Israel hits Hamas leader, family

Zahar, 58, was standing inside his house when the missile hit and was thrown by the force of the explosion, witnesses said. He sustained only light injuries to his head and back but his wife was seriously hurt, medics said.

Claiming responsibility for Tuesday’s bombings at a bus stop in central Israel and a cafe in Jerusalem, Hamas vowed to avenge the attack on Zahar by widening its list of targets to include Israeli homes and residential buildings.

Trying to defuse a political crisis accompanying the surge of bloodletting, Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qurie said he had accepted his nomination for Prime Minister by Yasser Arafat and would seek parliamentary approval for an emergency Cabinet on Thursday.

Qurie condemned the assassination attempt against Zahar as ‘‘cowardly,’’ while Hamas supporters took to the streets of Gaza chanting ‘‘Death to Israel.’’ In Washington, the White House demanded that the new Palestinian leadership unequivocally declare its opposition to terrorism and begin dismantling militant organisations.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan made clear Qurie had work to do to gain President George W. Bush’s confidence. ‘‘We believe the new Cabinet needs to state clearly its opposition to all forms of terrorism, demand that all acts of terrorism cease, and insist that terrorist and military organisations not under the control of the Palestinian Authority be outlawed and dismantled,’’ McClellan said.

The attempt to kill Zahar was the latest in strikes on Hamas leaders in recent weeks and followed Hamas bombings on Tuesday that killed eight soldiers at bus stop near Tel Aviv and seven people in a Jerusalem cafe. Israel holds Arafat responsible for Tuesday’s bombings.

Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Israel would speed up construction of a security barrier in the West Bank. An Israeli security source said Zahar was one of the officials ‘‘at the top of the Hamas pyramid’’ who gave approval for attacks and had used his role as a leading Hamas spokesman for ‘‘unbridled incitement’’ against the Jewish state.

Hamas has described Zahar’s activities as strictly political, a distinction Israel rejects. His 29-year-old son and 32-year-old bodyguard died in the ruins of his home. —Reuters