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CNN Sunday Morning
Palestinian Gunmen Kill 4 Israeli Soldiers
Aired June 08, 2003 - 07:01 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.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to our top story. Three militant Islamic groups are claiming responsibility for the overnight assault on the Mideast peace process. It goes like this, Palestinian gunmen disguised at Israeli soldiers fired on a border crossing between Israel and Gaza. Four Israeli soldiers were killed. And the so-called road map to peace imperiled.
Let's spin the globe and begin this hour in Jerusalem. And that's where we find CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN INTL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sanjay.
Not a good morning for this punitive peace initiative with the first deadly assault by Palestinian militants on an Israeli post, at the Gaza. The area's crossing, where thousands of Palestinian workers cross daily to their jobs inside Israel.
This is the start of the working week inside Israel. The workers were crossing when the three gunmen, Palestinian gunmen, disguised in Israeli army uniform, penetrated the small outpost, which is partly guarding that crossing point.
They opened fired, killing four Israeli soldiers, wounding another four, before themselves being killed by other troops who rushed to the scene. Unusually the responsibility for this action is being claimed by three Palestinian groups; the leading groups that have taken part in the Intifada uprising of the last two and a half years.
And that includes the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, the group linked to the mainstream Fatah group of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. But again, Hamas, the militant Islamic group is taking the lead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDEL AZIZ RANTISH, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: This operation says clearly that we will continue (UNINTELLIGIBLE) occupiers, murders, until the end of the terror of Israel against out people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KESSEL: And the Palestinian Hamas group says this is a challenge to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who had declared at that fanfare Aqaba Summit, that he intends to try to stop the armed Intifada uprising and he believed he could talk the militants into accepting a cease-fire that would be, he said, in Palestinian's interest.
He is still sticking to that position. A short while ago, Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, the Palestinian prime minister said, We have no option but to negotiate to reach our goal. We shall do that. We want to calm the situation. We do not want civil war. No one can force us into an internal Palestinian conflict.
But Mahmoud Abbas has postponed a planned trip from the West Bank down to Gaza to talk to the various militant factions. And now it seems that, where as, in the wake of that Aqaba Summit, the focus and, indeed, perhaps the pressure, particularly of the United States, would be on what Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, would or would not do to meet his obligations under the terms of the peace road map.
Now, it seems all the focus will again be on this violent challenge launched by the Palestinian militant groups. And how the Palestinian prime minister means to meet that challenge -- Sanjay.
GUPTA: Jerrold, possibly a real setback for the peace process. Jerrold Kessel monitoring the situation from Gaza. Thank you very 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
Aired June 8, 2003 - 07:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Now, to our top story. Three militant Islamic groups are claiming responsibility for the overnight assault on the Mideast peace process. It goes like this, Palestinian gunmen disguised at Israeli soldiers fired on a border crossing between Israel and Gaza. Four Israeli soldiers were killed. And the so-called road map to peace imperiled.
Let's spin the globe and begin this hour in Jerusalem. And that's where we find CNN's Jerrold Kessel.
Good morning, Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN INTL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Sanjay.
Not a good morning for this punitive peace initiative with the first deadly assault by Palestinian militants on an Israeli post, at the Gaza. The area's crossing, where thousands of Palestinian workers cross daily to their jobs inside Israel.
This is the start of the working week inside Israel. The workers were crossing when the three gunmen, Palestinian gunmen, disguised in Israeli army uniform, penetrated the small outpost, which is partly guarding that crossing point.
They opened fired, killing four Israeli soldiers, wounding another four, before themselves being killed by other troops who rushed to the scene. Unusually the responsibility for this action is being claimed by three Palestinian groups; the leading groups that have taken part in the Intifada uprising of the last two and a half years.
And that includes the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, the group linked to the mainstream Fatah group of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. But again, Hamas, the militant Islamic group is taking the lead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDEL AZIZ RANTISH, HAMAS SPOKESMAN: This operation says clearly that we will continue (UNINTELLIGIBLE) occupiers, murders, until the end of the terror of Israel against out people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KESSEL: And the Palestinian Hamas group says this is a challenge to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who had declared at that fanfare Aqaba Summit, that he intends to try to stop the armed Intifada uprising and he believed he could talk the militants into accepting a cease-fire that would be, he said, in Palestinian's interest.
He is still sticking to that position. A short while ago, Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, the Palestinian prime minister said, We have no option but to negotiate to reach our goal. We shall do that. We want to calm the situation. We do not want civil war. No one can force us into an internal Palestinian conflict.
But Mahmoud Abbas has postponed a planned trip from the West Bank down to Gaza to talk to the various militant factions. And now it seems that, where as, in the wake of that Aqaba Summit, the focus and, indeed, perhaps the pressure, particularly of the United States, would be on what Ariel Sharon, Israel's prime minister, would or would not do to meet his obligations under the terms of the peace road map.
Now, it seems all the focus will again be on this violent challenge launched by the Palestinian militant groups. And how the Palestinian prime minister means to meet that challenge -- Sanjay.
GUPTA: Jerrold, possibly a real setback for the peace process. Jerrold Kessel monitoring the situation from Gaza. Thank you very 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
