Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Hamas leader (1947–2004)}}
{{Short description|Palestinian political leader (1947–2004)}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi
| name               = Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
|native_name   = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|عبد العزيز علي عبد المجيد الحفيظ الرنتيسي}}}}
| native_name         = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|عبد العزيز الرنتيسي}}}}
|image        = عبد العزيز الرنتيسي.jpg
| image               = Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi (cropped).png
|birth_date   = {{Birth date|1947|10|23|df=y}}
| caption            = Portrait of Al-Rantisi at the [[Shatila refugee camp]].
|birth_place   = [[Yibna]], [[Mandatory Palestine]]
| office              = [[Chairman of the Hamas Shura Council]]
|death_date   = {{Death date and age|2004|04|17|1947|10|23|df=y}}
| term_start          = 22 March 2004
|death_place   = [[Gaza City]], [[Gaza Strip]]
| term_end            = 17 April 2004
|death_cause   = Assassination
| deputy              =
|resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| predecessor         = [[Ahmed Yassin]]
|known_for    = [[Hamas]] leader
| successor          =
|alma_mater    = [[Alexandria University]]
| office1            = [[List of leaders of Hamas|Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Shura Council]]
|spouse        = Rasha Al Adloni
| term_start1        = 10 December 1987
| term_end1          = 22 March 2004
| predecessor1        = ''Position created''
| successor1          =
| birth_name          = 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 of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi|Assassination]] by airstrike
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| alma_mater          = [[Alexandria University]]
| spouse              = [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]]
}}
}}


'''Abdel Aziz Ali Abdul Majid al-Rantisi''' ({{lang-ar|عبد العزيز علي عبد المجيد الحفيظ الرنتيسي}}{{ltr}}; 23 October 1947 – 17 April 2004), nicknamed the "Lion of Palestine",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://paltoday.ps/ar/post/196073/%D8%B9%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86|script-title=ar:عشر سنوات على اغتيال "أسد فلسطين"|language=ar|publisher=paltoday.ps|date=17 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://loblab.com/pages/item.aspx?itemid=32969|script-title=ar:اليوم ذكرى استشهاد أسد فلسطين الدكتور عبدالعزيز الرنتيسي|language=ar|publisher=loblab.com|date=17 April 2014}}</ref> was the co-founder of Palestinian Sunni-Islamic organization [[Hamas]] along with Sheikh [[Ahmed Yassin]].
'''Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi''' ({{langx|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]] in 1987. He also served as the [[chairman of the Hamas Shura Council]] from the [[Killing of Ahmed Yassin|assassination of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin]] on 22 March 2004 until [[Assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi|his own assassination]] in April 2004 and the first [[List of leaders of Hamas|deputy chairman of the Hamas Shura Council]] from December 1987 until March 2004.


Rantisi was 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 the Jewish state.
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 [[Alexandria University]] in [[Egypt]], graduating first in his class; during that time he became a member of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. In 1976, he returned to Gaza to teach [[parasitology]] and [[genetics]] at the [[Islamic University of Gaza]].


On 17 April 2004, the [[Israeli Air Force]] [[targeted killing|killed]] al-Rantisi by firing [[Hellfire missiles]] from an [[AH-64 Apache]] helicopter at his car.
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=26 June 2024}}</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.
 
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.


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Rantisi was born in [[Yibna]], near [[Jaffa, Israel|Jaffa]] on 23 October 1947. In [[1948 Arab-Israeli War]], his family fled to the [[Gaza Strip]]. In 1956, when he was nine, Israeli soldiers killed his uncle in [[Khan Younis]]: 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]]. 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 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>
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-link=Jean-Pierre Filiu |first=Jean-Pierre |last=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=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2977816.stm|work=BBC News|title=Profile: Hamas leader Rantisi| date=17 April 2004|access-date=26 June 2024}}</ref>


==Origins of Hamas==
==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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article38342.ece |work=The Independent |location=London, UK |title=Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi profile |date=19 April 2004 |access-date=23 April 2010 }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
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]].
<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 January 1994|agency=Associated Press|location=Lebanon}}</ref>


According to Rantisi, he joined with Sheikh [[Ahmad Yassin]] and [[Salah Shehadeh]], among others, in instructing people to exit the mosques chanting ''[[Allahu Akbar]]'' ("God is great"). This was the start of the [[First Intifada]], according to Rantisi, 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.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
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=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|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 |date=10 June 2003}}</ref> Rantisi also reportedly threatened, while in his bed in [[Al-Shifa Hospital]], "not a single Jew in Palestine is safe" and "kill Israeli political leaders, because all of them are killers".<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff Reporter |title='Not a single Jew in Palestine is safe' |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2003-06-10-not-a-single-jew-in-palestine-is-safe/ |work=The Mail & Guardian |date=10 June 2003 |language=en-ZA}}</ref>


==Expulsion and return==
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=26 June 2024|newspaper=CNN|date=6 May 2004|location=Gaza City}}</ref>
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2015}}
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> Upon his return in 1993, he was arrested, but later{{When|date=October 2010}} released. He was detained many times{{Quantify|date=October 2010}} over longer periods{{Quantify|date=October 2010}} by the [[Palestinian Authority]], for his criticism of the PA and of [[Yasser Arafat]], the last time in mid-1999. When Rantisi 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.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}}


During talks among the Hamas leadership both in Gaza and abroad and in its constant contact with the PA regarding terror activity, Rantisi, together with Ibrahim Macadma,{{Who|date=October 2015}} controlled the tone of the Hamas leadership. After the return of Sheikh Yassin to the Gaza Strip in October 1997 in a prisoner exchange following a failed Israeli attempt to kill 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 killings of Macadma and [[Salah Shehadeh]], Rantisi purportedly became the political head and also acclaimed spiritual leader of Hamas, remaining its principal spokesman.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
==Assassination==
{{main|Assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi}}


==Leadership of Hamas==
On 17 April 2004, Rantisi was [[Assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi|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=Surgical Strike Not a Retaliatory Action |work=Artuz Sheva |date=17 April 2004|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|first=Avery |last=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>
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. During his leadership, Hamas carried out a single suicide bombing which killed an Israeli policeman. On the day of his death, 17 April 2004, 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. [[Khaled Mashal|Khaled Masha'al]] became the leader of Hamas after his death.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
 
==Selected timeline==
On 6 June 2003, Rantisi broke off discussions with Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister [[Mahmoud Abbas]], who had called for an end to "armed resistance".{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
 
On 8 June 2003, Rantisi was responsible for directing the Hamas-led attack in which four Israeli soldiers were killed at the Erez Checkpoint 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 a bodyguard of Rantisi, 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>
 
On 26 January 2004, Rantisi 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 Rantisi announced that "the movement has taken a decision on this".{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}
 
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''". "''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>
 
==Assassination==
[[File:Ah-64d.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Israeli [[AH-64 Apache]] helicopter]]
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===
===Reactions===
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Peled said:
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."<ref>{{cite web|title=Lawrence Journal-World|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YlsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xucFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3163%2C4724148}}</ref>
: "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|work=Lawrence Journal-World |via=Google News Archive Search |title=Israeli attack kills leader of Hamas |first=Michael |last=Matza |date=18 April 2004}}</ref>


British Foreign Minister [[Jack Straw]] condemned the action:
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."<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>
: "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=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3636179.stm|access-date=26 June 2024 |work=BBC}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Rantisi was married to [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]], who was elected to the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]] in 2006; 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>
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=26 June 2024}}</ref>


==Quotations==
== Writings ==
"The Israelis will not know security. We will fight them until the liberation of Palestine, the whole of Palestine." (''[https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/international/middleeast/18MIDE.html?hp ''The New York Times]'' '', 22 March 2003)
Al-Rantisi's political writings and poems were widely published in Arabic newspapers and on his personal website.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Alshaer |first=Atef |title=The Poetry of Hamas |journal=[[Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication]] |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=214–230 |date=September 2009 |doi=10.1163/187398509X12476683126383 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233524457 |access-date=11 June 2025}}</ref>
Among his books we find ''Memoirs of the Martyr Dr. Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi'', compiled by Amer Shamakh, which offers insights into his personal experiences, ideological beliefs, and the events that shaped his role in the Palestinian resistance.<ref name="All4Palestine">{{Cite web |title=Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi |url=https://www.all4palestine.org/ModelDetails.aspx?gid=14&mid=78083&lang=en |access-date=5 June 2025 |website=All4Palestine |language=en}}</ref>


"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."<ref>[http://www.kul-alarab.com/ Kul al-Arab] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927014146/http://www.kul-alarab.com/ |date=27 September 2004 }}, kul-alarab.com, 9 January 1998.</ref>
== Legacy ==


"If Israel was established in Britain, would you accept compromise?", to British journalist Derek Brown, June 1993.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Derek|title=Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/apr/19/guardianobituaries.israel|website=TheGuardian.com|date=19 April 2004|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref>
The [[Al-Rantisi Hospital|Al-Rantisi]] Pediatric Hospital, in Gaza City, is named after him. It provided treatment for cancer and kidney failure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gaza's Al-Rantisi Hospital goes out of service, leaving 38 children with kidney failure in danger |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/gazas-al-rantisi-hospital-goes-out-of-service-leaving-38-children-with-kidney-failure-in-danger/3049210 |access-date=16 August 2024 |work=www.aa.com.tr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Feature: Cancer patients in Gaza suffer painful treatment journey - Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/31/c_138270696.htm |access-date=16 August 2024 |work=www.xinhuanet.com |date=2019-07-31}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Hamas]]
* [[Al-Rantisi Hospital]]
* [[Ahmed Yassin]]
* [[Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti]]
* [[List of Palestinian civilian casualties in the Second Intifada]]


==References==
==References==
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==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] ([[Haaretz]])
* [https://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]])


{{Hamas leaders}}
{{Hamas}}
{{Targeted killing by Israel}}
{{Israeli–Palestinian conflict}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rantisi, Abdel Aziz Al-}}
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[[Category:2004 deaths]]
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[[Category:Assassinated Palestinian politicians]]
[[Category:Palestinian Holocaust deniers]]
[[Category:People from the Gaza Strip]]
[[Category:People from the Gaza Strip]]
[[Category:Palestinian pediatricians]]
[[Category:Palestinian pediatricians]]
[[Category:Alexandria University alumni]]
[[Category:Alexandria University alumni]]
[[Category:Islamic University of Gaza faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Islamic University of Gaza]]
[[Category:Palestinian nationalists]]
[[Category:Palestinian nationalists]]
[[Category:Assassinated Hamas members]]
[[Category:Assassinated Hamas members]]
[[Category:20th-century Palestinian physicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Palestinian medical doctors]]
[[Category:Holocaust denial]]
[[Category:History of Hamas]]
[[Category:Hamas]]
[[Category:Hamas members]]
[[Category:Hamas members]]
[[Category:Anti-Americanism]]
[[Category:Asian politicians assassinated in the 2000s]]
[[Category:2000s murders in Palestine]]
[[Category:Palestinian expatriates in Egypt]]
[[Category:Arab people from Mandatory Palestine]]
[[Category:People from Mandatory Palestine]]
[[Category:Politicians assassinated in 2004]]
[[Category:Deaths by Israeli airstrikes]]
[[Category:People of the Second Intifada]]

Latest revision as of 04:47, 16 March 2026


Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi
عبد العزيز الرنتيسي
Portrait of Al-Rantisi at the Shatila refugee camp.
Chairman of the Hamas Shura Council
In office
22 March 2004 – 17 April 2004
Preceded byAhmed Yassin
Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Shura Council
In office
10 December 1987 – 22 March 2004
Preceded byPosition created
Personal details
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 by airstrike
Spouse(s)Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti
Alma materAlexandria University

Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.Template:Ltr; 23 October 1947 – 17 April 2004) was a Palestinian political leader and co-founder of Hamas, along with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 1987. He also served as the chairman of the Hamas Shura Council from the assassination of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin on 22 March 2004 until his own assassination in April 2004 and the first deputy chairman of the Hamas Shura Council from December 1987 until March 2004.

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 Alexandria University in Egypt, graduating first in his class; during that time he became a 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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] Rantisi also reportedly threatened, while in his bed in Al-Shifa Hospital, "not a single Jew in Palestine is safe" and "kill Israeli political leaders, because all of them are killers".[10]

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."[11]

Assassination[edit | edit source]

Main article: Assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi

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,[12] alleging that he had surrounded himself with human shields since the killing of Yassin.[13]

Reactions[edit | edit source]

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."[14]

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."[15]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

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.[16]

Writings[edit | edit source]

Al-Rantisi's political writings and poems were widely published in Arabic newspapers and on his personal website.[17] Among his books we find Memoirs of the Martyr Dr. Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi, compiled by Amer Shamakh, which offers insights into his personal experiences, ideological beliefs, and the events that shaped his role in the Palestinian resistance.[18]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The Al-Rantisi Pediatric Hospital, in Gaza City, is named after him. It provided treatment for cancer and kidney failure.[19][20]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Urquhart, Conal (18 April 2004). "Israeli missile attack kills new Hamas chief". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Filiu, Jean-Pierre. 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 26 June 2024.
  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. Associated Press. 4 January 1994.
  8. ↑ Jones, Tony (10 June 2003). "Hamas leader survives assassination attempt". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 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. 10 June 2003. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  10. ↑ Staff Reporter (10 June 2003). "'Not a single Jew in Palestine is safe'". The Mail & Guardian.
  11. ↑ "New Hamas leader: Bush is 'enemy of Muslims'". CNN. Gaza City. 6 May 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  12. ↑ "Surgical Strike Not a Retaliatory Action". Artuz Sheva. 17 April 2004. Archived from the original on 29 November 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  13. ↑ Plaw, Avery (2008). Targeting Terrorists: A License to Kill?. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-7546-4526-9.
  14. ↑ Matza, Michael (18 April 2004). "Israeli attack kills leader of Hamas". Lawrence Journal-World – via Google News Archive Search.
  15. ↑ "UK condemns Hamas leader killing". BBC. 18 April 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  16. ↑ Seitz, Charmaine (30 March 2004). "A New Kind of Killing". MERIP. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  17. ↑ Alshaer, Atef (September 2009). "The Poetry of Hamas". Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication. 2 (2): 214–230. doi:10.1163/187398509X12476683126383. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  18. ↑ "Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi". All4Palestine. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  19. ↑ "Gaza's Al-Rantisi Hospital goes out of service, leaving 38 children with kidney failure in danger". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Feature: Cancer patients in Gaza suffer painful treatment journey - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

External links[edit | edit source]

Template:Hamas leaders Template:Hamas Template:Targeted killing by Israel Template:Israeli–Palestinian conflict

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