Killing of Ahmed Yassin

Killing of Ahmed Yassin
On 22 March 2004, the Palestinian militant leader and one of the founders of the Hamas movement, Ahmed Yassin, 67, was assassinated in Gaza City. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was returning from performing the Fajr prayer, and his companions, were also killed immediately. 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.
Yassin survived an attempt on his life on 6 September 2003. According to Israeli radio, Sharon personally supervised the attack on Yassin.
Killing
The assassination occurred approximately one week following the 2004 Ashdod Port bombings.
Reactions
Domestic
– President Yasser Arafat and the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization expressed their profound condemnation of the assassination. They urged all Palestinians to observe a period of mourning lasting three days. In a statement, "President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian leadership expressed strong condemnation for the assassination of the revered leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, referring to him as a heroic warrior and martyr. They considered this act as a flagrant violation beyond acceptable limits. The Palestinian authorities urged all Palestinians, both within the region and abroad, to observe a three-day mourning period in honor of Sheikh Yassin, who was tragically killed by an Israeli military operation in Gaza." The leadership urged the Palestinians to come together, unite, and foster cohesion. The killing was strongly condemned by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. He described it as a "severe and abhorrent act" during a press conference outside Arafat's office in Ramallah. Qurei emphasized that "the purpose behind this action was to perpetuate violence and called upon the Quartet and the United States to put an end to Israel's reckless behavior." He urged them "to recognize the value of Palestinian lives", stating that "enough was enough and that the Quartet and the United States should intervene to halt Israel's irrational conduct."
– Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi announced during a public event in Gaza that he is taking on the role of leading Hamas and emphasized the importance of unity, alignment, and staying true to the movement's principles. "We need to come together and stand strong in the trenches of resistance. We will not give up, and we shouldn't, when faced with acts of Zionist terrorism. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin serves as our symbol, and we will follow the same principles and work towards the objectives that Sheikh Ahmed Yassin held dear."
– Finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the targeted killing.
Permenant representative to the UN Dan Gillerman said that the Palestinian leadership has proven beyond a doubt that it does not wish to take any step to combat terrorism. He added that by removing Yassin from the international arena, Israel is sending a strong message to terrorists: “When you kill our citizens, you will not be spared.”
International
– Javier Solana, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy, condemned the act of killing, highlighting its "detrimental impact on the peace process and emphasizing that it fails to create any favorable circumstances for achieving peace."
– Mowaffak al-Rubaie, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, criticized the killing and argued that it would provide further justification for terrorist actions worldwide, ultimately hindering peace efforts.
– Prime Minister Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah expressed his sadness and urged the world to act. He added that "violence will escalate now because violence always breeds violence".
– Lebanese President Émile Lahoud strongly condemned the Israeli action.
– Hezbollah's spiritual leader, Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, accused U.S. President George W. Bush of complicity. Saying that "Bush is a killer in the same way as Sharon. He is the one who gave the green light to the Zionist criminals to carry out acts of liquidation and a war of extermination against the Palestinian people."
References
2004 deaths
Deaths by person in Asia
Palestinian casualties in the Second Intifada
Israel Defense Forces
March 2004 events in Asia
2004 airstrikes
2004 controversies
Attacks in the State of Palestine