Four soldiers and three other civilians were killed this morning when a Palestinian suicide-bomber blew himself up on a crowded bus on the I\'ron Valley (Wadi Ara) highway. The bus, carrying soldiers and many Israeli-Arabs, blew up on its way from Tel Aviv to Nazareth at about 7 AM on the critical Hadera-Afula highway near the Israeli-Arab city of Um el-Fahm, where the terrorist boarded. The 30 wounded were transported to HaEmek Hospital in Afula and Hillel Yafeh Hospital in Hadera; 18 were still hospitalized by late afternoon, including three in critical condition and six with moderate wounds. One of the seriously wounded is the sister-in-law of Arab MK Nawaf Massalha (Labor), who is set to become a government minister for Arab affairs in place of Salah Tarif. The Wadi Ara highway was closed for a few hours after the attack.
The names of the four soldiers who were killed on their way to their base: Sgt. Michael Altefero, 19, and Sgt. Shimon Edrei, 20, both of Pardes Hanna; Meir Pachima, 40, of Hadera; and Corp. Aharon Rebibo, 19, of Afula. One civilian casualty whose name was permitted for publication was Mogus Mahaneto, a 75-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia, of Holon.
One passenger said, \"I travel on this bus frequently, but since many members of the other sector [Arabs] travel on it too, including children, I just never thought that they would get to the point where they blow themselves up as well…\" The murderer was a 20-year-old Islamic Jihad member from Jenin. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for attack by announcing it over mosque loudspeakers throughout Jenin, and local residents shot in the air to celebrate the news. About five hours after the attack, the PA issued a \"condemnation,\" saying that civilians in the State of Israel should not be harmed.
Despite the latest massacre, Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer announced that the supreme joint Israeli-PLO security committee would convene later today, together with American mediator Gen. Zinni, to continue efforts to formulate a ceasefire. Israeli diplomatic sources said that Israel would not respond \"disproportionately\" - read \"militarily\" -since that is \"precisely Arafat\'s objective in this provocation\" - although Prime Minister Sharon was later quoted as saying, \"Israel will respond appropriately.\" The government position still is that Yasser Arafat will be permitted to leave Ramallah and fly to Beirut for the Arab summit if he shows signs of fulfilling the Tenet Agreement.
The names of the four soldiers who were killed on their way to their base: Sgt. Michael Altefero, 19, and Sgt. Shimon Edrei, 20, both of Pardes Hanna; Meir Pachima, 40, of Hadera; and Corp. Aharon Rebibo, 19, of Afula. One civilian casualty whose name was permitted for publication was Mogus Mahaneto, a 75-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia, of Holon.
One passenger said, \"I travel on this bus frequently, but since many members of the other sector [Arabs] travel on it too, including children, I just never thought that they would get to the point where they blow themselves up as well…\" The murderer was a 20-year-old Islamic Jihad member from Jenin. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for attack by announcing it over mosque loudspeakers throughout Jenin, and local residents shot in the air to celebrate the news. About five hours after the attack, the PA issued a \"condemnation,\" saying that civilians in the State of Israel should not be harmed.
Despite the latest massacre, Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer announced that the supreme joint Israeli-PLO security committee would convene later today, together with American mediator Gen. Zinni, to continue efforts to formulate a ceasefire. Israeli diplomatic sources said that Israel would not respond \"disproportionately\" - read \"militarily\" -since that is \"precisely Arafat\'s objective in this provocation\" - although Prime Minister Sharon was later quoted as saying, \"Israel will respond appropriately.\" The government position still is that Yasser Arafat will be permitted to leave Ramallah and fly to Beirut for the Arab summit if he shows signs of fulfilling the Tenet Agreement.