Hamas militant movement official Abdel Aziz Rantisi, 56, speaks from his hospital bed in Gaza city in this image made from TV, Tuesday, June 10 2003. Israel targeted Rantisi in a missile strike on Tuesday that injured his right leg and killed two bystanders, doctors said.
Israeli Attack on Hamas Leader Kills 2
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel sent helicopters to kill a senior Hamas political leader in the crowded streets of Gaza on Tuesday but failed, leaving two other Palestinians dead and 27 wounded. The missile attack threatened to rekindle a cycle of violence and wreck a new U.S.-backed peace effort.
The strike against Abdel Aziz Rantisi drew a reproach from President Bush, who said he was "deeply troubled" by the violence, and vows of vengeance from the Islamic militant group, which threatened new suicide bombings and attacks on Israeli political leaders.
Palestinian officials angrily accused Israel of sabotaging their attempts to persuade Hamas and other militant groups to stop attacking Israelis. Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas called the strike a "terrorist attack." Still, Egyptian mediators were going ahead with an attempt to secure a Hamas cease-fire.