Gaza City: Israel plans to kill more militant chiefs in raids mirroring a lethal missile strike on a Hamas leader, Israeli officials warned on August 22, as tens of thousands of Hamas supporters turned out for his funeral in a show of strength and promised thunderous revenge.

Palestinian leaders said the killing of Ismail Abu Shanab, a top aide to Hamas chief Ahmed Yassin, ruined what was to be an imminent campaign against militants by Palestinian security forces that would have included arrests and weapons roundups.

The militants called off their two-month-old ceasefire and promised more suicide bombings and other attacks on Israeli targets, raising the chances that a new round of Mid East violence will sink a US- backed peace plan that aims to stop three years of violence and create a Palestinian state.

Agencies