Yahya Ayyash

Yahya Ayyash
يحيى عياش
Born6 March 1966
Rafat, Jordanian West Bank
Died5 January 1996(1996-01-05) (aged 29)
Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip
Cause of deathAssassination
Other namesThe Engineer
Alma materBirzeit University
Movement Hamas

Yahya Abd-al-Latif Ayyash (Arabic: يحيى عياش, romanized: Yaḥyā ʿAyyāš, pronounced [jaħjaː ʕajːaʃ]; 6 March 1966 – 5 January 1996) was the chief bombmaker of Hamas and the leader of the West Bank battalion of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. In that capacity, he earned the nickname "the Engineer" (Arabic: المهندس, romanized: al-Muhandis). Ayyash is credited with advancing the technique of suicide bombings against Israel by Palestinian militant groups. The bombings he orchestrated killed approximately 90 Israelis, many of them civilians.[1] He was assassinated by the Shin Bet on January 5, 1996,[2] through a booby-trapped mobile phone.[3][4]

Ayyash is celebrated by local Palestinian communities who have named streets and other locales in his honor.[5][6][7] His name was also given to the rocket Ayyash-250 produced by Hamas.[8]

  1. ^ Katz 2002, p. 256
  2. ^ Former Shin Bet director Carmi Gillon confirmed the story in the documentary The Gatekeepers.
  3. ^ Hassan, Jennifer; Javaid, Maham (31 July 2024). "Israel has a long history of assassination operations across borders". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  4. ^ "20 years ago this week - Israel assassinates 'The Engineer'". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 9 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Katz, 260 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference itic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Goldberg, J.J. (4 August 2015). "The Problem With Netanyahu's Response to Jewish Terror". The Forward. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Hamas makes unverified claim it's using new rocket that can hit all of Israel". The Times of Israel. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2024.