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CNN Live At Daybreak

Escalating Israeli-Palestinian Violence

Aired August 22, 2003 - 05:31   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 turn our attention now to the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence. Palestinian militant groups have called off a shaky, two month old truce, after an Israeli attack killed a prominent Hamas leader. While meeting with the U.N. secretary general, Kofi Annan, Secretary of State Colin Powell urged both sides to stick to the plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The end of the road map is a cliff that both sides will fall off of. And so we have to understand the consequences of the end of the road map. So it is not the end of the road map. I believe both parties understand that a way has to be found to go forward. The alternative is what? Just more death and destruction? Let the terrorists win? Let those who have no interest in a Palestinian state win? Let those who have no interest but killing innocent people win?

No. That is not an acceptable outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, but take a look at what's happening in Gaza City right now. A hundred thousand people at the funeral for that Hamas leader.

Michael Holmes standing right outside the mosque in Gaza City -- Michael, describe the scene for us.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a noisy scene, Carol. A huge crowd. It's not the hundred thousand expected. I'll get to that in a minute. But at the moment the body of Ismail Abu Shanab is passing by our position here on its way into the mosque, where we are expecting speeches to be made, more political as much as religious.

The body of Ismail Abu Shanab passing by us right this minute; also, the bodies of two of his bodyguards, who were killed with him yesterday in that Israeli missile strike on his car.

It is a very noisy funeral, gunshots in the air, which is customary at Palestinian funerals. Now, it's important to point out there's a great level of shock among Palestinian people. They expected after the suicide bombing in West Jerusalem that there would be some kind of Israeli action against Hamas. They did not expect it to be Abu Shanab. He's a man highly regarded among Palestinian people and considered by Palestinians and also many independent analysts as having been a moderating voice, if you can say that, within the context of the Hamas organization.

He was, if you like, one of the last people that Palestinians expected would be targeted.

So there's a great deal of anger. The chants that have been going on throughout this funeral are saying that the road map is over, the cease-fire is over and we will avenge the death of Abu Shanab -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And all of this outpouring of emotion, all of this anger is making things very difficult for Mahmoud Abbas, isn't it?

HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. He's in a very precarious position. He was hugely embarrassed by the suicide bombing in West Jerusalem because, of course, at the time the bomb went off, he was meeting with Islamic Jihad, trying to extend the truce. So hugely embarrassing for him and the events that took place yesterday have really pulled the rug out from under his feet when it comes to any efforts he may have been about to make to try to disarm Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The crowd here perhaps about 20,000 to 30,000, and it's growing all the time. One reason it may not reach the hundred thousand we had been expecting is that Israel has put back in a road block in the center of Gaza that essentially cut the Gaza Strip in two. That roadblock put -- was taken away at the beginning of July. It was put back in overnight, after mortars were fired by Palestinian militants into the Gushkatif (ph) settlement block. No injuries, very little damage reported, but obviously of great concern to Israeli defense experts -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And probably fueling a lot more anger, as well.

Michael Holmes reporting live from Gaza City for us 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 August 22, 2003 - 05:31   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 turn our attention now to the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence. Palestinian militant groups have called off a shaky, two month old truce, after an Israeli attack killed a prominent Hamas leader. While meeting with the U.N. secretary general, Kofi Annan, Secretary of State Colin Powell urged both sides to stick to the plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: The end of the road map is a cliff that both sides will fall off of. And so we have to understand the consequences of the end of the road map. So it is not the end of the road map. I believe both parties understand that a way has to be found to go forward. The alternative is what? Just more death and destruction? Let the terrorists win? Let those who have no interest in a Palestinian state win? Let those who have no interest but killing innocent people win?

No. That is not an acceptable outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, but take a look at what's happening in Gaza City right now. A hundred thousand people at the funeral for that Hamas leader.

Michael Holmes standing right outside the mosque in Gaza City -- Michael, describe the scene for us.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a noisy scene, Carol. A huge crowd. It's not the hundred thousand expected. I'll get to that in a minute. But at the moment the body of Ismail Abu Shanab is passing by our position here on its way into the mosque, where we are expecting speeches to be made, more political as much as religious.

The body of Ismail Abu Shanab passing by us right this minute; also, the bodies of two of his bodyguards, who were killed with him yesterday in that Israeli missile strike on his car.

It is a very noisy funeral, gunshots in the air, which is customary at Palestinian funerals. Now, it's important to point out there's a great level of shock among Palestinian people. They expected after the suicide bombing in West Jerusalem that there would be some kind of Israeli action against Hamas. They did not expect it to be Abu Shanab. He's a man highly regarded among Palestinian people and considered by Palestinians and also many independent analysts as having been a moderating voice, if you can say that, within the context of the Hamas organization.

He was, if you like, one of the last people that Palestinians expected would be targeted.

So there's a great deal of anger. The chants that have been going on throughout this funeral are saying that the road map is over, the cease-fire is over and we will avenge the death of Abu Shanab -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And all of this outpouring of emotion, all of this anger is making things very difficult for Mahmoud Abbas, isn't it?

HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. He's in a very precarious position. He was hugely embarrassed by the suicide bombing in West Jerusalem because, of course, at the time the bomb went off, he was meeting with Islamic Jihad, trying to extend the truce. So hugely embarrassing for him and the events that took place yesterday have really pulled the rug out from under his feet when it comes to any efforts he may have been about to make to try to disarm Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The crowd here perhaps about 20,000 to 30,000, and it's growing all the time. One reason it may not reach the hundred thousand we had been expecting is that Israel has put back in a road block in the center of Gaza that essentially cut the Gaza Strip in two. That roadblock put -- was taken away at the beginning of July. It was put back in overnight, after mortars were fired by Palestinian militants into the Gushkatif (ph) settlement block. No injuries, very little damage reported, but obviously of great concern to Israeli defense experts -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And probably fueling a lot more anger, as well.

Michael Holmes reporting live from Gaza City for us 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