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CNN LIVE SUNDAY

Israeli Airstrikes Pound Targets in Southern Lebanon; Israel Attacks Beirut Airport Again; G8 Leaders Blame 'Extremists' for Middle East Violence

Aired July 16, 2006 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news out of the Middle East. The fighting intensifies. Hezbollah rockets rain down on Haifa, Israel, while Israeli tanks and planes fire at Lebanon and the death toll climbs. Caught in the crossfire, thousands of anxious Americans waiting to evacuate.
Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Here's what we know about the crisis in the Middle East. Israel ramps up its offensive on two fronts, pounding northern Gaza and southern Lebanon with air strikes and artillery. And we have gotten word of new attacks in Beirut in the suburbs, as well. Hezbollah continues to target northern Israel with a barrage of rockets.

Today it hit a railway station in Haifa, killing eight people. International efforts to diffuse the crisis are mounting. U.N. and E.U. officials visited Beirut today for emergency talks with Lebanon's prime minister.

We have CNN correspondents all over the region and we're watching every aspect of this story to bring you the very latest, most accurate information.

Get out before we attack. The Israeli military advises residents of southern Lebanon to head north ahead of another round of air strikes. And on the heels of the Haifa attack, Israel's prime minister warns the crisis will have far-reaching consequences. We begin our coverage in Jerusalem with a report from Paula Newton on how Israelis are reacting to the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As Hezbollah missiles drilled deep into Israel, they cracked not just the country's defenses, but it's peace of mind. Within moments of Haifa's direct hit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promises a punishing military campaign would strike back.

A hit on Haifa was something the Israeli cabinet had prepared for just days ago. So when it did materialize, they were ready to pull the trigger on a dramatic bombardment that is supposed to cleanse Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.

It is an aggressive campaign to be sure, but one that Israel vows to sustain no matter the consequences. From the holy city of Tiberius, where rockets have already rained down to Tel Aviv, now in the line of fire, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so scary to think of the possibility.

NEWTON: The grip of terror has pulled Israelis from a carefree summer that was never meant to be. And still, the government is convinced it can count on the country's backing.

SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI VICE PREMIER: The whole country is a front and the whole people are mobilized. Doesn't matter where they will hit. It won't change neither our mind nor our spirit. We shall not let terror to win the day.

NEWTON (on camera): The Israeli government is determined to finish the job, it says, and annihilate Hezbollah. But even if it manages to do that, it's sinking in here any victory will come with a price. Paula Newton, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Let's go now to John Vause. He's at an Israeli military battery position in northern Israel. And John, are these strikes no longer primarily targeting southern Lebanon, but further north as well?

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, from our position here, this artillery base here, with firing 155-millimeter rounds, essentially they cover about 10 miles across the border. So the target from this position here is still southern Lebanon. What we are being told by military sources on this side of the border is that the Israelis are trying to hit those mobile Katyusha rocket launchers. They are told they're a very difficult target to hit, they're mobile, they can be taken up and taken down very quickly.

What's been happening here throughout the night is that information, intelligence comes through to not just this artillery position, but artillery positions all along the border, that there's a Katyusha rocket launching team somewhere across the border. They have the coordinates, they have the position. And that is when the artillery opens up and fires.

So that's been going off and on throughout the night. It will continue for many, many hours to come. Not just here but all those other positions as well. That is what the artillery has been doing. The Israeli air force has also been carrying out air strikes in the southern part of Lebanon as well, also trying to hit Katyusha rocket launchers.

The aim here has been the same for the last few days, take out those Katyusha rocket launchers, force Hezbollah back away from the Israeli border to take those towns and cities out of range from the Hezbollah rockets.

Now the question is how far back will the Israelis have to push Hezbollah to make the Israeli cities and towns safe? We now know that Hezbollah has far longer-range weapons than a Katyusha rocket's missiles, which can travel much farther. The only question is how many is in the Hezbollah arsenal?

Now there have been some civilian casualties in southern Lebanon. This comes despite a warning issued by the Israelis to all the residents in villages and towns, that they should pack up and leave. They were given about two or three hours notice, but this escalation in the military campaign was coming. Despite that though, there have been some reports of death. But also what we also know about the Israeli military campaign, it has also extended across Lebanon as well. There are reports that a fuel depot at the Beirut International Airport has been hit once again. CNN has yet to confirm that though, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And John, it is relatively quiet where you are right now compared to other times we have talked to you throughout the day where the firing was very active. What does this mean?

VAUSE: Well essentially it means that there's a lull in the intelligence gathering. The moment they had the information that they know where a Katyusha rocket has been fired from, and they tell us too that they know precisely where those rockets are launched, they have the intelligence, they have the technology, they have the drones in the sky, they have teams on the ground, it has been speculated, who are able to pinpoint precisely where those rockets come from.

And that is when these artillery rounds open up, with a good deal of firepower. They are deadly, and we are told by the commander here, that for the most part they are accurate, but they do concede that occasionally, these artillery rounds go astray, but they say that is purely unintentional, that their prime motivation is to hit the rocket launchers and they regret any civilian casualties along the way. They say that is certainly not the intention here, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: John Vause, thanks so much, on the Israeli side of the Lebanese border.

Hezbollah's leader has promised surprises for the Israeli military and it may have delivered one of them today. Until now guerrillas have been firing Katyusha rockets with a range of 20 miles, as we heard John reporting. But Israel says at least some of the rockets that hit Haifa this morning were Fajr-3s. They have a larger warhead and a greater range.

North now to the Lebanese capital and a feeling of deja vu. Lebanese security officials say Israel has again attacked Beirut's International Airport, as you've heard John eluding to. Nic Robertson joins us live with more information now, because reports are confirmed now, right?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Correct, Fredricka. There were three fuel storage silos at Beirut International Airport. One was hit several days ago. I looked at the other two today. We were about 100 meters from them. They were untouched. One of those, at least, we understand, has been targeted tonight.

We have also seen a meeting between the European Union foreign affairs and security chief, Javier Solana and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. They met for several hours this afternoon, but didn't announce if they found one, a concrete peace plan.

Both men, though, however saying how important it was to bring peace at the moment, to bring a ceasefire, because of the volatility of the situation. We are seeing the shelling restart in the south of Beirut tonight. There has been a relative lull through the day.

In the south of Lebanon, however that's where the Israeli shelling has been heavier. The Israeli air force there dropping leaflets, telling people to evacuate and get out of their homes, move out of the south of Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a strong hold and where the government doesn't have a lot of influence.

And in Beirut today, families here have been trying to figure out how to get out of the country. There's a lot of fear because the roads have been damaged. They've been bombed. It's very, very difficult to drive to the border. Alessio Vinci, one of our correspondents here, talked with a family about their fears of leaving the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Why are you crying? You seem to be a bit...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's risky now to leave. We've got bus through many obstacles. It won't be easy.

VINCI: Are you afraid for your children?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, sure. It's a big responsibility.

VINCI: Did you expect this was going to happen?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't, It was really a shock.

VINCI: Do you think you will come back?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope so.

VINCI: Who are you leaving behind, you have family here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I am Lebanese. I live in Lebanon. I love Lebanon and I hope I'm going to come back very soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: Well U.S. Embassy planning here to get Americans out of Lebanon took a big step forward today. Two helicopters arrived into the embassy, bringing specialists and planning how to move up to 25,000 Americans out of the country. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Meantime speaking of evacuations, the U.S. has its efforts, as you described. Canadians, as well, and now, we're learning and this being confirmed through the Canadian foreign minister, Nic, that eight Canadians have been killed. Do you know anything more about whether these Canadians were people who were living or visiting there, or were they part of the evacuation efforts there in Lebanon?

ROBERTSON: Very unclear at the moment Fredricka. We do know that those eight Canadians were killed in Lebanon. It does appear to be through Israeli fire. There is a lot of concern by European and other nations to get their nationals out of Lebanon. The French are sending in a ship from nearby Cyprus tonight. That was expected to arrive in the early hours tomorrow. French nationals are expected to board that vessel, those that want to leave Lebanon.

Also other Europeans are expected to try and use that route out of the country. It is very difficult for people to get out at the moment. There is a lot of fear and really Fredricka in the situation in Lebanon right now, that fear cannot be underestimated. People just don't know what roads are open, don't know how they can get out. This French vessel is the first opportunity for a lot of people to leave the country. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson in Beirut, thanks so much for the update.

The Middle East crisis is sparking some serious debate at the G8 summit in Russia, as well. President Bush and other leaders aren't exactly seeing the conflict the same way, but they did manage to hammer out a unified response today. Joining us live from St. Petersburg, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred, of course, at the end of the 48 hours, negotiations, many talks between leaders, they did hammer out an agreement, a statement. This has really taken center stage for the G8, despite some disagreements among leaders about who is to blame or how to move forward, France, Italy, as well as Russia all saying that they believe Israel has overreacted in some way.

The United States as well as Britain saying that they defend Israel's actions, but nevertheless, all of the eight leaders coming together on a consensus of how to move forward. That statement released earlier today calling for the safe return of the abducted Israeli soldiers, an end to Hezbollah's shelling of Israel, and if that happens, sets up the conditions for an end to Israel's military operations and the early withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of the arrested Palestinian ministers and parliamentarians.

Now these are all conditions, they believe, that will lay out a foundation for permanent peace. It is negotiated language. It calls essentially for moving forward here. But it comes short of endorsing a ceasefire. That is something that President Bush would not promote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our message to Israel is that as a sovereign nation, you have every right to defend yourself against terrorist activities. And, again, I repeat, this started because Hezbollah decided to capture two Israeli soldiers, and fire hundreds of rockets into Israel from southern Lebanon. That's the cause of the crisis. And, so our message to Israel is look, defend yourself but as you do so, be mindful of the consequences. And so we urgent restraint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier today also saying she did not believe that a temporary truce would be very significant or helpful in reigning in terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. Rather, they are rather looking at the big picture, the long-term picture.

The United States working with international organizations like the United Nations, as well as Arab allies to isolate, to put pressure on Syria and Iran, countries they believe are actually supporting terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the military extremist arm of Hamas.

Now, U.S. officials are saying Syria and Iran were not mentioned in the statement. There were some leaders who didn't feel comfortable going that far. But what is going to be happening in the next couple of days, already a U.N. team in the region. But U.N. Security Council will be meeting later in the week. They're going to try to come up with new dialogue between Israel and Lebanon and of course a way of securing the border between those two countries. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much.

Other news happening right now, a bomb exploded Sunday evening at a busy cafe in the Iraqi city of Tuz. Security officials say at least 10 people were killed and 11 wounded. Crews battling wildfires in southern California are watching the skies. Thunderstorms are in the forecast today. And while rain would be a welcomed relief, too much could cause flooding in scorched canyons. Lightning could also spark more fires.

The doctor suspected of blowing up his Manhattan townhouse has died. Nicholas Bartha suffered critical burns when the building collapsed last Monday. Police believe he caused the blast so his ex- wife couldn't benefit from the home's sale. They're in the middle of a bitter divorce.

NASA has given the space shuttle Discovery the green light to attempt a landing tomorrow in Florida. Engineers saw no signs of damage during inspections of the shuttle's heat shield. You'll want to stay with CNN LIVE SUNDAY. At 4:50 Eastern, my interview with the astronauts aboard Discovery. And if you are watching us from anywhere ion the U.S. tonight, chances are it is hot outside. Is there any end in sight to this smothering heat and humidity? A weather update in 13 minutes.

But first we update our top story. In three minutes, we'll go to the Syrian/Lebanese border where thousands are fleeing the danger zone. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what we know right now. An Israeli air strike targeted the southern port city of Tyre late today. Lebanese T.V. says 20 people were killed, another 50 injured. Israel launched a series of air strikes after a Hezbollah rocket attack killed eight Israelis in Haifa. At the G8 summit in Russia, President Bush and other world leaders are calling for an immediate end to the bloodshed.

Thousands of Syrians in Lebanon are fleeing the danger zone. CNN's Aneesh Raman is at the main border crossing between Syria and Lebanon.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the gateway between Lebanon and Syria. And amid this crisis, it has seen an influx of people like this, carrying what little they have, leaving most of it behind in Syria, simply fleeing the violence.

We are told by officials here on the border that the majority of those who are coming through are Syrians. The majority of the Syrians are poor Syrians who were working in Lebanon. They do not have cars, they simply have what little they can carry. They have walked for a few hours to just get back to Syria.

Now beyond this is the main access road that has been hit by air strikes. People are telling us they're able to drive around that. They're still able to come through. Besides the Syrians, other Arabs have been making their way, other tourists within Lebanon have found their way outside of the country.

This is where the humanitarian face of what's taking place is coming through, the stories of what is happening with Lebanon. A man that we met, his 5-year-old daughter, he said he simply could not bear for her to see the sites there, the that are dropping.

Many are simply fleeing, they tell us, for their lives. You can tell how many people are coming in, very few people are going the other way, going into Lebanon. Most of those, obviously are coming through to escape the violence and the Syrian authorities say over 100,000 Syrians have already crossed there. Aneesh Raman, CNN, on the Syrian side of the Syrian/Lebanese border.

WHITFIELD: And perhaps you are trying to find out information about relatives visiting or living in Lebanon. Contact the U.S. State Department hot line. Those of you overseas cam call 0-1-202-501-4444. If you are in the U.S., call 1-888-407-4747. U.S. citizens can register with the State Department online and details about possible evacuation plans be found on the Web site, travel.state.gov. Look under the heading travel warning on the left side of the page.

Well, are you feeling the heat? It's a scorcher across much of this country right now. And triple digit temperatures could be headed your way if it's not there already. Forecast straight ahead.

And not just heat, but fires out west, and there's new concern over the flames tonight. We will take you live to the front lines next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As if battling a massive wildfire isn't enough, California firefighters now face another threat, stormy weather that could produce lightning and flooding. Meanwhile in hard hit Pioneertown, search and rescue crews make a tragic discovery. CNN's Dan Simon is there. Dan?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka. Well, the forecast does call for rain, we haven't felt a drop as of yet. Nonetheless crews are making good progress with the bigger sawtooth fire, the fire everybody was concerned about, 60 percent containment at this point. Meanwhile here in places like Pioneertown, some folks are coming back to their homes, only to find them looking like this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it was right here somewhere, under here.

SIMON (voice-over): Fred and Joanne Kretchmer (ph) lived in their house for 20 years. This is all that's left of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is crazy. I didn't think I would ever be doing anything like this.

SIMON: Fred, a carpenter, built the house with his own hands. The same hands now looking for anything that can be salvaged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got a pottery turtle over there and I know that thing is probably still there.

SIMON: Both of them were working when their house caught fire. They never even had a chance to gather any valuables. By the time they got here, the house was fully engulfed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was spiraling in flames.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so he jumped in his truck and he said, we've got to go. And we just left.

SIMON: The fire at this point is no longer threatening anymore homes. Crews are optimistic the worst part is behind. On Saturday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and wife Maria toured the region and praised the nearly 4,000 firefighters battling the blaze.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: We are very proud of our firefighters. They are true heroes. Anytime anyone is risking their life to save other is a hero to me, and so I want to thank them all.

SIMON: As for Fred and Joanne, there were a few bright spots, literally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this is awesome, finding my original wedding ring. SIMON: And that pottery turtle? Well they didn't find the exact one they wanted, but did find his partner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You made it buddy.

SIMON: He won't be going far. The Kretchmers (ph) say they're committed to rebuilding in the exact same spots.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON: Well, that couple was actually fortunate because no one was hurt. But a short distance away from here, yesterday authorities found the body of a man whose family said he had been missing since early last week. His body was actually found about a half mile away from his home. At this point, it's unclear what happened. The cause of his death remains under investigation Fredricka, as for that fire, again, 60 percent containment, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dan Simon, thanks so much, in Pioneertown, California.

Heat so oppressive, you can almost see it. Take a look right there. Blistering temperatures are taking over much of the Midwest and the Northeast. You're looking at live pictures out of Philadelphia right now. These high temperatures don't seem to be going away any time soon, let's go live to the CNN Weather Center and see meteorologist Monica McNeal. Good to see you, it's out there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: And soon we're going to get back to our breaking news story, the crisis in the Middle East. We'll take you to the Israeli city of Haifa, a city on edge after today's deadly rocket attacks. Thousands of anxious Americans are trying to get out of Lebanon. When will the evacuations begin? We'll take a look. And then later, we'll take you out of this world. The shuttle Discovery is heading home soon. I talked with the astronauts a little earlier. Our space chat coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what we know right now, a U.S. military team arrives at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to help evacuate thousands of Americans stuck in Lebanon, Israel continues air strikes in southern Lebanon, Lebanese TV reports 20 people were killed in a strike in the port city of Tyre. Hezbollah rockets slam into three northern Israeli towns, including Haifa where at least eight are reported killed in Haifa. Those eight people and another 17 were wounded in that rocket attack on Haifa today. Hezbollah leader promises his fighters have more surprises for Israel. Haifa is on alert; CNN's Paula Hancocks has the latest.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The casualty toll on the Israeli side is rising, we know 12 servicemen so far have been killed since this escalation in violence from the Lebanese border last Wednesday and also 12 civilians have been killed. Now, eight of them were killed this Sunday morning at a train depot behind me. This is a depot that maintains the trains. Early this morning a rocket came through the roof and 30 people were working inside, eight of those died. One is now seriously injured and another 20 have been injured as well.

A few rockets have been heading towards Haifa this Sunday. There have been sirens, as well. When the sirens ring, everybody runs for shelter. There are many bomb shelters in this town. Haifa is 45 kilometers south of the Lebanese border, so the missiles are reaching that far. We have also had high profile politicians arriving to assess the damage and talk about what's happened. The French minister said if anybody hits Israel, then we will hit back harder and what he also said that was interesting saying that they will up root terror from where ever it is, but also any country that supports terror will be hit back strongly, so very strong words from the politicians.

Olmert saying it will have severe consequences. Many of the people in northern Israel is staying inside, many sleeping in bomb shelters. This is Israel's third largest city.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Haifa, northern Israel.

WHITFIELD: Well is this a precursor for a regional conflict? And what happens to the chances for peace overall in the Middle East. Let's talk with Al Nasr (ph) senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council of Foreign Relations. He joins us from San Diego, California. Good to see you.

AL NASR, COUNCIL of FOREIGN RELATIONS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Did this conflict sort of sneak up? Was it overlooked? Was the potential there, following the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister in 2005?

NASR: To some extent no. Hezbollah had been gearing up against Israel for a while and particularly saying it would go out to support Hamas. What nobody expected was it was likely to attack Israel so promptly and escalate so rapidly.

WHITFIELD: Right now these firings seem to involve Hezbollah and Israel. In your view what other countries could potentially militarily be involved?

NASR: Well, Syria and Iran, are no doubt are providing Hezbollah with support even if they are not involved in the planning of the attacks. They are the main backers of Hezbollah. If Israel decides to escalate the conflict by attacking Syria or an Iranian target, we could have a far broader regional conflict on our hands.

WHITFIELD: Do you see that Syria could be a target? Even though we heard from the Israeli government they are asking that Syria get more involved by helping to clamp down on Hezbollah. Do you actually see any strikes taking place involving that country?

NASR: Well, Israel has been threatening to strike Syria and this might put pressure on the international community, on to, in turn, get the Syrians to help resolving the crisis. But it really comes down to whether Israel sees it's in its interests to push the conflict onto Syria or Lebanon.

WHITFIELD: Are you getting a sense that many Arab states are supporting what Hezbollah is doing?

NASR: They will have no choice to do so if public opinion on the Arab street becomes sympathetic to both Hamas and Hezbollah and sees their actions against Israel in an heroic way there is no room for the government in the regions but to support Hezbollah's position and at the same time try to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

WHITFIELD: How involved should the U.S. be?

NASR: It should be very involved. If the conflict escalates much further, there will be anti-Americanism in the region, pressure on our allies, and we can have far greater difficulty managing peace and prosperity in the region.

WHITFIELD: When we say more involved what does that mean, more than just dialogue or does it mean strictly some instructions coming from the U.S. to Israel, for example?

NASR: We have to try to make the conflict limited. That means encouraging Israelis to maintain restraint and putting pressure on the Arab countries to also restrain Hezbollah and Hamas. But in the long run means the U.S. has to come up with a plan about engaging everybody in the region to make sure that we don't have eruptions of the kind we have seen this past week.

WHITFIELD: And the flip side to that at the G8 Summit there taking place in Russia, the Italian prime minister apparently has made some dialogue with Tehran saying Tehran Iran needs to be more directly involved in issuing dialogue or instruction to Hezbollah, do you agree that?

NASR: Yes, I think the Iranians want the world to know that they are far more important than they've been viewed. In other words they hold a lot of cards in the region, they can escalate tension and conversely they can play a very positive role if they choose to do so and I think the Italian prime minister is merely recognizing that.

WHITFIELD: Ali Nasr of the Council of Foreign Relations. Thank you so much.

NASR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Our top stories. President Bush joins his G8 counterparts calling for an immediate end to the escalating violence in the Middle East. The joint statement calls for an end to terror attacks against Israel and return kidnapped Israeli soldiers. It also calls upon the Jewish state to exercise utmost restraint.

In Iraq more deadly violence, a suicide bomber blew up a popular Shiite restaurant during dinnertime. At least 10 people died in the explosion. There are reports that more were killed. It happened this evening in a town of Tyre in Northern Iraq.

California Yucca Valley is still burning. And firefighters say rain forecasts for this afternoon may help and it also could hinder efforts. While moisture would help extinguish the flames, storms could create flooding in fire scorched canyons and even spark lightning.

The New York doctor suspected of blowing up his townhouse Monday morning died last night from injuries received in the blast. Suspicions around that Nicholas Bartha engineered the explosion that leveled his 4 million residences. The property was to be auctioned as part of a settlement deal with his estranged wife.

Next, what the U.S. Embassy in Beirut is doing to secure the safety of American in Lebanon and why it may take days to accomplish that mission as our coverage of the crises in the Middle East continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what we know right now, President Bush and G8 leaders issue a joint statement calling on all sides of the current Middle East crisis to end the violence. Meanwhile the Canadian foreign ministry confirms an Israeli air strike killed eight Canadian citizens in Lebanon today. And the French government says it is sending a ferry to the port of Beirut with the hopes of evacuating Europeans beginning tomorrow afternoon.

Mean while the U.S. state department is finalizing its evacuation plan for the estimated 25,000 American nationals now in Lebanon, only 800 have checked in with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, but for Americans like Maya Osterman, survival takes precedence over getting out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYA OSTERMAN, HAIFA UNIVERSITY STUDENT: We were in the bomb shelter Thursday when the first bomb hit and everything was fine in the beginning, they told us we were going to be safe then I woke up this morning to go to class and there were two bombs going off which is never a nice thing to hear. Then over the loudspeaker they tell us to go immediately to the bomb shelters. So everyone ran there, we've been stuck there all day. You know, constantly hearing bombs going off, trying to listen to the radio. We don't know that much Hebrew, so it's very hard to understand. It's pretty chaotic right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Let's check in now with CNN's Gary Nurenberg who is live in our Washington, D.C. Bureau for the latest on evacuation efforts Gary.

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening Fredricka. You know, Maya is doing exactly what the state department wants Americans in Lebanon to do, stay in a safe place until evacuation plans are complete. They have been trying to plan this for days but this evening there are some new players. Two CH-53 heavy helicopters like these left from the American embassy. A military evacuation planning and security team.

JUIET WORR, U.S. EMBASSY SPOKESPERSON: Experts who have helped move large numbers of people if needed they are going to be reviewing all the different options.

NURENBERG: Those options are limited by bombing damage to Beirut's airport and highway system. The American military is coordinating evacuation procedures with Lebanon and Israel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important for us first, to make sure the Israelis know where the Americans are. So they have that knowledge and intelligence.

NURENBERG: And don't hit Americans by mistake. There is some sense of urgency.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to get worse before it gets better. We don't want to discover afterwards that Americans citizens were trapped in a situation where we could have gotten them out.

NURENBERG: The financial cost to evacuees has not yet been determined but they may have to pay seats on chartered aircraft. The state department is urging Americans to stay in a safe place rather than escaping by roads, which have been subject to air strikes.

The helicopters that deliver that evacuation team to the Embassy Sunday took out at least 20 passengers, some students, some with pressing medical needs others are waiting to hear when it's their turn.

WURR: I know there are many people who are feeling quite panicked, but they should know we are working 24/7 on this and we will get them out as soon as we can.

NURENBERG: The Embassy continues to urge Americans to register on-line so they can be contacted when evacuation plans are finalized. Neither the state nor the defense departments were willing to say when those plans will be ready.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Gary thanks so much.

Let's go to the update desk now with Anand Naidoo with more information on a developing story.

Anand.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks Fredricka. We are getting some information coming into the international desk here, this information being reported by Israel television, Channel 2, it says three rockets, possibly Katyushas they haven't confirmed that yet, have fallen on Nazareth, and a place called Givard Aran (ph) this is area north of Galilee (ph) in Israel. It would be the deepest strikes yet into the northern part of Israel. These have gone further south since Haifa. So far the strikes most of the militant strikes on northern Israel have concentrated on the towns of Haifa and Nahariya.

There have been strikes on Tiberus; there have been strikes on Tobarea (ph). That is pretty far south from the Lebanese border. These go even further than that Israel television, Channel 2 saying three rockets, possibly Katyushas, have fallen further south. The idea has confirmed that there were strikes on these three towns. We don't have any information on it. I will bring you more of that information as we get it here.

WHITFIELD: And Anand how populated would Nazareth be?

NAIDOO: These are fairly heavily populated centers, a high civilian population. These rockets have reached these areas.

WHITFIELD: All right. Anand Naidoo thanks so much for that update and of course when we get more we will be bringing it to you. More CNN right after this.

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WHITFIELD: More on our continuing coverage of the crises in the Middle East. I want to go back to Anand Naidoo who was reporting just moments ago what appears to be a further south in Israel strike of these missiles, this time hitting the historic city of Nazareth. What's the latest?

NAIDOO: The Israeli defense force has confirmed that three rockets landed on the towns of Nazareth, and Afula (ph) and also Givots (ph) that is an area north of Jenin in Israel. These would be the deepest strikes by militants in Israel so far. Most of the strikes in the past few days have concentrated in the north on the cities of Haifa and Nahariya. But now the rockets have reached very far south going onto Narareth.

The further south strikes were in the towns of Tiberius; these are coastal towns, towns on the sea of Gala Lee. But now these strikes go beyond that. Earlier today strikes by militants on the town of Haifa. The coastal town, the harbor town of Haifa, killed eight people and wounded 17 and hit the railway station in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing eight people and wounding 17, we are trying to get more information on these strikes on Nazareth and we will bring you that information as we get it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Just to stir people's memory, Nazareth being historically significant, being the place where Jesus' parents resided. Now it's a big tourist attraction, but of course we will get more information from you Anand and other sources as we learn about how these strikes may have indeed taken place today. Thanks so much.

And other news -- the crew aboard space shuttle "Discovery" is preparing to return home. Mission control has given "Discovery" the green light to attempt a landing tomorrow at the Kennedy Space Center. Earlier today I talked with the "Discovery" crew.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: All right. Very good, Commander Steve Lindsey, let me begin with you, let's talk safety and inspection issues. You have been looking at a pressure leak in an auxiliary power unit. What is an APU, and what have you discovered?

COMMANDER STEVE LINDSEY, "DISCOVERY" ASTRONAUT: Well, APU is essentially a unit that powers some hydraulic pumps that drive our flight control system; they drive our main engines and flight control systems. And we use them for landing. And so we had a -- they weren't sure but it looked like a very, very slow leak. Still not completely sure about it. What we did this morning is actually did what is called a flight control system checkout.

We powered up that APU, checked it out and looked out the windows, and saw all the surfaces, and the elevators, moving and through the course of that test, we verified that we think the APU is healthy for re-entry. So the plan is to run that system just like the other systems, normally and we think we will have all three systems for entry.

WHITFIELD: All right good news. Stephanie Wilson, let me ask you, you and the crew have been using robotic arms to inspect the wings for any kind of space junk damage, how does it look?

STEPHANIE WILSON, "DISCOVERY" ASTRONAUT: The vehicle looked very clean when we did that inspection yesterday, we did the port wing before we undocked and then we did the star board wing after undocking and we looked at some of the sensor data while doing the inspection and then down linked it to the ground and we heard this morning that the vehicle has been cleared for entry so it looks very good.

WHITFIELD: Piers Sellers, you conducted that telephone poll-like walk recently and got a chance to inspect the shuttle heat shield for any kind of repair technique, are you confident, if necessary, to do repairs, that you will be able to do so?

PIERS SELLERS, "DISCOVERY" ASTRONAUT: I think we are all pretty confident now that we can work off of this boom arm system, we can reach any damage and we will be able to do repair. The next part we will find out in the next month or so is if the repair technology itself will work.

WHITFIELD: And Mark Kelly, this is the second manned mission in the past three and a half years with a scheduled launch for "Atlantis" next month. Is this an indication to you that NASA is officially back in business?

MARK KELLY, "DISCOVERY" ASTRONAUT: Well, we had a lot of objectives on this mission. Fortunately, we were able to complete all those objectives and get in a good position to fly "Atlantis" in August. I think we are there and I think there's a good shot of us doing that, and hopefully we will continue on with the schedule and get the space station built.

WHITFIELD: Well to the flight crew there "Discovery," best of wishes to you. Job well done. Have a safe return home and a successful landing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

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WHITFIELD: Well, weather permitting, "Discovery" will touch down in Florida at 9:14 a.m. Eastern, stay with CNN for our live coverage. And stay with CNN LIVE SUNDAY as our coverage of the Middle East crises continues. We the conflict escalates? We will talk to a former U.S. Ambassador who has spent time in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

At 9:00 p.m. Eastern a special live edition of Larry King, Larry looks at what the U.S. can do to bring peace to the region. At 10:00 p.m., Anderson Cooper reports live from the frontlines but first the headlines in three minutes.

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