Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 01:33, 30 December 2024

SheikhAhmed Yassin
أحمد ياسين
Yassin in 2004
Chairman of the Hamas Shura Council
In office 10 December 1987 – 22 March 2004
Deputy	Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
Personal details
Born	Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin June 1936 (1936-06) Al-Jura, Mandatory Palestine (now known as Ashkelon, Israel)
Died	22 March 2004(2004-03-22) (aged 67) Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Manner of death	Assassination
Nationality	Palestinian
Political party	Hamas
Education	Al-Azhar University, Cairo
Occupation	Politician Imam

Palestinian nationalism Factions and leaders
Yassin + Haniyeh RantisiMashalSinwarDeifDeifMabhouhHabashAbbasHawatmehNakhalah
Map: Birthplaces or family origins Details below: p. parents from, b. born in, d. death.
Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Also: President of the PNA PLO political factions Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Palestinian People's Party (PPP) Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) Arab Liberation Front (ALF) Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA) Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) Palestinian Arab Front (PAF) As-Sa'iqa Related groups Palestinian National Initiative Leader Mustafa Barghouti
Fatah Founders Yasser Arafat p. Gaza City b. Cairo d. 2004 in Paris Khaled Yashruti Salah Khalaf Khalil al-Wazir Chairman Mahmoud Abbas b. Safed (President of the PA) Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub Vice Chairman Mahmoud Aloul
Fatah splinter groups Al-Mustaqbal (electoral list) Marwan Barghouti Prisoner of Israel see also: Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis Palestinian Mujahideen Movement Militant wing Mujahideen Brigades Former militant wings of Fatah Raed Al Karmi Founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Naif Abu-Sharah Local commander in Nablus Fadi Kafisha Former head of the Tanzim in Nablus Sirhan Sirhan Zakaria Zubeidi Local commander in Jenin see also Tali Fahima Samih Madhoun d. killed by EQB Ibrahim al-Nabulsi see also: Lions' Den
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Secretary General George Habash b. Lydda Abu Ali Mustafa Birth name: "Mustafa Ali Zabri" b. 1938 Arraba, Jenin Jenin See also: 17 October 2001 Ahmad Sa'adat Prisoners of Israel since 2006 see also: Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis Deputy Secretary General Jamil Mezher Other key figures Ghassan Kanafani Schisms and splinter groups PFLP-GC
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Split from the PFLP in 1969. Founder and current leader Nayef Hawatmeh b. 1938 As-Salt Militant wing National Resistance Brigades Spokesperson: Abu Khaled
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah b. Khan Yunis Militant wing Saraya Al-Quds
Hamas List of leaders Chairman of Hamas Shura Council (1987‑2004) Ahmed Yassin b. Al-Jura, d. 2004 Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi b. Yibna, d. 2004 Chairman of Hamas Polit Bureau Ismail Haniyeh p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024 Khaled Mashal b. Silwad Leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar p. Al‑Majal, b. Khan Yunis, d 2024 Head of International relations Basem Naim b. Beit Hanoun Police and Disaster Management Faiq Al-Mabhouh p. Bayt Tima, d. 2024 Minister for Women's Affairs Jamila al-Shanti b. Jabalia, d. 2023, m. Widow of Rantisi Militant wing Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades Leader Mohammed Deif Birth name: Mohammed Al-Masri p. Kawkaba (near Kokhav Michael) and Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis d. Failed attempt in 2014 d. Unconfirmed: 2024) Related topics Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Hamas in Lebanon All-Palestine Government in Gaza Ashkelon incorporation into Israel
Historical figures Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Namesake of the Qassam Brigades Musa Alami early Palestinian nationalist b. 1897 in Jerusalem Yaqub al-Ghusayn b. 1899 in Ramla George Antonius b. 1891 Deir al-Qamar al-Husayni family Jamal al-Husayni Musa al-Husayni
Related topics Ideologies Palestinian nationalism Islamism in the Gaza Strip Islamic nationalism § Hamas Present day Palestinian political parties Elections in Palestine Palestinian political violence Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Palestinian Legislative Council State of Palestine Occupied Palestinian Territories List of Palestinians 1967 to 1995 Palestinian fedayeen History of Hamas 1948 to 1967 All-Palestine Government Gaza Protectorate Jordanian annexation of the West Bank Palestinian National Council 1918 to 1948 Mandatory Palestine Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine Army of the Holy War Society for the Defense of Palestine Before 1918 Origin of the Palestinians
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2024)
v t e

Politics of Palestine
Officeholders whose status is disputed are shown in italics
National symbols Flag National anthem Coat of arms
Administrative divisions Palestinian enclaves Governorates Palestinian refugee camps
Government State of Palestine government (Ramallah) President: Mahmoud Abbas Prime Minister: Mohammad Mustafa Hamas government (Gaza)
Legislative Council Palestinian National Council Palestinian Legislative Council Current members Speaker Aziz Dweik
Elections Elections Electoral regions Political parties PLO political parties Next presidential election Next legislative election Local elections 2017 Palestinian local elections
Political parties Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) factions Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) Al-Mustaqbal electoral list Marwan Barghouti (Fatah) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Palestinian People's Party (PPP) Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) Arab Liberation Front (ALF) Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA) Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) Palestinian Arab Front (PAF) As-Sa'iqa Other parties Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) List of leaders Palestinian Islamic Jihad Third Way Leader: Salam Fayyad Palestinian Electoral Lists Democratic Alliance List Al-Mustaqbal
LeadersMap shows birthplaces or family origins Yassin b.1936 Haniyeh's parents Rantisi b.1947 MashalSinwar Habash b.1926 Abbas b.1935 HawatmehNakhalah
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister: Riyad al-Maliki Diplomatic missions of / in Palestine Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process Israeli–Palestinian peace process International recognition
Member state of the Arab League
Palestine portal Other countries
v t e

Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin (Arabic: الشيخ أحمد إسماعيل حسن ياسين; June 1936 – 22 March 2004) was a Palestinian politician and imam who founded Hamas in 1987. He also served as the first chairman of the Hamas Shura Council and de facto leader of Hamas since its inception from December 1987 until his assassination in March 2004.

Yassin was born in Ashkelon, in Mandatory Palestine in 1929 or 1936. His family fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine War to Gaza City. Yassin, a quadriplegic who was nearly blind, had been reliant on a wheelchair due to a sporting accident at the age of 12.

After its founding, he served as the spiritual leader of Hamas, a Sunni Islamist group. The Israeli government held him responsible for the killing of several Israeli civilians. In 2004, he was killed when an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at him as he was being wheeled from Fajr prayer in Gaza City. The attack, which also killed both of his bodyguards and nine bystanders, was internationally condemned. His funeral procession was attended by 200,000 people in Gaza.

Early life and education

Ahmed Yassin was born in al-Jura, a small village near the city of Ashkelon, in the Mandatory Palestine. His date of birth is not known for certain: according to his Palestinian passport, he was born on 1 January 1929, but he claimed to have actually been born in the summer of 1936. His father, Abdullah Yassin, died when he was three years old. Afterward, he became known in his neighborhood as Ahmad Sa'ada after his mother Sa'ada al-Habeel. This was to differentiate him from the children of his father's other three wives. Together, Yassin had four brothers and two sisters. He and his entire family fled to Gaza, settling in al-Shati Camp after his village was ethnically cleansed by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Yassin came to Gaza as a refugee. When he was 16, he sustained a severe spinal injury while wrestling his friend Abdullah al-Khatib. His neck was kept in plaster for 45 days. The damage to his spinal cord rendered him a quadraplegic for the rest of his life. Fearing a rift between his family and al-Khatib's, Yassin initially told his family that he sustained his injuries while playing leapfrog during a sports lesson with his school friends on the beach.

Although Yassin applied to and attended Al-Azhar University in Cairo, he was unable to pursue his studies there due to his deteriorating health. He was forced to be educated at home where he read widely, particularly on philosophy and on religion, politics, sociology, and economics. His followers believe that his worldly knowledge made him "one of the best speakers in the Gaza Strip". During this time, he began delivering weekly sermons after Friday prayers, drawing large crowds of people.

After years of unemployment, he got a post as an Arabic language teacher at an elementary school in Rimal, Gaza. Headmaster Mohammad al-Shawa initially had reservations about Yassin, concerning the reception he would receive from the pupils due to his disability. However, according to al-Shawa, Yassin handled them well and his popularity grew, especially among the more scholarly children. His teaching methods reportedly provoked mixed reactions among parents because he encouraged his students to attend the mosque an additional two times a week. Having a regular job gave Yassin financial stability, and he married one of his relatives Halima Yassin in 1960 at the age of 22. The couple had eleven children.

Involvement in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Yassin was actively involved in setting up a Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1973, the Islamic charity Mujama al-Islamiya was established in Gaza by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and the organization was recognized by Israel in 1979. In 1984 he and others were jailed for secretly stockpiling weapons, but in 1985 he was released as part of the Jibril Agreement. In 1987, during the First Intifada, Yassin co-founded Hamas with Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, originally calling it the "paramilitary wing" of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood, and becoming its spiritual leader.

In 1989, Yassin was arrested by Israel and sentenced to life imprisonment for ordering killings of alleged Palestinian collaborators. In 1997, Yassin was released from Israeli prison as part of an arrangement with Jordan following a failed assassination attempt of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal by the Israeli Mossad in Jordan. Yassin was released in exchange for two Mossad agents who had been arrested by Jordanian authorities, on the condition that he refrained from continuing to call for suicide bombings against Israel. The New York Times reported about his poor health at the time: "Sheik Ahmad Yassin, spiritual leader of Hamas, back home in Gaza after his release by Israel, is so frail he drinks only with help."

Following his release, Yassin resumed his leadership of Hamas. He immediately repeated his calls for attacks on Israel, using tactics including suicide bombings, thus violating the condition of his release. He also sought to maintain relations with the Palestinian Authority, believing that a clash between the two groups would be harmful to the interests of the Palestinian people. Yassin was intermittently placed under house arrest by the Authority. Each time he was eventually released, often after extended demonstrations by his supporters. Yassin criticized the outcome of the 2003 Aqaba summit. His group initially declared a temporary truce with Israel. However, in July 2003, the truce unravelled after a Hamas suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus killed 21 people the previous month. Israeli forces killed two Hamas members in retaliation.

On 6 September 2003, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-16 fired several missiles on a building in Gaza City in the Gaza Strip. Yassin was in the building at the time but survived. Israeli officials later confirmed that Yassin was the target of the attack. His injuries were treated at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Yassin responded to the media that "Days will prove that the assassination policy will not finish the Hamas. Hamas leaders wish to be martyrs and are not scared of death. Jihad will continue and the resistance will continue until we have victory, or we will be martyrs."

Yassin further promised that Hamas would teach Israel an "unforgettable lesson" as a result of the assassination attempt. Yassin made no attempt to guard himself from further attempts on his life or hide his location. Journalists sometimes visited his Gaza address and Yassin maintained a routine daily pattern of activity, including being wheeled every morning to a nearby mosque.

Reem Riyashi's suicide bombing at the Erez crossing on 14 January 2004, which killed four civilians, was believed by the Israeli military to have been directly ordered by Yassin. Yassin suggested that the suicide bomber was fulfilling her "obligation" to make jihad, and Israel's Deputy Defence Minister responded by publicly declaring that Yassin was "marked for death". Yassin denied any involvement in the attack.

Views

Involvement in attacks on Israel

Yassin was a founder and leader of Hamas, which is regarded as a terrorist organization by Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Paraguay, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon characterized Yassin as the "mastermind of Palestinian terror" and a "mass murderer". The Israeli government repeatedly asserted that Yassin was responsible for a number of terrorist attacks, which targeted and killed civilians.

In 1997, Yassin proposed a halt of attacks on Israel, if Israel withdrew from the West Bank and Gaza.

In his statement Yassin declared that Hamas did target Israeli civilians, but only in direct retaliation for the death of Palestinian civilians. In his thinking this was a necessary tactic to "show the Israelis they could not get away without a price for killing our people." In June 2003, after visiting al-Rantisi in hospital after a failed Israeli missile attack against him, Yassin told reporters: "Israel is targeting Palestinian civilians, so Israeli civilians should be targeted. From now on, all Israeli people are targets." "We got Israel's message. They should now expect the answer."

Views on Jews

In an interview, likely recorded in the 1990s, Ahmed Yassin stated his view on Jews:

"We don't hate Jews and fight Jews because they are Jewish. They are a people of faith and we are a people of faith, and we love all people of faith. If my brother, from my own mother and father and my own faith takes my homes and expels me from it, I will fight him. I will fight my cousin if he takes my home and expels me from it. So when a Jew takes my home and expels me from it, I will fight him. I don't fight other countries because I want to be at peace with them, I love all people and wish peace for them, even the Jews. The Jews lived with us all of our lives and we never assaulted them, and they held high positions in government and ministries. But if they take my home and make me a refugee like 4 million Palestinians in exile? Who has more right to this land? The Russian immigrant who left this land 2000 years ago or the one who left 40 years ago? We don't hate the Jews, we only ask for them to give us our rights."

In a 1997 speech, Yassin said:

I want to proclaim loudly to the world that we are not fighting Jews because they are Jews! We are fighting them because they assaulted us, they killed us, they took our land, our homes, our children, our women, they scattered us, we became scattered everywhere, a people without a homeland. We want our rights. We don't want more. We love peace, but they hate the peace, because people who take away the rights of others don't believe in peace. Why should we not fight? We have our right to defend ourselves.

Views on the peace process

Yassin's views on the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis were ambiguous. He supported armed resistance against Israel and asserted that Palestine is an Islamic land "consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgment Day" and that no Arab leader had the right to give up any part of this territory. Concerning that territorial conflict, Yassin's rhetoric did not distinguish between Israelis and Jews, at one point stating that "reconciliation with the Jews is a crime." However, he regarded as his religious cousins, and stating his conflict with them is purely over land he deemed stolen territory.

Yassin's rhetoric was often scrutinized in the news media. On one occasion, he opined that Israel "must disappear from the map." Yassin's declaration that "We chose this road, and will end with martyrdom or victory" later became a repeated mantra among Palestinians.

Yassin on several occasions proposed long-term ceasefire agreements, or truces, so called Hudnas, in exchange for Israeli concessions. All such offers were rejected by Israel. Following his release from Israeli prison in 1997, he proposed a ten-year truce in exchange for total Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza and a stop to Israeli attacks on civilians. In 1999, in an interview with an Egyptian newspaper, he again offered a truce:

We have to be realistic. We are talking about a homeland that was stolen a long time ago in 1948 and again in 1967. My generation today is telling the Israelis, 'Let's solve this problem now, on the basis of the 1967 borders. Let's end this conflict by declaring a temporary ceasefire. Let's leave the bigger issue for future generations to decide.' The Palestinians will decide in the future about the nature of relations with Israel, but it must be a democratic decision.

It was shortly after once such truce offer, in January 2004, that Yassin was assassinated.

Assassination

Yassin was killed in an Israeli attack on 22 March 2004. While he was being wheeled out of an early morning prayer session in Gaza City, an Israeli AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship fired Hellfire missiles at Yassin and both of his bodyguards. Before the attack, Israeli F-16 jets flew overhead to obscure the noise of the approaching helicopters. Yassin always used the same direction every morning to go to the same mosque in the Sabra district that is 100 m (330 ft) from his home.

Yassin and his bodyguards were killed instantly, along with nine bystanders. Another 12 people were injured in the operation, including two of Yassin's sons. Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, Yassin's deputy, became the Hamas leader after his assassination, but was also killed shortly thereafter.

Reaction to assassination

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, condemned the killing. The UN Commission on Human Rights passed a resolution condemning the killing supported by votes from 31 countries including the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa, with 2 votes against and 18 abstentions. The Arab League council also expressed condemnation, as did the African Union.

A draft resolution condemning the extrajudicial execution of Yassin and six other Palestinians, as well as all terrorist attacks against civilians was brought before the United Nations Security Council and vetoed by the United States, with United Kingdom, Germany, and Romania abstaining. The United States explained that the draft resolution should have condemned Hamas explicitly following its sponsored suicide bombings in Ashdod the week before.

Palestinian

The Palestinian Authority declared three days of mourning and closed Palestinian schools. Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh suggested, "This is the moment Sheikh Yassin dreamed about". The Hamas leadership said Ariel Sharon had "opened the gates of hell". Hamas called for retaliation against Israel. About 200,000 people took to the streets of the Gaza Strip for Yassin's funeral as Israeli forces declared a national alert.

The assassination of Yassin also led to the fact that Hamas, for the first time, was named as the most popular movement in Palestine by the residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip two weeks after the assassination.

Abdel Aziz Rantisi was announced as the new head of Hamas. At a memorial service for Sheik Yassin, he declared that "The Israelis will not know security... We will fight them until the liberation of Palestine, the whole of Palestine." Publicly addressing the "military wing" of Hamas, Rantisi suggested, "The door is open for you to strike all places, all the time and using all means." Rantisi was himself killed by Israel on 17 April 2004 in an assassination almost identical to that of Yassin. He was killed by three rockets fired from a gunship by the Israeli military.

On 31 August 2004, at least 15 Israeli people were killed and 80 injured in a suicide attack against two Israeli buses in Beersheba. Hamas stated the attack was a revenge for the assassination of Rantisi and Yassin. Following the bombing, an estimated 20,000 Hamas supporters in Gaza took to Gaza's streets, celebrating the successful attack.

Israeli

The Israeli government said the targeted killing was in response to dozens of suicide attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended the assassination of Yassin:

Yassin was the dominant authority of the Hamas leadership, which was directly involved in planning, orchestrating and launching terror attacks carried out by the organization. In this capacity, Yassin personally gave his approval for the launching of Qassam rockets against Israeli cities, as well as for the numerous Hamas terrorist bombings and suicide operations. In his public appearances and interviews, Yassin called repeatedly for a continuation of the 'armed struggle' against Israel, and for an intensification of the terrorist campaign against its citizens. The successful operation against Yassin constitutes a significant blow to a central pillar of the Hamas terrorist organization, and a major setback to its terrorist infrastructure.

Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defense Minister, branded Yassin "the Palestinian Bin Laden" and said, "If we have to balance how many more terrorists Yassin would have sent, how many terror attacks he would have approved, if we weigh this on the scales, we acted rightly".

Avraham Poraz, Israel's Interior Minister and member of the centrist Shinui Party, said he believed the assassination of Yassin "was a bad idea because I am afraid of a revenge coming from the Palestinian side, from the Hamas side." Shimon Peres, then leader of the Labour opposition, was critical of the assassination, suggesting that it "could lead to an escalation of terror".

Middle East

King Abdullah II of Jordan described the assassination as a "crime"; Lebanon's president Emile Lahud vehemently denounced the Israeli act as "...a crime will not succeed in liquidating the Palestinian cause"; Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said: "Violence will increase now because violence always breeds violence"; the head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohammed Akef, described Yassin as a "martyr" and his assassination a "cowardly operation". Iran called the assassination a "criminal act" and a threat to regional security.

Western world

Jack Straw, then British Foreign Secretary, said: "All of us understand Israel's need to protect itself – and it is fully entitled to do that – against the terrorism which affects it, within international law. But it is not entitled to go in for this kind of unlawful killing and we condemn it. It is unacceptable, it is unjustified and it is very unlikely to achieve its objectives." The European Union's foreign policy head Javier Solana expressed concern that it might impede the peace process.

In response to a question about the killing, U.S. President George W. Bush responded:

As far as the Middle East, it's a troubled region, and the attacks were troubling. There needs to be a focused, concerted effort by all parties to fight terror. Any country has a right to defend itself from terror. Israel has the right to defend herself from terror. And as she does so, I hope she keeps consequences in mind as to how to make sure we stay on the path to peace.

United States Representative to the United Nations John Negroponte stated that the United States was "deeply troubled by this action by the Government of Israel", while asserting that the U.S. would not support any U.N. Security Council statement condemning Israel's assassination of Yassin that did not include a condemnation of "Hamas terrorist attacks". According to his statement to the UN Security Council,

The killing of Sheikh Yassin has escalated tensions in Gaza and the greater Middle East, and sets back our effort to resume progress towards peace. However, events must be considered in their context and as we consider the killing of Sheikh Yassin, we must keep in mind the facts. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was the leader of a terrorist organization, one which has proudly taken credit for indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including most recently an attack last week in the Port of Ashdod, which left 10 Israelis dead. He preached hatred, and glorified suicide bombings of buses, restaurants, and cafes. Yassin was opposed to the existence of the State of Israel, and actively sought to undermine a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Notes

1. Hamas is a Palestinian militant Islamist and nationalist organization in the Gaza Strip.

See also

• Muslim Brotherhood

References

Citations

1. ^ Kabahā 2014, pp. 323.
2. ^ "Sheikh Ahmad Yassin". Jewish Virtual Library. 2004. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2024. Ahmed Yassin's Palestinian passport listed his date of birth as 1 January 1929, but Palestinian sources listed his birth year as 1937 (other Western media reported it as 1938).
3. Uschan, Michael V. (January 2006). Suicide Bombings in Israel and Palestinian Terrorism. Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8368-6561-5. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
4. Charny, Israel W. (2007). Fighting suicide bombing: A Worldwide Campaign for Life. London, England: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-275-99336-8. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
5. Berko, Anat (2007). "Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Hamas founder: "The shaheed doesn't die, he lives with Allah"". The path to paradise: the inner world of suicide bombers and their dispatchers. Abc-Clio, LLC. ISBN 978-0-275-99446-4. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
6. Costigan, Sean S.; Gold, David (26 April 2007). Terrornomics. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-4995-3. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
7. Brookes, Peter (March 2007). A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Rogue States. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7425-4953-1. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
8. ^ Boffey, Daniel (26 July 2017). "EU court upholds Hamas terror listing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
9. ^ "Behind the Headlines: Ahmed Yassin 22-Mar-2004". Mfa.gov.il. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
10. ^ "The life and death of Shaikh Yasin". Al Jazeera. 24 March 2004. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
11. ^ Prusher, Ilene R. (23 March 2004). "Killing of Yassin a Turning Point". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
12. Pappe 2017, p. 240.
13. Chehab 2007, p. 15.
14. ^ Chehab 2007, p. 16.
15. Levitt, Matthew (1 October 2008). Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12901-4.
16. Chehab 2007, p. 17.
17. Caridi, Paola (2023). Hamas From Resistance to Regime. Seven Stories Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-64421-197-7.
18. Jefferis 2016, p. 50.
19. Higgins, Andrew (24 January 2009). "How Israel Helped to Spawn Hamas". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015.
20. Zuhur, Sherifa (December 2008). "HAMAS and Israel: Conflicting Strategies of Group-Based Politics" (PDF). p. 23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
21. ^ "Sheikh Yassin: Spiritual figurehead". BBC Online. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
22. Lansford, Tom; Muller, Tom (2 April 2012). Political Handbook of the World 2012. SAGE. p. 1639. ISBN 978-1-60871-995-2. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
23. ^ Plaw, Avery (2008). "The Expansion of Israeli Targeting During the Second Intifada". Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill? (Google Book Search). Ashgate Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-7546-4526-9. LCCN 2008005474. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
24. Anne Marie Oliver; Paul F. Steinberg (27 April 2006). The Road to Martyrs' Square: A Journey into the World of the Suicide Bomber. Oxford University Press. pp. 48–. ISBN 978-0-19-802756-0. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
25. "Hamas founder targeted in Gaza airstrike". CNN. 6 September 2003. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
26. "Hamas leader promises 'unforgettable lesson' for Israel". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC. 7 September 2003. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
27. ^ "Sheikh Yassin denies attack role". BBC News. 16 January 2004. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
28. Sarhaddi Nelson, Soraya (15 January 2004). "Palestinian mother is suicide bomber in attack at border". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
29. * Also: Banned in Jordan—Karmi, Omar. "What does the Hamas victory mean for nearby Jordan?" Archived 4 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Star, 18 February 2006
    • Australia lists the militant wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization--Listing of Terrorist Organisations Archived 4 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, 27 January 2006; retrieved 31 July 2006.
    • United Kingdom lists the militant wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization--" United Kingdom Home Security Office. Terrorism Act 2000. Proscribed terrorist groups
30. Filiu (2014). Gaza: A History. Oxford University Press. p. 243.
31. Bodi, Faisal (25 March 2004). "My Meeting with Sheikh Yasin". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
32. "Chronological Review of Events Relating to the Question of Palestine". United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights. June 2003. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
33. فلسطين.. ووهم أسلمة الصراع!. Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
34. Schmemann, Serge (23 October 1997). "Sheik Vows to Continue the Hamas Holy War Against Israel". New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
35. Gunning, Jeroen (2009). Hamas in Politics. Columbia University Press. p. 26.
36. Yassin, Ahmed (March 1995). "Interview". Filastin al-Muslimah (Interview). as quoted in Passner, Deborah (28 October 2003). "Hamas Takes "Revenge"?". Israel National News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
37. Ahmad Yassin – Why Hamas fight. YouTube. Muslim 333. 31 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012.
38. ^ Poole, Elizabeth; Richardson, John E. (2006). Muslims and the News Media. p. 112.
39. Harel, Amos; Arnon Regular (22 March 2004). "Security forces on heightened terror alert". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
40. ^ "Hamas Ceasefire Proposal: Peace or Pause?". The Washington Institute. 16 March 2004. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
41. Kimmerling, Baruch (2008). Clash of Identities: Explorations in Israeli and Palestinian Societies. Columbia University Press. p. 299.
42. ^ "Special Report: Shaikh Ahmed Yassin's Assassination". Al Jazeera. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
43. "Assassination of Sheik Yasin Opened Pandora's box". Scoop. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
44. "Annan strongly condemns Israeli assassination of Hamas leader". UNISPAL. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
45. "COMMISSION HOLDS SPECIAL SITTING ON SITUATION IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF SHEIKH YASSIN Adopts Resolution Which Condemns Continuing Grave Violations of Human Rights in Territory, Including Tragic Assassination of Sheikh Yassin". UNISPAL. 24 March 2004. Archived from the original on 27 June 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
46. "Urgent announcement by the Arab League Council on the Permanent Representatives Level". UNISPAL. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 27 June 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
47. "Algeria and Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: draft resolution (S/2004/240)" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. 24 March 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
48. ^ "S/PV.4934" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. 25 March 2004. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
49. Hroub, Khaled (2004). "Hamas after Shayk Yasin and Rantisi" (PDF). Journal of Palestine Studies. XXXIII (4): 21–38. doi:10.1525/jps.2004.33.4.021. ISSN 0377-919X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
50. ^ Myre, Greg (24 March 2004). "After Sheik Is Slain, Hamas Picks Fiery Figure as Its Leader in Gaza". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
51. Brown, Derek (19 April 2004). "Leader of Hamas for just 25 days, he fought for a free Palestine". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
52. "Qassam Brigades marks 11th anniversary of Sheikh Yassin's assassination". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
53. "Hamas leader killed in Israeli airstrike". CNN International. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. 18 April 2004. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
54. Alexander, Yonah; Hoenig, Milton M. (2008). The new Iranian leadership: Ahmadinejad, terrorism, nuclear ambition, and the Middle East. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99639-0.
55. "Palestinians celebrate deadly Israeli bus bombings". Haaretz. Retuers. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
56. "Thousands mourn Hamas founder". CNN. 6 May 2004. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
57. "IDF strike kills Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 23 February 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
58. ^ "Israel defiant over Yassin killing". BBC. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
59. "The life and death of Shaikh Yasin". Al Jazeera. 24 March 2004. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
60. "IN SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATE, MOST SPEAKERS CONDEMN ISRAEL'S ASSASSINATION OF HAMAS LEADER". United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. 23 March 2004. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
61. "Blair condemns Hamas chief death". BBC News. 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
62. "President Discusses Economy and Terrorism After Cabinet Meeting". Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
63. "U.N. Must Condemn Hamas Terrorism as Well as Israeli Assassination". U.S. Mission to Italy. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2010.

Bibliography

• Chehab, Zaki (2007). Inside Hamas: The Untold Story of Militants, Martyrs and Spies. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84511-389-6. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
• Jefferis, Jennifer (12 February 2016). Hamas: Terrorism, Governance, and Its Future in Middle East Politics: Terrorism, Governance, and Its Future in Middle East Politics. ABC-CLIO. pp. 50–. ISBN 978-1-4408-3903-0. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
• Kabahā, Muṣṭafá (2014). The Palestinian People: Seeking Sovereignty and State. Lynne Rienner Publishers, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-58826-882-2. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
• Pappe, Ilan (22 June 2017). The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories. Oneworld Publications. pp. 281–. ISBN 978-1-78074-433-9. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2020.

External links

• Reports on death
  • "IDF strike kills Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin" (Israeli MFA)
  • "Sharon was after the Yassin's murder". Archived from the original on 27 December 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  • "Assassination of Sheik Yasin Opened Pandora's box"
  • Interactive Guide: Sheikh Yassin assassination – The Guardian
• Profiles of Yassin
  • BBC obituary
  • Guardian obituary
• UN Response
  • U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Condemning Israel for Hamas Killing

v t e Hamas
History	Hamas Charter (revised) Fatah–Hamas conflict Takeover of the Gaza Strip 25th anniversary of Hamas (2012)
Political wing	List of leaders of Hamas Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Hamas temporary committee Islamic Salvation Party Khaled Mashal Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Basem Naim Ali Baraka Mousa Abu Marzook Zaher Jabarin Essam al-Da'alis Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi hospital Women: Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti Umm Nidal Elections 2005 presidential 2006 legislative
Law and order	Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip Ihab al-Ghussein Police Faiq Mabhouh Palestinian Executive Force [ar] Said Seyam Palestinian law Executions
Military wing	Palestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades Nukbha Ayman Nofal al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards unit People Leader: Mohammed Deif Spokesperson: Abu Obaida Marwan Issa Yahya Ayyash Adnan al-Ghoul Salah Shehade Mazen Faqha Wa'el Nassar Ahmed Jabari Imad Abbas Emad Akel Nidal Farahat Yunis Al Astal Ahmed Ghandour Women Reem Riyashi Fatma Omar An-Najar Operations Murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing 2001 Immanuel bus attack 2004 Ashdod Port bombings IDF outpost bombing 2006 Gaza cross-border raid Gaza War (2008–2009) August 2010 West Bank shooting attack 2012 Gaza War 2014 Gaza War 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis 2023 attack on Israel Israel–Hamas war Weapons Al-Bana Batar Qassam rocket Yasin (RPG)
Social services	Islamic University of Gaza Mujama al-Islamiya Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund
Media	Al-Aqsa TV Tomorrow's Pioneers Al-Aqsa Voice Radio Al-Quds TV Shehab News Agency Al-Watan (defunct)
Foreign relations	Support from (Iran Israel Qatar Turkey) Russia Lebanon
Related articles	Criticism of Hamas Hamas war crimes Hamas most wanted playing cards
Category:Hamas

• 1936 births
• People from Ashkelon
• 2004 deaths
• Asian politicians assassinated in the 2000s
• 2000s murders in the Palestinian territories
• Al-Azhar University alumni
• Assassinated Hamas members
• Hamas members
• Assassinated Palestinian politicians
• Blind politicians
• Deaths by Israeli airstrikes
• Hamas leaders
• Palestinian imams
• Palestinian Islamists
• Palestinian Sunni Muslims
• People with tetraplegia
• Politicians with disabilities
• Targeted killing by Israel
• Assassinations in the State of Palestine
• Palestinian expatriates in Egypt
• Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
• Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Israel
• Arab people in Mandatory Palestine
• Politicians assassinated in 2004
• Deaths by explosive device
• Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood members