There has been a suicide bombing near the old central bus station in Tel Aviv. So far, 16 people are wounded. Updates (Israel standard time)
4:35PM: 17 wounded, 1 seriously.
6:05PM: The Israeli media are contradicting each other. Ynetnews are reporting that at least 29 people have been wounded, JPost are reporting at least 25, and Ha’aretz at least 14.
6:20PM: As usual, there is confusion over which group perpetrated this act, with multiple terrorist organizations seemingly competing with each other to claim responsibility. So far, we have Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, and Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigades (Fatah being the party of PA leader Mahmoud Abbas), both claiming responsibility.
There are also mixed messages regarding the reason for the attack. On one hand:
Abu-Udai, a senior al-Aqsa member told Ynet the attack in Tel Aviv “is a blessed operation that comes in response to recent Israeli assassinations, the last of which is the assassination of the Hamas commander in Tul Karem.”
And on the other:
Sources in Nablus told Haaretz that Antar was a member of a Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades branch headed by Balata resident Ala Sanakra. This particular branch of the Brigades, which seeks its inspiration from Hezbollah, has threatened to disrupt Palestinian parliamentary elections in the city by carrying out terror attacks.
I prefer this explanation:
Karadi told the Jerusalem Post that while the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Palestinian Authority were probably a factor in the bombing, terror groups “don’t need a reason to pertpetrate a terror attack. If they could they would do it every day, every hour,” Karadi said.
6:35PM: The media here are still reporting different numbers.
Ynetnews: At least 29 wounded
JPost: At least 30 wounded
Ha’aretz: At least 20 wounded
6:45PM: Yet again, the PA condemnation is made solely on the basis that it harms neo palestinian interests, and not because murdering is immoral.
“This is sabotage and aimed at sabotaging the elections, not only the elections, but also the security of Palestinians,” Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told reporters at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
“The culprits must be punished,” he said. “They aim to sabotage the elections and the efforts of the Palestinian Authority to impose law and order.”“We condemn this attack,” echoed senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. “This is an attack to sabotage the Palestinian elections and sabotage the efforts being exerted to revive the peace process after the elections.”
10:30PM: It’s grieving palestinian relative time. Cry me a river.
