Yahya Ayyash
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Yahya Ayyash (يحيى عياش; March 6, 1966 - January 5, 1996) was a member and chief bombmaker of the Hamas organization. He is credited with advancing the technique of suicide bombing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. [1]
He received a degree in electrical engineering from Bir Zeit University in 1988.
Ayyash became one of the chief bomb-makers for Hamas. In that capacity, he earned the nickname the Engineer (Arabic: المهندس, transliterated Al-Muhandis). The bombings he orchestrated caused the deaths of more than 70 Israelis, many of them civilians. The bombings were carried out despite the signing of the Oslo Accords, which Hamas opposed.
Ayyash was assassinated by the Israeli Shabak in 1996, following a massive manhunt. [citation needed] A relative of one of Ayyash's fellow Hamas militants passed him a cell phone. It exploded when Ayyash was using it, killing him instantly. Reportedly, 100,000 people attended his funeral. [2]
[edit] Aftermath
Israel did not confirm or deny its role in killing Ayyash. This led to wild rumors and speculations as to the extent of their involvement. Three days after the assassination, the head of the Shin Bet at the time, Carmi Gillon resigned his post (because of Shin Bet failure to prevent Itzhak Rabin's assassination). Despite his killing, Hamas terrorist attacks continued. These attacks began on February 25, 1996, with dual early morning suicide bombings of an Israeli bus and troops on the roadside, killing 26 people. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Other attacks included the suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem on March 3, 1996, killing 19 people, and March 4 bombing of Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv's largest shopping mall, which killed 13. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad both claimed responsibility for the bombing outside the mall.
[edit] References
- ISBN 1-58574-749-1 The Hunt for the Engineer by Samuel Katz
[edit] External links
- A senior Palestinian terrorist as role model and admired figure at Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S), Israel
