Qawasameh tribe ( ar, القواسمة, also spelled: Qawasmeh or Kawasmeh in English), is a major clan primarily based in

Hebron Hebron ( ar, الخليل or ; he, חֶבְרוֹן ) is a Palestinian. city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judaean Mountains, it lies above sea level. The second-largest city in the West Bank (after Eas ...

, with roughly 10,000 members. Although many of the Qawasmeh were originally pro-peace moderates and supporters of a two-state solution, they were radicalised. One tribe faction, numbering several hundred, dominates

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...

and is a radical opposition faction within Hamas, which frequently sabotages Hamas cease fires with bombings and attacks, provoking Israeli retaliation. The

Shin Bet The Israel Security Agency (ISA; he, שֵׁירוּת הַבִּיטָּחוֹן הַכְּלָלִי; ''Sherut ha-Bitaẖon haKlali''; "the General Security Service"; ar, جهاز الأمن العام), better known by the acronym Shabak ( he, ...

has accused them of kidnapping the

Yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

students. Marwan Qawasameh is suspected of being one of two terrorists involved in the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens on June 12, 2014. According to the IDF, Abbedalla Qawasameh was killed in June 2003 by the Yamam elite CT unit after resisting an arrest. He opened fire on the Yamam officers who returned fire and killed him

According to Palestinian people, Palestinian witnesses, however, a squad of Israeli police disguised as Palestinian labourers opened fire on him as he left a Hebron mosque. The controversial assassination led to criticism of Israel from

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Colin Powell. On August 31, 2004, Ahmed Abed Qawasameh, a resident of the Hebron District, blew himself up in a suicide bombing attack at

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

, which claimed the lives of 16 Israeli civilians. He was sent by the local Hamas leader Imad Qawasameh. On October 13, 2004, Imad Qawasameh was arrested by IDF forces, after intelligence was provided by the

. According to witnesses, Imad surrendered immediately after an

IDF Caterpillar D9 The IDF Caterpillar D9 —nicknamed ''Doobi'' ( he, דובי, for teddy bear) — is a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli armored CAT D9 was heavily modified by the Israel Defense Forces, Isra ...

armoured bulldozer started to demolish his house. In 2011, the IDF broke into Omar Qawasamehs home, put a gun to his wife's head and shot him dead in his sleep. Subsequently, the Israeli army released a statement acknowledging the Qawasameh killing was unintended. An Israeli military spokesman told the AFP news agency: "There is no indication that l-Qawasmehwas involved in any terror activity at any stage and therefore we regret the incident." The Qawasameh extremist wing are the main suppliers of militants to the Hebron cells of

Notable Qawasameh Hamas members

* Fahd Qawasmeh (mayor of Hebron, PLO Executive committee member, deceased) * Hamza Qawasameh (killed Netanel Uzari, deceased) * Marwan Qawasameh (suspected of being one of two terrorists involved in the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens, deceased) * Raad Misk Qawasameh (suicide bomber, deceased) * Abbedalla Qawasameh (leader, deceased) * Bassal Qawasameh (leader, deceased) * Ahmed Abed Qawasameh (

suicide bomber A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

, deceased) * Imad Qawasameh (leader, arrested October 13, 2004)

References

{{reflist Hamas members People from Hebron Tribes of the State of Palestine