Mideast violence escalates as world leaders call for peace

New attacks in the Middle East claimed at least 25 lives on Wednesday. The violence came just one week after Israeli and Palestinian leaders met and discussed implementing the road map to peace.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives aboard a bus in Jerusalem during the evening rush hour on Wednesday. Sixteen people were killed in the blast. Israeli police believe the bomber was dressed as an ultra-orthodox Jew.

Authorities are not sure if the bus blast was related to Tuesday's violence, when Israeli forces killed five people in helicopter strikes aimed at Palestinian militants. "We're not clear that there's any connection (to Tuesday's attacks). We know there's an intent by the terrorist organizations to carry out terrorist bombings and terrorist attacks," said Israeli police spokesman Gil Kleiman.

The Palestinian extremist group Hamas claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack in Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders condemned the bombing. "We consider that these attacks are aiming at obstructing the implementation of the road map. (Extremists) want to drown the road map in a sea of blood," said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo.

SPECIAL REPORT • Interactive: Road map explainer • Interactive: Timeline • Map: Occupied lands • Interactive: Key Players • Gallery: Mideast lands •  Special Report RESOURCES • Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Information on Palestine  • Holt, Rinehart and Winston: The Founding of Israel   • The Vatican  • The Arab League  • European Union: Euro-Mediterranean Partnership - Bilateral relations  • U.S. Embassy: The Search For Peace   • CNN.com: Special: Mideast Land of Conflict  • CNN.com: Suicide bomber kills 16 in Jerusalem

Minutes after the bus explosion on Wednesday, Israeli helicopter gunships attacked three targets in Gaza, a Palestinian area. Israeli military sources say the helicopter attacks were planned before the bus bombing and therefore were not retaliatory strikes. Palestinian sources said at least seven people, including two Hamas militants, were killed in the Gaza attacks.

On Wednesday night, two Palestinian militants were killed in a neighborhood east of Gaza City after Israeli helicopter gunships launched new attacks, according to Palestinian hospital and security sources.

It appeared last week that Israelis and Palestinians were inching closer to peace. With the violence between them on the rise, however, President Bush called on all nations to take action to end the bloodshed. "For the people in the world who want to see peace in the Middle East, I strongly urge all of you to fight off terror, to cut off money to organizations such as Hamas, to isolate those who hate so much that they're willing to kill to stop peace from going forward," Bush said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also condemned the violence. He added, "I think it is important that the leaders stay the course" on the road map to peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that his government would continue to pursue Palestinian militants to the end. But he also said that his government would continue the political process to bring about peace.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemned both the Jerusalem bombing and the Israeli attacks in Gaza. He called on "all parties to end violence...and begin serious implementation of the road map."