| 2003 French Hill suicide bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part of theSecond Intifada militancy campaign | |
  The attack site | |
| Location | French Hill settlement,East Jerusalem |
| Date | 18 May 2003 5:45 am |
Attack type | Suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 7 Israeli civilians (+ 1 bomber) |
| Injured | 20 Israeli civilians |
| Perpetrators | Hamas claimed responsibility |
TwoPalestinian suicide attacks on anEgged bus occurred in theFrench Hill settlement of northernEast Jerusalem on 18 May 2003. Seven passengers were killed in the attack, and 20 injured. A few minutes after the first attack, a secondsuicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the village of Dahiya el-Barid, nearJerusalem. Only the bomber was killed in what appeared to be a premature detonation.[1][2]
The first attack took place at 5:45 am, during the morning rush hour, when a Palestinian suicide bomber disguised as aHaredi detonated a nail-studded explosive belt strapped to his body on a No. 6 passenger bus near theFrench Hill settlement of northernEast Jerusalem. Seven civilians were killed in the attack, including four Russian immigrants and an Arab resident of Jerusalem.[3] In addition, 20 were injured in the attack, four of them seriously.[1][2][3][4]
A few minutes after the first attack, another suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the village of Dahiya el-Barid, near Jerusalem. Only the bomber was killed in what appeared to be a premature detonation.[1][2]
Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, relatives of 19-year-oldHamas activist Bassem Jamil Tarkrouri, who originated fromHebron, officially identified him as the perpetrator of the attack.[3]
Israel: Israeli officials spoke about the bombings, stating they "will continue to fight terror everywhere, at any time and in any way possible".[3]
US – Secretary of StateColin Powell spoke about the bombings, stating "we in the strongest possible terms the horrific terrorist bombing."[5]
Russia – Russian officials condemned the attack, and called on the international community to "intensify efforts to combat terrorism and activate peace efforts for the Mideast".[6]Hama
31°48′16.5″N35°14′8.6″E / 31.804583°N 35.235722°E /31.804583; 35.235722
