Bus Attack Blamed on Arab Militants Ends Israeli Calm

A bus attack blamed on Islamic militants opposed to the Mideast peace talks left two Israeli women and two guerrillas dead Thursday and shattered months of calm.

Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum blamed the bloodshed on the government’s negotiating stance. Opposition conservatives said Israel is making too many concessions; others said it isn’t making enough.

It was the first such terrorist incident inside Israel since the government sealed off the occupied territories three months ago after a series of attacks left 15 Israelis dead.

The attack began at the height of the morning rush hour when at least two Palestinians boarded a tandem commuter bus with 80 passengers. They pulled out a pistol and a U.S.-made M-16 rifle. The bus driver, an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man were wounded by gunfire. The woman later died.

Two gunmen fled in a car they commandeered from an Israeli woman who tried to signal something was wrong by veering from side to side, police said.

They said she was shot and then jumped or was thrown from the car, which veered into a stone wall and exploded, killing both guerrillas. The woman died at the scene.