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CNN Live Today

Soaring Israeli-Palestinian Tensions

Aired November 22, 2002 - 10:05   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, let's return our focus now to the Middle East and the soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions there. The latest flashpoints, a report this morning, the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and the shooting death of a United Nations aid worker.
Our Matthew Chance joins us now from Bethlehem, by way of video phone, with more on all that.

Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Leon. And I'll just bring you up to date, first of all, before we get to the killing of that U.N. worker in the West Bank city of Jenin. I'll just bring you up first, to date, on what's happening here in Bethlehem, from where I'm speaking to you now.

Israeli forces have imposed a full curfew on the city, entering the outskirts of the city and tanks and armored personnel carriers in the early hours of this morning -- that response to -- as part of their response to the tragic, devastating suicide attack in Jerusalem on Thursday, yesterday here local time.

Bethlehem is the place where the man identified as the suicide bomber lived and, indeed, Israeli troops surrounded his house here earlier today, packed it full of explosives, decimated those charges, leveling the house to the ground. That, of course, the latest example of Israel's policy of house demolition, which has been condemned by human rights groups.

Just a move now to the other activity elsewhere across the West Bank. You mentioned that incident in Jenin and, indeed, a tragedy there. A U.N. aid worker who's been named as Ian Hook, who, in the Jenin refugee camp, was stationed there for the United Nations, was shot in the stomach, in uncertain circumstances earlier today. The IDF has said that there was an exchange of gunfire between them and Palestinian militants, as they attempted to arrest or did arrest, in fact, a senior member, they say, of Islamic Jihad. The Palestinian Authority, for its part, has accused the Israeli Defense Forces of shooting dead that U.N. aid worker.

Leon.

HARRIS: Well, is the Palestinian Authority -- and we know that we have heard them in the last few hours or so, we've heard them say that they condemn these sort of bombings, but has there been any evidence of any action on their part to stop this sort of action there coming out of the refugee camps or what have you seen, Matthew?

CHANCE: Well, you're right, there has been a lot of condemnation coming from, not just Israeli officials and officials in the United States and elsewhere, of course, but also from officials of the Palestinian Authority, directed towards this latest suicide bombing in Jerusalem, the one that 11 Israeli lives yesterday.

What the Palestinian Authority spokespeople have been saying, though, that even though they condemn it, they feel their hands are tied. Their security forces have been eroded by constant Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian security forces. They also say that, so long as the Israeli occupation continues of Palestinian land, they expect, no matter what they do, that these kinds of terrible attacks to take place, Leon.

HARRIS: All right, then, would you expect this to be the first step of a massive campaign by the Sharon government, at this particular point, or is this just a single isolated response to a bombing?

CHANCE: Difficult to say. Certainly, though, that the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be under -- is under a great deal of pressure to act forcefully, in response to this latest suicide attack inside Jerusalem. There is an election campaign on its way. It's past the election, so the leadership of the Likud Party due in just a few days from now.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, is a main contender, the main competitor to Ariel Sharon's leadership. He's advocating a very hard-line stance towards the Palestinians. Ariel Sharon has to satisfy both his own camp and those who would otherwise vote for Benjamin Netanyahu.

HARRIS: Matthew Chance reporting live for us, by way of video phone, from the evening hours there in Bethlehem.

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 November 22, 2002 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, let's return our focus now to the Middle East and the soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions there. The latest flashpoints, a report this morning, the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and the shooting death of a United Nations aid worker.
Our Matthew Chance joins us now from Bethlehem, by way of video phone, with more on all that.

Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Leon. And I'll just bring you up to date, first of all, before we get to the killing of that U.N. worker in the West Bank city of Jenin. I'll just bring you up first, to date, on what's happening here in Bethlehem, from where I'm speaking to you now.

Israeli forces have imposed a full curfew on the city, entering the outskirts of the city and tanks and armored personnel carriers in the early hours of this morning -- that response to -- as part of their response to the tragic, devastating suicide attack in Jerusalem on Thursday, yesterday here local time.

Bethlehem is the place where the man identified as the suicide bomber lived and, indeed, Israeli troops surrounded his house here earlier today, packed it full of explosives, decimated those charges, leveling the house to the ground. That, of course, the latest example of Israel's policy of house demolition, which has been condemned by human rights groups.

Just a move now to the other activity elsewhere across the West Bank. You mentioned that incident in Jenin and, indeed, a tragedy there. A U.N. aid worker who's been named as Ian Hook, who, in the Jenin refugee camp, was stationed there for the United Nations, was shot in the stomach, in uncertain circumstances earlier today. The IDF has said that there was an exchange of gunfire between them and Palestinian militants, as they attempted to arrest or did arrest, in fact, a senior member, they say, of Islamic Jihad. The Palestinian Authority, for its part, has accused the Israeli Defense Forces of shooting dead that U.N. aid worker.

Leon.

HARRIS: Well, is the Palestinian Authority -- and we know that we have heard them in the last few hours or so, we've heard them say that they condemn these sort of bombings, but has there been any evidence of any action on their part to stop this sort of action there coming out of the refugee camps or what have you seen, Matthew?

CHANCE: Well, you're right, there has been a lot of condemnation coming from, not just Israeli officials and officials in the United States and elsewhere, of course, but also from officials of the Palestinian Authority, directed towards this latest suicide bombing in Jerusalem, the one that 11 Israeli lives yesterday.

What the Palestinian Authority spokespeople have been saying, though, that even though they condemn it, they feel their hands are tied. Their security forces have been eroded by constant Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian security forces. They also say that, so long as the Israeli occupation continues of Palestinian land, they expect, no matter what they do, that these kinds of terrible attacks to take place, Leon.

HARRIS: All right, then, would you expect this to be the first step of a massive campaign by the Sharon government, at this particular point, or is this just a single isolated response to a bombing?

CHANCE: Difficult to say. Certainly, though, that the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be under -- is under a great deal of pressure to act forcefully, in response to this latest suicide attack inside Jerusalem. There is an election campaign on its way. It's past the election, so the leadership of the Likud Party due in just a few days from now.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, is a main contender, the main competitor to Ariel Sharon's leadership. He's advocating a very hard-line stance towards the Palestinians. Ariel Sharon has to satisfy both his own camp and those who would otherwise vote for Benjamin Netanyahu.

HARRIS: Matthew Chance reporting live for us, by way of video phone, from the evening hours there in Bethlehem.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com