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Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing

SOLVED2001Corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road, Jerusalem3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 9 August 2001, at approximately 2:00 p.m., a suicide bombing occurred at the Jerusalem branch of the Sbarro pizza restaurant chain, located at the corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road, one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the city. The restaurant was crowded with customers, including many women, children, and babies, and pedestrian traffic outside was at its peak. The bomber, later identified as Izz al-Din Shuheil al-Masri, a 22-year-old from the West Bank town of Aqabah, detonated an explosive device — described as either a rigged guitar case or an explosive belt weighing five to ten kilograms — packed with nails, nuts, and bolts. The attack killed 16 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, and wounded 130 others.

Witnesses described extensive casualties and destruction inside and outside the restaurant after the blast.

Among those killed were 14 Israelis, one pregnant American woman (Shoshana Greenbaum), and one Brazilian national. Chana Nachenberg, then 31, was left in a persistent vegetative state and remained hospitalized for more than two decades until her death from her injuries on 31 May 2023. Ten-year-old Yocheved Shoshan was killed; her 15-year-old sister Miriam survived with severe shrapnel injuries. Mordechai and Tzira Schijveschuurder, both children of Holocaust survivors, were killed along with three of their children; two other daughters were critically injured.

Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine initially claimed responsibility. Hamas stated the attack was retaliation for Israel's assassination of two Hamas commanders and six civilians in Nablus ten days earlier. Ahlam Tamimi, then a 20-year-old university student, was charged as an accomplice for scouting the target and escorting the bomber to the restaurant while disguised as a Jewish tourist; she was later sentenced to 16 life terms. Abdallah Barghouti, who constructed the explosives used in this and other attacks, received 67 life sentences on 30 November 2004 for his role in attacks that killed 67 civilians and injured 500.

In the aftermath, Israel closed the Palestinian "foreign office" at Orient House in Jerusalem. Families of victims established charitable organizations, including the Malki Foundation and the ONE Family Fund. In October 2011, Tamimi was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, prompting protests from victims' families, including Arnold and Frimet Roth and members of the Schijveschuurder family. In November 2024, the Jerusalem District Court ruled that the Palestinian Authority must compensate victims of the bombing, with compensation estimated at millions of shekels.

Key facts

Victims
Yocheved Shoshan, Malka Chana Roth, Chana Nachenberg, Mordechai Schijveschuurder, Shoshana Greenbaum, Tzira Schijveschuurder
Date
2001
Location
Corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road, Jerusalem
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2001-08-09

    Suicide bombing occurs at the Sbarro restaurant in downtown Jerusalem, killing 16 and wounding 130.

  2. 2001-09

    Palestinian university students at An-Najah University create an exhibition re-enacting the bombing; Yasser Arafat later shuts it down.

  3. 2004-11-30

    Abdallah Barghouti, who constructed the explosives, receives 67 life sentences for this and other attacks.

  4. 2011-10

    Ahlam Tamimi is released from Israeli custody as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.

  5. 2023-05-31

    Chana Nachenberg, who had remained in a persistent vegetative state since the attack, dies of her injuries.

  6. 2024-11

    Jerusalem District Court rules that the Palestinian Authority must compensate victims of the bombing.

Best coverage

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People

  • Yocheved Shoshan

    VICTIM

    10-year-old killed in the bombing.

  • Malka Chana Roth

    VICTIM

    15-year-old victim of the attack; her family founded the Malki Foundation in her memory.

  • Abdallah Barghouti

    CONVICTED

    Constructed the explosives used in the bombing and other attacks; received 67 life sentences on 30 November 2004.

  • Chana Nachenberg

    VICTIM

    Left in a persistent vegetative state after the attack; died of her injuries on 31 May 2023.

  • Mordechai Schijveschuurder

    VICTIM

    Killed in the bombing along with three of his children.

  • Shoshana Greenbaum

    VICTIM

    Pregnant American woman killed in the bombing.

  • Ahlam Tamimi

    CONVICTED

    Charged as an accomplice for scouting the target and escorting the bomber to the restaurant; sentenced to 16 life terms and released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange.

  • Tzira Schijveschuurder

    VICTIM

    Killed in the bombing along with three of her children.

  • Izz al-Din Shuheil al-Masri

    CHARGED

    Identified as the suicide bomber who carried out the attack and died in the course of committing it.

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

Places

Corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road, Jerusalem

31.7830, 35.2179

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 9 August 2001, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated an explosive device inside a crowded Sbarro pizzeria in downtown Jerusalem, killing 16 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, and wounding 130 others during the Second Intifada.
Where did the bombing happen?
Corner of King George Street and Jaffa Road, Jerusalem.
Who was convicted?
Abdallah Barghouti (Constructed the explosives used in the bombing and other attacks; received 67 life sentences on 30 November 2004.) and Ahlam Tamimi (Charged as an accomplice for scouting the target and escorting the bomber to the restaurant; sentenced to 16 life terms and released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICSbarro restaurant suicide bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026