Suicide bombing at Patt junction in Jerusalem - 18-Jun-2002

©2002 Zoom 77   Suicide bombing in Jerusalem bus (June 18) ©2002 Reuters/Yannis Behrakis  Bodies of the victims removed from the bus (June 18) View inside the bus (June 18) ©2002 Reuters/  Yannis Behrakis PM Sharon views scene of suicide bombing (June 18)

19 people were killed and 74 injured - six seriously - in a suicide bombing at the Patt junction in Jerusalem. The bus, which was completely destroyed, was carrying many students on their way to school. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the bomber as Muhamed al-Ral, an Islamic law student at An-Najah University. A preliminary investigation indicated that he had made his way from Nablus to Bethlehem. From there he infiltrated Jerusalem's southern city limits the night before the bombing, despite a massive deployment by police and soldiers alerted by intelligence warnings of an attack in the capital.

Al-Ral boarded Egged bus no. 32A from Gilo at 7:50 A.M. at the stop in Beit Safafa, an Arab neighborhood opposite Gilo, and almost immediately detonated the large bomb which he carried in a bag stuffed with ball bearings. The blast destroyed the front half of the bus, packed with people on their way to work and schoolchildren. Of the 19 victims, 17 were residents of the Gilo neighborhood.

The victims:

- Boaz Aluf, 54, of Jerusalem
- Shani Avi-Zedek, 15, of Jerusalem
- Leah Baruch, 59, of Jerusalem
- Mendel Bereson, 72, of Jerusalem
- Raphael Berger, 28, of Jerusalem
- Michal Biazi, 24, of Jerusalem
- Tatiana Braslavsky, 41, of Jerusalem
- Galila Bugala, 11, of Jerusalem
- Raisa Dikstein, 67, of Jerusalem
- Dr. Moshe Gottlieb, 70, of Jerusalem
- Baruch Gruani, 60, of Jerusalem
- Orit Hayla, 21, of Jerusalem
- Helena Ivan, 63, of Jerusalem
- Iman Kabha, 26, of Barta'a
- Shiri Negari, 21, of Jerusalem
- Gila Nakav, 55, of Jerusalem
- Yelena Plagov, 42, of Jerusalem
- Liat Yagen, 24 of Jerusalem
- Rahamim Zidkiyahu, 51, of Jerusalem

Boaz Aluf		Shani Avi-Zedek		Leah Baruch		Mendel Bereson
Rafael Berger		Michal Biazi		Tatiana Braslavsky		Galila Bugala
Raisa Dikstein		Moshe Gottlieb		Baruch Gruani		Orit Hayla
Helena Ivan		Iman Kabha		Gila Nakav		Shiri Negari
Yelena Plagov		Liat Yagen		Rahamim Zidkiyahu

 19 dead, 52 wounded in suicide bus bombing in southern Jerusalem - Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2002
 At the scene: Stench of burning metal and flesh lingers for hours - Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2002
 EU condemns Jerusalem bus bombing - J.Post, June 18, 2002
 19 killed, 50 injured in suicide bombing on Jerusalem bus - Ha'aretz, June 18, 2002