Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S)
Special Information Bulletin March 2004
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin died in an Israeli targeted killing on March 22, 2004. He was the founder of Hamas and its leader in the territories, instigated and sanctioned Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, and served both as the movement's highest political and military authority. Since the beginning of the on-going Israeli-Palestinian violent confrontation, Hamas has
perpetrated more terrorist actions than any other Palestinian group: 780 attacks in which 430 Israelis were killed, most of them civilians, including young children. The overwhelming majority of those killed died in suicide bombing attacks perpetrated within pre-1967 Israeli borders.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin at home (Hamas Internet site, March 22, 2004). To his right is a map of “greater Palestine” in the colors of the Palestinian flag. It symbolizes his goal, which is the “liberation” of “all Palestine” (“the 1948 territories”), i.e., the annihilation of the State of Israel, through violence and terrorism, and the establishment of a radical Islamic Palestinian state on the ruins of the State of Israel, also replacing the (secular-oriented) Palestinian Authority. The Arabic inscription reads “The Islamic resistance movement Hamas; dedicated to the Sheikh, the holy warrior.” The description of Yassin as sheikh and holy warrior is bereft of any specific, recognized Islamic religious qualification.
A Portrait of the Hamas leader, Sheikh Ahmed Isma'il Hassan Yassin
In the early morning of March 22, 2004, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and some of his followers, all known Hamas militants, were killed by Israeli helicopters in a targeted killing .1 1 One of those killed was Khalil Abu Jiyab, a Hamas militant imprisoned in Israel (1991) who admitted operating against Israeli army forces and citizens . Another was Ayoub Attalla, imprisoned by the PA security apparatus from 1995 to 1999. Two others were ‘Abd Ghani Yassin and ‘Abd al-Hamid Yassin, both sons of
the sheikh who accompanied their father everywhere, were his confidants and also were in close and constant contact with all levels of Hamas operatives.
Ahmed Yassin was born in 1938 in Jura, a village near Ashkelon. In the 1948 War of Independence, his family fled to the Gaza Strip. He directed and led Hamas in the PA-administered territories, and initiated and sanctioned anti-Israeli Hamas attacks in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He personally authorized the launching of Qassam missiles against the State of Israel as well as the use of car bombs and perpetration of suicide bombing attacks. Despite the fact that he was not a qualified religious functionary in any sense of the word and therefore ad no formal religious authority, he was nevertheless referred to as “sheikh” – an honorary Arab title given to him in view of his standing as head of the Hamas movement.
The Islamic resistance movement – Hamas -- which is on both the American and European lists of internationally recognized terrorist organizations , During the ongoing violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation it has been the leading terrorist organization in the PA- administered territories , It specializes in deadly suicide bombing attacks against Israel, the most recent of which occurred during the second week of March, 2004, at the Israeli port city of Ashdod, in which 10 Israeli citizens were killed . Since September 2000, Hamas has perpetrated 780 terrorist attacks in which 430 Israelis were killed and 2,260 wounded. The overwhelming majority of those killed died in suicide bombing attacks perpetrated within pre-1967 Israeli borders . However, it should be noted that during the past few months a large number of potential attacks originating from the Hamas infrastructure on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were foiled by the Israeli security forces.
Hamas, led by Sheikh Yassin (until his death), has been active in sabotaging the peace process in general and the peace plan known as the road map in particular . The organization hostile to the secular-oriented Palestinian Authority, which it aims to replace strives to “liberate” all of Palestine from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean sea by means of violence, terror and armed insurrection , and aspires to establish a radical Islamic Palestinian state on the ruins of the State of Israel.
In the middle 1980s Sheikh Yassin founded the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip and was the moving force behind its transition from the civilian infrastructure of an Islamic movement associated with the Egyptian-based radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood, to a militant military force advocating an incessant holy war [jihad] against Israel. He was active in establishing the military wing of Hamas (later to be known as ‘Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade), for which he was arrested twice by Israel: In 1984 he initiated the establishment of a military cadre (which preceded the establishment of Hamas) and its exposure led to his arrest. During his interrogation he confessed to having established a secret military organization of radical Islamic religious operatives , whose aim was to fight secular elements in the disputed (later PA- administered) territories and at the same time to perpetrate “jihad activities” against Israel . He stated that the organization used funds it received from Islamic militants in Jordan to purchase large quantities of weapons. He was sentenced to 13 years for the illegal possession of weapons, but was released merely 1 year later in the so-called “Jabril deal,” in which a few Israeli captives were exchanged for more than 1,000 Palestinian detainees, some of whom were terrorists belonging to Ahmed Jabril's terrorist organization.
In 1989 he was arrested by Israel again and in 1991 sentenced to life imprisonment for having orchestrated terrorist attacks, the most serious of which was the kidnapping and murder of two Israeli soldiers, Avi Sasportas and Ilan Sa'adon , and for the illegal possession of weapons.
Moreover, in 1989 Salah Shehadeh , who was the Hamas military commander in the Gaza Strip (and died in an Israeli targeted killing in July 2002), confessed under interrogation (by the Israeli security forces ) that in 1988 Sheikh Yassin appointed him to establish the Hamas military wing . The Sheikh was also arrested in the same affair, and confirmed that it was indeed he who had ordered the establishment of a military wing in Hamas and authorized the enlistment of operatives and the perpetration of terrorist attacks against Israel.
The picture (from the Hamas Internet site) shows Yasser Arafat kissing Sheikh Yassin after the latter's release from imprisonment in Israel (taken from the Hamas Internet site); in fact and despite the friendly gesture, the two were political rivals for Palestinian leadership and remained inimical to one another. Nevertheless Arafat avoided acting against both Sheikh Yassin and Hamas, despite the fact that he knew were making every effort to undermine the PA, because he wanted to preserve the Hamas terrorist impetus (while outwardly dissociating himself from it) and avoid causing bloody internal Palestinian confrontations.
Sheikh Yassin was imprisoned in an Israeli jail between 1989 and 1997, and released in a deal with Jordan after the abortive attempt to kill Khaled Mash'al in Amman, the Jordanian capital. Upon his release, he returned to his involvement in Hamas' military operations, which included transmitting instructions for military actions and providing funds for militants. In 1998 he toured the Arab countries to drum up funds for Hamas, collecting millions of dollars.
In frequent interviews given to the Palestinian, Arab and even Western media, Sheikh Yassin called for terrorist attacks against Israel , including suicide bombing attacks and kidnappings, praised the suicide bombers and repeatedly stated the inflexibility of his position regarding the “liberation” of “all Palestine,” i.e., including the pre-1967 borders of Israel.
The following are statements made by him to the media which clearly reflect his views:
In an interview given to an Associated Press reporter on March 9, 2003, Sheikh Yassin noted that Hamas would never stop its terrorist attacks on Israel and said: “ Without a doubt our resistance (i.e., violent insurrection) will continue, even if they [Israel] retreat from the Gaza Strip .”
In an interview with the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al-Jezeera on February 21, 2004, he claimed that the development of advanced Qassam missiles would render the Israeli anti-terrorist security fence useless. He claimed that the missiles and mortar shells were “strategic deterrents possessed by the Palestinians. ” He told the reporter to “imagine that their range were increased from 12 to 30 kilometers [from about 7 to 18 miles], what would happen then to [the Israeli] society which is no longer secure?”
After the suicide bombing attack perpetrated by Rima al-Riashi at the Erez crossing point in the Gaza Strip (January 14, 2004), he was widely interviewed by many by radio and TV networks and expressed his satisfaction with the attack. In particular, he justified the perpetration of suicide bombing attacks by women . In an interview with CNN on January 23, 2004, he called the jihad “an obligation for [Muslim] women, like their obligation to pray .” 2 2 The Palestinian media and society reacted to the support given by Sheikh Yassin and Hamas to female suicide bombers with sharp criticism. Dr. Hassam al- Nurani wrote the following in an article appearing on the Al-Watan al-Dunya Internet site on January 14, 2004: “ Hamas , whose sheikh boasts that the attack at
[the] Erez [crossing point] was perpetrated by the mother of a young child is a spectacular development in resistance to the occupation, made a [grave] mistake .
[Sheikh Yassin,] did you apologize to the child for allowing its mother to leave and never return? Sheikh Yassin, did you apologize to every [Palestinian]
mother for Hamas' having tempted the mother of a young child [to perpetrate a suicide bombing attack] and for having dragged her by the hair to rip
the soft nipple and quenching milk from its mouth ?” In an interview with the French News Agency [Agence France Presse] on January 19, 2004, he said: “ We will never give up the lands of '48 [i.e., Israel's pre-1967 borders], because Palestine is all Palestine . We will fight until we liberate [all] our lands and holy places… We oppose the hudna [temporary cease fire] because it means surrender and we will never wave a white flag… The [Zionist] enemy understands only the language of war and bombs… We are prepared to die the death of martyrs [for the sake of Allah] – leaders, men and women .”
On September 7, 2003, a few weeks before the renewed and escalated violence, 3 he noted again via the Hamas Internet site that they were “ willing to die the death of martyrs for the sake of Allah ,” and that the Palestinians would “ fight the [Zionist] enemy and force him to pay a heavy price .” He praised the young Palestinian people and said the Palestinians were a thriving, fighting nation, and wanted only “to fight, to wage a holy war and protect themselves.” He claimed that the Palestinian “resistance” would continue at no matter what cost or sacrifice, because their efforts would be “crowned with victory.”
3 The escalation began after a deadly suicide bombing attack was perpetrated by Hamas on a civilian bus in West Jerusalem on August 19, 2003, in which 21 Israeli citizens were killed, about a third of them children, bringing an end to what was supposed to be a temporary cessation of terrorist activity ( hudna ); it was
never honored by Hamas or the other Palestinian terrorist organizations.
In an interview with Al-Jezeera [TV station] on January 30, 2004, the day after the suicide bombing attack on a bus in Jerusalem , he said: “We said in the announcement of the [Al-Aqsa Martyrs] Brigads that we were the ones who carried out the action …, on the morning of January 31, 2004, we will distribute the video tape of the suicide bomber's living will and I will give you proof that he carried it out…”
In an interview given to MBC [ an Arabic TV satellite station] on August 7, 2003, he stated: “ Hamas refuses to recognize the State of Israel, to cede the territories of 1948 and to end its resistance to the Israeli presence. It is unthinkable that we would provide a safety net for Israel and its government after the suicide bombing attacks have caused a deterioration of the country's security, economy, politics and society.”
Sheikh Yassin – the symbol of contemporary Palestinian jihad-oriented terrorism -- was a charismatic, admired figure and was imbued with a radical Islamic ideology which he instilled in his followers and followers to be. (See below, Appendix.). He rose to leadership status despite his physical limitations (He contracted polio at an early age and was confined to a wheelchair). He was at the center of the Hamas decision-making process and served as its highest political and military authority . He continually advocated the perpetration of attacks against Israel, particularly suicide bombing attacks, was the moving force behind instigating attacks and responsible for all aspects of Hamas policy and activities .
Appendix The character and actions of Sheikh Yassin make it clear that no distinction can be made between the political and military wings of Hamas. One of the arguments meant to provide Sheikh Yassin (and the heads of Hamas in general) with a kind of “immunity” was that there is a distinction between the movement's military and political-indoctrination wings.
That claim, however, is completely unfounded, as is clearly shown by an analysis of Sheikh Yassin's character and actions.. He served as the political-strategic Hamas leader in the PA-administered territories, was founder and head of all the movement's civilian infrastructure (Da'wah), was involved with education (founded and headed the Dar al-Arqam coeducational private school in Gaza in which Hamas ideology was inculcated in the minds of the young Palestinian generation), advocated terrorism, dealt with propaganda and raised money for the Hamas coffers. At the same time, he was often responsible for sanctioning and encouraging attacks against Israel; he exalted them and campaigned for their continuation, including deadly suicide bombing attacks .
What was true for Sheikh Yassin is no less true for other senior members of Hamas who are also involved in terrorist activities, 4 which include: 4 One example is ‘ Abbas bin Muhammad al-Sayyid , who was head of the Tulkarm branch of Hamas, and whose trial is currently (March, 2004) under way and will soon end. He initiated, planned the details of and directed many attacks, including the suicide bombing attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya on the night of the
Passover Seder, March 27, 2003, in which 29 Israeli citizens were killed. He was also in close contact with Hamas political prisoners and was involved in a number of
political, propaganda and organizational activities. He represented Hamas at conferences, gave political speeches, purchased weapons, enlisted operatives,
organized demonstrations and funeral processions and provided legal services for arrested Hamas members.
Hamas' policy of terrorist attacks against Israel, with regard to both the type of attack Determining and coordinating (suicide bombing attack, launching Qassam missiles or shooting mortar shells) and providing the movement's military wing operatives with their final instructions before perpetrating an attack.
Directing the heads of the military organization . Some of the Hamas senior members (among them Sheikh Ahmed Yassin himself) were often directly involved in the movement's military organizational tactics.
Creating , within Palestinian society and among Hamas operatives in general, an awareness of and a readiness to use terrorism (including providing religious sanction for suicide bombing attacks against civilians and the involvement of women in terrorist activities). Exploiting the well-oiled machinery of the Da'wah, Hamas has been indoctrinating generations of Palestinians (from infancy to university) to negate the existence of the State of Israel and has been inciting them to wage a holy war [jihad] against Jews wherever they are found.
Large-scale raising of funds in the Arab and Western European countries, some of which go directly to financing the terrorist infrastructure and the perpetration of terrorist attacks against Israel, and some of which are earmarked for the social-cultural system which aids and finances the Hamas terrorism-supporting apparatus.
Coordinating with the Hamas leadership outside the PA-administered territories and with other terrorist organizations and countries which support terrorism . Senior Hamas operatives in the PA-administered territories are in close contact with Iran and Syria (both on American President George W. Bush's axis of evil) and with other Islamic terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah , from whom they receive political, military and economic aid, as well as from other sympathizers and supporters.