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CNN Live At Daybreak

In the Middle East, Some of the Wounds May Never Heal

Aired December 07, 2001 - 05:06   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the situation in the Middle East, where Israeli war planes are now hitting new targets in the Palestinian areas. Early this morning, air strikes hit a Palestinian security compound in Gaza City. At least two explosions were heard in that area. That attack injured at least 17 people, including a 13-year-old boy.

And coming up, we'll have a live update from Gaza and Jerusalem. That's at the bottom of the hour. Stay with us for that.

And as the Middle East peace process lies wounded, so do some of the young victims of the recent suicide bombings that took place in Jerusalem.

But as CNN's Chris Burns reports from Jerusalem, some of the wounds may never heal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fifteen-year-old Slomi Hanna (ph) gets a visit from a friend, like him, wounded in last weekend's triple bombing in Jerusalem. Two other friends didn't make it. Golan and Asaf (ph)were among the 10 young people who perished in the blasts.

Suicide bombers riddled Slomi's legs with shrapnel. My friend was lying next to me, injured in the head and bleeding, he says. I shouted, "Asaf, get up." He never did.

Slomi made it to the hospital, where doctors extracted eight bolts from his legs. More still need to be removed. What makes it even more painful for Slomi is that he earlier persuaded his friends not to head home sooner.

(on camera): Which hurts more, the physical pain or the pain in your heart?

(voice-over): In my heart, he says.

BURNS (on camera): Why?

(voice-over): There's nothing you can do about it. This will get better, he says, looking down at his legs. This will never get better, he says, pointing to his heart. Here, the X-ray of a 17-year-old youth struggling to recover from operations that removed bolts in his stomach, bowel and bladder.

UNIDENTIFIED PHYSICIAN: And we don't know yet if all these bolts will come out or not. Sometimes you can have them as a scar for the rest of your life.

BURNS: How to heal the scars and wounds of the peace process, as more Jewish and Palestinian youths are killed and maimed in the conflict. Ariella Feinstein, a student from Los Angeles, was injured in the face and legs by the bombings and struggles for an answer.

(on camera): When you talk to Palestinians on the other side who talk about how their children are dying in the intifada and they say well, these are, this is just a reprisal for what, for the deaths of our children, how would you respond to them?

ARIELLA FEINSTEIN, BOMBING VICTIM: In the past any children who was hurt, it was an accident. It was not, it wasn't because, you know, every time Israel tries to defend itself, they give a 24 hour warning about where they're going to, what they're going to do and where. And if someone gets hurt, of course, you know, of course my heart goes out to anybody who's hurt. Of course.

BURNS (voice-over): Palestinians would dispute her reasoning. But both sides share the same desire, for suffering like this to stop.

Chris Burns, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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