A 27-year-old man was seriously injured Thursday when his car exploded near a playground in the northern city of Nesher, near Haifa, in an apparent underworld hit attempt.

No one else was hurt in the attack. The man was rushed to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa under sedation. Police sappers arrived at the scene to ensure the car did not contain a second bomb.

Authorities said the man was a former prisoner with a criminal record. He is currently under house arrest for unspecified offenses. It was not immediately clear whether he had breached the terms of his detention.

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On Sunday a 28-year-old woman and her two young children were lightly injured when an explosion occurred in their car as they drove on Road 65, near the central city of Pardes Hannah.

Police said the woman was the wife of a known criminal figure in Hadera. They suspected that a bomb was planted in the front of the car and that the blast was an attempted hit.