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CNN Live At Daybreak

Sharon Agrees to Conditional, Staggered Troop Withdrawal

Aired October 26, 2001 - 05:30   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Critical matter on the periphery of the conflict in Afghanistan is the conflict in the Middle East. That region remains tense after deadly Israeli incursions in the West Bank this week.

Our Jerrold Kessel joins us now live. He's got the latest from Jerusalem. Hello Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Leon.

Israeli tanks this morning in Bethlehem and other Palestinian towns across the West Bank, but they could be on their way out soon -- probably that is possibly because even as fighting continue to rage overnight on the outskirts of Jerusalem near Bethlehem, the Israel security cabinet and the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convene for more than four hours and then decided unanimously to begin what's called a staggered pullout of the Israeli troops from the six Palestinian towns in which they've been entrenched.

This, on condition, Israel says, condition that the quiet be kept in those areas that Palestinian troops of Yasser Arafat move in to ensure quiet from where Israeli troops are withdrawn and that the Palestinian police begin to go after Palestinian militants. Those are the Israeli conditions. Now this nine-day Israeli assault into Palestinian areas coming in the wake of the killing of an Israeli cabinet minister was the broadest Israeli military offensive against the Palestinian areas in more than a year of fighting.

And the Israelis during that period -- more than 40 Palestinians were killed. Some of them militants, gunmen and Palestinian police, but others also civilian bystanders. Israel also says it's arrested some several dozen Palestinians suspected of being involved in activity by the militant groups, what Israel calls a terrorism.

Now despite the intense international pressure including that from the United States, under which Israel has been operating over the last couple of days, Israeli ministers adamant this morning that if the -- their conditions are not met, then the withdrawal will be stopped or not followed through at this staggered level, if the Palestinians don't comply.

And just as Israeli and Palestinian security officials are due to meet together with American security officials in a couple of hours to try to consolidate agreement for this Israeli withdrawal, the volatility of the situation underlined by the fact that there's been another incident down in Gaza.

Three armed Palestinians shot and killed, Israel says, as they were trying to penetrate one of the Jewish settlements in the northern part of Gaza. The Israelis say that they encountered them on the perimeter fence. The militants radical Islamic group, Hamas, claims responsibility, says they belong to its group and that a number of Israeli soldiers were killed in the encounter. The Israeli army denying that.

This volatility underlying the situation that while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is adamant that Israel, he has no intention of keeping Israeli forces indefinitely in Palestinian areas or trying to unseat Yasser Arafat. With the top Israeli military commanders warning ominously that with withdrawal, there could be fresh attacks by Palestinian militants just around the corner. So there seems to be no guarantee that even if Israel does withdraw its troops soon from those Palestinian areas, they won't be sent back in again.

Leon.

HARRIS: All right, had quite a tangled web there. Jerrold Kessel, thank you very much. Jerrold Kessel reporting live this morning from Jerusalem.

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