A suicide terrorist - one of \"thousands,\" according to threats by enemy leader Hamas terrorist Abdel Aziz Rantisi - blew himself up this afternoon inside a restaurant on a highway in the northern coastal city of Haifa. The number of dead currently stands at 15, with some 35 wounded - eight in serious condition. Among the casualties are both Jews and Arabs. Security forces had been on high alert in nearby areas for a possible attack, and the police even closed a portion of Highway 4 between Hadera and Netanya for two hours this morning. The police and local officials call on restaurant and small-business owners to station armed guards outside, and Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna even signed an order - a half-hour before the explosion - to close down those that do not.
At approximately 5 PM, another suicide bomber detonated himself in the Gush Etzion town of Efrat. The explosion occurred at the Magen David Adom emergency medical service \"jump-off\" point, and one young paramedic-in-training is in serious condition. Several others were lightly hurt.
A resident of Efrat, Nadia Matar, said that Prime Minister Sharon should realize that the majority of the people are with him, and that \"the government unity with Shimon Peres is fake. Peres does not represent Israel. National-unity is [meanwhile] just a slogan. If Sharon really wants unity, he has to dump Peres and do what the majority of the Jewish people wants... in order to save Jewish lives, even if Peres and a few of his traitor-friends don\'t agree.\"
At approximately 5 PM, another suicide bomber detonated himself in the Gush Etzion town of Efrat. The explosion occurred at the Magen David Adom emergency medical service \"jump-off\" point, and one young paramedic-in-training is in serious condition. Several others were lightly hurt.
A resident of Efrat, Nadia Matar, said that Prime Minister Sharon should realize that the majority of the people are with him, and that \"the government unity with Shimon Peres is fake. Peres does not represent Israel. National-unity is [meanwhile] just a slogan. If Sharon really wants unity, he has to dump Peres and do what the majority of the Jewish people wants... in order to save Jewish lives, even if Peres and a few of his traitor-friends don\'t agree.\"