イスラエル／パレスチナ和平

At least 15 killed in attack on bus on Jaffa Street

By Haaretz Service and Agencies



Police said that at least 15 people were killed and
some 70 were wounded, some seriously, when a
suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in central
Jerusalem on Wednesday afternoon.




Eight of the wounded were
reported to be in serious
condition, and 17 people were
moderately wounded.

Jerusalem police chief Mickey
Levy said that a suicide bomber
detonated a large explosive
device on the Egged bus,
killing several people.


Hamas claimed responsibility for the bus bombing.

According to sources in the defense establishment
and the Shin Bet security service, the attack was
carried out by Hamas in response to the failed
Israeli assassination attempt on Hamas leader
Abdel Aziz Rantisi on Tuesday.

Egged bus number 14 was located near the "Clal"
building on Jaffa Street, close to the
intersection with King George Street. The bus was
on its way from the Beit Hakerem neighborhood to
Talpiot.

The police have closed the area off to traffic,
and sappers are searching the remains of the bus
and the surrounding street for additional
explosive devices. A number of terrorist attacks
have taken place in the vicinity since the
outbreak of the intifada.

Magen David Adom rescue forces were evacuating the
wounded to area hospitals.

"There was an enormous explosion," a witness,
identified only as Danny, told Israel Radio.
Danny said some passengers managed to climb out
of the bus after the blast.

Ofir Alon, another witness, said he was standing
on a nearby street corner at the time. "I heard a
blast ... Then I heard people yelling and running
in the direction of the explosion, screaming
'attack.'"

U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the
Jerusalem bus bombing in the "strongest possible
terms."

Emergency phone numbers:
Bikur Holim Hosptial: 1255123
Shaare Zedek: 1255125
Hadassah University Hospital, Mt. Scopus: 1255121
Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem: 1255122
Emergency hotline for new immigrants: 1255081010
J'lem municipality emergency hotline: 1255083106

○少なくとも１５人が死亡７０人が負傷、重傷者が含まれる。

○記事の最後に、緊急連絡先のリストが付されている。

○ハマスらは「有言実行」のテロリストだ。彼らが表明してきた「殺人意志」は、単なる脅しではなく、実際に実行され続けてきている。

○テロ継続の意志が確認された時点で、「全面的なテロ撲滅」が必要なのだとする認識を、少なくとも米政権だけでも、抱いて欲しい。

○しかし…。読売の記事を投稿した直後にこの事件の報道を知ったので気が重い。イスラエルの安全保障はほとんどの「判官贔屓」な世論にしてみれば無用の心配事ようだから…。