Israel Retaliating For Bombing

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...ml&sSheet=/portal/2006/04/18/ixportaltop.html

Israel plans response to suicide attack
(Filed: 18/04/2006)

Israel has launched a retaliatory air strike on Gaza and is weighing a full scale offensive against the Palestinian Authority following yesterday's a devastating suicide attack on Tel Aviv, while the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations has accused Palestinian leaders of "declarations of war".

A suicide bomber attacked a sandwich shop in the center of Tel Aviv yesterday, killing nine people and injuring around 60.

Israeli aircraft retaliated for the attack last night, firing missiles at a metal workshop in Gaza City, causing some damage to the building but no injuries.

And early this morning Israeli troops raided a West Bank village near Jenin, arresting the father of the suicide bomber responsible for the attack.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority's president, condemned the attack. But the ruling Hamas party called it "self defence" against Israeli crackdowns in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Today Israel's acting prime minister Ehud Olmert will decide whether to launch an offensive against the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli government sources said military chiefs wanted a green light for an assault, which could lead to the targeting of Hamas officials.

But Foreign Ministry officials will seek to moderate Mr Olmert's response.

"The feeling is that it might be too early for an all-out response," one Israeli government source said.

Meanwhile Dan Gillerman, an Israeli Ambassador the UN, told a Security Council debate that Hamas leaders were inciting acts of terrorism.

"A dark cloud is looming above our region, and it is metastasizing as a result of the statements and actions by leaders of Iran, Syria, and the newly elected government of the Palestinian Authority," Mr Gillerman said.

But Riyad Mansour, a Palestinian UN observer, repeated the condemnation made by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.

"We restate our condemnation of the loss of innocent lives, Palestinian and Israelis, and we call upon the occupying power to do the same," Mr Mansour told the Council.