The Abu al-Rish Brigades are a militant offshoot of the mainstream Palestinian al-Fatah movement.  The group has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks over the years, mostly directed against Israeli military and settler targets.  In addition, the group has taken credit for several high-profile kidnappings of foreigners. <P><br /><br />The group takes its name from Ahmed Abu al-Rish, a former PLO militant who was mistakenly killed by Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip in 1993.  Just days before his death, Abu al-Rish had turned himself into the Israeli authorities and publicly laid down his weapons.  He was released, but was accidentally killed by undercover agents pursuing other wanted men a few days later.  Abu Rish's death caused widespread outrage and rioting in the Gaza Strip.  <P><br /><br />The Brigades formed as a unit of al-Fatah shortly after the death of Abu al-Rish.  It appears that most of the group's membership was made up of members of the "Fatah Hawks", another al-Fatah militant outfit of which Ahmed Abu al-Rish was a member.  Some news sources believe that the Hawks and the Brigades are one and the same.  In any case, the group began carrying out low-level attacks under the al-Fatah name.  Most notably, the Brigades were responsible for two high-profile kidnappings of foreigners in May 2001 and July 2004.  In both cases, the group said the kidnappings were simply to publicize the plight of the Palestinian people.  Usually the group was involved in simple shooting and mortar attacks against Israeli settlers or soldiers in the Gaza Strip.  <P><br /><br />Although the group is secular-nationalist in ideology, in recent years the Brigades have coordinated attacks with Hamas, an Islamist group.  This movement toward Hamas has also coincided with a break from the al-Fatah movement.  Previously a fully-incorporated al-Fatah unit, the Brigades can now be considered a rejectionist splinter faction.  Brigades members have openly denigrated al-Fatah leadership and policy, especially as al-Fatah moves toward peace talks and compromise with the Israelis.    <br />