DEIR AL-GHOSON, West Bank - Palestinian forces arrested at least three men on Saturday over a suicide bombing that drew Israeli demands for tougher Palestinian action to keep Middle East peace efforts on track, officials said.
The arrests after the bombing that killed four Israelis at a Tel Aviv nightclub on Friday were the first of suspected militants since President Mahmoud Abbas was elected in January on a platform of peacemaking with Israel.
The attack shattered a de facto truce by factions still mulling whether to formalize a ceasefire agreed by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a Feb. 8 summit.
In some of the strongest Palestinian condemnation of an attack during more than four years of bloodshed, Abbas called the bombers "terrorists" and blamed outsiders opposed to peacemaking rather than mainstream-armed factions.
"We will bring them to justice. We will not allow anyone to sabotage the ambitions of our people," Abbas told reporters as he met with security chiefs.
Security officials gave the names of three men arrested at the presumed bomber's village of Deir al-Ghoson. Israeli troops arrested five others in a raid on the West Bank village, including two brothers of the suspected bomber.
The images of ambulances rushing to the popular karaoke club and the blood-stained pavement shook many Israelis, who had begun to believe they had put such scenes behind them during the recent weeks of calm.
Hospital officials said more than 50 people were wounded as they queued to get into the club. The last deadly bombing inside Israel was at a Tel Aviv market on Nov. 1. Three were killed.
Israel demands tougher action
Israeli officials said the nightclub bombing proved that Abbas's strategy of trying to coax the militants into ratifying the truce had failed and tougher action was needed.
"Words are not enough. We must see action," said Gideon Meir of Israel's Foreign Ministry ."We must see arrests, collecting illegal weapons from those terrorist organizations ... The only language they understand is force."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded that Palestinian leaders find those responsible and "send a clear message that terror will not be tolerated."
A 25-nation conference in London this week is due to look at ways to help Palestinians improve security forces and build Israeli confidence in their ability to prevent attacks.
Israeli media said Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas may have had a hand in the bombing to try to stop peace efforts. There was no immediate comment from the Iranian-backed group.
Abbas said, "there is a third party which wants to sabotage this process," but did not point a finger directly at Hizbullah.
The family in Deir al-Ghoson announced through loudspeakers that Abdullah Shelbayeh "had carried out a martyrdom operation." But there was little sign of the celebration that has often followed bombings.
- Additional reporting by Lee Marzel in Tel Aviv, Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Corinne Heller, Jeffrey Heller and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem.
First published: 15:04, 02.26.5