Tali Hatuel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tali Hatuel (June 28, 1970 - May 2, 2004) was an Israeli settler in Gaza who, along with her four daughters aged 2 to 11, was ambushed and executed at close range on May 2, 2004 by armed Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip. She was eight months pregnant with her fifth child.
Contents |
[edit] Events
Hatuel was driving from central Israel to her home of 12 years in the Israeli settlement bloc of Gush Katif (near Rafah in the Gaza Strip), when she and her four girls Hila (11), Hadar (9), Roni (7), and Meirav (2), were shot at and forced off the road near Kissufim. Hatuel was wounded in the initial attack. Palestinian terrorists armed with fully-automatic AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles then approached the vehicle to within point blank range and shot repeatedly, murdering Hatuel and her four daughters, while the daughters were still in their car-seats. Both The Popular Resistance Committees and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the deaths.
Hatuel had just picked up her children from school and was on her way to Ashkelon, to her husband's work, traveling in the vicinity of the Kissufim Crossing. The Palestinian terrorists involved had launched their attack from a group of nearby buildings, and were later killed by the Israeli Defense Force. The IDF had earlier sought to demolish these buildings, under claims of a security risk, but were prevented from so doing by the Supreme Court of Israel (BAGATZ). [1]
[edit] Tributes to Hatuel family
President of Israel Moshe Katsav attended the funeral.
On June 16, 2004, Ben-Gurion University in the Negev awarded Tali Hatuel a posthumous Masters of Arts degree in Social Work. Her husband, David Hatuel, accepted the degree on her behalf.
On July 25, 2004, Tali's husband David Hatuel was given a place of prominence near the Western Wall in the human chain from the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem protesting against Israel's plan to expel the Jews of Gaza in which over 130,000 Israelis took part.
[edit] Related attacks
On May 9, 2004, two terrorists, dressed in women's clothing [1], opened fire upon individuals participating in a memorial service for Tali Hatuel and her four daughters. There were no civilian injuries. The attackers were killed by the Israel Defense Forces. An alliance of Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack. [2]
On May 10, 2004, the Israel Defense Forces demolished some of the houses that had reportedly provided cover to the terrorists during the attack on Tali Hatuel and her daughters, as well as the attack on the mourners at her memorial service one week later. (INN)
[edit] 2007 arrest
On June 6, 2007, the IDF arrested a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative, Jihad Salah Saliman Abu Dahar, who admitted to his involvement in a number of terror attacks including the deadly attack on the Hatuel family. [2] [3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Maariv
- INN
- Amnesty International classifies attack as Crime against humanity
- Independent Media Review Analysis
- Thousands mourn slain mother, girls (HaAretz)
- Gunmen kill Jewish settler family (BBC)
