Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres on Friday signaled that Israel is ready to negotiate with Hamas if the Islamic militant group renounces violence and disarms after next week's Palestinian elections.Peres spoke a day after a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in a Tel Aviv fast-food restaurant, wounding 20 people. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, and Israel blamed the group's backers in Iran and Syria for masterminding the attack. "We have definitive proof that the financing of the terror attack ... came directly from Iran, while the planning was carried out in Syria," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said after a late-night meeting with security officials. He said the findings would be shared with American and European officials.
Hamas, which itself has carried out dozens of suicide bombings but has largely observed a truce in the past year, is expected to make a strong showing in Wednesday's Palestinian parliament election.