Israel is bracing itself against the threat of further suicide bombings following the death of an Islamic militant in an attack on an army outpost in the Gaza Strip. A soldier was slightly wounded in the blast which occurred when the attacker drove a motorised bicycle laden with explosives against the defensive wall of the post yesterday morning.
The attack took place at the Kissufim crossing-point used by Jewish settlers entering the Gaza Strip from Israel.
Although suicide bombs are a recurring feature of the conflict, this was the first since the latest disturbances began a month ago.
The dead man was named as Nabil al-Arair (24), a kindergarten janitor from Gaza City who had served a brief jail term for his activities in the past.
Initial investigations showed that he carried a bomb of 5kg to 6kg (11 to 13 lb) in a satchel on his back.
Admitting responsibility, the fundamentalist Islamic Jihad warned of further bombings, saying: "As we declare our active participation in all forms of the holy struggle in all corners of our country, we stress to the leaders of the criminal enemy that this suicide attack was not the first and will not be the last."
Israeli security forces have been placed on full alert. The last suicide attack in Israel was carried out in September 1999 by activists linked to the Hamas movement, but the last major wave of bombings was in February and March 1996, when 57 people died over a few days.
The latest bombing came five years to the day after the assassination of the Islamic Jihad leader, Fathi Shqaqi, in Malta, a killing the Palestinians have blamed on the Israeli secret service, Mossad.
The Gaza explosion was considered a setback to President Clinton's plans to bring Israeli and Arab leaders to Washington for talks. "No one said Ehud Barak is going to Washington," the Israeli Prime Minister's chief policy adviser, Mr Danny Yatom, told Israel army radio. "What is important now is to stop the violence and that hasn't happened yet."
Palestinian negotiators said the US could no longer be the sole mediator, and the European Union, Russia and others should be asked to join the talks.
The West Bank head of President Arafat's Fatah movement, Mr Marwan Barghouti, said the Intifada (uprising) should continue, in order to extract concessions.
"We must continue this uprising to change the rules of the negotiations and break the monopoly of the Americans," Mr Barghouti said. "America is not an observer. It is protecting Israel's interests."
A similar point was made by Mr Arafat's chief negotiator with the Israelis, Mr Ahmed Qurei, who said he believed the US was no longer sufficient as a peace broker.
According to reports, he said future talks should include Europe, Russia, China and the United Nations.
It was also reported that an Israeli army patrol was shot at yesterday on the Lebanese border but no one was injured.
The shots were fired with light arms from a vehicle on the Lebanese side.
Reuters adds:
The Israeli army, which has denounced Mr Arafat for freeing dozens of Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants since the eruption of violence, blamed the Palestinian Authority for giving a "green light" to militant bombers.
Maj Gen Abdel-Razek al-Majaydeh, director of public security in the Palestinian Authority, dismissed the accusation as "lies, fabrications and groundless accusations".
Mr Mahmoud al-Zahhar, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said Mr Arafat was to convene a meeting of all political factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, later in the day.