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CNN Sunday Morning

Violence in Jerusalem

Aired January 27, 2002 - 09:16   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Violence in Jerusalem today at the start of the workweek in Israel, at least one Israeli was killed and more than 100 injured in the latest suicide bombing. It happened just a few hours ago. CNN's Jerrold Kessel is monitoring the developments. He joins us now live from Jerusalem. What's the latest, Jerrold? Things have been changing rapidly.

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles yes, and those casualty figures are you report, one Israeli killed and more than 100 have been treated in hospital, many for like injuries from shrapnel and shock. But at least two people in serious condition and over half a dozen reported from Jerusalem hospitals being in fairly serious condition.

There are two bodies, said the police spokesman just minutes ago, one a man and one a woman and they're absolutely sure this was a suicide bombing, but they're not sure who the suicide bomber was, or the victim, the man or the woman, and that should be established within the next several hours.

But it was a familiar, what's become a familiar scene on Israeli streets, all too familiar scene for Israelis, the third such attack in this area of downtown West Jerusalem in less than a week, and it showed the same scenes that have become all too familiar.

The noise of sirens, of ambulances rushing to the scene to ferry away the wounded, of explosive experts rushing there to make sure there are no other bombs, to make sure there are not shooting accomplices, as there was in a similar attack of a bomber in Tel Aviv on Friday, when the would-be shooting accomplice was captured by the Israeli police, they say shortly after the explosion.

This time, they believe the bomber, the man or the woman, was acting alone and causing this good deal of casualties as we hear in the heart of downtown Jerusalem.

Now there has been no immediate claim of responsibility but leading spokesmen for the radical Islamic group Hamas, which has carried out several such similar attacks, says it's perfectly understandable given the current context of what the Hamas spokesman calls, Israel's ongoing war against the Palestinians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MAHMOUD ZAHAR, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: We are considering Sharon and his government are fully responsible about the violence in the area, because the Israeli aggression, which has escalated in the last few days, the continuation of the occupation, the general purview are the main causes of the escalation of the resistance against the Israeli occupation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Well the Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat has condemned this latest attack, as it often does when civilians are involved. But the government of Ariel Sharon having nothing of that, laying the blame against, squarely at the door of Yasser Arafat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAANAN GISSIN, ISRAELI SPOKESMAN: Well, I think the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership have reached the moment of truth and they have to make a decision, and we are not going to allow ourselves to become, continue to be victims of this terrorist campaign.

Arafat has a clear choice to make. Does he want to lead his people on the path to freedom through peace, through life, or does he continue to lead them on the path to death, which is senseless death. Nothing is going to come out of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KESSEL: Israel now the attention now fixing on whether Israel, how strong Israel will retaliate in the wake of this latest attack. Israel remaining on alert for the possibility of more attacks, but as these tactical tit-for-tat attacks continue on the two sides, there's also a sense that there's a major strategic battle going on, about to emerge, of Yasser Arafat battling for survival, and Ariel Sharon attempting to make sure that the Palestinian leader isn't relieved in any way from his increasing physical and now diplomatic isolation, in the wake of a very strong U.S. position and demands of the Palestinian leadership -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem this morning, thank you very much.

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