Yahya Abdal-Tif Ayyash (يحيى عياش; February 22, 1966 - January 5, 1996) was the chief bombmaker of Hamas and the leader of the Samaria battalion of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. In that capacity, he earned the nickname the Engineer (Arabic: ‎المهندس, transliterated Al-Muhandis). is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Ḥamas (; acronym: , or Ḥarakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or Islamic Resistance Movement) is a democratically-elected Palestinian Sunni Islamist[1] militant organization and political party which currently holds a majority of seats in the legislative council of the Palestinian Authority. ... “Shomron” redirects here. ... Hamas, acronym of Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Arabic: Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas is also Arabic for zeal or courage) is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary and political organization, regarded by some as a militant organization and by others as a terrorist group. ... Arabic redirects here. ...

Ayyash is credited with advancing the technique of suicide bombing in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The bombings he orchestrated caused the deaths of approximately 90 Israelis.^[1] A master of disguise, Ayyash was the most wanted man in Israel for three years, and the target of a massive man-hunt. To Palestinians, he was a celebrated hero. Ayyash was assassinated by the Israeli Shabak in 1996. Shabak tricked a friend of Ayyash's into giving him a bomb-laden cell phone. When Ayyash used it, Shabak detonated it, killing him instantly. A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... Israel, with the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and Arab Palestinians. ... Shabak emblem Defender who shall not be seen The   (‎, an acronym for Sherut Bitahon Klali (‎), lit. ... Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ...

Early life

Ayyash was born in Rafat, the eldest of three brothers. As a child, he was very pious, receiving an award from the Islamic Trust for his talent in memorizing the Koran. While a boy, Ayyash showed a talent for electrical and mechanical work - repairing radios, television sets, and alike. After graduating from high school in 1985, he entered Bir Zeit University in 1987. He received a bachelor of science in electrical engineering in 1991.^[2] Rafat is a Palestinian village, located approximately 4 kilometres southwest of the city of Ramallah in the West Bank. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Birzeit University is a Palestinian university situated in the town of Bir Zeit near Ramallah. ... B.S. redirects here. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems. ...

Work for Hamas

Ayyash built the bombs used in a number of Hamas suicide attacks: the Mehola Junction bombing, the Afula Bus massacre, the Hadera central station massacre, the Tel Aviv bus 5 massacre, the Egged bus 36 bombing, the Ramat Gan bus 20 bombing, and the Jerusalem bus 26 bombing. As part of a strategic alliance between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ayyash built the bombs used by Islamic Jihad at the Beit Lid massacre.^[3] It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: NPOV: similar articles on one-sided violence committed by Israelis have been deleted for being NPOV fork. ... The Mehola Junction bombing (also known as the Bet El bombing, literally, the House of God bombing) was Hamass first suicide attack against Israelis. ... The Afula Bus massacre was a 1994 Hamas suicide bombing against Israel. ... The Hadera central station massacre was a 1994 Hamas suicide attack against Israel. ... Tel Aviv bus 5 massacre was a 1994 Hamas suicide attack against Israel. ... Egged bus 36 bombing was a 1995 Hamas suicide attack against Israel. ... The Ramat Gan bus 20 bombing was a 1995 Hamas suicide attack against Israel. ... The emblem of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad shows a map of the land they claim as Palestine (roughly, present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip) superimposed on the images of the Dome of the Rock, two fists and two rifles. ... The Beit Lid massacre was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad suicide attack against Israel. ...

Because TNT and other high explosives were generally not available in the Palestinian territories (the West Bank and Gaza strip), Ayyash often used a combination of acetone and detergent, both commonly available household products. When combined, they form Acetone peroxide, an explosive known as "Mother of Satan" for its instability. R-phrases S-phrases Related Compounds Related compounds picric acid hexanitrobenzene Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. ... The Gaza Strip (Arabic: transliteration: , ‎ Retzuat Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west and Israel on the north and east. ... For other uses, see Acetone (disambiguation). ... Laundry detergents are just one of many possible uses for detergents Detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist cleaning. ... Acetone peroxide Ball-and-stick model of the acetone peroxide trimer (TATP) Acetone peroxide (triacetone triperoxide, peroxyacetone, TATP, TCAP) is an organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. ... Instability in systems is generally characterized by some of the outputs or internal states growing without bounds. ...

Ramat Efal

Ayyash first came to the attention of Israeli security forces as a result of the failed bombing of Ramat Efal. Following a high-speed chase, three would-be Hamas suicide bombers were arrested by police. When police inspected their car, they found it rigged with a bomb - five twelve-kilogram gasoline tanks filled to capacity, connected to an acetone peroxide-based detonator. After evacuating the area, sappers used a robot armed with a shot-gun to shoot the detonator, in the hopes of defusing it. Instead, it detonated, in a massive explosion. [Police investigators] "were sure that if it had been detonated in a crowded area, it would have killed hundreds". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Petrol redirects here. ... For other uses, see robot (disambiguation). ...

Israeli investigators learned Ayyash's name during subsequent interrogation of the three arrested suspects.^[4]

Death and aftermath

Ayyash's fellow Hamas militants passed him a cell phone. It exploded when Ayyash was using it, killing him instantly. Reportedly, 100,000 Palestinians attended his funeral.^[5] Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ...

The State of Israel has a policy that it never confirms or denies its participation in selective assassinations. Per this policy, Israel did not confirm or deny its role in killing Ayyash. This led to wild rumors and speculations as to the extent of their involvement. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Assassination. ...

Three days after the Ayyash's death, Shabak head Carmi Gillon resigned, due to Shabak's failure to prevent the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Carmi Gillon is a former Israeli ambassador in Denmark and a former head of the SHABAK. He was sacked as the head of the SHABAK because of the failure of SHABAK to prevent the assassination of Israeli prime-minister Yitzhak Rabin. ... Site of the rally before the assassination: Rabin Square and Tel Aviv City Hall during the day. ...

Ayyash was succeeded in the Hamas organization by Mohiyedine Sharif ("the electrician"), one of Ayyash's protégés. Ayyash's death, along with Israel's subsequent targeting of other master bomb-makers, led to a noticeable decline in the effectiveness of suicide bombs.^[6] At the time of Ayyash's suicide attacks, the border between Israel and the West Bank was quite porous, making it easy for a suicide bomber to cross into Israel unnoticed. Since then, the Israeli West Bank barrier has made it significantly harder for Palestinians suicide-bombers to cross into Israel. Mohiyedine Sharif (died March 29, 1998), also known as the electrician, was a master bombmaker for Hamas. ... The barrier route as of July 2006. ...

References

• Katz, Samuel. The Hunt for the Engineer. Lyons Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58574-749-1

Notes

1. ^ Katz, 256
2. ^ Katz, 9, 70-71
3. ^ Katz 77 (Bet El), 106-109 (Afula and Hadera), 147 (#5 bus), 167 (Biet Lid), 191 (#20 bus), 197 (#26 bus)
4. ^ Katz, 5-9
5. ^ Gaza: 100,000 Palestinians Protest Assassination. The Militant. January 22, 1996
6. ^ Zuckerman, Mortimer B. Using hate against Israel. June 12, 2000 U.S. News and World Report

The Militant is an international socialist newsweekly connected to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... U.S. News & World Report is a weekly newsmagazine. ...

External links

• A senior Palestinian terrorist as role model and admired figure at Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S), Israel
• Jury, judge and executioner by Saleh Abdel Jawad in Al-Ahram Weekly, 30 August 2001