Palestinian suicide bomber brings mayhem

KFAR SABA - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up, killed another person and wounded 38 others in a rush-hour attack yesterday in Kfar Saba, near Tel Aviv.

Police said the attack occurred about 9.10 am (6 pm NZT) as a bus pulled up at a stop in the town of 75,000 people about 20 km north of Israel's main city of Tel Aviv.

The previous evening Israeli and Palestinian security officials had met at the Gaza border to discuss security coordination to head off widening unrest, but apparently made little progress.

The violence in the past week has included Palestinian mortar attacks and Israel's first major incursions into Palestinian-run Gaza since an uprising against Israel's occupation of Arab territory started last September.

"Clearly terrorism is continuing against Israel, terrorism emanating from the area under the responsibility of (Palestinian leader) Yasser Arafat," Dore Gold, an aide of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Reuters of the suicide bomb attack.

Witnesses said there was pandemonium at the scene of the bomb attack with the bus stop crowded with residents waiting to go to work on a Sunday, a normal working day in Israel.

They said the bomber was not on the public bus, the Number 29, and blew himself up as it drew to a stop by activating explosives on his body.

The central Israeli town, near Israel's border with the Palestinian-run West Bank, has been a frequent target of Palestinian militant attacks.

"About 9:10 am there was an explosion at a bus stop...When the bus got to the stop, a suicide attacker stood next to it and activated a device," central district police commander Yehuda Bachar told Israel Radio.

Ambulance workers said they had taken 38 people to hospital, one of whom was in a critical condition, and the rest with moderate to light injuries.

Some injured were carried to ambulances still clutching packed lunches and drinks they had been taking to work.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The Palestinian Islamic militant organization Hamas, opposed to peace negotiations with Israel, has vowed to carry out suicide attacks since the election in February of right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Israel has been on high alert for months for possible bombings and suicide attacks by militants as the Palestinian uprising rages on in the West Bank and Gaza Strip following the breakdown of peace talks.

Before the explosion, the death toll in nearly seven months of violence had reached at least 381 Palestinians, 13 Israeli Arabs and 71 Israelis.

Just a week ago Kfar Saba was rocked by a car bomb explosion near the town's main synagogue.

The last suicide bomb attack was on March 27 in Jerusalem where 22 people were injured and the bomber killed.

Israel's leftist opposition leader Yossi Sarid, who had been scheduled to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat later yesterday to discuss ways of ending violence, said he might call off the meeting because of the bombing.

"The brain obligates us to meet, but on a day that there is a suicide attack...and everyone's attention is turned to what is happening in Kfar Saba, it needs to be reconsidered," Sarid told Israel Radio.

"This is a tragedy in which leaders are not deciding the daily agenda but terrorists are deciding the daily agenda."

- REUTERS


Herald Online feature: Middle East

Map

UN: Information on the Question of Palestine

Israel's Permanent Mission to the UN

Palestine's Permanent Observer Mission to the UN

Middle East Daily

Arabic News

Arabic Media Internet Network

Jerusalem Post

Israel Wire

US Department of State - Middle East Peace Process