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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bumpy Road to Mideast Peace Plan
Aired May 01, 2003 - 06:03 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.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian security forces are reporting that Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians today in Gaza City and two last night in the West Bank. Now, this latest violence comes on the heels of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and the national road map to peace delivered yesterday to Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from Jerusalem with more -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Arthel, well, how long was it ago that we were watching those very encouraging pictures and certainly the hearty smiles and hearty handshakes, as the international quartet, the representatives of the international quartet -- the United States, the United Nations, Russia and Europe -- handed over the road map, that internationally-approved peace idea, to the Palestinian leader -- the Israelis have got it as well -- yesterday in Ramallah?
But against the backdrop of those smiles, now it is again violence in the center of the Israeli-Palestinian road. And the focus at the moment is the Sajaiyah neighborhood. That's one of the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City where there's been a major battle evolving after Israeli tanks went in overnight, backed up by helicopter gunships. And they've been engaging in battles with Hamas militants, surrounding a house, a standoff that's still in place, where a number of the militants of the Hamas' military wing are holed up. There have been exchanges of fire, and in the Israeli fire, seven Palestinians, including a 2-year-old toddler and a teenager, have been killed. The Israelis report six of their soldiers are wounded.
This operation in Gaza seems to be linked -- although this has not been absolutely confirmed by the Israeli army. But Israeli media is saying that there's a direct link between what's happening in the Sajaiyah neighborhood and that suicide bombing in Tel Aviv the night before last, because the Israeli reports say that the Israeli forces went after the Hamas militants who were responsible for organizing and dispatching the suicide bombers to that Israeli pub, the blue's bar on the Tel Aviv seafront, in which three people were killed and more than 50 wounded.
One of the bombers was killed when his suicide belt blew up, as he was stopped at the entrance to the bar. The other man also had a belt bomb with him, discarded it when apparently there was a malfunction, and he is on the escape and is being sought by Israeli police all over the country. Both men are said by the Israeli police to be British citizens. So these are major -- this violence a major bump on the start of that road map that's just been put in place in the hope of moving the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation back from confrontation, back towards negotiation -- Arthel.
NEVILLE: OK, Jerrold Kessel, thank you very much.
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 May 1, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARTHEL NEVILLE, CNN ANCHOR: Palestinian security forces are reporting that Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians today in Gaza City and two last night in the West Bank. Now, this latest violence comes on the heels of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and the national road map to peace delivered yesterday to Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from Jerusalem with more -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Arthel, well, how long was it ago that we were watching those very encouraging pictures and certainly the hearty smiles and hearty handshakes, as the international quartet, the representatives of the international quartet -- the United States, the United Nations, Russia and Europe -- handed over the road map, that internationally-approved peace idea, to the Palestinian leader -- the Israelis have got it as well -- yesterday in Ramallah?
But against the backdrop of those smiles, now it is again violence in the center of the Israeli-Palestinian road. And the focus at the moment is the Sajaiyah neighborhood. That's one of the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City where there's been a major battle evolving after Israeli tanks went in overnight, backed up by helicopter gunships. And they've been engaging in battles with Hamas militants, surrounding a house, a standoff that's still in place, where a number of the militants of the Hamas' military wing are holed up. There have been exchanges of fire, and in the Israeli fire, seven Palestinians, including a 2-year-old toddler and a teenager, have been killed. The Israelis report six of their soldiers are wounded.
This operation in Gaza seems to be linked -- although this has not been absolutely confirmed by the Israeli army. But Israeli media is saying that there's a direct link between what's happening in the Sajaiyah neighborhood and that suicide bombing in Tel Aviv the night before last, because the Israeli reports say that the Israeli forces went after the Hamas militants who were responsible for organizing and dispatching the suicide bombers to that Israeli pub, the blue's bar on the Tel Aviv seafront, in which three people were killed and more than 50 wounded.
One of the bombers was killed when his suicide belt blew up, as he was stopped at the entrance to the bar. The other man also had a belt bomb with him, discarded it when apparently there was a malfunction, and he is on the escape and is being sought by Israeli police all over the country. Both men are said by the Israeli police to be British citizens. So these are major -- this violence a major bump on the start of that road map that's just been put in place in the hope of moving the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation back from confrontation, back towards negotiation -- Arthel.
NEVILLE: OK, Jerrold Kessel, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
