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American Morning

Three Dead After More Violence in Israel

Aired March 28, 2001 - 11:11   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: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is crafting a response to today's violence, which left three people dead. It happened when a nail bomb exploded at a gasoline station in central Israel.

CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna joins us now. He's got more on this latest attack -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Three bombings in the past two days, the latest victims two Israeli teenagers. They were waiting along with group of friends for transport to a yeshiva, or religious studies institute, near West Bank town of Qalqilya.

The third person killed in explosion, police say, was a suicide bomber who had an explosive device attached to his body, which he detonated. The explosive device contained as well nails, according to the police.

Four Israeli teenagers were injured. The militant Hamas movement has claimed responsibility for the attack. But the Israeli government insists that the Palestinian Authority and its leadership must be held accountable. However, a spokesman for the Sharon government says that Mr. Sharon will not be provoked into a hasty reaction. He says that the government will continue to exercise a long-term strategy in which those it hold responsible for attacks will be punished.

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RAANAN GISSIN, SENIOR SHARON AIDE: It's very important right now to have a lot of patience, self-restraint and cool-headedness. In other words, no one should take the law into their hands. This government has a plan and program how to deal with these terrorists activities. And we will continue in this program that we have. And those who have committed these atrocious crimes will receive full punishment. You can rest assure of that.

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HANAN ASHRAWI, PALESTINIAN CABINET MINISTER: The people who claimed responsibility for these operations were the Islamic Jihad and Hamas, both of whom are outside the PA and are not part of the PLO. And I think if you push Palestinians to a corner, if you drive them to desperation, there will be desperate acts because this move towards violence has to be removed. And it has to be removed by dealing with occupation.

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HANNA: The Israeli security cabinet is about to begin a meeting to decide what action, if any, to take in the days to come.

Mike Hanna, CNN, reporting live from Jerusalem.

HARRIS: All right, thank you, Mike.

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