Ahmed Salah Kara

Apr 15, 2003 - Ahmed Salah Kara, 20, of Shuafat in northern Jerusalem was killed when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at the Karni industrial zone crossing in the Gaza Strip.

Shortly before noon, a Palestinian gunman entered the Karni terminal, where goods are moved between Israel and the Gaza Strip, hurling hand grenades and spraying automatic weapon fire, killing Ahmed Kara, 20, a truck driver from Shuafat, and Zachar Hanukayev, a fork-lift driver at the terminal from Sderot. Seven other Israelis were wounded in the attack. The gunman was killed by security personnel. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ahmed was the second of eight brothers and sisters. While his family originated from el-Ubaibeh near Bethlehem, they were living in the Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of Jerusalem, and held Israeli identification cards as residents of East Jerusalem. Having lost his father, Ahmed worked from an early age with his older brother Hani to support the family and to provide education for the younger children. A year ago he received his truck driver's license and began to transport goods to the Karni terminal, mainly from Jerusalem, but also from the Tel-Aviv area.

Ahmed's work manager, Jibril, described him as a good boy who worked hard. On the day he was killed, he had brought a shipment of medicines and computers destined for Gaza. Ahmed was engaged, and planned to marry in several months. His friend Taher said, "This is one of the terrible things that seem to happen only to the good people, who want peace between the peoples."

Ahmed Kara was buried in Anata, near Shuafat. He is survived by his mother and seven siblings.