TEL AVIV, Nov 1: Three people were killed and dozens were wounded On Monday when a teenage Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in an open-air food market in the heart of Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv.

The attack, the first suicide bombing in more than two months, was roundly condemned with both Israel and United Nations saying it underlined the need for the Palestinian Authority to crack down on armed militants.

The blast ripped through the popular Hacarmel market in the centre of the Mediterranean coastal city, an area dotted with bars and cafes. Police immediately sealed off the market for fear of a secondary explosion.

The city's police chief David Tzuri told a news conference that seven people were critically wounded.

Rescue workers said the bomb was a relatively small device but the cramped nature of the market had meant there were a large amount of casualties.-AFP