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CNN Live Today

Church of Nativity Standoff Continues

Aired May 07, 2002 - 12:36   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: From the Middle East now, a plan to end the Bethlehem standoff has hit a snag.

For more on what's happening at the Church of Nativity, Walter Rodgers is right near the Door of Humility. He filed this report a few moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Israelis and Palestinians, the British and Americans all agreed to a document ending the five-week standoff between Israelis and Palestinians at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem's Manger Square.

Those inside, the Palestinian fighters inside of the Church of the Nativity were to lay down their guns. Behind me in Manger Square, you can see evidence of the preparations. People really believed that the 123 people inside the church -- that is to say 30 clergy, the rest Palestinians -- would be emerging. You can see the Israelis have blue barricade fences up to funnel the Palestinians from the inside of the church out into Manger Square, where they would be taken to their perspective destinations.

You can also see in Manger Square metal detectors, the kind that are used at airports. The Israelis wanted those to guarantee that the Palestinians had forfeited their guns. Twenty-six Palestinians, under the agreement, fighters, men wanted by Israel, were to be transferred to Palestinian-controlled Gaza; 13 other Palestinians, hard-core fighters, the Israelis say senior terrorists, were, under the agreement, to be deported to Italy.

But if the Italians are to be believed, no one consulted them about the terms of the confinement of these 13 hard-core Palestinian fighters. And the Palestinians -- or, excuse me, the Italians are saying now they do not want these people, at least not for the time being. The Italians are first insisting that they have access to the particular documents negotiated by the Israelis and the Palestinians.

And the Italians also have another problem. It is a legal one. They say that they can't put people in jail on the basis of Israeli allegations, because, as a European Union member, they of course have to have a trial before they can put people in jail.

There are a few other snags, somewhat more minor, one of them the disposition of the guns that the Palestinians have inside the Church of the Nativity. They are insisting that the guns be handed over to the Palestinian Authority. At this point, however, the Israelis are saying that is a no-go.

There is also the issue of vandalism and whether that can be documented or not. Again, even when it is over, they will still be fighting over what happened inside the Church of the Nativity.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, Bethlehem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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