Palestinian premier faces revolt as bomber breaks truce

The Palestinian Prime Minister, Abu Mazen, was facing a rebellion from the Fatah ruling party yesterday over his handling of peace negotiations with Israel. Confusion reigned, both in the backrooms of Palestinian politics and on the ground, after one Israeli woman was killed in the first suicide bombing since militant groups agreed to a ceasefire - and what appeared to be a renegade cell of the Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility.

Abu Mazen yesterday postponed a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, that was scheduled for today while he struggled to deal with the internal revolt.

It emerged yesterday that a meeting of the Fatah central committee - one of the power centres in the Palestinian Authority (PA) - on Monday night had degenerated into a shouting match between Abu Mazen and his critics. Abu Mazen's detractors also called on him to resign as Prime Minister.

He offered his resignation yesterday as a member of the central committee - although that does not necessarily mean the offer will be accepted. So convoluted is Palestinian politics that it is possible for him to resign from the party and remain Prime Minister.

Meanwhile an Israeli police investigation yesterday found that an explosion on Monday night that killed an elderly Israeli woman had been caused by a suicide bombing and not by a gas leak. Within hours, a statement faxed to news agencies claimed responsibility on behalf of Islamic Jihad, one of the militant groups that has signed up to the ceasefire. But Islamic Jihad's main leadership in the Gaza Strip disowned the bombing, saying the group was still committed to the ceasefire.

The motivation behind the suicide bombing and the rebellion against Abu Mazen appeared to centre around Israel's refusal to release Palestinian prisoners connected to militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The fax claiming responsibility for the suicide bombing read: "Release the prisoners or the consequences will be grave." Palestinian leaders said the row at the Fatah central committee also centred on prisoners.

The ceasefire signed by the two groups was conditional on Israel releasing the thousands of prisoners it is holding. It has also been a demand of the PA. At the weekend Mr Sharon's government said it would release only a few hundred.

Many Palestinians believe the peace process is one-sided, and last week's withdrawals from northern Gaza and Bethlehem were largely staged and have changed daily life little, since the military closure remains. Abu Mazen's Palestinian critics - and they are many, his approval ratings are desperately low - say he has been too conciliatory with the Israelis.

Hatem Abdel Qader, a senior Fatah member, said yesterday: "What is the achievement of Abu Mazen's government? We still have roadblocks, closure, incursions and the prisoners are still in jail. One hundred days have passed since the formation of Abu Mazen's government ... Should we wait for a thousand days?" The Information Minister, Nabil Amr, called it a "big political crisis", but it is unlikely Abu Mazen will resign, at least for the time being.

The suicide bomber, Ahmad Yehiyeh from Jenin, set off his explosives in a house in an Israeli village near the West Bank, rather than in a crowded area. Mazal Afari, 63, was killed.

Mohammed al-Hindi, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza, said: "We are still committed to the suspension of our attacks."

The Israeli Defence Minister, Shaul Mofaz, said Israel would act against Islamic Jihad while continuing talks.

* Iran said on Monday it had completed testing a long-range, surface-to-surface missile that military analysts say could strike Israel. The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear arms and the means to deliver them. United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, will visit Tehran this week to tackle concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.