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Israeli Forces Hit Alleged Rocket Factories; Palestinian Gunmen Kill Four

Aired July 26, 2002 - 14:15   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Israeli forces carried out a pinpoint operation against two purported rocket factories in Gaza. Hours later, Palestinian gunmen ambushed two carloads of Israeli settlers near the West Bank city of Hebron. At least four settlers were killed.

Chris Burns is live from Jerusalem with more on this -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades are claiming this attack or this bit of -- there's a bit of echo in my ear. If you can cut that.

The attack happened on a settler route on the West Bank, a major thoroughfare that was built for the settlers, that attack happening earlier this evening. According to authorities, this was a drive-by shooting. This was a car of Palestinian militants that fired on two different cars of Israeli settlers. Those cars were about 2 1/2 miles apart. In those cars, there were casualties; there are four dead, including a father, a mother, and son, and plus one other person who was killed. Two people were injured, one of them seriously. And that is the count we have as far as casualties.

The Israeli Defense Forces say they have gone after those militants. They say they have locked down a Palestinian village of Yatta. They say they have locked that down with a curfew and are searching for those militants. So the search goes on.

This, of course, comes after a retaliation threats by Palestinian militant in the wake of the Israeli attack in Gaza that killed a chief militant, the head of the military fact part of the one of the groups in Gaza, Hamas group, and also 14 other civilians, including nine children. That has outraged quite a few Palestinians and has caused these militant groups to threaten to make every Israeli a target. So there have been a number of attacks in recent days; however, this is the bloodiest yet -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Chris, I hope you're able to hear me OK now. Is everything fixed?

BURNS: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Very good.

A quick question for you, then. A Israeli defense minister earlier today talked about a massive retaliation. What's the word there? Is this just the beginning of a lot more to come?

BURNS: Well, Israeli forces have already locked down seven of the eight main cities in the west bank for the past month, That operation, Determined Path, aimed at stopping any militant attacks. Those attacks have, however, persisted, Perhaps on a lower level. But they have persisted. Israeli forces, they've vowed to remain in those areas until the situation is calmer -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Chris Burns, live from Jerusalem. Thanks, Chris.

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