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Solved case · 1996
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On March 4, 1996, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a nail bomb at a busy intersection outside Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Center on the eve of Purim, killing 13 Israelis and wounding 130 others.
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Suggest coverage for Dizengoff Center suicide bombingThe case file
On March 4, 1996, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated an explosive device outside the Dizengoff Center, the largest shopping mall in Tel Aviv. The attack killed 13 Israelis and wounded approximately 130 more. It was the fourth suicide bombing in Israel within a nine-day span, a wave of attacks that brought the cumulative death toll during that period to over 60.
The bombing occurred in the context of a retaliatory campaign organized by Mohammed Deif, who later served as commander of the Qassam Brigades, following the assassination of Hamas military leader Yahya Ayyash by Israel's Shin Bet on January 5, 1996. According to reporting cited in the case record, this campaign also included the two Jaffa Road bus bombings in Jerusalem. These operations were described as larger in scale, scope, and sophistication than prior attacks, and it has been alleged that Syria and Iran assisted in their planning and financing. A report cited in the record states that Syrian Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass instructed Ghazi Kanaan, commander of Syrian forces in Lebanon, to establish links between Hezbollah and Hamas fighters, who were reportedly trained in both Lebanon and Iran before participating in the retaliatory operations. Separately, according to journalist Mike Kelly, Hamas operative Hassan Salameh, who planned three of the attacks in this period, was trained in Iran. In 2000, families of American victims of the attacks filed a lawsuit against Tlass, Kanaan, and Iranian Minister of Intelligence Ali Fallahian.
On the day of the attack, the Dizengoff Center was especially crowded due to the approaching Purim holiday, with many children present in costume. The bomber reportedly attempted to enter the mall itself but turned back because of a police presence there. He then moved to a busy nearby intersection where a large number of pedestrians were crossing the street and detonated a nail bomb described as weighing approximately 20 kilograms (44 lb). The attack took place just before 4 p.m. local time.
Following the bombing, a phone call to an Israeli radio station, apparently from a Hamas representative, identified the attacker as a 24-year-old resident of Ramallah.
3 dated entries · 1996–2000
Israel's Shin Bet assassinates Hamas military leader Yahya Ayyash, prompting a retaliatory mass-casualty bombing campaign organized by Mohammed Deif.
A suicide bomber detonates a nail bomb at a busy intersection outside the Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv, killing 13 and wounding about 130, on the eve of Purim.
Families of American victims of the 1996 bombing campaign file a lawsuit against Syrian and Iranian officials alleged to have supported the attacks.
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PressThe New York TimesAccessed Jul 7, 2026
Presscasetext.comAccessed Jul 7, 2026
EncyclopedicWikipediaAccessed Jul 7, 2026
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