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Israeli Helicopters Fire Missiles Into Gaza, Refugee Camp

Aired June 19, 2002 - 14:49   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First it was a terrorist attack, a suicide bomber exploding himself up at a Jerusalem bus stop. Now, three hours later, airstrikes in Gaza.

Christiane Amanpour joins us live with the details of what's happening there this evening -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the last few minutes, the Israelis have apparently started firing missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip. According to sources there they counted four Apache helicopters. They counted six missiles being fired from those helicopters at targets in Gaza City and the Jebalia refugee camp there, near Gaza City.

We don't know the specific targets and we don't know the specific damage or causalities. But earlier today we were talking with an Israeli government spokesman who said, very clearly, that logic would dictate that Israel would respond for the latest Palestinian suicide bombing attack that caused seven causalities, at least, in east Jerusalem today, and something like 37 people have been wounded.

You know that the Israeli government has articulated a major shift in policy early this morning, in response to yesterday's suicide bombing attack. And that policy includes going into areas under Palestinian control, capturing, seizing those territories, and now holding on to them, pending a halt in terrorist attacks.

This is a major new phase in the Israeli response. And spokesman told us that we were likely to see more territory being seized in response to today's attack. Israel has already moved into Jenin in the early hours of this morning, and into other towns in the West Bank. And we're perhaps going to see more.

Now, we've had more details on some of the people who were wounded. As I say, at least 37 people have been wounded. Some of them have been wounded critically. Amongst the injured, we're told by hospital sources, is a 6-year-old child and also two 18-month-old children. One of them, we're told, is a girl who was seriously hurt.

And another, a young boy who was brought in not by his parents. And hospital staff don't know where his parents are. They may have been causalities -- worse-off causalities, in that suicide bombing.

Again, Israeli appears to have launched the beginning of a retaliation for today's -- this evening's suicide attack here in Jerusalem -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, live from Jerusalem, thank you.

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