Hamas elects Rantissi leader

2004-03-24 07:14

Gaza City - A Hamas hardliner who has pushed for accelerating attacks on Israel and rules out all compromise was elected on Tuesday as the new leader of the Islamic militant group in Gaza following Israel's assassination of the group's founder.

Abdel Aziz Rantissi, a 54-year-old paediatrician, told tens of thousands of cheering Hamas supporters at a Gaza City soccer stadium that he was chosen in secret elections. One by one, senior Hamas officials got up and swore loyalty to him.

The announcement came a day after Israel assassinated Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin and hours after Israel renewed threats to try to kill the entire Hamas leadership ahead of a possible withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

In his acceptance speech, Rantissi made his priorities clear. "My people, we must unify under the umbrella of resistance," he said, and exhorted the Hamas military wing to "teach this Zionist occupation a lesson".

Rantisi has rejected even a temporary truce with Israel and any compromise with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. His aggressive style is particularly popular with younger Hamas activists.

Tempting target

With his new post, Rantissi will likely become an even more tempting target for Israel's military, which wounded him in a missile attack on his car last year. On Monday, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and various security agency chiefs decided to go after all the Hamas leaders, a security official said on Tuesday.

The Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, hinted that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat might eventually be targeted as well. The killing of Yassin should be seen as a signal "to all those who choose to harm us that this will be their end," Yaalon said.

Israel's accelerated strikes at Hamas are part of an attempt to score a decisive victory ahead of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel does not want to be seen as being driven out of the strip by militants, who are already claiming victory.

Jittery Israelis

In the wake of Yassin's killing, Hamas threatened revenge attacks of unprecedented scope, and Israel beefed up security throughout the country and at missions abroad. Shopping malls, markets and buses were relatively empty as jittery Israelis hunkered down.

Opinion polls published in newspapers on Tuesday suggested that a majority of Israelis support the Yassin killing, but also expect it will unleash more attacks.

Despite the Israeli threats, the Hamas leaders apparently in Israel's crosshairs - Rantisi, Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Hanieh - made rare public appearances, though surrounded by a shield of civilians.

Since Monday night, the three have spent long hours at Gaza City's Yarmouk Stadium, where Hamas set up an official mourning tent, accepting condolences. On Tuesday, tens of thousands of people crammed the stadium. Armed men from various militias stood as honour guards near the entrance.

Zahar brushed off Israel's threats. "They tried to assassinate me twice and Dr Rantisi once," he said. "We are still working and will continue... and they (Israelis) will fail and they will leave this land."

Hamas, founded by Yassin in 1987, wants to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic state. Israel says Hamas killed 377 Israelis in hundreds of attacks, including 52 suicide bombings, over the years.

- AP