Israeli defense minister Shaul Mofaz said on Wednesday, that Israel will attack specific Palestinian targets in retaliation to the Hadera suicide bombing which took place in Hadera on Wednesday, on Wednesday afternoon, five Israelis were killed and at least 30 were injured.
Among the killed, a 44-year-old Arab resident of Israel.
Following the bombing, Mofaz held a meeting with senior Israeli security officials to determine the Israeli response. Israeli security officials believe that that Israeli retaliation will be “limited and specific”.
Mofaz told reporters after he returned from a meeting with the Egyptian President, Hosny Mubarak, that he briefed the later on intelligence projections regarding a “possible bombing”.
“To my regret, the projections came true” Mofaz said, “We will do everything we can to strike out at the infrastructure of the organization that carried out this attack”.
Meanwhile, Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the suicide bombing, and considered it a harmful to the Palestinian national interests.
White House Spokesperson Scott McClellan described the bombing as a “disgraceful”, and demanded the Palestinian Authority to act against violence and stop “the terrorist attacks against Israel”.
McClellan stated that these attacks also affect the position of Mahmoud Abbas, and weakens his position.
“Our attitude towards Hamas is known, it is a terrorist organization, and should be disarmed”, McClellan stated, “We made out position clear, a political organizations should not be armed, and should not carry armed activities”.
Also, McClellan that the P.A should give an ultimatum to Hamas and warn it that if it continues its military activities, it cannot be part of the political process.
While the US administration was blaming Hamas, the Islamic Jihad movement officially claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Islamic Jihad movement said that Israel is to blame for the bombing since the Israeli army did not respect the truce, and targeted resistance figures, including the assassination of Luay Al Saadi, leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Tulkarem.
The bombing was also carried out on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Fathi Shiqaqy, one of the prominent leaders of the Islamic Jihad. Shiqaqy was assassinated by Israeli agents in Malta on 26 October, 1995.
“Israel continued its invasions, assassinations, and violations, we cannot stand still especially after Mofaz clearly declared war against the Islamic Jihad”, Islamic Jihad spokesperson said, “We cannot remain silent while Israel conducts its crimes against our people”.
