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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israeli, Palestinian Commanders Meet To Discuss Ground Situation

Aired March 18, 2002 - 05:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As I've said, there is a sign of progress towards Middle East peace in a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian field commanders.

CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Mike Hanna joins us live now with an update -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, that meeting you referred to a very important step as both sides inch towards getting a cease-fire in place on the ground, this within a matter of hours before U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrives in the region.

Senior field commanders met in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank to discuss the situation on the ground. This a critical meeting in terms of getting the sides to agree to steps that each must take in order to ensure that a truce does happen.

Now, this meeting has, in turn, led to a possible very high level security meeting between Israelis and Palestinians that could take place within the course of the day, a meeting that would also be attended by the U.S. special envoy, Anthony Zinni. The Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer says that Israel is still seeking some form of security guarantees from Palestinians and Israeli Defense Force has continued operations in the course of the morning. A number of Palestinians have been arrested in Israeli operations in various Palestinian controlled areas.

The Palestinians say the stumbling block from their point of view is that Israel remains in these Palestinian controlled areas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: General Zinni's mission is very delicate and very difficult. Last night there were two meetings of the local commanders in the West Bank and Gaza. I really hope that in the next few hours we will see the Israelis deploying from areas, Area A and the West Bank and Gaza. And I hope that this will facilitate for the trilateral high level security meeting with the presence of General Zinni in order to initiate the implementation of the Tenet plan linked to Mitchell, linked to the political horizon.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HANNA: Well, there has been ongoing violence in the course of Sunday. An Israeli teenager was killed by a Palestinian gunman. Also, a failed suicide bomber attempt in Jerusalem. At the same time, though, that meeting between ground commanders from Palestinian and Israeli security services very, very important because that was the type of breakthrough that Anthony Zinni was looking towards to get a negotiation, discussion going on the ground, which, in turn, can lead to the wider discussions about a cease-fire plan drawn up by CIA Director George Tenet a year ago.

A possibility now that this plan will be discussed, possibly even in the course of the day -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Which side do you think is feeling more of a lessening of support, is it Israel or the Palestinians?

HANNA: A lessening of support in terms of their popular support, Carol?

COSTELLO: Popular support and support from overseas from those countries that are usually on their side, so to speak.

HANNA: Yes, indeed. The international community has been very involved in these ongoing moves to get a cease-fire in place on the ground. The U.N., European Union have all been operating in coordination with the United States to bring these two sides together.

Now, the E.U. and the U.N. in particular have been harshly critical of the ongoing Israeli military operations in Palestinian areas. There has been a partial withdrawal of Israel from a number of these areas, which has met with praise and approbation from the international community and in particular from the United States.

The situation as it stands, as well, is that while Israel is being called on to take concrete actions in terms of withdrawing its forces, the Palestinian Authority is still being called on very strongly by the international community and in particular by the U.S. to take action against terror on the ground, in other words, to be seen to be attempting to prevent terror attacks against Israeli targets, particularly within Israel.

So in terms of international participation in this, both sides have a degree of pressure on them, pressure that's likely to mount as it gets closer and closer to a point at which they sit down and agree to a formal cease-fire -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Mike Hanna, reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.

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