Moussa Arafat
Encyclopedia
"Major General
" Moussa Arafat al-Qudwa (born Jaffa
January 23, 1940/41 — killed in Gaza City
September 7, 2005) was a cousin of late Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat
.
In July 2004, Arafat was appointed head of the Preventive Security Service
in the Gaza Strip
. This appointment and corruption claims against Arafat's family were partially the catalyst for intense armed conflict in the streets of Gaza between Palestinian 'militants' of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade group
and fighters loyal to Chairman Arafat's Fatah
.
Following the conflict, Yasser Arafat reshuffled the Gaza security apparatus and appointed Abdel-Razek al-Majaideh to the new post of overall director of security for the West Bank
and Gaza
, outranking Moussa Arafat.
In April 2005 Arafat was removed from his position as security chief but was subsequently named as adviser on military affairs with ministerial rank.
A power struggle between rival Palestinian factions emerged in Gaza and the West Bank in anticipation of Israel
i Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon
's plan to withdraw troops and settlers from the occupied territory by the end of 2005.
In 2003 Arafat escaped injury in an explosion in his office caused by rockets fired, he claimed, by Palestinian enemies. In October 2004, Moussa Arafat and a top security official in the Gaza Strip
, survived a car bomb
that exploded in his convoy. Israel's military
denied involvement.
, stormed Arafat's home in Gaza
. After a gunfight with Arafat, the gunmen dragged Arafat outside, and shot him dead.
While Arafat's home is close to a security forces headquarters and only 300-400 metres from Palestinian Authority president Abbas's residence, media reports state that the police did not appear until 7:00 AM, two hours after the incident.
, a militant group, claimed responsibility for Arafat's assassination
, saying it killed Arafat to punish him for corruption after the Palestinian security forces had taken no action against him. Mahmoud Abbas
pledged to track down Arafat's killers but as of today those are only empty words. The main suspects are Palestinian off-shoot groups. PRC murdered him for what it called the "liquidation" of Arafat. The PRC consists mainly of former members of the Fatah movement, who have accused Palestinian leaders of graft.
Arafat's oldest son, Manhal, and three bodyguards were kidnapped by the gunmen who killed Arafat. The bodyguards were released shortly thereafter, but Manhal was held for a day before being released to an Egypt
ian government delegation in Gaza.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
" Moussa Arafat al-Qudwa (born Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
January 23, 1940/41 — killed in Gaza City
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
September 7, 2005) was a cousin of late Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
leader Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
.
In July 2004, Arafat was appointed head of the Preventive Security Service
Preventive Security Service
The Preventive Security Force is the official security apparatus of the Palestinian National Authority. It was established in 1994 by President Yasser Arafat in accordance with the Oslo Accords....
in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. This appointment and corruption claims against Arafat's family were partially the catalyst for intense armed conflict in the streets of Gaza between Palestinian 'militants' of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade group
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades is a coalition of Palestinian nationalist militias in the West Bank. The group's name refers to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem...
and fighters loyal to Chairman Arafat's Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
.
Following the conflict, Yasser Arafat reshuffled the Gaza security apparatus and appointed Abdel-Razek al-Majaideh to the new post of overall director of security for the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Gaza
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, outranking Moussa Arafat.
In April 2005 Arafat was removed from his position as security chief but was subsequently named as adviser on military affairs with ministerial rank.
A power struggle between rival Palestinian factions emerged in Gaza and the West Bank in anticipation of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
's plan to withdraw troops and settlers from the occupied territory by the end of 2005.
In 2003 Arafat escaped injury in an explosion in his office caused by rockets fired, he claimed, by Palestinian enemies. In October 2004, Moussa Arafat and a top security official in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, survived a car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
that exploded in his convoy. Israel's military
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
denied involvement.
Death in militant raid
Shortly before 5 AM on September 7, 2005, dozens of masked gunmen (estimates of their number range from 80 to 100) in a convoy of about 20 vehicles, and armed with assault rifles and anti-tank grenadesRocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
, stormed Arafat's home in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. After a gunfight with Arafat, the gunmen dragged Arafat outside, and shot him dead.
While Arafat's home is close to a security forces headquarters and only 300-400 metres from Palestinian Authority president Abbas's residence, media reports state that the police did not appear until 7:00 AM, two hours after the incident.
Aftermath of Moussa Arafat's assassination
Mohammed Abdel Al, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance CommitteesPopular Resistance Committees
The Popular Resistance Committees are a coalition of various armed Palestinian factions that oppose the conciliatory approach adopted by the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel...
, a militant group, claimed responsibility for Arafat's assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, saying it killed Arafat to punish him for corruption after the Palestinian security forces had taken no action against him. Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas , also known by the kunya Abu Mazen , has been the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation since 11 November 2004 and became President of the Palestinian National Authority on 15 January 2005 on the Fatah ticket.Elected to serve until 9 January 2009, he unilaterally...
pledged to track down Arafat's killers but as of today those are only empty words. The main suspects are Palestinian off-shoot groups. PRC murdered him for what it called the "liquidation" of Arafat. The PRC consists mainly of former members of the Fatah movement, who have accused Palestinian leaders of graft.
Arafat's oldest son, Manhal, and three bodyguards were kidnapped by the gunmen who killed Arafat. The bodyguards were released shortly thereafter, but Manhal was held for a day before being released to an Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian government delegation in Gaza.
External links
- Moussa Arafat killed by militants in Gaza, CBC News, 7 September. 2005.
- Obituary: Moussa Arafat, BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, 7 September, 2005. - Top aide of Arafat killed in Gaza city,Daily Times, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, 8 September, 2005. - Militants kill Arafat's cousin after Gaza shootout, The Independent, 8 September, 2005.
- Militants kill hated security chief, The Times, 8 September, 2005.
- Top Gaza figure assassinated, The Scotsman, 8 September, 2005.
Video
- Palestinian security chief shot dead, BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, 7 September, 2005. - Gaza official escapes bomb blast, BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, 13 October, 2004.