The jihadist and advocacy journey of the martyred leader Izz al-Din al-Haddad, nicknamed 'Abu Suhaib', began in the early eighties of the last century from within the mosques of the Gaza Strip. Al-Haddad was distinguished by his early mosque commitment and his keenness on circles of knowledge and the Holy Quran, where he took responsibility for supervising Quran memorization before moving on to formal organizational work.
In the mid-eighties, al-Haddad became involved in the advocacy sessions of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and with the outbreak of the First Intifada in 1987, he was at the forefront of those who joined the ranks of public and field work. This stage formed the cornerstone of his leadership personality, which was refined by daily confrontations with the occupation forces in the streets of the Strip.
'Abu Suhaib' was arrested by the occupation authorities in 1989, where he was imprisoned in Gaza Central Prison due to his prominent activity in the Intifada events. The period of imprisonment was not a period of absence for him; rather, he used it to memorize parts of the Holy Quran and deepen his study of Islamic jurisprudence and the noble Prophetic biography.
Inside the prison walls, al-Haddad's educational role emerged through giving security lectures to detainees to raise their awareness in confronting the occupation intelligence. After his release, he resumed his activity with greater effectiveness, joining the 'Events Apparatus' of the Hamas movement, then progressing to work in the 'Thunderbolt Apparatus' which was responsible for pursuing collaborators.
In the early nineties of the last century, al-Haddad became an active member of the wanted groups affiliated with the Al-Qassam Brigades, where he participated in planning the first military operations. With the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, he took the initiative to reformulate military work by specializing in the manufacture of explosive devices and preparing engineering ambushes.
Al-Haddad's engineering operations targeted occupation vehicles on the 'Karni Netzarim' line and the Martyrs' Intersection, disrupting the movements of the Israeli army. In 2001, he was entrusted with the command of military formations in the Shuja'iyya area, where his leadership qualities of precision and high ability to manage the field emerged.
During the first years of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, al-Haddad led mortar shell attacks on military sites east of Gaza City, and participated in preparing suicide bombers alongside prominent leaders. In 2004, he assumed the position of commander of the Shuja'iyya Battalion, and supervised historical operations such as the joint Ashdod Port operation and the 'Piercing Arrow' security operation.
Al-Haddad's high efficiency led him to assume high leadership positions, serving as deputy commander of the Gaza Brigade in 2006 under the leadership of the martyr Ahmed Al-Ja'bari. During this period, he contributed to supervising the 'Field of Death' operation plan in 2008, which resulted in the killing of a number of elite soldiers from the Givati Brigade.
After the 2009 war, he assumed command of the Southern Gaza Brigade, and in the 2014 confrontation, he was directly responsible for the behind-the-lines attack operation that targeted the 'Nahal Oz' site. That qualitative operation resulted in the killing of 5 Zionist soldiers from point-blank range, which enhanced his position as one of the most prominent military planners in the Brigades.
His journey culminated in 2021 with him taking full command of the Gaza Brigade after the martyrdom of Commander Bassem Issa, where he led 6 fighting battalions under his command with efficiency and competence. With the launch of the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' battle in October 2023, al-Haddad emerged as one of the field engineers of the major attack on military sites adjacent to the Strip.
Al-Haddad took command of the attack and its development north towards the city of 'Sderot', where he managed the firing and control of the city's police station for three consecutive days. That confrontation alone resulted in the killing of more than 40 soldiers and officers, while he continued to manage defensive operations and secure the prisoner file with remarkable success.
In the advanced stages of the war, he assumed the position of Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff of the Al-Qassam Brigades after the martyrdom of commanders Al-Deif and Sinwar. He led the resistance in the most difficult field conditions until he was martyred on May 15, concluding decades of jihad, pursuit, and sacrifice for the Palestinian cause.
Al-Haddad assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the Al-Qassam Brigades after the martyrdom of Commander Mohammed Sinwar, to lead the resistance in the most difficult stages of the conflict.
شارك برأيك
Historical Milestones in the Biography of Izz al-Din al-Haddad: From Mosque Circles to Commander of Al-Qassam Staff