Twin Suicide Bombers Kill 16 in Jerusalem Market Attack
Hamas terrorists detonate explosives in crowded Mahane Yehuda market, shattering period of relative calm in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Two Palestinian suicide bombers detonated powerful explosives in Jerusalem’s crowded Mahane Yehuda market this afternoon, killing 16 people and wounding over 170 in the deadliest attack in over a year. The blasts, seconds apart, turned the popular outdoor market into a scene of carnage.
The coordinated attack occurred at 1:15 PM when the market was packed with shoppers preparing for the Sabbath. The bombers, dressed as locals and carrying bags filled with explosives and nails, positioned themselves 45 meters apart to maximize casualties.
Hamas claimed responsibility, stating the attack was retaliation for Israel’s settlement activities and the killing of Palestinian civilians. The group released photographs of the bombers, identified as two men from the West Bank village of Asira ash-Shamaliya.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who rushed to the scene, blamed Yasser Arafat for releasing Hamas terrorists from Palestinian jails and failing to prevent attacks. “The Palestinian Authority has become a terrorist entity,” Netanyahu declared, announcing a freeze on implementing previous agreements.
The bombing shatters five months of relative calm and deals another blow to the moribund peace process. Israel immediately sealed the West Bank and Gaza, preventing thousands of Palestinian workers from reaching their jobs.
The attack’s timing appears designed to punish Israel for the Har Homa settlement construction and demonstrate Hamas’s continued capability despite Palestinian Authority crackdowns. With peace talks already suspended, the bombing pushes the possibility of renewed negotiations even further away.