Three explosions struck busy shopping area

Eight Dead in Jerusalem Bombs

Police said three of the dead were the suicide bombers. Witnesses said another victim was a girl aged 10 or 11.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, responded to the attacks with a warning to the Palestinian Authority.

Many casualties

Speaking to reporters, Mr Netanyahu said: "If there is no immediate change and far-reaching, in a wide-ranging action against all components of the terrorist infrastructure, it will indicate that the Palestinian Authority hasn't drawn the conclusion required and if that's the case, we will draw the required conclusions."

The Palestinian Authority was quick to condemn the crime. "What happened is a crime and we in the Palestinian Authority are ready to cooperate with Israel to find the persons who stand behind these operations," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a senior advisor to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. on Israeli television.

Hamas, the radical Islamist movement, claimed responsibility for the triple bombing. The organisation was also behind the double suicide bombing in Jerusalem on 30 July.

Bombings in the heart of Jerusalem

The latest explosions were only seconds apart along Jerusalem's busiest pedestrian mall in the heart of the city. The bombs went off in mid-afternoon as cafes and shops were slowly filling up on the day before the start of the Jewish Sabbath.

"In the mall on Ben Yehuda street three explosions were heard. There are many wounded. Police and rescue forces are evacuating the wounded from the area," a police spokesman said.

Tables and chairs were blown over, alongside the bodies of dead and injured. One eyewitness said he saw a man blow himself up.

A BBC correspondent said he saw glass scattered around the area and blood spattered over the wall of a nearby bank, indicating the full force of the explosions.

One teenager said he was having a drink with friends when the bombs exploded. "We were going to toast L'Haim (To Life) and had just clinked our glasses when we heard the explosion. I heard screaming. I saw legs without a body," he recounted.

Peace Process Under Further Strain

Rushing the wounded to hospital

The bombing comes as the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright prepares to make her first trip to the Middle East next week to revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking in crisis for months.

President Bill Clinton was informed of the bombings in Jerusalem shortly after the incident "Obviously it's very disturbing. We are in touch with our embassy and the Israeli government to get more information," said a White House spokesman, Eric Rubin.

A spokesman for the Israeli government said the latest explosions did not bode well for the peace process.

Following the bombing, Israel has reimposed its tight closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, barring all Palestinians from entering Israel. The last closure was imposed after July's bombing.

Only earlier this week, Israel had slightly eased the travel ban, allowing 4,000 Palestinian workers to return to their jobs.