JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Violence has flared anew in the Middle East; a car bomb went off near a popular market in Jerusalem, killing two Israelis, wounding nine others. Rula Amin is in Gaza City with Palestinian reaction to what has happened today -- Rula.</s>RULA AMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jeanne, Palestinians, so far, have been saying that they're waiting for the results of the investigation before they give their reaction to what's happening. In principle, they say they are against hurting civilians. They think civilians should be avoided in any attacks against Israelis. We heard from the secretary-general for the Palestinian cabinet, who said that the Palestinian authority is not responsible and he was surprised that Israel would hold it responsible. Today he said that Palestinian Authority objects to any such attacks and, in principle, they don't want to see civilians hurt. On another matter, Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Authority, has just finished a meeting with his leadership; and Yasser Arafat had been meeting all day with his leadership and today he issued this statement where he calls on Palestinians to refrain from using violence in their attempts to express their aspirations for freedom and independence as the official statement here says. However Mr. Arafat's spokesman said he would not go on television to make this statement as it was expected earlier today; and, also, the Israeli side, the Israeli prime minister's office had been saying that there will be a joint statement read by both leaders on television calling on their people to refrain from using violence. The Palestinians are saying they have issued their statement, a written statement that fulfills their obligation and now they are waiting for Mr. Barak to fulfill his obligations in the agreement they have reached with him to try to find an end to this violence by pulling back his tanks, which he has already started doing, from the outskirts of the towns and villages, and to lift the siege on the West Bank and Gaza -- Jeanne.</s>MESERVE: Rula Amin in Gaza City, thank you.
Arafat Issues Written Statement Denouncing Violence Against Israelis