(dpa) - Israel condemned Monday's suicide bombing in its southern city of Dimona, but said it would continue peace talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Today's attack deliberately targeted innocent civilians. Worse yet, the terrorists' plan was to detonate a second suicide bomb against the rescue workers and ambulances rushing to assist the victims at the scene of the initial bombing," Israeli Foreign Minister Spokesman Arieh Mekel said.
"Israel will continue to fight this murderous terrorism and will act in keeping with its right and its duty to prect the lives of its citizens," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
"On the other hand will will continue our talks with Abbas and his men," he added however.
"We clearly regard Abbas as a moderate figure who wants peace with Israel regardless of who takes credit for the terrorist attack."
Israeli Vice Premier and Trade and Industry Minister Eli Yishai, of the ultra-Orthodox coalition Shas party, had earlier called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to suspend his talks with Abbas over the attack.
