Free Palestine Movement

The Free Palestine Movement (Arabic: حركة فلسطين حرة‎) is a Palestinian Syrian armed movement and community organization that is led by the businessman Yasser Qashlaq and supports the Ba'athist government of Syria. The organization opposes the existence of Israel, and was mostly known for political activism and social services in favor of Palestinians in Syria and the Gaza Strip before 2012. Upon the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, however, the Free Palestine Movement formed its own militias and has since then openly fought for the Syrian government against various rebel groups.

For other uses, see Palestinian liberation (disambiguation).
For the U.S. based 501(c)(3) human rights group, see Free Palestine Movement (California).
Free Palestine Movement
حركة فلسطين حرة
Leaders
  • Yasser Qashlaq (political leader)
  • Saed Abd Al-Aal (military commander)[1]
Dates of operationc. 2003 – present
Group(s)
Active regionsSyria, Lebanon
IdeologyPalestinian nationalism[2][3]
Anti-Zionism[2]
Allies Syrian Armed Forces
Fatah al-Intifada
Opponents Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen
 Islamic State
 Israel
Battles and warsIsraeli–Palestinian conflict

Syrian Civil War

History

Early activities

The Free Palestine Movement was founded by Yasser Qashlaq, a Syria-born Palestinian businessman of considerable wealth[2] who heads several organizations including the Lebanese Institute of International Studies, the Syrian-Palestininan Investment House, the Palestinian Businessmen's Club, and also owns a small Lebanese newspaper.[4] Furthermore, Yasser is known for his antisemitic views, having repeatedly called Jews "dregs of European garbage", a "gang of criminal murderers",[3] and "human pieces of filth"[5] that should be deported to Europe.[3][5] He has also stated that there is "no reason for coexistence" between Israelis and Palestinians, as the latter would reclaim their lands and "hunt [the Israelis] down to the end of the world, and prosecute them for their massacres".[3] Though close to the Syrian government,[2][4] Yasser has denied any links with Hezbollah.[6]

When Yasser first became politically active in the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp of Damascus in 2003, he consequently presented himself as supporting the Second Intifada. Since then, he organized the Free Palestine Movement as community organization which provided social services for Palestinians in Syria and rallied support for the Baa'athist government. Atlantic Council expert Tom Rollins also argued that the organization serves as "vehicle for [Yasser Qashlaq's] political ambitions".[2] According to Qashlaq, the Free Palestine Movement took part in organizing the Freedom Flotilla II for the Gaza Strip in 2010/11.[3][7]

Syrian Civil War
The unit uses both the flag of Palestine as well as the Ba'athist flag of Syria[8]

After the Syrian Civil War's start, the Free Palestine Movement began to recruit for pro-government militias and founded its own paramilitary wing, the "Al-Aqsa Shield Forces" in 2012. The Al-Aqsa Shield Forces mostly operate in Damascus,[2] especially after an informal power-sharing agreement between the Free Palestine Movement and Fatah al-Intifada, another pro-government militia, in 2016. According to this agreement Yasser Qashlaq paid Fatah al-Intifada a substantial sum for handing over parts of their frontline at the Yarmouk Camp to the Free Palestine Movement. In consequence, Yasser and his movement could gain "valuable political capital" as defenders of Yarmouk which is of great symbolic importance to the Palestinian diaspora, while Fatah al-Intifada got much-needed funds.[2] Since then, the Free Palestine Movement mostly fought the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants in Yarmouk Camp,[9] notably participating in the Southern Damascus offensives of March[10][11] and April and May 2018.[12][13] In the latter operation the organization's military commander, Saed Abd Al-Aal, was wounded in combat.[14] Fighters of the Free Palestine Movement have also fought in other areas of Damascus, including at Harasta in August 2017[15] and at al-Shaghour during the Rif Dimashq offensive of early 2018.[16]

Though the Free Palestine Movement's activity is mostly concentrated in Damascus, the organization is known to have committed forces to fronts in other regions of Syria as well. In a notable incident in May 2013, the "Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Battalions", another armed group affiliated with the movement, fired two mortar shells at Israel Defense Forces positions on Mount Hermon. This was reportedly done in commemoration of Nakba Day.[17][18] Troops of the Free Palestine Movement also operated in Hama in late 2017,[19] and fought in the Battle of Deir ez-Zor (September–November 2017).[20]

After the Yarmouk Camp was fully secured by government forces in May 2018, some locals started to burn down their own houses to prevent them from being looted. In response, the Free Palestine Movement declared that these people would have to account for their actions, and that it would try to prevent further burnings.[21] The group, along with as-Sa'iqa and Fatah al-Intifada, also started to lay off many of its fighters due to the decreasing need for them and lack of funds.[22] Commander Saed Abd Al-Aal denied this, however, and claimed that the Free Palestine Movement had simply redeployed its fighters from Damascus to other war zones.[23] When an Irish parliamentary delegation visited Yarmouk Camp in late July 2018 to evaluate the damage caused by the years-long combat, it was accompanied by Saed Abd Al-Aal.[24] The Free Palestine Movement took part in a festival in honor of Yasser Arafat on 11 November 2018.[25]

At some point in early 2019, the Free Palestine Movement sent detachments to take part in counter-insurgency operations in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and contributed troops to the Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019). In course of the latter campaign, its troops fought at Halfaya and al-Zakah.[26][27] In October 2019, a FPM member was shot dead by unknown assailants in Da'el.[28] Meanwhile, the FPM continued to demobilize fighters due to a lack of funds.[29] From late 2019, the party's troops took part in the government's Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020).[30] Around the same time, the Free Palestine Movement was also active in Latakia Governorate, where one of its fighters was killed at Salma.[31]

After the Northwestern Syria offensive's conclusion, the Free Palestine Movement continued to be active in Idlib, where it held border posts at the frontline. In February 2020, seven members of the group were killed during clashes in the region.[32]

Organization

The Free Palestine Movement is officially led by Yasser Qashlaq,[2] while Saed Abd Al-Aal serves as the commander of the organization's paramilitary wing.[1][14] The armed forces of the Free Palestine Movement have been described as "rag-tag militia"[9] and include the Saraya Bader,[32] the Al-Aqsa Shield Forces[2] as well as the Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Battalions.[18] Like other pro-government militias in Syria, the Free Palestine Movement reportedly attracts new recruits with relatively high monthly salaries, as many young Syrian Palestinians are in precarious economic conditions due to the civil war and mass unemployment.[33] By November 2018, 24 fighters had died while fighting in the Syrian Civil War for the FPM.[34]

Alleged criminal activities and war crimes

According to the pro-opposition site Zaman AlWasl and other investigators, two (ex-)members of the Free Palestine Movement, namely Mofeq AlDaouah and Mahmoud Arnaout, were involved in war crimes during the Syrian Civil War. They allegedly targeted and killed civilians during the Siege of Yarmouk Camp. In addition, Zaman AlWasl accused Mofeq of several cases of rape in Yarmouk Camp.[35] According to local activists, the Free Palestine Movement is also involved in criminal business schemes which pressured residents of Yarmouk Camp to sell property under value to make way for a major reconstruction plan of the cityscape.[36]

References
  1. "Reports that agreement between armed opposition factions and Syrian regime "Al-Qadam" has started". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. Tom Rollins (19 July 2017). "Palestinian-Syrian Militarization in Yarmouk". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  3. "Yasser Qashlaq, a Lebanese Flotilla Organizer, on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV: I Hope Our Ships Will 'Carry These Dregs of European Garbage Back to Their Own Countries' From Israel". Middle East Media Research Institute. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  4. Eli Stutz (18 June 2010). "New Flotilla Organizer is Wife of Hizbullah Supporter". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  5. Elad Benari (27 May 2011). "Lebanese Businessman: Send 'Filthy Jews' to their True Countries". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  6. Ian Black (18 June 2010). "Hizbullah 'bans' Lebanese singer from all-woman Gaza mission". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. "50 Ships To Join Second Freedom Flotilla". IMEMC Agencies. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  8. "The Free Palestine Movement holds honorary ceremony for families of the martyred student". Syrian Arab News Agency. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  9. Tom Rollins (24 October 2017). "Escalation Threatens South Damascus "De-Escalation" Deal". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  10. "Fighting between ISIS and the Free Palestine Movement on the Martyrs' sector axis in Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  11. "Bombardment hits a vehicle transporting members of ISIS in Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  12. "11 Palestinian refugees died in the ongoing clashes in south Damascus". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  13. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (27 April 2018). "The South Damascus Campaign: Interview with Quwat al-Sa'iqa". Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  14. "Victims and large-scale destruction after the hysterical bombardment of Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  15. "2 Members of Filasteen AlHurra Battalion Killed in Rif Dimashq". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  16. "Free Palestine Movement mourns one of its members". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  17. "Warning Syria". The Jerusalem Post. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  18. "Assad And His Allies Threaten To Open A Front In Golan Heights". Middle East Media Research Institute. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  19. "Palestinian refugee dies while fighting in the suburbs of Hama". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  20. "Member of Free Palestine Movement killed in Deir ez-Zor". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  21. "Pro-regime groups vow to burn the homes of Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  22. "Pro-Government Palestinian Factions Lay off Scores of Gunmen". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  23. "Free Palestine Movement Denies Laying off Gunmen". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  24. "Irish parliamentary delegation visits Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  25. "Festival Held in Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian Refugees". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  26. "Pro-Gov't Squad in Syria Mobilizes Forces against Opposition Outfits". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  27. "Palestinian Group Fighting alongside Syria's Gov't Forces in Hama". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  28. "Member of Pro-Gov't Squad Killed in War-Torn Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  29. "Pro-Gov't Palestinian Groups in Syria Cash-Strapped". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  30. "Palestinian Group Engaged in Pro-Govt Battles in Syria's Idlib Province". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  31. "Free Palestine Movement announced the death of one of it's [sic] members". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  32. "7 Members of Pro-Govt Palestinian Group Killed in Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  33. "Palestinian Refugee injured in Yarmouk Clashes". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  34. "713 Palestinians Killed while Fighting alongside Syria's Pro-Gov't Forces". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  35. "Palestinian Refugee in Germany Allegedly Involved in Syria War Crimes". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  36. "Activists Warn Yarmouk Residents against Attempts to Turn Their Property into Bargaining Chips". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
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