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Israel: Suicide Bomber Kills at Least Five, Injures More Than 30

Aired May 18, 2001 - 05:04   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.
LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get right back to our breaking story: word of a bomb blast in Israel. We have the opportunity to take you live to Jerusalem. That's where Mike Hanna is standing by.

Mike, what can you tell us about this?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, initial reports say there was an explosion in the coastal town of Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv. According to police, the explosion occurred at the entrance to a shopping mall. They say that a man with explosives strapped to his body detonated the explosives.

Initial reports say that more than 30 people have been injured. Israel army radio reports that five people are dead, including the person who allegedly detonated the explosion -- at this stage, no confirmation on that figure of dead. However, it is understood that more than 30 people have been wounded in the blast.

Initial reports say that the man attempted to gain access to the shopping mall. He was refused entrance by a security guard and then, according to eyewitnesses, detonated the explosives strapped to his body -- at this stage, then, Israel army radio reporting five people dead, more than 30 people injured at this particular point -- the exact number of dead not officially confirmed at this stage -- back to you.

STOUFFER: Mike, I know this is just developing, but any idea who that man was, who he might represent?

HANNA: At this stage, no group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack. In the past, activists from Islamic Jihad and the Hamas militant movement have claimed responsibility for such attacks.

The Israeli government, in the past, has laid responsibility for these bombing attacks on the Palestinian Authority, saying that attacks result from the Palestinian Authority's decision to release from prison known activists belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad -- but at this point, no claims of responsibility from any organization, no sign, no indication from police who they believe is responsible for this bomb blast.

STOUFFER: Mike, any indication that this is some sort of escalation of the violence there?

HANNA: Well, there has been a concern for a period of time about the possibility of bomb attacks on civilian targets within Israel. This nation has been at a state of high alert for a long period of time. There have been several such bomb attacks on civilian targets in the past -- this yet another, it appears, in the long list of such attacks.

As to an escalation, well, as I said, there have been a number of attacks in recent months, throughout the seven months of this ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It's too soon to say, at this particular stage, whether the -- this single attack does mean an escalation or whether it's part of an ongoing pattern of conflict.

At this stage, just to confirm, we understand more than 30 people injured -- 32 people is the figure being given at the moment. And according to radio reports, five people dead, including the person who allegedly was carrying the explosives.

STOUFFER: Well, Mike, I know you're just getting details on this so I'll let you get back to work, but thanks a lot. And maybe we'll see you a little bit later when we have an update -- mike Hanna in Jerusalem with the latest on what appears to be a suicide bomber attack at the entrance to a shopping mall in the town of Netanya. We'll keep you posted.

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