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CNN Live Today

Israel Launches Biggest Offensive in Decades

Aired March 13, 2002 - 12:15   ET

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


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Roughly 20,000 Israeli troops now have swept into Gaza and the West Bank in the past 36 hours. It's being described as the biggest military offensive against the Palestinians in 20 years. Scores of people have been killed on both sides in the very latest offensive.

For the very latest, here is Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, tracking a whole lot of action there in the Middle East today.

Good evening, Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Good evening, Bill.

As you say. it is a massive Israeli military operation, part of a program that the Israeli military says has been an escalation of its efforts to strike at what it calls infrastructures of terror. This has involved the reoccupation of several West Bank and Gaza towns and cities, and the latest is the West Bank city of Ramallah, the very heart of the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli forces have been in Ramallah now for well over a day. Tanks are moving through the streets. The residents of Ramallah are largely being holed up in their homes. Israel says it is seeking armed militants, as well as stockpiles of weapons.

Complaints from Palestinians of a deteriorating humanitarian situation, difficulty in getting food and supplies in the face of this Israeli blockade. Palestinians say too that ambulances are not allowed through to remove the many wounded, ambulances being refused access to large parts of Ramallah.

In the course of the day, officer in Yasser Arafat's Force 17 movement -- that's officially his bodyguard -- was shot and killed, as was an Israeli officer during the Israeli military operations.

Also killed in the course of the day, an Italian journalist, Raffaele Ciriello, who was shot and killed, his colleagues say by Israeli tank fire. Israel has expressed regret for the death and says it is investigating the circumstances, saying too that it has declared Ramallah a closed military area.

So the situation on the ground remains incredibly tense. The level of violence remains high. All of this awaiting special U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni when he arrives in the region in coming hours. His task, to implement a cease-fire on the ground, a task that he's tried twice before, on two missions before that failed. Very difficult time awaiting Anthony Zinni. Both sides have welcomed his arrival in the region, but neither side has given any indication it is prepared to take those concrete steps necessary to begin implementing a form of truce on the ground -- Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem.

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