Thursday August 9 1:49 PM ET

Palestinian Bomber Kills 18, Arafat Seeks Truce

By Deborah Camiel and Michael Carney

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber killed 18 people, including six children, and wounded about 90 when he blew himself up on Thursday in a Jerusalem restaurant packed with families, Israeli officials said.

The worst bomb blast in Jerusalem since the Palestinian revolt began more than 10 months ago ripped apart the Sbarro pizzeria during the lunch hour rush.

The explosion hurled glass, metal and bodies out of the restaurant and left its front a bloody wreck. The dead included an infant killed in its push chair, according to witnesses.

``All the glass blew out -- boom. I saw two dead people, one with brains spilling out of his head, another with blood pouring out of his nose,'' said 16-year-old Eliezer Vanzoari.

``I started to help move the people, I was shaking all over,'' he added, blood covering his arms.

The Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement faxed to Reuters in Beirut.

President Bush condemned the bombing and said Palestinian President Yasser Arafat must act now to arrest those responsible and take immediate, sustained action to prevent future attacks.

Arafat, under fierce pressure as Israeli leaders met to weigh their response to the bombing, deplored the attack.

He urged Israel to make a joint cease-fire declaration and to start implementing a U.S.-led truce-to-peacemaking plan intended to end bloodshed in which 650 people have been killed, including more than 500 Palestinians and about 150 Israelis.

``I denounce the bombing attack that took place in West Jerusalem and I denounce all acts that harm civilians,'' he told Reuters. ``I call on the Israeli government to immediately make a joint
declaration for a cease-fire.'' A similar statement was broadcast on Palestinian television.

Israel did not immediately answer Arafat's call but officials responded coolly in private.

``Arafat is attempting to prevent an Israeli response (to the attack). If he really wanted a truce he would stop the terrorists from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad,'' said a senior diplomatic source.

[snip]

-----