The Merkava Crusher.

Ali Mahmud Saleh

Ali Mahmoud Saleh was born on the 24th of February, 1975 in the Southern village of Adsheet.

Ali’s family was a faithful one and had special passion to the resistance, as his father was a resistance fighter during the Israeli occupation period, and raised his children on respecting Jihad and resistance.

The family’s kinship to martyr Sheikh Ragheb Hareb also played a role in the family’s choice of the patriotic and religious belonging.

Due to the Israeli occupation and tough economic situation, Ali was forced to drop out of school to work when he was 16-years-old because of his family’s deteriorating financial situation.

Since he was a child, martyr Ali was known for his courage; his appearance clearly reflected this.

Once, and after one of the military operations against the Israeli enemy, the Israeli army entered Jebsheet passing through Ali’s village. The martyr was sick, but despite that, he went out of his house and stood before them. One of the Zionist soldiers pointed his weapon at him, so Ali stared at him and said: “What? Do you want to kill us? Come on, do it! I don’t fear you, and tomorrow, when I become older you will see what I will do to your tanks…”

During the Islamic resistance operations period against the Israeli occupation, Ali was able to destroy a big number of enemy tanks; he was later known among his brothers in the resistance as “the Merkava crusher”.

Ali started performing his Islamic duties since he was only 8-years-old, and so he was completely committed and faithful. He continuously read supplications, especially “Ziyarat Ashura” and other supplications for Imam Mahdi, and used to scream “Ya Aba Abdullah (Hussein (as))” in every duty he performed.

He worked full time with Hezbollah.

He got married on the 16th of April, 1998 and had four kids. The forth of them was named “Bilal” after Ali’s Jihadi name, as he was born after his father’s martyrdom.

In the battlefield: 

After being informed about Hezbollah’s capturing operation, Ali passed by his parents’ house, bid farewell to his mother, kissed her hand, once, and prepared to leave, but he came back, kissed her hand again, and left, and did the same thing for the third and last time, and that was for good.

He toured around his house, then took off to the battlefield.

During the battle, Ali had various heroic accomplishments, but eventually, an Israeli aircraft bombarded a location Ali and another resistance fighter were in.

Ali had injuries all over his body, but he also suffered a severe head injury. He was moved to a hospital after his body was exposed to third degree burns, and his right hand and leg were cut off.

Ali’s health kept deteriorating until he died on the 2nd of September, 2006.