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Mahmoud al-Aloul

(1950 - )

Mahmoud al-Aloul is a Palestinian leader who has been mentioned as a possible successor to Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah

In 1971, Al-Aloul was arrested by Israel for terrorist activities during the Six-Day War and expelled to Jordan. In Jordan, he became involved in the establishment of the Fatah movement and, in the late 1970’s al-Aloul moved to Lebanon.  In 1983, as commander of a Fatah military brigade, al-Aloul oversaw the abduction of six Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and then successfully ransomed them for the release of more than 5,000 prisoners from the Ansar detention camp and 100 prisoners from Israeli prisons.  

Upon returning to the West Bank in 1994, al-Aloul was appointed Governor of Nablus by Yasser Arafat. Al-Aloul was elected to the Fatah Central Committee in 2009, and was appointed Deputy Party Leader of Fatah in 2017.  

His son, Jihad al-Aloul, was killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers during the Second Intifada.  


Sources: Yoni Ben Menachem, Fatah Prepares to Replace Mahmoud Abbas, JCPA (March 6, 2018);
Palestinian Fatah faction picks deputy leader to Mahmoud Abbas, Reuters (February 15, 2017); 
Mahmoud Aloul, Wikipedia.