An Israeli soldier, who was an eyewitness to a Palestinian suicide bomber, shares a laugh with his colleagues October 10, 2002. A woman was killed and 16 people were wounded when the Palestinian bomber blew himself up next to a bus near Tel Aviv after the driver prevented him boarding. Most of the bus was filled with Israeli soldiers.

Occupied Jerusalem: 10 October, 2002 (IAP News)

Two persons were killed and sixteen others wounded in Tel Aviv Thursday when a Palestinian human bomber blew himself beside an Israeli bus. Many of the passengers were Israeli soldiers.

One of the two people killed is the bomber and the other fatality was a woman who died of her wounds after being evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. She was later identified as Se'ada Aharon, aged 71 years.

In addition, one of the injured was in serious condition, two were in moderate condition and the rest sustained light injuries.

This is the first Palestinian human bombing operation inside the Zionist state for some time and observers contend it came in reaction to the series of Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians in the past few days. Today's incident marked the second time in three weeks that the Tel Aviv area was targeted. On Sept. 19, a Hamas activist blew himself up on a Tel Aviv bus, killing five Israelis.

The Israeli army killed more than 30 Palestinian children and civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank last week.

No Palestinian group has declared responsibility for the attack.

Earlier, Palestinian resistance groups have vowed to avenge the killing of the Khan Younis massacre on Monday in which some 16 Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 130 injured.

The massacre occurred when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a crowd of civilians outside a mosque in Khan Younis.

Senior Hamas leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, told Reuters that: "These attacks are a response to massacres by the occupation against our innocent civilians. The occupation must not go unpunished for its raids and massacres in [the Gaza Strip]."

In addition, Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said Thursday that "the Israelis are responsible for every single act of violence in the region."

In an overnight raid, Israeli troops entered several West Bank towns and villages and arrested 70 Palestinians.

In Gaza, Israeli tanks and troops exchanged fire throughout the night and into the morning with Palestinian gunmen in the Rafah refugee camp near the Egyptian border, witnesses said.

Palestinians said more than 20 tanks and several jeeps, backed by attack helicopters, moved on the refugee camp from two directions, firing machine guns. After daybreak, children and teen-agers came out of their house to watch the fighting, residents said, and two boys, ages 12 and 17, were killed.

A few hours earlier, two Palestinians were killed and 17 wounded when soldiers in tanks opened fire with machine guns at Palestinians throwing rocks at them, witnesses said.

Occupied Jerusalem: 10 October, 2002 (IAP News)

Two persons were killed and sixteen others wounded in Tel Aviv Thursday when a Palestinian human bomber blew himself beside an Israeli bus. Many of the passengers were Israeli soldiers.

One of the two people killed is the bomber and the other fatality was a woman who died of her wounds after being evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. She was later identified as Se'ada Aharon, aged 71 years.

In addition, one of the injured was in serious condition, two were in moderate condition and the rest sustained light injuries.

This is the first Palestinian human bombing operation inside the Zionist state for some time and observers contend it came in reaction to the series of Israeli massacres of Palestinian civilians in the past few days. Today's incident marked the second time in three weeks that the Tel Aviv area was targeted. On Sept. 19, a Hamas activist blew himself up on a Tel Aviv bus, killing five Israelis.

The Israeli army killed more than 30 Palestinian children and civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank last week.

No Palestinian group has declared responsibility for the attack.

Earlier, Palestinian resistance groups have vowed to avenge the killing of the Khan Younis massacre on Monday in which some 16 Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 130 injured.

The massacre occurred when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a crowd of civilians outside a mosque in Khan Younis.

Senior Hamas leader, Ismail Abu Shanab, told Reuters that: "These attacks are a response to massacres by the occupation against our innocent civilians. The occupation must not go unpunished for its raids and massacres in [the Gaza Strip]."

In addition, Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said Thursday that "the Israelis are responsible for every single act of violence in the region."

In an overnight raid, Israeli troops entered several West Bank towns and villages and arrested 70 Palestinians.

In Gaza, Israeli tanks and troops exchanged fire throughout the night and into the morning with Palestinian gunmen in the Rafah refugee camp near the Egyptian border, witnesses said.

Palestinians said more than 20 tanks and several jeeps, backed by attack helicopters, moved on the refugee camp from two directions, firing machine guns. After daybreak, children and teen-agers came out of their house to watch the fighting, residents said, and two boys, ages 12 and 17, were killed.

A few hours earlier, two Palestinians were killed and 17 wounded when soldiers in tanks opened fire with machine guns at Palestinians throwing rocks at them, witnesses said.