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CNN Live Today

Dozens of Palestinians Still Holed Up at Church of Nativity

Aired May 01, 2002 - 11:07   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Slow progress in Bethlehem, slow progress to report in Bethlehem, where dozens of Palestinians are still holed up at the Church of the Nativity.

Our Senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers is watching that story.

Walter, hello.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

The resolution of the standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity clearly seems to hinge now on the resolution of the siege at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah. Once Arafat is completely freed, once the ink is dry on the agreement, in Ramallah, at Arafat's headquarters, most people in this part of the world believe that there will be fairly rapid movement toward an end of the standoff here at the church of the nativity in Bethlehem.

The Israelis estimate there may be upwards of close to 200 people still trapped inside that church. They've been there since April 2nd. An Israeli sniper with a clean shot to the shoulder persuaded one Palestinian men to leave the church today in the company of another Palestinian, who clearly decided he had had enough of the standoff.

the Israelis, however, say that are really only interested in 25 to 30 hardcore Palestinian fighters mingled in among the others still trapped inside the Church of the Nativity. The Israelis say there is 25 to 30 hardcore Palestinian fighters are guilty, again, according to the Israelis, of terrorist acts against Israeli citizens.

Now, some of the Palestinians who were released from the Church of the Nativity yesterday with whom I spoke said there are no Hamas fighters inside the church. There are no terrorist inside the church. When I talked to an Israeli army spokesman about that. He said, sure, and maybe you believe there's no church there either.

Later today, in the afternoon, there was a demonstration here in Bethlehem, it started peacefully enough, about 100 Palestinian women marching through the streets, through the barricades, close to the Manger Square here in Bethlehem, and they were shouting and chanting, "No surrender, and we want an end to the siege."

The Israelis stood by and watched them very peacefully until some Palestinian teenagers got on the roofs of building and started pelting stones on the Israeli soldiers. At that point, the Israelis fired a smoke canister to try to disperse the young people, and there was a bit of a melee, because the Israelis were under attack by the Palestinians, who were throwing stones at them.

Not too long into the afternoon, the Israelis finally decided it was time to reimpose the curfew. They got on their bullhorns, told everybody to go home, and they literally shooed everyone off the streets, and thus we remain in Bethlehem, with that standoff at The Church of the Nativity, but the streets are quiet again -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Walter Rogers in Bethlehem. We will check back with you later.

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