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American Morning
Missile Attack
Aired June 10, 2003 - 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: Now to the escalating violence in the Middle East. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a busy road in Gaza City this morning. The target, a senior Hamas leader, survived the attack.
Kelly Wallace is live in the Gaza with the latest from there.
Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, there is tremendous anger on the streets of Gaza City, and we are expecting thousands of people to be on the streets just about three hours from now. That is for a funeral of one of the bodyguards belonging to Abdel Aziz Rantissi. Rantissi is the most public face of the radical Palestinian group Hamas. And as you said, Daryn, Israeli forces confirming he was the target of this operation.
This was the scene earlier this morning, two Israeli Apache helicopters in the air firing six missiles down below. Rantissi, and his son and two bodyguards managed to escape but were moderately injured, but one bodyguard was killed. A 50-year-old woman, an innocent bystander, was killed, and we are told a 13-year-old girl is now described as being clinically dead. More than 30 people injured as well.
Now later, after that attack, hundreds of people were out on the streets, the radical Palestinian group Hamas vowing revenge, calling for attacks against Israelis, criticizing Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, calling him a spy. Hamas also saying something else, saying that now political leaders within the Israeli government are legitimate targets of attacks by Hamas.
Now, Prime Minister Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, has been trying to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas. Hamas broke off cease-fire talks last week, accusing Mr. Abbas of giving too many concessions to the Israelis. Mr. Abbas spoke out on an interview on Palestinian television not too long ago, condemning the attacks, and calling for immediate involvement by the American administration to prevent what he called further deterioration when it comes to implementation of this road map.
An Israeli cabinet minister responding, saying that every effort will be taken by the Israeli government to cut off and eradicate the leadership of terror. Other Israeli sources are saying that Rantissi was playing a key role in terrorist attacks against Israeli, that he is one of the most extreme leaders, according to sources, in this radical Palestinian group Hamas. Israelis sources saying he was claiming responsibility for Sunday's attack, which left four Israeli soldiers dead in the Gaza Strip.
Privately, other observers question the timing of all of this, and some are speculating that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was facing pressure from hard-liners within his government, as she dismantling some of these illegal settlement outposts, facing pressure from those hard-liners to respond for Sunday's attack.
That's the latest, Daryn. But now big questions where all things go from here with that Mideast road map.
KAGAN: Lots of questions and concerns. Kelly Wallace, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 10, 2003 - 09:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the escalating violence in the Middle East. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a busy road in Gaza City this morning. The target, a senior Hamas leader, survived the attack.
Kelly Wallace is live in the Gaza with the latest from there.
Kelly, hello.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Well, there is tremendous anger on the streets of Gaza City, and we are expecting thousands of people to be on the streets just about three hours from now. That is for a funeral of one of the bodyguards belonging to Abdel Aziz Rantissi. Rantissi is the most public face of the radical Palestinian group Hamas. And as you said, Daryn, Israeli forces confirming he was the target of this operation.
This was the scene earlier this morning, two Israeli Apache helicopters in the air firing six missiles down below. Rantissi, and his son and two bodyguards managed to escape but were moderately injured, but one bodyguard was killed. A 50-year-old woman, an innocent bystander, was killed, and we are told a 13-year-old girl is now described as being clinically dead. More than 30 people injured as well.
Now later, after that attack, hundreds of people were out on the streets, the radical Palestinian group Hamas vowing revenge, calling for attacks against Israelis, criticizing Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, calling him a spy. Hamas also saying something else, saying that now political leaders within the Israeli government are legitimate targets of attacks by Hamas.
Now, Prime Minister Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, has been trying to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas. Hamas broke off cease-fire talks last week, accusing Mr. Abbas of giving too many concessions to the Israelis. Mr. Abbas spoke out on an interview on Palestinian television not too long ago, condemning the attacks, and calling for immediate involvement by the American administration to prevent what he called further deterioration when it comes to implementation of this road map.
An Israeli cabinet minister responding, saying that every effort will be taken by the Israeli government to cut off and eradicate the leadership of terror. Other Israeli sources are saying that Rantissi was playing a key role in terrorist attacks against Israeli, that he is one of the most extreme leaders, according to sources, in this radical Palestinian group Hamas. Israelis sources saying he was claiming responsibility for Sunday's attack, which left four Israeli soldiers dead in the Gaza Strip.
Privately, other observers question the timing of all of this, and some are speculating that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was facing pressure from hard-liners within his government, as she dismantling some of these illegal settlement outposts, facing pressure from those hard-liners to respond for Sunday's attack.
That's the latest, Daryn. But now big questions where all things go from here with that Mideast road map.
KAGAN: Lots of questions and concerns. Kelly Wallace, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
