Ikhlas Khouli was a 35-year-old resident of Tulkarm, West Bank, and mother of seven who was executed in 2002, without trial, by Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade for allegedly collaborating with Israel. She was the first Palestinian woman to be executed for such a crime.

Kidnapping and Execution

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The Kidnapping and eventual execution of Ikhlas Khouli took place during the Second Intifada in August 2002. After the death of Ziad Mohammed Daas, a militia commander in the area, members of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades suspected Khouli of feeding information to the Israeli government that led to his death. Members of this group kidnapped Khouli, and tortured her. During the torture process the group captured video of Khouli confessing to being an informant for Israel. News sources would characterize this confession as being made under duress. Khouli was found dead at a "disfigured monument plastered with posters of so-called "martyrs" and children killed in the intifada." in the city of Tulkarm.[1][2]

Legacy

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Ikhlas Khouli was the mother of seven children. Her eldest son Bakir was also kidnapped by members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. Bakir later recounted in an interview how he was blindfolded and taken to a refugee camp, where he was tortured with electric wire and asked questions regarding his mothers alleged role with Israel. Bakir was later returned to his home, and his family. The family would face social isolation, with the eldest daughter of the family Najla Khouli stating that, "Even our grandmother won't talk to us,"

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References

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  1. ^ Magnier, Mark (Aug 27, 2002). "Palestinian family shunned after mother killed for 'collaborating' / Dozens of men executed, but widow is the first woman". SFGate. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  2. ^ Moore, Molly (August 25, 2002). "Palestinian Group Executes Woman Alleged Collaborator Is Killed for Helping Israelis Track Militant". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Palestinians execute woman 'collaborator'". BBC. 2002-08-25. Archived from the original on 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  4. ^ DARAGHMEH, MOHAMMED (2002-08-26). "Tortured son tells of mother's execution". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  5. ^ Reeves, Phil (2002-08-26). "Palestinians kill Arab woman who 'helped Israel'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2009-01-18. Retrieved 2009-01-18. Palestinian militiamen dragged a mother from her home and shot her in the head in a town square, making her the first Arab woman to be murdered during the intifada for allegedly collaborating with Israel's armed forces. [...] Reports from Tulkarm, a West Bank town that has been under an Israeli military blockade for months, said Ikhlas Khouli, 35, was killed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which believed she helped the Israelis kill one of its members. [...] The woman's son, Bakir, 17, said that armed men had grabbed him, placed a bag over his head, and tortured him until he invented a story about his mother – which led to her death.
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