Al-Rantisi vows to fight the Zionists 'everywhere'
Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi was chosen on Tuesday to be the new leader of Hamas in Gaza following Zionist assassination of the group's founder.

Hamas officials said Rantisi emerged from secret elections as the Gaza chief of Hamas.

Khaled Mashaal, a Hamas leader based in Syria, still heads the group's political bureau, the main decision-making body.


Al-Rantisi has vowed that the Zionists "will not know security" and vowed to "fight them everywhere".

"We will hit them everywhere. We will chase them everywhere. We will teach them lessons in confrontation," al-Rantisi told thousands of mourners gathered in Gaza's main soccer stadium on Tuesday.

Hamas supporters responded chanting, "We will sacrifice our blood and souls for you".

Reiterating Hamas pledge to avenge Yassin's assassination, al-Rantisi said Zionist Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other Zionist leaders "will never feel security or safety".

Elections

Earlier, Hamas said it was to hold elections to designate a successor for Yasin. This came as the Zionists reiterated threats that all Palestinian resistance leaders are targets.

Hamas political chief Muhammad Shamaa said on Tuesday the movement would decide on a successor in a democratic manner.

The Zionists assassinated Yasin in a helicopter attack on Monday in the occupied Gaza Strip. At least nine other people were killed in the attack, including two of his bodyguards and a son-in-law. Seventeen people were wounded, among them two of Yasin’s children.

Shamaa, a founder of Hamas, said the movement would designate its new overall leader once the three-day mourning period for Yasin's death was over.

He did not say who may take the post.

As Hamas prepared to find a new leader, the Zionist entity said on Tuesday all Palestinian resistance leaders were in its sights.

More killings promised

The Zionist entity said it would continue its policy of murder, during a meeting on Tuesday among Zionist military and security leaders, according to army radio.

In his first comments since the attack, Zionist Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said the killing of Yasin was a huge blow to Hamas.

However, he admitted that the immediate reaction might be counterproductive, saying that, "Maybe in the short run such an act may strengthen the emotions and the motivation of Hamas."

Hamas leaders confirmed the Intifada or uprising against Zionist occupation would not be deterred.

“We are going to intensify our armed struggle until the elimination of the occupation and nobody will say that the Zionists left our area by negotiation but they suffered too much from our struggle,” said Hamas leader Mahmud Zahar.

He was speaking at Shaikh Yasin’s home in Gaza City, where Palestinians had been lining up to offer condolences to his family.

The occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank were in mourning for the loss of the wheelchair-bound cleric.

Schools, universities and businesses are closed, reported Aljazeera’s correspondent.

The Zionists were on heightened alert for retaliation attacks. Security has also been boosted at Zionist embassies around the world.