The Shin Bet Security Service and police arrested a man Wednesday who is suspected of assisting Rafat Salim Diab, the Palestinian bomber who blew himself up on a bus in the Wadi Ara area, early Wednesday morning. A gag order has been placed upon the identity of the man. Police are investigating reports that the man helped the bomber enter Israel from Palestinian Authority territory Tuesday night.
Seven people were killed, four of them IDF soldiers, and dozens injured when the suicide bomber set off a powerful bomb that ripped apart an Egged bus at about 7:05 A.M. Wednesday near the Afula-area Israeli Arab town of Umm al Fahm, witnesses said.
The militant Islamic Jihad organization claimed responsibility for the attack. The Palestinian Authority condemned it, saying in an official statement quoted by Israel Radio "The Palestinian leadership condemns the Umm al Fahm operation and urges [Palestinians] not to harm civilians within Israel."
The four soldiers have been identified as Non-Commissioned Officer Meir Fahima, 40, from Hadera, who was laid to rest at 6 P.M.; Staff Sergeant Shimon Haderi, 20, from Pardes Hannah, who was buried at 7:30 P.M.; Sergeant Michael Altfiro, 19, from Pardes Hannah, who was buried at 5:30 P.M. and Corporal Aharon Revivo, 19, from Afula.
Two of the civilians killed in the bombing have been named as Alon Goldenberg, 28, from Tel Aviv and Mahanto Mogus, 75, from Holon. The third civilian has not yet been identified, as the damage to her body is too extreme. Sources at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute said that the body would be identified with genetic profiling.
The bus driver and passengers later said that the terrorist knew the bomb would target Arabs on the bus.
Hospitals admitted 28 wounded, of whom two were in critical condition and at least seven more in moderate to serious condition, hospital officials said.
The large quantity of explosives carried by the bomber, who was also killed in the blast, left the bus a twisted, charred hulk.
The bomber was identified as Rafat Salim Diab, 20, of Jenin, an activist of the Islamic Jihad movement. It said Islamic Jihad activists had taken to the streets of Jenin in celebration when news broke of the suicide bombing.
The Palestinian Authority said in the statement that "World public opinion, which stood beside the Palestinians against the Israeli offensive against Palestinian civilians, will never accept Palestinians attacking civilians within Israel, even though the Israeli side continues with its blocades and assassinations against civilians.
"We urge against carrying out any operations against civilians in Israel, in order to avoid hampering the international efforts and those of (U.S. envoy) General (Anthony) Zinni towards implementation of a cease-fire and the Tenet understandings. We must not grant extremists in Israel an excuse for continuing their aggression against our people."
Police said the suicide bomber boarded the bus in the Wadi Ara area, a largely Israeli Arab region near the West Bank, and situated on the main highway between Hadera and Afula, cities hard-hit by terrorist attacks in recent months.
The bomber, moving to the center of the bus, detonated the device shortly after he boarded, police said. The bus exploded at Musmus junction near Umm al Fahm on Highway 65, in the Iron area.
Motorist Noah Barkai told Army Radio the bus exploded seconds after he passed it on the Wadi Ara highway, only five kilometers from the West Bank border. "It was a big blast, I barely had time to turn around and
the place was packed with emergency vehicles," Barkai said.
The bombing came only a day after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited the region in an effort to revive truce-to-talks deals signed by the two sides and put a halt to the violence.
The injured were evacuated to Haemek Hospital in Afula and to Hillel Yaffeh Medical Center in Hadera. The hospitals set up telephone information hotlines, Hillel Yaffeh set up a at 1255166, and Haemek at 1255165
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
Two of the civilians killed in the bombing have been named as Alon Goldenberg, 28, from Tel Aviv and Mahanto Mogus, 75, from Holon. The third civilian has not yet been identified, as the damage to her body is too extreme. Sources at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute said that the body would be identified with genetic profiling.
