Fathi Shaqaqi

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Fathi Shaqaqi فتحي الشقاقي
Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
In office 1981–1995
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Ramadan Shalah
Personal details
Born	Fathi Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Shaqaqi (1951-01-04)4 January 1951[1] Rafah, All-Palestine Protectorate
Died	26 October 1995(1995-10-26) (aged 44) Sliema, Malta
Cause of death	Gunshot wound
Political party	Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
Children	3
Residence(s)	Damascus, Syria
Alma mater	Birzeit University (B.Math.) Mansoura University (M.D.)
Profession	Math teacher Pediatrician

Fathi Ibrahim Abdulaziz Shaqaqi (Arabic: فتحي إبراهيم عبد العزيز الشقاقي, romanized: Fatẖī Ibrāhīm ‘Abd ul-‘Aziz ash-Shaqāqī; 4 January 1951 – 26 October 1995) was a Palestinian physician, leader and the founder and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organization.

Shaqaqi was born in the Gaza Strip to a refugee family and received his early education at a United Nations school. He studied physics and mathematics at Bir Zeit University and later medicine at Mansoura University in Egypt. Shaqaqi became a follower of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Sayyid Qutb. Influenced by the Iranian Revolution, he wrote a book praising Ayatollah Khomeini's approach to an Islamic state.

In 1981, Shaqaqi co-founded Islamic Jihad with the goal of establishing a sovereign Islamic state across Israel and the Palestinian territories. The organization rejected political processes, focusing on achieving its goals through military means. As the PIJ leader, Shaqaqi masterminded several suicide bombings in Israel. He was assassinated by Mossad agents in Malta in 1995, leading to a weakening of the PIJ until its resurgence after the Arab Spring.