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CNN Live Today
Cycle of Violence
Aired August 25, 2003 - 10:33 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to get back to our reporter Michael Holmes who is in Gaza City. He has a report for us on the latest cycle of violence for us there. The militant group Hamas now vowing revenge for an Israeli attack on four Hamas members who were just killed.
Let's now to Michael Holmes checking on the telephone now -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've given up on the video for the moment, Leon.
It's been a day of anger and expressions of revenge on the streets here in Gaza City. The mourners walking a familiar route now, a familiar scene here for the second time in three days, Hamas burying its dead. This time the targets were four members of the military wing who were killed on Sunday. Now the main target, Ahmed Shawar (ph), a man that Israel says was an organizer of terror strikes on Israelis, they were killed, he and three other members of Hamas were killed by Israeli helicopter gunships which fired perhaps at least two, perhaps three anti-tank missiles. They were hovering off the beaches of Gaza, fired into where the men were was a vacant spot and killed all four of them, eight bystanders it must be said, including a child, were wounded.
Now the anger in Gaza City punctuated by the usually volley of gunshots into the air, as the funeral procession wound on for some three hours.
I can tell you, Leon, there is a full closure of the Gaza Strip today. Movement by Palestinians restricted once again, and both sides, Hamas and Israel, equally hard lined. Hamas promising revenge again for the killing of its men, as well as the missile killing, of course, of the senior official Ismael Abu Shanab, who was killed in a similar attack three days ago.
For Israel's part, it says that the Palestinian Authority isn't hitting the militants, and so it will, in fact, the army's chief of staff said that any Hamas member was a target for what it called liquidation -- Leon.
HEMMER: Michael, you mentioned that Abu Shanab's killing last week by the Israeli forces. When that happened, we talked and you were saying that Hamas was coming out and saying that they wanted Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas who is the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, they wanted him to resign. There are now reports in "Newsweek" magazine today, that he is considering that. What are you hearing about that?
HOLMES: He is under enormous pressure, Leon. There's no doubt about that. He is facing Americans demanding that he moves on. He's facing Americans demanding that move on the militants, facing Israel demanding that he move on the militants, and yet within the Palestinian Authority, he doesn't have full control over the security forces. Of course, Yasser Arafat has control over a significant portion of it.
And there is this power struggle going on within the Palestinian Authority over who controls what, and without Mahmoud Abbas having control of all of the security forces, it's doubtful he can take on the militants. There have been reports that he's threatened to resign over this issue. Yasser Arafat standing firm -- he is hanging on to his control of his area of the security forces and not handing over any of it to Mahmoud Abbas. That leaves him in a very difficult position. One can't imagine who would take the job if Mahmoud Abbas quit the post. They wouldn't be lining up. I can tell you, it's a bit of a poison chalice position at the moment.
So it's difficult to know what he will do. It's difficult to know what he can do. One senior Palestinian security force in the Abbas camp said the Israelis aren't helping us. We can't go hard now. He told me earlier, we can't face our own people as well as the militants, referring there to anger on the streets of Gaza among Hamas supporters -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting, also getting very, very dangerous. Michael Holmes, appreciate that report. Be careful over there. We'll check back with you later on.
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 25, 2003 - 10:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to get back to our reporter Michael Holmes who is in Gaza City. He has a report for us on the latest cycle of violence for us there. The militant group Hamas now vowing revenge for an Israeli attack on four Hamas members who were just killed.
Let's now to Michael Holmes checking on the telephone now -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've given up on the video for the moment, Leon.
It's been a day of anger and expressions of revenge on the streets here in Gaza City. The mourners walking a familiar route now, a familiar scene here for the second time in three days, Hamas burying its dead. This time the targets were four members of the military wing who were killed on Sunday. Now the main target, Ahmed Shawar (ph), a man that Israel says was an organizer of terror strikes on Israelis, they were killed, he and three other members of Hamas were killed by Israeli helicopter gunships which fired perhaps at least two, perhaps three anti-tank missiles. They were hovering off the beaches of Gaza, fired into where the men were was a vacant spot and killed all four of them, eight bystanders it must be said, including a child, were wounded.
Now the anger in Gaza City punctuated by the usually volley of gunshots into the air, as the funeral procession wound on for some three hours.
I can tell you, Leon, there is a full closure of the Gaza Strip today. Movement by Palestinians restricted once again, and both sides, Hamas and Israel, equally hard lined. Hamas promising revenge again for the killing of its men, as well as the missile killing, of course, of the senior official Ismael Abu Shanab, who was killed in a similar attack three days ago.
For Israel's part, it says that the Palestinian Authority isn't hitting the militants, and so it will, in fact, the army's chief of staff said that any Hamas member was a target for what it called liquidation -- Leon.
HEMMER: Michael, you mentioned that Abu Shanab's killing last week by the Israeli forces. When that happened, we talked and you were saying that Hamas was coming out and saying that they wanted Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas who is the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, they wanted him to resign. There are now reports in "Newsweek" magazine today, that he is considering that. What are you hearing about that?
HOLMES: He is under enormous pressure, Leon. There's no doubt about that. He is facing Americans demanding that he moves on. He's facing Americans demanding that move on the militants, facing Israel demanding that he move on the militants, and yet within the Palestinian Authority, he doesn't have full control over the security forces. Of course, Yasser Arafat has control over a significant portion of it.
And there is this power struggle going on within the Palestinian Authority over who controls what, and without Mahmoud Abbas having control of all of the security forces, it's doubtful he can take on the militants. There have been reports that he's threatened to resign over this issue. Yasser Arafat standing firm -- he is hanging on to his control of his area of the security forces and not handing over any of it to Mahmoud Abbas. That leaves him in a very difficult position. One can't imagine who would take the job if Mahmoud Abbas quit the post. They wouldn't be lining up. I can tell you, it's a bit of a poison chalice position at the moment.
So it's difficult to know what he will do. It's difficult to know what he can do. One senior Palestinian security force in the Abbas camp said the Israelis aren't helping us. We can't go hard now. He told me earlier, we can't face our own people as well as the militants, referring there to anger on the streets of Gaza among Hamas supporters -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting, also getting very, very dangerous. Michael Holmes, appreciate that report. Be careful over there. We'll check back with you later on.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
