The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) reports that a Palestinian Islamic Supremacist has murdered four Israelis and wounded dozens after blowing himself up outside a nightclub in Tel-Aviv:

A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of people waiting outside a nightclub near Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade just before midnight Friday, killing at least four people, wounding dozens and shattering an unofficial Mid-East truce.

Three of the injured were listed in critical condition; two in serious condition, and the rest were lightly wounded. 17 wounded were evacuated to Ichilov hospital, 17 to Wolffson hospital in Holon, eight were evacuated to Tel-Hashomer hospital, and five injured were taken to Beilinson hospital in Petah-Tikvah.

At the blast scene, a large number of cars were severely damaged by the blast. Shops across the street from the blast were also damaged.

Police said that the bomb weighed at least 30 kilograms and was filled with nails and other shrapnel.

The legacy of mass murderer Yasser Arafat continues on. I copy the full article below.

Explosion rocks Tel Aviv night club The Jerusalem Post, Feb. 25, 2005 23:39, Link

A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of people waiting outside a nightclub near Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade just before midnight Friday, killing at least four people, wounding dozens and shattering an unofficial Mid-East truce.

Three of the injured were listed in critical condition; two in serious condition, and the rest were lightly wounded. 17 wounded were evacuated to Ichilov hospital, 17 to Wolffson hospital in Holon, eight were evacuated to Tel-Hashomer hospital, and five injured were taken to Beilinson hospital in Petah-Tikvah.

At the blast scene, a large number of cars were severely damaged by the blast. Shops across the street from the blast were also damaged.

Police said that the bomb weighed at least 30 kilograms and was filled with nails and other shrapnel.

The area was crowded with young Israelis. About 20 to 30 people were waiting to get into the "Stage" club on Herbert Samuel Street, close to the promenade. "I was near the club. There were about 20 people outside. Suddenly, there was an enormous explosion," said a witness, identified only as Tsahi.

Eyewitnesses at the scene said they spotted a second suspected bomber or accomplice who they claimed fled the area.

There were conflicting reports of who was behind the attack. Israeli media said Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. But Nafez Azzam, one of the group's leaders in the Gaza Strip, said Islamic Jihad was continuing to honor the informal cease-fire.

Another Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, Muhammad El-Hindi told Dubai's Al-Arabiya news channel, "we agreed to the hudna and we are not backing out."

Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades leaders in Nablus and Jennin specifically denied involvement, telling Jerusalem Post reporter Mathew Gutman, "we would never stab Abu-Mazen in the back."

Palestinian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Lebanese militant group Hizbullah orchestrated the blast.

The said they had tracked recent communications between Hizbullah militant Kais Obeid and an unnamed Palestinian who they believed was the attacker.

But a Hizbullah official in Beirut denied involvement. "As far as we are concerned, there is no need to respond to such lies that we have become used to it," the official said.

The blast ripped off the front of the nightclub, shattering windows of nearby restaurants and blackening nearby cars. Dozens of ambulances and rescue workers pored through the scene, and police scoured the balconies of nearby buildings recovering evidence from the blast. Several covered bodies and a pool of blood lay on the ground.

A police statement confirmed four dead and up to 49 injured.

Israel Police chief Moshe Karadi in a news conference said that there were no prior intelligence reports as to a possible attack, and urged civilians to remain clear of the area.

Tel Aviv police chief David Tsur said," We take it as an assumption that the terrorist did not come alone."

Israeli officials indicated that the blast would not derail the tentative peace efforts. But it put heavy pressure on Abbas to take action against militants.

Gideon Ezra, the Israeli public security minister, called on the Palestinians "to do much more to prevent such attacks." But he said contacts with the Palestinians should continue.

Israel has so far welcomed Abbas' efforts to persuade militants to halt violence. But it wants the Palestinian leader to begin to take steps to dismantle militant groups.

"What we need now is action, and not words," said Gideon Meir, a senior Foreign Ministry official.

It was the first suicide bombing since Israel and the Palestinians declared an informal cease-fire on Feb. 8 meant to end more than four years of fighting. It also was the first suicide attack since a bomber killed two people in a Tel Aviv market on Nov. 1.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms."

"Whoever is behind it is seriously attempting to sabotage all efforts being exerted to revive the peace process and should not be allowed to succeed," he said.

The Tel Aviv promenade has been hit before by Palestinian terrorists, including explosions outside the Dolphinarium disco and Mike's Place, a popular pub.

Posted by David Melle
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