Tali Hatuel

Tali Hatuel (June 28, 1970 - May 2, 2004) was a resident of the Israeli settlement bloc of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip who, along with her four young daughters, was shot and killed at close range by Palestinian militants. She was eight months pregnant with her fifth child. [cite web
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/21/AR2005082100151_3.html|title=20 of 21 Gaza Settlements Evacuated|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=2008-06-30|last=|first=]

Events

Hatuel was driving from central Israel to her home of 12 years in Gush Katif, near Rafah in the Gaza Strip, when she and her four daughters Hila, aged 11, Hadar, 9, Roni, 7, and Meirav, 2, were shot at and forced off the road near Kissufim. Hatuel was wounded in the initial attack. Her attackers then approached the vehicle and shot repeatedly, killing Hatuel and her four daughters; all four girls were still in their car-seats. Both The Popular Resistance Committees and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the deaths.

Hatuel had just picked up her children from school and, on her way to her husband's workplace in Ashkelon, was traveling in the vicinity of the Kissufim Crossing. The Palestinians launched the attack from a group of nearby buildings and were later killed by the Israeli Defense Forces. [INN (Arutz 7): [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=62175 English] , [http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/77607 Hebrew] .]

=Related attacks = On May 9, 2004, a week after the attack, two gunmen dressed in women's clothing opened fire upon participants at a memorial service for Tali Hatuel and her daughters. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E1DE123CF933A25756C0A9629C8B63|title=Israeli Forces Kill Gunmen|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-06-30|last=|first=] There were no civilian injuries. The attackers were killed by the Israel Defense Force. An alliance of Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for the attack.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3679395.stm|title=Gunmen kill Jewish settler family|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2008-06-30|last=|first=]

The following day, on May 10, 2004, the Israel Defense Force demolished some of the houses that had reportedly provided cover for the attack on Tali Hatuel and her daughters, and for the attack on the mourners at the memorial service.

2007 arrest

On June 6, 2007, the IDF arrested a Palestinian member of Islamic Jihad, Jihad Salah Saliman Abu Dahar, who admitted to his involvement in a number of acts of violence, including the killing of the Tali Hatuel and her daughters. [cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+and+Islamic+Fundamentalism-/Terrorist+involved+in+2004+murder+of+Hatuel+family+arrested+16-Jul-2007.htm
title=Terrorist involved in 2004 murder of Hatuel family arrested 16-Jul-2007|publisher=www.mfa.gov.il|accessdate=2008-06-30|last=|first=] [cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/882497.html|title=Gazan indicted over 2004 terror attack that killed pregnant mother, daughters |publisher=Haaretz|accessdate=2008-06-30|last=|first=]

Tributes

The funeral, held the same day as the attack, was attended by Moshe Katsav, the President of Israel at the time.

On June 16, 2004, Ben-Gurion University in the Negev awarded Tali Hatuel a posthumous Masters of Arts degree in Social Work. Her husband, David Hatuel, accepted the degree on her behalf.Fact|date=June 2008

On July 25, 2004, Tali's husband David Hatuel was given a place of prominence near the Western Wall in the human chain from the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem protesting against Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in which over 130,000 Israelis took part.Fact|date=June 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=6772 Maariv]
* [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=61758 INN]
* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150492004?open&of=ENG-ISR Amnesty International] classifies attack as Crime against humanity
* [http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=20645 Independent Media Review Analysis]
* [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/422728.html Thousands mourn slain mother, girls] (HaAretz)