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Shaky Start to Truce in Middle East
Aired June 30, 2003 - 14:12 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: A shaky start to the truce in the Middle East. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade confirmed today a cease-fire with other Palestinian militants, but the announcement came after another deadly attacks by its own militants.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem now with the latest -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
And we're 24 hours nearly into that self-proclaimed truce by a Palestinian militant group, but that's been marred by two shooting events in the West Bank and on Israel's border with the West Bank.
In the one on the Israeli border, no casualties.
But in the northern part of the West Bank, a 45-year-old truck driver was shot and killed. He was identified as a Bulgarian citizen working for an Israeli construction company. And the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade claimed responsibility. But leaders of that organization saying they are on board with the truce.
So what this suggests is perhaps renegade elements, perhaps in the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, perhaps in other militant groups, could spell a danger for the whole process, and also for the Palestinian leadership, their own leaderships who are trying to bring this cease- fire into play.
But while that's happening, on the other front of the Israeli- Palestinian agreement, the agreement with the Palestinian Authority, things moving fairly comfortably ahead after Israel withdrew its forces from the northern part of Gaza last night, enabling Palestinians in that town of Bethaloon (ph) which the Israelis have been occupying for the last two months or more, to come out and to express their relief their satisfaction, their delight at the departure of Israeli tanks.
And more importantly even, the whole of the main Gaza highway which runs to the north to the south of the strip, are now under Palestinian control after the Israeli bulldozers pushed aside the roadblocks that Israel had thrown up during the last two years of fighting between them and various Palestinian groups, and that had prevented the free flow of Palestinian traffic.
Now with Palestinian police in control there, taking over from the Israeli -- departed Israeli forces, there has been traffic flowing almost normally along those roads, and that is a sign, a positive sign, perhaps a sign of things to come.
So despite the skepticism, despite the doubts, maybe they have turned a corner, just maybe things are moving from confrontation and on to the peace road. Some light perhaps at the end of a dark, dark tunnel -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jerrold, no doubt quite a historic time there right now and the fact that it's moving forward like this. How are residents responding? Do they believe in it? Are they saying anything? Do they feel comfortable coming out on the streets?
KESSEL: Yes, there was a good deal of delight in the Palestinian communities as they saw the backs of the Israelis.
What's been interesting is that they are now saying they hope it's the last time that they will have to have contact with Israel in this way. They don't bet on it that it will be. Some are also saying good that the militants have agreed not to go on shooting from those areas of Israel, because that's what brought the Israeli tanks back in.
So a little bit of hope, a little bit of confidence that maybe something can move, and the belief that if the United States maintains its ever present vigilance, that the thing should go forward, perhaps this time all -- different from all the other hopes after cease-fire that it will hold with the United States squeezing both sides to conform to the contours of this peace road.
PHILLIPS: Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 30, 2003 - 14:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A shaky start to the truce in the Middle East. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade confirmed today a cease-fire with other Palestinian militants, but the announcement came after another deadly attacks by its own militants.
CNN's Jerrold Kessel live from Jerusalem now with the latest -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
And we're 24 hours nearly into that self-proclaimed truce by a Palestinian militant group, but that's been marred by two shooting events in the West Bank and on Israel's border with the West Bank.
In the one on the Israeli border, no casualties.
But in the northern part of the West Bank, a 45-year-old truck driver was shot and killed. He was identified as a Bulgarian citizen working for an Israeli construction company. And the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade claimed responsibility. But leaders of that organization saying they are on board with the truce.
So what this suggests is perhaps renegade elements, perhaps in the Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, perhaps in other militant groups, could spell a danger for the whole process, and also for the Palestinian leadership, their own leaderships who are trying to bring this cease- fire into play.
But while that's happening, on the other front of the Israeli- Palestinian agreement, the agreement with the Palestinian Authority, things moving fairly comfortably ahead after Israel withdrew its forces from the northern part of Gaza last night, enabling Palestinians in that town of Bethaloon (ph) which the Israelis have been occupying for the last two months or more, to come out and to express their relief their satisfaction, their delight at the departure of Israeli tanks.
And more importantly even, the whole of the main Gaza highway which runs to the north to the south of the strip, are now under Palestinian control after the Israeli bulldozers pushed aside the roadblocks that Israel had thrown up during the last two years of fighting between them and various Palestinian groups, and that had prevented the free flow of Palestinian traffic.
Now with Palestinian police in control there, taking over from the Israeli -- departed Israeli forces, there has been traffic flowing almost normally along those roads, and that is a sign, a positive sign, perhaps a sign of things to come.
So despite the skepticism, despite the doubts, maybe they have turned a corner, just maybe things are moving from confrontation and on to the peace road. Some light perhaps at the end of a dark, dark tunnel -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jerrold, no doubt quite a historic time there right now and the fact that it's moving forward like this. How are residents responding? Do they believe in it? Are they saying anything? Do they feel comfortable coming out on the streets?
KESSEL: Yes, there was a good deal of delight in the Palestinian communities as they saw the backs of the Israelis.
What's been interesting is that they are now saying they hope it's the last time that they will have to have contact with Israel in this way. They don't bet on it that it will be. Some are also saying good that the militants have agreed not to go on shooting from those areas of Israel, because that's what brought the Israeli tanks back in.
So a little bit of hope, a little bit of confidence that maybe something can move, and the belief that if the United States maintains its ever present vigilance, that the thing should go forward, perhaps this time all -- different from all the other hopes after cease-fire that it will hold with the United States squeezing both sides to conform to the contours of this peace road.
PHILLIPS: Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
