Attack — Jerusalem, bus 32A (Patt junction)

Bus 32A serves the southwest of Jerusalem, from Gilo to the city center, and carries schoolchildren and secondary students from the neighborhoods of Patt and Katamon every morning. On June 18, 2002, at the time of the morning school run, a suicide bomber boards at the Patt junction and detonates his charge in the crowded vehicle; the explosion lifts the bus off the ground and sets the bodywork ablaze. Many of the dead are teenagers, which makes this attack one of those that leave the most lasting mark on the city. It occurs two days after the start of construction of the separation barrier, decided precisely in response to the series of attacks that spring; Hamas claims responsibility.