Jerusalem--------March 30...........During IDF activity within the Mukata compound in Ramallah, many weapons used against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians were found, and all this, under the eyes of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority.

The weapons that were found are as follows:

An RPG launcher
43 RPG bombs
2 60 mm mortar bombs
22 Kalashnikov rifles
1 short Kalashnikov rifle
13 micro Kalashnikov rifles
Norwegian sniper weapons
A Barreta 762
9mm automatic Barreta rifles
An Arba-type assault rifle
3 PK
4 #26 fragmentation grenades
A Miller fragmentation grenade
A smoke grenade
A #400 gas grenade
128 commando knives
2 MAG action crates
30 5.56 action crates
3 crates of Kalashnikov ammunition
99 Kalashnikov magazines
30 pistol magazines
A Barreta magazine
35 M16 magazines
8 7.62mm magazines
5 9mm magazines
6 short M16 magazines
18 combat vests
5 bulletproof vests
24 telescopic sights
5 night-vision devices
Binoculars

Communicated by the Israel Defense Forces and the Government Press Office

Jerusalem----February 20.....Six IDF soldiers killed, one wounded in attack on IDF post:

Six soldiers were killed and another was moderately wounded in an attack on a military post near Ein-Arik, west of Ramallah. The families of the victims have been notified.

The wounded soldier was evacuated to a hospital where he received medical treatment for his injuries. Another soldier who was on duty at the post was unharmed.

A Kalashnikov rifle was discovered at the scene, which was probably used by one of the terrorists carrying out the attack.

The terrorists apparently escaped to Ramallah after stealing two M-16 assault rifles from the IDF post.

The IDF is investigating the event.

IDF Action in the West Bank:

Last night IDF forces acted against PA targets in the West Bank. Among the targets were Palestinian checkpoints through which Palestinian terrorists travel on their way to carrying out attacks on Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers. The Palestinian police manning these checkpoints either turn a blind eye or cooperate with the Palestinian assailants.

The PA infrastructure is teeming with terror and many of the terrorists are themselves members of the PA apparatus. The IDF will continue to act against the terror infrastructure in the Palestinian Authority until the PA exercises its responsibility for the areas under their control.

In the Nabulus area, the following checkpoints were targeted: the checkpoint east of Balata, the checkpoint near Kafr Kalil and a PA police station in Kfar Tel.

In the Ramallah area the IDF targeted the government building in Ramallah City and a checkpoint south of Ramallah.

IDF Arrests of suspected Terrorists:

IDF infantry forces took action last night in the PA controlled village of Farha, southwest of Ariel. The forces arrested two wanted Hamas members who are suspected of planning and carrying out attacks on Israeli citizens and soldiers in the area. In addition, five other Palestinians were arrested while in possession of four Kalashnikov assault rifles. The forces withdrew from the area in the early morning hours.

IDF forces and Border police arrested 13 Palestinians suspected of terror activity:

· seven were arrested in A-Shiukh, east of Halhoul;
· three were arrested in the village Umm Zalmona, south of Bethlehem;
· Two were arrested in the village of Ein Kinyeh, northwest of Ramallah and one was arrested at a road block near Ramallah.

All the arrested Palestinians were taken in for questioning.

The restrictions on Palestinian traffic:

As a consequence of the murderous attack carried out last night, west of Ramallah, in which six Israelis were killed, tonight the IDF prohibited Palestinian traffic on the roads to and from the Palestinian cities of Ramallah, Kalkilya, Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm, and between the Palestinian villages in those areas.

As is the case with all closures and restrictions, Palestinian humanitarian cases will be allowed access.

IDF Action in the Gaza Strip:

As a result of the wave of murderous terrorist attacks perpetrated against Israelis in the last few days, and due to the PA's unwillingness to take action and fight the terror, the IDF, last night attacked three targets in the Gaza Strip:

· Palestinian BRDM armored vehicles in the "ANCER 2" compound near the city of Gaza.
· "The Joa'zat" also know as the blue Palestinian police headquarters in the Gaza City.
· A security compound in the city of Khan Yunis.

Last night, the Israeli Navy forces carried out operations in the presidential compound of the head of the PA in Gaza. During the operation, IDF forces targeted a number of Force 17 members and destroyed a Palestinian Navy Police vessel.

No IDF injuries were reported.

The IDF Spokesperson stresses that the IDF will continue to operate against the wave of Palestinian terror in order to insure the security and the lives of Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers.

Jerusalem-----January 29..........Following are Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s remarks at a special session of the Knesset plenum yesterday marking 53 years since the Knesset was established:

“Knesset Speaker,
Honored Knesset,

It is no coincidence that we are celebrating 53 years since the Knesset – the heart and soul of Israeli democracy – was established, on Tu B’Shvat. More than anything, the planting holiday symbolizes our renewed connection with the soil of the land and the Jewish people’s full historic rights over the Land of Israel.

Every year, Israeli children go out to plant in the soil of the hills and the open terraces, dig holes for watering and place a stick to support the tender saplings from damage from nature and the harsh environment, and thus express a historical continuity of several thousand years. Those same terraces on the mountainside that we see
today in Judea and Samaria, in the Binyamin area and in the Hebron hills, were built by our forefathers. As residents of the hills, only the Jews built terraces then for agriculture.

Thus, 53 years ago, in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence (<http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00hb0>), we planted, in the hard soil of the terraces and their environs, which was, on the whole, hostile to the fragile Israeli democracy, the Knesset of Israel.
We planted this fragile sapling in the midst of a struggle for existence and a war for the home which we had come to and which we never, ever really left.

The Knesset was born in war and into a continuing security emergency, into hostility and economic, security and social challenges which created permanent tension between ‘the rule of law’ and ‘the rule of security’, and into a continuing struggle – with ups and downs – to preserve and defend the civil and human liberties to which we committed ourselves in the Declaration of Independence.

The Knesset’s holiday is the entire country’s holiday. This is the day of Israel’s victory as a fighting democracy characterized by a steadfast stand and struggle to realize the Jewish people’s historic rights in its
country on the one hand, and the fight to realize civil rights and equality of opportunity as the Middle East’s only genuine democracy, on the other.

Israel is a pluralistic society with broad representation from the entire political spectrum, and the Knesset, to our pride, is perhaps the only place in which those who oppose it and those who love it, secular
and religious, left and right, Jews, Druze, Bedouin and Arabs – all groups in the rich mosaic of rivalries and tensions – sit together to debate and discuss, occasionally, even if in strident tones, but always
in the fervor of parliamentary dynamism and action. The Knesset is the pulsating heart of Israeli democracy.

The Knesset also gives expression to our common aspiration for peace, to our hand which is outstretched, and to our gates which are open, to all those who seek a genuine peace for generations. But our enemies will
invariably be met with an iron wall, fortified and impregnable, a wall whose bricks are our faith in the justice of our cause, our commitment to democratic values and human freedom, and – above all – our determination and readiness to fight and defend these values, even if we are called upon to defend ourselves for a lengthy period. As David Ben-Gurion put it:

‘If Israeli democracy wants to exist for a long time, it must be armed with the means to defend itself and with the operational tools so as to prevent minorities – and not only non-Jewish minorities, but Jewish
minorities as well – from taking it over by force, whether from within or without.’

Honored Knesset,

We are in the midst of a continuous struggle for our way of life and our rights as a people, in a war of terror that has been imposed on us. Since September 11th, this struggle has found its way to the doorstep of
the free and democratic world. This is a war about our homes, about values, about a way of life that provides the only hope today for millions of people of different nationalities, who now stand on the precipice of a volcano of terrorist forces, and against the wickedness that threatens the stability and peace of the whole world.

On 5.3.1946, after the conclusion of the Second World War, Winston Churchill, then head of the opposition, gave his “Sinews of Peace speech”. His words are of value and significance to us, as well as to
our friends and allies who share with us a common way and destiny, especially after the terrorist attacks in the United States. And these are his words:

‘The dark ages may return, the Stone Age may return on the gleaming wings of science, and what might now shower immeasurable material blessings upon mankind, may even bring about its total destruction.
Beware, I say; time may be short. Do not let us take the course of allowing events to drift along until it is too late. If there is to be a fraternal association of the kind I have described, with all the extra
strength and security which both our countries can derive from it, let us make sure that that great fact is known to the world, and that it plays its part in steadying and stabilising the foundations of peace. There is the path of wisdom. Prevention is better than cure.’

In this spirit I say a prayer and a blessing for the Knesset on its day of celebration: That we should know to find the correct balance between standing steadfast in the prevention of the dangers that lay waiting at
our doorstep and legislative initiatives to foster democratic values, tolerance and unity in the spirit of the prophets of Israel and the heritage of the Jewish people.

Blessings to us all, Members of the Knesset, on this day of celebration.”

Jerusalem----January 13.......Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last night spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and updated him on the situation on the ground, mainly regarding the dangerous developments in the link between the Palestinian Authority and Iran, and the direct involvement of the latter in both smuggling weapons to the former and in terrorism.

Prime Minister Sharon said that the PA is trying to equip itself with large quantities of weapons in violation of the agreements and stated that Israel is making every effort to foil the smuggling of weapons.
The Prime Minister added that the PA is neither making arrests nor conducting investigations and is not taking any counter-terrorist measures.

President Putin asked Prime Minister Sharon to continue updating him on dangerous developments in the region.

Prime Minister Sharon invited President Putin to visit Israel.

The reports – whose appearance is astonishing – are imaginary and without any foundation. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the entire government have decided that the State of Israel will not conduct diplomatic negotiations as long as the following conditions are not met:

1. Terrorists, as well as those who dispatch and operate them, must be arrested;
2. Illegal weapons in Palestinian Authority territory must be collected and turned over
to the US;
3. Terrorist organizations’ infrastructures must be dismantled and their leaders must
be detained;
4. Effective counter-terrorist operations must be undertaken;
5. Incitement must cease.

The appearance of the aforementioned newspaper reports causes severe damage

Jerusalem----December 16.....Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer today sent King Abdullah of Jordan, President Hosni Mubarak and the leaders of their security establishments messages of greetings on the occasion of the Eid el Fitre Holy day.

Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer emphasized that “the wave of terror attacks illustrates the urgent need to put an end to the bloodshed and killing of innocent victims. I fervently hope that this holy day will mark the resumption of diplomatic negotiations on the basis of mutual respect, understanding and cooperation with the clear viewpoint that terrorism and violence do not go hand in hand with the drive to peace.”

Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer also expressed in the message his personal appreciation to President Mubarak and King Abdullah for their efforts to stabilize the region, and advance the peace process.

Jerusalem-----October 28......An ISA [formerly GSS] and Israel Police Northern District CID investigation have revealed that a number of brothers from the Abu Latif family from the Galilee village of Rama have been involved in the smuggling of explosives and other weapons from Lebanon into Israel.

Four family members have thus far been arrested in the affair which has been under investigation since the September. The four are Latif Abu Latif, Loay Abu Latif, Alla Abu Latif from Rama, and Alla’s
brother-in-law Roni Mazhar from Daliat el Carmel. An additional suspect, Suleiman Abu Latif, is wanted by the police, and is still at large.

The above mentioned suspects, as well as other members of the Abu Latif family in Rama, are known to police for their criminal activities over recent years, mainly in the area of illegal drugs and weapons.

Investigation of the affair has revealed connections between the suspects and Lebanese drug lords who are connected to Hizbullah and operate on its behalf.

It was clarified during the investigation that the Hizbullah has taken control of the area adjacent to the border fence, and has conditioned the continuance of the Lebanese and Israeli drug traffickers’ drug flow to Israel on the supply of services to Hizbullah.

Evidence has been gathered during the investigation that around the months of April or May the suspects were involved in smuggling packages from Lebanon across the security fence into Israel. The packages contained, among other things, four claymore explosive charges, a mortar, explosive detonators, pistols and hard drugs.

Part of the package contents, including explosives and the mortar, were located and seized by the police and ISA based on information from the investigation.

It was clarified that the suspects concealed the explosives and weapons in Israel pending directions from the Lebanese regarding sources in the territories or Israel who were supposed to receive the weapons and transfer them to PA territory.

The Haifa District Attorney’s Office will soon indict the suspects in Haifa District Court on charges of contact with a foreign agent, importation of – and trafficking in – weapons, importation of – and
trafficking in – dangerous drugs, providng services for an illegal organization, concealing aid to an enemy and conspiracy to aid an enemy.

Tel Aviv Central Bus Station Closes Due to Discovered Bomb

Tel Aviv----August 3......An alert security guard at Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station was responsible this afternoon for preventing a major terrorist attack. The Israeli guard, in performing a routine check of hand bags, alerted police to a Palestinian woman who refused to allow him to check her belongings.

Israel Radio reported that police sappers discovered a bomb inside the woman's belongings consisting of 4 kilograms of explosive materials packed with nails and metal shards.

After the woman from Nablus was arrested, the bus station and surrounding area was closed to all traffic and buses were rerouted to the old bus station.

Thousands of Israeli police, military, private commercial security guards and security volunteers remain on high alert throughout all of Israel's commercial and residential centers.

Heroic Bus Driver Prevents Terror Bombing;
Detains Terrorist for Arrest

A Hero: Egged bus driver Menashe Nuriel describes
how he apprehended the terrorist in Beit Shean Photo: Yediot

Jerusalem----August 2......An alert and courageous Israeli bus driver averted a terror bombing this afternoon on his bus near the upper Jordan Valley city of Beit She'an.

The driver, Menashe Nuriel, l who works for the Egged Bus Company, spotted a young Palestinian man carrying a bag onto his northbound bus. According to Army Radio he immediately order the suspicious Palestinian off his bus. When the terrorist was about ten feet from the bus, the driver ordered him to open his bag. As the terrorist then attempted to reach for something under the bag, a possible attempt to detonate the bomb, the driver then grabbed him and threw him into some nearby bushes. The driver screamed to the passengers to open the bus doors to allow waiting soldiers to come to his aid.

A high-powered cellphone-activated bomb was found inside the bag and was neutralized by police sappers who were on the scene within minutes. The large duffle bag, weighing 22 pounds and packed with nails and scrap metal, contained three mortar shells, explosives and a triggering device.

.
Police sappers safely detonate the bomb with a controlled explosion

The terrorist was arrested and is presently being interrogated by security personnel.

Police officers and military personnel are presently using both ground and air surveillance to search the valley for other terrorists, Israel Radio reported.

All of Israel's commercial and residential centers remain on a high security alert today with both Israeli police and military setting up roadblocks throughout the country.

Israel Under Constant Attack by Suicide Bombers, Terrorist Snipers and Mortars
As Other Nations Advice: "Don't Defend Yourselves"

Jerusalem----August 1....In the past 24 hours five Israelis were injured by terrorist snipers inside Israel while driving on Israeli roads. Mark and Michelle Kam of Dolev were on their way home with their son Itai, 17, when bullets penetrated their car. They were seriously wounded and taken to hospital. The Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo came under terror sniper gunfire with two apartments sustaining damage. In the south of Israel over two dozen mortars shells have fallen.
Israel is under siege and is taking every effort to defend her civilian populations from more attacks.

The IDF took defensive action yesterday against a terrorist Hamas group in Nablus, killing eight people. The term: "defensive action" is not public relations or spin terminology - it was literally defensive action against two men who had already killed 31 innocent Israelis (many of them Israeli teenagers in Tel Aviv) and were presently planning more terrorist attacks inside Israel. A sign outside the front door of the Hamas office, still intact, identified the place as the Palestinian Center for Studies and Media. "These people were sitting safely in their office," said Ahmed Saker, identifying himself as a Hamas member. "It was an office for study." Yes - an office for the study of killing Jews.

The fact that two children were killed, is the sole responsibility of Hamas. What were two children doing inside the West Bank military headquarters of Hamas? Being used as "human shields"? But still Israel painfully acknowledges and expresses deep regret for the loss of those children. Israelis do not place nor push their children to the front of violent demonstrations. Demonstrations which include automatic M-16's, grenades and Molotov cocktails. Nor do Israeli parents receive "award money" once their children are injured or killed! The humanistic, Western cultural values for which Israelis live and are judged by are very, very different from those that you will find in the streets of Gaza, Damascus or Teheran. With all of the frustration and anger, Israelis do not and will never have snipers pointing their rifles at babies.
Israel does all it can to avoid harming innocent civilians when defending herself - all that is humanly possible - including getting her own civilians and soldiers killed.

The United States and Great Britain have criticized Israel's attack yesterday against Hamas as being "excessive". The INA knows that these words bear no truth - that they are being spitted out for the mere benefit of the Arab lobby.
But one still must ask only one simple question for those diplomats sitting in safe and distant capitals: "How would you defend your civilian populations against terrorism?"

We know that the United States and the UK bombed Tripoli and takes military action daily over Iraq to curb terrorist threats. But what - what would the USA do if Buffalo, New York came under mortar fire from Canada or Palestinian terrorists were firing at cars on the Long Island Expressway. What if Manchester or Leeds came under attack by snipers? We can assure Washington and London that Israel would not use the words "excessive force" for any response taken. Please let's remind all of Mr. Tony Blair's remarks stated after the Palestinian suicide attack in June which claimed 24 teenagers in Tel Aviv: "London would not be so nice" (regarding response).
So now - what should the Israeli government do - send a polite letter to Iran and Syria kindly requesting that they stop shooting at us and await a cordial reply?

No Western government has ever sustained so much blood, exercised so much restraint against terrorist attacks than the State of Israel.
If a group of American teenagers were hanging out outside a disco in Atlanta, Kansas City or Seattle and were blown apart by a terrorist - again we ask - what would you do? Please enlighten us as to what specific actions to take. How much more restraint should we illustrate to the world as our children are being murdered in their homes, on their streets, in their shopping centers and in their play parks. The INA asks: "What would you do?"
Did someone mention the "Powell Doctrine"?

American and British diplomats should be congratulating the Israeli people for exhibiting courage for sitting on the front line of Western democracy against Islamic terror - rather than mumbling and turning their backs at such a critical time. To our friends in Washington and London - you are sending out the wrong signals - verbiage which will accelerate violence, not reduce it. One does not have to be a psychologist to understand Palestinian reaction to your brief retreat. With regards to regional stability - any words of dissent to Israel can be far more devastating and deadly than a terrorist's bullet!

If we, Israel, make a mistake - we will be the first to admit it. But defending ourselves is no mistake.

TERRORIST CAR BOMB PARKED INSIDE RESIDENTIAL GARAGE SENDS WARNING: STAY ALERT!

Photo: Yediot

Jerusalem----July 29......A Palestinian terrorist car bomb partially exploded in an underground residential parking garage in Jerusalem this afternoon. Two Israelis were lightly wounded and others were treated for shock.

This terrorist car bomb should serve as a reminder that all Israelis should check their cars for signs of a break-in on their car doors and the car's back trunk.
Israeli police issued this warning two weeks ago. Palestinian terrorists are using the quiet cover of residential neighborhoods and the cars parked there as unsuspecting targets.

According to security reports, several explosive devices were set inside the vehicle today but only one of them actually detonated. Police sappers said that if all the bombs had detonated, the building may well have collapsed.

Residents of the targeted apartment block and the two neighboring buildings were evacuated by police as a search continues for more terror bombs.
Israeli police have warned this evening of having solid intelligence that a Palestinian terror attack in Jerusalem is imminent.

PA Launches Mortar Attack;
Israel Responds With Defensive Action

Undated photo of Hamas members firing mortars at Israel

Jerusalem----July 28......The PA launched deadly mortars on Israeli civilian targets last night, again breaking the Tenet Cease-fire agreement. Israel, which has repeatly requested that Arafat stop the terror attacks, sent IDF helicopters into Gaza and fired missiles at a weapons factory used by the PA / PLO to produce arms, including mortar bombs.

The IDF said it took defensive action near the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza and that all IDF pilots returned to base reporting direct hits. No casualties were reported on either side, as Israel, still following a policy of resrtaint makes every effort not to harm civialians when responding to terrorist attacks.

"Following the firing of mortar bombs this evening at the Gadid (Jewish) settlement, air force helicopters attacked a structure used to manufacture weapons," the IDF said in a statement.

Palestinian witnesses said they saw a helicopter gunship fire three missiles near Khan Younis, but could not locate the impacts of the projectiles.

The funeral of Ronen Landau, 17, in Jerusalem.
Ronen was murdered by Palestinian terrorists on Friday. Photo: Haertz

On Friday, IDF tanks destroyed police posts that the Palestinians were using to fire at Israeli targets. The Palestinian police position's belonged to President Yasser Arafat's Force 17 in the West Bank city of Ramallah, confirming the IDF accessment that the PA has become a "terrorist entity".

16th Maccabiah Concludes Successfully in Jerusalem

Jerusalem----July 24......The 16th Maccabiah Games came to a warm and cheerful close yesterday evening in Jerusalem. Over 3,000 Jewish athletes coming from 44 countries enjoyed a spectacular farewell show at the "Sultan Pool".
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert and organizers of the International Maccabiah saluted the athletes, not for their performance on the field, but rather for being on the field.

The 16th Maccabiah Games were in deep doubt of materializing up to one week before the torch was lit. Security was on everyone's mind. The athletes and their families were subject to violent television soundbytes, but yet braved the bloody images to arrive in Israel. The ink still wet, opening ceremony programs were delivered to Teddy Stadium in the middle of the festivities. The United States delegation was determined to show and the remaining countries, not to be outdone by the Yanks, packed their bags and went for gold, silver and bronze medals.

The evening, which began with dancers juggling sticks of fire, concluded with the Maccabiah flame being extinguished and a dazzling display of fireworks over the Old City walls. The clicking of camera shutters by embracing athletes, minutes away from boarding airplanes to points worldwide, captured lasting memories of Israel, Jerusalem and Jewish unity - all defining one of Israel's finest moments.

IDF PLANNING ON OPENING RECRUITING STATIONS WORLDWIDE

Jerusalem----July 20.....The Israeli Defense Forces are planning to open recruiting offices worldwide in preparation for the possibility of an all-out war, according to Israeli newspaper daily Yediot Ahronot.

IDF liaison offices are set to be opened in nine cities, including New York and Los Angeles, where more than 100,000 Israeli expatriates live. If a major crisis erupts, army recruiters will reach out to Israelis who live abroad or are vacationing, the paper said.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the report.

Through nearly 10 months of Palestinian-Israeli fighting, warnings have been heard that the conflict could escalate into a region-wide war. However, Israeli military intelligence and top commanders have been playing down the likelihood.

The paper reported that the recruiting stations are planned for cities where Israelis are known to gather, including New York and Los Angeles in the United States, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and London in Europe, Bangkok and Bombay in Asia, Johannesburg in Africa, as well as another city to be selected later, probably in South America.

IDF Lt. Col. Zaher Atef told the paper that recruitment of Israelis abroad would start only if the situation in the Middle East escalates to a lengthy confrontation.

"Our assumption, based on past experience during wars, is that Israelis tend to fly back home very quickly in times of crises," he said. "Organized recruiting stations, when and if they're needed, will make the task easier for them as well as for the army."

The paper said military officers are visiting Israeli embassies around the world to check if lists of Israeli soldiers and officers living abroad are up to date.

Editor's Note: If you are an Israeli citizen living abroad, you should register your name with the nearest Israeli embassy or consulate. With no relationship to a possible regional conflict - in the event of an emergency or natural disaster - your family in Israel will be able to contact you and or you may be able to receive secure and accurate updates from embassy personnel.

Jewish Underground Group Takes Responsibility for Killing Palestinians
Israel Conducts Manhunt for Jewish Extremists - Strongly Condemns Attack

Jerusalem----July 20......Jewish extremists have taken responsibility for a shooting attack last night near Hebron which killed three Palestinians and wounded four others.

The Committee for Road Safety, an organization with links to the banned Jewish terrorist group Kach, claimed responsibility for the attack. Judea and Samaria police spokesman Rafi Yafe said it is too early to ascertain that the perpetrators were indeed settlers.

Judea and Samaria police chief Cmdr. Shahar Ayalon said the attack was likely an act of revenge by Jews. Police set up roadblocks in the vicinity and a helicopter was scouring the open areas nearby, he said, noting that police had received most of their information from the Palestinian liaison office and were still at the site investigating.

The Prime Minister's Office issued a statement condemning the attack, saying that "the prime minister and the Israeli government condemn all forms of terror and violence, regardless of who committed them. We regret the loss of innocent lives." The statement said that "at present an investigation is under way, and we are unable to determine the identity of the perpetrators of the attack and the conditions surrounding it. We will spare no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice."

President Moshe Katsav strongly condemned the attack, and called on responsible leaders to take steps to prevent such despicable acts. "No one has the right to take the law into their own hands," he said.

The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip issued a statement last night saying that if it is proven that Jews were responsible for the attack, it will condemn them and demand that the police carry out a swift investigation and find the perpetrators. "Such an act is forbidden morally and legally, and such acts can only damage the entire settlement effort," it said.

One Israeli soldier was wounded after Palestinians shot at soldiers near Beit Hadassah and later an Israeli woman was lightly hurt from a bullet ricochet as she worked with a group of young women to restore the ancient Jewish cemetery near Tel Rumeida. As soldiers accompanying the group returned fire, a bulletproof army jeep evacuated the woman to the Jewish enclave below, where she was transferred to an ambulance and taken to Hadassah-University Hospital in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem.

A Palestinian mortar shell landed inside Israel near the Karni crossing, shortly after Palestinians shot at a convoy of Israeli vehicles raveling between Karni and Netzarim. Shots were also fired at soldiers near the Sufa crossing at the entrance to the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank last night shots were fired at an Egged bus 100 meters south of Halhoul and at an Israeli vehicle at Jatt intersection in Samaria. No one was hurt, but several bullets penetrated the vehicle.

Israel radio reported today that a 21-year-old woman was stabbed late last night in a terrorist attack by two Palestinians in Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood. She sustained minor wounds in the attack.

TWO ISRAELIS MURDERED IN RAILROAD TERROR ATTACK

Hanit Arami / Avi Ben Arush

Jerusalem-----July 17.....Two young Israelis, one of them a woman, were killed last night in a suicide terrorist attack in the central, coastal city of Binyamina. At least eight civilians were wounded in the attack which took place near the entrance to the Binyamina railway station. Both Hanit Arami and Avi Ben Arush were serving in the IDF.

A car, apparently driven by a woman, that was seen dropping off the terrorist bomber, drove away from the scene. Police with the aid of helicopters are presently searching for the car.

Shortly after the brutal and barbaric murders, the Islamic Jihad (Party of God) organization claimed responsibility for the attack via Hizbullah's Manar television station, saying it was in retaliation for recent Israeli eliminations of Palestinian terrorists, including those belonging to Islamic Jihad.

Binyamina is a small village located between Tel Aviv and Haifa near the Israeli coast. The village is inside the pre-1967 borders.

The attack was a failed attempt to overshadow Israel's opening of the16th Maccabiah Games - or the "Jewish Olympics," in Jerusalem amid warnings of a Palestinian attack.

The Games went ahead as planned with a powerful, warm and dramatic opening ceremony at Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated in his address to the 2,000 Jewish athletes and thousands of spectators: "Today another terrible crime of Palestinian terror has struck us," he told the thousands of athletes and spectators . Your arrival in Israel from the far corners of the earth is a testimony to the victory of the spirit of the ancient Maccabeans."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters the U.S. calls upon "the Palestinian leadership to unambiguously condemn this heinous act and take steps to bring to justice those responsible for actions such as these."

Witnesses said the bomb attack left a devastating scene of carnage.

"He waited near the bus stop, and when he thought there were enough people, he blew himself up," northern Israeli police commander Yaakov Borovsky told Israel Radio.

Israeli government spokesman Raanan Gissin said Israel remained committed to a U.S.-brokered cease-fire co