Members of Hamas called Qawasameh
Many Hamas and activists in Hebron came from the local Qawasameh tribe.
Noteable Qawasameh Hamas members:
- Mahmud Amaran Qawasameh (suicide bomber in Haifa bus 37, dead)
- Hazem Qawasameh (commited shooting attack in Qiryat Arba, dead)
- Fuad Qawasameh (suicide bomber in Gros square in Hebron, dead)
- Hamza Qawasameh (murdered Netanel Uzari, dead)
- Muhasan Qawasameh (commited attack on Negoa settlement, dead)
- Raad Misk Qawasameh (suicide bomber of Jerusalem bus 2 massacre, dead)
- Abbedallah Qawasameh (leader, dead)
- Bassal Qawasameh (leader, dead)
- Ahmed Abed Qawasameh (suicide bomber in Beersheba, dead)
- Imad Qawasameh (leader, alive and active)
(Source: )
The Hamas in Hebron was led by a family from the Qawasameh tribe. Two of its prominent leaders, Abbedalla Qawasameh and Bassal Qawasameh were involved in many terrorist attacks, including the Jerusalem bus 14A massacre and Jerusalem bus 2 massacre which claimed the lives of 40 Israelis. They were later taken out by YAMAM and IDF forces.
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 replied fire and killed him. According to Palestinian witnesses, however, a squad of Israeli police disguised as Palestinian labourers opened fire on him as he left a Hebron mosque . The controvertial assassination led to criticism of Israel from U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
His replacer, Ahmed Bader was killed on September 9. Ahmed Bader was replaced by Abbedalla's relative - Bassal Qawasameh (also Basel Qawasmeh, Kawasmeh). They both were involved in Jerusalem's bus bombings. Bassal survived less than a month. On September 22 he was traced by IDF forces near Dura. Bassal fled to a nearby house, forcing his way in with gunthreats, throwing out its occupants. After Bassal refused to surrender and opened fire on the soldiers, tanks first shelled the building, then an armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozer was brought and razed the house over Bassal. A (sub) machine gun was found near Bassal's corpse.
On August 31, 2004, Ahmed Abed Qawasameh, a resident of the Hebron Discrit, blow himself up in a suicide bombing attack at Beersheba which claimed the live of 16 Israeli civilians. He was sent by the local Hamas leader Imad Qawasameh.
The Qawasameh were the main supplier of militants to the Hebron cells of Hamas.
