NABLUS— As news of the assassination of "senior leadership figures" from the Islamic Resistance Movement, widely known as Hamas, in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, specifically in the southern suburbs, hit the airwaves, a flurry of news updates and analyses ensued to identify the targeted leaders.
Subsequent predictions and conjectures led to the definitive news of the targeted individuals, including the Deputy Head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, two key figures from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of Hamas—along with four other members of the movement and their offspring.
One of the two Qassam members was the martyr Azzam al-Akhras, who, for Israel, was no less dangerous than Sheikh al-Arouri. Israel had been pursuing him for many years and had him on their most-wanted list.
Al-Akhras's assassination is unquestionably a significant loss for the military leadership in particular and for the movement in general. Hamas did not only mourn his loss in their statement alongside his comrades but also, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of its political bureau, specifically eulogized him in a speech, along with the Qassam martyr Samir al-Fuqaha.
The Educator of Generations
Azzam Husni Salah al-Akhras (Abu Abdullah) was born on December 31, 1969, in the village of Qabalan south of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, into a family known for its sacrifice and activism. He grew up in its mosques, where he became known as the "Educator of Generations," memorizing parts of the Quran and teaching it to others.
He received his primary and elementary education in the village schools up to high school. Despite academic excellence, Azzam left school early to assist his father in providing for the family of 9 (5 males and 4 females), including his parents.
Known for good manners, courage, resilience, and sacrifice from a young age, Azzam was beloved and influential among the villagers and neighboring areas, motivating him to engage early in resistance activities against the Israeli occupation. He clashed with occupation forces like other youths in his village and joined the resistance work, especially with the onset of the First Intifada in 1987, quickly becoming one of the early members of Hamas after its founding.
Experiences of Detention and Deportation
Azzam al-Akhras's first arrest occurred in 1989, and he spent nine months in detention accused of resisting and confronting the occupation. Again detained at the beginning of 1992, he was sentenced to six months of administrative detention as the occupation could not prove any charges against him. However, he remained pursued until re-arrested in December of the same year and deported along with over 400 Palestinians linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad to Marj al-Zohour in southern Lebanon.
During his exile, al-Akhras delved deeper into Hamas's philosophy, embodying its values of sacrifice and jihad. However, after the occupation allowed the exiles to return to their homes in Palestine, he, along with 17 others, chose to continue their militant work abroad.
Al-Akhras eventually settled in Lebanon, where he continued his struggle and joined the military operations, becoming one of the founders of the al-Qassam Brigades. Later he moved to Syria and left for Egypt and then Turkey following the 2011 events of the Syrian revolution.
Disconnected News
Al-Akhras married the wife of his late brother Azmi, who had martyred in 1997 on a national mission in the city of Sidon, Lebanon. Azmi had joined the Palestinian revolution and Fatah in 1978 in Lebanon, participating in the defense of Beirut in 1982, where he was hit by eight bullets.
The martyr Azzam had two sons (Abdullah and Abdul Rahman) in his twenties, and alongside his brother's children (Hasni and Doaa), he undertook the responsibility of raising them.
According to al-Akhras's younger brother Hussam (50 years old), information about Azzam became scarce, as their communication was interrupted to ensure the family's safety and prevent the occupation from pursuing them. Hussam adds, "My last call with him was in 2006, and I haven't seen him for 30 years. We brothers have not met since the First Intifada except for one time, and our parents passed away without bidding him farewell."
Hussam mentions that their mother, who passed away in 2004, was their link to Azzam, as she had last visited him in Syria the year she died. They would learn about his latest news through her, especially since, as a military leader, he never appeared in the media.
The Targeted Family
The family remained a target for the Israeli occupation, with its constant raids and harassment. Hussam himself was imprisoned for three years, and all his siblings, male and female, were banned from traveling. They and their children were also denied permits to enter Israel for work or movement.
Israel accuses al-Akhras of being responsible for penetrating the Israeli cellular network (Cellcom) through a "cyber cell" he recruited and led, consisting of an engineer from the Palestinian citizens of Israel, which allegedly obtained "serious security information" for Hamas.
Israeli media previously reported that this cell operated in Turkey under the direct supervision of Saleh al-Arouri and Azzam al-Akhras.
The occupation never removed al-Akhras from its agenda or his family members. Hussam recalls Israeli intelligence summoning him six months prior, questioning him about Azzam and attempting to extort information regarding his brother the martyr. Hussam states, "When I told them that I knew nothing about him, and asked the investigator what Azzam had done to them, he replied it's better that you don't know."
During the onset of the aggression on Gaza, the occupation arrested Hussam, his brother, and his sister's ailing husband. They were detained for hours at the Hawara military base, subjected to field interrogation, and threatened for any communication with the martyr Azzam.
All these incidents led Hussam and his family to conclude that the Israeli occupation and its security apparatus had marked al-Akhras for actual assassination as they "pursue every free and honorable person," according to Hussam. He adds, "Therefore, we were not surprised by the news of his martyrdom; it was what he had wished for and achieved."
Strike and Mourning
Upon hearing the news of their son Azzam al-Akhras's martyrdom, the residents of Qabalan witnessed an outpouring of furious marches. A general strike and mourning were declared in the village. Factions, notably Fatah and Hamas, eulogized him through mosque loudspeakers and invited participation in the "condolence house" to receive condolences for his martyrdom.
Hussam al-Akhras concludes by affirming that his brother the martyr Azzam influenced his generation through his resistance and this legacy has been passed on to subsequent generations. With Azzam's martyrdom, they reaffirm that "like all Palestinians, he represents those who are martyrs, prisoners, and wounded. The occupation will not break the spirit and steadfastness of this people."
