Palestinian militants strike with bus bomb

JERUSALEM - Palestinian militants struck at Israeli civilians yesterday with a suicide bombing on a bus, a roadside ambush in the West Bank and a restaurant shooting in Israel's largest city, leaving five Israelis and two Palestinian assailants dead.

In retaliatory raids, Israeli warplanes and helicopters bombed seven separate Palestinian government compounds and security complexes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Most had been abandoned in anticipation of the Israeli strikes.

However, an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah killed three Palestinian security officers in a car, one who was wanted by Israel, Palestinian officials said.

The death toll has soared during the past week amid violence that is erupting around the clock. Sixty-one Palestinians and 31 Israelis have died in one of the deadliest weeks since fighting broke out in September 2000.

Palestinian militants carried out the restaurant shooting at a popular Tel Aviv hangout that was still busy at 2 a.m. The other two attacks came during the morning rush hour, another time militants frequently strike.

Israel's military, with its night-vision equipment and sophisticated weaponry, bombed with F-16 warplanes Monday and yesterday nights, while helicopter gunships carried out during daylight hours yesterday.