Special Terror Report -- Jerusalem 11 June 2003
DEBKAfile
12 June 2003
Jerusalem remains on high terror alert day after 16 Israelis killed in Palestinian suicide bombing of 14A bus on main Jerusalem thoroughfare of Jaffa Street. Twenty eight of more than 100 injured in hospital, 6 in serious condition. Daughter of State Senator Robert W. Singer, New Jersey, among wounded. Names of victims listed in box below
New screening procedures enforced after bus-stop guard failed to recognize bomber through Orthodox Jew disguise
Heavy Hizballah anti-air fire Thursday on Israeli aircraft patrolling southern Lebanon. Shrapnel falls on northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shemona. Qassam missile fire from Gaza Strip fails to explode near Israeli town of Sderot
Israel has not altered its policy of hitting top terrorists and we gave no such promise to US at Aqaba summit, Sharon assures cabinet ministers in Jerusalem.
DEBKAfile Reports Exclusively: Bush and Sharon continue indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas through Egypt even after Jerusalem bus massacre. Hamas toughens stance, poses three conditions:
1. Only three-month trial truce – far short of one year demanded. 2. Israeli-US written guarantees against counter-attack. Abu Mazen must characterize Hamas strikes “national liberation” operations, retract terror definition.
3. Sharon must publicly declare “end of anti-Hamas violence and incitement” over Israeli media
More in DEBKAfile Special Report below
Two senior Hamas operatives, Titi Masoud, Qassam rocket commander and Sheik
Yassin’s bodyguard, among six killed in targeted rocket strike against
their car in Gaza 20 minutes after deadly bomb blast in Jerusalem
Bodyguard of Palestinian Legislature Speaker Abu Ala detained last week at al Azariyeh near Jerusalem preparing imminent shooting-grenade attack in Jerusalem center. Security experts: Attack on Jerusalem constant objective of all Palestinian groups.
Earlier, Mubarak’s emissary Egyptian intelligence chief Suleiman failed to persuade Arafat to accept ceasefire or ease Abu Mazen-Dahlan's attempts to create effective security force.
Victims of June 11 Jerusalem Bus Massacre
Sixteen commuters and bystanders died when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew
up a packed bus on a busy Jerusalem thoroughfare at rush hour on Wednesday,
June 13. More than 100 were injured. Some were on their way to the open air
market nearby. The blast of destruction struck dozens of shops and cars. It
was the second Palestinian terror assault in Jerusalem since the Aqaba summit
of June 4. On June 5, an Israeli couple was hacked to death in a wood behind
Hadassah. The perpetrators are still sought.
The victims identified from the bus bombing are:
Sgt. Tamar Ben-Eliahu, 20, from Moshav Faran
Alexander Kazrir, 77, from Jerusalem
Ro’i Eliraz, 22, from Mevassaret
Tsipora Pesahovitch from Tsur Hadassah
Sultana Rene Malka, 67, from Jerusalem
Allen Cohen, 47, from Jerusalem
Elsa Cohen, 70, from Jerusalem
Yaffa Mualem, 65, from Jerusalem
Zvi Cohen, 39, from Kiryat Menahem
Eugenia Berman, 50, from Jerusalem
Martine Tita, 75, from Jerusalem