15 Israelis killed in a Palestinian operation in Haifa, PA denounces it

The number of killed Israelis in an Israeli bus which was blown up in the coastal city of Haifa to the north of Tel Aviv yesterday increased to 15 persons, at least, with other 30 wounded, 10 of them are in critical conditions.

The Israeli radio said the explosion was likely a result of a Palestinian operation or a bomb implanted in the bus, while the Israeli police sources expected a Palestinian resistance man to have had an explosive belt wrapped on his body in which he detonated the bus.

The Israeli TV said that the executor of the operation detonated, at least an explosive of 10 kg weight, wrapped around his body and that the explosive had nails. A matter which increased the number of casualties.

The explosion took place in a main street in the city at the entrance of Karmilia residential street.

This is, however, the first explosion inside the areas of the green line ( inside Israel) since January this year when two Palestinians detonated themselves in the downtown of Tel Aviv and that operation resulted in killing 23 persons and wounding other 100.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the operation in Haifa. The local rule minister Saeb Oreikat said "we do condemn these operations which target the civilians being Israelis or Palestinians." He stressed the Palestinian leadership rejection of accusations raised by Israeli officials to the Palestinian Authority on that it is responsible for the escalating violence.