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CNN Sunday Morning
Israel Says Airstrike on Building in Qana, Lebanon, was Tragic 'Mistake'; Condoleezza Rice Postpones Visit to Beirut; Protesters Break Into U.N. Compound in Beirut
Aired July 30, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage in the Middle East. Mobs of protesters storm a U.N. compound in Beirut after an Israeli airstrike kills dozens in Lebanon.
It's Sunday, July 30th, 9:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 4:00 p.m. in Beirut and Jerusalem.
Good morning, everyone, from the CNN Center. I'm Tony Harris.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for being with us today.
Now, we are all over this story with CNN reporters all across the region. There they are. We'll take you live to Tyre and Beirut, Lebanon, also northern Israel, and we will get to our John King in Jerusalem in just a moment.
HARRIS: And if you are just joining us this morning, here is what we know about the breaking news in Lebanon.
The Red Cross in Lebanon now puts the death toll at 54 from an Israeli airstrike today in the village of Qana. Most of the victims were women, children and the elderly who had taken refuge in a four- story building. A spokeswoman for the Israeli government tells CNN that hitting the building, was "a mistake." She says Hezbollah rockets being fired nearby were the intended target.
There was also a report within the past few minutes from Lebanese military sources that a hospital in the village of Bint Jbeil was hit by Israeli fire. Some casualties are reported but details are not yet available.
NGUYEN: Israel says it has photographic proof that Hezbollah fighters were firing rockets into Israel near a building hit today in an Israeli airstrike. More than 50 civilians are confirmed dead in that strike, most of them children. And as we said just a moment ago, Israel now acknowledges that hitting the building was a tragic mistake.
CNN's Karl Penhaul has been covering this breaking news for us from the nearby city of Tyre.
And that was one of the things that we were talking about earlier, exactly how close was this building to the target that Israel was looking to strike?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, indeed, Betty, it's very difficult to tell exactly where that target the Israelis were referring to was, because certainly by the time our teams got on the ground there, and also other media teams got on the ground there, there was no evidence of Hezbollah activity down there. They don't just stand around; this is a highly-mobile guerilla force. But what my colleague Ben Wedeman did say was that the bomb crater was actually just alongside that four-story building, and that caused the four- story building to collapse with all those people inside.
The latest from Lebanese police, 54 people confirmed dead, including 37 children. But I'd like you to take a look at a report that my colleague Ben Wedeman has prepared.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Another stretcher, another body. The ambulances are full of the dead, children, women, old men, crushed while hiding in the basement.
An Israeli bomb landed right next to a house in the village of Qana, where dozens of women, children and old people had taken shelter. "There's a 4-month-old baby under the rubble," says Qana resident Riad Shalub (ph).
Lebanese army officers say they counted more than 80 strikes on Qana overnight. Large parts of the town have been totally devastated. Those who have come to help pause as another Israeli jet roars overhead.
(on camera): This town was struck just after midnight. The Israeli army says it gave the inhabitants fair warning to leave. Some didn't.
(voice over): Town residents say they couldn't. "We wanted them to leave, but they didn't have any money," says Khalil Shalub (ph). "Cars and ambulance are being hit. They were forced to stay here."
"We offered several times to take them out," says this town resident, "but they were poor. They were hoping nothing would happen to them."
It's difficult to confirm Israeli claims that Qana is an important base of operations for Hezbollah. In April, 1996, during Operation Grapes of Wrath, more than a hundred Lebanese civilians were killed when Israeli artillery hit a United Nations compound. Ten years later, death has come again to Qana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PENHAUL: Now, Ben Wedeman in that report does make an important point, and that the fact that even though these civilians, these residents of these outlying villages have been warned to leave, there's very little possibility that they can do it. Many of them are too poor, so they don't own their own vehicles. And there's also a critical shortage of fuel, so they have no fuel to power their vehicles -- Betty.
NGUYEN: The pictures are just so graphic, Karl, and so tragic.
Thank you for that report.
HARRIS: Well, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice still in Jerusalem today, not Beirut, where she was supposed to be headed before the Qana attacks.
CNN's John King joins us from Jerusalem with the latest.
And John, you have to -- first of all, good morning to you. First of all, you have to explain to the folks watching this morning here in the states how some of these images from this Qana attack are being used by some...
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, I just lost you. I don't know...
HARRIS: Did you just lose me? Am I back with you, John?
KING: I don't know what the issue is. I can't hear you, Tony, but if you can still hear me...
HARRIS: OK.
KING: ... let me try to explain the drama of what happened this morning.
Secretary of State Rice was actually in a meeting with Israel's defense minister, and she says in that meeting she was stressing U.S. concerns that Israel be very careful in its targeting, that it go the extra mile, if you will, to avoid hitting any targets that could have civilian casualties. In walked someone to brief them on the tragic events in Qana. Secretary Rice then, immediately knowing, of course, her already difficult diplomacy would turn even more difficult. The secretary met with reporters a short time later to announce that she in fact was not going on to Beirut.
Now, the Lebanese government says she was not welcome because of those events. Secretary Rice says she made the decision. In any event, though, she is not going to Beirut.
One of the reasons the Lebanese governments says is that it won't sit down with a top U.S. official until the White House says it favors an immediate cease-fire. Secretary Rice saying again that the United States does not favor an immediate cease-fire, but she says she will stay here in Israel trying to bring about the progress necessary to get a cease-fire in the days ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are working very hard to try to stop the violence. Too many innocent people, Lebanese and Israeli, have suffered. Too many people have lost their lives. Too many families are homeless. And too many children have been killed, injured, or are living in fear for their lives. The circumstances are very difficult and emotions are understandably running high on all sides.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And so what happens from here, Secretary Rice continuing her conversations here with Israeli officials. She is not going to Lebanon right now. How long she will stay is still an open question.
As of now, she is staying the night here in Jerusalem to continue her conversations. The sad part, from the U.S. perspective, is they say they were making substantial progress in coming to an agreement with Israeli officials as to what has to be in any cease-fire agreement that would then be approved by the U.N. Security Council. Already, though, you see across the Arab world more condemnation of Israel and of the United States.
The Palestinian president calling this an ugly massacre. Syria calling it state terrorism. Criminal aggression in the words of Jordan's King Abdullah, a key U.S. ally. And King Abdullah saying there needs to be an immediate cease-fire.
But again, Tony, the White House saying it will not call for an immediate cease-fire. It says it is trying to advance the diplomacy as quickly as possible to get to a cease-fire.
And just in closing, I want to note this. You heard Karl Penhaul just moments ago saying that the citizens were warned in that area. This is from the Israeli Defense Forces. They say this is the flyer that was dropped in Qana and in other cities in southern Lebanon telling the citizens they have to get out because there could be attacks, but again, as Karl noted, many of those citizens too poor to leave. And you see the tragedy today that, among other things, inflames tensions and complicates the Rice mission -- Tony.
HARRIS: John King for us in Jerusalem.
John, thank you.
Boy if we had -- we lost our connection to John or I'd have a question for him. I wanted him to share with you...
NGUYEN: How it played out.
HARRIS: ... how it has played out in the Arab media. And he told us a story that in seconds, just seconds apart, what you have on the Arab media, in some outlets of the Arab media -- I have to clarify that -- is the image of the Qana attack, and then followed immediately by pictures of the secretary of state and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and together. They just...
NGUYEN: Well, it's even more than that, because the images that were playing out on many of the Arab outlets were very graphic images from Qana.
Now, you saw the Ben Wedeman report just minutes ago here, yet that was graphic, but nothing compared to what was airing on Arab media. And then after that, of course, you see Condoleezza Rice shaking hands with Israeli officials. So...
HARRIS: And the symbolism is clear. It is the attempt to link not only Israel, but America to this particular attack and the loss of civilian life. So -- it's -- it's a story that we continue to follow in all of its dimensions today.
NGUYEN: Well, and speaking of that graphic video that was played, I mean, it is the reality of the situation. But angry demonstrations erupted on the streets of Beirut in reaction to the Qana attack. The situation is calmer now.
This is video from earlier, but protesters, as you see there, stormed the U.N. compound in the Lebanese capital. And our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, joins us now to talk about the situation.
Walk us through how this played out. We try to give a description of it, Brent, but you saw it yourself. How did the graphic video spark the demonstrations that we've seen in video of the U.N. building there being stormed?
BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: Well, the issue of there being heavy and appalling loss of civilian life in Qana is a repetition of history. Ten years ago, Israel was trying to destroy Hezbollah in a massive air campaign called Grapes of Wrath. During that campaign, Israeli shells hit a United Nations compound manned by Fijian peacekeepers.
A hundred Lebanese refugees, more than a hundred, were killed by that Israeli airstrike. That, in effect, brought a halt to diplomatic measures, very quickly, the war that was going on then 10 years ago.
So, add that to today's attack on Qana, and that is what has sparked this reaction, coupled with, as you say, Betty, continuous, more or less, unending coverage of those graphic pictures, some of which are too horrific for our viewers to see. But they've been pumped out hour by hour on Lebanese television channels and throughout the Arab world.
So you can see the key allies, particularly Egypt and Jordan, those leaders, King Abdullah and President Hosni Mubarak, quick to use bitter condemnation of this attack, as we heard from John King there, because they are trying to reduce the pulse of the Arab street. The Arab (INAUDIBLE) boiling already as a result of this near-three-week campaign by Israel, and that boiling of that passion and sentiment and anger could blow.
And we saw just the tip of that anger hitting the United Nations headquarters in downtown Beirut a few hours ago. The situation much calmer now -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes, you talk about the anger. Jordan's King Abdullah, this is just a quote from what he had to say about the Qana attack.
He says, "This criminal aggression is an ugly crime that has been committed by Israeli forces in the city of Qana. That is a gross violation of all international statutes."
Of course, we are learning from the Israeli forces that it was a mistake to hit so near that building, but at the same time, they will argue that Hezbollah operates in the midst of civilian areas. So it's a very difficult conflict, no doubt.
Brent Sadler, thank you for giving us a little bit of history behind the two Qana attacks.
HARRIS: Well, since we started monitoring this situation in Qana and then its aftermath in Beirut with the storming of the U.N. compound, we have been hearing suggestions that the protest might actually move to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
And give me a sense here, are we looking at live pictures from outside of the -- of the embassy? Katie (ph)?
OK. These are pictures from outside of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
CNN's Nic Robertson is there.
And Nic, if you would, give us a sense of the scene on the ground from your vantage point.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, as soon as those announcement were made at that very angry rally in the center of Beirut that the protesters should move off towards the U.S. Embassy, outside the U.S. Embassy razor wire was called across the road. The Lebanese army came out of their posts which have been set up in a place around the embassy here for many, many years to protect it from such demonstrations.
They pulled the razor wire out across the road. I'm looking at four rows of razor wire across the road now. There are Lebanese police on the streets, the army, but they have -- they have helmets on, the have riot shields.
But what -- what we're looking at now, what you can see on those pictures, is a small demonstration that's gathering here. We've watched it over the last half an hour.
It's really only a tiny handful of people. And one of the reasons that there are perhaps less than about 20 people at this demonstration carrying Lebanese flags is because the roads from the main center of Beirut out to the embassy here, just north of the center of the city, now have army checkpoints.
All the main routes are blocked by the Lebanese army at the moment. They won't let -- they won't let protesters through. Obviously normal traffic able to pass. And the closer you get to embassy -- the embassy, the more checkpoints there are.
So, right now, it's a tiny handful of people and a very peaceful demonstration. Far more police and army out manning these particular checkpoints and roadblocks with all the razor wire. Right now it looks like a very small, very calm, almost (INAUDIBLE) demonstration close to the embassy, but clearly a lot of those people in the center of the city who were very angry before are not able to get close -- Tony.
HARRIS: So, Nic, can we give the Lebanese army military some credit for, first, responding quickly to the situation at the U.N. compound, and quelling that in great speed and great haste? And also, can we give them some credit for not allowing this demonstration to grow?
ROBERTSON: The answer to all of those questions is yes. I watched the Lebanese army quite literally running across some open ground to get to the U.N. building this morning to protect the building.
They put in a quarter (ph) of their soldiers along the front of the building. Very soon after that, armored personnel carriers were on the streets full of Lebanese army soldiers very close to the U.N. building.
What the army has done is not to confront the people here. They stood back. And they've set up the checkpoints on the main roads out here.
The embassy very quickly set up the razor wire and barricades so that nobody can get close to the embassy -- very, very quickly. And what they've done is step back and pushed the Lebanese police into the front line and allowed Lebanese police to come into the front line.
Obviously, the government here very aware that if it has to send in the Lebanese army to face off and stop an angry demonstration with a confrontation, that could be very divisive within the ranks of the army. Of course, the army here made up of from all spectrums, political and religious spectrums within the country.
But I'm watching now as the small Lebanese army with a few soldiers drives by. The situation here is quite light, but without doubt the Lebanese army has acted with haste, and it's acted with great haste to protect both the U.N. and American interests here -- Tony.
HARRIS: Right. Nic, thank you.
CNN's Nic Robertson for us at the U.S. Embassy now in Beirut.
We are continuing to follow this rapidly-developing story out of the Middle East. Israeli troops have launched another ground defense across the border.
We will have a live report from the region straight ahead.
NGUYEN: As well as military analysis from our very own General Spider Marks.
That's straight ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: There are some new developments in this Mideast crisis.
Let's get straight to CNN's Thomas Roberts. He's manning the international desk for us this morning.
Thomas, what do you have?
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Betty, good morning.
We continue to watch a lot of fluid details that are coming in, but this one coming to us from the U.N., where we're learning that the U.N. Security Council will be holding consultations on Lebanon coming up at 11:00 a.m. this morning, and that was at the request of Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
We're also learning as well that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who remains in Israel today, will be continuing her meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and then be updating the press and traveling back to Washington. Then to work on negotiations to present something to the U.N. this week.
But again, a development coming to us from the U.N. Security Council. They will be holding talks this morning beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Another thing we wanted to talk about this morning was the fact that we had a Red Cross official on the site in Qana. That's what we've been talking so much this morning about, where the airstrikes from Israel have killed reportedly about 57 people. This according to the Red Cross on the scene there. Thirty-seven children have died.
His name is Qassem Shaalan and he is a Red Cross volunteer, and he joins us now on the phone.
Qassem, can you hear us?
QASSEM SHAALAN, RED CROSS VOLUNTEER IN QANA: Yes, OK.
ROBERTS: Can you explain how long you've been on the scene there and what you're hearing right now?
SHAALAN: OK. Well, here, from 7:00 in the morning -- we took a call from 6:00, but we can't reach this area because there is too many bomb (INAUDIBLE) very close to our Red Cross ambulance (ph), which took for us a half an hour or an hour to reach this area.
It's really, my friend -- the scene here, it's very bad. It's a domestic (ph) scene. Most of the dead bodies here are from child between 1 year old and 5 years old. There are two families under this building. So we -- we took -- we took -- we took from them 19 child, and there are still around 11 under this damaged building.
And we took -- yes?
ROBERTS: Do you believe that they're still alive, or do you believe that this is only a recovery mission, as opposed to a rescue mission?
SHAALAN: No, I don't think they're still alive now because there are too many damaged things on top of them. So I don't think they're still alive now.
ROBERTS: And how quickly can you get in there?
SHAALAN: I think -- I think now, the situation here, it's very bad. It is not easy to get them under this damaged building.
Now there are Chinese from UNICEF, a Chinese team. Now we are working (INAUDIBLE) by the (INAUDIBLE) and by assist by Lebanese army, by civilian friends, by the Red Cross. We are here -- we stopped from two or three hours. Until now we have been unable to take any dead bodies.
ROBERTS: Red Cross volunteer Qassem Shaalan.
Thank you for your time.
Again, we want to pass along that CNN has been able to confirm 54 dead, 37 children in the bombing that took place there. And as we're hearing from the volunteer on site, that they believe there could be as many as 11 more bodies in the basement there.
Betty, Tony, back to you.
NGUYEN: Goodness. All right.
Thomas Roberts on the international desk for us this morning.
Thank you for that.
Of course we've got much more to come on this Mideast crisis as the developments continue to happen. And when they do, we will bring them to you live.
HARRIS: Israeli ground troops are on the move in northern Israel, very near the border with Lebanon. Israeli Defense Forces say this is another area Hezbollah uses to launch rockets.
CNN's Matthew Chance joins us live from northern Israel with the latest -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Tony.
I've actually just lost contact with the studio, but let me tell you, to answer the question, that certainly the Israeli defense officials say that ground operations are now under way again after a brief lull inside south Lebanon. They're focusing their attention this time on the village of Taiba (ph), which they say is a stronghold of Hezbollah and which is used by that militia to fire rockets into the towns and cities across Israel.
There doesn't seem to have been any letup in ground operations over the course of the past day or so since this incident in Qana has taken place. But it will be very interesting to see how it affects Israel's military policy.
At the moment, they're saying it hasn't affected it at all and they're going to press ahead with their strategy of hitting Hezbollah, wherever they are, as hard as possible. But certainly, the pressure is growing on them from the United States, from other allies, from other countries in the international community as well, for them to go for an immediate cease-fire.
Up until now, what Israel has said is that it will hit Hezbollah as hard as it can in order to get a cease-fire, but a cease-fire that prevents Hezbollah from rearming again. And that's why the diplomatic process, they're saying, must be long and must guarantee that.
In the meantime, they're doing what they can in the field and in the air to suppress the Hezbollah rocket attacks. But they're still coming in thick and fast, I have to say. More than a hundred are coming on this day alone in towns and cities across northern Israel.
Back to you in the studio -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. Matthew Chance for us in northern Israel.
Matthew, thank you.
NGUYEN: Well, let's get some insight on Israel's latest military moves into southern Lebanon, as Matthew Chance just talked about, and, of course, that deadly strike in Qana.
Joining us from Washington, CNN military analyst retired Army Brigadier General James "Spider" Marks.
General, thanks for being with us today.
BRIG. GEN. JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Let's talk about Israel's capabilities. We've seen the images out of Qana. This building, this four-story residential building that basically collapsed after an airstrike, an Israeli airstrike hit very near it.
How precise are Israeli missiles?
MARKS: Well, Betty, when you look at this, you have to make a couple of assumptions that what Israel used and will continue to use in these built-up areas, these areas where there are population centers and where Hezbollah will launch its rockets from, Israel will try to be as precise as they can. And the munitions that they'll use on their airstrikes are precision-guided, they're satellite-guided, or they're laser-guided, either self-lased -- that is, the bomb lases itself directly under the target -- or there's someone on the ground that will lase the target and then the bomb will come into it.
These -- these bombs go where they are lased. They hit within inches, within feet of where they're supposed to go.
The challenge is a thing called collateral damage. And what you see in Qana is Hezbollah was firing from a location that you can imagine was probably juxtaposed, tangent to a civilian building, and Israel did a clearance of fires.
They go through a process that says we're going to strike at this particular place, and we'll do it with a precision-guided munition. But what happens is, the blast effects, one it hits the targets, it hits where it's supposed to hit, the blast effects then hit the surrounding area. That's what brought the building down.
It didn't collapse. It was brought down.
NGUYEN: So is it just a miscalculation then on where that blast area is going to be? Because a building like this with so many civilians, and it obviously took a hit.
MARKS: Oh, Betty, absolutely. The building -- I would say the building was not hit. It was hit directly next to it. So you're exactly right, it's the calculation of the blast effects, and then the determination of collateral damage that you go through the process.
And clearly, in my mind, as a military guy, this collateral damage assessment process on this strike failed. They dropped something that far exceeded in terms of blast effects of what was going to cause damage in the area.
You also have the opportunity and the option to put an inert bomb. It doesn't have any blast in it. It is literally just like a stone coming down. It doesn't have any blast, but it will kill precisely what it strikes. You wouldn't have had that damage on that building.
NGUYEN: OK. So, in an effort to lessen the collateral damage, as you talked about, is this the point where if Israel wants to continue this raid, this buffer zone, and to root out Hezbollah, that it has to go in with an all-out ground assault?
MARKS: Betty, exactly the point. You are going to continue to have collateral damage when you try to strike at distance. That is, through the air or by artillery.
You try to engage an enemy like this that hides within the population centers, you can't achieve the same effects as you can achieve when you put soldiers on the ground that go from door to door or area to area to go find the Hezbollah fighters. So as we've said all along, Israel right now is going after Hezbollah where they exist. They could isolate the area and then try to reduce Hezbollah, but that takes soldiers on the ground.
NGUYEN: General Spider Marks, we appreciate your time, your analysis, and indeed the insight.
Thank you.
MARKS: Thanks, Betty.
HARRIS: Now that was good. That was...
NGUYEN: He has some good information.
HARRIS: That was great.
NGUYEN: That's why he's our military analyst.
HARRIS: Yes. That was -- that was really good.
All right. We're going to take a break. We'll come back with the latest developments in the Middle East crisis.
You are watching CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) * HARRIS: Day 19. Good morning, everyone. Here's what we know about the breaking news in the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council today will hold an emergency session on the crisis in Lebanon. That's scheduled to begin in about 90 minutes. The Red Cross in Lebanon now puts the death toll at 54 from an Israeli airstrike today in the village of Qana, most of the victims were children and the Israeli government tells CNN that hitting the building was, "a mistake." The diplomatic fallout was swift with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip today to Beirut abruptly cancelled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: In the wake of the tragedy that the people and the government of Lebanon are dealing with today, I've decided to postpone my discussions in Beirut. In any case, my work today is here. I will continue to meet with Israeli officials as we work to put in place the elements necessary to bring an end to this conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And quickly now to Thomas Roberts, following developments from the international desk -- Thomas.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Tony, we're monitoring exactly what's going to be taking place with the secretary of state's travel schedule. And while she remains in Israel, she will be leaving tomorrow to head back to Washington. We are getting confirmation on that now. She'll be leaving Jerusalem for Washington on Monday, and once back in Washington, D.C. she's going to work to negotiate a draft resolution to present to the U.N. Security Council. And again as you pointed out, the U.N. Security Council will be meeting at 11:00 a.m. this morning. This was at the request of U.N. secretary general, Kofi Annan.
The statement for this followed the Israeli airstrike in Qana, Southern Lebanon, that killed 54 civilians and we do have confirmed 37 of which were children. And Tony, it really is fueling world pressure for a cease-fire now, it's just getting more and more heightened. So we'll watch and see what happens at 11:00 a.m. this morning, but of course be following the secretary of state's travel schedule as she comes home to Washington, D.C.
HARRIS: Thomas Roberts following developments for us from the international desk. Thomas again, good to have you with us. Thanks.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Well, Israel says it has a photographic proof that Hezbollah fighters were firing rockets into Israel near a building hit today in an Israeli airstrike. Even so, thought, Israel admits hitting the building was a tragic mistake. Lebanese are just outrage over the deaths of more than 50 civilians, 37 of them being children. CNN's Karl Penhaul has been covering this breaking story from the city of Tyre which is just less than 10 miles away from Qana.
And as we understand Karl, there are still people trapped under that building.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: There are still people trapped under the building. Certainly Red Cross officials and also the residents there of Qana continue to work, in some cases with their bare hands, but we also understand that backhoes have now been brought in to scoop out some of the rubble to try and find if there are more people trapped under there.
But as we've been saying, the latest figures from the Red Cross and the Lebanese police say that 54 people were killed, 37 of those children. And according to those who were on the ground including my colleague Ben Wedeman, he saw that what, in fact, he saw had happened was that a bomb fell next to that building and the building collapsed on top of that, thus, crushing up to 60 people who were inside -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, we spoke with General Spidermarshal (ph), a little bit earlier and he talked just about the blast effect which obviously took hold on that building and caused it to collapse, but my question is if these missiles are so precise and it was hitting a Hezbollah target was there any sign of a Hezbollah target in the rubble?
PENHAUL: Certainly not from what either my colleague Ben Wedeman saw or any of the TV pictures that I've seen. We haven't seen anything that indicates it may have been Hezbollah weaponry there, that said in the last few days that we have been here in Tyre, of course we have seen outgoing fire from Katyushas and other kinds of missiles being hired by Hezbollah fighters and there is a constant accusation that they are using or they are shielding themselves amongst the civilian population. So, difficult to tell whether at that precise moment, Hezbollah had been using part of the urban area of Qana as a firing position, but certainly what had the effect here is an effect on the civilian population -- Betty.
NGUYEN: CNN's Karl Penhaul in Tyre, Lebanon, just about 10 miles away from Qana where the attack occurred today. Thank you, Karl.
Well, for more insight on how the Qana attack is playing out Arab television stations.
HARRIS: We want to bring you in our senior Arab affairs editor, Octavia Nasr.
Octavia, good to see you. I want to take a step back for a second and what we try to do here is look at this story -- you and the international desk are helping us do this -- look at this from as many perspectives as we possibly can. I'm wondering, as the pressure clearly builds on Israel and the aftermath of this attack with the airstrikes on Qana and the loss of civilians, what is Hezbollah saying?
OCTAVIA NASR, SR. EDITOR, ARAB AFFAIRS: Hezbollah had a statement just a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact, and they're saying that the -- what they're calling the massacre on Qana is not going go unanswered. What that means, of course is open for debate and for, you know, explanation. Each one is going to read it differently, but obviously Hezbollah is saying it's not going to take this without reacting. That there will be an answer to this.
Now, the supporters of Hezbollah, you know, people like Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker who's also a Shiite leader, he said you -- he called Israel the bull. He said the world, the free world should stop this bull from attacking Lebanon. And he, basically said that everybody, and he said that he speaks for the resistance, that is Hezbollah in their mind -- he speaks for everybody saying that they all stand behind the prime minister, Fouad Siniora, at this point.
NGUYEN: Was there was any talk, from Hezbollah, about the Israeli claims that guerillas were in that area -- Hezbollah guerillas were in that area and that's what they were trying to hit with this missile?
NASR: Not at all. As a matter of fact, not just Hezbollah, I mean the whole country, the whole of Lebanon is not going to discuss that. We're not surprised that they're not discussing that. This is one of those taboo subjects. No one criticizes Hezbollah, no one says anything negative about Hezbollah. They're seen as a resistance and even those who disagree with Hezbollah actions on July 12, going into Israel and attacking Israeli soldiers and taking two prisoners, even those who disagree with that including the prime minister who said he doesn't support this act and he didn't have any knowledge of it, even these people are now saying that they're pausing, they're saying this is not a time to have any conversation, but to mourn the dead.
HARRIS: And Octavia, quickly, the significance of this attack taking place in the city of Qana.
NGUYEN: Same city, yeah, the history.
NASR: Really, the significance is huge and that's what you're seeing. Already Arab networks are calling it "the second Qana massacre." They're reminding viewers of what happened back in '96. So this has emotional and historical background, this attack, and it's not going to go well. No one expected it to go well.
But you know, when you talk about Hezbollah firing at Israel and whether the Lebanese are giving the benefit of the doubt, that perhaps there were any artillery in that area, many times Israel has said that the way Hezbollah fires rockets is that these are mobile rockets. They're not just stationed there to stay all of the time. So to find proof is not the easy thing. So, you know, we're asking reports, did you see proof? Is there proof? The proof doesn't need to be there, but that area is known to be a Hezbollah hub, it is known to be -- you know, to have many Hezbollah members.
NGUYEN: And their members set up shop right in the middle of civilian areas.
NASR: They're known to set up shop near civilian areas. We hear that from our correspondents, we hear that from the experts, but right now the focus is not on that. The focus is on 55 innocent civilians that ended up...
HARRIS: And 37 children.
NASR: Thirty-seven of them children and the pictures and it's going to be very, very hard to justify this kind of attack.
HARRIS: Octavia, thank you.
NGUYEN: Very good insight, Octavia.
Well, let's take a closer look now at world reaction to the attack in Qana, Lebanon.
HARRIS: Strong words of condemnation from Jordan's King Abdullah, he issued a statements saying, "This criminal aggression is an ugly crime that has been committed by the Israeli forces in the city of Qana that is a gross violation of all international statutes."
NGUYEN: OK, now this from French president, Jacques Chirac, he says, "France condemns this unjustified action which demonstrates more than ever the need for an immediate cease-fire without which there will only be other such incidents."
HARRIS: And Pope Benedict XVI appealed for an immediate end to the fighting. He said, "In the name of God, I call on all those responsible for this spiral of violence so that weapons are immediately laid down on all sides." And this a short time ago from Israel government spokeswoman Miri Eisin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRI EISIN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN: Israel deeply, deeply sorrowful, is saddened by what happened this is definitely a mistake, we did not target this building?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did not target it, even though you had guided missiles, this was not targeted? EISIN: The building itself was not targeted, as I said. The building itself was next to the rocket launcher shot -- the rocket launcher sites and we are targeting all of those rocket launcher sites. This was a mistake. Israel deeply regrets this and we will have a full investigation...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Once again, that was Israeli government's spokesperson, Miri Eisin.
NGUYEN: Calling the situation a mistake, and with the deaths of 54 people in Qana. You know, in the midst of all of this people are trying to live out their lives as best they can and coming up, these teens that you're about to meet are an example of peace during a time of crisis. They are working together to reverse the legacy of hatred in the Middle East. Ahead, we'll tell you how they're turning to hope instead of hatred.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: On day 19, here is what we know about the breaking news in the Mideast, officials say 54 people were killed in that Israeli airstrike in Qana, Lebanon, earlier today. The Red Cross says 37 of the dead were children. Now, Israel is expressing deep regrets over the attack, calling it a mistake.
Just over an hour from now, the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on the emergency in Lebanon and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves Jerusalem for Washington tomorrow. She's going work on a draft U.N. resolution to end this fighting.
While the attacks in Qana sparked a violent protest in Beirut, look at these pictures, angry demonstrators stormed the U.N. compound. And just a short time ago we saw a small crowd gather outside the U.S. embassy in Beirut.
HARRIS: Some of the most amazing story of humanity and brotherly love arise from conflict and devastation. Seeds of Peace is that amazing story where extraordinary young people remind us what's great about the human spirit. The organization began with just 46 Israeli, Palestinian, and Egyptian teenagers in 1993. It focuses on the Middle East, now it's 2,500 young people strong. Rabab Khoury and Daniel Schoffman are from Seeds of Peace.
Good to see you both. Daniel, let me start with you, what do you think of what's happening in your homeland right now?
DANIEL SCHOFFMAN, SEEDS OF PEACE: Well, I think it's terrible, you know. We just heard now about all these people being killed in Lebanon and it's just a terrible thing. I think we can -- you know, people can't live like this and it has to change, you know, now.
HARRIS: Rabab, what are your thoughts? You're a Palestinian. What are your thoughts as you've been watching over the last 18, 19 days unfold before your eyes and what's been going on even before that in Gaza?
RABAB KHOURY, SEEDS OF PEACE: Well, it was terrible, like, killing people and children on the beach. They were like, having fun, there was no weapons, nothing. It was just terrible.
HARRIS: What is the answer here and maybe I would have you talk to one another. You discussed these issues. Share with us what you've to one another about how we come to some kind of resolution here?
SCHOFFMAN: Well, I think what has to be done is the leaders of both countries have to sit down and really actually listen to each other and understand each other, their side.
KHOURY: And get a solution as soon as possible because the solution is getting worser, even.
SCHOFFMAN: Yeah. And both sides are not going to be happy with the solution at the end, but you know, they have to agree on something at least because it's been this way since, you know, 1948, since the beginning of Israel and, you know, it can't continue like this any more so they...
HARRIS: How can it be -- Daniel, how can it be that the two of you can sit side by side and yet the leaders can't seem to come together and I don't know who you negotiate with in the Palestinian territories, but why can't the leaders come together as you are, even as you sit at this table, and make an agreement happen?
KHOURY: Well, it's just like hard for the leaders because it's not like talking only, it's about land and the land's so big. And you need to separate it between the people and the people do not agree for it.
SCHOFFMAN: And also the leaders are representing the whole country and the whole -- all of the people that are standing behind them so we're here as individuals, but they stand as a country, so it's harder for them to -- you know, they have to make the whole country happy and we're here just as ourselves.
HARRIS: Rabab, I have to ask you. How old are you?
KHOURY: I'm 16-1/2.
HARRIS: Sixteen and a half, spoken like a true teenager. What do you believe, will you see peace in your lifetime?
KHOURY: Well n my lifetime? No, I don't because maybe -- I wish it would happen in my lifetime so I can live in peace, go whatever I want without checkpoints, but we needs time, like resolutions, good ones because each side wants the -- each side wants the good thing for them, they don't think about the other side so it's going to take time, a long time, but I don't know if it will be in my time or in the other's time. I wish it would be in my time so I can live in peace. HARRIS: Daniel, in your lifetime? Peace in the Middle East?
SCHOFFMAN: How it's going right now, I don't think in my lifetime. But, I mean, that's why we're here, you know, to try and change that maybe, when we get older. I think what has to happen is what I said before, they have to really sit down and you know, not leave until they actually get to some kind of conclusion because otherwise it will just go on like this for another 50 years.
HARRIS: Will you keep working on it, please?
KHOURY: Excuse me? I cannot hear.
HARRIS: Will you keep working on solutions, please?
SCHOFFMAN: Yeah.
KHOURY: Yeah, we'll hopefully.
HARRIS: OK, thank you both for your time. We appreciate it.
NGUYEN: Well, change does start from within and that's what they're doing. In the meantime, though, Israel escalates the conflict with Lebanon. An airstrike about just eight hours ago takes out a building housing civilians. There's video of it now.
HARRIS: It's an attack Israel now says was a mistake. Stay with us, we're continuing live, round the clock coverage of the Mideast crisis ahead, all day long. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ever wish you could do a keyword search through all your memories to find that name, number or other piece of essential information? Well, Sunil Vemuri is busy turning that dream into a reality.
SUNIL VEMURI, CO-FOUNDER, QTECH INC.: What I have is a portable device which I carry around with me at all times and -- which allows me to record anything that happens in my life.
Reporter: The audio is then converted into text by using a sophisticated computer program and the resulting files are then searchable, similar to what you do when searching the internet.
VEMURI: The eventual goal of all of this is to help people with everyday memory problems.
Reporter: But don't expect to see this device on the market any time soon. Still to be worked out, issues with privacy laws and how to protect these memory recordings form being subpoenaed. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: There are more developments to tell you about. Let's check in now with Thomas Roberts at the international desk.
Hi, Thomas.
ROBERTS: Betty, good morning. We want to go back now to Qana in Southern Lebanon, where we have a reporter from the Lebanese broadcasting corporation, her name is Nana Azis and she has been on the scene in Qana this morning and she joins us now to explain.
Nada, nice to have you with us, can you tell us how long you've been there and what you're seeing going on right now.
NADA ENDRAOS AZIA, LBC REPORTER IN QANA: Until now with the Red Cross and the U.N. forces are working and they're looking for more bodies killed after the bombardment of a civil building in Qana in the Southern village. We are waiting for the final report. Until now they thought that there is more than 50 killed. all of them are women and children, at least 20 children are killed after the bombardment of Qana early this morning and after a series of bombardment of a lot of buildings in this region in the South.
ROBERTS: Nada, what are you learning about yet people taking shelter there didn't try and leave or did they try and flee the area?
AZIA: As I knew from some civilians, here, that some of the people killed in this building, they left their villages that was bombarded yesterday and in the early days and they thought they found shelter here, but it seems that there is no more safe shelter in the South, especially in this region because what we see here is only ruins from Tyre, all the old road to Qana, it's all of the buildings are ruined -- the bombardment -- and also the streets, it was hard way to Qana to (INAUDIBLE) Tyre and (INAUDIBLE) it was hard to reach this village.
ROBERTS: Israel defense forces are now apologizing, saying that this was a mistake, they were targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers they believed to be in the area, and one thing that the IDF said was that they leafleted the area to warn people not to stay in this area. As you've been on the scene, have you seen leaflets on the ground?
AZIA: People of Qana, they left here after one hour of the bombardment before -- they were scared, they don't have electricity, there is no army, there is no (INAUDIBLE), there is no U.N. To protect them, but they left also their houses, the left their cars and we don't know where they go, but Israel -- this is the second time that she apologizes, but you than this is the second disaster for the village and for the southern -- after 1996 and you remember that they target in 1996 a shelter for the U.N. and they killed more than 100 people. So apologizing today is not -- it doesn't make sense for the Lebanese and Southern people.
ROBERTS: Nada Azia from the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, thank you very much. And Betty and Tony, Nada was just mentioning there how this location, just 10 years ago, April of 1996, Israeli artillery pounded a U.N. center crowded with civilian, killing over 100 people.
Roughly, right now, we're learning more than 50 people were killed, but the recovery mission takes place there in building in Qana. And of course we'll continue to follow it and bring you more details right here on CNN throughout the morning.
NGUYEN: Yeah, the history on that area has not been lost with many Lebanese and Israelis for that matter.
ROBERTS: Absolutely right.
NGUYEN: Now it's time to check in with Howard Kurtz in Washington to see what is ahead on CNN's "Reliable Sources."
Hello Howard.
HOWARD KURTZ, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi Betty. Coming up, CBS's Laura Logan and ABC's Dean Reynolds join us as we go live to Israel and Lebanon to explore the war of images in the Middle East conflict and charges that some of the coverage has been too pro-Israel. We'll bring in CNN correspondent in the region and talk about the impact of today's Israeli destruction of a crowded apartment building in Southern Lebanon. That and more ahead on "Reliable Sources."
NGUYEN: All right, thank you. Well, that is "Reliable Sources" at 10:00 Eastern followed by Wolf Blitzer and "Late Edition" at 11:00, and "The Week at War." You'll want to stay tuned to CNN as we continue to follow the crisis in the Middle East.
HARRIS: Well, lots of breaking news in the Middle East this morning. If you have just joined us, you'll want to keep it tuned right here all day for the latest information, you can also go online. Nicole Lapin of CNN.com join us now to tell us what it is you can actually find online.
Nicole, good morning.
NICOLE LAPIN, CNN.COM: Good morning, Tony. Well, here's what we're trying to do on CNN.com, give you more, more picture, more video, more perspective. And we're talking about Tyre this morning, but where exactly is Tyre. OK, it's in the southern part of Lebanon. And Qana, that's also what we're talking about, is 10 miles east of there and that's where the latest attacks happened. You can see what's going on right after the airstrike in Qana. There's raw, unedited video on "CNN Pipeline" and you can also make your own judgment. You can chime in.
You've heard from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Jerusalem this morning. Well, do you think her trip is a success? Go ahead and cast your vote. And based on what we've been finding, 91 people say it's not a success. Not so much surprising, but you can find all of that, Tony, at CNN.com/Middle East.
HARRIS: OK, Nicole, thank you. And still ahead "Reliable Sources" coming up right after the break, then "Late Edition" here on CNN.
NGUYEN: Have a good morning.
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