Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Israeli Media: Netanyahu To Urge "Full Conquest" Of Gaza; A U.S. House Committee Subpoenas The Justice Department Over Information Relating To Jeffrey Epstein; Plastic Pollution Talks Gets Underway In Geneva; Humanitarian Crisis Deepens In Gaza; Netanyahu To Urge "Full Conquest" Of Gaza; Parisians Complain About Increase In Visitors; Temperatures Soar Across Europe; 180 Countries Tackles Global Plastic Pollution. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 05, 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, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu meets security officials as he considers a, quote, "full conquest of Gaza". I'll ask a former IDF colonel what that could look like. Plus, a
new chapter in the Epstein scandal.
A U.S. House committee subpoenas the Justice Department over information relating to the convicted sex offender. We are live for you in Washington
this hour. And major plastic pollution talks get underway in Geneva. Will there finally be a breakthrough? We'll have that for you next.
Up first, though, Israel is finalizing plans for what could be the full conquest of Gaza. We're just learning details about a crucial meeting
today. Now, the office of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he met with -- for hours, in fact, with top security officials. It says the IDF
chief of staff presented options for the next phase of the war, adding that the IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the full security
cabinet.
Earlier, Israeli media said Mr. Netanyahu had already decided on, quote, "full conquest". Many hostage families are urging the government not to
escalate the war, believing that could be a death sentence, of course, for their loved ones if it does intensify. It's frankly hard to imagine how the
humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza can get much worse.
People who survived the bombings and shootings are facing the threat of a silent death by starvation. Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 61,000
people have now been killed. UNICEF says an average of 28 children die every single day. Let's get more now from Matthew Chance, who joins us now
from Jerusalem.
Matthew, then, do we have a better sense then, just from -- on the political lines coming out of Jerusalem, of what the full conquest actually
means. What has come out so far from this cabinet -- security cabinet meeting?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, in short, not a lot has come out from the meeting. It wasn't a full cabinet meeting
that's not being held. We've just learned until Thursday where a sort of decision will be taken. But what's been taking place today is a sort of
more -- a closer group of security advisors, a security forum, as it's termed here, where Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister,
discussed some of the options.
Now, we learned from briefings with officials from the Prime Minister's office that Netanyahu, the Prime Minister, was leaning towards escalating
the military operation, conquering the entirety of Gaza and, you know, attempting to destroy Hamas in that way. But that's not something that's
been agreed to or announced as a result of this meeting.
Who knows what will happen on Thursday? Clearly, it's one of the options that's going to be discussed, but there's a great deal of division, not
just in the cabinet, but in the country at large, about how best to proceed in Gaza. There are hardliners in the Israeli coalition who very much want
the military, the government, to double down on its military campaign, to crush Hamas and to attempt to get the hostages.
And there are still 50 hostages, 20 of them still believed to be alive, still being held inside the Gaza Strip, and to get them by military means
and to take full control over Gaza. But, you know, there's a -- there's a whole mass of people in this country, including the hostage families and
the majority of Israeli people -- you know, people in Israeli public that want the air -- the war to end as soon as possible.
And really are putting pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu now to strike a deal as soon as possible with Hamas, particularly after the emergence of the
weekend of those horrifying videos --
SOARES: Yes --
CHANCE: Of starving Israeli hostages looking basically at death's door in captivity.
SOARES: And we have yet to hear, Matthew, from the U.S. administration exactly how receptive they would be to this full conquest. But we did see
yesterday, and we brought viewers of images of that yesterday of House Speaker Mike Johnson visiting the Israeli settlement of course of Ariel in
the occupied West Bank, where he offered his support for the area to become part of a Jewish homeland.
[14:05:00]
What does that tell us perhaps about where the U.S. government could stand on -- you know, on the next strategy here? The next plan by Netanyahu, this
conquest.
CHANCE: Well, I mean, look, I mean, the -- you know, Washington and the Trump administration has been pretty supportive, very supportive, of
course, of Israel's expansionist plans. And that visit to the West Bank by Mike Johnson, the House Speaker is a further restatement of that. And there
are many in Israel that will have welcomed that visit to the West Bank, to that settlement, Ariel, in the territory that Israelis call Judea and
Samaria, and which Mike Johnson himself referred to as being part of the biblical homeland of the -- of the Israeli people.
And he suggested that, you know, the United States was fully behind that territory, being part of Israel proper. And, of course, there's been lots
of movement in Israel towards a formal annexation of the West Bank into Israel. And so, the indication there is that the U.S. would support that.
When it comes to Gaza, there may be a very different approach.
President Trump has started to lose his patience with Israeli leadership about the humanitarian catastrophe that's been unfolding there. And so, I
think Netanyahu probably has to tread a bit more carefully when it comes to his next steps --
SOARES: Yes --
CHANCE: In Gaza. Isa?
SOARES: Matthew Chance, I know you'll be across all the latest lines for us, appreciate it, thank you very much indeed. Live there from Jerusalem. I
want to bring in Miri Eisin; a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism based in Herzliya in Israel. She spent 20 years in
the IDF, and she joins us tonight from Toronto, Canada, a well-known face here on the show.
Miri, let -- really good to see you, appreciate you being with us. Let me start off with what our correspondent, Matthew Chance was just talking
about there, and these reports out of Israel, Israeli media that Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to push for a, quote, "full conquest of Gaza".
From a military standpoint here, Mary, what does that conquest mean?
MIRI EISIN, SENIOR FELLOW, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM: It means that you have to redefine and call up again more reserve troops.
It means that you need to have military units that have been fighting in the Gaza Strip. They need to train additionally, because you're going into
the only areas that Israel has not entered to in this war in the last 22 months.
It means that you need to get the correct weaponry going on and in. I hate to say it in my own terms, it isn't necessarily a difficult military
action. The reason it has not been done until now is both because that's where you're going to be meeting 2 million people inside the Gaza Strip
that until now, Israel has tried to refrain from actually taking over the areas where all of these people are.
And that is always -- it's taking the responsibility and military are not good at inside these areas where you have a lot of civilians, that's always
going to be a challenge. But the military action itself is one which is clear-cut. It takes training more forces. That's what would need to be
done. I don't think it would be immediate.
SOARES: So, break it down and expand on this further. And I don't mean at all, Miri, to be facetious, but I do wonder what is left to conquer
because, you know, the aerial images that we have seen of Gaza show absolute destruction, large parts completely uninhabitable as you've seen.
We've seen Palestinians quash -- squash into ever smaller pieces. Israel already controlling who goes in, who comes out, controls water, food
delivery. What areas in particular are we talking about here?
EISIN: We're talking about the city of Gaza, which is a very ancient city, and has been there for thousands of years. It's the main city within the
whole Gaza Strip. We never properly at all entered into the city. And I absolutely appreciate both your comments. I myself, the lack of nuance on
the way that we talk about things, both in yourself, Isa, before you quoted the Health Ministry and the Gaza Strip, and I'm going to say the Hamas
terror groups, Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip.
And that means that I absolutely know and acknowledge that we have destroyed so much within the Gaza Strip. And yet, 2.2 million people are
there. I completely understand and understand the horrific aspect of 60,000 people inside the Gaza Strip. It's a war zone. It is a terrible place to be
in and Hamas control it.
And we're talking about the 25 percent to 30 percent that Israel has never entered into, that we have not attacked in, and it's the areas probably
where the hostages are held, and that's always been what's held the military back. That is a very central part, because --
SOARES: Yes --
EISIN: The military has always refrained from attacking areas where they think the hostages would be hurt. There's something else if you're trying
to go in to rescue them, but in these cases, they're being held in such --
SOARES: Yes --
[14:10:00]
EISIN: A way that if you go in, you really are endangering them.
SOARES: Look, we have seen -- and I spoke, in fact, just last 24 hours to a retired Israeli security official on the show. He was one of many who have
written a letter urging, I'm sure you saw, Miri, President Trump, to pressure Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza. He -- I spoke to the former Shin
Bet -- former chief of Shin Bet, who told me this in yesterday's show. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMI AYALON, FORMER SHIN BET CHIEF: Today, we achieved all our military goals. There is no political goal, and there is no day after. We understand
that this war will not bring back our hostages, and this war -- you know, we are sending our children, many of them are dying in the battlefield.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: He also went on to say in that letter, Miri, he said, "it is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to
Israel." Given what you said previously, I mean, do you agree with this? These are career, Admirals, people who have had decades of experience. What
is your response to this?
EISIN: So, two things just to put it out there. Ami Ayalon, who I have enormous respect for went into politics, and I also think it's important to
see that many of the ones who signed that are part of political parties that oppose this government, and Isa, I oppose this government. But right
now, I'm talking about the military because I'm not part of any political party.
And I say that because at the end, politics comes into it. Your ideology and how you view it. Having said that, I looked at that whole list of that
amazing list of people there, and these are things that they would not have said when they were in service. Over a decade ago, both Ami Ayalon and
others participated in a whole movie.
It was like a ten-hour documentary talking about the Israeli security agency in ways that they never would have said when they were in service.
Because when you're in service, you're subordinate to the government, and the government makes those decisions. And I can disagree with them right
now. I too --
SOARES: Yes --
EISIN: Do not see that there will be an end result that's better. But I do want to state clearly that if Israel takes over all of the Gaza Strip, like
the Prime Minister says, then from my point of view, that means that we have full responsibility for what's going on there. We cannot continue to
say Hamas is the one that's stopping and making the starvation happen.
We cannot continue to say that it's Hamas' responsibility. So, Ami saying if we take it over, and I don't want us to, then I want --
SOARES: Yes --
EISIN: To own the fact that it can't be starving people there. This cannot happen.
SOARES: And I'm guessing from what you're saying, you don't think that Israel has met its military goals in Gaza, from what you've just said.
EISIN: The military goals are complex, just like this whole war, because you both want to bring back the hostages, that's part of the military goal.
You do want Hamas to be destroyed. Hamas is a terror --
SOARES: Yes --
EISIN: Organization. This isn't about the Palestinian people. And within those goals, it's very challenging. You can't do total victory. And in
that, I'm saying something very much against this Prime Minister who talks about a term total victory. I do not think that's something you can
achieve.
But you can achieve a victory that we can live with as people. And I don't think right now that the military action will bring that about. I do think
that if we do the military action, that we need to take full responsibility for the 2.2 million people who are in the Gaza Strip, and we do not do that
right now.
SOARES: Yes, I suppose my -- the other point I would mention is, you know, this full conquest of Gaza, Miri, it does sound very clean, very sanitized.
And what we have seen --
EISIN: Yes --
SOARES: So far has been anything, but, right?
EISIN: Twenty two months of a war, Isa, are never sanitized. By the way, there is no pretty war. There is no nice one, that's part of the challenge.
I also think that war has a lot of nuance that never comes to the table.
SOARES: Yes --
EISIN: And this is about the fact that I do not think at any stage that the Israeli Defense Forces ever tried or wanted or as a policy, to starve
anybody in the Gaza Strip. And I absolutely acknowledge that there are starving people in different places in the Gaza Strip, and we need to help
them.
But that's nuanced. That's very difficult. And I say that because, yes, it will be hard. But when you use the full power, at least, at the beginning,
I don't see that as being many more casualties. It's actually going in, taking it over. I think that once we do that, the casualties will be more
on the Israeli side, because we will be as a military in an urban area, 2 million people, very difficult cover.
That's Guerrilla Warfare that will be very difficult for us to attend to. But that's only if we take it all over.
SOARES: Miri, appreciate you taking the time to speak to us there live from Toronto in Canada. Thank you very much indeed --
EISIN: Thank you so much --
SOARES: And important to point out 16,000 people have died, more than 70 hostages and an average, like we said, of 28 children dying every day.
[14:15:00]
And that is according to UNICEF, these are not just numbers, these are important -- these are people who matter every single day. We'll stay
across the story. And in fact, we're going to continue this discussion in about 15 minutes or so. The former U.N. Humanitarian chief Martin
Griffiths, calls the war in Gaza the worst crime of the 21st century.
I'll be speaking with him about the humanitarian catastrophe ahead on the show. That's in about 20 minutes from now. I'll also be asking him about
what we've discussed, the full conquest of Gaza, his take. Do not miss that. We continue though to follow breaking news meantime, in the Jeffrey
Epstein scandal as questions swirl around President Trump's ties to the late convicted sex offender.
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is trying to subpoena prominent Democrats and Trump opponents, and some of the big names include
-- on the list include former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, six former attorneys general and two former FBI
directors.
The committee has also subpoenaed all Justice Department records on Epstein. For the latest on the Epstein scandal, let's bring in Lauren Fox
live from Washington. So, Lauren, wow, things have certainly evolved. Just break us -- break it all down for us. What does this actually mean? What
are we likely to see here?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, I mean, we've been waiting for these subpoenas to be released for the last several weeks, ever
since this subcommittee in the House Oversight Committee voted on this collection of subpoenas. And as you noted, this includes not just getting
all of the Epstein files, but this also includes subpoenas into depositions of former attorneys general, both in Democratic and Republican
administrations.
It also includes depositions with Hillary Clinton as well as former President Bill Clinton. That obviously is something that helped sweeten the
deal for some Republicans who voted for these subpoenas on the committee. And it's just important to remind everyone back home, the House of
Representatives is out for a month-long August recess.
This all blew up about two weeks ago right before lawmakers were scheduled to go home. And the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, at the time, was
really trying to get the House to move on from this issue. And yet, a small number of Republicans joined with Democrats in this subcommittee in order
to vote to move forward with these subpoenas. They were issued today by the House Chairman of the Oversight Committee, James Comer.
And I do think it's also worth pointing out that this really does put back into focus the fact that when lawmakers return from their August recess,
this issue isn't going to go away, in part because despite the fact that many of these documents and depositions are requested for August,
September, October, usually, there is a process in which the committee has to get together with these folks that they've asked for these depositions
from, get together with their lawyers, understand what the timeline might be.
There's usually a process for negotiating these things. And again, there's also a huge question over whether or not the Justice Department is going to
willingly turn over all of these files that have been subpoenaed from the House Oversight Committee. Again, this could be a protracted legal fight.
This could be a protracted negotiation. And that is going to take some time to play out. All that means is that this Epstein issue isn't going away any
time soon on Capitol Hill.
SOARES: Lauren, I think they've wanted to go away very quickly. Certainly, it isn't. Lauren Fox, appreciate it, thank you very much. Now, a new report
says the deaths of five people diving to the Titanic on the OceanGate Titan Submersible were preventable. The U.S. Coast Guard report focuses on
Titan's carbon fiber hull, saying it was poorly designed and not properly maintained or in fact, inspected.
The report also blames OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, saying he may have been criminally negligent. Rush was among the five people who died when the
Titan imploded, if you remember, two years ago. And still to come tonight, both Republicans and Democrats digging in for what could be a long
political fight in Texas. Why it could have huge implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: And breaking news out of Texas where the State House has failed to reach a quorum for a second straight day. They will try again on Friday,
and it comes amid an ongoing standoff over the redrawing of the state's congressional map, a dispute that could prove to be critical for next
year's U.S. midterm elections.
Dozens of House Democrats, if you remember, fled the state to block a vote on redistricting if the Republican-led gerrymandering efforts work, it
would likely give the party up to five more U.S. House seats in 2026. Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to arrest Democrats who left the state,
but those lawmakers say they are digging for a protracted fight. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON REYNOLDS, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: We need to be focused on healthcare. We need to be focused on jobs. But Governor Abbott has bended
the knee to a dictator, authoritarian President Trump. And he has prioritized this racial gerrymandering redistricting. So, we're not going
back. We're going to stay out as long as it takes to preserve and protect our democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: U.S. President Donald Trump backing that redistricting plan. He says Republicans are entitled to those House seats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's all gerrymandering, and we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really
good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas as you probably know, and we are
entitled to five more seats.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, CNN's Steve Contorno joins me now from Chicago, where many of those Texas House Democrats are staying for the time being. And, Steve, I
mean, this is turning out to be quite a political fight. Just talk us through where it stands right now. What are we likely to see in the hours
and days ahead here?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, like you said, this is gearing up to be a potentially protracted fight that could go on for weeks. We know
that these Democrats have said they are willing to stay out of Texas as long as they are in this ongoing special session, which is scheduled to end
August 19th.
The question is, what happens after that? Because the governor in Texas could simply just call for another special session and another and another.
And so, the question is whether Democrats will stay out of the state all the way through the 2026 midterms to avoid -- to potentially block the
Republicans from passing this map.
That seems unlikely. The last time they attempted a similar scheme was in 2021, and it lasted 38 days. And this time, they are being fined 500 days
every -- $500 every day they are outside of the state. So, they've already racked up a legal bill of about a $1,000 a person, it's only going to
continue to grow.
So, that's sort of where we are at. We are in this stalemate status quo, what perhaps has the potential to change the dynamic somewhat is whether or
not Democratic states start responding by changing their own maps in ways that would benefit them. Now, as we have heard from Governor Gavin Newsom
as well as some of the other leaders in Democratic states, and they have said they are willing to take that step and tie that action to whether or
not Texas proceeds down this path.
[14:25:00]
I will say I was speaking with some of the Texas lawmakers yesterday, and they were frustrated that there hasn't been more action already from some
of these Democratic governors. They were hoping to have reinforcements and action quite quickly. So, that's all to say that this is still very much in
flux.
And right now, it seems like we will be at this kind of loggerheads, at least, through August 19th, and then at which point we'll have to see
whether or not the governor of Texas calls them back into another special session and asks Democrats to either flee the state or stay in Austin and
pass these maps.
SOARES: Prepare yourself for a long battle here, Steve, appreciate it. Steve Contorno there. And we are tracking critical week for the biggest
conflict in Europe since World War II. U.S. President Donald Trump on the phone earlier with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Mr. Trump
has given Russian President Vladimir Putin until the end of the week, that's Friday to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or else face more
sanctions.
President Zelenskyy says today's call focused on those sanctions as well as defense cooperation. We are also learning that Denmark, Norway and Sweden
are giving $500 million to NATO, both NATO and Ukrainian authorities say the money will be used to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine.
And all of this comes just one day before U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to touch down in Moscow. And still to come tonight, a follow-up on
a young Palestinian girl who's been having to deal with the chaotic distribution of aid in Gaza. You don't want to miss this firsthand
perspective. Plus, a discussion with a former U.N. official who's called the situation in Gaza the worst crime of the 21st century. Martin Griffiths
joins us after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:26]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. As Israel considers expanding its war against Hamas, an international effort is focusing on the deepening hunger
crisis in Gaza. Five planes dropped packages including baby formula and food to areas that are said to be inaccessible by land. The aircraft
belonged to regional as well as European nations, and reportedly delivered dozens of tons of humanitarian aid on Tuesday. And as we've seen,
Palestinians risk their lives every day to get what they need, whether packages arrive by a truck or airplane.
12-year-old Janna is among those struggling daily for food. Abeer Salman has been following her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABEER SALMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the summer heat, the walk to the soup kitchen gets longer and more tiring, especially with the lack
of food.
Parents here say they are keeping their children indoors, no play or any movement that could sap the little energy they have. Everyone is exhausted.
The choices for children like Jana are to wait at the back or get squashed at the front.
JANA AL-SKEIFI, GAZA RESIDENT (through translator): If we have lentil, we can at least move. We have five children in the family, and I'm the sixth.
SALMAN (voice-over): She says they haven't eaten since yesterday. Most people here are clamoring for their only meal of the day. The soup kitchen
might not be open tomorrow or the day after. It's already serving much less food than months before.
And there is no guarantee everyone here would get a serving of soup and carry it back. The blisters and scars tell of how many times boiling soup
has burnt these hands, stocking disappointment and frustration among the weakest in the crowd. Returning home with a bowl of lentil soup is an
achievement, no matter how small.
AL-SKEIFI (through translator): I went so the young children would eat and me too. It was difficult. People got burnt. People were throwing rocks and
attacking the place.
SALMAN (VOICE-OVER): We first met Jana in May when she stepped up to take care of her ailing parents and siblings after an Israeli soldier shot her
brother dead. Back then, Israel had just ended a total blockade of Gaza that lasted two and a half months.
Under international pressure, Israel has allowed a trickle of aids that remains out of reach for families like Jana's who cannot fight over aid
trucks or afford to buy diluted food. They've grown weaker over the past two months like those around them in Gaza City, where the U.N. says the
famine threshold for acute malnutrition has been reached.
And like thousands of children across Gaza, these kids too have visited clinics due to malnutrition several times. Jana's mother fears for her
daughter's life.
UM AHED, JANA'S MOTHER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): She has lost a lot of weight. She gets dizzy if she walks a little bit.
SALMAN (VOICE-OVER): Jana feels the weight of this responsibility to keep her family alive.
AL-SKEIFI (through translator): It's been difficult. We wake up hungry and go to sleep hungry. My mom sends me to get water. If I try to carry two
buckets, I fail. If I stay in, no one will bring them water. It has to be me.
SALMAN (VOICE-OVER): Abeer Salman, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Important report there from Abeer Salman. Let's get more. Martin Griffiths is a former under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations. Currently, he's the executive director of Mediation Group International, a well-known face here
on the network.
Martin, welcome back to the show. We are waiting to hear -- I've been waiting to hear from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has been convening
security cabinet to discuss, it seems, the military operation in Gaza. According to media, Israeli media reports, you've probably seen them
already, Martin, Netanyahu is seeking quote -- and I'm quoting here, "the full conquest of the Strip."
When you hear this, you know, after the story we just played out of 12- year-old Janna who doesn't know, you know, daily struggle when she's going to get food, when we've seen 60,000 people killed, the destruction of the
enclave, the countless facing life-threatening hunger, malnutrition, you think what, Martin?
[14:35:00]
MARTIN GRIFFITHS, FORMER U.S. UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: Well, I think like you, Isa, that this is an astonishing public
declaration of criminality. It's a call for a criminal act, whether it's a war crime or a crime against humanity or part genocide for the moment is
not our problem. It's a call for a desperate illegal and tragic campaign against the people of Gaza.
And as you say, what's so telling about that interview with that extraordinarily eloquent girl is that we know what's going to happen in
this, it's not just the criminality of the destruction and the removal of hope for the people of Gaza, but the deaths that will follow.
You know, famine is viral. We see the numbers increasing every day. There's killing in the aid distribution sites. There's starvation in the hospitals
and desperation in the food kitchens. That's only going to increase. Is that what we want to see? Who could possibly support that?
SOARES: I wonder then what the goal is for -- by the Netanyahu camp? Because I spoke, Martin, yesterday to former Chief of Israel' Shin Bet.
Just on the show yesterday, he has -- he's one of many who has written this letter to President Trump, basically calling on him to end the war in Gaza.
And he told me that after 12 months, they had already achieved all the military goals. So, what is the aim then? What is the aim? Did they think
that prolonging it that will get the hostages out? Because the hostage families are very much against this as we have seen.
GRIFFITHS: Yes, I watched that interview, which was remarkable. And I congratulate you and him for that. Because he was very eloquent and huge
experience. And I followed very carefully, like you have, this issue of what are the war aims, frankly, from the beginning. How have they changed?
How they been resolved?
I'm somebody who has spent my life in war zones and with armed groups, and we know one clear thing from history and experience is destroying an armed
group down to zero, defeating them down to zero is very, very difficult. Defeating their capacity to make trouble, as he said, is a different thing.
It has been achieved. That's really important. That makes this move even more extraordinary and inexplicable, except it's not inexplicable.
Because what Israel obviously wants to do is to take the people of Palestine out of the Gaza Strip to create their own territory there,
defeating and distancing the threat that they see to their territory from the people of Palestine in Gaza. And I think we all know that security is
mutual. It's not singular. We all know that this is creating a generation of Jihadists, which will attack Israel in the future. We want Israeli
security. This ain't the way to do it.
SOARES: Yes. And look, you've had, what, five decades I think it was leading much of the aids in U.N. really, and I really want to get your
perspective on this. We have seen two Israeli human rights groups accusing Israel of genocide. B'tSelem said in their report, 70-page report, I should
say, that they came to the unequivocal conclusion, their words, after an examination of Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip and its horrific outcomes
together with statements by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders about the goals of the attack. They also didn't hold back and
accuse the International Community of enabling this. Your thoughts in the on this.
GRIFFITHS: Well, I'd like to take that last point, Isa, because that's so important and so kind of put into the dustbin of discussion. The fact is
that we have seen a huge move partly under your leadership and the channel and other channels of movement of popular appalling condemnation of what's
going on in the Gaza Strip led by Israel.
We've seen that popular move. We've seen declarations about supporting the recognition of Palestine as a state. But what we haven't seen, almost of
any government, not quite, is their adherence to the legal obligations they have suggested by the International Court of Justice 12 months ago as to
how to stop this. And they talked a lot --
SOARES: Why, Martin? Why haven't we seen that, Martin?
GRIFFITHS: Well, I think it's because there are links, of course, to Washington to be concerned about, there are probably concerns that the
investment community, because we've got to cut down investment to Israel. There's no question about that. We are legally obliged to that.
[14:40:00]
We need to actually, in these countries, mine, for example, initiate independent investigations of crimes. None of that has happened, none of
it. And we know that the popular will in these countries, in Parliament in the U.K. and elsewhere is saying, we don't need more rhetoric about how
much you care. Don't talk about concern, don't talk about condemnation act. And they ain't doing that yet either.
SOARES: We shall see what the next few days look like. But it's from Israeli military -- from Israeli sources, Israeli media saying that Prime
Minister Netanyahu is speaking -- seeking the full conquest of the Strip. And you know, the way we put it, the way we framed it, it sounds very
clean, very clinical and what we have seen so far is anything but, and that is huge concern for the Palestinians and of course for the remaining
hostages.
Martin, as always, appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed. Martin Griffiths there.
GRIFFITHS: Thanks a lot.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, extreme heat sends temperatures skyrocketing across Europe. We'll tell you which countries are preparing
for the hottest conditions.
Plus, plastic not so fantastic. Leaders from around the world work to crack down on the climate change contributor. We have the latest with Bill Weir
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, Paris is a top spot for many tourists during the summer season. And this year, the crowd seemed noticeably larger, and not everyone
is so happy about that. Our Melissa Bell takes a look at how some neighborhoods are dealing with those extra visitors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gay Paree in all of its cliched glory concentrated in the world-famous district
of Montmartre. Each year, millions of tourists flock through its narrow streets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, the energy, the art, the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Architecture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. There's people from all over. I mean, it's like, obviously this is a big tourist draw.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So many shops and the scenery is very nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The view of the space, the architecture, the individuals like the gravel streets.
BELL (voice-over): But for some, Montmartre is home and many here are not happy with what some locals are calling the Disneyfication of their
neighborhood, something they say that's only gotten worse as international tourism to the Paris region has grown nearly 18 percent between 2014 and
2024.
[14:45:00]
One-third of all apartments here are now Airbnbs with 428 tourists per inhabitant, according to this resident's association president.
ANNE RENAUDIE, PRESIDENT VIVRE A MONTMARTRE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION (through translator): It's an invasion in fact, but really an invasion. They come by
metro. Our metros are saturated in coaches all around Montmartre. There are coaches everywhere, unloading tourists who come for three hours who throw
garbage. Montmartre has become an amusement park. It's become a Disneyland.
BELL: At the very top of Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur, the most visited monument in Paris in 2024, but of course there are so many others. What's changed is
that people used to come to the French capital to get pictures of the monuments themselves. Now, they come to get photographs of themselves in
front of the monument. In fact, there are entire websites devoted to telling you where to go and get your iconic Paris selfie. And there are
currently more than 148 million hashtag Paris posts on Instagram alone.
BELL (voice-over): But French authorities want more. For them, the 71 billion euros in revenue made each year thanks to a hundred million tour is
not enough.
FRANCOIS BAYROU, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): In the coming years, we think that we can grow this sector's performance by 30 percent.
The ideal objective is in five years isn't 71 billion euros, but a hundred billion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, they utilize this entire area. It is a real place, a real residence, which I love.
BELL (voice-over): And that will mean not just more tourists in Montmartre, but in places like this once quiet square with tourism now driven by
popular culture like this "Emily in Paris" tour of the French Capitol.
CHARLENE LITE, "PARIS BY EMILY" TOUR GUIDE: When I first arrived here, I had to see where they filmed the show before I was giving tours, and there
was some graffiti right at the front door of where they shoot her apartment that said, Emily, not welcome, but they've taken it off obviously.
BELL (voice-over): Back in m Montmartre, two "Emily in Paris" has driven crowds to the pink house in front of which she once ate. A new attraction
in a part of Paris where many residents had been hoping for less attention rather than more.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And we're going to take a short break. We're back on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. A blistering heat wave is sending temperatures skyrocketing across parts of Europe. Spanish residents have
been battling their second unrelenting heat wave of the summer.
[14:50:00]
Some parts of the country could see temperatures exceed 42 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. That's more than 107 or so degrees Fahrenheit. And the
scorching temperatures are expected to stick around until the end of next week. As you can see, just an intensity of the heat. It's a similar story
for France. Firefighters are on high alert in the southern parts of the country. The region is at the highest warning level for forest fires.
Meanwhile, in the United States, thousands of people in Southern California have been ordered to leave their homes because of those raging wildfires
that you and I were talking about yesterday. The Gifford Fire has scorched more than 33,000 hectares or about 82,000 acres, and that's now the state's
largest wildfire this year.
Firefighters are having a tough time battling the blaze, which is only about 7 percent contained after five days of burning. Warm dry air and
those gusty winds really continue to fuel in the growth with little relief expected this week.
Well, as global temperatures really continue to rise and severe weather events increase, delegates from about 180 countries are in Geneva right now
trying to tackle one large part of the climate problem, and that is plastic.
First, it's made with fossil fuels and well -- as well as toxic chemical chemicals. And according to U.N., that production accounts for about 3.4
and a half percent -- 3.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Once those plastic bags, bottles, and straws are made, we are using them just at
an alarming rate. Just think about how many pieces of plastic you came into contact with today. I can tell you more than my hands can count. I can
count them on my hands just today.
According to European Environment Agency, the average person in Western Europe is using around 150 kilograms annually. And where does that end up,
you ask? But it's estimated only 9 percent of the plastic ever produced has been recycled, 9 percent. The vast majority ends up in landfills and
particularly and devastatingly in our oceans, taking anywhere from 20 to 500 years to just break it all down, and it's not getting any better. The
amount of plastic waste is set to triple by 2060, that is according to the OECD. So, a global solution is needed and fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIS VAYAS VALDIVIESO, CHAIR, INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE ON PLASTIC POLLUTION: We are facing a global crisis. Plastic pollution is
demanding -- is damaging, sorry, ecosystems, polluting our oceans and rivers, threatening biodiversity, harming human health, and unfairly
impacting the most vulnerable. The urgency is real. The evidence is clear and the responsibility is on us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The evidencing is clear. Bill Weir joins me now, climate correspondent. So, Bill, just break it down for us in digestible terms,
speak of the impact that plastic is having on our daily lives and the consequences of this.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, of course, it's the mountains of plastic as they're on the screen that you can see, and that's
the stuff you can't see at the bottom of the ocean, in the Mariana Trench, it's plastic at the top of Everest, but it's also in rain. It is in the
lungs of newborns. It is found in the elderly as well. It is now everywhere permeating the country, the entire world.
And this is the reason, back in 2022, 173 countries agreed to come up with a legally binding plastics treaty. Now, over a hundred countries want to
eliminate outlaw entire chemicals. There's thousands of different chemicals that go into these plastic cocktails that are dangerous to human health and
so many -- so, let's limit that. Let's cap production, increase recycling and all of that. But petrochemical companies, petro-states like Saudi
Arabia and China and others have been watering down the production limit.
But look at this chart, Isa. This is staggering to look at. The growth of plastics production since 1950, we've sort of -- we've brought it up there,
it is at a staggering rate right now. Close to -- I don't know if we can animate this and show you the line moving. But we're around 500 million
tons of plastic a year.
SOARES: Yes.
WEIR: And there it goes. There it goes. It goes up. It goes up. It goes up. Now, we're looking at the 1950s. Where are we here? We're at 1970s. But
this is projected to go like a rocket ride to over a trillion tons, a trillion and a half tons of plastic. And so, it is a curve that must be
bent. The petro-states say, hey, we can recycle our way out of this. You can't. You can't. It's -- I wish we could see the projections to 2060,
because that line just goes through the top of your television set and hits your ceiling right there.
[14:55:00]
And so, in order to bend that curve, it's going to take legislation, it's going to take some treaty, it's going to take an agreement. The Montreal
protocol, when it came to stopping the CFCs that were eroding the ozone layer, considered the greatest environmental treaty in human history. A big
part of that was that the Americans had a replacement for the bad chemicals and wanted to get in on the other thing.
Boy it would be great if a country could say, we're going to lead the way on biodegradable plastic, new Earth friendly packaging materials, but we're
not seeing a lot of that from the United States these days.
SOARES: Indeed. And while I have you here, we were -- just before we spoke about the plastic and the meeting that's being convened, the summit's being
convened in Geneva, we were talking about the heat waves that we are seeing, the wildfires we are seeing.
I mean, I had a conversation with my mother, 45 degrees in Lisbon. I mean, this is staggering. Is this a new normal? It feels that you and I have this
conversation pretty much every August.
WEIR: Oh, it is. It absolutely is. Every summer we spend on this new Earth on the most hottest Earth in the last 800,000 years or so that we didn't
build for, we realize that our infrastructure are built environments in places like London or New York, they're not built for this world when it
comes to flooding or heat. So, you can't ride the tube when it gets so hot. They don't have air conditioning. Adaptation now is the clarion call in
addition to mitigation.
SOARES: Bill Weir, as always, appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed. And that does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here with CNN. "What We
Know with Max Foster" is up next. Have a wonderful day. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
