Bomb rocks Jerusalem bus stop; 25 wounded

JERUSALEM (AP) — A bomb struck a crowded bus stop in central Jerusalem today, wounding some 25 people in what authorities said was the first major Palestinian militant attack in the city in several years.

The bombing brought back memories of the second Palestinian uprising last decade, a period in which hundreds of Israelis were killed by suicide bombings in Jerusalem and other major cities.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Israeli police blamed Palestinian militants.

The attack comes as tensions have been escalating between the two sides. In recent days, Hamas and other armed groups in the neighboring Gaza Strip have been firing rockets and mortars into Israel, prompting Israeli reprisals.

"We are talking about a terror attack," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.