After a full week of only thwarted attacks and no dead terrorist victims - although one was seriously wounded yesterday - Palestinian terrorism returned with fierce vengeance this morning. At least 18 Israelis were murdered when a car bomb packed with explosives exploded alongside a passenger bus at the Megiddo junction, between Hadera and Afula. At least 50 people were wounded in this latest attack, and were transferred to Afula\'s HaEmek, Haifa\'s Rambam, and Hadera\'s Hillel Yaffe Hospitals, Several are in critical and serious condition, and twelve are listed in moderate condition. A \"moderate\" wound might consist of irreversible damage to internal organs or the loss of a limb.
The bus was burnt totally, and was reduced to a skeleton of charred metal. The flames seriously hampered rescue efforts, while small explosions - probably bullets from the soldier-passengers\' weapons - continued to be heard from inside the burning bus for several minutes after the blast. There are also reports of a large quantity of the usual metallic fragments, nails, and bolts, included in the explosives in order to increase the human carnage.
The explosion took place at 7:13 AM, when Egged bus #830 traveling from Tel Aviv to the Kinneret Sea-side city of Tiberias. The bus had left Tel Aviv at 5:50 AM and was packed with Israeli soldiers traveling to various army bases in the northern part of the country.
The bus was burnt totally, and was reduced to a skeleton of charred metal. The flames seriously hampered rescue efforts, while small explosions - probably bullets from the soldier-passengers\' weapons - continued to be heard from inside the burning bus for several minutes after the blast. There are also reports of a large quantity of the usual metallic fragments, nails, and bolts, included in the explosives in order to increase the human carnage.
The explosion took place at 7:13 AM, when Egged bus #830 traveling from Tel Aviv to the Kinneret Sea-side city of Tiberias. The bus had left Tel Aviv at 5:50 AM and was packed with Israeli soldiers traveling to various army bases in the northern part of the country.