Emad Akel

Emed Akel also spelled Imad Akel (عماد عقل, 1971-1993) was a commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. He was killed at age 28 in a shootout with Israeli forces at a checkpoint in 1993. In July 2009, Hamas released its first film, a two-hour biopic celebrating the life and "martyrdom" of Akel. The film was written by Hamas strongman Mahmoud al-Zahar and the interior minister, Fathi Hamad.

Biography
According to his older brother Adel, Emad was more interested in geography than in politics. He was reportedly the most academic student in the class at his elementary school and then assistant to his teacher in preparatory school. Some of his relatives were arrested, including his cousin Walid and other more distant relatives were killed by Israeli troops in firefights. Afterward, he began reading the Quran and supported Hamas, joining the movement. On September 23, 1988, Emad and his brother were arrested for their membership with the movement.

After being released, he became a fighter in the Gaza Strip. He became known as "the ghost" for his many disguises, including dressing up as a Jewish settler with a skullcap. In the early 1990s, Akel topped Israel's most wanted list for his suspected role in killing 11 Israeli soldiers, an Israeli civilian and four Palestinian informants in a series of attacks. Emad stated to his brother in 1991, "The Israelis are after me and they will go on following me until I fight back and then I will die at their hands and, for this reason, I will go to paradise."

On 24 November 1993, Akel and another Qassam fighter were stopped at a checkpoint outside Gaza City by the Israel Defense Forces. Akel drew his gun and opened fire, but was shot dead by soldiers. However, according to his brother, Akel was "shot in cold blood" in a Gaza suburb. At the time of his death, journalist Robert Fisk calls Akel "the most important Hamas activist ever shot dead by the Israeli army." Israeli soldiers buried Akel in a cemetery in the Jabalia Camp at night to avoid demonstrations by Palestinian supporters.