WRAP Adds Rantisi criticising Bush, funeral

(28 Mar 2004)

Gaza City
1. Wide shot of rally for assassinated Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin at Islamic University in Gaza City
2. Various of crowds of women on hill at edge of crowd
3. Boy wearing Hamas sash on stage speaking
4. Wheelchair with picture of Yassin on stage
5. Various of man drawing huge picture of Yassin
6. Crowd holding up fingers including Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader, zoom in to him (glasses, beard)

Gaza City
7. Wide shot crowds
8. Woman filming rally
9. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader:
"The United States of America who used the power of veto supports nothing new. We know that Bush is the enemy of God and the enemy of Islam and Muslims. America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon."
10. Crowd holding up fingers

Al Zahiriyia - south of Hebron, West Bank
11. Crowd bringing out body of Palestinian Jamal Atel, zoom in as carried by crowds, pull to wide as body borne down street at his funeral
12. Crowds of Palestinians marching and chanting with body

STORYLINE:

The new Gaza head of Hamas on Sunday said US President George W. Bush was an "enemy of God and Islam", and declared that "God''s war" against the United States and Israel was ongoing.

In a speech at Gaza''s Islamic University, Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi said he was not surprised that the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel''s assassination last Monday of Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin.

Rantisi said "We know that Bush is the enemy of God, the enemy of Islam and Muslims. America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God and God
declared war against America, Bush and Sharon".

He continued: "The war of God continues against them and I can see the victory coming up from the land of Palestine by the hand of Hamas".

Israel is taking the Hamas threats seriously, including statements that Sharon and other Israeli officials are legitimate targets.

Israeli security services have increased security and assigned armored Cadillacs to several Cabinet ministers, one minister said on condition of anonymity.

Immediately after the Israeli missile strike that killed Yassin, Rantisi and other Hamas leaders threatened to retaliate against the United States, Israel''s staunchest ally. However, a few days later, Rantisi backed down from the threat, saying Hamas would only be active in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel.

In Al Zahiriyia, south of Hebron, meanwhile, Palestinians attended the funeral of Jamal Atel who, according to the Israeli army, was killed by soldiers early on Sunday morning in a nearby village.

Atel, was a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs'' Brigades, a militant group linked to Yasser Arafat''s Fatah movement. Atel fled to the roof of his house when the army came to arrest him, and soldiers shot and killed him, according to the army.

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