Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing

Last updated

Yeshivat Beit Yisrael massacre
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
Israel outline jerusalem.png
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
The attack site
LocationJerusalem
DateMarch 2, 2002;22 years ago (2002-03-02)
c. 19:00 pm (GMT+2)
Attack type
 Suicide bombing
Deaths11 civilians (+ 1 suicide bomber)
InjuredOver 50, 4 critically
Perpetrators Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility
AssailantMohammed al-Chouhani

A Palestinian suicide bombing occurred in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem on March 2, 2002. [1] Eleven Israeli civilians were killed in the attack, including two infants, three children and two teenagers. Over 50 people were injured in the attack, four of them critically. The bombing took place at the entrance of the Haredi yeshiva "Beit Yisrael" in central Jerusalem where people had gathered for a bar mitzvah celebration. The suicide bomber detonated the bomb full of shrapnel alongside a group of women with their baby strollers, waiting for the services in a nearby synagogue to conclude. The Palestinian militant organization al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

The attack

The bombing took place on Saturday evening in the Haredi Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem, a neighborhood that had been targeted in three previous attacks.

Shortly after 7 PM, the streets were crowded with worshippers who had just finished the sun-down prayers that mark the conclusion of the Shabbat. People had gathered near the Mahane Yisrael yeshiva for the bar mitzvah of Naveh Hazan. Another family, the Hajabis, were also celebrating their son's bar mitzvah, and members of the related Nehmad and Ilan families had arrived in Jerusalem for the celebration. [6] [2] [3] Upwards of 1,000 Jews prayed every Saturday evening at the Mahane Israel seminary.

The bomber was standing alongside a group of women with baby carriages who were waiting for their husbands to return from the synagogue, and blew himself up just as the family and guests were beginning to leave. The ensuing blast shook downtown Jerusalem, and ignited a nearby car. Among the dead were an infant and her six-year-old brother, a mother and her three-year-old son, and a 12-year-old boy. The dead included members of the Hajabi, Hazan, Nehmad, and Ilan families. A woman who was pregnant with twins survived but lost both of her unborn children.[ citation needed ] Two babies were taken to Hadassah Medical Center, the whereabouts of their parents unknown. [6] [2] [4]

The bombing occurred only meters from the site of a previous car bombing the year before. At the Mahane Yisrael seminary, a stone wall was splattered in blood.

Shlomi, an eyewitness, saw a baby carriage alongside a dead baby and other dead people. Another witness said that she and everyone else in her family had been injured when the bomber attacked:

I was speaking with everyone and when I turned around I saw people flying in the air. My brother fell onto me. I didn't know if my brother was wounded or the blood of other wounded people was on him. All I felt was pain.

Eitan of the Magen David Adom recounted:

We arrived at the site and saw scenes of horror. Young children, old people, women, lying in the road without hands, without legs, blood everywhere and enormous destruction all about. Only some had the strength to scream or cry. The quiet was the thing I remember most... This was one of the worst attacks I can remember.

Livnat, the sister of Sofia Ya'arit Eliyahu who died in the blast with her seven-month-old son, described her experience:

On Saturday night, we went out for a walk with two baby carriages. Sofia's baby started crying and she bent down to pick him up, while I continued walking with her little girl. We were 10 meters from them when we heard a horrendous explosion ... I looked back and saw only a huge inferno. Sofia and the baby had disappeared." [6] [2] [7]

Fatalities

Ten people were killed instantly in the attack, and an eleventh died later of his injuries. 8 of those fatilaies were from the Nehmad family. [8] Over 50 people were injured. [9]

Perpetrators

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility and said the attack was to avenge the deaths of 19 Palestinians killed during Israeli military incursions into the Balata and Jenin refugee camps earlier in the week. The bomber was identified as 19-year-old Mohammed al-Chouhani from the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. Around 1,500 Palestinians celebrated through the camp handing out sweets and shooting in the air. [10]

Official reactions

Involved parties

International

The US State Department harshly condemned this "terrorist outrage". "Such murder of innocent citizens cannot be justified and can only harm the interests and aspirations of the Palestinian people in progress toward a better future ... We call upon Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to do everything possible to confront and stop the terrorists responsible for these criminal acts." [2] [4] [11]

Supranational

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson expressed her shock and horror and said, "Acts of suicide bombings in Israel harm the interests and aspirations of the Palestinian people because they undermine support for the cause of self-determination and the fight against occupation." [11]

Burials

The Nehamad family were buried in Rishon Letzion. The Israeli Health Minister, Nissim Dahan, said of the dead: "They cut off the most beautiful flowers before their time was due." The eulogies expressed feelings of bitterness and anger. [12] Sofia Ya'arit Eliyahu, 23, and her seven-month-old son, Avraham Eliyahu were buried at Moshav Noam. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Note: This compilation includes only those attacks that resulted in casualties. Attacks which did not kill or wound are not included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxim restaurant suicide bombing</span> 2003 Palestinian terror attack in Haifa, Israel

The Maxim restaurant bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on October 4, 2003, in the beachfront "Maxim" restaurant in Haifa, Israel. Twenty-one civilians were killed and 60 were injured. Among the victims were two families and four children, including a two-month-old baby.

A suicide bombing of a crowded public bus in the Shmuel HaNavi quarter in Jerusalem took place on August 19, 2003. Twenty-four people were killed and over 130 wounded. Many of the victims were children, some of them infants. The Islamist militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

As part of the Arab–Israeli conflict, especially during the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005, Palestinian militant groups used children for suicide bombings. Minors were recruited to attack Israeli targets, both military and civilian. This deliberate involvement of children in armed conflict was condemned by international human rights organizations.

Ayat al-Akhras was the third and youngest Palestinian female suicide bomber who, at age 18, killed herself and two Israeli civilians on March 29, 2002, by detonating explosives belted to her body. The killings gained widespread international attention due to Ayat's age and gender and the fact that one of the victims was also a teenage girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing</span> 2001 Palestinian attack in West Jerusalem

A Palestinian suicide bombing on Sbarro, a pizzeria in downtown Jerusalem, took place on 9 August 2001, in which 16 civilians were killed, including 7 children and a pregnant woman, and 130 wounded. The attack occurred during the events of the Second Intifada.

This page is a partial listing of incidents of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patt Junction bus bombing</span> 2002 suicide bombing in Jerusalem

A suicide bombing on an Egged bus was carried out by Hamas in Jerusalem on June 18, 2002, killing 19 people and wounding over 74. 17 of the dead were residents of Gilo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Eilat bombing</span> 2007 Palestinian attack on civilians in Eilat, Israel

The 2007 Eilat bombing occurred on 29 January 2007 when a Palestinian suicide bomber from the Gaza Strip infiltrated the northern suburbs of Eilat, Israel. Upon seeing the police approaching, he entered a neighbourhood bakery and detonated his bomb, killing three civilians: the bakery's co-owners and an employee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahane Yehuda Market</span> Marketplace in Jerusalem

Mahane Yehuda Market, often referred to as "The Shuk", is a marketplace in Jerusalem. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors; clothing and shoes; and housewares, textiles, and Judaica.

The following is a partial list of civilian casualties in the Second Intifada.

Events in the year 2002 in Israel.

Events in the year 2001 in Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Mahane Yehuda Market bombings</span> Suicide bombing by Hamas in Jerusalem

Two consecutive suicide bombings were carried out by Hamas militants on 30 July 1997 at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, the city's main open-air fruit and vegetable market. Sixteen people were killed in the attack and 178 were injured.

Events in the year 2004 in the Palestinian territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Mahane Yehuda Market bombing</span> 2002 attack on civilians in Jerusalem

A suicide bombing occurred on 12 April 2002 at a bus stop located at the entrance to the Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem's main fruit and vegetable market. The site of the attack was chosen in order to cause maximum number of casualties. 6 civilians were killed in the attack and 104 were injured. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davidka Square bus bombing</span> 2003 suicide bombing in Jerusalem, Israel

A suicide bombing took place on June 11, 2003, on Egged bus line 14a at Davidka Square in the center of Jerusalem. 17 people were killed in the attack and over 100 people were injured.

al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Coalition of Palestinian militant groups

The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a coalition of Palestinian armed groups. The organization has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.

References

  1. ↑ Dronzina, T.; Houdaigui, R.E. (2012). Contemporary Suicide Terrorism: Origins, Trends and Ways of Tackling It. IOS Press. p. 63. ISBN   9781614991090 . Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "9 dead, 51 hurt in Jerusalem bombing". Haaretz. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Focus / Jerusalem's soft underbelly". Haaretz. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Bennet, James (3 March 2002). "In Jerusalem, Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 9". New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  5. ↑ Hermann, Peter (3 March 2002). "Sixteen Israelis killed in two attacks ; West Bank shooting, Jerusalem bombing injure more than 50". The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Suicide bombing in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood in Jerusalem - 2-Mar-2002". MFA. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Mother and infant son laid to rest". Haaretz. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Nehmad Family Buries Their Eighth Victim". Haaretz.
  9. ↑ "Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology". irp.fas.org.
  10. ↑ "Israel rocked by Palestinian attacks". BBC. March 3, 2002.
  11. 1 2 "UN rights chief Robinson says shocked by Jerusalem bombing". Haaretz. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Seven funerals for the Nehmad family". Haaretz. Retrieved September 1, 2012.

31°47′19″N35°13′20″E / 31.7887°N 35.2223°E / 31.7887; 35.2223

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.