July 2005 HaSharon Mall suicide bombing

The July 2005 HaSharon Mall bombing was a suicide bombing which occurred on July 12, 2005 in the HaSharon Mall in Netanya, Israel. 5 civilians were killed in the attack.

The Palestinian Islamist militant organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

Attack
During the late afternoon of July 12, 2005 a Palestinian suicide bomber approached the popular HaSharon Mall in the center of the coastal city Netanya. The suicide bomber who was wearing hidden explosives underneath his clothes, detonated himself at about 6:35 pm on a pedestrian crossing, after approaching a group of four young women, who were crossing the road.

Three women were killed in the attack. An IDF corporal and another woman subsequently died of their injuries. In addition, about 90 people were injured in the attack, five of them seriously. The explosion which occurred in a busy intersection outside of the mall during the evening rush hour also caused damage to many of the nearby automobiles, and in addition, some of the shopping center's windows were shattered.

After the attack the local police stated that the suicide bomber carried around 10 kg of explosives, as well as nails and metal pellets, on an explosive belt that was strapped to his body. Netanya's mayor, Miriam Fierberg, was present on the scene of the attack and immediately began assisting the injured.

The perpetrators
The Palestinian Islamist militant organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that the attack was carried out by 18-year-old Palestinian student Ahmad Abu-Halil from the West Bank village of Atil.