More Violence in Middle East Today
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: There was more violence in the Mideast today, despite the president's phone calls and Israel's promise Tuesday not to initiate military action. For more now on the latest rhetoric and the reality, here's Jerusalem bureau chief Mike Hanna.</s>MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yet another person dead in the cycle of violence still not broken. The Israeli army says two Israeli civilian guards on duty near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank were shot by Palestinian gunmen, one of the men declared dead on arrival at hospital. Intense gunfire in East Jerusalem, Israel saying its forces responded after Jewish residents in the disputed neighborhood of Gilo came under fire, this the day after Israel declared what it called a unilateral cease-fire, pledging to suspend all offensive operations against Palestinian targets while retaining the right of self-defense. It's a move described by Palestinians as a public relations trick.</s>SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: I invite the Palestinians to follow the same trick. If it is good for our public relations, why shouldn't it be good also for the Palestinians' public relations? So if we can in the name of public relations to achieve a mutual cease-fire, this will be a contribution not just to public relations, but also to peace.</s>YASSER ABED RABBO, PALESTINIAN SPOKESMAN: Sharon's call for a cease-fire is misleading and inaccurate since this is not a war between two armies or two states but rather an aggression by an occupation army against an occupied people.</s>HANNA: Palestinians contend the existence of Jewish settlements is a primary cause of violence and argue that if Israel is sincere in its acceptance of the Mitchell report it should follow the report recommendations and freeze settlement building. One of the authors of that report says if there is to be peace, both sides must work together in implementing all the recommendations.</s>JAVIER SOLANA, EUROPEAN UNION ENVOY: What I would like to see is both parties agreeing to the whole recommendations of the report. That is what we would like to see.</s>HANNA: While the sides argue about how the report should be implemented, there is continued dispute too over an Israeli strike Sunday on a Gaza factory. Israel says it has in custody a man it says admits manufacturing mortar shells in the attacked factory under the direction of very senior Palestinian authority figures, including Palestinian Security Chief Mohammed Dahlan. Dahlan denies bombs were manufactured at what he maintains was a metal workshop. Israel is, in his words, "creating illusions to convince the world that there is an armed enemy." (on camera): There have been reports too of intense violence in southern Gaza, where the Palestinian Red Crescent says about 30 Palestinians have been wounded, the renewed diplomatic initiative still being defied by events on the ground. Mike Hanna, CNN, Jerusalem.