The U.N. Security Council condemned Friday night's suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub, hoping to send a message on the eve of a conference in London that Israel and the Palestinians should continue their dialogue.
The blast, which killed five Israelis, endangered a truce declared in early February by Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The council called on the two sides to continue negotiating toward peace.
"In light of recent positive steps taken by both sides and on the eve of important meetings in London, the council calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint," members said Monday in a presidential statement adopted by consensus.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Friday's attack, which also injured dozens of people. An early draft of the council statement mentioned Islamic Jihad's claim. However, that language was later removed because of opposition from Algeria, which represents the Arab world on the council, council diplomats said.
The council statement welcomed commitments from both Israel and the Palestinians to punish those responsible and called for international support as the Palestinian Authority pushes change.
In the meantime, Israeli soldiers besieged on Tuesday morning the West Bank city of Tulkarem and seized hundreds of dunums of arable Palestinain-owned lands in villages.
Israeli warplanes hovered over the city and tanks and armored vehicles were stationed on the city's outskirts, mainly in the south, according to IPC.
In addition, in the Beit Sureek village, northwest of occupied east Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers arrested several Palestinian residents, while military bulldozers razed tens of acres of arable Palestinian-owned lands, witnesses said.
The detainees were identified by local sources as the village's mayor, Mohammad Qandil, rural council member, Fatin E'widat and others locals.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces stormed early Tuesday morning into Tammoun town in the West Bank.
"The Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with military vehicles, broke into Tammoun town and opened fire intensively," a Palestinian source reported.
Also, Israeli forces penetrated into Tubas city north of the West Bank. Eyewitnesses said that four Israeli military vehicles stormed into the city early Tuesday morning and opened fire.
