At least two people were killed and 32 people injured, one seriously, when a suicide bomber blew himself up just after 18:15 (16:15 GMT) Monday at an open-air shopping mall in Kfar Sava. The blast occurred near an electrical store.
Witnesses said that the blast caused wide scale devastation.
Israeli sources said the blast was caused by a suicide bomber. The Islamic Jihad claimed the attack and identified the bomber as Nabil Sawalhe, a resident of Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
Kfar Sava is situated close to the West Bank border and the West Bank town of Qalqilya.
The bombing attack came as the Israeli parliament (Knesset) voted in favor of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's choice for defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, and the ex-Israeli army chief of staff was then sworn in. Arab Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi, who heckled Mofaz as he was reciting the oath of allegiance to the state, was ejected from the plenum by the Speaker.
In addition, the coalition of Sharon survived three no-confidence motions. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
