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CNN Sunday Morning

Reports of Israeli Raids in Palestinian Areas

Aired May 26, 2002 - 08:04   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: Now in the Middle East -- news that Israeli raids in Palestinian areas, even as the U.S. plans new peace efforts. For more details on this we're going to go live to Mike Hanna -- he's in Jerusalem. Mike?

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Kyra, there have been ongoing Israeli military operations in various Palestinian areas for a number of weeks now. Last month there was a massive military operation, called Operation Defensive Shield, in which Israeli forces occupied large expanses of Palestinian territory for a number of weeks.

Since that operation concluded Israel has continued operations on a day to day basis striking and moving into particular Palestinian areas at any given times. Within the last few days, for example, Israeli troops have moved into the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

There they conducted an operation they said aimed at arresting known militants -- in this case a named Islamic Jihad leader -- that operation not successful.

However, in other parts of the West Bank in recent days in West Bank cities like Lucarum (ph), Calcillia (ph). Israeli troops have been moving in and out. A large number of arrests have been made.

At the same time, too, there has been Israeli military actions. Last week three Palestinians killed by an Israeli tank shell. They were, said Israel, planning a terror attack against Israeli civilian targets.

Also, casualties, though, in these ongoing Israeli operations. Some Palestinians civilians -- the latest in Gaza a 12 year old girl and her grandmother were killed by an Israeli tank shell. There Israel expressed deep regret at this tragedy. As it said, investigations continuing into this.

But the Israel operations have been ongoing. Israel says aimed at preventing terror attacks against Israel civilian targets -- attacks which Israeli intelligence officers have been warning are still an ever present threat.

On the diplomatic front, the head of the CIA George Tenet is due in the region within the next few days. Not clear his exact timetable as yet but he'll be coming here to resuscitate talks about security cooperation between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

And also part of his function to discuss ways in which the Palestinian security organizations can be restructured given the fact that they were very badly hit by Israeli military operations, given the fact, too, that Israel has continually complained that the Palestinian security is part of the problem in terms of the terror activities rather than part of the solution.

Tenet looking at ways in which the Palestinian security can be restructured, reorganized and at the same time looking at ways in which the security leaders from the two sides can get together to start discussing ways that they both can effectively combat terror activities either in Palestinian areas or indeed in Israeli cities and towns. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Mike, the Israeli government has not retaliated for the last three bombings. Are they changing their ideas here on how they're going to handle the Palestinians or is there a new campaign underway.

HANNA: Well, as I said, what was happening is that there has in effect been no need for direct Israeli retaliation to each and every bombing because the Israeli operations have been ongoing before and in between these bombings.

There has been a slight shift in policy it does appear from that mass military operation that we saw last month -- six weeks of Israeli military occupation of large Palestinian areas to a much more centralized and a much more focused series of operations to particular areas where Israel says it has intelligence that attacks are being planned or are not being planned.

So the kind of mass military operation does appear at this stage to be over but Israel is on a day to day basis continuing what it says are anti-terror operations, what Palestinians incidentally charge is an ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas that makes it difficult for Palestinians themselves to effectively secure or police those areas. So that argument is ongoing.

But Israel has been doing this on an ongoing basis and no indication yet that this strategy that has evolved in the past few weeks is going to change in the near future, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Mike Hanna, live in Jerusalem -- thank you.

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