Yassin mourning period over
2004-03-25 11:19
Gaza City - The top leaders of the radical Hamas movement went into hiding on Thursday as the three-day mourning period for their assassinated spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin came to a close.
The newly appointed chief for the occupied territories Abdelaziz Rantissi, and political leaders Mahmud al-Zahar and Ismail Haniya, had been receiving the condolences of tens of thousands of Palestinians in a tent at a Gaza City socccer stadium in accordance with the Islamic tradition.
But on Thursday they had again gone to ground to avoid the same fate of Yassin, who was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike in Gaza on Monday. None of them could be contacted.
Israel decided to target the Hamas leadership after a twin suicide blast 10 days ago in the Israeli port of Ashdod that killed 10 people as well as the two bombers.
Hamas sources said a procession of students was later expected to march to the house of Yassin to pay a last tribute to the group's founder.
Meanwhile, shops and schools re-opened their doors at the end of the three-day mourning period.