George W Bush has told Ariel Sharon that Washington wants “decisive action” by the Palestinian Authority against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The US President and the visiting Israeli Prime Minister met in hour-long talks this evening.
President Bush has called on the Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, to do everything in his power to find those responsible for the bloodiest wave of attacks in Israel in years.
At least 25 Israelis were killed and as many as 200 people were injured in the explosions in Jerusalem and the northern port city of Haifa. The attacks have been claimed by Hamas, the biggest of the Islamic militant groups.
The Palestinian Authority earlier declared a state of emergency in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. At least 75 militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been arrested, according to a Palestinian security source. Three key Hamas leaders are said to be among those arrested.
A letter sent by the Palestinian Authority to the AFP news agency reads: “The Palestinian leadership announces a state of emergency in all the Palestinian territories and has given orders to the department of general security to enforce the law and implement emergency measures effective immediately”.
Meanwhile, the United Nation's special co-ordinator for the Middle East said that he fears the Palestinian suicide attacks could lead to a war-like situation. Terje Roed-Larsen has said that such attacks could lead to a “civil war like situation”. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan also demanded immediate and decisive action from Mr Arafat.
Israel said it holds Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat directly responsible for the attacks. The Palestinian Authority condemned the bombings, which it said were intended to foil peace efforts, and promised to investigate who was behind the attacks.
In the latest attack, a bus was blown up by a suspected suicide bomber as it travelled through Haifa. A second bus parked nearby was badly damaged. The hard line Islamic group Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The explosions happened after a double suicide bombing in Jerusalem, in which ten Israelis were killed. The two Palestinian bombers also died in the attack and about 180 people were injured, some of them seriously.
The bombers detonated the devices within minutes of each other late last night in a pedestrian area near Zion Square, in the centre of West Jerusalem, where restaurants and bars were crowded after the end of the Jewish Sabbath. About 20 minutes later a car bomb exploded nearby, but there were no further casualties.
Israel has threatened retaliation for the bombings. A spokesman for Mr Sharon, said that the reaction would be commensurate with the severity of what he called "this hideous crime."
An Israeli official has confirmed that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is to convene an emergency meeting of his full cabinet when he returns from Washington.
Meanwhile, four armed Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli paratroopers south of the West Bank city of Jenin. An army spokesman said that the incident happened in an exchange of fire. Palestinian officials have not commented on the circumstances of the men’s deaths.
Earlier, Palestinian gunmen killed at least one Israeli and injured several others in an attack in the Gaza Strip. The gunmen infiltrated a Jewish settlement. They were then shot dead by security forces.
