JERUSALEM, Feb. 28 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened Sunday to freeze peace efforts if the Palestinian leadership does not crack down on militant groups after a weekend suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that killed five Israelis and wounded dozens.
At a cabinet meeting, Israeli officials decided to suspend a plan to turn over control of five West Bank towns to the Palestinians and free 400 more prisoners. Those gestures were agreed upon at a Feb. 8 summit in Egypt, where Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared an informal truce.
The attack and the Israeli measures underlined the fragility of the truce and its vulnerability to violence by extremists who oppose any accommodation.
A familiar pattern appeared in danger of reemerging: an accord, a Palestinian attack, Israeli retaliation, another Palestinian attack -- and ultimately the end of the agreement and rekindled violence.
Sharon charged that Syria was behind the suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv nightclub Friday -- the first such attack since Abbas took office as president of the Palestinian Authority in January. Syria denied the allegation.
Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group with leadership in Lebanon and Syria, asserted responsibility Saturday after first denying any connection to the bombing.
At the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Sharon said Islamic Jihad carried out the bombing on orders from its leaders in Syria.
"We know this for certain," he said, although he held the Palestinian Authority responsible as well.
"There will be no progress politically, and I repeat, no political progress, until the Palestinians carry out a determined campaign to destroy the terrorist groups and their infrastructure," Sharon said.
In an interview published with Britain's Independent newspaper on Monday, Abbas said he would not tolerate such attacks against Israelis and reaffirmed his commitment to finding peace.
"We believe peace is possible now, and we are ready to negotiate with Israel to reach a true and lasting peace," Abbas said ahead of a meeting in London on Tuesday to discuss Palestinian reforms.
But Sharon told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that if Abbas continues to try to control the militants by persuasion, "terrorism will continue . . . and Israel cannot accept that," a statement from Sharon's office said.
