Sharbal Matar

Oct 4, 2003 - Sharbal Matar, 23, of Fassouta was one of 19 people killed in a suicide bombing carried out by a female terrorist from Jenin in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast devastated the restaurant, of joint Jewish-Arab ownership, on Hahagana Boulevard near the southern entrance of the coastal city. It was packed mostly with regular Saturday customers. The bomber, Hanadi Jaradat, a 29-year-old lawyer from Jenin, managed to get past Maxim's security guard before blowing herself up in the middle of the restaurant. The security guard, an Israeli Arab, was killed in the attack, along with three other Israeli Arab employees of the restaurant. The victims included five members of the Almog family from Haifa and five members of the Zer-Aviv family from Kibbutz Yagur. Four children were killed and 60 people were wounded in the bombing.

Sharbal Matar was a waiter at Maxim, where he had worked since the deaths of his parents from illness last year in order to help support his three sisters.

He was due to fly to the United States this week to participate in a cousin's wedding.

Sharbal Matar was buried at the Fassouta Cemetery. He is survived by his three sisters.