Nader Sadaqa (Arabic:نادر صدقة,romanized: Nadir Sadaqatan) is aSamaritan fromMount Gerizim who served as the commander of the brigade after joining the PFLP in 2000. He was arrested by Israeli forces in August 2004 during theSecond Intifada and was sentenced to six life sentences as well as 45 years in prison by an Israeli court. In October 2025, he was released from prison as part of a prisoner exchange during theGaza peace plan.[11]
History
Originally named theRed Eagle Brigade (Arabic:كتائب النسر الأحمر,romanized: Katā’ib al-Nasr al-Aḥmar), they were renamed in 2001 afterAbu Ali Mustafa, PFLP's leader, who was killed by Israel in August 2001. They were active with attacks on both military and civilianIsraeli targets during theal-Aqsa Intifada.
The PFLP's Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades has carried out attacks on both civilians and military targets during theAl-Aqsa Intifada. Some of these attacks are:
The killing of Meir Lixenberg, councilor and head of security in four settlements, who was shot while traveling in his car in theWest Bank on 27 August 2001.
The 17 October 2001 assassination of right-wing Israeli politician and Israeli Minister for TourismRehavam Zeevi, the only Israeli politician to have been assassinated in theAl-Aqsa Intifada.
A suicide bombing in a pizzeria inKarnei Shomron in the West Bank, on 16 February 2002, killing three Israelis.
A suicide bombing inAriel on 7 March 2002, which left wounded but no fatalities.
A suicide bombing in a Netanya market in Israel, on 19 May 2002, killing three Israelis. This attack was also claimed byHamas, but the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades have identified the perpetrator on their website as one of their members.[12]
A suicide bombing in the bus station atGeha Junction inPetah Tikva on 25 December 2003 which killed 4 Israelis.[13]
During the ongoingGaza war (2023–present), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades published videos of their fighters storming Israeli watchtowers during theHamas-led October 7 attacks, and are actively participating in the conflict.[20][21][22][23]
The Brigades also produces its own weaponry alongside smuggling and importing it. These include IEDs, mortars,RPGs, and rockets, alongside others. TheSamoud-1 (literally "resilience") is a relatively short range (8–12 km) rocket domestically produced by Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades in theGaza Strip.[25][26] RPGs used include domestically producedYasin RPGs, whether these were solely given to the PFLP byHamas, or if the PFLP can also produce Yasin RPGs is unclear.[27]
TheSariya-1 240mm Mortar is also produced locally by the PFLP, alongside the mortar ammunition. The military doctrine and tactics of the Abu Ali Mustafa brigades preference mortars heavily, even more so than other armed groups. The brigades regularly publishes videos of them bombarding Israeli positions with mortars. In an interview given to the Los Angeles Times Abu Jamal, the spokesman of the brigades made the following statement:
The advantage of the mortar is that the enemy can never protect himself from it. This is not an exceptionally accurate weapon, but that is not important to us. Even if the mortar does not hit the target, we want to cause confusion and panic.[26]
Foreign support
The PFLP, and by extension the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, receive military and financial support byIran. This relationship probably began around 2013, and although the actual extent of this support is unclear, the PFLP and Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades have repeatedly declared themselves allies of Iran,Syria and theAxis of Resistance.[28][29]
^Randall, Jeremy (2023). "Global Revolution Starts with Palestine: The Japanese Red Army's Alliance with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine".Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.43 (3): 358-369https://doi.org/10.1215/1089201X-10892853.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Iran
Syria
Libya (until 2011)[4]
Soviet Union (until1991)[5]
Iraq (until 1991)[6]
Al-Qassam Brigades
Al-Quds Brigades
National Resistance Brigades
Hezbollah
Red Army Faction[7]
Japanese Red Army[8]
Israel
