Since it was a Friday night, a large number of young people gathered in front of the disco. At 23 hours and 27 minutes local time, Hotari detonated an explosive, which blew up many people near him.
On June 1, 2001, a horrific massacre took place at an Israeli disco (disco club) named Dolphinarium, located in the Tel Aviv area. This disco was located right by the sea, not far from the beaches of Tel Aviv and only about 1,500 meters from the historic center of Jaffa. The massacre was carried out by 22-year-old suicide bomber Saeed Hotari, for whom a connection to Hamas was subsequently established. Hotari stood in line that evening to enter the disco, disguised as an orthodox Jew. He was carrying a significant amount of concealed explosives. Since it was a Friday night, a large number of young people gathered in front of the disco. At 23 hours and 27 minutes local time, Hotari detonated an explosive, which blew up many people near him.
A total of 22 people were killed, including him, and more than 100 victims were injured. As many as 14 of the dead victims were teenage girls, aged between 15 and 18. They were mostly girls from the former Soviet Union who had immigrated to Israel with their parents. An Israeli soldier, aged 21, and several other adults were also killed. Out of a total of 22 people, 18 died on the spot and four subsequently died as a result of the injuries. Yasser Arafat condemned the attack and called for an end to hostilities, and then-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan responded.
