Israel retaliates for bomb deaths

So far the Israeli response has been limited

Israel has launched air strikes in the Gaza Strip in response to a Palestinian suicide attack on a restaurant in the northern port city of Haifa that killed 19 people.

The overnight raids - on two separate locations in Gaza - followed an emergency meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and senior military officials.

Mr Sharon is under increasing pressure to implement a cabinet decision in principle to "remove" Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is blamed by Israel for much of the violence.

To try to prevent this, international activists have gone to Mr Arafat's Ramallah compound to act as human shields.

But Israeli sources say that, for now, Israel will not try to go in and get Mr Arafat, says the BBC's James Reynolds in Jerusalem.

Israel has not said how or when it might remove Mr Arafat, but has acknowledged that an assault could result in his death.

Gaza targeted

Two Israeli missiles were fired at a house in Gaza City, which Palestinian sources say was the home of a Hamas militant. He was not at home at the time.

This awful attack is an opportunity... to implement the Cabinet decision to get rid of Arafat Dan Naveh Israeli Health Minister In pictures: Haifa aftermath

The el-Bureij refugee camp also came under attack but there were no reports of casualties.

Israeli army tanks meanwhile advanced into the West Bank town of Jenin to demolish the home of the female suicide bomber who carried out Saturday's attack.

The seafront restaurant in Haifa, which was packed with lunchtime diners, has been jointly run by a Jewish and an Israeli Arab family for decades.

The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, which came on the eve of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Jerusalem says the Haifa bombing is one of the deadliest attacks in the past three years, and it brings the Middle East to a critical moment.

Four children were among the 19 people killed, as well as several Arabs. About 50 people were injured in the attack.

Arafat under pressure

Israeli Health Minister Dan Naveh said the bombing had created an "opportunity to implement the cabinet decision to get rid of Arafat".

However, our correspondent says Israel would need a green light from the United States to make such a move - something Washington has refused in the past.

Palestinian sources said the suicide bomber was a trainee lawyer, whose brother and cousin were killed by Israeli troops in June.

Yasser Arafat has condemned the attack, saying it endangered Palestinian interests.

RECENT SUICIDE ATTACKS 9 September: 15 killed in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 19 August: 23 killed in Jerusalem 11 June: 17 killed in Jerusalem 18 May: 7 killed in Jerusalem 5 March: 17 killed in Haifa History of bomb blasts

Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurei, for his part, condemned what he called "an ugly attack" and is reported to have telephoned Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav to express his sorrow.

He urged Palestinian groups "to fully halt these actions that target civilians and harm our legitimate and just national struggle," his office said in a statement.

US President George W Bush called the attack a "despicable" act that underlined the need for the Palestinian leadership to combat terrorism.

But Israel blames the Palestinian Authority for failing to disarm militant groups.

The bombing came as Israel imposed a total closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Yom Kippur - the day of atonement - which runs for 24 hours from Sunday evening.