Terror Attack in Netanya

A Palestinian homicide bomber blew himself up Monday among shoppers waiting to enter a shopping mall in the central Israeli town of Netanya, killing at least five bystanders and wounding more than 30.

Security commanders will recommend that Israel carry out targeted killings of militant leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, clamp down on the Tulkarem area where the bomber originated and seal off the West Bank and Gaza, security officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

That's their response?! After the disengagement, it is only reasonable to expect that after an attack like this, the Israelis would go in hard after any attack. This is not at all different from the responses after attacks pre-disengagement. I'm hoping that this is more true:

"The grave attack in Netanya is more proof of the ineffectiveness of the Palestinian Authority under the leadership of Abu Mazen," said Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, referring to Abbas by his nickname. "Israel will act against the terror organizations with all its might and all the means at its disposal. Israel's response will be hard and painful."

There are some heroes, however:

Police said the bomber blew himself up as he was about to undergo a random security check at the mall's entrance. Avi Sasson, deputy police commander in the northern region, said guards and police officers spotted the man carrying a suspicious bag and pushed him up against a wall.

"I was looking him in the eye and he pressed (the button) and blew up. I flew and all I remember is that I was looking in his eye, I saw his gaze," policewoman Shoshi Attia told Israel Radio.

Description of the attack:

The blast shattered windows and pocked the outside of the brown, multistory building. Pieces of concrete were ripped off the facade, blood stained the base of the building and debris was scattered on the sidewalk.

"I heard a huge bomb. It felt like my head was exploding. I turned around and I saw a red ball of fire, and then I ran," said Masouda Israel, a 67-year-old woman who was in Netanya for a doctor's appointment. "You see these things on TV, but when you're there, it's totally different."

Bodies lay under blankets while emergency workers hurriedly pushed wounded on wheeled stretchers toward ambulances. Ultra-Orthodox rescue crews sifted through debris and police shut down the city, snarling traffic.

More proof as to the sick minds of the Palestinian terrorists (in case you needed any):

In a phone call to The Associated Press, Islamic Jihad identified the attacker as Lotfi Abu Saada, from the village of Illar, north of the West Bank town of Tulkaram. A video released by the group showed the bomber posing with a grenade launcher and an assault rifle.

Relatives described Abu Saada, 23, as a primary school dropout who was illiterate and exploited by his handlers. "My son is a poor soul. He doesn't know anything about this," said his mother, Amina.

Sick, sick. Hamaokam yenachem osam... (May God comfort them... [among the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem])

Technorati tags: Israel, Palestinians, Suicide, Bombing.