tv BBC News America PBS February 6, 2025 5:30pm-6:01pm PST
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brett: you know as someone coming out of college it can be very nerve-racking not knowing what to expect, whether you'll like your job or not, whether you'll make friends, whether you'll fit in, and here i feel like it's so welcoming and such an inclusive place to work, you just feel like you're valued. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" s america. s benjamin netanyahu meets with u.s. lawmakers as president trump restates his plan for a takeover of gaza. a warning that a dramatic escalation in violence in the occupied west bank is putting the health care system in a
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state of perpetual emergency. the president of panama denies washington's claim that u.s. ships would be allowed through the canal free of charge. ♪ welcome. good to have you with us. president trump has doubled down on his plan for a u.s. takeover of gaza despite continued criticism from world leaders. he insisted on thursday that no u.s. troops would be needed as part of his proposal for the takeover. claiming that israel would hand over the territory. any a social media post, he wrote this --
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donald trump said that his legacy would be that the peacemaker taking credit for reduced hostilities in the region. >> it is just days before taking office. we negotiated a breakthrough cease-fire agreement to stop the bloodshed and killing in the middle east and return the hostages held captive by hamas. as the bible says, blessed are the peacemakers. i hope my greatest legacy when it is all finished is i will be known as a peacemaker and a unifier. i hope that will be clear. anchor: not everyone in the region is on board with the plan for gaza. our correspondent has more from jerusalem. reporter: as donald trump has doubled down on his insistence that somehow gaza can be handed over to the americans at the end of the conflict, there has been
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more rejection in a gradual date on the arab side of the conflict. the egyptian government has issued a statement saying this is a dangerous moment for the region. we know egypt has already rejected any suggestions that hundreds of thousands of palestinians should be encouraged or forced to leave gaza. there are concerns they may not be allowed back in gaza. it would upset the demographics in those countries. we have spoken to the israeli foreign minister. he said he had not yet studied the proposal in full. he made it clear that as far as the israeli government is concerned, gaza is a failed experiment and things cannot go back to what they were.
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there has been widespread rejection. the cease-fire is due to come to an end. in a couple of weeks. it has been pretty successful. 18 hostages were released. a border crossing was partially reopened, allowing sick people through the border. we could have a return to fighting in gaza. anchor: president trump on
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thursday signed an executive order putting sanctions on the international criminal court. they assisted in investigating the u.s. and its allies. neither israel nor the u.s. is a member of the court or recognizes its jurisdiction. in advance of that executive order, the court condemned greece, italy, and france for failing to apprehend netanyahu during his time in transit to the u.s. they reminded all state parties that they are legally obligated to fully cooperate with the icc including by arresting individuals sought by the court.
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this extends to their entire territory. to talk more about that, i enjoyed in the studio by our north american correspondent. he appeared to double down on that plan. of the u.s. taking control of gaza. was he clear in how he intends to do that? >> no details. it was vague. it is kind of a paradox. it is worth remembering that the plan breaks international law because it requires israel to forcibly remove people from gaza. it involves the u.s. taking over territory that it has no right to. people have already said this is a nonstarter. we are not getting on board.
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he is not offering anything behind the leverage. he said there is no money america will give to reconstruct gaza. the reason why he is not committing to all of that is because he promised his supporters no nationbuilding and no getting involved in foreign conflicts. anchor: of course for arab nations around the world come looking for more detail, particularly when it comes to the idea of palestinians having to leave the area. did he say this displacement will be permanent? >> there has been a rowing back from his own team. that often happens with trump.
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he said this is not a hostile move. this is generous. they are offering what they can. we are not clear as to what he wants. anchor: with regards to the america first agenda, out of these things go together? >> i do nothing they do. senator rand paul said this is not what we were promised. thom tillis said there are a couple of kinks in the slinky. josh hawley said he would prefer the money go to rebuilding u.s. communities. but there are republicans who supported. mike johnson has said his vision is bold. anchor: good to have you
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reporting. joining the live now is the former prime minister of israel. thank you for being with us. many are charged with being serious. what are you making of it? >> [indiscernible] we cannot do that. we do not own gaza. it is not ours. it is palestinian. as soon we in to the war, which we have to do now, we have to pull out from gaza after all the hostages are returned back to
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we have had comments from the israeli defense minister ordering the army to draft a plan. palestinians fear that this could amount to forced explosion -- expulsion. >> different plans were given by the ministers. this is just a statement. israel has to stop the war. anchor: are you concerned that this could impact and inflame regions in the country.
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>> he has been doing that for some good reasons. he prioritizes his stability over the national interest. now it has been accomplished. hopefully it will be completed. whatever we do now is excepted. unfortunately there are many statements of many actions and many recommendations and many quotes made by the prime minister.
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anchor: the former prime minister of israel, thank you for being with us here on bbc news. >> thank you. anchor: while the eyes of the world are on gaza, there has been a dramatic escalation in violence in the west bank. it has put the occupied territory a state of emergency. israeli forces and jewish settlers are systematically obstructing palestinian access to doctors and medical facilities. reporter: obviously there has been in norma's focus on what has happened in gaza. humanitarian agencies in the region say we should not take our eyes off what is happening
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in the west bank as well. doctors without borders, they have almost 200 national and international health staff in the west bank. what we have done is analyze the 12 month time from october 7, 2023 when hamas launched its terror attack on israel and what they have seen is an upsurge in violence against health facilities and health workers in the west bank. we are talking about hospitals being surrounded by israeli forces. sometimes equipment is destroyed. increasing israeli checkpoints where ambulances with seriously ill patients on board are waiting for hours. we are seeing attacks on health workers and ambulances. last but not least, there is money. israeli taxes from the territory
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is supposed to be reimbursed. that has not been happening. we are seeing half of all medicines. israel will not like this report. it has always insisted that whether in gaza or the west bank , they always follow international law. but they have the right to defend themselves against terrorist attacks. what they say in this report is that israel is the occupying power. under the geneva conventions, they have a legal duty to safeguard hospitals and health workers. and that this is really not what has been happening in the west bank. therefore, israel really needs to change its strategy. anchor: here in the studio with
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me is a republican congressman from ohio. we have been discussing those plans. is that an idea that you are comfortable with? >> they are not really plans. we have to really go to what it means and where we started from. the president is looking to the fact that gaza needs to go into a transition of peace.
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they are sworn terrorist groups and organizations. sworn for the destruction of israel. they have perpetrated the continued attacks upon a zero. as the president looks at this, we have to have peace in the region. he is concerned about whether or not this area can continue. anchor: it does seem like a plan. you have the israeli defense minister talking about moving palestinians out. they are expressing concern that this is forced expulsion. trump has stood on the podium
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with the israeli prime minister. this feels like a plan. how is it not? >> he has certainly stated there is no plan. nobody and build a plan on how any of this would be implement it. certainly he is a president who is known for making provocative and disruptive statements to try to get things to happen. when you played earlier this broadcast was his desire that there be peace in the region. certainly that this area be healed and there be reconstruction. you showed pictures that are heartbreaking and heart wrenching. of the destruction that has occurred. as a result of trying to rid the palestinians of the grip they have been under. they have been prisoners to hamas.
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anchor: can i ask you how you think this could lead to peace? this could destabilize the second round of cease fire talks and inflame tensions in the region. you said it was a provocative statement from the president. >> unilaterally the president does not have the ability to accomplish this. i don't think there will be significant supported congress to undertake this kind of initiative. he has called for a transition that would call for peace in the region. what you have here in the president's statement is an engagement by the president and understanding that there has to bps. -- be peace.
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peace that cannot include hamas as an element. the rebuilding of the region may or may not include elements of where you can have israeli security arrangements and peace. this will have to be elements of all these discussions. he has raised this as an issue. anchor: i wonder how you think this fits within america first agenda. some of your republican colleagues have raised concerns about that. how do these things come together? >> it is different. it is a question on how any of that would be accomplish.
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there are nationbuilding concepts. what you have is the president recognizing that the leadership position of the president of the u.s. has to be engaged in the issue of overall peace in the world. and certainly peace in this region. that involves the security of israel and peace in this region. anchor: i do want to ask you, do you think that amid this global instability we are seeing right now that this is the right time for usaid to be shuttered? federal agencies taking buyouts? the concern that is behind that is elon musk, somebody who is not been elected. do you think she is the right person to be doing that? >> the people at usaid have not been elected either.
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what is important is that the u.s. has to get its financial house in order. we are in the process of doing so. there has been both aid and foreign policy. we will be able to serve people better. and be able to do that to look how we can accomplish is to make sure financial houses is in order. anchor: thank you for being with us.
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trump -- we will be getting to that. a judge has temporary blocked a proposal for a buyout for federal workers until at least monday. it came hours before a midnight deadline. a federal judge in boston temporarily stopped the plan. the white house press secretary said this -- this is part of trump's plan to overhaul and downsize the federal workforce. opponents say it could violate workers rights.
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the panama canal authority has denied making any changes to fees for ships using the waterway. president trump has threatened to take control of the canal. the country's president said this was not true. >> i am sorry to say that we reject that. that may exempt the payment. anchor: scientists from the european union said last month was the hottest january on
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record. it was slightly warmer than january of 2024. scientists had predicted a cooler start to the year. they say the warming is largely due to human activities but they cannot fully explain why last month was particularly hot. thank you for watching world news america. we have continue coverage here on announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ announcer: "usa today" calls it, "arguably the best bargain in streaming."
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