Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Israeli Helicopter Attack Kills One Child, Wounds Others

Aired December 10, 2001 - 08:21   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting late word of new Israeli military action on the West Bank this morning. This comes just a day after Israel turned down a cease-fire appeal from several Palestinian radical groups.

Our Mike Hanna has the latest from Jerusalem. He joins us now -- Mike, what can you tell us about these latest attacks?

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Paula, yet another incident of violence in the West Bank. According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, Israeli combat helicopters struck at a car driving in the West Bank city of Hebron. There were a number of people in the car. The Palestinian Red Crescent says, and these figures are changing as we're receiving all of the details, but the latest we have from the Palestinian Red Crescent is that among the dead, a child aged between 5 and 7, and a 16-year-old boy. Several people have been injured in the attack, including, says the Palestinian Red Crescent, a number of other children.

Palestinian security sources say that also traveling in the car -- we are not sure whether the children -- which of the children were in the car or were bystanders to the attack. But Palestinian security sources have confirmed that traveling in the car was a known militant from the Islamic Jihad movement, Mohammed Ayub Sider. He is reported to have been likely injured in the Israeli attack.

No formal comment from the Israeli defense force yet on this attack. However, Israel Radio is reporting that the target of the attack was a militant belonging to the Islamic Jihad. But at this stage, what we can tell you, the details that we have is among the dead, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy and a Palestinian child, aged between 5 and 7. Several people injured in the attack, among them a member of the Islamic Jihad movement -- Paula.

ZAHN: Mike Hanna -- thank you very much for that update. And we need to provide some context here. This attack coming as American envoy, Anthony Zinni, has warned the participants -- that's both on the Palestinian side and the Israeli side -- if there is no progress within the next 48 hours, he may go home.

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