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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Offers Pullout Deal to Palestinians

Aired August 19, 2002 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Israeli military commanders are meeting today to decide how and when to begin a pullout from parts of Gaza and the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The conditional withdrawal follows, believe it or not, amicable talks -- amicable talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel has an update now live from Jerusalem.

Jerrold -- these were amicable talks?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'll go even further that than. It seems not only amicable in the mood, but also a tentative agreement coming out of that, Carol. And whether this is a major turning point in this two-year conflict, too early to tell, very much too early, and a lot will depend on what happens in the implementation of this tentative agreement.

But certainly, the spirits seemed to be there already, as the two sides under the top security official, the Palestinian interior minister, General El Yehiya, and the Israeli defense minister, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, and the atmosphere was good. And then, came the word of that tentative agreement, where the two sides agreed to try to hold down the degree of violence, and also to ease the Israeli military restrictions and military clamp-down on the Palestinians.

Israeli officials are calling this a glimmer of hope, and Palestinian officials are expressing equally guarded optimism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The agreement, which took place yesterday, was an important agreement. So far, the most important thing is the implementation of that agreement. We want to see an Israeli withdrawal, immediate withdrawal, from Bethlehem and Gaza, and this is the test for confidence and this is the test which we are looking for. We hope that this step will be followed by other steps, in order to reach an agreement for an immediate withdrawal of the Israeli troops from all of the West Bank and Gaza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the Palestinians seem ready to go forward, and we are saying to them, "Go ahead." I should also say that we are ready to help in any way we can, in order to let them "go ahead" in any way that they possibly can, including taking possible calculated risks.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KESSEL: Well, if it works out, then this could be the trend of things to come. Israeli forces pulling out of the Palestinian areas, which they have reoccupied in recent weeks and months in a bid to cut down Palestinian terror attacks at its source. And the Israelis will also ease their restrictions on Palestinian civilians, like at checkpoints. It will begin in Gaza and Bethlehem, all provided that the Palestinian security apparatus takes responsibility for the stopping of violence there and the stopping of all attacks on the Israelis from those designated areas. And then, it could spread if it takes hold, but that's looking down the line.

Already the Israelis are warning that the war on terror, if the terror continues, will not cease. And ominously, the Palestinian militant groups, like Hamas and Islamic jihad, are saying outright that they will not abide by this agreement, which they see as an Israeli attempt to undercut the Palestinian intifada uprising.

And Israel's attention is focused today on the northern part of the country, where there are warnings of an eminent terror attack. So talks, but also wariness is the order of the day -- Carol.

COSTELLO: But some glimmer of hope, finally. Thank you, Jerrold Kessel, reporting live from Jerusalem this morning.

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