A suicide bomber has killed a woman in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, the first such attack in over a year.
A suicide bomber has killed a woman in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, the first such attack in over a year.
Israeli investigators were checking whether the attacker came via Egypt after Palestinian militants breached the Gaza-Egypt border last month.
Israeli investigators were checking whether the attacker came via Egypt after Palestinian militants breached the Gaza-Egypt border last month.
Police said a second suicide attacker was shot dead before he was able to detonate his explosives belt.
Police said a second suicide attacker was shot dead before he was able to detonate his explosives belt.
Responsibility was claimed by the Army of Palestine group, of the pro-Fatah group the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades.
A violent offshoot of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party claimed responsibility for the attack.
The explosion happened in a commercial centre a few kilometres from the Dimona base which houses Israel's top-secret nuclear reactor.
The explosion happened in a commercial centre a few kilometres from the Dimona base which houses Israel's top-secret nuclear reactor.
"We heard a large explosion and people started to run. I saw pieces of flesh flying in the air," a witness told army radio.
"We heard a large explosion and people started to run. I saw pieces of flesh flying in the air," a witness told army radio.
Thousands of Palestinians poured out of the Gaza Strip unchecked when the Egypt-Gaza border was breached by the territory's de facto rulers Hamas on 23 January. The border was resealed on Sunday by Egyptian forces.
Thousands of Palestinians poured out of the Gaza Strip unchecked when the Egypt-Gaza border was breached by the territory's de facto rulers Hamas on 23 January.
Rare attack
The border was resealed on Sunday by Egyptian forces.
Hamas praise
Analysts said towns in the Negev desert, where Dimona is located, would be the most vulnerable if Palestinian attackers entered Israel from Egypt through the open border across the Sinai desert.
Analysts said towns in the Negev desert, where Dimona is located, would be the most vulnerable if Palestinian attackers entered Israel from Egypt through the open border across the Sinai desert.
However, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade emailed news organisations said it had sent attackers from the West Bank town of Ramallah to carry out the "heroic martyrdom bombing in Dimona".
A spokesman of the pro-Fatah Aqsa Martyrs Brigades told AFP news agency that two bombers from Gaza carried out the attack, with two other groups involved in the planning.
A Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, said the attack was "a natural reaction to months of killing" of Palestinians by the Israeli army.
However, other news organisations received an email from the Brigades saying the attackers were from the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Hamas also rejected suggestions that the bombing would hurt its chances of reopening the border with Egypt.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the bombing, but also criticised an earlier military raid in the northern West Bank in which Israeli commandos killed two Palestinian gunmen.
A Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, said Dimona attack was "a natural reaction to months of killing" of Palestinians by the Israeli army.
Israel was pummelled by series of suicide bombings in the 1990s and 2000s, peaking after the Palestinian intifada or uprising broke out in 2000.
Israel was pummelled by series of suicide bombings in the 1990s and 2000s, peaking after the Palestinian intifada or uprising broke out in 2000.
However, there were only two such attacks between April 2006 and now, the last being in January 2007 when a bomber blew himself up in a bakery in Eilat, killing three people.
However, there were only two such attacks between April 2006 and now, the last being in January 2007 when a bomber blew himself up in a bakery in Eilat, killing three people.
Monday's blast is also the first since renewed efforts to come to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal were launched with US support last November.
Monday's blast is also the first since renewed efforts to come to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal were launched with US support last November.
Israel argues that its blockade of about 4m Palestinians in Gaza and large parts of the occupied West Bank is necessary to prevent such attacks.
Israel argues that its blockade of about four million Palestinians in Gaza and large parts of the occupied West Bank is necessary to prevent such attacks.
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