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American Morning

Israel Retaliates Following Suicide Bombing in Netanya

Aired May 18, 2001 - 11:06   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: A crowded shopping area in Israel turns into a death trap as a suicide bomber sets off explosives strapped to his body. Today's bombing near a mall in the seaside town of Netanya killed at least seven people, injured dozens more. We have new information that there has been an Israeli shelling of Palestinian security headquarters.

We want to confirm that and check in and get the latest for you from CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Donna, reports just being received indicate that there's an Israeli attack underway. Witnesses in the West Bank city of Nablus say that there has been explosions at a police station in the city, destroying, as well, a prison in that police station. Initial reports say that there are some people buried under the rubble. Not clear, at this stage, what the means of attack is. No confirmation yet from the Israeli army, which says it is looking into the reports.

This follows a meeting of the Prime Minister -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and various security chiefs early on in the day to decide what action to take in the wake of the bombing in Netanya. In that bombing, dozens of people were wounded when a man detonated an explosive outside a shopping mall in the coastal city of Netanya. At least six people have been killed -- this, the official count by police at this stage. This may change.

Among those killed, the suicide bomber. The Hamas militant organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. It says that the man who carried out the attack was a 20-year-old carpenter from the West Bank.

Now, we are receiving these reports of an Israeli attack underway, apparently in response to the bombing in Netanya.

Also, in the course of the afternoon, an Israeli was killed while driving in a car in the West Bank, north of the city of Ramallah and another Israeli, travelling in the car, was wounded when reportedly they were open fire on by Palestinian gunman -- Donna.

KELLEY: Mike Hanna, thanks very much, our Jerusalem bureau chief.

And you can keep track of the latest developments in this suicide bombing in Israel on our Web site. You just log on to CNN.com and the AOL keyword is CNN.

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