The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) reports that a Palestinian homicide/suicide bomber blew himself in a bus in Jerusalem, murdering 11 Israelis, including 5 women and 4 children:

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt packed with nuts and bolts to maximize the impact inside a Jerusalem bus filled with schoolchildren today, killing 11 people and wounding 50.

Among those killed were an eight-year-old, three teenagers and seven adults. The names of 10 victims were released by late Thursday afternoon, among them a mother and son, Ella and Michael Sharshevsky, aged 44 and 16, of Jerusalem's Ir Ganim neighborhood, and a grandmother and grandson, Kira Perlman, 67 and Ilan Perlman, 8, also of Ir Ganim.

Also killed were Hodaya Asharaf, 13 of Kiryat Menachem, Yafit Revivo, 13, Dikla Zino, 20, Marina Bazarsky, 46, and Sima Novack, 56, all from Ir Ganim.

The Palestinian Hamas, a fanatic Islamic terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for the murders. The Hamas, similarly to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, deliberately targets Israeli women and children; they wish to destroy the State of Israel and replace her with a Palestinian Islamic country; see the Palestine page for more details.

I copy the full article below.

Eight-year-old boy and grandmother among 11 killed in Jerusalem busattack
By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF, Nov. 21, 2002
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?
pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/
ShowFull&cid=1037850922692

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt packed with nuts and bolts to maximize the impact inside a Jerusalem bus filled with schoolchildren today, killing 11 people and wounding 50.

The attack during morning rush hour in the capital's Kiryat Menachem neighborhood was claimed by Izzedin el-Kassem, the so-called military wing of Hamas, Arab media reports said. The bomber was identified as Nael Abu Hailil, 22, of Bethlehem.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and defense chiefs to weigh Israel's response, as some leaders called for harsh steps from expelling Yasser Arafat to crushing the Palestinian Authority or sending IDF troops back to reoccupy Bethlehem, reports said.

Israel Radio said ministers decided to retaliate with strikes on Hamas targets.

Among those killed were an eight-year-old, three teenagers and seven adults. The names of 10 victims were released by late Thursday afternoon, among them a mother and son, Ella and Michael Sharshevsky, aged 44 and 16, of Jerusalem's Ir Ganim neighborhood, and a grandmother and grandson, Kira Perlman, 67 and Ilan Perlman, 8, also of Ir Ganim.

Also killed were Hodaya Asharaf, 13 of Kiryat Menachem, Yafit Revivo, 13, Dikla Zino, 20, Marina Bazarsky, 46, and Sima Novack, 56, all from Ir Ganim.

The bomber wore a bomb belt around his waist packed with nuts and bolts to maximize the impact of the blast, and set it off at 7:10 a.m., as the Egged bus No. 20 headed down Mexico Street destined for the city center, police said.

Maor Kimche, 15, said he had just boarded the bus when the blast went off. "Suddenly, it was black and smoky. There were people on the floor. Everything was bloody. There was glass everywhere and body parts," Kimche said.

The 10th grader who had been en route to school in downtown Jerusalem jumped out of a bus window and was scooped up by a tax driver who took him to nearby Hadassah Hospital. Kimche was lightly injured in the left leg.

The youngster said the bus was crowded with high school students, soldiers and elderly passengers. He said he'd ride the bus again once he was well. "How else will I get to school?" he asked.

The blast blew out the bus windows. A torso that had fallen over the side of the bus was covered with a white-and-blue checkered blanket.

Sandwiches and schoolbooks lay scattered in the street.

It was a grisly sight. "This was a horrible attack, the inside of the bus looks horrendous," Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert said as he visited the scene.

As rescue workers removed the dead from the bus, the bodies were placed in black plastic bags that were numbered and laid out in a row along a sidewalk.

Eleven people were killed and at least 50 wounded, eight of them very seriously, authorities said. Israel Radio said many of the casualties were teen-age school pupils.

The bomber's father, Azmi Hilail, said he was pleased with his son.

"Our religion says we are proud of him until the day of resurrection," Abu Hilail said. "This is a challenge to the Zionist enemies."

Several of Nael Abu Hilail's friends said he was a supporter of the Islamic Jihad group.

However, the Al Jazeera and Al Manar TV stations reported that Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic militant Hamas group, claimed responsibility.

Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Sharon, said efforts to bring about a limited truce and withdraw from some Palestinian areas seem futile.

"All our efforts to hand over areas .... and all the talk about a possible cease-fire, that was all window dressing because on the ground there was a continuous effort to carry out as many terrorist activities (as possible)," Gissin said.

President Moshe Katzav recommended while visiting a terror attack victim from a shooting in Hebron on Friday, that the government consider expelling Arafat from Ramallah, if this would deter further attacks.

Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau said the government should crush the PA. Environmental Affairs Minister Tzahi Hanegbi told Army Radio that IDF reservists should be called up reserves and "capture or kill" all Hamas leaders.

Gissin, Sharon's aide, accused the Palestinian Authority of assisting the attackers.

Ghassan Khatib, the Palestinian labor minister, held Israel responsible, saying Sharon's strikes against militants provoked more Palestinian attacks. "Sharon and his policies are responsible for the continuation of violence," he said.

Ismail Abu Shanab, a Hamas leader, said that "the Palestinian people are determined to continue the resistance until we liberate our land."

Posted by David Melle
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