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Suicide Bomber Blows Up Hotel Lobby in Netanya, Israel

Aired March 27, 2002 - 13:02   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get back to the Middle East right now. Mike Hanna back with us. He was reporting 20 minutes ago about what we were learning, and details at that point quite sketchy, quite slim. Mike, do we have more now?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, some more information coming in off the explosion that happened about half an hour ago. A blast in a hotel in Netanya, according to the police in the foyer of the hotel. Police say it was the work of a suicide bomber. Police have confirmed that there at least 20 casualties at this point. They are saying that there are a number of people dead. The exact number of fatalities not confirmed. We are talking about very quickly developing events here.

Police have confirmed that it was the work of a suicide bomber in the foyer of a hotel. Now, many Israeli hotels host banquets on this, the beginning of the Passover holiday. Tonight the Passover ceder, the dinner that marks the beginning of this week-long holiday. Many Israelis go to hotels for this particular dinner, and it would appear that this hotel was also hosting one of these.

So at this stage, Bill, what we have is that police confirming at least 20 people have casualties in the blast. They are saying, too, that there are a number of people dead. They have confirmed too that it was the work of a suicide bomber -- Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, you were reporting 20 minutes ago about the history of Netanya. It has been the target many times in the past. Is Netanya an easier strike, an easier target than other Israeli cities, or is that not the case?

HANNA: No, it is very much the case, Bill. It is a matter of miles from the West Bank proper. Israeli intelligence and security officials have regularly expressed concern about the ease of infiltration from the West Bank into Netanya. There had been a number of attacks, as you say, in this town in recent weeks, and indeed in recent months. The last one was some two weeks ago where Palestinian gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons and hand grenades outside a hotel in Netanya. In that particular incident, one Israeli was killed and a nine-month-old baby was killed as well.

So there have been regular terror attacks in Netanya, mainly, according to Israeli security officials, because of its proximity to the West Bank and because of the fact that they cannot patrol that entire area on a consistent basis, that it is easy for those intent on carrying out acts of terror of infiltrating across from towns and villages in the West Bank into Netanya, which, of course, is in Israel proper.

HEMMER: And Mike, we cannot make mention of this story without talking about the Arab summit now under way north of your location there in Beirut, Lebanon. Was there anything publicly said between Palestinians before that summit began about the level of violence on either side?

HANNA: Well, from the Palestinian side, there's been the constant claim that the violence has as its root the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories; Palestinians contending that the frustration, the anger that results from this makes the likelihood of terror attacks increase.

Israel has maintained consistently that the Palestinian Authority is not doing enough to clamp down on the activities of militants, it is not exchanging information with Israeli security officials when it gets to hear about people planning terror attacks against Israeli civilian targets. Israel's position has been consistent after each of the terror attacks, that the Palestinian Authority must be held responsible because it is not doing enough to combat and clamp down on the activities of known militants, who are known to be planning attacks against Israeli civilian targets.

Just within the last few days, there was an averted terror attack at Jerusalem's biggest mall. There, according to an Israeli intelligence source, they had knowledge of the fact that a car laden with explosives was on its way to this mall. They informed the Palestinian security authorities of this, but, says the Israeli intelligence official, nothing was done. The car happened to be intercepted by Israeli police. The two Palestinians in it had detonated an explosive device and both were killed, but this Israel pointed to as an example of the fact that the Palestinian Authority, even when it is given the information, is not clamping down on those who are planning or carrying out terror attacks against Israeli civilian targets.

One must remember as well, Bill, that the backdrop to all of this is ongoing cease-fire talks between Palestinians and Israelis, aimed at bringing about a truce on the ground.

Now, Yasser Arafat has publicly committed himself to a cease- fire, but, says Israel, these are mere words. It is yet to see action, concrete action on the ground to indicate that the Palestinian leader is carrying out what he says he intends to carry out.

HEMMER: Mike, thanks. Mike Hanna. I know you have got a lot of work to do. We'll let you go free here and spring you loose and get more information. Mike Hanna, live in Jerusalem.

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