The death toll in Friday’s terrorist bombing in Jerusalem rose to 14 this morning when one of the victims, Mira Berger, 34, died of her wounds at Shaare Zedek Hospital.
Israeli security forces, meanwhile, continued their three-day manhunt for the perpetrators, Hundreds of vehicles were stopped and searched and scores of West Bank and East Jerusalem residents were detained for questioning. According to police, however, only four Arabs remain in custody out of several hundred rounded up for questioning since Friday.
A special police team was set up to investigate the tragedy which occurred when a booby-trapped ice-box blew up in Zion Square shortly before 10 a.m. Friday spreading carnage among crowds of pre-Sabbath shoppers. Several of the 73 persons wounded remained in hospitals today for treatment of what was described as “severe” injuries.
Police are circulating drawings based on eyewitness descriptions of two Arabs who may have deposited the infernal machine on the busy street. The drawings were distributed to police manning roadblocks in the Jerusalem area. Police have not released any description of the suspects.
RABIN: TERRORISTS WILL BE PURSUED
Premier Yitzhak Rabin told the Knesset today that the terrorist carnage reenforces Israel’s decision to adhere to its policy “of not entering into any negotiations with the terrorist organizations. The only language they understand is that of the sword, and it is in that language that we shall talk to them,” He also asserted that the government of Israel “is determined to continue, with even greater energy, its operation against terrorism–by prevention, attrition and punishment against the terrorist organizations wherever we can reach them.”
Rabin urged the international community to immediately and unconditionally condemn the terrorist bombing. He noted that the international community “has reached a new peak in its rapid decline towards appeasement when its representatives–so it is reported–are giving sympathetic consideration to the application of representatives of the Arab murder organizations to take part at the United Nations conference on crime and terrorism which is shortly to take place in Toronto, Canada.”
(In Washington, the State Department said: “Our position on terrorist acts is well known, We condemn acts such as the brutal bombing in Jerusalem July 4 and we deeply regret the loss of innocent lives.”)
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