At least six Israelis were killed and dozens wounded in an attack on a banquet hall in the Israeli city of Hadera, close to the West Bank. According to reports coming in from the Israeli media, an attacker entered the “David’s Palace” banquet hall at about 11 PM Thursday (local time), and opened fire at the guests present.
According to reports on Israeli television, over one hundred and eighty Israeli guests were in the banquet hall to celebrate a young girl's birthday when a lone gunman entered and started firing. An eyewitness said the assailant, dressed in Khaki uniform, walked down the aisle firing at guests who were dancing or seated at tables in the hall.
Israeli sources also report that the attacker apparently tried and failed to set off explosives strapped around his body, and was then shot and killed by two Israeli policemen who arrived at the scene. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports explosive devices were found near the body of the attacker.
At least thirty Israelis were evacuated by emergency services, but rescue efforts were hindered by fears of unexploded bombs which the attacker carried on his body.
Al-Aqsa Brigades Claim Responsibility
The Reuters news agency reported that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a military wing of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attacker was named as 27 year old Abed as Salam Hassouna, from a village near the Palestinian city of Nablus. It was claimed he had carried out the attack to avenge the death of Raed al Karmi, a prominent Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades activist in the city of Tulkarem.
Raed al Karmi was killed in an explosion earlier this week that had all the signs of an Israeli assassination. Following his death, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades announced that they would no longer honor the ceasefire declared last month by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
A BBC correspondent in Jerusalem said Israel's government was blaming the attack on the Palestinian Authority and saying its leader Yasser Arafat had "chosen the path of terrorism". Press reports indicate that Palestinian military installations are being evacuated, as an Israeli military strike is expected in retaliation for tonight’s attack.
Hadera a Frequent Target
Hadera, a town of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the heart of Israel, is close to the West Bank, and has been a frequent target of Palestinian attacks. Two months ago, in October 2001, two armed Palestinians opened fire at shoppers near where tonight's attack occured, killing four and injuring fourty before they were killed by Israeli police. Several Palestinian suicide bombings have also occurred in the city over the past few years.(www.albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
