In the Jerusalem, divided in Arab and Israel sectors, at least two "enteharis", or suicide attackers detonated themselves in the crowded Ben Yehuda pedestrian zone filled with customers after the Shabbat, killing more than ten people, including the "kamikazes", and injuring some 180 others. Another explosion, a car bomb this time, followed about ten minute later, as rescue workers were busy providing the wounded needed assistance.

The explosions in Jerusalem coincided with the departure of Mr. Sharon for the United States, where he met with a visibly shocked President George W. Bush at the White House.

Joining other world leaders, President Bush condemned the terrorist acts with anger, describing the suicide bombers as "murderers" who are opposed to peace between Israel and Palestine.

Earlier, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Maher had condemned the terrorist operations in strong words, but advised both Israel and Palestinian leaders to continue their talks with assistance from the United States and other friendly nations.

He said only the creation of a fully independent Palestine in the neighborhood of Israel can bring peace and discourage extremists.

But as usual, Tel-Aviv blamed the massacre on the Palestinian Authority Chairman Yaser Arafat.

"These acts of murder calls on advocates of peace to rise and join hand combating terrorism", Mr. Bush told journalists at the White House, calling on Mr. Arafat to arrest all the murderers and bring them to justice.

"We should not allow terror to win and destroy chances for peace. It’s therefore time for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to continue their negotiations", the American President further said, announcing that because of the explosions, the schedule of his talks with Mr. Sharon had been modified.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Jerusalem attacks; however, a call in Arabic was placed to the Jerusalem bureau of the BBC. The caller identified himself as being from the Islamic Jihad and said the group was behind the Jerusalem bombings. But a Web site claiming to represent the radical Islamic group Hamas said it was responsible for the Jerusalem and Haifa attacks.

On Sunday morning, the Israeli army shot and killed two Palestinian gunmen who they said were shooting at cars in northern Gaza. The gunmen shot dead one Israeli civilian, the army said.

Mr. Arafat’s statement declared, "any faction; coalition or party that does not respect the decision of the Palestinian leadership will be considered beyond the law, especially those who claim responsibility for actions against Israeli civilians".

It also said Palestinian security services have been instructed to pursue the perpetrators and planners of these attacks and bring them to justice.

Arafat held an emergency meeting with security chiefs in which they agreed on strict new measures, including banning all armed demonstrations and any public display of arms, a senior security official said.

The official said security forces would be deployed "in every street" in an effort to end violence and arrest militants involved in suicide attacks in Israel.

But Palestinian cabinet member Saeb Erekat said Israel needed to do its part to end the violence. "The shortest way to...security and Middle East peace is ending the Israeli occupation," he told CNN television.

Retired U.S. Marine General Anthony Zinni, who is in the region to broker a cease-fire between the Israelis and Palestinians, condemned the unprecedented "vicious and evil terrorist" suicide attacks, which came on the heels of the arrest of more than a dozen members of the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad of Palestine, after the group claimed responsibility for two recent suicide attacks in Israel.