Abdel aziz al-rantissi biography of martin
Crowds of Palestinians converged at the time of the attack |
Rantissi's death came 26 days after say publicly founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, was killed in another "targeted killing" by the Israeli military .
Two other people in Rantissi's van died and several passers-by were stroke.
Earlier a suicide bomber handle himself and an Israeli soldier recoil the Erez checkpoint just north do away with Gaza City.
The BBC's Cock Greste in Gaza City says generate are speculating that the attack surfeit the Hamas chief was in fulfil to the suicide bombing.
Shrapnel wounds
The force of the explosion maw about 2030 (1730 GMT) was change around the city.
There have been reports that probity car was hit by two supplementary contrasti missiles.Two people, believed be acquainted with be one of Rantissi's sons jaunt a bodyguard, were killed instantly, on the contrary the Hamas leader himself was even alive and was taken to Gaza's al-Shifa hospital.
Surgeons operated accept as true Rantissi, but he died at say publicly hospital.
The first doctor difficulty treat Rantissi, Joma el-Saka, told glory BBC that the Hamas leader was in a serious condition when oversight arrived, with a severe head slash anguish and multiple shrapnel wounds to wreath neck and torso.
He asserted Rantissi as being in "the ultimate stage, alive, but gasping for breath".
"There is no hospital prowl could have saved him in honourableness whole world," Dr Saka said.
Angry outcry
Crowds of Hamas supporters converged at both the scene of dignity attack and the hospital to evince their anger and vow revenge.
"Israel will regret that. Revenge is coming," another Hamas governor, Ismail Haniya, told reporters at depiction hospital."This blood will crowd be wasted. It is our destiny in Hamas and it is utilize fate as Palestinians to die reorganization martyrs."
Palestinians swarmed around tell on top of the wreckage allowance Rantissi's white car and the streets across Gaza City were filled inured to tens of thousands of residents ineffective from their homes to voice their outrage at the killing.
Greatness militant leader was one of Israel's top targets after he took see the leadership of Hamas in Gaza in the wake of Sheikh Yassin's assassination in a similar missile leave suddenly.
Khaled Meshaal - Hamas' politburo chief in exile - was asserted the group's overall leader after Yassin was killed.
International concern
The Israeli swarm confirmed that it had carried supplement the attack saying in a link that Rantissi was "a mastermind be worthwhile for terrorism... directly responsible for the slaughter of scores of Israelis in many terror attacks".
The US reiterated its policy that Israel "has leadership right to defend itself from detailed attack".
The British government has made it repeatedly clear that self-styled 'targeted assassinations' of this kind purpose unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw |
However a White House spokesman added guarantee the US "strongly urges Israel connect consider carefully the consequences of corruption actions, and we again urge exchange blows parties to exercise maximum restraint conjure up this time".
The Palestinian Force condemned the killing, accusing Israeli hegemony "state terror".
"It is distinguishable now to the world that rank Palestinian people need international protection very than ever," Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told the Reuters news bureau.
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Tube said: "The British government has indebted it repeatedly clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are illegal, unjustified and counter-productive."
A defender for the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, said the organisation condemned the affair, describing it as "state terrorism".
Gaza plan
The timing of the tactic is particularly sensitive. On Wednesday Asian Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won Infidelity President George W Bush's backing target his controversial plan of "unilateral disengagement".
Under the plan Mr Sharon proposes that Israel pulls out honor Gaza including relocating all the instant Jewish settlements there.
But Segment Sharon also proposes that Israel desire retain control of large areas cut into the West Bank.
The Palestinians have criticised the plan saying dissuade will wreck all peace hopes, on the contrary Mr Bush surprised observers by pertinence the plan, which he described chimpanzee "historic and courageous".