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Abd al-Aziz Rantisi
Second leader of Hamas
Full Name'Abd al-'Aziz 'Ali 'Abd al-Hafiz al-Rantisi
Religious AffiliationIslam, Ahl al-Sunna
BirthOctober 23, 1947
Place of BirthPalestine
Places of ResidenceGaza
DeathApril 17, 2004
MartyrdomApril 17, 2004
Cause of MartyrdomIsraeli missile attack
Burial PlaceSheikh Radwan Cemetery in central Gaza
Notable rolesLeader of Hamas
ActivitiesPhysician, University Professor


'Abd al-'Azīz 'Alī 'Abd al-Ḥafīẓ al-Rantīsī (1947–2004) served as the second leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement, succeeding Ahmad Yasin. He commanded widespread popularity among the people of Palestine for his uncompromising and vocal opposition to the Zionist occupiers. A co-founder of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 1987, Rantisi was widely recognized as the movement's second-in-command. Despite enduring repeated imprisonment and exile, he remained steadfast in advocating for resistance against the occupation, maintaining that armed struggle was the only viable path to the liberation of Palestine.

A pediatrician and university professor by profession, Rantisi was assassinated on April 17, 2004, in a targeted missile attack on his vehicle by the Zionist regime.

Status and Importance

'Abd al-'Aziz 'Ali 'Abd al-Hafiz al-Rantisi assumed leadership of the Hamas movement following the death of Ahmad Yasin.[1] His resolute stance against the occupation established him as a prominent and deeply respected figure within the Palestinian resistance.[2] His popularity was rooted in his integrity, modest lifestyle, and resilience under pressure, as he consistently prioritized the interests of the Palestinian nation above all else.[3] Rantisi was a Hafiz (memorizer of the Qur'an), an accomplished writer, and a gifted orator who was fluent in English.[4]

He survived an assassination attempt in 2003 and remained committed to resisting the occupation until his final days.[5] He viewed armed resistance as the sole means of liberating Palestine and believed that oppressive powers, including the USA and the Zionist regime, were destined for collapse.[6]

Sheikh Ahmad Yasin and 'Abd al-'Aziz Rantisi; leaders of Hamas

Biography

'Abd al-'Aziz Rantisi was born on October 23, 1947, in the village of Yibna, situated between Ashkelon and Jaffa in Palestine.[7] In the aftermath of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the Occupation of Palestine, his family was forced to flee, eventually seeking refuge in the Khan Yunis camp in the Gaza Strip.[8]

Education and Entering the Social Arena

Despite the hardships and poverty of life in the Khan Yunis camp, Rantisi pursued his education. In 1972, he was admitted to the Faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University in Egypt, where he completed his studies and residency, specializing in pediatrics.[9] During this period, he became influenced by the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, a factor that significantly shaped his political and ideological outlook in the years that followed.[10]

'Abd al-'Aziz was also active in scientific and social spheres,[11] serving on the boards of the Islamic Assembly, the Gaza Medical Association, and the Palestinian Red Crescent.[12] Beginning in 1978, he taught at the Islamic University of Gaza, specializing in genetics and parasitology.[13]

Martyrdom

On April 17, 2004, just 26 days after assuming the leadership of Hamas,[14] Rantisi was assassinated, along with his son Muhammad, in an Israeli missile strike on his vehicle in Gaza.[15] He was buried in the Sheikh Radwan Martyrs' Cemetery in the central Gaza Strip.[16]

The body of 'Abd al-'Aziz Rantisi; moments after the assassination

Political Activities and the Formation of Hamas

'Abd al-'Aziz Rantisi during exile in the "Marj al-Zuhur" region of Lebanon

Upon completing his studies and returning to Gaza, Rantisi practiced medicine and was actively involved in treating wounded Palestinians. In 1987, he co-founded Hamas alongside Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, assuming leadership of the movement in Gaza.[17] The following year, he was arrested by Israeli forces for his anti-Zionist activities, spending two and a half years in prison.[18]

In 1992, Rantisi was arrested once more and exiled to Lebanon along with 400 activists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.[19] During his exile, he served as a spokesperson for the deportees, amplifying the voice of the resistance on the global stage.[20] Upon his return to Palestine, he was re-imprisoned, remaining in custody until 1997. Following his release, he solidified his position as the second-in-command of Hamas.[21]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Mard-i maydān-i muqāwamat", Iran Newspaper.
  2. ↑ Khamene'i, Tawahhum-i sulṭa, 1392 Sh, pp. 479-480.
  3. ↑ Khamene'i, Tawahhum-i sulṭa, 1392 Sh, pp. 479-480; "Mard-i maydān-i muqāwamat", Iran Newspaper.
  4. ↑ "Zindigīnāma-yi shahīd-i vālā-maqām duktur 'Abd al-'Azīz Rantīsī", Palestinian Information Center.
  5. ↑ "Rantisi Hamas leader", BBC News.
  6. ↑ "Bih munāsibat-i nuhumīn sālgard-i shahādat-i 'Abd al-'Azīz Rantīsī, rahbar-i junbish-i Ḥamās", Tasnim News Agency.
  7. ↑ "'Abd al-'Azīz al-Rantīsī... ṭabīb aṭfāl sāhama fī ta'sīs ḥarakat Ḥamās", Al Jazeera Network.
  8. ↑ Wā'ī, Mawsū'at shuhadā' al-ḥarakat al-Islāmiyya, 2006, vol. 1, p. 171.
  9. ↑ "Mard-i maydān-i muqāwamat", Iran Newspaper.
  10. ↑ "Rantisi Hamas leader", BBC News.
  11. ↑ Khamene'i, Tawahhum-i sulṭa, 1392 Sh, pp. 479-480.
  12. ↑ "'Abd al-'Azīz al-Rantīsī... ṭabīb aṭfāl sāhama fī ta'sīs ḥarakat Ḥamās", Al Jazeera Network.
  13. ↑ "'Abd al-'Azīz al-Rantīsī... mu'assis Ḥamās", Bawwābat al-Ḥarakāt al-Islāmiyya.
  14. ↑ "Mard-i maydān-i muqāwamat", Iran Newspaper.
  15. ↑ "Israel assassinates Hamas leader Rantissi", The Guardian.
  16. ↑ "al-Filasṭīniyyūn yushayyi'ūn al-Rantīsī wa l-sulṭa tastaghīth bi-l-'ālam", Al Jazeera.
  17. ↑ Rūz-shumār-i tārīkh, 1390 Sh, p. 1950.
  18. ↑ Khamene'i, Tawahhum-i sulṭa, 1392 Sh, pp. 479-480.
  19. ↑ "'Abd al-'Azīz al-Rantīsī... ṭabīb aṭfāl sāhama fī ta'sīs ḥarakat Ḥamās", Al Jazeera Network.
  20. ↑ Rūz-shumār-i tārīkh, 1390 Sh, p. 1950.
  21. ↑ "Israel assassinates Hamas leader Rantissi", The Guardian.

References

Template:Resistance Front

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