Ghazi al-Jabali | |
|---|---|
| Chief of the Preventive Security Service of Gaza Strip | |
| President | Yasser Arafat |
| Succeeded by | Musa Arafat |
| Chief of Palestinian Civil Police Forces of Gaza Strip and West Bank | |
| Assumed office October 2003 | |
| President | Yasser Arafat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1946 Jaffa Subdistrict[1] |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Political party | Fatah |
Ghazi al-Jabali (born 1946) is a Palestinian police officer. He was the Gaza Strip Chief of the Preventive Security Service, appointed by the Palestinian Authority. Al-Jabali, who held the rank of Major general at the close of his tenure in the Palestinian security forces, had been a police commander and chief of the Gaza police since the early 1990s.
Since 1994 he has been the target of repeated attacks by Palestinian groups opposed to the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, including gunfire aimed at his offices and a bomb that destroyed part of his house.[2] He has also been the subject of a 1997 arrest warrant and extradition request from Israel, based on accusations that he ordered Palestinian police officers to attack an Israeli checkpoint in July 1997.[3]
Al-Jabali was the target of protests after the shooting deaths of three Palestinian teenagers during clashes with police forces; demonstrators claimed that al-Jabali had given police officers orders to shoot protesters throwing stones during a Hamas organized demonstration in support of Osama bin Laden.[4][5]
Al-Jabali resigned from his post as chief of police in Gaza in June 2002, during a security forces shake-up that also saw the dismissal of Colonel Jibril Rajoub and the resignation of Colonel Mohammed Dahlan. Along with his resignation he announced his intention to oppose Yaser Arafat as a candidate for president of the Palestinian Authority.[6] He was appointed chief of Palestinian Civil Police Forces in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in October 2003.[7]
A February 2004 gunfight Gaza police headquarters was construed by some officials as an attempt on al-Jabali's life. Other officials blamed violence on his rival Mohammad Dahlan members of the body he formerly commanded, Preventive Security Service.
Al-Jabali was criticised for corruption and curbing press freedoms, as well as the arrest of Eyad Sarraj, a civil rights activist.[8]
On July 17, 2004, he was kidnapped at gunpoint by the Jenin Martyr's Brigade part of the Popular Resistance Committees, who ambushed his convoy and wounded two bodyguards. Al-Jabali was only released after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat agreed to fire him. He was replaced with Arafat's cousin, Musa Arafat, a move which did little to restore public confidence in Police.[8][9][10]
- ^ Ghazi al-Jabali biography on Al Jazeera(Arabic)
- ^ Conal Urquhart (July 17, 2004). "Palestinian militants ban UN envoy". London: Guardian.
- ^ Patricia Cockburn (September 9, 1997). "West Bank raids pave way for Albright". The Independent. London.
- ^ "Arafat meeting with Blair". TVNZ. October 15, 2001.
- ^ Fisher, Ian (October 11, 2001). "Palestinians still stunned after shooting by their own police". New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ Lahoud, Lamia (July 10, 2002). "Palestinian movement calls for confederation with Israel". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
- ^ "Arafat appoints West Bank and Gaza Strip police chief - Al-Jazeera". Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. October 15, 2003.
- ^ a b Civil Police (al-Shurta Madaniyya) GlobalSecurity.org
- ^ Arafat appoints West Bank and Gaza Strip police chief - Al-Jazeera.
- ^ "Arafat announces security shake-up amid turmoil". CNN. July 17, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2010.