Tel Aviv attack justified, says Hamas

THE Palestinians’ new Hamas leaders called yesterday’s suicide bomb in Tel Aviv a legitimate response to Israeli “aggression”.

Israel said it held Hamas ultimately responsible even though a different militant group, Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility and would respond "as necessary".

"We shall, of course, continue to use all means at our disposal to prevent every other attempt," Israeli Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert said.

Israeli defence chiefs were meeting late last night, but security officials said a possible reoccupation of Gaza, the base of the new Hamas government, was not being considered.

The White House strongly condemned the attack, in which a suicide bomber killed nine people along with himself, calling it "a despicable act of terror for which there is no excuse or justification".

It was the first suicide attack in Israel since the Hamas militant group took over the Palestinian government 2 1/2 weeks ago. Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in attacks, has largely observed a ceasefire since February 2005.

Islamic Jihad, which is believed to be funded in part by Iran and refuses to observe a ceasefire, claimed responsibility in a telephone call to Associated Press. The group identified the bomber as Sami Salim Mohammed Hammed, from the West Bank town of Jenin.

Islamic Jihad later released a video showing Hammed reading a statement saying the bombing was dedicated to the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

"There are many other bombers on the way," he said.

Hammed was dressed in black and wore a headband with yellow Koranic verses written on it.

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for all six of the previous suicide attacks inside Israel since the ceasefire was declared. On Sunday, the group pledged to carry out more attacks.

The response by Hamas leaders represented a sharp departure from the previous Palestinian leadership's immediate condemnations of such attacks.

"We think that this operation ... is a direct result of the policy of the occupation and the brutal aggression and siege committed against our people," said Khaled Abu Helal, spokesman for the Hamas-led Interior Ministry.

Earlier, Moussa abu Marzouk, a Hamas leader abroad, told Al-Jazeera television that "the Israeli side must feel what the Palestinian feels, and the Palestinian defends himself as much as he can".

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, of the rival Fatah Party, condemned the bombing, calling it a "terrorist attack".

Mr Olmert said the blast came as no surprise.

"It's not something that we didn't fear would happen, we know the terrorist organisations groups continue at every moment to look for opportunities to carry out attacks inside Israel," he said. "The security forces are deployed in every corner, every place, but we also know that there is no way we can always prevent such attacks, under all circumstances, in every case."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Gideon Meir said Israel held Hamas ultimately responsible for such attacks because it is "giving support to all the other terrorist organisations".