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CNN's Breaking News coverage on the Mass Shootings in Maine and the ongoing War in Israel. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 26, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: And the suspected gunman is still at large.

We're also following developments out of the Middle East. Israel gearing up for ground operations in Gaza, even as the territory's deepening humanitarian crisis spirals out of control.

I want to begin in Maine, where the manhunt is underway after a massacre in two locations in the city of Lewiston. At this stage, 22 people are dead, up to 60 others wounded. The shootings took place Wednesday evening at a bowling alley and a restaurant.

Officials in Lewiston and the neighboring city of Auburn are telling residents to stay inside and lock their doors. Hundreds of officers are looking for this man, 40-year-old Robert Card. Police describe him as a person of interest and say he is considered armed and dangerous. The local sheriff's office released this image of the gunman holding a high-powered assault-style rifle just inside the entrance to the bowling alley. U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and spoke with Maine's governor and lawmakers.

I want to bring in James Corrigan, a reporter with WMTW, who is in Lewiston right now. We appreciate you being with us, James. We spoke with a local official earlier who told us that 22 people had been killed, dozens injured. I understand you're outside the Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Just talk to us about the medical response. What more are you hearing about those treating the survivors?

JAMES CORRIGAN, REPORTER, WMTW: Well, we actually just spoke a few minutes ago to one of the trauma surgeons here at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, just giving us an insight of what that staff, what that team of surgeons have been going through throughout this evening and into the early morning hours. He said that this is not something that he has seen before, just a high velocity A.R. bullet ripping through a human body.

That's just something he says you only see in pictures, but he had nothing but praise for his staff here at CMMC says that they were prepared. He says that they were staffed. He says that they didn't flinch when dozens and dozens of injured came in through these doors with gunshot wounds again, the likes of which they haven't seen at least 20 dead, dozens injured. We do not have that exact number. That exact number has not been confirmed. Of course, the number of dead could very well rise as the day progresses.

We've also spoken to some of the nurses here at CMMC and the looks on their faces on some of their faces which really just told the entirety of the story. This is a community that just doesn't see incidents like this happen.

Maine is last in the United States among the states in terms of violent crime. The state itself has averaged about 22 homicides per year for the last decade. And that of course has been matched in just one night and nearly in just the course of 10 minutes when Robert Card has allegedly put -- took his A.R. rifle into the bowling alley and into the bar here in the city of Lewiston.

You did mention that we are under a shelter in place. That is the entire county here, Anderstoggen County is under a shelter in place order. As we speak, no businesses will be able to open people. That were in businesses are still in businesses. They have not been able to leave schools, places like schools had to be evacuated.

This is not something that we have ever seen here in the state of Maine. It's never something that we have wished to see or we ever want to see again, but it certainly has happened here in a place that frankly is one of the places you would least expect to see it happen.

KINKADE: And James, we just noticed the security outside the hospital there. We know that state and local and federal law officers are looking for the suspected gunman eight hours after the massacre. What's the latest on the manhunt?

CORRIGAN: Well, his car has been found in the town of Lisbon that's not too far away from here. A white Subaru was found earlier today, earlier this morning rather. And that is a manhunt that is still underway. It's been quite a long time, but law enforcement officers are patrolling that area in Lisbon.

We've seen helicopters circle that area, do laps around. But at this moment the suspect, the person of interest rather, Robert Card is still at large. And as such, that shelter in place order remains intact.

KINKADE: James Corrigan, outside the Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, we appreciate your time tonight. Our thoughts are with your community. Thanks so much for joining us.

[03:05:03]

Well, I want to bring in Steve Moore, a CNN law enforcement contributor, a retired supervisory special agent for the FBI. Good to have you with us, Steve.

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks.

KINKADE: So as we were just discussing, this manhunt is still underway. It's now eight hours since the first shots were reportedly fired. What does that mean, that time frame for law enforcement as these hours tick on?

MOORE: The problem with the passage of time is that that's also an expansion of the search area because the person, the shooter can, if they have a vehicle, it's wildly expanding. If they're on foot, it's still expanding.

So it puts a larger burden on them. And so right now they're probably bringing in resources as we speak, say from the FBI, the FBI have aircraft that can look for even the smallest body heat on the ground. They can search for that. I've been in those planes when we've been looking for people in areas like this.

That's what we're going to see, a more technical search. And the problem is it is very dangerous to send long law enforcement officers into these woods to search for a man who could set up booby traps or set up an ambush. But at the same time, if you don't find him, he could also attack a civilian target.

KINKADE: And we're just looking at pictures, Steve, of the suspect. What do those photos tell you? What do you take away from those images?

MOORE: Are these images of the shooter himself?

KINKADE: Yes, exactly.

MOORE: Yeah. That's kind of scary because what you're seeing there is, you know, I have a tactical background and you start to be able to recognize somebody with expertise. He's showing several behaviors there that indicate a high level of training. He's moving forward yet looking to the side, covering targets or searching for the targets on his left in one of the photos.

You see him holding the front of the rifle down. It's not just gently cradled, he's actually holding it down, which usually means that he's expecting to fire rapidly. The gun barrel tends to rise when this happens. So holding it down is a sign of somebody who is tactically trained.

Even the way he's walking, you see his feet, his legs are moving mainly below the knees. That allows you to walk without the rifle barrel bouncing. All of these things indicate that he is an extremely competent tactical shooter. And that complicates things more than I could even imagine for the law enforcement.

KINKADE: Yeah. And we are, we've since heard from law enforcement officials saying that the person of interest, Robert Card, was a certified firearms and tactics instructor with military experience. And we've also learned that he was committed to a mental health facility over the summer for a couple of weeks after reportedly hearing voices and making threats to shoot up a National Guard base in Maine.

It's unclear at this point. if indeed this is the person, the gunman, and it's unclear at this point if so, how he was able to get that rifle. In terms of the gun laws in Maine, what do you know about them and what should people in those areas do right now?

MOORE: Well, what the people should do in those areas is hunker down, don't answer your door unless you can verify that it's police. Don't let anyone come into the house and report any strange movements outside or report any noises you hear. That's the number one thing.

As far as the gun laws, I mean, think of it this way. This person has been in the military likely for years and as a firearms instructor has had access to AR15. I was a firearms instructor. I had access to AR15. He probably had this weapon legally.

Long before he started to experience any mental issues. So again, we're going back to that whole thing. How serious are we about retrieving weapons from people who have access to them and are mentally incompetent to keep their possession of the rifles?

[03:10:09]

KINKADE: And just finally on those images we saw the suspect walking through in the bowling alley, in the restaurant, at dinner time with this assault style weapon. He didn't seem to have a flap jacket on, he didn't seem to have any other protection. What's your reading into that and in terms of his mindset going forward, how this could play out?

MOORE: If he, I mean, he could have had some type of flak jacket under that bulky top that he was wearing, but I'm not sure he did. I think what it says is, you can't get me.

And even if you do, he probably really doesn't care. I don't think he sees an end to this -- that with him in prison. I think he sees the end of this as being the end of the voices in his head, the end of his mental anguish, the end of his life.

And so I believe that he's, I mean, he was carrying all sorts of magazine, extra ammo in his cargo pants pockets. I think the reason he didn't wear a flak vest or some kind of protective gear is twofold, as I said. You can't get me. And if you do, that's what I want anyway.

KINKADE: Steve Moore, good to have you on the program just to get that perspective. Thank you very much.

MOORE: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, Don Dostie lives in Lewiston, Maine. His home is just one block away from the bowling alley that became a crime scene Wednesday evening. He told my colleague Laura Coates what happened Wednesday night that it was almost too hard to believe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON DOSTIE, LEWISTON, MAINE RESIDENT: My first reaction was a lot of anger that it was happening in the community because Mainers were much better than this. And you know, it's this, you've had these interviews with people all over the country before in a mass shooting, you just can't believe it's gonna happen in your hometown. And here we are, I got helicopters flying over my house with searchlights and it's unreal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, still ahead, the very latest on that mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. 22 dead, many more wounded, the gunman still at large.

Also ahead, I'm going to speak to an Israeli military spokesperson about a ground invasion in Gaza that we've told is coming.

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[03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. We are continuing our coverage of Israel's war with Hamas. We have the latest from Gaza in just a moment.

But first, this update on Wednesday night's deadly mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Local police have now identified Robert Card as a person of interest after at least 22 people were killed and dozens of others injured. His whereabouts are currently unknown, but his vehicle was found in the nearby town of Lisbon.

Card is described as an expert firearms instructor and a U.S. Army Reserve. He's considered armed and dangerous and residents are being urged to shelter in place. CNN is following the developments on that manhunt and we will bring you any new information as we get it.

When Nichoel Arel was driving home with her daughter when they came upon one of the shooting scenes and began recording video with her phone, she described what she saw to our Laura Coates. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOEL AREL, LEWISTON, MAINE RESIDENT (on the phone): We just saw like a lot of ruckus and stuff. We did see people getting patted down, but we ended up realizing it looked like they were patting people down as they were coming out just to make sure that they weren't whoever was causing whatever was happening in there. Cause like I said, at the time we didn't really know for sure. And I guess --

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR, LAURA COATES LIVE: What were the age of people that you were seeing coming out? We heard a report earlier today, the potentially of children. You saw little children coming out.

AREL (on the phone): Yeah, there was kids that's like looking back, like that was probably the hardest part, seeing just families, families pouring out of there. And knowing that happened in there while they were just probably trying to have a family night.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KINKADE: Well the Israeli Prime Minister has declared all Hamas terrorists' dead men walking above ground, below ground and outside Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu in a televised national address claimed the Israeli military is raining hellfire down on Hamas and that thousands of terrorists have already been eliminated. He added that Israel is recruiting the support of world leaders because Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister also said the preparations for a ground incursion are underway, but gave no other details. And for the first time since the Hamas assault, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about his own role in the security breakdown that failed to prevent the worst terror attack in Israeli history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Citizens of Israel, the 7th of October is a dark day in our history. We will fully clarify what happened on the southern border and in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip. This failure will be investigated thoroughly. Everyone will need to provide answers, myself included. But all of this will happen only after the war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner is a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces. He joins us now live from Tel Aviv. Thanks for joining us. So you've had you've had tanks and tens of thousands of soldiers on the border with Gaza. Despite a speedy mobilization, the offensive hasn't happened yet. Can you explain why not?

[03:19:57]

LT. COL. PETER LERNER, ISRAEL DEFENSE SPOKESPERSON: We are taking there are two basically two conditions for a ground operation. First of all, would be the government's instruction to mobilize. So we heard Prime Minister Netanyahu speak yesterday of a broad consensus in the cabinet. I think that relates to that decision that needs yet to be made.

And the second one would be the operational or the optimal operational conditions for our advance. We did conduct overnight, and as you just reported, a large raid, still limited in scope, but it was a clear and sweet operation intended to create the terms, better terms for ground operations if and when that comes in.

We actually engaged the enemy, killing some terrorists that were planning to conduct attacks against us with the anti-tank guided missiles. And indeed we are continuing our operations on the ground in order to be prepared for that decision if and when it comes.

KINKADE: Can you tell me more, Lieutenant Colonel, about that targeted raid in northern Gaza? I understand militant cells, infrastructure, terrorists were killed. Do you have any numbers?

LERNER: We're still picking up on the numbers, Lynda. That it's obviously the fog of war in the immediate aftermath of an operation is still clearing. But we had engaged and the forces are reporting successes. Thankfully, no injuries or casualties to our forces, which implies that we are operating with strength, with precision, and also projecting at power forward looking forward to the potential ground operation.

The limited sweep and clear operation is demining, because there are explosive devices. It's seeking out terrorist hiding positions, positions that they could be trying to set up an ambush for our forces if and when we mobilize. So these types of operations, and we've been doing them on a smaller scale for the last week or so, these types of operations, I expect, will continue to accompany us in the next few days. They're limited in scope, but they're lethal, and they are very, very targeted missions intended in laying the ground for a potential ground operation.

KINKADE: I mean, in terms of a ground invasion, we have spoken to experts on Hamas who say the IDF would be walking into a trap, should that happen. Do you fear that could be the case?

LERNER: No, not at all. The situation on the ground is one where Hamas decided to launch a war against the people of Israel, brutally massacring, butchering, raping, beheading over 1,400 people. And the number still continues to go up as we collect bodies from the field.

And that, basically, what Hamas did, they signed their own destiny, an organization, a governing authority, a terrorist army. They can no longer be allowed to have the luxuries of government. They can't be allowed to have the position of power to accumulate so much tools of terror in order to launch attacks against our people.

That's why the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, is doing exactly what we are supposed to do in engaging the enemy, taking the war to them, and making sure that they are being pursued and not operating out of a source sense of luxury against our people.

So while obviously we acknowledge any counterinsurgency or any anti- terrorist operation is a difficult one, because they intentionally work against and beyond the realm of the laws of armed conflict where a regular military works within the realm, they intentionally put the civilians of at risk, intentionally hide behind hospitals behind U.N. facilities intentionally operate in a way that jeopardizes security.

And we intentionally do exactly the opposite. We tell people to get out of the way. We announce we're coming, even at the risk of sometimes setting ourselves up in a situation of ambush and putting our forces at risk.

So we understand it's a long battle, and this is exactly what the prime minister was talking about yesterday, but also, of course, all of the military echelons. We understand that this is a long war. It's not something that will be over. And that is why I would add, Lynda, it's not something we're rushing into, but something we're going into with a very, very clear head of our goals, of our mission, and how it needs to be done. KINKADE: I want to ask you more about the fuel situation in Gaza.

We've been speaking to aid agencies that say fuel is desperately needed to keep hospitals running. The World Health Organization saying 35 have already closed. CNN spoke to an energy analyst firm who says it's impossible to tell from the photo that the IDF tweeted about how much fuel is in those tanks in Gaza or even what kind of fuel it is. Can I ask you what the IDF is basing its claims on here, that Hamas has plenty of fuel, 500,000 liters of it?

[03:24:57]

LERNER: Lynda, we know what is in those tanks. We have intelligence. We have connections. We have information. But those aren't the only tanks Hamas have in the Gaza Strip. They have other reservoirs of fuel. And the question, I would say, of the need for fuel, it's obvious. Because if you are dependent on fuel energy, even though there is obviously solar energy panels in on most of the hospitals in Gaza, so there's not a zero-sum game. Either they have energy or they don't.

All of the major hospitals in Gaza have solar panels, so there is energy. But the question needs to be is, why is Hamas not giving the fuel to the people of Gaza that actually need it? Why is Hamas hoarding the fuel that they have and not supplying it to the United Nations?

And my question to the United Nations is, why aren't you asking and demanding to receive fuel from Hamas? This is the question that needs to be asked and answered by Hamas.

KINKADE: And one of your colleagues, Jonathan Kourikis, another spokesperson for the IDF, told CNN that Hamas has been stealing and stockpiling oil, citing a UNRWA tweet. We can't find any such tweet right now apart from a deleted tweet threat. Can you give us any more clarification on that?

LERNER: Indeed, they put out an announcement and probably for their own safety and caution or intimidation by Hamas, they erased the announcement. It just goes to show what type of operational environment the United Nations are operating in Gaza.

And therefore, instead of being whitewashes for Hamas, they need to be very, very clear on actually what is happening. They put out this announcement. We saw it. The world saw it. It was on social media and on their website. But within a few minutes after we'd noticed it, they erased it. And we expected it was because Hamas intimidated them, threatened them, and told them that they have to erase their announcement.

KINKADE: The only clarification we saw was a no looting clarification from the UNRWA. It said that no looting had taken place in any of its warehouses in the Gaza Strip.

LERNER: They tweeted it out. Like any bureaucracy, I can imagine that before they put out any serious announcement, it goes through a series of approvals. And I can't imagine that it was just some intern that tweeted out that Hamas had apparently come into one of their compounds and taken fuel and medical supplies.

I'm not a spokesperson for the U.N., but they should be clearly demanding that Hamas give them fuel so that they continue their operations. They're humanitarian operations for the people of Gaza. The same people Hamas is supposed to be protecting, but not. They are actually jeopardizing the people of Gaza.

KINKADE: Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, we appreciate your time as always. Thanks very much.

LERNER: Good day.

KINKADE: Well, Israel is doubling down in its criticism of the U.N. General Secretary Antonio Guterres. Israeli officials calling for Guterres's resignation after he said the deadly Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum. Guterres called the attacks appalling, but added they followed 56 years of what he called suffocating occupation of the Palestinians. The Secretary General sought to set the record straight, saying his words are being twisted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL: I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statements yesterday in the Security Council as if -- as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas. This is false. It was the opposite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Let's start with those comments if we can. Scott McLean, joining us now from London. So the U.N. Secretary General trying to clarify his statement. At the same time we've seen the U.N. Secretary -- Security Council failing to agree on a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Certainly a lot of division at the U.N. What's the latest?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, none of this is helping the situation on the ground. Not only do you have the Security Council failing to agree on any kind of a resolution, but, you know, as you press the IDF spokesperson there on, you have the situation on the ground where the U.N. says that it is running out of fuel and it will not have fuel for its operations within hours, really. So it will have to either dramatically scale down or completely stop some of the humanitarian assistance that it's actually doing inside of Gaza.

But look. The reality is that for decades the Israelis have been at odds with the United Nations and so it's not surprising that it did not take very much to really strike a nerve with the Israelis. This all started on Tuesday when Guterres was speaking at the U.N. Security Council. He was critical of Israel, saying that there are violations of international law taking place in Gaza. He was critical of the Israelis, called for people to evacuate the north while still continuing to bomb the south. But I'll just remind our viewers what it was specifically that he said that really set off this controversy. Listen.

[03:30:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: He also said that, look, none of this justifies the actions of Hamas. This though still set off a lot of outrage with the Israelis. The foreign minister said, you know, in what world are you living in? The ambassador, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. said that there would no longer be visas issued to U.N. officials.

And even yesterday when you heard Guterres trying to clarify what he meant and trying to, you know, say that his words were twisted, that wasn't good enough for Israel. The ambassador to the United Nations said, quote, "every person understands very well that the meaning of his words is that Israel has guilt for the actions of Hamas, or at the very least, it shows his understanding for the background leading up to the massacre that Hamas perpetrated." Lynda?

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: And Scott, I want to ask you about the ground invasion. I was just speaking to the Israeli Defense Force spokesperson saying that is still going to go ahead. But we have heard from various world leaders, the French president saying it would be an error, and obviously the U.S. president saying, at the very least, delay it.

I have to leave it there for now, or Scott, I'm afraid we're getting the wrap, but let's talk again soon. I appreciate your time.

MCLEAN: You bet.

KINKADE: Scott McLean in London.

Still ahead, the very latest on the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Almost two dozen people dead, many more wounded. The government's still at large.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:35:05]

KINKADE: We are following breaking news on two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Police saying that 22 people were killed in a bowling alley in a restaurant. Another 50 to 60 people injured. A massive manhunt is underway right now for a person of interest, 40-year-old Robert Card. He's described as a certified firearms instructor and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMM. MIKE SAUSCHUCK, MAINE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Police are currently searching for a Robert R. Card, 44 of 1983, of Bowdoin. Card is considered armed and dangerous. He is a person of interest, however, and that's what we'll label him at moving forward until that changes. If people see him, they should not approach Card or make contact with him in any way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Police released this photo from the scene of one of the shootings urging residents to stay inside with doors locked and report any suspicious activity.

Earlier, I spoke with Jason Levesque, Mayor of Auburn, Maine, just a short distance from Lewiston. He told me his initial reaction to the news of the shootings were of shock and disbelief. He's confident that police will bring the shooter to justice. Here's part of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON LEVESQUE, AUBURN, MAINE MAYOR: It's a very confusing situation. But we do have great law enforcement, first responders, action plans that we've implemented. And it's about as organized as one could ever hope, I suppose. And right now, our thoughts and really our feelings and prayers are those who have suffered through this. We are all going to know someone who is a victim of tonight.

KINKADE: We're just looking at pictures outside a medical center. Can you explain the trauma response to this, given just the vast number of people that were shot?

LEVESQUE: No, I don't think I can. Other than we have trained professionals there, grief counselors, trauma specialists from the Maine State Police, local law enforcement, as well as counselors and members of local clergy, or local clergy, rather.

And we also have each other. And I think that's a big thing, too. This Maine really turns inward, if you would, and really we support our own during difficult times. It's kind of what we do. We're going to do it now. We're going to keep doing it. And we're going to get through this.

KINKADE: Mayor, this mass shooting happened at a bowling alley and a restaurant around dinner time. What do you know about how this unfolded? What have witnesses been telling you?

LEVESQUE: Talked to several first-hand witnesses so far. And obviously, as you can imagine, everything is kind of piecemeal, right? Everybody has a different view, different perspective. The investigation is going to be long. It's going to be thorough. I will say that, you know, it was more of a shock and disbelief when it first started happening. And then obviously followed by panic. And that's kind of the universal thing I heard from most people tonight.

KINKADE: And I imagine, Mayor, that there were plenty of young families out at that time of night, dinnertime, any indication of the ages or the age range of those impacted?

LEVESQUE: Really, I would, it's all ages. From teenagers up.

KINKADE: From teenagers up.

LEVESQUE: And that's all I know on that one.

KINKADE: And can you tell us, Mary, if you've had any sort of updates about the manhunt to track down this person of interest, this 40-year- old man who had military training?

LEVESQUE: Yeah, I've had updates. I'm not going to obviously say what's going on, where, when, or how. I will know that our police are top notch and we're being aided by state and federal resources. We will find him. He will be brought to justice swiftly and severely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well still to come, children's hospitals in Gaza may be forced to make some stark choices. They say if they don't get fuel for generators, they'll have to decide what to do next. A doctor who leads a Gaza Neonatal unit will join us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back, I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to update you on our breaking news out of Southern Maine in the U.S.

At least 22 people are dead in multiple mass shootings in the city of Lewiston. Police have identified a person of interest, 40-year-old Robert Card, a certified firearms instructor and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. The shootings took place Wednesday night at a bowling alley and a restaurant. The gunman was armed with a high-powered assault-style rifle. Law enforcement officials are telling residents to shelter in place, to lock their doors, and to not to contact anyone and only contact police if they have information.

More than 2.5 weeks into the Israel-Hamas war, there are growing concerns about the deepening crisis in Gaza. The U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Office says nearly 1.5 million people there have been displaced, over 600,000 living in U.N. shelters.

The U.N. Security Council remains divided on what to do next. A U.S. resolution calling for humanitarian pause failed to pass Wednesday. The main U.N. agency in Gaza says it will have to suspend operations soon. if fuel is not delivered, saying without it they can't distribute critical supplies.

We're joined now on the phone by Dr. Hatem Edhair, the head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza. He's been warning that if his hospital runs out of fuel, it will not be able to keep newborn babies alive.

We appreciate your time. We have seen images of hospitals dealing with the inundation of patients, many children. Just describe the situation that you're facing, Doctor.

DR. HATEM EDHAIR, NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT HEAD, NASSER MEDICAL COMPLEX, KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (on the phone): Thank you very much for having me. About our Neonatal ICU, we are the second most biggest Neonatal ICU in the Gaza Strip and in the South Gaza. We are now dealing with about, increasing admission rate, about 14 cases inside Neonatal ICU about 10 cases in data-friendly rooms with a lot of deficiency in drugs and high fluid, ventilator and supply. So the situation is very bad right now, but we can -- we deal with the situation day by day until now.

[03:45:04]

KINKADE: Doctor, just describe this sort of patients, the ages, the injuries that you're seeing.

EDHAIR (on the phone): Yes, most of our patients are premature patients. From 14 cases we have, half of them are less than 30 weeks and less than 1.5 kg. So they need invasive and non-invasive ventilation. These ventilation and these devices need electricity. And electricity is very important for us and it's crucial for the life of these kids.

And also these kids came from different places of Gaza because most of residents of North Gaza came to Khan Younis. So many kids in our neonatal ICU from Gaza City. Also their mother delivered in our hospital because they left their home in North Gaza.

KINKADE: Doctor Edhair, we've been told that several hospitals and medical centers have been closed due to a lack of fuel. The WHO is saying that 35 are not functioning. What is powering the medical center where you work and how much fuel is left?

EDHAIR (on the phone): About, because I'm not an administrative officer for the hospital, I didn't know exactly how much a fuel were left. But the hospital safety, we deal with the situation day by day until now (inaudible) I don't know exactly how much fuel (inaudible) fine we can cut off the fuel.

So we deal with it day by day. But because we depend on generators to get our electricity, we don't have electricity from other areas. I think that if we cut off the fuel, we will go to a catastrophic situation in our neonatal ICU. Because half of our babies depend on oxygen and non-engaged and unengaged ventilators. And these ventilators need electricity to work. So maybe there is a death of many babies if the electricity is cut off.

KINKADE: Dr. Edhair, the IDF says that Hamas has a stockpile of fuel in Gaza. Are you getting fuel from Hamas?

EDHAIR (on the phone): I don't know about political situation really, because I'm a clinical doctor. We work in our hospital. We don't know about the political situation. I don't know about this question really. Because we are clinical, we are not political. We are clinical officers in our department. We don't know about any political thing. I don't know. I deal with the patient. I don't know about the fuels or (inaudible). I deal with the patient day by day.

KINKADE: Well, we wish you all the best. Dr. Hatem Edhair, in southern Gaza, we appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

EDHAIR (on the phone): Thank you.

KINKADE: Well Qatar says it's dismayed by Israel's accusation that it finances Hamas. Israel's foreign minister, Ali Cohen, said that Qatar could do much more for the release of hostages held by Hamas. That's because, according to Cohen, Qatar finances the terrorist group and harbors some of its leaders. Qatar's Foreign Minister, says the accusations are hurting efforts to free the hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI, QATARI PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I would also like to point out our astonishment and our denunciation statements made by some Israeli officials, including the false accusations against my country, which are occurring while we are doing all that we can to help ensure the release of prisoners and de-escalate the situation.

These provocative statements undermine existing efforts and can only be understood in the context of political blackmail and political propaganda. We expect all parties to respect the efforts made by Qatar and its partners and cooperate in helping us ensure their success.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well Qatar, which is helping to mediate with Egypt, is hopeful for a breakthrough in the talks to release some of the more than 200 hostages believed to be held by Hamas.

[03:50:04]

With a long wait for a U.S. House Speaker is over, coming up, Republicans unanimously chose one of their youngest members to lead the House conference in the tough challenges ahead.

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KINKADE: Back to the breaking news, we're following out of the state of Maine. Police have identified a person of interest in the two mass shootings Wednesday night in the city of Lewiston.

They're searching for 40-year-old Robert Card. He's considered armed and dangerous. Law enforcement officials say he is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the U.S. Army Reserves. At least 22 people were killed at a restaurant and a bowling alley. Another 50 to 60 people were injured. Residents are being asked to shelter in place, and a manhunt for the suspected shooter is underway. Many schools in the area have already canceled classes for Thursday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been fined $10,000 for violating a gag order during the fraud trial in New York. The judge paused the trial and called Trump to the witness stand on Wednesday to testify about comments he made earlier in the day outside of the courtroom.

[03:55:02]

During the first week of the trial, all parties were barred from speaking about the judge's clerk and his staff after Trump made a social media post disparaging the clerk. Here's the comment that got Trump in trouble with the court on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This judge is a very partisan judge. We're the person who's very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Trump's attorney claims the comments were about former Trump fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen who had been sitting next to the judge and testifying for the past two days. But the judge said he didn't find that explanation credible.

The U.S. House of Representatives is up and running again after Republicans finally settled on Mike Johnson as House Speaker. CNN's Manu Raju reports that many Republicans decided to back Johnson simply because they had grown weary of the in-fighting that had paralyzed their caucus for three weeks.

As Speaker Johnson now faces a looming government shutdown in just a few weeks, and the White House has made clear that further aid to both Israel and Ukraine are top priorities. Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016 and is an outspoken supporter of former President Trump. He also played a key role in efforts to overturn Trump's election loss in 2020.

Well that is "CNN Newsroom." Thanks so much for your company, I'm Lynda Kinkade. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo. Stay with us, you're watching CNN.

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