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CNN Live At Daybreak

Four Weeks Since Palestinians Took Refuge From Israeli Troops in Bethlehem Church

Aired April 30, 2002 - 06:01   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: Today marks four weeks since a group of Palestinians took refuge from Israeli troops in a Bethlehem church. CNN's Mike Hanna joins us live from Bethlehem with the latest on efforts to finally end this standoff -- Mike, any progress?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, no. The negotiations are grinding on. A Palestinian committee of negotiators has been meeting with Israelis in a way to find a peaceful resolution to this ongoing crisis.

It's estimated that there is some 150 people still inside the Church of the Nativity. Among them: monks, nuns, priests, Palestinian civilians, Palestinian police officers and, says Israel, at least 20 men who are on its most wanted list, people that Israel is describing as known terrorists.

So the situation at the moment is discussions going on about what food is going into the church, who is being fed, who isn't. The Palestinians' wanted men on Israel's wanted list apparently looking for some guarantees as to their security when they emerge from the church. Israel is saying that these men, these 20, must stand trial in Israel or else accept exile out of the entire region; this not being accepted by the Palestinian negotiators at this point.

The only bright point in the proceedings is that the two sides are talking, the two negotiating committees. An Israeli member of the negotiating team has just told us that progress is being made. He believes that in the course of the day as many as 30 people may be released or be allowed to come out of the church. None of the wanted people among these though.

So to date, some 50 people have come out of the church. Among them: Palestinian youths, a number of priests who were injured, and a number of dead bodies of Palestinian gunmen, says Israel, who had been killed while firing on Israeli positions around that church. Palestinians contending that these men had been shot without provocation by the Israeli forces.

So the arguments go on. The negotiations though go on, but the standoff continues. The Church of the Nativity, the place Christians believe that Jesus was born, is still under siege by Israeli forces -- Carol. COSTELLO: You know, Mike, Colin Powell said earlier that all of the elements are in place to end this thing. What does he mean by that?

HANNA: Well, what he means is that there does appear to be a process under way in which these negotiations, these very painstaking negotiations are bearing some fruit. The Israelis from their side are pointing to the fact that they have got at least 50 people out of the church at this particular point, that the two sides are talking to each other and they are refining down the dispute to be 20 people that Israel says it wants, the people that Israel says have carried out attacks against Israeli and incidentally American civilians.

Now, this is where the debate is moving. There is no dispute about the some 130 others still believed to be inside the church. So what the secretary of state is hearing there is what we are hearing on the ground is that there is movement, there is progress and the sides though not yet coming to a resolution may be approaching one -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Hopefully so. Mike Hanna reporting live for us from Bethlehem this morning -- thank you.

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