On the 22nd of March 2004 Israeli helicopter gunships fired a missile at the half blind almost wholly paralyzed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin aged 67 as he was leaving the mosque in Gaza city after performing dawn prayers killing him instantly along with eleven other citizens.
Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza commemorated the 10th anniversary of the targeted assassination of Sheikh Yassin the founder and leader of the Hamas Resistance Movement.
Sheikh Yassin was feared by the Israeli occupation forces despite his physical disability as he was known for his genius political wisdom and his strong will and determination.
In 1948 Nakba of Palestine the young Yassin was forced to flee at the age of 12 along with his family and thousands of other refugees southwards to the Gaza Strip as his birthplace was bulldozed along with nearly 500 other Palestinian towns and villages by the IOF.
In 1952 he was injured while playing sports and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. However paralysis did not put an end to his ambitions.
The occupation forces arrested Sheikh Yassin several times on charges of calling to armed resistance inciting to kidnap Israeli soldiers as well as founding Hamas movement and its armed wing.
The occupation arrested Sheikh Yassin tortured and detained him in harsh detention conditions despite his several health problems but never succeeded to undermine his determination.
He challenged the occupation and all difficulties without any hesitation and founded in mid-1987 along with a group of Islamic leaders (including Dr. Abd al Aziz al Rantissi) the Islamic Resistance Movement – Hamas.
Hamas had a significant role in the Palestinian Intifada that broke out at that time. Since that time Sheikh Yassin was considered the spiritual leader of the movement.
He remained until his martyrdom the most effective and eloquent spokesman of Hamas and the entire Palestinian Islamic camp despite his severe physical disability and his movement Hamas proved that it has not changed and that it will continue to follow the path of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and to adhere to the Palestinian constants and resistance until the liberation of the occupied Palestinian land.
