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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel to Withdrawal if Palestinians Observe Cease-Fire

Aired October 26, 2001 - 07:38   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Israel now says it might or it will withdrawal from Palestinian areas of the West Bank if Palestinians observe a cease-fire. The terms of the withdrawal may be negotiated today in a meeting of Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel is covering the developments from Jerusalem. He has the latest from there now.

Good morning, Jerrold.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula, and I think the conditional that you put into that clause about whether Israel will withdrawal is still out. Israeli tanks remain in Bethlehem and other Palestinian towns this morning, but there are indications that they could be withdrawn soon, probably.

The Israeli Security Cabinet under Prime Minister Sharon met for more than four hours late into the night and then announced that they decided unanimously for what's called a phased withdrawal, a phased pullback of the Israeli troops and tanks from the six towns in which they've been entrenched over the last nine days. But the Israelis say this is conditional on the -- on a cease-fire coming into force and on Palestinian police taking over and inserting their authority in areas from which Israel withdrawals and beginning to move against Palestinian militants.

There was fighting again on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem but really this is the outcome after nine days of the Israeli entrenchment which came in the wake of the killing of an Israeli cabinet minister. The broadest assault that Israel has launched in a year of fighting against Palestinian areas in which up to 50 Palestinians were killed, many of them gunmen and armed policemen but many also are bystanders. And the Israelis now, as that Security Commission begins to try to meet to implement this, facing the prospect of seeing more pressure from the international community to withdrawal but adamant that their security interests must also come into account and be taken into account by the United States -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jerrold, thank you so much for that update. We'll be watching that very closely later today. See you in a little bit.

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