Skip to main content
CNN.com /TRANSCRIPTS

CNN TV
EDITIONS





CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Early Morning Missile Attack on Refugee Camp in Jenin

Aired April 8, 2002 - 06:06   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Mr. Sharon's speech followed an early-morning missile attack on a refugee camp in Jenin.

CNN's Rula Amin joins us live from that West Bank town with that part of the story. Rula, what happened?

RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As live pictures of Israeli Apache helicopters hovering over the refugee camp of Jenin. Since the morning, Apache helicopters have been sending missiles into that camp. The Israeli army saying they are trying to end the operation here. They are trying to hunt the Palestinian militants responsible for many suicide bombings against Israeli civilians in the past.

However, we are hearing from the residents of that refugee camp, which you can see behind me here, the row of houses you can see across the field. We are hearing from those residents that there has been a lot of destruction, a lot of damage and many people killed, including many civilians as those residents have been telling us.

The missiles coming from the helicopters have been hitting a lot of homes. We are hearing from the residents that as well, tanks -- Israeli tanks have been sending shells to the camp. And this morning and yesterday, Israeli bulldozers have been knocking down houses in the camp.

Now, the Israeli army insists that they are trying to target the fire only on Palestinian gunmen, and try to, as much as possible, to avoid hurting civilians. But the accounts we have been getting from inside the camp says that many civilians are being hurt during this operation. We are hearing that ambulances are not able to get in. There are many people wounded who are still bleeding and are not getting any medical help.

Of course, it's very hard to verify or confirm any of these conflicting reports. Journalists are not allowed in. The Israeli army has made a very close, tight-closed area around Jenin and around Jenin's refugee camp, and it's hard for journalists to get in and know exactly what is happening there -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, and I was going to ask you, have there been any arrests? Because this is one of the goals that Ariel Sharon laid out this morning in his speech to the Israeli Parliament that they were going to arrest the murderers. Were there any arrests in Jenin, or just the gunfire?

AMIN: Well, what we are hearing from the army is that today there were around more than 100 Palestinian militants have given themselves in. However, when we talked to the people inside the camp on the phone, from the militants we are hearing that they are not giving themselves in. The residents are telling us that there are many civilians who are being rounded up, blindfolded, handcuffed and then taken away. Nobody knows where. Many of them, they say, are just regular civilians who have nothing to do with the Palestinian militants.

But again, we still really don't know what is happening there, except that the number of the people who have been killed is rising. Palestinians are talking about more than 100 Palestinians killed, many civilians. The Israeli army says more than seven Israeli soldier have been killed in the operation inside Jenin -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Rula Amin reporting live for us from Jenin -- 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.





 
 
 
 


 Search   

Back to the top