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CNN Live At Daybreak
Palestinians Say Deal Reached to Resolve Standoff at Church of Nativity
Aired May 07, 2002 - 06:02 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 said, Palestinians say a deal has been reached to resolve that standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. Now, there is a concrete sign from Israel that the standoff is near an end.
CNN's Walter Rodgers joins us with a live update from Jerusalem -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. There is still an Israeli tank in Manger Square here in Bethlehem, but we are very, very close to a resolution of this five-week standoff.
The Palestinians told us earlier in the day that a deal has been struck to end the standoff at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Jesus' birth. At this hour, however, we have been seeing signs that suggest even the Israelis are confirming through their actions that we are going to see a release of the 123 people inside the church.
Earlier, about an hour ago, we saw the Israelis setting up metal detectors, two metal detectors, one very close to the door of the church, the Door of Humility; another one further on down. And since then, the Israelis have put up a long corridor of blue police barricades for the detainees to come out, those who have been inside the church.
In addition to that, the Israelis did earlier allow a monk, a Franciscan priest actually, and an Orthodox priest to accompany a Palestinian out. This was not one of the Palestinians who had taken over the church, but you could see by the way they were walking things are much more relaxed at this point, getting very close to a resolution.
As I say, I spoke with the mayor of Bethlehem a short while ago, Hanna Nasser. He says it's all over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR HANNA NASSER, BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK: The deal is over, and what remains, some logistic procedures, and they are doing that this morning. And they are very glad to deal, although I know that the price has been very, very, very -- a big price to pay on the Palestinian side. But still, this Church of the Nativity, it deserve this exception, and as we say, to every rule, there is an exception. Although this does not match really completely with the agreements between the P.A. (ph) and the state of Israel, but still it matches with the holiness of this church. It matches with the determination of these people here to put an end to this tragedy in Bethlehem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Earlier this morning at the Church of the Nativity, two Palestinian security officials went inside to talk to the hardcore Palestinian fighters, who had taken over the church to apprise them of the details of the agreement that was struck overnight between Israel and the Palestinians. One of the things he told them, of course, is that they must lay down their arms. There appears a general agreement on that.
The second point that the Palestinian security officials told the Palestinian gunmen inside the church was that 13 of them are being definitely deported to Italy. Now, that's causing considerable controversy in two quarters, the hard-line Palestinian militants in Hamas.
Abdul Azziz Rantizi (ph), the spokesman for Hamas, an Islamic fundamentalist group in the Palestinian territories, called this a catastrophe for Palestinians that they are being deported from their own land. This deportation does not sit well with any Palestinian, including those hard-line militants.
Also another possible source of trouble, the deportees -- Palestinians are supposed to go to Italy. The Italians are now saying, wait a minute, we were not consulted fully about this. And the Italians, according to Reuters quoting a senior Italian government official, are saying, before we accept the 13 deportees, we, the Italians, would like to see the details of the agreement, the terms buy which they will be coming to Italy. The Italians say they were kept in the dark all along about this, particularly by the British, who represent the European Union -- Carol.
COSTELLO: OK, we'll wait to see what happens -- Walter Rodgers reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.
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