Israel fingers surgeon as new Hamas leader

ISRAELI military officials yesterday identified Mahmoud Zahar, a surgeon and prominent Hamas hard-liner, as the new leader of the Islamic militant group in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has refused to reveal the name of the man chosen to replace Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the Hamas leader killed in an Israeli airstrike on April 17.

Hamas denied the Israeli claims regarding Zahar, calling it a ploy to draw out information about the group's murky leadership structure.

Hamas leaders in Gaza have been in hiding since the group's founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was assassinated by Israel on March 22. Israel has said the group's entire leadership is marked for death.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for dozens of suicide bombings that have killed more than 300 Israelis. All three major Israeli newspapers yesterday identified Zahar as the group's new leader.

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, told the Yediot Ahronot daily that the new leader had accepted the post reluctantly and signalled that Israel would avoid attacking him as long as the group remains quiet.

"He doesn't want it, and he is apparently avoiding making decisions, and he is apparently avoiding terrorism," Gen Yaalon said. "Anyone who doesn't use terrorism against us, we do not deal with."

He did not identify the Hamas leader, but military officials said Yaalon was referring to Zahar. Zahar, the former personal physician of Sheikh Yassin, is considered a hard-liner in Hamas. He rejects not only any settlement with Israel, but has also opposed compromise with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority.

The Yaalon interview came as Israel marked its annual remembrance for soldiers killed in war. The country came to a standstill for one minute yesterday as sirens wailed in honour of the dead. Traffic halted, pedestrians bowed their heads and offices became quiet. At sundown, Israel was set to mark its independence day.

Violence marred the day, as Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a vehicle in the West Bank after the observance began on Sunday night. An Israeli border policeman was killed and three others were wounded.