Daily Digest Online

Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is pushing to demolish the tomb of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, a historical figure from the 1930s for whom Hamas's military wing is named. The move has drawn a sharp warning from Hamas and is opposed by Israeli security officials, setting the stage for a Knesset debate next week that could inflame tensions amid an already fragile ceasefire in Gaza. Who Was Izz ad-Din al-Qassam? Izz ad-Din al-Qassam was a Syrian-born Muslim preacher and revolutionary who led armed resistance against French and British colonial forces in the Levant during the early 20th century. After being forced out of Syria, he resettled in British Mandate Palestine and was killed in a battle with British forces in 1935. His legacy is complex and viewed very differently by each side: *   For Palestinians: He is revered as a nationalist martyr who fought against colonial rule. In his honor, Hamas named its military wing the "...