On 16 April 1988 , a leader of the PLO , Khalil al-Wazir , '' nom de guerre '' Abu Jihad or ' Father of the Struggle ' , was assassinated in Tunis by an Israeli commando squad . Israel claimed he was the ' remote-control " main organizer " of the revolt ' , and perhaps believed that his death would break the back of the intifada . During the mass demonstrations and mourning in Gaza that followed , two of the main mosques of Gaza were raided by the IDF and worshippers were beaten and tear-gassed . In total between 11 and 15 Palestinians were killed during the demonstrations and riots in Gaza and West Bank that followed al-Wazir 's death . In June of that year , the Arab League agreed to support the intifada financially at the 1988 Arab League summit . The Arab League reaffirmed its financial support in the 1989 summit
1988 Arab League summit
1988 Arab League summit
First Intifada