Palestinians pledge bloody revenge for killing of Hamas leader

Hamas moved swiftly yesterday to build a new underground leadership in the aftershock of Israel's assassination of Abdel Azis Rantissi little more than three weeks after he took over as head of the faction in Gaza.

It secretly designated the third Gaza leader in a month to replace Mr Rantissi, who was assassinated by a helicopter missile that destroyed his car on Saturday near his home. His driver and bodyguard were killed instantly.

As the procession wound towards the Sheikh Bedwan cemetery, the crowd chanted: "Our blood, our souls, we sacrifice for you, Rantissi."

On the side of Lababidi street in Gaza city yesterday, there were still fragments of charred debris from Mr Rantissi's burnt-out white Subaru where it had slowed to a halt opposite a mineral water shop some 30 yards on from where it took the missile hit.

Mr Rantissi said in a BBC interview not long before his death that if he had the choice between dying because of a heart attack or an Apache helicopter he would choose the latter.