Israeli
security forces have defused a bomb planted outside a shopping center in the northern city of Haifa, Israeli media reported.Israeli police managed to find dozens of kilograms of explosives in a car parked outside the Lev Hamifratz shopping center in Haifa Saturday night after some of the explosives went off prematurely.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that a "miracle had prevented a huge bomb attack from taking place".
"We are treating the attempted attack in Haifa with great gravity. A huge disaster was prevented by a miracle," Olmert told the weekly cabinet meeting.
Security has been tight in northern Israel following the incident with security forces setting up roadblocks and searching cars for suspects.
Police said the vehicle in which the explosive was planted belonged to an Arab woman from East Jerusalem (al-Quds), adding that the car may have been stolen.
According to Israeli media, an Arab Israeli organization called Free Galilee has claimed responsibility for the attempted attack to avenge the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem (al-Quds) and the massacre of Palestinians during the recent military operations on Gaza.