Yahya Ayyash
| Yahya Ayyash | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 22 February 1966 Rafat, West Bank |
| Died | 5 January 1996 (aged 29) Beit Lahia, Gaza Strip |
| Alma mater | Birzeit University |
| Organization | Hamas |
Yahya Abd-al-Latif Ayyash (Arabic: يحيى عياش) (22 February 1966 – 5 January 1996) was the chief bombmaker of Hamas and the leader of the West Bank battalion of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. In that capacity, he earned the nickname the Engineer (Arabic: المهندس, transliterated al-Muhandis). He was assassinated by Shin Bet on 5 January 1996.
He is a celebrated hero to Palestinians who have named streets and other locales in his honor.
Ayyash was born in Rafat on 22 February 1966, the eldest of three brothers. Al Qassam's website, however, states his birth date as 3 March 1966. As a child, he was very pious, receiving an award from the Islamic Trust for his talent in memorizing the Quran. While a boy, Ayyash showed a talent for electrical and mechanical work—repairing radios, television sets, and the like. After graduating from high school in 1985, he entered Birzeit University in 1987. He received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering in 1991.
Described as "well educated, ambitious, and soft-spoken," Ayyash hailed from a relatively affluent family. Married, with one child, Ayyash had planned to study for a master's degree in Jordan, but was denied permission to do so by Israeli authorities. It was around this time he joined 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.
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