Abd al-Aziz Rantissi, senior figure of Hamas in Gaza, responsible for directing many terrorist attacks, and chief opponent of any cease-fire or cessation of terrorist attacks against Israel. WWW.IDF.IL Attributed to Israeli security sources
Abd al-Aziz Rantissi is one of the senior leaders of the Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He replaced Saleh Shehada and Ibriahim Macadma as one of the heads of the Hamas. Rantissi is responsible for directing the policy of the Hamas terrorist attacks. Rantissi is responsible for carrying out many terrorist attacks by the Hamas, including involvement in the terrorist attack in which four Israeli soldiers were killed at the Erez Checkpoint in the Gaza Strip Sunday. He is also responsible for encouraging and inciting the Palestinian population against Israel and for the continuation of terrorist attacks. Hamas, has since September 2000, and increasingly so recently, perpetrated terrorist attacks in a variety of forms: firing Qassam rockets toward Israeli communities, infiltrations into Israeli communities to murder Israeli civilians, explosive charges against IDF tanks and vehicles, shooting toward civilian vehicles in the Gaza Strip, ambushes of IDF soldiers, dispatching booby-trapped boats towards Israeli ships and sending terrorists via the sea. It also includes involvement in attempts to kidnap Israeli soldiers for use as „bargaining chips.” Part of this activity was directed by Hamas prisoners in Israeli prisons, and most of it by the Hamas headquarters in the Gaza Strip, headed by Rantissi. In addition, Hamas operatives smuggle weapons and terrorists from Egypt into Gaza using underground tunnels and are involved in the development and production of weapons. Due to the elimination of the leadership of the Hamas in the West Bank in recent months, the Hamas leadership in the Gaza perceives itself as the central headquarters, and as such, directs and is responsible for terrorist attacks through Hamas operatives in the West Bank. The leadership of the Hamas maintains organizational ties with Hamas headquarters around the world, and especially the Hamas headquarters in Syria. The Hamas leadership in Gaza is involved in the recruitment and operation of terrorist cells among Israeli Arabs, which has so far, been thwarted by Israeli security forces . Rantissi was directly involved in directing and guiding this activity. The Hamas considers itself an alternative to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas tries to present a separation between the political leadership and the military wing, as if the military activity serves no political aim. In practice, the formal „military leadership” of the Hamas is subordinate to what is known as the political leadership. However, it is this political echelon of the terrorist organizations, which directs, instructs and determines policy, including terrorist activity. Interrogation of Hamas operatives point to Rantissi as directing Hamas terrorist policy. His public statements serve as instructions for terrorists to carry out attacks. The Hamas in Gaza takes advantage of the fact that the IDF does not have the presence in the Gaza Strip as it does in the West Bank, and thus Hamas continues with its widespread terrorist activity in Gaza. At the same time, none of the Palestinian security apparatuses operate to thwart the terrorist attacks, which take a heavy toll in human life of Israeli civilians and soldiers. Rantissi began his career in the Hamas as one of the six founders of the movement in December 1987, together with Sheikh Yassin and others. In December 1992, he was expelled to Lebanon, as part of the expulsion of 416 Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, and emerged as general spokesman of those expelled to southern Lebanon. Upon his return in 1993, he was arrested. Rantissi was detained many times by the Palestinian Authority for his criticism of the PA and Arafat, but in most cases, was released after a short period. After the return of Sheikh Yassin to the Gaza Strip in October 1997, Yassin, together with the senior operatives including Rantissi, reorganized the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, in order to restore its activity. In mid 1999, following his release from a PA prison, Rantissi returned to his position as right hand to Yassin. During talks among the Hamas leadership in Gaza and abroad and in its contact with the PA regarding ceasing terror activity, Rantissi, together with Ibrahim Macadma and with the support of the external leadership, was one of the main opponents to any cease-fire and cessation of terrorist attacks inside Israel. Rantissi has considerable influence over the Palestinian public, in general and the Hamas operatives, in particular. He delivers sermons, addresses, and interviews utilizing extreme language, in which he calls for the continuation of the terrorist activity against the State of Israel and its citizens, opposing any cease fire. This serves as instructions to the field operatives in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to continue their terrorist activity.
