Marwan Arandas: A Martyr’s Legacy in the Palestinian Struggle
Remembering the Hero of Wadi Araba: A Symbol of Resistance and Sacrifice.
Watan-On February 8, 1991, the martyr Marwan Arandas engraved his name in the record of heroes and honorable fighters after carrying out a special operation against the occupation soldiers in Wadi Araba, alongside his martyred comrades Khalil Zeitoun and Raed Salahi. He became an immortal symbol in the Palestinian struggle. It was not just a routine martyrdom operation, but a clear message that the Palestinian resistance would not break, and the occupation could never enjoy peace and security.
The Rise of Marwan Arandas: The Path of Faith and Struggle
Marwan Arandas was born in 1970 in Jordan to a Palestinian family forcibly displaced from their village “Beit Dajan” in the Yafa district in 1948 due to the Israeli occupation. He grew up in an environment that carried the meanings of resistance and sacrifice, where he witnessed the suffering of Palestinian refugees who had lost their homeland. He grew up with a spirit of struggle and defiance, living his life believing in the justice of his cause and the need to defend his land and the dignity of his nation.
Marwan joined the Faculty of Sharia at the University of Jordan, where he was known among his peers for his asceticism, piety, and love of knowledge. However, he did not settle for words and eloquent speeches; he believed that true struggle comes through action and resistance. He was an avid reader, always searching in books about history, jihad, and Sharia, drawing inspiration from the early companions of the Prophet and leaders of the Islamic conquests.
From Student of Knowledge to Martyr Fighter
Marwan Arandas’ decision to take up armed resistance was not a spontaneous one but came as a result of accumulated pain, suffering, and a deep awareness of the reality of occupation. He was profoundly affected by the martyrdom of his friend and student, Alaa Al-Din Hijazi, who fell a year before his own operation. Marwan decided to avenge him and all martyrs with blood and fire against the occupier. He saw that passivity and waiting would not liberate the land and that resistance was the only solution to reclaiming rights.
At that time, organized military operations were not widespread in Jordan or Palestine, but Marwan broke the mold and planned a heroic operation amidst the Gulf War atmosphere, which marked the beginning of the people’s awareness of the necessity of armed resistance.
The Wadi Araba Operation: A Devastating Blow to the Occupation
On February 8, 1991, Marwan crossed the Jordanian border into the occupied territories after carefully planning an operation to target Israeli soldiers. He ambushed military buses transporting Israeli soldiers and opened fire on them, killing several soldiers and injuring others, before becoming a martyr in an unequal confrontation with the occupation forces.
His operation became one of the most significant acts in Palestinian and Arab history, especially as it occurred at a time when organized military operations were not common, particularly from Jordanian territory. It embodied the true spirit of resistance that does not recognize geographical borders, making him a martyr who transcended borders to liberate Palestine.
Marwan Arandas: An Eternal Symbol in the Palestinian Struggle
Despite more than 34 years having passed since his martyrdom, Marwan Arandas’ name still lives on in the memory of the free, as a hero who sacrificed his life for a just cause. He was not seeking fame or personal glory but aimed to revive the spirit of jihad and resistance in the hearts of Palestinian and Arab youth.
His last words were his will to the free people of the world:
“Know that the market of martyrdom has opened, so where are the buyers who exchange the worldly life for the hereafter?”
Thus, Marwan Arandas entered the market of martyrdom, eternally inscribing his name in the memory of the free and remaining a symbol for all who reject humiliation and occupation.
