Jerusalem bomb victims returned to US

The Hamas group admitted responsibility

The bodies of two of the five Americans killed in the bombing of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem were flown home on Friday.

In a tearful ceremony at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, the bodies of Benjamin Blutstein, 25, of Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania, and Janis Ruth Coulter, 36, who worked in New York were put aboard an El Al plane bound for New York.

Even though I am mad, I still think peace is possible

George W Bush

The FBI has launched an investigation into Wednesday's attack, which US President George W Bush said had made him "furious".

At the ceremony, US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer said: "Their lives are testimony to the values shared by the US and Israel, lives of religious commitment and tolerance.

"Terrorists cannot live by these values, so they murder beautiful young people."

The other Americans killed were Marla Bennett, 24, David Gritz, 24, who also had French citizenship, and Dina Carter, 37, who also had Israeli citizenship.

Two Israelis - David Ladovsky, 29, and Levina Shapira, 53 - were also killed in the attack carried out by the militant Islamic group Hamas.

About 80 people were injured, including Arabs, South Koreans and Japanese students attending summer courses at the university.

American anger

Mr Bush, speaking at the start of a meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan in the White House, said: "I am just as angry as Israel is.

"But even though I am mad, I still think peace is possible."

Mr Bush affirmed his support for Israel's self-defence, but emphasised that all sides should be committed to peace.

More than 80 people were injured in the attack

Israeli Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer approved military retaliation against Hamas targets as a result of the attack.

There were no details on the exact nature of the response, Israeli media said, although troops and tanks moved into Nablus on the West Bank early on Friday.

Hamas, in turn, warned it would kill 100 Israelis for any new attack on any of its leaders.

It said the attack on the university campus was in retaliation for an Israeli air strike on Gaza City last week in which 15 people were killed, including the group's military leader.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack on the university but said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was "responsible for this cycle of violence".

Police braced

In a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, Hamas said: "It is part of a series of responses that will take a long time and teach all Israelis."

Israeli police have been braced for bombings - reports say they have intelligence that as many as 60 attacks are being planned.

The blast at the Hebrew university was the second attack in the city within 24 hours.

The explosive was apparently left in a bag in one of the university's cafeterias, marking a change of tactics from using suicide bombers.

On Tuesday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a food stand in Jerusalem, injuring several Israelis and killing himself.