Suicide Bombing in Tel Aviv Injures Dozens

Current injury toll: 30, including one seriously

A suicide bomber detonated himself at around 3:50 p.m. near a south Tel Aviv food stand, by the old central bus station, initial reports say. The bomber was the only person killed.

Update: Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility. Witnesses said that the bomber had masqueraded as a razor-seller, wandering among the busy streets. Israel Police Inspector General Moshe Karadi also noted that the area constituted an "Achilles heel," due to a relatively high presence of foreigners that makes the early identification of a bomber much more difficult than in other places. Karadi told the Jerusalem Post that while the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Palestinian Authority were probably a factor in the bombing, terror groups "don't need a reason to pertpetrate a terror attack. If they could they would do it every day, every hour," Karadi said. Police said the explosion went off in the restaurant's bathroom, possibly prematurely as the bomber tried to prepare the explosive device. At the time of the blast, most of the customers were sitting outside, relatively far from the bomber.

"The Tel Aviv bombing is another example of the utter refusal of the Palestinian Authority to take any steps to prevent terror against Israel. The Palestinian Authority remains apathetic to preventing this terror," said David Baker, an official in the Israeli prime minister's office.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas deflected the criticism, saying that the attack was meant to derail the upcoming PA vote.

"This is sabotage and aimed at sabotaging the elections, not only the elections, but also the security of Palestinians," Abbas told reporters at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah.