Matza restaurant suicide bombing

2002 Palestinian militant attack in Haifa, Israel

32°47′19″N 35°0′9″E / 32.78861°N 35.00250°E / 32.78861; 35.00250DateMarch 31, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-03-31)
c. 3:00 pm (UTC+2)

Attack type

Suicide bomberDeaths16 civilians (+1 bomber)Injured40+ civiliansPerpetratorHamas claimed responsibilityAssailantShadi Tobassi

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 including children and injuring over 40 people.^[1]^[2]

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.^[3] In addition, Hamas spokesman stated that the suicide bomber was a 22-year-old Palestinian named Shadi Tubasi who originated from the Jenin area.^[4]

References

^ Bennet, James (2002-04-01). "MIDEAST TURMOIL: THE VIOLENCE; Bomber Strikes Jews and Arabs At Rare Refuge". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
^ "Israeli man succumbs to wounds sustained in 2002 Hamas suicide bombing - Haaretz - Israel News". Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
^ Israel vows to avenge bombings, The Guardian, April 1, 2002.
^ "Arafat siege continues". The Guardian. London. March 31, 2002.

Prominent terrorist attacks against Israelis in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict – the 2000s

2001

Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17)
Azor attack (February 14)
Netanya bombing (March 4)
Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26)
Murders of Koby Mandell and Yosef Ishran (May 8)
1st HaSharon Mall bombing (May 18)
Dolphinarium discotheque massacre (June 1)
Killing of Yehuda Shoham (June 5)
Binyamina train station bombing (July 16)
Sbarro restaurant bombing (August 9)
Nahariya train station bombing (September 9)
Assassination of Rehavam Ze'evi (October 17)
Camp 80 junction bus attack (November 29)
Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1)
Haifa bus bombing (December 2)
Immanuel bus attack (December 12)

2002

Hadera attack (January 18)
Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25)
Jaffa Street bombing (January 27)
Karnei Shomron Mall bombing (February 16)
Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (February 19)
Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing (March 2)
Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3)
Seafood Market attack (March 5)
Café Moment bombing (March 9)
Matzuva attack (March 12)
Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20)
King George Street bombing (March 21)
Passover massacre (March 27) ‡
Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29)
Matza restaurant bombing (March 31)
Yagur Junction bombing (April 10)
Mahane Yehuda bombing (April 12)
Adora attack (April 27)
Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7)
Netanya Market bombing (May 19)
Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23)
Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5)
Herzliya bombing (June 11)
Patt Junction bus bombing (June 18)
French Hill bombing (June 19)
Itamar attack (June 20)
Los Angeles Airport shooting (July 4)
Immanuel bus attack (July 16)
Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17)
Hebrew University bombing (July 31)
Meron Junction bus attack (August 4)
Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19)
Karkur junction bombing (October 21)
Sonol gas station bombing (October 27)
Metzer attack (November 10)
Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21)
Mombasa attacks (November 28)
Beit She'an attack (November 28)
Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27)

2003

Tel Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5)
Haifa bus bombing (March 5)
Mike's Place bombing (April 30)
French Hill bombings (May 18)
Afula mall bombing (May 19)
Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11)
Route 60 Hamas attack (June 20)
Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28)
Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19)
Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9)
Café Hillel bombing (September 9)
Maxim restaurant bombing (October 4)
Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25)

2004

2004 Erez Crossing bombing (January 14)
Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29)
Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22)
Ashdod Port bombings (March 14)
Murder of the Hatuel family (May 2)
Tashkent embassy bombing (July 30)
Beersheba bus bombings (August 31)
Sinai bombings (October 7)
Carmel Market bombing (November 1)

2005

Karni border crossing attack (January 13)
Stage Club bombing (February 25)
2nd HaSharon Mall bombing (July 12)
Shfar'am attack (August 4)
Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21)
Hadera Market bombing (October 26)
3rd HaSharon Mall bombing (December 5)

2006

1st Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (January 19)
Kedumim bombing (March 30)
2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17)
Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25)

2007

Eilat bombing (January 29)
Nahal Telem shooting (December 28)

2008

2009

Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2)
Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24)

Attacks launched from the West Bank Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip Attacks launched from Lebanon

‡ indicates the terrorist attack which caused the greatest amount of Israeli casualties during the 2000s

1990s

2010s

v t e Prominent Palestinian militancy attacks in the 2000s
Within Israel	Azor attack³ (February 14, 2001) Netanya bombing² (March 4, 2001) 1st HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (May 18, 2001) Dolphinarium discotheque massacre² (June 1, 2001) Binyamina train station suicide bombing (July 16, 2001) Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing² (August 9, 2001) Nahariya train station suicide bombing (September 9, 2001) Camp 80 junction bus 823 attack (November 29, 2001) Ben Yehuda Street Bombings (December 1, 2001) Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing (December 2, 2001) Hadera attack (January 18, 2002) Tel Aviv outdoor mall bombing (January 25, 2002) Jaffa Street bombing (January 27, 2002) Karnei Shomron Mall suicide bombing (February 16, 2002) Yeshivat Beit Yisrael bombing (March 2, 2002) Seafood Market attack (March 5, 2002) Atzmona attack (March 7, 2002) Café Moment bombing (March 9, 2002) Matzuva attack¹ (March 12, 2002) Egged bus 823 bombing (March 20, 2002) King George Street bombing (March 21, 2002) Passover massacre (March 27, 2002) Kiryat HaYovel supermarket bombing (March 29, 2002) Matza restaurant suicide bombing (March 31, 2002) Yagur Junction bombing (April 10, 2002) Mahane Yehuda Market bombing (April 12, 2002) Rishon LeZion bombing (May 7, 2002) Netanya Market bombing (May 19, 2002) Pi Glilot bombing attempt (May 23, 2002) Megiddo Junction bus bombing (June 5, 2002) Herzliya shawarma restaurant bombing (June 11, 2002) Patt Junction bus bombing (June 18, 2002) Neve Shaanan Street bombing (July 17, 2002) Hebrew University bombing (July 31, 2002) Meron Junction Bus 361 attack (August 4, 2002) Allenby Street bus bombing (September 19, 2002) Karkur junction suicide bombing (October 21, 2002) Metzer attack (November 2, 2002) Kiryat Menachem bus bombing (November 21, 2002) Beit She'an attack (November 28, 2002) Tel Aviv central bus station massacre (January 5, 2003) Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing (March 5, 2003) Mike's Place suicide bombing (April 30, 2003) Jerusalem bombings (May 18, 2003) Afula mall bombing (May 19, 2003) Davidka Square bus bombing (June 11, 2003) Murder of Oleg Shaichat (July 28, 2003) Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing (August 19, 2003) Tzrifin bus stop attack (September 9, 2003) Café Hillel bombing (September 9, 2003) Maxim restaurant suicide bombing (October 4, 2003) Geha Interchange bus stop bombing (December 25, 2003) 2004 Erez Crossing bombing³ (January 14, 2004) Gaza Street bus bombing (January 29, 2004) Liberty Bell Park bus bombing (February 22, 2004) Ashdod Port bombings (March 14, 2004) Beersheba bus bombings (August 31, 2004) Carmel Market bombing (November 1, 2004) Karni border crossing attack (January 13, 2005) Stage Club bombing (February 25, 2005) 2nd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (July 12, 2005) Hadera Market bombing (October 26, 2005) 3rd HaSharon Mall entrance suicide bombing (December 5, 2005) 2nd Rosh Ha'ir restaurant bombing (April 17, 2006) Gaza cross-border raid² (June 25, 2006) Eilat bakery bombing (January 29, 2007) Dimona suicide bombing (February 4, 2008) Jerusalem yeshiva attack (March 6, 2008) Jerusalem bulldozer attack (July 2, 2008) Jerusalem BMW attack (September 22, 2008)
West Bank	Ramallah lynching (October 12, 2000) Murder of Ofir Rahum (January 17, 2001) Assassination of the Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi² (October 17, 2001) Murder of Shalhevet Pass (March 26, 2001) Palestinian fatal stoning attack (June 5, 2001) Immanuel bus attack (December 12, 2001) Ein 'Arik checkpoint attack (19 February 2002) Wadi al-Haramiya sniper attack (March 3, 2002) French Hill Junction suicide bombing (June 19, 2002) Itamar attack (June 20, 2002) Immanuel bus attack (July 16, 2002) Sonol gas station bombing (October 27, 2002) Hebron ambush (November 15, 2002) Yeshivat Otniel shooting (December 27, 2002) Kidnapping and murder of Sasson Nuriel (September 21, 2005) Kedumim bombing (March 30, 2006) Murder of Eliyahu Asheri (June 25, 2006) Nahal Telem shooting (December 28, 2007) Bat Ayin axe attack (April 2, 2009) Killing of Rabbi Meir Hai (December 24, 2009)
Gaza Strip	Kissufim tank ambush ‎(September 5, 2002) Murder of the Hatuel family (May 2, 2004) IDF outpost bombing attack (December 12, 2004)
Other countries	Sinai bombings (October 7, 2004)
¹ Attacks launched from Lebanon ² Attacks launched from the West Bank ³ Attacks launched from the Gaza Strip 1990s 2010s