Violence Flares After Attack on Israeli Bus

After two days of relative calm in the nearly 8-week-old uprising, an Israeli school bus was attacked Monday, leading to an air strike by Israeli helicopters on the infrastructure of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party in which at least two people were killed and more than 100 others wounded.

Clashes Tuesday resulted in at least four deaths and dozens of injuries. A 28-year-old Palestinian was killed during a gun battle with Israeli soldiers south of Gaza. After that death was announced, Palestinians clashed with soldiers and another man was killed. Uprising deaths were also reported in Jenin and Tulkarem in the West Bank. Israel said that one of the men killed in the West Bank was planting an "explosive charge."

Tuesday's confrontations were in reaction to Israel's attack late Monday with helicopters firing dozens of rockets into Gaza after militants, that Israel says were associated with Fatah, bombed an Israeli bus. The bus bombing killed two Israelis and wounded nine people, including five children. Doctors amputated limbs of two children.

The White House on Tuesday condemned the attack and called on the Palestinians to help restore order.

"We condemn the attack on the Israeli school bus that was filled with innocent Israeli children, and we expect the Palestinian authority to do the same and do all it can to stop the violence and restore calm," said White House press secretary Jake Siewert.

Israel attacked nine targets, including military, police, paramilitary and intelligence sites, as well as a TV relay station. Palestinians said two people were killed and more than 100 were wounded.

Palestinian officials, saying the attack was part of an Israeli plan to ruin peace, pushed for the establishment of an international force that would protect them. But Prime Minister Ehud Barak said the Palestinians had brought the attack upon themselves.

"The Palestinian authority systematically violated the agreements and understandings it had signed and is turning itself into the address that will have to pay for the (Israeli) victims," he told reporters after visiting the bus-bombing victims. Arafat's adviser, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, in calling for international observers, said, "Israel is playing with fire ... we are looking forward to the world community to put all their pressure on the Israeli government to stop these attacks."

Egypt, the first Arab state to recognize Israel, has recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv, leading Abu Rudeineh to say, "It is a real message to the Israeli government, the U.S., and the world in general that this Israeli policy have to be stopped."

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