Bomber wounds 25 at Tel Aviv cafe; 5 die in weekend attacks
Ha'aretz, March 31, 2002

Sunday, March 31, 2002 Nisan 18, 5762
Israel Time: 04:49 (GMT+3)

Bomber wounds 25 at Tel Aviv cafe; 5 die in weekend attacks

By Ha'aretz Staff

Around 25 people were wounded, five seriously, last night when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at approximately 9:30 P.M. in the My Coffee Shop cafe on the corner of Allenby and Bialik Streets in downtown Tel Aviv. Eli Dana, the owner of the cafe, which was almost entirely destroyed, said that the place had been only partially full at the time of the blast.
    The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, linked to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, took responsibility for the attack in "the heart of the Zionist entity," identifying the bomber as Muhaned Parhat, 21, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
    All of those wounded in the blast had been taken to hospital, the Magen David Adom ambulance service reported. One person was in critical condition, four were in serious condition, eight were moderately wounded and the rest sustained light injuries, the service reported.
    "I passed by there and then heard a loud explosion. I was so scared. I never saw something like this in my life," one witness, who was not further identified, told Channel Two television.
    Asaf, a customer, said he had just arrived when a massive explosion went off in the cafe. "There were at least three injured who I helped treat," said Asaf, a medic.
    The Tel Aviv district police chief, Major General Yossi Sedbon, said that his forces were conducting searches and an investigation in an effort to reveal if the bomber had had accomplices who had helped him carry out the attack. Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky added that the police were constantly reviewing ways in which to prevent attackers from making it through to Israel's cities, noting that it was impossible to completely close off the border line with the PA.
    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel would take all steps necessary, "using all means possible," to stop the Palestinian attacks. The bombing was "a continuation of the campaign of murder" against Israelis everywhere, said a statement from Sharon's office.

A weekend of terror

Five Israelis were killed at the weekend in three separate terror incidents in the Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim, Jerusalem and Baka al-Garbiyeh.
    Two Israelis were stabbed and killed early Friday morning by a Palestinian who infiltrated the Neztarim settlement in the Gaza Strip. The two victims were identified as Michael Orlanski, 70, of Tel Aviv, and Tuvia Wisner, 79, of Petah Tikva.
    The terrorist entered Netzarim Thursday night by cutting through its perimeter fence. He then hid in the settlement's synagogue, where he drew a swastika on one of the walls and wrote the slogan, "God is great," in Arabic.
    At around 6:30 A.M., the first worshiper entered the synagogue, only to be attacked and stabbed. The victim managed to get out of the building, but was overwhelmed by the attacker and stabbed to death. The terrorist then saw the second Israeli and killed him, too. Immediately thereafter, he fled the area, throwing a grenade that did not explode.
    Large military forces were dispatched to the scene and mounted a hunt for the attacker. He was eventually located in the southern part of the settlement and was shot dead by a member of the Border Police undercover unit and the deputy security officer of the Gaza Beach regional authority.
    Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.
    Military sources told Ha'aretz that the Israel Defense Forces was reconsidering its policy with regard to the employment of Palestinian laborers at settlements in the Gaza Strip. Although the settlements relied on these laborers, primarily in the field of agriculture, the sources said, a change in policy could be unavoidable.
    An Israeli man and woman were killed and more than 30 others were injured in a suicide bombing at a supermarket on Uruguay Street in Jerusalem's Kiryat Yovel neighborhood shortly before 2 P.M. on Friday.
    The woman was identified as Rachel Levy, 17, from the nearby Ramat Sharet neighborhood. The man killed was named as Haim Smadar, the security guard who prevented the bomber from entering the supermarket.
    One of the wounded is in serious condition, one is in moderate condition and the rest are suffering from light wounds.
    The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the female suicide bomber as Ayat Akhras, 18, from the Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem.
    Jerusalem police chief Mickey Levy said that the security guard at the entrance to the supermarket had attempted to prevent the bomber from entering and in doing so had saved a large number of lives.
    A Border Policeman was shot dead yesterday in the village of Baka al-Garbiyeh, on the Green Line border, during an exchange of fire with two Palestinians who were trying to cross into Israel. The two would-be infiltrators were shot and killed by Border Police forces in the area.
    The policeman was identified as First Sergeant Major Constantine Danilov, 23, from Or Akiva.
    The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack. In an anonymous phone call, a spokesman for the group said the two, identified as Fathi Abed el Gawad, 21, and Majdi al-Ameiri, 18, were attempting to cross into Israel in order to carry out a suicide attack.
    The two Palestinians were traveling in a car when they encountered the Border Police forces in the town. When they were ordered to stop, the gunmen opened fire, prompting a gunfight that left one policeman dead and one of the gunmen injured, police said.
    When police advanced toward the wounded gunman on the ground, he threw a grenade, which exploded but did not cause any injuries. Police then shot and killed him and opened fire on the second attacker who was still in the car. The shots caused an explosion in the vehicle. The blast had apparently been caused by an explosives belt worn by the gunman, police said.
    "I have no doubt that a very serious terrorist bombing in some Israeli town was prevented," said Farid Ghanem, a Border Police captain.

© Copyright 2002 Ha`aretz.

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