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American Morning

Collateral Damage to Palestinians in Israeli Occupation in Gaza Strip Huge

Aired April 18, 2001 - 09:06   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: New reports from Gaza say Israeli troops entered a Palestinian-controlled area near Gaza airport. Police say that three Israeli tanks and a bulldozer were seen rumbling into that area. Israel says that its troops carried out what is called a pinpoint strike and has withdrawn. Yesterday, Israel occupied a small strip in Gaza, and then withdrew.

CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Palestinians reclaim land that for 24 hours was under Israeli control and count the cost of even this short reoccupation of territory that Israel had withdrawn from seven years ago. The demolition carried out by army bulldozers was wide in scale.

This scarred soil is all that remains of an orange orchard. What had been houses next to the border are now a pile of rubble.

Demolished are two outposts of the Palestinian police, whom Israel had accused of complicity in the ongoing mortar attacks against Israeli targets in the vicinity.

(on camera): A spokesman for the Israeli government says the operation was always going to be on of limited duration, with two prime aims: to physically strip the cover being used by those carrying out mortar strikes, and as a deterrent, a strong signal that attacks against Israeli targets will not go unpunished.

(voice-over): But punished alongside those manning the mortars, were others who'd been living peacefully in the area, like Atta Shabbat (ph), father of 12 children, whose chicken farm and livelihood has been destroyed. "What did I do to deserve this?" he asks. "I always wanted peace, but what peace can there be with these actions?"

Another of the buildings knocked down was one used as the neighborhood mosque. Salvaged from the rubble is a copy of the Quran. "It's against all the laws, it's a provocation," says Saad al Athamneh (ph). "They also destroyed my well and demolished my trees. I will kill anyone who takes my land."

"Do you see what the Jews did to our house?" asks this woman. "They shelled and shot at it. We are scared and must look for another home."

Others are returning to the area, braving the possibility of again being caught up in a cycle of conflict beyond their control.

The Israeli forces are now back in their border positions, but the question has yet to be answered whether the short reoccupation served to deter or to provoke.

Mike Hanna, CNN, Beit Hanoun, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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