Thomas Wictor

This is my third straight day trying to write a post on Palestinian female combatants. I’m now going to put off the post until Sunday night or Monday. It’s simply not yet possible to paint a clear picture of what happened. To show you why we can’t trust Palestinian casualty figures and why I’m having such a hard time, I’ll use the al-Najjar family of Khan Younis, Gaza.

The al-Najjar family has a long history of involvement with terrorism.

Here’s another al-Najjar from Khan Younis.

The death in November from natural causes of 84-year-old Sheikh Mohammed Abed Khattab Al Najjar in Khan Younis inspired many tributes, not only in Gaza but in several Arab states where the Muslim Brotherhood is active. All of Gaza’s Hamas leaders took part in his funeral, and de facto Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh himself carried Al Najjar’s body. “I never met with him in person,” said exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal in a phone call from Damascus during the sheikh’s Nov. 13 memorial service, “but his autobiography brought him close to our heart.”

Meshal described Sheikh Al Najjar as being as significant as Imam Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Hamas emerged, and Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, with whom Al Najjar worked closely.

Fatima Omar Majoud al-Najjar.

She was a Hamas suicide bomber described variously as fifty-seven, sixty-four, or seventy-five. At any rate, she exploded herself on November 23, 2006. The Palestinians claimed she killed many Israeli soldiers, but in reality she slightly wounded two. It says a lot about the IDF that even though they knew from her behavior that she was a suicide bomber, they used a stun grenade on her instead of a machine gun.

Even the Palestinian Authority has arrested multiple al-Najjars for their support of Hamas.

1) Falah Mohammed Nasser al-Din (45);
2) Hamza Jebril Jwailes (24) university student;
3) Amjad Mohammed al-Hammouri (35) dentist;
4) Saed Salhab (21) university student;
5) Maath Mohammed Edris (22) university student;
6) Wajdi Taha Abu Esnaina (21) university student;
7) Anas Taleb al-Najjar (24) university student;
8) Taleb Akram Abu Esnaina (32);
9) Taleb Mahmoud al-Najjar (44) municipal employee;
10) Ayman Taleb al-Najjar (27), a bus driver of an Islamic school;
11) Tayseer Ali Rabba (45) employee at the Islamic Charity;
12) Fadel Ismail al-Najjar (29), driver for the Islamic Charity;
13) Abdullah Ahmed Buhais (32) secretary of an Islamic school;
14) Bajes Mahmoud al-Najjar (27);
15) Ahmed Mahmoud al-Najjar (38);
16) Eissa Isma’il Saleh (26);
17) Alaa Jaber al-Titi (26) a journalist;
18) Maath Mutlaq Abu Juhaisha (25).

In attempting to expose the truth about Palestinian female combatants, I’ve used four sources for the names of the dead.

1. The official list of the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH).

2. The International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC).

3. The names of children killed, as provided by the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights (AMCHR).

4. A site called notstat.org, which sometimes has photos that are useful (NOTSTAT).

The al-Najjar family’s troubles in Khan Younis begin on July 14, 2014, when Ziad Maher Mohamed Al-Najjar—male, age seventeen—is killed. IMEMC, AMCHR, and NOTSTAT report his death, but not the MOH.

AMCHR says Wesam Alaa’ Al Najjar—male, age seventeen—was killed on July 22. No other source lists him.

IMEMC lists the following al-Najjars as being killed in Khan Younis on July 24.

Mohammad Suleiman an-Najjar
Baker an-Najjar, 13 (not listed by AMCHR)
Shadi Yusef an-Najjar
Mohammad Ahmad Najjar
Anwar Ahmad Najjar
Ashraf Ibrahim Hasan Najjar, 13 (not listed by AMCHR)
Ahmad Talal Najjar
Mohammad Samir Abdul-Al an-Najjar, 25
Mahmoud Abdo an-Najjar

There’s a good reason why thirteen-year-old Ashraf Ibrahim Hasan Najjar was not listed as a child by AMCHR. It’s because he was an adult terrorist of the Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

However, the MOH has this list for July 24.

709. Mohamed Ahmed Salem Alnajjar, male
710. Shadi Yousef Alnajjar, male
719. Baker Fathi Alnajjar, male
769. Ahsraf Ibrahim Alnajjar, male
770. Ahmed Talal Alnajjar, male
772. Mohamed Abdo Alnajjar, male
787. Mohamed Samir Abdelaal Alnajjar, 25, male
842. Samia Harb Yousef Alnajjar, 50, female
848. Mohamed Samir Abdelaal Alnajjar, 25, male

The MOH thus lists Ashraf as a civilian, and it lists Mohamed Samir Abdelaal Alnajjar twice, at 787 and 848.

NOTSTAT has no al-Najjars at all for July 24.

On July 26, the Israelis are alleged to have bombed a house full of al-Najjars in Khan Younis.

The al-Najjar family had fled their homes in Khuzaa, just east of Khan Younis, earlier in the day after Israeli artillery shelling there killed dozens, and they were hoping to find shelter somewhere further from the border.

Their refuge in Khan Younis, however, turned out to be anything but, as missiles fired from Israeli warplanes just before 8 a.m. completely leveled the four-story building they were sleeping in.

The airstrike killed eleven children, four women, and five men from the family, according to Palestinian medical sources.

Spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra named some of the children killed in the strike as Khalil al-Najjar, Jana al-Najjar, Samir al-Najjar, Ikhlas al-Najjar, Husam al-Najjar, Aminah al-Najjar and Eiman al-Ruqab.

Eleven children killed is the claim. AMCHR lists only five.

Samir Hussein Al Najjar
, male, age 1.5
Mutaz Hussein Al Najjar, male, age six
Ghaliya Mohammed Al Najjar, female, age 1.5
Rawan Khalid Al Najjar, female, age seventeen
Ahmad Khalid Al Najjar, male, age fourteen

This is the list from the MOH.

845. Khalil Mohamed Ahmed Alnajjar, 59, male
831. Ghalia Mohamed Ahmed Alnajjar, 56, female
832. Ahmed Khalid Mohamed Alnajjar, 14, male
834. Eman Salah Mahmoud Alnajjar, 23, female
843. Kafah Samir Hussein Alnajjar, 23, female
846. Rawan Khalid Mohamed Alnajjar, 17, female
833. Hussam Hussein Samir Alnajjar, 7, male
835. Samir Hussein Samir Alnajjar, 2, male
836. Moataz Hussein Samir Alnajjar, 6, male
837. Oulfat Hussein Samir Alnajjar, 4, female
830. Majed Samir Hussein Alnajjar, 19, male
999. Teyseer Mohamed Aiesh Alnajjar, 39, male

Six children. Next is the list from IMEMC.

Khalil Mohammad an-Najjar, 59
Jona an-Najjar
Ekhlas Najjar
Amna an-Najjar
Majed Sameer an-Najjar, 19
Ghalia Mohammed an-Najjar, 56
Ahmad Khaled Mohammad an-Najjar, 14
Eman Salah Mahmoud an-Najjar, 23
Sumayya Harb Yousef an-Najjar, 50
Kifah Samir Hasan an-Najjar 23
Rawan Khaled Mohammad an-Najjar, 17
Husam Hussein an-Najjar, 7
Samir Hussein an-Najjar, 2
Moa’taz Hussein Samir an-Najjar, 6
Ulfat Hussein Samir an-Najjar, 4 (sister of Samir and Moa’taz)
Taysir Mohammad Aish an-Najjar

Six children, not eleven. NOTSTAT lists only one child, seven-year-old Hossam.

For July 27, AMCHR lists Tamer Ahmed Al Najjar, male, age sixteen. He appears on no other lists.

For July 28, the MOH has four names.

1149. Ibtisam Abd al-Sameeh Harb al-Najjar, 23, Female
1150. Saham Raji Khalil al-Najjar, 46, Female
1151. Wala Jameel Ahmed al-Najjar, 23, Male
1152. Jameel Ahmed Hamed al-Najjar, 46, Male

They appear on no other lists.

For July 29, this is the MOH list.

1145. Layali Wa’il Jameel al-Najjar, 3, Female
1146. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed al-Najjar, 12, Male
1164. Mohamed Ata Mahmoud al-Najjar, 2, Male
1165. Rafeef Ata Mohamed an-Najjar, 3, Male (AMCHR says female)
1177. Mohamed Aata Mohamed Al-Najjar, Male
1183. Karim Jameel Ahmed al-Najjar, Unknown, Male
1184. Asam Mohamed Ata al-Najjar, Unknown, Male
1185. Ata Mohamed Ata al-Najjar, Unknown, Male
1186. Sama Mohamed Ata al-Najjar, Unknown, Female (AMCHR says she’s fifteen)
1282. Shahir Khaled Ahmed al-Najjar, Unknown, Male

Here’s the IMEMC list for July 29.

Mohammad Ata Najjar, 2
Rafif Ata Najjar, 3
Zaher Ahmad Najjar, 6

This is the AMCHR list.

Samaa’ Mohammed Al Najjar, female, age fifteen
Mohammed Atta Al Najjar, male, age one
Rafeef Atta Al Najjar, female, age three
Mona Jehad Al Najjar, female, age one
Zaher Mahmoud Al Najjar, male, age seven.

NOTSTAT lists Rafiq Ata al-Najjar and Mohammad Ata al-Najjar, saying they were found in the morgue of Naser Medical Center.

Bilal Ata al-Najjar is a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad al-Quds Brigades.

We don’t know if any of the dead Ata al-Najjars were terrorists. My guess is that everyone seven and older was a combatant.

No al-Najjars were killed in Khan Younis on July 30.

For July 31, the MOH lists three names.

1411. Mahmoud Fuad al-Najjar, Unknown, Male
1412. Mohamed Jama al-Najjar, Unknown, Male
1413. Maher al-Najjar, Unknown, Male

IMEMC lists only Mohammad Juma’ an-Najjar, giving his age as thirty-two.

The last al-Najjar to die in Khan Younis is listed by AMCHR as twelve-year-old Mu’tasim Mohammed Al Najjar, killed August 1. He appears on no other lists.

This mess I just posted represents only one family. We have names counted twice, adult terrorists disguised as civilian children, numbers that don’t add up, different names for the same day, and lists of family members that don’t tally.

Why in the world would anyone believe a single thing the Palestinians say?