|
* From correspondents in Jerusalem
* From: AP
* March 24, 2011 4:36AM A BOMB struck a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem overnight, killing
one woman and wounding more than 20 other people in what authorities
said was the first major Palestinian militant attack in the city in
several years.
The bombing brought back memories of the second Palestinian uprising
last decade, a period in which hundreds of Israelis were killed by
suicide bombings in Jerusalem and other major cities. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but authorities blamed
Palestinian militants and threatened harsh retaliation. The attack came against the backdrop of a rising wave of violence that
has threatened a lengthy period of relative calm, and made hopes for a
negotiated peace ever more distant. The moderate Palestinian government
in the West Bank condemned the violence. The 3pm local time bombing occurred near the main entrance to Jerusalem,
next to the city's central bus station and main convention centre, an
area that is crowded with travellers and passers-by. The bomb went off
next to a food stand called, in a Hebrew play on words, "a blast of a
kiosk". The owner said the name was to remember an earlier attack at the
same site. The blast reverberated throughout Jerusalem and blew out the windows of
two crowded buses. Rescuers removed bloodied people from the area on
stretchers, as sirens from speeding ambulances wailed in the background. Authorities said a 60-year-old woman was killed, while two dozen other
people were hurt, several critically. Jerusalem's mayor, Nir Barkat, rushed to the scene and urged people to
return to their routines. "We will show the terrorists we are not terrorised," he said. Tensions have been rising in recent weeks, particularly along Israel's
southern border with the Gaza Strip. Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, has been firing rockets
and mortar shells across the border, and Israel retaliating with
airstrikes and other attacks. Earlier this month, five members of a Jewish settler family were stabbed
to death in their sleep at their West Bank home. And on Tuesday, an
errant Israeli strike meant for Palestinian militants killed four
members of a Palestinian family in Gaza. Adding to the tensions, peace efforts between the Israelis and the
Western-backed Palestinian government have been stalled since September. The attack drew international condemnations as well. In Washington,
President Barack Obama offered condolences and called on those
responsible to end such attacks. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called
it "unacceptable". Egypt, however, warned Israel against any military operation in the Gaza
Strip. "Escalation of violence will not serve the interest of any party and
will not serve peace or stability," Foreign Ministry spokesman Menha
Bakhoum said. Jerusalem's police chief, Aharon Franco, said the bomb was about one to
two kilograms and was planted in a small bag on the footpath. He said
security services were on alert for additional attacks. He said authorities had no firm leads but were investigating a possible
link to a small bombing earlier this month that wounded a garbage
collector as he removed the device from a rubbish can. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed a planned trip to Moscow for
several hours to deal with the crisis but said he would go forward with
the visit later today. In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad condemned the bombing "in the strongest terms". His boss, President Mahmoud Abbas, who was travelling in Russia, issued
a similar condemnation.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites  |
