On 14 February 2001, a vehicular attack took place near Azor, Israel. A Palestinian man from Gaza drove a bus into a group of Israeli soldiers who stood at a bus stop at Azor junction, killing 8 people—7 soldiers and one civilian, and injuring 26 further.[1] The Islamist militant organization Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.[2]
Attack
The attacker, 35-year old Khalil Abu Alba from Gaza, was a bus driver who used to drive Arab workers in the morning from his city toward Tel Aviv. He had been an Egged bus driver for five years before the attack.[3]
On 14 February, after dropping off as usual the Arab workers at Lod and Ramle, he drove toward Holon. When arriving Azor junction, he noticed a group of Israeli soldiers waiting at a bus stop. The attacker accelerated the bus, and sharply swerved to the right, hitting dozens of people. He killed 8 people, 7 soldiers and one civilian, and injured 26.[4]
After the attack he accelerated again the bus and drove quickly southwards, in direction of Gaza. The bus was stopped only after crashing into a truck, 30km away, after police officers had shot at the bus' wheels.[2]
