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CNN Sunday Morning
Israel to Begin Withdrawing Troops From Gaza
Aired June 29, 2003 - 10:35 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest from the Middle East, and there is progress in the region. As we said, two Palestinian groups agreed to a three-month truce. And Israel is preparing to depart from Gaza. The latest on both developments now from CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it seems as if things are finally coming together. Seem to be coming together for that U.S. -backed Middle East peace initiative, the so-called road map.
Within the last hour, those two Islamic groups, the radical groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas announcing that they have undertaken a three-month truce in their attacks on Israelis. This does not include the other main Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, aligned to the mainstream Fatah movement.
They will issue, we're told by a leading Palestinian official, they will issue their own separate announcement later this evening, but they say -- the official telling CNN there is no problem and they will sign on to the truce as well.
The two Islamic groups issued a number of demands of Israel, but these are not conditional, say the Hamas and Islamic Jihad, on them going ahead with the truce. So a truce immediately in place from the radical Palestinian groups.
Israel not reacting with a great deal of delight at this. Israelis say this is an internal Palestinian decision and, in fact, it could only be a trap for Israel, said one senior Israeli official, telling CNN a short while ago.
But the Israelis have moved ahead and there is no doubt that without this cease-fire on the Palestinian side, it's unlikely that there would have been the other major breakthrough, and that is an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority for the first steps to be implemented in that road map for peace with Israel, beginning to withdraw its forces. This is likely to take place either tonight or early tomorrow from parts of Gaza, and then also Bethlehem on the West Bank.
For that, the Palestinian Authority will send their security men back into these areas to stop any kinds of attacks on Israelis. Palestinians will be preparing for that activity with their security men, undergoing through their paces to take over for many of the Israeli tanks, and Israeli personnel will withdraw. So we are perhaps at a turning point finally, after 33 months of major and bloody battles between Israel and the Palestinians, perhaps, perhaps we've turned a corner -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jerrold Kessel, 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 29, 2003 - 10:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest from the Middle East, and there is progress in the region. As we said, two Palestinian groups agreed to a three-month truce. And Israel is preparing to depart from Gaza. The latest on both developments now from CNN's Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it seems as if things are finally coming together. Seem to be coming together for that U.S. -backed Middle East peace initiative, the so-called road map.
Within the last hour, those two Islamic groups, the radical groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas announcing that they have undertaken a three-month truce in their attacks on Israelis. This does not include the other main Palestinian militant group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, aligned to the mainstream Fatah movement.
They will issue, we're told by a leading Palestinian official, they will issue their own separate announcement later this evening, but they say -- the official telling CNN there is no problem and they will sign on to the truce as well.
The two Islamic groups issued a number of demands of Israel, but these are not conditional, say the Hamas and Islamic Jihad, on them going ahead with the truce. So a truce immediately in place from the radical Palestinian groups.
Israel not reacting with a great deal of delight at this. Israelis say this is an internal Palestinian decision and, in fact, it could only be a trap for Israel, said one senior Israeli official, telling CNN a short while ago.
But the Israelis have moved ahead and there is no doubt that without this cease-fire on the Palestinian side, it's unlikely that there would have been the other major breakthrough, and that is an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority for the first steps to be implemented in that road map for peace with Israel, beginning to withdraw its forces. This is likely to take place either tonight or early tomorrow from parts of Gaza, and then also Bethlehem on the West Bank.
For that, the Palestinian Authority will send their security men back into these areas to stop any kinds of attacks on Israelis. Palestinians will be preparing for that activity with their security men, undergoing through their paces to take over for many of the Israeli tanks, and Israeli personnel will withdraw. So we are perhaps at a turning point finally, after 33 months of major and bloody battles between Israel and the Palestinians, perhaps, perhaps we've turned a corner -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jerrold Kessel, 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
