Raed al Atar
Encyclopedia
Raed al Atar is the commander of the Rafah
company of the Hamas
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
and member of the Hamas high military council. According to the Congressional Research Service
analyst Jim Zanotti, his command is important due to Rafah being the destination point for the smuggling tunnels from Egypt. In 2010, he reportedly held significant power and influence in the Gaza Strip, and asserted authority over the smuggling tunnels.
In April 1995, he was sentenced in a quick trial by the Palestinian Authority court to two years in jail for training with illegal weapons.
In Feb 1, 1999 a Palestinian police captain, Rifat Joudah, was killed in Gaza a shootout with al-Attar and two other members of Hamas, as he was trying to arrest them. The men then sped away, running over an 8-year-old girl, Fadwa Abu Jerwana. The girl died. The men were subsequently arrested in the Shati refugee camp
following a second exchange of fire with security forces. In April that year, al-Attar was sentenced to death by the Palestinian Authority for the killing of a Joudah. As soon as the death sentence was pronounced, Attar’s relatives took to the streets and stoned the Joudeh home. Violent protests in Gaza resulted in two deaths. Following the riots and criticism of the trial, Yasser Arafat
met with civic leaders in Rafah and asked them to restore calm, promising to review the death sentence.
During the 2009 Gaza War, al Atar fled to El Arish in Sinai, along with Mohammed Sanwar, one of the militants behind the abduction of Gilad Shalit
.
That year, Atar threatened Israel, telling reporters that if Israel does not accept the Hamas demands to free 1,450 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas would kidnap more soldiers.
Reports claim that Atar authorized the August 2010 firing
of Grad
-style rockets from the Sinai Peninsula at Eilat, Israel
and Aqaba
, Jordan
. According to Palestinian sources, Raed authorized the attack, with the approval of the Hamas leadership abroad, including Khaled Meshal, and with the backing of Iran
ian intelligence agents. According to some reports, the attack took place without the knowledge of his direct commander, Ahmed Jabari, while according to Egyptian officials, such an operation could not have been carried out without Jabari's approval.
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
company of the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist fundamentalist socio-political organisation Hamas. Created in 1992, under the direction of Yahya Ayyash, the primary objective of the group was to build a coherent military organisation to support the goals of...
and member of the Hamas high military council. According to the Congressional Research Service
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
analyst Jim Zanotti, his command is important due to Rafah being the destination point for the smuggling tunnels from Egypt. In 2010, he reportedly held significant power and influence in the Gaza Strip, and asserted authority over the smuggling tunnels.
In April 1995, he was sentenced in a quick trial by the Palestinian Authority court to two years in jail for training with illegal weapons.
In Feb 1, 1999 a Palestinian police captain, Rifat Joudah, was killed in Gaza a shootout with al-Attar and two other members of Hamas, as he was trying to arrest them. The men then sped away, running over an 8-year-old girl, Fadwa Abu Jerwana. The girl died. The men were subsequently arrested in the Shati refugee camp
Al-Shati (camp)
Al-Shati camp , also known as Beach camp, is a Palestinian refugee camp located in the northern Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea coastline in the Gaza Governorate, and more specifically Gaza City. The camp's total land area consists of 727 dunums...
following a second exchange of fire with security forces. In April that year, al-Attar was sentenced to death by the Palestinian Authority for the killing of a Joudah. As soon as the death sentence was pronounced, Attar’s relatives took to the streets and stoned the Joudeh home. Violent protests in Gaza resulted in two deaths. Following the riots and criticism of the trial, 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...
met with civic leaders in Rafah and asked them to restore calm, promising to review the death sentence.
During the 2009 Gaza War, al Atar fled to El Arish in Sinai, along with Mohammed Sanwar, one of the militants behind the abduction of Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
.
That year, Atar threatened Israel, telling reporters that if Israel does not accept the Hamas demands to free 1,450 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas would kidnap more soldiers.
Reports claim that Atar authorized the August 2010 firing
Rocket attacks on Eilat and Aqaba
Rocket attacks on the neighboring cities of Eilat and Aqaba have been a tactic used by militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and organizations linked with al-Qaida because of the relative ease of launching rocket attacks against these two cities from adjacent desert areas.In 2005 Al...
of Grad
Grad
- Geometry & measurement :* Grad , a unit of angular measurement* Gradient of a scalar field, a differential operator in mathematics- Education related events & ceremonies :* Graduation ceremony, prom, or a graduate...
-style rockets from the Sinai Peninsula at Eilat, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. According to Palestinian sources, Raed authorized the attack, with the approval of the Hamas leadership abroad, including Khaled Meshal, and with the backing of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian intelligence agents. According to some reports, the attack took place without the knowledge of his direct commander, Ahmed Jabari, while according to Egyptian officials, such an operation could not have been carried out without Jabari's approval.