Palestinian Press - 15/12/2023
Jamal Abu Al-Hija, a Palestinian prisoner serving nine life sentences, was born in 1959 in Jenin Refugee Camp to a displaced family originally from the occupied city of Haifa. He was arrested by Israeli forces in 2002 and charged with killing Israelis in resistance operations and leading the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
In his youth, he engaged in religious and social work before joining the armed resistance and leading the Qassam Brigades in northern West Bank. This involvement cost him his left hand during clashes with Israeli forces before his eventual capture.
His wife, sons, and daughters were also subjected to arrests and pursuits, while their home was bombed multiple times. Israel refused to release him in the 2011 Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange deal due to his influential speeches encouraging resistance and his significant impact on youth.
Jamal Abdul Salam Abu Al-Hija was born on November 25, 1959, in Jenin Refugee Camp. His family had been displaced from the village of Ein Hod near Haifa following the Nakba in 1948. He was deeply influenced by his father, Sheikh Abdul Salam Abu Al-Hija, a muezzin and imam in the camp’s mosque, and followed in his footsteps by dedicating himself early to religious and social work in support of resistance.
Abu Al-Hija’s home became known as a refuge for fighters from Jenin and across the West Bank. He is married to Asmaa Muhammad Saba’neh, and they have six children: four sons—Abdul Salam, Imad, Asim, and Hamza—and two daughters, Banan and Sajida, all of whom have continued his path in defending prisoners’ rights and resisting occupation.
He completed his primary education in an UNRWA school and his secondary education at Jenin Secondary School, graduating with distinction. He then joined the Arab College for Teacher Training in Amman, Jordan, earning a diploma in Islamic education in 1982.
After graduation, he worked as a teacher in Yemen between 1982 and 1984, then moved to Saudi Arabia for the same profession. He briefly lived in Kuwait before returning to Jenin in 1990.
In Jenin, he worked with the Zakat and Charity Committee, which supported orphans, provided educational assistance, food supplies, house renovations, and medical aid. He also served as director of Quran memorization centers in the area.
Abu Al-Hija joined the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan in 1979, studying under Sheikh Abdullah Azzam. He actively participated in its religious, intellectual, and social activities.
In the late 1980s, Sheikh Azzam called on Palestinian youth to return to their homeland to defend it against occupation. This coincided with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin’s establishment of Hamas. Abu Al-Hija was among the first to respond to this call, returning to Jenin during the First Intifada (1987–1993). He became a spokesman for Hamas and coordinated its efforts with other factions.
Renowned for his powerful speeches, his home became a hub for hosting prisoner families and resistance fighters.
He rose to leadership within Hamas in the northern West Bank and joined the Jenin Camp Support Committee in 1996, advocating for improved services and the rights of camp residents.
As the leader of the Qassam Brigades in the north, he oversaw operations during the Second Intifada (2000–2005), sustaining multiple injuries.
He supervised several high-profile operations, including:
Abu Al-Hija was arrested by Israeli forces five times since returning to Jenin. He also faced persecution from the Palestinian Authority (PA), being detained for six months in 1996 and pursued for sheltering fighters.
In 2002, he was captured during a special operation following months of being pursued. He was sentenced to nine life terms and 20 additional years.
He endured two months of torture in detention and spent about ten years in solitary confinement. Abu Al-Hija participated in the 2012 dignity strike, suffering severe health deterioration without proper medical care.
His family has been subject to extensive harassment. His wife, Asmaa, was arrested in 2003 and spent nine months in administrative detention. His children faced repeated arrests, with his youngest son, Hamza, martyred during clashes in 2014.
Abu Al-Hija staunchly defends Palestine’s sanctity, rejects any compromise on its principles, and criticizes the futility of negotiations under occupation. He advocates for resistance and unity among Palestinians to counter occupation strategies.
He condemns security coordination with Israel as a betrayal of national interests and calls for an end to political arrests that sow division within Palestinian society.