GAZA CITY, March 24: Khaled Meshaal, the head of the Hamas movement's political bureau, said on Wednesday that Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon has become a target for assassination.
"Sharon has become a target for Palestinian resistance men and the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas' armed wing) in retaliation for the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin," Meshaal, based in Syria, told a Hamas website.
Hamas has repeatedly threatened to target high-ranking Israeli officials such as Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz since the assassination early Monday of its spiritual leader and founder.
On Tuesday, Hamas distributed playing cards with the names of Israeli officials who would be targeted, similar to the card decks of officials in the regime of captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein issued by the United States.
NO CEASEFIRE: In Gaza City, New Hamas leader for Gaza Strip Abdelaziz Rantissi ruled out any ceasefire with Israel until it ends its occupation of the Palestinian territories, as Israeli premier Ariel Sharon appealed for peace with the Arab world.
"As long as we are under aggression and occupation we are not ready to speak about a ceasefire," Rantissi told AFP as he received condolences at a football stadium in Gaza after the Israeli assassination of the movement's spiritual leader and founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin on Monday.
Rantissi, also sought to allay fears that the movement could attack US targets. "If they are worried, then they are stupid because we have said it many times that we will target only our enemy, the (Israeli) occupiers," he said.
ARAFAT'S EXPULSION: Meanwhile, in Al Quds, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom called for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to be expelled from his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah.
"I have said it for three years already, and the security cabinet made a decision on this issue a few months ago: we have to banish Arafat," he told Israeli public radio from New York.
Shalom said Arafat's exile would "allow the emergence of a Palestinian leadership with which it will be possible to make progress on the roadmap." The roadmap is a peace blueprint drafted by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia but it has made little impact since it was agreed upon by Israel and the Palestinians last June. -dpa/AFP