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April 30, 2003
Terror attack in Tel Aviv, 3 dead, 50 wounded
By Joel Leyden
A terror attack took place this evening in Tel Aviv killing at least 3 people and injuring 50.
Magen David Adom emergency medical services has stated that 10 people are in serious to critical condition.
An American male tourist and a French female tourist were among the wounded, according to Israel police.
Israel radio reports that a suicide bomber attempted to enter Mike's Place, a seafront coffee house near the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Intial reports state the security guard at the restaurant tried to wrestle the terrorist to the ground when the terrorist detonated his explosives. The security guard survived the attack and is presently fighting for his life in hospital, according to the Israel police.
Supt. Gil Kleiman, spokesperson of the Israel police, told the Jerusalem Post that the explosion was a powerful one which killed two civilians and the suicide bomber.
"Again we have witnessed yet another terror attack on innocent civilians," said Kleiman.
"The Israeli police have information that these terror attacks will continue to take place. We can't stop one hundred percent of these attacks from taking place, but we have been very successful in preventing the majority from taking place," said Kleiman.
Kleiman added that 115 Palestinian terror suicide attacks were attempted in 2002 in which many of these attacks had been foiled by Israeli security forces.
Israel radio reports that the suicide bomber had detonated a lethal waist belt explosive which destroyed the restaurant's entrance, leaving only broken glass and twisted metal hanging from the ceiling.
An eyewitness at the scene told Israel radio that she saw people running out of the cafe with their clothes on fire.
Police, medical and fire emergency personnel are still arriving at the scene. All of the wounded have been evacuted to hospitals.
The terror victims are being taken to Wolfson, Tel Hashomer and Ichlov Hospitals.
A similiar terror attack took place less than a mile away in June 2001 when 21 people were killed and 120 were wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a disco near Tel Aviv's Dolphinarium along the seafront promenade.
An emergency hotline telephone number has been established by the City of Tel Aviv at: 1255036666
The owner of the bar, Gal Ganzman, his shirt covered with blood, said he was standing behind the bar when he heard the explosion. "I'm alive, I'm fine," he said.
"One of the waitresses lost an arm but she's still alive."
An eyewitness identified only by his first name, Gil, told Army Radio that the guard at the restaurant prevented the bomber from entering.
"Mike's Place" is a well-known Tel Aviv night spot that features live music.
The bomb went off just after 1 a.m. Wednesday (2200 GMT Tuesday), when seafront restaurants and nightspots are often full of people.
Tel Aviv hospital official Gabi Barabash, said the victims were young. He said that unlike other attacks, most of the injuries were burns. In contrast, in the past, suicide bombers have often carried explosives laced with nails and screws to maximize the damage.
On April 24, a security guard at a train station north of Tel Aviv stopped a bomber and was killed when the attacker set off his explosives.
David Baker, an official in the Israeli Prime Minister's office, said that the attack was evidence that "Palestinian terrorism has not been reined in."
He said that the "new Palestinian government must seize this opportunity to stop these terror attacks, and it must be done now."
Earlier Tuesday, Israeli troops killed three terrorists and a bystander, even as the lawmakers gathered in Ramallah to confirm Abbas and his Cabinet.
A senior U.S. State Department official said after Abbas' government was approved by a 51-18 with three abstentions that the "road map" to Palestinian statehood would be unveiled soon.
A diplomatic source said the presentation to both sides could come Wednesday or Thursday.
In his maiden speech, Abbas, 68, stuck to traditional Palestinian positions toward negotiations with Israel. But he also pledged to disarm militias and enforce the rule of law promises that could set up a violent showdown between the Palestinian Authority and militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Nancy Beck condemned the terror bombing in Tel Aviv. "There can be no excuse for the violence and terrorist attacks the Israeli people have been forced to endure," she said, adding that the U.S. goal is a Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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