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CNN Live Today

Israelis On High Alert for Possible Attacks

Aired June 20, 2002 - 12:12   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now on to the crisis in the Middle East. Israel is hunting for militants in several West Bank towns, after two deadly terror attacks in as many days. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is calling for a halt to the violence, but are militants listening?

Our Christiane Amanpour joins us live from Jerusalem with more from there -- hi there, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you.

The Israelis tell us that they are calling up reservists, although the defense ministry says that it is not the same kind of massive call-up that happened in March during Operation Defensive Shield. Nonetheless, they are calling up reservists.

They are also sending troops and armor into many of the towns and cities in the West Bank. Notably, Bethlehem, a couple of towns around Bethlehem, Ramallah, the edges and outskirts of Ramallah, and also other places in the West Bank under Palestinian control.

But what does seem to be clear now is that there is a definite split emerging between key members of the Israeli government -- notably, the defense ministry tells us that there is no formal government decision to reoccupy Palestinian land. They say that that was never called to a consensus in any cabinet session, and there is no formal decision to occupy land. Simply to go in and try to dismantle what they call terrorist infrastructure when they have information to go in and arrest people and to try to pacify a certain location.

This in contrast with news that came out of the prime minister's office yesterday. Prime Minister Sharon's office saying that there was in fact a major new government decision to reoccupy Palestinian territory in response to suicide bombings. So with that in mind, Israel is also today burying its dead. It continues to bury members and victims who were killed on that suicide bombing on Tuesday, in which 19 people were killed when a terrorist exploded himself on a bus.

One woman today was buried. She is the mother of three people. There is another burial going on at one of the settlements in the West Bank. This was a funeral for a 59-year-old woman and her 5-year-old granddaughter. They were the victims of yesterday's bombing.

Yesterday's bombing claimed nine lives and caused about 50 people to be injured, some of those are still in the hospital. And although Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has called for a complete halt to suicide bombings, saying that this does not constitute legitimate resistance to occupation, members of Hamas and Islamic jihad, which have claimed responsibility for suicide bombings, they say they will not heed Arafat's call and they will continue to make those attacks on Israeli civilians.

So Israeli police telling us that there is a high alert still in many parts of Israel. And they are very concerned that these things may continue -- back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you very much, Christiane Amanpour, from Jerusalem.

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