Ill Arafat condemns blast
2004-11-01 15:05
Paris - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, currently in hospital outside Paris, on Monday condemned the deadly suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, his top aide Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
Abu Rudeina said the frail Arafat, in France for treatment of what is believed to be a mystery blood ailment, has asked him to condemn the attack on his behalf.
"He noted that he has always been against attacks targetting civilians, whatever their nationality or religion," the aide said.
Three civilians plus the bomber were killed and more than 30 wounded in the blast in a Tel Aviv marketplace, the first since Arafat - accused by Israel of giving the green light to such attacks - was hospitalised in France.
The attack was claimed by the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which identified the bomber as an 18-year-old youth from a refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
Earlier, Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei told reporters in the West Bank town of Ramallah following a cabinet meeting: "We condemn all operations that target civilians whether Palestinians or Israelis."