Posted on 11/23/2006 11:47:13 AM PST by Nachum
A Palestinian grandmother blew herself up in the Gaza Strip, lightly wounding three Israeli soldiers, in the first suicide attack claimed by Hamas in almost two years.
The mother of nine and grandmother of 41 became the oldest Palestinian suicide bomber at the age of 57, approaching troops operating to curb daily rocket attacks, the army said.
"Troops saw a woman approaching them in a suspicious manner and identified her carrying an explosive device," a spokeswoman said of the incident in the northern town of Jabaliya.
"They then threw a stun grenade in her direction but she managed to blow herself up," the spokeswoman said, adding that three soldiers were lightly hurt.
Within minutes the armed wing of the Hamas claimed the bombing. This was the Islamist group's first suicide attack since January 2005, when a bomber wounded seven Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
"The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades claims the martyr operation carried out by Fatima Omar Mahmud al-Najar, aged 57, in the middle of a group of Zionist soldiers," an online statement said.
The bloody operation came two weeks after the radical faction threatened to resume suicide bombings in response to a botched Israeli shelling in the Gaza town of Beit Hanun that left 19 Palestinians, mostly women and children, dead.
Another seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the northern part of the volatile territory Thursday, as Gaza militants launched seven rockets into the Jewish state, one of which struck a house in a southern kibbutz.
Relatives said Najar had seven sons and two daughters, plus some 41 grandchildren, and that they were proud of her "martyrdom", which daughter Azhar said was a direct response to the Beit Hanun shelling.
"She did this operation in response to the Beit Hanun massacre. She was very moved by what happened," said Azhar, speaking from home in Jabaliya where relatives came to congratulate Najar's nearest and dearest.
Azhar also said her mother had taken part in a daring rescue operation, staged by Palestinian mothers and wives, who acted as human shields to free more than a dozen gunmen holed up in a Beit Hanun mosque on November 3.
Zuheir, Najar's 20-year-old son, told AFP from the family home: "We are really happy. It's a big operation. She told us last night that she would do a suicide operation. She prepared her clothes for that operation and we are proud.
"'I don't want anything, only to die a martyr.' That's what she said."
Faced with Hamas rocket attacks, Israeli ministers only Wednesday authorized more operations against the Islamists, following a sweeping campaign of arrests and bombings begun in late June after the group abducted a soldier.
Hamas heads the Western-boycotted Palestinian government, whose armed wing has claimed two recent deadly rocket attacks on Israel, and which has withstood massive pressure to recognize Israel and formally renounce violence.
Najar was the second Palestinian woman to blow herself up in the northern Gaza this month, following a November 6 attack claimed by Islamic Jihad.
The seven Palestinians, including at least four militants, were killed and seven Israeli soldiers wounded Thursday, as the military pressed a ground and air assault to curb the constant menace of rocket fire.
Three of the militants were from the radical Popular Resistance Committees, one of three groups to claim the June 25 capture of the Israeli soldier, and died in an air strike against their car in Beit Hanun.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike against militants wanted in connection with rocket attacks and anti-tank fire.
One Palestinian was killed as Israeli artillery fired in response to the suicide attack, and three others, including a militant from the radical Islamic Jihad movement, were killed by ground fire.
Rocket attacks have become a near daily event since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after a 38-year occupation, frequently inaccurate but managing to kill two civilians in the past eight days.
Israel has openly admitted being unable to completely stop the rocket fire, and more than 300 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the military launched a massive counter-offensive in late June.
I have a feeling SHE made the decision to go.
Is this the ultimate BJ?
hey wait a minute - she was ONLY 57 (I'm 56) -THAT IS NOT OLD!!!! otherwise, this dumb b*()h deserved whatever she got for being willing to blow herself up for "the cause"....and I hope I don't hear one boo-hoo about this "poor old lady"!
They probably running out of caindates if you were terror group all your memebers have lousy retirement plan
We should hope- but with billions of Muslims worldwide- might be awhile before they truly run out unfortunately
I think suicide bombing is the most foul, evil, despicable act of murder that there is. I have no sympathy for it. I don't want to hear how they are driven to it by desperation. It is an evil from the deepest, darkest pits of hell. And for me, it's THE reason why I have nothing but scorn for the plight of the Palestinians and lost sympathy for them a long time ago.
It's more that many would rather enjoy a comfortable fantasy than hard unpleasant realities - that our enemies are not bound by the traditional rules of warfare and will use any method at their disposal to get to us.
Guess this is easier - offing your grannies so they won't be a burden and blowing up someone innocent at the same time............
They probably picked her out of a new ploy. After all, who's suspect an older woman? It's probably a great way of getting rid of the weaker members of their society.
These people are so cynical it makes me sick.
She was a late boomer.Proves your never too old to make a contribution.
Revelations 6, Second horseman of the Apocalypse:
Rev Rev 6:4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that {men} would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
The Jihad is supported by the leftists and Communist nations to destabilize the wests hold on the oil, the great sword is the most powerful weapon known to man, nuclear ballistic missiles and it is being given to the Jihad by Russia and China.
"Churches" implies that they are Christian. No other religion in the world refers to the gathering together of its adherents as "the church." Of course, that has all been perverted by all the pagan religions and cults who try to cloak themselves with a veneer of respectability and credibility, and by the ecumenical Marxists masquerading as Christians.
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Now, why would someone consider eliminating this loving, peaceful cult?
From the link: "'Zuheir, Najar's 20-year-old son, told AFP from the family home: "We are really happy. It's a big operation. She told us last night that she would do a suicide operation. She prepared her clothes for that operation and we are proud.
"'I don't want anything, only to die a martyr.' That's what she said."'
Sad that these people are so brainwashed.
"Prayers for the victims of this sadly misguided soul."
Yes, and you apparently have a good God-loving heart.
Bless you. Most kind of you to say.
global jihad bump
No criminal is. As I learned many years ago working in international passenger inspection, sometimes a non-profile is a profile. I've seen little old gray-haired women bring in a suitcase full of heroin.
Prayers offered up for the wounded Israeli soldiers.
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