2002 Hebron ambush
The 2002 Hebron ambush took place in the Wadi an-Nasara neighborhood in Hebron in the West Bank on 15 November 2002. Israeli forces were subjected to a double attack by fighters from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The battle was referred to in Israel as "The attack on the worshippers' route", Hebrew: הפיגוע בציר המתפללים. The place where the attack took place became known as the "Alley of Death" both in Hebrew and Arabic. The ambush was initially dubbed as the "Sabbath massacre" (Hebrew: טבח השבת) by official Israeli spokespersons.
| 2002 Hebron ambush | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Intifada | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| Israel | Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Col. Dror Weinberg † Samih Sweidan † | Unknown | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
|
IDF Nahal brigade Israeli Border Police Kiryat Arba Emergency Response Team | Jerusalem Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad | ||||
| Strength | |||||
|
Unknown Unknown | 3 fighters | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
|
12 killed 15 wounded | 3 killed | ||||
| No non-combatant casualties | |||||
The attacks were carried out in a narrow alley, off the passage from Tomb of the Patriarchs to the south gate of Kiryat Arba, by three Palestinian fighters. Twelve Israeli soldiers and security guards, including three high-ranking officers, were killed in the battle, as were all three of the Palestinian fighters.