PA admits “young person” shot by Israel actually “intended to die as a Martyr” and “took steps” toward terror

• Dead terrorist shooter before attack: “Allah will honor me and I will die for Him and become a Martyr”

“A young person died as a Martyr” and was “executed in cold blood” – that’s the way the PA routinely reports on dead terrorists who are killed while attacking Israelis.

Such a “young person” shot and wounded 6 Israelis outside a shopping mall in Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem. The attacker was 20-year-old terrorist Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah. An off-duty Israeli border police officer shot and killed him to end his attack.

Following his death, the PA had to juggle its narratives, simultaneously presenting him both as a victim whom Israel “claimed… shot at settlers,” yet also as a “resistance” member who had intended to carry out an attack and “die as a Martyr” all along.

While a newsreader on official PA TV described the terrorist as “a young person [who] was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr,” a PA TV reporter colleague appearing in the same news broadcast explained that Al-Mazar’ah had stressed “his intention to die as a Martyr,” and had taken “a step towards the Palestinian resistance“ – a Palestinian euphemism for terror and violence against Israel:

Official PA TV newsreader: “A young person [Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah] (i.e., terrorist) was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr next to the town of Al-Eizariya, east of occupied Jerusalem... Hebrew media sources claimed that young Al-Mazar’ah shot at settlers at the entrance to the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim… and wounded some of them…

Official PA TV reporter: “[Al-Mazar’ah] left behind an audio recording, and it is as if he is emphasizing his intention to die as a Martyr, or he is taking a step towards the Palestinian resistance (i.e., terror).”

[Official PA TV News, Aug. 1, 2023]

In the recording left by terrorist Al-Mazar’ah, he praised “prayer and Jihad” – holy war – and expressed his wish to “meet Allah in Paradise.” He also stated that he would “die for Allah and become a Martyr”: 

Recording of terrorist Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah: “Allah willing, we will show Allah good deeds. Allah willing, we will make Allah laugh from our deeds and be proud of our deeds… I command my loved ones, my brothers, and all my friends to pray. Do not abandon prayer and Jihad. We want to meet, Allah willing, in Paradise. O, Master of the Universe. Since Allah will honor me and I will die for Him and become a Martyr… Do not accompany my body to burial among any [of the political] factions. I belong to Allah, and to Him alone. There is no God but Allah.”

[Al-Qastal, Twitter account, Aug. 1, 2023]

Palestinian Media Watch has documented numerous examples of the PA’s “innocent young Palestinians” who in fact declared their goal to attack Israelis and “die as Martyrs” in advance.

The following are longer excerpts of the statements cited above and additional reports on the terrorist shooter:

Muhannad Muhammad Suleiman Al-Mazar’ah – 20-year-old Palestinian terrorist who shot and wounded 6 Israelis next to a shopping mall in Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, on Aug. 1, 2023. An off-duty Israeli border police officer shot and killed Al-Mazar’ah, thereby ending his attack. Al-Mazar’ah wore a municipal employee’s vest during the attack to avoid being identified as an attacker. He had a work permit and had been working as a janitor in the Ma’ale Adumim municipal community center for several years.

“Resistance” is a PA euphemism for terror and violence against Israel.

The article includes a picture of terrorist Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah.

Caption: “Martyr Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah”

Headline: “A young person and a youth died as Martyrs, and 6 settlers were wounded in an operation next to occupied Jerusalem”

“Yesterday, Tuesday [Aug. 1, 2023], Israeli occupation soldiers and settler herds continued their crimes against our people and their property throughout the occupied West Bank: Muhannad Muhammad Suleiman Al-Mazar’ah (i.e., terrorist, wounded 6), a 20-year-old young person, and 15-year-old youth Muhammad Farid Shawqi Al-Za’arir (i.e., terrorist, attempted to stab Israeli soldiers) died as Martyrs.

The [PA] Ministry of Health reported in a short statement that Al-Mazar’ah, 20, died as a Martyr after being shot by the occupation east of occupied Jerusalem.

Arab media sources noted that young Al-Mazar’ah, a resident of the town Al-Eizariya,shot at settlers at the entrance to the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, which was established on the lands of the [Palestinian] residents. As a result of this, 6 of them were wounded, 2 of them seriously…

Sources reported that the occupation forces shot the youth Al-Za’arir next to the settlement of Eshtemoa, which was established on the lands of the town [Al-Samu’], and they prevented the rescue teams and civilians from reaching him.

In Israeli reports it was claimed that the Martyr attempted to stab Israeli soldiers who were at the bus stop next to the town of Al-Samu’ and was shot.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 2, 2023]

Muhammad Farid Shawqi Al-Za’arir – 15-year-old Palestinian terrorist who attempted to stab two Israeli soldiers at a bus stop in the southern Har Hebron region on Aug. 1, 2023. The soldiers shot and killed Al-Za’arir in self-defense. Al-Za’arir, a successful student, posted on his Facebook page on the day of his attack: “Only Martyrdom is fitting for the life of a Jihad fighter.”

Headline: “The [PA] presidential office: The occupation government is defying international law with the daily acts of murder and the invasions of the cities, villages, and refugee camps”

“Official [PA] Presidential Office Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina said that the international silence and that fact that they are not demanding an accounting [from Israel] are what has encouraged the Israeli occupation to continue committing crimes against our people. The latest of them was the execution in cold blood of 15-year-old child Muhammad Farid Shawqi Al-Za’arir(i.e., terrorist, attempted to stab Israeli soldiers) yesterday evening, Tuesday [Aug. 1, 2023], by the occupation forces next to the town of Al-Samu’ south of Hebron, and [the execution] of young Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah (i.e., terrorist, wounded 6) east of Jerusalem.

He said: ‘The Israeli occupation government is defying international law with the daily acts of murder of our Palestinian people. It is determined to continue the acts of murder, the summary executions, and the invasions of the Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps.’ …

Abu Rudeina called on the international community and its institutions, and foremost among them the [UN] Security Council, to provide international protection to our people and to implement the resolutions of the international institutions. He emphasized that the American administration needs to intervene to stop the Israeli bullying before it is too late, because the alternative is dragging the region into a place of violence and instability. He also emphasized that the Israeli occupation authorities and the American administration bear responsibility for the deterioration and the explosion of the situation.”

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug. 2, 2023]

Nabil Abu Rudeina also serves as PA Deputy Prime Minister, PA Minister of Information, Fatah Commissioner of Information, Culture, and Ideology, and Fatah Central Committee member.