A Palestinian suicide bomber killed two people at an Israeli shopping mall and a car bomb blew up in a Jewish settlement today, dealing heavy blows to a shaky five-month-old truce.
A unit of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed the suicide attack on the coastal city of Netanya, a frequent target during a Palestinian uprising.
Police said they found the bodies of the bomber and two other people killed by the blast. The attack occurred less than an hour after the car bomb hit the West Bank settlement of Shave Shomron.
Only the driver was hurt and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Violence has fallen sharply since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a ceasefire in February, but the truce has been punctured by Israeli raids as well as militant shootings and mortar attacks.
In a farewell video, suicide bomber Ahmed Abu Khalil said: "We reiterate our commitment to calm, but we have to retaliate for Israeli violations."