View source for Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil

{{Short description|Hamas commander}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2020}}
'''Izz El-Deen Sobhi Sheikh Khalil'''  (alternately '''Ezzeddine''') ({{lang-ar|عز الدين الشيخ خليل}}) (''circa'' 1962/1964 – September 26, 2004) was a senior member of the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist organization [[Hamas]] when he was killed by setting an automobile [[booby trap]] on September 26, 2004, in the al-Zahera district of southern [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]. He was from the [[Shajaiyeh]] district of [[Gaza City]]. Although no specific groups have taken responsibility for his assassination, it is consistent in style with previous Israeli-sponsored assassinations, and with Israeli pledges to assassinate Hamas leaders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3691082.stm|title = Syria blast kills Hamas militant|date = 26 September 2004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2IMrU-FqL7IC&q=who+killed+Izz+El-Deen+Sheikh+Khalil%3F&pg=PA54 | title=The Losing Battle with Islam| isbn=9781615924608| last1=Selbourne| first1=David| date=2010-09-09}}</ref> 

The white [[Mitsubishi Pajero]] [[SUV]] he had just started was utterly demolished and burst into flames, charring the body almost beyond recognition. Pieces were assembled and scraped off the back seat to be carted to a nearby hospital for identification. Another car windshield and nearby ground-floor and second-story windows were shattered by the blast, and three Syrian civilians were injured.

Israeli military had said that [[Beersheba bus bombings|two bus bombings]] that killed 16 civilians in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on August 31 would be answered with a renewed assassination campaign against Hamas leaders.

Khalil was exiled from the [[Palestinian territories]] in 1992, one among a group of some 400 Palestinian militants who were deported to Lebanon in the early 1990s. He based himself in Damascus with other senior Hamas leaders, which was safer than the [[West Bank]] and [[Gaza Strip]].

Khalil's name was rendered ''' Izz al-Din al-Sheikh Khalil''' by [[CNN]], '''Izz Eldine Subhi Sheik Khalil''' by [[Fox News]], '''Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil''' by the [[BBC]], and '''Izz al-Din al-Shaikh Khalil''' by [[Al Jazeera]].

==References==
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[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Hamas military members]]
[[Category:Assassinated Palestinian people]]
[[Category:Assassinated military personnel]]
[[Category:Assassinated Hamas members]]
[[Category:People from Gaza City]]
[[Category:Palestinian people murdered abroad]]
[[Category:People murdered in Syria]]
[[Category:People killed in Mossad operations]]
[[Category:Palestinian murder victims]]

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