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Hamza Abu al-Haija

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Hamza Abu al-Haija
Born1991 or 1992
Died (aged 22)
Cause of deathIDF attack
Other names"Hamzi"
Military career
BranchAl-Qassam Brigades
RankCommander

Hamza Abu al-Haija (also "Hamzi";[1] 1991 or 1992 – 22 March 2014) was an Al-Qassam Brigades commander killed by Israel Defense Forces.

Biography

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In 1991 or 1992,[2] Hamza Abu al-Haija was born the youngest son of Asmaa and sheikh Jamal Abu al-Haija. By June 2003, both of al-Haija's parents and three brothers were in Israeli jail.[1]

As an adult, al-Haija was a commander in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, wanted by Israeli authorities for "shooting and bombing attacks as well as planning future attacks".[2] On 18 December, al-Haija escaped an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raid on his home in the Jenin, West Bank refugee camp, though his friend Nafaa Saidi was killed by soldiers. It was around 3:00 A.M. on 22 March 2014 (UTC+02:00) when the IDF caught up with him in-camp, and after the Hamas leader exhausted his ammunition,[1] the 22-year-old was killed by the IDF.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Levy, Gideon (23 March 2014). "The Story Behind the Wanted Hamas Man in Jenin". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021. I first met Hamzi in June 2003 when he was 11 and both his parents were in jail; two weeks ago when I saw him again, he didn't seem like a wanted fugitive. He was killed in Jenin Saturday.
  2. ^ a b c Robbins, Annie (23 March 2014). "Bloodbath in Jenin". Mondoweiss. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021.