Four Killed in Israeli Shopping Mall Blast

At least four people were killed in a suspected suicide bombing at a shopping mall in the Israeli city of Netanya today.

Israeli police said at least 35 people had been injured, seven of them seriously, in what was the first suicide attack in Israel for more than a month. A blast in the city of Hadera on October 26 killed six people.

Palestinian Radio reported that the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades had claimed responsibility for the Netanya explosion, which happened at the entrance to the shopping mall. Reuters reported a separate claim of responsibility by Islamic Jihad.

Security guards have been positioned at the doors of all Israeli shopping centres since the current intifada began in 2000.

Ami Klein, a lawyer who witnessed the explosion from a nearby courthouse, told Israel Radio that the attacker had reached the entrance to the mall but was unable to get in. "The boom shook the entire courthouse," she added.

Police said the bomber had blown himself up in a queue of people going through a standard security check at the mall's entrance.

The attack was the first since campaigning for the Israeli elections - which are expected to take place in March - began.

The elections were prompted by Ariel Sharon's decision to walk out of his Likud party and seek an alliance with moderates from both sides of politics. The former Labour prime minister Shimon Peres last week announced he would join Mr Sharon's coalition.

There have also been growing tensions around the Gaza Strip in recent days. Palestinian militants resumed rocket attacks on southern Israel from within the Gaza Strip last week, and the Israeli airforce yesterday bombed a site it claimed was a rocket lab run by Islamic Jihad.

Palestinians also face parliamentary elections in January, and negotiator Saeb Erekat said the attack had been intended to derail that process.

"I believe that this harms Palestinian interests and is another act to sabotage efforts to revive the peace process and to sabotage the Palestinian elections," he added.