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Security sources said Wednesday evening that the attack on a Netanya hotel, in which at least 15 people were killed and 80 wounded, would have far-reaching consequences for the Palestinian Authority.
The sources placed the blame on the Palestinian Authority for the failure of the cease-fire mission of U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni, dispatched by President George Bush to broker a truce. "Israel responded with committment to all of Zinni's proposals," the sources said. "What happened in Netanya has changed the picture."
Ra'anan Gissin, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon adviser, said the attack "will require us to re-evaluate our overall policy."
"We are still working to achieve a cease-fire to which we are fully committed, but if the Palestinians have decided to choose the road of terrorism... then we have to decide what measures we will take," Gissin said.
There was no immediate Palestinian comment.
Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, joining IDF paratroopers in the West Bank for the first night of Passover, is in contact with the IDF senior echelons and the Shin Bet security service and is receiving constant updates on the situation.
The decision on Israel's response to the attack is likely in the next few hours. |
