Nasser Abu Hamid

Nasser Abu Hamid[lower-alpha 1] (Arabic: ناصر أبو حميد; 5 October 1972 – 20 December 2022) was a Palestinian militant. He was a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. He was known as "Barghouti's right hand man".[1] He was arrested in April 2002 and was given seven life sentences plus 50 years for multiple murder convictions.[2][3][4] After twenty years in prison, he died from cancer.

Nasser Abu Hamid
ناصر أبو حميد‎
Born(1972-10-05)5 October 1972
Nuseirat Camp, Gaza Strip
Died20 December 2022(2022-12-20) (aged 50)
Shamir Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel
NationalityPalestinian
Years active1987–2022
Political partyFatah
Criminal chargesCharged with 13 different counts including murder
Criminal penaltySeven life sentences plus 50 years

Militant career

Abu Hamid was born on 5 October 1972,[5] in Nuseirat Camp, Gaza Strip.[6] His family originated from the depopulated community of Al-Sawafir al-Shamaliyya of Mandatory Palestine,[7] and later moved to Al-Amari Camp near Ramallah, West Bank.[6]

Abu Hamid was arrested for the first time prior to the 1987 First Intifada, serving four months.[8] He was first given a life sentence in jail in 1990 for attempting to kill four Israelis in separate attempts, but he was freed in 1994 as part of a deal between the Palestinian Authority and Israel that also saw a significant number of Palestinians released.[9] He was released from prison in 1999 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement, and up to the Al-Aqsa uprising, he worked for the Palestinian Authority's Ministry for Prisoner Affairs.[10]

Following his announcement of the formation of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in January 2001, Abu Hamid became well-known as the group started to increase its operations in the West Bank and acquire significant power on the Palestinian street.[11] Senior officials of the Palestinian Authority asked him to join them, but he chose Marwan Barghouti, eventually becoming his right hand man and personal assistant.[12]

Abu Hamid took part in the Ramallah lynching in 2000 and murdered three Israelis in shooting attacks that same year.[13] He also planned and directed three attacks in 2002.[13] According to the indictment filed against him in July 2002, he founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, was a former activist in the Fatah youth, and assisted in planning protests against Ariel Sharon's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque that sparked the Intifada in September 2000.[14][9]

When the jury returned its verdict on 24 December 2002, he told reporters in the courtroom, "I do not regret it, the Palestinians have a genuine right to combat the Israeli occupation. I fought".[3] Four additional brothers—three of whom were also apprehended with him during the Al-Aqsa Intifada—are all serving life sentences.[15][16][17] A fifth brother of his was detained in 2018 and was given a life term and an eight-year prison term as well.[18][19] Abdel Moneim, another brother, was killed in 1994.[20] Their house has been demolished several times, most recently in 2019.[21]

Death

While serving his life sentences in prison, Abu Hamid was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2021.[8] He died in Assaf Harofeh Hospital on 20 December 2022.[22][13]

Benny Gantz, Israel's Defense Minister, refused to return his body to his family, saying that it was in keeping with Israeli policy to retain prisoners who died for future negotiations to repatriate Israeli soldiers that may later be captured and held.[23] He also denied that Israel had any role in his death.[24]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel authorities of “deliberate medical negligence”.[25] The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also held Israel accountable for his death and demanded the formation of an international commission of inquiry to investigate this "new crime".

See also

Notes
  1. also spelled Nasser Abu Hmeid

References
  1. "Palestinian group forms to avenge death of prisoner". Middle East Monitor. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  2. Khoury, Jack; Breiner, Josh (20 December 2022). "Palestinians Call for General Strike After Jailed Fatah Leader Dies in Israeli Prison". Haaretz. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  3. Majally, Nazir (25 December 2002). "Israeli court hands 7 life terms to Barghouti aide". Arab News. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  4. "Israel: Deceased Palestinian prisoner Abu Hamid was Marwan Barghouti's aide". Middle East Monitor. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  5. "عائلة الأسير المريض ناصر أبو حميد توجه طلباً للصليب الأحمر". Palsawa (in Arabic). 6 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. "Palestinians Mourn Death of Prisoner Abu Hamid, Hold Israel Accountable (PHOTOS)". The Palestine Chronicle. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. "Palestina: Nasser Abu Hamid e o caminho para a liberdade pavimentado com mártires e famílias". Correio da Cidadania (in Portuguese). 1 February 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  8. Fatima, Sakina (20 December 2022). "Cancer-stricken Palestinian prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid slips into coma". The Siasat Daily.
  9. "وكالة قدس نت للأنباء | من هو ناصر أبو حميد وماذا كتب عنه الاعلام العبري ؟ (ناصر_ابوحميد)". موقع نبض (in Arabic). 20 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. Wilkinson, Tracy (8 March 2002). "'Martyrs' Leading War on Israel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  11. "המחבל נאצר נאג'י אבו חאמיד, ממייסדי גדודי אל-אקצא, מת בבית החולים". Maariv (in Hebrew). 20 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  12. "Nasser Naji Abu Hamid, one of the founders of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, died in the hospital". time.news. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  13. Joffre, Tzvi (21 December 2022). "Ramallah lynch member dies as Israeli prisoner, PA claims wrongdoing". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  14. "כל רגע – אסיר בטחוני מת בכלא, הפלסטינים מאשימים את ישראל". kore.co.il (in Hebrew). 20 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  15. Levy, Elior (22 December 2022). "A decision from the stomach or from the head: is it right not to return the body of the terrorist who died of cancer?". Israel Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  16. Oseran, Ariel (20 December 2022). "Imprisoned Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade founder dies of cancer". I24NEWS. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  17. "Palestinians call for escalation, protest death of terrorist in Israeli prison". The Times of Israel. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  18. Levy, Gideon (27 October 2019). "The Marble Slab of the Occupation". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  19. "Medical homicide Behind Martyrdom of Palestinian Detained Nasser Abu Hamid". Arab Observer. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  20. "3 Palestinian brothers complete 18 years in Israel jails". Middle East Monitor. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  21. "Medical homicide Behind Martyrdom of Palestinian Detained". Arab Observer. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  22. Kassis, Marita (20 December 2022). "Cancer-stricken Palestinian detainee dies in Israeli custody". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  23. Kubovich, Yaniv (21 December 2022). "Israel Refuses to Hand over Body of Palestinian Prisoner Who Died of Cancer". Haaretz. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  24. Gjevori, Elis (21 December 2022). "Israel refuses to return body of Fatah military leader". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  25. "Palestinian prisoner diagnosed with cancer dies in Israel custody".
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