Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Israel to Cut Ties with Hezbollah from the Ongoing War Against Hamas; U.N. General Assembly Kicks Off, Joe Biden to Make his Valedictory Speech Before World Leaders. Children of Haitian Immigrants React to Trump's Baseless Claims on Migrants; Eight New Emojis to be Included in Smartphones Next Year. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 24, 2024 - 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)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming on CNN Max. I'm Anna Coren. Just ahead.

Israel says its aim is to cut Hezbollah from the war with Hamas after Israeli strikes kill hundreds in Lebanon.

The United Nations General Assembly is set to kick off today as fears of a regional war escalate in the Middle East. U.S. President Joe Biden will address the gathering for the last time as president.

And Donald Trump raises doubt about early voting as he campaigns in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. New polls show Kamala Harris still has advantage over him in key states.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Hong Kong, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Anna Coren.

COREN: It's 10:00 in the morning across the Israeli-Lebanese border, where attacks between Israel and Hezbollah are ramping up again following the deadliest day of Israeli strikes in Lebanon in nearly two decades.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

The Lebanese Health Ministry says nearly 500 people, including dozens of women and children, were killed in the intense wave of strikes on Monday. An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his security cabinet that the aim of his country's operations in Lebanon is to cut Hezbollah from the war with Hamas.

The official also says the cabinet has agreed to continue to raise the level of military operations each day, as is -- and is aware of the risks. The Israel Defense Forces says it hit 1,600 Hezbollah targets on Monday. And today, Israel says it's hit dozens more targets in southern Lebanon. Well, this coming after the Iran-backed militant group fired multiple

rocket barrages into northern Israel overnight. Amid the escalation of violence, Lebanese civilians in the south are fleeing their homes and seeking safety. Israel's Prime Minister urged people to get out of harm's way while it targets Hezbollah positions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I would like to clarify Israel's policy. We are not waiting for a threat. We are ahead of it, everywhere, in every arena, anytime. We're eliminating seniors, eliminating commanders, eliminating rockets, and counting. Those who try to hurt us, we will hurt them gravely. I promise to change the security balance, the balance of power in the north. This is exactly what we're doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Paula Hancocks joins me now with more. Paula, These cross- border attacks obviously continuing ramping up. What is the latest?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna, we have seen more cross-border strikes overnight. We heard from the Israeli military that they believe there were some 30 rockets and missiles that came from Hezbollah into northern Israel. And they say that they carried out dozens of strikes on Hezbollah targets as well.

So there's no sign of this calming down, certainly in the near term, and especially when we hear from an Israeli official that the security cabinet did vote and approve the fact that the military can increase the level of military activity in coming days.

Now we've heard from the Israeli military as well saying that they are planning for the next phases, this according to the chief of staff of the IDF, and there have been calls and text messages to civilians in Lebanon urging people to stay away from where Hamas operatives are operating, this in the words of the Israeli military and also talking about the fact that Hezbollah has been hiding ammunition and missiles in civilian homes. This from the IDF.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. DANIEL HAGARI, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES SPOKESPERSON: Let me be clear, Hezbollah is responsible for this situation. This is Hezbollah's plan to turn Southern Lebanon into a battlefield for its attacks on Israel. We cannot accept terrorist groups storing weapons inside people's homes, using them to fire at other civilian communities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:04:55]

HANCOCKS: We do know that within that death toll of almost 500 people on Monday, that dozens of women and children were also among those fatalities. We know also from the Lebanese medical systems that the health infrastructure is struggling to cope with the sheer number of those that have been injured, some 1,600.

We understand at this point that number expected to rise. And we did hear also from a Lebanese Member of Parliament speaking at the United Nations General Assembly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAHIA EL HARIRI, LEBANESE M.P. (through translator): We are seeing a wave of exodus and the targeting of residential areas. The people of Lebanon are in serious danger after the destruction of large areas of agricultural land and the targeting of residential buildings. This has damaged the economy of our country and threatened our social order.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: And the Biden administration is concerned about this escalation. One U.S. official saying, we're the closest we've been to spiraling to a regional war since October 7th. An official also telling CNN that the Biden administration does not necessarily subscribe to the Israeli government's idea that you should escalate to de-escalate, concerned that this will end up being what they have not wanted and been working against for months this wider regional conflict. Anna.

COREN: Paula Hancocks, joining us from Abu Dhabi. We appreciate the update. Thank you.

Well, joining me now is Malcolm Davis, a military analyst and senior analyst of defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Malcolm, good to see you. Israel obviously trying to break the resolve of Hezbollah, those pager attacks last week, the targeted strikes of Hezbollah leaders, and now this aerial bombardment, but it doesn't seem to be working.

MALCOLM DAVIS, MILITARY ANALYST AND SR. ANALYST OF DEFENSE STRATEGY AND CAPABILITY, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, it's certainly working to a degree in the sense that they are taking down Israel -- Hezbollah's missile and rocket capability. But the question is in terms of how many missiles and rockets does Hezbollah have, to what extent is Iran resupplying Hezbollah with additional missiles and rockets, and what is the potential risk of further civilian casualties given that Hezbollah is placing these rocket systems inside civilian areas including inside homes?

So it is working to a degree but there's no clear path to a quick victory on the part of Israel.

COREN: We just heard from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said the aim of these operations in Lebanon is to cut Hezbollah from the war with Hamas. I mean, what does that look like?

DAVIS: Essentially what Israel is trying to do is to neutralize the threat that Hezbollah poses to Israel in terms of these long-range missiles and rockets that have continuously bombarded northern Israel since October 7th. If the Israelis can remove that threat or dramatically reduce that threat, then it becomes much easier for Israel then to focus on finishing off Hamas in the south because they no longer face a threat of Hezbollah in the north.

It becomes much more difficult conversely for Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran to then try and impose essentially a peace deal on Israel that would essentially allow both Hamas and Hezbollah to reconstitute and threaten Israel again in the future.

So I think that what you are seeing is an Israeli shaping operation designed to reduce that threat and prepare the path, the way to a more just peace in the sense of reducing the threat from both Hamas and Hezbollah, cutting the two parties' connections and ultimately seeing Israel able to create a peace deal that at least meets their conditions for peace.

COREN: Former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the situation has crossed a threshold and he said we are clearly walking into a much wider war. Is that how you see the situation?

DAVIS: I think it's highly likely. I think that one of the key issues is to what extent does Iran choose to get involved at this point. Iran is in a difficult situation because if it does choose to get involved in this war and open it up to a three-front war, essentially a regional war, then Israel won't hold back in terms of attacks on Iran.

Israel would certainly launch attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure including those bases where Iran is suspected of building the means to acquire nuclear weapons. But if Iran doesn't choose to get involved in this war, it loses all credibility with its proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas and others, and it loses deterrent capability.

[03:10:06]

So I do think that there is a risk that this war could escalate into a regional war, but the key uncertainty is what is Iran's stance.

COREN: An Israeli official has said that it's planning to raise the level of military operations every day. I mean, essentially Israel is fighting now on three fronts. You've got Gaza, obviously, Israeli controlled the West Bank, and now Lebanon. I mean, is the Israeli military stretched too thin?

DAVIS: I don't think it is in the sense that Israel is still considering the possibility of a ground intervention into southern Lebanon. The situation in the West Bank, I think, is manageable at a fairly low level. And if you look at the situation in Gaza, Hamas have been pretty effectively defeated by the Israeli Defense Forces. They're not a strong threat anymore.

So really the focus is shifting to Hezbollah and southern Lebanon. And obviously if Iran chooses to come into the war, then that's a different story. And Israel will be facing a much more serious threat at that point. But Israel does have the means to strike Iran hard. And I think that's, you know, they're not overtaxed at the moment, but they could be facing a real challenge if Iran were to come into this war.

COREN: Malcolm Davis, joining us from Canberra. We appreciate your analysis. Thank you.

Well 42 days to the U.S. presidential election and Donald Trump is urging supporters to vote early, yet blasting the fact that early voting is allowed. The Republican nominee, who regularly spreads lies about voter fraud in the 2020 election, is vowing not to let it happen again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We got to get out and vote. You can start right away. You know that, right? Now we have this stupid stuff where you can vote 45 days early. I wonder what the hell happens during that 45. Let's move the see these votes who got about a million votes in there. Let's move them. We're fixing the air conditioner in the room, right? No, it's terrible. What happened the last time was disgraceful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: CNN's poll of polls gives Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris a slight edge over Trump in the overall race, but still shows no clear leader. This week Harris will ramp up her visits to key where she is headed on Wednesday.

Well Trump made several stops in Pennsylvania on Monday, where polls show him neck and neck with his Democratic rival. During a rally in the town of Indiana, Trump claimed he's a protector of women and took swipes at Harris' record on immigration. CNN's Danny Freeman was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former president Donald Trump spoke for just over an hour and a half at a rally here in Indiana, Pennsylvania. This area of Western Pennsylvania really crucial to the campaign in case he hopes to carry the great Commonwealth once again in 2024. He won this specific county about an hour east of Pittsburgh, both in 2016 and in 2020. So if he hopes to carry the state, he really needs to boost his numbers in these specific more rural areas of Pennsylvania.

Now the rally was a relatively normal Trump campaign event. The former president stuck to the teleprompter a good amount in the beginning of his remarks. He focused on the economy, on the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan and hit on fracking, of course, an important issue here in Pennsylvania.

But he did drift off topic as well at one point lamenting Johnny Carson, no longer being the host of "The Tonight Show", complaining about the moderators of the last debate and also criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris for her interview with Oprah recently.

But the supportive crowd here, they really ate up a lot of what the former president was saying here, including when he spent time talking specifically about immigration. Take a listen. TRUMP: She's been in office for three and a half years. She's saying

what she's going to do if she becomes president, but she's been there almost four years. She hasn't done anything except destroy our country with millions of people that shouldn't be here.

Whether she was the border czar or just the person in charge of the border, it's been the worst thing ever, maybe one of the worst things ever to happen to our country. Look at what's happening in Springfield, Ohio.

FREEMAN: Now earlier in the day, former President Trump participated in a roundtable with Pennsylvania farmers where he discussed the economy. He also made a rare off-the-record stop at a local grocery store to meet and greet with some voters.

And I'll also note that on Monday evening, we learned from CNN's Elena Treene that former President Trump intends to return to Butler in early October. Butler, Pennsylvania, of course, the place where former President Trump was shot at a campaign rally back in July.

Danny Freeman, CNN, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:14:57]

COREN: Arizona is one of the crucial states the U.S. Vice President will visit this week. And while there, she might make a trip to the southern border with Mexico. Well that's according to sources familiar with the discussions. But we're hearing no final decision has been made. The Harris campaign is eager to close the gap with Trump on immigration. Polls show him leading on that issue and in Arizona on the whole.

Joining me now from Los Angeles is Michael Genovese, political analyst and president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. Michael, great to see you. Yesterday, it was positive polls for Harris. Now, it's strong poll results for Trump. Why the discrepancy and how seriously are you taking these poll results?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST AND PRESIDENT, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY-GLOBAL POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, I think there's a discrepancy because things are fluctuating. They're very close. And the littlest thing can tip the scale a little bit. But for the most part, for Harris, it's been a good news-bad news situation.

The good news is, in most of the polls, she's up by a few percentage points in the popular vote. The bad news is that it's not the popular vote that wins the presidency, it's the electoral college. And there's an inbred bias in the electoral college that favors rural and smaller states, meaning favoring Trump.

And so the general view is that the Democrat has to win the electoral college. If they want to win, the electoral college has to win the popular vote by 4 percent or so. That's tough to do. Biden did it the last time and he won Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but not by 4 percent and lost. And so what you need to look at are the battleground states. And that's where Trump is really doing well. Arizona, Georgia states that Biden won in 2020. He's ahead. North Carolina, he's ahead.

And so for Harris, the key strategy has to be, you've got to win those Great Lakes states in the Midwest. And you've got to get women out to vote in a higher number than usual. You've got to get young people energized out to vote and it doesn't look like she's doing well there.

And black voters, Harris is at 83 percent. Biden won 92 percent of African-American voters. Hispanics - Harris, 52 percent; Biden won 66 percent. So she has her work cut out for her.

COREN: Trump, he was in Pennsylvania tonight that obviously is a must- win state. He appealed to his female voters and to women saying, I will be your protector. I mean, he obviously needs their vote, but his track record is questionable, to put it mildly.

GENOVESE: Well, he knows that if he's going to win, he has to get a whole lot of men and they're out on his side, but he also has to tap into the women's vote, especially suburban women. And he put out a tweet the other night that was just very patronizing.

And that's the problem for Trump. He doesn't speak that language. He speaks the language of domination and he's a wounded manhood. But I don't think women generally speaking hear that voice as comforting or as supportive. He is desperate to get women's votes. And so I think he's making a great effort. I think it's falling flat.

COREN: Michael, immigration, as we know, a key issue in this election. There are reports that Harris is planning to visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday. How will this be perceived considering that she is very much tied to Biden's policies on the border?

GENOVESE: This is a very risky strategy for Harris. On the one hand, she would go there and try to boost her support and her credentials on the border. But I don't know that she can do that. The narrative that most voters now buy into is that she is weak on the border, Democrats are weak on the border, Biden was weak on the border, Trump is strong on the border. And so how do you turn that around? One visit doesn't do it. So I think it's probably more risky than she even imagines right now.

COREN: I should also mention a comment that Donald Trump made tonight, raising doubts about early voting and suggesting that without evidence that fraud occurs. He's obviously using the same playbook we've heard over and over again, but, you know, undermining the voting process. Will this work?

GENOVESE: He's shooting himself in the foot. What he should be doing is trying to find all sorts of avenues for his supporters, MAGA supporters to get out and vote, whether it's early voting, whether it's by mail, whatever the process is, he needs to get people out.

Donald Trump is at 47 percent in the popular vote right now. That's his ceiling. And so he has to get people to turn out. And so when he degrades or diminishes the importance of different forms of voting, early voting, et cetera, mail-in voting. He hurts himself.

And so it's hard to imagine why he would do this, except that he thinks that this will be yet a new way, if he or when he loses, then he can claim that it's a fraud, it's rigged. It's a false system. I don't think he's going to help himself by doing this though.

[03:20:05]

COREN: Michael Genovese, always a pleasure to get you on the program and hear your analysis. Thank you for joining us.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Anna.

COREN: Well, still to come. World leaders set to rally for support on the global stage. What's expected of the U.N. General Assembly, after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: World leaders will kick off the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly today, featuring what will likely be U.S. President Joe Biden's final address to the Assembly. It comes as leaders attempt to see eye-to-eye on multiple conflicts taking place around the world.

Speaking at the U.N. Summit of the Future on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made it clear no Member State has the power to go against the core tenets of the U.N. Charter especially those centered around independence and sovereignty.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We'll continue to oppose the idea that nations can assert spheres of influence or dictate who other countries ally or partner with.

[03:25:05]

We will push back fiercely against attempts to undermine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international human rights treaties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: CNN's Richard Roth previews what else is to expect over the coming days.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Once again, it's a General Assembly high-level meeting overshadowed by wars and crises around the globe.

Take Gaza and southern Lebanon, Israel involved in both. The Israeli ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, defended his country's attacks on Hezbollah. DANNY DANON, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We don't want

to escalate the situation. We don't want a war today. Or if we do not have a choice, we will push back Hezbollah. It would be painful for the Lebanese people in southern Lebanon. But we don't see any other choice.

ROTH: Jordan and Egypt have requested a Security Council meeting on the latest fighting, but little is expected. There have already been dozens of meetings since the war began October 7th. Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to be giving a speech here at the General Assembly Friday morning, but his appearance keeps getting delayed and there's still a possibility he may not appear at all due to developments back home. Iran's new president lashed out at asking for United Nations help to stop Israel's aggression.

MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The end of occupation, the cessation of apartheid in Palestine, and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza are prerequisites for global development and peace. The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to work with other countries to achieve common global goals.

ROTH: President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is one of the speakers this week. He will meet with President Biden, Vice President Harris and former President Trump, though not necessarily here in the building. President Zelenskyy addressed the U.N.'s Summit for the Future, which was agreed upon Sunday. However, it's not enforceable. For Zelenskyy, he has what he's called a victory plan that he's going to show President Biden in Washington.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: I invite all leaders nations to continue supporting our joint efforts for a just and peaceful future.

ROTH: It will be President Biden's final General Assembly appearance. He's likely to stress unity once again. But the way these crises in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine are going, a lot more will be needed to make any progress.

Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Two storm systems are developing this hour. First, Hurricane John made landfall earlier off the southern coast of Mexico as a Category 3 storm. The National Hurricane Center says it will bring heavy rain, flash floods and mudslides to the region.

Meanwhile, an area of thunderstorms in the Caribbean is expected to develop into Hurricane Helene later this week. CNN's Chad Myers has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Alright. We are watching a storm that will be Hurricane Helene by Wednesday, could possibly be a major hurricane by Thursday. Tropical Storm Watch is already in effect for the Lower Keys, warnings for the western part of Cuba and also toward Cancun.

But this is a storm in very warm water. The models are all kind of in agreement on where it should be going. It doesn't really have a big center yet, but we'll watch that and the models will do a better job when that happens.

What we know is that the water temperatures are in the upper 80s and the middle 80s. That's well warm enough to get rapid intensification. And in fact, the American model is significantly stronger, many other models are too, than the European model. But we'll have to see where this goes in the days to come. The problem is we don't have that many days to come.

This will be on shore on Thursday, whether it will be Tampa or all the way to the left on the west side of that cone we'll have to see. What we do know is that there will be significant power outages. There will be an awful lot of flooding, all this red here, six inches of rain or more.

And the waves in the Gulf of Mexico, not that you're going to be out there, I hope, will be 40 feet as they crest there in the middle. So yes, Helene is next and then it will be Isaac, but this could be a very big impactful storm for the Gulf Coast. Left or right of that middle, we'll have to see. This is just getting going, but we won't have a lot of time to prepare.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Chad Myers, thank you. Well Lebanon sees its deadliest day of strikes in nearly two decades, sending thousands fleeing to safety. And now there have been more strikes overnight. That's next on CNN.

And more serious charges are expected against the man suspected of plotting to kill Donald Trump on his golf course. We'll have the latest evidence in the case after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Welcome back. Well Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire overnight after the Israeli military dramatically escalated its attacks on southern Lebanon on Monday. Well Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told his security cabinet his aim is to cut Hezbollah from the war with Hamas. And an official says the cabinet has agreed to raise the level of military operations every day.

A U.S. official tells CNN the area is the closest it's been to spiraling into a regional war since the October 7 attack on Hamas. Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon reportedly killed nearly 500 people on Monday alone, forcing thousands to flee to safety. A U.S. State Department official says the IDF attacks on Hezbollah have likely set the Iran-backed terrorist group 20 years backwards. Well CNN's Ivan Watson is following developments and joins us now.

Ivan, those comments from the Israeli Prime Minister to his cabinet and the warning of increased daily military operations. Tell us more.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I mean, since the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas into Israel ushered in now nearly a year-long war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza that have killed some 40,000 people.

After that day, Hezbollah joined in the fray as well and has been engaged in a cross-border war with Israel that's also gone on for nearly a year. But in the last week, Israel signaled that it was basically going to intensify this what had been a border war into encompassing much more of its northern neighbor.

[03:34:55]

So if you look at a heat map that NASA created showing fires and heat sources over a 24-hour period in Lebanon starting on Monday, you get a sense of where some of these, this ferocious barrage of aerial bombardment from Israeli warplanes, hit across a broad swath of Lebanon. The Israeli military says that on Monday it hit some 1,600 targets.

Well, one of the results of that has been an absolutely catastrophic death toll, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Health. Some 492 people killed, among them 35 children and 58 women. There are nearly 100 women and children and more than 1,600 people wounded. It's one of the deadliest days in generations, and that's coming from a country that fought a 15-year civil war and had a nearly 20-year Israeli military occupation of southern Lebanon, no stranger to conflict.

The bombardment, though Israel says it issued warnings, clearly many civilians were still caught under the Israeli warplanes, and people were sent running for their lives. Take a listen to what one woman had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): They struck right next to our house, and our building was shaking. We got very stressed. This is why we had to leave when we came here. We were told it's safe here. This situation is very tragic. The strikes were right next to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now Israel says that Hezbollah seems to have fired around 50 rockets since midnight into Israel on Tuesday, with aerial defenses shooting down most of them. They say throughout the past 24 hours that one Israeli woman was slightly injured. Anna.

COREN: Ivan, I know that you have family in Lebanon. They were very close to one of the strikes last week in Beirut. How are they holding up?

WATSON: Full disclosure, Anna. My family, my in-laws, have been displaced by the Israeli bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

There was an airstrike on Friday that took down a nine-story building. It killed at least 41 people. Among them, a number of senior Hezbollah commanders, but also women and children. My mother-in-law was a block and a half from where that air strike took place and thought that the neighboring building from my wife's grandmother's apartment, where she was at the time, had been hit. That's the force of the explosion, the amount of dust in the air.

So since that attack on Friday, there's been another attack in that neighborhood on Monday, the southern suburbs. My in-laws, a group of them have left the southern suburbs, as have many other people, and moved to an apartment in another neighborhood of town where there are four generations of displaced relatives, including a one-week-old newborn and my wife's grandmother, who is paralyzed and a stroke victim.

These are teachers, a building contractor, and again a one-week-old newborn. None of them have any affiliation with Hezbollah or any links with the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon, a country that doesn't have a president right now, and its government is basically bankrupt with a severe economic crisis.

So the Israeli prime minister says he wants to cut Hezbollah from the ongoing war with Hamas on Monday indicates that as part of this strategy, Israel is also willing to kill large numbers of civilians, people potentially like my in-laws who have nothing to do with Hezbollah. That appears to be part of the Israeli strategy. So my family are terrified that they could become the next statistics, the next numbers that I will be counting on the air for innocent civilians killed in this rapidly escalating conflict.

COREN: Ivan, I'm so sorry that your family is going through this and thank you for sharing your story with us. Ivan Watson for the update, we appreciate it, thank you.

Well turning now to other news. A judge has ordered the man, suspected of trying to assassinate Donald Trump just over a week ago, to remain behind bars. During a hearing on Monday, prosecutors revealed new details about the case against Ryan Routh and say he will soon be charged with attempting to assassinate the former U.S. President. Here's CNN's Randi Kaye.

[03:39:57]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In court, we learned more about a letter that was provided from a witness who said Ryan Routh dropped a box at his home a while ago, and that box was passed on to federal investigators. In it was a handwritten letter, according to investigators, that they believe Ryan Routh wrote.

And that letter says, in part, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job. And then he went on to offer $150,000 to whomever could complete the job.

We also learned from the agents in court that the defendant, Ryan Routh, they believe, was in a position that provided a clear line of fire to the sixth hole putting green. Now remember, Donald Trump was on the fifth hole putting green at the time this all occurred. That would have put him about 12 to 15 minutes away from the sixth hole putting green. Also, if he had gotten to the sixth hole putting green, he would have been about 100 feet, investigators say, from who they believe is Ryan Routh in that position in the bushes.

Also, new information regarding the scope that was attached to the weapon that was discovered at the scene that we are told was attached to the weapon by electrical tape and investigators in court said that there was a fingerprint that they believe belongs to Ryan Routh on that electrical tape that is a preliminary finding they're still looking into that.

We also know there was a letter now addressed to the "New York Times" that was found at the scene. They did test that letter for fingerprints and DNA. They have not found Ryan Routh's fingerprints or DNA on it just yet, but they did find a fingerprint belonging to someone else.

The FBI agent who was testifying did not say who that person is, who that fingerprint belongs to or what was in the letter. Also they did search Routh's car. They found a Hawaii driver's license and a passport in his name along with 12 pairs of gloves and six cell phones. One of the cell phones, prosecutors say, included a search -- a Google search, from how to get from Palm Beach County where this all happened to Mexico.

Also they found cell phone data that would have placed Ryan Routh in this area for about a month before this incident occurred. They said that he arrived here as of August 14th. That's according to cell phone data, pinging off the cell phone towers in the area.

And finally, there was a handwritten list of dates and venues, prosecutors say, that was found in his car. Those include dates where Donald Trump was expected to appear before election day. They believe that handwritten list was written by Ryan Routh.

Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COREN: Still ahead here on "CNN Newsroom", Haitian children in Springfield, Ohio say they're living in fear after Donald Trump falsely claimed that migrants are eating pets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: More now on Donald Trump's speech Monday at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The former president appeared to make light of the fallout from baseless rumors he's helped spread about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. He said the migrants needed to be removed from the country, prompting chants from the crowd. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Do you think Springfield will ever be the same? I don't think. The fact is, and I'll say it now. You have to get them the hell out. You have to get them out. I'm sorry. Can't have it. Can't have it. They've destroyed it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: Well, those false claims have had real-world impact, including bomb threats against migrants in Springfield. It's one thing to spread rumors from a position of power on a national platform. It's quite another for a child to process them. CNN's Gary Tuckman reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCKMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The First Haitian Evangelical Church of Springfield, Ohio is less than a year old. The Sunday service is vibrant, a reflection of the Haitian community that has regarded Springfield as a great place to live.

At the same time, in another room, children ranging from toddlers to teens gather to pray and play, with a youth pastor who encourages the young people to talk about a tough subject.

UNKNOWN: How do you feel about what happened in Springfield about what they say about immigrants?

TUCKMAN (voice-over): And the common sentiment? These three words.

UNKNOWN: I feel bad.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Alicia is 10 years old. She's in sixth grade. She was born in the United States. Her father is Jean. He moved to the U.S. after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake. They are both upset at what's been said.

ALICIA, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: It kind of made me feel a little bit sad, a little bit of angry.

TRUMP: In Springfield. They're eating the dogs, the people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): There is no basis for what the former president said. And it's very upsetting and humiliating to many of the children here.

ALICIA: Most Haitians came here for a better life. So I think they have to stay strong and don't let the things that they're -- that Trump says get to them and just stay strong.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Wood is 13 years old and eighth grade. He was born in the US but moved back to Haiti before his first birthday with his mom, Baby. They came back to America about four years ago. Wood says he likes living in Springfield.

TUCKMAN: And how does that make you feel that there are people who don't want you to stay in the country?

WOOD, HAITIAN IMMIGRANT IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: It makes me feel sad a little bit.

TUCKMAN: Tell me about that.

WOOD: Because we ain't doing nothing. We just came here just to live a better life.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): But now with bomb threats against the city of Springfield, many are frightened. Wood's mother.

TUCKMAN: Are you scared?

BABY, WOOD'S MOTHER AND HAITIAN IMMIGRANT IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: Of course, yes.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Alicia's father.

TUCKMAN: Do you feel safe for your family in this community?

JEAN, ALICIA'S FATHER AND HAITIAN IMMIGRANT I SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: Absolutely not. Nobody knows what going to happen later.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Wood is a confident young man. He wants to own a car dealership in the future, and he wants to protect his mom in the present.

WOOD: I want to try to stay at home so not a lot of people can come up to us and make fun of us about the comments on eating cats and dogs.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): The youth pastor at the church says some within the community have told her they are looking to get out.

PHILOMENE PHILOSTIN, YOUTH PASTOR: They're leaving Springfield because they feel insecure. They're scared.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Alicia and her family are staying put. But the 10-year-old, who wants to be a doctor when she grows up, did listen carefully when her father told us he's concerned about his family's safety.

TUCKMAN: How does that make you feel hearing your dad say that?

ALICIA: I know that my dad will keep me safe somehow, no matter what happens.

TUCKMAN (voice-over): Gary Tuckman, CNN, Springfield, Ohio. (END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:50:08]

COREN: Let's hope those kids are all okay. The investigation resumes into the Titan submersible's deadly voyage to the Titanic. When we return, details of the testimony against the company behind the operation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COREN: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating a bridge fire in British Columbia as Arson. Authorities say they believe the Red Bridge in Kamloops was intentionally set on fire Thursday. Officials say the bridge was a historic part of the community's infrastructure. The investigation is still in its early stages. Thursday's fire was the second at the bridge in less than a week. The first was reported last Tuesday.

In Mexico City, demonstrators are demanding justice and answers for 43 students abducted 10 years ago.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

Protesters targeted the Interior Ministry, hurling firecrackers, smashing windows and vandalizing walls. The government says the students were abducted by corrupt police, colluding with a local drug cartel.

[03:55:03]

To date, only three of the students' remains have been identified. Their families say they are desperate for accountability a decade later.

An investigation into the Titan submersible implosion resumed on Monday. The co-founder of OceanGate, the company that built and operated the submersible, testified they did not originally intend to develop its own vessels. The U.S. Coast Guard panel investigating the implosion released this new recovery footage. The hearing, now in its second week, has heard testimony accusing OceanGate of prioritizing profits over safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BROOKS, FORMER OCEANGATE ENGINEERING DIRECTOR: It was very frustrating because it was left in St. John's and left on the dock. And we had no way to work on it, no way to look at it. And we were told it was a cost issue, you know that the cost of shipping it back was prohibitive. They were low on money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COREN: The Titan Submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion in June of last year during its voyage to the Titanic wreckage, killing all five people on board. Now before we go, if you rely on emojis to get your message across,

it's a big day. Eight new ones are coming to your smartphone next year. It's the most anticipated is an exhausted face with bags under its eyes, while others include a fingerprint, a splat, a root vegetable, a harp and a shovel. The leafless tree is meant to raise awareness about climate change. New emojis don't just happen every day, it's a formal process, led by the Unicode Consortium, a non- profit which oversees global emoji standards.

Interesting. Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Anna Coren. CNN Newsroom is next with my colleague, Max Foster in London. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)