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CNN Saturday Morning News

Deadly Explosion Rocks Israeli City of Haifa

Aired October 04, 2003 - 09:30   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Jerrold Kessel is standing by in Jerusalem now to update us on an explosion that has rocked, apparently, the city of Haifa over this weekend, and it's a significant one in Israel. Jerrold, there are deaths, correct?
KESSEL: There are a lot of deaths, Marty. The latest official count is 15 dead, among them a number of children, that's as many as five or more, and there are some reports, yet unconfirmed, that the death toll might rise to over -- to 18.

The Israeli police believe this was a case of a suicide bomber, tried to enter this popular restaurant on the beach promenade, just at the southern entrance to the northern port city of Haifa, a very popular eatery, Maxim's. It's actually an Arab-owned restaurant.

And Haifa is a symbol, in many ways, of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) very positive coexistence between Israeli Jews and Arabs. And this is an Arab-owned restaurant, but most of the people eating there would probably have been Jewish Israelis.

The attack came after 2:00 in the afternoon local time. This is, of course, the weekend, the Jewish Sabbath. Many people, it's a crowded place that people go out toward -- to the beach or on a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hike or holidaying out on the weekend. Very pleasant day up in Haifa.

And -- but nothing pleasant about the numbers coming in of the casualties. Altogether, more than 30 people have been treated already in hospital, six, according to Haifa hospital staff, are in serious condition. And a number of other people also being treated on the spot for the delayed reaction, shock, and minor injuries.

So a very serious incident. No claim of responsibility yet, Marty. But most of the assumption is that this is one of the Palestinian militant groups that has carried out this latest suicide bombing.

It's the first, in fact, that's been carried out successfully. One, of course, doesn't like to use the word "successfully" in these circumstances, but where a bomber has gotten through to carry out his attack, in about a month, when there were twin suicide bombings, one in Jerusalem at a cafe here, and one near an army base in the center of the country.

A very serious attack as Israel prepares to go into a two-day period, really, of the Yom Kippur Day of Atonement, which begins at sundown tomorrow evening, Marty.

SAVIDGE: Jerrold, I presume that the entire country must have been on a heightened state of alert. I mean, what precautions can you take in advance of something so unexpected?

KESSEL: Well,, you know, Israel, of course, over the last year or two, as it's been battling the Palestinian militant groups, has tried to perfect different techniques to ward off the bombers. And this has included having armed guards on the doors at restaurants. And there were, in fact, we understand, guards at that entrance to Maxim's restaurant.

There had been some reports, but this has not yet been confirmed by the Israeli police, that there was something of a shootout between the armed guards and the suicide bomber. One television report was saying, quoting eyewitnesses saying that the bomb -- that the man who carried out the attack shot the security guard, and then went in, shot inside, and said it set his explosive off.

That has not been confirmed by, I hasten to add, from -- by the police, but they are saying it was a suicide bomb.

But the Israelis have put high alert into place. They've also shut off any possibility, they thought, or attempted to deny Palestinians access from the West Bank of Gaza into Israel over this Yom Kippur weekend, the Day of Atonement weekend, and that was the attempt to make sure that there would be no untoward incidents during Yom Kippur.

Israel has also been marking, just by the way, but it's not very much not by the way, in terms of the country's psyche, Marty, the 30th anniversary of the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War back in 1973, when there was that massive assault launched by Egypt and Syria, which caused Israel a major national trauma, and the country's been engrossed in that is an -- in a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- as much as it's been engrossed with to how to deal with the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, Marty.

SAVIDGE: You say no claim of responsibility so far, Jerrold. Is that unusual at this particular point?

KESSEL: Well, it is early. It, it's only, what, let me say, about an hour and a quarter ago that the attack took place. So, no, that's not unusual that it might take longer. There have been cases where the militant groups, with the Islamic Jihad particularly, the militant Islamic groups, Islamic Jihad or Hamas, do take responsibility. But sometimes they don't. Sometimes they couch their support for such actions in nonofficial claim of responsibility.

We haven't had anything in that direction one way or another yet or any official reaction to this latest terror incident.

SAVIDGE: Well, that's obvious yet to come. Jerrold Kessel, thank you very much for that update from Israel. We will continue to stay close with you. KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we'll be joined now by the Israeli emergency services spokesman. His name is Avi Zohar. He is in Haifa.

Sir, can you hear me?

AVI ZOHAR, ISRAELI AMBULANCE SERVICES (on phone): Yes, I am on the scene (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It is a restaurant, close to the beach in a tank station, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a tank station. The families in lunch, kids, womans, and all of them were in a closed room with air condition, so that the explosion has a very, very strong effect.

And about more than 40 injured, 16 dead, and more than 20 injured, several of them seriously wounded. And all of them are in hospital. We came with our ambulance fleet, and we are used to do it in these last three years. So the treatment and the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was in the effect that we gave the best treatment earlier to the patients.

All of them are now in hospitals, and let's say several of them are very, very seriously wounded. And as I say, it was one of the biggest mass casualty incidents in the last year. And yes, the number of dead is high. more than usual in such mass casualty incidents, because it is an amount, a number of wounded, that is sometimes three times, four times more than -- more than the dead.

This time it is, let's say, 50/50, about 16 really casualties injured, seriously injured, and about 16 dead. That's the situation at this moment that I can describe.

ARENA: All right. Well, and obviously, heading into the High Holy Days, lots of families gathering together at this time.

ZOHAR: Yes. I can say only one thing, that in some way, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the last two, three weeks, were not so busy for us. And again we were not shocked, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I can mention our services were ready for this (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and even that it is Saturday, most of the services and volunteers came with ambulances, possible, let's say, less than 10 minutes, there were such a fleet here that took care in the best profession to the victims.

And again I must mention that obviously last time, the last one in this week or this weekend, because we are again close to Yom Kippur, and it was again, let's say, that we should be ready again for everything that can happen in those days.

SAVIDGE: All right, Avi Zohar, the Israeli emergency services spokesman, thanks so much for joining us at this time.

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 October 4, 2003 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Jerrold Kessel is standing by in Jerusalem now to update us on an explosion that has rocked, apparently, the city of Haifa over this weekend, and it's a significant one in Israel. Jerrold, there are deaths, correct?
KESSEL: There are a lot of deaths, Marty. The latest official count is 15 dead, among them a number of children, that's as many as five or more, and there are some reports, yet unconfirmed, that the death toll might rise to over -- to 18.

The Israeli police believe this was a case of a suicide bomber, tried to enter this popular restaurant on the beach promenade, just at the southern entrance to the northern port city of Haifa, a very popular eatery, Maxim's. It's actually an Arab-owned restaurant.

And Haifa is a symbol, in many ways, of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) very positive coexistence between Israeli Jews and Arabs. And this is an Arab-owned restaurant, but most of the people eating there would probably have been Jewish Israelis.

The attack came after 2:00 in the afternoon local time. This is, of course, the weekend, the Jewish Sabbath. Many people, it's a crowded place that people go out toward -- to the beach or on a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hike or holidaying out on the weekend. Very pleasant day up in Haifa.

And -- but nothing pleasant about the numbers coming in of the casualties. Altogether, more than 30 people have been treated already in hospital, six, according to Haifa hospital staff, are in serious condition. And a number of other people also being treated on the spot for the delayed reaction, shock, and minor injuries.

So a very serious incident. No claim of responsibility yet, Marty. But most of the assumption is that this is one of the Palestinian militant groups that has carried out this latest suicide bombing.

It's the first, in fact, that's been carried out successfully. One, of course, doesn't like to use the word "successfully" in these circumstances, but where a bomber has gotten through to carry out his attack, in about a month, when there were twin suicide bombings, one in Jerusalem at a cafe here, and one near an army base in the center of the country.

A very serious attack as Israel prepares to go into a two-day period, really, of the Yom Kippur Day of Atonement, which begins at sundown tomorrow evening, Marty.

SAVIDGE: Jerrold, I presume that the entire country must have been on a heightened state of alert. I mean, what precautions can you take in advance of something so unexpected?

KESSEL: Well,, you know, Israel, of course, over the last year or two, as it's been battling the Palestinian militant groups, has tried to perfect different techniques to ward off the bombers. And this has included having armed guards on the doors at restaurants. And there were, in fact, we understand, guards at that entrance to Maxim's restaurant.

There had been some reports, but this has not yet been confirmed by the Israeli police, that there was something of a shootout between the armed guards and the suicide bomber. One television report was saying, quoting eyewitnesses saying that the bomb -- that the man who carried out the attack shot the security guard, and then went in, shot inside, and said it set his explosive off.

That has not been confirmed by, I hasten to add, from -- by the police, but they are saying it was a suicide bomb.

But the Israelis have put high alert into place. They've also shut off any possibility, they thought, or attempted to deny Palestinians access from the West Bank of Gaza into Israel over this Yom Kippur weekend, the Day of Atonement weekend, and that was the attempt to make sure that there would be no untoward incidents during Yom Kippur.

Israel has also been marking, just by the way, but it's not very much not by the way, in terms of the country's psyche, Marty, the 30th anniversary of the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War back in 1973, when there was that massive assault launched by Egypt and Syria, which caused Israel a major national trauma, and the country's been engrossed in that is an -- in a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- as much as it's been engrossed with to how to deal with the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, Marty.

SAVIDGE: You say no claim of responsibility so far, Jerrold. Is that unusual at this particular point?

KESSEL: Well, it is early. It, it's only, what, let me say, about an hour and a quarter ago that the attack took place. So, no, that's not unusual that it might take longer. There have been cases where the militant groups, with the Islamic Jihad particularly, the militant Islamic groups, Islamic Jihad or Hamas, do take responsibility. But sometimes they don't. Sometimes they couch their support for such actions in nonofficial claim of responsibility.

We haven't had anything in that direction one way or another yet or any official reaction to this latest terror incident.

SAVIDGE: Well, that's obvious yet to come. Jerrold Kessel, thank you very much for that update from Israel. We will continue to stay close with you. KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we'll be joined now by the Israeli emergency services spokesman. His name is Avi Zohar. He is in Haifa.

Sir, can you hear me?

AVI ZOHAR, ISRAELI AMBULANCE SERVICES (on phone): Yes, I am on the scene (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It is a restaurant, close to the beach in a tank station, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a tank station. The families in lunch, kids, womans, and all of them were in a closed room with air condition, so that the explosion has a very, very strong effect.

And about more than 40 injured, 16 dead, and more than 20 injured, several of them seriously wounded. And all of them are in hospital. We came with our ambulance fleet, and we are used to do it in these last three years. So the treatment and the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was in the effect that we gave the best treatment earlier to the patients.

All of them are now in hospitals, and let's say several of them are very, very seriously wounded. And as I say, it was one of the biggest mass casualty incidents in the last year. And yes, the number of dead is high. more than usual in such mass casualty incidents, because it is an amount, a number of wounded, that is sometimes three times, four times more than -- more than the dead.

This time it is, let's say, 50/50, about 16 really casualties injured, seriously injured, and about 16 dead. That's the situation at this moment that I can describe.

ARENA: All right. Well, and obviously, heading into the High Holy Days, lots of families gathering together at this time.

ZOHAR: Yes. I can say only one thing, that in some way, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the last two, three weeks, were not so busy for us. And again we were not shocked, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I can mention our services were ready for this (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and even that it is Saturday, most of the services and volunteers came with ambulances, possible, let's say, less than 10 minutes, there were such a fleet here that took care in the best profession to the victims.

And again I must mention that obviously last time, the last one in this week or this weekend, because we are again close to Yom Kippur, and it was again, let's say, that we should be ready again for everything that can happen in those days.

SAVIDGE: All right, Avi Zohar, the Israeli emergency services spokesman, thanks so much for joining us at this time.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com