THIRTEEN Israelis were hurt in two small bomb explosions in Tel Aviv last night.
The explosions, caused by improvised bombs in small lengths of piping, placed in garbage cans near the former Tel Aviv central bus station, went off 10 minutes apart soon after 8 p.m. Police officers investigating the first blast were among those injured by the second.
Although police said a criminal motive could not be ruled out, the most likely motive was nationalist, they said, and there were reports last night that an Arab arrested near the bus station was being questioned in connection with the blasts.
Palestinian Islamic radicals have issued a series of bomb threats recently - both to mark the first anniversary of Israel's assassination of the chief Hamas bomb maker, Yihya Ayash, and to avenge last week's shooting spree in Hebron by an off duty Israeli soldier.