IDF troops raided a West Bank village near Jenin early Tuesday and arrested the father of a suicide bomber who killed nine people and wounded near 70 others in a terror attack at the entrance to a fast food stand in southern Tel Aviv.
Islamic Jihad identify suicide bomber as Sami Salim Mohammed Hammed.
Photo: AP
The family of the bomber, Samer Hammad, had emptied the home of all furniture overnight for fear the army would demolish the building, as it often does to the homes of attackers, witnesses said. According to reports however, the army was not immediately preparing to destroy the building.
Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the bombing on Monday and identified Hammad as the attacker soon after the explosion at the Tel Aviv falafel stand. The group said that this terror attack was the first of 70, Israel Radio reported.
In a video released by the group, Hammad said the bombing was dedicated to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. "There are many other bombers on the way," he said.
The attack took place less than two hours the 17th Knesset was sworn in.
MDA, which has been suffering from a blood shortage due to people being on vacation during the Pessah holiday, has asked the public to donate blood, especially type O. Blood can be donated at the Central Blood Services Center at Tel Hashomer, in Jerusalem, Acre and many shopping malls throughout the country. Details can be obtained by calling 03-5300400 or from MDA's Web site at http://www.mda.org.il/.
Emergency phone information lines about the wounded were set up at Ichilov Hospital (1255133); Sheba Hospital (1255131); Wolfson Hospital (1255135) and the Rabin Medical Center (1255134).
Herb Keinon, Judy Siegel and AP contributed to the report.
