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Sunday Morning News

Manhunt in West Bank Leads to Shootout, Leaves Three Israeli Soldiers Dead

Aired August 27, 2000 - 8:04 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Israel's West Bank, a fierce shootout during a manhunt has left three Israeli soldiers dead and another wounded. The gun battle broke out when Israeli troops raided a village searching for the leader of a radical Palestinian group who is on Israel's most wanted list. The suspect was wounded in the gun fight and is now in Palestinian custody.

Jerrold Kessel reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The bloody aftermath of the night long shootout in the West Bank village of Assira Ashamalieh, which Israeli troops had entered, describing it as a stronghold of the militant Islamic group Hamas. With questions being asked about how three soldiers were killed and a fourth wounded, Israeli's army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Shaoum Ofaz (ph), told the government of Ehud Barak he'd set up a commission to investigate what went wrong in the night operation.

EHUD BARAK, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Maybe they were killed as a result of our own friendly fire. This is a very severe event.

KESSEL: The Israeli army acknowledges the failure of their objective, the capture of this man, Mahmoud Abu Hanoud, number one on their most wanted list of Islamic militants. Two major suicide bombings in Jerusalem three years ago are said to have been masterminded by Abu Hanoud. Islamic militants are said again to be gearing up to torpedo violently further attempts by Israel and the Palestinian Authority to wrap up a peace accord.

Israel maintained a curfew on the village into the morning. According to the Israeli version of the extended firefight in what is Abu Hanoud's home village, he eluded them, making his way into nearby Nablus, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

"God is great, wails his mother. May god protect Mahmoud from the Jews. God is greater than those who are after him," she says.

A day earlier in Nablus, Hamas supporters staged a demonstration against any Palestinian concessions in the peace process. Police in Israel have, for the past couple of weeks, been on heightened alert after reports Islamic militants were planning renewed actions. This, amidst the intense diplomatic activity on various fronts to advance the stymied peace talks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KESSEL: Palestinian security officials confirm that Abu Hanoud is in their custody. Israel's prime minister says that for now Israel is not looking for his extradition. Israeli leaders seem to be looking more to Yasser Arafat's belief to do their utmost to thwart any actions by the Islamic militants -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jerrold, how could this affect the peace process? Will it affect the peace process?

KESSEL: Well, certainly if Hamas or any other militant Islamic groups had been able to carry out an action against Israelis, whether in Israel or the West Bank, that would have had a terribly devastating effect on the prospects of moving forward towards peace. The fact now that he is in custody, despite the failure of their own operation to apprehend him, Israeli military leaders are saying that this could prevent Hamas from carrying out the kind of spectacular act that they want to do to shoot down the peace process as Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak try to wrap up a peace deal.

And the very fact that he is in Palestinian custody could, in fact, if they do what they need to do, say the Israelis, and continue the cooperation in thwarting the militants, that could actually enhance the trust between the two sides that they can go ahead and at least on that level make some kind of deal towards getting that final peace agreement -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Jerrold Kessel, thank you.

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