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Your World Today
Crisis in the Middle East; U.N. Security Council Emergency Meeting
Aired July 14, 2006 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States joining YOUR WORLD TODAY as we continue to cover events in the Middle East which are spiraling out of control really. There's been a lot of violence today in Lebanon, also in northern Israel.
What we've been doing is dipping in and out of the U.N. Security Council, where we've been hearing various speeches by the major players in this -- in this ongoing situation. We've heard from the Lebanese ambassador, we've heard from the Israeli ambassador. And now the French ambassador is speaking.
Let's have a listen. He's nearly finished, but let's have a listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): ... consultations following this meeting.
The meeting is adjourned.
HOLMES: All right. And he did, indeed, finish a little quicker than we expected.
The Security Council session is now closed. It has been a dramatic day. And we will continue our coverage now of developments ongoing in the Middle East -- Colleen.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You know, the French ambassador saying there that Israel has conducted an irresponsible and deliberate provocation here. Plenty of criticism on all sides in that debate.
HOLMES: And plenty of support, too, coming for Israel from the U.S. ambassador as well. And a spirited defense of Israel's actions by the Israeli ambassador.
MCEDWARDS: By the Israeli ambassador as well.
Well, Israel, as you know, has been trying to strike the strategic heart of Hezbollah on what is now the third day of its offensive in Lebanon.
HOLMES: Yes. Warplanes hitting targets in southern Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, also beyond.
World leaders now trying to look, as we've been covering, for a way to diffuse the crisis.
MCEDWARDS: That's right. Israel pounded residential areas where Hezbollah has its headquarters, damaging roads and bridges. You see the damage right there. It also hit airport runways again.
Israel wants to shut down the power base of Hezbollah militants who have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.
HOLMES: As we've been reporting, the U.N. Security Council has been holding an emergency session that has just closed only a few seconds ago about this offensive which has so far killed more than 60 Lebanese civilians. Lebanon wants the council to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
MCEDWARDS: Well, the Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora, says Hezbollah's decision to abduct the Israeli soldiers was a tactical mistake. He urged U.S. President George W. Bush to intervene in the crisis and to press Israel to stop its attacks.
HOLMES: Hezbollah militants, meanwhile, launching more rockets into northern Israel, wounding about a dozen people on that side of the border. Attacks a day earlier killed two civilians.
MCEDWARDS: And there were anti-Israeli demonstrations in several countries this day. Arab anger is growing over the Lebanon offensive. This protest you're looking at right here happened in Jordan.
HOLMES: And we do, of course, have reporters covering all the angles for you right throughout the Middle East, from Jerusalem, to Damascus, Beirut, and elsewhere. And you can see our coverage.
We're going to start in the United States, however, at the United Nations, where we've been listening to a war of words. The major players having their say at an emergency session of the Security Council.
Richard Roth standing by at U.N. headquarters.
Dramatic, Richard, but don't know that we really heard anything that we didn't expect to hear given the various perspectives on this.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, we did hear Israeli Ambassador Gillerman put on the record that some of the missiles coming from southern Lebanon, he says, came from Iran. We also did hear Lebanon officially announce they are looking and asking the world, the international community, to step in to stop what's going on.
The Lebanese foreign ministry official who appeared at the Security Council said Israel was guilty of over-aggression against his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN GILLERMAN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: The Lebanese government had the choice over five or six years ago to rehabilitate Lebanon after years of a civil war and make it into the thriving and prosperous country it was, or allow the Hezbollah to turn it into a terror base and a launching pad for missiles and against Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Well, let's recap here. That is Israeli Ambassador Gillerman, and that might have even been from yesterday.
But what we did hear the Lebanese foreign ministry official is call for the U.N. to get involved to halt what one U.N. official said earlier in the day to the Security Council, it was the worst fighting since Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. There are Security Council resolutions that have been approved that took note and took note of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and called on all militias in southern Lebanon to disarm, which is something Hezbollah has certainly -- has not done.
The Israeli ambassador, Dan Gillerman, said that Lebanon is really a victim in some of this because Israel has had to receive what Hamas, Syria and Iran has been funding through southern Lebanon -- Michael.
HOLMES: Richard Roth at the U.N., keeping an eye on developments there.
Thanks, Richard -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: All right. We want to get you to northern Israel now, to the town of Nahariya, which is one of the areas that has been shelled by rocket attacks. It was pretty quiet there last time we checked in with our John Vause, who is there, but I understand that situation has changed -- John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Colleen, just a short time ago, at last two explosions heard here in the town of Nahariya. We are assuming at this stage that they were, in fact, Katyusha rockets which landed not far away from our position.
Just moments before, there came an announcement over the loudspeakers here advising residents that time had come to head to -- to take cover in their bomb shelters, as well as safe rooms here in Nahariya. It's a situation which is being repeated up an down the Israeli border or all residents within 20 kilometers of the Lebanese border.
This is the second attack for Nahariya today. Katyusha rockets fell on this city earlier today. There have been injuries reported here.
This city has come under attack now for two days in a row. Yesterday, at least one person was killed in this city. There have been a number of injuries here today.
Also, in the town of Safed, home of Israel's northern command, Katyusha rockets have fallen there. One missile making a direct hit on a residential building, wounding at least two people. The Israeli military says so far today, Hezbollah militants have fired approximately 80 Katyusha rockets targeting about a dozen Israeli towns and communities up and down the border with Lebanon, wounding more than 40 people so far. Many of those suffering from shock.
Now, there's an advisory out for all Israelis who live within 40 kilometers of the border with Lebanon, and that includes the port city of Haifa.
This is the announcement coming over the speaker. You may be able to hear it now. This is another announcement for people to go to their bomb shelters and to take cover in their safe rooms. So we may be expecting another attack.
But the situation in Haifa now and other cities within 40 kilometers other Lebanese border, (INAUDIBLE) residents to stay off the streets and stay in their homes. They're to stay away from doors, as well as windows.
This comes after Haifa was hit by two Hezbollah rockets on Thursday evening. Hezbollah denies firing those rockets, but the Israelis now say that they're a different type of Katyusha rocket with a much larger range, quite possibly being made in Iran -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: All right. John Vause.
Take care there, John.
Thanks very much.
HOLMES: OK. We want to go back to the U.N. now. The Israeli ambassador to the U.N., is speaking to reporters.
Let's listen.
GILLERMAN: Lebanon is a country that has been under siege by terror and held hostage to terror for 32 years. It is a country that has been suffering from tyrants in the north and terrorists on the south. It is a country which is still regarded by Syria as southern Lebanon.
Over the last 32 years, the Lebanese people did not have one moment of peace. They deserve peace. They deserve prosperity. They deserve to going back to the prosperous, thriving country that they were before 1975.
I made it very clear also to my Lebanese colleague that I believe that if he could, he would share the views which I quoted in my statement from Lebanese ministers and Lebanese parliamentarians, brave patriotic Lebanese who are crying from the brink of the of the abyss for their beloved country, and they're crying at becoming hostage and being held hostage by a terror organization. A terror organization that has kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, infiltrated into Israel and launched an act of war against Israel. A terror organization, the Hezbollah, which is only the finger of the bloodstained long arms of Iran and Syria, who, together with Hamas and Hezbollah, constitute this world's most ominous, dangerous and lethal axis of terror.
And I told my Lebanese colleague that if he could, he would probably be sitting right next to me voicing those same sentiments, because he knows we are doing the right thing, we are doing the only thing a democracy can do, and that is defense itself. And I hope that maybe as a result of what we're doing, very soon Lebanon and its democratic government will be able to exert its sovereignty over the whole country, deploy its forces in the south, and assure a return to a quiet and prosperous life for this country and its people, who deserve it so much.
Thank you very much.
QUESTION: Mr. Gillerman...
GILLERMAN: Yes?
QUESTION: ... given that Hezbollah is just on 11 percent of the entire Lebanese parliament and that Israel retaliated, people like the secretary-general and several ambassadors said that Israel's reaction was disproportionate, especially at civilian targets. Civilian institutions and infrastructures were also targeted.
How can this be -- how can this abate at this point?
GILLERMAN: Israel targeted Hezbollah strongholds. When you have a terror organization within a country holding the whole country hostage -- and one of the -- one of the Lebanese ministers I quoted this morning is the one who said that Hezbollah may have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, but it is holding the whole of Lebanon hostage. Syria still regards Lebanon as southern Syria. So there is no distinction.
I said during my statement that many of the long-range missiles which were fired at Israeli cities, including the port city of Haifa, where Iranian missiles which were housed in Lebanese homes with a special room designated as a launching pad and with a family being made host to host that missile, that's the reality we are facing. There are no civilian targets which we hit.
All the targets we hit were targets which are either strategic, either used by the Hezbollah for the moving of goods, for the moving of missiles, for the moving of arms, or housing missiles which threaten Israel. And anybody who sees the amount, the magnitude of the lethal arsenal of weapons which the Hezbollah is now launching in Israel -- at Israel can understand the danger which we've been pointing out all these years.
And ask yourselves, why do they have these weapons? Why do they amass these weapons in the midst of a democratic so-called peace- loving country?
And it is up to the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. This is a request and a demand which has been made repeatedly by the Security Council in resolutions 1559 and 1680 and others, but they were unable to do it, or unwilling to do it. And unfortunately, when we were attacked with an act of war from within Lebanon, we had no choice but to react.
QUESTION: Ambassador, so far, what has the United Nations done correctly and what has it done incorrectly vis-a-vis this problem? And what, in your estimation, needs to happen for this crisis to be resolved?
GILLERMAN: The United Nations has very correctly passed Resolution 1559 and ensuing resolutions, including 1680, which have brought about the...
HOLMES: All right. Dan Gillerman, the Israeli ambassador to the U.N., speaking to reporters.
Repeating, really, by and large, what he said inside the U.N. Security Council, that Lebanon has been held hostage to terror for 32 years, and using some fairly colorful language as well, saying that Hezbollah is the finger of the bloody arm of Syria and Iran.
Denying that Israel has hit civilian targets, saying it is hitting Hezbollah strongholds, and accusing Hezbollah of firing missiles from private homes which are then struck. But certainly, according to Lebanese officials, some 60 or 65 civilians have died so far in this Israeli offensive -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: And those comments definitely directed at Lebanon. So let's go there now, where residents are fearing a prolonged blockade and a return to the bad old days, when Beirut was essentially reduced to rubble by the violence there.
Many people are preparing to flee. They are trying to get out. And a look here right now -- we're just getting in these pictures, this video of Israeli warships. They are positioned off the coast of Lebanon. And as you see there, we saw one firing off right there, these Israeli warships off the coast of Lebanon.
They have been in position there for a couple of days now. Part of this blockade.
Alessio Vinci is in Beirut and joins us now with the latest there -- Alessio.
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Colleen.
Well, we understand those Israeli gunships, of course, imposing the sea blockade on Lebanon, as well, of course, as having -- the Israeli having -- the Israelis having shut down the international airport and the major routes between Beirut and Damascus and Syria. That is, basically this country is now totally isolated by land, by sea and by the air.
Now, CNN had the opportunity earlier today, my colleague, Nic Robertson, to sit down with the Lebanese prime minister for an interview here in Beirut. The prime minister there again calling on a cease-fire to try to bring down the -- to bring to an end this skirmish, this conflict, saying that Israeli attacks are sparing no one and no area of the country. He's saying that it is cutting the country into pieces. He's referring to the high casualty toll that these airstrikes and these strikes are (INAUDIBLE). We understand now that 63 people have been killed in the last three days, as well as 167 have been injured.
He also -- he also spoke about how these attacks are crippling the Lebanese economy, referring there most likely to the tourism industry. We are at the height of tourism industry here, a $4 billion a year affair for this country. Of course, all the tourists in this country, those who were supposed to come for the summer, are now going. And, of course, a lot of people are leaving the country.
Meanwhile, my colleague also pressed the prime minister on to why Lebanon and the Lebanese government is not doing more to disarm Hezbollah and to take control of the southern area of the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FOUAD SINIORA, LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER: I mean, why we are being asked to stop Hezbollah, but at the same time nobody is putting the necessary pressure on Israel to resolve the problem? I mean, the problem -- the problem is causing the presence of Hezbollah. Let's get rid of the problem, and Hezbollah will not be there, it will be a political -- a political party.
And this is the thing that we should -- we should achieve. Definitely, Lebanon is very keen on getting back to a situation where the state to be fully in charge of all its territories. This is what we believe. This is what has been already confirmed yesterday by the Lebanese cabinet in stating that we, in Lebanon, we express our commitment to the international resolutions, and we express our full respect to the blue line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VINCI: The prime minister there basically saying that the disarming of Hezbollah is not the problem, that the problem has to be looked at over the border into Israel.
The prime minister also reiterating in the interview that if there's one thing that unites all Lebanese, it is the condemnation of the Israeli attacks. But then, throughout the interview, pressed several times, the prime minister did not condemn the action by Hezbollah to capture the two Israeli soldiers, but simply saying the government disavowed the move.
Back to you.
MCEDWARDS: All right. Alessio Vinci, thanks very much. Appreciate it.
Well, of course many in the Arab world have already condemned the attacks on Lebanon.
HOLMES: Yes. But the volume varies somewhat. And voices of moderation are under growing pressure. We're going take a look at reaction from all parts of the Arab world in just a moment, right here on YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Seen live right around the globe, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
Welcome back. And thanks for joining us wherever you are in the world.
Certainly, Lebanon is now asking the United States to press Israel for a cease-fire. So far, no letup in the attacks.
So, when will it end? Are there conditions or timetables for more?
We are joined by Mark Regev. He is a spokesman for the Israeli foreign minister.
And thanks for coming back on the program, Mark.
First of all, what is the plan? What is the plan? What is the aim here? Because strikes are now happening right inside Beirut. The airport, everybody is cut off. People can't get out of the city even if they want to.
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: Well, the plan is actually interesting in that the Israeli national security goal here is almost identical to that of the international community, to the United States, to Europe, to the U.N. Security Council's own resolutions. What we say is that Hezbollah has to be disarmed.
That has been on the books of the U.N. now for quite some time. It hasn't been implemented for all sorts -- all sorts of reasons.
I think our goal is that of the international community. It's a common goal. Let's disarm Hezbollah. If that had been done a while ago, we wouldn't be sitting here today, Michael, in this crisis, because they wouldn't have been able to start this region escalation.
HOLMES: Can it not potentially be counterproductive for Israel, certainly the West, too, that if infrastructure keeps on being dismantled like this, the only airport, the port being damaged, the road to Syria being damaged, houses being damaged -- EU says it is totally disproportionate. If it continues like this, it could destabilize the entire Lebanese government. And that's not going to help Israel or the West.
REGEV: No one wants to see the destabilization of the Lebanese government. On the contrary, we support 1559, the Security Council resolution which calls for a strong united Lebanon. If there's anything that is destabilizing Lebanon internally today, that is Hezbollah, which is an armed terrorist presence which no one controls. And I think...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: You don't accept that Israel's actions at the moment are destabilizing the government as well?
REGEV: Israel's actions today are self-defense. I mean, let's be clear, Michael. We are responding to a premeditated unprovoked act of aggression against our country Wednesday. We're exercising our right for defense. And these Hezbollah people who have rained some 300 missiles and rockets and shells into Israel over the last few days, this has to be stopped.
HOLMES: We spoke earlier -- I spoke earlier with the Syrian ambassador, because obviously Dan Gillerman at the U.N. and others are pointing the finger very much at Syria. We spoke with the ambassador from Syria to the U.S., Imad Moustapha. I just want you to listen to what the Syrians are saying about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMAD MOUSTAPHA, SYRIAN AMB. TO UNITED STATES: What we are having today in the Middle East is the direct result of the Israeli policies in the Middle East, occupation, brutality, kidnapping of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, imprisoning them in Israel. We are talking not about one Israeli soldier there and two Israeli soldiers here. We are talking about 10,000 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners kidnapped and imprisoned in Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Strong words, Mark, but I'm not saying that it sounds like a smart thing to be snatching prisoners and trying to swap them all the time. But it is a point that has been raised more than once before all of this started.
Israel is holding -- I think it's less than 10,000, but not much less than 10,000 Palestinians and Lebanese. What's wrong with swapping out some of those?
REGEV: Well, first of all, let's be clear. There's no comparison. This is terrorists taking hostages, and the other side is the government arresting people.
And, you know, Israel has a fiercely independent judiciary. And everyone held in an Israeli jail, the case is before a judge, the judge has to OK things. There's no comparison. It's like comparing apples and oranges.
HOLMES: Well, hang on, Mark. Is that the case? I mean, every -- every human rights group that deals with Palestinians say that vast numbers of Palestinians held are under detention and have not been charged with anything.
REGEV: No, but every case, even people under administrative detention -- and I think you might have inflated the numbers a little bit -- but every case has to be before a judge who has to objectively look at the different criteria. But can I also say something?
HOLMES: But the periodic detention, Mark, you know this, can be automatically renewed. It's basically an administrative thing. A lot of these people have not been charged with anything. Now, I don't think anybody is disputing if you're holding a murderer or something, you charge him, you put him in jail, you do whatever. There have been comparisons made to Guantanamo Bay with some of these prisoners. They're not getting legal access, they're not being charged with anything.
Why not -- why not swap them back?
REGEV: Well, if we did a prisoner swap today, that would just energize Hezbollah. That would energize the extremists. That would pull the rug out of moderation.
And ultimately, what we want to do is not contrary to Lebanese interests. What we want to do is see Lebanon free and strong. We want to see the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Syrian ambassador, he talks about occupation, but he's really speaking, let's say, disingenuously. Until recently, the Syrians were occupying Lebanon directly. Today it's the Syrians and the Iranians who are preventing the Lebanese government from dismantling Hezbollah, like most Lebanese want to do.
I think a lot of Lebanese people today -- I received personally e-mails from Lebanese citizens saying that they are fed up with Hezbollah dictating national policy. Most Lebanese want peace with Israel. I believe most Arabs want peace with Israel.
And it's the extremists in Hezbollah and Hamas, with their jihadi-style ideology, their extremism, their (INAUDIBLE), their support from outside interests, Iran and Syria, who are really torpedoing any chance of positive political momentum.
HOLMES: One just finally thing, Mark. Do you think that a prisoner swap is in the future? That it's not off the tables? I'm not saying tomorrow. I'm not saying next week. I'm not even saying to resolve this current crisis.
But you're open to it?
REGEV: I think to talk about a prisoner swap at this stage is just not on the cards. This is much larger than a hostage-taking crisis.
This was an act of aggression. You have the entire Israeli population of the Galilee in bomb shelters. You have had more than 300 rockets, missiles, fired into my country.
We don't want to go back to where we were Tuesday night. We want to see the expeditious implementation of the U.N. resolutions calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed.
It's good for Israel. It's good for Lebanon. It's good for everyone who wants peace in the Middle East, and it's ultimately -- it's the U.N.'s own decisions. It's time we implemented them. HOLMES: Mark Regev making some points there from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Thanks so much for coming on, Mark.
MCEDWARDS: All right. Let's get to some more reaction now.
Egypt and Jordan are condemning Israel's attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with Jordan's King Abdullah just a short time ago in Cairo. They called for international efforts to restore calm in the region. Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries with peace treaties with Israel.
HOLMES: All right. But in the Arab street, reaction to the Israeli offensive is much more harsh, as you might imagine.
Thousands turning out in Amman, Jordan, following Friday prayers. Jordan a country with a large Palestinian population. Protesters carrying banners, chanting anti-Israeli slogans.
In Baghdad, the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr led protests in the Sadr City neighborhood to condemn the Israeli attacks. Thousands of demonstrators turning up carrying Lebanese flags and chanting pro- Hezbollah slogans.
And, "Death to America!" And, "Hezbollah will win. Israel will be annihilated." Those are the two messages of demonstrators in Tehran.
Thousands have taken to the streets there to voice their support for both Hezbollah and Palestinians in Gaza. Of course, Iran is seen as a big supporter of Hezbollah financially and otherwise. According to the Israeli government, Iran supplying some of those missiles that are currently being fired into Israel.
MCEDWARDS: All right. And this story keeps developing even as we speak.
We are getting word just in now that there has been a barrage of rocket attacks in northern Israel which has been shelled off and on throughout the last couple of days. But now we are hearing of a very serious sounding barrage of rockets in northern Israel.
And also, we are hearing that Israeli aircraft have attacked an area in the southern part of Beirut which is believed to be a stronghold for Hezbollah, have attacked this area once again. It is an area that it has hit before, but we are hearing now that there has been another attack in the southern area of Beirut.
We're going to get more information on all of this for you just as soon as we can and bring it to you as soon as we get it.
We're going it take a short break here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, but we'll be right back.
Stay with CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MCEDWARDS: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY here on CNN. I'm Colleen McEdwards.
HOLMES: She is. I'm Michael Holmes.
(NEWSBREAK)
MCEDWARDS: Well the U.S. is urging the international community to hold Syria accountable and speak with a unified voice on this. Syria as a supporter of Hezbollah and of Hamas. But Damascus maintains it has a right to aide those who struggled against what it called Israeli occupation.
Aneesh Raman joins us now from Damascus with more from there.
Aneesh, go ahead.
RAMAN: Colleen, we heard earlier entirety in the show the Syrian ambassador essentially trying to change the dialogue away from the abduction of Israeli soldiers toward the ongoing Palestinian struggle. They are also publicly downplaying their relationship with Hezbollah. They have strong ties to the group, as does Iran. They face mounting pressure from the world community to help in this situation by cutting off support for Hezbollah.
The country's ambassador to London has said that Syria is trying to restrain the group and its rocket attacks, that it doesn't want to be drawn into a conflict, and the Syrian ambassador at the U.N. has said that Hezbollah and Hamas are independent groups that are national-resistance groups against occupation, and they don't need Syria.
Now the key to all of this is whether Israel believes and has evidence to support Syria's involvement directly in Wednesday's abduction of the Israeli soldiers. If that is the case, Israel could take action on Syria, and that could be a gateway through which the tensions could rise dramatically. And don't forget, at the end of June, after Hamas abducted an Israeli soldier, Israeli warplanes flew over the residence of the Syrian president hoping to exert pressure on him to get involved with Hamas -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS:: Exactly, the flyover. And I mean, there are plenty of those who say that despite what evidence Israel does come up with or does not, Syria has a clear interest in here, and that it has no interest in the Israeli side or the Palestinian side sitting down to talks and getting on with this thing. Just help us understand what Syria's interest is here in this instability?
RAMAN: Well, we're finding, especially in the past few days as well, a growing dynamic between Syria and Iran. The reports from the Iranian News Agency of a phone call today from the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Syrian president, Assad. I was just in Iran, and I'm now in Syria. These are countries that, and Iran especially, are looking to be the voice of the Islamic world. They are not really eager to make concessions. They are eager to point out as often as they can the ongoing struggle that has taken place, the context that they see of what is happening within the Palestinian areas, and so whether or not they would be eager and even do anything to get these two sides to sit down seems impossible at the moment. They will do what they can, publicly at least, to suggest they're mitigating their support and limiting their involvement with the groups -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: All right, Aneesh Raman in Damascus for us. Thanks very much, Aneesh -- Michael.
HOLMES: All right, we're going to continue covering this ongoing story. It just seems to get worse all the time. We have reports of more rockets in northern Israel, and we have more reports coming out on the wires of Beirut being subjected to more bombardment as well.
Meanwhile, Israel saying its attacks on Lebanon are meant to pressure Hezbollah to give up those two Israeli soldiers that they took captive. The only problem, the Lebanese government says it has little influence with Hezbollah.
Just who is Hezbollah? We're going to discuss that as the hour goes on. But let's go to northern Israel now, near the border between Lebanon and Israel. That's where John Vause is.
John, I don't know if you can bring us up to date. I see you're wearing a flak jacket now. Are those explosions, you've been hearing those?
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, about 20 minutes ago, we had what we believe two Katyusha rockets falling here in the town of Nahariya, injuring at least two people. That appears to be part of a barrage of other Katyusha attacks on cities across northern Israel, including Khamil (ph), Safed, Hakil (ph), Kiryat Shmona, as well as here in Nahariya. So it appears that Hezbollah has stepped up those Katyusha rocket attacks. It came just moments after a warning was issued on loudspeakers in Nahariya, advising residents to take cover in bomb shelters, as well as safe rooms -- Michael.
HOLMES: John, one would imagine, that we were talking to Alessio in Beirut, the streets were completely deserted. How is life going on there?
VAUSE: Well, it really isn't at the moment. The streets here, the main street of Nahariya, for example, is completely deserted. There are a few brave souls who are out, mostly journalists, but the shops have been closed by order of the police, in fact, and many people have taken cover in the bomb shelters. They've taken precaution at the local hospital. For example, moving people from the top floors down to more safer location sin that building complex. And many people are now just hunkering down and waiting for more Katyusha rocket attacks to land. And there have been warning that as that Israeli military offensive escalations across Lebanon, that Hezbollah will respond with more of the rocket attacks that we've seen in the last 20 minutes or so here. And in fact, according to the Israeli Defense Forces, according to the Israeli Defense Forces. There has been more than 80 Katyusha rocket attacks today alone, more than 200 in the past 48 hours -- Michael.
HOLMES: You know, John, we've been back and forth to the U.N. We've been talking to ambassadors, and ministers and all the rest. But I don't know if you've had much of a chance there to actually talk to people on the street, get their sense of whether they believe what is Israel is doing is a measured and appropriate response, and whether they think things are going to get worse.
VAUSE: Well, to be perfectly honest, there's not a lot of people out in the streets to talk to at the moment. Most people, as I say, are taking cover. They're either in bomb shelters, their safe rooms or they're just staying at home trying to wait this out.
But there does seem to be a sense here in Israel of unity behind the government in this military offensive in Lebanon. There may be some division of opinions about how far to go in the scope of the military operation, but there certainly is a unified opinion when it comes to the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers, and that Israel must respond and also that Israel must do something to end the attacks being carried out by Hezbollah; cross border raids as well as Katyusha rocket fires, kidnapping Israeli soldiers from sovereign Israeli territory. On that, most agree this government must now do something to bring that to an end.
HOLMES: John Vause there in northern Israel. Thanks, John.
MCEDWARDS: All right, well, Israel seems to have suspended military operations in Gaza for now. The second front in all of this that we've been talking. The army says it has just pulled out of central Gaza, but Hamas leaders organized rallies in support of Hamas and in support of Hezbollah, demanding prisoner exchanges as well.
Ben Wedeman has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The bull horn is blaring in Gaza, Hamas is on the march.
The radical Islamic group which has held one Israeli soldier for almost three weeks organized rallies all over Gaza in support of Hezbollah, which is holding two Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah's yellow flag flies next to Hamas's green
God willing, everything will come down on the heads of the Jews and we'll defeat them, says Hamas supporter Abu Mujahed (ph).
Little chance of that happening, but the fighting in Lebanon has ignited passion among the militants and their supporters for a regional war against Israel. Gaza's misery, it appears, loves company. Addressing the crowd, Hamas spokesman Mushir Mushri (ph) called on Arab and Islamic leaders to get off the sidelines and join the fight against Israel or face the anger of their people.
But while Gaza's streets are noisy, its front lines have gone quiet.
(on camera): Israel seems to have suspended most of its military operations in Gaza, if only for now.
(voice-over): Shortly after dawn, residents in Central Gaza returned to areas evacuated by withdrawing Israeli force. They left behind destroyed roads and damaged houses.
And early Friday, Hamas's military wing fired six Kasam rockets on Israel. No injury or damage were reported.
Hamas's bark and bull horns may be louder than its bite.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCEDWARDS: Well, acknowledging Israel's right to defend itself, the European Union, among others, has denounced what it calls Israel's disproportionate use of force.
As France marks Bastille Day, the beginning of the French Revolution, President Jacques Chirac added his voice to those who are questioning Israel's motives here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACQUES CHIRAC, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): One could ask oneself whether there isn't a sort of desire to destroy Lebanon; its equipments, roads, energy, air field. And why?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, Russia planned an agenda of economics and world humanitarian concerns for this week's G-8 summit, but White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us now from St. Petersburg with details on how geopolitical confrontations have forced their way to the top of the talks. Everyone has got a viewpoint on this. Are they likely to get an agreement while they're there on this. Because they're not always on the same page?
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Michael. And you know, already Iran and North Korea had been added to the agenda for his summit that kicks off this weekend. Now, of course, vaulting to the top of the list, the escalating Middle East violence.
President Bush arrived here in St. Petersburg today for meetings with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The president and first lady also stopped and the signed a guest book on the monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad, of course expressing respect to the United States for Russians who defended this city during the infamous 900 day siege.
The president also met with civic leaders here in St. Petersburg who are expressing concern that they believe Mr. Putin is backsliding on the march towards full democracy here in Russia. President Bush promised to bring those concerns directly to Mr. Putin during their talks over the next couple of days. But the Middle East really dominating the president's agenda as well as the summit agenda undoubtedly.
The president on the way here To St. Petersburg on Air Force One, made a series of calls. Egyptian president Mubarek as well as Jordanian King Abdullah. He also called the Lebanese prime minister Seniora. One of the messages from the U.S. president is the U.S. government believes that Syria needs to be held accountable, held to account, has to stop harboring terrorists.
Take a listen to what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: Syria and Iran have been very much in the opposite direction encouraging, and indeed in the case of Syria, sheltering the people who are perpetrating these acts. We have to remember that both the external leadership of Hamas and a number of the Hezbollah activities are carried out from the territory of Syria. And Syria needs to act responsibly and stop the use of its territory for these kinds of activities and needs to bring all pressure on those that it is harboring to stop this and to return the soldiers and to allow this situation to de-escalate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: Now one other note, White House spokesman Tony Snow is denying a claim made by the Lebanese prime minister that during his phone conversation with President Bush, the U.S. president promised to press Israel to stop the attacks. The White House insists that's not true. He did not make that promise -- Michael.
HOLMES: Ed Henry in St. Petersburg. Thanks, Ed.
MCEDWARDS: All right. From the diplomatic efforts to what is going on on the ground. Again, we want to take you back to Beirut because we heard just a few moments ago that there had been another attack by Israeli aircraft in part of Beirut. Alessio Vinci is there with more.
Alessio, what can you tell us?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Colleen. Well, certainly we don't hear the fruits here of the diplomatic efforts are ongoing right now in New York and the United Nations. Within the last few moments, we heard three loud explosions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. That was an area of Beirut that has already been hit several times in the last few days. That is of course an area where it is considered a Hezbollah stronghold, an area of course populated primarily by Shiite Muslims.
And we understand that Israeli gun boats which are enforcing a naval blockade on the ports of Lebanon including, of course, the one in Beirut, have fired into that area hitting we don't really know exactly what yet. We do know that there is a radio station there called the Al Nuor (ph) Radio Station but we can't tell for sure whether that is indeed the target.
We have no reports of casualties yet. But we heard moments later another explosion much closer to this position where I'm standing right now, so loud in fact that the building shook. We have no idea yet what was hit or what was the intended target.
And according to the Lebanese military, we also understand that under attack at this time is also again the road linking Beirut to the Damascus, to Syria. And that is, of course, the only major route out of Lebanon. So clearly, the Israeli forces here enforcing a blockade around the entire country by air, by sea and by land.
MCEDWARDS: Alessio, I realize it's too early to know exactly what's happening with these latest strikes, but just remind us of the impact on the civilian population so far, how people are reacting and how they're doing as well?
VINCI: Colleen, the latest numbers we had regarding civilian casualties, and these are with the exception of two Lebanese military personnel, all of them are civilians. There are 63 people who have been killed so far in the last three days. 167 have been -- have been reported injured. And that is before this latest wave of attacks.
And the way the population is reacting is basically by staying at home. Those who live here in Beirut or in this country are staying at home. The city is completely empty even now at dawn on a Friday night. This should be a crazy night where people would go out, party, drink, have fun with friends. There is absolutely no one around here; the bars, restaurants, everything is empty or closed.
We have seen also throughout this day many non-nationals trying to leave this country. Of course it is not easy. The airport is shut. All three runways are shut. We've seen lines of people on the Lebanese-Syrian border. There, many people telling us that basically they don't want to stay in this country.
We understand that the road -- obviously that road linking Lebanon to Syria, Beirut to Damascus, has been hit. Heavy traffic causing trouble there, but of course cars can find their way around on secondary routes.
So it is not very easy to leave the country at this time. But those who can are really taking advantage, because what we're hearing right now -- or at least what we're feeling right, is that the violence is indeed escalating -- Colleen.
MCEDWARDS: All right, Alessio Vinci in Beirut for us where he has just heard a couple of loud explosion just a few moments ago. Alessio, thanks very much -- Michael.
HOLMES: Reports of Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut being targeted in the last hour or so, but these pictures are coming to you from Israel Nahariya where Hezbollah rockets -- there's been a barrage of them this day -- have landed. These pictures came into us just a very short time ago. Some wire services are reporting that a mother and daughter have been wounded in one of these rocket strikes.
Pictures came in to us just a very short time ago. Some wire services are reporting that a mother and daughter have been wounded in one of these rocket strikes. Which one, we are not sure at the moment.
Obviously, some damage has been done here and these very much -- obviously, civilian property in northern Israel. Looks like a home, in fact. So some of the wire services are reporting that one rocket hitting the town of Meron, quoting rescue services saying that a mother and daughter were critically wounded.
And at the same time, we hear of targets being hit in the capital of Lebanon now, Beirut, southern Beirut, which is a Hezbollah area, but home to many civilians as well. And you see here the terror on the Israeli side as civilians become the victims of this escalating conflict.
We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: These pictures that came in just a short time ago here at CNN. Nahariyah, which is in northern Israel, once again, targeted by Katyusha rockets which appear to have crashed into a private home. Firemen, obviously, trying to get the flames out. There have been reports of other injuries elsewhere in northern Israel this day caused by rocket fire from Hezbollah-held areas.
MCEDWARDS: And we know from our John Vause in the area that people have been warned to take cover, to stay out of the streets, and they have very much heeded those warnings. We actually heard some warnings broadcast as John Vause was reporting to us just a short time ago.
HOLMES: And now to Lebanon, where -- a clearly relieved foreigner there. This is people leaving Lebanon, people trying to get out as the capital itself comes under Israeli bombing and shelling.
MCEDWARDS: Obviously, very difficult for people to get out. There's been a lot of damage to roads and the infrastructure.
HOLMES: Yes, this is the Syrian border by the way.
MCEDWARDS: OK.
HOLMES: This is where a lot of people have been trying to get out. The main road from Beirut to Syria was actually damaged in an Israeli bombing attack yesterday, however, people are still being able to get around that and get into Syria. It's the only way to get out of Lebanon. You can't get out by sea, you can't get out by air.
MCEDWARDS: So this is where people are going. This, too, remember is the height of tourist season in Lebanon, a lot of people there to enjoy the beaches, the cafes, the tourist industry. The new and fledgling Lebanese government has really made efforts to promote tourism and really counts on that revenue for optimism, hope and for revenue.
People of all nationalities in Lebanon, not just tourists, but people who are posted there. Some estimates say 25,000 Americans in Lebanon.
HOLMES: And, in fact, a lot of locals too heading for -- literally heading for the hills into the Bekaa Valley and other areas, just getting out. And Israelis are doing it too from northern Israel. I was reading earlier, I heard from somebody in our bureau that Jerusalem is very busy at the moment, because for a change, it's the safest place to be in Israel.
MCEDWARDS: Talk about an irony there. OK.
HOLMES: Let's update one other story.
MCEDWARDS: We want to switch gears here a little bit. We do need to talk about another story here. We want to get you to India. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is saying that Pakistan isn't doing enough to curb terrorist violence that is directed at India there.
HOLMES: Mr. Singh was speaking in Mumbai after meeting with victims of last Tuesday's commuter bombings. A Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman says the accusations against Pakistan are baseless.
MCEDWARDS: Investigators say a Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, is the prime suspect in Tuesday's attacks on Mumbai's mass transit system.
HOLMES: That group denies any involvement, however, police are questioning hundreds of people.
MCEDWARDS: All right, and that is it for this hour. I'm Colleen McEdwards.
HOLMES: Yes, plenty going on. "LIVE FROM" is up next for our viewers in the United States.
MCEDWARDS: And for viewers elsewhere, we've got another hour of YOUR WORLD TODAY coming up next.
HOLMES: We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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