Editing Ahmed Yassin (section)

===Israeli===

The Israeli government said the targeted killing was in response to dozens of [[suicide attack]]s by Hamas against Israeli civilians.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/22/yassin/index.html |title=Thousands mourn Hamas founder |publisher=CNN |date=6 May 2004 |access-date=26 June 2024 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015224056/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/22/yassin/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Israeli [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]] defended the assassination of Yassin:

{{blockquote|Yassin was the dominant authority of the Hamas leadership, which was directly involved in planning, orchestrating and launching terror attacks carried out by the organization. In this capacity, Yassin personally gave his approval for the launching of [[Qassam rockets]] against Israeli cities, as well as for the numerous Hamas terrorist bombings and suicide operations. In his public appearances and interviews, Yassin called repeatedly for a continuation of the 'armed struggle' against Israel, and for an intensification of the terrorist campaign against its citizens. The successful operation against Yassin constitutes a significant blow to a central pillar of the Hamas terrorist organization, and a major setback to its terrorist infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Templates/ArticleDynamicFix.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fMFA%2fTerrorism-%2bObstacle%2bto%2bPeace%2fTerrorism%2band%2bIslamic%2bFundamentalism-%2fSheikh%2bYassin%2bkilled%2bin%2bIDF%2battack%2b22-Mar-2004%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7b2B09115D-4DE6-47A2-96E4-ECCB2FCC8F03%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest |title=IDF strike kills Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=22 March 2004 |access-date=11 June 2010 |archive-date=23 February 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223230649/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Templates/ArticleDynamicFix.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fMFA%2fTerrorism-%2bObstacle%2bto%2bPeace%2fTerrorism%2band%2bIslamic%2bFundamentalism-%2fSheikh%2bYassin%2bkilled%2bin%2bIDF%2battack%2b22-Mar-2004%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7b2B09115D-4DE6-47A2-96E4-ECCB2FCC8F03%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guestest |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

[[Shaul Mofaz]], the Israeli Defense Minister, branded Yassin "the Palestinian [[Osama bin Laden|Bin Laden]]" and said, "If we have to balance how many more terrorists Yassin would have sent, how many terror attacks he would have approved, if we weigh this on the scales, we acted rightly".<ref name=csm/>

[[Avraham Poraz]], Israel's Interior Minister and member of the centrist [[Shinui]] party, said he believed the assassination of Yassin "was a bad idea because I am afraid of a revenge coming from the Palestinian side, from the Hamas side."<ref name=bbcn>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3557451.stm |title=Israel defiant over Yassin killing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618143452/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3557451.stm |archive-date=18 June 2023 |date=22 March 2004 |work=BBC |url-status=live |access-date=26 June 2024}}</ref> [[Shimon Peres]], then leader of the [[Israeli Labor Party|Labour]] opposition, was critical of the assassination, suggesting that it "could lead to an escalation of terror".<ref name=bbcn/>