At least three people were killed by a suicide bomber Monday morning, who blew himself up at a local bakery in the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat, Israel's local daily Ha'aretz reported.

A spokesman for Hamas, the radical Islamic group controlling the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, praised the bombing as a "natural response" to Israeli policies. This position is likely to shred efforts to end a crippling aid boycott imposed by the international community.

The morning attack struck Eilat, a normally tranquil Red Sea resort located at Israel's southern tip near the Jordanian and Egyptian borders. Separated from Israel's largest cities by vast swathes of desert, it has been largely immune from Israeli-Palestinian fighting and has been seen as a popular getaway for Israelis.

Israeli leaders condemned the bombing, stating it jeopardized a two-month truce in Gaza. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed to continue the "ongoing and never-ending struggle against terrorists."

Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, convened an emergency meeting of senior security officials to discuss a response. "It's clear that extremists groups are doing everything they can to end the cease-fire," he said. "We shall definitely take the necessary steps... This is a grave incident, it's an escalation and we shall treat it as such."

A Palestinian radio confirmed Monday that three militant groups had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The three groups include the Islamic Jihad, al-Aqsa Brigades, or the armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, and the previously unknown "Army of Believers".

The militant groups initially claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed at least three people and wounded 15 others, said Al-Quds, a local radio station broadcasting from Gaza City.

However, Dawood Shihab, spokesman of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza told reporters that his group had not officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but "welcomes any attack targets the occupation."

He added that this attack "is a message to those brothers who are fighting each other in Gaza, telling them instead of pointing the guns to each others chests, guns should be pointed at the occupation."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Monday evening condemned the suicide bombing, the Egyptian official news agency MENA reported.

Abbas issued a statement upon his arrival in Cairo on Monday evening, voicing strong opposition not only to the Eilat bombing but also on all attacks targeting civilians, whether Israelis or Palestinians.

Despondent bomber

The bomber was identified as Mohammed Saksak, 20, of Gaza City. Saksak's family said he had left their home three days ago and not returned.

Relatives said he was despondent because he was unemployed and his baby daughter died recently of an illness. Also, his best friend was killed in a clash with Israeli forces, they said, whilst his brother is a top Islamic Jihad militant.

Witnesses said the bomber stood out due to the long winter coat he wore on a warm, sunny day when he struck the small bakery in a residential neighborhood. Police said the bomb was in a bag rather than an explosives belt often used in past suicide attacks.

"It was very hot, very hot. He had a coat on and it didn't look right to me. I thought to myself, 'What's that idiot dressed like that for?' A couple of seconds later I heard a massive explosion," Benny Mazgini, 45, told Israel Radio.

Shattered glass, body parts and blood-splattered pastries were visible on the sidewalk outside, alongside bread trays scattered by the blast.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily via agencies January 30, 2007)