Five soldiers and three Shabak personnel were wounded, including one in moderate condition, in the suicide attack. Two helicopters evacuated the wounded to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
The dead agent was identified as Oded Sharon, 36, a father of three from Gan Yavneh. He was the first GSS casualty since the Oslo War began over four years ago.
A suicide terrorist managed to perpetrate the murderous attack, despite having come under suspicion and despite a longer-than-usual body check. He was taken to a caravan (trailer) office for ID verification, and then detonated the explosive that had been hidden in his underwear. Though it was only of medium size, the bomb destroyed the caravan almost totally, and wounded or killed all nine of the people inside.
The attack occurred at a security checkpoint where Arab vehicles passing between from northern Gaza to southern Gaza are checked. Jews traveling between Gush Katif and the rest of Israel pass through another point, not far away.
The Hamas terror group claimed responsibility for the bombing. The fatal attack occurred as PA chief Abu Mazen was meeting with Hamas leaders in what he said was an attempt to achieve a ceasefire.
Oded Sharon, originally from Rishon LeTzion, is survived by his wife Ranit and three children: daughter Yuval, 8, daughter Yarden, 6, and son Daniel, almost 2. He worked in the General Security Service for the past two years as a regional coordinator. "He was a great father and a good friend," a friend said, while Oded's sister-in-law said that his most blatant trait was his sense of humor.