A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up outside a fast-food restaurant
in a bustling commercial area of Tel Aviv during the Passover holiday Monday,
killing eight other people and wounding at least 49, police said. Israeli Prime
Minister-designate Ehud Olmert said Israel would respond "as necessary."
Wounded Israeli civilians get first aid,
following a suicide attack at Tel Aviv's old central bus station on April 17,
2006. A suspected Palestinian suicide bomber killed seven people at a sandwich
stand in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Monday and wounded dozens more, medics
said. [Reuters]
"We shall, of course, continue to use all means at
our disposal to prevent every other attempt," he said.
Israeli defense chiefs were to consult later Monday, but security officials
said a possible reoccupation of Gaza, the base of the new Hamas government, was
not being considered.
The White House strongly condemned the attack, calling it "a despicable act
of terror for which there is no excuse or justification."
A security guard posted outside the restaurant, the target of a suicide
bombing in January, prevented Monday's bomber from entering the building, police
said.
It was the first suicide attack in Israel since the Hamas militant group took
over the Palestinian government 2 1/2 weeks ago. Hamas, which has killed
hundreds of Israelis in attacks, has largely observed a cease-fire since
February 2005.
The Islamic Jihad militant group, which is believed to be funded in part by
Iran and refuses to observe a cease-fire, claimed responsibility in a telephone
call to The Associated Press. The group identified the bomber as Sami Salim
Mohammed Hammed, from the West Bank town of Jenin.
Islamic Jihad later released a video showing Hammed reading a statement
saying the bombing was dedicated to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails.
"There are many other bombers on the way," he said. Hammed, appearing to be
in his mid to late teens, was dressed in black and wore a headband with yellow
Quranic verses.
Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for all six of the previous suicide
attacks inside Israel since the cease-fire was declared. On Sunday, the group
pledged to carry out more attacks.
Hamas leaders called the bombing a legitimate response to Israeli
"aggression" — a sharp departure from the previous Palestinian leadership's
immediate condemnations of such attacks.