Ahmed Yassin is just born, mother says

"Sheikh Ahmed Yassin did not die. He was just born", Ghada Al Khudari said yesterday, holding her newborn son named after the Hamas founder assassinated.

Israel branded Yassin an "arch-terrorist" for heading a movement sworn to destroying the Jewish state and responsible for suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of Israelis.

To many Palestinians, the frail cleric symbolised resistance to Israel's grip on occupied territories and hospitals reported a flurry of newborn Ahmed Yassins after his assassination on Monday.

"We were angry at the news of Sheikh Yassin's death. We were happy when Ahmed Yassin was born, he is my first baby boy", Khudari said from her Gaza City apartment.

Hospital officials said they knew of at least five other infants named after Yassin in the first few hours following his death.

Ghada's husband, Khaled, said he had no connection with Hamas, but he admired the movement's founder for having been his school teacher in the 1980s.

"They killed Ahmed Yassin, the sheikh, but they failed to block the will of God. Ahmed Yassin has been reborn in Gaza," he said.