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American Morning

Israelis Enter Two More Palestinian Towns

Aired April 11, 2002 - 08:02   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: Up front this morning, though, as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell heads to Israel today, Israeli troops have rolled into two new West Bank towns. The incursions come just hours after Israeli forces did pull out of two dozen villages in the Palestinian territories. Some of the heaviest fighting in the current operation has been in the West Bank city of Jenin, home to a large Palestinian refugee camp. The death toll there, at least 15 Israeli soldiers while the Palestinian toll is estimated at upwards of 150.

And CNN's Ben Wedeman is near Jenin with the very latest -- good morning, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Paula.

Well, those Israeli forces are still very much in Jenin. We were on a hill overlooking the city earlier today and we saw many armed personnel carriers and tanks patrolling the area and bulldozers, as well. We saw smoke rising from inside the camp. We heard blasts as well as machine gun fire.

Now, according to the Israeli Army and Palestinian sources, about 50 Palestinian fighters surrendered this morning. That, it is believed, is the last pocket of resistance to surrender since this attack on the Palestinian city of Jenin began. And apparently among one of those who surrendered was a senior member of the Islamic Jihad organization.

Now, according to the United Nations, 3,000 people at least have been made homeless from that refugee camp. That's out of a total population of somewhere between 13,000 and 15,000.

Now, regarding casualties, we've heard the Palestinians say yesterday coming from Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, that they believe as many as 500 people were killed in the fighting in Jenin. Independent sources say it's probably closer to 200.

Now, the curfew on this city has been lifted, that is, the city itself, not the refugee camp, where most of the fighting has taken place. So for the first time in many days the residents of this city were allowed to get out and go about and get some food and resupply.

But the situation still remains very unclear inside the refugee camp. Journalists, there are some in this area, have tried and we have tried many ways, many back roads. But the Israeli Army simply isn't letting anybody near that refugee camp -- Paula.

ZAHN: Ben, is any of this likely to change once Secretary Powell arrives in Israel?

WEDEMAN: Well, it is hoped that something will change, that we will be able to get in there and have a look. But the feeling is among the journalists in this area, and we've covered many similar situations involving the Palestinians and the Israeli Army, but this is by far the tightest clampdown on the international media that we have seen.

We encountered two separate groups of Israeli soldiers this morning. Both of them were quite firm in telling us we must leave the area and that's why we're not where we were earlier today.

There is some suspicion that the Israelis are trying to hide something. The level of destruction, the level of civilian casualties inside that camp that we're being told about by independent sources would indicate that what has gone on in there is something that the Israelis don't necessarily want the international media to get a closer look at.

Now, we've been to Bethlehem. We have our colleague, Michael Holmes, in Ramallah, and I was in Ramallah before in a previous incursion and we could get much closer. This time we're not getting anywhere near it and it's beginning to make us wonder -- Paula.

ZAHN: And once again, Ben, to give us the perspective, how far away are you from Jenin?

WEDEMAN: Well, we're about four kilometers up the road from Jenin and basically we can move down the road about three kilometers. We had some colleagues who were in an armored car -- we don't have an armored car at the moment -- who were able to get very close to the camp. But essentially one group from the BBC, we're told, had their press cards taken away. Others were sent back. So we can get much closer than we are now, but without getting inside that camp, it's a real risk to life and limb -- Paula.

ZAHN: Ben Wedeman, thank you very much for that live report. Please stay safe.

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