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Israel hits Palestinian installations

Suicide bomber wounds 22 in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv blast
An injured man is carried into a waiting ambulance after Friday's bombing in Tel Aviv.  


GAZA (CNN) -- Israeli fighter planes struck Palestinian security installations in Gaza and the West Bank late Friday, Palestinian sources and Israel Radio reported.

The airstrikes came hours after a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv set off an explosive device near the city's old bus station, killing himself and wounding at least 22 people, two of them seriously.

There was no immediate word on casualties from Friday night's airstrikes. Ambulances rushed to a compound in Gaza that was hit in the raids. The compound houses some of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's offices, as well as offices for the Palestinian naval police and Force 17 -- Arafat's bodyguards. In the West Bank town of Tulkarem, the main government office building was struck by missiles launched by F-16s fighters, Palestinian officials said. The building also was hit in an Israeli raid last week.

Tulkarem Gov. Izzidin An-Sharif blamed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the attack and said Palestinians will not back down.

"His government is a terrorist government," he told CNN. "We will never surrender."

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Friday's bombing in Tel Aviv occurred in a crowded shopping area near the city's old bus station, police said. Witnesses said they saw the suicide bomber leaning against a motor scooter shortly before the explosion.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Palestinian Authority condemned attacks on Israeli civilians after the bombing but also condemned Israeli killings of Palestinian activists.

On the West Bank, Israeli forces had earlier entered the village of Talouza, north of Nablus, arrested what it said were two Hamas activists and then withdrew, according to the IDF.

The Tel Aviv bombing came one day after Israel killed Hamas activist Bakr Hamdan in a missile attack. The Palestinian news agency WAFA called the killing of Hamdan an assassination.

Israel said Friday that Hamdan "was personally responsible for dozens of terrorist attacks carried out against Israeli civilians and soldiers in the Gaza" and was killed while he was preparing a major attack against Israeli targets there.

Hamas vowed to avenge the killing of Hamdan. The fundamentalist Islamic group, which has a military wing that has carried out attacks against Israelis, has been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.

Palestinian sources told CNN that two other Palestinians were seriously wounded in the attack, which took place in the Khan Younis area. The wounded were identified as Hazem Nashwan and Hazem Nimer, the son of Hamas leader Ahmad Nimer.

In another incident Friday, three rockets were fired at the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said. No damage or injuries were reported.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which sources said involved Qassam 1 rockets. Israel Radio reported that Hamas claimed to have rockets that are capable of delivering explosive charges 10 kilometers (about 6 miles), a range that would allow it to strike many cities in Israel.

Friday's bombing also followed the Israeli military's arrest of two Hamas activists in the West Bank. The men were suspected of carrying out terror attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. Other Israeli troops shot dead two Hamas members during a skirmish in Gaza.

In southern Gaza, Israeli troops intercepted an armed group of Palestinians trying to enter an Israeli settlement in Gush Katif Thursday evening, the IDF said. Two Palestinians were killed during an exchange of fire, the IDF said. Palestinian sources said they were members of Hamas.



 
 
 
 


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