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Davidka Square bus bombing

SOLVED2003Davidka Square, Jerusalem3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a Palestinian suicide bomber dressed as an Orthodox Jew boarded Egged bus No. 14a at the Mahane Yehuda market bus stop on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem. The bomber detonated an explosive device packed with metal shrapnel, intended to maximize casualties, when the bus reached Davidka Square in the center of the city.

The attack killed 17 people and injured more than 100, including numerous bystanders on the street near the bus stop. Those killed included Eugenia K. Berman; Sgt. Tamar Ben-Eliahu, 20, of Moshav Paran; Alan Beer, 47, of Jerusalem; Elsa Cohen, 70, of Jerusalem; Zvi Cohen, 39, of Jerusalem; Roi Eliraz, 22, of Mevaseret Zion; Alexander Kazaris, 77, of Jerusalem; Yaffa Mualem, 65, of Jerusalem; Yaniv Obayed, 22, of Herzliya; Bat-El Ohana, 21, of Kiryat Ata; Anna Orgal, 55, of Jerusalem; Zippora Pesahovitch, 54, of Zur Hadassah; Bianca Shahrur, 62, of Jerusalem; Malka Sultan, 67, of Jerusalem; Bertine Tita, 75, of Jerusalem; and Haile Abraha Hawki, of Eritrea. Miriam Levy, 74, of Jerusalem, died of her wounds the following day, June 12.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the bombing, stating it was carried out in retaliation for an Israeli assassination attempt on senior Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi the day before, on June 10, 2003, in which Israeli helicopters fired missiles at his car; Rantissi survived that attempt.

Shortly after the bus bombing, Israeli helicopters fired rockets at a moving car in Gaza carrying two senior Hamas members among others, killing all six passengers in the vehicle, including a Hamas figure identified as Tito Masoud.

In the aftermath, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the attack showed that Palestinians had done nothing to crack down on militants. Palestinian National Authority leader Yasser Arafat condemned the bombing and called on both Arabs and Israelis to halt the violence. United States President George W. Bush also condemned the attack and urged nations to cut off financial assistance to groups labeled as terrorist organizations.

Civil lawsuits were subsequently filed against Arab Bank, NatWest, and Crédit Lyonnais over allegations that the institutions had channeled funds to Hamas.

Key facts

Victims
Bat-El Ohana, Malka Sultan, Elsa Cohen, Miriam Levy, Alexander Kazaris, Roi Eliraz, Zvi Cohen, Tamar Ben-Eliahu, Zippora Pesahovitch, Anna Orgal, Bianca Shahrur, Haile Abraha Hawki, Bertine Tita, Eugenia K. Berman, Alan Beer, Yaniv Obayed, Yaffa Mualem
Date
2003
Location
Davidka Square, Jerusalem
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2003-06-10

    Israeli helicopters fire missiles at a car carrying senior Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in an assassination attempt; Rantissi survives.

  2. 2003-06-11

    A Palestinian suicide bomber boards Egged bus No. 14a at the Mahane Yehuda market bus stop on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem, and detonates an explosive device at Davidka Square, killing 16 people immediately and injuring over 100.

  3. 2003-06-11

    Israeli helicopters fire rockets at a car in Gaza carrying Hamas members, killing all six occupants, including Hamas figure Tito Masoud.

  4. 2003-06-12

    Miriam Levy, 74, dies of injuries sustained in the bombing, bringing the death toll to 17.

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People

  • Bat-El Ohana

    VICTIM

    21, of Kiryat Ata; killed in the bombing.

  • Malka Sultan

    VICTIM

    67, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Elsa Cohen

    VICTIM

    70, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Miriam Levy

    VICTIM

    74, of Jerusalem; died of wounds on June 12, 2003, one day after the bombing.

  • Alexander Kazaris

    VICTIM

    77, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Roi Eliraz

    VICTIM

    22, of Mevaseret Zion; killed in the bombing.

  • Zvi Cohen

    VICTIM

    39, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Tamar Ben-Eliahu

    VICTIM

    Sgt., 20, of Moshav Paran; killed in the bombing.

  • Zippora Pesahovitch

    VICTIM

    54, of Zur Hadassah; killed in the bombing.

  • Anna Orgal

    VICTIM

    55, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Bianca Shahrur

    VICTIM

    62, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Haile Abraha Hawki

    VICTIM

    Of Eritrea; killed in the bombing.

  • Bertine Tita

    VICTIM

    75, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Eugenia K. Berman

    VICTIM

    Killed in the bombing.

  • Alan Beer

    VICTIM

    47, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

  • Yaniv Obayed

    VICTIM

    22, of Herzliya; killed in the bombing.

  • Yaffa Mualem

    VICTIM

    65, of Jerusalem; killed in the bombing.

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

Places

Davidka Square, Jerusalem

31.7847, 35.2147

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on Egged bus line 14a at Davidka Square in central Jerusalem on June 11, 2003, killing 17 people and injuring more than 100. Hamas claimed responsibility, describing the attack as retaliation for an Israeli assassination attempt on a senior Hamas leader the previous day.
Where did the bombing happen?
Davidka Square, Jerusalem.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICDavidka Square bus bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The New York TimesThe New York Times · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — NPRNPR · 2026-07-10