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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump's Deportation Plans Begin To Take Shape As U.S. Military Aircraft Deport Migrants; Trump Proposes Getting Rid Of FEMA As He Visits North Carolina And California; Hamas Names Four Israeli Female Soldier Hostages To Be Freed In Second Swap; Father Of Israeli Hostage Nimrod Cohen Speaks To CNN; Palestinian Families Forced To Flee In Jenin As Israel Escalates Deadly Military Operation; Oliver Jeffers On His Children's Book "Where To Hide A Star"; Giant Pandas Make Public Debut At Washington National Zoo. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired January 24, 2025 - 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, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, cracking down, but at what cost? Local
and state officials express alarm as U.S. agents and the military begin carrying out Donald Trump's immigration plans. We'll bring you the latest
from the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, President Trump threatens to get rid of FEMA as he travels from hurricane-hit North Carolina to view the fires still raging in Los Angeles.
And Israel deepens its operation in the occupied West Bank while Hamas names the four female Israeli soldiers it plans to release on Saturday.
But first, tonight, in just a moment, we will cover President Trump's visit to areas hit hard, of course, by natural disasters. But first, the U.S. is
witnessing a swift implementation of President Trump's immigration crackdown. The White House Press Secretary says the U.S. is using military
aircraft to deport migrants.
Sharing these images as you can see there, just a short time ago where you can see migrants lined up and handcuffed and boarding a military flight.
Now, data suggests the cost of these flights is significantly more than using flights chartered by the Department of Homeland Security. A U.S.
Defense official says the military has not yet begun to calculate the cost.
Immigrant communities throughout the USA face growing uncertainty, and the mayor of Newark, New Jersey says his city has been, quote, "unlawfully
terrorized" after federal agents raided a local business and detained multiple people on Thursday including U.S. citizens without producing
arrest warrants.
CNN has not been able to independently verify those details, keeping an eye on across all those sides of the story, those strands is our Natasha
Bertrand who is tracking these mass deportations and joins us now from the Pentagon. So, Natasha, what more are you learning about these flights and
this deportation plan that we are seeing being carried out?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, this is a really stark development here. The use of military aircraft to engage in
mass repatriation flights of these migrants that are currently being held in Customs and Border Protection, the facilities. So, what we are seeing
now is that these massive C-17 military aircrafts, they are taking off, as you can see in that photo there with migrants.
And that instance, we are told that they were actually headed back to Guatemala. And that was one of at least two flights that have taken off so
far in the last two days using those military aircrafts. And this is part of the military's effort to show President Donald Trump that they are
really all hands-on-deck at this moment when it comes to the southern border, because President Trump did declare that there is a national
emergency happening at the border.
So, this is not the last, by any means of the resources that we are going to be seeing being used to carry out these kinds of, you know, activities
at the border using military assets to try to quell and try to help support border patrol there. We are told that up to 10,000 U.S. active duty troops
could actually be sent to the border in the coming weeks and months.
And in fact, we are told that the 82nd Airborne Division, which is one of the U.S. military's most storied units, that is really used in order to
deploy quickly to global crises and hotspots around the world, that is potentially going to be deploying as well to the border.
What this is, is a huge effort by the Trump administration to show to the world, and particularly to migrants, of course, that the military has a
very stark and robust presence on the southern border, all in an effort to not only try to deter, of course, future illegal immigration, but also to
show his supporters that he is having a very heavy hand on this issue right away, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and the White House Press Secretary said President Trump is sending a strong and clear message to the entire world, if you illegally
enter the United States of America, you will face severe consequences. Natasha Bertrand, I know you'll stay across this for us. Thanks very much,
Natasha.
[14:05:00]
Well, as local and state leaders brace for mass deportations, Mexican authorities have begun building temporary shelters in Ciudad Juarez for
those who have been affected or may be affected. CNN's Valeria Leon has the story for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the place where the Mexican government is building one of the 25 temporary shelters along the
U.S.-Mexico border to receive exclusively Mexican deportees. This camp just across the border wall from El Paso, Texas, would be able to take in up to
2,000 migrants.
Here, they would receive food, water, a place to sleep, also, medical services. And right now, there are around of 25 people working round the
clock and hoping that this infrastructure will be ready in the next four days. I'm joined right now by one of the coordinators of this project,
Enrique Serrano; he's a local authority. Hola, Enrique.
ENRIQUE SERRANO, STATE COORDINATOR, CHIHUAHUA'S POPULATION COUNCIL, MEXICO: Hola, 2,500 people --
LEON: Twenty five hundred people working in this project.
SERRANO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LEON: So, there's external company who is in charge of this project, they were hired by the Mexican federal government. When do you expect this will
be ready?
SERRANO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LEON: He says on Sunday this will be ready. And -- but right now, they are not receiving as much as many deportees that they would expect to. But
yesterday we witnessed a group of 70 Mexican deportees walking into Mexico from the international port here in the border town of Ciudad Juarez. So,
deportees are actually arriving in the town.
SERRANO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LEON: So, he said that they are not properly deportees, but they were expelled from the U.S., so, the difference, he says, is a legal process
that deportations would have and not just to be expelled from the -- from the U.S. And also, he said that here, they will receive medical services,
food and other type of services, especially with this freezing temperatures dropping below and it's important not to take care of the migrants in terms
of the climate.
SERRANO: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LEON: He said that here they can stay for three days. And then the federal government will offer this possibility to move them to -- in buses and
transportation to other different states in Mexico.
SERRANO: Gracias.
LEON: Perfecto. Gracias, Enrique. OK, and also in this border town of 1.5 million inhabitants, some Churches have expanded their spaces to give
shelter and also provide clothes and food to the deportees and also to the migrants with canceled CBP one appointments that are now stranded at this
border town in Ciudad Juarez. I'm Valeria Leon from Ciudad Juarez.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And our thanks to Valeria Leon for that report. Now, the March for Life rally is being held in Washington D.C. right now. The anti-abortion
event started about two hours ago at the National Mall with several speeches. President Trump had a pre-taped address for the crowd, and on
Thursday, he announced that he was pardoning 23 anti-abortion activists who, according to reports, were convicted of blocking access to
reproductive health clinics. Vice President J.D. Vance just spoke at the gathering. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES DAVID VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For over a half century, this march has united tens of thousands of Americans from all
walks of life to rally for the cause of life in our nation. It is the single largest gathering in the world to celebrate our movement. The
victories we've fought so hard for and yes, the victories yet to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, other speakers include as you can see there, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority leader John Thune and Florida Governor Ron
DeSantis. After the speeches, the attendees are marching to the U.S. Supreme Court. We'll stay across that story, of course, for you.
And President Trump is making the first trip of his second term today, visiting areas hit hard by natural disasters. And he's taking aim at the
federal agency that provides aid to help rebuild from those disasters. Mr. Trump met with families in North Carolina trying to recover in the
aftermath, of course, of Hurricane Helene, and slammed FEMA's response to the storm.
The President says he's considering an executive order that would overhaul or possibly eliminate FEMA. Have a listen to his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're looking at the whole concept of FEMA. I like, frankly, the concept when North Carolina gets hit,
the governor takes care of it. When Florida gets hit, the governor takes care of it, meaning the state takes care of it. They have a group of people
come in from an area that don't even know where they're going.
[14:10:00]
In order to solve immediately a problem is something that never worked for me. I'd like to see the states take care of disasters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the President is now on his way to wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles. Earlier, he told reporters that federal aid for California could
be tied to demands that the state make changes to its water policies, forest management as well as voter ID laws. We have reporters covering the
President's trip today from coast to coast.
Jeff Zeleny is in Asheville and Julia Vargas Jones, you can see there, joins us from Altadena in California. Jeff, let me go to you, first. We
heard that little clip we played out, President say again that North Carolina has been unfairly treated, even say I might get rid of FEMA as we
heard there, we are looking at the whole concept, he said of FEMA.
So, it's just -- add some meat to the bones here. Where does this come from and how are his comments being received? Because in the last few minutes,
Jeff, I can tell you, FEMA officials telling CNN they are scrambling to understand his comments today. Personnel there, FEMA personnel are calling,
texting one another, trying to understand what this means. They are scared and they feel betrayed, one source said.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, President Trump arrived here for his first trip outside of the White House since
taking office again, making North Carolina an intentional backdrop where he wanted to make this argument about essentially dismantling FEMA. It is one
more in a series of steps we've seen taken all week to try and essentially re-size and reshape the role of the federal government and diminish the
role of the federal government.
Well, that sounds better perhaps in Washington than it may on the ground here. And here is why the scope of this disaster is still so big. You can
see behind me here, this is just a sliver. This used to be an art gallery behind me here, just a small sense of the devastation that remains here in
western North Carolina four months after Hurricane Helene.
The reality is the states do not have the ability or the wherewithal financially or otherwise to handle disasters without the federal
government's assistance. We have seen it over and over in so many disasters in a recent and long-term history. States need the federal government's
help, but this is part of a -- the -- a conservative wish-list, if you will, of trying to shrink government.
So, this is what the President was talking about here today, but it's unclear if residents and citizens who still need help certainly here, but
also in California, where the devastation is still so fresh, whether it's the right time to be having the conversation about dismantling FEMA. But
nonetheless, that's what he was talking about here.
There's no question, though, before he wanted to go to the blue state of California, he wanted to come to the red state of North Carolina, I'm not
sure that most Americans are that concerned about the politics. They just simply want help from the government however that may be. But that was the
backdrop here today of the President's statements.
SOARES: And I'm glad that you added that context to this backdrop, is so important right now, especially as he goes, as he's traveling to
California. We'll see him a bit later in California. That's where we find our Julia Vargas Jones. He will be there, Julia, to survey the damage. Just
give us a sense of what we're likely to see from him there.
We know already the wild -- you know, the firefighters are absolutely exhausted. They're still battling in these deadly infernos. Yet, in the
last few minutes, we've also heard that Trump say that he is conditioning aid to California and he's demanding voter ID.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, both voter ID, Isa, as well as that water. He said, I believe the millions -- "the liberation of the
millions of gallons of water to southern California." He's talking about something he's made a point about this before, about accusing Governor
Gavin Newsom of trying to protect a specific species of fish in parts of California, and that how -- that somehow might have caused hydrants, fire
hydrants here in southern California to not work properly for these fires.
So, governor shooting back and saying that, that was not true. The governor also said, Isa, that he did not get much communications from the White
House on this trip, saying that he will be greeting Trump at the tarmac at LAX this afternoon when the President and the first lady arrive as well as
that -- he was happy that the President took his invitation.
Look, California is not only battling these flames still, it is also bracing for rains and potentially even more disaster here. You know,
Altadena as well as the Palisades where the Palisades fire was. They are very hilly areas, Isa, that have had all of the vegetation burnt out of
them. So, authorities here are just waiting to see if the rains coming this weekend could potentially cause mudslides because they got so much
criticism for their response to the fires here.
[14:15:00]
If there were enough firefighters, and the President's comments as well, they have been preparing and being very communicative about what they're
doing and putting in place ahead of these rains coming this weekend, including 250,000 bags of sand we saw here in Altadena, as you see, still
completely looking like a disaster zone.
The President himself said one of the worst disasters to ever hit California. We saw heavy machinery going up the hill. These are the San
Gabriel Mountains behind me, and authorities telling CNN that they are digging up basically dams for the water to potentially flow into and not
hit all of the toxic debris that is still sitting on the ground here.
The governor did sign into law $2.5 billion will go into helping southern California both fight the fires and start that rebuilding process. But that
is just a drop in the bucket. It will need so much more as residents here start this long process of rebuilding, Isa?
SOARES: Julia Vargas Jones and Jeff Zeleny, thank you to you both. Well, the January the 6th convicts may have an invitation to the White House, but
a federal judge wants some of them to keep their distance unless they have permission from the court. The judge barred Stewart Rhodes; the founder of
the far-right militia, the Oath Keepers and seven other allies from entering Washington D.C. or the U.S. Capitol without approval.
Rhodes was serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, but he was released this week after President Donald Trump granted sweeping clemency
to every January the 6th rioter who tried to overturn the 2020 election. Still to come here tonight, the Kremlin says it's ready to talk with Donald
Trump. A report from Moscow on that story just ahead. Plus, writer and illustrator Oliver Jeffers joins our book club, bringing his newest picture
book-creation, "Where to Hide a Star".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OLIVER JEFFERS, AUSTRALIAN-IRISH ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR: The picture book is more -- it's like a triangle relationship between a parent and a child. So,
it becomes this object that represents the emotional fabric of this relationship of childhood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Moscow says Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to talk to Donald Trump. A Kremlin spokesperson says Mr. Putin is waiting for signals
from Washington. A short time ago at a stop in North Carolina, the U.S. President talked about Russia's conflict with Ukraine and how he could end
the fighting. Have a listen.
[14:20:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's crazy. It's a crazy war, and it never would have happened if I was President, would never have happened. This is crazy that it happened.
But we want to stop it. Now, one way to stop it quickly is for OPEC to stop making so much money and to drop the price of oil because they have it nice
and high.
And if you have it high, that war is not going to end so easily. So, OPEC ought to get on the ball and they ought to drop the price of oil and that
war will stop right away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And while the Kremlin said there is no connection between oil prices and the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Putin is agreeing that
the crisis may have been prevented if Mr. Trump was in power at the time. Our Matthew Chance has more now from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, the Russian leader Vladimir Putin has lavished praise on President Trump
while urging a meeting between the two leaders to discuss Ukraine and other issues. In an interview on Russian state television, Putin insisted that
he, quote, "always had an exclusively professional and business-like relationship with Trump." A U.S. leader he appears to hold in very high
esteem. Take a listen.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA (through translator): He's not only a smart person, he is a pragmatic person. And I can hardly imagine that
decisions will be made that will harm the American economy. Therefore, most likely, it would be better for us to meet and talk calmly about all those
areas that are of interest to both the U.S. and Russia. We are ready, but this primarily depends on the decision and choice of the current
administration.
CHANCE: Well, those remarks coming after President Trump said he would meet Putin immediately to bring a rapid end to the conflict in Ukraine. Earlier,
Trump told Putin over social media to make a deal about Ukraine and to end what he called this ridiculous war or face increased U.S. sanctions.
Putin's response has essentially been to agree in principle to talks, but also to flatter the U.S. President. In his state TV interview, Putin called
his relationship with Trump trustworthy, and added that he agreed with the U.S. President that, quote, "if his presidency had not been stolen in 2020,
maybe the crisis in Ukraine would not have happened."
Putin, of course, launched his full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 when Joe Biden was U.S. President. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, Israel says it will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday as required by a ceasefire deal
with Hezbollah. We'll tell you why just ahead. And relief for Israelis as Hamas names the next four hostages to be released. But many more families
wait for news on their loved ones. I speak with the father of Nimrod Cohen. That's just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Well, Hamas says it intends to release four female Israeli soldiers as part of the next wave of hostage-prisoner exchanges. Israel is preparing
to receive Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. Israeli officials notified the families of the four soldiers that they
intended to move forward with the release on the basis of the list provided by Hamas.
That is, despite the fact that Israel expected a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehud, to be included in Saturday's -- in Saturday's release. Bianna
Golodryga is live for us in Tel Aviv. So, Bianna, I mean, I know this has been a long, agonizing wait for so many of these families as you have been
reporting extensively on for months now.
Give us a sense of the next four to be released, four female soldiers. Though Israel, as we reported there, was expecting a female civilian
hostage.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a stressful last couple of hours here just because of that, because Israel is accusing Hamas of
breaking its end of the deal here in terms of the names that would be next to be released in the ceasefire hostage deal. They were expecting at least
one of the two female civilian hostages of the 33 that are expected to be released in phase one of this deal.
Instead, as you noted, they released names of four female IDF spotters. There are five total female IDF spotters in Hamas captivity now, and you
named them. There is Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev, who are those that are expected to be released tomorrow. I have
spent a lot of time speaking with a number of these family members of hostages, and particularly those that are these five IDF female spotters
relatives.
Just a few months ago, I sat down with the mother of Naama Levy and Liri Albag and asked them about how they were coping. This was on October 7th of
2024. Here's what they told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYELET LEVY SHACHAR, MOTHER OF NAAMA LEVY: We are hoping that they are together there and helping each other survive, and you know, keeping the
faith for each other and being strong for one another. And you know, we're trying to be strong for one another here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And, Isa, now that Israel has released these names, it is expected that they will go forward with this planned exchange tomorrow,
where you will see 50 Hamas prisoners exchanged to Gaza, to the hands of the Palestinian officials for every one of these four female IDF spotters.
In addition, we are expecting residents of northern Gaza to finally be able to start returning home as well, this planning to occur tomorrow.
SOARES: Bianna Golodryga, I know you'll stay across this for you -- for us there, thank you very much, Bianna, good to see you. One Nimrod Cohen was
kidnapped on the morning of October the 7th near Kibbutz Nirim. His family are demanding his release. Nimrod's father, Yehuda Cohen joins me now live
from Brussels, Belgium, where he has been meeting EU officials.
Yehuda, really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us this evening. We've just mentioned the name of the four Israeli hostages who are going to
be released this Saturday, I'm sure you like me, like so many others watching around the world are relieved and happy for them and for their
families.
But for you and your family, the wait continues. Of course, there's hope, ceasefire continues. What do you make first of all of this ceasefire
agreement and those three phases that are going to be so crucial to you and your family?
[14:30:11]
YEHUDA COHEN, FATHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE NIMROD COHEN: Well, you said the word the word hope. I'm in the term of fighting and that's why I'm here in
Brussels. That's why I was in the beginning of the week in Hague. We are very happy for every hostage being released. We saw the three ladies been
released on Sunday. It was comforting to see them going out on foot from one vehicle to another, to the Red Cross vehicle, and then from the Red
Cross vehicle to army officials smiling. So, this was very comforting, and yes.
SOARES: And Yehuda, you said you're in Brussels. I think you met with the ICC -- with ICC as well. I wonder what you are telling them how you -- what
you want to see from European officials, from the ICC in terms of pressure, applying pressure, and what you want to see from your own government in the
next phase which is so critical here.
COHEN: Yes. So, yes the term is pressure, pressure on our government. I'm saying it everywhere out loud. We have to go to foreign establishments,
foreign governments, international organization to force our government to do its basic duty which is securing the life of Israeli citizens.
Every government has this obligation to secure their citizens. Our government doesn't do that. It prefer continuance of fighting on the
account of hundreds of soldiers being killed, civilians being killed, hostages being murdered. We know about 30 of them. We'll probably know
about more of them tomorrow when the release of all the lists of the condition of all the rest of the 26 will be published.
The thing is very simple. From President Trump till the ICC, we have to go everywhere to advocate to make sure our government will sustain the deal,
will not look left or right, or sometimes said will not look Ben-Gvir or Smotrich --
SOARES: Yes.
COHEN: -- to secure the deal. The thing is that Netanyahu is double promising. He's promising President Trump that he will go through the deal.
He's promising Smotrich that he will go back to fighting after the first phase. Meaning he's going to sacrifice my son. So, we have to be there on
watch. We do not -- we do not believe our government. We do not trust our government. I said it many times, as bold as it sound, I see my government
as my enemy.
SOARES: And it's so sad to hear that from you that you're fighting for your son to come back home, for them to prioritize your son's life. As a mother,
that pains me to hear that, Yehuda. And I think it's important just that we add a bit of context for our viewers. We're now on day five of the
ceasefire negotiations. And in 11 days' time, the second -- the conversation -- the second phase in terms of the conversation is about to
start.
And you're right about the nervousness. I've heard it too from hostage families right here on our air because we have heard -- and you mentioned
Ben-Gvir, but we've also heard from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his right-wing party who called for "Israel's return to the war in order to
destroy Hamas and the return of all the hostages immediately after the conclusion of the first phase of the deal."
So, I know you're pressuring the ICC, the International Community. You mentioned President Trump. But what pressure are you applying to your own
government not just yourself but other host -- families of hostages when you hear statements like that?
COHEN: Well, in Israel our pressure is mainly through demonstrations on the street. As you heard today, a group of families blocked the main highway
road in Tel Aviv, setting up fire on tables. I would have been one of them if I was in Israel. This is our way to protest in Israel, but our
government is pretty much indifference to what's -- to the public opinion, so I have to do it from outside.
ICC -- Karim Khan who I met with, holds arrest warrants against Netanyahu. This is a direction to pressure him. Netanyahu only works under pressure
either from ICC, either from President Trump, either from Smotrich. He sometimes has to --- he somehow has to balance things to survive. We know
why he wants to survive. He's on criminal offenses -- on trial on criminal offenses in Israel. He's now -- he know he's going to end in jail. So, it's
either jail in Israel or jail in Hague. But this is his only way to survive.
[14:35:30]
He will win another day as a prime minister no matter what's the cost for other people, mainly for Israel civilians or Israeli soldiers who are
fighting for no reason. Regarding breaking Hamas and securing the hostages, what Smotrich said, well, it doesn't go together. Well, if Hamas will be
break, he will not -- he would be break on the back of my son.
So, he's sacrificing the hostages for his target, which is not only breaking Hamas. For him it's a permanent occupation on Gaza and rebuilding
settlement. That's what he really wants.
SOARES: And Yehuda, this moment for yourself and so many hostage families, I can only imagine, must be just a really a roller coaster of emotions
right now. And I apologize for having to ask you this question but -- and you probably expect it, but what have you been hearing in terms of from
other hostages about your son? How confident are you that he's still alive?
COHEN: Well, the main thing is the last deal in last November, some hostages saw him there alive and well. A long time we got from Army
intelligence what they call sign of life attached to a date. It's only saying sign of life without detail, securing their sources. That's what
they claim. The last it was dated, the end of September.
So, yes it's about four months ago, but relevantly to other families who has no -- had no information about their children, relevantly it's
comforting anyway. I'm not -- I'm not dealing with emotion. I'm fully concentrating in fighting. This is my way to cope. I'm brute force on
fighting, not looking left or right. I have only one target, releasing my son. And I will go anywhere and meet anyone to promote his release.
SOARES: Yehuda, I really hope that Nimrod is back in your arms soon. We all do. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Thank you.
COHEN: Thank you. He will be back. Nimrod will be will be back. Nimrod will be free. I know that. I'm fighting for that. And thank you very much.
SOARES: And we're all fighting with you. Thank you very much.
Now, the U.N. Human Rights Office says Israel's ongoing military option in the West Bank could threaten the Gaza ceasefire deal. It says at least 12
Palestinians have been killed and 40 injured since Tuesday, most of them reportedly unarmed. Israel says it's going after terrorists in Jenin, but
it's also sealing off other West Bank cities including Hebron, restricting Palestinians freedom of movement.
Our Nada Bashir just visited Jenin and found parts that look like a war zone. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday morning in the Jenine Refuge Camp, another day marked with intense military
activity as Israel deepens its operation in the occupied West Bank.
BASHIR: What we've been seeing all morning is Israeli diggers tearing at homes and buildings in the refugee camp. We've seen black smoke billowing
from at least three buildings, at least one of them seemingly on fire, and Israeli military vehicles coming down the hill regularly over the course of
the morning.
And you can hear above me the drone which has been buzzing all morning around this area. We've been speaking to local residents who have been
forced to flee their homes. In the camp just behind me, one of them saying that over the last few days, they've been hearing warnings from the Israeli
forces coming from these drones telling them to evacuate.
And it's important to underscore that of course while we're talking about a refugee camp, this is a densely populated urban area filled with civilians.
BASHIR (voice-over): In the areas surrounding the camp, roads have been completely destroyed and bulldozed by Israeli forces. Over recent days, the
city has seen aerial strikes and ground attacks. The sound of live fire frequently puncturing the eerie quiet in this neighborhood.
Eleven-year-old Carmel is distraught, forced out of her home, and now separated from some of her family members.
We were inside the house and then the military came in, Caramel says. They told us to get out of the house and that we had 20 minutes to leave. When
we came out onto the path, they detained my father, grandmother, and uncle.
[14:40:03]
Throughout the day, families including young children and the elderly fled on foot, evacuating under the close watch of Israeli forces.
They kept repeating to us that this neighborhood is now a closed military area, Hanin says. He raised his gun like this, and told us that soon there
would be explosions.
ISRAEL says they are targeting militants in the area who they say are backed by Iran as part of a counterterrorism operation. At least a dozen
Palestinians have been killed so far, with dozens more wounded and detained according to local officials. Thousands of civilians meanwhile have been
forced from their homes.
They came into our home and started searching the house. They told us we had 20 minutes to get out. Just as we were leaving, we saw them sitting
inside our house as if it was normal. They were mocking us. But while Jenin remains the focal point of the Israeli military's ongoing assault, the
country's defense minister has warned that the operation will expand everywhere, drawing he says on lessons learned from Gaza, sparking fear
that the occupied West Bank may too be subjected to utter destruction.
Nada Bashir, CNN in Jenin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And while the world watches to see whether the ceasefire in Gaza will hold, Israel is announcing it will not withdraw from Lebanon by
Sunday's deadline in violation of an agreement with Hezbollah. The deal requires both Israeli and Hezbollah forces to fully withdraw from Southern
Lebanon by January 26. But Israel says some of its troops will remain, accusing Lebanon of not fulfilling its commitment to deploy Lebanese
soldiers in the area.
An Israeli official tell CNN Israel has asked the Trump Administration for at least 30 more days to finish its withdrawal.
And still to come tonight, my conversation with children's author, Oliver Jeffers, about what made him revisit his iconic characters, the boy and the
penguin, more than 20 years later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Joining us today in our book club is Oliver Jeffers, the author of Where To Hide A Star. Oliver, great to have you on the show. We're very
excited here because, of course, you are a staple as you've heard probably many times in -- at least certainly in my household and I know in many
households. My kids were excited when I came home and I read them this. So, thank you for 15 minutes of calm and peace, have got their attention.
[14:45:16]
And my elders who's almost 9 recognized, oh, my God, the penguin and the boy is back. You remembered obviously your pre -- your previous books Lost
and Found I think is the one he remembered clearly. I wonder why you decided -- I mean, this is a 20th anniversary was early this year wasn't it
of the boy and the penguin. Why you decided to come back to this?
Because I had read that you said I'm not going to go back to the boy and the penguin as the characters in your stories. Why did you decide to
return?
JEFFERS: Well, you know, I'd said that one time before. I'd said I would never return to them after The Way Back Home because it felt like a good
trilogy. And then I had a really good idea for a story and I made Up and Down. And so, I've learned to say -- well, to never say never except for
twice in that sentence.
But what I think this time around, yes, I was thinking about the characters a little bit more because it was coming up in the 20th anniversary, and I
haven't made a book like this in a long time. A lot of the other books that I've made more recently have swayed off into I suppose more sociology and
psychology and philosophy and the state of the world really.
But a couple of years ago, we accidentally moved from Brooklyn back to Belfast where I grew up and where my first studio was. And whenever all of
the things that -- in my first studio that I put into storage came out of storage again, and so that was the original brushes that I had used to make
How To Catch A Star, the original watercolor set, the notebooks and everything. And it was all just there and it brought memories back.
I remember how I felt when I made the book and it -- so, you know, just almost out of curiosity, I was wondering if I could still do it.
SOARES: You know, it brings me back to kind of the initial -- the -- your first book and why you felt -- why you felt that the boy in the penguin --
what was the attraction you think? Why do you think it was so successful? It still is very successful.
JEFFERS: Over the years, I think I have realized a couple of things. They're very simple.
SOARES: Yes.
JEFFERS: Both in terms of the plotline but they hit on kind of you know really important themes and morals and values in a not a deliberate way.
They're not like thinly veiled moral lessons. More that they're just satisfying stories which happen to hit upon these points. But I think more
than anything, the geography is vague and the character -- the characteristics are vague.
So, at any place that I've been to on book tour whether that's Malaysia or Mexico or India, the kids there think that the books are set where they
are. And so, there's an accessibility I think that lets people in so that it feels that it's of them and for them.
SOARES: I wonder how then your childhood in Northern Ireland during the troubles, I believe, how that -- I mean, what did you read first of all
when you were growing up?
JEFFERS: Well, I suppose I have to confess that I wasn't a big reader. It wasn't until I was much older that I wanted to read and I want -- I was
curious about things that I discovered the absolute Joy of reading. So, for me, growing up it wasn't -- it wasn't about educating myself deliberately.
It was -- it was more just experiencing life and being not necessarily shielded but being given context about the violence that we were seeing
daily by a set of parents who tried to protect us from the -- I suppose the kind of polarization of that division.
SOARES: Did you write -- did you start painting or illustrating early on? I mean, was that a form of escaping the reality?
JEFFERS: Yes. Not necessarily escaping but processing.
SOARES: Yes.
JEFFERS: So, yes, I was always interested in art making. I love making art for the same reasons that people anywhere enjoy making art. It's the --
just the joy of making and the joy of creation and sensing and sharing beauty.
SOARES: Going back to the book Where To Hide A Star, how was the process for you?
JEFFERS: The way that I'd be able to explain this to kids and to art college students who are interested in making books is that if you can
remember a dream and you're trying to explain that dream to somebody, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it what is happening? Is it the
way it looks or is it a combination of two?
And that's the first instance. It's that feeling. It's just like is it a place? Is it a motivation is it an action? It's all and none of those
things. So, it transcend words really. You just have to start putting pen or pencil to paper and see what happens.
SOARES: I'm just going to ask you if you don't mind to read a couple of pages of Where To Hide A Star.
JEFFERS: Oh, sure.
SOARES: Do you mind?
JEFFERS: Of course.
SOARES: Before we continue our conversation.
JEFFERS: Once there was a boy, and together with his two friends he would often play hide and-see. The boy mostly did the seeking as he was the only
one who could count. So, it was the others who hid. The star wasn't very good at hiding and it was always easy to find. The penguin had a favorite
hiding place where they usually end up after the boy had found the star. It was a routine they enjoyed.
[14:50:17]
SOARES: That's great. And for all of 15 minutes, I got my boy's attention and we read at breakfast, and it were just transfixed. It's just wonderful
to see the reaction and their focus for that time and creating a really special moment.
JEFFERS: I think you know that a picture book in particular is a very particular sort of book because it's -- that's a collaboration in some ways
where you are visualizing the stories that happen, so you are helping create the -- what you're seeing in your head. But a picture book is more -
- it's like a triangle relationship between a parent and a child, so it becomes this object that represents the emotional fabric of this
relationship of childhood.
SOARES: Great to have you on the show. I'm going to ask you if you could just the honor of writing of -- writing your name.
JEFFERS: OK.
SOARES: Give a little signature to your -- well, we've got a selection here. Why don't we do Where To Hide A Star?
JEFFERS: OK.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: He even got a penguin with that. Thanks to Oliver Jeffers for that fascinating interview. And next time on my book club, British Libyan author
Hisham Matar joined me to discuss his novel, My Friends, a story of uprootedness, identity, as well as grief. He explains the complexities of
the writing process. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HISHAM MATAR, AUTHOR, MY FRIENDS: There's so much in a tone. You learn a lot about your character from the tone. And what is very odd about this
process is that for a long time I had the sentence and I didn't know who was speaking, where he is, what's happening. And the sentence is quite a
long one.
SOARES: Yes.
MATAR: It is of course impossible to be certain of what is contain contained in anyone's chest least of all one's own or those we know well
perhaps, especially those we know best. But as I stand here on the upper level of King's Cross station from where I can monitor my old friend Hosam
Zowa walk across the concourse, I feel I'm seeing right into him, perceiving him more accurately than ever before as though all along during
the two decades that we have known one another our friendship has been a study. And now, ironically just after we have bid one another farewell, his
portrait is finally coming into view.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: You do not want to miss that conversation or indeed read that book. Really fascinating. And you can find plenty more book content on my
Instagram page @IsaSoaresCNN. We've got some great reading recommendations from our teams right around the world. Here's what my colleague Erica Hill
is reading.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERICA HILL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi! I'm Erica Hill and I am reading It Goes So Fast by Mary Louise Kelly. She's the host of All Things
Considered on NPR and a journalist that I have long admired. She is also the mother of two boys as am I. And this is about the last year with her
older son because it does go so fast and a lot of those lasts in that year especially after having missed a lot of the first which is something that I
can relate to.
So I love following along on her journey because it's the journey I'm on. My oldest son is about to go off to college in the Fall, and I'm really
excited for him. It's going to be great. But I'm going to miss him so I'm trying to take advantage of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Our thanks to Erica Hill for that. Do stay right here. We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:56:10]
SOARES: And finally today, a highly anticipated debut in Washington. People there can now see two giant pandas in person. The duo arrived last October
from China. Since then, zookeepers have been helping them acclimate to the -- acclimatized to their new environment. The National Zoo has several
activities planned to celebrate the return of the pandas. If you can make it to the U.S. Capital, the zoo does have a live panda cam that you can
watch.
That does it for us. Thank you very much for your company. Have a wonderful weekend. "NEWSROOM" with Lynda Kinkade is up next.
END