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CNN Live At Daybreak
Middle East Cease-Fire Efforts
Aired June 16, 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: Up first this hour, efforts to salvage the tattered road map for Mideast peace. An Egyptian delegation is now meeting with Palestinian militias. They are trying to get Hamas and others to resume cease-fire talks with the new Palestinian prime minister.
Matthew Chance is following the developments for us from Gaza.
Good morning -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Carol.
It's a scorching day here, and a day as well of intensive negotiations involving all of the parties to try and find a way out of the worsening climate of violence here in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here on the Gaza Strip, as you mentioned, security officials from Egypt are meeting with representatives of various Palestinian groups, including members of the Palestinian Authority, but also members of the militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad to try and get them to suspend their campaign of violence against Israelis to allow that U.S.-backed road map peace plan a chance to take root.
Palestinian officials have been negotiating over the past few days with their Israeli counterparts to try and broker some deal that would involve a partial withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from areas of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the Palestinians taking over security responsibility for this area, and a suspension of Israel's policy of assassination against militant leaders, leaders of Hamas, and other militant groups.
Hamas officials have been publicly voicing their opposition against that U.S.-backed road map, but they've also indicated here in Gaza they are willing to consider the possibility of coming to some kind of deal.
Ismail Abu Shanad is a Hamas political spokesman here in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISMAIL ABU SHANAB, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: We don't trust the Americans, we don't trust the Israelis, but we trust the Egyptians and we trust ourselves. And if any guarantee will be (UNINTELLIGIBLE), if there are guarantees, we should continue our activities. That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by the Egyptian delegate. But up to this moment, we give no answer. We are going to discuss the study and to give our answer at the proper time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, over the course of the next few hours, the Palestinian prime minister, Abu Mazen, is expected here in Gaza. He'll also be meeting with those militant groups, with Hamas, to try and convince them to suspend their military activities against Israel.
But what people are saying here on the ground is that unless he comes armed with firm guarantees from Israel, and there's no indication that he is, then progress may be very slow indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see. Matthew Chance live from Jerusalem this morning.
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 16, 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: Up first this hour, efforts to salvage the tattered road map for Mideast peace. An Egyptian delegation is now meeting with Palestinian militias. They are trying to get Hamas and others to resume cease-fire talks with the new Palestinian prime minister.
Matthew Chance is following the developments for us from Gaza.
Good morning -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Carol.
It's a scorching day here, and a day as well of intensive negotiations involving all of the parties to try and find a way out of the worsening climate of violence here in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here on the Gaza Strip, as you mentioned, security officials from Egypt are meeting with representatives of various Palestinian groups, including members of the Palestinian Authority, but also members of the militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad to try and get them to suspend their campaign of violence against Israelis to allow that U.S.-backed road map peace plan a chance to take root.
Palestinian officials have been negotiating over the past few days with their Israeli counterparts to try and broker some deal that would involve a partial withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from areas of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the Palestinians taking over security responsibility for this area, and a suspension of Israel's policy of assassination against militant leaders, leaders of Hamas, and other militant groups.
Hamas officials have been publicly voicing their opposition against that U.S.-backed road map, but they've also indicated here in Gaza they are willing to consider the possibility of coming to some kind of deal.
Ismail Abu Shanad is a Hamas political spokesman here in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISMAIL ABU SHANAB, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: We don't trust the Americans, we don't trust the Israelis, but we trust the Egyptians and we trust ourselves. And if any guarantee will be (UNINTELLIGIBLE), if there are guarantees, we should continue our activities. That (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by the Egyptian delegate. But up to this moment, we give no answer. We are going to discuss the study and to give our answer at the proper time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, over the course of the next few hours, the Palestinian prime minister, Abu Mazen, is expected here in Gaza. He'll also be meeting with those militant groups, with Hamas, to try and convince them to suspend their military activities against Israel.
But what people are saying here on the ground is that unless he comes armed with firm guarantees from Israel, and there's no indication that he is, then progress may be very slow indeed -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see. Matthew Chance live from Jerusalem this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
