Israel suicide bombing raises tensions on both sides

A young Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a felafel stand in an open-air marketplace yesterday, killing five Israelis and wounding 30, putting a damper on peace prospects following Israel’s pullout from Gaza a month ago and embarrassing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the blast in the central Israeli town of Hadera, not far from the West Bank, saying the goal was to avenge the killing of its West Bank leader, Luay Saadi, by Israeli forces this week.