Jerusalem bomb seeds gathering conflict

[bemildred]

JERUSALEM - A gruesome terror attack on Wednesday shattered what little was left of an illusion of tranquility in Israel. A powerful bomb exploded at a busy bus station in Jerusalem, killing one woman, injuring around 50 people, and sent shock waves throughout the country.

Shortly following other escalations such as a barrage of mortars containing white phosphorus on communities neighboring the Gaza Strip and Grad Katyusha strikes on yet another major southern city, Beersheba, the incident threatens to send spinning out of control the already dangerous levels of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

It appears, moreover, that the crisis could be tightly related to an unfolding diplomatic intrigue that could result in a Palestinian declaration of independence as early as next month.

In the words of residents, the blast that damaged two buses and created havoc in Jerusalem could be heard in many parts of the Israeli capital. The bomb was planted in a bag in a telephone booth next to the bus stop, and experts say it was relatively small (1-2 kilograms) but professionally constructed. According to reports, the sole fatality in the attack so far is a female tourist around the age of 60 whose nationality has been reported as British. Meanwhile, several of the wounded remain in a serious condition; altogether, around 35 people were hospitalized.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MC25Ak03.html