OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, April 10 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - As Israel continues its aggressive military offensive in the West Bank, killing hundreds of Palestinians, at least 10 Israelis were killed and another 20 injured in a bomb blast on a bus near Haifa in northern Israel early Wednesday, April 10, news agencies reported.

An official with Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, spoke of "at least 10 dead," Israeli occupation army radio reported, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

According to the CNN, the bus was supposed to have been full with up to 55 people on the bus.

In a telephone call to Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite channel, the Palestinian Resistance Group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. The Ezzeddin Al Qassam Brigades said that this operation was in retaliation for the massacres that the Israeli occupation army was carrying out in Jenin and Nablus, which has left more than 200 Palestinians dead.

Israeli daily newspaper, Ha’aretz, said Tuesday, April 9, that Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres is very worried about the expected international reaction to the "massacre" that happened in Jenin.

The powerful explosion went off at about 7:15 a.m. local time and demolished the Israeli bus near Yagur Junction east of Haifa early Wednesday.

The bus was an express line that links the northern suburbs of Haifa to Jerusalem.

A number of passing cars were also hit by the huge blast and hurled from the highway, witnesses said. Some of the motorists were wounded, they added.

This comes as Israel is continuing its aggressive military offensive in Palestinian areas of the West Bank for the twelfth day, killing hundreds of Palestinians.

A senior aide to hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promptly blamed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

Arafat has been under siege in his office in Ramallah by Israeli occupation troops since they launched the massive military offensive in the West Bank on March 29.

The Haifa blast comes one day before U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is due in Israel to try to get the Middle East so-called peace process back on track.

The blast also comes a day after Israel lost 13 soldiers with another seven injured in co-coordinated resistance operations at a refugee camp in the West Bank town of Jenin.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defied U.S. calls for occupation troop withdrawals and promised to continue the military campaign against Palestinians.

In a nationally televised address, he vowed to continue the offensive which has seen troops occupy many West Bank towns and besiege Arafat inside his headquarters.

The United Nations and the U.S. have demanded Israel withdraw from Palestinian-governed areas.