1997 Mahane Yehuda Market bombings

1997 Mahane Yehuda Market bombings
The attack site
Location	Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem
Date	30 July 1997 13:15 pm (GMT+2)
Attack type	suicide bombings
Deaths	16 civilians (+ 2 suicide bombers)
Non-fatal injuries	178
Perpetrators	Hamas claimed responsibility

Mahane Yehuda Market

The 1997 Mahane Yehuda Market bombings were two consecutive suicide bombings carried out by Hamas militants on 30 July 1997 at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, Israel, the city's main open-air fruit and vegetable market. Sixteen people were killed in the attack and 178 were injured.^[1]

The attack

On Wednesday, 30 July 1997 at 1:15 pm, two Palestinian suicide bombers who carried bags laden with explosives and nails detonated their explosive devices 45 meters (150 feet) apart almost simultaneously in a central alley in the popular outdoor market, killing 16 civilians, among them an Arab resident of Eilabun, and injuring 178 people, many of them teenagers and tourists.^[2]

Thirteen Israelis were killed immediately and three others died later from their injuries. The Mahane Yehuda attack was followed by a triple suicide bombing on the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall in downtown Jerusalem on 4 September, which killed five Israelis and wounded over 190.^[3]

Fatalities

The following people died in the attack:^[4][5]

• Lev Desyatnik, 60, of Jerusalem^[6]
• Regina Giber, 76, of Jerusalem^[7]
• Valentina Kovalenko, 67, of Jerusalem^[8]
• Shmuel Malka, 44, of Mevaseret Zion^[9]
• David Nasco, 44, of Mevaseret Zion^[10]
• Muhi A-din Othman, 33, of Eilabun^[11]
• Simha Fremd, 92, of Jerusalem^[12]
• Gregory Paskhovitz, 15, of Jerusalem^[13]
• Leah Stern, 50, of Jerusalem^[14]
• Rachel Tejgatrio, 83, of Jerusalem^[15]
• Liliya Zelezniak, 47, of Jerusalem^[16]
• Shalom (Golan) Zevulun, 52, of Jerusalem^[17]
• Mark Rabinowitz, 80, of Jerusalem^[18]
• Eli Adourian, 49, of Kfar Adumim (died on 11 August)^[19]
• Ilya Gazarkh, 73, of Jerusalem (died on 29 August)^[20]
• Baruch Ostrovsky, 84, of Jerusalem (died on 3 October 1997)^[21]

Praise for the attack

In August 1997, Fahad Rimawi, editor of the Jordanian weekly Almajd, wrote: "We praise and glorify the double heroic act which two Palestinian 'mujahadins' performed in the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. These two holy martyrs illuminated the night in Jerusalem...and gave meaning to Arab heroism. We do not hide our happiness upon this act."^[22]

Aftermath

In retaliation for these and other attacks, a decision was reached to target Hamas leaders. According to an Israeli press release, Mossad agents tried to poison chairman Khaled Mashal, who resided at the time in Jordan.^[23] The assassination attempt failed and the Mossad agents were captured by the Jordanian authorities. They were later released in exchange for the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and "spiritual leader" of Hamas who was serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison.^[24][25]

See also

• 2002 Mahane Yehuda Market bombing

References

Prominent terrorist attacks against Israelis in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict – the 1990s
1990	Cairo bus attack (February 4) Assassination of Meir Kahane (November 5) Ein Netafim ambush (November 26)
1992	Night of the Pitchforks (February 14) Attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires (March 17) Murder of Helena Rapp (May 24) Kidnapping and murder of Nissim Toledano (December 13)
1993	Mehola Junction bombing (April 16) Kidnapping and murder of Yaron Chen (August 5)
1994	Afula Bus suicide bombing (April 6) Hadera central station suicide bombing (April 13) Attack on the Israeli Embassy in London (July 26) Kidnapping and murder of Nachshon Wachsman (October 14) Dizengoff Street bus bombing (October 19) Netzarim Junction bicycle bombing (November 11) Afula axe attack (November 30)
1995	Beit Lid massacre (January 22) Kfar Darom bus attack (April 9) Ramat Gan bus bombing (July 24) Jerusalem bus 26 bombing (August 21)
1996	First Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing (February 25) ‡ Second Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing (March 3) Dizengoff Center suicide bombing (March 4) Murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar (June 9)
1997	Island of Peace massacre (March 13) Café Apropo bombing (March 21) Mahane Yehuda Market Bombings (July 30) Ben Yehuda Street Bombing (September 4)
Attacks launched from the West Bank   Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip   Attacks launched from Lebanon   Attacks launched from Jordan   Attacks launched from Egypt ‡ indicates the terrorist attack which caused the greatest amount of Israeli casualties during the 1990s Full list of Palestinian suicide attacks Full list of Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel 1980s 2000s

Prominent Palestinian militancy attacks in the 1990s
Within Israel	Night of the Pitchforks (February 14, 1992) Murder of Helena Rapp (May 24, 1992) Kidnapping and murder of Nissim Toledano (December 13, 1992) Afula Bus suicide bombing2 (April 6, 1994) Hadera central station suicide bombing (April 13, 1994) Kidnapping and murder of Nachshon Wachsman2 (October 14, 1994) Dizengoff Street bus bombing (October 19, 1994) Afula axe attack2 (November 30, 1994) Beit Lid massacre (January 22, 1995) Kfar Darom bus attack3 (April 9, 1995) Ramat Gan bus bombing2 (July 24, 1995) Jerusalem bus 26 bombing (August 21, 1995) First Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing (February 25, 1996) Second Jerusalem bus 18 suicide bombing (March 3, 1996) Dizengoff Center suicide bombing (March 4, 1996) Murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar (June 9, 1996) Café Apropo bombing (March 21, 1997) Mahane Yehuda Market Bombings (July 30, 1997) Ben Yehuda Street Bombing (September 4, 1997)
West Bank	Mehola Junction bombing (April 16, 1993) Kidnapping and murder of Yaron Chen (August 5, 1993)
Gaza Strip	Netzarim Junction bicycle bombing (November 11, 1994)
1 Attacks launched from Lebanon 2 Attacks launched from the West Bank 3 Attacks launched from the Gaza strip 1980s 2000s