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Joining Hamas

During his stay in Syria, Zouari established connections with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), becoming close to them. He later collaborated with their military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, leveraging his scientific skills for their projects.

Zouari officially joined the Qassam Brigades in 2006 and started working on the development of an autonomous drone as part of a fledgling Hamas project, collaborating with a senior officer from Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army. By the time of the Gaza War in 2008, Zouari and a specialized team from Hamas's military wing had produced 30 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Between 2012 and 2013, Zouari spent nine months in the Gaza Strip, where he completed his project and oversaw the creation of the "Ababil" drone, which was utilized during the 2014 war with Israel. During this period, he led a team of Qassam engineers on a visit to Iran, where they met with experts in UAV manufacturing. The Iranians were impressed with the high level of the resistance team, which was capable of manually manufacturing and launching drones.

The Iranians designed a six-month training program covering stages of flight, communication, control, and manufacturing. Zouari worked on the "Ghrab" project in Palestine, which faced some challenges related to size and capabilities. His team in Gaza successfully completed the project. Zouari visited Gaza again in 2012 and 2013 to continue his work on the "Ghrab" project, contributing significantly to the development of Hamas's drone capabilities.

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He was only known after his assassination

Following the announcement of Zouari's assassination on December 17, 2016, al-Qassam Brigades issued a statement mourning him, confirming that he had joined their ranks and had been working with them for ten years. The statement noted that Zouari was one of the leaders who oversaw the Ababil drone project, which played a significant role in the 2014 war with Israel known as "العصف المأكول."

Al-Qassam accused Israel of being behind Zouari's assassination and hinted at the possibility of retaliation, labeling it an attack on the Palestinian resistance.

This was the first time al-Qassam issued a statement acknowledging the talent and expertise of a non-Palestinian Arab.

Israeli media also confirmed Zouari's role in enhancing Hamas's military capabilities.

Israeli Channel 2 and the Hebrew website Walla reported that Zouari participated in Hamas training camps in Syria and Lebanon and frequently visited Turkey.

They added that he visited Gaza three times through tunnels, provided valuable information to the Palestinian resistance, and supervised the development of al-Qassam's military program, particularly the Ababil drone project, showcasing his engineering prowess and technological brilliance.

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His Assassination

On December 15, 2016, Mohamed Zouari was assassinated by two unknown assailants who fired 20 bullets at him while he was in his car in front of his home in the Ain neighborhood of Sfax, Tunisia. The bullets were fired from two silenced pistols, with eight bullets striking his body, five of which lodged in his skull.

The Tunisian authorities announced the arrest of five individuals suspected of involvement in the assassination and the seizure of equipment. The Ennahda Movement called on security authorities to reveal the perpetrators, stating that the assassination posed a threat to Tunisian security and stability. Hamas and those close to Zouari immediately accused Israel and its intelligence agency, Mossad, of the assassination, due to Zouari's role in enhancing the technological capabilities of the Palestinian resistance.

Moav Vardi, a reporter for an Israeli channel, mentioned that Zouari possessed valuable technological knowledge not found in Gaza, making his involvement with Hamas significant. Ronen Bergman, an Israeli security analyst with close ties to Israeli intelligence, said that the accusations against Mossad for the assassination were likely accurate, confirming that the assassins had indeed managed to leave Tunisia.

Oren Heller, a military affairs commentator for Israel's Channel 10, noted that Israel feared what Zouari could have achieved in the future, stating that Hamas sought his expertise to produce kamikaze drones capable of striking deep into Israel with minimal risk to its fighters.

Abu Obaida statted on 2017:

“What has recently been revealed, known as the report of the Zionist entity's observer regarding the results of the 2014 war, reaffirms the extent of the loss, failure, and confusion the enemy suffered in this battle.

Our martyr Zouari left his mark on this battle along with his brothers from the leadership of the resistance.

And the coming days will carry more evidence of this failure. ”

Finance Minister Smotrich announces the allocation of $80 million for settlement in southern Lebanon: South Lebanon must be invaded, controlled, and settlements established.

[RT]

In an attempt not to disclose his medical status, Netanyahu has filed for the third extension. He has not reported about his health in 4 years.

[RT]

Ismail Alghoul:

Martyr Engineer Anwar Al-Jundi Abu Subhi, member of the Emergency Committee and Director General of Water and Environment in the Gaza Municipality.

[RT]

An assassination operation in the center of the city of Qalqilya by the occupation. Targeting a vehicle.

Citizens are now trying to fight them back, and there's reports of more casualties. 💔

It is impossible for the cowardly enemy to be able to carry out any assassination operation without confirming the signal from the traitors and scoundrels on the ground.

- May God curse all the traitors and agents

[K.H]

⚠️ The martyrdom of the Mujahideen wanted by the occupation army in the city of Qalqilya in a cowardly assassination:

Ihab Abu Hamed 💔
Ahmed Al-Salami 💔
The third is unknown at the moment

[K.H]

Official Broadcasting Authority:

One of the assassinated men in Qalqilya, an activist in the Islamic Jihad movement, was being monitored

[K.H]