Return to Transcripts main page

One World with Zain Asher

Senior Hamas Official Confirms Death Of Yahya Sinwar; Sinwar's Death Seen As Possible Watershed Moment In War; Humanitarian Crisis Deepens In Gaza After One Year Of War; Harris, Trump Crisscross Battleground Michigan Friday; Calls For A Ceasefire-Hostage Deal Grow Louder; Some Christian Trump Supporters Say He Was Sent By God; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET

Aired October 18, 2024 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:35]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: So the question today is, what now? Fallout from a killing of Yahya Sinwar.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: ONE WORLD starts right now.

An extraordinary opportunity for peace. American officials plan to kick start efforts for a ceasefire.

GOLODRYGA: Also ahead, desperation in Gaza. In one hospital, women are going into premature labor because of stress.

ASHER: And later, fulfilling his calling here from Trump supporters who believe that he was sent by God.

GOLODRYGA: Hi, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching ONE WORLD.

All right. It could be a watershed moment for the war in Gaza. A senior Hamas official earlier confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind

of the October 7th attacks.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Global leaders hope that it signals an end to the year-long Israel-Hamas conflict and trigger the release of dozens of hostages in

Gaza.

But the rhetoric from the warring parties is not dying down.

ASHER: Now, one Hamas official says the group will not release hostages until Israel withdraws from Gaza and Palestinian prisoners are released.

GOLODRYGA: This as Israel releases new stunning video which it says shows the moment tanks fired into the building in Gaza where Sinwar was located.

Now earlier, images capture what Israel calls Sinwar's final moments. Take a look at this. A drone sent into a damaged building shows a man covered in

dust, said to be Sinwar.

ASHER: U.S. says his death has created an extraordinary opportunity here. President Joe Biden, who has just left Berlin after a meeting -- after

meeting with other key NATO allies in Germany, said this just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday, let's also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path

to peace. A better future in Gaza without Hamas. I look forward to discussing Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Here, there's still work to be done on the battlefield.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Today, evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete.

Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the beginning of the day after Hamas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Let's begin with Fred Pleitgen, who's tracking developments from Berlin, as we just heard from President Biden there, speaking to reporters

after speaking with his European counterparts.

He also said something interesting in terms of what we're now still anticipating, and that is Israel's response to Iran following its attack on

Israel two weeks ago, launching some 200 ballistic missiles.

President Biden says that he has an understanding of how and when Israel is going to respond, but declines to give more details. Interesting phrasing

from the president.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly really interesting phrasing. And that actually all happened in a press

gaggle shortly before the president was wheels up here from Berlin, obviously, going back to the United States on Air Force One. It was on the

tarmac as he was about to go into Air Force One.

And he said some other interesting things as well. And I think a lot of that showed, Bianna, also how President Biden obviously came here to meet

with the European Quad, first and foremost to speak about Ukraine, but how the killing of Yahya Sinwar really changed the agenda of the meeting that

took place, where he said there was a lot of unanimity as far as Ukraine is concerned.

Obviously, the leaders that met here today, including President Biden, confronted with a very different situation than they thought they would

have when they came here. And he said that they talked a lot about the Middle East and they think that there is a road to peace there, as the

president put it on the tarmac there in front of Air Force One.

He also says he believes that there's an opportunity in his view and his colleagues' view that they could agree to a possible deal that could end

the conflict for a while between Israel and Iran.

Now, how exactly that would be possible? He did not say. He was asked about whether he knew, as you stated, where the planning is or what Israel might

plan to do in retaliation to that massive ballistic missile strike on the part of the Iranians, however declined to comment on what that could look

like.

He also said that he believes that there is the possibility for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but that Gaza would be more difficult and that he is in touch

with the Israeli prime minister to see how that kind of ceasefire could happen. So certainly you got some nuances from the U.S. president. Not much

in the way of details, obviously, in that very short press gaggle before he departed Berlin here.

[12:05:09]

But we do see how important the killing of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, was on the agenda today as President Biden met with some of the U.S. closest

allies here in Europe, the United Kingdom, France, and of course, first and foremost, Germany, where he did receive the Order of Merit from the German

government, showing the close relations that President Biden personally and Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany have, but of course also these two

countries, Germany and the United States as well, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. An important moment perhaps for peace, obviously, with the killing of Yahya Sinwar, but sobering to hear from the president as well,

noting that a ceasefire in Lebanon in the north, where Israel just today recalled another reserve brigade to the fighting. He said that may be more

attainable at this point than a ceasefire in Gaza.

Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much.

ASHER: And let's bring in CNN's Kylie Atwood joining us live now from the State Department. So we know that Secretary Blinken is traveling to the

region next week. Of course, a key priority at this point in time for the U.S. is the release of those hostages.

However, Hamas has come out and said that nothing changes for them at this point. The conditions for a ceasefire remain the same. That is an end to

Israel's war against the group. It's complete withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

So how much of an opportunity for peace is there really?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a great question and I think these follow-up conversations are likely the most critical to

watch if the Biden administration is able to actually take advantage of what they say is this momentous opportunity for there to actually be peace.

Because they have rhetorically, publicly stated that they think that this is an opportunity now to drive forth and end to the conflict. But the

question is, how do they actually do that? How do they actually get there given that both sides are not necessarily headed in that direction as you

well point out?

It's not even clear Prime Minister Netanyahu, even though, you know, he indicated that it is a time to secure the release of the hostages, it's not

clear that he is ready to drive forth an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, at least not at this moment.

So those follow-up conversations that the secretary will be having in Israel and presumably other stops in the region as well, though we don't

know his exact schedule yet, will be really critical in determining if that's possible.

And one thing that we'll be watching for is, what kind of pressure the Biden administration can put on Israel and those regional counterparts to

take advantage of this moment in time?

One thing that we might be watching for would be a return of the conversations about normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and

Israel. Of course, those conversations were largely dead ended just months ago, but it appears that there might be a reopening for those conversations

to be restarted once again.

But you have to also keep in mind that the Biden administration is running out an incredibly tight timeline right now. President Biden only has about

three months left in his term. And in just a few weeks, of course, there's a U.S. presidential election, so he'll be a lame duck president shortly

now.

So officials are very clear about the fact that they don't have much time to work with now, but they are really energized in a way about what this

moment could pretend in terms of reopening these conversations that were largely stalled, if not completely dead ended in recent weeks.

ASHER: All right. Kylie Atwood, live for us. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Meantime in Gaza, it's an everyday fight for survival for millions of civilians as the desperate humanitarian situation continues to

deteriorate and emergency workers are describing, quote, catastrophic conditions.

ASHER: Yes. A doctor at one of the few functioning hospitals in the northern part of the enclave says it may not be able to operate much longer

because of a critical lack of medical supplies and food as well.

And he said, the hospital is also grappling with a number of babies born prematurely because of the stress and also the psychological pressure on

pregnant women as a result of the heavy Israeli bombing.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us now live in London. And, Salma, as we've been covering the death of Yahya Sinwar, a man whose attack

on Israel obviously brought this terrible suffering in Gaza with the death of tens of thousands there.

We talk about the suffering of children and women in particular at a time when there has been renewed focus on Israel, allowing more humanitarian aid

into the enclave, wondering just 24 hours later, the death of the leader of Hamas. Is that doing anything to change the situation in terms of perhaps

getting more aid in quicker?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To give you a short answer, absolutely not. It is really important to remember that Gazans do not elect their

leaders. There's been no elections there since 2006. They did not choose Yahya Sanwar by ballot box.

[12:10:00]

But you mentioned, of course, that death reverberating now across the Gaza Strip. But for many, the primary function here, the primary thing occupying

their minds is not the politics of Hamas, but basic survival.

Let's begin with the medical system. We've heard from the World Health Organization, which tells CNN that 50 medical specialists were -- who have

been trying to get into Gaza between August and October have been denied access. That's something that Israeli officials are pushing against.

But it also comes as the World Food Program says that no food has been allowed into Gaza in about a month and that has put some one million people

at risk of hunger.

It also comes as the United Nations has accused Israel of a concerted policy to essentially degrade and destroy the strip's health care system.

Again, something that Israeli officials are pushing against.

They say that they have made significant efforts to allow aid in. But when you look at the suffering on the ground, there simply is not enough there.

CNN has spoken to a doctor, a director, of one of the few functioning hospitals that still remains in Northern Gaza. He outlined those cases that

you spoke of about premature births because of the stress that so many pregnant women are under.

He talked about a catastrophic situation inside the hospital where they were running out of medical supplies, running out of food.

And for those families seeking shelter, there simply is none. One of the strikes this week, one of the civilian areas that was caught up in the

fighting was a school that was being used as a shelter in the Jabalia refugee camp where 30 people were killed in an airstrike. So that suffering

very much continues.

And yes, you hear these hopes of progress, these hopes of peace talks, but no one is rushing to the negotiating table overnight and that means only

more bloodshed on the ground in Gaza.

GOLODRYGA: It raises a question that we've been asking for so long now. What does the day after look like now with Hamas leadership really

decimated? What does that mean for civilians there and the humanitarian crisis going forward?

Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.

ASHER: Thank you, Salma.

All right. The Israeli military has issued a new evacuation notice for nearly two dozen villages in the south of Lebanon.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The IDF is urging residents of those villages, which are within about 30 kilometers or 18 miles of the Israeli border to move north.

The U.N. says about a fifth of the people in Lebanon have already fled their homes.

ASHER: Yezid Sayigh is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He's also an advisor, negotiator, and policy planner

of the Palestinian delegation to the peace talks with Israel from 1991 to 2002. He joins us live now from London.

So some major juts in terms of what's been happening to the leadership of both Hamas and Hezbollah in the past few weeks.

You've got both groups now, without top voices, top commanders, you know, Sinwar obviously being killed this week. Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah since

1992, also assassinated as well.

What does that sort of leadership vacuum mean for the strategy of both groups going forward do you think, Yezid?

YEZID SAYIGH, VISITING SCHOLAR, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE: Well, I think there are big differences between the two, despite the fairly

superficial resemblance of having top leaders assassinated.

Hezbollah, I think, has taken by far the bigger blow with the loss of Hassan Nasrallah, both in terms of what he represented for his party and

for his community, the Shia Muslim community in Lebanon, but more importantly, perhaps, the special position he occupied in relations with

Iran and as part of Iranian relationships with sympathetic militias and organizations in Yemen, in Iraq, in Syria.

Yahya Sinwar represented nothing of that stature for Iran. And even in terms of Hamas history, he's, what, the 20th, maybe the 30th senior leader

of Hamas that Israel has assassinated over the past quarter of a century. So this doesn't end Hamas.

But the problems are also different in a different manner. Hamas has, in my view, and I know this won't be popular among Palestinian listeners, that

Hamas pretty much signed its death warrant on the 7th of October, regardless of the rights and wrongs of anything.

But it put itself in a position where it's now struggling to survive and it probably will in some form, but it exists almost entirely in territories

occupied by Israel since 1967, in which Israel has overwhelming military security, economic, financial, technological and administrative control,

whereas Hezbollah operates in what at least to some level remains a sovereign state of Lebanon and has a lot of resources and communities, et

cetera, that it can still draw on.

[12:15:00]

So Hezbollah, in that sense, has better chances of survival in the long term, although it'll have to make very significant changes to how it

approaches things if it's to maintain its domestic political weight, let alone its ability to confront Israel in the future.

GOLODRYGA: Can I ask you, Yezid, to respond to what we just heard from President Biden, saying that, despite the death of Yahya Sinwar, he still

believes that a ceasefire in Gaza right now would be more difficult to attain than a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Just given that we've now seen, as I noted, Israel call up yet another reserve brigade into that fighting. What do you make of that? And do you

agree with them? Is this an opportunity, perhaps, for a pause or a ceasefire in the fighting in Southern Lebanon?

SAYIGH Hi. I'm sort of struggling hard not to laugh, frankly. If President Biden had wanted a ceasefire anywhere, he would have had it. This whole

year, we've seen time after time the president coming out in public or Secretary of State Tony Blinken coming out in public saying that they have

got Israeli approval of a ceasefire deal only to have Netanyahu turn around and demolish that.

And there's no question that the United States administration has the leverage. It's provided Israel with 18 billion worth of military assistance

in the past year.

So if President Biden actually wants a ceasefire, a pause, a truce, whatever you want to call it, anywhere, he can have it and get it.

I think that -- but the other thing that's interesting about his remarks is the distinction he's made between Gaza and Lebanon.

I think in Lebanon, this is where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feels he's on the up. He's pushing his ratings in domestic opinion polls in

Israel higher with the war in Lebanon that's very poplar across, you know, the political divide within Israel.

And so he's not going to let go of that momentum, partly because he has, you know, higher aims or broader aims in terms of what he wants vis-a-vis

Iran, eventually. But I think also because he feels this -- the wind is behind him in his sails right now. He's not going to stop.

At the same time, the Biden administration appears to have, in effect, joined Netanyahu's approach, which is this is a great opportunity to

fundamentally weaken Hezbollah and fundamentally weaken the Iranian position.

And so I don't think this administration intends to hold Netanyahu back. So I would read his statement rather differently.

As for Gaza, I'll just slip in quickly that I think it's clear Netanyahu has never wanted a ceasefire in Gaza. Much of his domestic political

calculations now ride on maintaining a war. That war in Gaza is no longer so popular in Israel. People are pretty demoralize that the Israeli army

has still not achieved total victory.

And in that sense Netanyahu needs a different war front. And I think Biden, in this respect, is not spending any last political capital he has in the

last remaining weeks of his presidency trying to differ with Netanyahu on this assessment.

ASHER: It's interesting what you said about, you know, Biden is not -- doesn't have any intention of, you know, holding Netanyahu back and that

this idea of Biden actually wanted a ceasefire anywhere, he would be able to get one. The U.S., of course, does have a lot of leverage over Israel.

But your thoughts now on the U.S. sending that letter, demanding that Israel improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, otherwise, threatening

to restrict access to arms to Israel.

I mean, obviously, they've made these sorts of threats in the past. But is it different this time, do you think?

SAYIGH: It's different. And, frankly, seeming far less persuasive. I mean, demanding the entry of aid after a whole month for a population that is

already experiencing extreme food shortages makes no sense whatsoever from a humanitarian perspective, nor from any other way.

And it's also curious that 30 days happen conveniently to end after the U.S. presidential election. In other words, at a time when this

administration, I suspect, will have no real leverage or interest in pursuing the matter with the Israeli government.

So this seems much more for diplomatic consumption. I just fail to see how we can take this seriously.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. The political calendar does come to mind when you think of the timing of this letter being sent, just a little over two and a half

weeks away from a U.S. election.

Yezid Sayigh, thank you so much for joining us. Visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Appreciate it.

ASHER: Thank you.

SAYIGH: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And our coverage of the Middle East conflict continues in just a moment. We'll speak to the daughter of an Israeli hostage and hear her

demand that echoes so many others. Bring those hostages home now. We'll be back with that.

[12:20:07]

ASHER: Presidential candidates are in a critical battleground state, getting last-minute messages out. We'll have that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Michigan is the center of the political universe in the U.S. right now, as the presidential candidates pick up the pace in a final

sprint to the election, now just 18 days away.

ASHER: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are each campaigning in the critical battleground state today.

Last night, they both appeared at a Catholic charity dinner in New York. Last, Trump in person and Harris remotely.

And it's a white tie event that traditionally offers candidates from both parties the chance to trade like (INAUDIBLE) barbs. There were laughs and

some boos as well. And at times, the jokes were kind of awkward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I must say I was shocked when I heard that Kamala was skipping the Al Smith dinner. I'd really hoped

that she would come because we can't get enough of hearing her beautiful laugh. She laughs like crazy.

Barack Hussein Obama or as Rush Limbaugh used to say Barack Hussein Obama.

Barack Hussein Obama.

I used to think the Democrats were crazy for saying that men have periods. But then I met Tim Walz.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The vice president wasn't there, she was -- I was just trying to make sense of his jokes. Sorry for the pause there.

She was campaigning in Wisconsin, but she did manage to make a video appearance and get in some mild barbs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Is there anything that you think that maybe I

shouldn't bring up tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, don't lie. Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor.

HARRIS: Indeed, especially thy neighbor's election results.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just so you know, there will be a fact checker there tonight.

HARRIS: Oh, that's great. Who?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jesus. And maybe don't say anything negative about Catholics.

HARRIS: I would never do that, no matter where I was. That would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Which is something that Donald Trump did at the Detroit Economic Club, which is what she was referring to.

CNN political analyst Alex Thompson joins us now live from Michigan. And as we've been reporting, this really is a tight race at this point, especially

in those crucial swing states, Michigan being one of them.

Not a big deal. I would imagine that the vice president skipped the Al Smith dinner, obviously choosing to be on the campaign instead.

[12:25:08]

But as we are just 18 days away, give us a sense of how both campaigns are feeling as this is coming down to the wire here.

ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, if you ask the Trump campaign, they really are feeling quite confident. And, you know, they also felt that

Kamala Harris missed an opportunity by not going to the Catholic dinner.

Now, obviously, I don't know necessarily know if some of his raunchy jokes really made the impact of Catholics he was hoping for.

But Catholics are a key voting bloc in these blue wall states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin. You are seeing Kamala Harris' team

really dive in to try to fortify that blue wall. She's been in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania. These are the main states.

She will be appearing with Barack Obama in Georgia next week. She's also, you know, having a little bit of star power come on the trail with her.

She's having Lizzo perform or at least attend a rally with her. She's also having Usher attend a rally with her this weekend.

ASHER: And obviously just in terms of the news you've gotten this week with the Middle East, the U.S. has continued and will continue to try to walk

this fine line between making sure that it supports Israel through thick and thin, that Israel obviously does have the right to defend itself, at

the same time desperately working to protect civilians in Gaza. This war has gone on for over a year now, 40,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Obviously, one of the key voting blocs for Democrats in Michigan is Arab- Americans. What is Kamala Harris doing and saying to that particular group, just to sort of assure them that this is something she's taking very

seriously?

THOMPSON: Well, this week was really a study and completely different approaches to this issue. You saw Kamala Harris get to the microphones as

fast as possible to praise the death of the leader of Hamas this week and basically use it as a reason to call for the end of the war.

That has been her message to those populations, especially in places like Michigan, that we need to end the war. And so she used the events this week

as a call to deescalate.

Now, Donald Trump, by contrast, hasn't really said anything about the conflict and has made it very clear that he will back Netanyahu. And he's

actually called Netanyahu to escalate the conflict.

GOLODRYGA: When you've been talking about a trend we've seen growing over the course of the last several election cycles as the country has become

more and more polarized, what's unique about this election is just the role that the gender plays amongst voters, where you see Kamala Harris really

making an effort. And I don't know how much ground she's actually gaining by the effort she's making to appeal to men, to white working-class men, to

black men, to Latino men, and Trump having the same issue with women.

Is this a trend you think that is unique to this specific race? Or is this yet another evolution of the voting system in the country?

THOMPSON: We are going to see probably the largest gender gap ever in American politics. Now there has been a gender gap over the years, but the

fact of the matter is by virtue of the Dobbs decision, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, women feeling that their bodily autonomy is at risk, along

with sort of Trump leaning into this, if you want to, for lack of a better term, machismo factor in terms of who he talks to, the Hulk Hogan at the

RNC ripping his shirt off of it all.

All of these things have basically driven a wedge between men and women in this race. It is specific to this year.

ASHER: And just in terms of obviously race and gender, you know, as we just touched on, obviously gender, but just in terms of race as well playing a

really significant part in this election.

I mean, obviously, you've got Kamala Harris really trying to appeal to black men. But just this idea of, you know, having a black woman, a black

woman, not just a black man like we saw with Barack Obama, but a black woman at the top of a major ticket.

Are Democrats concerned that there will be some Democrats across the country who might tell pollsters that, yes, they will vote for Kamala

Harris, but when it actually comes to election day, the idea of voting for a person of color, voting for a woman might be a little bit too much?

Just even among Democrats, is that a concern?

THOMPSON: Absolutely. We've had -- we've had 46 presidents, and none of them have been women. Sexism is real in America. And if you're a Democrat,

you know, what can you do about it? It's like -- you know, it's a worry.

And the one thing they have done strategically is unlike Hillary Clinton, who really made sort of, you know, pop feminism part of her brand, that I'm

with her of it all. She would often wear, you know, suffragette white at events.

She really leaned into it and tried to make women a voting bloc, sort of make her candidacy part of the feminist movement. And Kamala Harris has not

done that. She has not emphasized her gender in the same way. She's basically said, I'm a candidate for president who happens to be one.

[12:30:08]

ASHER: Is that a mistake? Is that a mistake then not to lean into it?

THOMPSON: I mean, we're going to find out November 5th. I think the feeling was that Hillary Clinton made a mistake. Hillary Clinton made a mistake in

2016 as the consensus among Democrats. So they're basically taking the opposite tack.

ASHER: But Barack Obama leaned into race and it worked for him. And so, do Democrats feel as though Kamala Harris should perhaps lean into race, if

not gender, a bit more than she is already?

THOMPSON: Yes. The Democrats that I've talked to that worked on Obama's campaign, what they would say is that he leaned into race, but only at very

select moments.

So, you know, after, you know, Jeremiah Wright, for example, the his pastor that -- in Chicago that made controversial statements. He gave a huge race

speech.

But otherwise, they usually said that he would try not to lean into race. And I can tell you that during the presidency, when he leaned in on issues

like Trayvon Martin, for example, or when, you know, black professor was arrested up at Harvard. They said -- they saw their poll numbers among

white voters go down.

And a lot of those same people that worked for Barack Obama, during that time, they are now advising Kamala Harris, which I think is also informing

their approach.

GOLODRYGA: We should note that Barack, and I believe Michelle Obama, will both be campaigning next week for Kamala Harris as well.

Nick (ph) Thompson, 18 days left. Thanks so much.

ASHER: Thanks so much.

All right. Still to come on ONE WORLD, some Christian nationalists are fighting to put Donald Trump back in the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Do you think Trump was sent from God?

DOTTI DAVIDSON, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I do. I do.

O'SULLIVAN: Tell me about it.

DAVIDSON: It's a divine intervention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: But some religious leaders are warning Trump is a danger to democracy and the church. We'll have details for you a little later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:35:59]

GOLODRYGA: Well, the death of Yahya Sinwar has only made the calls for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages grow louder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Hundreds turned out in Tel Aviv Thursday to tell their leaders to bring the more than 100 hostages home.

Earlier, the U.S. Defense Secretary said Hamas -- the Hamas leader's death provides an extraordinary opportunity to get a deal done. The hostage

families agree the time to act is now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ORNA NEUTRAL, MOTHER OF HOSTAGE OMER NEUTRA: Their lives are in great danger now more than ever. We're calling on the Israeli government and the

U.S. administration to act swiftly and do whatever is needed to reach a deal with the captors.

RONEN NEUTRAL, FATHER OF HOSTAGE OMER NEUTRA: This time, the opportunity must be seized. All hostages must be released in one deal immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: The Israeli military says that it is doing all it can to free the hostages and that Hamas could end the conflict if it chose to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORON SPIELMAN, IDF INTERNATIONAL SPOKESMAN: We are acting on whatever intel we have and have been acting to try to rescue those hostages. It is a

huge priority for Israel. Every one of us knows hostages. I myself know hostages.

Various -- all Israelis are connected in some way or another. We're acting on our intel to bring them home as quickly as possible. There's no question

that Sinwar's elimination destabilizes Hamas. And it depends how that's going to be leveraged.

If we can leverage it to defeat Hamas, and the Prime Minister has already said anyone who notifies and brings in a hostage will have immunity, if

that is able to be moved forward, then that last remaining group can raise their hands, raise the white flag and carry out three things. Stop selling

Israel, returning our hostages and disbanding. This can end tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: For its part, Hamas says that it won't return the hostages until the war ends. Israel withdraws and Palestinian prisoners in Israel are

released.

Time now for The Exchange and a closer look at the urgency to bring the captive Israelis home and the frustration their loved ones feel.

Joining us now is Elan Siegel. Her mother, Aviva, was taken hostage, and 51 days later, she was released. But her father, Keith, remains captive. Elan,

thank you so much for joining us.

I just have to say this. You know, we were really struggling with whether or not we even wanted to speak with the hostage family following the news

of Yahya Sinwar's death, because, on the one hand, that is such a significant moment and so much reason to be hopeful that things could come

to an end.

But, as you know, there have just been so many ups and downs throughout this horrific year. And putting you through it is not something we took

lightly. But I know you were speaking out on behalf of your father the way your mother is as well and has been since she's been released.

Since we heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, before the confirmation even of Yahya Sinwar's death, he said one thing, and that was

to hostage families, that there were no hostages around Yahya Sinwar at the time.

And as you know, and we heard from Doron Spielman there, the IDF spokesperson, that he said that Israel would be willing to give amnesty to

those that are currently holding hostages.

Does that give you faith that your father could come home very soon?

ELAN SIEGEL, DAUGHTER OF HOSTAGE KEITH SIEGEL: Wow. I think it's hard for me to -- at the beginning -- at the beginning, I could easily imagine my

dad coming home. And I could easily imagine the hug that I would give him.

And now it's so hard to imagine it. And I think that like my brain and my soul are being smart and telling me just not to raise hopes and just to

continue and pray and talk and beg for the return of my dad, but it's hard.

ASHER: Because obviously, you know, you don't -- you don't want to get your hopes up, right? Because you've been disappointed many, many times

throughout this entire year. I mean, this has been beyond an emotional roller coaster. It's been torture, right? And every single time, you know,

you get some sort of headline that gives you hope.

I mean, a lot of people are talking about the fact that, you know, maybe with the death of Yahya Sinwar that could provide some kind of off-ramp to

end the war. But a lot of people are saying, well, Netanyahu, does he really want to end the war?

So just in terms of making sure that this issue, the issue of the hostages remains a priority and that people like your father Keith are not forgotten

throughout this entire conversation. What more -- I mean you guys have done so much. I mean every day is a fight.

[12:40:03]

But what more can be done to ensure that the world continues to remember those 101 Israelis who are in Gaza still?

SIEGEL: Well, I really don't know because I know nothing in politics. And I don't know anything how, like, in the point of view, like in the -- in the

army.

But I do know that we, as like the American families, the American house of families, we count on the American administration to do whatever and more

to get our people home.

My dad is 65. He has all kinds of health issues. He is such a gentle person and he has -- like he's such a peace person. It's so hard for me to imagine

him going through what he is going through for the last year.

Like sometimes, I feel like I can go crazy just thinking about him down those dark tunnels because it is so, so -- like I can't believe that this

is the reality of our life and of his life.

So I just want to ask, like, if you ask what else can be done, I really don't know. But I think and I feel that the leaders of this world should

and have to lead us to a better world.

I feel like in that -- in this year, I forgot what's good about this world. I forgot to see like the small, beautiful things like nature and the ocean.

And I forgot how to laugh because I just -- I don't feel like I'm -- I am able to, to feel good or to enjoy one single moment.

So I just want to ask whoever sees me and has some kind of impact on -- of those leaders to do whatever you can to bring my dad home.

I feel like, and I can feel my dad because I'm connected to him and I know that he's alive. I know that he feels the hope most of the times. And I

know that he dreams about that moment where he can see us, where he can hug his grandchildren.

And we have -- we have to give him his life back. We have to do it.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

SIEGEL: It's no other way.

GOLODRYGA: Listen, Elan, telling us more about your dad, reminding his five young grandkids about what an incredible man he is, a man of peace, a man

who lived to help others, that's a good place to start.

And as we always say, we will continue to talk about these hostages, to tell their stories and to press all world leaders to bring this conflict to

an end and to bring the hostages home.

Please give your mom our best. We appreciate your strength and the time for joining us. Elan Siegel, thank you.

SIEGEL: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:45:34]

ASHER: All right. Turning now to a closer look at the ever increasing confluence of religion and politics.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Some preachers pushing that Donald Trump is God's chosen leader.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan has this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIDSON: We have to take God and put him back into the very moral fabric of this country. Otherwise, we will continue to see the decay, just like

Rome. Rome fell and so will America.

(MUSIC)

SEAN FEUCHT, SINGER, SONGWRITER AND ACTIVIST: They said, why are you going to all these battleground states? Because I said, it's not just a

battleground, politically, it's the battleground in the spirit.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you think Trump was sent from God?

DAVIDSON: I do. I do.

O'SULLIVAN: Tell me more about it.

DAVIDSON: It was divine intervention. God calls people, and they're not perfect people, so he has to call someone that's going to take a stand. And

that's what Trump is doing. He is fulfilling his calling.

O'SULLIVAN: It's a few weeks before election day, and Christian singer, preacher, and Trump supporter, Sean Feucht, is here outside the North

Carolina state Capitol.

FEUCHT: We're going to bleed the blood over the Capitol.

O'SULLIVAN: Feucht didn't mention Trump's name at this event at all, but the political undertones were very clear.

FEUCHT: We plead the blood of Jesus. Your blood speaks a better word than whatever is happening inside that building.

O'SULLIVAN: You're travelling to every state capital?

FEUCHT: Yes.

O'SULLIVAN: Just tell us the significance of that.

FEUCHT: It feels like it's more acceptable a lot of times in capitals to have a drag queen reading to kids rather than Christians worshipping. And

so I -- my heart is like, hey, let's empower people in the church to understand the significance of what happens in that building. Really,

we're, in many ways, putting the politicians on notice in that building. Hey, the church is alive. We're aware.

And, you know, there are things that we're going to stand for and things that we're going to stand against.

O'SULLIVAN: There's no official religion of this country. You would agree?

DAVIDSON: The religion that this country was based on is Christianity. I mean, for anyone to go and dispute that, they're completely ignorant and

blind.

O'SULLIVAN: But you believe in freedom and a religion?

DAVIDSON: Oh, yes.

O'SULLIVAN: People can be --

DAVIDSON: People can be of different faiths and practice as they wish, but this is a Christian country and this is what it was founded on. And that is

what makes America so phenomenally great.

BEN MARSH, PASTOR, FIRST ALLIANCE CHURCH: What does that mean though? Let's ask that question. What does it mean, America is a Christian country?

We have a constitution that is rooted in liberal democracy. You don't arrive at the American constitution with just the Bible, unless you're

buying a Trump Bible which already has the American constitution in it.

This was the flag that went into the Senate when the doors were broken.

O'SULLIVAN: I first met Pastor Ben Marsh almost four years ago.

MARSH: The Christian flag.

O'SULLIVAN: After I saw this sermon that was posted online where he explains the role of Christianity in January 6.

MARSH: They thought they were doing the work of God because pastors and leaders have lied to them.

O'SULLIVAN: Mash says equating Christianity and American patriotism the way some of the Trump movement do is dangerous.

MARSH: It can create a cult-like attitude towards the leaders that are there because they're no longer just, oh, that's the right guy, like his

policies. Now it's, oh, Jesus has chosen that person. So we have to follow that person to wherever they go.

[12:50:09]

O'SULLIVAN: But Pastor Marsh is describing his Christian nationalism.

FEUCHT: I believe that's a term that's been weaponized to kind of try to put Christians into a corner, right, where we don't exercise our faith in

the public square.

O'SULLIVAN: But Pastor Marsh disagrees. He's worried that Christian nationalism could lead to more violence.

MARSH: We are in a time when political violence is just kind of the air that we're breathing and people are so afraid it comes back to fear. So

Trump supporters looking at Democrats, if they win, they're going to commit all these atrocities. You have Christian leaders that are saying they're

going to lock you up. They're going to take away your pulpits. Just rampant lies.

TRUMP: Promoting the God bless the USA Bible.

O'SULLIVAN: Far from distancing himself from Christian nationalism, Trump has embraced it, even selling a $60 Bible complete with the founding

documents.

MARSH: You brought me a Trump Bible. God bless the USA. And then we say the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. And then all of a

sudden you have the Declaration of Independence. What's the implication there, Donie? Did that government has been set in place to enact the will

of Christ somehow? Honestly, it breaks my heart.

O'SULLIVAN: What about people who say you're overreacting? I love my country. I'm a Christian. I love the Bible. I love the founding documents.

What's so bad about putting them together in one book?

MARSH: As a local pastor with my local church, I think what's so bad about this, not just this Bible, but the whole movement, is it is enticing people

to do things that really aren't Christian that make them feel like they're doing something that's Christian.

And that's ultimately the problem. All this partisan nonsense is that it's all designed to make people think that they're doing something for Jesus

when they're really not.

They're doing something for Trump, and look, they're going to do something for whoever replaces Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: Singer Rita Ora is among the many stars mourning the death of Liam Payne. Ora and the former One Direction member shared a duet together

in 2018.

And on Thursday, she performed that song "For You" during an emotional tribute at a concert in Japan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:55:16]

GOLODRYGA: Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Payne's shocking death in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Six people

believed to have witnessed Payne in the hours before he died spoke with local police on Thursday.

ASHER: The public prosecutor's office in Argentina says that everything indicates that the 31-year-old musician was alone when he fell from the

third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires.

They also say he was potentially experiencing some kind of, quote, episode because of substance abuse.

Prosecutors say that Payne may not have been fully conscious when he died because of the position in which investigators found his body.

GOLODRYGA: So tragic.

Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. Don't go anywhere. Bianna's going to be right back with "AMANPOUR" after the short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END