"The truce is gone and the Palestinian resistance should respond strongly and bravely," said Batch

By Mohammad Yassin, IOL Correspondent

GAZA CITY, August 21 (IslamOnline.net) – Palestinian factions asserted that by assassinating a moderate Hamas political leader on Thursday, August 21, Israel has killed stone dead the three-month truce declared by the main resistance groups on June 29.

Speaking to IslamOnline.net, Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batch said that the assassination of Abu Shanab has "completely wiped out the truce."

"This heinous crime can be added to a series of Zionist crimes against our people, their symbols and leaders, who make every effort to restore our legitimate rights," he said.

Abu Shanab and two of his associates were killed in an Israeli air strike on his car in central Gaza City earlier Thursday.

The three died when an Israel F-16 swooped down on the city and fired a volley of rockets at Abu Shanab's station wagon.

Asked about the Islamic Jihad's position on the truce, Batch said the ceasefire has become meaningless following the killing of Abu Shanab "in such a detestable and impudent way."

"The truce is gone and the Palestinian resistance should respond strongly and bravely (to the assassination of Abu Shanab)," he stressed.

Batch also paid tribute to deceased Abu Shanab as "the liaison between all Palestinian factions."

'Despicable Crime'

For his part, Salih Zidan, a leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) in the Gaza Strip, condemned the Israeli operation as "a despicable crime".

"This crime was perpetrated by the terrorist government of (Israeli premier) Ariel Sharon against a prominent struggler in Hamas," Zidan told IOL.

"This treacherous operation is a deadly crime that underscores the terrorist nature of the government of Sharon and (defense minister Shaul) Mofaz."

Kayed al-Khoul, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), told IOL the Israeli assassination targeted a veteran Palestinian struggler.

"Abu Shanab was keen on the unity of the Palestinians and his farsighted vision and political acumen gained him the respect of all Palestinian factions.

"Today, we lost a leader and source of pride for every Palestinian," Khoul mourned the late Hamas leader.

Meanwhile, Samir al-Mashharawi, member of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Fatah's supreme committee, held Israel accountable for the sliding situation in the region.

"Against that backdrop, we hold Israel responsible for the consequences of such an attack.

"The Palestinian people do desire peace, but Israel has been taking aggressive measures and making violations (of the truce) over the past 50 days," he averred.

"Israel does not want a real peace but want the Palestinian people to surrender," he said.

"Therefore, we are in a dire need to speak with one voice and let bygones be bygones in order to face up to the daunting challenges ahead."

'Ugly Crime'

For its part, the Palestinian Authority vigorously condemned the Israeli "contemptible assassination" of Abu Shanab.

"Such crimes will never serve the much-hoped security and peace, but put the region over the cliff," the PA said in a statement.

Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas branded the Israeli attack as "an ugly crime," warning it would hamper any efforts made to control the Palestinian fighters.

"We flatly condemn such an attack, because it does not server peace and has a negative impact on all plans set up by the PA," he said.

The assassination of Abu Shaban is a new chapter in a blck Israeli book of political assassinations. On June 10, Hamas senior leader Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi survived a failed Israeli assassination attempt.