Location Haifa, Israel Attack type suicide bomber Non-fatal injuries 40+ | Date March 31, 2002 Deaths 16 (+ 1 bomber) | |
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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. Journalist Giulio Meotti described the attack as a massacre.
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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.
Fatalities
Of the 16 victims, 14 were local Haifa residents, and one a waiter from a nearby town. Two families were completely wiped out, and other families suffered death and grave injuries to multiple family members.
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. In addition, Hamas spokesman stated that the suicide bomber was a 22-year-old Palestinian named Shadi Tubasi who originated from the Jenin area.