Wa'el was the nom de guerre of a young Palestinian whom Outlook's Pinhas Inbari met in a militant camp in Nablus, about two years back. He was then training to become a suicide bomber. Wa'el, though, was killed by the Israeli security before he could fulfil his mission. Excerpts from the interview, which provides an insight into the mind of a would-be bomber.
When was it exactly that you decided to become a martyr?
After I joined the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, I used to permanently live in hiding. One day I returned home to find my little brothers in a state of panic. The night before, the Israeli soldiers had visited them. All our furniture was broken. At that moment I decided to become a martyr.
Didn't you have second thoughts?
No. After my decision I am 'dead alive'. The environment around me is all about death. I am in a state of 'martyrdom'. I pray, I'm preparing myself to meet God. Martyrdom is a nice dream. I wish for it more than I wish for life.
You are young; a whole life is ahead of you.
There is not much to look...
