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Netanyahu: The War Inside Gaza Is Going To Be Long; IDF Says Its Fighter Jets Struck Several Hezbollah Targets Today; CNN Speaks With Brother Of Hostage Kidnapped By Hamas; Barrage Of Explosions Heard Near Israel-Gaza Border; Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) Discusses About Israel Operation In Gaza; Pence Suspends 2024 Presidential Campaign; Israel Claims Gaza Hospital Being Used As Hamas Command Center. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired October 28, 2023 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are back live in the CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. My colleague, Wolf Blitzer is in Tel Aviv, Israel for us. Good evening.

It is 1:00 AM in Israel and our crews there say, the siege on Hamas appears to be intensifying in recent hours.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

ACOSTA: That was a short time ago. The sound of gunfire and explosions lighting up the sky. This is CNN's Nic Robertson's position just a mile from Israel's border with Gaza. It is a new escalation, a dramatic escalation of the conflict building to Israel's official goal in all of this, to smash Hamas and rescue to hostages.

Israel's military says it has troops inside Gaza, but it is not clear yet if this is the expanded operation and whether it's the beginning of that broad ground incursion that was widely anticipated for many days.

Wolf, how are things on your end?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Well, it's certainly very intense over here. Civilians in northern Gaza, Jim say last night was the heaviest bombardment of the conflict so far.

Israel's Defense minister says the intensifying assault will improve Israel's chances of freeing all the hostages, more than 200. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOAV GALLANT, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): We are making any efforts in order to return the abductees to us, to our country, it's a very complicated effort. It's dealing with reality that we didn't know in the past. We are ready to do anything that is possible. This is not such a secondary mission. This is a national priority. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Today, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. They told him they would only support a comprehensive deal that frees all the Israeli hostages at the same time in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Just minutes ago, a Hamas spokesman says Hamas would accept that, would be ready to accept that for a full prisoner swap, meaning all of the Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel would have to be freed.

CNN's Nic Robertson is joining us now live from Sderot, Israel, which is right near the Gaza border.

Nic, I understand you've been hearing and seeing explosions where you are throughout the day. What's the latest?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Wolf, I would say the last half an hour has been a little quieter, quiet to the point that we can hear some of the heavy armor moving right along the border fence about a mile or so from where we are.

I can hear it's the heavy armor because we know what the tank sound like when they're on the move. The heavy infantry fighting vehicles, those track vehicles, they make a very distinctive sound and that's what we can hear coming up from right along the border fence right now.

It was much heavier earlier this evening, a lot of airstrikes, a lot of artillery fire, tank fire, very intense tank fire from around here. But today, we've been able to take an opportunity to get to some vantage points and to see exactly what the IDF is doing along the border, get a look right into the beginnings of that incursion, as it is happening.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice over): Racing along the border with Gaza, Israeli Merkava tanks, an incursion force on the move.

Part of the IDF's intensification of operations preparing the way for an expected large-scale ground offensive.

ROBERTSON (on camera): That dirt track down there where you can see the dust coming up, that's the road that runs along the Israeli side of the border. We've been able to hear intense gunfire from the IDF shooting into Gaza, tank rounds as well fired from there right into Gaza.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Machine gunfire erupts as unseen soldiers battle for control of the fields that separate the border from the crowded Gaza towns.

Inside the towns, smoke rising from intensified strikes, where the IDF says Hamas hides in underground tunnels and among civilians. Israel's defense minister announcing a new phase in the war.

GALLANT (through translator): Last night, the ground in Gaza shook. We attacked terror operatives from all ranks in every location.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The tempo of battle rising noticeably Friday night, power, phone, and internet services cut in the north of the densely populated Palestinian enclave.

Hospitals already short of medicine, water, and other essentials at times appearing overrun with casualties.

On Saturday, in apparent desperation with deteriorating humanitarian conditions, some Gazans stormed a UN compound looting food.

PHILIPPE LAZZARINI, UNRWA COMMISSIONER GENERAL: People in Gaza are dying. They're not only dying from bombs and strike. Soon, many more will die from the consequences of siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.

ROBERTSON (voice over): With nightfall, Saturday, the IDF keeping up the pressure on Hamas, the pace of strikes unrelenting as the ground offensive continues. Israel's Prime Minister promising more to come

[18:05:10]

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The war in Gaza will be long. We are going to fight in the air, ground and sea. We are going to fight and win.

ROBERTSON (voice over): So far, only a tiny fraction of Israel's fighting force of more than half a million troops have crossed the battle lines into Gaza. What comes next could ignite tensions way beyond Israel's borders.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (on camera): And it is that next move that counts for so much, Wolf, not only how the operation goes inside Gaza, but how it is signaled to the rest of the region, how Hezbollah views the incursion. Does it see it as a massive spike and a trigger for it to enter into action? The prime minister today, talking about how there are more commanders and more fighters now in enemy territory, knowing that the country is behind them.

But it's how that ramps up, if you will. It will lead to either the success or the failure. And also, it also has an impact on what Hezbollah and other organizations outside of Israel will choose to do, how Iran will potentially respond to the situation here.

If it goes well for Israel, if the civilian casualties are low, and they can take out the Hamas leadership, then there's a potential -- there's a potential there to keep some of those enemies at bay, but if the perception goes against Israel more strongly than it is today, then this really could escalate -- Wolf.

BLITZER: This is clearly a critical, critical moment in this war. Nic Robertson in Sderot, Israel just outside of Gaza. Thank you very much, and stay safe over there.

Right now I want to bring in our special guest, Tom Nides. He's a former US ambassador to Israel. He understands this region well.

Ambassador, thanks so much for joining us, we should disclose that Tom is also married to our colleague, CNN executive vice president Virginia Moseley.

Ambassador, sources tell CNN that progress was being made in the negotiations for the hostages, more than 200 being held in Gaza by Hamas.

Are you surprised that Israel would choose this time to intensify its aerial and ground assault?

THOMAS NIDES, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL: Well, I think, as you know, the present objectives have been very clear from the get go. One is to eliminate Hamas as a threat to the state of Israel, which I think we all agreed needs to happen, and two is to get these hostages out.

And I think it's very important that the United States and Israel, which I'm very confident -- I've had many conversations with many of the folks the White House that are in constant contact between Israel and obviously, in Qatar and all the parties involved. And obviously, I know the White House is very much focused on trying to get those hostages out, at the same time, they are very focused on the humanitarian issues that are going on in Gaza.

As you know, this fight is not with the Palestinian people, it's with Hamas, and at the same time, try to make sure that Hezbollah and Iran don't get involved. So it's a very complicated puzzle and I'm quite confident that the administration is focused very clearly on the objectives at hand.

BLITZER: Earlier today, Ambassador, Israel's Defense minister said that intensifying Israel's assault on Hamas right now will actually in his words, help hostage negotiations. What do you make of that?

NIDES: Listen, Wolf, you know, my heart breaks for these families. Think about what these families are going through in Israel in trying to get their loved ones. There's little kids, there's mothers, there's grandmothers, there's Americans that are sitting there. And so obviously, I know -- I know these people well. I know the Defense minister of Israel well, I know Benny Gantz, and the prime minister.

I know that they will do everything they possibly can to get these men and women out of Gaza. Remember how we got here, these people were kidnapped by Hamas, and are being hidden and used as human shields against their will.

They need to be released. We need to do everything we can to release them, and I'm sure, I'm confident Israel is doing whatever they can to accomplish that goal as well. BLITZER: Does a full Israeli ground incursion into Gaza right now against these Hamas targets to try to destroy Hamas and destroy the infrastructure, its weapons and all of that, make it potentially more likely that Hezbollah or even Iran, for that matter, could be drawn into this war?

NIDES: Listen Wolf, you know the region well. These are real threats. I'm confident that the president and the secretary of State and Jake Sullivan, our security adviser are focused on making sure that that doesn't happen.

When the president says multiple times, superpowers don't bluff. I think he's dead serious, and I think he sent a very strong message to Hezbollah, and to Iran and the proxies, don't get involved, and so I'm confident that through our actions and the actions of our allies, that they will stay on the sidelines, but obviously it's a worry, it is a worry for everyone.

[18:10:10]

BLITZER: As you know, the US now is not far away from where I am over here, along the Mediterranean, the US has two aircraft carrier battle group, strike groups in the Eastern Mediterranean not far from Israel, or Lebanon, for that matter, or even Gaza. You think that's enough to keep Iran, to send a message of deterrence to Iran out of this conflict?

NIDES: Well, listen to what again, I'm obviously not in the administration, but I think it's shown by what this president has done vis-a-vis Ukraine, it sent a very strong message to the Russians. We've got Ukrainians' back, we have Israel's back.

I think it's clear that the administration when they say something, they mean it, and by sending those two aircraft carriers there with all the other operations that are in the region, I think the Iranians are going to make a very serious calculation.

Do they want to get involved in this, given the amount of operational constraints that we have in the region? I think, at the end of day, that answer will be no.

BLITZER: And President Biden, of course, had one word of advice to the Iranians right now. His one word, don't. That's what he said, don't.

Relief agencies, Ambassador, inside Gaza, say the humanitarian crisis there is worsening by the hour. Should the US exert more pressure on Israel to try to ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza?

NIDES: Let's I'm confident, Wolf, that Secretary Blinken and the White House is working with the Israelis every day about this. It breaks my heart. I don't -- we see these pictures that are going on in the hospitals for Palestine. This fight is not with the Palestinian people, it's with Hamas. Make no mistake, so we need to make sure we do everything we can to open the corridors for more continuing humanitarian aid. Listen, I know there's been some question of getting even Americans out of Gaza, which Hamas has stopped. There are evacuations not happening in northern Gaza, that Hamas is stopping and trying to keep them in harm's way.

Again, I want to be clear, we need to do everything we can to help the innocent Palestinian people that are suffering here. I don't like it one iota. I know the White House doesn't like it. None of us do. But remember how we got here, what Hamas is doing, they do not care about the lives of the Palestinian people. They are focused on a jihadist movement, to try to destroy the state of Israel.

In the meantime, we've got to protect, get the hostages out, and also protect the innocent Palestinians that are suffering and get whatever we can to help them.

BLITZER: The Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man you know well, he said today that this is Israel's second independence war. The first of course, was in 1948 when Israel was established, that was Israel's independence, where he says Israel right now is literally fighting for its very existence in this war with Hamas. What do you say?

NIDES: Listen, it breaks my heart. I had a conversation today with a friend of mine in Israel who lost three of his children. Come on. Just think about this, Wolf, you know this. You've been in the region, you've worked in the region, you understand this well.

This would be like 350 million Americans knowing someone, a family relative who died in 9/11 in the Twin Towers, that is what Israel is going through. Every single citizen in that country has faced what is unbelievable tragedy that they have never thought could happen.

And so listen, yes, do I think this is this is essential for the state of Israel's security? Without question, do I think it's important for it to deterrence? Absolutely. So I'm -- obviously, my heartbreaks for what Israel is going through, and they have to do what they need to do to deter this deterrence or deter the Hamas from doing what they intend to do, which is destroy the state of Israel and create a regional war. That's their objective and that's what we have to stop.

BLITZER: Ambassador Tom Nides, thanks so much for joining us.

NIDES: Stay safe, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, thank you. Hostage negotiations led by Qatar are ongoing right now despite the escalation on the ground in Gaza, but efforts are becoming increasingly more difficult.

CNN's Becky Anderson spoke to a spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier today. He's an adviser also to the Qatari Prime Minister. Here's part of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Let me be quite clear. The talks, the mediation to effort the release of civilian hostages, possibly a prisoner exchange at this point, have not collapsed, correct?

MAJED AL-ANSARI, SPOKESPERSON FOR QATAR'S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: No, I believe they are still going. The task force is still working on it. As I said, it's becoming more and more difficult with the current escalation. This escalation that is happening right now, you know, one of the most terrible escalation that have happened in the region for a really long time is making it certainly more difficult.

[18:15:09]

As I said, on the logistical side of it of just moving people during a land incursion, and the increased bombardment, but also from a political side, of course, you know, mediation only works when you have calm periods.

Under this kind of conflict, this kind of confrontation between both sides, it becomes more difficult, but it's still ongoing, and we can't give up.

I can tell you that, really, we can't give up on this on all sides. Nobody in the region can afford to give up on this and just leave it to the military people to decide what happens in the future.

ANDERSON: What can you provide us in terms of the details of these talks?

AL-ANSARI: Well, obviously, Becky, I can't get into the details of this, because our main concern now is getting the hostages to their families and making sure that this mediation succeeds and that would be very difficult right now if we share a lot of the details.

But as you heard today from Prime Minister Netanyahu and from the spokesperson of Hamas, we are talking around the idea of more hostages coming out. We are talking about the idea of a prisoner exchange.

We are optimistic that the talks are heading more towards all civilian hostages. But obviously, it's a fluid situation on the ground, we still don't know what will happen.

ANDERSON: Do we know how many civilian hostages there are held in Gaza at present?

AL-ANSARI: I'm not sure, to be honest anybody knows. We have our number that we're discussing, you know, through the lists we get from various countries about the foreign citizens who are held hostage. We have the numbers from the Israeli side, you have numbers on the Palestinian side, but these numbers are not necessarily always the same.

But the important thing here is that both sides acknowledge that the civilian hostages need to go out immediately and both sides, especially Hamas, as I said, Becky, that they are willing let the civilian hostages go out, so we have to work towards that as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: We'll have much more just ahead of our coverage -- special coverage from Israel, that's coming up.

Plus, there's also breaking news back in the United States on the campaign trail, Mike Pence suspends his presidential campaign, what it means for the 2024 presidential race.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:21:21]

BLITZER: Despite Israel's ongoing ground operation, and it's a major ground operation in Gaza right now, a spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, as we just heard, telling CNN that hostage negotiations are still ongoing right now.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised the families of the Israeli hostages that he will exhaust all options, his word, exhaust all options to bring their loved ones home.

Joining me now is Gili Roman, his sister's family managed to escape from the Hamas terrorists after they were kidnapped in kibbutz Be'eri, but she has been missing ever since.

Gili, thanks so much for joining us. Can you tell us what you know what happened? I know, there's still a lot of questions. But what do you know happened?

GILI ROMAN, SISTER KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Yes, we know for sure that Yarden, my sister was kidnapped along with her husband and their little girl, Geffen three years old, from their house -- from her parents' house and his parents' house in Be'eri.

They were taken together and they managed to escape the car just nearby the border, running for their life with Geffen in the arms of my sister running away from four armed terrorists shooting at them.

And just in a certain point, my sister understood that she cannot run fast enough from people who are seeking to kill her and her baby. She passed Geffen to Alon that he could run faster.

BLITZER: Alon, her husband.

ROMAN: Yes, Alon, her husband so that he can run faster and find a hiding spot, and he did. And he managed to stay there for over 24 hours and nearly reached kibbutz Be'eri back when the troops were already there, but my sister couldn't do it well enough.

And she -- the last time Alon saw her, she saw her hiding behind a tree to find shelter from the bullets, and I was there for almost the whole first week in around the kibbutz going with our troops in and out this area and nearby the border trying to find any clues that she might have left.

And after really extensive searches, we got to the conclusion that she was just taken again, in the same area without -- probably without struggle, there was no blood or injury, so we are assuming it's kind of a solid assumption that she was taken and she is held hostage.

BLITZER: And you assume she is being held hostage in Gaza right now.

ROMAN: Yes, in a healthy form, hopefully still now because we have no idea what they're doing to her while she's there.

BLITZER: So what are you hearing from the IDF, from the Israel Defense Forces, from the Israeli government about what they're doing?

ROMAN: They do not update us about the different information or efforts that they are doing. I think that it is very, very wise of them. I don't think that we are supposed to be updated because I trust that they doing massive intelligence efforts and negotiation efforts.

I don't think it's in our interest that every family will know and will be able to tell you that, but I believe they're doing so. My sister is also a German citizen. I've been through in the last few days in Germany, meeting with many officials and with the German media and public and also with the Foreign Affairs and they're also doing extensive efforts in negotiations.

BLITZER: So the German government is trying to help.

ROMAN: Yes, absolutely. They're trying to help my sister, all the German citizens, all the citizens there as a whole. So I don't know exactly what they're doing, but I know they're also doing pressure. Obviously, we know that the US is doing pressure.

I just made the point that we are -- right now, we are already after a few rounds of manipulation by Hamas, that kind of single -- that maybe we are going to do a humanitarian act, maybe we're going to see mothers or children. There are over 30 children over there, ill people.

[18:25:13]

We know -- we see right now that it does not progress. So I think that we are in a verge of a crucial point that much more pressure need to be put on Hamas and different actors that are related to these efforts.

BLITZER: I've been asking a lot of the family members that I've been here now yesterday and today, here in Israel, how they feel about this new stage of Israel's operations in Gaza, the military moving on the ground right now in big numbers. How do you feel about that?

ROMAN: Yes. I don't have a specific feeling about this ground operation, I have an overall worry that everyday increases, because we know that my sister is in the worst hand possible right now on Earth.

I believe, also maybe you heard today, our Minister of Defense saying that this -- the ground -- the ground operation and attempts, the desire to release all hostages are not conflictual. I believe him. In general, I believe that the different efforts and the professionality of our military. So I think that this pressure is vital.

I think Hamas try to severely manipulate us, as families, as civilians, to think that they can control what they're doing. So I trust that this, pressure is also vital, and I hope they're doing it very wisely, very calculatively.

I see that it is being done in stages, so I hope it's also an effort that is related to the ability of the military to release them.

BLITZER: What do you want our viewers in the United States, indeed around the world to know about your sister?

ROMAN: First of all, I want them to know that my sister, in no way would like me to talk about her on TV. She would not like this publicity at all. She is a very timid and introvert person.

Just a few days, she celebrated -- I don't think it was a celebration, but we celebrated her 36th birthday, and we did it on a rally with 25,000 Germans that sang with us happy birthday song.

So we feel this commitment. We feel this alliance, but honestly, I don't think she would -- I think that I will have to give a lot of explanations once she gets back, and she just need us back. She needs Geffen back, her daughter. She needs to be safe at home. I think that this is -- this is all she wants.

BLITZER: Yes. Well, we hope she's going to be home very, very soon, and we wish you only, only the best.

ROMAN: Thank you. Time is really running out. So we hope that it's going to happen extremely soon. And every -- all actors are completely on it.

BLITZER: Gili Roman,.

ROMAN: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: (Speaking in foreign language) -- as we say. Thank you, Roman.

ROMAN: Thank you.

BLITZER: We're covering all the breaking news here in Israel as well as in Gaza as Israel enters a new phase in its military operations against the Hamas terrorists.

Stay with us. Much more of our special coverage right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:32:30]

ACOSTA: Israel's siege on Hamas appears to be intensifying. This was a short time ago. The sound of gunfire and explosions.

Let's go back to CNN's Nic Robertson. He joins us now live. Nic, what's the latest on your end? Are you seeing more activity on your side of things?

ROBERTSON: Yes, we are, Jim. Listening to artillery going out from a battery, big artillery battery, just to the south of where we are, hearing those big rounds go in, flying through the sky. There were flares being fired up a short time ago.

These flares, we often see the troops using those to illuminate the ground around them or in front of them to get better vision on where the enemy may be. Also, this evening, hearing a lot more helicopter activity and some very intense heavy machine gunfire as well. That was in this direction, which is right along the northern border of Gaza Strip. There, you're hearing some of the artillery being fired out there.

No jets at the moment, but I did hear what sounded like a missile potentially being fired from what appeared to be the helicopter or where the sound of the helicopter was coming from. So, a lot of different assets are being brought into this border fight at the moment. Again, we don't know how many troops have crossed over the border today inside of Gaza. The Prime Minister was talking about more commanders, more fighters in enemy territory.

Exact numbers we don't know, but what we are seeing is the intensity picking up and certainly, although it's not at the level it was at earlier this evening, it is continuing. The fight very clearly going on. It erupts, it falls back. It erupts, it falls back. That's the pattern right now, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Nic Robertson, thank you very much. Stay close. We'll be back to you as things develop, obviously, throughout the night. We appreciate it very much.

Let's discuss more now with Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona. He's a Marine Corps veteran who serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressman, thanks so much for being here. As you can see and as we've been reporting all day, the Israeli military says it's expanding its ground operations in Gaza. What does that do? How does that complicate matters when it comes to getting these hostages out?

REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): Well, we don't know actually what the calculation is to this. Nobody ever wants to do urban combat. I did nearly seven months of urban combat, and it was hellish.

[18:35:00]

And even then, we had a very much an overmatch compared to the insurgents and terrorists we were fighting. And so my interpretation of why they're doing this is that they really had no other option, as in this is the only option they really had to get those hostages out, unfortunately.

ACOSTA: Yes. And we'll have to see what the outcome of all this is in the coming days. You served in Iraq, correct? What can you tell us about the challenges of fighting in an urban environment like this? That is what the Israeli soldiers are going to be up against in these weeks ahead.

GALLEGO: The thing about urban combat, and this is just the unfortunate truth and something that I found out the hard way, is that you could be the most sophisticated military in the world with the best technology, but when you're getting into a city, it basically becomes equal. Why does it become equal? Because - especially countries like the United States and other countries listen to the rule of war and we have to search houses by houses and look for insurgents and/or what supports them.

And that's where it gets very deadly, especially when you're fighting terrorists, because they will hide behind civilians. They will hide in areas that they are supposed to be off limits to hiding. They will booby trap their own people. They will booby trap buildings and take them down while you're in them.

There's just so many things that I saw over there that they did that will still unfortunately haunt me to this day and it's a very slow process. But you have to go slow because everywhere is a threat. It is a 360 degree threat environment, and now you have the added things such as drones that I didn't really have back in my day that could be extremely dangerous too.

ACOSTA: And so do you think this is the best way of going about things for the Israelis if they say that their mission is to root out Hamas, crush its leadership, take them out? Is getting into this kind of urban combat environment the way to go about it do you think based on your experience or do they not have a choice?

GALLEGO: Well, look, I think you have to - yes, I think it's more they didn't have a choice and here's why: Your country was - had a very sophisticated invasion by this organization that is more of a regular military than a terrorist organization. They were able to penetrate, kill 1,400 of your citizens, actually hold off your professional IDF for a while and then kidnap 200 of your citizens and take them hostage going back.

This is a very different threat than the normal just fire rockets and/or occasional incursion. We certainly wouldn't stand for something like this at this point. And I think they have no choice but to actually try to eliminate Hamas as a military, an existential threat to Israel or else they're going to find themselves again dealing with this in a couple of - potentially a couple of years or even sooner and it could be other countries - I mean, other elements get involved like Hezbollah, for example, and other organizations like Islamic Jihad or something else like that.

ACOSTA: Yes. And some of your fellow Democrats are at odds with the President on his support of Israel. They're in the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus. As you know they're calling - some of them are calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. What are your thoughts on that? GALLEGO: Look, I think the number one, calling for a ceasefire when Israel we know will not take it is probably not the best idea. We need to be calling for Israel to do its best to reduce civilian casualties, to open up humanitarian pathways for people to move and for people to actually bring in food, aid and things of that nature. And at the end of it, we have to remind the people that we're not dealing with a civilian government. We are dealing with a terrorist organization that is using civilians, using hostages as human shields.

And unfortunately, in this scenario, the best we can do is to make sure that we give support to Israel. We give them the intelligence that they need so they target terrorists and that we encourage them to reduce civilian harm. This is something that I did on the Armed Services Committee. I led a civilian harm - task force to try to reduce that along with other actual veterans, because our recognition of what happens during urban combat, and the best we could do is to protect these Palestinians to make sure that we work with Israel.

And we try to encourage our other partners to try to get the hostages out in other ways to get humanitarian aid.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Ruben Gallego, our time is tight tonight, but we appreciate you coming in and discussing all of this with us. We appreciate it. We'll have you back again soon. Thanks for your time.

GALLEGO: Thank you.

ACOSTA: And much more from Israel when we come back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:43:38]

ACOSTA: Breaking news today in the Republican presidential race from Vice President Mike Pence is suspending his campaign.

CNN's Kristen Holmes joins us live from Las Vegas, where Pence made the announcement.

I'm sure it took a lot of people by surprise in that auditorium.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, it really did and we are told that was on purpose, that Pence's team had tried to keep it close to the vest, that they had actually been pretty cagey with the remarks, putting them into the teleprompter, that they didn't give them to the event organizers ahead of time.

And when you look at where Pence's campaign stood, it doesn't seem that surprising. He had had a lot of trouble gaining support, gaining traction, as well as gaining that fundraising money, particularly ahead of that third debate, which is just in two weeks. He still hadn't qualified, despite the fact that they had held a number of fundraisers in recent days.

And when I spoke to one Pence advisor, they said essentially that, yes, that did play a huge factor in this. But something else that played a factor in this was this idea that the lane that Pence once believed existed within the Republican Party just didn't anymore. Take a listen to Pence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, (R) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Traveling across the country over the past six months, I came here to say it's become clear to me this is not my time. So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.

[18:45:03]

Now I'm leaving this campaign, but let me promise you I will never leave the fight for conservative values and I will never stop fighting to elect principled Republican leaders to every office in the land, so help me God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And Jim, given his poll numbers, given those fundraising problems, it's not that surprising that he dropped out. But this is still a very significant moment for the Republican Party, because when you look back at 2016, Pence was chosen to be Trump's running mate because he was the Republican Party. They wanted to assuage these establishment Republicans who just really weren't sure if they could get behind Donald Trump. And now you're looking two cycles later and there's no room for Pence within the Republican Party.

Now, I have reached out and asked if he's going to endorse any of the other candidates. I have not heard back yet, but it does seem like that would be something that he would do, just given how he has been and how his posture has been during this race.

ACOSTA: Yes. Kris, I'm sure Mike Pence thought when he became Donald Trump's vice president he would have a shot at becoming president and that's just not panning out, obviously, for lots of different reasons we can't go into. Now we don't have time, but we'll talk about it again later on.

Kristen Holmes, thanks very much. We appreciate the reporting today.

This was moments ago in Lisbon, Maine, a candlelight vigil being held for the victims of the mass shootings in nearby Lewiston. At least 18 people were killed in two separate shootings, of course, shocking the community there and the entire world. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 76 years old. It's the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. just this year.

After a multi-day search, the shooter was found dead yesterday, killed by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. And you can see that candlelight vigil unfolding right now in the town of Lisbon, Maine as that state and this country mourns the 18 people who died earlier this week.

We'll be right back.

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[18:51:30]

BLITZER: Back now with our breaking news coverage, Israel at war. Israel is accusing Hamas of using Gaza's largest hospital as a command center. Palestinian authorities in Gaza reject that claim.

CNN's Nada Bashir has more on the impact of this war on Palestinian civilians. And a warning, this report contains distressing images.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice over): A flash of light over the chilling, imposed darkness that engulfs Gaza every night. A glaring promise of more death and destruction. The ongoing siege and a communications blackout plunging Gaza into eerie silence.

What little video has emerged so far paints a picture of the devastation wrought by Israel's relentless bombardment, scenes of incomprehensible loss, shrouded bodies, the latest amongst thousands of victims.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas, now also expanding its ground operations. A retaliation, they say, to the Hamas terror attacks of October 7th, which left at least 1,400 dead and more than 200 others held hostage inside Gaza. But in the besieged strip of land, the number of Palestinians killed also rises with each and every airstrike.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign language).

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BASHIR (voice over): "The situation here is dire. Our homes were destroyed in the airstrikes. Six of our family members were killed. What can we do? We are all living through this."

This was the scene on Friday at the al-Shifa hospital, the largest in Gaza. Now not only a lifeline to thousands of patients, but a sanctuary to tens of thousands, including children, displaced by the war.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Foreign language).

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BASHIR (voice over): "We're not even asking for food. We're not asking for water. We're asking for safety, for security. Our men, women, our children, they have all been killed." Many have come in the hope that hospitals will remain a safe haven. But this safe haven is now being characterized by Israel, with no verifiable evidence as a potential target.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The red buildings, as I mentioned, are buildings that Hamas is using.

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BASHIR (voice over): It is a claim rejected by Palestinian officials in Gaza, who accuse Israel of falsifying intelligence and say the hospital is only used to treat patients. But the consequence of such allegations is feared by many. Any suggestion that this hospital could be viewed as a legitimate target by Israel for doctors who know the hospital well is a warning of unimaginable bloodshed.

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DR. MADS GILBERT, NORWEGIAN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN WORKING IN GAZA: I've been walking in all parts of Shifa, in the basement, in the different clinics, in the different buildings. I've been there night and day, peacetime, wartime, all over. I have never seen anything that could look like or function as some command center.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

On and on, Israel's airstrikes lay waste to this already ravaged enclave, artillery shelling now adding to the devastation. The people of Gaza, gripped by a constant cycle of mourning, still struggling to comprehend this endless nightmare.

[18:55:06]

Death now woven into the very fabric of their lives.

Nada Bashir, CNN in Amman, Jordan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Nada Bashir, thank you very, very much for that report.

To our viewers, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Tel Aviv.

ACOSTA: Thank you, Wolf.

And I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. We'll both be back at 6 PM tomorrow night. Our coverage continues from Israel with our Jake Tapper. That's next. See you tomorrow. Good night.

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