Matzuva attack

Matzuva attack
Part of the Second Intifada militancy campaign
The attack site
Location	Near kibbutz Matzuva, Israel
Coordinates	33°03′47.78″N 35°09′00.20″E
Date	March 12, 2002
Attack type	Ambush, Shooting attack
Deaths	5 Israeli civilians and 1 Israeli soldier (+2 attackers)
Non-fatal injuries	1 Israeli civilian
Perpetrators	Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility

The Matzuva attack was a terrorist attack on March 12, 2002 in which two Islamic Jihad militants who infiltrated Israel from Lebanon opened fire on civilian vehicles traveling on the Shlomi-Matzuva road. Six Israelis were killed in the attack and one injured.

The attack

On March 12, 2002 two Islamic Jihad militants crossed the border, reached a mountain overlooking the Shlomi-Matzuva road, and began firing small arms and throwing hand grenades at vehicles traveling on the road, including a civilian commuter bus.

Five Israeli civilians and an Israeli army officer were killed and a member of Kibbutz Matzuva was injured.

The attackers were killed in battle with Israeli security forces.

Fatalities

Lynne Livne, 49, of Kibbutz Hanita Lt. German Rojyakov, 25, of Kiryat Shmona Yehudit Cohen, 33, of Shlomi

Alexei Kotman, 29, of Kibbutz Beit Hashita Ofer Kanerik, 44, of Moshav Betzet Atara Livne, 15, of Kibbutz Hanita

The perpetrators

Initially Israeli intelligence officials believed that the attack was organized by the Hezbollah, although Hezbollah did not confirm this. Following the signing of the trade agreement between Lebanon and the European Union in 2002, Hezbollah had agreed not to commit any attacks across the international border between Israel and Lebanon. In 2004, Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack. In May 2006, Mahmoud al-Majzoub, leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad at that time, exploded in his car in Sidon. There were speculations that the hit was a response to the 2002 Matzuva attack, but Israel has not taken responsibility for al-Majzoub's death.

See also

• 2000–2006 Shebaa Farms conflict

External links

• MIDEAST TURMOIL: LEBANON FRONT; Fatal Attack Shatters Israeli Border Town's Calm - published in The New York Times on March 14, 2002
• Mother, daughter from Kibbutz Hanita among ambush victims - published in the Jerusalem Post on March 13, 2002
• Terrorists slay 6 in Galilee attack. Area residents confined to homes - published in the Jerusalem Post on March 13, 2002