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.
DAMNNN I don't know what to laugh or just cringe
Prayers for the victims of this sadly misguided soul.
It's too bad this moron didn't remove herself from the gene pool BEFORE she spawned nine kids and 41 grandkids.
Does she get her virgins in paradise now?
ROP tactics 101.
Another example for the world to see of why EVERY "Palestinian" is a legitimate target for the IDF. Women, children, the elderly. Don't assume they are innocent just because they are killed.
Just a few days ago, on another thread on FR, there was a argument between two Freepers (can't remember the name). The first referred to a old Palistinian woman, who was killed, as a likely terrorist. The second Freeper argued that he wouldn't go so far to refer to old women as terrorists...
Well here we have it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Call her "Grandma Dynamite".
http://kahanebooks.com/bookPages/They%20Must%20Go%20by%20Rabbi%20Meir%20Kahane.htm
http://www.masada2000.org/kahane.html
The book was written in 1980...
It just goes to show that a monster can be disguised as a human. We failed to realize that during Vietnam and it cost a lot of American lives. Many Americans would still allow old gray-haired women to pass unobserved through security areas at airports so we are obviously still on the backside of the learning curve.
Sorry, I meant a BILLION bloated corpses.
Indeed --I pray she goes straight to hell where she belongs. I also pray to Thank God she didnt kill anyone else.
I have no use for people that murder others, If she wanted to die she could have immolated herself, but no she wanted to commit murder. I wont be praying for her crazy demented soul.
Life is precious and should be held so, the taking of other peoples lives is a heimous act ,one which should only be taken as a last resort to protect oneself or family. To kill someone in the name of religion is too stupid to even think of.
ML/NJ
So happy that she didn't kill anyone else. This is all SO EVIL!
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