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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Secret U.S. Effort to Restart Iran Nuclear Talks; Aid Deliveries Face New Hurdles as Hunger Lingers in Gaza. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 27, 2025 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: $30 billion to build a civilian energy producing nuclear program, easing sanctions and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds. What do you make of that?

H.A. HELLYER, SENIOR ASSOCIATE FELLOW, ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: Well, good morning, Becky, and always a pleasure to be on the program. I think that all of these reports indicate that there are different attempts being made to try to get some sort of political dividend out of the past two weeks. It's not clear how far along any of this is.

Iran was in a very difficult position. It continues to be in a difficult position in terms of the options that it has going forward. And if the Trump administration actually does try to restart talks, it's going to have a difficult time with Tehran, because of course, they've just dropped the largest non-nuclear element in their arsenal on Iran.

But that doesn't mean it's impossible. I think that you have some room for maneuver here, because the Iranians are in an incredibly weak position. They don't have many allies. They don't have many friends in the region that are going to help in this regard. And striking the Al Udeid base in Qatar, even though it's an American base, it's still on Qatari territory, I think it really sent a very poor signal to the Gulf. Even though the Gulf didn't want this war, still doesn't want war, wants a deal, and was not urging along any sort of escalation by the United States or Israel, on the contrary, really pushing back against it.

But I think it sent a very poor message to the Gulf. And it means that Iran is really quite isolated. So it's possible, but I think they're going to have a very difficult time in getting the Iranians to the table.

ANDERSON: Now, just to that point, I want to play for you and our viewers something the Israeli Defense Minister said about the conflict that has just apparently ended in this ceasefire and a potential target of the IDF during that 12-day war. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ISRAEL KATZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): He was a legitimate target for elimination in order to achieve the operation's goals, but it wasn't possible this time around. Still, I wouldn't recommend that he become complacent. He should learn from the old Nasrallah, from the long period he spent deep in a bunker.

I suggest he do the same, because we have pulled the fangs out of the snake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: He being the supreme leader, H.A., this is not surprising language from Katz. I think many would agree. But coming as it does now, how likely is it, if at all, to impact Iran's decision to get back to the negotiating table with Israel's ally, the United States?

HELLYER: So this isn't a long-running sort of problem, Becky, because the issue with engaging with the United States on issues like this is that I think the region at large knows that Israel operates in the region only with the presumption that they're basically underwritten by Washington D.C., which is correct, and that if Washington D.C. wanted to hold the Israelis back, for instance, in Gaza or in Lebanon or in Syria or anywhere else for that matter, then they could do so. And the United States has displayed the ability to do that when it so chooses.

So, for example, the ceasefire arrangement between the Israelis and the Iranians, the United States President Donald Trump was visibly very annoyed that the Israelis seemed not to be taking full notice of it, and he ended that incredibly quickly.

So I think that when the Israelis make statements like this, the understanding in Tehran, but also just generally in the region, is that they're doing so thinking it's not going to get them to hot water with the United States. And I think that that really destroys or at least, you know, terribly degrades any sort of trust within, not simply Tehran, which by the way is a very nefarious actor, but we want them to come to the negotiation table.

It really destroys any trust that the United States is going to be consistent in how they pursue negotiations.

ANDERSON: You talked about the region and how it views this government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Very specifically, the region has quite some views on this Prime Minister. It supports most of the world's determination to get a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages.

[04:35:00]

The Israeli Prime Minister has talked about a quote, window of opportunity at this point. Qatar, hopeful that talks could be back on. Of course, Qatar a key mediator in getting this ceasefire deal done between Israel and Iran. Do you see that ceasefire as now an opportunity to expand for peace in Gaza? HELLYER: So the last 20 months have led to the most devastating war on Gaza. Just over the past few weeks, you've literally seen hundreds of unarmed civilians being killed in Gaza while they're going to get food. I mean, it's extraordinary that we talk about a literal hunger games, but that's exactly what's been happening in Gaza as Palestinian civilians are trying to get food.

And it's been ongoing, not simply once or twice, but, you know, quite a number of literal massacres of people just trying to get food in a very, very horrible situation. So any movement towards a ceasefire would be, of course, terribly welcome. But I don't see any change in the calculus in terms of what's been going on in Gaza for the past 20 months.

The Israelis are very clear that their solution for Gaza is a massive reduction of the Palestinian population of Gaza. The defense ministry has a department that is trying to create options for people to leave. They call it voluntary migration.

I think everybody else that looks at these sorts of things calls it ethnic cleansing, because there's nothing voluntary about trying to flee such a horribly stricken territory as a result of war and famine. That's not voluntary. So I don't think that anything has really changed as a result of the past two weeks when it comes to Gaza.

You don't have a change in the Israeli position in how it deals with that occupied territory. And of course, it is an occupied territory going back to 1967. There isn't a change in terms of how they would allow for Palestinians to govern Gaza in any future scenario. I don't think there's a change in how the mediators are seeing the future.

Everything is pretty much where it was before this recent escalation with Iran took place, which is in a very bad position indeed. We're coming into the 21st month of this war in Gaza, an incredibly horrible (INAUDIBLE), and I don't see any recognition that this is going to change anytime soon.

ANDERSON: H.A., it's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed, H.A. Hellyer, joining us from London.

And still ahead, how aid distribution faces new hurdles in an enclave that is desperately short of food. That is up next.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, at least 15 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a market in central Gaza. Local health officials and several others were injured on Thursday. The market was reportedly crowded as food in Gaza remains hard to find.

Only a fraction of the amount needed is now said to be coming in. Israel has been keeping a tight lid on more aid. Thursday, the controversial Israeli-backed aid group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, was the only one allowed to distribute food. Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, but major UN relief groups say there's no evidence that a significant amount of food is being stolen. The White House is now funneling another $30 million to that foundation.

Well, for more, we're joined now by Rosalia Bollen, a spokesperson for UNICEF, who will be headed herself to Gaza soon. She's in Oisterwijk in the Netherlands. First, thank you for joining us.

You are in touch with the teams who are currently on the ground, and you've shared some footage that they have sent you, and we'll show our viewers that. Can you just describe what they are witnessing at this point?

ROSALIA BOLLEN, SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF GAZA: What they are witnessing is that we've almost entered a new phase of this war. That's at least what it feels like. We're really at the worst point that we've ever been at in this humanitarian crisis of over 20 months.

And that is not just because of the incessant bombardments and the displacements. Currently, less than 18 percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip is not under displacement order or not designated as a military zone. But it's really because of the combination of hunger and thirst.

And these images that we see coming out of Gaza, people having to risk their lives to get their hands on a little bit of food. Everyone that my colleagues come across is hungry, is thirsty.

[04:45:00]

The water production facilities are operating roughly at 50 percent capacity because since electricity was cut off from the Gaza Strip at the beginning of this war, these facilities are completely reliant on fuel to desalinate water, to pump water up and then also to distribute it.

And fuel is as scarce as anything else in the Gaza Strip today. So we're looking at this situation of engineered man-made scarcity that has driven population really into panic and into despair.

My colleague, James, just two weeks ago interviewed children who had gotten injured very badly actually at food distribution sites. Some of these children have sadly passed away in the meantime because healthcare is also not really available anymore. Hospitals are just overwhelmed by the constant inflow of wounded and there's a shortage of everything. Medicines, medical equipment, medical supplies.

So that's why we're humanitarians. Any humanitarian you'll talk to today will tell you that the situation has reached a new low. We're really hitting rock bottom. And key is here that it doesn't have to be this way.

We have supplies ready to bring in. Specialized nutrition supplies, hygiene supplies, nappies for babies, sanitary pads for women and girls. But we're not authorized to bring all of those supplies in. And we're also only authorized to bring in limited quantities, very select supplies. So this is what is really exacerbating the crisis.

ANDERSON: On the other side of the -- on the other side of the border, of course. Yes, and that then sits on the other side of the border, just a very short distance away from those who need it most, which is the madness of this.

And Israeli source tells CNN that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the GHF, was the only one allowed to distribute aid on Thursday. But this is not a mechanism that has been supported by UN agencies who have real issues with it. Does your agency have anything to do in supporting that mechanism? And what is your assessment of the GHF operation?

BOLLEN: I mean, UNICEF, just like other UN agencies, is not able to join these GHF operations. It's for a whole host of reasons, really. First off, it's unsafe. The way that they distribute is unsafe. They practically have a limited quantity of food that they put out somewhere in the open, in front of a crowd of people. And they essentially tell the crowd, OK, go serve yourself.

And what you see is the law of the strongest prevailing. You have thousands of people rushing at these supplies. It's unsafe. People are being shot at. It's unfair, because obviously if you're, say you're a young, healthy man, you're going to stand a good chance at getting something. You can run fast, you can fight with other people.

If you're a pregnant woman, if you're sick, if you're a child, if you're, I don't know, you're 50, 60 plus, how are you supposed to compete with that? It's also ineffective, because they have four points in Southern Gaza with limited quantities. So it's by far insufficient to address the needs of people.

UNICEF alone, we have hundreds of points throughout Gaza where we're operational. We have 70 temporary learning spaces. We have over 125 malnutrition treatment points that are currently active and operational.

We use those type of sites where we already implement services. We already provide informal education. We already do malnutrition screening there. So people in any event are coming there for services. So we're using those points to also distribute supplies. Children who go to a temporary learning center are going to receive a high energy biscuit or a bar of soap.

Parents who come for their child to be screened, if the child is found to be suffering from acute malnutrition, they are going to receive therapeutic products. So they don't have to walk for kilometers because these points are embedded in the communities. So it's a very different concept, a very different mindset of operating.

It's dignified, it's safe, it's fast, it's close to the community. And for that reason, we can't participate in another effort, yes.

ANDERSON: Yes, Rosalia Bollen, who is, as I understand it, getting ready to deploy to Gaza for UNICEF. Thank you very much indeed for joining us and getting us your perspective and certainly the images and perspective of the teams that you have on the ground there in Gaza.

[04:50:43]

We will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well, a rare daytime fireball lit up the skies in the U.S. Southeast on Thursday. Residents across several states reported seeing this phenomenon, which experts believe may have been caused by a meteor.

CNN's Allison Chinchar with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Around lunchtime Thursday, just behind me here in Atlanta, a fireball lit up the skyline, not just in Georgia, but also nearby states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, and even Tennessee.

[04:55:00]

Now this fireball is an exceptionally bright meteor, so bright that it could be seen even during the daylight hours, thanks in part due to clear blue skies in every single one of those states.

Now a fireball specifically can be seen over a widespread area. That's why you saw so many states sending in reports. And those reports, initially, even right after it happened, the American Meteor Society had more than 100 reports of the fireball.

In addition to that, there were also reports of a sonic boom, which, yes, can be generated by a fireball.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, thanks for joining us THIS hour. I'm Becky Anderson. I'll be back with more news after this.

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