Yas ‧ sin, Sheikh Ah ‧ med /jæˈsiːn $ jɑː-, ˈɑːmed/ BrE AmE
(1938–2004) a Palestinian man who was the leader of Hamas until he was killed by the Israelis. He started the Palestinian organization ↑ Hamas in 1987, together with Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi. The Israeli authorities sent him to prison for ordering the ↑ kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers, but in 1997 they released him in exchange for two Israelis who were in prison in Jordan.