Al-Qassam Website - Today marks the nineteenth anniversary of the martyrdom of the heroic freedom fighter and Hamas chief in Gaza Abdel Aziz Al-Rantissi, who was assassinated with a missile fired by an Israeli occupation warplane at his car in Gaza City, instantly killing him and his two companions.

Birth and education

Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi was a prominent Palestinian political leader and co-founder of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas. Born in Yibna, Palestine, in 1947, he grew up in Gaza and went on to study medicine in Egypt before returning to Gaza in 1976 to practice as a pediatrician. However, his involvement in politics led to him being kidnapped and jailed by Israeli occupation authorities on multiple occasions.

Co-founding Hamas

Al-Rantisi was, alongside Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and others, a key figure in the formation of Hamas in 1987, whose aim was to resist the Israeli occupation of Palestine and establish a sovereign Palestinian state. Al-Rantisi was known for his fiery speeches and strong rhetoric, and quickly rose to become one of Hamas's most important officials.

The top Hamas official dedicated his life to the Palestinian issue and played a significant role in and left his stamp on the Palestinian quest for freedom and independence.

Al-Rantisi was known for his strong opposition to any compromise with the settler-colonial occupation state of Israel.

Writings and speeches

Al-Rantisi's writings and speeches were a significant part of his legacy, and they continue to inspire and motivate Palestinians and others who are committed to the struggle for justice and independence in the region.

His writings and speeches often focused on the Palestinian struggle for independence and the need for armed resistance against the Israeli occupation. He was a skilled orator, whose speeches were often characterized by their fiery rhetoric and calls to action.

One of al-Rantisi's most famous speeches was his eulogy for Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas who was assassinated by the Israeli occupation authorities in March 2004, just weeks before al-Rantisi himself was assassinated. In the eulogy, al-Rantisi declared that "the blood of the martyrs will not be wasted" and vowed to continue the struggle for Palestinian independence.

Assassination

In 2003, the Israeli occupation aircraft assassinated the Hamas' official, who had by then become the de facto leader of Hamas following Sheikh Yassin's assassination the previous month. Israeli occupation fighter jets fired missiles at his car as he was leaving a mosque in Gaza, killing him instantly along with his two companions.

Al-Rantisi's life and death were seen as emblematic of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and resistance against oppression. His legacy lives on in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian liberation.