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CNN Saturday Morning News
Israeli Troops Return to West Bank Refugee Camp
Aired March 02, 2002 - 09:14 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 to the Middle East, where today Hamas says Israeli forces shot and killed one of their members in northern Gaza as he was trying to plant explosives, we're told. Meantime, the Israeli army reports its tanks and troops have returned to the West Bank refugee camp in Janin after a brief pullout.
With all the latest there, CNN's Jerrold Kessel now joins us from Jerusalem -- Jerrold.
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.
And sporadic shooting exchanges continuing in and around those two refugee camps on the West Bank where the Israeli troops went in three days ago. But there does seem to be something of a lull, this after the Israeli command regrouped its forces around one of those refugee camps, pulling out from the Janin camp, but still very much in control of the access to those -- to that camp.
There have been altogether 23 Palestinians reported killed, policemen, armed gunmen, and civilians, in the three days of the Israeli sweep. Two Israelis soldiers killed, 150, more than 150, Palestinian civilians, Palestinians, I beg pardon, have been wounded in the three days of fierce exchanges.
And now the lull in the Balata refugee camp and in Janin has allowed people, those that remain there, these are home to some 10,000 to 15,000 people, each of these camps, to try to pick up the pieces after the three days of the deadly Israeli sweep. Several cars were completely destroyed, but for the main, the narrow, cramped conditions of the camp have prevented the Israelis from using tanks and armored vehicles to go in, and the army commanders relied essentially on ground troops.
And they've taken up positions in -- within those camps, and also to try to keep away as far as possible from the narrow alleys, have been blowing holes in the homes dividing the, divide buildings, dividing separate homes and have worked their way through what the army command says has been a building-by-building search for the militants.
The army says it has come up with at least one place which was used as a arms depot and for the manufacture of homemade rockets.
But this ongoing battle continuing, the Palestinians, some Palestinian leaders charging that it amounts to no less than a war crime.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN INFORMATION MINISTER: Sharon is responsible for all these crimes, and we think that now the United States is responsible, because when they give him a hint, he uses it in order to widen his aggression against the Palestinian people to the maximum.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: And Israelis, for their part, are saying that this action is entirely one of self-defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIDEON MEIR, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: For the past 16 months, Israel is exposed to massive terror attacks from the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist organizations. Israel security doctrine is one, self-defense. And this is exactly what our forces are doing now in the Balata and Janin refugee camp.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KESSEL: Yasser Arafat has been appealing again for international intervention. He met with Western diplomats in his headquarters to the south in Ramallah, where he remains beleaguered. The Israeli army, for its part, says it has no time frame on this operation, although one commander did concede that perhaps political realities might dictate just how long the Israeli troops remain in the Balata camp or around that camp next to the town of Janin -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jerrold Kessel, live from Jerusalem, thank you.
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