Suicide bomber blasts Israeli station

A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in southern Israel yesterday, wounding more than 20 people, in the first such attack since the eviction of Jewish settlers from Gaza and the northern West Bank.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, three days after Israeli troops killed five Palestinians in a raid on a militant hideout in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, drawing a vow of revenge from the Islamic Jihad group.

The explosion, at the entrance to the central bus station in the city of Beersheba, followed a call by United States President George W. Bush for the Palestinians to respond to the pullout from occupied Gaza by showing "they will fight terrorism".

Only minutes before the explosion, Israel Radio broadcast a pledge by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to maintain indefinitely a ceasefire he declared with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in February.

"According to the agreement, the truce is continuing and it's not linked to a time ... and everyone knows that," Abbas told the radio.

Palestinian militant groups have said a "period of calm" they announced in March at Abbas' urging would expire at the end of the year.

They have vowed to continue armed resistance following a Gaza pullout they claimed as a victory.

Police said the bomber apparently tried to board a bus outside the depot at the start of the Israeli work week but drew the driver's suspicion and blew himself up as security guards gave chase.

"The driver signalled two security guards to go to him," Uri Barlev, the police chief for southern Israel, told Army Radio.

"These two security guards ultimately prevented an attack that could have been a lot worse."

A police spokesman said at least 21 people were wounded in the blast, two of them seriously.

Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the bombing.

"We believe maximum effort must be exerted by both sides to maintain the truce because it's in everybody's interest," he said. "What's needed today is not more violence but more peace."

David Baker, an official in Sharon's office, said in response to the explosion that "if the Palestinian Authority does not take the proper steps to rein in the terror, there will be no progress between the two sides".

A suicide bomber last struck in Israel on July 12, killing five people outside a shopping mall in the coastal city of Netanya.

Beersheba was last hit by bombings a year ago, when explosions tore through two commuter buses, killing 16 people. Hamas claimed responsibility for those blasts.

In remarks yesterday, Bush said the way forward was clear following Israel's evacuation, in a six-day operation that ended on Tuesday, of 9000 settlers in Gaza and a corner of the West Bank.

- REUTERS