Abu Ali Mustafa was murdered by Israel when two Israeli rockets hit the headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 27, 2001. This is another tragic loss directly related to Israel's official policy of assassinating Palestinian activists accused of "terrorism", without allowing them the due process of the law. Hence, Abu Ali Mustafa's assassination along with the more than 28 activists specifically targeted by Israeli military forces over the last 11 months of the Al Aqsa Uprising constitutes a breach of international law.

Abu Ali Mustafa was born in 1938 in Arraba, a village near Jenin, north of the West Bank. He joined George Habash's Arab National Movement (Pan-Arab Nationalistic movement) in 1955. He remained an active member until he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison by a Jordanian military court in 1957, when he was only 19 year of age, because of his membership to the organization. Upon his release, he, once again, was in charge of the Arab National Movement's activities in the Northern part of the West Bank. He participated in the founding of the First Military Union, which carried out special military operations for the Arab National Movement. In 1965, he received his military training from Anshas Military School in Egypt. In 1966, the Jordanian Security Authorities once again, arrested Abu Ali Mustafa.

In December 1967, following his release from prison, he helped George Habash and Nayef Hawatmeh found the PFLP, the second biggest and most influential PLO faction. Up until 1968, he had assumed the responsibility of establishing the Palestinian military brigade and handling its operations against Israel's occupation. In 1968, Abu Ali Mustafa became military leader of the PFLP and in September 1971 commanded his group's armed wing, the Popular Resistance Forces, in a series of fierce battles with the Jordanian army. After his fighters were expelled from Jordan, he settled for a while in Beirut, Lebanon. Abu Ali Mustafa made his name as a representative for refugees and in the first conference of the PFLP he was appointed deputy leader.

During the period 1987-1991, he was a member of the executive committee of the PLO. In 1993, the PFLP became part of a rejection front of ten Palestinian groups, based in Damascus, who refused to join the Palestinian Authority after it signed the interim Oslo accords with Israel. Abu Ali Mustafa lived in Syria for sometime and opposed efforts towards peace talks with Israel. However, he later took a more moderate stance and drew closer to less extremist group. In 1999, he went to Cairo, Egypt, to negotiate better terms with Yasser Arafat, Head of the Palestinian Authorities. Following that meeting an agreement was struck between Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak, Israeli prime minister, allowing Abu Ali Mustafa to return to Palestinian-ruled areas. He chose to reside in the West Bank that same year and his move brought back the PFLP from its base in Damascus to the Palestinian areas.

Still opposed to Israel's occupation of Palestine and the results of the peace talks, in September 2000, he was elected Secretary General of the PFLP at the sixth conference, after George Habash resigned to pursue other political activities. The PFLP refuses any peace deal less than a total Israeli withdrawal from lands occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem. He was a member of the Palestinian National Council and the Central Palestinian Council of the PLO. Abu Ali Mustafa was the most senior Palestinian political leader to be assassinated by Israel in last 11 months of the Uprising. On Tuesday, August 28, 2001, about twenty thousand mourners, including many senior Palestinian officials, attended his funeral. He is survived by his wife, Khitam, and his five children.