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CNN Live Saturday

Israeli Tanks Withdraw From Gaza

Aired December 15, 2001 - 16:13   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The situation in the Middle East remains so volatile that a U.S. envoy who's been trying to broker a cease-fire is leaving the region, at least for now. Today, Israel began withdrawing its forces from a town in Gaza, but not before rounding up more Palestinian suspects. CNN's Chris Burns has details from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israel's iron- fisted response to terror attacks comes down hard again in the Gaza Strip. Tanks back up Israeli security forces facing off with Palestinian protesters. More dead and wounded in another incursion the Israeli government says is aimed at rounding up and disarming Palestinian militants. The operation stirs wider Palestinian anger.

More air strikes overnight back up Israeli ground forces. They bomb what the Israelis say are terrorist targets. This time a compound belonging to Force 17, the elite body guard of the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, the man Israel now says is not only irrelevant, but responsible for terror attacks.

As the casualties and destruction mount, diplomacy flounders. The Palestinians seek support from the U.N., a resolution calling for an end to violence and international monitoring. The United States vetoes the measure that would have otherwise have passed, saying it fails to address the terror attacks. The Israelis contend the resolution would have taken the pressure off Arafat to crack down on the militants.

RA'ANAN GISSIN, SHARON SPOKESMAN: He always asks the U.N. to protect them, to send them a shield so that he can continue in the same policy. He does not need to be encouraged to do that. He needs to be pressured to change his ways.

BURNS: The Palestinian Authority says Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's crackdown is collective punishment that must be stopped before it's too late.

SAEB ARAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: We have serious food shortages, serious medical shortages and serious petroleum shortages, and we really need the international community to have an eye opener and see that Sharon is taking 3.2 million Palestinians and taking them as hostages. BURNS (on camera): A U.S. led mediation effort meanwhile appears to have run aground. U.S. Envoy Anthony Zinni is spending the weekend in Jordan and Egypt after his talks here failed to even slow the spiral of violence.

Chris Burns, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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