At Least 60 Dead in Israeli Airstrike in Qana; Condoleezza Rice To Head Back to U.S. on Monday; Demonstrations Storm U.N. Compound in Gaza City; U.N. Security Council Holds Emergency Sessions
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here's what we know now about the Middle East crisis. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is ending her trip to the region after an Israeli bombing killed dozens of Lebanese civilians. The Lebanese government told Rice not to visit Beirut so she's returning to Washington tomorrow. And Lebanon says the Israeli attack on a residential building killed at least 60 people, 37 of them children. Israel says Hezbollah had fired rockets from near the building and it accused the group of treating civilians as human shields. Also today Israeli ground troops crossed into southern Lebanon and battled Hezbollah guerrillas. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the operation could last two more weeks. The deadly Israeli air strike occurred in Qana, about 10 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, and this report from CNN's Ben Wedeman contains graphic footage. We must warn you, some viewers may find it disturbing.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another stretcher, another body. The ambulances are full of the dead, children, women, old men, crushed while hiding in the basement. An Israeli bomb landed right next to a house in the village of Qana where dozens of women, children and old people had taken shelter. "There's a 4-month-old baby under the rubble," says Qana resident, Riab Shalhoub (ph). Lebanese army officers say they counted more than 80 strikes on Qana overnight, large parts of the town have been totally devastated. Those who've come to help pause as another Israeli jet roars overhead. (on camera): This town was struck just after midnight, the Israeli army says it gave inhabitants fair warning to leave, some didn't. (voice-over): Town resident say they couldn't. "We wanted them to leave but they didn't have any money," says Halih Shalhoub (ph). "Cars and ambulance were hit. They were forced to stay here." "We offered several times to take them out," says this town resident, "but they were poor. They were hoping nothing would happen to them." It's difficult to confirm Israeli claims that Qana is an important base of operations for Hezbollah. In April, 1996, during "Operation Grapes of Wrath" more than a hundred Lebanese civilians were killed when Israeli artillery hit a United Nations compound. Ten years later, death has come again to Qana.</s>WEDEMAN: And Brianna, all the people killed in that building were from two extended families. Plus, we're told by local officials, children who had been from a center for handicapped children. Brianna?</s>KEILAR: So Ben, what are the Lebanese people telling you? Is this pulling more people behind Hezbollah and against Israel?</s>WEDEMAN: Really, it was such a shock. And I've only been up in Qana today. I haven't had a chance to really go around. But people are shocked by the death toll in this one single incident. As far as support for Hezbollah goes, Hezbollah does have a faithful core, but many Lebanese are increasingly impatient and tired of this war. They want Hezbollah to stop firing rockets on Israel. They want Israel to stop firing back onto Lebanon. Many people are simply exhausted and want this conflict to come to an end. That's why they look to the United States as the only power that really holds all the keys to bring about a cease-fire. Brianna?</s>KEILAR: And Ben, earlier you told us there were some things that were so graphic that you saw in Qana that there is no way that you could put them on CNN's air. What did you see?</s>WEDEMAN: Well, there are many, many bodies being pulled out. This was not a bomb. So they weren't ripped to pieces as we see sometimes. But some of them were in a very severe -- well, they were crushed, basically, crushed by tons of concrete. That sort of picture obviously we could not show on CNN. Brianna?</s>KEILAR: Of course not, Ben. Ben Wedeman, live from Tyre, Lebanon for us. And Israel calling the Qana air strike a tragedy and a mistake. But the Israeli prime minister says the offensive against Hezbollah will go on at least 10 more days. Last hour I spoke to Israeli foreign minister -- ministry spokesman Mark Regev.</s>MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: Had we known that there were civilians in that building we wouldn't have targeted the building and I think that's the truest thing I can say. And as you said, does this do us any good? Forget the moral argument that we don't deliberately target civilians, which is an important part of our moral credo. But from any political military point of view it was a terrible thing that didn't do us any good, so of course, we didn't do it deliberately.</s>KEILAR: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was looking for solutions in Jerusalem this weekend, but she won't be heading on to Lebanon. The trip was canceled after the Lebanese government called off talks with the U.S. and John King joining us now live from Jerusalem with that part of the story. John?</s>JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Brianna, U.S. officials here as part of Secretary Rice's delegation tell us that this is obviously a setback, the tragedy today has set back their diplomacy some. And yet they say they still think they are making critical progress toward getting agreement on a U.N. Security Council resolution sometime in the next week or so that would end the fighting. Now, there are some signs, though, as Secretary Rice says, she's making progress -- some signs of tensions in the relationship with Israel as well. The United States has stood by Israel throughout this conflict, repeatedly rejecting calls and pressure from around the world for an immediate cease-fire. We are told that her meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today that Secretary Rice voiced that hope I just spoke of, that perhaps the U.N. Security Council could bring an end to all of this over the course of sometime in the next several days. Prime Minister Olmert though said Israel needs 10 days, maybe two weeks to achieve its military objectives. Administration officials are telling CNN they believe Israel is stalling now in part because perhaps because Prime Minister Olmert has such high support from the Israeli people here at home. It was hours before the meeting with the prime minister, Secretary Rice was in a different meeting with Israel's defense minister when one of her aides interrupted and brought her word of the tragic bombing in Qana. Secretary Rice came out a short time later and met with reporters here in Jerusalem, acknowledging it had significantly complicated her diplomacy.</s>CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: In the wake of the tragedy that the people and the government of Lebanon are dealing with today, I've decided to postpone my discussions in Beirut. In any case, my work today is here. I will continue to meet with Israeli officials as we work to put in place the elements necessary to bring an end to this conflict.</s>KING: Again, we're sensing some tensions with Israel. Yet United States officials say Secretary Rice believes she's making progress. Brianna, you can see it on her face, the strain of all this. You can see it on Secretary Rice's face. She will leave Israel tomorrow and head home. She will make a statement in the morning before she does so. Her focus then will be on that U.N. Security Council resolution and her aides here and U.S. officials back in Washington make note of the fact that she's well aware her personal credibility is on the line here. Brianna?</s>KEILAR: John King live from Jerusalem. Let's take a look at world reaction now to the attack in Qana. Strong words of condemnation from Jordan's King Abdullah. He issued a statement saying, quote, "This criminal aggression is an ugly crime that has been committed by the Israeli forces in the city of Qana. That is a gross violation of all international statutes." And this from French President Jacques Chirac, quote, "France condemns this unjustified action which demonstrates more than ever the need for an immediate cease-fire without which there will only be other such incidents." And Pope Benedict XVI appealed for an immediate end to the fighting. He said, quote, "In the name of God I call on all those responsible for this spiral of violence so that weapons are immediately laid down on all sides." An Israeli government spokeswoman had this to say.</s>MIRI EISIN, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN: Israel deeply, deeply is sorrowful, is saddened by what happened. This is definitely</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why was this building targeted?</s>EISIN: We did not target this building.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did not target it. Even though you had guided missiles, this was not targeted.</s>EISIN: The building itself was not targeted, as I said. The building itself was next to the rocket launcher shot -- the rocket launcher sites. And we are targeting all of those rocket launcher sites. This was a mistake. Israel deeply regrets this and we will have a full investigation.</s>KEILAR: In Gaza City, reaction to the Qana strike was stronger than just words. About 2,000 Palestinian demonstrators, some of them armed, stormed the U.N. compound. They smashed windows, ransacked offices, and clashed with Palestinian security officials. One person was taken away in an ambulance. Security forces fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. And the U.N. Security Council went into emergency session today in the wake of the Israeli air strike on Qana. We go now to Richard Roth, our senior U.N. correspondent. He is live from New York. Richard?</s>RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations is blaming both sides for violating international law, and he is extremely frustrated, wanted some form of cease-fire, cessation of hostilities days ago. Very upset the Security Council has not been able to rally behind that call. It's primarily because the U.S. opposes such a measure. Kofi Annan spoke to the press following hours of emergency closed-door consultations. He's worried about the violence spiraling out of control.</s>KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: They all conscious of the need to take measures to contain this situation. We are worried about possible escalation. I think if we are not careful what we're going to see is attack and retaliation and further attack and further retaliation and the situation could get out of hand.</s>ROTH: The Security Council's credibility is at stake, according to Annan. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Condoleezza Rice is working for a solution. He hinted the U.S. may go along with some type of statement today, but that it's purely about the Qana attack.</s>JOHN BOLTON, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: In the council of discussion today, I think everybody obviously expressed their deep sadness at this tragedy and the deaths of the civilians in Qana. And I think what we're going to try and do today is see if we can agree on a presidential statement or a press statement that will express our profound regrets and condolences to the families of those who have died.</s>KEILAR: And we're going to take you now to President Bush making some comments.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America mourns the loss of innocent loss. A tragic occasion when innocent people are killed and so our sympathies go out to those who have lost their lives today and lost their lives throughout this crisis. I've been in touch with Secretary of State Rice twice today. She will be returning tomorrow, where she'll brief me on her discussions with the leaders in the Middle East. I also talked to Tony Blair. The United States is resolved to work with members of the United Nations Security Council to develop a resolution that will enable the region to have a sustainable peace, a peace that lasts. A peace that will enable mothers and fathers to raise their children in a hopeful world. May God bless those who lost their lives. Thank you.</s>KEILAR: And that President Bush with some comments live from the White House lawn before he heads off to Miami for a meeting with community leaders. We will also bring you more on what he said when Elaine Quijano joins us from the White House in a moment. We would also like to thank our U.N. -- our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth for his report just a moment ago. And coming up, Hezbollah launching more attacks against northern Israel. Our Matthew Chance is on the border with the very latest. And is help getting to those in need? Coming up, my conversation with the head of UNICEF on the humanitarian crisis in the region.