Fatah

The Fatah movement, also known as the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, was founded in 1957 by Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian leaders. Initially, it was established as a secular nationalist movement whose primary goal was the liberation of Palestine through armed struggle. Fatah carried out its first military operation in 1965, when it attacked Israeli infrastructure. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, the Fatah movement gained significant influence within the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), with Arafat becoming the organization’s leader in 1969. The movement’s military activity included guerrilla warfare and terrorist attacks, with prominent operations such as the Battle of Karameh in 1968 strengthening its reputation. During the 1970s, Fatah established bases in Lebanon and carried out terrorist attacks inside Israel, such as the Savoy Hotel attack and the Coastal Road attack. The Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 led to Fatah’s expulsion from the country, which weakened its military capabilities. In the 1990s, Fatah shifted its strategy toward political negotiations, playing a central role in the Oslo Accords and leading the Palestinian Authority. During the Second Intifada, members of the movement’s military wing took full part in the fighting against Israel and in carrying out terrorist attacks. Today, officially, the movement has abandoned the path of terrorism and at times cooperates with Israel in preventing attacks, but many of its members are still involved in fighting against Israel and are members of local terrorist groups under the frameworks of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.