Guo Aiping

Jan 5, 2003 - Guo Aiping, 48, of Fujian Province in southern China, was one of 23 people killed when two suicide bombers blew themselves up on a pedestrian mall in Tel Aviv's Naveh Sha'anan neighborhood near the old central bus station.

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack, which apparently was assisted by Islamic Jihad.

Guo Aiping was on his way home from work when he was killed in the attack. Another Chinese worker was killed and seven Chinese were wounded in the attack, one of whom, Zhang Minmin, later died of her wounds.

Guo had come to Israel in 1999 to work in construction. When his contract expired a year ago, he decided to remain in the country illegally and continue working in order to support his large family.

Guo was older than most of his fellow Chinese workers and was also exceptional in another respect. His cousin, Chu Chang, noted that Guo was married with five children - a rarity in China, which by law limits couples to a single child. Chu related that this restriction did not apply when Guo and his wife were having children, and that Guo apparently wanted a male heir after his first four children were girls. The fifth was a son.

Guo's body is to be returned to China for burial. He is survived by his wife and five children.