2002 Hebron ambush | |||||||
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Part of the Second Intifada | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Israel | Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Col. Dror Weinberg † Samih Sweidan † | Unknown | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
IDF Nahal Brigade Israeli Border Police Kiryat Arba Emergency Response Team | Jerusalem Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown Unknown | 3 fighters | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
12 killed 15 wounded | 3 killed |
The 2002 Hebron ambush took place in the Wadi an-Nasara neighborhood in Hebron in the West Bank on 15 November 2002. Israeli forces were subjected to a double attack by fighters from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The battle was referred to in Israel as "The attack on the worshippers' route" (Hebrew: הפיגוע בציר המתפללים)[1] The place where the attack took place became known as the "Alley of Death" both in Hebrew and Arabic. The ambush was initially dubbed as the "Sabbath massacre" (Hebrew: טבח השבת) by official Israeli spokespersons.
The attacks were carried out in a narrow alley, off the passage from Tomb of the Patriarchs to the south gate of Kiryat Arba, by three Palestinian fighters. Twelve Israeli soldiers and security guards, including three high-ranking officers, were killed in the battle, as were all three of the Palestinian fighters.