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Karkur junction suicide bombing

On 21 October 2002, a vehicle packed with explosives rammed an Egged commuter bus at the Karkur junction near Wadi Ara, Israel, killing 14 people and wounding 50 in an attack claimed by Islamic Jihad.

Illustrative

On the afternoon of 21 October 2002, Egged commuter bus 841, traveling Route No. 65 from Kiryat Shmona to Tel Aviv, stopped at the Karkur junction near Wadi Ara, Israel, approximately eight kilometres from Hadera, during the afternoon rush hour. A passenger boarded and spoke to the bus driver, Chaim Avraham, but before he could respond, a jeep loaded with an estimated 100 kilograms (220 lb) of TNT rammed the rear of the bus, triggering an explosion.

The blast ignited a fire that spread rapidly, setting off a chain of secondary explosions from ammunition being carried by soldiers who were passengers on the bus. The fire subsequently ignited the bus's fuel tank, completely gutting the vehicle and reducing it to a blackened skeleton. The intensity of the resulting blaze initially prevented police and rescue workers from approaching the wreckage to assist victims.

The attack killed 14 people in total — seven Israeli soldiers and seven civilians — and wounded 50 additional passengers. The attack was carried out by Islamic Jihad.

In the aftermath, the Palestinian Authority issued a statement condemning the suicide bombing. However, an unnamed Israeli official responded with skepticism regarding the sincerity of that condemnation, stating that "The Palestinian Authority has become a prime authority on terror and could not care less about preventing it."

Key facts

Victims
Chaim Avraham
Date
2002
Location
Karkur junction, Wadi Ara, Israel
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2002-10-21

    A vehicle loaded with an estimated 100 kilograms of TNT rammed Egged bus 841 at the Karkur junction near Wadi Ara, Israel, causing an explosion and fire that killed 14 people and wounded 50.

Best coverage

No coverage has been attached to this file yet.

People

  • Chaim Avraham

    VICTIM

    Bus driver of Egged bus 841 at the time of the attack; his fate after the bombing is not specified in the source.

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

Places

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 21 October 2002, a vehicle packed with explosives rammed an Egged commuter bus at the Karkur junction near Wadi Ara, Israel, killing 14 people and wounding 50 in an attack claimed by Islamic Jihad.
Where did the bombing happen?
Karkur junction, Wadi Ara, Israel.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICKarkur junction suicide bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSSuicide car-bomb attack kills 14 in IsraelThe Independent · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of the Karkur junction bombingBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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