10 killed in Jerusalem suicide bombing

MIDDLE EAST: Israel last night buried the first victim of the morning's Jerusalem suicide-bombing, but was still struggling to identify the torn bodies of some of the other fatalities, at the end of a day of violence and emotional turmoil which also saw the completion of a complex and controversial German-mediated prisoner ex- change between Israel and Hizbullah.

The flag-covered coffins of three dead Israeli soldiers, one of them a Beduin, seized by Hizbullah at the Israel-Lebanon border more than three years ago, were received at a sombre state ceremony outside Tel Aviv, along with Mr Elhanan Tennenbaum, a businessman who is the first Israeli to be released alive by Hizbullah.

Addressing the bereaved parents and others at the ceremony, Israel's Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon spoke of a day where pain had been mixed with still more pain. In a neighbourhood that "doesn't lift a finger against terrorism", he said, referring as well to the Jerusalem blast, "apparently this is the price paid by a society that sanctifies life".

In entirely contrasting scenes of delight, more than 400 Palestinian security prisoners were welcomed home from Israeli jails by their families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. At crossing points from Israel, relatives thronged around the released Palestinians as they emerged from Israeli buses.

Hizbullah's television station sent out crews to record the scenes, relaying footage that is certain to further boost its standing in Palestinian public opinion.

And in Beirut, the Hizbullah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, presided, with the Lebanese president, prime minister and other government officials, at ceremonies euphorically greeting some 30 Lebanese prisoners on their return. The bodies of 59 Lebanese gunmen were also transferred by Israel for burial.

Thousands of people gathered at Beirut airport to greet the Lebanese returnees, who were led by senior Hizbullah leader Mustafa Dirani and cleric Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid. Israel had seized and held them as possible bargaining chips for the release of a missing airman, Ron Arad. At a mass rally, Sheikh Nasrallah was cheered as he spoke of the "victory" and "accomplishment" of the prisoners' return. He said that other captives also "will come back" - in a scheduled second phase of the exchange this spring, which depends on Israel re- ceiving firm information on the fate of Mr Arad.

Sheikh Nasrallah said his guerrillas would capture more Israelis if the final prisoners were not released.

Israeli security chiefs were late last night meeting with Mr Sharon to decide on how to respond to the bombing of the bus in which 10 Israeli civilians of all ages, were killed, around the corner from the prime minister's residence in downtown Jerusalem. More than 30 of the dozens injured were still in hospitals last night, 13 in serious condition.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, affiliated with Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was condemned by the Palestinian Authority in a statement that also condemned Israel for the "assassination" of eight Palestinians, killed in clashes with Israeli troops in Gaza on Wednesday.

The bomber, a Palestinian policeman from Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, left a note saying he was avenging those Gaza fatalities. The Israeli government last year had decided in principle to deport Mr Arafat, whom it accuses of encouraging terrorism, but Mr Sharon was not believed to be considering implementing such a step last night.

The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mr Ahmed Korei, offered to hold talks right away with Mr Sharon. The Israeli Justice Minister, Mr Yosef Lapid, retorted that Mr Korei needed to "concentrate on fighting terrorism."

The Bush administration called on Mr Korei to "to take steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure". American officials were holding talks with Israel's defence minister when the bomber struck; Israel immediately called off scheduled low-level talks with Palestinian officials on humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A spokesman for Mr Sharon said the attack underlined the need for the security barrier Israel is constructing to thwart suicide bombers entering the country from the West Bank. The International Court of Justice in The Hague is to consider the legality of the barrier, which cuts deep into the West Bank, at hearings in the next few weeks.