- Title: GAZA: Hamas mourns a son of one its leaders after he was killed by Israeli forces
- Date: 16th January 2008
- Summary: (MER1) GAZA CITY, GAZA (JANUARY 15, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF HOUSE WHERE MOURNERS ARE GATHERED VARIOUS OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER AND HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH ARRIVING AT HOUSE TO OFFER CONDOLENCES HANIYEH SEATED INSIDE HOUSE HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR TALKING ON THE TELEPHONE PEOPLE SHAKING HANDS WITH AL-ZAHAR HANIYEH AND AL-ZAHAR TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR SAYING: "He went downstairs for morning prayers and went upstairs to pray. He brought me a candle because there was no electricity. So I washed and I prayed and slept until a quarter to nine. I woke to the sound of his voice and he was asking me for the car. I had a feeling that when he left, he wouldn't be coming back. I just felt that and I couldn't sleep anymore." CLOSE OF HANIYEH HANIYEH AND AL-ZAHAR TALKING MOURNERS GATHERED AT AL-ZAHAR'S HOUSE
- Embargoed: 31st January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: War / Fighting,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAZ6YS8D8L4RKA2M97DET5FJSM
- Story Text: Mahmoud al-Zahar, a Hamas leader, receives condolences at his home after his son was killed by Israeli forces during the latest raids in the Gaza Strip.
Hussam al-Zahar, a son of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, was one of 16 Palestinians, nearly all of them militants, killed by Israel in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday (January 15).
Mourners, including Hamas leader and former Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, gathered at al-Zahar's family home in Gaza city to offer their condolences to the deceased's family.
Al-Zahar, recounted his last encounter with his 21-year-old son before he was killed to Haniyeh and other mourners.
"He went downstairs for morning prayers and went upstairs to pray.
He brought me a candle because there was no electricity. So I washed and I prayed and slept until a quarter to nine. I woke to the sound of his voice and he was asking me for the car. I had a feeling that when he left, he wouldn't be coming back. I just felt that and I couldn't sleep anymore," recalled al-Zahar.
Hussam is the second son al-Zahar has lost to Israeli attacks.
In 2003, al-Zahar's other son, Khaled, was killed when Israeli missiles struck the family home in an assassination attempt on al-Zahar.
The violence, which left 16 dead, came four days after Bush ended a visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank.
The death toll of 16 is the highest number of Palestinians killed in a single day since late 2006.
Hamas Islamists oppose U.S.-encouraged peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Bush predicted during his three-day visit that a peace treaty would be signed before he left office in January 2009, despite deep public scepticism.
The United States and Israel have moved to isolate Hamas over its refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept existing Israeli-Palestinian interim peace deals. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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