Israeli Missiles Hit Jenin Refugee Camp
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In the Middle East, witnesses at the Jenin refugee camp say that it was pounded from the air by Israeli missiles. We have the latest on the Israeli military offensive from CNN's Rula Amin. Rula, hello. Rula, are you with us?</s>RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we were here yesterday, and today -- I am with you, Daryn. Can you hear me?</s>KAGAN: We can -- go ahead.</s>AMIN: Daryn?</s>KAGAN: Yes, we can hear you, Rula -- go ahead.</s>AMIN: OK. What you are seeing now -- what you are seeing now is Israeli Apache helicopters hovering over the refugee camp of Jenin. Just minutes ago, they fired a couple of missiles on that camp. They have been doing so since the morning and for the fifth day in a row; 15,000 Palestinian refugees live in that camp spread on less than a mile square. Israel says it's hunting Palestinian militants responsible for suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. But the Palestinians residents we have been talking to inside the camp say many of those who are being hurt in this operation are civilians. There are reports that a lot of damage, a lot of destruction has taken place in that camp. Residents are telling us Israeli soldiers are moving from one house to another by knocking down the walls between the houses, trying to avoid walking in the narrow alleys of that very crowded camp. Now, Israel says it had warned the civilians, the population in the camp to leave the camp before it starts its pounding of the camp, because they want to make sure they end the job, they hunt every Palestinian militant they think is in that camp before they end their operation here. What we are hearing from the residents inside is that people are too scared to get out. Some of the people who got out were arrested, were sent to a camp nearby Jenin. Others are telling us that it's very hard to get out, because when they get out, they are being shot. It's very hard to verify what is happening in Jenin, because journalists are not allowed in. Israel has declared the Jenin refugee camp and the town of Jenin as a closed military area. We are standing as close as you can get, about three miles away from the Jenin refugee camp. If I step out of the shot, you probably can see some of the houses in that camp just across the field. Those people inside the camp say that Israeli bulldozers have also come in. Yesterday and today, they were bulldozing houses, knocking down many of the homes, trying to pave way for the Israeli tanks. What we are hearing from the army is that they are trying their best not to hurt the civilians, but in such an operation, it's very hard to tell what is happening inside Jenin. We can only confirm that the battles are still going on since the morning. We have heard so many explosions from helicopter gunship missiles, tank shelling, explosions of buildings. It's still going on, and we'll see if it will end today or not -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Rula, one question about these evacuation notices. I had heard the same thing that the people in Jenin were told to get out before the attacks. But where are people who live in a refugee camp, where are they to go when told to get out?</s>AMIN: Well, the only -- the warning for them to get out only took place today. For the last four days, they were inside the camp. We saw from our position there, we saw some women trying to flee across the fields, but not really many, because there was a very tight siege around the camp by Israeli tanks and Israeli soldiers, trying to make sure nobody escaped the camp. Now, the people we spoke to today inside the camp, and we asked them how come they did not leave. They said, very few people did actually venture to leave, because they were too scared. They didn't know what their future is going to be, if they do leave in terms that they have seen pictures on television of people being rounded up, blindfolded, handcuffed, and this is something that the fear, so they don't want to go into that destiny. And they feel more safe staying and inside their homes. They don't trust the army very much. And also what they are telling us is that the people inside the camp, many of them are not just the Palestinian militants involved in suicide attacks against Israelis. That these are a handful of people, but there are many other Palestinians there who are part of the Palestinian Authority security organizations, who have been carrying guns legitimately, according to their agreement with Israel. And they are their sons and their brothers, and they don't want to leave them alone. But still, it's really hard to say and to tell what exactly is going on. We can only tell you that when we called these people, they are very scared. They appeal to us, and there is a lot of anger and a lot of desperation -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: A lot of anger, desperation and fear on both sides. Rula Amin from just outside Jenin -- thank you very much. Let's check on that other side and tough talk from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He told his parliament today that the Israeli military offensive is not over yet, but the U.S., the U.N. and European countries are pressing for an Israeli withdrawal. So Sharon also talked about a path towards peace. Let's get details on the latest comments from the prime minister from our Jerrold Kessel, who is standing by in Jerusalem -- Jerrold, hello.</s>JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. And just add to some information while you were getting that report from Rula Amin outside Jenin and to really underline the nature of the fact that there have been some very, very heavy battles in that Jenin refugee camp, and in Jenin, the Israeli army in the last few minutes disclosing information that two of its soldiers were killed in these battles today and a third seriously wounded. There have also been battles going on in Nablus further to the south. The Israeli army saying up to 100 people have given themselves up as the demand and the pressure intensifies on those strongholds, as the Israelis put it, of militants, as they continue what they call this anti-terror operation. In the Knesset today, Israeli's prime minister not so much defiant, perhaps even more than that, saying -- implying that he has the initiative. He means to keep it. And above all, therefore, saying that this operation against anti-terror operation, that is under way and has been under way now for well over 10 days, will continue until its goals are completed, and not before, said Ariel Sharon.</s>ARIEL SHARON, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The IDF will continue with the operation as quickly as possible, until the mission is completed, until Arafat's terrorist infrastructure is disassembled, and until the killers that are hiding in various places, like in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, until they are captured.</s>KESSEL: And like in that Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the standoff there that's been going on for nearly a week, more than 200 Palestinians holed up there, having taken refuge, if you like, taken up positions in that Church of the Nativity besieged by Israeli troops. That siege punctuated today by a fire, which broke out when there was an exchange of fire, an exchange of bullets between Palestinian gunmen and the Israeli troops besieging it. The fire was eventually put out. One Palestinian policeman was killed, two Israeli soldiers reported wounded, but the standoff within the church continuing there, only one of the places where the offensive continues. But Mr. Sharon implying in his speech today that Yasser Arafat, at the head of what he called a regime of terror, is not only a partner, no partner for negotiations, but he seemed to imply no partner for cease-fire. And therefore, implying that the Powell mission must head in a different direction, and indeed, Palestinians, when commenting on Mr. Sharon's speech, picked that up, saying they believe he is trying to shoot down the Powell mission even before it got under way.</s>SAEB ERAKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR: I think what he announced today was the destruction of the peace process, dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, the end of the peace process as we know it. I think he has done a wonderful job at destroying our livelihood, our streets, our schools, our ambulances, our water systems, our electric systems. I think today, he is really killing the whole war, the peace process that began in Oslo is over.</s>KESSEL: The peace process over, there doesn't seem any sign of that now here between Israelis and Palestinians, and very much now it seems a real possibility of another front opening up for the sixth successive day there has been firing into Israeli territory or Israeli-controlled territory from inside southern Lebanon. Hezbollah guerillas accused of firing at Israeli military positions, and they have done repeatedly, and the Israelis responding with artillery fire and also bombardment from the air in response to that Hezbollah fire. Israel has been warning this could be a second front, but as the warnings go on, so Hezbollah keeps up its firing across the line, a very, very volatile situation on the Israel-Lebanon border as well -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Jerrold Kessel from Jerusalem -- Jerrold, thank you very much. 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