The 1997 Mahane Yehuda Market Bombings were two consecutive suicide bombings which occurred on July 30, 1997 in the Mahane Yehuda Market

Mahane Yehuda Market

Mahane Yehuda Market , often referred to as "The Shuk", is an outdoor marketplace in Jerusalem, Israel. Popular with locals and tourists alike, the market's more than 250 vendors sell fresh fruits and vegetables; baked goods; fish, meat and cheeses; nuts, seeds, and spices; wines and liquors;...

 in Jerusalem which is Jerusalem's main fruit and vegetable market. The site of the attack was chosen in order to cause maximum number of casualties. 16 people were killed in the attack and 178 were injured.

The attack

On Wednesday, July 30th, 1997 at 13:15 pm, two Palestinian

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...

 suicide bombers who carried bags laden with explosives and nails, detonated their explosive devices in only 45 meters apart (150 feet) almost simultaneously in acentral alley in the popular outdoor market, killing 16 innocent civilians and injuring nearly 200 people, many of them teenagers and tourists.

Fatalities

The following people died in the attack:

Lev Desyatnik, 60, of Jerusalem Regina Giber, 76, of Jerusalem Valentina Kovalenko, 67, of Jerusalem Shmuel Malka, 44, of Mevaseret Zion Mevaseret Zion Mevaseret Zion is a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel. Mevaseret Zion is composed of two distinct townships, Maoz Zion and Mevaseret Yerushalayim—under the jurisdiction of one local council. The newer neighborhoods of Mevaseret Zion were not part of either settlement.Mevaseret Zion is located on a... David Nasco, 44, of Mevaseret Zion Mevaseret Zion Mevaseret Zion is a suburb of Jerusalem, Israel. Mevaseret Zion is composed of two distinct townships, Maoz Zion and Mevaseret Yerushalayim—under the jurisdiction of one local council. The newer neighborhoods of Mevaseret Zion were not part of either settlement.Mevaseret Zion is located on a... Muhi A-din Othman, 33, of Eilabun Eilabun Eilabun is an Israeli-Arab local council in Israel's North District, located in the Beit Netofa Valley. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Eilabun had a population of 4,400 inhabitants in 2005. The population is predominantly Christian... Simha Fremd, 92, of Jerusalem Gregory Paskhovitz, 15, of Jerusalem

Leah Stern, 50, of Jerusalem Rachel Tejgatrio, 83, of Jerusalem Liliya Zelezniak, 47, of Jerusalem Shalom (Golan) Zevulun, 52, of Jerusalem Mark Rabinowitz, 80, of Jerusalem. Eli Adourian, 49, of Kfar Adumim Kfar Adumim Kfar Adumim is a communal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Located in the Judean Desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 2,500...  (died of his wounds on August 11) Ilia Gazrach, 73, of Pisgat Ze'ev Pisgat Ze'ev Pisgat Ze'ev , is an Israeli settlement and a residential neighborhood with a population of 50,000 located in northern East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disputes this...  (died on August 29) Baruch Ostrovsky, 84, of Jerusalem (died on October 3)

Aftermath

The day after the attack, the terrorists were identified as members of the military wing of the Hamas

Hamas

Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...

. As a result, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...

 and the Israeli security cabinet took a decision to strike Hamas

Hamas

Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...

 leaders in response. As a result, Israeli Mossad

Mossad

The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....

 agents attempted to assassinate Hamas

Hamas

Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...

 chairman Khaled Mashal

Khaled Mashal

Khaled Mashal, also known as Khaled Mashaal, Khaled Meshaal, and Khalid Mish'al, has been the main leader of Hamas since the assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in 2004. In addition, Mashal heads the Syrian branch of the political bureau of Hamas.Mashal was born in Silwad, a village north of...

 who resided in Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

 at that time. The assassination attempt failed and the Mossad agents were captured by the Jordanian authorities. They were only later released in exchange for the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and "spiritual leader" of Hamas who was serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison.

External links

• Victims of the 1997 Mahane Yehuda Bombings