Abu Shujaa
Abu Shujaa | |
|---|---|
محمد سامر محمود جابر | |
| Born | Mohammed Samer Mahmoud Jaber December 6, 1998 Nur Shams, Tulkarm Governorate, West Bank |
| Died | 29 August 2024 (aged 25) Tulkarm Camp, Tulkarm Governorate |
| Occupation | Militant |
Mohammed Jaber (Arabic: محمد جابر, romanized: Muḥammad Jābir), better known by his nom de guerre Abu Shujaa, (Arabic: أبو شجاع, romanized: Abū Shujāʻ, lit. 'Father of the Brave'; 1998 – 29 August 2024) was a Palestinian militant from the Israeli-occupied West Bank.[1] A popular and well-known figure among many Palestinians,[2][3][4] he served as the leader of the Tulkarm Brigade from April 2022 until his killing by Israel in August 2024.
Biography
[edit]Jaber was born in Nur Shams, Tulkarm Governorate in 1998.[4][5][6] His family was originally from Haifa but had been displaced during the 1948 Palestine war.[6] He began his participation in anti-Israel militant activities at an early age. He was arrested multiple times by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.[4]
In 2022, he co-founded the Tulkarm Brigade alongside its first leader, Saif Abu Labdeh.[6][7] He assumed command of the Brigade after Labdeh was killed on 2 April 2022.[6] During his period of leadership, membership in the Brigade significantly increased.[4]
He used to be personally aligned with Fatah but left the party and joined Palestinian Islamic Jihad after the start of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.[1]
Jaber, who participated in planning and executing multiple attacks against Israeli targets,[8] was a key figure wanted by the Israeli authorities and had been injured by previous Israeli raids on Tulkarm in December 2023. He was thought to have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during one of their raids into Tulkarm in April 2024, but later surfaced attending a funeral for multiple slain Palestinian fighters.[3][9]
The 26 July 2024 Tulkarm confrontations were sparked after the security forces of the Palestinian Authority allegedly attempted to arrest Jaber while he was hospitalized after being injured by an explosive device. The Tulkarm Brigade and local crowds of protestors were able to successfully intervene and forced the security forces to withdraw. The events of that day led to a significant escalation of popular unrest against the Palestinian Authority throughout the West Bank in late July.
On 29 August 2024, the YAMAM (Israel's National Counter-Terror Unit)[10][11] killed Jaber and four other militants during fighting inside and around a mosque in Tulkarm, part of the ongoing large-scale Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank. The military operation, which began a day before, is an escalation of the Israeli incursions into the region since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas offered condolences for Jaber's death.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Erlanger, Steven; Ponomarev, Sergey (2024-07-01). "Palestinian Fighters in West Bank Seek to Emulate Hamas in Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ "Israel says it 'eliminated' local Palestinian commander in West Bank military operation". France 24. 2024-08-29. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b Press, Associated (2024-08-29). "Israel Military Says It Killed More West Bank Militants". TIME. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b c d "بعد مطاردة استمرت عامين.. تفاصيل اغتيال الاحتلال لـ"أبو شجاع"". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Abu Shujaa: The Targeted Operation Against a Palestinian Resistance Leader". LBCIV7. Archived from the original on 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b c d admin (2024-08-29). "'Resistance Will Continue' - Life and Legacy of Mohammed Jaber 'Abu Shujaa'". Palestine Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ Presstv (2024-08-29). "Tulkarm Brigade commander killed in fierce clashes with Israeli forces in refugee camp". PressTV. Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b Hendrix, Steve; Parker, Claire; Timsit, Annabelle; Hudson, John; Taha, Sufian (2024-08-29). "Israel kills one of most wanted West Bank commanders as operation continues". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Palestinian commander thought to be dead resurfaces in West Bank funeral". The New Arab. 22 April 2024. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Tulkarm and Jenin: 12 terrorists eliminated, 10 arrested in counterterror operation". Israel National News. 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ Israel, David (2024-08-29). "Israel Kills Tulkarem Chief of Islamic Jihad on Day 2 of Operation Summer Camps". Archived from the original on 2024-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-29.