Israel Suffers Suicide Bombing Attack

At least three people were killed and dozens of others injured Thursday night when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb on a public bus near the northern Israeli city of Hadera, Israel TV reported.

The blast occurred close to a military training camp near Hadera, when the bus was travelling from the northern city of Nazareth to Tel Aviv.

A large number of police forces and paramedics arrived at the scene. Five people were said to be in serious conditions.

The suicide bombing attack occurred at a time when there was an increase of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, although US Mideast envoy Anthony Zinni is in Israel to help achieve a durable ceasefire between the two sides.

Earlier Thursday, an Israeli was killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting attack in an area close to the 1967 Green Line border, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

A second person sustained moderate-to-serious injuries in the attack.

In another development, Israeli soldiers opened fire at a taxi on the road between the West Bank towns of Jericho and Jenin, killing two Palestinians.

The Thursday suicide bombing attack took place despite high alert of Israeli police forces in the northern region of Sharon. It also came just before a planned visit to the United States by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Sharon reiterated his hardline position Thursday that he will not make any compromise on his demand for seven days of complete quiet before the implementation of the Mitchell report, which outlines a roadmap to peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The rise of violence only testifies daunting challenges facing Zinni, who was visiting the region to help end the 14-month bloodshed, which has left nearly 1,000 people dead, mostly Palestinians.

Zinni, who arrived in the region on Monday, is still in a "learning mode" to familiarize himself with the conflicts by meeting officials from both sides.

Zinni has said he will not leave the region unless a ceasefire is secured.

(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2001)