Less than a year ago, Israeli soldiers pumped six bullets into Rabiya Hamed in a botched assassination attempt that left four others dead and more than 30 wounded.Hamed has since signed a controversial amnesty pact with Israel along with 177 other members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the militant armed wing of Fatah, the political movement founded by the late Yasser Arafat. They agreed to surrender their weapons and renounce terrorism in exchange for Israel taking them off the most wanted list. All have been recruited back into the Palestinian security forces.
Even though other Al-Aqsa members continue to carry out attacks - the latest a November drive-by shooting that killed an Israeli man - the 178 former gunmen are keeping up with their end of the bargain, according to two Israeli security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Today, Hamed is studying for an undergraduate degree in social work at the Arab Al-Quds University in Jerusalem and hoping to find a wife. He draws a salary from the Preventive Security forces - the largest security paramilitary security group loyal to Fatah - but spends most of his time studying.
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