Palestinian suicide attacks

The Haifa bus 37 suicide bombing in March 2003, perpetrated by Hamas, killed 17 passengers, many of them children, teenagers, and students

Palestinian suicide attacks, also known as Palestinian suicide bombings, involve the use of suicide bombings by Palestinian groups in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, predominantly targeting Israeli civilians.[1] This tactic is also referred to as Palestinian suicide terrorism.[2] It emerged in the 1990s and reached its peak during the Second Intifada (2000–2005). Attacks occurred at various locations, including shopping centers, public buses, transit stations, cafes, nightclubs, and restaurants,[3] with only a few targeting military objectives.[4] Between 1994 and 2005, suicide bombings killed 735 Israelis and wounded 4,554.[5]

The majority of Palestinian suicide bombings targeting Israelis have been carried out by radical Palestinian groups,[6] who often recruit potential bombers from outside their ranks, rather than relying on internal members.[7][6] In the early 1990s, Islamist organizations such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) adopted this strategy in response to the Oslo Accords, which had elevated the PLO's position and sidelined these Islamist groups.[8] During the Second Intifada, suicide attacks against Israel intensified and gained widespread Palestinian support, leading to the development of a martyrdom cult.[9] This led to its adoption by other groups such as the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Fatah's Tanzim, which sought to leverage the tactic to enhance their own standing.[10][9]

In Palestinian society, suicide bombings are commonly referred to as "martyrdom operations".[11] For many Palestinian suicide bombers, martyrdom represents a fulfillment of religious duty, driven by an Islamist interpretation of Jihad that equates martyrdom with a sacred obligation.[12] This perspective, combined with an animosity toward Jews and a response to perceived national humiliation and injustice associated with the 1948 displacement and the Israeli occupation, renders martyrdom a compelling choice.[13] Bombers are also motivated by a desire for revenge, personal pride and honor, and the promise of spiritual and material rewards in the afterlife.[13] Public support for suicide bombers is reflected in cultural practices such as mass funerals, the naming of public spaces after bombers,[14] and promotion through social media, written media, education, and children's programs.[15]

Suicide bombings in the 1990s and 2000s had an unexpected and severe impact on Israel's home front,[16] profoundly affecting Israeli society and hardening attitudes towards Palestinians as potential peace partners in a two-state solution.[17] The bombings contributed to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to construct the West Bank barrier inside and around the West Bank.[17]

  1. ^ Moghadam 2003, p. 65; Pedahzur, Perliger & Weinberg 2003, p. 419; Kliot & Charney 2006, pp. 353, 359, 361; Cohen 2016, p. 753
  2. ^ Moghadam 2003, p. 65; Pedahzur, Perliger & Weinberg 2003, p. 419; Kliot & Charney 2006, pp. 353, 359, 361; Cohen 2016, p. 753; Aran 2023
  3. ^ Pedahzur 2006, p. 42; Kliot & Charney 2006, p. 366–367
  4. ^ Kliot & Charney 2006, pp. 366–367.
  5. ^ Kliot & Charney 2006, p. 361.
  6. ^ a b Moghadam 2003, p. 68.
  7. ^ Horowitz 2015, p. 72.
  8. ^ Gupta & Mundra 2005, p. 578; Nanninga 2019, p. 7; Hoffman 2017, pp. 159–160; Siniver 2023, p. 279
  9. ^ a b Nanninga 2019, p. 7.
  10. ^ Gupta & Mundra 2005, p. 578.
  11. ^ Merari et al. 2010, p. 118.
  12. ^ Moghadam 2003, pp. 69–71.
  13. ^ a b Moghadam 2003, p. 87.
  14. ^ Pedahzur 2006, pp. 30–31.
  15. ^ Ganor 2015, pp. 76–77.
  16. ^ Siniver 2023, p. 161–162.
  17. ^ a b Mpoke Bigg & Sobelman 2024.