Some people expect that Sharon will continue the military operations against the Palestinians, keep seeking support of the United States, further expand Jewish settlements and speed up the construction of the security wall in the West Bank.

   It seems that Sharon has not failed their expectations.

   Shortly after the attacks, Sharon decided Tuesday night tolaunch a military offensive in the West Bank city of Hebron, whichwas thought as the home of Beersheva suicide bombers.

   Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops raided the home of one bomberin Hebron and arrested 12 Palestinians overnight.   Moreover, Sharon plans to hasten the construction of the separation fence, according to sources close to Sharon.

   Some worry that Tuesday's Beersheva attacks may even do harm tothe peace process in the long term.

   "Despite the high losses of Israeli victims, the attacks onTuesday have saved Sharon and his government from being underpressures from the Arabs, the Europeans and the Americans to bringthe peace process back on track," said Yousef Qassem, a Palestiniananalyst from Gaza.

   He said whenever there is an attack against Israel, Sharon makesuse of it on two levels.

   First, Sharon will continue striking the Palestinians, vowing toundermine the Palestinian terrorism and its infrastructure.

   Second, he will gain great political advantages, especially thefull and blind support of the United States, so that he canpostpone getting back to the peace track, find excuses to expand settlements and convince the Israelis what he is doing is the best.

   "Every suicide bombing attack serves the interests of the Israeli right wing led by Sharon and the extremists in Israel," Qassem said.

   NEXT VICTIM

   The attacks immediately triggered Egyptian Foreign MinisterAhmed Abul Gheit and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to postponetheir scheduled visit to Israel and the West Bank.

   The aim of their visit was to study with both Israel and the Palestinians the political and security preparations for an expected Israeli pullout and evacuation of Jewish settlements inthe Gaza Strip and northern West Bank.

   What's more, many are asking the question who will be the nextvictim in the new round of blood feud between Israel andPalestinians.

   The double suicide bombing attack near the Israeli seaport ofAshdod in March led to the assassinations of Hamas founder andspiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his successor Abdel AzizRantisi.

   Hamas, who claimed responsibility for Tuesday's Beersheva attacks, declared that they were aimed at revenging the deaths of Yassin and Rantisi.

   An Israeli military official warned on Wednesday that Israelwould "take care of those who support terror," singling out the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Syria and Hezbollah.

   "The Israeli army has been assassinating Palestinian leaders and killing civilians in cold blood, including women and children, carrying out round-the-clock incursions and demolishing hundreds of homes, leaving thousands homeless," said Khader Habib, a senior Islamic Jihad (holy war) leader in Gaza.

   He said Sharon and the state of Israel "should understand that as long as they continue with their armed policy to fight the Palestinians and keep occupying their lands, such attacks would continue anytime everywhere."

   DELAYED REVENGE

   Some suspect the delayed revenge by Hamas on the assassinations of Yassin and Rantisi may show that the movement has been weakened after a series of strikes on its leaders.

   Danny Rubinstein, an Israeli writer and analyst working for theIsraeli Daily of Ha'aretz, said Hamas spokesmen acknowledged in afairly obvious fashion the military weakness of their movement.

   "Hamas's armed wing, Ezzedine al-Qassam, failed to respond due to the months-long liquidation," concluded Rubinstein.   However, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhry quickly voicedhis objection.

   "We had to prepare for this operation meticulously, so wewaited," he said.

   A total of 16 people were killed and around 90 others injuredwhen two suicide bombers blew themselves up almost simultaneously on two buses in Beersheva Tuesday afternoon.

   It was the first suicide bombing attack inside Israel in over five months.  Enditem