ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Mothers' Bus Hijacking Incident

On March 7, 1988, a hijacking incident occurred in the Negev region of Israel during the First Intifada. Three Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) operatives, who had entered Israel from Egypt on the night of March 6-7, seized an Israeli civilian bus carrying workers to their jobs at the Dimona Nuclear Research Center. The militants demanded the release of all Palestinians detained in Israel and began killing the hostages.

The staff of YaMAM, Israel's elite anti-terrorism unit, responded swiftly to the incident. Major General Yitzhak Mordechai took command of all army and police units involved in the operation. Yamam officers collected valuable information regarding the number of hijackers and their position inside the bus from the passengers who managed to escape.

As the situation unfolded, Yamam placed snipers around the bus and tracked movements with binoculars. At approximately 7:15 AM, the terrorists rammed a police barricade at the intersection of Dimona-Jerucham and drove on, leading indiscriminate fire. The militants were chased by a police car before being forced to stop due to a broken tire.

The hijackers then seized another bus taking employees of the Dimona Nuclear Research Center to work. They took 11 passengers hostage – ten women and one man – who managed to escape through the back door or left the bus during the incident. The terrorists were eventually killed by Yamam fighters, who stormed the bus after opening fire with snipers.

The hijacking resulted in a total of three hostages being killed: two women and one man. Additionally, three PLO operatives were also killed during the operation. The incident highlighted the need for swift action by law enforcement agencies to counter terrorist threats.

Background

In 1988, Israel was experiencing heightened tensions with Palestinian militant groups, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The First Intifada had begun in December 1987 and continued until September 1993. During this period, various incidents of violence and terrorism occurred across Israel, including the Mothers' Bus hijacking.

The incident is often referred to as "Mothers' Bus" due to the fact that most of the hostages taken were middle-aged women. The event has been studied by scholars and security experts as an example of how effective counter-terrorism operations can be carried out in response to terrorist threats.

Aftermath

The Mothers' Bus hijacking incident led to a significant