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CNN Live At Daybreak
Crisis in the Middle East: Latest Developments
Aired March 14, 2003 - 05:47 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.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN ANCHOR: Well now for the latest on the Middle East crisis. A gunfight broke out this morning when Israeli forces went on a hunt for terrorists.
CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, joins us live with the story.
Mike, tell us what happened.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Holly, as many as 10 Palestinians have been killed in two separate incidents as Israeli forces continue military operations in the West Bank. In the West Bank city of Jenin and a refugee camp in that city, Israeli forces moved in there saying they were seeking those planning to carry out acts of terror against Israeli civilians. Their troops came under fire and at least five Palestinians were killed, a number of them members of the militant Islamic jihad organization.
Also in the West Bank and near the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli forces moved in there after what they said was a Hamas terror cell from the militant Hamas movement. Once again, Israeli forces coming under fire there. They opened fire as well and at least five Palestinians were killed in that Israeli operation. All of them said to be armed members of the Hamas movement.
Now these Israeli operations have been ongoing for a period of time, but an incident on Thursday in which two Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli soldiers. In this case, the Israeli soldiers mistook the two Israeli civilians as Palestinian militants and opened fire. The Israeli Human Rights Organization highly critical of this Israeli action. The Israeli Defense Force has expressed regrets, but the Israeli Human Rights Organization saying that the amount of ammunition fired at these suspects, who have turned out to be Israeli civilians, the fact that only one warning was shouted and the fact that one of them was in fact killed while fleeing the scene by a missile fired from a helicopter indicates lax controls over the Israeli fire regulations in the West Bank.
FIRFER: OK. Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 14, 2003 - 05:47 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN ANCHOR: Well now for the latest on the Middle East crisis. A gunfight broke out this morning when Israeli forces went on a hunt for terrorists.
CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief, Mike Hanna, joins us live with the story.
Mike, tell us what happened.
MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Holly, as many as 10 Palestinians have been killed in two separate incidents as Israeli forces continue military operations in the West Bank. In the West Bank city of Jenin and a refugee camp in that city, Israeli forces moved in there saying they were seeking those planning to carry out acts of terror against Israeli civilians. Their troops came under fire and at least five Palestinians were killed, a number of them members of the militant Islamic jihad organization.
Also in the West Bank and near the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli forces moved in there after what they said was a Hamas terror cell from the militant Hamas movement. Once again, Israeli forces coming under fire there. They opened fire as well and at least five Palestinians were killed in that Israeli operation. All of them said to be armed members of the Hamas movement.
Now these Israeli operations have been ongoing for a period of time, but an incident on Thursday in which two Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli soldiers. In this case, the Israeli soldiers mistook the two Israeli civilians as Palestinian militants and opened fire. The Israeli Human Rights Organization highly critical of this Israeli action. The Israeli Defense Force has expressed regrets, but the Israeli Human Rights Organization saying that the amount of ammunition fired at these suspects, who have turned out to be Israeli civilians, the fact that only one warning was shouted and the fact that one of them was in fact killed while fleeing the scene by a missile fired from a helicopter indicates lax controls over the Israeli fire regulations in the West Bank.
FIRFER: OK. Mike Hanna in Jerusalem, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
