Israel says catastrophe is averted as police detonate 1,300 pound bomb

POLICE detonated a 1,300 pound car bomb yesterday, one of the largest ever discovered, and Israel’s foreign minister said it averted a catastrophe that could have changed the face of the Middle East.

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians carried out twin attacks on Israeli troops. A bomb blew up under an Israeli tank, killing one soldier and wounding three. The blast tore off the turret, pinning down the soldiers for several hours and complicating rescue efforts.

Elsewhere in Gaza, a gunman fired on an army patrol, killing an officer and wounding a soldier. Soldiers shot and killed the gunman. Militia-men linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement claimed responsibility for both attacks.