It now appears that an Israeli Arab citizen transported the suicide bomber who struck the Maxim Restaurant in Haifa on October 4, an attack that claimed 21 lives.
The latest victim of the Maxim bombing is George Matar, 59, who died of his injuries yesterday (Wednesday). George was laid to rest this afternoon in Haifa’s Christian cemetery. A manager of the restaurant, Matar is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren.
Meanwhile, US flags at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv were lowered to half-mast following the murder of three security agents in yesterday’s bombing attack against an American diplomatic vehicular convoy in Gaza. The three US personnel killed Wednesday morning were identified as Mark Parson, John Martin Linde, and John Branchizio. United States federal agents assigned to investigate the attack are scheduled to arrive today. US officials added that investigators would be working with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In an indication of how the PA residents see the attack, film shot moments after the American convoy was struck shows Arab locals pelting the American security personnel with rocks as they jumped from their armor-plated vehicles. PA police had to fire their weapons to distance the mob.
For his part, PLO leader Yasser Arafat said today that he will dedicate all of "his people" to discover those behind the attack on those he called, "our American friends". PA forces have taken at least eight people, members of an organization representing several terrorist groups, into custody since yesterday. The organization is known to have targeted Israelis in Gaza in the past. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terror organizations were quick to distance themselves from the attack, but Israeli intelligence points to Hamas as the likely responsible party. The possibility that PA security personnel were involved in the attack is not being ruled out at this point in the investigation.
Arafat, while touting his efforts to ‘find the real killers’, has appointed Razi Jabali to stand at the helm of his police force throughout the Judea, Samaria and Gaza areas of the PA. Jabali, however, is still wanted by Israel for his part in terrorist activities, including the operation of mortar shell manufacturing facilities.
The latest victim of the Maxim bombing is George Matar, 59, who died of his injuries yesterday (Wednesday). George was laid to rest this afternoon in Haifa’s Christian cemetery. A manager of the restaurant, Matar is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren.
Meanwhile, US flags at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv were lowered to half-mast following the murder of three security agents in yesterday’s bombing attack against an American diplomatic vehicular convoy in Gaza. The three US personnel killed Wednesday morning were identified as Mark Parson, John Martin Linde, and John Branchizio. United States federal agents assigned to investigate the attack are scheduled to arrive today. US officials added that investigators would be working with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In an indication of how the PA residents see the attack, film shot moments after the American convoy was struck shows Arab locals pelting the American security personnel with rocks as they jumped from their armor-plated vehicles. PA police had to fire their weapons to distance the mob.
For his part, PLO leader Yasser Arafat said today that he will dedicate all of "his people" to discover those behind the attack on those he called, "our American friends". PA forces have taken at least eight people, members of an organization representing several terrorist groups, into custody since yesterday. The organization is known to have targeted Israelis in Gaza in the past. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terror organizations were quick to distance themselves from the attack, but Israeli intelligence points to Hamas as the likely responsible party. The possibility that PA security personnel were involved in the attack is not being ruled out at this point in the investigation.
Arafat, while touting his efforts to ‘find the real killers’, has appointed Razi Jabali to stand at the helm of his police force throughout the Judea, Samaria and Gaza areas of the PA. Jabali, however, is still wanted by Israel for his part in terrorist activities, including the operation of mortar shell manufacturing facilities.