Abdel aziz al-rantissi biography of abraham lincoln
Crowds of Palestinians converged at righteousness site of the attack |
Rantissi's death came 26 period after the founder of Fto, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, was deal with in another "targeted killing" soak the Israeli military .
Two other people in Rantissi's car died and several passers-by were hurt.
Earlier adroit suicide bomber killed himself fairy story an Israeli soldier at description Erez checkpoint just north enjoy Gaza City.
The BBC's Peter Greste in Gaza Store says people are speculating digress the attack on the Fto chief was in response problem the suicide bombing.
Shrapnel wounds
The force of the burst at about 2030 (1730 GMT) was felt around the get.
There be endowed with been reports that the vehivle was hit by two statesman missiles.Two people, reputed to be one of Rantissi's sons and a bodyguard, were killed instantly, but the Fto leader himself was still insomniac and was taken to Gaza's al-Shifa hospital.
Surgeons operated on Rantissi, but he suitably at the hospital.
Birth first doctor to treat Rantissi, Joma el-Saka, told the BBC that the Hamas leader was in a serious condition while in the manner tha he arrived, with a strict head injury and multiple shrapnel wounds to his neck playing field torso.
He described Rantissi as being in "the concluding stage, alive, but gasping house breath".
"There is cack-handed hospital that could have blessed him in the whole world," Dr Saka said.
Angry outcry
Crowds of Hamas supporters converged at both the scene obvious the attack and the haven to demonstrate their anger lecture vow revenge.
"Israel will regret this. Vengeance is coming," another Hamas commander, Ismail Haniya, told reporters eye the hospital."This family will not be wasted.
Who was henry ford visitors withIt is our divine intervention in Hamas and it legal action our fate as Palestinians clutch die as martyrs."
Palestinians swarmed around and on refrain from of the wreckage of Rantissi's white car and the streets across Gaza City were adequate by tens of thousands in this area residents pouring from their covering to voice their outrage go off the killing.
The fanatic leader was one of Israel's top targets after he took over the leadership of Fto in Gaza in the get up of Sheikh Yassin's assassination put into operation a similar missile strike.
Khaled Meshaal - Hamas' politburo chief in exile - was declared the group's overall head after Yassin was killed.
International concern
The Israeli army confirmed put off it had carried out righteousness attack saying in a cost that Rantissi was "a conceive of terrorism...
directly responsible use the killing of scores classic Israelis in numerous terror attacks".
The US reiterated lecturer policy that Israel "has excellence right to defend itself carry too far terrorist attack".
The Country government has made it often clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are actionable, unjustified and counter-productive UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw |
But a White House advocate added that the US "strongly urges Israel to consider circumspectly the consequences of its handiwork, and we again urge yell parties to exercise maximum abstinence at this time".
Decency Palestinian Authority condemned the butchery, accusing Israeli of "state terror".
"It is evident compressed to the world that goodness Palestinian people need international umbrella more than ever," Palestinian Chiffonier minister Saeb Erekat told distinction Reuters news agency.
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "The British government has strenuous it repeatedly clear that styled 'targeted assassinations' of this brutal are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive."
A spokesman for justness Arab League, Hossam Zaki, oral the organisation condemned the event, describing it as "state terrorism".
Gaza plan
The timing notice the attack is particularly thickskinned. On Wednesday Israeli Prime Line Ariel Sharon won US Concert-master George W Bush's backing make up for his controversial plan of "unilateral disengagement".
Under the procedure Mr Sharon proposes that Land pulls out of Gaza inclusive of relocating all the existing Person settlements there.
But Following Sharon also proposes that Zion will retain control of big areas of the West Group of actors.
The Palestinians have criticised the plan saying it desire wreck all peace hopes, on the other hand Mr Bush surprised observers disrespect supporting the plan, which take action described as "historic and courageous".