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Hala Gorani Tonight
Israel-Gaza Conflict Enters Second Week; Kenya Weeks Away from Running Out of Vaccines; Protesters in Japan Call for Cancellation of Tokyo Games; WSJ: Microsoft Investigated Gates over Employee Relationship; Israeli Government: Gaza Tower Block Was Legitimate Military Target; US Goal to Reduce Violence; Deadly Violence Between Israel And Gaza Is Worst In Years. India Reports Fewer COVID Cases But Deaths Remain High; Cyclone Hits Indian Region Struggling To Contain COVID. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired May 17, 2021 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:00:16]
HALA GORANI, CNNI HOST: Hello and welcome. I'm Hala Gorani Tonight.
We're waiting to hear what comes out of a conversation between the American President Joe Biden and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
which was due in the last hour. There is growing concern inside the White House about the violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
The conflict has entered its second week and it is turning increasingly deadly, especially for Palestinians.
The Hamas run Palestinian Health Authority says 212 people have now been killed in Gaza, including 61 children. The Israeli military says at least
10 people have died as a result of Hamas's rocket fire in Israel.
The spokesperson for the Israeli military says approximately 80 percent to 90 percent of the rocket manufacturing capacity in the Gaza Strip has now
been destroyed. This is what the IDF is saying. And it also says that it attacked five Hamas headquarters on Monday.
And France, meanwhile, says it's going to work with Egypt and Jordan to try to broker a ceasefire.
Ben Wedeman, our senior International Correspondent is in Jerusalem with more.
So, the IDF is saying that is destroyed up to 90 percent of the rocket firing capability of Hamas, but the destruction that has come as a result
of this bombing campaign has been absolutely tremendous inside of Gaza, Ben.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it has been tremendous. And we've heard that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has just concluded a meeting with his security cabinet. And he said afterwards that the operation in Gaza will continue.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Rescuers pull six year old Suzie (ph) from the rubble of her home in Gaza City. She was trapped there for seven hours. Suzie's
mother, two sisters and two brothers were killed in an Israeli airstrike early Sunday.
The last I saw of my wife says, her father Riyadh (ph), she had thrown herself on the floor and concrete fell on her head.
The high tech meat grinder that is 21st century warfare is gradually turning parts of this crowded strip of land on the Mediterranean into a
lunar landscape of jagged concrete and twisted metal.
The death toll here now exceeds 200, according to the Hamas run Gaza Ministry of Health. Three years ago, a senior U.N. official said the
residents of Gaza are, in his words, caged in a toxic slum from birth to death.
The Palestinian situation is devastated and in crisis since 15 years. Now that crisis is worse and suffering has increased says Gaza resident Ahmed
(ph).
The power grid was already barely functioning before the hostilities, what little fuel that was coming from Israel has now stopped. The Gaza power
company warns this strip could go completely dark within two days.
Israeli airstrikes and Hamas missile barrages continue unabated.
In parts of Israel, sirens wailed Monday to warn of incoming rockets from Gaza. People in Beersheba, Ashkelon and Ashdod, including a CNN team
fleeing to shelter for safety.
The Israeli military says at least one residential building in Ashdod was hit. It came after Hamas launched hundreds of rockets towards Israel over
the weekend. One squarely striking a synagogue in the city of Ashkelon.
According to the Israeli military, at least 10 Israelis have died as a result of more than 3,000 rockets from Gaza. The country's Iron Dome of
defense enabling most to take cover.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We'll do whatever it takes to restore order and quiet.
WEDEMAN: Three times in the past 13 years and now once more, the low intensity conflict between the militant factions and Israel has erupted
into full scale war. And each round ends with the same result. And soon, the seeds of the next round of carnage and ruin begin to grow.
Perhaps common order of sorts will be restored to Israelis and Palestinians until the next time.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
[16:05:05]
WEDEMAN: And of course the situation too for civilians in Gaza is getting worse and worse there. Now, 43,000 people crammed into more than 50 schools
run by the U.N. refugee agency. They're keeping in mind of course, that according to the same agency, an official we spoke to today, 30 percent of
the population of Gaza has had or currently has COVID 19. Hala.
GORANI: And what about prospects for a ceasefire? I know that as you indicated in your report, Benjamin Netanyahu is giving no indication that
he is ready to stop this campaign against targets inside of Gaza. However, there are international efforts to try to achieve some sort of ceasefire.
WEDEMAN: There are, but they seem to be faltering at the moment. Apparently, the Israelis have rebuffed the Egyptians attempts to broker a
ceasefire. Egypt of course, being a country that has good contacts with Hamas and Gaza shares of border with Gaza.
The United States for its part continues to try to shield Israel from international criticism for the third time in a row. It is blocked a
statement from the U.N. Security Council, calling for an end to the fighting, and a stop to the forced eviction of Palestinians from the Sheikh
Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem. Hala.
GORANI: All right, Ben Wedeman, thanks very much.
Ofer Cassif is a member of the Knesset for the Joint List. He is in Rehovot Israel via Skype.
Just to give our -- thank you for joining us. To give our viewers some context, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're the sole Jewish member of this
Arab majority political party alliance in the Knesset, correct?
OFER CASSIF, MEMBER OF THE KNESSET, JOINT LIST: Correct. Yes, that's right.
GORANI: Right. So, what is your take on what's going on right now with the Netanyahu campaign of continuing to take aim at targets inside of Gaza
right now? What -- How do you react to it? And what do you hope happens in the coming days and weeks?
CASSIF: There's a follow, and one issue should know that Netanyahu himself and of course, the thugs around him and the thugs that are called the
Government of Israel are responsible for the fire. He ignited the fire and started it in purpose. And it's not a coincidence that the fire began the
same day more or less the mandate for forming a government went from Netanyahu to Yair Lapid.
Netanyahu started the fire once he understood that he couldn't form a government. So, he's responsible for the bloodshed, he is responsible for
any drop of blood that is spilled of Jews, as well as of Palestinians. So, the responsibility, the blame should be put on him and his government.
And in order to finish -- Yes, sorry.
GORANI: Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. But basically, you're saying he's extremely cynical. You're saying that he did all of this for
political reasons, and that this had nothing to do with Israel's security. And that, therefore, the 200 plus dead in Gaza, and the 10 dead Israelis
are really, that it is because of his actions that this has happened.
CASSIF: You summarize my view completely, perfectly. And I would say is more than cynical, and I will be very, very blunt, and very, very, sharp.
And I hope that the people who are watching us will understand that and will absorb that.
I said one year ago in the Knesset that Netanyahu, he's a fellowman (ph) psychopath. And I say that again, he's a clinical psychopath who doesn't
kill a bit for the lives and well-being of his fellows. He cares only about himself. He wants to stay in power in order to stay out of prison. And
that's the only reason that we have been -- we have been suffering in the last week or eight days, and especially, of course, the people of Gaza.
My heart goes for the people of Gaza, as well as for the people of Israel suffer, because this psychopath is still in power. And I hope that he won't
be in power very, very soon.
GORANI: The people of Israel, and I know that it's too soon to be able to truly assess public opinion because the crisis is still so fresh this
latest round anyway, but seem to be in support of heavy handed responses when rockets come out of Gaza and land on Israeli territory in Israeli
town. So, it appears as though at least among the general Israeli population, the Jewish Israeli population, that there is support for the
Prime Minister. Is that correct?
[16:10:17]
CASSIF: Yes, it is correct. And I would like, please, to quote someone that it seems to me, unfortunately, that Ben Netanyahu learned a lot from him.
And I mean, Hermann Goring.
Hermann Goring, the terrible war criminal from Nazi Germany said, just before we committed suicide during the Nuremberg trials, he said, of
course, the people don't want to go to war and suffer from war. But it's very easy to mobilize them alongside the leaders. The only thing you should
do is to say that the country, their country is under attack, and that the pacifist war or peace lovers within the country collaborate with the enemy,
and then they will follow you. It seems that Netanyahu is a very, very discipline disciple of this legacy.
GORANI: That's a very strong, I mean, those are strong words. I mean, you're basically comparing your prime minister to a Nazi.
CASSIF: First of all, I didn't compare him to a Nazi this time, although in some other incidents I may. But this is not what I said. What I said is
that there are specific legacy that comes this time from Goring. But unfortunately, many cynical leaders around the globe, not only Netanyahu
follow this specific legacy in mobilizing people to be on their side.
So, in that specific sense, yes, I know that I'm very, very sharp and that I'm very, very -- that I use very strong words. But unfortunately, when so
many people and so many children come on the international community does seem -- the international community doesn't seem to care. Children are dead
on a daily basis in Israel and particularly in Gaza. Only because Netanyahu decided to start the fire by invading the most, the holiest mosque in
Israel slash Palestine for the Muslims, Al Aqsa. Only because he wanted -- he tease them, he pushed them towards the fire.
I've been to Sheikh Jarrah lot of times in demonstrations against the ethnic cleansing that Israel has been pursuing and in Sheikh Jarrah. They
evacuate Palestinians, the indigenous people of this area. They evacuated in order to give it to Jews, to the most radical racist Jews. So, he --
GORANI: Ofer Cassif --
CASSIF: -- is responsible. You must understand that. In this way, I doesn't mean that I support even one bit the Hamas. No, of course I don't.
GORANI: Right.
CASSIF: But one should understand who started it and how to end it. Cease fire is a must now, if not yesterday, if not one a week ago.
GORANI: Ofer Cassif, thank you so much for joining us on CNN there on this important day as we enter the second week of hostilities. A member of the
Knesset for the Joint List joining us live from Rehovot in Israel.
CASSIF: Thank you very much.
GORANI: Well, we are going to be talking a lot more about the situation in the Middle East. But I want to bring you an update on what's happening with
regards to COVID. And the U.S. is committing to sending billions more vaccines overseas.
President Joe Biden says 80 million doses will be sent abroad just over the next few weeks saying that fighting the pandemic needs to be a global
effort. Listen to Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic is raging globally is under control. No
oceans wide enough, no walls high enough to keep us safe.
This means over the next six weeks, the United States of America will send 80 million doses overseas. That represents 30 percent of the vaccines
produced by the United States by the end of June. This will be more vaccines than any country has actually shared to date. Five times more than
any other country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, the announcement comes as Kenya is sounding the alarm over its vaccine shortage. The country is weeks away from completely running out
of doses, haven't used up 91 percent of its supplies. And health officials say only 2 percent of the population has been vaccinated so far.
Let's bring in Larry Madowo in Nairobi for more on that.
So, is there, I mean, how much concern is there that a country like Kenya could become the new India, if really the country runs out of vaccines and
we start seeing infection rates go up and up and up?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hala, the fear here is that if that were to happen, the country's health system just could not take it. There's just
about a million people who've been vaccinated because Kenya got 1 million vaccines from Kovacs, this is this vaccine alliance has been helping poor
and middle income countries, either for free or at a discounted rate to get vaccines, they will promise 3.6 million, only a million came in.
[16:15:04]
And so, what Kenya did is vaccinated everybody who wanted to get the vaccine, they prioritize the healthcare and other essential workers, people
in the security services and anybody over 58. However, that's all done now. Ninety-one percent of the vaccine available has been used, and they don't
know when the next one is coming. They're hoping for millions more from Johnson & Johnson, but even that, there's no hard and fast date.
So if that happen, and Kenya runs out of vaccines, and then there's a big surge, it could be a real crisis here.
GORANI: And what's the COVID situation in terms of infections now in Kenya?
MADOWO: In the last few weeks, COVID infections appears -- to appear to have leveled off. So far 165,000 cases have been reported in the country
and that 3,003 people have died. But the seven day rolling average is about 15 deaths a day, which is quite significantly lower compared to the high
just about a month or so ago. So it looks better. But that's just a stopgap measure.
The real way to avoid getting a big surge is to get people vaccinated. There are restrictions, there's a curfew right now from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Mask wearing is required in public and all that. However, there's just not enough ways to keep people safe.
And as President Biden said, which is the same mantra from Kovacs, nobody's safe in the West until people in this part of the world are safe, because
as you saw with a variant from India, from South Africa, from the U.K., they found their way to the rest of the world.
GORANI: Absolutely. In fact, the Indian variant is being spotted in in countries where the numbers were positive. And then, suddenly we see
infection rates go up.
Thanks so very much, Larry Madowo, who is joining us from Nairobi. And welcome to CNN, as I said a couple of hours ago. It's great to have you
with us.
Still to come, tonight, it was supposed to be a moment of national pride. Now a poll shows that very few people in Japan actually want the Tokyo
Olympics to happen this year at all in their country.
And also, Joe Biden is back on the phone with Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to de-escalate the Israeli Palestinian crisis. More ahead on the
White House's response. We'll be right back.
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GORANI: With just over two months to go until the Tokyo Olympics, poll suggests opposition to the games is growing as Japan continues to battle a
COVID surge. Now people are taking to the streets in Tokyo to demand that the games be cancelled altogether.
[16:20:09]
Selina Wang reports
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm walking along an anti-Olympics protests that's underway right now here in Japan. They are chanting for the games to
be canceled, holding sign saying that these games cannot go on. Asking for the Olympic torch flame to be extinguished.
I spoke into many of the protesters here today, and they're frustrated by the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They don't feel these
games could possibly be held safely and securely. Several of them have lost their jobs amidst a pandemic. They say that important resources need to be
put towards saving people's lives and for dealing with more important causes like rebuilding the region devastated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear
disaster.
One of the protesters here today even told me that it would be inhumane to host the Olympics this summer.
Now, the protesters here today, the way they feel reflects the mounting public frustration here on the ground in Japan. According to local polls,
the majority of people in this country think the games should not be held this summer. In fact, an online petition calling for the games to be
canceled in just nine days received more than 350,000 signatures.
Even a doctor's union in Japan said these games have to be canceled. Warning they could turn into a super spreader event even without any
spectators in the stance.
Now, despite all of this mounting public opposition, the anger and frustration that I'm really hearing from people today, the Japanese
government and the International Olympic Committee, the real decision makers here, insist that these games will go on as planned safely and
securely. But that doesn't reflect the reality here on the ground when you have COVID-19 cases surging in Japan, just about 1 percent of the
population fully vaccinated, not to mention large swaths of this country are currently under a state of emergency.
With just 10 weeks to go, day by day, the frustration, the opposition in Japan only grows.
Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
GORANI: Well, here in England, life is getting closer to what it was before the pandemic. Pubs and restaurants are now letting customers inside once
again and some social distancing rules have been relaxed.
International travel is also allowed again. They were literally lining up this morning at Gatwick Airport. You see it there, even if the list of
approved countries is very small.
The CEO of EasyJet, the budget airline says, it's the vaccine rollout in the U.K. and Europe that is making this moment possible. He spoke to Anna
Stewart, he said he hoped restrictions could be eased in more places soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHAN LUNDGREN, CEO, EASYJET: I'm super excited. You know, it's a big day today, because the travel ban has actually been lifted today. So from
today, you're allowed to travel, which is a big step.
Now, of course, we would like to see that the green list would considered - - consistent of more destinations and countries. And we believe with the latest data, that it's available, that that green list can and should be
expanded as we're now seeing is happening across Europe as well. So we're looking forward to that to happen. So we can, you know, restart traveling
in a safe way also at a larger scale.
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: We have been here before, I mean, we've had this conversation before. Last summer, frankly, was a bit chaotic. The U.K.
government imposing lifting restrictions every week on different destinations. Are we going to see the same thing again this summer?
LUNDGREN: Well, you see what's different this time, it's the success of the vaccination program. And here the U.K., obviously, but also now that is
being rolled out quite efficiently and swiftly now across the rest of the Europe. So that is the big difference. And the effectiveness of the
vaccines that is out there. And also the fact that the manufacturers now are looking at the way how they're going to treat, you know, the vaccines
going forward in terms of dealing with also variants to come makes us in it being in a very, very different place that we have been in before.
STEWART: Today is the day moving in the right direction. But how costly has the pandemic been for EasyJet in terms of the cash burn, but also those
jobs lost?
LUNDGREN: Well, EasyJet, as you know, came into this as one of the strongest airlines in the Europe and we've taken decisive action to get
access to liquidity, also to manage the cash burn and control the cost. There is still an investment grade airline with, you know, find many
airlines out in the world who are. But of course this has taken an immense toll on the whole of the industry. And EasyJet has done an exception on
that, but we all just got to do what it needs to take to manage the situation and come out strong on this. And today is the big first step of
that journey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. Bill Gates is facing accusations about his conduct. "The Wall Street Journal" is reporting that his 2020 resignation from
Microsoft's Board of Directors came about after the board hired a law firm to investigate a romantic relationship he had with a Microsoft employee.
[16:25:01]
And it comes after "The New York Times" reported that Gates had, "Developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work related settings."
Now, CNN has not confirmed either of the allegations.
A spokesperson for Gates, though says, the decision to leave the board was not related to the matter.
Let's go live to New York, Clare Sebastian is live for us. And the spokesperson for Gates is acknowledging there was a romantic relationship
with this Microsoft employee at one point.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hala. What we know from a Microsoft spokesperson is that this was a relationship that happened in the
year 2000. So really, 20 years ago. And that it wasn't until 2019, the second half of 2019 that Microsoft believed -- received what it called a
concern that Bill Gates, from statements sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee. A committee of the board, then
launched an investigation.
And during that investigation, Microsoft says that they were aided by an outside law firm, and they provided support to the employee in question.
And what we don't know, this is what was reported by the "Wall Street Journal," according to their sources is that that was the reason why he
resigned from the board in March of 2020. He said at the time that this was to focus more on his philanthropic activities.
And as you say, there was a separate report also, from "The New York Times" that really detailed sort of a pattern of behavior that he behaved
inappropriately in workplace settings. They didn't name the name the women involved, but they spoke to several women who say that he approached them
for dates, asked them out to dinner, that it made them uncomfortable.
To be clear, there is no allegation of any criminal behavior or any attempts to pressure these women. But obviously, when you have someone in a
position of power, like Bill Gates, you do sort of get the boundaries blurred here.
Gates spokesperson telling "The New York Times" it's extremely disappointing that there have been so many untruths published about the
cause, the circumstances, and the timeline of Bill Gates divorced. He said the claim of mistreatment of employees is also false, so strenuously
denying this, Hala.
GORANI: So, why did it take 19 or 20 years even for this to be brought to the attention of the board of the company by this by this person who
engaged in a relationship with Bill Gates?
SEBASTIAN: Yes, I mean, it's a really good question. We don't know why it took so long. It would seem strange that it would come out in 2019, which
is, of course, a year where the Me Too Movement was still prominent a year. Also where Bill Gates, his wife, Melinda Gates was heavily involved in
efforts to support women in that year. She pledged a billion dollars through her own venture pivotal investments to help the cause of gender
inequality in the United States saying she wanted to build on the momentum of the Me Too Movement.
And I think what we don't know why it took so long, Hala, this does sort of cast this tech luminary, the software pioneer, Bill Gates, even though he's
denying these allegations that there was there anything sort of inappropriate here, even though he does confirm that there was an affair,
it does cast it in a different light. He was -- he was untouched so far by this Me Too Movement. And I think this sort of raises further questions as
we continue to see more of these allegations come out.
GORANI: Clare Sebastian, thanks very much.
In New York, still to come, U.S. President Joe Biden says you'll have more to say about the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine after his phone
call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be at the White House. For the very latest, stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:00]
GORANI: Well, we also saw those images of that tower housing Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, go down after an Israeli strike level the building.
Well, a senior adviser to Israel's Prime Minister insists that the United States has been updated on why that tower block in Gaza, which has those
media groups, was destroyed by the Israeli military. Mark Regev spoke to me a couple of hours ago. This is how he justified the fact that the tower was
a legitimate target in the view of the Israeli government. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK REGEV, SENIOR ADVISER TO ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: But it's crystal clear, Hamas was operating out of that building. They've taken what
should be a civilian building and turned it into a legitimate military target because it was housing their military intelligence. It was housing -
- there are indeed was housing part of their war machine that allows them to target Israel and to interfere with our activities.
GORANI: Where's the evidence?
REGEV: So the evidence is intelligence evidence. It's obviously highly classified. We're sharing it with the US government, we already have. I'm
sure it's only a matter of time before all the relevant senior officials in the United States see the evidence.
GORANI: Tony Blinken says he hasn't seen it, isn't aware of it and is asking for some more information as to why Israel is justifying taking down
a 12-storey building that included residential apartments, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera. People have been working there for 15 years, journalists
saying they had seen no evidence of any Hamas activity in that building.
REGEV: So we're very sure. Totally our intelligence is crystal clear. And I can't talk about how the Americans filter up what comes from the
intelligence community to senior leaders, but I can tell you the evidence has been shared with the United States and it is crystal clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. It may be crystal clear to Mark Regev as he explained it. To me, from his perspective, it's not crystal clear to journalists
because we have seen no such evidence. We have seen no proof that there was any Hamas activity in that building. What we did see though were AP
reporters, cameramen and photographers and Al Jazeera journalist as well packing up their stuff and their equipment in a hurry to try to make it out
of the building before it was leveled by an airstrike.
The US President Joe Biden is speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again today, as the Israeli army now says it has destroyed up to
90% of rocket manufacturing capacity in Gaza. Phil Mattingly is at the White House with the very latest. Phil, thanks for being with us.
So, the White House has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. They haven't included the term ceasefire in any of the statements. It's
interesting that they're still saying that they're quietly and intensely working on trying to find a solution that would lead to is to a ceasefire.
What do we know about what's going on?
PHIL MATTINGLY, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a calculated strategic decision. There's no question about it. The White House Press
Secretary Jen Psaki has been asked repeatedly why the White House won't publicly back a ceasefire. The President was asked about it today. He
demurred said only that he was going to have that call you mentioned with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The administration from the President on down have made the decision or made the calculation that at this point in time, working behind the scenes
is more effective or has a better chance of leading to a pathway of some type of de-escalation than making broad public statements.
[16:35:29]
And keep in mind, Hala, this is in the face of their allies on Capitol Hill Democrats, Democratic senators, explicitly more than two dozen coming out
and calling for a ceasefire, including a bipartisan call for a ceasefire from two prominent US senators, one that was backed by US Majority Leader,
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is a staunch ally of Israel, and the White House choosing not to go there at this point.
What they've say or how they rationalize this is that, they claim their work is being done behind the scenes and that's where they think it'll be
most effective. More than 60 calls, not just from the President, obviously, to Benjamin Netanyahu, and to Mahmoud Abbas, to the Palestinian Authority,
but also his top national security officials. And not just to the relevant parties, but to key players in the region itself.
They're putting a lot of stock right now into the idea that the Egyptian government, the Saudis, the cutleries will play a crucial role in not only
getting information and relaying conversations to Hamas, but in trying to broker some type of ceasefire, or at least some kind of pause.
Obviously, that hasn't come to fruition yet. There's some precedent for this huge flashback to 2014 and the role the Egyptian Government played,
and putting an end to those hostilities. That clearly seems to be where the US is leaning at this point in time. I think the question that we're
hearing, not just from some Democrats on Capitol Hill, not just from some diplomats is how long can they keep this posture given the fact everything
just continues to seem like it's escalating over the course of the last several days.
GORANI: Also, they're going to come under pressure to provide proof evidence that Israel says it presented to them, that there were Hamas
militants in that media building that they obliterated a few days ago. Thanks very much, Phil Mattingly, live in Washington.
The flare up of violence in Gaza and Israel is the deadliest in years. CNN, Nic Robertson looks back at the past week of fighting and how we got here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT EDITOR: First, Hamas' rockets reaching Jerusalem, followed by Israel's fast response, pounding Gaza. A
week of accelerated warfare later, fear, death, suffering on both sides, Gazans toll significantly higher as it has been in previous such
confrontations. Different this time, militant sophisticated heat seeking weapons and Hamas' rockets, more of them reaching farther from Gaza at a
greater intensity than ever before, cutting deeper into Israel sense of safety.
Also different sudden open confrontation between Israel's Arabs and Jews, catching Israel by surprise.
DENNIS ROSS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO US PRE. OBAMA: We haven't seen this kind of internal conflict, where the real social fabric of the country
is being stressed.
ROBERTSON: In the West Bank, generational Palestinian anger ignited by Gazans suffering, resulting in deadly confrontation with Israeli police.
LEON PANETTA, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: If you combine all of that together, it is a very different situation that we've seen in the past.
ROBERTSON: Before the first rocket fired, a perfect storm brewing planned Palestinian evictions in Jerusalem. The collective Palestinian pain raising
tensions worsened by heavy-handed Israeli police tactics at Islam's third holiest site during Islam's holiest week that Hamas exploited.
All against a background of political stagnation, an increasing polarization.
MARTIN INDYK, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Over the last 10 years, we've seen a swing in Israel to the right and that pendulum has still been
swinging further to the right. And that has enabled this kind of chauvinistic extremism to gain a greater grip. And that has royal things
with the Palestinians.
ROBERTSON: Both sides now under increasing American pressure to end the conflict.
ROSS: The real question is going to be, do the Israelis feel that they have exactly enough of a price on Hamas and is Hamas ready to end this.
ROBERSON: Saturday night, Hamas signaled they're ready, unilaterally stopping rocket attacks on Tel Aviv for two hours. Netanyahu, whose
political prospects to hold on to the Premiership, rose over the past week seems less willing.
Sunday, the deadliest day of the week in Gaza.
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We're trying to degrade Hamas' terrorist abilities and to degrade their will to do this again. So it'll
take some time. I hope that won't take long, but it's not immediate.
ROBERTSON: But with international pressure mounting too, just possible this Gaza conflict won't go a second week. The problems that caused it, however,
have no resolution in sight. Nick Robertson, CNN, Ashdod, Israel
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani in London. I'll be back with a check of the headlines at the top of the hour.
(BREAK)
GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani, here are your headlines. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military will continue to strike at what he
called the targets of terrorism. A spokesman for the Israeli military says 80% to 90% of the rocket manufacturing capacity in Gaza has now been
destroyed.
India has reported fewer than 300,000 new COVID cases for the first time in almost a month. But it's still too early to say if the situation is
improving. Nationwide, more than 4,000 people are still dying each and every day, and rural areas are starting to see a rise in infections.
A powerful cyclone is swept ashore in India's Gujarat State, complicating efforts to slow the spread of COVID. The storm has wind winds gusting up to
185 kilometers an hour. And before it hit all coronavirus patients and hospitals within five kilometers of the coast were evacuated to safer
ground.
That's a look at your headlines. The Lead with Jake Tapper starts now.
[16:40:00]
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