Suicide bomber kills five at Israeli mall

A PALESTINIAN suicide bomber blew himself up yesterday among shoppers waiting to enter a shopping mall in the central Israeli town of Netanya, killing at least five bystanders and wounding more than 30.

The bombing escalated already heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, marked by recent airstrikes and rocket attacks. Israeli Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas quickly condemned the bombing.

Islamic Jihad, a militant group that has carried out several suicide bombings in recent months, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for Israeli targeted killings of the group’s leaders.