Ahmed al-Jabari[Note 1] (Arabic: أحمد الجعبري; 1960 – (2012-11-14)14 November 2012), also known as Abu Mohammad,[1][2] was a senior leader and second-in-command of the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

[3] Under his command, along with chief logistics officer Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, Hamas developed its own military weapons capability significantly by acquiring longer-range guided missiles and rockets.

[5] In this position Jabari was also a high-ranking official within Hamas' political leadership, as well as the founder of the Nur Association, which aimed to help "martyrs and prisoners.

According to Al Arabiya, while serving 13 years in prison, he left Fatah and joined Hamas after meeting with some of the latter's founders who were also incarcerated at the time, namely Abd al-Aziz Rantissi, Nizar Rayyan and Salah Shehadeh.

[13] Then, due to his involvement with these military activities in the Gaza Strip, Jabari was arrested by the Preventive Security Force of the Palestinian Authority in October 1998 for his alleged role in the Kfar Darom bus attack.

During the course of the Intifada, he directed several attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings, that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli civilians and soldiers.

"[18] Jabari was in charge of overseeing the captivity of Gilad Shalit who was kidnapped by Palestinian militants in 2006 outside of the Gaza Strip; two other soldiers were killed.

[19] According to the Israeli government, Jabari played a leading role in Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in June 2007.

[3][6][8][20] During Israel's offensive Operation Cast Lead against the Gaza Strip in December 2008, Jabari's home was allegedly destroyed in an airstrike, but the circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear and inconclusive.

[14] In September 2010, Jabari threatened to increase attacks against Israel to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations: "With the power of faith, weapons and missiles, tunnels and commandos we will achieve victory for Palestine and we'll end the occupation in Gaza too.

[25] Jabari was also instrumental in enforcing ceasefires from the Palestinian side, which included restricting rival militants groups from firing rockets and missiles.

"[28] Baskin also claimed that Jabari received a draft of a long-term ceasefire or truce agreement with Israel only hours prior to his assassination.

[34] These rocket attacks were Israel's stated reason for Jabari's assassination, which marked the official start of the Israeli offensive, Operation Pillar of Defense.

[36] Thousands of mourners attended his funeral procession which began at the Shifa Hospital,[41] passed his home, then reached the Great Mosque of Gaza for mourning prayers.

[42] Hamas' Lebanon spokesman Osama Hamdan said that it was likely Israel was targeting the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades military commanders.