Israelis kill Hamas leader's son in Gaza raid

Palestinian relatives of Hamas mourn after he was killed by Israeli troops during
a raid in Gaza. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters


Israeli forces today killed the militant son of a powerful Hamas leader in Gaza in one of the bloodiest days of fighting since the group took control of the Gaza Strip in June.

Seventeen Palestinians died in today's clashes, which began when Israeli troops targeted a house east of Gaza City.

At the same time, Palestinian sniper fire killed a 20-year-old Ecuadorian who was working on an Israeli kibbutz.

The violence came days after the US president, George Bush, set the goal of a peace deal by 2008 during his first visit to the region last week. Bush, who is now in the Gulf, is due to leave the Middle East tomorrow.

The killing of Mahmoud Zahar's 24-year-old son, Hussam, will inflame hostilities. Hamas has so far sanctioned daily attacks on Israeli forces, but has refrained from carrying them out itself.

Holding his son's head in his hands and reciting from the Qur'an, Zahar accused the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, of complicity in his son's death.

He had lost his eldest son when Israel botched an attempt to assassinate him three years ago.

"This is the hope of Abu Mazen [Abbas's nickname] and his colleagues, collaborators with Israel and the spies of America," Zahar said. He vowed that Hamas would respond to today's raid in the "appropriate way ... we will defend ourselves by all means". More