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CNN Sunday Morning

Two Israelis Killed in Drive-By Shooting

Aired October 28, 2001 - 08:50   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: This news just coming to us right now: Two Israeli citizens, one soldier killed in drive-by shootings in the area of Hadera; that's on Israel's coast.

We go live now to Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem, who has more on this story. Jerrold, what can you tell us?

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, within the last hour, a shooting attack in the Israel coastal town of Hadera. Two Israelis shot and killed by gunmen from a passing car who drove at speed through the center of that Israeli town, shooting at random from automatic weapons into a crowd. People -- pedestrians and people waiting at a bus stop. Two killed, 16 people treated in hospital, been rushed to hospital. One reported in serious condition, the others in less serious condition.

The gunmen were shot at by Israeli policemen -- plain-clothes policemen who happened to be on the site, and shot at them. And, according to the Israeli police, killed both of them in that car. Both are said to be Palestinian militants.

The police are now looking into whether there is any connection with the shooting attack in this Israeli town, which is on the coast between Tel Aviv and Haifa, with an earlier drive-by shooting that -- about 12 to 15 miles away, near -- also inside Israel, but on a road very near the West Bank. And there a young Israeli who was sitting in his car was shot and killed by -- in a drive-by shooting. And police are trying to establish whether there was a connection between these two attacks.

And all -- both of these attacks coming as the Israel government was considering whether it would now go ahead later this evening with a planned, first-phase pull-out from two of the six Palestinian towns in the West Bank, which Israeli forces had partially reoccupied over the last 10 days. The Israeli incursion taking place after the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister 11 days ago.

And that partial pull-back had been postponed from yesterday. The Israelis saying that they would not go back while fighting continued in the Palestinian towns of Bethlehem and Bachalla (ph). There had been a lull in that fighting, and today at this morning's Israeli Cabinet meeting the defense minister said that the plan was that that first-phase pull-out would take place this evening. But now we understand that the prime minister -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering whether, indeed, to go ahead with that pull-back in light of today's attacks in central Israel -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem. We'll continue to follow the violence that's happening in the Mideast just within the past hour. Thank you.

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