2002 Rishon LeZion bombing

2002 Rishon LeZion bombing
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
The attack site
Location	Rishon Lezion, Israel
Date	7 May 2002 11:03 pm
Attack type	suicide bombing
Deaths	15 (+ 1 bomber)
Non-fatal injuries	57
Perpetrators	Hamas claimed responsibility

The 2002 Rishon LeZion bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on 7 May 2002 at a crowded game club located in the new industrial area of Rishon Lezion. 16 people were killed in the attack and 55 were injured.

The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack

On Tuesday, 7 May 2002 at 11:03 pm, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a hidden explosive device within a crowded game club full of people located in the new industrial area of Rishon Lezion, only 10 km south of Tel Aviv, killing 16 innocent civilians and injuring 55 people, 10 of them in critical condition.^[1][2][3][4]

After the attack the Israeli police stated that the suicide bomber was carrying a briefcase full of explosives and in addition was also wearing an explosive belt. The police estimated that the total weight of explosives were between 7 to 8 kilograms, and stated that the briefcase contained also metal fragments and bolts in order to maximize the number of casualties in the attack.

Fatalities

The perpetrators

The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.^[1]

Aftermath

The attack was condemned by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.^[20]

After the attack Irina Polishchuk, a Ukrainian illegal prostitute married the Palestinian-Arab Ibrahim Sarahne,^[21][22] was caught and convicted of participating in the 2002 Rishon LeZion bombing for her part in delivering the bomber to the site of the attack.

Release of attack collaborator

On 18 October 2011 Irina Polishchuk, who was originally sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, was released to the West Bank as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.^[23]

References

External links

• Suicide bomber kills 15 in Israel – published on 8 May 2002 in The Guardian
• Lin: The aftermath of the Rishon Letzion attack – published on 8 May 2002 on CNN
• Israeli Embassy Statement on 7 May Rishon LeZion Bombing – published on 8 May 2002 on jewishfederations.org

Prominent terrorist attacks against Israelis in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict – the 2000s 2001 Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17) Netanya bombing (March 4) Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26) Murder of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8) 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18) Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing (June 1) Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5) Binyamina train station suicide bombing (July 16) Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing (August 9) Nahariya train station suicide bombing (September 9) Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi (October 17) Pardes Hanna bus bombing (November 29) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2) Immanuel bus attack (December 12) 2002 Bat Mitzvah massacre (January 18) Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25) Jaffa Street bombing (January 27) Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing (February 16) Yeshivat Beit Yisrael massacre (March 2) Seafood Market attack (March 5) Café Moment bombing (March 9) Matzuva attack (March 12) Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20) King George Street bombing (March 21) Passover massacre (March 27) ‡ Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29) Matza restaurant suicide bombing (March 31) Yagur Junction bombing (April 10) Mahane Yehuda Market bombing (April 12) Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7) Netanya Market bombing (May 19) Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23) Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5) Herzliya shawarma restaurant bombing (June 11) Patt Junction Bus Bombing (June 18) French Hill Junction suicide bombing (June 19) Itamar attack (June 20) Los Angeles Airport shooting (July 4) Immanuel bus attack (July 16) Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17) Hebrew University bombing (July 31) Meron Junction Bus 361 attack (August 4) Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19) Karkur junction suicide bombing (October 21) Sonol gas station bombing (October 27) Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21) Mombasa attacks (November 28) Beit She'an attack (November 28) Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27) 2003 Tel Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5) Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing (March 5) Mike's Place suicide bombing (April 30) Jerusalem bombings (May 18) Afula mall bombing (May 19) Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11) Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28) Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19) Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9) Café Hillel bombing (September 9) Maxim restaurant suicide bombing (October 4) Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25) 2004 2004 Erez Crossing bombing (January 14) Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29) Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22) Ashdod Port bombings (March 14) Murder of Hatuel family (May 2) Tashkent Israeli embassy bombing (July 30) Beersheba bus bombings (August 31) Sinai bombings (October 7) Carmel Market bombing (November 1) 2005 Karni border crossing attack (January 13) Stage Club bombing (February 25) 2nd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (July 12) Shfar'am attack (August 4) Hadera Market bombing (October 26) 3rd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (December 5) 2006 Kedumim bombing (March 30) Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing (April 17) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25) 2007 Eilat bakery bombing (January 29) Nahal Telem attack (December 28) 2008 Dimona suicide bombing (February 4) Mercaz HaRav massacre (March 6) Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2) Jerusalem BMW attack (September 22) 2009 Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2) Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24)   Attacks launched from the West Bank   Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip   Attacks launched from Lebanon ‡ indicates the terrorist attack which caused the greatest amount of Israeli casualties during the 2000s Full list of Palestinian suicide attacks List of Israeli civilian casualties in the Second Intifada Full list of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel Full list of Lebanese rocket attacks on Israel List of attacks from Lebanon Rocket attack on Eilat 1990s 2010s

Prominent Palestinian militancy attacks in the 2000s Within Israel Netanya bombing2 (March 4, 2001) 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18, 2001) Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing2 (June 1, 2001) Binyamina train station suicide bombing (July 16, 2001) Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing2 (August 9, 2001) Nahariya train station suicide bombing (September 9, 2001) Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi2 (October 17, 2001) Pardes Hanna bus bombing (November 29, 2001) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1, 2001) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2, 2001) Bat Mitzvah massacre (January 18, 2002) Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25, 2002) Jaffa Street bombing (January 27, 2002) Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing (February 16, 2002) Yeshivat Beit Yisrael massacre (March 2, 2002) Seafood Market attack (March 5, 2002) Café Moment bombing (March 9, 2002) Matzuva attack1 (March 12, 2002) Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20, 2002) King George Street bombing (March 21, 2002) Passover massacre (March 27, 2002) Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29, 2002) Matza restaurant suicide bombing (March 31, 2002) Yagur Junction bombing (April 10, 2002) Mahane Yehuda Market bombing (April 12, 2002) Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7, 2002) Netanya Market bombing (May 19, 2002) Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23, 2002) Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5, 2002) Herzliya shawarma restaurant bombing (June 11, 2002) Patt Junction Bus Bombing (June 18, 2002) French Hill Junction suicide bombing (June 19, 2002) Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17, 2002) Hebrew University bombing (July 31, 2002) Meron Junction Bus 361 attack (August 4, 2002) Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19, 2002) Karkur junction suicide bombing (October 21, 2002) Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21, 2002) Beit She'an attack (November 28, 2002) Tel-Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5, 2003) Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing (March 5, 2003) Mike's Place suicide bombing (April 30, 2003) Jerusalem bombings (May 18, 2003) Afula mall bombing (May 19, 2003) Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11, 2003) Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28, 2003) Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19, 2003) Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9, 2003) Café Hillel bombing (September 9, 2003) Maxim restaurant suicide bombing (October 4, 2003) Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25, 2003) 2004 Erez Crossing bombing3 (January 14, 2004) Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29, 2004) Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22, 2004) Ashdod Port bombings (March 14, 2004) Beersheba bus bombings (August 31, 2004) Carmel Market bombing (November 1, 2004) Karni border crossing attack (January 13, 2005) Stage Club bombing (February 25, 2005) 2nd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (July 12, 2005) Hadera Market bombing (October 26, 2005) 3rd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (December 5, 2005) Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing (April 17, 2006) Gaza cross-border raid2 (June 25, 2006) Eilat bakery bombing (January 29, 2007) Dimona suicide bombing (February 4, 2008) Mercaz HaRav massacre (March 6, 2008) Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2, 2008) Jerusalem BMW attack (September 22, 2008) West Bank Ramallah lynching (October 12, 2000) Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17, 2001) Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26, 2001) Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5, 2001) Murder of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8, 2001) Immanuel bus attack (December 12, 2001) Itamar attack (June 20, 2002) Immanuel bus attack (July 16, 2002) Sonol gas station bombing (October 27, 2002) Hebron ambush (November 15, 2002) Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27, 2002) Kedumim bombing (March 30, 2006) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25, 2006) Nahal Telem attack (December 28, 2007) Bat Ayin ax attack (April 2, 2009) Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24, 2009) Gaza Strip Murder of Hatuel family (May 2, 2004) IDF outpost bombing attack (December 12, 2004) Other countries Los Angeles Airport shooting (July 4, 2002) Sinai bombings (October 7, 2004) 1 Attacks launched from Lebanon 2 Attacks launched from the West Bank 3 Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip 1990s 2010s