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| Al-Qassam Brigades (Photo: The New York Times) |
GAZA - One of the important parties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas is owned by the military wing of Hamas, al-Qassam Brigades. The military group is considered by many as the strongest military faction in Gaza.
Major al-Qassam was taken from the name of the Syrian fighters who fought against the British occupation of Palestinian territories in 1935. The first action of the al-Qassam Brigades began in 1992, when they commit murder of a rabbi in the area of Kfar Darom, Gaza Strip.
Originally resistance activity al-Qassam more run by way of suicide bombings. But the action was halted after bomb experts dmiliki groups, Yahya Ayyash, was killed by the Israelis in 1996. Al-Qassam then develop action by also launching rocket attacks into Israel.
Al-Qassam rockets began its activity in 2000. The leader of the group at the time, Mohammed Deif, developing producing rockets for use by al-Qassam.
Deif also arranged the smuggling of rockets for the al-Qassam outside Gaza. Rocket collection efforts are passed by the al-Qassam later, Ahmed al-Jabari.
During the leadership of Jabari many states, al-Qassam had great development. Jabari run a modern training for soldiers recruited by the al-Qassam. Jabari also managed to network with countries such as Iran, Sudan, and Syria. The network is made al-Qassam easier mendapatakan both military and financial aid.
Currently estimated al-Qassam are in unsteady conditions after Jabari was killed by an Israeli air strike launched last Wednesday, November 14. But some analysts believe al-Qassam will quickly find a replacement Jabari.
"Al-Qassam always move in small groups. So if there is one leader who killed a leader of the group can be rapidly replaced, "said an author of the Palestinian conflict, Jonathan Schanzer, as quoted by The New York Times, Monday (19/11/2012).
During Jabari leadership, al-Qassam organization known divide into six groups which oversees six different areas in Gaza. Each group has its own leader who reports to Jabari as supreme leader. These groups have their own logistics system that can work separately.
source: The New York Times
