By Sama Marwan,
Israel has announced the assassination of As’ad Abu Sharia, Secretary-General of the Palestinian “Al-Mujahideen Movement,” in an airstrike targeting him during a joint military operation between the Israeli Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service. The strike took place in the Al-Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City, marking a new escalation in the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
Hamas confirmed that Abu Sharia was killed along with his brother and many members of his family. According to a statement from the movement, dozens of his relatives died in the Israeli bombing, including his wife, children, siblings, and cousins.
Who Was As’ad Abu Sharia?
Born in February 1977 in the Al-Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, As’ad Abu Sharia came from a Palestinian refugee family originally displaced from Beersheba during the 1948 Nakba. He earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Al-Azhar University in Gaza and worked in the judiciary within the Gaza Strip for several years before engaging in militant resistance.
With the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000, he co-founded the first military wing of the movement, initially known as the “Jihad Al-Amarin Brigade”, alongside his older brother Omar Abu Sharia and others. This group later evolved into the “Al-Mujahideen Brigades,” the armed wing of the Palestinian Al-Mujahideen Movement.
After Omar’s death in an Israeli airstrike in 2007, As’ad took over the leadership of the movement. He restructured the organization and expanded its operations to include the West Bank, Gaza, and Palestinian territories inside Israel, through covert operations and logistical support networks.
Espionage Against Israel and the Formation of the “Dahm Unit”
Abu Sharia was also known for his role in intelligence warfare. He founded a special unit within the movement known as the “Dahm Unit,” which was involved in recruiting agents within the Israeli army. One of its most notable operations included coordination with prisoner Shahadeh Abu Al-Qi’an from the Negev, who managed to infiltrate the Israeli military, pass on sensitive information, and smuggle weapons into the West Bank.
Surviving Multiple Assassination Attempts
Before his death, Abu Sharia survived five previous assassination attempts. The most notable occurred in 2008 when he was seriously wounded in a direct Israeli airstrike.
Israel’s Justification for the Assassination
Following the operation, Israel claimed that Abu Sharia was involved in the October 7 attacks, accusing him of responsibility for the killing of the Bibas family. He was described as an “ongoing threat” due to his role in developing the movement’s military capabilities and coordinating field operations.
Al-Mujahideen Movement: Origins and Background
The Palestinian Al-Mujahideen Movement is considered an offshoot of the Fatah movement. In recent years, it has grown to become one of the active armed groups in the Gaza Strip. Its military wing was long associated with the name “Jihad Al-Amarin Brigade” before being rebranded as the “Al-Mujahideen Brigades.”
In an official statement, the movement vowed to retaliate for the assassination of its Secretary-General, affirming that “the blood of its leader will not go in vain,” even as Israeli military operations continue in the Gaza Strip.
