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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israel Temporarily Closes Gaza Road
Aired July 03, 2003 - 06:09 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: To the Middle East now. Israel has now responded to a couple of recent attacks on Jewish settlements in Gaza. It hasn't targeted anyone, but it has temporarily blocked the main north-south highway there, and just moments ago we understand the highway was opened again.
To the phone lines now and Matthew Chance.
Matthew -- they decided to open them again?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. Within the last few minutes, the Israeli bulldozers moved in and removed the concrete blockades that were preventing traffic moving down this main north-south highway that cuts through the center of the Gaza Strip.
That's why the road behind me is pretty empty. But just about an hour ago, or less than that even, the cars were trailing back a number of kilometers, cars full of people going about their business, cars and lorries and trucks carrying produce as well up and down the Gaza Strip. As you can see, though, that checkpoint is now open.
Israel saying that it imposed the blockade again in response to a Palestinian militant rocket attack against the settlement of Kfar Darom, which is nestled here in the middle of the Gaza Strip. Just a short distance from where we're standing, the road runs very close to that settlement. They moved in and they imposed that blockade for about seven or eight hours. It's over now.
But this incident really underlines just how tenuous is the progress towards peace that we've been reporting out of this region over the past few days. Of course, there is supposed to be a cease- fire that's been declared by the main Palestinian militant groups, but we've seen that the violence can very easily -- violence by sort of renegade elements opposed to this cease-fire can very easily derail the peace process.
In the same way, the Israeli withdrawal from certain areas of Gaza and the West Bank widely applauded, of course, if it's not seen by Palestinians to be permanent. That will be make it much more difficult as well for the Palestinian Authority to convince ordinary Palestinians that the road map peace process is the right way to go -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Chance live from Gaza by videophone 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 July 3, 2003 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East now. Israel has now responded to a couple of recent attacks on Jewish settlements in Gaza. It hasn't targeted anyone, but it has temporarily blocked the main north-south highway there, and just moments ago we understand the highway was opened again.
To the phone lines now and Matthew Chance.
Matthew -- they decided to open them again?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. Within the last few minutes, the Israeli bulldozers moved in and removed the concrete blockades that were preventing traffic moving down this main north-south highway that cuts through the center of the Gaza Strip.
That's why the road behind me is pretty empty. But just about an hour ago, or less than that even, the cars were trailing back a number of kilometers, cars full of people going about their business, cars and lorries and trucks carrying produce as well up and down the Gaza Strip. As you can see, though, that checkpoint is now open.
Israel saying that it imposed the blockade again in response to a Palestinian militant rocket attack against the settlement of Kfar Darom, which is nestled here in the middle of the Gaza Strip. Just a short distance from where we're standing, the road runs very close to that settlement. They moved in and they imposed that blockade for about seven or eight hours. It's over now.
But this incident really underlines just how tenuous is the progress towards peace that we've been reporting out of this region over the past few days. Of course, there is supposed to be a cease- fire that's been declared by the main Palestinian militant groups, but we've seen that the violence can very easily -- violence by sort of renegade elements opposed to this cease-fire can very easily derail the peace process.
In the same way, the Israeli withdrawal from certain areas of Gaza and the West Bank widely applauded, of course, if it's not seen by Palestinians to be permanent. That will be make it much more difficult as well for the Palestinian Authority to convince ordinary Palestinians that the road map peace process is the right way to go -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Matthew Chance live from Gaza by videophone 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.
