Tel Aviv Blast Kills At Least 15
The Associated Press
Friday, June 1, 2001; 6:30 p.m. EDT
TEL AVIV, Israel –– An explosion late Friday on a crowded beachfront
in Tel Aviv killed 15 people, including a suicide bomber who had mingled
with young people outside a disco, Israel army radio reported.
At least 60 people were injured, said David Klausner, deputy head of the
Tel Aviv police.
The blast went off about 11 p.m. at the entrance to a nightclub named
Pascha that faced a promenade area lined with restaurants, bars and
hotels – all packed with Israelis enjoying the start of their Sabbath
weekend.
"The terrorist exploded outside the entrance to the disco when there were
people around him," Klausner said.
About a dozen cars parked in front of the club were heavily damaged by
the blast, their windows shattered and pieces of flesh and blood splattered
on them.
Dudi Nachum, 21, said he was about to enter the disco when he looked in
the direction of the blast.
"I saw people thrown backward," he said. "It was terrible."
The nightclub is inside a former aquarium on the beachside boardwalk. A
witness told Israel Radio that the bomber had stood with a group of young
people waiting to get in.
Ilan Amos, 35, said he saw body parts. "I don't know how to explain it to
you – it hurts the heart."
Thirty ambulances raced to the scene of the blast, which happened about
11 p.m. Helicopters hovered overhead. The bloodstained gloves of
paramedics lay on the sidewalk along with personal items left by the
injured. Panicked drivers raced away from the scene at high speed.
The bodies of at least seven people lay on the sidewalk, covered by white
pieces of tarp.
There was no immediate word on who carried out the attack, but in recent
months of Israeli and Palestinian fighting, Islamic militants have detonated
more than a dozen bombs.
The Islamic militant group Hamas has said it would carry out at least 10
suicide bombings and so far has claimed responsibility for eight.
Israel security forces have been on high alert but have been unable to
block the border with the West Bank to prevent it from being infiltrated.
Since fighting erupted last September, 483 people have been killed on the
Palestinian side and 88 on the Israeli side, including 24 settlers. With
Friday's reported toll, the number of slain Israelis would rise to at least
103.
The blast went off a week after the United States restarted efforts to bring
the two sides together. Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs held two
rounds of talks and U.S. diplomats met with Israeli officials to discuss
implementation of a report by an international commission headed by
former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell. The report recommended a staged
process of an end to violence, confidence-building measures and a return
to negotiations.
However, there have been no Palestinian-U.S. meetings over the Mitchell
report since the U.S. expressed displeasure over Palestinian
representation at another track of talks, involving security commanders,
according to an official close to the negotiations who demanded
anonymity.
© Copyright 2001 The Associated Press
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