Israeli F-16s destroy Arafat guards' HQ after mall bomber kills six

RAMALLAH — Israel has bombed and destroyed the headquarters of Yasser Arafat's praetorian guard and other PA security installations in the West Bank shortly after a suicide bombing in a crowded Israeli mall killed at least six.

Palestinian sources said F-16 fighter-jets fired rockets and destroyed the Force 17 headquarters in Ramallah on Friday evening. At least one person was reportedly killed and a dozen people were injured. People were said to have been buried under the rubble.

Eyewitnesses said the attack was from Israeli tank fire.

Israel also shelled PA security installations in Nablus. Five Palestinians were reportedly killed and 45 people injured in an attack on the PA headquarters, which included a large prison.

Israel has not confirmed the attacks. Earlier, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up outside a crowded Israeli mall. At least six Israelis were killed in the bombing.

At least 40 people were injured when the suicide bomber set off the explosion at the entrance to a shopping mall in Netanya, in central Israel.

Eye witnesses said the man blew himself up when a security guard prevented him from entering the shopping mall at 11.30 a.m. on Friday morning, prime-time for weekend shopping.

Police cordonned off the area and at least 30 people have been hospitalized.

Witnesses told Israeli radio stations that a large cloud of black smoke rose over the area of the blast. Ambulances raced to the scene.

Netanya is about 6 miles from the West Bank and has been the scene of several bomb attacks by Palestinian militants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Israel's long border with the West Bank has no fence, and Israeli officials admit that about 20,000 Palestinians cross illegally every day to work in Israel.

Meanwhile in Gaza yesterday, Israel launched another missile attack on Palestinian Authority targets.

Israeli attack helicopters hit PA targets in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank town in Jenin. One of the targets was a factory that produced mortars for Palestinian gunners.

In the Jabalya refugee camp north of Gaza Strip, Israeli helicopters destroyed a police station and another building used by PA security forces. Palestinian sources said 14 people were lightly injured on late Wednesday.

In the Jenin attack, a PA weapons factory was targeted. Palestinian sources said AH-64A Apache helicopters fired 12 missiles at the facility.

An Israeli military statement said the Jenin building was "responsible for the development and production of arms and mortar launchers."

PA security officials said the attacks would not affect the continuation of the nearly eight-month-old war with the Israel. On Thursday, Palestinians detonated bombs near military patrols and positions in several locations around the West Bank.

"The Israeli aim is to make the Palestinians surrender to their demands," PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan said. "The Palestinian people are not afraid."

Israeli military sources said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz has ordered commanders to draft what they termed "creative operations" against the Palestinians. The sources said some generals have warned Mofaz that these operations would lead to an escalation in the war against the Palestinians.

The Israeli strike on late Wednesday is believed to have been a reaction to a bombing of the Haifa-Tel Aviv railroad line. The bomb exploded as a train went past on Wednesday afternoon. Nobody was injured.