
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing massive backlash — both domestic and international — over his government's decision late last week to take over Gaza City. Thousands marched in Tel Aviv Saturday to protest the decision, while the families of some of the remaining hostages called for a nationwide strike. On Monday, Australia became the latest country to announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state, while French President Emmanuel Macron called the Israeli plan 'a disaster of unprecedented gravity.' Already Palestinian health officials say 61,000 people in Gaza have died since the start of the war. Matthew Chance, chief global affairs correspondent for CNN, joins us from Jerusalem to talk about the latest in the war, the Israeli killing of five Al Jazeera journalists Sunday, and the risks that come with yet another escalation in the conflict. And in headlines: President Donald Trump ordered a federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s police, a federal judge blocked the rel...
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Jane Coston
It's Tuesday, August 12th. I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a day. The show that says sorry about our asshole president to the good people of Vietnam who are getting shoved out of their ancestral lands so that the Trump family can build a golf course. There's good news for those farmers, though. In return for their homes and land, some of them will receive about $3,200 and some rice. On today's hundreds of National Guard troops are preparing to deploy to another American city. And beep, beep, boop. AOL dial up is soon to be extinct. But let's start with Israel's efforts to expand the war in Gaza. As we talked about on yesterday's show, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans for the Israeli military to take over Gaza City. Despite a massive backlash from pretty much everyone from Israelis to foreign governments, Netanyahu has doubled down, saying, quote, dismantling the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps. This is the best way to end the war. It could take weeks or months for the Israeli military to start enacting its plans, but it's still terrifying news for the families of the hostages remaining in Hamas control. They include Lashay Maran Lavi, whose husband, Amri Mehran, was kidnapped on October 7th. He's still being held by the terrorist organization. Lachey spoke to a crowd of thousands at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Now the government has decided to expand the world and push deeper into Gaza. But my husband is still there. Every invasion, every bullet, every airstreak could cost him his life. This isn't just a military decision. It could be a death sentence for the people we love most. The Israeli military also confirmed that it had killed five journalists for Al Jazeera. In a targeted airstrike Sunday, military officials accused one of the reporters, Anas Al Sharif, of running a, quote, Hamas terrorist cell claims Al Jazeera flatly denied and that Al Sharif himself had denied before his killing. To me, it's clear the Israeli government is doubling down not just on taking over Gaza, but on ensuring that there will be no witnesses to their efforts who aren't approved by and embedded with the Israeli military. So to talk more about the potential takeover of Gaza City and the many, many, many problems with that plan, I spoke to Matthew Chance, chief global affairs correspondent for cnn. He spoke to me from Jerusalem. Matthew, welcome to Whataday.
Matthew Chance
Hey, Jane. Great to be here.
Jane Coston
So let's start with the massive protests we saw this weekend in response to the Israeli government's decision to expand the War in Gaza, you're in Jerusalem. What's the mood like? Is the anger concentrated in big cities like Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, or is it fairly widespread?
Matthew Chance
I think both of those things. I mean, it's fairly widespread. There are sort of protests around the country because the latest decision by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is so sort of like, generally unpopular. But I was in Tel Aviv on Saturday night when that massive protest took place, and there were tens of thousands of people in the street and it was swelteringly hot, like really humid. But real, real anger and fear amongst the crowds there, all these Israelis, and it's like something like 70% of the entire population, according to opinion polls, believe that this is an unnecessary military operation. Now it's just being done to keep Netanyahu in power.
Jane Coston
This all stems from the Israeli Security Council approval last week of plans to take control of Gaza City. This fell short of what Netanyahu had been pushing for, which was a full occupation of the territory. First off, can you explain the stakes of taking control of Gaza City? Because Israel already controls, what, 75% of Gaza.
Matthew Chance
Yeah. And that's why I think this is slight. There's a slight sort of semantic problem. They already control 75% of Gaza. We're talking about the other 25%. Right. And that's the bit in the middle Gaza City, it's the most densely populated area. It's where the majority of the Palestinians are currently located. About a million people in Gaza City. That's. That's what the estimate is. And so obviously, if you stage a military operation there, the casualties are likely to be high. Already more than 60,000 people have been killed in the past two years in the military operation. So that's one thing. And the other thing is that the 50 hostages that are still being held, 20 who are still believed to be alive, 50 altogether, they're believed to mainly be in that area. And so if you go in with all guns blazing, many people think the chances are those hostages are going to be executed or get caught in the crossfire. It's happened before, right. There's no reason to think that it won't happen again.
Jane Coston
Now, the plan to take over Gaza City has been criticized from, like, every angle. The Israeli left says it puts the hostages at further risk. Rights groups fear even more Palestinian deaths. The Israeli right says it doesn't go far enough. International leaders are furious that Netanyahu is doubling down in the face of mounting pressure to reach a ceasefire. What is Netanyahu hoping to achieve here? Is it just like keep his government intact.
Matthew Chance
Yeah, I think so. Because even though you're absolutely right, the moves by Netanyahu don't go as far as the right wingers in his coalition want him to go. It's still moving in that direction.
Jane Coston
Right.
Matthew Chance
And so it's still enough to keep them sort of supporting his coalition. In terms of the other stuff, you know, the international condemnation, for example, which has been growing, you've got countries like, you know, Britain and France, Canada, Germany, which has always, since the Second World War been a massive supporter of, of Israel. Germany's been critical. It said it won't supply weapons to Israel anymore if they're going to be used in Gaza. And so there's this growing international condemnation, but Netanyahu's sort of immune to that because there's one country that isn't criticizing him and that's the United States. President Trump has taken a much more hands off approach, basically saying it's up to Israel to decide what it wants to do. And that hands off approach has very much been interpreted by Netanyahu and his government as a green light to conquer, to occupy, basically to do whatever they want in Gaza.
Jane Coston
Overnight Sunday into Monday, the Israeli military also killed five journalists with Al Jazeera. The Israeli military confirmed the attack, claiming one of them was a member of Hamas. The United Nations Secretary General has called for an investigation. I mean, this would seem to be a deliberate killing of journalists. How does this impact that international pressure that you say that Netanyahu's immune to? Will this change anything?
Matthew Chance
I mean, I'd like to say that it will change something, but I mean, you've got five journalists from Al Jazeera who've been killed, but there's something like 180 journalists who have been killed since the beginning of the, of Israel's war in Gaza. And you know, the killings are still going on, so it's shocking, but unfortunately, you know, it's happening quite a lot. This guy in particular, Anas Al Sharif, his name was 28 year old Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza. I think he's particularly noteworthy because he's been so prominent inside Gaza. You know, he's been really the face of the war for, you know, certainly for Al Jazeera, but for much of the Arabic speaking world, you know, so he's pretty well known, very well known. And of course it comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis as well. So there's additional focus on that. I think what was striking for me though is that, you know, Israel didn't even attempt to deny that it killed this guy. In fact, they said that they targeted him on purpose because they thought or decided or knew that he was a. They accused him of being a Hamas operative. They said he was the head of a Hamas cell that was involved in firing rockets at Israeli troops and Israeli civilians. Now, they've not presented very, you know, kind of convincing evidence of that. Some list with his name on it. Right. And certainly when he was alive. And Assad Sharif categorically denied that. And his news organization, Al Jazeera, have also denied it, saying that, look, this is just another example of Israel trying to silence people ahead of their forthcoming occupation.
Jane Coston
Al Jazeera is one of the few news organizations that still has a big team of reporters in Gaza. There's been a lot of conversation about how Israel has done its level best to keep journalists out of this conflict and to keep them from being on the ground saying that it's for their protection. But who knows? What do you think that says about international coverage of the war? Especially since, I mean, you're doing international coverage of this war?
Matthew Chance
Yeah, I mean, well, it's not ideal, is it? I mean, what you want, ideally, is access, free access, uninhibited access to Gaza so that we could see for ourselves the situation. Not because the Palestinian journalists who are there aren't doing an incredible job, because they are. But I think opening it up to international journalists would provide a degree of transparency that just isn't there anymore. What I've had to resort to, and what many people in my position, international journalists outside of Gaza, I've had to resort to, is taking any opportunity we can to. To. To get a glimpse into the Gaza Strip. I mean, I was down in the south of Gaza a couple of months ago. I went in with the Israeli military because it's the only way you can get in. And then a few days ago, I went up with an aid flight which was being run by the Jordanian air force, and we were flying a couple of thousand feet above Gaza, dropping aid packages.
Jane Coston
Yeah, I was just about to ask about that. What did you see?
Matthew Chance
You know, it is a desert of ruins that you're flying over. And it was very shocking for me because, you know, I spent a lot of time in Gaza. I spent many years actually, as a reporter in the early 2000s going in and out of Gaza, spending months at a time there. And so I know how sort of full of life the place was, and, you know, full of people. I mean, it's one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Right. And it's just a cacophony of, you know, sounds and smells. And you look down on Gaza City now and on the areas around it, and it's just, it's just been laid to waste. It's been, it's been flattened in a way which is. It's quite hard, it's quite hard to believe.
Jane Coston
For the Palestinians in Gaza City who are still there, where will they go if the Israeli military does take over?
Matthew Chance
I mean, look, we don't really know the detail of this, but I mean, Israel has, in so much as it has, a plan that's been made public. And I'm not sure the military really has developed a plan yet. The military doesn't really want to do this. Right. But what they've said is that, look, we're going to. First, as the first step, we're going to evacuate Gaza City, which sounds easy, but it's not because you're talking about a million people, many of whom have been displaced several times before already, and they're living in basically rubble on the side of the road. And so they're going to be uprooted, they're going to be displaced and sent to what the Israelis are calling evacuation centers, which have yet to be built and set up. The Israelis say that in those evacuation centers they'll be screened and then provided with a humanitarian assistance. Let's see. You know, so far, the Israeli efforts at humanitarian assistance have not been particularly successful. But once the evacuation's complete, then the sort of second phase of the plan that's been announced so far is that there's going to be a full on sort of military assault on Gaza City to destroy Hamas, who the Israelis say are sort of camping out inside Gaza City as one of their last strongholds. And so that's why Netanyahu is so keen on it, you know, because you evacuate the people, you destroy Hamas, the war is over, the hostages are released. The trouble is it's obviously may not necessarily work out that way. And that's what everybody is worried about, including Palestinians and hostage families and people around the world.
Jane Coston
Right. And it feels like we've heard this story before about northern Gaza, about Rafah, like, do we have any evidence that Hamas is, is camped out in the rubble of Gaza City that if they just invade, move all these people, which they haven't explained how they're going to do it, and just go after Hamas, that would work?
Matthew Chance
Yeah, you're right in the sense that that was the objective in the first place, wasn't it? To go in militarily and destroy Hamas. And they haven't managed to do that. And that, I think is the essential problem that Netanyahu's objective that he's set for his military to destroy Hamas and wipe it out like it was never there. It's just not possible. It's just not achievable, you know, in a densely populated area where Hamas and other militant groups, they're sort of part of the community. That's the problem with the Israeli plan. I think it's, it's not going to work.
Jane Coston
Matthew, thank you so much for taking the time to join me.
Matthew Chance
Thank you very much.
Jane Coston
That was my conversation with Matthew Chance, chief global affairs correspondent for cnn. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a day is Brought to you by Bombas. Summer is moving fast. Don't let bad socks and blisters stop you in your tracks. Bombas make socks, slides and seamless essentials to keep up with however you pace your days running a marathon. Bombas make socks for that with sweat wicking, blister fighting and impact cushioning built in. And I've tested them for that. And if you're just running errands, they've got pairs to elevate your look while keeping it so, so comfortable with features like ultra soft cotton and cushy footbeds, plus tagless tees and seamless sweat wicking underwear. So good you'll wonder where it's been all your life. Best of all, they don't just feel good, they do good. One purchased equals one donated to someone who needs it neat, right? You can also order Bombas abroad. That's right. Along with the US they now ship internationally to over 200 countries. Seriously, they are the best socks I've ever owned. Head over to bombas.com and use code day for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M B A S.com code day at checkout.
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Here's what else we're following today. Head of lines While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that given some of the rhetoric of the past that we're totally surprised. That's Washington. D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, sounding a little resigned during a press briefing Monday after President Trump invoked part of the D.C. home Rule act in an executive order. He declared a, quote, crime emergency. Why? So his administration could take over Washington's police department. Trump said the action was meant to, quote, rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor. The president also said he's activating 800 members of the National Guard. Sound familiar? But Trump's idea of D.C. may be a little skewed. Shocking. City officials have stressed that crime is falling. Bowser reiterated that though there was an uptick in crime post Covid officials have addressed that this year, crime isn't just down from 2023, it's also down from 2019 before the pandemic, and we're at a 30 year violent crime low. Trump did not provide a timeline for the control of the police department, but he's limited to 30 days under the Home Rule act unless he gets approval from Congress. Like that's ever stopped him before. During his own press conference earlier Monday, Trump also said his administration would be removing homeless encampments. Well, that's not exactly what he called them.
Matthew Chance
We have slums here. We're getting rid of them. I know it's not politically correct. You'll say, oh, so terrible. No, we're getting rid of the slums where they live.
Jane Coston
Eh, slums? What? I lived in D.C. for 13 years and I'm lost. Trump has emphasized the removal of Washington's homeless population, but it's unclear where the thousands of people would go. Trump, I'm guessing, doesn't care. In the meantime, Bowser said she would follow the law regarding the, quote, so called emergency and do everything to end it. She also indicated that Trump's actions were a reason why the District of Columbia should be a state with legal protections. Speaking of cities, facing an administration that hates cities, in June, President Trump federalized roughly 4,000 California National Guard members and deployed them, along with 700 U.S. marines to Los Angeles. Now, California state officials are challenging the legality of that Deployment. In a three day trial that started Monday in San Francisco, California is asking a federal judge to order the Trump administration to return control of the remaining troops to the state and to stop the federal government from using California Guard troops to enforce federal law. The centuries old Posse Comitatus act prevents the president from using the military as a domestic police force. But Trump's attorneys are arguing that the case should be canceled because, According to Title 10, the President is allowed to call the National Guard into federal service when the country is, quote, invaded and, or when there is a, quote, rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government. The district judge on the case, Charles Breyer, says the protests in Los Angeles, quote, fall far short of a rebellion. The case could set precedent for how Trump can deploy the Guard in the future in California or other states, which he's already doing. You might remember back in July, which feels like a year ago at this point, President Trump and the Justice Department formally asked to unseal the transcripts of the grand jury testimony against Jeffrey Epstein's ex girlfriend and longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. It came amid intense public pressure he was and still is facing about his administration's refusal to release a different truckload of documents known as the Epstein files. Oh, yeah, because they allegedly mentioned his own name multiple times. And weirdly, this argument wasn't convincing.
Matthew Chance
Look, the whole thing is a hoax. It's put out by the Democrats because we've had the most successful six months in the history of our country. And that's just a way of trying to divert attention to something that's total bull.
Jane Coston
Well, on Monday, Manhattan Federal Judge Paul A. Engelmeier officially rejected the request, saying that the DOJ's real motive was to fool the public with the, quote, illusion of transparency. OK, Judge Engelmeier, go off. Engelmeier added that the DOJ's claims that the testimony could reveal new information about Maxwell's crimes was, quote, demonstrably false because it actually doesn't include anything we didn't already know. No new crime locations, no new information about Epstein's death or the sources of his wealth. Nada, zilch, nothing. So, basically, the judge agreed with Trump's own words that the whole thing is.
Matthew Chance
Total bullsh t.
Jane Coston
Ah, the sweet, sweet sounds of AOL dial up. Apparently, this crown jewel of the early Internet will cease to exist on September 30, according to the company. But the bigger news might be that anyone was still using it. According to Census Bureau data, about 0.13% of homes in America were on Dial up Internet subscriptions in 2023. So not a total dinosaur, but close for our many, many Gen Z listeners. First of all, thank you so much. Anyway, long, long ago, in a time we like to call the 1990s, there was a pop up box on our computers that we had to click on and then wait for approximately infinity amount of minutes to the sound of those beeps until we were granted access to this brand new thing called the Internet. It was a glorious time where we learned to expect the unexpected because we'd inevitably be kicked off if anyone in our family needed to use the phone line to make a call. Yes, before cell phones, you had to use a telephone connected to a cord connected to a wall. So on that note, we wish a fond farewell to you, AOL Dial Up. We hope you're enjoying your newfound leisure time on a farm upstate, hanging out with Vine, Instant Messenger, Internet Explorer, landline phones, and my dignity because I feel really, really old right now. Thank you. And that's the before we go, we've got some great news. Crooked subscription content is now available on Substack. If you're already a subscriber, don't worry, this won't change anything for you. But if you love using substack and prefer accessing things there, you can now find Crooked's content on Substack. When you subscribe, you'll unlock ad free episodes of your favorite Crooked shows, plus exclusive content like Polar Coaster with Dan Pfeiffer for expert insights into the polls and media. There's a lot of noise out there, and too much of it is driven by right wing disinformation. Cricut is here to help you cut through the chaos and give you the tools to make a difference in our politics. Subscribing is the best way to support our mission. We're everywhere you are, so you can subscribe on the platform that works best for you. Visit crooked.com friends to learn more. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, nod knowingly at who the most disliked person in America is, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how Elon Musk is the most disliked figure in America right now, according to Gallup, with a net favorability of -28. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe@crooked.com subscribe I'm Jane Coston and here are the people more well liked than Elon Musk right now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Secretary of State and like six other jobs, Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump.
Matthew Chance
Woof.
Jane Coston
What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Gina Pollack and Laura Newcombe. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our senior Vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hill. We had help with the headlines from the Associated Press. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.
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Release Date: August 12, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston
Podcast: What a Day by Crooked Media
On this episode of What a Day, host Jane Coaston delves into the escalating situation in Gaza as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces an expansion of military operations. The episode provides in-depth analysis, expert insights, and explores the broader implications of these developments.
Timestamp: [00:02]
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared intentions to escalate Israel's military presence in Gaza, specifically targeting Gaza City. Despite substantial backlash both domestically and internationally, Netanyahu remains steadfast in his approach.
Netanyahu's strategy focuses on eradicating Hamas's foothold in Gaza City, a highly populated and strategically significant area. The move has been met with widespread criticism:
Timestamp: [02:10]
The expansion plan poses significant risks to hostages held by Hamas and innocent Palestinian civilians.
Personal Testimony:
Lashay Maran Lavi, whose husband, Amri Mehran, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, expressed her fears:
"Every invasion, every bullet, every airstreak could cost him his life."
(01:15)
Hostage Situation: There are currently 50 hostages held by Hamas, with 20 believed to be alive. The intensified military operations increase the likelihood of hostages being harmed or killed amid the chaos.
Timestamp: [04:30]
In a controversial move, the Israeli military confirmed the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists during a targeted airstrike.
Incident Details:
Anas Al Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, was among those killed. The Israeli military accused him of being a member of a Hamas terrorist cell, a claim both Al Sharif and Al Jazeera have vehemently denied.
International Reaction:
The United Nations Secretary-General has called for an investigation into these killings, highlighting concerns over press freedom and the safety of journalists in conflict zones.
Quote:
Matthew Chance: "It's clear the Israeli government is doubling down not just on taking over Gaza, but on ensuring that there will be no witnesses to their efforts who aren't approved by and embedded with the Israeli military."
(05:50)
Timestamp: [02:41] – [13:38]
Jane Coaston hosts Matthew Chance to discuss the multifaceted issues surrounding Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Protests and Public Sentiment:
Strategic Analysis:
Chance critiques the feasibility of Netanyahu's plans, emphasizing the densely populated nature of Gaza City and the improbability of successfully eliminating Hamas without significant civilian casualties.
(07:06)
Humanitarian Concerns:
Effectiveness of Military Operations:
Chance expresses skepticism about the likelihood of Netanyahu's objectives being met, considering the entrenched presence of Hamas within the civilian population.
(13:01)
Quote:
Matthew Chance: "It's not going to work."
(13:35)
After the main discussion on Gaza, the podcast transitions to other pressing issues:
D.C. Crime Emergency Declared by President Trump:
Deployment of National Guard to Los Angeles:
Jeffrey Epstein's Files Legal Battle:
End of AOL Dial-Up Internet:
This episode of What a Day provides a comprehensive overview of the escalating conflict in Gaza, highlighting the complex interplay between military strategy, humanitarian concerns, and international diplomacy. Through expert interviews and on-the-ground reporting, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the challenges and potential ramifications of Netanyahu's expanded military plans.
Jane Coaston: "It's clear the Israeli government is doubling down not just on taking over Gaza, but on ensuring that there will be no witnesses to their efforts who aren't approved by and embedded with the Israeli military."
(07:06)
Matthew Chance: "It's not going to work."
(13:35)
Lashay Maran Lavi: "Every invasion, every bullet, every airstreak could cost him his life."
(01:15)
For more in-depth analysis and updates, subscribe to What a Day on your preferred podcast platform or visit their YouTube channel.