2002 Hadera attack

Mass shooting and grenade attack in Israel
32°26′18″N 34°55′32″E / 32.43833°N 34.92556°E / 32.43833; 34.92556DateJanuary 17, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-01-17)
c. 9:45 pm (UTC+2)
Attack type
Mass shooting, massacre, murder-suicide, suicide bombingWeaponsM16 rifle & grenadesDeaths6 civilians (+1 assailant)Injured33 civiliansPerpetratoral-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibilityAssailantAbdul Salaam Sadek Hassouneh

On Thursday, January 17, 2002 a Palestinian terrorist, 24-year-old Abdul Salaam Sadek Hassouneh, killed six people and wounded 33 at a bat mitzvah celebration in Hadera, Israel.[1][2]

Attack

The attack took place at 9:45 pm (GMT+2) as guests were departing.[3] The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades assumed responsibility for the attack, claiming it was vengeance for the killing of its leader Raed Karmi. An Israeli police spokesman said the man, apparently on a suicide mission, had thrown several grenades into the Armon David wedding hall, where the Bat Mitzvah celebration had taken place, and detonated explosives on himself. The attacker was shot by police. A belt filled with explosives was found on the attacker.[1]

Media coverage

Al Jazeera was criticized for bias in coverage of the massacre for not including in their coverage that the victims were attending a bat mitzvah and that the gunman crashed the event at a crowded banquet hall.[4]

Perpetrator

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said the attacker, 24-year-old Abdel Salam Hassouna, was from a village near Nablus and launched the attack to avenge the death of Raed Karmi.[1]

After the attack a video made earlier by the attacker was released, in which he is seen declaring: "I am doing this to avenge all the Palestinian martyrs."[4]

Official reactions

Involved parties

 Israel

 Palestinian territories:

International
  •  United States: the US government condemned the Hadera attack "in the strongest possible terms," calling it a "horrific act of terrorism."[3] The widow of the one American killed in the attack, Aharon Ellis, brought a lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority that received a $173 million default judgment in 2006, and in 2009 was settled out of court.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Reeves, Phil (2002-01-18). "Bat mitzvah massacre in Israel leaves seven dead". The Independent.
  2. ^ Jackson, Brian A. (2007). Breaching the Fortress Wall: Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies. Rand Corporation. ISBN 9780833039149.
  3. ^ a b c "Gunman kills 6 Israelis; jets fire missiles in response". CNN. 2002-01-18.
  4. ^ a b Perspectives on war. Hickey, Neil, Columbia Journalism Review, March 1, 2002
  5. ^ Gerstein, Josh (2 February 2010). "Palestinians reverse on terror victim". Politico. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

External links

  • Seven killed in attack in Israel - published on BBC News on January 18, 2002
  • Seven Suicide terrorist kills 6 at Bat Mitzvah in Israel Archived 2012-11-07 at the Wayback Machine - published on the New York Post on January 18, 2002
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