14 Facts About Yahya Ayyash

Yahya Ayyash was assassinated by the Shin Bet on January 5,1996, through a booby-trapped mobile phone.

Yahya Ayyash is celebrated by local Palestinian communities who have named streets and other locales in his honor.

Yahya Ayyash's name was given to the rocket Ayyash-250 produced by Hamas.

Yahya Ayyash was born in Rafat on 6 March 1966, the eldest of three brothers.

Yahya Ayyash received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1991.

Yahya Ayyash planned to study for a master's degree in Jordan, but soon after being denied a student visa, he joined Hamas.

Yahya 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.

Unable to obtain TNT and other high explosives in the Palestinian territories, Yahya Ayyash used readily available household products such as a combination of acetone and detergent.

Yahya Ayyash came to the attention of Israeli security forces after a failed bombing attempt in Ramat Ef'al.

The Shin Bet learned that Yahya Ayyash often spent the night in the Gaza City home of Osama Hamad, a childhood friend whose uncle, Kamil Hamad, was known to the authorities.

Hamad gave the phone to his nephew Osama, knowing that Yahya Ayyash regularly used Osama's phones.

At 08:00 on 5 January 1996, Yahya Ayyash's father called him and Yahya Ayyash answered.

Israel did not confirm or deny its role in killing Yahya Ayyash, which led to rumors and speculation about the extent of Israeli involvement.

The first of these took place shortly after the end of the 40-day mourning period for Ayyash and the cell that claimed responsibility called itself "Disciples of the martyr Yahya 'Ayyash", stating it was a revenge attack for his assassination.