The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack. An official statement issued said, the PA "reiterates its condemnation and denunciation" of "all operations against Israeli civilians."[18] Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat released a statement after the attack, which he wrote in Arabic, in which he called on Palestinians to completely stop attacks against Israelis, noting that "Targeting civilians, whether they are Israelis or Palestinians, is a deplorable act" and noting that these attacks are not a "legitimate resistance" to Israeli occupation and that Israel uses them as an excuse to invade the Palestinian territories.[19]