41.   Then opening the tunnel was like opening an explosion.

42.   Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordehai told the committee for his part that he had been told only a few hours beforehand that the archaeological tunnel was being opened.

43.   It said the Israeli move to open the tunnel had hurt the sentiments of Moslems all over the world.

44.   Netanyahu said Friday that he did not regret opening the tunnel but acknowledged that he did not anticipate the violent reaction.

45.   Pakistan Thursday denounced the killing of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers during protests over a Israeli decision to open a tunnel in Jerusalem near the Al-Aqsa mosque.

46.   Relations between the two reached a crisis after the prime minister said on national television the security establishment had approved opening the tunnel, contradicting earlier statements by Ayalon.