Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Occupies Five Palestinian Towns

Aired April 03, 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: And we want to go live now to that troubled region.

Mike Hanna, our Jerusalem bureau chief, is following the action from there -- Mike, tell us what the situation is now?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, bleak weather continues here in Jerusalem and the bleak situation on the ground throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continuing their massive military operations. They now have reoccupied about five major Palestinian cities and towns. They're also operating in a number of smaller villages around the West Bank.

This is Israel, part of its crackdown on terror. Palestinians see these operations as an attempt to crush the Palestinian Authority and to depose Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Tensions centered in, of course, the day on the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. There, the place Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, has become a sanctuary for a number of Palestinians who are holed up, penned into that church. The Israeli Defense Force says that these are armed militia who are seeking shelter in that church. They are waiting for them to come out, says the Israeli Defense Force. It says, too, that it's attempting to negotiate with the men inside. Palestinian sources say that among those inside the church are a number of women and children, as well, a very dangerous situation in the place of Jesus Christ's birth, as Christians believe.

But CNN's Ben Wedeman has been in the area, that of Beit Jala, and I'm joined now on the phone by Ben -- Ben, what is the situation where you are?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael, well, first of all, I'm at the very edge of Beit Jala right basically between Beit Jala and Bethlehem. And it is deathly quiet. It is a ghost town. Nobody out on the streets.

Now, in Beit Jala itself, apparently the Israeli Army has lifted the curfew there. We have seen people come out trying to do a bit of shopping. But they're telling us that their supplies of food are running low. It's a very difficult situation for the population here.

Now, I'm not really hearing any gunfire at the moment. We're probably about a kilometer and a half from Major Square, where apparently the situation is much more tense. Now earlier this morning we were at the main checkpoint leading, on the road leading to Bethlehem from Jerusalem, where there were a number of religious leaders, Christian leaders trying to get into the Major Square area to the Church of the Nativity to try to mediate the situation, to try to find out the situation of the people inside the church.

They, however, were turned back as, of course, were we, at that checkpoint. So this situation, as I said, Mike, quiet where I am, but very tense, indeed -- Mike.

HANNA: CNN's Ben Wedeman on the ground in Beit Jala on the very outskirts of Bethlehem.

Thank you very much for joining us.

So the situation remains tense throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continuing their operations. A large number of arrests have been made while Israel says it continues seeking what it describes as wanted terrorists -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Mike Hanna, thank you for that live report.

We want to turn our attention now to Ramallah. That's the West Bank city under curfew. Besieged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat isn't taking his one way ticket out. He's trapped inside his headquarters surrounded by Israeli troops. Yes, the assault does go on.

Our Michael Holmes and his crew tells us about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sounds of gunfire and tank shells coming from the direction of the Palestinian preventive security headquarters in Ramallah. At dawn, helicopters fire at the compound. Israel says there was return fire from inside. We drove to the headquarters through mist and rain, at one point an Israeli soldier stopping our journey.

(on camera): We want to film that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't go ahead.

HOLMES: Another route and we found ourselves at the compound.

(on camera): The sounds of battle last night told us that this was a ferocious assault. Daylight proved that correct.

(voice-over): Inside here the previous night, perhaps 300 people, Palestinian prisoners, security forces, also, civilian workers and plain Palestinian officials, some children of those workers in a day care center. Sources tell us a deal brokered by the CIA saw the firing stop and those inside allowed to leave, taken to an Israeli military facility in the West Bank for processing and questioning.

What was a significant Palestinian facility rendered all but useless and it was emptied. Israel says those not on their wanted list will be released, including Palestinian security officers. Israel also says perhaps dozens of wanted terrorists were inside this place. Palestinian officials say there were prisoners here, but the compound, after all, includes a prison.

Those officials said many of the prisoners who were here were arrested at the request of Israeli and American security officials. But one senior Palestinian source we spoke with acknowledged there were prisoners on Israel's wanted list inside the compound, prisoners who hadn't been handed over.

In any event, after those here, including casualties, had left with Israeli troops, what was left behind was the smoldering office of the preventive security chief, Jabil Rajoub, administrative offices bearing the scars of tank shells and rockets. This building housed the prison and a hospital.

At the Ramallah Hospital a mile away, a welcome sight, a United Nations humanitarian convoy. The U.N. negotiating with Israel to travel here from Jerusalem with badly needed blood and medical supplies. Across the road in a car park a makeshift grave is dug. The reason is simple: the morgue is full. Two bodies on trays built for one. Perhaps 27 people here, some on the floor. There was simply no more room.

For tens of thousands of Palestinians cooped up in their homes for nearly five days, some relief, an announcement that the curfew had been lifted for two and a half hours, what Israel called a humanitarian gesture to allow people to get food, water, milk. Those we spoke with said they needed it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No milk, no bread. This is the most important thing for us. It is because we have kids in the houses. No milk, no bread, no eggs, nothing to eat. Nothing to eat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Milk for the children.

HOLMES: Before dusk, the curfew reimposed. Warning shots from armored vehicles sending people back to their homes for another night behind closed doors.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Ramallah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com