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.