FBI team will investigate Hebrew University bombing

JERUSALEM -- An FBI team arrived Monday to work with Israeli police investigating the bombing by the militant group Hamas that killed seven people at Hebrew University, including five Americans.

The four-person team will visit the site of Wednesday's bombing, and will pool their information with Israeli security forces, who will lead the search for the bombers, Israeli police spokesman Ofer Sivan said.

President Bush has been sharply critical of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for not cracking down on militants, and Hamas is one of three Palestinian factions on a U.S. list of terrorist groups.

However, the United States has so far not sought to extradite or prosecute Palestinian militants involved in multiple attacks against U.S. citizens, according to Israeli and U.S. officials.

With the bombing in Jerusalem last week, Palestinian attacks have killed 15 U.S. citizens and wounded 26 in the nearly two years of Mideast violence, according to the U.S. Embassy.

The groups do not appear to have specifically targeted Americans. Some victims had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, but those killed at Hebrew University included students staying for only a few months.

Asked whether the United States might seek extradition of the Hamas bombers, Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer said, "I think we will talk to the Israeli government about this in the days ahead. We have an excellent relationship with Israel on all matters relating to the war on terrorism."

Hours after the attack at the university, 10,000 Hamas supporters held a rally in Gaza City to boast of the bombing. Hamas members tossed handfuls of sweets to the crowd.