Beersheva (AsiaNews) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for a twin suicide bombing in southern Israel on Tuesday that killed at least 15 people. Hamas distributed a leaflet in Hebron saying the attacks were revenge for Israel's assassinations last spring of its spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, and his successor Abdel Aziz Rantisi. Hamas has carried out dozens of suicide bombings over the past four years.
Two buses blew up in Beersheva, a southern Israeli city on Tuesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 84, in what appeared to be the first Palestinian suicide bombings inside Israel in six months.
The buses went up in flames almost simultaneously near a main intersection in the center of the city. Beersheva is about 40 kms from Hebron and 40 kms east of the Gaza Strip.
People on the site described a scene of horror. According to witnesses the buses were full of parents and children shopping for educational items on the final day of the school holidays.
"This is the first terror attack in Beersheva," Fr. Paul Collin, told AsiaNews. Fr. Paul, 66 year old, is the parish priest of the local Catholic community of St Abraham. "Sadly, these attacks have become our daily bread". The most painful thing is that there are neighbours implicated. The level of violence in the country is very high. We were expecting a similar attack", he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said there would be no let-up in his government's "fight against terrorism".
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said: "The Palestinian Authority condemns any attacks that target civilians, whether Israelis or Palestinian."
This is the first major attack inside Israel since 10 died in a blast in the port of Ashdod in March.
Since then there has been a relative lull in the violence in the region - one of the longest in the four years of the Palestinian uprising.
The Israeli authorities say the construction of a security barrier in the West Bank, and repeated raids against suspected militants, have helped to prevent attacks.
