Israel Denies Killing Bombmaker
Israel sent its top secret service official to tell Palestinian President Yasser Arafat Friday that Israelis had nothing to do with the death of a Muslim militant master bomber, Israeli political sources said.
They said Ami Ayalon, head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, met Arafat in the dead of night at his office in Palestinian-ruled Gaza.
The military wing of the militant Hamas group, mourning the death of its bombmaker Muhyideen al-Sharif, dismissed Israel's claims of innocence and vowed Friday to launch revenge attacks against Jewish targets inside and outside Israel.
"The leadership of Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades has decided to carry out a comprehensive and varied plan of attack on several fronts and fields," it said in a statement.
"We will not make do this time with hitting the Zionist depth in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv but the fire of our revenge will extend to what is unexpected by the Zionists and unimagined by others," the group said.
It was at least the second threat by Qassam since news broke Wednesday that Sharif was found dead and his body dumped near a booby-trapped car earlier in the week in an area of the West Bank ruled by Arafat's Palestinian Authority.
Qassam said it rejected a call Palestinian Authority security officials made in a meeting with Hamas political leaders in Gaza Thursday not to respond to "this vile crime." Palestinian officials were not available for comment.
"We have nothing to do with the authority's obligations and security promises. We do not take orders from anyone," Qassam said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told foreign ambassadors Friday Israel "had nothing whatsoever" to do with Sharif's death.
Netanyahu said statements to the contrary by Palestinian officials were "very irresponsible."
"I would say they ignite an already explosive atmosphere and they could lead to the launching of terrorist attacks against Israel," he added.
In past assasinations widely attributed to Israel, the Israeli government has customarily refused to either confirm or deny involvement.
However, the Palestinian Legislative Council said Thursday Sharif's death was a "criminal act" perpetrated by Israel.
Thousands of Palestinians in towns in the West Bank and in Gaza held rallies commemorating Sharif after Muslim Friday prayers. They chanted pro-Hamas slogans and shouted for revenge.
In Nablus, marchers burned Israeli flags and in Hebron, Sharif's brother told the crowds Muhyideen had always wanted to become a martyr.
Netanyahu put Arafat on notice Thursday that Israel would hold the Palestinian Authority responsible if Hamas launched revenge attacks again.
The United States and Israel have put pressure on Arafat to destroy the infrastructure of groups such as Hamas. Netanyahu has made a further pullback of Israeli troops frothe West Bank conditional on a crackdown on militant groups.
Israel has beefed up security in city centers and crowded areas in response to the Hamas threats.
A political source, who declined to be identified, said Arafat briefed Ayalon on the results of the Palestinian investigation.
A Palestinian official said Ayalon stressed to Arafat that Israel was not responsible for Sharif's death, and was interested in calming the sitation.
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