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CNN Live Today
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hamas Leader
Aired September 10, 2003 - 11:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour on CNN, the crisis in the Middle East. A Palestinian leader takes on the challenge to try to end the cycle of violence. Ahmed Qorei's decision to accept the nomination of prime minister follows another bloody round of attack and retaliation.
Chris Burns begins our coverage. He joins us via videophone from Gaza City.
Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn, Well, indeed, Qorei hoping, and probably expecting, to get approval from the Palestinian legislature tomorrow for his crisis cabinet. He is going to name about eight people to his cabinet and try to get down to down to business very quickly. He is calling this a very historic and dangerous moment for the region. He has accepted this risk, he said, even though he was demanding and asking for assurances from all sides that he would get cooperation. Yasser Arafat nominated him. He was hoping to get cooperation from the Palestinians to try and consolidate the security forces to take on the militants. Also demanding that the Israelis, however, continue with their more confidence-building measures on the ground, lifting roadblocks and so forth.
But he did not get any assurances from the Israelis, only saying they are only willing to do business with him if he pushes ahead with the road map stipulations, such as taking down the militants. The U.S. also saying they want to see progress on that line as well. Mr. Qorei will be taking office tomorrow. It's in the midst of a new round of violence here in the Middle East. There was one today, where the Israelis dropped a bomb on a building here in Gaza. Israelis say they dropped a one half ton bomb. That's about 1,000 pounds on the house, on the apartment building of Mahmoud Zahar. He is a senior Hamas political leader. He was a moderately injured. However, his son was killed. His bodyguard killed. His wife and daughter are in serious condition in intensive care.
A funeral going on right now here in Gaza, where people are demanding revenge. However, you might notice that a lot of militants are not there. The leadership is in hiding, including Mr. Zahar. After he was hospitalized, he went into hiding. Zahar had been among the leaders who had been targeted by Israelis in this latest cycle of violence. The latest cycle of violence yesterday claiming the lives of 15 people in Israel, twin suicide bombings that Hamas has indicated they were responsible for. And yet another threat from the Hamas military wing, saying that they are now willing to target and threatening to target Israeli homes and high rises as they say the Israelis have done. The Israelis have conducted military operations in the occupied territories, going after militants, destroying some of their homes, and that's where Hamas say they will do the same. So it appears that this cycle of violence will continue. Will Ahmed Qorei get some kind of cooperation on all sides? That is the big question -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Burns in Gaza City. Chris, thank you for that.
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 September 10, 2003 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Up first this hour on CNN, the crisis in the Middle East. A Palestinian leader takes on the challenge to try to end the cycle of violence. Ahmed Qorei's decision to accept the nomination of prime minister follows another bloody round of attack and retaliation.
Chris Burns begins our coverage. He joins us via videophone from Gaza City.
Chris, hello.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn, Well, indeed, Qorei hoping, and probably expecting, to get approval from the Palestinian legislature tomorrow for his crisis cabinet. He is going to name about eight people to his cabinet and try to get down to down to business very quickly. He is calling this a very historic and dangerous moment for the region. He has accepted this risk, he said, even though he was demanding and asking for assurances from all sides that he would get cooperation. Yasser Arafat nominated him. He was hoping to get cooperation from the Palestinians to try and consolidate the security forces to take on the militants. Also demanding that the Israelis, however, continue with their more confidence-building measures on the ground, lifting roadblocks and so forth.
But he did not get any assurances from the Israelis, only saying they are only willing to do business with him if he pushes ahead with the road map stipulations, such as taking down the militants. The U.S. also saying they want to see progress on that line as well. Mr. Qorei will be taking office tomorrow. It's in the midst of a new round of violence here in the Middle East. There was one today, where the Israelis dropped a bomb on a building here in Gaza. Israelis say they dropped a one half ton bomb. That's about 1,000 pounds on the house, on the apartment building of Mahmoud Zahar. He is a senior Hamas political leader. He was a moderately injured. However, his son was killed. His bodyguard killed. His wife and daughter are in serious condition in intensive care.
A funeral going on right now here in Gaza, where people are demanding revenge. However, you might notice that a lot of militants are not there. The leadership is in hiding, including Mr. Zahar. After he was hospitalized, he went into hiding. Zahar had been among the leaders who had been targeted by Israelis in this latest cycle of violence. The latest cycle of violence yesterday claiming the lives of 15 people in Israel, twin suicide bombings that Hamas has indicated they were responsible for. And yet another threat from the Hamas military wing, saying that they are now willing to target and threatening to target Israeli homes and high rises as they say the Israelis have done. The Israelis have conducted military operations in the occupied territories, going after militants, destroying some of their homes, and that's where Hamas say they will do the same. So it appears that this cycle of violence will continue. Will Ahmed Qorei get some kind of cooperation on all sides? That is the big question -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Chris Burns in Gaza City. Chris, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
