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CNN Live Saturday

Militant Members of Hamas Threaten Revenge After Death of Abu Hanoud

Aired November 24, 2001 - 16:09   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.
JONATHAN MANN, CNN ANCHOR: To the Middle East now, where militant members of Hamas are threatening revenge on Israelis after the death of a top military leader. Earlier today, about 50,000 Palestinians marched in the funeral procession, chanting that their response would be quote "very soon and very strong."

Mahmoud Abu Hanoud was among three people killed yesterday when Israeli helicopters fired missiles into their car. He was wanted by Israel in connection with suicide attacks.

As CNN's James Martone explains, now the attack comes amid new U.S. efforts to revive peace talks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES MARTONE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Israeli helicopter attack on Hamas leadership diminishes any chances for breakthroughs in peace, says the Arab League. The tension escalating just before U.S. envoys arrived in the region on a peace mission.

AMRE MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL: This is a serious challenge to the chances of success of the envoys, because I don't think they can perform their duties or the mission while the Israelis continue to destroy and kill. And so havoc in the occupied territories.

MARTONE: The Arab League represents the Arab's world's 22 nations, most of which welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's announcement of a new effort to get Palestinian-Israeli peace talks resumed. The U.S. effort begins with the assignment of two U.S. envoys, retired Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns. The Arab League says the first duty of those envoys should now be to address what it calls the Israeli policy of destruction or face an end to the peace process.

MOUSSA: They don't go together. They do not go together. A mission to establish peace and another mission of destruction. One has to stop.

MARTONE (on camera): The Secretary General said that Arab countries saw the latest attacks on Palestinians as an Israeli refusal of the U.S. initiatives. Now the Arab League says the United States must take a tough line with Israel if the U.S. peace effort is to have any chance of success.

James Martone, CNN, Cairo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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