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American Morning

Israel Moves to Occupy Palestinian Areas

Aired June 20, 2002 - 08:01   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "Up Front" now, in the Middle East, Israel responding with force after a second suicide bombing in two days time. The one yesterday killed seven. Attack helicopters now firing on targets in Gaza and Israeli forces on the move in various parts of the West Bank.

Our senior international correspondent Christiane Amanpour now from Jerusalem with the very latest on everything that's happening in and around that region. Another busy day there -- Christiane, hello, and good afternoon to you there.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bill, indeed.

At the moment what's going on is on the ground the air response was overnight. But so far the Israelis have continued with their new policy, which they articulated yesterday, saying that they would go in and seize pieces of Palestinian controlled land in response to suicide bombings and they would hold that land until suicide bombings stop.

So overnight, Israeli troops and armor went into areas around Bethlehem, also into the Dheisheh refugee camp there. Also, the latest incursion is into the town of Tulkarem on the West Bank. Already they had sent in troops to the edges of Ramallah and Nablus, as well.

Earlier, though, as you had mentioned, Israelis did send in helicopter gunships and warplanes to the Gaza area, where they fired missiles at about four different locations, targeting, amongst other things, we were told, certain metal working factories. The Israelis have long accused those metal shops of being fronts for weapons building and those were amongst the targets.

Israeli officials tell us that the targets were linked to Islamic Jihad, to Hamas and to the Palestinian Authority, as well.

Now, today the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has been basically also not only conducting government business, but attending a session of the World Zionist Congress here in Jerusalem, and he spoke out very strongly about these terrorist attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: At this time we are dealing with a terror organization which is allied with the axis of evil, which comprises Baghdad, Damascus, Teheran and bin Laden. But the state of Israel will continue to seek peace in spite of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now, all of this has been in response to two suicide bombings in Jerusalem in as many days. The latest one came yesterday evening here. It was at a place called French Hill in northeastern Jerusalem and a suicide bomber detonated explosives near a bus stop, killing seven people, including small children and a baby and also wounding more than two dozen others. Twenty people, we're told, about 20 people remain injured in hospitals, again, including young children.

For his part, the Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat issued a statement condemning those attacks and calling for a complete halt to any suicide attacks against Israeli civilians, saying that this is not a legitimate way of resisting the occupation.

Back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Christiane, thank you.

Christiane Amanpour reporting again in Jerusalem.

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