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Israeli Forces Raid West Bank City, Arrest Palestinians Accused of Having Hamas Ties
Aired June 24, 2003 - 14:08 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A massive Israeli sweep to the West Bank to tell you about. More than 150 Palestinians detained, 130 of them believed to be tied to Hamas. CNN's Matthew Chance joining us once again from Jerusalem with the latest on that. Hello, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Thank you. That crackdown on militants suspected of being -- having links with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, most of those arrests being made in the West Bank town of Hebron. Suspects arrested in house to house searches, blind folded, had their hands tide as well before being taken away by Israeli forces for questioning.
Israeli officials say that Hamas activist in Hebron -- which is the same place where they shot down a senior Hamas figure on Saturday -- the activists in that area have been responsible for the deaths of 52 Israeli citizens, according to Israeli security officials. But, of course, their decision to crackdown now is a very controversial one, coming as it does as leaders of Hamas apparently moving closer towards declaring some kind of truce, a suspension of their violence against Israelis after intensive negotiations with members of the Palestinian Authority and representatives of other Arab states as well.
Palestinian officials understandably being sharply critical of these latest arrests. Accusing Israel of sabotaging their attempts to get that truce from Hamas. Hamas leaders say the detentions in their words complicate any decision on a suspension of attacks. Although at this stage, according to Palestinian sources that we have been speaking to, some kind of truce from Hamas and the other militant groups is expected over the coming days -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: The Israelis are awfully suspicious about this talk of truce when it comes from Hamas, are they not?
CHANCE: They certainly are. In fact, they say that a cease-fire declaration from Hamas and all the militant groups would not be enough for them to stop them carrying out their activities in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank, their policy of assassination. They say they will continue if they identify ticking bombs. They will say they carry out other operations as well in the name of their security.
What they want is the Palestinian authority to use any truce period to build up their forces, to undertake a crackdown on the various militant groups before Israel is prepared to fulfill its obligations under the U.S.-backed road map cease-fire.
The Palestinians, of course, say as a mention, that Israel is trying to sabotage it's efforts so that it doesn't have to fulfill it's obligations under the U.S.-backed road map peace plan.
O'BRIEN: Matthew Chance in Jerusalem. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Accused of Having Hamas Ties>
Aired June 24, 2003 - 14:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A massive Israeli sweep to the West Bank to tell you about. More than 150 Palestinians detained, 130 of them believed to be tied to Hamas. CNN's Matthew Chance joining us once again from Jerusalem with the latest on that. Hello, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Thank you. That crackdown on militants suspected of being -- having links with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, most of those arrests being made in the West Bank town of Hebron. Suspects arrested in house to house searches, blind folded, had their hands tide as well before being taken away by Israeli forces for questioning.
Israeli officials say that Hamas activist in Hebron -- which is the same place where they shot down a senior Hamas figure on Saturday -- the activists in that area have been responsible for the deaths of 52 Israeli citizens, according to Israeli security officials. But, of course, their decision to crackdown now is a very controversial one, coming as it does as leaders of Hamas apparently moving closer towards declaring some kind of truce, a suspension of their violence against Israelis after intensive negotiations with members of the Palestinian Authority and representatives of other Arab states as well.
Palestinian officials understandably being sharply critical of these latest arrests. Accusing Israel of sabotaging their attempts to get that truce from Hamas. Hamas leaders say the detentions in their words complicate any decision on a suspension of attacks. Although at this stage, according to Palestinian sources that we have been speaking to, some kind of truce from Hamas and the other militant groups is expected over the coming days -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: The Israelis are awfully suspicious about this talk of truce when it comes from Hamas, are they not?
CHANCE: They certainly are. In fact, they say that a cease-fire declaration from Hamas and all the militant groups would not be enough for them to stop them carrying out their activities in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank, their policy of assassination. They say they will continue if they identify ticking bombs. They will say they carry out other operations as well in the name of their security.
What they want is the Palestinian authority to use any truce period to build up their forces, to undertake a crackdown on the various militant groups before Israel is prepared to fulfill its obligations under the U.S.-backed road map cease-fire.
The Palestinians, of course, say as a mention, that Israel is trying to sabotage it's efforts so that it doesn't have to fulfill it's obligations under the U.S.-backed road map peace plan.
O'BRIEN: Matthew Chance in Jerusalem. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Accused of Having Hamas Ties>
