House condemns Rantissi killing

JAKARTA: The House of Representatives (DPR) strongly condemned on Monday the killing of newly appointed Hamas leader Abdel-Azil al-Rantissi by the Israeli government in a missile attack.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the assassination of Rantissi would have disastrous consequences on attempts to bring peace in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"The killing will have wide repercussions in the Middle East. All conflicting parties will be discouraged from embarking on peace talks," Akbar said in his speech to open the House's new session here.

The Indonesian government had earlier condemned the killing, saying it indicated the Jewish state's lack of commitment to the ongoing Middle East peace process.

Rantissi died on Saturday after two missiles launched by Israeli helicopters slammed into his car.

The killing came just three days after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon concluded his visit to Washington. On Wednesday, U.S. President George W. Bush gave his support to Sharon's proposal to maintain Jewish settlements in the West Bank. -- JP