[Gene Randall, Cnn Anchor:] Tensions in the Middle East are spreading. Hezbollah guerrillas, today, took three Israelis captive along the Israeli-Lebanon border; this, after 10 straight days of violence between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank, Gaza and many sites in Israel. Watching the situation for us from Jerusalem, CNN's Jerrold Kessel Jerrold.
[Jerrold Kessel, Cnn Correspondent:] Gene, no change in the last hour on the situation on the ground, but tensions, certainly, rising as the Israeli army built up some forces in the Lebanese border, apparently with a view to backing up what Prime Minister Ehud Barak had warned Lebanon and Syria that Israel would undertake forceful action, if necessary, after he issued those warnings to Lebanon and Syria to reign in Hezbollah. And that statement issued by Mr. Barak coming after the confirmation that three Israeli soldiers had been kidnapped, apparently by Hezbollah guerrillas in southeastern Labanon on the border with Israeli on the occupied Golan Heights in the northeastern corner of Israel. And this situation has led to escalating tensions with uncertainty added over and above the ongoing tension of those 10 days of confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Blank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and even within Israel itself. Israel operating now on these very much on these two fronts of handling the Palestinians, and now this challenge thrown down in a very dramatic challenge by the Hezbollah guerrillas, by kidnapping three soldiers. The soldiers were on an operational patrol along the border fence; Hezbollah apparently came in, cut through the fence, kidnapped the soldiers, made their way north. And over the last several hours before the onset of darkness, Israeli gunships, including helicopters and also war planes, were in the area and, according to reports out of Lebanon, attempting, evidently, to cut off any escape routes of those guerrillas who had kidnapped the soldiers into northern Lebanon, perhaps toward Syria. The Israelis have been firing on cars traveling out of the area. According to reports from Lebanon, a number of people injured as several of those cars were strafed from the air. But, as of now, no reports of any new developments on the whereabouts of those three soldiers. Israel has been operating on another front, trying to get international pressure on Beirut and Damascus; Israel saying that the unilateral withdrawal of its forces back in May, after the long occupation of south Lebanon, was in accordance with the United Nations resolution, with the international community supporting that withdrawal and underlying its support for peace and quiet on the Lebanese border, an incident which Israel says has now been violated by Hezbollah and insisting that the world community weigh in with action against Beirut and Damascus. But whether there is influence to be brought to bear on those two capitols and whether, in fact, if there is, they can bring influence to bear on Hezbollah another matter indeed. In the meantime, the tensions grow a pace on all fronts Gene.
[Randall:] Jerrold, if Ehud Barak is talking about decisive action, is there likely to be some kind of critical mass among the Israeli people for him to carry through on that threat?
[Kessel:] Sorry, Gene, can you just repeat that again? I didn't get the end of your question.
[Randall:] Yes Jerrold, do you see a good bit of public pressure on Ehud Barak to carry through with this threat of decisive action now that these three Israeli soldiers have been captured?
[Kessel:] Mr. Barak is under enormous political pressure; one should not underestimate that. The pressure, perhaps, self-created, himself because, as well as that public pressure because, let's not forget that earlier today, before dawn, he tried to it was projected, to reduce the tensions, the friction with the Palestinians by withdrawing Israeli troops from a position in an enclave in the Palestinian territory in the town of Nablus on the West Bank unilaterally there, in an attempt to reduce friction. But that led to the Palestinians overtaking that position. The Palestinian authority police not be able to keep control after the Israelis went out, and Mr. Barak had been criticized for weakness on that front, for allowing the option that the Palestinians can gain out of showing such weakness and believe that they can gain from a show of force. So there is pressure on him to show that Israel should stand firm, should stand strong. It will be interesting to see what Mr. Barak says in the next hour when he goes on national television to speak to the Israeli people before convening his cabinet in an emergency situation. There is talk of possibly forming a national unity government with the right wing. It is a very tremulous time for the Israeli prime minister as well as a difficult situation on the ground Gene.
[Randall:] Jerrold, thanks very much.