Date | 22 March 2004 |
---|---|
Location | Sabra, Gaza Strip |
Type | Missiles fired from helicopters |
Cause | Terror attacks against Israel |
Motive | Eliminate terrorist leadership in Hamas |
Target | Ahmed Yassin |
Perpetrator | IDF |
Deaths | 10 |
On 22 March 2004, the Palestinian leader and one of the founders of the Hamas militant organization, Ahmed Yassin, 67, was assassinated in Gaza City. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was returning from performing the Fajr prayer, [1] and his companions were also killed immediately. [2] His assassination caused a state of anger and Palestinian factions vowed revenge, with Hamas saying that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "opened the gates of hell." Shortly after the attack, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi took over the leadership of the movement in the Gaza Strip. [3]
Yassin survived an attempt on his life on 6 September 2003. [4] According to Israeli radio, Sharon personally supervised the attack on Yassin. [5]
Believing he had organised attacks against Israeli civilians, IDF helicopters launched multiple missiles with the specific aim of targeting Sheikh Yassin as he was coming back from morning prayers at the mosque near his residence in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza. The assassination also killed nine Palestinian bystanders and caused injuries to 15 individuals, among them being two sons of Sheikh Yassin. The assassination occurred approximately one week following the 2004 Ashdod Port bombings. [6]
Financial Times called the assassination "extremely stupid," and even The Daily Telegraph, which is normally pro-Israel, called it a "serious mistake." [17] The Guardian reported that many Palestinians saw the killing as "cowardly" (given that Yassin was a disabled man) and were outraged that Yassin's killing might motivate more Palestinians to attack Israel. [17]
Date | 22 March 2004 |
---|---|
Location | Sabra, Gaza Strip |
Type | Missiles fired from helicopters |
Cause | Terror attacks against Israel |
Motive | Eliminate terrorist leadership in Hamas |
Target | Ahmed Yassin |
Perpetrator | IDF |
Deaths | 10 |
On 22 March 2004, the Palestinian leader and one of the founders of the Hamas militant organization, Ahmed Yassin, 67, was assassinated in Gaza City. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was returning from performing the Fajr prayer, [1] and his companions were also killed immediately. [2] His assassination caused a state of anger and Palestinian factions vowed revenge, with Hamas saying that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "opened the gates of hell." Shortly after the attack, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi took over the leadership of the movement in the Gaza Strip. [3]
Yassin survived an attempt on his life on 6 September 2003. [4] According to Israeli radio, Sharon personally supervised the attack on Yassin. [5]
Believing he had organised attacks against Israeli civilians, IDF helicopters launched multiple missiles with the specific aim of targeting Sheikh Yassin as he was coming back from morning prayers at the mosque near his residence in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza. The assassination also killed nine Palestinian bystanders and caused injuries to 15 individuals, among them being two sons of Sheikh Yassin. The assassination occurred approximately one week following the 2004 Ashdod Port bombings. [6]
Financial Times called the assassination "extremely stupid," and even The Daily Telegraph, which is normally pro-Israel, called it a "serious mistake." [17] The Guardian reported that many Palestinians saw the killing as "cowardly" (given that Yassin was a disabled man) and were outraged that Yassin's killing might motivate more Palestinians to attack Israel. [17]