain
Fire that you can see here has charred a vast amount of land in a short time and destroyed dozens of homes.
Well, President-elect Donald Trump is said to be rolling up his sleeves and getting ready to move on his agenda on that much touted day one. Sources
tell us he's going through executive orders and policies that he wants to implement, as well as regulations that he plans to reverse. He's made his
first big appointment naming campaign manager Susie Wiles as his chief of staff.
One person who is staying put, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. He's had a fraught history with Mr. Trump but he says he's not leaving until his
term expires in 2026. Now, his comments came after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates again on Thursday.
Well, more staff picks expected within days and job hopefuls aren't going far.
CNN's Alayna Treene is in West Palm Beach, and "FIRST MOVE" anchor Julia Chatterley is in New York.
Alayna, let's start with you. Susie wiles perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise, but she is the first female chief of staff, and Donald Trump
certainly touting that and her skills as innovative and exceptional. That is the first. What else is going on behind the scenes?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot going on behind the scenes, Becky. A lot of jockeying and battles really taking place over who
is going to be selected. We know a ton of people have been calling up Trump, trying to, you know, meet with him at Mar-a-Lago, mingling with him
on the patio as they try and get their names in front of him.
But I do want to talk a little bit about Susie Wiles because she's going to be, of course, a very important and integral part of what happens at the
White House once Donald Trump is sworn in. And it makes sense that she was the first person selected partly because he knows her so well. She has been
by his side really ever since he left the White House back in 2021, in many ways in a disgrace when a lot of people had abandoned Donald Trump,
particularly after the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
Susie Wiles was still by his side. She remained loyal to him. That was a huge reason why he selected her first. Now one key thing about her as well
that I think will give you some insight into how perhaps Donald Trump will operate come next year is that she is someone who really believes in
controlling the chaos. That is how she puts it. She is someone and she's really said as well that if she were to get this role and once she has this
role, she wants to make sure that the clown car does not follow Donald Trump to the White House.
That really means harpooning or hunkering down on one of the key things that she thinks is so important, which is to try and cut off access to some
of the controversial figures trying to get to Donald Trump, trying to pitch him on some crazy ideas or other things that they do not want him to be
thinking about. That is going to be something that she very much tries to implement. Again, she's done it very well on the campaign trail, but she's
going to try to implement again come their time in the White House.
Now, as for other picks, look, I've been told that Donald Trump right now is very much focused first of all on finishing who his Cabinet will be. He
has been talking with a ton of, like I said, his allies, his advisers. But one key difference from this time around than in the aftermath of the 2016
election is they argue that Donald Trump is much more personally involved.
[10:05:01]
He wants to sign off on every single Cabinet position, and really, any of the other major positions that will be filling out his administration. And
the reason that is a departure, it doesn't seem like, of course, the president-elect would want to be the one to make those decisions, but it is
a difference. It is a departure because last time Donald Trump came to Washington really without any political -- major political or knowledge of
Washington, D.C., and how it operated.
But this time he feels way more confident, these sources say, about being able to make those decisions himself. He regretted not being the one to
really make the call last time around. And that is a big difference now. Part of the reason he also feels that confidence I'm told is because he's
feeling emboldened by receiving the popular vote. He is arguing that he now has a mandate and more flexibility to really carry out some of the key
agenda items that he had touted throughout the 2024 campaign trail.
ANDERSON: That is fascinating. Let's turn to the world of business because we know the economy is front and center as far as Donald Trump is
concerned, as far as voters were concerned in this election.
Let's bring in Julia Chatterley. The Federal Reserve taking a decision to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points, or a quarter of 1 percent, just a
day after this election. We've got another couple of opportunities for the Fed to move ahead of the inauguration on January 20th. So let's just talk
about that cut, why that cut now and what might happen next.
I also want to talk about the politicization of that key position, the Fed chair and Jerome Powell and what was said yesterday about his position
going forward. Let's start with the business of what the Fed does. So what about this 25 basis point cut? What do you think of that move now and what
do we expect going forward?
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: I think that was baked into the cake, Becky, so there wasn't going to be any other decision made today,
particularly as a result of the fact that we got a clean election result and everything was calm. I mean, the stock markets tell the story. There
was euphoria.
December he left the door open for another cut and that was starting to come into question, primarily because, keep that payrolls number aside,
that was weaker. The data has been relatively solid and he suggested that in the meeting. Then comes the question of what they can do next year. And
this is the real challenge. It's not just about what they can do in terms of what the economy is telling them to do and the data.
It's about the wild card which is the policies that the president-elect will choose. Obviously, we know that if he does enact in a worst-case
scenario huge limits to immigration, I'm talking illegal and legal, that could push up wages. And he enacts tariffs across many countries around the
world, that could be inflationary and raise prices, too. So that could in some respects tie the Fed's hands.
What's interesting yesterday, someone asked him whether they could consider raising, not cutting raising interest rates next year. Just listen to what
he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you rule out an interest rate hike next year?
JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: No, I wouldn't rule anything out or in that far away, but that's certainly not our plan. I mean our baseline
expectation is that we'll continue to move gradually down towards neutral, that the economy will continue to grow at a healthy clip, and that the
labor market will remain strong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHATTERLEY: Now, just to be clear, no one is talking about rate rises, Becky, next year. But the fact that he's saying, look, I can't rule it out
just indicates where we are now. The economy is solid, even to your point if people don't feel it and didn't feel it because of inflation in
particular. But all bets are off. The wild card now is the president- elect's policies next year.
ANDERSON: And I was wrong to suggest actually that there are two meetings before inauguration. I've just looked it up and January 28th, 29th would be
--
CHATTERLEY: Yes. Just after.
ANDERSON: -- next but one. And that is, of course, after inauguration day. So it will be interesting to see what happens next.
Let's just get this -- the politics done. He was asked whether he would stand down if Donald Trump asked him to, and he said no. Can you just give
us some context to why that question was posed yesterday, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Because their relationship. Yes. Their relationship was so contentious in the first Trump administration. I mean, the president-elect
was downright rude to him a lot of times. So coming into this, the suggestion was, look, is he even going to have a job? What we've heard from
sources, advisers near the president-elect is that he will continue to keep Jay Powell in the role.
And that makes sense, of course, because for now they're singing from the same hymn sheet. The president-elect likes lower interest rates. The Fed is
trying to lower interest rates.
[10:10:02]
The wild card, of course, is whether or not the president-elect's policies allow him to do that. But this was a mic drop moment, Becky. He was asked
whether he would step down. He said no, silence, but, you know, so you're saying for legal reasons, he won't step down. No. And that was the end of
that.
Look, the law is unclear. It would be Congress that would remove him, not the president-elect. But my takeaway was that that was an exciting part of
the meeting in what can be often quite dull. And it's going to be a lively couple of years, I will say that.
ANDERSON: Isn't it just?
CHATTERLEY: Yes.
ANDERSON: It's always good to have you, Julia.
Alayna, thank you. A lively dateline that you now have there down in Mar-a- Lago, too. Good luck. Thank you.
To Capitol Hill where control of the U.S. House of Representatives is of course still up for grabs. Sources tell CNN that members on both sides of
the aisle believe that the Republican Party will maintain control of the House once all the votes are counted but it could be days or even weeks
before a number of key races are officially called.
CNN's Lauren Fox following all of this from Washington.
And before we go on and talk about what happens next, can you just explain why it is that it could be some time before we actually get a result?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky, a lot of these close races were happening in places like California, and it just takes a
really long time to count all of the ballots in that state. And, you know, there are still outstanding races. I just looked this morning about six
races in California and despite the fact that Republicans are winning in many of them, you know, Democrats and Republicans want to be patient.
They want to make sure all the votes are counted before either side celebrates. In fact, yesterday on a call with Democratic members Hakeem
Jeffries and the campaign arm was really trying to inspire their members to remember that nothing is final until it's final. But I will say, you know,
both sides privately are very bullish that probably Republicans are going to take the House of Representatives and they're already planning on what
their agenda is going to look like, given the fact that they want to hit the ground running in January after Trump is inaugurated.
ANDERSON: It of course will be clean sweep and it will be a lot easier for Donald Trump and a Republican Congress to get things done.
The internal blame game, of course, amongst members on the Democrat side, has started briefly. Can you tell us more?
FOX: Yes, I mean, I think Democrats are disappointed. Some Democrats are really sad. Some Democrats are really upset. They feel like there are many
periods to go back and review. I think it really depends on the member you talk to as to what they think the problem was. Right? I think Democrats who
are coming from rural places, they're arguing these are messages we have been trying to get the Democratic Party to listen to for years.
We always have been warning that the party has been moving too far to the left. We are too focused on some of the social issues. We should be more
focused on economic issues. You have other people who are frustrated with the president and the fact that he didn't get out of the race sooner. They
feared that because he decided to stay in this race, it didn't give Harris a lot of time.
I think, though, the reality is Democrats are going to have to move forward. You can't change what's already happened in the past, and you do
hear some Democrats in leadership sort of making that case that we have to go forward. We have to think about how we want to work with Republicans.
The bottom line is, in the House of Representatives, legislation is not going to move super easily because whatever majority Republicans have, if
indeed they do clinch the majority again, is going to be so narrow that passing government spending bills, ensuring that the country doesn't
default on its debt next year, all of that is going to require bipartisan communication, bipartisan support, and that's just going to be the reality.
So, yes, Republicans could have the White House, the Senate and the House, but the reality is they don't have a filibuster proof majority in the
Senate. They still only are going to have less than 60 seats there. And whatever majority Mike Johnson has, if Republicans end up with it, it's
going to be really small. And we saw how that went the last two years.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Always good to have you. Thank you.
Well, the outgoing president is trying to remain upbeat as he faces questions and criticisms over the poor showing by Democrats in Tuesday's
election. Joe Biden told an audience at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday that all Americans must accept the choices made by voters and
urged Democrats to stay strong in the face of defeat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.
[10:15:02]
The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Arlette Saenz joins me now from the White House.
I'm sure those who are incandescent at this point will have heard Joe Biden's words, but that blame game, as I understand it, Arlette, is in full
swing. Explain.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is, Becky. And there's really this debate within the Democratic Party about what exactly
went wrong for them in this election that ended with the reelection of former president Donald Trump. Many in the party are placing a lot of that
blame squarely on President Joe Biden. There are those who are frustrated that he had decided to seek a second term at the age of 80, and at a time
when there were many polls showing that Americans and even Democrats within his own party did not want him to run for reelection.
People have argued that he stayed in this race too long, which really hampered the ability of any Democratic candidate to run a successful
campaign against Donald Trump. But for President Biden's part, so far, he has not engaged in any discussions about what went wrong for Democrats.
That is not something you heard from him yesterday as he was in the Rose Garden really conceding this loss to Trump and also trying to stress that
he will engage in that peaceful transfer of power.
Of course, one of the key lines in his remarks was you can't only love this country when you win. That is a quote that he would often deploy as an
attack line against Trump, who did not participate in any type of peaceful transition when Biden was coming into office, and instead he was
repurposing it in this speech. But there are so many questions about what Biden's legacy will look like going forward, especially after the outcomes
of this election.
Biden had run back in 2020 to defeat Trump, to defeat his brand of politics. He won, but then lost after these last four years in office. So
that is something that will hang over the president moving forward. Now for his part, he has said that there's still more work to do, that people here
at the White House should be proud of their accomplishments. And in his remarks yesterday, Biden stressed that some of the things that they've
accomplished, if you think about the Infrastructure Bill or the CHIPS Act, that that will take many, many years to come to fruition.
And that is something that has always been a struggle for the Biden administration in this campaign, is that they had some tangible outcomes,
some tangible legislation that they've passed that many Americans weren't seeing the immediate effects in their lives. So for President Biden in
these final weeks, they're going to try to do more work to try to shore up his legacy, trying to safeguard some of those initiatives that they've put
into place.
But of course, Trump could come into office and undo many of the things that Biden had set forth in his four years in office.
ANDERSON: Arlette Saenz is at the White House in Washington, D.C., where the time is 10:17 in the morning. Thank you.
7:17 here in Abu Dhabi. Ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD, a shocking night of violence in Amsterdam. Why Dutch and Israeli officials are condemning the
attacks as antisemitic.
More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:34]
ANDERSON: Well, shame and disgust are being expressed by the Dutch government. It's condemning what it calls antisemitic attacks on Israeli
citizens in the Dutch capital on Thursday night.
In this graphic video Israeli football fans can be seen being beaten and injured in violent clashes in Amsterdam. One Israeli official said at least
10 of its civilians have been hurt in the violence, which broke out after a match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Amsterdam's mayor spoke
a short time ago. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEMKE HALSEMA, AMSTERDAM MAYOR: Well, you know, we're an old city with a tumultuous history. We are an international city, and as an international
city, we also have the international tensions in our city, and we are used to it. But we pride ourselves that we are a peaceful city and a tolerant
city. And last night we were very much ashamed because tolerance and peace were not there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Maccabi fans were caught on video going to a metro station chanting, let the IDF win and bleep the Arabs. And social media videos
showed men ripping Palestinian flags off buildings. We have bleeped out the profanities in this video.
The Israeli foreign minister is on his way to Amsterdam to meet with his Dutch counterpart. We are live in Amsterdam, where we're joined by CNN's
Melissa Bell and CNN's Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem for perspective from there.
Melissa, just describe what the perspective is there and the atmosphere.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A great deal of shock as you heard expressed there by the mayor of Amsterdam, given this
particular European city's fame for being tolerant and somewhere where communities live harmoniously side by side.
As you mentioned there a moment ago, Becky, those tensions had been rising since Wednesday when those first Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had begun arriving
here in Amsterdam. We saw the scenes here on Dam Square Wednesday, the Dutch Police then put on extra police forces as that tension was rising
against the match.
What we understand happened is that initially, after the match had finished, things were fairly calm. It was later on in the night that you
saw those extremely shocking and violent scenes showing what Dutch authorities have now described as hit and run. That is, Israeli citizens,
supporters, football supporters were hunted down and brutally assaulted, and initially we saw in the aftermath of that overnight, those five people
ending up in hospital.
They've all now been released and all of the Israelis that initially had been feared to be missing have now been accounted for. Still, we know that
Israel's foreign minister has now arrived in the city. The first of the planes bringing the Israeli fans back to Tel Aviv has arrived back in
Israel. But here in Amsterdam, it's a city really reckoning with the violence of what happened.
Have a listen to what the prime minister had to say a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK SCHOOF, DUTCH PRIME MINISTER: I'm ashamed that this happened in the Netherlands, and it's a terrible antisemitic attack. And we will not
tolerate. And we will prosecute the perpetrators, and I'm deeply ashamed that it could happen in the Netherlands in 2024.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: The antisemitic nature of the attacks clearly picked up by Dutch officials over the course of the last few hours, Becky. An investigation
has been opened and there are fears now about what happens going forward. There will be another match this time in Paris next week that will we
understand go ahead despite what has happened in Amsterdam this week -- Becky.
ANDERSON: And Israeli forces or authorities. Thank you, Melissa.
Let's bring in Matthew Chance. Authorities sending rescue planes for those fans. What more do we know at this point?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they sent a rescue plane already, Becky.
[10:25:02]
There's another couple going to be returning to Israel later on this evening to Ben-Gurion Airport, where they'll be met with police to take
statements and forensic teams to collect evidence. They say they're going to be coordinating, cooperating with the Dutch authorities, the law
enforcement authorities, to bring prosecutions against those responsible for these antisemitic attacks.
But there's a more general review taking place as well. My sources inside the Israeli Foreign Ministry telling me that they're reviewing security now
for Israeli sports teams competing in other countries in Europe. Melissa mentioned there a possible match taking place in Paris next week. That will
be under scrutiny as well. But also a general review taking place for -- security review for Israelis living abroad because what the Israeli
authorities say is that this isn't a problem obviously that is specific to the Netherlands. It's not specific to Amsterdam.
It's a more general rise in antisemitism that they have seen or taken note of particularly since the October 7th attacks. And so what they're saying
is that that more needs to be done to protect Israeli fans, to protect Israelis in general in these countries when those kinds of pro-Palestinian,
you know, kind of protests are taking place. And so that's the review that is currently underway as they bring back Israeli citizens over the course
of the next few hours back to Israel for medical treatment and just to get them back home -- Becky.
ANDERSON: And the statement by the prime minister -- Matthew, thank you.
Benjamin Netanyahu writing, and I quote, "Tomorrow, 86 years ago was Kristallnacht, an attack on Jews, whatever jews they are, on European soil.
It's back now. Yesterday we celebrated it on the streets of Amsterdam. That's what happened. There is only one difference. In the meantime the
Jewish state has been established. We have to deal with it."
Well, French officials say Israeli police forced their way into a French owned holy site in Jerusalem on Thursday and briefly detained two staff of
the French consulate. France is condemning the move, which is the latest in a series of events that have sent relations between the two countries
frankly plummeting.
Meantime civil rights groups in Israel are criticizing a new law. That law allows the government to deport family members of people judged to have
carried out an act of terrorism. The law passed in the Knesset this week. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel says, and I quote, "All citizens
and residents are entitled to rights and protections not least of which is immunity from deportation from their country."
We've been hearing about Pyongyang sending troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine. Well, now it is -- there is evidence that they are engaged
in battle. So says Ukraine's president, at least. Speaking in Hungary on Thursday, Mr. Zelenskyy said that 11,000 North Korean soldiers were on the
ground in Russia near Ukraine's border and that fighting had resulted in fatalities, although he did not say which side suffered those casualties.
The clashes are the result of a close military partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Well, elsewhere in Europe, Goldman Sachs predicting Donald Trump's proposed policies, including hefty tariffs, will hurt the continent's economic
standing. The investment bank is also pointing to what it sees as pressure on Europe to increase defense spending.
CNN's Nic Robertson has more on how the incoming Trump administration could impact America's European allies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Raging wars in Ukraine and the Mideast, an informal alliance of enemies, Russia,
China, Iran and North Korea, are the obvious changes in world order President-elect Donald Trump inherits. Less talked about since he left
office in 2021 the political weakening of some of his former putative allies particularly in Europe.
Elections in France undermined President Emmanuel Macron's standing. Germany's chancellor Olaf Schulz has a tanking economy and a collapsing
governing coalition. Both of these E.U. powerhouses losing political ground to right-wing populists who are on the rise across Europe. In Italy, a
right-wing populist, Giorgia Meloni, won elections, is a fan of Trump. But Trump also lost supporters.
BORIS JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Thank you all very much.
[10:30:01]
ROBERTSON: U.K. PM Boris Johnson gone from power. The Conservative Party trounced in recent elections by trend-bucking Keir Starmer's left-leaning
Labour Party. Where all these changes get tested first, likely over Trump's campaign promise to end Russia's war in Ukraine in a day.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: I'll have that done in 24 hours.
ROBERTSON: And threats to pull America's Ukraine funding. As almost 50 European leaders gathered in Budapest just two days after the U.S.
elections, Trump's victory and Ukraine are top topic. Trump ally and meeting host Hungarian PM Viktor Orban in close conversation with Macron
and Starmer. Starmer then with Macron just the tip of the iceberg of debate on this frosty issue. And Starmer later with Ukraine's Zelenskyy.
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: But as you know our support for Ukraine is unwavering.
ROBERTSON: The unspoken question in Budapest -- can Europe go it alone?
ALEXANDER DE CROO, BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER: We should be very clear on this. European security is not something that we outsource to someone else, for
example, to the United States.
ROBERTSON: Macron said the same thing. But already clear the opening pitch to Trump -- we need you.
DE CROO: We are open to discuss with the United States on how we can work better together.
ROBERTSON: And at the sharp end of Europe's self, NATO's new chief, another change for Trump.
MARK RUTTE, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I look forward to sit down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively.
ROBERTSON: It's a bold gambit, but read through it, Europe isn't ready to stand up to Putin alone.
Nic Robertson CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson. Just after half past seven here in Abu Dhabi, broadcasting from our Middle
East programing hub, of course.
When we come back, I'll speak to the U.N. coordinator Muhanned Hadi, who has just returned from Gaza City. The situation, in his words, is beyond
imagination.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson for you.
A new report from the United Nations finds that women and children make up nearly 70 percent of those killed during the war between Israel and Hamas
in Gaza. Now these numbers come from the 8,000 fatalities that the organization has been able to independently confirm, far lower than the
43,000 counted by local health officials in Gaza.
[10:35:02]
But the data do support the Palestinian claim that women and children make up a majority of those killed. Meantime, Israel ramped up bombings across
Gaza on Thursday and issued fresh evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, which, as we've been reporting, has been under siege for weeks now.
Now Muhanned Hadi is the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, and he's just returned from Gaza. His trip
included a visit to a U.N. school, where people were sheltering. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUHANNED HADI, U.N. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY: There were 500 people in this school in September, and now there
are more than 1500 people. There are no access to bathroom. There is shortages of food. The situation is unbearable
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Unbearable, Muhanned said, and he joins us now live from Amman in Jordan.
Thank you for joining us. I know that you've just come out of Gaza where you visited Gaza City.
Muhanned, this was your first trip since Israel launched renewed military operations in northern Gaza about a month ago now. Now describe what you
saw on the ground where you were and how much has changed since your last trip well.
HADI: Thank you, Becky, for having me. The last time I was there was in September and then this week I managed to enter northern Gaza. I can tell
you there is a huge change in what I've seen in Gaza City. The school that I visited that you showed in your report, I haven't seen anything close to
this. And I have been in this business for 34 years now. I haven't seen anything like this.
That school with a maximum capacity of 500 people, it has now more than 1500 people inside it. People are now staying in the bathrooms. So
basically what the people in the classrooms are doing, they made a corner of the classroom as a bathroom, and they dug a hole in the wall so all
those sewage water is coming out. There is a pool of sewage water next to the school with garbage and solid waste in it, where children actually are
playing.
The school, the classrooms are just jammed with people on top of each other. And this is the first time I have to tell you where children
followed me to the car and adults asking for food, telling me that we are hungry. I have never seen anything, anything like that. It's really heart-
breaking. My colleagues and I were really devastated with what we saw in that school.
ANDERSON: Shocked even though you would have been, you know, informed by those colleagues who are on the ground regularly just what was going on. It
was still beyond imagination. That's what you're saying?
HADI: That's exactly what I am saying. I haven't seen anything like that in my career. And I worked in difficult places, Becky. The women I've talked
to, they told me that they are now shaving their heads because they have no access to shampoo. They don't have soap. They are very concerned about
their safety, about their children. They need an end to this war. When I asked them, what is it that you want, they said we want a ceasefire, but a
permanent ceasefire.
We want to end this feeling that we could die the next hour. We need to feel safe again. If we feel safe, then we can start rebuilding our lives.
ANDERSON: How much aid and supplies are getting into the area where you were?
HADI: First of all, in the entire Gaza Strip, October was the worst month. The World Food Programme only reached 20 percent of its intended
population. October wasn't any better. It was 30 percent. For northern Gaza, this is that the -- yesterday was the first time where we reached
Beit Hanoun. But unfortunately we couldn't enter into Beit Hanoun. We took a convoy of 11 trucks, one truck of water, 10 trucks of aid.
The convoy was held at the checkpoint for more than two hours. What happened is people came to the convoy and they took most of the food. After
that, the convoy continued with only one and a half trucks, but again couldn't reach the destination. Food is becoming, is becoming an issue. All
aid, all humanitarian aid is really a shortage.
[10:40:00]
Let me tell you a story after, when I moved from the north to the south, we stopped at a checkpoint where people were trying to cross Netzarim,
crossing to the south. We saw few families there, children, elderly, women. They made a sign to us that they wanted to drink water if we had any water.
So my team collected all the water and the food we had, and we gave them. We collected our lunch boxes, our snacks, and we gave them. The kids came
running to the car. They took whatever snacks we gave them.
I couldn't forget -- I can't forget one girl saying to her sister, I can't remember the last time I have seen an apple. You should have seen the look
at their faces when they saw an apple in the lunchbox that we gave them. Let alone they were without shoes. It's been difficult.
After that checkpoint, Becky, we proceeded to Gaza, 150 meters down the road. We just saw a body lying on the side of the road. My colleagues
stopped the convoy and told me, we will not keep this body for the dogs to eat. So they took a risk. Left their armored vehicle, put the body, put the
body in a body bag, tied it, tied it, tied the body bag on the hood of the U.N. vehicle and we drove for few kilometers until we found the Palestinian
Red Crescent and handed the body to them. This is something my colleagues in Gaza face every day.
ANDERSON: Back in October, the U.S. sent a letter to the Israeli government giving them 30 days to improve humanitarian access or face repercussions.
The deadline for that is next week.
Muhanned, here's what the U.S. State Department spokesman said about Israel's progress yesterday. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATHEW MILLER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We have seen Israel take a number of important steps over the past several weeks, including in just
the past few days. They reopened Erez Crossing, as you heard me report before, but they have also informed us that in the coming days, in the next
few days, they plan to open an additional new crossing at Kissufim.
They have approved additional delivery routes inside Gaza, which is something that is critical because, as you know, the problem has not only
been getting humanitarian assistance to the crossings but then getting it out of the crossings and getting it delivered to the people who need them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I realized that some of the steps that he just mentioned may have just happened, but from what you saw on the ground, do you expect any sort
of moves at this point that that he was just discussing there to improve the humanitarian situation significantly?
HADI: Becky, we as humanitarians are dealing with the results of failed politics. This is the consequences of the failed politics. For us as long
as one woman, one child, go to bed hungry, we have failed in our job as humanitarians. It's not about taking one or two steps. It's about ending
this war. It's about ending this madness. It's about providing aid to the people and protection.
It breaks my heart when people talk about trucks when it comes to Gaza. It's not about trucks. It's about people like us. It's about women and
children. It's about the protection. It's about gender based violence that we cannot load on trucks, Becky. It's about the exploitation that people
are going through. It's about more than 17,000 minors running in the streets of Gaza without any protection. Girls and boys. This is what it
boils down to. This has to end. We have waited for so long. We have asked for this many, many times. We sound like a broken record.
It's different when you go there, Becky. I wish you can have an opportunity to go there and witness that for yourself, and listen to the people, listen
to the women and the children. Listen how tension in -- I visited Khan Younis, one of the camps in Khan Younis. The stories that women told me,
how kids are terrified, when they hear a plane, when they hear a drone. The tension between the families just simply over having access to a bathroom.
A woman journey to a bathroom is a nightmare. Women, if they have access to drinking water, to safe drinking water, they think twice or three times,
including pregnant women. Should I drink this water? Because she knows if she drinks water, then there is a need to go to the bathroom and bathrooms
are an issue for those people.
[10:45:12]
ANDERSON: Muhanned, you are aware we've been reporting for some time that we can't Gaza and as international journalists the day that we can of
course we will be on the ground. And I'm ready to report from the ground. But it's opportunities like this that I get to speak to those of you who
have been and who can give us a real understanding of the situation on the ground. And for that, I thank you very much indeed. Thank you.
We're going to take a very short break. Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the FBI is investigating a spate of racist text messages being sent anonymously to people across the United States. Dozens of black
Americans, including children, were sent the offensive texts. One of them refers to slave catchers being sent after the recipient, and that they
would be made to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Well, these messages came just a day after the highly polarized presidential election.
CNN's Gabe Cohen joins me now live from Washington.
What's the latest that you are learning, Gabe?
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, first off, this is becoming much more widespread than we initially realized. We now have reports of
people getting these messages in at least two dozen states across the U.S. These texts are personalized, and many of them specifically target black
and brown individuals. Some of them children.
I want to put one of the texts back up on the screen to talk you through what we're seeing here. If we can get that text up. Several were sent to
us, this one included. You can see it's blurred out there, but the text has the person's name at the top of it, and then it references picking cotton
as you mentioned. It references slave catchers, plantations. And some of these messages specifically reference President-elect Donald Trump.
Now, to be clear, the Trump campaign tells us they have absolutely nothing to do with these messages. They denounce them. But as you know, many people
are on edge right now in these days since the election. We have a statement in from the president of the NAACP who said these messages represent an
alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of
fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday's election results.
So obviously, Becky, a lot of people are on edge right now. The big question here is, who's behind this and we don't have an answer at this
point.
ANDERSON: The investigation continues. Gabe, good to have you. Thank you.
Well, a wildfire in Southern California is destroying everything in its path.
[10:50:03]
It is already so ferocious. It's burnt thousands of hectares, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The conditions firefighters are
now facing just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Thousands of hectares burned and homes destroyed. More than 40,000 people are under evacuation orders in Southern California, as we
speak, as firefighters battle a massive wildfire there. These dry conditions and gusty winds fueled the Mountain Fire causing it to spread
very quickly and some residents say they barely made it out alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is like surreal. I mean, I know we live in a fire danger area, but this -- it came out of nowhere. It was so fast.
RICHARD GALANTE, LOST HOME IN MOUNTAIN FIRE: But I'm on 14 medicines for my heart and my stomach and all my -- everything got destroyed. We didn't have
time to do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, CNN's Camila Bernal is on the ground in Camarillo in California with an update if you will on the conditions there.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Becky. So we are seeing some progress thanks to the weather conditions, but just so much
devastation left behind. The sheriff saying this was just heartbreaking devastation. They had teams yesterday, 10 teams going around home by home.
They went to about 300 of them. And unfortunately at least 132, they found like the one you see here behind me everything is gone. You know, it's hard
to even point out what's left of this home. You can see the entrance here behind me and you can see the chimney still standing but the rest is all
gone.
So they found 132 structures that are completely destroyed and 88 others that are damaged. And authorities say this work of assessing the damage is
not done yet. So that means those numbers could still go up. So the piece of good news is the weather conditions. We had red flag warnings in place
in the low and in the high areas. Right now, only the red flag warning is in place for the mountains, and that's going to be in place until about
11:00 a.m. local time. So there is that light at the end of the tunnel.
An official saying they're going to try to do everything they can while the weather is cooperating before it changes again. But they also say that
there's a lot of unknowns and things that could change and could continue to make this firefighting even more difficult. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS SHOOTS, FIRE CAPTAIN, PIO: The challenge is with this red flag going away, which is a great thing. We now have that onshore push. And so there's
areas of the fire that haven't been wind-tested in the same way because the wind has been pushing those embers into the fire. So for example, the
northeast portions of the fire are now going to see that wind pushing it into potentially unburned fuel.
So a huge priority to get those buttoned up, make sure those are good but we are going to be able to make a lot of good progress out on the ground,
in the air cooling down those hotspots and trying to keep it from spreading.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERNAL: So containment right now is at 5 percent. And you heard there from CalFire, they're expecting more progress today. So we are expecting that
number to continue to go up. Again, they want to do everything they can now before next week because what happens next week is those red flag warnings,
those Santa Ana Winds, will come back.
[10:55:01]
They're in the forecast. And so the idea is to get everything they can so that they could be in better shape come next week. They've been working
around the clock and they have been able to make progress in the air. They flew the helicopters and the airplanes overnight during those water and
retardant drops. And so again, they feel that things are improving but it's still very early. It's still 5 percent containment. People are not allowed
to come back into their homes just yet.
So they are still telling people to continue to be careful, Becky.
ANDERSON: And we heard from people who are frightened and frankly exhausted admitting that they or conceding that they live in an area that is, you
know, is -- has a fire risk. But ultimately do residents feel that this area is now sustainable for living? Very briefly.
BERNAL: You know, Becky, a lot of people come back and they see the destruction, but they say, I will rebuild. That's really the sentiment from
a lot of the people that live in this area. So you're likely going to see people stay here.
ANDERSON: It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed.
And it is good to have you wherever you have been watching. It's always good to have you on board. You've been watching CONNECT THE WORLD with me,
Becky Anderson. From the team working with me here in Abu Dhabi and those working with us around the world, it is a very good evening.
Stay with CNN, "NEWSROOM" with Rahel is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
