Name: Suheil Nu’man Abu Nahel

Nickname: Abu Yehya Ayyash

Birth date: 24 November 1973

Martyrdom date: 11 June 2003

Hometown: Barbara village

Residence: Beach Camp (Gaza City)

Childhood & Education:

Suheils family hails from the village of Barbara (17 km north of Gaza City) that was occupied and ethnically cleansed on 4-5 November 1948. "The crumbled walls and debris of houses are all that remains of the village buildings. Some of the old streets are clearly identifiable. One area of the site serves as a garbage dump and a junkyard for old cars." The destruction included the village’s historic mosque built in second half of the 16^th century.

Suheil was the 5^th of his 7 brothers and sisters, who lived in Beach (Shati) refugee camp in the northwest corner of Gaza city. The family never forgot their refuge, and never forfeit their right in their homeland. Yet the bitterness of refuge didn’t stop the family of raising their children on the virtues of sincerity and generosity.

Suheil completed his elementary and preparatory education in UNRWA schools in the camp. He completed his secondary education in Karmil School in Gaza City. He was a distinguished student always finishing in the top 10 of his class.

Suheil enrolled in the journalism department at the Islamic University of Gaza. Then he transferred to the college of Shari’a; but his university education was interrupted by his resistance activities.

Suheil’s mother describes her son saying, “Suheil’s life was a call to the path of Allah Almighty. He was always connected to his Creator. And his love for his religion and jihad didn’t prevent him from his favorite sport, swimming. In the last ten days of Ramadan, he would spend the nights praying in Al-Omari mosque. His friends from Shamali mosque would call him; and he’d come to recite Quran and pray. Everyone would be touched by his prayer.”

Early Jihad:

Suheil joined the ranks of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) during the first Intifada. In 1989, he worked in the Hamas media branch. And in 1991, he was arrested by occupation forces and spent 18 months in prison for his Hamas membership and activities. But imprisonment didn’t deter him. On the contrary, he came out of prison more determined and more steadfast to continue along the road of resistance. In 1992, he became the leader of the Hamas youth apparatus in the northern Gaza Strip.

Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades:

In 1993, Suheil was recruited in Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades under the leadership of (martyr) Sa’ad El-Arabid. Suheil housed wanted members of the military wing including Yehya Ayyash, Sa’ad El-Arabid and others. And in 1995, the Palestinian Authority detained him for 6 months in Gaza Central Prison. And from August 1996 to 1998, he was detained in Tal El-Hawa detention center.

During the time, his father passed away; but Suheil was not allowed to bury him. The jailers only allowed Suheil to take a last look at his dead father. After his release, Suheil worked as a guard of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin.

Avenging the Engineer:

Suheil’s detention in 1996 came as a result of his role in avenging the murder of Yehya Ayyash earlier that year. Suheil was part of the team that carried out the vengeance attacks which changed the course of the Middle East. He infiltrated in occupied Palestine and spent 10 days in the open guarding the explosive belts. But it was decided that Suheil was to go back to Gaza.

Al-Aqsa Intifada:

During the Intifada, Suheil maintained his activity in the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades in the cell named after martyr Nidal Farahat. He took part in missions to shell illegal settlements and occupation army targets.

Martyrdom:

On 11 June 2003, Suheil was in a car with fellow Al-Qassam leader Tito Masood. On Salah E’Deen road near the entrance to Sheja’eya neighborhood, 7 rockets from Apache helicopter gunship hit their car. Both were killed instantly. In addition, 5 innocent bystanders were killed and another 40 injured.

Suheil left behind his wife and three sons: Yehya Ayyash, Mohye E’Deen and Salah Shehada.