A bomb exploded in the Petach Tikva marketplace at about noon today injuring 23 persons, four of them seriously. One of the latter, a pregnant woman, was rushed to Tel Hashomer Hospital and 13 other victims were treated at the Beilinson and Hasharon Hospitals.
The bombing touched off a nation-wide alert. Security forces searched public places for other concealed bombs. The Petach Tikva marketplace was cordoned off and closed for several hours but reopened later in the day after a thorough search. According to police, the bomb consisted of explosives in a metal pipe. It was hidden under a fruit vendor’s cart on Baron Hirsch St. in the center of town.
Petach Tikva, five miles from central Tel Aviv is close to the pre-1967 boundary between Israel and Jordan. Arabs from the administered areas usually throng into the city’s market place to sell products. Security forces rounded up dozens of Arabs. A police spokesman said some were held to protect them from angry Israeli stallholders. Stalls were splintered and blood-spattered and piles of fruit were scattered all over the market place.
Meanwhile, an army spokesman reported that a seven-man terrorist cell was uncovered in Gaza. According to the spokesman, members of the cell are suspected of several terrorist acts including a recent arson attempt at the Gaza railroad station.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
