Palestinians flee the wreckage of al-Rantissi car which was hit by Israeli missiles

GAZA CITY, June 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi, a senior leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, was wounded with his son in an Israeli helicopter attack Tuesday, June 10, in Gaza City, that claimed the lives of three Palestinians.

Rantissi, 55, suffered leg, arm and chest wounds in the missile attack on his car in central Gaza.

Witnesses said U.S.-made Apache Israeli helicopter gunships fired seven missiles on Rantissi's car and another vehicle parked nearby.

"I saw Rantissi jump out of the car after the first missile was fired as people rushed to the scene to help," said Bassem Abu Osama, who was present at the scene, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Two bystanders, a 50-year-old woman and her five-year-old daughter, were killed while another Palestinian died of his wounds moments later.

More than 20 other people were wounded, including Rantissi, his son and two bodyguards, Palestinian medical sources said.

As smoke billowed from the charred car, ambulances and private vehicles whisked the dead and wounded to Gaza City's Shifa hospital.

A Palestinian doctor who operated on him said Rantissi is in stable condition after “a very close call on his life”.

The doctor said the Hamas political leader was wounded by shrapnel in his thigh and that the operation was successful.

Rantissi was sent back to his room, where all senior Hamas officials, including spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, were waiting for him to wake up.

Palestinians inspect the destroyed jeep

He was the highest-level Palestinian political leader to face an Israeli assassination attempt since the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada in September 2000.

Rantissi told Al-Shuruq website earlier in the day that Israeli attacks would not deter resistance fighters from keeping their resistance to occupation, shortly after an Israeli force laid siege to his house in Khan Younis and opened indiscriminate fire around.

Thousands of Palestinians, anguished by initial reports of Rantissi's death, flocked to the hospital a few blocks away from the site of the assault.

Candy and free drinks were distributed to the crowd to celebrate Rantissi's survival, as gun-toting Hamas supporters protested against Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas's call for an end to the armed Intifada and vowed revenge.

Hamas broke off talks with Abbas after he made his pledge at the summit last week in Aqaba, Jordan, with U.S. President George Bush and Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon.

The mid-morning missile attack was a major new blow to efforts to implement the U.S.-sponsored roadmap, stipulating the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.

It is expected to put Abbas’ efforts for resuming ceasefire talks with Hamas to a standstill.