JERUSALEM, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz blamed Syria on Saturday for a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis in Tel Aviv one day earlier, Army Radio reported. Israeli officials would go abroad in coming days to present a diplomatic offensive against Damascus, said a statement issued by Mofaz's office.

    "The defense minister ruled that Israel sees Syria and the Islamic Jihad movement as those standing behind the murderous attack in Tel Aviv," said the statement.

    But he did not mention military actions against Syria although he blamed Syria for Friday night's bombing outside a nightclub. He froze plans to hand over security control of five cities in the West Bank to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)."With all our desire to move ahead with a process to which we are obligated, we can not carry on and be indifferent to the murderous activities of the terrorist organizations," Mofaz was quoted as saying.

    Israel has promised to withdraw from five West Bank towns within weeks after a mutual ceasefire was announced at the Feb. 8 summit in Egypt.

    On Saturday, an official of the radical Islamic Jihad, speaking on a videotape, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. Abdullah Shibaya, one of the movement's officials of the Tulkarm region of northern West Bank, the home area of the bomber, said "the attack was carried out in response to killings and destruction of houses" by Israel.

    The official also accused the Palestinian National Authority, which strongly condemned the attack, of collaborating with Israel and the United States. Enditem