Suicide bomber's mother wished him luck
A suicide bomber's mother says she wished her son luck shortly before he killed an Israeli toddler and her grandmother.
Haleema Titi has spoken of her pride at her son's attack on an ice cream parlour in Tel Aviv.
She says before he struck her 18-year-old son Jihad called her in a Palestinian refugee camp to say farewell.
She says she cried at the start of the phone call, but quickly pulled herself together and wished him luck.
"I realised that he is going to carry out a suicide attack," said Titi, 52. "I said, 'Oh, son, I hope your operation will succeed."'
The blast killed a 56-year-old Israeli woman and her 18-month-old granddaughter in the suburb of Petach Tikvah. Several dozen bystanders were wounded, including five - among them a toddler - who are in serious condition.
In the Balata camp on the West Bank, there is strong support for Titi's attack.
Last week, Titi's cousin Mahmoud was killed in a targeted Israeli attack. He was the local leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a terrorist group linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.
Jihad's mother said her son visited the grave of his cousin several days ago and said he would avenge him within a week.
"And he did. Today is the seventh day," said Mrs Titi, surrounded by women paying respects. From time to time she kissed a framed photograph of her son. Other women in the crowd said they were proud of Jihad.
