Raed Al Karmi (died 14 January 2002) was a leading member of the Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades.[1] He was reportedly responsible for the killing of two Israeli settlers in Tulkarem in 2001.[2] Israel also accused him of being related to the death of eight other Israelis.[2]

Al Karmi was the target of missiles by Israeli forces in September 2001 and survived the attack.[2] However, two people he was riding with were killed.[2] Karmi was assassinated by Israel in Tulkarem on 14 January 2002 in a bombing near his home.[3][4]

Following the assassination of Al Karmi Fatah restarted the suicide bombings which had been stopped since 11 September 2001.[5] Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, attempted to dissolve the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades to end these attacks, but Arafat's initiative was not supported and materialized.[5] Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the Israeli defense minister of the period, stated that he warned the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that if they would kill Al Karmi, it would end the ceasefire.[1][6] However, Sharon insisted that Al Karmi should be eliminated as soon as possible.[1]

A street in his hometown, Tulkarem, was named after him in 2015.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Simon Frankel Pratt (2013). ""Anyone Who Hurts Us": How the Logic of Israel's "Assassination Policy" Developed During the Aqsa Intifada". Terrorism and Political Violence. 25 (2): 232. doi:10.1080/09546553.2012.657280. S2CID 144596719.
  2. ^ a b c d "Israeli soldier killed in Palestinian attack". CNN. Jerusalem. 14 January 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine". United Nations. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Israeli army blows up Palestinian broadcasting center". CNN. Ramallah. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b Bader Araj (2008). "Harsh State Repression as a Cause of Suicide Bombing: The Case of the Palestinian–Israeli Conflict". Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. 31 (4): 296. doi:10.1080/10576100801925273. S2CID 144536217.
  6. ^ Charles P. Kirchofer. "Targeted Killings and Compellence: Lessons from the Campaign against Hamas in the Second Intifada". Perspectives on Terrorism. X (3): 24.
  7. ^ "Street in Tulkarem named after "Martyr" Raed Al-Karmi". Palestinian Media Watch. Retrieved 2 May 2021.


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