2002 Rishon LeZion bombing

Palestinian suicide attack in Israel

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The attack site

Native nameהפיגוע במועדון השפילד קלאבLocationRishon Lezion, IsraelDate7 May 2002; 22 years ago (2002-05-07)
11:03 pm

Attack type

Suicide bombingDeaths15 (+1 bomber)Injured55PerpetratorHamas 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, Israel. 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 15 civilians and injuring 55 people, 10 critically.^[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 and 8 kilograms, and stated that the briefcase contained also metal fragments and bolts in order to maximize the number of casualties in the attack.^[5]

Photos from the attack site

The perpetrator

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

Aftermath

The attack was condemned by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.^[6]

After the attack, Irina Polishchuk, a Ukrainian married to Palestinian-Arab Ibrahim Sarahne,^[7]^[8] 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.^{[citation needed]}

Release of attack collaborator

On 18 October 2011, Polishchuk, who had originally been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, was released to the West Bank as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b "CNN.com – Attacks since start of Al Aqsa intifada – June 21, 2002". CNN. 2011. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011. Rish
^ "BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | In pictures: Israel bomb blast". BBC News. London: BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
^ "The Day - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^ "BBC News - MIDDLE EAST - Israel poised to strike Gaza". 9 May 2002. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^ "All 15 Victims of Rishon Letzion Suicide Bombing Identified". Haaretz. 8 May 2002.
^ "UN News Centre". un.org. 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2011. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
^ "נענע10 - שירות הביטחון: התקשורת מתלהמת בפרשת הסייענית - חדשות". Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
^ "ynet השב"כ מתנצל: טעות בזיהוי - חדשות". ynet. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
^ "שרות בתי הסוהר". Retrieved 16 December 2014.

External links

Suicide bomber kills 15 in Israel – published on 8 May 2002 in The Guardian
Lin: The aftermath of the Rishon Letzion attack Archived 4 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine – 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)
Azor attack (February 14)
Netanya bombing (March 4)
Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26)
Murders of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8)
1st HaSharon Mall bombing (May 18)
Dolphinarium discotheque massacre (June 1)
Killing of Yehuda Shoham (June 5)
Binyamina train station bombing (July 16)
Sbarro restaurant bombing (August 9)
Nahariya train station bombing (September 9)
Assassination of Rehavam Ze'evi (October 17)
Camp 80 junction bus attack (November 29)
Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1)
Haifa bus bombing (December 2)
Immanuel bus attack (December 12)

2002

Hadera attack (January 18)
Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25)
Jaffa Street bombing (January 27)
Karnei Shomron Mall bombing (February 16)
Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (February 19)
Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing (March 2)
Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3)
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 bombing (March 31)
Yagur Junction bombing (April 10)
Mahane Yehuda bombing (April 12)
Adora attack (April 27)
Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7)
Netanya Market bombing (May 19)
Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23)
Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5)
Herzliya bombing (June 11)
Patt Junction bus bombing (June 18)
French Hill 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 attack (August 4)
Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19)
Karkur junction bombing (October 21)
Sonol gas station bombing (October 27)
Metzer attack (November 10)
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 bombing (March 5)
Mike's Place bombing (April 30)
French Hill bombings (May 18)
Afula mall bombing (May 19)
Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11)
Route 60 Hamas attack (June 20)
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 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 the Hatuel family (May 2)
Tashkent 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 bombing (July 12)
Shfar'am attack (August 4)
Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21)
Hadera Market bombing (October 26)
3rd HaSharon Mall bombing (December 5)

2006

1st Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (January 19)
Kedumim bombing (March 30)
2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17)
Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25)

2007

Eilat bombing (January 29)
Nahal Telem shooting (December 28)

2008

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

1990s

2010s

v t e Prominent Palestinian militancy attacks in the 2000s
Within Israel	Azor attack³ (February 14, 2001) Netanya bombing² (March 4, 2001) 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18, 2001) Dolphinarium discotheque massacre² (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) Camp 80 junction bus 823 attack (November 29, 2001) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1, 2001) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2, 2001) Hadera attack (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 bombing (March 2, 2002) Seafood Market attack (March 5, 2002) Atzmona attack (March 7, 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) 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) Metzer attack (November 2, 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) 2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17, 2006) Gaza cross-border raid² (June 25, 2006) Eilat bakery bombing (January 29, 2007) Dimona suicide bombing (February 4, 2008) Jerusalem yeshiva attack (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) Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi² (October 17, 2001) Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26, 2001) Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5, 2001) Immanuel bus attack (December 12, 2001) Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (19 February 2002) Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3, 2002) French Hill Junction suicide bombing (June 19, 2002) 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) Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21, 2005) Kedumim bombing (March 30, 2006) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25, 2006) Nahal Telem shooting (December 28, 2007) Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2, 2009) Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24, 2009)
Gaza Strip	Kissufim tank ambush ‎(September 5, 2002) Murder of the Hatuel family (May 2, 2004) IDF outpost bombing attack (December 12, 2004)
Other countries	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