YONI BEN-MENACHEM -- Al-Jabarin declared, “Ben Gvir should know that his fate will be like that of Rehavam Zeevi and all the extremists who attacked our holy places.”

This statement is a clear threat to assassinate Ben Gvir, similar to the 2001 assassination of Minister Rehavam Zeevi by a Popular Front terrorist squad.

Al-Jabarin has framed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as a “religious war,” stating that the ultimate battle will be over Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli security officials believe that Al-Jabarin, who succeeded Saleh al-Arouri as the head of Hamas’s military wing in Judea and Samaria, was behind the dispatch of Hamas operative Jaafar Muna from Nablus to Tel Aviv with a large explosive device intended for a suicide attack.

He is also leading, in coordination with Yahya Sinwar, the new policy of Hamas’s military wing to resume suicide bombings in Israel.

Al-Jabarin, who was released as part of the 2011 Shalit deal, had served as deputy to Saleh al-Arouri until al-Arouri’s assassination by the Israeli Mossad in Beirut’s A-Dahiyah neighborhood in January of this year.

In addition to his military role, Al-Jabarin is responsible for Hamas’s prisoner portfolio and is closely associated with the leadership faction within Hamas that aligns with Iran.

He also maintains strong connections with Hezbollah.

As Hamas’s chief liaison to Iran’s “Revolutionary Guards,” Al-Jabarin is instrumental in coordinating attack strategies against Israel from Judea and Samaria.

The renewed focus on suicide attacks within Israel has been closely coordinated with the Iranian regime.

Born in 1969 in the village of Salfit in Samaria, Zaher Al-Jabarin studied Islamic law at Al-Najah University in Nablus.

He joined Hamas in 1987 and is considered one of the founding members of the organization’s military wing.

Al-Jabarin is credited with distributing the first Hamas proclamation in Judea and Samaria during the First Intifada and recruiting Yahya Ayash, known as “the Engineer,” into Hamas.

He also planned the kidnapping and murder of border policeman Nissim Toledano.

Al-Jabarin is an expert in assembling explosive devices and suicide belts, and he played a pivotal role in instructing Yahya Ayash to carry out a series of suicide bombings aimed at derailing the Oslo Accords.

He also planned attacks in Ramat Efal and the village of Brokin in Samaria.

In 1993, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment plus 35 years but was released as part of the “Shalit Deal.”

Beyond his military expertise, Al-Jabarin is regarded as the financial architect of Hamas, overseeing its global economic empire worth several hundred million dollars.

This empire funds Hamas’s terrorist activities, including the October 7 massacre carried out by Nuhaba operatives in Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip.

According to Israeli security sources, Al-Jabarin manages Hamas’s financial ties with Iran, ensuring the transfer of funds from Iran to the Gaza Strip, often through money changers in Turkey.

Despite international sanctions on Iran, he has successfully maintained Hamas’s economic network and the flow of funds to Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 4 that Al-Jabarin operates an office in Istanbul and holds stakes in several companies, including those traded on the Turkish Stock Exchange.

Zaher Al-Jabarin’s appointment as head of Hamas’s military wing in Judea and Samaria is a significant promotion within the organization’s hierarchy.

Now based in Turkey and close to President Erdogan, Al-Jabarin is seen as highly ambitious and determined to prove his capabilities.

The decision to resume suicide bombings in Israel presents a formidable challenge, making him a grave threat to Israel and a prime target for elimination.

Yoni Ben Menachem is a Middle East senior analyst, A NEWSRAEL Contributor, a journalist and the former CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority(IBA). He has decades of experience in written and video journalism.