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Haifa bus 16 suicide bombing

SOLVED2001Tel Amal neighbourhood, Haifa, Israel2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the afternoon of Sunday, 2 December 2001, a Palestinian suicide bomber boarded Egged bus No. 16 in Haifa, Israel. The bus was traveling from Neve Sha'anan to the Giborim bridge. The assailant boarded calmly, paid the bus fare, and a few seconds later detonated an explosive device that had been concealed underneath his clothes.

The bombing occurred at a busy intersection in the Tel Amal neighbourhood of Haifa. The attack killed 15 civilians and injured 40 others, 17 of whom were listed as critically wounded.

The Palestinian Islamist militant organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. A leaflet published by Hamas identified the suicide bomber as Maher Habashi, described as a 21-year-old Palestinian plumber from Nablus.

This case is treated as resolved with respect to attribution of responsibility, in that a named organization (Hamas) publicly claimed the attack and identified an individual as the bomber via leaflet.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2001
Location
Tel Amal neighbourhood, Haifa, Israel
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2001-12-02

    A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device aboard Egged bus No. 16 in the Tel Amal neighbourhood of Haifa, Israel, killing 15 civilians and injuring 40.

  2. 2001-12-03

    Contemporaneous news coverage of the bombing was published, including a report by the New York Daily News.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Maher Habashi

    CHARGED

    Identified by a Hamas-published leaflet as the 21-year-old Palestinian plumber from Nablus who carried out the suicide bombing; died in the attack. No formal charges could be filed as the perpetrator did not survive.

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

Places

Tel Amal neighbourhood, Haifa, Israel

32.8011, 35.0111

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 2 December 2001, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on Egged bus No. 16 in Haifa, Israel, killing 15 civilians and injuring 40. Hamas claimed responsibility.
Where did the bombing happen?
Tel Amal neighbourhood, Haifa, Israel.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. PRESSBus blast kills at least 16 in Haifa, IsraelCNN · 2026-07-11
  2. ENCYCLOPEDICHaifa bus 16 suicide bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-10