CleanupBot at 04:23, 29 January 2022

2022-01-29T04:23:39Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{short description|Palestinian terrorist organization leader}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Baha Abu al-Ata
| image =
| birth_date = 1977
| death_date = 2019
| birth_place = [[Shuja'iyya]]
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| nickname =
| allegiance =
| branch =
| serviceyears =
| rank =
| unit =
| commands = [[Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine]]
| battles = [[Gaza–Israel clashes (November 2019)|Gaza–Israel clashes]]
| awards =
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| religion =
}}

'''Baha Abu al-Ata''' ({{lang-ar|بهاء أبو العطا}}; 25 November 1977 – 12 November 2019) was a leader of [[Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine]] (PIJ).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/gaza-militants-fire-rockets-into-israel-after-islamic-jihad-leader-killed-11573543719|title=Israel Kills Islamic Jihad Leader, Prompting Gaza Rocket Attack|last=Lieber|first=Dov|date=12 November 2019|website=The Wall Street Journal|language=en-US|url-status=live|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> On 12 November 2019, the [[Israeli Defence Forces]] (IDF) killed Abu al-Ata and his wife in a [[targeted killing]], four of their children and a neighbour were also reportedly injured.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50386164 Israel kills top Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza], BBC</ref> The killings triggered [[Gaza–Israel clashes (November 2019)|clashes between Israelis and Palestinians]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/12/middleeast/israel-gaza-islamic-jihad-intl/index.html|title=Islamic Jihad leader killed in Israeli air strike |last1=Carey |first1=Andrew|last2=Khadder|first2=Kareem|date=12 November 2019 |website=CNN |url-status=live|access-date=12 November 2019 |last3=Qiblawi |first3=Tamara}}</ref><ref name=Independent/> [[Khalil Bathani]] became the new leader of PIJ.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Rocket-sirens-sound-in-Ashkelon-area-612138|title=IAF strikes Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after rocket forces PM offstage|last=Joffre|first=Tzvi|date=December 26, 2019|website=The Jerusalem Post|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214210931/https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Rocket-sirens-sound-in-Ashkelon-area-612138|archive-date=2020-02-20|access-date=2020-02-20}}</ref>

== Al-Quds Brigades ==
Al-Ata was born on 25 November 1977 in [[Shuja'iyya]]. He joined [[Al-Quds Brigades]], an armed wing of the [[Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine]], in 1990,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/slain-islamic-jihad-commander-rocketed-to-prominence-in-year-before-his-death/|title=Slain Islamic Jihad commander rocketed to prominence in year before his death|last1=Rasgon|first1=Adam|last2=Gross|first2=Judah Ari|date=12 November 2019|website=The Times of Israel|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-14}}</ref> later becoming its head.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-kills-senior-leader-of-palestinian-islamic-jihad-in-gaza-air-strike/2019/11/12/bc2817d0-0506-11ea-9118-25d6bd37dfb1_story.html|title=Israel kills a senior leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza airstrike |last1=Hendrix |first1=Steve|last2=Eglash|first2=Ruth|date=12 November 2019|newspaper=Washington Post|language=en|url-status=live|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/gaza-news/Who-was-Baha-Abu-al-Ata-607591|title=Who was Islamic Jihad's Baha Abu al-Ata and why did Israel want him dead? - Arab-Israeli Conflict - Jerusalem Post|last=Ahronheim|first=Anna|date=12 November 2019|website=The Jerusalem Post|url-status=live|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref> The [[Israeli Defence Forces]] (IDF) said, before his death, that Abu al-Ata commanded the PIJ's efforts in the northern region of the [[Gaza Strip]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-islamic-jihad.html |title=Israel Kills Senior Islamic Jihad Commander in Gaza|last1=Kershner|first1=Isabel|date=12 November 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=12 November 2019 |last2=Abuheweila|first2=Iyad|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Halbfinger|first3=David M.}}</ref> and was responsible for several attacks carried out against Israel in 2019, such as missile strikes towards the Israeli city of [[Sderot]] in August, and against the city of [[Ashdod]] in September. According to the IDF, Abu al-Ata planned to execute additional attacks in the future.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50386164 |title=Flare-up as Israel kills top Palestinian militant|date=12 November 2019|work=BBC|access-date=12 November 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-kills-powerful-islamic-jihad-commander-al-ata-in-targeted-strike/|title=Israel kills powerful Islamic Jihad commander Abu al-Ata in targeted Gaza strike|date=12 November 2019|website=The Times of Israel|language=en-US|url-status=live|access-date=12 November 2019}}</ref>

== Death ==
On 12 November 2019, the IDF killed Abu al-Ata in a targeted air strike. The operation was based on specific intelligence provided by [[Shin Bet]].<ref name=":0" /> [[Gaza–Israel clashes (November 2019)|Clashes began between Gaza and Israel]] following his death.<ref name=Independent>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-palestine-gaza-jihad-commander-dead-bahaa-abu-el-ata-wife-rocket-sirens-a9199241.html|title=Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv after Israel kills Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza|date=12 November 2019|website=The Independent|access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{palestine-bio-stub}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu al-Ata, Baha}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine members]]
[[Category:Deaths by Israeli airstrikes]]
[[Category:People from the Gaza Strip]]

Baha Abu al-Ata - Revision history

CleanupBot at 04:23, 29 January 2022