At least eight were killed and scores of Jewish settlers were injured, in two separate Palestinian attacks in the West Bank and Gaza.
The killed came under a grenade and shooting attack in the West Bank Wednesday, reported Israel Radio.
The Israeli Haaretz daily said that Palestinian fighters ambushed a bus near the West Bank Jewish settlement of Emanuel, near Nablus, with rifle fire and hand-grenades.
The Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, a group affiliated with Fateh movement, took responsiblity for the attack, according to Haaretz..
Reports said that the attackers fired on ambulance services attempting to treat the wounded, said the paper.
It quoted reports as saying that a vehicle in front of the bus came under fire first, following which the gunfire was turned towards the bus. The occupants of the vehicle, some of whom were injured, were trapped inside it until resuce workers managed to resuce them.
"There was a huge explosion in the back of the bus...all the windows of the back of the bus were destroyed...the bus continued slowly about 100 metres (yards) and people lay on the floor." one of the passangers on the bus was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, four were wounded as two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the Gaza Strip Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim.
As customarily, Israel held the Palestinian Authority responsible for the bus attack, said AFP, citing government spokesman Avi Pazner as saying.
"We hold the Palestinian authorities responsible for the activities of these terorrist groups who operate in full daylight and in the full knowledge of the Palestinian Authority and continue their deadly attacks against civilian men, women and children," Pazner told AFP.
"Israel will certainly find a way to respond to that and continue our fight against the scourge of terrorism," he added – Albawaba.com
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