Ghalab Tawil

May 18, 2003 - Ghalab Tawil, 42, of Shuafat was one of seven people killed in a suicide bombing on Egged bus no. 6 near French Hill in Jerusalem.

The bus bombing took place at 5:45 A.M. near the French Hill neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. The suicide bomber, disguised as a religious Jew, boarded the bus and detonated the bomb shortly afterwards. Seven passengers were killed and about 20 wounded.

Ghalab Tawil was on his way to work as a cleaning man at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem when he was killed. He left his home at the far end of the Shuafat refugee camp every morning at 5 A.M. to make the first bus to the hospital.

A construction worker by trade, he began to work at the hospital about a year ago in order to be close to his 13-year-old daughter Iman, who was being treated for leukemia, and was hospitalized for five months. He often did not come home but remained to sleep near her.

Married to two wives the the father of four sons and five daughters, Tawil was a quiet man who worked to support his family and took no interest in politics. One of his wives said angrily, "Anyone who explodes himself near innocent civilians is a murderer and a criminal."

Ghalab Tawil was buried in Shuafat. He is survived by his two wives and nine children.