Nizar Rayan

Nizar Rayan (, , also transliterated Rayyan; 6 March 1959 – 1 January 2009) was a high-ranking Hamas leader who served as a liaison between the Palestinian organization's political leadership and its military wing. Also a professor of Islamic law, he became a top Islamic cleric within Hamas after the death of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 2004. Rayan was a strong promoter between 1994 and 2004 of suicide bombings on Israel, and his son killed himself on one such mission. Rayan and most of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike during the Gaza War (2008–09).

Personal life Rayan was born in Jabalia, Gaza Strip on 6 March 1959. In 1982, he received a BSc degree in Theology and Religious studies from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While there he was influenced by Wahhabism and Salafism. Rayan was a leading authority on Hadith (sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), and he amassed a 5,000-book library in his home. and he regularly went on patrol with Hamas militia after delivering lectures at the Islamic University. He arguably became Hamas's leading clerical authority after an Israeli airstrike killed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 2004. According to Chris Hedges who interviewed him, Rayan constantly said that Hamas, "began to target Israeli civilians in 1994 only after Palestinian worshipers were gunned down in a Hebron mosque by a Jewish settler, Baruch Goldstein." Rayan is alleged to have directed the 2004 Ashdod Port attack which killed ten people. Hamas ceased its suicide attacks against Israel in 2005,

Rayan was one of the main commanders who oversaw the 2007 Battle of Gaza, in which Hamas expelled Fatah from Gaza. Fatah security forces were militarily defeated, the battle resulting in the death of 115 fighters and 400 civilians. Both Hamas and Fatah were accused of atrocities, including torture, during the conflict. According to The Jerusalem Post, Rayan, "boasted that the Gaza Strip had been 'cleansed' of 'traitors' 'secularists' and 'CIA agents' - a reference to Abbas and his former security and intelligence chiefs." Goldberg also reported that Rayan said he believed Jews are a "cursed people" some of whom were transformed into pigs and apes by Allah,

Hamas takeover of Gaza

Following the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza, Rayan said that "In a few hours, the secular era in Gaza will end without leaving a trace... Today heresy and apostasy ends. Today the struggle is between Islam and the non-muslim infidels, and it will end with the victory of the faith." He added that he would transform the PA security forces headquarters in Gaza to a mosque. Following the speech, Fatah members expressed great fear that Hamas would transform Gaza into a Taliban-style Islamist emirate with Iranian and Syrian military support.

Gaza War (2008–2009)

During the Gaza War (2008–2009), most of the Hamas political leadership went underground, however despite not being part of the Qassam Brigades wing Nizar involved himself militarily in the conflict. He justified his position in an interview by saying that “By God, if they raid my home do I just tell them I am a member of the political organ? They are invading my country so it is my duty to fight them. To serve in politics does not mean I cannot fight those who force themselves on my country.”

Family annihilation

Rayan and his entire family, including his spouses and all of his surviving children were killed in an Israeli Air Force strike on 1 January 2009 during the Gaza War (2008–09). The day before the attack, Rayan had advocated renewal of suicide bombings on Israel, declaring, "Our only language with the Jews is through armed resistance and Jihad".

Unlike other Hamas leaders at risk of being targeted by Israel, Rayan did not go underground after the first Gaza war with Israel began in late December 2008. According to a Hamas spokesperson, the IDF and Shin Bet warned Rayan by contacting his telephone that an attack on his house was imminent. An Israeli military spokesperson interviewed by The International Herald Tribune "could not give details or specify whether Rayan's family had been warned."

Israeli security sources stated that Rayan's house, at the time of the attack, was a munitions warehouse and communications center, However, in the opinion of B'Tselem (The Israeli Center for Human Rights Information in the Occupied Territories), even if the Israeli charge that Rayan's house was an arms warehouse was true, the large number of civilian lives taken rendered the attack "a grave breach of international humanitarian law." The Israeli NGO added that, given the Israeli military "knew or should have known" that civilians had not left Rayan's house, warning Rayan of the impending attack did not exempt Israeli forces from responsibility for the civilian deaths. The Israeli government said the object of the attack was Rayan's house, not Rayan himself, as the home allegedly contained weapons. Amnesty International wrote that Israel must have known women and children would be at home, given the schools were closed. IDF stated its surveillance showed people leaving the house, but Amnesty noted Israel had failed to provide any evidence to substantiate that claim. Hamas said that Israel would pay a "heavy price" for his death.