Erased in a moment

Palestinian suicide bombing attacks killed more than 200 Israel civilians and injured many more from January 2001 to September 2002. The bombers typically attacked restaurants, café, commuter buses, and markets - "soft targets" where they could cause the largest number of casualities. The scale and systematic nature of these attacks on civilians makes them crimes against humanity. Three of the four perpetrator groups - Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - are adversaries of the Palestinian Authority as well as Israel, while the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claim to support the PA and President Arafat. This report examines the human toll of these suicide bombings, describes the structure and objectives of the group responsible, and assesses the role of President Arafat and the PA. The report calls on Palestinian armed groups to end such attacks immediately and unconditionally, and on the PA to bring to justice those who incite, plan assist, or carry out attacks on civilians. Recommendations -- Suicide bombing attacks on civilians -- Legal standards -- Structures and strategies of the perpetrator organization -- Financial and logistical support -- The role of the Palestinian authority -- Appendix one: Chronology attacks -- Appendix two: Charts.