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September 9, 2003
Eight soldiers killed in suicide bombing at Tzrifin army base
By Arieh O'Sullivan
A suicide bomber blew himself up at a bus stop crowded with soldiers Tuesday evening across from the Tzrifin army base, killing eight soldiers.
It was the first terrorist attack since Israel's failed attempted assassination of top Hamas leaders in Gaza on Saturday and came in the midst of a high alert in effect ever since.
The names of five of the eight soldiers killed Tuesday in the suicide bombing at the Tzrifin army base have been released.
- Capt. Yael Kfir, 21, from Ashkelon.
- Senior Warrant Officer (SWO) Haim Alfasi, 40, from Haifa.
- Sgt. Yonatan Peleg, 21, from Moshav Yanov in the Sharon area.
- Corporal Felix Nikolaichuk, 20, from Bat Yam.
- Corporal Mazi Grego, 19, from Holon.
In Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz convened late Tuesday the heads of the IDF, Shin Bet and defense establishment for a situation assessment expected to last through the night.
Defense officials indicated that there would be an Israeli retaliation for the bombing, but that it "would not be raised a notch."
About 5:55 p.m. a suicide bomber approached the large bus stop and soldier hitchhiking post on the north side of the Ramle-Jaffa highway. Just across the street from the large Tzrifin army base and the Assaf Harofe Hospital, the sidewalk was filled with soldiers returning home and people returning from the hospital.
The explosion ripped through the crowd killing seven people and wounding at least 15. Emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes since it was so close to the hospital and they had already been put on alert.
"We got here and there were bodies of soldiers in the middle of the hitchhiking post. It was an awful sight but it's part of our task. I ran from injured person to injured person doing triage. There had been a lot of warnings lately so we expected this," said Nadav Ovadia, a volunteer for Zaka.
Less than an hour after the bombing, the large bus stop was awash in spotlights as police and Zaka volunteers scoured the ground for body parts. Firemen erected a large ladder in order to remove the remains of a head or scalp of the bomber that was hanging from the roof of the bus stop.
A leg with an army boot remained on the ground next to another leg, possibly the bombers. Nearby lay a bloody black beret and the ground was covered in bits of flesh and bones, blood and glass. A Zaka volunteer used a spatula to gently scrape a bloody hunk of flesh from the guardrail into a plastic bag. Police wearing rubber gloves swept the ground with flashlights looking for clues.
Police snipers were placed on the bridge above the bus stop in case a second bomber might try a 'second wave' attack.
Police had been on alert number 3, the second highest alert since Saturday night following the failed attempt by the IDF to assassinate senior Hamas terrorists and leaders in Gaza, including Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Leaves were canceled and numerous roadblocks were set up. Shortly before the attack, there were serious warnings of a bomber on the loose in Jerusalem.
Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi said in Gaza City that the attack was "a reaction to the Zionists' crimes and assassinations." Hamas leader in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said that Hamas was behind the attack.
Internal Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi said on the scene that there had been guards at the bus stop and arrived seconds too late and that some of them were among the injured. "Terrorism cannot be deterred. We have a hundred years of fighting terrorism. The only way to fight terror is to take the fight to the terrorists," said Hanegbi.
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon said after the bombing that Israel would continue to wage its unceasing war on terror and strike its "perpetrators, supporters and leaders."
Israel Police Spokesman Gil Kleiman held in his palm lugs and nuts, twisted and split by the explosion, which the suicide bomber had used to increase the lethality of his bomb.
"We know that there were attempts by various terrorist organizations to carry out attacks and we have been working around the clock to prevent them," said Kleiman. "The alert is still in effect."
Kleiman dismissed earlier reports that the suicide bomber had been a woman or disguised as a soldier.
"This was a large bus stop and hitchhiking point. A lot of buses stop here. There was an average Israeli crowd here," Kleiman said.
Even though the incident took place adjacent to the hospital, it happened at the height of rush hour traffic which hampered the evacuation somewhat. The road remained closed for most of the evening.
Health Minister Danny Naveh said Tuesday that intelligence reports were received showing that Palestinian terrorists were planning to attack hospitals. Naveh said the terrorists may be planning to use a hijacked ambulance to attack a hospital; or use a terrorist in the guise of a patient to gain entrance into a hospital.
David Saranga, deputy spokesman for the Foreign Minister, said that the bombing could not have been in retaliation for Saturday's F-16 bombing of Hamas leaders. "It has nothing to do with this. In order to carryout such kind of attack you need more time. You need someone to provide the explosives and entry to Israel and transportation," Saranga said.
"The Palestinian terror organizations have their own agenda and that is to kill as many Israelis as they can. It doesn't matter if they are soldiers or civilians, Saranga said. "It has nothing to do with the Israeli operation."
Channel 2 reported that the streets of Gaza City are mostly empty with residents fearing an Israeli response to the attack. Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) who was appointed by the PLO Executive Committee to be the new Palestinian prime minister strongly condemned Tuesday's terror attack in Tzrifin in an interview with The Jerusalem Post . " This is very bad ...very bad we condemn this strongly", he said. He said such attacks and Israeli counter attacks do not lead anywhere except to more violence, and will complicate his decision whether to take the job of prime minister. He said he would work for a real cease-fire not an internal hudna if he decides to accept the post .
The number for Assaf Harofe Hospital information: 12 55 188 The Fax number is: 08-9227092
Lamia Lahoud and The Jerusalem Post Internet Staff
contributed to this report
November 19, 2003
9th Tzrifin victim dies
By Jerusalem Post Staff
Sgt. Liron Tsiboni, 19, of Ramat Gan, succumbed on Wednesday to wounds she sustained in the Tzrifin suicide bombing on September 9, bringing the death toll to nine. She will be buried in Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery at 11:30 a. m. on Thursday.
The bomber detonated his device at a crowded bus stop across from the large army base at about 6 p. m. All of those killed were soldiers.
In Memoriam
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