Nidal Farahat The Wild Horse Behind the First Qassam Rocket
Palestinian resistance fighter and military leader in the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, known in his battalion as the “Rocket Engineer” for being the first to manufacture the “Qassam” rocket. He lived his life resisting the Israeli occupation through his participation in several operations carried out by the brigades, overseeing martyrdom operations, and contributing to the development of missile and mortar manufacturing.
He was martyred on Sunday, February 16, 2002, at the age of 31, due to a booby-trapped plane he was testing after obtaining it from an arms supplier in the territories of the ’48.
Birth and Upbringing
Nidal Fathi Farahat was born on April 8, 1971, in the Al-Shejaia neighborhood in Gaza, the son of the renowned preacher and politician Mariam Mahisn (Farahat), known as “Khnisa of Palestine” and “Mother of Martyrs,” who was a deputy in the Palestinian Legislative Council, and his father Fathi Farahat, a former policeman.
He grew up in a family of five brothers and four sisters, including Iman, In’am, Ilham, and Inas, and he was the brother of Mohammad Farahat, who carried out the “Atsumuna” martyrdom operation in 2002, the martyr Rwad Farahat in 2005, the released captive Wasam Farahat in 2023, in addition to Hussam and Mu’min Farahat from the guards of the martyr Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Since childhood, his father used to take him and his siblings to the Reform Mosque in Al-Shejaia neighborhood, attending religious sessions, Quranic recitation circles, and Islamic studies.
Nidal spent about four years in Libya after traveling with his family at the age of 12, before the family returned to the Gaza Strip during the outbreak of the First Intifada in 1987.
He grew up in a household that sheltered resistance fighters and fugitives from the Israeli occupation forces, a hub for carrying out military operations against them, with most of his brothers being absent from home and more quiet and determined. He inherited from his mother gentleness, fluent speech, and a aversion to controversy.
Nidal married a girl from his neighborhood belonging to the Sheikh Khalil family, and they had 5 children (one boy and four girls), naming his son Imad in honor of his martyr leader Imad Aql, thus he became known as “Abu Imad.”
Nidal Farahat was the first to introduce the Qassam rocket to the West Bank (social media)
Education and Training
Nidal completed his secondary education in schools in his neighborhood in Al-Shejaia, then joined the Islamic University in Gaza.
He began to focus more on joining the resistance during his university years, as this path was rooted in his primary and preparatory school years and flourished during his high school years.
Martyrdom Journey
Nidal participated in the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987 alongside his brothers with the encouragement of their mother. During this period, he got acquainted with a group of young people and used to accompany them to the mosque, becoming a member of the Hamas movement.
He joined the ranks of the Al-Qassam Brigades on February 5, 1993, overseeing several martyrdom operations, including sending his brother, Mohammad Farahat, to carry out an operation in the “Atsumuna” settlement on April 16, 2002, resulting in the killing of 9 Israeli soldiers.
He also worked on providing shelter, transportation, and safe houses for the resistance fighters, and for a period served as a personal driver for the martyr Imad Aql.
He also participated in most of the operations to launch mortars, “Qassam 1,” and “Qassam 2” rockets at Israeli settlements, with one of the notable operations being the shelling of the Sderot settlement with 5 “Qassam 1” rockets, injuring 5 Israelis on October 26, 2001.
He stopped participating in shelling operations at the request of Sheikh Salah Shahada, who asked him to focus on developing the missile industry.
He was greatly influenced by Imad Aql, to the point that in his will, he requested to be buried in the same cemetery where Aql was buried. Aql had made Nidal’s house a shelter from 1992 until he was martyred by the Israeli occupation forces on November 24, 1993, after being besieged by more than 200 Israeli soldiers.
Nidal’s mother recalls how her son used to kiss the hands of the Al-Qassam youth who detonated tanks.
Arrests
Nidal was arrested several times by the Israeli occupation forces in Ansar 2, Ketziot, and Ashkelon prisons, totaling 5 years, and was also arrested 3 times by the Palestinian Authority to prevent him from launching rockets.
In 1993, the Israeli army raided his house and destroyed it before arresting him, sentencing him to 3 years on charges of belonging to Hamas, possessing weapons, and harboring wanted individuals.
The First Qassam Rocket
Nidal – who dubbed himself the “Wild Horse” – played a prominent role in manufacturing and developing rockets for the Al-Qassam Brigades, credited with manufacturing the first resistance rocket named “Qassam 1” in 2001.
He later developed this rocket into the “Qassam 2” version in collaboration with his comrade Tito Masoud, who executed several jihad operations with him, utilizing both the Qassam rocket and mortar shells.
When Nidal decided to make the first rocket, he went with Masoud to consult Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, who approved the endeavor. After manufacturing his first rocket, he took it to his mother, who read the Quran over it. He then presented it to Sheikh Salah Shahada, carrying it in a bag and placing it in front of him, receiving praise from the Sheikh for his invention.
Nidal transferred his experience in Qassam rocket manufacturing to the occupied West Bank, becoming the first to introduce the Qassam rocket there, teaching his comrades how to make the Qassam rocket and explosives by providing them with illustrative drawings and detailed maps related to the process.
Nidal Farahat was assassinated in 2003 while testing a drone later named “Ababil” (social media)
Martyrdom
On February 16, 2003, he was assassinated by the Israeli occupation at a house in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza while testing a small remote-controlled aircraft he had parts for from the ’48 territories, ending the lives of him and 5 of his comrades. Later, Al-Qassam Brigades named that drone “Ababil.”
Before his martyrdom, Nidal insisted on collecting the drone pieces alone according to instructions sent on his mobile phone, while an Israeli surveillance aircraft roamed the area. Moments later, an explosion occurred due to a booby-trapped device.
More than 50,000 Palestinians participated in his funeral, including leaders of the Hamas movement, such as Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, and Ismail Haniyeh.
Nidal was buried in the Eastern Cemetery, “Martyrs Cemetery,” according to his will, where his brother Mohammad and his friend Imad Aql were also buried.
