Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi was born on October 23, 1947. He was the co-founder of the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization Hamas.

He was the group's leader in the Gaza Strip. Previously he had been the political head in the Gaza Strip. Rantisi opposes any compromise with Israel and has called for the 'liberation' of all of the region of Palestine through jihad against the Jewish state.

Rantisi was born in Yubna, near Jaffa, but in 1948 his family resettled in the Gaza Strip. He studied pediatrics in Egypt for nine years and was a certified physician, although he does not have a practice. In 1976 he returned to Gaza, a convinced member of the Muslim Brotherhood, out of which Hamas grew.

In 1987 four residents of the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza were killed in a traffic accident. According to Azi al-Rantisi, he joined with Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, 'Abdel Fattah Dukhan, Mohammed Shama', Dr. Ibrahim al-Yazour, Issa al-Najjar, and Salah Shehadeh and instructed people to exit the mosques chanting Allahu Akbar ("God is great"). This would be the start of the first intifada, according to Rantisi, under whose leadership what would subsequently be known as Hamas grew together later that year.

The rival PLO later joined and a united leadership was formed.

When Yassin took over Hamas by an internal coup, Rantisi was his right-hand man.

In December 1992, he was expelled to southern Lebanon, as part of the expulsion of 416 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives, and emerged as the general spokesman of the expellees. Upon his return in 1993, he was arrested, but later released.

Following the elimination of Salah Shehadeh and Ibriahim Macadma, he became the political head and also acclaimed spiritual leader of Hamas, remaining its principal spokesperson.

On June 6, 2003, Rantisi broke off discussions with PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, who had called for an end to "armed resistance".

On June 10, 2003, Rantisi survived an Israeli helicopter attack on a car in which he was travelling. He was lightly wounded in the attack.

On January 26, 2004 Rantisi offered "a 10-year truce in return for withdrawal and the establishment of a state". There had earlier been some rumored talks within Hamas about doing this but this time Rantassi announced that "the movement has taken a decision on this".

On March 23, 2004, Rantisi was named leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following the assassination of Yassin by Israeli forces.

On April 17, 2004, Rantisi was assassinated via missiles that were fired at his car.

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