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American Morning

Two Suicide Bombings Rock Israel

Aired May 25, 2001 - 09:05   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And now to those car bombings. Authorities say both incidents are suspected suicide bombings and no Israelis were killed, although there are several injuries.

Let's get details now from our CNN Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna -- Mike.

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Daryn, police are saying that two bodies were discovered in the wake of the explosion in the city of Hadera in central Israel. Police say they believe the two bodies were those of two men driving a car ladened with explosives, which they detonated alongside a bus filled with Israelis. More than 30 people have been injured in the blast, say police; however, no serious injuries are reported. The majority of injuries described as light in nature.

However, among those injured a 10-year-old boy and also a 7- month-old baby. There have been reports of a third body being discovered in the wreckage in the wake of that blast. The identity of that body has not yet been ascertained by police.

This, the second suicide bombing attack in the course of the day. The first took place in the early morning in the Gaza Strip where a man drove a truck filled with explosives, says the army, into an army outpost -- an Israeli outpost in Gaza -- in the Gaza Strip. None of the Israeli soldiers were injured in the blast but the man in the truck killed himself.

So an intensification it does appear on this day of attacks against Israeli targets, in particular, the one in Hadera against Israeli civilian targets, injuring more than 30 people at this particular point -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Mike, what about the possibility of retaliation on the part of Israelis? They have had some intense attacks on Palestinian areas following other recent car bomb attacks?

HANNA: That's quite correct, Daryn. Attacks against Israeli civilians have been met very quickly and very strongly by Israeli strikes against Palestinian targets in the past. But Israel, earlier this week, declared what it called a unilateral crease-fire. In terms of that it says it would not carry-out any offensive actions against Palestinian targets or preemptive strikes. Now whether that unilateral cease-fire, as Israel terms it, remains in force in the wake of, in particular the bomb attack against civilians in Hadera, well that's certainly putting the Israeli policy to an extreme test as this day goes on.

KAGAN: Mike Hanna, in Jerusalem, thank you so much.

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