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One Killed, 25 Wounded as Result of Israeli Military Operation
Aired June 13, 2003 - 14:35 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to move on now to CNN correspondent Kelly Wallace, who has the very latest for us on the situation we have been telling you about all afternoon in Gaza, where we are now learning from Palestinian health workers that one person killed and 25 wounded in an Israeli missile attack on a car in Gaza City. Kelly, what are you hearing now there?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest, Heidi, is, yes, in fact, one person killed, believed to be a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the group's military wing, a 29- year-old by the name of Fowad Al-Dayi (ph). As you said also, 25 people injured. Among those injured, seven children.
To put this into context, it is now the sixth Israeli air strike in four days in the Gaza Strip, and earlier on this day, of course, there were funerals in the Gaza Strip for the eight people killed in Thursday's operation.
Israeli officials, military officials are saying that Israeli helicopters fired on this car because they believe the two men in the car were going to carry out and fire homemade rockets against Israelis. In fact, privately, military sources say they have information that to believe that the men were loading the rockets into the car and were getting ready, again, to fire rockets at Israeli neighborhoods.
Earlier on this day, one homemade rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at an Israeli neighborhood, severely damaging a home, sending a few people into shock. But no one seriously injured.
The big picture here, Heidi, Israeli officials say they are going to go after Hamas, quote, "forcefully." And Israeli officials are stepping up the war of words, one source calling this an all-out war, others are now saying that Hamas is Israel's al Qaeda.
On the other side, Palestinians are expressing a great deal of frustration on the streets, and even privately, in our talks with sources, they thought -- some sources thought they were making headway with the Israelis to try to convince them to stop operations, such as the one we saw on this night, to try and pave the way for the two sides to get talking again, and possibly to help the Palestinians rebuild security forces in the Gaza Strip and restart cease-fire talks with groups such as Hamas.
There is still some diplomacy going on behind the scenes. We were told before this latest operation that there could be high level security talks between Israelis and Palestinians as early as Saturday evening. And as you and Chris were no doubt talking about, John Wolf, the assistant secretary of state, is expected to be in the region as early as this weekend. We are told he will meet with Israeli officials, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, his foreign and defense minister as early as Saturday evening, and then ultimately be meeting with Palestinian officials.
He has a huge challenge ahead, Heidi, because the sentiment in this region is that if this Mideast road map is not dead, then it's definitely right now in critical, critical condition -- Heidi.
COLLINS: No question about that, Kelly, from the video that we're watching on the right-hand side of the screen there, next to you. Thanks so much, Kelly Wallace, coming to us live from Gaza.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Operation>
Aired June 13, 2003 - 14:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to move on now to CNN correspondent Kelly Wallace, who has the very latest for us on the situation we have been telling you about all afternoon in Gaza, where we are now learning from Palestinian health workers that one person killed and 25 wounded in an Israeli missile attack on a car in Gaza City. Kelly, what are you hearing now there?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest, Heidi, is, yes, in fact, one person killed, believed to be a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the group's military wing, a 29- year-old by the name of Fowad Al-Dayi (ph). As you said also, 25 people injured. Among those injured, seven children.
To put this into context, it is now the sixth Israeli air strike in four days in the Gaza Strip, and earlier on this day, of course, there were funerals in the Gaza Strip for the eight people killed in Thursday's operation.
Israeli officials, military officials are saying that Israeli helicopters fired on this car because they believe the two men in the car were going to carry out and fire homemade rockets against Israelis. In fact, privately, military sources say they have information that to believe that the men were loading the rockets into the car and were getting ready, again, to fire rockets at Israeli neighborhoods.
Earlier on this day, one homemade rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip at an Israeli neighborhood, severely damaging a home, sending a few people into shock. But no one seriously injured.
The big picture here, Heidi, Israeli officials say they are going to go after Hamas, quote, "forcefully." And Israeli officials are stepping up the war of words, one source calling this an all-out war, others are now saying that Hamas is Israel's al Qaeda.
On the other side, Palestinians are expressing a great deal of frustration on the streets, and even privately, in our talks with sources, they thought -- some sources thought they were making headway with the Israelis to try to convince them to stop operations, such as the one we saw on this night, to try and pave the way for the two sides to get talking again, and possibly to help the Palestinians rebuild security forces in the Gaza Strip and restart cease-fire talks with groups such as Hamas.
There is still some diplomacy going on behind the scenes. We were told before this latest operation that there could be high level security talks between Israelis and Palestinians as early as Saturday evening. And as you and Chris were no doubt talking about, John Wolf, the assistant secretary of state, is expected to be in the region as early as this weekend. We are told he will meet with Israeli officials, the prime minister, Ariel Sharon, his foreign and defense minister as early as Saturday evening, and then ultimately be meeting with Palestinian officials.
He has a huge challenge ahead, Heidi, because the sentiment in this region is that if this Mideast road map is not dead, then it's definitely right now in critical, critical condition -- Heidi.
COLLINS: No question about that, Kelly, from the video that we're watching on the right-hand side of the screen there, next to you. Thanks so much, Kelly Wallace, coming to us live from Gaza.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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