Fatah

[faht-ah, fuh-tah]

noun

1. a Palestinian political party advocating Palestinian independence and self-rule.

Fatah

/ ˈfætə /

noun

1. a Palestinian terrorist organization, founded in 1956, with the aim of destroying the state of Israel: it has splintered into rival factions since 1988

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fatah¹

First recorded in 1965–70; vocalization of Arabic FTḤ, abbreviation of Ḥarakat al-Taḥrīr al-Waṭanī al-Filasṭīn “Palestinian National Liberation Movement,” from ḥarakat, form of ḥarakah “movement” + taḥrīr “liberation” + waṭanī “national” + Filasṭīn Palestine ( def. ); coined by reversing the elements and shortening ḤTWF to form FTḤ as a pun on fatḥ “opening, victory”

Example Sentences

“Hamas are the ones creating this chaos,” said Mohammad Burno, 33, an anti-Hamas activist who supports the rival Fatah party underpinning the Palestinian Authority, which governs much of the West Bank.

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In 2012, the Jerusalem District Court gave Fatafteh—who is affiliated with Fatah, the rival faction to Hamas in Gaza—a life sentence plus 20 years for murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon.

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Barghouti -- from Hamas's rival, the Fatah movement -- was among the Palestinian prisoners Hamas wanted to see released as part of the Gaza deal, according to Egyptian state-linked media.

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Initially, Israel offered discreet support to Hamas, seeing it as a useful counterweight to the PLO and its dominant faction, Fatah, led at the time by Yasser Arafat.

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He is now free again, along with other terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah.

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