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Isa Soares Tonight

International Court Of Justice Orders Israel To Limit Harm In Gaza; U.S. Pauses Funding For UNRWA; Ninety Three-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Tells Her Story; Videos Show People With White Flags Being Shot In Gaza; Hamas Releases New Video Teasing Fate Of Three Female Israeli Hostages; Alabama Carries Out First Known Nitrogen Gas Execution. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired January 26, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ISA SOARES, HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the United Nations top court tells Israel, it must limit

harm to Palestinians in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. Will Israel respect the ICJ's ruling? We'll be asking that very question.

And then the U.S. pauses funding for a major U.N. agency operating inside Gaza after startling allegations. Some of his staffers were involved on the

October the 7th attack. Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERA SCHAUFELD, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: I hoped that, that would mean end of genocide.

SOARES: Do you think humanity has learned from it?

SCHAUFELD: I wish I could say I feel it has, but when you look at the world, I don't think we have learned very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Much needed wisdom and humanity in these times of conflict. My chat with Vera Schaufeld, a 93-year-old holocaust survivor on her

incredible story and the state of the war today. But first this evening, we are following two major stories for you this hour. The U.N.'s top court,

the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.

Friday's decision by the court is not a ruling on whether Israel's actions constitute genocide. The court also stopped short of calling for a

ceasefire. We were live in The Hague in just a few moments.

But first, two new reporting about a major U.N. agency that operates inside Gaza, as we told you at the top of the show in what is a stunning

allegation, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency is firing several staff members accused of being involved in the October the 7th Hamas

attacks on Israel.

CNN has reached out to the agency as well as to the Israeli authorities for more details about the alleged involvement of workers. In response to the

accusations, the U.S. State Department says it is pausing additional funding for UNRWA. Our chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt

joins us now from Washington.

And Alex, these are indeed startling allegations. Do we know at this point the nature of what the start of the UNRWA staff as involvement here?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Isa, none of these parties, UNRWA, Israel or the United States for that matter are

saying exactly what these staffers did on October 7th. UNRWA isn't putting a number on it either, although according to the U.S., we understand that's

112 staffers, a dozen staffers.

But UNRWA taking immediate action, saying that they are investigating these staffers, that their contracts have been terminated. There is quite a bit

of animosity by Israel directed towards UNRWA. But for the time being, Israel isn't offering any more details. We did hear from the Defense

Minister.

Yoav Gallant who wrote on Twitter that these humanitarian workers, and he put that in quotes just to speak to that animosity, he said that they have

blood on their hands, but UNRWA not wasting any time. They know that their credibility is on the line, that they know that their focus needs to be

getting this aid into Gaza.

Such a desperate situation primarily in southern Gaza, we want the secretary -- that on the State Department side, the Secretary of State,

Antony Blinken, he learned about this from UNRWA on Wednesday, that additional detail that we've gotten is that there are 12 staffers involved

according to the United States.

And after UNRWA put out their statement earlier today, it was announced by UNRWA, the State Department very quickly put out a statement of their own

announcing this pause in --

SOARES: Yes --

MARQUARDT: Additional funding, exactly what that amount is, and we don't know that either. There's still a lot to find out, Isa.

SOARES: Right, so we don't know how much that is, but what it's critical and we know there is animosity. We have reported on this. We have seen

that, but it's also important to point out here, Alex, that UNRWA is a critical agency, right? And not just in times of war, talk to that.

MARQUARDT: Absolutely. Yes, I mean, it is one of the biggest suppliers, purveyors of aid in Gaza at all times. It is one of the biggest employers

in Gaza. I've spent time in Gaza both during war and during peace times, there are UNRWA schools all over the place, UNRWA clinics, all kinds of aid

is given out and medication.

[14:05:00]

You know, right now, food, there are UNRWA shelters that are bursting at the scenes in southern Gaza. And beyond Gaza, you have UNRWA working with

Palestinians on Palestinian issues in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Jordan and in Syria. UNRWA has not been spared the incredible levels of death that

we have seen during this conflict. Some one hundred --

SOARES: Yes --

MARQUARDT: And fifty of their staffers have been killed. So clearly, the United States wants to get back to working with UNRWA as a vital partner in

terms of getting aid into Gaza. But they can't, of course, ignore these very serious allegations.

I want to read part of the State Department's spokesman's statement earlier today, Matt Miller saying "we welcome the decision to conduct an

investigation, and Secretary General Gutierrez pledged to take decisive action to respond should the allegations prove accurate".

There must be complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks of October 7th. So certainly, this is severely damaging to

the agency at a time when the work that they are undertaking is so vital. Isa.

SOARES: So vital, so critical indeed. Alex Marquardt there for us, appreciate it. Thank you, Alex. Well, the news about UNRWA came just hours

after an International Court of Justice issued a landmark-ruling ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza.

It rejected Israel's request to throw out the case brought by South Africa, but did not call for a ceasefire. The court hasn't actually ruled yet on

whether genocide is taking place in Gaza, but says the catastrophic humanitarian situation requires emergency measures before it even gets

worse. Well, a Palestinian official says its decision means the cries and suffering of our people have been heard.

Israel's Prime Minister calls it a vile attempt to deny Israel the right to self-defense in its war on Hamas. Our Melissa Bell joins us now live from

The Hague with more. And Melissa, it seems that both sides seem to be claiming the ICJ, their ruling as a victory. You have been following this

case from the very beginning. Just break down for us and for our viewers, what we heard from Judge Joan Donoghue.

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, although as you mentioned a moment ago, the ceasefire was never mentioned, everything short

of that really was going very largely in South Africa's direction. In fact, that's what we've heard in response from the South African Foreign

Minister, that if Israel is to abide by the ruling we heard handed down here in The Hague earlier today.

Essentially, it's going to have to suspend its military campaign. And it was a bio-fill(ph) -- fairly unanimously that these judges ruled on these

measures. Again, that went much further, I think, than many of us watching these proceedings over the last couple of weeks it'd imagine that the court

would go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOAN DONOGHUE, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE: In the court's view, at least some of the acts and omissions alleged by South Africa to

have been committed by Israel in Gaza appear to be capable of falling within the provisions of the convention.

BELL (voice-over): The world's top court declaring that it will move forward with South Africa's case against Israel, in which Israel is accused

of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention with its military response in Gaza after the October 7th Hamas attacks.

DONOGHUE: The Palestinians appear to constitute a distinct national, ethnical, racial or religious group, and hence, a protected group within

the meaning of Article 2 of the Genocide Convention.

BELL: Created in response to the Second World War, the International Court of Justice is the judicial backbone of the United Nations. Its judges now

ruling that it does have jurisdiction over the case and issuing emergency measures on Friday, but stopping short of calling for a ceasefire.

DONOGHUE: Israel must take measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to the

members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip. The court further considers that Israel must ensure with immediate effect that its military

forces do not commit any of the aforementioned acts.

BELL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the outcome as a vile attempt to deny his country the right to defend itself.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: The charge of genocide leveled against Israel is not only false, is outrageous.

BELL: However, among the provisional measures, the court ruling that Netanyahu needs to ensure that humanitarian aid can enter the Strip.

A ruling desperately needed by a population that's been pushed past the brink of starvation, their homes further reduced to rubble with every

passing hour.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There's no safe area, where shall we go?

[14:10:00]

Stop the war. It is enough! We are drained. Everyone is drained. Children are gone. Adults are gone. Everyone is gone and the world is watching.

BELL (on camera): What the world was watching this Friday was what was going to come from this court. And as the case here could last for years.

This initial ruling is considered significant, even if it fall slightly short of what South Africa had been hoping for.

NALEDI PANDOR, MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, SOUTH AFRICA: In exercising the order, there would have to be a ceasefire, without it the

order doesn't actually work.

NADIA SLIMI, CO-ORGANIZER OF PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTEST: It feels like a victory in a significant milestone and a step in the right direction in the

liberation of the Palestinian people. In a way, it is also very disappointing that the court did not rule in favor for an immediate

ceasefire at this time.

BELL (voice-over): And yet, the pressure on Israel now undeniable as the U.N.'s top court rules that it is plausible the genocidal acts are being

committed in Gaza, and that, that, must stop.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL: You know, ahead of this court case being brought, Isa, when we heard both the statements from the South African lawyers earlier this month,

followed the next day by three hours of statements by the Israeli lawyers defending Israel's case.

When this all began, the South Africans had explained that what their point was that, was that in this war with so much emotion on all sides, it wanted

the facts to be laid out before the world. And for this to be put before a court, that the sort of sober eye of justice could be cast upon it.

And in the words of the presiding judge today, what this ruling does is, it creates legal obligations on Israel, and that is something U.N.

significant, Isa.

SOARES: Melissa Bell there for us at The Hague. Thanks very much, Melissa. Well, let's get more now on this ruling. We're joined by CNN senior

international correspondent David McKenzie, who comes to us from Johannesburg, you can see there.

We're also joined by CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson in Tel Aviv. David, let me go to you first, a decisive victory says South

Africa. But as you heard Melissa say, the ICJ stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. What kind of pressure here can South Africa apply? That South

Africa believe that Netanyahu who will comply with the measures that have been put forward.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they said that they didn't expect necessarily that Israel -- and that's according to

the Foreign Minister would comply in the letter to these actions. But they did hope, in her words, that strong friends of Israel might apply pressure,

of course --

SOARES: Yes --

MCKENZIE: Alluding to the United States. So there is a sense that this is a binding order, which it is. There's a call from South Africa to quote,

"not frustrate the application of the order from the Israelis." I think it's worth mentioning the long history of solidarity of the South African

government, and in particularly, the ruling ANC towards the Palestinian people.

This is not something that came out of nowhere. There has been years stretching back to at least Nelson Mandela of South Africa supporting the

Palestinian cause. This seems like in some ways, a culmination of that support. Here's the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, PRESIDENT, SOUTH AFRICA: We as South Africans will not be passive bystanders and watch the crimes that were visited upon us being

perpetrated upon other people elsewhere. We stand on the side of freedom for all. We stand on the side of justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKENZIE: Well, certainly the ruling party sees their deep parallels between their own experience during apartheid here and that of the

Palestinian people in the current conflict. That is something of course, that Israel has repeatedly denied that there's any connection between the

two. But this is seen as a victory here in South Africa by the government and its lawyers for at least putting on the table some of these

allegations. It will be a long process --

SOARES: Yes --

MCKENZIE: To actually get to some kind of resolution of this case. And it is worth mentioning that even the Foreign Minister of South Africa said

that it's important that Hamas release the hostages that it has taken immediately. Isa.

SOARES: Do stay with us, David, let me go to Nic in Tel Aviv. And Nic, following that ruling, I'm sure you heard Prime Minister Netanyahu, he

basically said they will continue taking the measures that he says Israel is already abiding by. To me, that suggests that he won't -- we won't be

seeing any change in the way the Israeli government is conducting its operations in Gaza.

What more are you hearing from the Israelis, and what pressure critically does this ICJ ruling put on, not just on Israel, but what David was saying

there, on its allies, its biggest supporter, the United States.

[14:15:00]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I mean, Prime Minister Netanyahu saying that Israel already respects international law,

which obviously, this binding ruling they will have to adhere her too, but there is no enforcement mechanism.

SOARES: Yes --

ROBERTSON: And saying that Israel already as the rulings have said, should take better care for saving civilian lives, not to call -- not to cause

death, not to cause physical or mental trauma, all of those things. So yes, I think what we heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu was him telling the

world, we're doing that already.

I think what we heard from some of the other ministers, perhaps, also gives a tone and a flavor of the general sense of feeling, which is that Israel

wasn't told to cease the war, which have -- which would have had much greater consequences. So from the Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, for

example, saying that Israel doesn't need a lecture on the morality of choosing -- distinguishing between terrorists and civilians.

And the Foreign Minister saying, again that we've heard before that the charges of genocide are false, and this is an abuse of the genocide

conventions. These are things we've heard before. So you're hearing pushback from Israeli officials, and I think that sets the tone that if

someone is going to make a difference, it is going to be Israel's partners over time, putting pressure on them, a test will come not in the immediate

days, but that month point where Israel is supposed to submit a report on what it's done.

And at that point, is there then some judgment about what further action U.N. Security Council Resolution, et cetera, could be taken. It doesn't

feel as if it's going to have an immediate effect. And that's obviously what the people of Gaza were looking for.

SOARES: Indeed, Nic Robertson for us there and our David McKenzie, thank you to you both. And still to come tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHAUFELD: We have looked at and waved goodbye. And that's the last time I saw my family.

SOARES: These are some of the pictures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: A harrowing account of escaping the holocaust. Small form, kindertransport refugee Vera Schaufeld on her history and her hope for

humanity. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:00]

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Right now, the world is grappling with multiple crises, conflicts that were brutally started, had been renewed or

escalated. At times, western leaders have struggled to find the clarity of thought. Well, as the world marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, I saw the

wisdom of Vera Schaufeld; a 93-year-old holocaust survivor who fled Nazi- occupied Europe as a child. Just listen as she offers us all a lesson in humanity.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES (on camera): And this is your passport.

(voice-over): Vera Schaufeld was just nine years old when her parents sent her to England.

SCHAUFELD: Totally bewildering(ph).

SOARES: It was May 1939 after Adolf Hitler's Nazi troops invaded her homeland.

SCHAUFELD: Czechoslovakia was a safe country for Jewish people. These are some of the pictures.

SOARES: Now, aged 93, her journey and her escape from Hitler's wrath is being retold in the motion picture, "One Life".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are working to evacuate these children by train to safety in Britain.

SOARES: Vera was one of 669 children who made it to England, thanks to the work of British stockbroker, Nicholas Winton, moved by the horrific

situation he had seen in Prague. Winton organized a rescue operation for children in what's now known as the kindertransport program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ordinary people wouldn't stand for this if they knew what was actually happening.

SOARES: He managed against the odds to get eight trainloads of children out. The ninth one never made it.

SCHAUFELD: We just looked out and waved goodbye. And that is the last time I saw my family. I felt really scared, I felt, you know, nobody is going to

come and collect me -- to our darling.

SOARES: Vera was hopeful she'll be reunited with her family until she and the world learned the true extent of the atrocities under Hitler, the

slaughter of 6 million Jews in concentration camps.

SCHAUFELD: I heard from the Red Cross that my parents, my grandmother, and all my family weren't alive anymore.

SOARES: How old were you at that point?

SCHAUFELD: I was 14.

SOARES: A teenager with only words and memories to hold on to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is there anyone in the audience tonight who owes their life to Nicholas Winton?

SOARES: Vera and the other kindertransport children had no idea who saved them until a TV show nearly 50 years later.

SCHAUFELD: I didn't know if somebody had organized and made it possible for me to come and for all of this.

SOARES: Despite the trauma she had lived through, Vera committed herself to a life of service, sharing her story to preserve the memory of the

holocaust.

SCHAUFELD: I hope that, that would mean end of genocide. You know, people kept saying, never again, but yes, I mean, it's gone on and on.

SOARES: Do you think humanity has learned from it?

SCHAUFELD: I wish I could say, I feel it has. But when you look at the world, I don't think we have learned very much.

SOARES: You would have seen also after the horrendous attacks committed by Hamas on October the 7th, that we saw a sharp rise in anti-Semitism?

SCHAUFELD: Yes.

SOARES: Across Europe. But we have also seen such horrendous death toll in Gaza.

SCHAUFELD: Yes --

SOARES: Who is responsible for this?

SCHAUFELD: Well, I think Netanyahu and the government. Hamas really started it, planned it, and that was horrendous. But this is a reaction

that goes, I think very far.

SOARES: A clarity many leaders struggled to formulate. A wisdom Nikki(ph) shared with Vera before he died.

SCHAUFELD: People who listen, learn history. And people don't learn anything from history. They learn when they have empathy for other people,

that's when they understand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: And our thanks to Vera for taking the time to retell her story. And as you just saw, "One Life" brings the incredible story of the

kindertransport to the big screen. I spoke with the film's producer, Joanna Laurie, who told me that while part of history, their story is still

relevant now, and now, it doesn't need repeating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOANNA LAURIE, FILM PRODUCER: First of all, it's an incredible story. Is the kind of --

SOARES: Yes --

LAURIE: Story that when you either show people that famous YouTube clip, they get this sort of tingles. Even if you described people in that clip,

some people start welling up, it's incredibly powerful, it's hugely emotional.

[14:25:00]

And I think as a producer, when you come across one of those stories, you realize it has the power in a cinematic form to carry the story forward to

a new audience. People who might not know it, but who should. And I think it has, above all else, is really uplifting, inspiring thing that is a

dream for someone like me to be able to tell something historic, but make it seem relevant now. And you just look around the news, what's happening

now?

SOARES: And that was going to be my question. It's more relevant now, more than ever with all the crises the world is facing. What he showed was such

heart and humanity in a moment where many weren't even focusing on those poor children. The interest was something --

LAURIE: Yes --

SOARES: Elsewhere, or the reality of what Hitler was planning -- had a mean -- very clear at that point. Do you think it's relevant to today in

the crisis that we are seeing around the world.

LAURIE: I think especially now is Holocaust Memorial Day this weekend. And through all of the work that we've done on the film, it's only to clear

that, it's a story that needs constant repeating for remembering the history that happened, but also because if you look left or right, there

are crises that are different, that involve different groups of people.

But it's the same kind of underlying story, and Nick, this is great wish, was just to treat people with compassion. And if we all can move slightly

closer towards that thought process, the world might be a slightly better place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: And that was part of my conversation with Joanna Laurie; the producer of the film, "One Life". The film is currently showing in the U.K.

and Europe and will hit theaters in the West in mid-March. And still to come tonight, CNN's Clarissa Ward speaks to the daughter of a woman shot

and killed while fleeing in Gaza. We'll have that exclusive report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:44]

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Social media videos show Palestinians in Gaza being shot while waving flags and trying to flee. Among them, a

grandmother shot. She held her grandson's hand. In his other hand, he had a white flag.

CNN's Clarissa Ward has this report. And a warning, some of the following images are difficult to watch, but they are important to show the full

picture of events as they unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

These are the last moments of Hala Khreis's life. You can see her here, leading a group of 30 odd people. They wave white flags, a plea for safe

passage out of their neighborhood now surrounded by Israeli forces. She holds the hand of her 5-year-old grandson, Taim, tightly and then suddenly.

Little Taim quickly runs away as her son, the Hamid, rushes towards her.

If you slow the video down, you can see Hala start to turn just before she is shot, as if she had caught sight of something. From the angle of her

fall and the movement of the fleeing group, it is clear that the bullet came from the west or the south. CNN has geo-located the intersection.

Hamid told us when he reached his mother, he looked up and saw two Israeli tanks ahead of him to the south. And just 200 meters to the west, we know

Israeli troops were stationed at the new Gaza Prep School for Boys, as captured here in satellite images and a photograph published on November

12th, the day Hala was killed.

SARA KHREIS (through translator): It's really hard for me to look at the pictures, but I try to remember the beautiful gatherings that we used to

share together.

WARD (voice-over): Hala's 18-year-old daughter, Sara, was further back in the group. Now safely in Istanbul, she tells us the family had agonized

over whether to leave their home. But after two nights of the most intense bombardment yet, decided to move.

KHREIS (through translator): I remember that my mom, after we all sat down and discussed, she got up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast for

everyone in the house. When she was making breakfast, she also went to pray a Duha prayer. It's really hard. Really hard.

WARD: Take your time.

KHREIS (through translator): My mother was my whole life. She was my friend and my everything.

WARD (voice-over): She wants Hala to be remembered as she was in life, a devoted grandmother who still made Sara's sandwiches to take to university

for lunch, a retired Arabic literature teacher, beloved by her students and family. The months before October 7th have been the happiest of times for

the family, celebrating Sara's engagement and the Hamid's graduation from university.

KHREIS (through translator): My mother was going to be 58 years old on December 30th and had her grandson with her, so why would you shoot her?

What's between you and her? You made us feel like it's safe to leave. We had white flags on our hands, so what happened? Nobody knows. Nobody knows.

WARD (voice-over): It is a question many are asking, as more videos have emerged of unarmed civilians displaying white flags apparently shot dead.

The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor tells CNN they are investigating nine such incidents. We analyzed four. The most widely

reported is the shooting of the three Israeli hostages, who the IDF admitted killing under the mistaken impression that their surrender was a

trap. The most recent incident, just this week in Mawasi in southern Gaza.

[14:35:04]

51-year-old Ramzi Abu Sahlool says he is trying to get back to the house where his brother is being held by Israeli forces to plead for his release.

The camera zooms in on two Israeli tanks beyond a berm. A drone can be heard overhead. Ramzi and four other family members move tentatively

forward, hands in the air, white flag held high, then suddenly a burst of gunfire. Ramzi falls to the ground. If you slow down the video, you can see

the impact of the first round against the wall, clearly fired from the direction of the tanks. The men hastily drag Ramzi's body away. The white

flag now soaked in blood. His wife runs after him, but he is already dead.

Another video obtained by CNN was recorded by journalist Rami Abu Jamus on November 10th. He says the IDF ordered his family to evacuate their home

and to carry white flags. As they walk, gunshots can be heard. On the other side of the street, a man is wailing over the body of his dead son. "I told

you let's stay home, my son." He says over and over, still clutching his white flag. "If only we had stayed home."

Around the corner, two more people shot, also carrying white flags. CNN cannot say who fired the shots. We sent the coordinates of all the

incidents to the IDF and repeatedly asked for comment. Hala Khreis was buried in a shallow grave in a small alleyway next to the family home, her

gravestone written in chalk. Her family hopes there will be justice for her killing and a proper burial when this war is finally over.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Heartbreaking piece there from our Clarissa Ward and team. And Clarissa joins me now from Jerusalem. And Clarissa, the question I was

asking myself, and no doubt our viewers were too, is that question that Sara asked in that piece, why shot her? What happened?

The IDF, as you know, as you have seen, has stated on our air and on multiple occasions that they'd do everything possible to protect civilians,

to minimize harm to civilians is what we hear.

These cases that you've just highlighted there, Clarissa, just fly in the face of that. So, what are they saying? Are they investigating?

WARD (on camera): So I should be clear, Isa, that the second we arrived in Israel, and we flew here, by the way, in order to sit down with them, in

order to go through our footage and our findings and talk through the investigation and give them the opportunity to really explain what had

happened with these incidents, they basically declined to meet with us and then only several hours after this report first aired did they finally come

back to us with a statement and I'll read it out now for our viewers.

"CNN refused to provide the footage in question prior to the broadcasting of the article as the IDF had requested to receive in order to thoroughly

examine the incident and provide any sort of comprehensive response. CNN's hesitancy to share the materials discloses the partial nature of their

report, doing a disservice to the complex nature of the operational reality on the ground. The incident is being examined."

What's interesting about this, Isa, is a number of things. First of all, just to reiterate, we did reach out to them multiple times. We did offer

many times to go in person, sit down and show them all the footage and they declined that opportunity. But secondly, in this statement, they don't even

specify which of the four incidents that we touch upon in this report they're talking about. And it's important to remember the shooting in

Mawasi, which happened earlier this week, is relatively recent. So, they haven't had as much time to look into that.

But the reporting of the other incidents, Hala Khreis, that video is three weeks old now. And the video you saw that was captured by Rami Abu Jamus,

which aired in an incredibly powerful report by Jomana Karadsheh. Jomana her team had reached out multiple times to the IDF back in November, never

even received a reply. And same with CNN's efforts to get a reply weeks ago about the Hala incident as well, the killing of Hala Khreis. So, still no

real sense as to why these shootings happened and how they can be prevented from ever happening again, Isa.

[14:40:02]

SOARES: And I have no doubt that you will keep pressing them, Clarissa. Clarissa Ward there for us in Jerusalem. Thank you, Clarissa.

And just a short time ago, Hamas released a new video of three female Israeli hostages, A video which we are not showing opens by teasing the

fate of the hostages with a message reading, "time is running out," more than 107 days have passed before it's too late. Then the video shows

heavily edited clips of each of the three women speaking. It is not immediately possible to verify when and where it was filmed. We are keeping

across the story. As soon as there are more developments, we of course will bring it to you.

Still to come tonight, an execution in the U.S. state of Alabama is facing criticism in Washington and elsewhere. We have the details for you just

ahead. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Well, the White House is calling one state's execution of a death for an inmate troubling. Thursday night, Alabama executed Kenneth Smith

with nitrogen gas. He was sentenced to death for his role in the 1988 murder for hire. Smith's death is the nation's first known nitrogen gas

execution. The U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights says he was, "Serious concerns -- he has serious concerns this novel and untested method

of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment."

Well, just in the last hour, jurors have started their deliberating in the second E Jean Carroll defamation case against Donald Trump. Earlier, there

was some unexpected drama. As Carroll's lawyers were presenting their closing arguments, Trump walked out of the courtroom. And separately, the

judge threatened to lock up the former U.S. president's attorney. The trial will determine how much money Trump must pay Carroll for comments he made

back in 2019.

Brynn Gingras is following all this for us in New York. And Brynn, just talk us through this drama that we saw or fireworks that we saw in the

courtroom.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, I mean, there's always sort of some drama it seems to unfold when the former president is inside the

courtroom. But, yes, it was no different today for the closing arguments of this defamation case. Let me get to that in just a second, but I want to

make it clear of what the plaintiffs' attorneys here are asking for.

[14:45:03]

$24 million is what they say at least the former president should be paying E Jean Carroll for comments that he made about her. And the closing

arguments to jurors, they essentially said his comments that continue to be repeated even up until while this trial was happening have really ruined

her reputation, have caused her so much fear, essentially saying that E Jean has a national reputation while Donald Trump has a global audience.

So, when it was time for Trump's attorneys to give their closing arguments, I should say before that, the former president did storm out of the

quarter. That was some of the drama actually. No one has ever really seen that before. He stormed out as the plaintiffs' attorneys were just

beginning their part of the closing arguments actually in the part that they were talking about how the former president doesn't respect the jury

process. So, that was an interesting moment to leave the courtroom.

But he was in the courtroom when his attorneys were giving their closing arguments and there were more fireworks because several times, the judge

had to sort of rebuke Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, because she kept tiptoeing the line about essentially asking jurors, calling E Jean Carroll

liar about the sexual assault claims she had made in the past, which is not at the heart of this case. And the judge had to keep on telling her that,

reminding her that, telling the jurors to not even pay attention to that because that's not something they need to decide.

But for their part in their closing arguments, Trump's attorneys essentially saying that he can't be held, you know, financially responsible

for any threats that are made against E Jean Carroll by people that follow him, that support him, and actually argue that they think she's -- E Jean

Carroll has benefited from all this attention that she has received because of the former president. So, a lot of drama inside that courtroom during

that closing arguments that these jurors are now -- right now are weighing.

SOARES: Yes, and I wonder this -- how this drama will be seen and impacted by the jurors, of course, who have started deliberating, what, in the last

hour or so. Do we know how soon, Brynn, we'll get -- we get any sort of news? A decision here?

GINGRAS: We don't. We know that they couldn't ask any questions of any of the attorneys for the first 45 minutes, and you're right on the money

there, they started deliberating at 1:40 Eastern time, so it's been about just over an hour. So we'll see if there's any questions. We know that they

are allowed to go until at least 4.30. It's unclear if they'll go later than that. They could go into Monday with this, so we'll have to see.

SOARES: Brynn Gingras, appreciate it. Thank you very much.

GINGRAS: Yes.

SOARES: And still to come tonight, the end of an era, approaching at one of football's most storied clubs. Liverpool's legendary manager says he's

getting ready to leave. We'll tell you why next.

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[14:50:56]

SOARES: Well, to the Premier League now where Liverpool sit atop the table, but the club and the supporters have just been hit by a massive shock,

unexpected some may say, manager Jurgen Klopp, the man who brought the storied club back to the glory -- back to glory announced Friday that he's

stepping down at the end of the season. In a statement released by the club, he explained his decision. Have a listen to this.

JURGEN KLOPP, LIVERPOOL MANAGER: It is that I'm -- how can I say this? I'm running out of energy. I have no problem now. Obviously, I think I know it

already for longer that I will have to announce that at one point. But I'm absolutely fine now. But I know that I cannot do the job again and again

and again and again.

SOARES: And Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015. Since then, the Reds have won the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and

more. And again, right now they are fighting for the title. And every time, he always seems to be very jovial and always smiling.

Joining me down to break this all down is our World Sports Patrick Snell. Patrick, great to see you. Look, I think it's -- what is unusual, you tell

me if I'm wrong, it's for a manager to go on their own terms here or while they're still at the top of their game.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Absolutely. And I think this is very important to Jurgen Klopp, he says that he wants to go out on top. He wants

to leave to his successor maybe even Premier League champions, who knows? But he wants to leave a tip-top squad, brimming with talent. Young players

coming up, the experienced veterans like Mo Salah. It's going to be interesting, though, to see how many of those players that are approaching

the end of their contracts, how much they're going to be swayed by this news.

I will say it's caused huge shockwaves across the world of football and beyond. I'm sure those Liverpool fans, we know those fans are shocked,

their supporters were in shock. Why? Because he wasn't too long ago, he just signed a contract extension through 2026.

But look, he's been honest. He's reflected on the reasons, the energy and the energy that he needs to stay in that top-flight job. I will say this,

when you go back to 2002, I think of Alex Ferguson announced he was retiring in 2002. He reconsidered and he went on to manage United at until

2013. But let's hear more now from Jurgen Klopp. What is next for him, if anything, in the immediate future? Take a listen.

KLOPP: If you ask me, will you ever work as a manager again, I would say now, no. But I don't know, obviously, what -- how that will feel because I

never had the situation. What I know definitely, I will never, ever -- I will never ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100

percent. That's not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people, is so big I couldn't. Couldn't for a second think about it. There's

no chance. This is part of my life, part of my -- we are part of family, we feel home here. There's no chance to do that.

SNELL: You know, Isa, Klopp is adored, absolutely adored and highly respected by Liverpool fans. And he could go out with four trophies, we'll

see.

SOARES: Patrick Snell, appreciate it. Thanks for breaking it all down for us.

Now, sexually explicit, but fake images of pop star Taylor Swift have gone viral. It's the latest example of how fast these images can travel and the

disturbing side, I may say, of AI technology. The explicit pictures of Swift were posted on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter. Those fake

pictures of the singer were viewed more than 27 million times in just 19 hours. The account posting the images was taken down, but not before

getting more than 260,000 likes.

CNN has reached out to Swift for comments, but has not heard back. X, and other social media platforms, have been sharing AI images that may deceive

or confuse people.

[14:55:01]

We'll have much more on this story ahead in "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" so that they can deeper look into fake AI and the impact that this could have.

And finally tonight, there is big excitement in the art world, a portrait by Austrian painter Gustav Klimt has been rediscovered after being missing

for almost a century. It turns out it had been privately owned by an Austrian citizen. The portrait of Fraeulein Lieser is thought to be one of

Klimt's final works. It is beautiful. The intensely colorful piece is expected to fetch up to $54 million when it goes up for auction. It's as

expected in the spring.

And that does it for us for this hour. Thank you very much for your company. Do stay right here. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" with, I believe, Julia

Chatterley, is up next. Have a wonderful weekend. I shall see you on Monday. Bye-bye.

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