PA condemns Netanya bombing

The Palestinian Authority officially condemned the Netanya bombing at the Hasharon Mall Tuesday, where three people were killed and dozens more wounded.

“The Palestinian Authority condemns all harm to innocent civilians,” the official statement said. “This serious attack is a severe blow to the interests of the Palestinian nation, an attempt to sabotage the Palestinian nation’s efforts and sabotage its security.”

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the suicide bombing as "idiotic" and said those behind it would be punished.

"This was a crime against the Palestinian people and those who were behind it must be working against our people's interest and must be punished," Abbas told reporters.

"Those behind it were behaving idiotically. There is no rational Palestinian who can conduct such an act at the time Israel was withdrawing from ... settlements starting in Gaza and moving to the West Bank."

'The time is right to act'

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the bombing constitutes first and foremost damage to Palestinian interests.

“The instigators of the attack are seeking to sabotage diplomatic efforts, especially efforts to bring about a quiet IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” he said.

One Palestinian security source told Ynet, "The time is right to act.”

“No more dialogue, no more contacts, but rather firm action meant to clarify there is one authority, with one policy,” he said. “This attack strongly harms Palestinian interests and a consensus and agreement reached by the factions, including the Islamic Jihad.”

Islamic Jihad slams Israel

The source also said there is no choice but to take harsh action against Islamic Jihad.

The Authority is still not in a situation to take physical action and to carry out arrests against terror group members, because it requires coordination with Israel, he said.

“The incident today proves that so far talks have been useless and that we must clarify who rules on the ground, before it's too late and all recent efforts to bring about a successful Israeli withdrawal from the (Gaza) Strip, will be lost,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan condemned the attack, saying that the terrroists were "seeking to derail the peace efforts in the Middle East."

He added, "And all parties must step forward and combat terrorism. The Palestinian Authority needs to act to dismantle terrorist organizations and to stop attacks from happening in the first place."

While the Palestinian organizations have not yet reacted to Tuesday’s bombing, senior Islamic Jihad member Sheikh Khadar Adnan accused Israel of breaching the calm since it began.

“This most severe breach of all is Israel’s continuous attempt to harm the al-Aqsa Mosque and construction of the security fence in Jerusalem, through expropriation of Palestinian land,” he said.

- Yitzhak Benhorin and Reuters contributed to this report