“It’s a disturbing new dimension” in the Israeli-Hamas war this week, reports ABC’s N. J. Burkett on the scene of a bus bombing in Tel Aviv. The Al-Qassam Brigade, one of Hamas’ armed wings, took credit for the terrorist attack on civilians that resulted in at least 10 injured — and perhaps the crippling of the efforts to reach a cease-fire:

A bomb exploaded on an Israeli bus near the nation’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv, wounding at least 10 people, Israeli officials said today.

The bus exploded about noon local time Wednesday in one of the city’s busiest areas, near the Tel Aviv museum. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said authorities were investigating whether the bomb had been planted and left on the bus or whether it was the work of a suicide bomber. This is the first terror attack in Israel since 2006.

Upon landing in Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement condemning the attack.

“The United States strongly condemns this terrorist attack and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the people of Israel. As I arrive in Cairo, I am closely monitoring reports from Tel Aviv, and we will stay in close contact with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s team. The United States stands ready to provide any assistance that Israel requires,” she said.

CNN’s Ben Wedeman tells his audience that a local mosque cheered the attack shortly after it took place, and is asked how this impacts the cease-fire talks. Wedeman says the impact is “huge,” and suggests that the politics of the war may have changed in Israel to support a ground invasion in Gaza now:

This looks like a clarifying moment in the latest round of hostilities. Hamas tried to get a PR edge yesterday by prematurely declaring that a cease-fire agreement had been reached, and the very next day targeted Tel Aviv civilians in a terrorist attack on top of a big increase in its rocket fire coming from Gaza. Maybe Hillary Clinton should demand a few answers from Hamas’ parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, on their own motives in this conflict.