Palestinians braced for revenge

Palestinians are today bracing themselves for Israeli reprisals after a woman suicide bomber killed herself and an elderly Israeli man and wounded more than 100 when her bomb blew up in the heart of one of Jerusalem's busiest shopping streets.

Yesterday's bombing - which has left at least a dozen of the injured fighting for their lives - piles more pressure on Yasser Arafat after a weekend in which the Americans have openly attacked the Palestinian leader for his failure to get to grips with the terrorists.

While Mr Arafat's spokesmen "strongly condemned the suicide attack" US vice-president Dick Cheney retorted that Mr Arafat "must make a 100 per cent good faith effort to put an end to terrorism - and so far he hasn't done that".

The bomber struck yesterday lunchtime in Jaffa Street in the heart of the Jewish section of Jerusalem - scene of several bloody attacks in recent months - and the third in the last week of rapidly escalating violence.

The fact that the bomber was a woman - named by Israeli police as Shinaz Amuri, a 20-year-old student from Al Najah university in the West Bank town of Nablus - signals a dramatic move by Palestinian terrorist organisations, who have hitherto prevented females from carrying out suicide attacks.

The use of female bombers could also mark a tactical shift by Palestinians seeking to exploit the security forces' hesitation to search Muslim women.

The bomber killed herself and an 81-year-old passer-by shortly after noon in the main road where a Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israeli women on Tuesday.

The blast took place 20 metres from the Sbarro restaurant where 15 people were killed by a suicide bomber in an attack last year.

The woman was armed with more than 10 kilos of explosive, police said.

"An Arab women entered the store holding a large bag," said a saleswoman at the shoe store, adding: "We immediately had suspicions about her, thinking that she might be a terrorist.

"I went up to her and asked whether I could help her. She signaled-that she didn't need help then she turned and left the store. Right then I heard a blast."

The explosion shattered the windows of 70 stores along Jaffa Street. Many of the injured admitted themselves to the nearby Bikur Holim Hospital, walking there on foot.

One of those injured in the attack was Mark Sokolov, a 43-year-old attorney from New York, who survived the World Trade Center attack. Mr Sokolov's office was located on the 37th floor of the southern tower and he arrived in Israel 10 days ago, with his wife and two young daughters, to visit their oldest daughter, who is studying in Jerusalem.

The Sokolov family was buying shoes on Jaffa Street when the blast occurred. "The terrorist must have been very close to us. I fell down, but fortunately, I was only hit by some small pieces of shrapnel," Mr Sokolov said.

Earlier today, Israeli police in Tel Aviv reportedly shot dead a Palestinian gunman after he crashed through a road block. In the subsequent exchange of fire two Israeli civilians were wounded.