Family proud of bomber

2003-10-05 16:57

Jenin, West Bank - The parents of a Palestinian suicide bomber who killed 19 diners at a restaurant in northern Israel spoke of their pride in their daughter on Sunday, claiming she had avenged the death of her brother at the hands of the Israeli army.

Twenty-nine-year-old Hanadi Tayssir Jaradat, who worked as a lawyer at a practise in the centre of this West Bank town, was a devout Muslim who would assiduously pray and read the Koran, her parents said.

The unmarried woman had witnessed the death of her brother Fadi Jaradat and cousin Saleh Jaradat, during an Israeli army operation in Jenin on June 12. Both were members of the radical Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.

"She saw the killing in the house of her brother and cousin three months ago," her mother, Umm Fadi, said.

"She was deeply upset as she was very close to her brother.

"I am happy with her because she has killed those who have killed my son. They kill us every day and demolish our homes every day."

'No inkling'

Speaking in a neighbour's house after the family home was destroyed by the Israeli army early on Sunday, Umm Fadi said that she had no inkling of what her daughter was about to do.

She had left home as usual at 07:30 on Saturday as her mother headed off for the market.

But instead of travelling to her office in Jenin, the bomber instead headed for the northern city of Haifa with an explosive device which was to devastate the Maxim restaurant, a business co-owned by Jewish and Arab families, about seven hours later.

"She was very normal," said Umm Fadi. "But when I heard that there was an explosion in Haifa, I tried to call her. As a mother, I felt something might have happened.

"Then the television said it was Hamadi. I was very shocked."

'Strong person'

Her father also spoke of his pride as the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite channel played a video of his daughter shortly before she embarked on her suicide mission.

"I am very proud of what she has done," Tayssir Jaradat said.

"She is a very strong person. She would pray and read the Koran every day."

In a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, Islamic Jihad said that it was a response "to the Israeli crimes which continue against our people and our fighters."

Israeli government spokesperson Jonathan Peled said that there had now been 121 suicide bombings against Israeli targets since the start of the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, just over three years ago.

"There is no way of profiling a suicide bomber," he said. "Whoever resorts to a suicide bombing has no respect for human life."

- AFP