The killing of Avi Sasportas and Ilan Saadon refers to two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hamas on February 16 and May 3, 1989, and subsequently killed. They were the first victims of the newly founded Palestinian militant organization. Ilan Saadon's body was only found in 1996. Background In December 1987, with the beginning of the first intifada, Hamas was founded by Muslim Brotherhood members and was headed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Mohammad Taha. Hamas sent out feelers, via talks with Shimon Peres, in early 1988 offering an acknowledgement of Israel in exchange for a return to the 1967 borders, but soon discarded negotiations in favour of armed resistance, in order to clearly demarcate the difference between its position and that of Palestinian nationalists. Since the leaders of Majd (Hamas's internal security service), Salah Shehade and Yahya Sinwar, were detained in prison, Hamas set up a new structure, called Unit 101, headed by Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, whose function was to abduct Israeli soldiers. Unit 101's operations were headed by Mohammed Youssef al-Sharatha. The other squad members were Abed Rabo Abu Jose, co-founder of Hamas' military wing, Muhammad Nazim Nasser. Avi Sasportas Sergeant Avi Sasportas was born and raised in the city of Ashdod, where he lived. In his youth he volunteered in the BBYO youth movement and in the Civil Guard. In November 1986, Sasportas joined the IDF and was assigned to the Israeli Special Forces unit Maglan. On February 16, 1989, Sasportas got in a vehicle carrying two Hamas militants disguised as Israeli Jewish ultra-orthodox men, who beat him to death shortly thereafter. On May 7, 1989, Avi Sasportas' body was found buried in a field near the site at which he had been abducted, during search operations for Ilan Saadoun. He was buried soon thereafter in a military cemetery in Ashdod. Ilan Saadon Corporal Ilan Saadoun was born and raised in the city of Ashkelon. Three months after his recruitment he was assigned to the Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum at Latrun, where he performed various jobs. On May 3, 1989, Saadoun was given a leave of absence from the military. Saadoun and a friend of his made their way back home, hitchhiking from Latrun, and they arrived together at the Masmiya intersection. At 19:30 a white Subaru car with Israeli license plates stopped at a hitchhiking stop. Mahmoud Naser and Mohammad sat in the vehicle, disguised as