Bombing
At the time of her suicide, Jaradat was a law student due to qualify as a lawyer in a few weeks. She had studied law at Yarmouk University in Jordan. Instead of going to the law firm where she was articling, she went to Haifa and blew herself up in a crowded restaurant. According to a story in Ha'aretz, based on Arab media and interviews with Israeli and Arab sources, Jaradat carried out the bombing as an act of revenge after Israel Defense Forces undercover operatives in Jenin killed her cousin (Salah, 34) and her younger brother (Fadi, 25).
Both her cousin and younger brother were accused by Israeli forces of being Islamic Jihad operatives, with her cousin being considered to be a senior member of the Al-Quds Brigades group. Earlier, when she was 21, her fiance had been killed by Israeli security forces. Following the killing of her cousin and brother, Jaradat went into mourning and began study of the Koran and fasting two days a week.
The bomb included metal fragments packed around the explosive core, that sprayed around the restaurant, maximizing lethal effect. According to Haifa police sources, the aftermath was gruesome, with some of the dead still sitting upright at their tables, while others, including children and babies, were slammed against the walls. Due to the force of the explosion, all that remained of Jaradat was her head.
In response to his daughter's actions, her father Taisir said "My daughter's action reflected the anger that every Palestinian feels at the occupation. The occupation did not have mercy on my son Fadi, her brother. They killed him even though he was not a wanted person, they murdered him in cold blood before Hanadi's eyes.". He declined all condolences, instead saying that he was proud of what his daughter had done, and that "I will accept only congratulations for what she did. This was a gift she gave me, the homeland and the Palestinian people. Therefore, I am not crying for her. Even though the most precious thing has been taken from me.". In reprisal for the suicide bombing, Israeli forces conducted a raid at 3:00 a.m. on October 5, 2003, during the course of which they demolished the family home of Jaradat and the houses of two of her neighbours.
Read more about this topic: Hanadi Jaradat
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