History of Hamas - Brief Timeline

Brief Timeline

• 1984 Arrest of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, sentenced to 12 years of prison after the discovery of an arms cache. Yassin is freed the next year.
• 1987 Creation of Hamas by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
• 1987–1993 First Intifada.
• 1988 Hamas Covenant.
• 1989 Israel outlaws Hamas and imprisons Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
• 1991 Gulf War.
• 1992 Creation of the military branch Izz ad-Din al-Qassam.
• 1993 Oslo Accords.
• April 1993. First Hamas suicide bombing at Mehola Junction.
• Palestinian legislative and presidential election, 1996. Hamas boycotts them, allowing Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat, a large victory.
• January 5, 1996. Targeted killing of Yahya Ayyash, Hamas bomb maker.
• February–March 1996. 47 Israelis killed in three different bombings.
• October 1997. Freed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "humanitarian reasons" (actually, due to the botched killing attempt on Khaled Mashal, on September 25, 1997 by the Mossad in Jordan, a deal was brokered by Bill Clinton between Israel and Jordan) Sheikh Yassin is acclaimed as a hero on his return to Gaza.
• March 1998 – Death of Mohiyedine Sharif, master bombmaker
• September 2000. Beginning of Al-Aqsa Intifada.
• July 2002. Killing of Salah Shahade, leader of the Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades.
• March 8, 2003 Israel kills Ibrahim al-Makadmeh, a leader of the Hamas's military wing. 3 other men are also killed
• January 6, 2004. 10 year truce (hudna) offered by senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in exchange of Israel's complete withdrawal to the 1967 borders.
• March 22, 2004, killing of Sheikh Yassin. Yassin, then an old man restricted to a wheel-chair due to his lifelong paralysis was killed in an Israeli missile strike. Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi replaced him as the leader of Hamas. On March 28, Rantissi stated in a speech given at The Islamic University in Gaza that "America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God, and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon".
• April 17, 2004, killing of Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi. Rantissi was also killed in an air strike by the Israeli Air Force, five hours after a fatal suicide bombing by Hamas. Khaled Mashal, the leader of Hamas in Syria, said Hamas should not disclose the name of its next leader in Gaza.
• April 18, 2004, Hamas secretly selected a new leader in the Gaza Strip, fearing he would be killed if his identity were made public. However, it was speculated that the new leader is Mahmoud al-Zahar; the second-in-command, Ismail Haniya; and third-in-command, Said Seyam.
• September 2004. Israeli army Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said that Israel would "deal with those who support terrorism", including those in "terror command posts in Damascus".
• September 26, 2004. Killing of Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil. Sheikh Khalil was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria. Khalil was described variously as "mid-level", "senior", a "distinguished member", and believed to be in charge of the group's military wing outside the Palestinian territories. Although the Israeli government offered no official confirmation, anonymous Israeli officials acknowledged responsibility for the attack. In a statement released in Gaza, Hamas threatened to target Israelis abroad in retaliation.
• October 2004. Killing of Adnan al-Ghoul, assistant of Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam brigades.
• November 11, 2004. Death of Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and president of the Palestinian National Authority.
• January 2005 Palestinian presidential election. Hamas boycotts them. PLO chairman Mahmoud Abbas elected to replace Yasser Arafat.
• Palestinian municipal elections, January–May 2005. Relative success of Hamas, which took control of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, Qalqilyah in the West Bank and Rafah.
• March 2005. Hamas proclaims tahdiyah, a period of calm.
• January 25, 2006. Victory of the Hamas at the legislative election, which took 74 seats of the 132 seats.
• March 2007, the Palestinian Legislative Council established a national unity government headed by Ismail Haniya.
• June 2007. Hamas begins a takeover of Gaza, ending the coalition with Fatah.