Four people were killed and a fifth wounded on Wednesday in a roadside bomb explosion that hit a convoy of United States diplomatic vehicles travelling in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian security officials said.
The blast went off shortly after 10am (8am GMT) as the convoy was travelling in the Beit Hanun area near the Erez border crossing, which leads to Israel.
At least one of the vehicles was blown to pieces, the officials added.
All the victims of the attack were American citizens, a US embassy source said.
”We are always on a very high security alert posture here,” the source added. ”We are always sort of very sensitive and aware of security issues.”
American diplomatic sources said that US envoy John Wolf was not travelling in the convoy.
The blast is the first attack of its kind in the Palestinian territories against a US target.
It came just hours after the US vetoed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council that condemned Israel’s construction of a separation barrier across the West Bank.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned the deadly attack.
”I strongly condemn this crime, which targeted Americans observers who came on a mission of peace and security,” he said in a statement issued by his office in Ramallah.
Arafat also offered his condolences to US President George Bush.
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana also condemned the attack and called on the Palestinian Authority to immediately launch an investigation.
”It is an unacceptable attack against foreign and diplomatic personnel,” he said.
Condemning the blast ”in the strongest possible terms”, he added: ”The Palestinian Authority must react immediately by launching an investigation to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this cowardly act.
”And it must act with determination to stop terrorist violence,” he added. — Sapa-AFP