2002 Hadera attack

2002 Hadera attack
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
The attack site
Native nameהפיגוע באולם ארמון דוד
Location32°26′18″N 34°55′32″E / 32.43833°N 34.92556°E / 32.43833; 34.92556
Hadera, Israel
DateJanuary 17, 2002; 24 years ago (2002-01-17)
c. 9:45 pm (UTC+2)
Attack type
Weapons
Deaths6 civilians (+1 assailant)
Injuries33 civilians
Perpetratoral-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility
AssailantAbdul Salaam Sadek Hassouneh

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

Attack

The attack took place at 9:45 pm (GMT+2) as guests were departing. 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.

Victims

The six people who were killed at the Bar Mitzvah were:

Edward Bakshayev, 48, of Or Akiva

Anatoly Bakshayev, 63, of Or Akiva

Aharon Ben Yisrael-Ellis, 32, of Ra'anana

Dina Binayev, 48, of Ashkelon

Boris Melikhov, 56, of Sderot

and Avi Yazdi, 25, of Hadera.

Aharon Ellis was an American singer who was performing at the Bar Mitzvah. His wife filled a lawsuit in US Federal Court against the Palestinian Authority with which al-Aqsa Martyrs is affiliated. It was alleged that that the perpetrator was a Palestinian Authority officer.

A judgment of $173 million was imposed but the sides signed an agreement in October 2009 with the final sum paid not revealed.

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.

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."

Official reactions

Involved parties
International

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Reeves, Phil (January 18, 2002). "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. 1 2 3 "Gunman kills 6 Israelis; jets fire missiles in response". CNN. January 18, 2002.
  4. ↑ "Victims of Palestinian Violence and Terrorism". www.gov.il. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ Weiser, Benjamin (September 8, 2008). "Palestinians Seek to Overturn Judgment, but There's a $192.7 Million Catch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Palestinians reverse on terror victim". POLITICO. February 15, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2026.
  7. ↑ Perspectives on war. Hickey, Neil, Columbia Journalism Review, March 1, 2002
  8. ↑ Gerstein, Josh (February 2, 2010). "Palestinians reverse on terror victim". Politico. Retrieved May 30, 2021.