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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israeli Gunships Fire at Vehicle in Gaza
Aired June 10, 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A public face of Hamas targeted, but was he killed? Israeli helicopters fired missiles at two cars in Gaza City in an apparent attempt to kill Abdel Aziz Rantissi.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold. Tell us what happened.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And Abdel Aziz Rantissi now undergoing surgery at Gaza's Shifa Hospital, but he's reported to be in stable condition, the public face, as you called him, of Hamas, very much a spokesman and very much a leader of the militant Islamic group.
Its political wing certainly was targeted by the Israeli helicopter gunships, who fired at least five, perhaps as many seven, missiles at Mr. Rantissi's car in a busy area of Gaza City this morning. The car was struck, but he had managed to escape after the first missile hit the car apparently. Three of his bodyguards, his own son, were with him in the car. They were all among the 26 people injured, as was Mr. Rantissi. Two people were killed as the helicopters continued to try to target the leading Hamas official. A woman and her 8-year-old daughter were both killed in the Israeli strike.
Now, as the Palestinians continue to absorb the message delivered here by Israel, the political ramifications and the fallout from this attack continue to reverberate all around the area. And Mr. Rantissi was known as a hard-liner in Hamas. He had stood up for the continuation of attacks on Israel and against the Palestinian Authority's prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, who was seen by Mr. Rantissi and many in Hamas as too conciliatory a line.
But now, this has placed Mr. Abbas and his attempts to get a cease-fire in the attacks on Israel in a very difficult situation.
And we've had a very strong response from a member of Mr. Abbas' cabinet. A short while ago, here we heard from a leading cabinet minister in the Palestinian Authority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN CABINET MEMBER: This is an attack against the road map. This is an attack against the efforts of George Bush. This is an attack that aims at to destroy the efforts that are being made by the Palestinian government in order to start a Palestinian national dialogue and to reach an agreement with different Palestinian factions concerning truce and ending violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: And we understand that members of Mr. Abbas' bureau have been in touch with officials in Washington to urge the United States to intervene right away, to condemn this attack, which the Palestinian Authority, as you heard there, is condemning outrightly as an act of terror and a very damaging move for the peace prospects.
And it will be interesting to see how Washington responds to this, because only on the weekend U.S. officials were describing Hamas as a terror organization again, and saying it is an enemy of peace. Will they make a distinction, the United States, of the fact that this is, you could say, a political leader or not a member of Hamas' military wing, whom the Israelis have targeted?
A very delicate moment for this newly-launched peace initiative -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Jerrold, it seems like the cycle of violence will continue. A senior Hamas official has already come out and vowed severe punishment to Israel because of this. Isn't that right?
KESSEL: Absolutely. Just within the last hour we heard from Hamas officials vowing that Israel will not go unpunished. But clearly, Hamas had not really given up its attacks on Israel even before this -- since the summit last week, that launching of the peace initiative. On Sunday, there was an attack in the West Bank town -- the disputed West Bank town of Hebron, the divided town, where an Israeli was killed before the two militants were killed. And down in Gaza, Hamas was one of three militant organizations which carried out an attack on an Israeli military post at the Gaza Crossing. Four Israeli soldiers were killed there.
Hamas has said even after Abu Mazan, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, had urged, had said he was committed to getting an end to the armed struggle, Hamas had said no, it was bound to continue the struggle against Israel, including the attacks.
Now, this puts the ball back in Mr. Abbas' court and perhaps also in the court of the U.S. administration.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem.
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 June 10, 2003 - 06:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A public face of Hamas targeted, but was he killed? Israeli helicopters fired missiles at two cars in Gaza City in an apparent attempt to kill Abdel Aziz Rantissi.
We take you live to Jerusalem now and Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning -- Jerrold. Tell us what happened.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
And Abdel Aziz Rantissi now undergoing surgery at Gaza's Shifa Hospital, but he's reported to be in stable condition, the public face, as you called him, of Hamas, very much a spokesman and very much a leader of the militant Islamic group.
Its political wing certainly was targeted by the Israeli helicopter gunships, who fired at least five, perhaps as many seven, missiles at Mr. Rantissi's car in a busy area of Gaza City this morning. The car was struck, but he had managed to escape after the first missile hit the car apparently. Three of his bodyguards, his own son, were with him in the car. They were all among the 26 people injured, as was Mr. Rantissi. Two people were killed as the helicopters continued to try to target the leading Hamas official. A woman and her 8-year-old daughter were both killed in the Israeli strike.
Now, as the Palestinians continue to absorb the message delivered here by Israel, the political ramifications and the fallout from this attack continue to reverberate all around the area. And Mr. Rantissi was known as a hard-liner in Hamas. He had stood up for the continuation of attacks on Israel and against the Palestinian Authority's prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, who was seen by Mr. Rantissi and many in Hamas as too conciliatory a line.
But now, this has placed Mr. Abbas and his attempts to get a cease-fire in the attacks on Israel in a very difficult situation.
And we've had a very strong response from a member of Mr. Abbas' cabinet. A short while ago, here we heard from a leading cabinet minister in the Palestinian Authority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN CABINET MEMBER: This is an attack against the road map. This is an attack against the efforts of George Bush. This is an attack that aims at to destroy the efforts that are being made by the Palestinian government in order to start a Palestinian national dialogue and to reach an agreement with different Palestinian factions concerning truce and ending violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: And we understand that members of Mr. Abbas' bureau have been in touch with officials in Washington to urge the United States to intervene right away, to condemn this attack, which the Palestinian Authority, as you heard there, is condemning outrightly as an act of terror and a very damaging move for the peace prospects.
And it will be interesting to see how Washington responds to this, because only on the weekend U.S. officials were describing Hamas as a terror organization again, and saying it is an enemy of peace. Will they make a distinction, the United States, of the fact that this is, you could say, a political leader or not a member of Hamas' military wing, whom the Israelis have targeted?
A very delicate moment for this newly-launched peace initiative -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Jerrold, it seems like the cycle of violence will continue. A senior Hamas official has already come out and vowed severe punishment to Israel because of this. Isn't that right?
KESSEL: Absolutely. Just within the last hour we heard from Hamas officials vowing that Israel will not go unpunished. But clearly, Hamas had not really given up its attacks on Israel even before this -- since the summit last week, that launching of the peace initiative. On Sunday, there was an attack in the West Bank town -- the disputed West Bank town of Hebron, the divided town, where an Israeli was killed before the two militants were killed. And down in Gaza, Hamas was one of three militant organizations which carried out an attack on an Israeli military post at the Gaza Crossing. Four Israeli soldiers were killed there.
Hamas has said even after Abu Mazan, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, had urged, had said he was committed to getting an end to the armed struggle, Hamas had said no, it was bound to continue the struggle against Israel, including the attacks.
Now, this puts the ball back in Mr. Abbas' court and perhaps also in the court of the U.S. administration.
COSTELLO: All right, Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
