The Israelis killed the main man for Hamas. Just like our hunt for al-Qaeda, the Israelis are picking them off one-by-one.

"Israel has just widened the field of battle and widened the number of possible targets," said Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas political leader and spokesman, after identifying Makadmeh's mangled body.

"We encourage our cells to plan and prepare strikes against the occupiers ... especially Jewish political leaders," the group's military wing said in a statement.

I guess attacking unarmed civilians is just not enough.

Israel rarely takes responsibility for such killings, but in an unusual statement, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's adviser, Shoval, called Saturday's operation in Gaza a "success."

Sharon's new hardline government has promised more attacks against militants, and on Saturday the army said it would launch more strikes. It has also promised stepped up strikes against Hamas and its infrastructure and appears to be digging into Gaza, considered a stronghold of Hamas.

The only way to stop terrorists is to kill terrorists or expose them to severe retribution.

Last week, Israeli forces in Gaza captured Mohammed Taha, 65, a co-founder of the Hamas movement, and his son Ayman, linked to the top Hamas bomb maker. Last July, Israeli forces targeted another Hamas military commander, Salah Shehadeh, killing him and 14 others in a bombing.

One-by one.