Syria: Bomb shows Israel does not want peace

The blast on Monday "is part of the Israeli terrorist war led against Palestinian civilians wherever they be," he said.

"It's a new signal showing that peace does not figure on Israel's agenda," the minister said, adding that Israel's continued policy of "terrorism" against its Arab neighbors had proved it wasnt ready for peace.

Hamas on Tuesday named the target of Monday's failed assassination attempt and described him as a "key member" of the Palestinian group but not a senior official.

"It targeted Musbah Abu Houwaileh," a Hamas official said. The group said the Israeli intelligence service Mossad was responsible, an accusation already made by Syria's interior minister but denied by Israel.

A bomb ripped through Abu Houwaileh's car in Damascus shortly after he and members of his family had parked and left the vehicle. Three people were slightly wounded.

Israel's Channel One television, which gave a different version of Abu Houwaileh's name, said he was a military commander of the group.

The Hamas official, who asked not to be identified, said Abu Houwaileh was "not a member of the political bureau nor a leader. He is a key member who leads an ordinary life." He gave no further details.

Syrian Interior Minister Ghazi Kanaan said on Monday that Mossad had been behind the bombing. Israel called the accusation "nonsense."

The attack was the second of its kind in the Syrian capital in less than three months and came one day after Hamas and another armed Palestinian group killed five Israeli soldiers in a carefully planned attack on their outpost in Gaza.

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