Illustrative: A view of the Israeli community of Ma’ale Adumim in the West Bank. Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad

“A young person died as a Martyr” and was “executed in cold blood” — that’s the way the Palestinian Authority (PA) routinely reports on dead terrorists who are killed while attacking Israelis.

Such a “young person” recently shot and wounded six Israelis outside a shopping mall in Ma’ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem. The attacker was 20-year-old terrorist Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah. An off-duty Israeli border police officer shot and killed him to end the attack.

Following his death, the PA had to juggle its narratives, simultaneously presenting him both as a victim whom Israel “claimed … shot at settlers,” yet also as a “resistance” member who had intended to carry out an attack and “die as a Martyr” all along.

While a newsreader on official PA TV described the terrorist as “a young person [who] was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr,” a PA TV reporter colleague appearing in the same news broadcast explained that Al-Mazar’ah had stressed “his intention to die as a Martyr,” and had taken “a step towards the Palestinian resistance“ — a Palestinian euphemism for terror and violence against Israel:

Official PA TV newsreader: “A young person [Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah] was shot by the occupation and died as a Martyr next to the town of Al-Eizariya, east of occupied Jerusalem … Hebrew media sources claimed that young Al-Mazar’ah shot at settlers at the entrance to the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim … and wounded some of them…

Official PA TV reporter: “[Al-Mazar’ah] left behind an audio recording, and it is as if he is emphasizing his intention to die as a Martyr, or he is taking a step towards the Palestinian resistance.” [emphasis added]

[Official PA TV News, Aug. 1, 2023]

In the recording left by terrorist Al-Mazar’ah, he praised “prayer and Jihad” — holy war — and expressed his wish to “meet Allah in Paradise.” He also stated that he would “die for Allah and become a Martyr”:

Recording of terrorist Muhannad Al-Mazar’ah: “Allah willing, we will show Allah good deeds. Allah willing, we will make Allah laugh from our deeds and be proud of our deeds … I command my loved ones, my brothers, and all my friends to pray. Do not abandon prayer and Jihad. We want to meet, Allah willing, in Paradise. O, Master of the Universe. Since Allah will honor me and I will die for Him and become a Martyr … Do not accompany my body to burial among any [of the political] factions. I belong to Allah, and to Him alone. There is no God but Allah.”

[Al-Qastal, Twitter account, Aug. 1, 2023]

Palestinian Media Watch has documented numerous examples of the PA’s “innocent young Palestinians” who in fact declared their goal to attack Israelis and “die as Martyrs” in advance.

The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.