Hamas appoints unnamed successor to Rantissi

5.45pm

GAZA - The militant Islamic group Hamas appointed a secret successor to Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi hours after he was assassinated in an Israeli helicopter missile strike, a Hamas statement said.

Faced with an Israeli threat to kill all leaders and operatives of Hamas, the movement has decided to keep the name of Rantissi's successor secret, a Hamas source said.

Rantissi had replaced Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel late last month.

Palestinian sources speculated that possible successors could be Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader who escaped an Israeli assassination attempt last year, or Ismail Haniyah, Yassin's former right-hand-man.

Israel has stepped up assassinations of Hamas leaders ahead of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip, which won US backing last week.

It wants to weaken Hamas ahead of a withdrawal from Gaza so the Islamic militant group, which has spearhead a suicide bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of Israelis, will not fill the power vacuum after the Gaza pullout.

- REUTERS