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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
|title=2002 Rishon LeZion bombing
|image=2002 Rishon LeZion bombing IV.jpg
|partof=the [[Second Intifada]] militancy campaign
|map={{location map|Israel center ta
|lat_deg=31.95
|lon_deg=34.80
|border=infobox|label={{bg|white|{{nowrap|'''The attack site'''}}}}|position=top
|caption =
}}
|caption=
|location=[[Rishon Lezion]], Israel
|target=
|date=7 May 2002<br>11:03 pm
|time-begin=
|time-end=
|timezone=
|type=[[suicide bombing]]
|fatalities=15 (+ 1 bomber)
|injuries=55
|perps=[[Hamas]] claimed responsibility
}}
The '''2002 Rishon LeZion bombing''' was a [[suicide bombing]] which occurred on 7 May 2002 at a crowded game club located in the new industrial area of [[Rishon Lezion]]. 16 people were killed in the attack and 55 were injured.

The Islamic militant group [[Hamas]] claimed responsibility for the attack.

==The attack==
On Tuesday, 7 May 2002 at 11:03 pm, a [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] suicide bomber detonated a hidden explosive device within a crowded game club full of people located in the new industrial area of [[Rishon Lezion]], only 10 km south of [[Tel Aviv]], killing 16 civilians and injuring 55 people, 10 of them in critical condition.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/06/20/terror.attacks.chronology/ |title=CNN.com – Attacks since start of Al Aqsa intifada – June 21, 2002 |work=CNN|year=2011 |quote=Rish |access-date=16 October 2011 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628221707/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/06/20/terror.attacks.chronology/ |archive-date=28 June 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1974137.stm |title=BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | In pictures: Israel bomb blast |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |location=[[London, UK|London]] |access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pfcgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lHMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2745,1424363|title=The Day - Google News Archive Search|access-date=16 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1977881.stm|title=BBC News - MIDDLE EAST - Israel poised to strike Gaza|date=9 May 2002|access-date=16 December 2014}}</ref>

After the attack the Israeli police stated that the suicide bomber was carrying a briefcase full of explosives and in addition was also wearing an [[explosive belt]]. The police estimated that the total weight of explosives were between 7 and 8 kilograms, and stated that the briefcase contained also metal fragments and bolts in order to maximize the number of casualties in the attack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5281883|title=All 15 Victims of Rishon Letzion Suicide Bombing Identified|publisher=Haaretz|date=8 May 2002}}</ref>

== The perpetrators ==
The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.<ref name="CNN" />

== Aftermath ==
The attack was condemned by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.un.org/apps/news/printnewsAr.asp?nid=3613 |title=UN News Centre |work=un.org |year=2011 |quote= United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan |access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref>

After the attack Irina Polishchuk, a Ukrainian illegal prostitute married the Palestinian-Arab Ibrahim Sarahne,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID%3D35158 |title = נענע10 - שירות הביטחון: התקשורת מתלהמת בפרשת הסייענית - חדשות |access-date=2011-10-20 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404232501/http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=35158 |archive-date=4 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-1921113,00.html|title=ynet השב"כ מתנצל: טעות בזיהוי - חדשות|work=ynet|access-date=16 December 2014}}</ref> was caught and convicted of participating in the 2002 Rishon LeZion bombing for her part in delivering the bomber to the site of the attack.

=== Release of attack collaborator ===
{{Main|Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal}}
On 18 October 2011 Irina Polishchuk, who was originally sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, was released to the West Bank as part of the [[Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange]] between Israel and Hamas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shabas.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/09ED13AD-30EB-4F28-8FEA-7A9EDB0F9119/0/listeng1.xls|title=שרות בתי הסוהר|access-date=16 December 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/may/08/israel4 Suicide bomber kills 15 in Israel] – published on 8 May 2002 in [[The Guardian]]
* [http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/05/08/lin.otsc/index.html Lin: The aftermath of the Rishon Letzion attack] – published on 8 May 2002 on [[CNN]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111024181352/http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=78662 Israeli Embassy Statement on 7 May Rishon LeZion Bombing] – published on 8 May 2002 on jewishfederations.org

{{Terrorist attacks against Israelis in the 2000s}}
{{Palestinian militancy attacks in the 2000s}}

{{coord|31.9918|N|34.7696|E|source:wikidata|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rishon LeZion bombing}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Mass murder in 2002, Suicide bombings in 2002, Hamas suicide bombings, Terrorist incidents in Israel in 2002, May 2002 events in Asia, Islamic terrorist incidents in 2002, Islamic terrorism in Israel
|description=
}}

[[Category:Mass murder in 2002]]
[[Category:Suicide bombings in 2002]]
[[Category:Hamas suicide bombings]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Israel in 2002]]
[[Category:May 2002 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2002]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in Israel]]

2002 Rishon LeZion bombing - Revision history

MetaBOT at 16:25, 8 July 2023