| 1997 Mahane Yehuda Market bombings | |
|---|---|
  The attack site | |
| Location | Mahane Yehuda Market,Jerusalem |
| Date | 30 July 1997 13:15 pm (GMT+2) |
Attack type | suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 16 civilians (+ 2 suicide bombers) |
| Injured | 178 |
| Perpetrators | Hamas claimed responsibility |
.JPG)
Two consecutivesuicide bombings were carried out byHamas militants on 30 July 1997 at theMahane Yehuda Market inJerusalem, the city's main open-air fruit and vegetable market. Sixteen people were killed in the attack and 178 were injured.[1]
On Wednesday, 30 July 1997 at 1:15 pm, twoPalestinian suicide bombers who carried bags laden with explosives and nails detonated their explosive devices 45 meters (150 feet) apart almost simultaneously in a central alley in the popular outdoor market, killing 16 civilians, among them an Arab resident ofEilabun, and injuring 178 people, many of them teenagers and tourists.[2]
Thirteen Israelis were killed immediately and three others died later from their injuries. The Mahane Yehuda attack was followed by a triple suicide bombing on the Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall in downtown Jerusalem on 4 September, which killed five Israelis and wounded over 190.[3]
In retaliation for these and other attacks, a decision was reached to target Hamas leaders. According to an Israeli press release,Mossad agents tried to poison chairmanKhaled Mashal, who resided at the time inJordan.[4] The assassination attempt failed and the Mossad agents were captured by the Jordanian authorities. They were later released in exchange for the release ofSheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and "spiritual leader" of Hamas who was serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison.[5][6]
Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat publicly condemned the bombings as the actions of terrorists...
