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Isa Soares Tonight

Netanyahu Gives Fiery Defense Of His War In Gaza At The U.N.; Trump Hints More Of His Political Opponents Could Be Prosecuted After The Indictment Of Former FBI Director James Comey; Polish Skier Becomes The First Ever Person To Ski Down Mount Everest Without Bottled Oxygen; ICE Officer Seen Pushing Woman Is Relieved Of Duties; Hegseth Orders U.S. Generals And Admirals To Meet In Virginia; Wounded Gaza Teen Speaks With CNN Ahead Of Surgery In London; Sinclair Ends Its Jimmy Kimmel Boycott; First Person Skis Down Mount Everest Without Oxygen; Freedivers Take The Plunge For Glory In Cyprus. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired September 26, 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]

MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show everyone, I'm Max Foster in for Isa Soares. Tonight, Israel's Prime

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely defends his country's actions in Gaza, as dozens walk out of his speech at the U.N. We're live in Jerusalem with

the latest.

Then U.S. President Donald Trump hints more of his political opponents could be prosecuted after the indictment of former FBI Director James

Comey. Plus, history has been made as a Polish skier becomes the first ever person to ski down Mount Everest without bottled oxygen. That and much more

ahead.

A fiery, defensive, defiant Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is doing what any self-respecting nation would do after October the 7th, telling the

U.N., he rejects the charge of genocide. The Israeli Prime Minister addressed the General Assembly today after most of the room walked out. He

vowed to finish the job against Hamas, denying Israeli responsibility for the tens of thousands of civilians killed in Gaza as well as the western

famine.

Mr. Netanyahu portrayed the war as a stunning military comeback, vowing to bring home the hostages. He didn't mention Israel's occupation of

Palestinian land or the issue of annexation, but he did have blistering words for western nations backing a Palestinian state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: Israel will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats. We will not commit national

suicide because you don't have the guts to face down a hostile media and anti-Semitic mobs demanding Israel's blood. You know what message the

leaders who recognize a Palestinian state this week sent to the Palestinians?

It's a very clear message. Murdering Jews pays off. Well, I have a message for these leaders. When the most savage terrorists on earth are effusively

praising your decision, you didn't do something right. You did something wrong! Horribly wrong. What you're doing is giving the ultimate reward to

intolerant fanatics who perpetrated and supported the October 7th massacre.

Giving the Palestinians a state, one mile from Jerusalem after October 7th, is like giving al Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September

11th. This is sheer madness. It's insane, and we won't do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Far-right Israeli politicians praising Mr. Netanyahu's speech, but the head of Israel's opposition, Yair Lapid criticized him for not laying

out a path to end the war or explain why Hamas hasn't been defeated. One Palestinian official says the speech was full of lies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN NATIONAL INITIATIVE: These are the largest ever lies we've ever heard in the General Assembly. When he

claimed that there isn't such a loss among the civilian population, although Israeli resources themselves and British resources have indicated

that five out of the six people killed in Gaza, 65,000 people are civilians, 20,000 of them are children. We have the names of these

children. They cannot be hidden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN's Oren Lieberman joins us now from Jerusalem. It was an extraordinary speech, wasn't it, really fiery?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: It was, but it was also one that I -- that I would argue was largely expected, perhaps even using the

word predictable. He started where we thought he would start on Iran and its proxies. He pulled out the same sorts of visual aids that we've seen

him use so many times before, holding up maps, crossing off Iran and its proxies, as he recounted Israel's military campaigns around, frankly, the

entire region over the course of the last year.

The two big surprises perhaps, were how strongly he went after western countries that have recognized a state of Palestine, and you talked about

that just a moment ago. And then how vocally and how unequivocally he ruled out any possibility of a two-state solution. Normally, in previous years at

the United Nations specifically, he'd at least give a sort of token acknowledgment to the -- to the possibility of negotiations.

But now for Netanyahu, that was completely off the table, and he ruled that out vocally and frankly, angrily.

[14:05:00]

Perhaps, the biggest surprise about the speech is where else it was broadcast, where Netanyahu had ordered the Israeli military to set up

trucks with speakers along the Gaza border so that the speech itself, or at least its audio, could be broadcast loudly into Gaza. He said this was a

way of trying to reach out to the hostages in Gaza, though it's not even clear they would have heard it anyway.

And he said he tried to send them a message in both English and in Hebrew. What, perhaps is the most surprising part about this? And he mentioned the

names of the 20 living hostages, the 20 hostages expected to be alive inside of Gaza, is that many of the hostage families reacted angrily to his

speech, saying the only message they should be putting out there is a message that Netanyahu has accepted a ceasefire deal and ended the war to

bring the remaining 48 hostages home. Max.

FOSTER: We heard the Palestinian officials saying the speech was full of lies. This is one part of the speech that some people had questioned. I'll

just play it to you, Oren.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: While Israel, which does everything it can to get civilians out of harm's way, Israel is put in the dark. What a joke! Do you want to hear

another one? Israel is accused of deliberately starving the people of Gaza, when Israel is deliberately feeding the people of Gaza. Since the beginning

of the war, Israel has led into Gaza more than 2 million tons of food and aid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: All right, take us through the accuracy of that statement, Oren.

LIEBERMANN: Well, the -- part of the short answer here is that, we don't know with our own eyes what exactly is unfolding, because Israel has not

allowed independent reporters into Gaza since the start of the war, despite repeated requests. And because of that, we have to rely on the U.N. Human

Rights Organizations, eyewitnesses, and the images we see from Gaza.

On the question of famine, specifically, this was a warning we have heard for months before the declaration came from a U.N.-backed initiative that

famine was indeed happening in northern Gaza and Gaza city, with the risk that it would spread elsewhere. The first time famine has been declared

anywhere outside of Africa since this initiative had started working.

We have seen both the U.N. and the Palestinian Ministry of Health there say hundreds have died from malnutrition after again, the months of warnings

they have put forward. Israel says, and we have seen trucks going into Gaza on a daily basis, but it's also important to remember here that Israel

blocked off Gaza from all aid for some three months earlier this year, and then only allowed it in at a very slow rate, a rate that has slowly

expanded as the warnings grew of a famine.

And because of that, that's why we question Netanyahu when he makes statements about there being no famine and no humanitarian crisis. It's

also worth pointing out that even as Israel was saying, there was no starvation or no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, it was the U.S. that said,

yes, of course, there is a humanitarian crisis, and that's exactly what we're trying to address by starting the controversial Gaza Humanitarian

Foundation, and by getting in more aid and the airdrop.

So, that's the reason we question some of the statements that Netanyahu made throughout his speech.

FOSTER: Oren, appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us from Jerusalem. A senior Hamas official defending the October 7th attacks on

Israel, saying they created a golden moment for the Palestinian cause. Ghazi Hamad survived an attempt to kill him earlier this month when Israel

targeted a building in Doha, Qatar. CNN's Jeremy Diamond pressed Hamad and asked if Hamas is willing to lay down its arms.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly two years after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, Gaza has paid a massive price.

The devastation rivaled only by the suffering of its people. Israel has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health

Ministry. Hundreds of thousands are displaced and homeless, and Israeli attacks are only intensifying.

(on camera): Do you accept any responsibility for triggering so much death and destruction?

GHAZI HAMAD, SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL: The history did not began -- begin on October 7th. We spent 78 years under the occupation, under the humiliation,

under oppression, under repression, under killing, under displacement. Now, why in a world is focusing on October 7th?

DIAMOND (voice-over): Ghazi Hamad is a senior Hamas official sitting for his first U.S. TV interview in months.

(on camera): But before October 7th, Israel had never unleashed this level of death and destruction on Gaza before. How can you look at me with a

straight face and tell me that you accept no responsibility whatsoever --

HAMAD: What is the -- look, what is --

DIAMOND: For what has happened in the two years since?

HAMAD: Look, what was -- what is the option left for the Palestinians to do? First time the Palestinians have shown sacrifice in the -- in the

Israeli Palestinian conflict.

[14:10:00]

DIAMOND: What gives you the right to decide that Palestinian women and children should be sacrificed on the altar of your resistance?

HAMAD: No, all the time we are sacrificing, we are fighting --

DIAMOND: But I am asking you about the civilian --

HAMAD: No --

DIAMOND: Deaths in Gaza, and what gives you the right to decide it's a price worth paying? That child can die. It's OK because --

HAMAD: No --

DIAMOND: It's in order to fulfill --

HAMAD: No --

DIAMOND: Our resistance --

HAMAD: As Hamas, we are fighting for the interests of the people. We don't want our people to be killed. Don't put the problem on the shoulder of

Hamas. No, I think that --

DIAMOND: Again, sir --

HAMAD: Yes --

DIAMOND: When I speak with Israeli officials, I press them about what they are doing in Gaza. When I'm speaking with Hamas officials, I press them for

your responsibility.

(voice-over): But some Palestinians have had enough. "Our message to Hamas is stop gambling with us", this man says. "You are disconnected from

reality, especially since the Hamas leadership is outside of Gaza."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to send a message to Hamas. We talk to people, talk by people, stop the -- war, we are dying here.

DIAMOND: But Hamad doesn't seem interested in hearing those voices.

HAMAD: I know, I have seen -- I have seen --

DIAMOND (on camera): This is not it, there's even more --

HAMAD: I have seen this video --

DIAMOND: Sir --

HAMAD: Yes --

DIAMOND: There's more --

HAMAD: I know people are suffering. There are some people who blame Hamas, there's just --

DIAMOND: Why will you not listen to the voices of Palestinian people in Gaza?

HAMAD: Look, I know -- this is -- but look, this is not the whole story.

DIAMOND: These people who want -- who want Hamas to surrender, lay down its weapons and leave --

HAMAD: No --

DIAMOND: The Gaza Strip --

HAMAD: No, I think -- no one asked --

DIAMOND: What do you say to them?

HAMAD: Hamas to surrender, we will never surrender. These people under abnormal circumstances. We put him under target and killing and massacre.

What do you expect for people to say?

DIAMOND (voice-over): Hamad is eager to tout what he calls the, quote, "benefits of October 7th", in which Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and

kidnapped more than 250 others. He says it led to growing international support for the Palestinian cause.

HAMAD: What is the benefit of October 7th now? We're in war now, if you look to the General Assembly yesterday, when about 194 people opened their

eyes and looked to the atrocity, to brutality of Israel, and all of them, they condemned Israel. We waited for this moment for 77 years. I think this

is a golden moment for the world to change the history. I think that now the world is a changed -- the histories are changed now.

DIAMOND (on camera): In your view, 65,000 deaths is worth it in order to achieve what you've achieved --

HAMAD: Look, I know the price is so high, but I ask you again, what is the -- what is the option?

DIAMOND: Was it worth it?

HAMAD: What is -- what is the -- what is the option left to the Palestinian. You know what? We waited for a peaceful process, for a

peaceful means since 1993, since Oslo Agreement until now --

DIAMOND (voice-over): The prospects for peace seem as far away as ever. Two weeks after Israel tried to kill Hamad and other senior Hamas officials not

far from where we sat down.

HAMAD: I think it is miracle because the rockets are very close to us. We are under target and it was a brutal attack on us. So, I think it was long

and very strong message to us and even to Qatar, that we are not interested in negotiation. We want to kill. We want to destroy. We want to

assassinate. This is our own policy to handle the whole situation. Everything now is frozen.

DIAMOND: Hamas' demands have also not shifted.

HAMAD: We insisted to go to the comprehensive deal to retain all the hostages, either alive or dead. And we said frankly, we can return them in

24 hours. But they refused.

DIAMOND (on camera): Well, they have conditions for ending the war. They want Hamas to be out of power, and they want Hamas to disarm. Are you

willing to abandon power in Gaza and lay down your weapons?

HAMAD: Look, Hamas is part of the -- of the Palestinian fabric. You could not exclude Hamas. But as I said again and again, regarding the ruling of

Gaza, we are ready to be out of the ruling of Gaza. We have no problem with this. The arm of Hamas is a legitimate and legal weapons which used all the

time against the occupation. It is not a terrorist weapon.

DIAMOND: How does this war end? Because over the course of our conversation, I've seen very little that suggests any willingness on your

part to compromise --

HAMAD: I think the war -- I think it is easy. I think Mr. Trump and the world could ask the -- Netanyahu in order to stop the war, to stop the

genocide in Gaza.

DIAMOND: Do you have any confidence that he will do that?

HAMAD: I don't know, I think we tested them many times, but I think it is not easy to trust Mr. Trump or to trust the American administration. All

the time, they put the glasses of Israel, they adopt the Israeli position.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Jeremy Diamond with that report. Now, the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has been in discussions with U.S. authorities about

running a transitional authority in Gaza in the event of a ceasefire, that's according to reports by the "BBC" and the "Financial Times". Two

Israeli sources tell CNN it's part of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for governance in a post-war Gaza.

[14:15:00]

After leaving Downing Street in 2007, Blair served as Middle East envoy for eight years for a group of world powers seeking to bring peace between

Israelis and Palestinians. Still to come, the U.S. President weighing in again on the case against former FBI chief James Comey. Why Donald Trump is

justifying Comey's indictment as justice and not revenge.

And the mystery meeting. Why the U.S. Secretary of Defense summoned generals and admirals from all over the globe to meet him in Virginia next

week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. President Donald Trump suggests more people could face charges soon, hinting that the criminal case against Comey won't stop with him.

This comes as the former FBI director says he's fighting back. It's important to note, Thursday's indictment is being viewed as a significant

move in President Trump's efforts to prosecute his perceived political enemies.

Comey, the President's long-time adversary, faces two felony charges, both related to an alleged lie to Congress. Comey says he's innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either. My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I

have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I'm innocent. So, let's have a trial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, President Trump is once again blasting Comey on social media and to reporters, calling him a dirty cop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's about justice, really. It's not revenge. It's about -- it's also -- it's also about the fact that

you can't let this go on. They are sick radical left people and they can't get away with it. And Comey --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President --

TRUMP: Comey was one of the people. He wasn't the biggest, but he's a dirty cop. He's always been a dirty cop. Everybody knew it. And it's -- you know,

as far as the case is concerned, he gave an answer. It was a strong answer. He then verified it a couple of times because that was a very important

answer.

If he would have equivocated, if he would have been like a little bit less sure, that would have been very bad for him. So, he gave an answer. The

only problem is for him, he didn't think he'd be caught.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Let's bring in our crime and justice correspondent, Katelyn Polantz. Well, the -- it's starting to feel like a test case, isn't it?

He's grouping Comey together with this radical left idea.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: He is, Max. Comey, I should remind you, is a Republican and who was appointed initially to his

most prominent first political position by George W. Bush when he ran the prosecutor's office in Manhattan, and then was this number two at the

Justice Department after September 11th.

[14:20:00]

But back to this case, it is being viewed as political retribution from a White House that is run by Donald Trump, very angry with Jim Comey for

nearly a decade now. But Max, this is a document that prosecutors prepared, presented to a grand jury and the grand jury in the Eastern District of

Virginia approved two criminal counts, charging Comey with obstruction of a congressional proceeding and making a false statement to Congress.

All of that is about testimony he gave back in September of 2020, when he was asked by a U.S. Senator, Senator Ted Cruz, whether he had authorized

someone at the FBI to leak to the media. Comey at the time said, I stand by earlier testimony in which he denied ever authorizing a leak. And that is

the allegation where he is said to have lied.

So, the prosecutors now are going to be able to bring that all into court, and Comey is going to have plenty of opportunity to push back as well. He

may be able to bring in statements that Donald Trump is making about him on social media, in the public, into the courtroom, show them to the judge,

potentially even to a jury.

And he also will be able to get access to a fair amount of documents in the Justice Department, including some of the reservations that had been

documented about this case, the strength of it and bringing it just now, just days before the five-year window to bring a case like this ends, which

would be next Tuesday, the five-year anniversary of that testimony he gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Max, what we're waiting for next, though, is in a couple of weeks, Jim Comey is going to be appearing in court. That's when he will have the

opportunity to plead not guilty to those initial trial -- initial charges and kick things off toward a trial. His court date is October 9th, and he's

going to be before a federally-appointed judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, named Michael Nachmanoff.

FOSTER: It does feel like it could backfire for Trump, couldn't it? Because he's plat-forming Comey effectively, isn't he, in this court case? He's got

access to these documents, as you say, and he's clearly up for it. He says -- he looks pretty strong going into it.

POLANTZ: Well, Comey is a political figure as well as a former prosecutor who is quite accomplished on the investigative prosecutorial side. But he's

also a man that doesn't shy away from cameras. He cuts a very imposing figure. He's quite tall. You remember him from those images in his initial

testimony after Donald Trump fired him?

Just being surrounded by flashbulbs and cameras, testifying to the Senate essentially as the first major whistleblower of a Trump presidency. So, we

will see exactly what kind of case Comey and his defense team tries to put on here. One thing I'm watching to see is how fast they will want it to

move, and how fast this judge will want this case to move.

There's always a possibility that, especially in this court, where criminal cases move very fast, it's called the rocket docket, that this court could

have a trial for James Comey in just a couple of months, and then it would be over and done with by then. Back to you.

FOSTER: OK, Katelyn, thank you. Still to come tonight, a U.S. immigration officer has been relieved of his duties after a confrontation at a New York

courthouse. We'll show you the dramatic video. Pretty unbelievable just ahead. Plus, what is the U.S. Defense Secretary up to? Pete Hegseth is

summoning top generals from all over the world to a meeting, but it's not clear exactly what the meeting is about.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:00]

FOSTER: Now, there is more tension in the skies above Europe. And Ukraine's President says drones, which were likely Hungarian, violated his country's

airspace on its western border with Hungary. Hungary's Foreign Minister responded by saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy was, quote, "starting to see things

that aren't there".

The back-and-forth between Budapest and Kyiv comes after drone sightings shut down airports in Denmark and Norway. Some Danish officials have

suggested Russia could be responsible, and now German officials say they're investigating drone sightings near the Danish border. They say they want to

find out if they're involved with espionage or sabotage.

Moldova faces a critical election. Meanwhile, in just two days time, officials there say Moscow is ramping up its efforts to interfere. Sunday's

vote could decide whether the former Soviet state leans closer to Russia or continues moving towards integration with the EU. CNN's Clare Sebastian has

more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moldovan police are apparently moving in on a Russian state-backed network to organize mass

riots around upcoming parliamentary elections. Dozens arrested. The fear of violence spilling onto these politically-charged streets, a new twist ahead

of a crucial vote. The government here has already warned Russia is trying to rig.

MAIA SANDU, PRESIDENT, MOLDOVA (through translator): The Kremlin is pouring hundreds of millions of euros to buy hundreds of thousands of votes. People

are intoxicated daily with lies.

SEBASTIAN: The Kremlin denies any interference.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SEBASTIAN: But is publicly accusing Moldova's government of persecuting political opponents and denying those who support Moscow their right to

vote.

(on camera): What would happen if pro-Russian parties gain a majority in this election?

LAURA THORNTON, MCCAIN INSTITUTE: The first step is just to push Moldova away from the EU. That's just the gateway drug to pulling them into the

Russian sphere.

SEBASTIAN: Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine supercharged this tiny post-Soviet state's EU ambitions. Last year, it started accession

talks. But the pro-Russian opposition is pushing back. Its main candidate and former President Igor Dodon, claiming the EU is preparing Moldova for

war with Russia.

THORNTON: They still have a lot of steps they need to go through to become a member of the European Union, a pro-Russian party or a pro-Russian

coalition would probably stall that, if not, try to reverse it.

SEBASTIAN: Natalia Zaharescu, a Moldovan investigative journalist, says she has seen Russian tactics evolve firsthand. Zaharescu has spent more than

three years infiltrating online networks linked to this man, Ilan Shor, a fugitive Moldovan businessman living in Moscow, and linked to a vote-buying

scheme that threatened to undermine last year's presidential election and referendum on EU integration.

[14:30:09]

His latest effort, Zaharescu says, was to train Moldovans to become professional online trolls. Shaw has not responded to a CNN request for

comment.

NATALIA ZAHARESCU, MOLDOVAN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Hundreds of people were trained how to use social media, how to make accounts under fake

names, how to post these messages that they were given.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And she working undercover was one of them.

ZAHARESCU: And they were telling that we are in an informational war. We have to act like a big troll farm. Everything is paid directly from Moscow.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Moldova is experts say a testing ground for Russian hybrid tactics. One whose European future now hangs in the balance.

Clare Sebastian, CNN London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: And more after a quick break. See you then.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Welcome back. ICE says one of his officers has been relieved of his duties after he was seen pushing a woman onto the ground. The incident

happened yesterday in the New York courthouse. The woman appeared to be pleading with the agent as a man reported to be her husband was being

detained. We're going to show you the video. We need to warn you, it is disturbing to watch, though.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:35:13]

FOSTER: This confrontation comes as anti-ICE protests are growing across the U.S. Earlier today, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside an ICE

facility in the Chicago area. And on Wednesday, there was a shooting at an ICE field office of course in Dallas, Texas. Investigators say the bullets

had anti-ICE messages on them. One detainee was killed and two others were injured.

Washington, D.C. buzzing today about a highly unusual directive of the U.S. Defense Secretary. Pete Hegseth has ordered hundreds of the top U.S.

military officers from all over the globe to come to a meeting in Virginia next week, though the generals haven't been told why they're being

summoned. Sources tell CNN Hegseth is planning to deliver a speech on warrior ethos and reinventing the Defense Department as the Department of

War.

It's unusual for the Pentagon to summon so many generals and admirals at the same time. There are concerns that having so many high-ranking officers

in one place could pose a security risk.

CNN National Security Correspondent Natasha Bertrand joins us with a story for us. Thank you for joining us. What does a warrior ethos mean, do you

think?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, Max, we're just getting these new details in about what exactly Secretary

Hegseth wants to discuss with these generals, and it is apparently his vision for the department moving forward, which involves a greater emphasis

on what he has described as lethality, military readiness, grooming, physical fitness, and moral and ethical standards that he expects all of

these generals and admirals to both adhere to and enforce among their subordinates.

Essentially, this is a major speech that he is preparing to give, which has made it all the more confusing to those senior officers who say, did I

really have to come all the way to Virginia for this for those who are in places as far-flung as the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East?

You know, this is not something that happens every day. In fact, there is not a precedent that we know of for gathering this many high-level generals

and admirals to one place, especially if it's just for what essentially is going to amount to a policy discussion and a speech.

So, as of right now, we're hearing there's not going to be any major national security related announcements made by Secretary Hegseth. This is

basically just an opportunity for him to gather all of these senior officers in one place given the optics of that which he likes and he is

going to be posting videos and photos on his social media we're told of him delivering the speech to, you know, those service members who have stars on

their shoulder which is something that he values, and essentially say this is the military that you are operating within now. It is a different

military than perhaps you have been used to serving in in the past, and we are going to focus not on woke diversity, equity, and inclusion

initiatives. We are going to focus on war fighting.

So, that's really why this has all been called. And we're told that the White House was not informed until after Hegseth had made the decision to

call all these senior officers to Virginia. They are on board with it however and they are expected to amplify it. So, it's much more about

optics we're told at this point than anything actually substantive, Max.

FOSTER: OK. Interesting. Now we know. Natasha, thank you so much.

Returning now to one of our top stories. For Palestinians living in Gaza, survival isn't just a daily challenge, it's often moment by moment.

Officials say more than 80 people were killed by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours. UNICEF Global -- UNICEF Global Spokesperson, rather, James

Elder spoke earlier to my colleague Zain Asher. He told her from Al Mawasi in Gaza and described what conditions were really like there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES ELDER, GLOBAL SPOKESPERSON, UNICEF: I've just come back from a -- from a hospital. This is my sixth visit to Gaza, Zain, and I thought I was

somewhat hardened, if you will. I've not seen anything like what I just saw at a hospital. The very first room I went into -- OK, it wasn't a room. It

was actually a tent in a car park. Four children, all with quadcopter shots. All having been shot by a quadcopter.

Outside, a little girl who'd just been pulled from the rubble. She'd been there for four hours. What she doesn't know is her mom and her sister died

in that moment. Little sham 5-year-old girl. I went in to a makeshift ICU - - this is 30 minutes later -- sitting with a little girl who's got a desperate wound from a bomb blast only for her to die in front of me a

couple of hours ago.

So, this -- we've had a thousand, a thousand, Zain, babies killed since the horrors of October 7. So, it's madness and it's ongoing, and the price

being paid by children is unlike anything we've ever seen. And what is very hard to imagine is it is still getting worse day in day out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:40:03]

FOSTER: Well, a teenager from Gaza is finally getting the medical attention he needs after his jaw was severely damaged by an exploding Israeli tank

shell. The wounds nearly killed him, but now he's in London for surgery. CNN's Christina Macfarlane has his story. A warning that viewers may find

some of the images in this report disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 10 hours, Majd will get his smile back or think about eating or speaking

normally again. He's about to undergo radical reconstructive surgery 19 months after an Israeli tank shell exploded near him, blowing away his jaw.

MAJD ALSHAGHNOBI, GAZAN TEEN (text): I'm really happy to be treated here, and have my operation.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Majd was collecting flour from an aid point when the Israeli tank shell hit, killing the two friends he was walking with.

His wounds so horrific he was presumed dead.

ALSHAGHNOBI (text): The took me to Al Ahli Baptist Hospital. They put me in the morgue. When the ys am me move, the moved me to the hospital kitchen,

because there was no space in the operating room.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): In the kitchen, his life was saved by an emergency tracheostomy, but he was caught just short of death with no chance of

healing without further care, so his mother had to get him out.

ISLAM FELFEL, MOTHER OF MAJD ALSHAGHNOBI (text): I had been running for a month and a half between Nasser Hospital and Al Aqsa hospital. For a month

and a half to be able to make the arrangement for him.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): He did get out thanks to the charity project Pure Hope who privately funded Majd's evacuation and treatment, and thanks to

one of Britain's leading pediatric surgeons who had the difficult task of choosing which Gazan child they should save.

DR. OWASE JEELANI, GREAT OSMOND STREET HOSPITAL: As a surgeon, like I said, you know, I'm used to dealing with injuries, but this was something that I

was not used to. But you know, if you sort of pause and look away, you know, this -- by tomorrow there'll be a dozen, a few dozen more children

that are well at the moment but will not be well tomorrow, will not be around tomorrow.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): Professor Jeelani and nine other surgeons have taken months to meticulously plan this operation. Through the use of 3D

modeling, they will take bone soft tissue and blood vessels from Majd's leg to close the gap in his jaw.

JEELANI: Majd was the best case scenario where we feel with our plan we can really get him close to how things used to be for him and make the biggest

difference in his life.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): The World Health Organization says hundreds of people have died waiting for medical evacuation and more than three and a

half thousand children are in need. Majd is fortunate. His case has drawn attention here in the U.K. even from Prince Harry. But the trauma for his

family is not over. In escaping Gaza, his mother was forced to leave behind two of her sons, Muhammad and Yusuf.

MACFARLANE: What has life been like for your family in Gaza since you've been here in London?

FELFEL (text): They're exhausted. They tell every day that you've left with your favorite child. They're in the north. You know what the north is like.

And they say they could die at any moment. If I knew the war would come back, I would have left.

MACFARLANE (voice-over): It took foreign governments, doctors, and NGOs working together to bring Majd's jaw back. But Majd is past healing.

ALSHAGHNOBI (text): I wish Gaza could go back to what it was. That everybody could be reunited and be together in Gaza as it once was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: All right, Chrissy with that report. We'll be back in a moment after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:21]

FOSTER: This just in. The blackout of Jimmy Kimmel Live is halfway over. Sinclair says it'll bring the show back starting Friday. It's one of the

two major station groups that preempted the ABC talk show earlier this month. Sinclair indicated in a statement that ABC didn't accept any of its

proposals like the hiring of a networkwide independent ombudsman.

Nexstar is the other major station group blacking out Kimmel. It didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment about its plan.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister is following the latest developments for us. So, why the change in heart do you think?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You know, according to my sources in the industry who I had been talking to, since Kimmel's

show came back, this was much expected that Sinclair would come back and that likely soon Nexstar will follow suit.

Now, as you said, Nexstar has not responded to comment yet, either has Disney. Our colleagues Brian Stelter and Liam Reilly reaching out to both

Nexstar and Disney. But look, the show is back. Disney has made it very clear that they are backing Jimmy Kimmel. So, at a certain point, you would

imagine that these station groups are going to bring the show back as well. And that's exactly what we see happening here.

It's a fairly swift return, particularly for Sinclair Max, which came out much stronger than Nexstar. Of course, both of these station groups, which

together cover about 25 percent of the country -- both of the station groups did say that we are boycotting the show. We are refusing to air the

show. But Sinclair in particular, they actually issued a press release after ABC had temporarily suspended Kimmel. And in that press release, they

said it is not enough for Kimmel to just be suspended. We are also calling him to make -- calling on him, rather -- to make a direct apology to

Charlie Kirk's family for his comments and also a donation to Turning Point USA which of course is Charlie Kirk's organization.

So, they came out very strongly in a public press release. And now for them to be the first station group to say that we are working with ABC, we want

to have content that is suitable for all of our audiences of all different perspectives, for them to be the first to bring it back really speaks

volumes.

And final point, as Kimmel has been back on his show this week, he has issued no apology. He has been doing what he typically does, which is

making jabs at President Trump. But he's also been poking fun at the fact that his show is not available to all Americans. He has said every single

night that if you are in this city or this city or this city, you can't watch me. But guess what? I still have the biggest ratings that we have

ever had. So, Kimmel has been directly addressing this on his show throughout the week, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Elizabeth, thank you so much. Still moving.

This next story may take your breath away. A Polish mountaineer has become the first person ever to ski down Mount Everest without using an oxygen

tank. Andrzej Bargiel will do -- did it after a grueling 16-hour climb up the highest mountain in the world. The 37-year-old spent just minutes on

the summit before strapping on his skis and racing against the setting sun.

Bargiel's heart-stopping thick-layered snow slide came to a pause at Camp Two around 6,400 meters above sea level due to nightfall. This -- well, his

team said he continued skiing down Everest at sunrise and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X saying this proves the sky is no limit for

Poles.

Let's bring in journalists for Everest.Live and Outside Magazine as well, Ben Ayers. Thanks so much for joining us. I mean the images are quite scary

really, aren't they? But just tell us what a feat this was.

[14:50:20]

BEN AYERS, JOURNALIST, EVEREST.LIVE AND OUTSIDE MAGAZINE: Oh yes, Max, this is truly unprecedented in the sport. Not only is skiing down Mount Everest

a very, very difficult thing to do, just reaching the summit of the peak in the fall season is incredibly difficult. The last person to actually

successfully summit in the fall was way back in 2010. So, yes, Bargiel has just totally blown the doors off of what's possible in ski mountaineering.

FOSTER: And take -- and take us through the time pressures that were on him as well. He had to get to certain points at a certain time, didn't he?

Otherwise, it would be pretty precarious.

AYERS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, the complexities of climbing and descending a mountain of that size, that scale in this season, are very, very

difficult to even comprehend. And for him, as you mentioned, he wasn't able to complete the descent in one go given nightfall. There's all sorts of

other factors as well as you're watching the weather constantly. In the fall, the jet stream is much more unstable. And the chances of him being on

the summit when the weather changes and getting literally blown off the mountain was a real possibility. So, there was all sorts of things behind

that successful ascent and descent of his.

FOSTER: And take us through the oxygen factor because you would always take oxygen, wouldn't you, on one of these trips?

AYERS: I mean, for mere mortals like you and I, absolutely. You know, the summit of Mount Everest only has about 33 percent of the oxygen available

at sea level. So, just climbing without oxygen, your body breaks down, right? Above 8,000 meters, people call that being in the death zone because

that's an area where basically you cannot survive for an extended period of time. You can only go up and come back down.

Bottled oxygen, it's sort of like, you know, a comparison would be scuba gear that lets you breathe underwater. Bottled oxygen lets athletes breathe

at altitude and it lets their brains and their hearts and their circulatory system function properly. But you know, Bargiel had none of that. He did it

just based on his own strength and grit and training. And it's a really incredibly difficult thing.

When you think about you know a big day at the alps, your legs are sore. But imagine doing that with only a third of the amount of oxygen.

FOSTER: Yes. So, the oxygen is difficult when you're walking, but he was skiing using more energy, which makes it completely unimaginable, right,

even to try?

AYERS: Yes. And he and it wasn't like he was heading down the piece, you know, and stopping for an espresso. I mean, he's skiing down 45 degree

slopes where, you know, one fall would mean certain death. He -- in the fall as well, you have a lot of avalanche danger. There's a lot of snow on

the mountain. There are hidden crevasses, there are seracs. There's all sorts of factors in this.

So, what it took for him to pull this off is truly incredible. This wasn't his first 8,000 meter peak that he skied down. He's skied down a number in

the Karakoram, including K2. He's sort of made this his thing and there's no other athlete right now that can compare to him.

FOSTER: We're watching the video now. We're not seeing a guide.

AYERS: Oh, absolutely not. There's no guide that could keep up with that.

FOSTER: But you need a guide, don't you? Isn't that the whole thing --

AYERS: Well, you need a partner, right? I think for -- especially for mountaineering in the fall. You don't see the same commercial crowds on

Everest where you can basically purchase, you know, a trip to the top where you have guides, fixed ropes, you know, people cooking food for you and all

that. In the fall, the mountain is empty.

The reason that he skied in the fall is that's when you can get a consistent ramp of snow from the top to the bottom. But that means that

he's alone on the mountain. He had one other person at the summit with him, but of course that person walked down while he skied.

FOSTER: Do you think he's got a very unusual biology making him able to do this, or was it just an incredible amount of training to allow him to do it

without oxygen tanks?

AYERS: You couldn't do it without both. Not only has he been training rigorously for this -- you know, it's a -- it's a year-round training just

to be able to come close to this. But also you have to be a little bit of a freak of nature. You have to be extremely, extremely genetically strong and

predisposed to be able to do something like this.

FOSTER: So, what -- actually, we're going to leave it there. Ben, thank you very much indeed. I could keep asking questions all night. I just can't get

my head around it.

AYERS: As do I.

FOSTER: Thank you so much. We're going to turn --

AYERS: Yes. It's hard to disagree. Thanks so much.

[14:55:08]

FOSTER: We're going to turn now from the dizzying heights of Mount Everest to the depths of Cyprus. These athletes are going without oxygen as well

for a whole different reason, taking part in the 35th annual free diving world championships.

After a week of demanding events and tough sea conditions, Ukraine's Kateryna Sadurska claimed the top spot with a 75 meter descent, would you

believe, demonstrating why she holds the Women's World Record.

In the men's category, Croatia's Petar Klovar dominated, diving 88 meters down. Really?

Thanks for joining us. I'm Max Foster. Do stay with us. I'll have more. "WHAT WE KNOW" coming up next.

END