At least 10 people were killed and more than 40 others were injured by a suicide bomber who set off a device Thursday morning on a bus in central Jerusalem, extremely close to prime minister Ariel Sharon's official residence, police said. Sharon was at his farm in southern Israel at the time, his aides said.
Israeli rescue teams said they evacuated 46 people, 10 of whom were in serious condition.
The bomber was in the back of the bus when he detonated the explosives, Jerusalem Police Chief Micki Levy said. "It was a very serious attack on a bus packed with passengers," Levy said. "According to what we know now...we're talking about a suicide bomber."
The blast tore apart the bus, turning it into a twisted wreck. One side of the bus had been blown out and the back half of the roof was blown off.
Hours after the bombing, Palestinian security officials said that the bomber was a member of the Palestinian police, from the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a group linked to Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the bomber as Ali Munir Yusuf Ja'arah, a 24-year-old resident of the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the suicide bombing on the bus illustrated why Israel is building the so-called "separation fence" in the West Bank.
For their part, Palestinian Authority officials condemned the Jerusalem bombing.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, condemned the bombing.
In a statement released by his office, Qurei called for a ceasefire and immediate implementation of the so-called "road map" for Mid-East peace.
In addition, the statement condemned Wednesday's Israeli attack in Gaza, which left at least 13 Palestinians dead.
Top Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat said,
"This vicious cycle can only be broken by renewal of a meaningful peace process. "Otherwise, otherwise violence will breed violence, bullets will breed bullets."
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas considered the attack in Jerusalem a natural reaction to the Israeli carnage witnessed in Gaza Wednesday that left 13 Palestinian dead.
Mohammed Gazal, prominent Hamas leader, told Al Bawaba that “this operation is a natural reaction to what happened in Gaza yesterday…this was Israel's answer to all the peace attempts done by many parties in the region and the world. Israel wants to escalate the situation to preempt any chance for peace. We think that Israel is not interested in reaching any kind of understanding with the Palestinians.”
The Israeli forces had stormed into the Al Zaytoon neighborhood in the Gaza strip yesterday leaving 13 Palestinians dead and tens of others injured. Yesterday's escalation came only one day after an official visit by a high-ranking Egyptian to Gaza that was aimed at resuming peace talks between the two sides.
Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned the attack. "The longer time goes by without progress because...the parties can't get moving because of this terrorist activity, the more difficult it will be to achieve the goals laid out in the road map with respect to a timetable," he said Thursday in Washington.
"It's time to end the terror and the Palestinian leadership has to realize this and face it." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
