Militants Vow to Avenge a Hamas Leader
The militant Islamic group Hamas vowed Saturday to assassinate Israeli politicians as revenge for the killing of one of its top ideologues in a missile strike. Ibrahim Makadmeh, a close associate of Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was among the most senior Palestinian figures killed over the last 2 1/2 years. Israeli forces targeted him with helicopter-fired missiles early Saturday in an attack that left body parts, charred clothing and shards of metal strewn over a cobbled street in the heart of Gaza City. All military options are open in the targeting of Jewish political leaders and government officials,” the military wing of Hamas, Izzidin al-Qassam, said in a statement faxed to Western news organizations. “The terrorist Zionist government will realize the scope of the catastrophe it has unleashed.” During the 29-month intifada, or uprising, only one senior Israeli politician has been killed by Palestinian militants, despite many alleged plots against figures such as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Full Story