AC: Hunting Nasrallah


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Length: 4:26


ANDERSON COOPER: And thanks for joining us. We are in Haifa. We begin this morning with breaking news. The action unfolding on multiple fronts. In the port city of Tyre, in southern Lebanon, CNN's Ben Wedeman is there. In Beirut, CNN's Michael Ware has some new explosions. And CNN's Matthew Chance is along the Israel/Lebanon border, where there is stepped-up military activity.

We begin with Ben Wedeman in Tyre.

Ben, what's happening?


COOPER: Let's go now to Beirut, where there has also been a busy morning. More bombs falling there as well, this after a punishing 24 hours for Hezbollah and Lebanese civilians alike. Michael ware is live in Beirut -- Michael.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson. The bombs are back in Beirut for the third night in a row. The city has felt the shudders of explosions. Over the past two hours, there's been at least six detonations here in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

All of this as the Israeli air campaign puts a stranglehold on the country, isolating it from its neighbors and starving it of much needed humanitarian aid, fuel and even medicines.

And as we saw this morning, the people of Lebanon awoke to destruction from the barrage the evening before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARE (voice-over): Bodies lined side by side, bombed, burned, some beyond recognition, the aftermath of an airstrike, lifted away to waiting ambulances. To the Lebanese, another massacre of innocents, more than 20 dead; to the Israelis, a just strike on a Hezbollah weapons store in the small village of Qaa, these Syrians, said to be fruit-pickers, camouflage for an arsenal in the guerrillas' Bekaa Valley stronghold. This is the face of war in Lebanon: ghostlike Hezbollah fighters, Israelis claims of civilians used as human shields and hospitals as supply bases, a population under siege.

The full fury of the Israeli air campaign has resumed and continues. Of its 120 airstrikes across the country today, a quarter hit in Beirut within less than half a square-mile, a concentration of firepower not seen since the war's first days.

(on camera): This is a result of the intense Israeli bombardment of the southern district of Uzai. It seems to fit an emerging pattern of the air campaign, targeting routes in and out of Lebanon, from the roads and bridges to the north leading to Syria, to this humble fishing fleet.

(voice-over): Beyond those boats, the last main road -- the artery, once seen as safe -- leading out of the country. Its back now broken, four key bridges obliterated, leaving Lebanon isolated, strangled, no escape or help.

MARK SCHNELLBAECHER, CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES: This is a huge setback. One of the major supply routes, for both commercial shipments for the supermarkets, for example, but also for relief assistance, was that highway.

WARE: Fuel tankers critical to keeping hospitals functioning, cars running, lights on, still shut out by Israel's naval blockade.

Israel says it is stopping Syria from rearming Lebanon. If the strategy to also to bring this country to its knees, it's working. But, still, Hezbollah keeps fighting, sending more than 200 rockets south into Israel today.

So, on the 24th day of this conflict, Lebanese officials say the human toll is now 675 dead, a ghastly count by anyone's measure.

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COOPER: You know, Michael, despite all of these airstrikes by Israel, Hassan Nasrallah still keeps appearing on television making pronouncements. Does anybody know where he is, actually?

WARE: Anderson, as a matter of fact, I suspect that it's only a handful of people who would know where Sayid Hassan Nasrallah is. The security around him, the secrecy that would be cloaking his movements would be intense, much as we see with Osama bin Laden and we saw before in Iraq with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He'd be moving light and fast, and they'd be trusting no one. So the circle of those who would be aware of his movements would know how to reach him, would be very, very small -- Anderson.

COOPER: Obviously Israel would like to find out his whereabouts. Obviously that would be high on their list of priorities.

Michael Ware, thanks for joining us.