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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Continues Anti-Terrorist Campaign in West Bank

Aired January 22, 2002 - 05:15   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And now to the Middle East. The Israeli military's occupation of a Palestinian held city is over. But Israeli forces are pressing their anti-terror campaign in another part of the West Bank.

CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Mike Hanna has details on that -- Mike.

Mike, can you hear me?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Israel continuing extensive operations, saying it is attempting to crack down on Palestinian militants because the Palestinian Authority is not doing so.

In the course of the morning, Israeli forces entered the West Bank city of Nablus and there they killed a number of Palestinians, at least four Palestinians killed. According to Israel, all of those dead were members of the militant Hamas movement. Palestinian sources have confirmed to CNN that at least two of those killed by Israeli forces were senior members of the armed wing of the militant Hamas group.

Israel says these men had been involved in attacks against Israeli civilian targets and were planning further such attacks.

Within the last hour, reports from Nablus of angry crowds gathering outside the prison in the city, demanding that the Palestinian Authority release a Hamas prisoner who it is still holding in that prison. The Israeli forces withdrew from Nablus after their operation, although they are still maintaining a blockade of that city.

Earlier on in the day, two Israeli forces withdrew from the West Bank city of Tulkarem, where they've been mounting a massive reoccupation of the city, effectively. Israeli forces took over that city for a period of 30 hours. This is the first time that Israeli forces have reoccupied a Palestinian city since an agreement was reached for their withdrawal some seven years ago. But the Israeli forces withdraw now from Tulkarem. However, it is reported that they continue to maintain their blockade of that city.

Israel says it will continue such operations in order to crack down on Palestinian militants in order to prevent attacks against Israeli targets. The Palestinian Authority continues to insist it's doing all it can to curtail the activities of militants, but saying that the ongoing Israeli blockade, the restrictions on the freedom of Palestinian movement are all major stumbling blocks in terms of the Palestinian Authority being able to crack down on the militants.

Israel says it will do so if the Palestinian Authority does not.

I'm Mike Hanna, CNN, reporting live from Jerusalem.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Mike Hanna reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning.

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