Hamas, which claimed responsibility for the blasts in leaflets dropped outside the Ramallah offices of the Red Cross later Wednesday, appears to have come to the view that they have had chance enough. Thirteen were reported dead by Wednesday evening and 150 wounded as a result of the lunchtime bomb attack. These were trained and prepared people.'' Israeli police spokeswoman Linda Meunuhen told IPS that the two bombers, dressed in business suits and carrying explosive in attache cases detonated the devices within seconds of each other as they stood about 30 metres apart in the crowded marketplace. It was carefully planned, she said. All afternoon orthodox Jews watched members of the Maggen David Adom, a squad of ultra-orthodox medics, scour the bomb sites for fragments of bodies.
People are angry, real angry.
Over in Gaza, ironically, a similar view was being put. Even those opposition Palestinian factions who condemned violence against civilians qualified their words. He suspected that the bombs were intended to send a warning to Arafat, who had been scheduled to meet U.S. envoy Dennis Ross in the next few days. Ross is to wait until after the mourning period for the bombs' victims before starting for his trip to Israel and Palestine. It was his first scheduled in two and a half months.