Dubai: Mahmoud Abdul Rauof Mohammad Hassan, also known as Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, was born in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip.
Al Mabhouh was one of the founders of Hamas' Ezz Al Deen Al Qassam Brigades armed wing. He was 50 at the time of his death.
Al Mabhouh was behind the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in separate operations in 1989 during the early stages of the first 1987-1993 Palestinian uprising. Avi Sasportas and Ilan Sadon were both later killed.
He also masterminded a number of other attacks on Israeli targets and Israeli authorities demolished his home in Gaza in retaliation.
Al Mabhouh spent several spells in Israeli custody. After his last release, he spent his life being hounded by Israel until he succeeded in leaving the Gaza Strip.
The Ezz Al Deen Al Qassam Brigades is the military wing of Hamas. It was created in 1992 with an objective to build a coherent military organisation to support the goals of Hamas, which was at the time concerned with blocking the Oslo Accords negotiations.
From 1994 to 2000, the brigades carried out a number of attacks against Israel, ultimately giving way to the ‘Al Aqsa Intifada', which Hamas enthusiastically supported.
Targeted
At the beginning of the Second Intifada, the group became a central target of Israel. In June and July 2006, the brigades were involved in the operation which led to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and in the subsequent heavy fighting in the Gaza Strip following Operation Summer Rains.
It was the first time in over 18 months that the brigades were actively involved in fighting against Israeli soldiers.
