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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Closes Borders to Palestinian Territories After Suicide Bombing

Aired December 26, 2003 - 06:02   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Israel has closed its borders to the Palestinian territories after a suicide bombing. The bombing may have been the first on Israeli soil since October. But officials say it's far from the first one tried since then.
We take you live to Jerusalem now, where CNN's John Vause has the latest -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.

Yes, 81 days, Israeli officials say it's been since there was, in fact, a terrorist attack inside Israel. The last one in Haifa October 4, when 21 people were killed. But all that came to an end last night in Tel Aviv, when a suicide bomber killed four people and wounded 25 others.

But they say this has not been a period of relative calm. They say in that period of 81 days, 26 suicide bombers have been caught by Israeli authorities.

Now, this latest bombing in Tel Aviv last night happened during rush hour just outside Tel Aviv. Witnesses say it sounded like a SCUD missile. And police in Tel Aviv had no specific warnings about a terrorist attack planned for Tel Aviv. But they do say last night alone, there were as many as 52 separate terrorist alerts in Israel, Gaza, as well as the West Bank.

Now, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has claimed responsibility. They say it's in response to the killing of two Palestinian military commanders in the town of -- the West Bank town of Nablus last week.

Now, as you mentioned, within hours, Israel did close its borders to the territories and reimposed travel bans which had been eased in the last few days because of Christmas. Israel also demolished the house of the suicide bomber, an 18-year-old man who came from the West Bank village of Beit Furik, which is also near Nablus.

Now, hours before that suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, there was an Israeli targeted killing, as the Israelis call it; or an assassination, as the Palestinians call it. Apache helicopters fired two missiles at a car in Gaza. Inside that car, a military commander for the Islamic Jihad. He was killed, along with five others, including a 16-year-old boy who was a passerby. That's the first targeted killing in the -- in Gaza in the last couple of months. The military leader killed, the Islamic Jihad military leader killed was Mekled Hameid.

Israel says he was a ticking time bomb, planning a so-called mega attack. They won't give any more details than that. But they also say that he was responsible for a number of -- or planning and directing a number of attacks on Israelis over the last couple of years.

Now, sources in Gaza have told CNN that Islamic Jihad has issued an alert to all its members to be aware of more Israeli attacks. And they issued a statement saying the killing of Mekled Hameid will not go -- will not pass without an earthquake like response -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: John, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Suicide Bombing>


Aired December 26, 2003 - 06:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Israel has closed its borders to the Palestinian territories after a suicide bombing. The bombing may have been the first on Israeli soil since October. But officials say it's far from the first one tried since then.
We take you live to Jerusalem now, where CNN's John Vause has the latest -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.

Yes, 81 days, Israeli officials say it's been since there was, in fact, a terrorist attack inside Israel. The last one in Haifa October 4, when 21 people were killed. But all that came to an end last night in Tel Aviv, when a suicide bomber killed four people and wounded 25 others.

But they say this has not been a period of relative calm. They say in that period of 81 days, 26 suicide bombers have been caught by Israeli authorities.

Now, this latest bombing in Tel Aviv last night happened during rush hour just outside Tel Aviv. Witnesses say it sounded like a SCUD missile. And police in Tel Aviv had no specific warnings about a terrorist attack planned for Tel Aviv. But they do say last night alone, there were as many as 52 separate terrorist alerts in Israel, Gaza, as well as the West Bank.

Now, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has claimed responsibility. They say it's in response to the killing of two Palestinian military commanders in the town of -- the West Bank town of Nablus last week.

Now, as you mentioned, within hours, Israel did close its borders to the territories and reimposed travel bans which had been eased in the last few days because of Christmas. Israel also demolished the house of the suicide bomber, an 18-year-old man who came from the West Bank village of Beit Furik, which is also near Nablus.

Now, hours before that suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, there was an Israeli targeted killing, as the Israelis call it; or an assassination, as the Palestinians call it. Apache helicopters fired two missiles at a car in Gaza. Inside that car, a military commander for the Islamic Jihad. He was killed, along with five others, including a 16-year-old boy who was a passerby. That's the first targeted killing in the -- in Gaza in the last couple of months. The military leader killed, the Islamic Jihad military leader killed was Mekled Hameid.

Israel says he was a ticking time bomb, planning a so-called mega attack. They won't give any more details than that. But they also say that he was responsible for a number of -- or planning and directing a number of attacks on Israelis over the last couple of years.

Now, sources in Gaza have told CNN that Islamic Jihad has issued an alert to all its members to be aware of more Israeli attacks. And they issued a statement saying the killing of Mekled Hameid will not go -- will not pass without an earthquake like response -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: John, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Suicide Bombing>