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Afula mall bombing

SOLVED2003Shaarei HaAmakim mall, Afula, Israel3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the afternoon of Monday, May 19, 2003, at approximately 5:14 p.m., a suicide bomber approached the entrance of the Shaarei HaAmakim mall in the city of Afula, in northern Israel. As the bomber approached security guards conducting an entrance inspection, she detonated explosives concealed beneath her clothing.

The blast killed three people: two security guards and a shopper. Seventy additional people were injured in the attack.

In the aftermath, two separate Palestinian militant organizations — Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades — both claimed responsibility for the bombing. According to these claims, the bomber was a 19-year-old Palestinian woman from the city of Tubas in the northeastern West Bank, identified as Hiba Daraghmeh, who was reported to be a student of English literature.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2003
Location
Shaarei HaAmakim mall, Afula, Israel
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2003-05-19

    A suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance to the Shaarei HaAmakim mall in Afula, Israel, killing three people and injuring 70.

Best coverage

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People

  • Hiba Daraghmeh

    CHARGED

    Identified by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, both of which claimed responsibility for the attack, as the 19-year-old suicide bomber from Tubas who carried out the attack; no formal criminal adjudication is described in the available source.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Shaarei HaAmakim mall, Afula, Israel

32.6036, 35.2942

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On May 19, 2003, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance of the Shaarei HaAmakim mall in Afula, Israel, killing three civilians and injuring 70.
Where did the bombing happen?
Shaarei HaAmakim mall, Afula, Israel.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICAfula mall bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The AgeThe Age · 2026-07-10