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Four Members of Militant Group Hamas Die in Israeli Missile Attack
Aired August 25, 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: Four members of the militant group Hamas died in an Israeli missile attack and Israel says it will not suspend its policy of targeted killings.
Let's check in with CNN's Michael Holmes, who is live by video phone. He has the latest from Gaza, where funerals are taking place today -- good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
That's right, the funerals are under way. There's actually two funerals taking place. Two of those four Hamas members came from Rafah in southern Gaza. Their funeral under way there. We just came from the funeral procession which continues here in Gaza City for two other senior members of the Hamas military wing.
Now, the funerals, the normal sort of thing, gunfire punctuating anger, if you like, among Palestinians that yet another, for the second time in three days, they're burying their dead after an Israeli missile attack. In this occasion, it appears that the Israeli helicopter gunships hit the man they wanted to hit, and that is Ahmed Aishtawi. Now, he was a senior member of the military wing. He was a man that coordinated Hamas activities between Gaza and the West Bank. And he has been on Israel's most wanted list for some time. They call him a chief liaison officer, some who personally organized terror attacks.
I need to point out, Carol, eight bystanders, including a child, were wounded in this hit. Plenty of anger again in Gaza City today. There is also a full closure of the Gaza Strip. Movement by Palestinians restricted once again.
Now, Hamas and Israel both this day equally hard-line. Hamas again promising revenge for the killing of these men last evening, as well as the killing of a senior Hamas official three days according, Ismail Abu-Shanab. We attended both of those missile strikes. They are gruesome affairs, I can tell you, and last evening the body of one of these men was decapitated, the others severely injured by shrapnel as they were taken away.
Now, the Izzedine al-Qassam, which is the military wing of Hamas, they put a response to the latest attack on their Web site. And I can just read you a couple of their comments. They say that the response to the Israeli crimes will come. It is a matter of time. We will leave that timing to the military cells to decide. They say also a significant message, perhaps to the Palestinian Authority security forces. They say we are not going to point our guns at anyone but the enemy. They will not make us have a civil war. Now, of course, that has been the fear here, that at least there would be, at the minimum, resistance from Hamas and Islamic Jihad if the Palestinian Authority moved against them, as has been demanded by the U.S. and Israel.
Certainly a lot of anger here on the streets of Gaza, Carol, this day, and the peace process, such as it was, seems a very, very long time ago.
COSTELLO: Michael Holmes live by video phone from Gaza 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
Missile Attack>
Aired August 25, 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: Four members of the militant group Hamas died in an Israeli missile attack and Israel says it will not suspend its policy of targeted killings.
Let's check in with CNN's Michael Holmes, who is live by video phone. He has the latest from Gaza, where funerals are taking place today -- good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.
That's right, the funerals are under way. There's actually two funerals taking place. Two of those four Hamas members came from Rafah in southern Gaza. Their funeral under way there. We just came from the funeral procession which continues here in Gaza City for two other senior members of the Hamas military wing.
Now, the funerals, the normal sort of thing, gunfire punctuating anger, if you like, among Palestinians that yet another, for the second time in three days, they're burying their dead after an Israeli missile attack. In this occasion, it appears that the Israeli helicopter gunships hit the man they wanted to hit, and that is Ahmed Aishtawi. Now, he was a senior member of the military wing. He was a man that coordinated Hamas activities between Gaza and the West Bank. And he has been on Israel's most wanted list for some time. They call him a chief liaison officer, some who personally organized terror attacks.
I need to point out, Carol, eight bystanders, including a child, were wounded in this hit. Plenty of anger again in Gaza City today. There is also a full closure of the Gaza Strip. Movement by Palestinians restricted once again.
Now, Hamas and Israel both this day equally hard-line. Hamas again promising revenge for the killing of these men last evening, as well as the killing of a senior Hamas official three days according, Ismail Abu-Shanab. We attended both of those missile strikes. They are gruesome affairs, I can tell you, and last evening the body of one of these men was decapitated, the others severely injured by shrapnel as they were taken away.
Now, the Izzedine al-Qassam, which is the military wing of Hamas, they put a response to the latest attack on their Web site. And I can just read you a couple of their comments. They say that the response to the Israeli crimes will come. It is a matter of time. We will leave that timing to the military cells to decide. They say also a significant message, perhaps to the Palestinian Authority security forces. They say we are not going to point our guns at anyone but the enemy. They will not make us have a civil war. Now, of course, that has been the fear here, that at least there would be, at the minimum, resistance from Hamas and Islamic Jihad if the Palestinian Authority moved against them, as has been demanded by the U.S. and Israel.
Certainly a lot of anger here on the streets of Gaza, Carol, this day, and the peace process, such as it was, seems a very, very long time ago.
COSTELLO: Michael Holmes live by video phone from Gaza 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
Missile Attack>
