Palestinian Terror Bombing Hits Israel, Disengagement, Peace

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem----July 12.....As many in Israel were pondering if a true and lasting peace would result from disengaging with Gaza this summer, a teenage Palestinian terror suicide bomber murdered at least three Israelis and injured at least 70 others in the seaside city of Netanya.

The terror bomber approached the HaSharon Shopping Center and after seeing that there was a line created to check each and every person and bag, he detonated his explosives next to teenagers waiting on the security line. The bomb's explosives were heard throughout the city at 6:35 p.m. This was the first such attack in nearly five months and a powerful blow to a fragile truce that had revived hopes for peace. The mangled body of the young bomber lay in the street, covered with a white plastic sheet, two hours after the blast.

Bloodied clothes were strewn on the asphalt, and the body of a woman was sprawled in the street.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the bomber as Ahmed Abu-Khalil from the West Bank village of Atil.

Islamic Jihad has continued its attacks against Israel despite a truce declared in February. Though many refer to a so called "truce" several Palestinian suicide bombers have been caught over the past few months at Israel security checkpoints in the West Bank. In fact, it was a truce of words, not of substance as proved by the Palestinian terror bomber who escaped Israel intelligence and Israel Defense Forces soldiers manning dozens of checkpoints.

The bomber exploded on the south side of the Herzl and Petach Tikva Streets’ intersection in Netanya. The city is a 40 minute drive north of Tel Aviv and is the largest city in Israel in proximity to the West Bank. Cars in the intersection were also damaged by the blast, with plastic and metal pieces flying in all directions, as windows at the entrance to the mall were blown out. Police sappers, emergency medical and fire crews were dispatched to the scene. Police bomb experts examined the area and the bomber’s body and removed people from the scene for fear of additional explosions. Later, police closed off all entrances to and exits from the city in a bid to capture the person who drove the bomber to the scene of the attack.

Police also linked the bombing to a failed car bomb attack a few minutes earlier in the West Bank. Among the more than 30 wounded was a 6-year-old girl who was badly burned, Israel TV reported. Israel police and Palestinian security identified the bomber as Ahmed Abu Khalil, an 18-year-old member of Islamic Jihad from the West Bank village of Atil, about 13 kilometres east of Netanya. Police said the two dead Israelis were women. Doron Shafir, one of the first paramedics at the scene, said he saw a woman whose clothes were on fire. "Another, her handbag was burning. We stepped on it to put it out. She was just sitting there. She did not know what was happening to her," he said.

Police declared a high security alert across Israel. Sharon Region Police Commander Menashe Arviv said an initial investigation revealed the explosive belt detonated by the Palestine terrorist weighed about 10 kilograms (22 pounds.) The belt also contained nails and small iron balls.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not comment after the bombing. An official in Sharon's office, said the Palestinian Authority was not doing enough to rein in terrorists. But it was unlikely that the truce would collapse. Both sides have an interest in not walking away from their agreement. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon needs to maintain calm to carry out his Gaza withdrawal this summer, and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' political survival depends on maintaining the ceasefire, seen as key to easing harsh Israeli restrictions in the Palestinian areas.

Abbas used unusually strong language in denouncing the bombing. "We condemn this terrorist attack. It's a crime against the Palestinian people," he said. "Those traitors are working against the Palestinian interest. There is no rational man who can do those things on the eve of the Israeli withdrawal from 22 settlements," referring to Israel's planned pullout from Gaza and part of the West Bank.

The last bombing, on Feb. 25, two weeks after the truce was declared, was carried out by Islamic Jihad. But the group said in a statement after Tuesday's attack it remained committed to the ceasefire but reserves the right to retaliate for Israeli violations, such as arrests of Islamic Jihad members. Palestinian security officials said the bomber came from the same local Islamic Jihad cell that was responsible for the Feb. 25 bombing, but the Islamic Jihad leadership was not involved.

In response to the bombing, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz canceled a meeting set for later Tuesday to discuss the summer's Gaza withdrawal with a Palestinian cabinet minister and a U.S. envoy. Instead, Mofaz convened army commanders. International Mideast envoy James Wolfensohn said the bombing was aimed at Palestinians as well as Israelis. It "diminishes the prospects of the agreements that will ensure the freedom, dignity and hope that (Palestinians) deserve," he said in a statement. Minutes before the Netanya blast, an Islamic Jihad terrorist attempted to drive a car bomb into a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, police said. The bomber was captured after the explosives detonated prematurely, police said, adding that the two attacks were linked.

Israel TV Channel 10 showed footage of the small white van, flames leaping from its roof, across from a kindergarten in the settlement, Shavei Shomron. The Netanya mall has been a target for suicide bombers in the past. On May 18, 2001, a bomber blew himself up at the mall, killing five Israelis. In the deadliest Palestinian bombing in the past four years of fighting, an Islamic terrorist blew himself up in a Netanya hotel (Passover Massacre) during a Passover seder, murdering 29 people.

Israeli security officials say a partially completed barrier along the West Bank has stopped many attempted bombings. Netanya is at Israel's most narrow point, where the West Bank is just 15 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. In a meeting that ended just before the suicide bombing, Israel's Security Cabinet decided to cancel the military government imposed on Gaza after it was captured in 1967 when Israel pulls out of the territory next month, according to a participant in the closed meeting. The decision was made in connection with a discussion over whether Israel would continue to be legally responsible for Gaza after the pullout. Israel contends that its responsibility will end with its withdrawal, but Palestinians and the United Nations dispute that, noting Israel would still control crossing points, air space and the seacoast.

Also on the agenda was the issue of whether the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt could be moved to an area that abuts Israel. No decision was made. Israel is negotiating with Egypt on the issues of running the terminal and deploying forces on the border. Earlier, Sharon said there would be no further unilateral withdrawals after the summer pullout - responding to hardline critics who say the pullback is the start of an Israeli retreat from all of the West Bank. The plan "does not have a second stage," he said.

Arik Twik, who was standing about 20 meters (approximately 70 feet) away from the mall’s entrance said that he saw a suspicious person, who a mall security guard also spotted. “The terrorist apparently realized he’d been identified, stood in the middle of the crosswalk right next to four young girls, French tourists apparently, and then blew up,” he said. “It was a big mess.” Netanya resident Pazit said: “My mom was right at the mall’s entrance. She turned around and was about to leave when the explosion was heard.
She said body parts were flying…the doors exploded from the blast. She sounded very frightened.” Raviv, who lives near the mall, said: “I heard a huge blast from the ground…there are plenty of ambulances here. I also saw people crowding in the area.”

Netanya resident Moshe Bachar said he also heard a blast and saw devastation at the mall. “They removed us from the area. Ambulances arrived within minutes,” he said. So far, 25 wounded arrived at Netanya’s Laniado hospital, including five seriously wounded victims. Hospital officials said the medical center has been closed off to visitors and urged the public to use the emergency hotline.

Carol Nissim, 58, from Hendon, London, is not going to allow Islamic terrorists to ruin her holiday. Today, Nissim was in Netanya's Sharon Mall when she heard the sound of the explosion, which was "so loud we thought it had happened in the mall." She described the scene as " complete bedlam. People started rushing one way – away from the bombing – and then came rushing back to find their missing children."

Nissim arrived in Israel Tuesday morning after just last week having a close encounter with terror in her hometown of London, where she was caught in near proximity to the July 7th bombings there. After two bombings in one week, Nissim exhibited a Churchillian determination to carry on with everyday life. "They're not going to get me. My holiday might have started with a bang, but I won't let them win," she said.

Israel has promised a "harsh" response to today's bombing with many in Israel now wondering if leaving Gaza after such barbaric and bloody terrorism would send the wrong message at the wrong time to Islamic terrorists.
At a time when people are still dying from terror attacks in London, New York, Spain and Turkey.
At a time when Islamic terrorists are not willing to put their weapons down after having sworn an Islamic Jihad (holy war) against Western democratic norms and values.

Lastly, this editor must note that even though the home of the BBC and Reuters has been smeared with the blood of Londoners, they still avoid using the word "terrorists". As if they truly believe that they can keep a channel open to speak and secure exclusive news stories from these terrorists who cleverly use the BBC and Reuters as public relations weapons against their own people.

If we and our media do not unite against the highly organized and lethal forces of Islamic terrorism, we will perish calling our murderers "bombers" and "militants."

With YNET and the Jerusalem Post

ISRAEL NEWS AGENCY