‘I am proud to be his wife,’ says assassinated Hamas member’s spouse

The spouse of Hamas member Mazen Fuqahaa, who was assassinated by Israel in Gaza on Friday, has said that she was “proud of being his wife.” Nahed Assida called for revenge on his behalf, the New Gulf newspaper reported on Sunday.

Mazen Fuqahaa, a leader of Hamas, assassinated by Israel in the Gaza Strip on March 24, 2016

“Mazen had what he wanted, martyrdom,” said Assida in an emotional video recording.

I am proud of him and I want all the world to be proud of him and describe him as a hero. Mazen did not remain silent for his right and I do not want you to remain silent either. At least, take revenge for him.

According to the Palestinian ministry of the interior, Fuqahaa was killed by “unknown” assailants. It is widely assumed that Israel is responsible for his murder as he spent ten years in an Israeli prison before being released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap agreement reached between the Israelis and Hamas in 2011. A spokesman for the ministry, Iyad Al-Bozom, said that the security services have started an investigation into the killing.

Read: Hamas closes crossing with Israel after official’s assassination

Fuqahaa left behind two young children as well as his wife in the Gaza Strip, but no other close relatives in the enclave. His 2011 release was conditional upon him being sent to the besieged territory and not his home in the occupied West Bank. Israel has prevented his wife from returning back to her home city where her family and that of her husband live.

The murdered man was a member of Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing, in the West Bank before he was arrested by the Israeli occupation authorities in 2003.