Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 22, 2004
PNA condemns Yassin killing
Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei condemned on Monday Israel for killing Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei condemned on Monday Israel for killing Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
"This is a crazy and very dangerous act. It opens the door wide to chaos. Yassin is known for his moderation and he was controlling Hamas and therefore this is a dangerous, cowardly act," Qurei said.
PNA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat also joined the condemnation ofthe Israeli assassination, warning that "Israel is dragging the whole region again to a wave of violence."
"We strongly condemn this assassination against an old quadriplegic man," he told reporters.
"Israel knows very well that the assassination of Sheikh Yassin would never bring Israel any solution... (but) despite of knowing that killing Yassin would not solve the conflict, it assassinated him," Erekat said.
Israeli Apache helicopters fired rockets at Yassin before dawn Monday as he was leaving a mosque near his house in Gaza City, medics, witnesses and Hamas sources said.
Yassin and the bodies of five others were brought to Shiffa Hospital in Gaza City, the medical sources said, adding that 17 others were injured, including two of Yassin's children.