Israeli Missile Kills Hamas Leader
``This is a war crime that is aimed at destroying all efforts to return stability to the region,'' Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said. ``We warned the Israeli government against attacking civilians. The Israeli government is playing with fire.''

The attack, around midnight, left the apartment building a pile of smoldering rubble. Bedding, kitchen utensils, clothes and children's toys were strewn about in the debris. Hundreds of residents in the area dug through rubble during the night, searching for survivors.

Haleema Matar, 45, was on the ground floor of the targeted building, while children in her family were sleeping upstairs when the missile hit.

``The children died. If I died it would have been better, I would not have to see this,'' she said. Five children in the extended Matar family were killed.

Palestinians gathered in the street near the ruins and outside the hospital where survivors and bodies were taken, demanding revenge on Israel.

``We will kill their children like they killed ours,'' shouted one man with a loudspeaker.

Arab and European nations condemned the missile strike as disproportionate and said it would fuel more violence.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, in Cairo for talks with the Egyptian president, demanded ``severe punishment'' for what he called ``a horrible act which will be recorded in history against Sharon.''

Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Maher, accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians and inflaming tensions and called on the United States to ``stop such Israeli behavior.''

In a rare U.S. criticism of Israel, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, ``this heavy-handed action does not contribute to peace.'' The office of U.S. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said ``Israel has the legal and moral responsibility to take all measures to avoid the loss of innocent life.''
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html