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CNN Live At Daybreak
Israel Launches Attack on House of Hamas Leader in Gaza City
Aired September 10, 2003 - 06:31 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: I want to take you to Gaza City now, where there is simmering anger on the streets. Israeli warplanes dropped a bomb. It found its target, a Hamas leader, but it didn't kill him.
Live to Chris Burns now via videophone.
Chris -- describe the scene for us.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a really chaotic scene, where a lot of people were digging and picking through the rubble to try to find survivors. At last word here that the wife and daughter of Mahmoud Zahar are in critical condition in intensive care. Zahar's son and bodyguard died in that bombing.
A funeral is expected later today. We're expecting to see more rage on the streets, calls for revenge against Israel. This bombing comes as a message to Hamas that Mr. Zahar is a political leader of Hamas. That not only the militant wing leaders, but also the political leaders, targeted in what Israel has called this all-out war against the militants in this last two and a half weeks of violence.
This comes in the wake of a twin suicide bombing in Israel just yesterday. Fifteen people killed in those two bombings, and this cycle of violence was stepped up about two weeks ago with this bombing of a Jerusalem bus that killed 22 people. Hamas abandoned its seven- week-old ceasefire, contending the Israelis were not respecting it and were still going ahead and hunting down the militants.
So, this cycle of violence also throws into disarray the Palestinian Authority, which already the prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, resigned over the weekend, throwing his hands up, saying not only was he not getting support from Yasser Arafat in trying to pull together his security forces and take on the militants, but he also contended that the Israelis were not doing their part in trying to ease the situation on Palestinians in the occupied lands, not releasing prisoners; also calling on the U.S. to place more pressure on Israel to do so.
So, this puts into serious straits the new prime minister designate, Abu Ala, who would like all parties to come together. He issued another call today for Israel to come back to the negotiating table. Hard to imagine they'll do that anytime soon -- Carol.
COSTELLO: But, of course, Chris, Israel says the root of the problem really is Yasser Arafat. And you've got to wonder what will happen to him now in this latest cycle of violence. BURNS: Well, absolutely. There are calls for members -- once again, calls for members of the Israeli cabinet for his expulsion from the territories. Now, Washington up until now has frowned on that and said that could only cause more problems. And there are others also who say that if you expel Arafat and put him outside in the open-wide world he would just continue campaigning across the globe to push his cause, and it may even empower him further.
So, this is really where the Israelis are being discouraged from doing that, but out of frustration with its continued killing out in the streets, perhaps the Israeli government may consider that a little bit more seriously. It went as high as the foreign minister, calling for his expulsion, and even saying the other day that it was just a matter of time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see. I know Ariel Sharon is on his way back from India. We'll see what happens next. Chris Burns live by videophone from Gaza City.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
City>
Aired September 10, 2003 - 06:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I want to take you to Gaza City now, where there is simmering anger on the streets. Israeli warplanes dropped a bomb. It found its target, a Hamas leader, but it didn't kill him.
Live to Chris Burns now via videophone.
Chris -- describe the scene for us.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, a really chaotic scene, where a lot of people were digging and picking through the rubble to try to find survivors. At last word here that the wife and daughter of Mahmoud Zahar are in critical condition in intensive care. Zahar's son and bodyguard died in that bombing.
A funeral is expected later today. We're expecting to see more rage on the streets, calls for revenge against Israel. This bombing comes as a message to Hamas that Mr. Zahar is a political leader of Hamas. That not only the militant wing leaders, but also the political leaders, targeted in what Israel has called this all-out war against the militants in this last two and a half weeks of violence.
This comes in the wake of a twin suicide bombing in Israel just yesterday. Fifteen people killed in those two bombings, and this cycle of violence was stepped up about two weeks ago with this bombing of a Jerusalem bus that killed 22 people. Hamas abandoned its seven- week-old ceasefire, contending the Israelis were not respecting it and were still going ahead and hunting down the militants.
So, this cycle of violence also throws into disarray the Palestinian Authority, which already the prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, resigned over the weekend, throwing his hands up, saying not only was he not getting support from Yasser Arafat in trying to pull together his security forces and take on the militants, but he also contended that the Israelis were not doing their part in trying to ease the situation on Palestinians in the occupied lands, not releasing prisoners; also calling on the U.S. to place more pressure on Israel to do so.
So, this puts into serious straits the new prime minister designate, Abu Ala, who would like all parties to come together. He issued another call today for Israel to come back to the negotiating table. Hard to imagine they'll do that anytime soon -- Carol.
COSTELLO: But, of course, Chris, Israel says the root of the problem really is Yasser Arafat. And you've got to wonder what will happen to him now in this latest cycle of violence. BURNS: Well, absolutely. There are calls for members -- once again, calls for members of the Israeli cabinet for his expulsion from the territories. Now, Washington up until now has frowned on that and said that could only cause more problems. And there are others also who say that if you expel Arafat and put him outside in the open-wide world he would just continue campaigning across the globe to push his cause, and it may even empower him further.
So, this is really where the Israelis are being discouraged from doing that, but out of frustration with its continued killing out in the streets, perhaps the Israeli government may consider that a little bit more seriously. It went as high as the foreign minister, calling for his expulsion, and even saying the other day that it was just a matter of time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We'll see. I know Ariel Sharon is on his way back from India. We'll see what happens next. Chris Burns live by videophone from Gaza City.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
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