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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
|title=2003 French Hill suicide bombings
|partof=the [[Second Intifada]] militancy campaign
|map=<div style="width:250px; float:none; clear:none;"><div style="position:relative; padding:0; width:250px;">[[File:Israel outline jerusalem.png|250px]]
<br /><div style="position: absolute; z-index: 2; top: 31.9%; left: 91%; height: 0; width: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="position: relative; text-align: center; left: -4px; top: -4px; width: 8px; font-size: 8px; z-index:100;">[[File:Red pog.svg|7px]]</div><div style="font-size:90%; line-height: 110%; z-index:90; position: relative; top: -1.5em; width: 6em; right: 6.5em; text-align: center;"><span style="padding: 1px;">'''The attack site'''</span></div></div></div></div>
|caption=
|location=[[Jerusalem]]
|target=
|date=18 May 2003<br> 5:45 am
|time-begin=
|time-end=
|timezone=
|type=[[Suicide bombing]]s
|fatalities=7 Israeli civilians (+ 1 bomber)
|injuries=20 Israeli civilians
|perps=[[Hamas]] claimed responsibility
}}
The '''2003 French hill suicide bombings''' was a twin suicide bombing of an [[Egged (company)|Egged]] bus in the [[French Hill]] neighborhood of [[Jerusalem]], on 18 May 2003. Seven passengers were killed in the attack, and 20 injured. A few minutes after the first attack, a second [[suicide attack|suicide bomber]] blew himself up at the entrance to the village of Dahiya el-Barid, near Jerusalem. Only the bomber was killed in what appeared to be a premature detonation.<ref name="The Age"/><ref name="CNN"/>

== The attacks ==
The first attack took place at 5:45 am, during the morning rush hour, when a Palestinian suicide bomber disguised as a [[Haredi]] detonated a nail-studded explosive belt strapped to his body on a No. 6 passenger bus near the [[French Hill]] section of northern Jerusalem. Seven civilians were killed in the attack, including four Russian immigrants and an Arab resident of Jerusalem.<ref name="USAToday" /> In addition, 20 were injured in the attack, four of them seriously.<ref name="The Age">{{cite web |url= http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/18/1053196467213.html |title=Seven dead in Israel bus bombing |work=The Age|year=2011 |access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite web |url= http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/05/18/mideast.violence/ |title=CNN.com – At least seven dead in terror attack in Jerusalem – May. 18, 2003 |work=cnn.com |year=2011 |quote=Hama |access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="USAToday">{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-05-18-mideast-summit_x.htm |title=USATODAY.com – Sharon calls off trip to U.S.; summit overshadowed by violence |work=[[USA Today]] |date=2003-05-18 |publisher=[[Gannett Company|Gannett]] |location=[[McLean, VA]] |issn=0734-7456 |access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/5/Palestinian%20Terrorism-%20A%20Wave%20of%20Suicide%20Bombings |title=Palestinian Terrorism- A Wave of Suicide Bombings |work=mfa.gov.il |year=2011 |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027040824/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/5/Palestinian%20Terrorism-%20A%20Wave%20of%20Suicide%20Bombings |archive-date=27 October 2011 }}</ref>

A few minutes after the first attack, another suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the village of Dahiya el-Barid, near Jerusalem. Only the bomber was killed in what appeared to be a premature detonation.<ref name="The Age"/><ref name="CNN"/>

== The perpetrator ==
Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, relatives of 19-year-old [[Hamas]] activist Bassem Jamil Tarkrouri, who originated from [[Hebron]], officially identified him as the perpetrator of the attack.<ref name="USAToday" />

==Official reactions==
;Involved parties
{{Flagu|Israel}}: Israeli officials spoke about the bombings, stating they "will continue to fight terror everywhere, at any time and in any way possible".<ref name="USAToday" />

{{Flag|Palestinian territories}}:
* [[Palestinian National Authority]] – PNA officials condemned the bombings.<ref name="USAToday" />

; International
*{{Flagu|USA}} – Secretary of State [[Colin Powell]] spoke about the bombings, stating "we in the strongest possible terms the horrific terrorist bombing."<ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=APAB&d_place=APAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0FB6CFDF5B65BBE6&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM NewsLibrary.com – newspaper archive, clipping service – newspapers and other news sources]</ref>
*{{Flagu|Russia}} – Russian officials condemned the attack, and called on the international community to "intensify efforts to combat terrorism and activate peace efforts for the Mideast".<ref>[http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/358020 Bahrain News Agency | Russia condemns terrorist attacks in Israel]</ref>

==See also==
*[[French Hill attacks]]
*[[Palestinian political violence]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego/access/338488331.html?dids=338488331:338488331&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT Jerusalem rocked by 2 suicide bombings] – published in ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]'' on 18 May 2003

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

{{coord missing|Israel}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:French Hill suicide bombing, 2003}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Mass murder in 2003, Suicide bombings in 2003, Hamas suicide bombings of buses, Terrorist incidents in Asia in 2003, Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem, 2000s in Jerusalem, May 2003 events in Asia, Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem in the 2000s
|description=
}}

[[Category:Mass murder in 2003]]
[[Category:Suicide bombings in 2003]]
[[Category:Hamas suicide bombings of buses]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Asia in 2003]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:2000s in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:May 2003 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Jerusalem in the 2000s]]

2003 French Hill suicide bombings - Revision history

MetaBOT at 16:29, 8 July 2023