Mahmoud al-Zahar (Arabic: محمود الزهار) is a co-founder of Hamas, and a member of Hamas's leadership in the Gaza Strip. The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Hamas emblem shows the Dome of the Rock, two crossed swords, Palestinian flags, and a map of the land they claim as Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). ...

Pre-Hamas Life

Born to a Palestinian father and an Egyptian mother in 1945, little is known about al-Zahar's early life. The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ...

At the age of 26, he graduated from the Cairo University Faculty of Medicine and five years later he got his Masters Degree in General Surgery from Ain Shams University, also in Cairo. He then became the advisor to the Palestinian Health Minister, and helped create the Palestinian Medical society and was one of the primary founders of the Islamic University in Gaza in 1978. Cairo University (formerly the Egyptian University) is an institute of higher education located in Giza, Egypt. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... A surgeon operating General Surgery deals with surgical treatment of abdominal organs, e. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Modern Cairo Cairo (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Family

al-Zahar has had four children with his wife Summaya, including their first son, Khaled born in 1974, and a daughter Rima born in 1983. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Hamas

Instrumental to the creation of Hamas in 1987, al-Zahar remained a senior official and spokesperson for the group since then, and is rumoured to have succeeded to leadership of the group following Israel's assassination of Ahmed Yassin in 2004. Hamas has routinely denied this rumour, but refused to name who their new leader is, for fear of Israeli reprisals. The Hamas emblem shows the Dome of the Rock, two crossed swords, Palestinian flags, and a map of the land they claim as Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The most notable attempt on al-Zahar's life was on September 10, 2003, when Israeli F-16s dropped a large bomb over his house in Rimal that only managed to slightly wound him, while his son Khaled, and a personal bodyguard were killed, and 20 others wounded including his daughter Rima. His house was destroyed, and ten other houses nearby were damaged, as well as the nearby Al-Rahman mosque. The resulting funeral was attended by over two thousand mourners, who called on Hamas to avenge the deaths. September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ... The Hamas emblem shows the Dome of the Rock, two crossed swords, Palestinian flags, and a map of the land they claim as Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip). ...

On March 20, 2006, Hamas named al-Zahar foreign minister. [1] [2]

Quotes

"Israel wants to negotiate only for the sake of negotiations, but on the ground, it expands settlements and continues building the separation fence on the Palestinian territories" [3]

"Anyone who thinks the calm means giving in is mistaken. The calm is in preparation for a new round of resistance and victory, If the enemy has something to offer we will study it, but we will not abide by a truce that is for free." [4]

"We are entering (parliament) to eliminate any traces of Oslo." [5]

"I hope that our dream to have our independent state on all historic Palestine will become real one day. I'm certain of this because there is no place for the state of Israel on this land" [6]

"Are these the laws for which the Palestinian street is waiting? For us to give rights to homosexuals and to lesbians, a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick?" [7]