Masada al-Mujahideen
مسعدة المجاهدين
Political leader	Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi
Dates of operation	2008–2013
Allegiance	Al-Qaeda
Ideology	Salafist jihadism Wahhabism
Status	defunct
Allies	Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem
Opponents	United States  Israel Hamas Jaysh al-Ummah
Battles and wars	Gaza–Israel conflict

Masada al-Mujahideen (Arabic: سعدة المجاهدين) is a Palestinian terrorist organization associated with Al-Qaeda inside the Gaza Strip.^[1]

History

The group first came into prominence after releasing a video online showing the group dropping a bomb on the Israeli city of Sderot.^[2] This prompted Israeli Air Force to do airstrikes against Masada al-Mujahideen in the Gaza Strip.^[3] After starting clashes with Israeli Defense Forces, another Jihadist organization in the Gaza strip named Jaysh al-Ummah, also known as Army of the Ummah, started clashes with Masada al-Mujahideen after they disapproved of the works done by the organization.^[4] Later that year, Masada al-Mujahideen creates a media-wing for propaganda called Riah,^[5] it mostly operated on Google+ until the account was taken down,^[6] which then the group would move to Facebook.^[7] It would create eulogies for Osama bin Laden,^[8] Attiya Allah,^[9] and Abu Yahya al-Libi.^[10]

Attacks in Israel

Masada al-Mujahideen, a couple months after the bomb attack, would threaten with more "operations" in Israel,^[11] later that day, they would claim responsibility a train fire that happened at night in Haifa.^[12] A couple days later, they claim responsibility for a cargo ship fire in Eilat, Israel.^[13] In July 2011, they would claim responsibility for a forest fire that happened in Jerusalem,^[14] again in July they would claim responsibility for the Alfei Menashe Fire.^[15] In October 2011, Masada al-Mujahideen would claim responsibility for multiple arson attacks that have happened in Israel.^[16] In November 2011, Masada al-Mujahideen would claim responsibility for an arson attack on a chemical factory owned by the Israeli government,^[17] then in December, they would claim responsibility for an industrial center arson attack.^[18] In 2012 they claimed responsibility for an arson attack in Be'er Ya'akov.^[19] In that year, they would also set a military base on fire in Ashkelon, owned by the Israel Defense Forces, and claim responsibility,^[20] later that month, they would claim responsibility an arson attack on an airplane factory in Haifa,^[21] they would also later that month, again in Haifa, claim responsibility for a residential fire that happened.^[22] Again in May 2012, in Northern Israel, they would claim a series of different fires and arson attacks, including some in the occupied region of the Golan Heights.^[23] Masada would also, the next day, claim responsibility for fire attacks targeting IDF guards.^[24]

Attacks in Palestine and at Hamas

A month after the cargo ship fire, Masada al-Mujahideen would attack the Palestinian Liberation Organization's soldiers after Palestine would start land negotiations with Israel.^[25] Masada al-Mujahideen would start doing light attacks on Hamas for the treatment of their POWs and regular prisoners.^[26] In 2012, Masada al-Mujahideen blamed Hamas for the death of the Salafi Jihadist leader, Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi, and threatened to attack Hamas, which they would later do so.^[27][28]

Arizona wildfires and Nevada forest fires

In 2012, Masada al-Mujahideen attempted to claim responsibility for the Nevada forest fires, until their claim was disproved.^[29]

In 2013, during one of Arizona's wildfires, Masada al-Mujahideen claimed responsibility with the statement "Masada al-Mujahideen Fulfilled its Promise and Attacked America Again After the Expiration of the Period with Fires that Achieved Historic Results",^[30] they would also celebrate the death of 19 firefighters attempting to put out the wildfire, but Arizona local governments would reject the claim done by the organization.^[31][32]

References