Yunis Al Astal

Yunis Al Astal (يونس الأسطل; born 1956) is a preacher and Hamas member of the Palestinian Legislative Council for the area of Khan Yunis.

He writes as a journalist on topics like Islamic law (fiqh), sociology and politics.

In 2006, he was identified as a Member of the Al-Qassam Brigades by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

On the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Jordan and Israel, he said that Arab governments that welcomed the Pope harmed the Prophet Mohammed more than the pontiff's purportedly controversial statements against the founder of Islam.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated his sermon and posted the video for paid subscribers on the Internet.

In an interview with Al-Aqsa TV on May 11, 2011 which was translated by MEMRI TV he said:

"The [Jews] are brought in droves to Palestine so that the Palestinians – and the Islamic nation behind them – will have the honor of annihilating the evil of this gang."

"…All the predators, all the birds of prey, all the dangerous reptiles and insects, and all the lethal bacteria are far less dangerous than the Jews."

"…In just a few years, all the Zionists and the settlers will realize that their arrival in Palestine was for the purpose of the great massacre, by means of which Allah wants to relieve humanity of their evil."

"…When Palestine is liberated and its people return to it, and the entire region, with the grace of Allah, will have turned into the United States of Islam, the land of Palestine will become the capital of the Islamic Caliphate, and all these countries will turn into states within the Caliphate."

He was named on the list of individuals banned from entering the United Kingdom for "... engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to terrorist acts".