Killing of Ahmed Yassin
| Date | 22 March 2004 |
|---|---|
| Location | Sabra, Gaza Strip |
| Type | Airstrike from helicopter |
| Target | Ahmed Yassin |
| Perpetrator | Israel Defense Forces |
| Deaths | 10 |
On 22 March 2004, the Palestinian leader and one of the founders of Hamas, Ahmed Yassin, 67, was assassinated in Gaza City. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - who used a wheelchair due to being quadriplegic since his adolescence - 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.