very much. and thanks to our viewers for watching. "erin burnett outfront" starts "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com "outfront" next, israel says hamas is no longer in control of northern gaza as the biden administration says it has new proof that hamas is using gaza's largest hospitals, the command center. plus, congress gone wild. a fist fight nearly breaking out in the united states senate. and a congressman accused kevin mccarthy of elbowing him in the kidneys. what is going on? it's embarrassing. new series "voters "outfront"." why young voters are increasingly fed up with biden. let's go "outfront." and good evening. i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, israel flags -- israeli flags in gaza's parliament. israel's defense minister pointing to a photo today at a press conference that shows israeli forces posing for a picture inside gaza's parliament and they're waving israeli flags. the defense minister says that this means, and it shows, he says that israel is now in control. >> reporter: you've seen his troops sitting in gaza's parliament. this is significant. i can tell you that in the northern gaza strip, hamas has lost its control. we're controlling all of the area that's above and underground of the northern gaza strip. and especially in gaza city. >> of course, it's obviously very charged that they would put israeli flags in that parliament. but israel also says it's punishing ground operations will continue and those include surrounding the al schiffa hospital. tonight, the white house says it has its own intelligence indicating that hamas is using al shifa to run its military operations. >> we have confirmed that hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and control node. that is a war crime. >> al shifa is the largest hospital in gaza. it's many blocks. it's about a dozen acres. e.r., surgery, maternity wards. it is where thousands of innocent palestinians are sheltering in parking lots and courtyards as well as whatever is underneath it. kirby does not support striking al schiffa from the air. cnn obtained an audio message from the head of the neonatal unit. he made it clear that the situation inside the hospital that he is seeing is dire. >> it is where evacuated to the surgical department and all of them are wrapped in towels, not in incubators. we expect all to die because they don't have water to prepare -- they don't have electricity to provide them with warmth. they don't have staff to care with them, even the staff is scared. >> we expect all to die. no human heart can be untouched by that. according to the u.s. administration, al schiffa has also been used to house some of the hostages taken by hamas, 239 as we understand that at this time those numbers have shifted over time. but 239 is the latest that we have. tonight a u.s. senior official tel telling that israel and hamas have been inching towards a deal. israel asked for 100 to be released. hamas' military claims negotiations are focused on the possible release of 70 women and children. they want a pause in fighting for five days for that. as both sides agree that there is a discussion about a substantial number of hostages. and both saying that now to the press is a significant step. it is unclear if any deal would include freeing the ten americans being held. today, though, president biden was asked and said this. >> what's your message to the families? >> hang in there. we're coming. >> jeremy diamond is "outfront" live along the israel/gaza border. the yoav gallant claiming full control of northern gaza city, israeli troops waving flags. the idf says fighting continues in the heart of gaza. so what more are you learning about how things really stand at this hour? >> reporter: well, erin, over the last couple of weeks, we have watched as israeli forces have been closing in on gaza city from the north and from the south. and tonight ra minister now saying that hamas has lost control of northern gaza including, he says, gaza city. this as we are hearing tonight ongoing bombardments and outgoing artillery in the direction of the gaza strip. and as we were watching israeli forces taking control of key positions, all appearing to head towards one key target. and that is al schiffa hospital. tonight, israeli forces say they have seized key areas in northern gaza. after block by block battles, the israeli military claiming operational control of the congested shati refugee camp and key hamas government buildings in gaza city where troops posed with israeli flags. the advances show israeli troops driving toward al shifa hospital where hamas operates a major underground command center. cnn cannot independently confirm those allegations with both hamas and hospital officials denying. the u.n. says all but one of northern gaza's hospitals have now effectively shut down due to a lack of power, water, and medical supplies. >> nowadays, every minute, every hour we are hearing that either a hospital or departments in hospital is closing its services. >> reporter: at al schiffa hospital, doctors desperately trying to save premature babies after a strike knocked out power to the hospital's neonatal unit. the israeli military now says it is preparing to send these mobile incubators to the hospital, releasing audio of an alleged conversation with a hospital manager. [ speaking in a global language ] meanwhile, new confidence from president biden in a potential deal to free some of the estimated 239 hostages held in gaza. >> after talking with people involved every single day, i believe it's going to happen. but i don't want to get into detail. >> reporter: as hostage families begin a five-day mark from tel aviv to jerusalem, israel and hamas are inching closer to a deal. the broad strokes, hamas frees dozens of women and children in exchange for as long as a five-day ceasefire, and the release of some palestinian prisoners. as families continue to plead for the release of their loved ones, the official cautioning a deal is closer, but it's not done. and tonight, erin, we have heard for weeks now as israeli officials have made clear that they believe that hamas is operating below al shifa hospital. yesterday israeli officials saying that they believe hamas is holding hostages there, and today we are hearing from the white house directly the national security council spokesman john kirby saying that not only does hamas operate a command and control center under shifa but also that it may be holding hostages there and under other hospitals. erin? >> all right. jeremy, thank you very much. and "outfront" now, retired army lieutenant general, the former security coordinator for israel and the palestinian authority. and dr. barbara zind, the american pediatrician who arrived in gaza the day before the october 7th hamas terrorist strike in israel. she remained stuck in gaza for 26 days. we followed her story of course for weeks here on "outfront." and she has spent a lot of time in gaza over the years. thanks very much to both of you. and, general schwartz, i want to start by asking you a couple questions about the situation on the ground. first the israeli defense minister says hamas is no longer in control of gaza city or northern gaza above and below ground. so if that's true, what's actually left, general? >> well, i think that statement by the minister of defense really emphasizes the fact that the israeli defense forces have control of what comes into northern gaza and gaza city and what goes out. they've also had the opportunity over the past two and a half weeks to assess the thousands of airstrikes that occurred in northern gaza and gaza city. so, the assessment of the underground i think is what characterizes that part of the statement because just yesterday when nick was in gaza and, you know, investigating some of the damage from the strikes as well as some of the ground combat, the idf spokesman, as i remember, made the comment that they had not physically cleared all the tunnels. but i think they've assessed what the damage has done. so, there's still fighting going on as we've seen reported. but i think the idf feels assured that they have control. >> all right. i'm just going to interrupt this conversation for one moment to go to the ground to our oren liebermann in tel aviv with some breaking developments. oren? >> reporter: erin, the idf has just confirmed they're moving on al shifa hospital. this is a development we've come to expect over the last days and even weeks as israel has pointed to shifa hospital, the largest in gaza as one of the focal points of hamas and its infrastructure. they have accused and the u.s. has backed them up. hamas of using shifa hospital as a base essentially building some of their facilities, some of their headquarters, their command and control below it. this statement just coming out a few moments ago. i'll read you a part of it. it says based on intelligence information and an operation necessity, idf forces are carrying out a preprice and targeted operation against hamas in a specified area in the shifa hospital. they then go on to say they include arabic speakers who have prepared for this complex and sensitive environment with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians being used by hamas as human yields in recent weeks they say they have repeatedly warned hamas to leave the hospital and leave the area as gun fights have raged in that area. they also say they've given opportunities for patients and others to evacuate shifa hospital. and in the last line of their statement i'll read this quickly as well. we call upon all hamas terrorists present in the hospital to surrender. again, erin, this is a development we have expected as they've moved closer to the hospital and given the amount of folk yes they have, or, rather, attention they have paid to it, it was assumed at some point they would have to move on the hospital. in many ways, perhaps, if it can be proven that they are correct that hamas has used it as a base a way of vindicating much of what we've seen, much of what they have said over the course of the past several weeks. >> so, oren, a couple of things that you said there. they're saying all hamas terrorists, they're asking them to surrender. i mean, obviously, the clear implicit implication there is that they believe that there are hamas terrorists inside, that they're moving on that, specific military operation. is there anything in this that makes you believe that there is more to it in terms of a hostage rescue situation, or what do you read between the lines of the information they're sharing? >> let me take a quick look at the statement again. there's just a little bit of it i didn't read. there isn't any statement in here about hostages. there's no indication whether they believe hostages are inside the hospital. they did put out video of one of the other hospitals in northern gaza and suggested hostages may have been held in that hospital. at least as of this point, it doesn't look like the idf has made an accusation or a statement such that they believe hostages were held at any point at shifa hospital. but that's certainly something we'll keep an eye on. >> another thing you were talking about. they are talking about a targeted operation. they are bringing in medical teams somewhat in support of the civilian, the dire civilian situation aboveground in the hospital regardless of what hamas is present there. arabic speakers as well. do you have any sense from your sources of while you say this is what has been expected, obviously, it's happening around 2:12 in the morning where you are. any sense of the size or scope of what this operation may be? >> reporter: that's difficult to gauge from here. we're only 40, 50 mile as way. but it's difficult to know what's happening on the ground. how many forces are moving in. what kinds of forces. this would almost certainly be a special operations raid. they have units that are focused on tunnel warfare and specialize in that. perhaps they are involved because the accusation has always been that hamas is under the hospital and uses the hospital as protection above it. so, you'd have to believe that there are units that focus on special operations and operating underground. and they also say, and it's interesting, i'll point this out again. they say they are in a specified area in shifa hospital. so, it implies that they at least have some indication or believe they do at least where that connects, where aboveground connects with below ground, where hamas is using the hospital. it is a large complex. there is a main area. there are outer buildings as well from what we have seen. so, one of the things we'll learn as we see more how this played out both from the israelis and, of course, from the palestinians and shifa hospital where they focused, what they did, what kind of forces they used, and how many forces took part in this. >> all right, oren, obviously, stand by. and, as you get more information, you'll come back with us as soon as you do learn more. general schwartz, when you hear about this operation that the idf now says as we are all speaking is going on, the largest hospital in gaza, specified area targeted by idf forces asking for hamas terrorists present to surrender as they are going in. what do you hear is happening? >> so, i think oren characterized it very well. i would expect there'd be israeli special operations forces that have very good understanding and intelligence on the makeup of the overall al shifa hospital compound. it sounds like they have some pretty unique intelligence that suggests they know the area where maybe hamas is currently present or have been in the most recent past. so, i think also a key point of that statement was a precise operation, which, you know, lends us to believe that they are going to use primarily, you know, ground forces and the use of directfire weapons in order to clear the hospital and mitigate the likelihood of civilian casualties. >> dr. zind, i can only imagine what you're thinking as you hear this. you've been inside that hospital. you know people there. you've been talking to the head of the neonatal unit who ultimately had to leave. she thinks more than 50 premature babies will die. we heard her speaking there and her voice breaking. when you hear this news and you know the complex, what do you think? i mean, it is obviously a very large -- i know it's about a dozen acres all in. it's a very large space. and they're talking about something very specific. can you even comprehend what such a thing might mean? >> right. i'm concerned, of course, about those premature infants, the maternal fetal or newborn area is a distance from the surgical hospital and in general what they do is they have to do surgery on a newborn, they take an ambulance to get from one to the other. they didn't in this case. and the babies are right there within the surgical part of the department because they can get some warmth. but i just think of those newborns every day that they have low oxygen, that they're not fed adequately is really permanent damage to those babies and if they survive, even. and, so, i just feel like this is -- you know, this isn't going to help those babies at all, and still you have to weigh the benefit and risk. and the risk is for those 46 babies. >> and, dr. zind, on that front, as we understand this is happening right now. you heard the idf release audio of what they say was a phone call between an arabic speaking member of the idf and a hospital employee saying we're going to provide incubators. will that be helpful, and the employee responds yes. the idf provided this video so i can't tell you this audio. can't tell you ourselves that that's exactly where it came from. but what the description is if such a thing were to happen and those incubators were to get there, especially when you're now seeing military operation in a specific part of this hospital. would that make a difference at this point if those incubators were now just suddenly delivered? >> well, if those incubators were so -- had their own power, or battery power, they had oxygen tanks on them that would last for a while, and there was -- they also need clean water and they need one for every baby. so, that's a lot if they are carrying all of those incubators and they are all self-contained. most of them aren't going to have enough power for a long period of time. they would be more transport incubators. but it depends on that. if they bring a regular incubator with no self-contained power, then it's not going to be very helpful. >> general, a quick final word to you from everything you've heard. how big do you think this operation is in terms of the time it will take? obviously it's happening here now at 2:20 in the morning. the time it will take, the number of forces involved by the idf. >> the idf is clearly using the advantage of darkness and some of the unique capabilities they have to do the operation. i would suggest that it's going to take multiple hours and it's going to involve probably a couple thousand forces because the outer cordon to support the main assault force is going to go into the clearing of the hospital where they assess the hamas operatives were located. >> all right. thank you both very much. i appreciate it. and, as i said, our oren liebermann is standing by as we get more information on this, we are going to bring it to you. but we do understand, and the idf has confirmed that this operation in al shifa hospital with israeli forces going on is happening as we speak right now. "outfront" next, a sitting senator challenging the teamsters president to a fist fight during a committee hearing today. >> well, stand your butt up. >> stand your butt up. >> hold up, stop it. >> what happened? plus, the georgia d.a. revealing that trump's trial is going to be going on during the height of the presidential election. >> i don't expect that we will conclude until the winter or the very early part of 2025. and the former trump white house attorney ty cobb will be "outfront." plus, chinese president xi jinping leaving nothing to chance tonight as he lands in california for his meeting with president biden. pro-china crowds arriving just in time toto welcome xi. breaking news. the house just passing a bill to avoid a government shutdown. all but two democrats joining a majority of republicans to extend funding until january 19th. it's a major step, it comes as the capitol saw pretty embarrassing day, senator markwayne mullin challenging a witness at a hearing to a fist fight. at that fight -- or the fight almost broke out, and it would have if it weren't for senator bernie sanders. >> no, no, sit down. you're a united states senator. sit down, please. >> reporter: a breakdown in decorum today on capitol hill. >> i want to expose this thug to who he is. >> do not point at me. that's disrespectful. >> i don't care about respecting you at all. >> reporter: senator markwayne mullin bringing a congressional hearing to a halt standing up and challenging the witness to a fist fight in the middle of the hearing. >> sir, this is a time, this is a place if you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults we can finish it here. >> okay, that's fine, perfect. >> do you want to do it right now? >> i'd love to do it right now. >> well, stand your butt up. >> stand your butt up. >> reporter: the tense moment escalating quickly after the senator read tweets that teamsters general president sean o'brien wrote in the past being critical of the senator. >> what a clown, fraud, always has been, always will be. quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. you know where to find me, any place, any time, cowboy. >> reporter: numerous attempts by the chairman of the committee to break up the altercation that ensued. >> hol