was a suicide attack in northern Israel on Monday, October 21.
"The explosion occurred near Pardes Hannah, which is close to the coastal city of Hadera but also close to Palestinian territory toward the east," said the well informed International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).
Police officials told reporters that up to two bombers were among the dead. In a letter faxed to The Associated Press (AP) in Beirut, Lebanon, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing saying it was in "retaliation for the series of massacres committed by the criminal enemy against our people."
PALESTINIAN VICTIMS
The group cited recent Israeli military operations that have resulted in scores of Palestinian civilian deaths in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in recent weeks as the main reasons behind the attack.
Eye-witnesses reported the intense flames sent plumes of smoke into the sky and initially prevented police and rescue workers from approaching the bus.
"I was 60 metres from the bus station… and I heard an explosion," a witness told Israel Radio, according to the ICEJ News Service. "The bus was completely shattered. I saw the bus go up in flames. It was completely wrecked."
ARMED GUARD
The bus was headed to Tel Aviv from Kiryat Shemona, in the far north of Israel near the Lebanese border, when the attack took place after an armed guard on the bus failed to prevent it, news reports said.
Buses traveling to or from Hadera to cities and towns in northern Israel have been attacked numerous times, AP reported. A suicide bomber from Islamic Jihad pulled his car next to a bus on June 5 and detonated his explosives, killing 16 passengers near Meggido, about 15 miles (approx. 24 kilometres) northeast of Hadera.
AP quoted Mark Sofer, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, as saying that the latest bus attack was intended to undermine the visit of United States Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, October 23.
INNOCENT PEOPLE
"Palestinian groups seized the opportunity to carry out yet another murderous attack inside of Israel aimed at innocent civilians. One can only wonder and wonder again what do they want to achieve except for death, death and more death of innocent people," he said.
However Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, speaking at his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, said the Palestinian leadership "is against such attacks that target civilians, Israelis or Palestinians."
The latest suicide attack was expected to lead to a fresh response from the Israeli army, which is also battling with defiant Israeli settlers. Earlier on Monday, October 21, the setters tried to rebuild an illegal West Bank outpost called Havat Gilad that security forces had torn down a day earlier.
