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Three Killed, 48 Injured in Bomb Explosion in Northern Israel
Three people were killed and more than 48 others injured Sunday morning in a suicide bomb explosion in central Netanya, a coastal city in northern Israel.
Two of the injured were reportedly in a critical condition, three in a moderate condition and the rest sustained slight injuries, Israel Radio reported.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack. But a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) leadership, Abdulal-Azad al-Rantis, said that "while it was still too early to say who was responsible for the attack, the bombing itself was the result of Israel's continued aggression against the Palestinian people."
The explosion occurred around 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) in an open market. The police expressed belief that one of the dead was the bomber. More than 40 Arabs, who the police said were working illegally in the city, have been detained for questioning, the police said.
Israel Radio said that the bomber tried to board a bus but the bus driver refused to open the door for him.
According to eyewitnesses, a car was hurled into the air by the force of the explosion, and nearby shops were damaged.
Israeli outgoing Foreign Minister and Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said that the situation in the areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority was "very close to anarchy and a total loss of control."
This was the second time that Netanya was under bomb attack this year. On January 1, 25 people were injured when a car bomb was detonated in the central area of the city between Tel Aviv and Haifa.
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