February 26, 1937 - Ahmed Yassin
The founder of Hamas shaped one of the most consequential militant organizations in the modern Middle East, directing it from its founding in 1987 through nearly two decades of armed conflict. Operating from a wheelchair due to near-total physical disability, he exercised authority as both a religious and political figure, with the Israeli government holding him directly responsible for attacks on Israeli civilians. His assassination by Israeli airstrike in 2004 underscored the degree to which his leadership was considered a central strategic threat.
From Wikipedia
Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin (Arabic: الشيخ أحمد إسماعيل حسن ياسين; June 1936/37 – 22 March 2004) was a Palestinian politician and imam who founded Hamas, an Islamist political and military organization. He also served as the first chairman of the Hamas Shura Council and de facto leader of Hamas since its inception from December 1987 until his assassination in March 2004.
Yassin was born in Ashkelon, in Mandatory Palestine in 1929 or 1936/1937. His family fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine War to Gaza City. Yassin, a quadriplegic who was nearly blind, had been reliant on a wheelchair due to a sporting accident at the age of 16.
After its founding in 1987, Yassin served as the spiritual leader of Hamas. The Israeli government held him responsible for the killing of several Israeli civilians. In 2004, he was killed when an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at him as he was being wheeled from Fajr prayer in Gaza City.
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