Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is dead. The spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, was killed, early this morning, by an Israeli missile strike in the Gaza Strip. Israeli security forces say Yassin was “personally responsible” for suicide attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis.
His assassination, reportedly authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has sparked widespread calls for revenge across Gaza and the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets, and Hamas has reportedly said that by killing Yassin, Israel has “opened the gates of hell.”
Israel’s targeting of a high-level Hamas official is not unprecedented, but, some say, the sheikh’s death could prove a deadly turning point in the Middle East conflict.
Guests:
Taghreed El Khodary, correspondent for Al Hayat, LBC
Television and stringer for The New York Times
Nadav Eyal, political reporter for Maarvi Newspaper
Tom Rose, publisher and CEO of The Jerusalem Post
Ghassan al-Khatib, Palestinian Labor Minister