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CNN Sunday Morning

Israeli-Palestinian Violence Escalates

Aired April 29, 2001 - 07:02   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to the Middle East, where there's a critical meeting between Israel's foreign minister and Egypt's president. The focus is on the need to end months of Israeli- Palestinian violence, but they're also taking a cautious look at the restarting of the peace process.

CNN's Jerrold Kessel joins us now from Jerusalem with the latest. Lots happening this morning.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Kyra.

And I think you can say that, after more than seven months of this Israeli-Palestinian violent confrontation, the two sides, again, at a number of what -- there have been crossroads in this -- during this long, ongoing violent conflict. The crossroad, really, whether they're going to be headed towards further escalation, perhaps a real deterioration in the situation, or a move towards -- back towards the negotiating pattern.

And that is really, perhaps, what was at stake, at least in the first stage in this meeting by Shimon Peres, taking a message from prime minister Ariel Sharon to Egypt President Hosni Mubarak.

Now, there was some consternation on some -- in some quarters, perhaps hope in others when Mr. Mubarak came out prom his meeting with Mr. Peres and said that he had heard and learned that the Israelis and Palestinians had agreed on a cease-fire, and that this would take -- once this took effect, four weeks after that there would be negotiations.

It's since been amended by the Egyptian foreign minister, Amr Moussa. And -- but to judge by the surprise, both in the Israeli political circles and in Palestinian top-flight circles, whom we've been talking to -- after that statement by Mr. Mubarak it seems that there was (sic) a little overblown. And what -- the impression that was conveyed was that the two sides had agreed on the necessity to end the violence between them before -- and then getting back to the negotiating track.

That, very much the message which the Israelis are conveying to the Egyptians. And Mr. Peres will be taking, also, to Jordan, when he goes on later this afternoon to meet with King Abdullah there before flying off to the United States later tonight to meet with Secretary of State Powell, and possibly with President Bush himself. And the Israeli message is that, contrary to what is in the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative for controlling the violence and getting back to the negotiating phase, the Israelis want this to be consequential rather than simultaneous. In other words, that there will be a halt to hostilities and then, as Mr. Mubarak -- President Mubarak put it, four weeks later, perhaps, that they would get back to the negotiating table.

That would suit the Israelis; whether it would suit the Palestinians, another matter. But certainly there does seem to be a stepped-up diplomatic effort to get the two sides back to negotiations.

But even as Mr. Peres was embarking on this disembarking on this diplomatic initiative today, in response to the Egyptian-Jordanian paper, there has been a state of violence; there's been escalating violence over the last couple of days: and Israeli and a Palestinian killed in separate incidents yesterday. One Israeli in the heart of Israeli; the Palestinian murders in the town of Bethlehem, where there was an exchange of fire.

There's been a heavy exchange of fire down in southern Gaza this morning. More Palestinian mortars fired at Jewish settlements in Gaza, and at least three bomb incidents targeted against Israelis. One, a school bus of Jewish settler children in the West Bank, another on a road in the West Bank aimed at Jewish settlers. No casualties on the Israeli side, there, but a Palestinian motorist was killed. The Israelis believe that he was in a car which was near to the bus and was responsible for that bomb. That's the tentative proposition on the Israeli side. Another bomb in an Israeli seaside town.

All in all, escalating violence, the backdrop against this very original and new direction in the political effort to get negotiations going again -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Definitely at a crossroads once again. Jerrold Kessel will continue to follow the story; thank you.

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