Netzarim Junction bicycle bombing
Encyclopedia
The Netzarim Junction bicycle bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on November 11, 1994 at a Israeli Army
checkpoint located in the Gaza Strip
. In the attack, three Israeli soldiers were killed and six Israeli soldiers and six Palestinian Arab
were wounded.
The Islamic Jihad
claimed responsibility for the attack.
checkpoint. Apart from the bomber, the blast killed three Israeli soldiers, all officers on reserve duty, and wounded twelve other people – six Israeli servicemen and six Palestinian Arabs, including members of a family that happened to be passing in a car.
The attack occurred close to the then Israeli settlement of Netzarim
, at the main junction of Gaza Strip
's north-south highway.
identified the bomber as Hisham Ismail Hamad, 21, of Gaza City's Sheik Radwan neighborhood.
Chairman Yasser Arafat
condemned the attack, through an aide. Following the attack, the Palestinian police raided scores of houses and a mosque and arrested more than 100 Islamic militants in a crackdown ordered as a result of the killing of the three Israeli soldiers.
While apparently initiating a tougher policy against Muslim militants, leaders of the Palestinian self-rule authority denounced Netzarim and the other settlement in the Gaza Strip. "Netzarim has been a sore point," said Nabil Shaath
, the Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator. Another official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, said, "The settlements represent a time bomb, and we think that in order to overcome many difficulties on the security level, this issue must be resolved, and resolved soon".
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
checkpoint located in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. In the attack, three Israeli soldiers were killed and six Israeli soldiers and six Palestinian Arab
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
were wounded.
The Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack
On Friday, November 11, 1994 a Palestinian Arab cyclist detonated explosives strapped to his body as he rode his bicycle into an Israeli ArmyIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
checkpoint. Apart from the bomber, the blast killed three Israeli soldiers, all officers on reserve duty, and wounded twelve other people – six Israeli servicemen and six Palestinian Arabs, including members of a family that happened to be passing in a car.
The attack occurred close to the then Israeli settlement of Netzarim
Netzarim (settlement)
Netzarim was formerly an Israeli settlement established in Gaza in 1972. It began as a secular Nahal outpost of the Hashomer Hatzair movement; in 1984 it became an orthodox kibbutz. A few years later, the residents decided to change from a kibbutz to a village...
, at the main junction of Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
's north-south highway.
Fatalities
The following people died in the attack:- Capt. Yehazkel Sapir, 36, of Kfar Sava
- Lt. Yotam Rahat, 31, of Tel-Aviv
- Capt. Elad Dror, 24, of Kibbutz NahshonNahshon, IsraelNahshon is a kibbutz in central Israel. Located to the north of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 412....
The perpetrators
A leaflet that was later distributed by Islamic JihadIslamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine known in the West as simply Palestinian Islamic Jihad , is a small Palestinian militant organization. The group has been labelled as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia and Israel...
identified the bomber as Hisham Ismail Hamad, 21, of Gaza City's Sheik Radwan neighborhood.
Aftermath
Palestine Liberation OrganizationPalestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
Chairman Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
condemned the attack, through an aide. Following the attack, the Palestinian police raided scores of houses and a mosque and arrested more than 100 Islamic militants in a crackdown ordered as a result of the killing of the three Israeli soldiers.
While apparently initiating a tougher policy against Muslim militants, leaders of the Palestinian self-rule authority denounced Netzarim and the other settlement in the Gaza Strip. "Netzarim has been a sore point," said Nabil Shaath
Nabil Shaath
Nabil Shaath is a senior Palestinian official who has held the following titles:*Palestinian chief negotiator*Palestinian cabinet minister*Palestinian International Co-operation Minister*Planning Minister for the Palestinian National Authority...
, the Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator. Another official, Yasser Abed Rabbo, said, "The settlements represent a time bomb, and we think that in order to overcome many difficulties on the security level, this issue must be resolved, and resolved soon".