Mr Sharon placed the responsibility for the attack squarely on the shoulders of the Palestinian Authority and held talks with security chiefs to determine a response. The explosion and the killing in Hebron have placed more pressure on Mr Sharon to retaliate strongly against Palestinian activists. He was elected in February to bolster security for Israelis. At the same time, it was believed that Mr Sharon was reluctant to intensify clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians during the Arab League summit, which opened in Amman, Jordan, yesterday. The meeting is expected to show strong support for the Palestinian rebellion and any harsh reaction from Israeli troops to the recent violence might only be expected to increase sympathy among Arab states for the Palestinian cause.
Palestinian leaders say that they are the victims of Israeli aggression.
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