Name: Mohammad Abdel Rahim El-Hanbali

Birth date: 1975

Martyrdom date: 5 September 2003

Hometown: Nablus

Residence: Nablus

 Childhood & Education

Mohammad was born into a religious family in the occupied city of Nablus. His family was well-known in the city. And his father was one of the city’s community leaders. He was the head of the city’s Zakat committee.

Mohammad was a student of Nablus mosques since his childhood. He grew up to be a very sensitive and innovative man. Since his childhood, he was known for his piety and purity of soul. And he was known for his love of Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions.

Despite his many activities, Mohammad passed through his basic education with distinction. And he enrolled in the college of Engineering at Al-Najah University in Nablus. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and enrolled in post-graduate studies before his martyrdom.

Al-Najah University

In 1995, Mohammad started studying at Al-Najah University. From the first days there, he became a dynamic force in the university’s Islamic Bloc. Intelligent, energetic, dedicated and loved by fellow students, Mohammad was charged with organizing numerous student activities. In 1997, Mohammad was elected into the University’s student council, where he was re-elected again the following year.

“We don’t find anyone with Mohammad’s characteristics. We still remember the days when he would not sleep till finishing all his tasks. He was always present. He didn’t miss any activity. And all the innovative ideas in student activities were the fruit of Mohammad’s intelligence and innovation,” comments one of the students.

And despite the leadership role and attention, Mohammad remained humble. Arrogance didn’t find a way to his heart, which was full of the love for working for the sake of Allah Almighty. He was from a rich family that provided him with every material thing he could have wanted. However, he was not after any material gains or pleasure. He was intent on immigrating to Allah and join the caravan headed by Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Imprisonment

After the “Emmanuel Settlement” operation conducted by Asem Riehan, the Palestinian Authority arrested Mohammad and a number of his colleagues. But he escaped from the prison after occupation fighter jets bombarded the prison. But the damage was done; and the imprisonment gave occupation forces the lead to track Mohammad’s activities.

Defending his Hometown

In April 2002, occupation forces embarked on a campaign to re-occupy the city of Nablus. Mohammad was the leader of Ezzedeen Al-Qassam fighters resisting the invasion. He oversaw the making of explosive devices and land mines as well as the preparation and planning for defending the old city. Mohammad’s brilliance shown once again in the fact that his preparations hindered the vastly superior occupation forces. The positions Mohammad and his fighters were defending were the last to fall in the city.

As a result, Mohammad became the #1 target of occupation forces. Numerous raids were conducted to eliminate him to no avail.

Martyrdom

Like much of his life, Mohammad’s martyrdom was a story of heroism and steadfastness. On 5 September 2003, occupation forces surrounded a residential building in Nablus. Scores of troops and armored vehicles as well as attack helicopters participated in besieging Mohammad, who refused to surrender.

The battle raged for hours. And Mohammad killed at least one of the attacking troops and injured at least 4 before attaining martyrdom.