PARIS, June 29: Israel has decided to call on France’s leading anti-terrorist magistrate, Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere, to oversee the investigation into the March 2002 terrorist attack on a hotel in Netanya. At the time, the Hamas had claimed responsibility for the attack, which resulted in the death of 29 persons, including that of a French citizen, Marianne Lehmann-Zaoui.

This marks the first time that Israel has officially placed a French citizen in charge of the investigation into a terrorist attack that occurred on its soil. Judge Bruguiere is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost authorities on worldwide terrorism.