Israel Launches New Gaza Missile Strike

Israel today launched a missile strike against a leading Palestinian militant, only hours after it assassinated the Hamas commander Adnan al-Ghoul, prompting vows of bloody vengeance.

Ghoul - the second highest ranking figure in the organisation's military wing - was killed when the car he was travelling in was hit by two missiles fired from an Israeli jet late yesterday. His deputy, Imad Abass, also died in the attack.

Early today, a strike was launched on the Gaza home of Amer Qarmout, a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees, according to witnesses cited by the Reuters news agency. No casualties were reported.

In the hours following the attack on Ghoul, Hamas promised to carry out suicide bombings against Israel, and its supporters fired 17 mortar shells at Israeli communities in the Gaza strip.

No one was wounded, but several houses in one community suffered direct hits, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israeli army bases in the area also came under fire.

Ghoul, who was 46, was a master bombmaker known as the "father of Qassam" - the name of a makeshift rocket fired frequently into Israel and at Jewish settlements in Gaza.

He had survived numerous Israeli assassination attempts over the last decade, and had for years been in hiding, avoiding public appearances and media interviews. In a statement, the Israeli army described him as a "leading Hamas figure" who was responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis.

Musher al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, said the group would avenge the killing. "Hamas retaliation will be painful, and the Zionist enemy will regret this awful crime," he said yesterday, surrounded by hundreds of supporters outside the morgue to which Ghoul's body was taken.

However, Israeli military leaders today claimed the assassination would severely impede the ability of Hamas' military wing - the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades - to launch attacks, according to Israeli army radio.

Despite the calls for revenge and the prospect of a fresh wave of suicide bombings, Hamas' ability to strike back at Israel has been weakened by Israeli assassinations.

Early this year, Israel killed the group's spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, and his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. A top Hamas leader based in Damascus, Syria, was killed in a car bombing last month. Israeli security officials acknowledged involvement in the attack.

Ghoul's killing leaves the Hamas military leadership in the hands of Mohammed Deif. Like Ghoul, he is high on Israel's wanted list and has been in hiding for years. Both men escaped a September 2003 airstrike against a gathering of Hamas leaders in Gaza.

The Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat condemned yesterday's killing, which he said "reflects the determination of the Israeli government to continue the path of military solutions rather than negotiations".

The assassination could help the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to counter far-right opponents who have said his proposal to remove all 21 settlements in Gaza and four of the 120 in the West Bank would "reward" Palestinian attacks.

On Monday, the plan will go before Israeli MPs for a decisive vote.