The head of the Palestinian delegation in Ireland has joined in his government's condemnation of yesterday's suicide bomb that killed at least 20 people in Jerusalem.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has also called for the Israeli government to excercise restraint after the attack, which was claimed by Islamic Jihad.
The leader of the Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, immediately condemned the attack and suspended contacts with the main Islamic militant groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
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The attack deals a major blow to the ceasefire, declared by the Palestinian organizations eight weeks ago, which is crucial to a new US-backed peace plan for the Middle East.
The Palestinian Authority's Irish representative, Mr Ali Halimeh, said today that all attacks against innocent civilians, on both sides, should be strongly condemned.
"This is a deliberate attack aimed at derailing the peace process between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority," he said.
"The peace process should not be held hostage. Both parties should rise above these painful actions and strengthen their determination to continue the irreversible negotiations towards peace."
However, Mr Halimeh called on the Israeli army to halt its incursions into Palestinian territories, which he said undermine the ability of the Palestinian Authority to maintain law and order.