Twenty minutes before the attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had received information about a possible attack and were strengthening forces in the area.[9] The IDF killed both of the gunmen, identified as Ibrahim Mohammad Hammad (22), and Faisal Abu Naqira (26), reportedly from the Rafah refugee camp.[3] A sniper stationed close by killed one of the men and soldiers sent to the scene charged the other attacker and shot him.[9] Two soldiers from the Givati Brigade who were in a vehicle behind the Hatuel car were also injured during the battle.[3][9][3] An explosive device was set off near the attack site but it did not result in any injuries.[2] The Popular Resistance Committees and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was carried out in reprisals for the assassinations of Hamas leaders Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and Abdelaziz Rantisi by the Israeli army earlier the same year and reportedly described it as "heroic".[3][5]