Matza restaurant suicide bombing

Matza restaurant suicide bombing
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
The attack site
Location	Haifa, Israel
Coordinates	32°47′18.8″N 35°0′8.94″E / 32.788556°N 35.0024833°E / 32.788556; 35.0024833
Date	March 31, 2002
Attack type	suicide bomber
Deaths	16 (+ 1 bomber)
Injured	40+
Perpetrators	One Palestinian assailant (Shadi Tobassi). Hamas claimed responsibility

The Matza restaurant suicide bombing occurred on March 31, 2002, when a Palestinian Hamas suicide bomber detonated his bomb inside the Matza restaurant in Haifa, Israel, near the Grand Canyon shopping mall, killing 16 Israeli civilians and injuring over 40 people.^[1]^[2] Journalist Giulio Meotti described the attack as a massacre.^[3]

The attack[]

The attack occurred at 14:45 during the Passover vacation in Israel, and the restaurant was crowded with families having their lunch. Despite the Passover suicide bombing which occurred just four days earlier in Netanya, and the tense atmosphere following it, the clients and restaurant owners were not particularly worried about security: The Matza restaurant is operated by an Israeli Arab family, and its multi-ethnic nature was thought to make it an unlikely choice for a terrorist attack.

The perpetrators[]

The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the bombings would continue as long as the siege of then President of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.^[4] In addition, Hamas spokesman stated that the suicide bomber was a 22-year-old Palestinian named Shadi Tubasi who originated from the Jenin area.^[5]

External links[]

Israel hit by double suicide attack – published on BBC News on March 31, 2002
Palestinian bomber rips open restaurant in city that prides itself on coexistence – published on the Associated Press on March 31, 2002

References[]

^ Bennet, James (2002-04-01). "MIDEAST TURMOIL: THE VIOLENCE; Bomber Strikes Jews and Arabs At Rare Refuge". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Meotti, Giulio (2003). A New Shoah: The Untold Story of Israel's Victims of Terrorism. Encounter Books. p. 47. ISBN 978-1594034770.
^ Israel vows to avenge bombings, The Guardian, April 1, 2002.
^ "Arafat siege continues". The Guardian. London. March 31, 2002.

v t 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) Murder of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8) 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18) Dolphinarium discotheque suicide bombing (June 1) Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5) Binyamina train station suicide bombing (July 16) Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing (August 9) Nahariya train station suicide bombing (September 9) Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi (October 17) Pardes Hanna bus bombing (November 29) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2) Immanuel bus attack (December 12)
2002	Bat Mitzvah massacre (January 18) Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25) Jaffa Street bombing (January 27) Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing (February 16) Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (February 19) Yeshivat Beit Yisrael massacre (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 suicide bombing (March 31) Yagur Junction bombing (April 10) Mahane Yehuda Market bombing (April 12) 2002 Adora terrorist 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 shawarma restaurant bombing (June 11) Patt Junction Bus Bombing (June 18) French Hill Junction suicide 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 361 attack (August 4) Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19) Karkur junction suicide bombing (October 21) Sonol gas station bombing (October 27) Kibbutz Metzer terrorist 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 37 suicide bombing (March 5) Mike's Place suicide bombing (April 30) Jerusalem 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 suicide 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 Hatuel family (May 2) Tashkent Israeli 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 entrance suicide bombing (July 12) Shfar'am attack (August 4) Hadera Market bombing (October 26) 3rd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (December 5)
2006	Kedumim bombing (March 30) Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing (April 17) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25)
2007	Eilat bakery bombing (January 29) Nahal Telem attack (December 28)
2008	Dimona suicide bombing (February 4) Mercaz HaRav massacre (March 6) Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2) Jerusalem vehicular attack (September 22)
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 Full list of Palestinian suicide attacks List of Israeli civilian casualties in the Second Intifada Full list of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel List of rocket attacks from Lebanon on Israel List of attacks from Lebanon Rocket attack on Eilat 1990s 2010s

v t 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 suicide bombing² (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) Pardes Hanna bus bombing (November 29, 2001) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1, 2001) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2, 2001) Bat Mitzvah massacre (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 massacre (March 2, 2002) Seafood Market attack (March 5, 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) Tel Aviv shawarma restaurant bombing (April 17, 2006) Gaza cross-border raid² (June 25, 2006) Eilat bakery bombing (January 29, 2007) Dimona suicide bombing (February 4, 2008) Mercaz HaRav massacre (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) Kedumim bombing (March 30, 2006) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25, 2006) Nahal Telem attack (December 28, 2007) Bat Ayin ax attack (April 2, 2009) Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24, 2009)
Gaza Strip	Kissufim tank ambush ‎(September 5, 2002) Murder of 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

Matza restaurant suicide bombing

Contents

The attack[]

The perpetrators[]

See also[]

External links[]

References[]