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July 14, 2017 Special Dispatch No. 7010

Palestinian Authority Holds Military Funeral For Terrorist

July 14, 2017
Palestinians | Special Dispatch No. 7010

Muhammad Jibrin[1] from the village of Taqua was killed on July 10, 2017 after wounding a soldier in a ramming attack and then attempting to stab other soldiers near the Israeli settlement of Teqoa. The PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam reported that he had been shot by Israeli forces "on the pretext" that he had tried to perpetrate an attack,[2] whereas Palestinian news websites, such as the Hamas website palinfo.com, stated explicitly that he had "carried out a ramming attack."[3]

Jibrin was given a large military funeral with PA soldiers in uniform serving as pallbearers. The funeral was attended by Kamel Hmeid, governor of Hebron and former head of Fatah's Bethlehem branch, and by other Fatah representatives. In addition, high-ranking PA and Fatah officials arrived at the mourning tent to pay their respects to the family, among them General Intelligence chief Majed Faraj, who is a close associate of Palestinian President Mahmoud 'Abbas; Fatah Central Committee member Jamal Muhaisen, who delivered a speech on behalf of 'Abbas and Fatah; and 'Abbas Zaki, also a Central Committee member, who delivered a speech on behalf of Fatah.

The following are excerpts from statements by PA and Fatah officials in praise of Jibrin.

Speakers at Jibrin's funeral condemned "the crimes of the occupation," and Hebron Governor Kamel Hmeid said: "Israel's state terrorism will not deter our Palestinian people and will not cause it to relinquish its just demands, first and foremost among them the right of return..." The head of Fatah's committee in Taqua said: "Fatah is burying one of its knights, a brave young man who believed in the justness of the Palestinian cause and in his people's struggle for liberty... Fatah promises the martyr Muhammad [Jibrin] and all the other martyrs to continue on the path [in pursuit of] the goals for which they were killed. Fatah will not hesitate and will not remain silent in the face of the occupation's crimes."[4]


PA soldiers serve as pallbearers at Jibrin's funeral (Facebook.com/officialfateh1965, July 11, 2017)

PA, Fatah Officials Pay Condolence Calls To Jibrin's Family

As stated, many PA and Fatah officials arrived at the mourning tent to console Jibrin's family, and some delivered speeches there. Fatah-Bethlehem reported on its Facebook page that a large delegation on behalf of the movement visited the family, including "the fighting brother Jamal Muhaisen, Fatah's Central Committee member in charge of recruitment and operations, and [our] brother General Majed Faraj, head of General Intelligence."[5]


Majed Faraj (center) and other Fatah officials pay condolence call to Jibrin's family (Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 12, 2017)

Fatah Central Committee member Jamal Muhaisen said at the mourning tent: "On behalf of President Abu Mazen and members of the Fatah Central Committee and Revolutionary Council, we extend our sincere condolences for the death of the fighter Muhammad Jibrin, who was deliberately killed by the occupation forces without any reason."[6] Fatah Central Committee member 'Abbas Zaki also spoke on behalf of the Fatah movement.[7]


Jamal Muhaisen speaks at the mourners' tent (Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 12, 2017)


'Abbas Zaki speaks at the mourners' tent (Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 11, 2017)

Another speaker praised Jibrin, saying: "We are proud of the act of sacrifice he carried out on the confrontation lines, just as the Fatah movement has been doing from its establishment until today." A reception was also held in honor of a group of masked operatives who arrived to console the family. [8]

The Fatah Movement Eulogizes Jibrin

The Fatah movement eulogized Jibrin in a poster it printed and in posts on its Facebook pages. The poster, printed by Fatah-Bethlehem and hung up at the mourning tent, featured photos of the deceased and of President 'Abbas, and read: "The Fatah movement mourns its martyred son, the hero Muhammad Ibrahim Jibrin, who watered the soil of the town of Taqua with his pure blood."[9]


 

A post on Fatah's official Facebook page read: "Fatah in the Bethlehem district, Taqua area, [mourns] the martyred hero Muhammad Ibrahim Jibrin. Glory and everlasting life be to our heroic martyrs."[10]

 

 

 

 

[1] Several Palestinian sources give his last name as Jibril.

[2] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Al-Ayyam (PA), July 11, 2017.

[3] Palinfo.com, July 11, 2016.

[4] Al-Quds (Jerusalem), July 11, 2107.

[5] Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 12, 2017.

[6] Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 12, 2017.

[7] Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 11, 2017.

[8] Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 11, 2017.

[9] Facebook.com/iqlimfateh, July 11, 2017.

[10] Facebook.com/officialfateh1965, July 11, 2017.

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