Bomber Was Failed College Student
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ARAKEH, West Bank – The Palestinian Arab who blew himself up outside a Tel Aviv restaurant yesterday was identified by his family as a 21-year-old university dropout from the West Bank.
Samer Hammad, from the village of Arakeh near the town of Jenin, had left home several days earlier. His mother, Samiya, said she found out about the bombing and her son’s involvement from the press.
“He’s been working for a week as a waiter at a park. I thought he really went to work,” she said.
Hammad graduated from high school and studied social work through a distance-learning program of Al Quds University but was forced to drop out because his parents could not afford to support him, his mother said.
After leaving the university, he took odd jobs, including at an area restaurant, the family said. Ms. Hammad said there were no warning signs her son was getting involved with a terrorist group.
Hammad said in his farewell video that he carried out the bombing as a gesture for thousands of Palestinian Arabs held in Israeli jails. Yesterday was marked as Prisoners Day in the Palestinian Arab areas.
After learning of the bombing, the Hammads began moving belongings out of their home, fearing it would be demolished by the Israeli military in reprisal.
