Tel Aviv, Israel ? Two suicide bombers blew themselves up seconds apart Wednesday night in downtown Tel Aviv, killing three civilians and wounding more than 40, police said.

The attack took place between a cafe and a theater in a rundown neighborhood where many foreign workers live. Police said two of the dead were foreign laborers and many of the wounded were from Romania. Past Palestinian bombing attacks have targeted Israeli civilians.

The group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombings, according to the Al Manar TV station in Lebanon. Israel blamed the Palestinian Authority, but that group condemned the attack.

The suicide bombers were standing only 15 to 20 yards from each other when they set off the explosions on Neve Shaanan street in the southern part of the downtown area where foreign workers gather to socialize. The area is crowded with small shops.

They said three civilians and the two bombers died and more than 40 people were wounded. Police earlier said the death toll was higher.

About 300,000 foreigners work in Israel, replacing to a large extent the Palestinian laborers who have been barred from entering since the outbreak of fighting.

Earlier Wednesday, an Israeli warplane bombed a metal workshop in the Gaza Strip. The Israelis said it was used to manufacture weapons for the violent Islamic Hamas.

And in the West Bank, Israeli forces swept through Palestinian areas, arresting a senior Hamas militant and killing three Palestinians.