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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadly Attack in Gaza City

Aired June 10, 2003 - 05:33   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: Let's head to our breaking news right now. It's out of the Middle East this morning. A deadly attack in Gaza City just about 90 minutes ago. An Israeli gunship fired rockets down on the city. Sources say a leading militant Hamas leader was the target.
We want to get you up to date now.

Let's go live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel -- any more information for us, Jerrold?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol. No word from the Israelis yet on this attempted assassination, but it seems to have been a failed attempt, a failed assassination of the leading Hamas official, Abdel-Azizi Al-Rantissi. The 56-year-old very much a public face of the militant Islamic group, a hard-liner within Hamas, but called by Hamas, at least, a member of its political wing rather than the military wing. The Israelis and perhaps the United States also would say Hamas as a whole is a terror organization.

But Mr. Rantissi has survived this attack. Helicopter gunships firing at least six missiles into his car. He was wounded, among more than 25 people wounded. Two people killed, a woman and her 8-year-old daughter, as those missiles rained down in an attempt to kill Abdel- Azizi Al-Rantissi. His three bodyguards and his own son, who were with him in the car, that Pajero Jeep that was set on fire by the helicopter gunships as they fired their missiles, they also were wounded.

Of the 26 people who are said to be wounded from Shifa Hospital, six are reported in serious condition, including two of the bodyguards.

The political ramifications are no doubt going to continue. They're already beginning in a sense in Gaza, where we've just heard that all the mosques which are affiliated to Hamas have been broadcasting messages of congratulations to their official, Mr. Rantissi, for surviving the Israeli attack, and calling on all Hamas adherents and other members of the Palestinian community in Gaza to join a major demonstration that will begin at the hospital where Mr. Rantissi is being operated on at this time.

But, clearly, the political ramifications will go further than this because he has been a firm advocate of going on with the armed struggle against Israel, something which the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has been trying to stop. Mr. Abbas was saying he wants to talk Hamas into stopping the attacks. Now that may be even more difficult for him -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem, many thanks.

We want to bring in David Clinch from our international desk to put this all into perspective.

Why now? Why would Israel do this now?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well, it's a fascinating question. I mean right in the point where, we've been talking about this for days, both sides are being asked by the United States to take seriously the road map for peace, to make the effort as much as they possibly can to maintain the atmosphere that was existed at Aqaba in the talks between President Bush, Prime Minister Abbas, Prime Minister Sharon. This a long way from that atmosphere.

Generally speaking, this is an interesting aspect of this particular attack. Not only is he very high profile and high ranking, generally speaking, Israeli targets people who are specifically suspect in attacks on Israelis. Rantissi is a spokesman. He is, as Jerrold has said, an advocate of continuing attacks.

But it's not clear to us that he actually, even from the Israeli point of view, carried out any attacks himself or has, in that specific sense, blood on his hands.

But as Jerrold has been saying, from the Israeli point of view, there's -- Hamas is one large group. It's all the same thing. The terror continues and we saw a joint attack by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigade against Israeli soldiers the other day. Israel, as we pointed out at the time, not likely to sit around and let -- and watch that happen.

So perhaps not a surprise...

COSTELLO: Yes, but now there's a big demonstration planned at the hospital. Isn't this going to make things much more difficult for Mahmoud Abbas?

CLINCH: Absolutely. Palestinian Hamas officials calling this today a declaration of war, saying that this throws the road map out. Israeli, of course, saying that Abbas had failed, Prime Minister Abbas of the Palestinian Authority had failed to stop the terror attacks, because Israeli soldiers were killed the other day.

It's a very, very tough situation for Prime Minister Abbas and for Prime Minister Sharon. They both have to handle their internal situations and President Bush looking down their necks, basically, from Washington, of course, from a long distance. But the pressure is on President Bush now to try to calm things down.

COSTELLO: Yes, it'll be interesting to see what he has to say, if anything, later today.

CLINCH: Absolutely. And I've just been communicating with John King, too, our Washington reporter, our White House reporter, who's going to be coming up later. We haven't confirmed any of this, but one of the Israeli papers today having behind-the-scenes information about what Bush was saying about Prime Minister Sharon during the talks in Aqaba, saying at one point, "We have a problem with Sharon."

COSTELLO: Oh.

CLINCH: Now, that's not the kind of thing the Israeli prime minister wants to see reported in the papers. It's a very difficult situation for President Bush. He has to try and keep this on track and try and calm things down.

COSTELLO: OK, well, we'll try to get John King on the phone, too, so he can talk to us, too.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

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 - 05:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's head to our breaking news right now. It's out of the Middle East this morning. A deadly attack in Gaza City just about 90 minutes ago. An Israeli gunship fired rockets down on the city. Sources say a leading militant Hamas leader was the target.
We want to get you up to date now.

Let's go live to Jerusalem and Jerrold Kessel -- any more information for us, Jerrold?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol. No word from the Israelis yet on this attempted assassination, but it seems to have been a failed attempt, a failed assassination of the leading Hamas official, Abdel-Azizi Al-Rantissi. The 56-year-old very much a public face of the militant Islamic group, a hard-liner within Hamas, but called by Hamas, at least, a member of its political wing rather than the military wing. The Israelis and perhaps the United States also would say Hamas as a whole is a terror organization.

But Mr. Rantissi has survived this attack. Helicopter gunships firing at least six missiles into his car. He was wounded, among more than 25 people wounded. Two people killed, a woman and her 8-year-old daughter, as those missiles rained down in an attempt to kill Abdel- Azizi Al-Rantissi. His three bodyguards and his own son, who were with him in the car, that Pajero Jeep that was set on fire by the helicopter gunships as they fired their missiles, they also were wounded.

Of the 26 people who are said to be wounded from Shifa Hospital, six are reported in serious condition, including two of the bodyguards.

The political ramifications are no doubt going to continue. They're already beginning in a sense in Gaza, where we've just heard that all the mosques which are affiliated to Hamas have been broadcasting messages of congratulations to their official, Mr. Rantissi, for surviving the Israeli attack, and calling on all Hamas adherents and other members of the Palestinian community in Gaza to join a major demonstration that will begin at the hospital where Mr. Rantissi is being operated on at this time.

But, clearly, the political ramifications will go further than this because he has been a firm advocate of going on with the armed struggle against Israel, something which the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has been trying to stop. Mr. Abbas was saying he wants to talk Hamas into stopping the attacks. Now that may be even more difficult for him -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem, many thanks.

We want to bring in David Clinch from our international desk to put this all into perspective.

Why now? Why would Israel do this now?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well, it's a fascinating question. I mean right in the point where, we've been talking about this for days, both sides are being asked by the United States to take seriously the road map for peace, to make the effort as much as they possibly can to maintain the atmosphere that was existed at Aqaba in the talks between President Bush, Prime Minister Abbas, Prime Minister Sharon. This a long way from that atmosphere.

Generally speaking, this is an interesting aspect of this particular attack. Not only is he very high profile and high ranking, generally speaking, Israeli targets people who are specifically suspect in attacks on Israelis. Rantissi is a spokesman. He is, as Jerrold has said, an advocate of continuing attacks.

But it's not clear to us that he actually, even from the Israeli point of view, carried out any attacks himself or has, in that specific sense, blood on his hands.

But as Jerrold has been saying, from the Israeli point of view, there's -- Hamas is one large group. It's all the same thing. The terror continues and we saw a joint attack by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigade against Israeli soldiers the other day. Israel, as we pointed out at the time, not likely to sit around and let -- and watch that happen.

So perhaps not a surprise...

COSTELLO: Yes, but now there's a big demonstration planned at the hospital. Isn't this going to make things much more difficult for Mahmoud Abbas?

CLINCH: Absolutely. Palestinian Hamas officials calling this today a declaration of war, saying that this throws the road map out. Israeli, of course, saying that Abbas had failed, Prime Minister Abbas of the Palestinian Authority had failed to stop the terror attacks, because Israeli soldiers were killed the other day.

It's a very, very tough situation for Prime Minister Abbas and for Prime Minister Sharon. They both have to handle their internal situations and President Bush looking down their necks, basically, from Washington, of course, from a long distance. But the pressure is on President Bush now to try to calm things down.

COSTELLO: Yes, it'll be interesting to see what he has to say, if anything, later today.

CLINCH: Absolutely. And I've just been communicating with John King, too, our Washington reporter, our White House reporter, who's going to be coming up later. We haven't confirmed any of this, but one of the Israeli papers today having behind-the-scenes information about what Bush was saying about Prime Minister Sharon during the talks in Aqaba, saying at one point, "We have a problem with Sharon."

COSTELLO: Oh.

CLINCH: Now, that's not the kind of thing the Israeli prime minister wants to see reported in the papers. It's a very difficult situation for President Bush. He has to try and keep this on track and try and calm things down.

COSTELLO: OK, well, we'll try to get John King on the phone, too, so he can talk to us, too.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com