GAZA: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian mourners cried for vengeance yesterday for Hamas leader Mr Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, killed by Israeli missiles on Saturday even as Israel plans to quit the group's Gaza stronghold.
In secret, Hamas appointed a new official to replace Mr Rantissi - its second leader to be assassinated by Israel in less than a month. Hamas's spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in a March 22nd missile attack.
Mr Rantissi's body was carried aloft on a stretcher draped in a green Hamas flag. Mourners kissed his shrapnel-sliced face and others tossed flower petals on to the body. Fists shook at the sky in anger as four Israeli warplanes roared overhead.
The Hamas leader was buried in Gaza's Martyrs' Cemetery. After nightfall, thousands of Palestinians filed into Gaza's main soccer stadium to pay their respects to his family.
Hamas has so far failed to carry out the kind of massive attack it had promised to avenge Sheikh Yassin's death.
Protests against Mr Rantissi's assassination erupted across the West Bank in scenes that recalled the start of the Palestinian uprising more than three-and-a-half years ago. Israeli troops used tear-gas and rubber bullets to drive back stone-throwers.
"It is no doubt a crime," Palestinian Prime Minister Mr Ahmed Korei told reporters. "Unfortunately, the Israelis feel they are supported by the United States administration." Mr Korei wrote to world leaders yesterday, urging them to restart Middle East peace talks and accusing the United States of breaking international law by making "concessions" in the name of the Palestinians.
The United States denied giving Israel the green light to go after Mr Rantissi but refrained from condemning the assassination. In a statement on Saturday it said that "Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist attacks," and that "Hamas is a terrorist organisation that attacks civilians, and that claimed responsibility for the suicide attack today that killed one and injured other Israeli guards at the Erez crossing."
It went on to say "the United States is gravely concerned for regional peace and stability. The United States strongly urges Israel to consider carefully the consequences of its actions, and we again urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint at this time."
Democratic candidate Senator John Kerry virtually endorsed Israel's action yesterday. Mr Kerry told a television interviewer: "Israel has every right in the world to respond to any act of terrorism."