Israel beefs up security

Israel beefed up security and vowed to target the leadership of the radical Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad on Tuesday as the victims of a suicide bomb attack at a shopping mall were being laid to rest.

While Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened a meeting of his security cabinet, police reinforcements were posted along the Green Line, which separates Israel from the West Bank and new checkpoints sprung up around the entrances to major commercial centers and highways.

The army also announced on Monday night that a general closure was being imposed on both the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the light of the attack in the northern coastal town of Netanya, the first suicide bombing since October.

MET