Faiq Al-Mabhouh

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Brigadier General
Fayeq Al-Mabhouh
(Faiq Mabhouh)
فائق المبحوح
Personal details
Born18 December 1968
Jabalia refugee camp
Died18 March 2024
Al-Shifa Hospital
Political partyHamas Hamas
Spousemarried after 2007, until his death in 2024.[1]
Children2 sons (Ezzedeen and Mahmoud) and 2 daughters.[1]
ParentHis father was from Bayt Tima (Arabic: بيت طيما ) near Ashkelon[1]
Military service
Allegiance Palestine
Rank Brigadier General [2][3]
CommandsState of Palestine Palestinian Civil Police Force, Gaza Strip
Battles/wars

Brigadier General Fayeq Al-Mabhouh[2] (or "Faiq Al-Mabhouh",[a] Arabic: فائق المبحوح, romanized: "Fā'eq Al-Mabħouħ", Hebrew: פאיק אל מבחוח)[1][5] was the Director-General of Central Operations in the Ministry of the Interior and National Security in the Gaza Strip.[1] He was the leader of their crisis management team. His most notable recent responsibilities related to civilian disaster management, such as coordination and enforcement of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4][6]

Media reports varied in the way they described his role at the time of his death, but he was most often described as a police officer or the head of the Hamas government's "internal security" forces.[7]

He was killed by the Israeli Defense Forces during a raid on Al-Shifa hospital, with the IDF claiming 20 other Palestinian militants being killed as well.[8]

Death[edit]

During an IDF raid on Al-Shifa hospital Faiq was killed in a firefight between Hamas militants and Israeli troops.[9][10]

During an IDF raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, Fayeq Mabhouh was killed in what some sources described as a firefight between "Hamas militants" and Israeli troops.[9][10] But other sources describe it as an assassination or execution[broken anchor]. According to the IDF, Fayeq Mabhouh refused to surrender to troops and instead continued firing at Israeli security forces until he was killed.[11]

Before the IDF found Fayeq (in or near the hospital) they raided his family home and kicked out his wife and children.[1][12] Fayeq’s brother was captured in a neighbourhood near the hospital.[1]

Use of weapons in a hospital in a war zone[edit]

Some sources suggest that the gun battle happened outside the hospital.[1] But even if it was inside, limited defensive use of firearms in a hospital in an urban war zone is permitted by the Geneva Conventions, and does not negate the protected status of the hospital,[13] This includes members of the military, or other security guards, being present as guards and using their weapons to defend the lives and safety of staff and patients.[14] But the exact circumstances of his death are unverifiable. Resisting capture might not qualify as self defence by the very narrow definition allowed by Article 22.[15] but this is complicated by witness reports of men being executed in the hospital after being captured,[16] and exhumations of mass graves that found some bodies appeared to have their hands tied, from which some concluded extrajudicial executions had occurred.[17]

The IDF claimed they found bullets, grenades, and an assortment of other small weapons at the hospital,[18] The majority of which is explicitly allowed to be present at a hospital in an urban war zone, according to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, because it can arrive with wounded combatants and be difficult to dispose of in a timely manner.[19]

Duties[edit]

As the head of Hamas's internal security forces he was in charge of quashing political dissent across the Gaza strip.[20]

Sources told The New Arab (UK edition):[21] "The occupation government had responded to the mediators earlier by saying that they did not mind the presence of some Palestinian police, with the aim of participating in the aid distribution process, but it seems that the occupation army was surprised by the level of organisation and the great success of the process of entering aid into the northernmost areas of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia, more than four months after aid stopped arriving in those areas, which prompted him to forcefully enter that line to prevent any presence that indicates administrative and field control by the Hamas movement".[21]

Pandemic management[edit]

See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Palestine

His other recent work included leading the Crisis Management Team in the Ministry of Interior during the during COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4][6] Fayeq played a prominent role in communicating with the public about the changing situation. He regularly appeared in video announcements on Al-Aqsa TV and social media channels, and gave interviews to local media to explain changes in restrictions. The Gaza Strip restrictions took the "flattening the curve" approach of slowing the spread of infections rather than preventing them completely.[6] The restrictions imposed were similar to those imposed by most western countries,[4] and much more relaxed than China, Australia, or other Western Pacific nations that maintained a zero COVID policy.[4] They tried to avoid full lockdowns by implementing partial measures like weekend (Friday to Saturday) lockdowns and curfew,[4][6] the Friday to Saturday lockdowns included mosques being closed for Friday prayers. But during times while the mosques were open, one creative measure initiated by Gaza’s ministry of health was to replace the mosque preachers with doctors who gave health information seminars.[22]

Biography[edit]

Fayeq was born in Jabalia refugee camp and had 13 siblings including Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh.[23]

Like many members of Hamas, he could speak fluent Hebrew.[5]

2010 assassination of his brother[edit]

Main article: Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh

Speaking about the assassination of his brother Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh the United Arab Emirates in 2010, Fayeq said, "He was very secretive about his work and kept his family life separate. He wasn’t in battle or fighting yet the Israelis killed him. As a family we have the right to know who killed him and have lawyers in different countries working on it and when they catch the killers, we want them to be brought to court."[24] He called on the Irish Government to expel the Israeli ambassador from Ireland, because the killers had used forged Irish passports.[24]

The assassins entered the UAE using fake or fraudulently obtained passports (some stolen from Israeli dual nationals) including passports from the UK, Ireland, Australia, France, and Germany.[11] Israel attempted to deny responsibility, but this was widely disbelieved.[25]

External Links[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b The spelling of his name in English is extremely variable, including "Faiq Al-Mabhouh", "Fayek Mabhouh", and others. Many Arabic surnames start with an "Al" (Arabic: ال), this is sometimes omitted in English, but sometimes retained. The most common Romanisations of his first name are "Fayeq",[23][2] "Fayek",[26][27] and "Faiq",[28][29] but there are numerous other ways, ending in Q, K, G, or CK, e.g. Faack.[12] The Hebrew spelling is less variable (Hebrew: פאיק).[5]
  2. ^ Quote in the original Arabic. «هذه الجريمة الإرهابية باستهداف الشرطة المدنية المحمية بموجب القانون الدولي الإنساني هي دليل إضافي على سعي العدو النازي لنشر الفوضى، وضرب السلم المجتمعي في القطاع، وإدامة حالة المجاعة التي يعاني منها أهلنا، تنفيذا لمخطط حرب الإبادة وتهجير شعبنا عن أرضه».

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fayeq Al-Mabhouh: a police general in Gaza who was assassinated by Israel". Encyclopedia. Al Jazeera. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Top Palestinian police officer killed by Israel at northern Gaza hospital". www.aa.com.tr. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d https://ara.tv/b2xtn
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Al-Mahouh: "Lockdown" is an option among procedures evaluated by the competent authorities according to the epidemic situation". Palestine Online (in Arabic). 5 December 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "N12 - פאיק מבחוח: "המוסד חיסל את אחי"". 19 February 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d "He sent a message to citizens: Head of the Crisis Management Team in Gaza: We will conduct an evaluation of all the measures taken by this date". Sama News (in Arabic). 30 December 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ Halabi, Einav (18 March 2024). "Senior Hamas commander killed in al Shifa raid". Ynetnews.
  8. ^ "Israeli forces raid Gaza City's al-Shifa hospital". 18 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b "IDF raids Gaza's Shifa Hospital again, kills 40 gunmen including senior commander". timesofisrael.
  10. ^ a b Vasilyeva, Nataliya (18 March 2024). "Israel-Hamas war latest: Senior Hamas terrorist 'killed in Al-Shifa Hospital raid'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  11. ^ a b "IDF Kills Top Hamas Officer, Brother of Hamas Officer Eliminated in Dubai, Which Sparked Diplomatic Crisis".
  12. ^ a b "Troops engaged in shootout with Hamas logistics chief before killing him, new details show". 19 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field. Geneva, 12 August 1949. Commentary of 2016". ihl-databases.icrc.org. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  14. ^ ihl-databases.icrc.org https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gci-1949/article-22/commentary/2016. Retrieved 25 May 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gci-1949/article-22/commentary/2016
  16. ^ Video testimony by AJ via MEE
  17. ^ "UN rights chief 'horrified' by mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals". 23 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  18. ^ זיתון, יואב (18 March 2024). "גלנט: "מסתור המחבלים הפך למלכודת מוות" - תיעוד: מעטפות כסף עם "ברכות" בשיפא". Ynet.
  19. ^ "Article 22 - Conditions not depriving medical units and establishments of protection". ihl-databases.icrc.org. ICRC. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Top Hamas operative killed in hospital raid, army says". The Times of Israel.
  21. ^ a b https://www.alaraby.co.uk/politics/%D8%A5%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B0-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%AD
  22. ^ "Roundup: Gaza replaces mosque preachers with doctors for sermon amid COVID-19 - Xinhua - English.news.cn". 21 March 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  23. ^ a b "i24NEWS". www.i24news.tv. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  24. ^ a b Gaza, Juno McEnroe (24 February 2010). "State should expel Israeli ambassador, says brother". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  25. ^ "Israel says No Proof it was Involved in Killing of Hamas Commander". 16 February 2010.
  26. ^ "Senior Hamas commander killed in Israeli airstrike last week, White House says". 18 March 2024.
  27. ^ Gabbatt, Adam (16 February 2010). "Members of hit squad suspected of killing Hamas man 'had UK passports'". The Guardian.
  28. ^ "Hamas condemns top Palestinian police officer's assassination". The Palestinian Information Center. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  29. ^ https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/top-hamas-man-killed-in-shifa-hospital-is-brother-of-terror-group-leader-assassinated-in-dubai/
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