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Breaking News

10 Wounded, 5 Seriously by Palestinian Gunman in East Jerusalem

Aired February 25, 2002 - 12:03   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We do have breaking news, and you'll have to work with me, because my computer's back here. We're getting word that a Palestinian gunman opened fire in an Israeli neighborhood in East Jerusalem today. We're getting word that seven people have been wounded and five of those, seriously.

We have our Mike Hanna -- actually Mike Hanna is ready to go -- and he's in Jerusalem. Mike, what's the latest you can tell me?

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, at the moment, we're receiving reports from ambulance officials, saying that at least 10 people have been wounded in this attack. Police at the scene say that at least one Palestinian gunman has been shot and apprehended at the scene. The shooting occurred in an area of East Jerusalem, an area annexed by Israel in 1967. Details sparse, at the moment.

However, from the initial report, it does appear that a Palestinian, at least one, opened fire on a group of Israelis, in an Israeli neighborhood, in East Jerusalem. 10 people, we are told now by ambulance officials, have been wounded. Five of these are said to be in a serious condition. Back to you.

KAGAN: And Mike, to put this in context, of latest in the Mideast peace effort. Israeli officials saying that Yasser Arafat can leave his compound in Ramallah but not allowed to -- not allowed to leave the city itself?

HANNA: Yes. Well, the significance of this was the Palestinian leadership was outraged at the Israeli cabinet decision, taken Sunday, to continue restricting Yasser Arafat to the West Bank city of Ramallah. Not allowing him to travel anywhere. And, as a result of that, a security meeting which had been planned later Sunday between Palestinian and Israeli security chiefs was boycotted by the Palestinians.

Now, this is important in that, towards the end of last week, security chiefs held a meeting. They agreed to some sort of steps on the ground to begin to impose a cease-fire. However there has been no security liaison since this meeting. That meeting that had been due to take place, boycotted by the Palestinians, because of the Israeli decision to continue to restrict Arafat to Ramallah.

So, certainly, this could have been a contributory factor to the fact that, over past day, there have been a series of attacks in various parts of the West Bank and -- and the Gaza Strip and now in East Jerusalem as well. Early on in the day, at least two Palestinians were shot at road blocks by Israeli forces, and in the course of the afternoon, two Israelis were shot and killed in a Palestinian gun attack in the West Bank.

So, this incident of reports we are receiving now from East Jerusalem, in which 10 people are reported to have been wounded by a Palestinian gunman, the latest in a sequence of violent events in the course of the day.

KAGAN: The cycle goes on. Mike Hanna in Jerusalem. Thank you very much.

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