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CNN Sunday Morning

Palestinian Gunman Opens Fire Near Tel Aviv, Suicide Bomber Kills Only Self

Aired March 17, 2002 - 09:08   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: Well now to the Middle East, which is reeling from a fresh wave of violence. Israeli authorities say a Palestinian gunman opened fire in a town near Tel Aviv today killing one woman, and now police say a suicide bomber blew himself up in Jerusalem. That's where CNN's Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar joins us now live with more from there -- Sheila.

SHEILA MACVICAR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, just about an hour or so ago, there were reports of a suicide bomber detonating his device in a Jerusalem neighborhood known as French Hill. He killed himself, wounded -- and fortunately wounded no other people. But two hours before that, a Palestinian gunmen went into the Israeli community of Kafar Saba (ph). It's a town just north of Tel Aviv.

This is the beginning of the working week here. It was very crowded, lunch time, busy intersection, lots of residents -- lots of restaurants and shops. This gunman opened fire. He killed one woman and has wounded about nine others. The gunman was himself killed by Israeli police.

There's also been an exchange of fire between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli troops, who are in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. We are told that one man, a militant with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, has been killed there. All of this, Kyra, behind the backdrop of obviously Mr. Cheney's visit to the region and President Bush's Envoy General Zinni's trip here, where he is trying to get both parties to move towards a cease fire.

It's important to remember in the context of that cease fire, that about a week ago, Prime Minister Sharon said it was clear that conditions were not such that he could expect seven days of absolute quiet before a cease fire was declared. That condition was removed, rather controversial in Israel, but it also means that this incidents of violence do not necessarily derail the process that the general is very carefully trying to put together.

His discussions, we are told by U.S. officials, are very delicate negotiations with both the Israelis and the Palestinians, and about an hour from now, he will go off again to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his headquarters in Ramallah. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Sheila MacVicar, thank you so much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com