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CNN Live At Daybreak
Third Israeli Missile Attack in Gaza in Less Than a Week
Aired August 27, 2003 - 05:33 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The third Israeli missile attack in Gaza in less than a week shows Israel's resolve to root out militants. But it's also causing Palestinian anger to boil over and throwing up another roadblock on that road map to peace.
To CNN's Michael Holmes now, live by video phone from Gaza City -- hello, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, plenty of anger. Also plenty of nervousness around here at the moment. People on the streets tell me that they're nervous that the next missile, they may be injured. Let's remember that while the three Israeli missile strikes in the past week have hit the intended vehicles that they were going for, there's been some 40 bystanders injured, one killed, in the most recent missile attack, which, of course, took place last evening here.
There's a lot of anger, a lot of concern, a lot of calls for revenge, but also a lot of people, ordinary people on the street are saying home because they don't know when the strikes may be. There has already in northern Gaza this day been helicopter activity, Israeli helicopter activity. That's about all so far that we can tell you. But certainly a lot of nervousness here.
And the Israeli Army saying that it will continue its policy of these targeted assassination of Palestinian militants at any time of its choosing while it says the Palestinian Authority does not act -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Is there anything that the Palestinian prime minister can do, Mahmoud Abbas, to stop this cycle of violence?
HOLMES: Well, of course, ironically he was -- he arrived in Gaza yesterday to attend a meeting involving all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. That meeting called off after the missile strike. He is, as we speak, in a cabinet meeting, his own Palestinian cabinet, and we're told that a senior Palestinian minister is going to hold a news conference in about an hour and a half from now.
What can he do? Very little. With each missile strike, the Palestinian Authority says its credibility and its ability to act against militants itself is weakened because they would be at the risk of a popular uprising against any action taken by the Palestinian Authority. A spokesman yesterday said that he felt, and the Palestinian Authority felt, that these actions were, in fact, undermining Mahmoud Abbas and making it virtually impossible for him to act -- Carol.
COSTELLO: As for his personal safety, is it safe for him to talk the streets of Gaza?
HOLMES: Well, certainly there is a lot of anger here in Gaza against Mahmoud Abbas. That, the targeted assassination attempt that was botched yesterday and left 23 bystanders injured and one killed, there were chants against Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, and we've seen graffiti here in Gaza that is anti-Abbas, saying you cannot stop the resistance, stop negotiating, we will continue to avenge these killings.
So is he safe on the streets? Well, he's well protected, put it that way. He travels in an armored car and he has guards with him. He's not going to go walking down the street. But is he a target of any kind? Absolutely not -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Michael Holmes reporting live from Gaza this morning.
Be sure to check out our Web site for an in depth look at the Middle East, time lines, maps, profiles of key players. It's all there. The address, cnn.com/mideast.
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 27, 2003 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The third Israeli missile attack in Gaza in less than a week shows Israel's resolve to root out militants. But it's also causing Palestinian anger to boil over and throwing up another roadblock on that road map to peace.
To CNN's Michael Holmes now, live by video phone from Gaza City -- hello, Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, plenty of anger. Also plenty of nervousness around here at the moment. People on the streets tell me that they're nervous that the next missile, they may be injured. Let's remember that while the three Israeli missile strikes in the past week have hit the intended vehicles that they were going for, there's been some 40 bystanders injured, one killed, in the most recent missile attack, which, of course, took place last evening here.
There's a lot of anger, a lot of concern, a lot of calls for revenge, but also a lot of people, ordinary people on the street are saying home because they don't know when the strikes may be. There has already in northern Gaza this day been helicopter activity, Israeli helicopter activity. That's about all so far that we can tell you. But certainly a lot of nervousness here.
And the Israeli Army saying that it will continue its policy of these targeted assassination of Palestinian militants at any time of its choosing while it says the Palestinian Authority does not act -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Is there anything that the Palestinian prime minister can do, Mahmoud Abbas, to stop this cycle of violence?
HOLMES: Well, of course, ironically he was -- he arrived in Gaza yesterday to attend a meeting involving all Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. That meeting called off after the missile strike. He is, as we speak, in a cabinet meeting, his own Palestinian cabinet, and we're told that a senior Palestinian minister is going to hold a news conference in about an hour and a half from now.
What can he do? Very little. With each missile strike, the Palestinian Authority says its credibility and its ability to act against militants itself is weakened because they would be at the risk of a popular uprising against any action taken by the Palestinian Authority. A spokesman yesterday said that he felt, and the Palestinian Authority felt, that these actions were, in fact, undermining Mahmoud Abbas and making it virtually impossible for him to act -- Carol.
COSTELLO: As for his personal safety, is it safe for him to talk the streets of Gaza?
HOLMES: Well, certainly there is a lot of anger here in Gaza against Mahmoud Abbas. That, the targeted assassination attempt that was botched yesterday and left 23 bystanders injured and one killed, there were chants against Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas, and we've seen graffiti here in Gaza that is anti-Abbas, saying you cannot stop the resistance, stop negotiating, we will continue to avenge these killings.
So is he safe on the streets? Well, he's well protected, put it that way. He travels in an armored car and he has guards with him. He's not going to go walking down the street. But is he a target of any kind? Absolutely not -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Michael Holmes reporting live from Gaza this morning.
Be sure to check out our Web site for an in depth look at the Middle East, time lines, maps, profiles of key players. It's all there. The address, cnn.com/mideast.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
