Israeli helicopters kill top Hamas leader

Militant Islamic group Hamas faced off against the Israeli Government yesterday after attack helicopters shot and killed one of the group's founding members and three of his bodyguards. Hamas vowed revenge as Israel promised more strikes.

The last high-ranking Palestinian political figure killed by Israeli forces was Abu Ali Mustafa, of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in August of 2001. His killing prompted the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi, and began a series of fierce clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops in the West Bank.

"Israel has just widened the field of battle and widened the number of possible targets," said Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas political leader and spokesman, after identifying the mangled body of Hamas strongman Ibrahim Makadmeh, 51. Helicopters blasted his passing car with missiles.