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{{Short description|Palestinian political leader (1947–2004)}}
Dr. '''Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi''' ({{lang-ar|عبدالعزيز الرنتيسي}}) ([[October 23]], [[1947]]–{{Death date and age|2004|4|17|1947|10|23}}) was the co-founder of the militant Palestinian Islamist organization [[Hamas]] with [[Ahmed Yassin|Sheikh Ahmed Yassin]].
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|عبد العزيز الرنتيسي}}}}
| image =
| birthname = Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|10|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Yibna]], [[Ramle Subdistrict, Mandatory Palestine|Ramle]], [[Mandatory Palestine]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2004|04|17|1947|10|23|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Gaza City]], [[Gaza Strip]], [[Palestinian territories]]
| death_cause = Assassination
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| known_for = [[Hamas]] leader
| alma_mater = [[Alexandria University]]
| spouse = [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]]
}}


'''Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi''' ({{lang-ar|عبد العزيز الرنتيسي}}{{ltr}}; 23 October 1947 – 17 April 2004) was a Palestinian political leader and co-founder of [[Hamas]], along with Sheikh [[Ahmed Yassin]].
Rantissi was Hamas's political leader and spokesman in the [[Gaza Strip]] following the Israeli assassination of Hamas spiritual leader [[Sheikh Ahmad Yassin]] in March 2004.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1194569,00.html Israeli missile attack kills new Hamas chief | Israel and the Middle East | Guardian Unlimited<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Like most Hamas members, Rantissi opposed any compromise with [[Israel]] and called for the liberation of the historical region of [[Palestine]] (including the whole of the State of Israel) through military exertion against the Jewish state. In addition, Rantissi was the most vocal of Hamas leaders to [[Holocaust denial|deny the Holocaust]], claiming that the [[Holocaust]] never occurred as described by Western historians and that Zionists at one time supported and funded Nazi activities.<ref name="wwwimraorgil1">{{cite web | url = http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=18086 | title = imra.org.il | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = }}</ref>


Rantisi was born in [[Yibna]], [[Mandatory Palestine]] in 1947. During the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], his family [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight|fled or were expelled]] by Zionist militias to the [[Gaza Strip]]. In 1956, when he was nine, Israeli soldiers killed his uncle in front of him in [[Khan Younis]], which he stated had a lifelong impact on him. He studied [[pediatrics|pediatric medicine]] and [[genetics]] at [[Egypt]]'s, [[Alexandria University]], graduating first in his class, during which he became member of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. In 1976, he returned to Gaza to teach [[parasitology]] and [[genetics]] at the [[Islamic University of Gaza]].
He was considered a [[terrorism|terrorist]] by the [[United States]], the [[European Union]], and [[Israel]] for advocating [[suicide bombing|suicide bombings]] of [[civilian|civilians]]. Rantissi was quoted by the [[Chicago Tribune]] as saying, "We will kill Jews everywhere. There will be no security for any Jews, those who came from America, Russia or anywhere."<ref name="wwwahousegov2">{{cite web | url = http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/109/bay031705.htm | title = .house.gov | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = }}</ref>


During the [[First Intifada]] against the [[Israeli occupied territories|Israeli occupation]] in 1988, he became a popular organizer and a leader whose efforts helped the formation of Hamas. Rantisi became Hamas's political leader and spokesman in the Gaza Strip following the Israeli killing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in March 2004.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/israel/Story/0,,1194569,00.html|work=The Guardian|location=London|title=Israeli missile attack kills new Hamas chief|first=Conal|last=Urquhart|date=18 April 2004|access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref> Rantisi opposed compromise with Israel and called for the creation of a [[Palestinian state]] (including the whole of the State of Israel) through military action against Israel.
== Personal life ==
Rantissi was born in [[Yubna]] near [[Jaffa, Israel|Jaffa]]. Following the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], his family fled to the [[Gaza Strip]]. He studied [[pediatrics|pediatric medicine]] and [[genetics]] at Egypt's [[Alexandria University]], graduating first in his class. He was a certified [[physician]], although he did not have a practice. In his time in Egypt he became a deeply convicted member of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. In 1976 he returned to Gaza to teach [[parasitology]] and [[genetics]] at the Islamic University.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2977816.stm BBC NEWS | Middle East | Profile: Hamas leader Rantissi<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


On 17 April 2004, the [[Israeli Air Force]] [[targeted killing|assassinated]] al-Rantisi by firing [[Hellfire missiles]] from an [[Boeing AH-64 Apache|AH-64 Apache]] helicopter at his car.
Rantissi was married to [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]], who was elected to the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] in [[2006]]. He was also the father of six children.


==Early life and education==
== Origins of Hamas ==
Rantisi was born in [[Yibna]], near [[Ramle Subdistrict, Mandatory Palestine|Ramle]] in [[Mandatory Palestine]] on 23 October 1947. During the [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], his family [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight|fled or were expelled]] by Zionist militias to the [[Gaza Strip]]. In 1956, when he was eight or nine, he witnessed the [[Khan Yunis massacre]], in which Israeli soldiers killed hundreds of Palestinians in the [[Gaza Strip]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Gaza: A History|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|page=97|author=[[Jean-Pierre Filiu]]}}</ref> During the massacre, al-Rantisi recalled that Israeli soldiers killed his uncle in front of him — as he explained to [[Joe Sacco]], this fact was very important for his future life.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sacco|first=Joe|title=Footnotes in Gaza|url=https://archive.org/details/footnotesingaza0000sacc|url-access=registration|year=2009|publisher=Metropolitan Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8050-7347-8}}</ref> He studied [[pediatrics|pediatric medicine]] and [[genetics]] at [[Egypt]]'s, [[Alexandria University]], graduating first in his class. He was a certified physician. During his time in Egypt, he became a deeply convicted member of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. In 1976, Rantisi returned to Gaza to teach [[parasitology]] and [[genetics]] at the [[Islamic University of Gaza|Islamic University]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2977816.stm|work=BBC News|title=Profile: Hamas leader Rantisi| date=17 April 2004|access-date=23 April 2010}}</ref>
In 1987, four Palestinian civilians of the Jabalya refugee camp were killed in a traffic accident that involved Israeli settlers and soldiers.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article38342.ece Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi - Obituaries, News - Independent.co.uk<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> According to Rantissi, he joined with Sheikh [[Ahmad Yassin]], '[[Abdel Fattah Dukhan]], [[Mohammed Shama]]', Dr. [[Ibrahim al-Yazour]], [[Issa al-Najjar]], and [[Salah Shehadeh]] in instructing people to exit the mosques chanting ''[[Allahu Akbar]]'' ("God is great"). This was the start of the first [[intifada]], according to Rantissi, under whose leadership the organization that would subsequently come to be known as Hamas was formed later that year. "Intifada" is the Arabic word for "uprising", in this case an uprising against the Israeli occupation. In Hamas' version of the start of the Intifada, the rival [[PLO]] later joined forces with them, and a united leadership was formed. Historians dispute the Hamas-led version of the launching of the uprising.


==History with Hamas==
== Expulsion and return ==
In 1987, four Palestinian civilians of the Jabalya refugee camp were killed in a traffic accident that involved Israeli settlers and soldiers. Rantisi joined Sheikh [[Ahmad Yassin]] and [[Salah Shehadeh]], among others, encouraging people to protest the occupation, after mosque services. This was the start of the [[First Intifada]], which lasted five years. Rantisi became a popular organizer and leader whose efforts helped the formation of [[Hamas]].
In December 1992, Rantissi was deported to southern [[Lebanon]], as part of the expulsion of 416 Hamas and [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]] operatives, and emerged as the general spokesman of the expellees. Upon his return in 1993, he was arrested, but later released. He was also detained many times over longer periods by the [[Palestinian Authority]], for his criticism of the PA and of [[Arafat]], most recently in mid-1999. When Rantissi returned to his public position as "right hand" to Yassin, he remained one of the main opponents to any cease-fire and cessation of attacks inside Israel. During talks among the Hamas leadership both in Gaza and abroad and in its constant contact with the PA regarding terror activity, Rantissi, together with [[Ibrahim Macadma]], controlled the tone of the Hamas leadership.
<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dr-abdel-aziz-rantisi-38342.html |work=The Independent |location=London, UK |title=Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi |date=19 April 2004 |access-date=15 August 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 Oct 2009 |title=Rantisi: A Life Lived, Ended for Palestinian Cause - 2004-04-18 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2004-04-18-12-1-66344632/545180.html |access-date=15 Aug 2023 |website=Voice of America}}</ref>
In December 1992, Rantissi was deported to southern [[Lebanon]], as part of the expulsion of 416 Hamas and [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]] operatives, and emerged as the general spokesman of the expellees.<ref name=therald>{{cite news|title=Israel shelling near camp|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ik9FAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1bsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5819,823040&dq=abdulaziz+rantisi&hl=en|newspaper=The Telegraph Herald|date=4 June 1994|agency=AP|location=Lebanon}}</ref>


On 8 June 2003, he directed a Hamas-led attack in which four Israeli soldiers were killed at the [[Erez Crossing]] in the Gaza Strip. On 10 June 2003, Rantisi survived an Israeli helicopter attack on a car in which he was traveling.<ref name=abc1063>{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Tony|title=Hamas leader survives assassination attempt|url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s876632.htm|access-date=15 December 2012|newspaper=ABC|date=10 June 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419044030/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s876632.htm|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was lightly wounded in the attack, which killed one of his bodyguards, a civilian, and wounded at least 25 others.<ref name=un>{{cite web|title=Identical letters dated 10 June 2003 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council |url=https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/6466EA5918CD99FF85256D430052B9F8 |publisher=UN |access-date=17 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419030953/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/6466EA5918CD99FF85256D430052B9F8 |archive-date=19 April 2014 }}</ref>
After the return of Sheikh Yassin to the Gaza Strip in October 1997 in a prisoner exchange following a failed Israeli attempt to assassinate Hamas's Jordanian branch chief [[Khaled Mashal]], Rantissi worked closely with Yassin to restore hierarchic command and to reinforce cadre uniformity within a reorganized Hamas. Following the assassination of [[Salah Shehadeh]] and Ibrahim Macadma, he became the political head and also acclaimed spiritual leader of Hamas, remaining its principal spokesman.


On 23 March 2004, Rantisi was named leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the killing of [[Ahmed Yassin]] by Israeli forces. On 27 March 2004, Rantisi addressed 5,000 supporters in [[Gaza City|Gaza]]. He declared the then-US President [[George W. Bush]] to be an "enemy of Muslims" and asserted that "America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon. The war of God continues against them and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas."<ref name=cnn04>{{cite news|title=New Hamas leader: Bush is 'enemy of Muslims'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/28/mideast.conflict/index.html|access-date=17 November 2012|newspaper=CNN|date=6 May 2004|location=Gaza City}}</ref>
==Leadership of Hamas spent in hiding==
Rantisi's four week tenure as leader of Hamas was spent in hiding, once the public funeral for [[Ahmed Yassin]], attended by large crowds, ended. On the day of his death, April 17, he came out of hiding to visit his family in Gaza City, arriving before dawn and staying till the evening. Shortly after he left the house he was killed. <ref name="wwwnytimescom3">{{cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/international/middleeast/25HAMA.html | title = nytimes.com | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = }}</ref>


==Assassination==
== Selected timeline ==
[[File:Ah-64d.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Israeli [[AH-64 Apache]] helicopter]]
On [[June 6]], [[2003]], Rantissi broke off discussions with PA Prime Minister [[Mahmoud Abbas]], who had called for an end to "armed resistance".
On 17 April 2004, Rantisi was [[Israeli targeted killings|assassinated]] by the [[Israeli Air Force]], when they fired [[Hellfire missiles]] from an [[AH-64 Apache]] helicopter at his car. Two others, a bodyguard (named Akram Nassar), and Rantisi's 27-year-old son Mohammed, were also killed in the attack, and four bystanders wounded. [[Israeli army radio]] stated that this was the first opportunity to target Rantisi, without significant [[collateral damage]], since he took the leadership of Hamas,<ref name="wwwisraelnncom4">{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60974|title=israelnn|access-date=18 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051129032450/http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60974|archive-date=29 November 2005 }}</ref> alleging that he had surrounded himself with [[human shield]]s since the killing of Yassin.<ref name="Plaw2008">{{cite book|author=Avery Plaw|title=Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lrLGaUvJfykC&pg=PA77|year=2008|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-0-7546-4526-9|page=77}}</ref>


===Reactions===
On [[June 8, 2003]], Rantissi was responsible for directing the Hamas-led attack in which four Israeli soldiers were killed at the Erez Checkpoint in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman [[Jonathan Peled]] stated:
: "Israel...today struck a mastermind of terrorism, with blood on his hands. As long as the [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian Authority]] does not lift a finger and fight terrorism, Israel will continue to have to do so itself."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YlsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xucFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3163,4724148|title=Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref>


British Foreign Minister [[Jack Straw]] condemned the action:
On [[June 10]], [[2003]], Rantissi survived an Israeli helicopter attack on a car in which he was traveling. He was lightly wounded in the attack, which killed two civilians and wounded around thirty more, including 15 children under the age of 12.
: "The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive."<ref>{{cite news|title=UK condemns Hamas leader killing|date=18 April 2004|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3636179.stm|access-date=17 September 2015}}</ref>


==Personal life==
On [[January 26]], [[2004]], Rantissi offered "a [[hudna|10-year truce]] in return for withdrawal and the establishment of a state". There had earlier been some rumored talks within Hamas about doing this but this time Rantissi announced that "the movement has taken a decision on this".
Rantisi was married to [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]], who was elected to the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] in 2006, and who was herself assassinated in 2023; they had six children.<ref name=merip04>{{cite journal|last=Seitz|first=Charmaine|title=A New Kind of Killing|journal=MERIP|date=30 March 2004|url=http://www.merip.org/mero/mero033004|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref>

On [[March 23]], [[2004]], Rantissi was named leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the killing of [[Ahmed Yassin]] by Israeli forces. Reuters: [http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp;:406078d8:446c6ac05fd93dc?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4636275 Rantissi named Hamas chief for Gaza - official]

On [[March 27]], [[2004]], Rantissi addressed 5,000 supporters in [[Gaza]]. He declared US president [[George W. Bush]] to be an "''enemy of Muslims''". "''America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon. The war of God continues against them and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas.''"
CNN: [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/28/mideast.conflict/index.html New Hamas leader: Bush is 'enemy of Muslims']

== Death by missile ==
On [[April 17]], [[2004]], Rantissi was [[assassinated]] by the [[Israeli Army]] after they fired [[hellfire missiles]] from an [[Apache helicopter]] at his car. Two others, one a bodyguard named Akram Nassar and the other Rantissi's 27-year-old son Mohammed, were also killed in the attack, and four bystanders wounded. Along with these deaths a mother and her five year old daughter were killed. [[Israeli army radio]] stated that this was the first opportunity to target Rantissi, without significant [[collateral damage]], since he took the leadership of Hamas, alleging that he had surrounded himself with [[human shield]]s since the assassination of Yassin. <ref name="wwwisraelnncom4">{{cite web | url = http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60974 | title = israelnn.com | accessdate = 2007-06-18 | publisher = }}</ref>
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:rantisidead.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Rantissi's body after his assasination]] -->

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled said:
: "Israel...today struck a mastermind of [[terrorism]], with blood on his hands. As long as the [[Palestinian Authority]] does not lift a finger and fight terrorism, Israel will continue to have to do so itself."

British Foreign Minister [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] condemned the action:
: "The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive."

United States White House spokesman, Scott McClellan said:
:"The United States strongly urges Israel to consider carefully the consequences of its actions..."
: "As we have repeatedly made clear, Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist attacks."

==Quotations==
''"The Israelis will not know security. We will fight them until the liberation of Palestine, the whole of Palestine."'' (''[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/international/middleeast/18MIDE.html?hp The New York Times]'', [[March 22]], [[2003]])

''"All the land of Palestine is a part of the Islamic faith and the Caliph [[Omar bin al-Khattab]] declared it for all Muslims. Therefore, no individual or group has the right to sell it or give it up."'' ([http://www.kul-alarab.com/ Kul al-Arab], [[January 9]], [[1998]])

''"If Israel was established in [[United Kingdom|Britain]], would you accept compromise?"'', to a British journalist, June 1993.

''"We know Bush is the enemy of God, the enemy of Islam and the enemy of the Muslim people. America has declared war against God, [Israeli Prime Minister] Sharon declared war against God, and God has declared war against America, Bush and Sharon."''

''"It's death whether by killing or by cancer; it's the same thing. Nothing will change if it's an Apache (helicopter) or cardiac arrest. But I prefer to be killed by Apache."''


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Hamas]]
* [[Al-Rantisi Hospital]]
* [[Ahmed Yassin]]
* [[Muslim Brotherhood]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=307153&contrassID=2&subContrassID=15&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y What the doctor orders – Interview by Amira Hass] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001002849/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=307153&contrassID=2&subContrassID=15&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y |date=1 October 2007 }} ([[Haaretz]])
*[http://www.filistinetkinlik.com Palestine Activation Group]
*[http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/biography/Rantissi.html Abd al-Aziz Rantissi The Jewish Virtual Library] (biography and quotes)
*[http://www.jmcc.org/media/report/98/Jan/3b.htm interview with Rantissi Kul al-Arab (newspaper)], January 9, 1998 (the source for some of the information in this article)
*[http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=18086 Hamas Leader Rantisi: The Holocaust - The Greatest of Lies Funded by the Zionists]
*[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=307153&contrassID=2&subContrassID=15&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y What the doctor orders - Interview by Amira Hass] ([[Haaretz]])
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1194813,00.html the Guardian (Newpaper)]


{{Authority control}}
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME = Rantissi, Abdel Aziz al-
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = Hamas leader
|DATE OF BIRTH = [[October 23]], [[1947]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Yubna]], [[Israel]]
|DATE OF DEATH = [[April 17]], [[2004]]
|PLACE OF DEATH = [[Gaza City]]
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rantisi, Abdel Aziz}}
<!-- Categories -->
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rantissi, Abdel Aziz al-}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Hamas leaders]]
[[Category:Palestinian Muslims]]
[[Category:Assassinated Palestinian politicians]]
[[Category:People from the Gaza Strip]]
[[Category:Palestinian pediatricians]]
[[Category:Alexandria University alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Islamic University of Gaza]]
[[Category:Palestinian nationalists]]
[[Category:Assassinated Hamas members]]
[[Category:20th-century Palestinian physicians]]
[[Category:History of Hamas]]
[[Category:Hamas members]]
[[Category:Hamas members]]
[[Category:Holocaust deniers]]
[[Category:Anti-Americanism]]
[[Category:Assassinated Palestinian politicians]]
[[Category:Asian politicians assassinated in the 2000s]]
[[Category:Palestinian terrorists]]
[[Category:2000s murders in Palestine]]
[[Category:Anti-Zionism]]
[[Category:Palestinian expatriates in Egypt]]
[[Category:Arab people in Mandatory Palestine]]

[[Category:Politicians assassinated in 2004]]
<!-- Interwikis -->
[[Category:Deaths by Israeli airstrikes]]
[[ar:عبد العزيز الرنتيسي]]
[[da:Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi]]
[[de:Abd al-Aziz ar-Rantisi]]
[[es:Ábdel Aziz ar-Rantisi]]
[[eo:Abd al-Aziz Rantisi]]
[[fa:عبدالعزیز رنتیسی]]
[[fr:Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi]]
[[id:Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi]]
[[he:עבד אל-עזיז א-רנתיסי]]
[[nl:Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi]]
[[ja:アブドゥルアズィーズ・アッ＝ランティースィー]]
[[pl:Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi]]
[[pt:Ábdel Aziz ar-Rantisi]]
[[ru:Рантиси, Абдель Азиз]]
[[fi:Abdulaziz al-Rantisi]]
[[sv:Abd al-Aziz al-Rantissi]]
[[wa:Abdelaziz Al Rantissi]]
[[zh:阿卜杜勒-阿齐兹·兰提西]]

Latest revision as of 00:24, 20 May 2024

Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
عبد العزيز الرنتيسي
Born
Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi

(1947-10-23)23 October 1947
Yibna, Ramle, Mandatory Palestine
Died17 April 2004(2004-04-17) (aged 56)
Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories
Cause of deathAssassination
Alma materAlexandria University
Known forHamas leader
SpouseJamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti

Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi (Arabic: عبد العزيز الرنتيسي‎; 23 October 1947 – 17 April 2004) was a Palestinian political leader and co-founder of Hamas, along with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

Rantisi was born in Yibna, Mandatory Palestine in 1947. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, his family fled or were expelled by Zionist militias to the Gaza Strip. In 1956, when he was nine, Israeli soldiers killed his uncle in front of him in Khan Younis, which he stated had a lifelong impact on him. He studied pediatric medicine and genetics at Egypt's, Alexandria University, graduating first in his class, during which he became member of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1976, he returned to Gaza to teach parasitology and genetics at the Islamic University of Gaza.

During the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation in 1988, he became a popular organizer and a leader whose efforts helped the formation of Hamas. Rantisi became Hamas's political leader and spokesman in the Gaza Strip following the Israeli killing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in March 2004.[1] Rantisi opposed compromise with Israel and called for the creation of a Palestinian state (including the whole of the State of Israel) through military action against Israel.

On 17 April 2004, the Israeli Air Force assassinated al-Rantisi by firing Hellfire missiles from an AH-64 Apache helicopter at his car.

Early life and education

Rantisi was born in Yibna, near Ramle in Mandatory Palestine on 23 October 1947. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, his family fled or were expelled by Zionist militias to the Gaza Strip. In 1956, when he was eight or nine, he witnessed the Khan Yunis massacre, in which Israeli soldiers killed hundreds of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.[2] During the massacre, al-Rantisi recalled that Israeli soldiers killed his uncle in front of him — as he explained to Joe Sacco, this fact was very important for his future life.[3] He studied pediatric medicine and genetics at Egypt's, Alexandria University, graduating first in his class. He was a certified physician. During his time in Egypt, he became a deeply convicted member of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1976, Rantisi returned to Gaza to teach parasitology and genetics at the Islamic University.[4]

History with Hamas

In 1987, four Palestinian civilians of the Jabalya refugee camp were killed in a traffic accident that involved Israeli settlers and soldiers. Rantisi joined Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and Salah Shehadeh, among others, encouraging people to protest the occupation, after mosque services. This was the start of the First Intifada, which lasted five years. Rantisi became a popular organizer and leader whose efforts helped the formation of Hamas. [5][6] In December 1992, Rantissi was deported to southern Lebanon, as part of the expulsion of 416 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, and emerged as the general spokesman of the expellees.[7]

On 8 June 2003, he directed a Hamas-led attack in which four Israeli soldiers were killed at the Erez Crossing in the Gaza Strip. On 10 June 2003, Rantisi survived an Israeli helicopter attack on a car in which he was traveling.[8] He was lightly wounded in the attack, which killed one of his bodyguards, a civilian, and wounded at least 25 others.[9]

On 23 March 2004, Rantisi was named leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the killing of Ahmed Yassin by Israeli forces. On 27 March 2004, Rantisi addressed 5,000 supporters in Gaza. He declared the then-US President George W. Bush to be an "enemy of Muslims" and asserted that "America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon. The war of God continues against them and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas."[10]

Assassination

Israeli AH-64 Apache helicopter

On 17 April 2004, Rantisi was assassinated by the Israeli Air Force, when they fired Hellfire missiles from an AH-64 Apache helicopter at his car. Two others, a bodyguard (named Akram Nassar), and Rantisi's 27-year-old son Mohammed, were also killed in the attack, and four bystanders wounded. Israeli army radio stated that this was the first opportunity to target Rantisi, without significant collateral damage, since he took the leadership of Hamas,[11] alleging that he had surrounded himself with human shields since the killing of Yassin.[12]

Reactions

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled stated:

"Israel...today struck a mastermind of terrorism, with blood on his hands. As long as the Palestinian Authority does not lift a finger and fight terrorism, Israel will continue to have to do so itself."[13]

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw condemned the action:

"The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive."[14]

Personal life

Rantisi was married to Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti, who was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006, and who was herself assassinated in 2023; they had six children.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ Urquhart, Conal (18 April 2004). "Israeli missile attack kills new Hamas chief". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  2. ^ Jean-Pierre Filiu. Gaza: A History. Oxford University Press. p. 97.
  3. ^ Sacco, Joe (2009). Footnotes in Gaza. New York: Metropolitan Books. ISBN 978-0-8050-7347-8.
  4. ^ "Profile: Hamas leader Rantisi". BBC News. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi". The Independent. London, UK. 19 April 2004. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Rantisi: A Life Lived, Ended for Palestinian Cause - 2004-04-18". Voice of America. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Israel shelling near camp". The Telegraph Herald. Lebanon. AP. 4 June 1994.
  8. ^ Jones, Tony (10 June 2003). "Hamas leader survives assassination attempt". ABC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Identical letters dated 10 June 2003 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council". UN. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  10. ^ "New Hamas leader: Bush is 'enemy of Muslims'". CNN. Gaza City. 6 May 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  11. ^ "israelnn". Archived from the original on 29 November 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  12. ^ Avery Plaw (2008). Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill?. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7546-4526-9.
  13. ^ "Lawrence Journal-World - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  14. ^ "UK condemns Hamas leader killing". 18 April 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  15. ^ Seitz, Charmaine (30 March 2004). "A New Kind of Killing". MERIP. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

External links

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