Senior Hamas official says Rantisi named acting leader

Ha'aretz ^ | Last Update: 23/03/2004 19:35 | By Amos Harel, Arnon Regular and Uri Ash, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies

[Cinnamon Girl]

Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas hardliner, has been named acting leader of the group in Gaza, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Rantisi will temporarily take over the tasks of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel on Monday, said Ismail Hanieh, a senior official in the Islamic militant group.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday that other Hamas leaders would be targeted now that Israel has assassinated Yassin. "If we will continue, in a determined way, with our strikes against Hamas and other terror groups, with the means I outlined, including action against those leaders, we will bring more security to Israeli citizens," he said.

Defense chiefs have decided to try to kill the entire Hamas leadership, security sources said Tuesday, a day after Israel assassinated the sheikh.

The defense chiefs decided during a five-hour meeting Monday to step up targeted attacks, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They said officials decided to go after the entire leadership without waiting for another attack by Hamas.

Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi said Tuesday that no Palestinian terror leader was immune from an Israeli attack.

"Anyone who is involved in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank or anywhere else in leading a terror group knows from yesterday there is no immunity," Likud MK Hanegbi told reporters. "Everyone is in our sights."

"There is no immunity to anyone. And that means anyone to the last person," he said.

Hanegbi did not give any names, but said the list of militant leaders marked for death included "those who appear on television," a veiled reference to senior Hamas officials Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Mahmoud al-Zahar.

IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's response to the assassination showed that "they understand that their turn is drawing near."

Both Hanegbi and the director of Military Intelligence, Major General Aharon Ze'evi, denied any link between the killing, which Hamas and other militant groups have vowed to avenge, and any future terror attacks.

Ze'evi said he does not believe that the assassination of Yassin will lead to a significant rise in terror attacks, Army Radio reported Tuesday.

Hanegbi said terror organizations were planning attacks before Israel killed Yassin, Israel Radio reported. He said the decision to target the Hamas leader came in the wake of the 2002 Park Hotel bombing in Netanya, which killed about 30 people during the traditional Passover seder and preceeded the army's Operation Defensive Shield. At that point, the radio quoted Hanegbi as saying, Israel decided to go on the offensive against those responsible for terror.

Ya'alon: Assassination prevents 'Hamas-land' in Gaza The assassination of the Hamas leader has dealt a severe blow to the militant organization and will help prevent the founding of "Hamas-land" in Gaza, Ya'alon said Tuesday.

"Even if in the short term, the assassination increases the motivation to carry out terror attacks, in the long run, the assassination is likely to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip and encourage moderate forces to prevent the founding of 'Hamas-land' in the Strip," he said.

Ya'alon, addressing a seminar in Tel Aviv, said Yassin was directly responsible for terror attacks.

"Yassin was neither, and I should like to stress it, was neither a political nor a religious leader," said Ya'alon.

"Ahmed Yassin was a terrorist who headed a terrorist organization which operates against the State of Israel and its citizens. Yassin was directly responsible for multiple terror attacks, resulting in the deaths of both Israeli and foreign civilians and security personnel."

[Cinnamon Girl]

Just remember Rantitsi, the IDF missed Yassin a few months ago, but they went ahead and tried again. They missed hitting you recently. They'll try again.

[goldstategop]

They'll get him. He should enjoy his ascension to the top of Hamas while it lasts for he and fellow terrorists are going to be taken down.

[thoughtomator]

They'd better start figuring out succession after Rantisi, and after the next guy, and the next, and the next...

[bobo1]

Nice of them to name the next target.

Blessings, Bobo

[claudiustg]

Rantisi is a Pediatrician that sends children out to kill other children. May the Israelis make his tenure at the head of Hamas very, very temporary!

[beaversmom]

Just saw some pictures of Yassin--he ain't looking too good these days. If I were Rantitsi I'd be keeping a low profile but the Palis aren't known for diplomacy, discernment, and discretion.

[beaversmom]

He's a pediatrician too--same as Osama's #2 guy!?!

[RolandBurnam]

[Agnes Heep]

If I were Rantitsi I'd be keeping a low profile ....

Hard to see how he can keep a lower profile than Yassin's. Have you seen those pics?

[angkor]

Abdel Aziz Rantisi: Dead Man Walking.

[beaversmom]

Yes--he no longer has a profile.

[SledgeCS]

I hope that Rantisi is going to have nightmares with the following theme:

Akmed "What is that THUP, THUP, THUP sound that I hear?"

SledgeCS

[goldstategop]

Don't look at a helicopter in your rear window. It will be the last thing you'll ever see in this life.

[paul51]

order up some more hellfires

[SouthernHawk]

...Rantisi will temporarily take over the tasks...

LOL!!!! Not much need for a discussion about long term benefits !

[BushisTheMan]

The IDF has their own deck of cards now. Yassin was one of the a$$e$...er..I mean aces.

[BushisTheMan]

The IDF has their own deck of cards now. Yassin was one of the a$$e$...er..I mean aces.

[b4its2late]

Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas hardliner, has been named acting leader of the group in Gaza, a spokesman said Tuesday. Rantisi will temporarily take over the tasks of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel on Monday, said Ismail Hanieh, a senior official in the Islamic militant group.

We should start a pool.....

[goldstategop]

No point in long term job security when you'll soon be pushing up daisies. Rantisi knows he's living on borrowed time.

[goldstategop]

A deck of cards... of course most of the Hamas leadership is shadowy. I do think however, Israel has flies on the wall in Gaza. They can't take a leak without the Shin Bet and the Army knowing about it.