Mahmoud Tawallbe
Encyclopedia
Mahmoud Tawalbe was the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Jenin
, one of the main stronghold of the resistance
organization.
Tawalbe was involved in many attacks against Israelis but he was best known for being the leader of the Palestinian militants in Jenin during the Battle of Jenin
, part of Israel's 2002 Operation Defensive Shield
.
The Israeli authorities had 23-year-old Mahmoud Tawalbe, a father of two who worked in a record store but also headed the local Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell, at the top of their "wanted" list. Tawalbe was responsible for numerous attacks against Israelis, including an October 2001 shooting on the main street of Hadera
, north of Tel Aviv, which killed four women. Tawalbe had dispatched his 19-year-old brother Murad on a suicide attack
to Haifa
in July of that year, though Murad lost his nerve and surrendered to Israel Police
. Other top Islamic Jihad targets in Jenin included Thabet Mardawi, behind a March 20 suicide bomb that killed seven Israelis on a bus, and Ali Suleiman al-Saadi, known as Safouri, who had planned a November shooting that killed two Israelis.
Tawalbe was the most admired man in Jenin and was chosen to arrange and manage the battle over Jenin. Tawalbe ordered to booby-trap the entire camp in order to kill as many Israeli soldiers as possible. Even children took part in the bomb-making efforts.
During a break from the fighting on the seventh day, Tawalbe sneaked out of the camp into neighbouring Jenin
to visit his mother and brother. His brother told Time
that "Mahmoud looked pleased with his work", and he told his mother "Don't worry about me...I feel strong." The camp lore says Mahmoud killed 13 Israelis in the fighting.
Time visited the rubble of the house where Tawalbe died with a British military expert working in the camp for Amnesty International
, David Holley. They reported that "the three-story structure shows signs of attack from two directions. One wall was charred by fire; the wall on the other side had collapsed." Holley deduced from the tank tracks and bomb craters that Tawalbe was killed in by an alert IDF Caterpillar D9
armoured bulldozer
whose operator thwarted an attempt by Tawalbe and his gunmen to plant a bomb on the armour of a passing Israeli Armored fighting vehicle, probably by ramming the wall onto him.
After the battle of Jenin, Mahmoud Tawalbe was considered a hero by many Palestinians and Arabs worldwide. His mangled corpse was interred together with that of his fellow militant die to the difficulty in identifying the bodies, Jenin's "Martyrs' Cemetery". Tawalbe was labeled "general of the martyrs" in posters throughout the camp, and marching children chanted his name.
His terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians were hailed along with his leadership in the battle of Jenin. While Palestinians see him as a martyr
, the Israelis see him as a cruel ruthless terrorist, whose atrocities came to an end.
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, one of the main stronghold of the resistance
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
organization.
Tawalbe was involved in many attacks against Israelis but he was best known for being the leader of the Palestinian militants in Jenin during the Battle of Jenin
Battle of Jenin
The Battle of Jenin took place in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Israel Defense Forces entered the camp, and other areas under the administration of the Palestinian Authority, during the Second Intifada, as part of Operation Defensive Shield...
, part of Israel's 2002 Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield was a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces in 2002, during the course of the Second Intifada. It was the largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. The operation was an attempt by the Israeli army to stop the...
.
The Israeli authorities had 23-year-old Mahmoud Tawalbe, a father of two who worked in a record store but also headed the local Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell, at the top of their "wanted" list. Tawalbe was responsible for numerous attacks against Israelis, including an October 2001 shooting on the main street of Hadera
Hadera
Hadera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately from the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. The city is located along of the Israeli Mediterranean Coastal Plain...
, north of Tel Aviv, which killed four women. Tawalbe had dispatched his 19-year-old brother Murad on a suicide attack
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
to Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in July of that year, though Murad lost his nerve and surrendered to Israel Police
Israel Police
The Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
. Other top Islamic Jihad targets in Jenin included Thabet Mardawi, behind a March 20 suicide bomb that killed seven Israelis on a bus, and Ali Suleiman al-Saadi, known as Safouri, who had planned a November shooting that killed two Israelis.
Tawalbe was the most admired man in Jenin and was chosen to arrange and manage the battle over Jenin. Tawalbe ordered to booby-trap the entire camp in order to kill as many Israeli soldiers as possible. Even children took part in the bomb-making efforts.
During a break from the fighting on the seventh day, Tawalbe sneaked out of the camp into neighbouring Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
to visit his mother and brother. His brother told Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
that "Mahmoud looked pleased with his work", and he told his mother "Don't worry about me...I feel strong." The camp lore says Mahmoud killed 13 Israelis in the fighting.
Time visited the rubble of the house where Tawalbe died with a British military expert working in the camp for Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, David Holley. They reported that "the three-story structure shows signs of attack from two directions. One wall was charred by fire; the wall on the other side had collapsed." Holley deduced from the tank tracks and bomb craters that Tawalbe was killed in by an alert IDF Caterpillar D9
IDF Caterpillar D9
The Israeli Armored CAT D9 — nicknamed Doobi — is a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer that was modified by the Israel Defence Forces, Israeli Military Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries to increase the survivability of the armored bulldozer in hostile environments and enable it...
armoured bulldozer
Armored bulldozer
The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armor/military...
whose operator thwarted an attempt by Tawalbe and his gunmen to plant a bomb on the armour of a passing Israeli Armored fighting vehicle, probably by ramming the wall onto him.
After the battle of Jenin, Mahmoud Tawalbe was considered a hero by many Palestinians and Arabs worldwide. His mangled corpse was interred together with that of his fellow militant die to the difficulty in identifying the bodies, Jenin's "Martyrs' Cemetery". Tawalbe was labeled "general of the martyrs" in posters throughout the camp, and marching children chanted his name.
His terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians were hailed along with his leadership in the battle of Jenin. While Palestinians see him as a martyr
Shahid
Shahid is an Arabic word meaning "witness". It is a religious term in Islam, meaning both "witness" and "martyr." While a martyr may die as a consequence of fighting, a shahid is a "witness" because he gives his life out of passion for truth. The shahid exchanges himself for the divine and thereby...
, the Israelis see him as a cruel ruthless terrorist, whose atrocities came to an end.