Fathi Shaqaqi
Fathi Shaqaqi فتحي الشقاقي | |
|---|---|
| Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine | |
| In office 1981–1995 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ramadan Shalah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fathi Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Shaqaqi 4 January 1951 |
| Died | 26 October 1995 (aged 44) |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Party | Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Birzeit University (B.Math.) Mansoura University (M.D.) |
| Profession | Math teacher Pediatrician |
Fathi Ibrahim Abdulaziz Shaqaqi (Arabic: فتحي إبراهيم عبد العزيز الشقاقي, romanized: Fatẖī Ibrāhīm ‘Abd ul-‘Aziz ash-Shaqāqī; 4 January 1951 – 26 October 1995) was a Palestinian physician, leader and the founder and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organization.
Shaqaqi was born in the Gaza Strip to a refugee family and received his early education at a United Nations school. He studied physics and mathematics at Bir Zeit University and later medicine at Mansoura University in Egypt. Shaqaqi became a follower of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Sayyid Qutb. Influenced by the Iranian Revolution, he wrote a book praising Ayatollah Khomeini's approach to an Islamic state.
In 1981, Shaqaqi co-founded Islamic Jihad with the goal of establishing a sovereign Islamic state across Israel and the Palestinian territories. The organization rejected political processes, focusing on achieving its goals through military means. As the PIJ leader, Shaqaqi masterminded several suicide bombings in Israel. He was assassinated by Mossad agents in Malta in 1995, leading to a weakening of the PIJ until its resurgence after the Arab Spring.